4th Ed D&D Reflections

So I have been playing the 4th edition D&D rules pretty much since they have been released. Overall the rules are solid and except for a few things here and there I don’t have any real problems learning a new game system. Don’t be fooled in thinking that 4th ed is the D&D you played 10 years or even 3 years ago. True it holds many of the trappings that the various versions of D&D have embraced over the years but AD&D or even Basic D&D its not.

Never the less I have enjoyed running the game in the limited amount of time I have now a days. What I am looking forward to which has yet to emerge are all those nifty on-line tools that Wizard promised with the release of 4th edition. Oh there a few that have been released (Encounter Builder , Ability Generator , and Monster Builder ) but what I am looking for is the D&D Game Table and the Dungeon Builder .  I am fully capable of building dungeons however with these two programs a GM will have the ability to take that adventure on-line. Once you have created the dungeon witht he builder you will be able to import it into the Gaming Table.

This is where everything and everyone comes together. The D&D Game Table provides on onlineenvironment where you and your friends can connect and play D&D anytime and anywhere. Enter a treacherous 3D environment crafted by your Dungeon Master. Explore detailed dungeons with dynamic lighting, textures, and special effects. Encounter monsters, traps, and other hazards that reveal themselves only once you’vediscovered them. With VOIP and IM, your entire party can communicate (and chatter) just as you would at a traditional table.

Many of my friends who I gamed with are spread out across the county, including myself. So it would be rather cool to be able to sit down once a month and have everyone log into the Wizards web site and play D&D. Now I like MMORPG as much as the next person (currently playing Warhammer Online) but to this is totally different. Ok so when its ready Wizards sign me up but until then that $7.95 a month payment for me to be a D&D “insider” will say in my wallet.

Lizardmen Australia/New Zealand Games Day

More Lizardmen pics have appeared taken at Australia/New Zealand Games Day brought to us from DAWARPATH’s Turelio.

 

Due to be released in Feb 2009

Warhammer Armies: Lizardmen $25.00
Lizardmen Stegadon $40.00
Lizardmen Saurus Temple Guard $25.00
Lizardmen Kroxigor $20.00
Tiktaq’to, Master Of Skies $17.00
Lizardmen Barbed Razordon Hunting Party $25.00
Lizardmen Scar Veteran With Army Standard $15.00
Chakax, Eternity Warden $15.00
Lizardmen Terradon $17.00

From Table top Gaming News

40K Baltimore GT

Top Baltimore GT 40K armies

Orks
Orks
Tyranids
Chaos Daemons
Chaos Daemons
Orks
Chaos Space Marines
Chaos Space Marines
Daemon Hunters
Tyranids

Baltimore Warhammer Fantasy GT Results

The results for the Baltimore GT for Warhammer Fantasy has been released, looks like a good time had by all. The top overall player took second at Chicago’s GT. The new books are still dominating but its nice to see some of the older books make an appearence.

Top Ratings
Dark Elves Overall
Vampire Counts Best General
Daemons of Chaos 3rd Best Appearance
Daemons of Chaos 3rd Best General
Daemons of Chaos Best Appearance
Lizardmen 2nd Best Sportsmanship
Vampire Counts 3rd Best Sportsmanship
Vampire Counts 2nd Best General
Mark Ogre Kingdoms Player’s Choice
Dwarfs Favorite Opponent
Orcs and Goblins 2nd Best Appearance

Number of Armies per book
Dark Elves 7
Vampire Counts 12
Daemons of Chaos 11
Dwarfs 9
Lizardmen 6
Wood Elves 3
High Elves 6
Empire 4
Orcs and Goblins 6
Mark Ogre Kingdoms
Skaven 3
Brettonians 4
Tomb Kings 3
Beastmen

Top 10
Dark Elves
Vampire Counts
Daemons of Chaos
Vampire Counts
Vampire Counts
Daemons of Chaos Best
Daemons of Chaos Best
Dwarfs
Daemons of Chaos
Vampire Counts
Dwarfs
Brettonians
Wood Elves
Orcs and Goblins
Empire
Dark Elves

Top Places per book
Dark Elves #1
Vampire Counts #2
Daemons of Chaos #3
Dwarfs #8
Lizardmen #11
Wood Elves #14
Empire #19
High Elves #20
Orcs and Goblins #22
Mark Ogre Kingdoms #28
Skaven #29
Brettonians #31
Tomb Kings #35

Be sure to also check out the Warhammer 40K and the Lord of the Rings results as well.

40K Imperial Guard Rumors

Appears to be some additional Imperial Guard rumors floating about , here are a few — of course Caveat emptor

-3 Leman Russes per HS slot. (requires certain conditions to be met)
- Leman Russes can now move and fire ALL their weapons (including the Battle Canon), regardless of their strength.
-New doctrines, including one which provides +1 to cover and allows firing while going to ground. -New Plastic Command squad.
-Assault 2 Lasguns (probably an upgrade).
-The plastic Valkyrie
-New plastic Hellhound.

