An Update.

Fire Warriors Look Awesome

Firstly, I have not published anything Tau-related in a while. While they are my favorite army and the one I almost always choose to play, most of what needs to be said has already been said. There is very little strategy for them, sadly, which has not already been covered. It is disappointing, but the only choice I make when putting my army together is whether to take more Broadsides or more Hammerheads. However, i hope to be posting a new batrep soon which will bring some fresh Tau content to you.

I proposed an article to The Escapist Magazine, a worthy website which you should frequent almost as much as my humble blog. However, it was turned down. I was interested in writing about the link between modern DRM, digital distribution, reduction of single-player content, and the loss of the classic PC game. By classic I mean a game whos quality is so exceptional that 18 years after its release you load it up and play it again. There may be emulators, or system tweaks, but it is still doable. Always-on connections and server-side authentication will end such things, and the consumer will be so much the poorer. Perhaps I will post it here. You never know.

Awesometown

While I have not been able to play any 40k games recently, my Blood Angels army construction continues apace. I have 11 scratch-built drop pods ready to be painted, and two squads of Vanguard Veterans kitbashed from Death Company and Sanguinary Guards that I need to finish assembling. Also, I have two Terminators I scratch-built Cyclone Missle Launchers, which need new Storm-Bolter arms. They came with Assault Cannons, which I still have, but for now lay dormant in my bitz box. Also, I am looking at posting a couple well-painted Tactical Squads and a AoBR Captain w/ Thunderhammer on eBay. If it weren't for their awesome appearance, the termies would likely join them. Neither quite fit in the jumper or drop-pod based assault armies I am building. So naturally I built a list with them, with two variations:

x1 librarian: bolt/sword
2x5 termies: cms
3x1 sang priests: x2 infernus pistols
2x10 tac squad: ml, melta, combi-melta
x6 devs: x4 ml
2x1 dreads: hflamer, assault cannon

x1 librarian: bolt/sword powers, combi-melta
2x5 termies: cms
3x1 san priests: x2 infernus pistols
2x10 tac squad: ml, melta, combi-melta
3x5 devs: x4 ml apiece

They both come to about 1500 points. The idea is to build a BA army that uses Blood Chalices to protect them while they stride slowly across the battlefield. One version, the devs provide a firebase set off at an angle from the rest of the force. In the other version, the Dreads go with the rest of the army, providing alternate threats as well as cover for the infantry. My goal was to use shooty terminators in the 1.5k range. I think these lists are about as good as it gets without introducing units that will fast outpace the termies.

And in other news... I will soon be finished with Mass Effect! Living under a rock and all, I am a bit behind the PC Gaming times. But I must say this game does live up to its hype. I hope to begin reindulging in Starcraft soon after this.

"prosper, as Tau shall"
Shas'El Mike