Ish

People put way too much energy into worrying about “balance.”

God I hate that rule.

It took him 35 years to learn how to button his shirt.

You could fit six in an Outrider Detachment for 960 Points plus whatever you spend on the mandatory HQ... A Damocles Command Rhino would be hilarious.

That would be almost equal to the epic that is This Guy.

Yep, based on that wording, it should shoot everything.

Do you mean the Tachikoma? I can kinda see the similarities, but really, anything robotic and spider-shaped is going to look vaguely like anything else robotic and spider-shaped.

Not Liedfeld, but strong overtones of the character design from Arkham Asylum

A model’s Characteristics are defined on its Datasheet (BRB, p. 174), amongst them is the Save. Saving Throw modifiers like AP and Cover affect the die roll not the base Characteristic (BRB, p. 181). A Chaos Space Marine has a Save Characteristic of 3+, he gets hit with a Bolt Rifle with AP -1. The player now needs to roll a four or more to succeed on the Saving Throw, but that’s because the die roll is modified, the stat line for the model remains the same.

The Grav-Gun and related weapons’ special rule says “If the target has a Save characteristic of 3+ or better, this weapon has a Damage characteristic of D3.“ (Emphasis added.) So you need to look at the base save on the target’s Datasheet. An Imperial Guard Infantry Squad has a 5+ Save characteristic, even if in cover.

I thought I was the only one getting Bane vibes...

I don't know about Dakka, specifically, but there was a lot of buzz about it on other forums and blogs because it appears in the cover art of Urban Conquest.

T is for Tokyo, dat’s good enough for me. Toky, Toky, Toky-Oh starts with T!

Well, fine, if you want to be sensible about it. Harrumph!

Given how extremely mutated Hybrids are from baseline humans, you could easily get away with just using the regular heads... they’re pretty far gone at that point, feminine facial characteristics are probably not going to be prominent. Although, I suppose if you did want something for prominently feminine, but still with an alien ridged forehead you might try Klingons. Surely somebody on Shapeways or Thingiverse is selling miniature Klingon heads, right?

Hey, chummer... You wanna make some easy NuYen? A guy I know in Bellevue who wants some paydata erased and a few reporters “convinced” to look for a new story... ...go to the Overlake Country Club, ask for “Mr. Johnson.”

An over-sized Battle Wagon? Pretend it can't move and use it as a Fortress of Redeption or a Macro-Cannon?

Things like Battle Fortresses, Marauder Bombers, and Titans are (in my opinion) mostly worth buying for the joy of building, painting, and displaying them more so than actually playing with them. On the other hand, you could probably buy a second-hand Baneblade or Stormlord on eBay, then raid a Goodwill or Salvation Army's toy section for Star Wars or G.I. Joe toys to cannibalize, and mix them liberally with your Ork's bitz box and *presto!* you've got your own Battle Fortress.

It occurred to me, just now, that rather than try to use American or Soviet infantry as Israelis, I would probably have a much easier time just using the Israelis that Battlefront already makes for Fate of a Nation. Derp. In fact, based on the few previews we've seen so far, we know that the Team Yankee Israelis will have access to Magach 6, M113, and jeeps... All of which Battlefront already sells for FoaN. Must... resist... spending my money...

Statuesque or Victoria female heads on standard Cadian Guard or Scion bodies look great. Flak jackets, armored breastplates, and fatigues are pretty much unisex. The Statuesque Wide Heroic heads also fit Space Marine bodies just fine, if you want to annoy the heck out of a certain sort of player. There’s even a guy over on Yak Tribe that’s been mixing Statuesque heads, various other bits, and Necromunda bodies to make female Goliath gangers!

The Battle Fortress has rules in Chapter Approved 2018, p. 11. They are officially “Open Play” only, but I imagine most opponents would be cool with you fielding one in pick-up games or if we have a special “Apocalypse” event.

Just wrapped up She-Ra and the Princesses of Power (Series 1). Yes, I watched the whole dang thing during slow periods at work (mostly my graveyard shift) and I gotta say it was pretty good... The show is definitely targeted at the "girls under 10" demographic, but unlike most shows targeting that demo actually has a lot of action-adventure elements, some genuinely spooky bits, and some very complicated character motivations. I was born in 1981, making me a prime target for the original Masters of the Universe toyline, He-Man and the Masters of the Universe and She-Ra: Princess of Power shows pretty much every day from preschool until first or second grade. I tried to re-watch them about 15-20 years ago, and yikes were they a lot better better in my hazy memories then they were in reality. This reboot is a heckuva lot more watchable. The basic themes and motifs of the original She-Ra is here in the reboot (minus any reference at all to He-Man, apart from Adora's power-up cry of "For the honor of Greyskull!") its a rainbow colored fantasy land with dashes of sci-fi technology, and it's all about self-esteem, believing in yourself, and the magic of friendship. Interestingly enough, it uses those same themes to motivate the villains just as much as it does the heroes. There's really some seriously good writing for main trio of baddies: Catra, Scorpia, and Person Not Named Because It Is a Major Spoiler. I don't think I've seen villains written this well in an American children cartoon since the Paul Dini/Bruce Timm Batman: The Animated Series. It's a fun show... I'm not sure if its one I would recommend to other adults for solo viewing. But if you've got a daughter or a niece in the target demo, it's certain more fun for an adult to watch this with them than it would be most other shows targeting young girls.

I’m a big fan of Osprey books, having used them a ton for SCA and undergrad course work. Mostly their medieval and napoleonic era books, but the level of quality tends to be high brandwide. I’m going to hold out on making any purchases until the book is released. There might be some good deals on official Battlefront minis or I’ll just get creative with alternate sources. In the meantime, I’ve got a Space Marine army that needs food and clothing and children that need painting...

Dat’s a roight fancy lad, dat is. Bet he ev’n holds out one pinkie when he drinks squigbeer outta yer skull, all polite like.