GENERAL RUMORS
-No more doctrines
-Tanks will be in squads
-Many special charaters that will provide army wide rules like those in new SM codex
-Chimera and Hellhound might come in one combo boxed set
-Troop squads may be in the pricerange of 200Pts for 45 Guardsmen
-Many new models

MODEL RUMORS (only a sampling)
-Leman Russ multi-variant all plastic kit
-Hellhound updated
-IG Command Squad plastic kit

Skaven Rumors

With the new Lizardmen book due out in Feb 2009, rumors have begun to percolate on a few of the other armies that will follow. Below is a small list of rumors on the new Skaven book, take it for what it is worth its just rumors for now.

Clanrats, same unfortunately

Stormvermin S4 base, ASF, cause fear

Rat ogres S6, count as having additional hand weapons, reroll all psych tests, stubborn while packmasters are alive

Giant rats, reroll all psych tests, stubborn while packmasters are alive

Slaves, can’t be joined by characters otherwise the same

 

Ratling gun now S5, move and shoot, points drop

Warpfire thrower, move and shoot but inexplicably goes up by 15 pts ensuring its still not taken

new ‘lightning gun’ weapon team, as warp lightning but in the shooting phase

Poison wind globadiers, points up slighty but d6 hits per ‘hit’

Night runners/gutter runners option for brace of warplock pistols

Jezzails, option for sniper champ, can pick out model

plague monks, frenvy, hatred and poisoned attacks

plague censor, 2A, S4, censor wound on 4+ regardless of Toughness, option for ’super censor’ on a champ, wounds on 2+

 

Warplightning cannon, same but thankfully follows normal war machine rules

 

new rare ‘really big rat’, US5, good stats, regeneration, stubborn, may tunnel and charge in any direction on turn it appears

 

Warlord, same

Grey seer, knows all spells, unlimited warpstone chunks

Vermin Lord, doombull stats, lvl 4 wiz

Master Moulder, grants regeneration to any moulder unit he joins

Assassin, comes w/ weeping blades but still overpriced and easy to kill, interesting option for sniper rifle jezzail

Warlock. same but warp-lightning S6

Plague Priest, any may be upgraded to lvl 2 wiz, any pestilens unit he joins never loses frenzy

sacred standard of the horned rat, cause fear and also unit is unbreakable while they outnumber the enemy

More Lizardmen photos

Looks like more lizardmen sneak peeks are coming out. The Steg was very nice, here is more of what we will be seeing early next year.

40K and Army Builder

For those who use Army Builder (and if you dont why not?) the new 5th Edition 40k file has been released. Be sure to check it out and download it to your PC.

Army Builder will save you hours of preparation, speed up game play, reduce mistakes, and even open up the door to new possibilities in your favorite games. Even one of these benefits would be worth the investment, but Army Builder offers all of them. As a result, Army Builder has revolutionized the world of tabletop miniatures.

Army Builder streamlines the creation of army lists, providing “point-and-click” simplicity and virtually eliminating mistakes. Instead of spending an hour to create a roster, it now takes a few minutes. Army Builder’s validation engine constantly checks your roster against the rules for the game, flagging any errors with pinpoint accuracy. When your roster is complete, print out an invaluable “cheat sheet” for use during game play, saving time and reducing costly errors. Between games, you can harness all this power and easily experiment with new army ideas.

Here is a list of games it supports

Aeronautica Imperialis
AT-43
Babylon 5: A Call to Arms
Battlefleet Gothic
Blood Bowl
Celtos
Chronopia
Confrontation
Confrontation: Age of the Rag’narok
Dark Age
Epic Armageddon
Fairy Meat
Flames of War
HellDorado
Hordes
Inquisitor
Leviathan
Lord of the Rings
Mordheim
Necromunda
Para Bellum
Rag’narok
Starship Troopers
Urban War
Victory at Sea
VOID
Wargods of Aegyptus (French)
Warhammer 40,000 (4th Ed)
Warhammer 40,000 (5th Ed)
Warhammer Age of Chivalry
Warhammer Ancient Battles
Warhammer English Civil War
Warhammer Fantasy (v6-7)
Warhammer Historical: The Great War
Warlord
Warmachine

Lizardmen are back!

Rumors come rumors go, some are very insightful while others are just dreak. Still take what you can of them and move on but they can be a lot of fun. What they often do is create some interesting conversations around the gaming table.

It has been rumored, that the a new Lizardmen book is due to be released in Feb 2009. With the new Chaos book out 2009 is going to be the Year of Warhammer Fantasy so with that Lizardmen appear to be first on the list.

The new plastic Stegadon almost makes me want to start putting Lizardmen together. Guess the plastic kit isnt a rumor, Its a nice model.