Progress Report - 12/25/08.

Merry Xmas! Look what I got for the holidaze!

Yup. I have joined the unholy ranks of the undead. The Vampire Counts army is actually one of the first three I had contemplated collecting when I was first getting into WHFB back in 2001. I went with Ogre Kingdoms over the dirty bloodsuckers, but now it looks like I have come full circle!

I have begun list creation for 1000 points but so far the going is quite tough. Trying to find a theme I like so I can craft a list and models to it. Right now I am tossing around the idea of a list based on Krueger the White Wolf (Ulrich Warrior Priest turned self-loathing vampire by Count Van Carstein) focused on the martial troops, but I also like the idea of a cult of Nagash with lots of Necromantic vampires and necromancers and hordes of Ghouls, Zombies, and Skeletons. Not sure how well something like that would fare on the tabletop though.

As for yesterday's tasks here is what I have done:
- Dipped the Ironguts and my Bangstick Butcher.
- Based the next batch of models.

And I am about to ..
- Seal the dipped and highlighted models.
- Prime the next batch of models (based on my two 1000 point lists).

Hope you are having (or had) a great Xmas holiday. In our house even Arnold is getting in the Christmas mood (notice my "stocking" nailed to the wall by the inventive F).

Here is one last holiday beer review for the year, and this is one that I quite enjoyed!

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Deschutes Brewery - Jubeale 2008

Beer Type: Strong Ale

Appearance: 12 oz. brown bottle with swirly impressionist type artwork. Looks pretty cool. Beer poured a dark amber with a medium white head which faded with little lacing.

Smell: Roasted malt and some sweet dried fruits. Maybe prunes or currants?

First Drink: Sweet with the malt at the front. A hint of bitterness, and a little of those dried fruit flavors.

Mouthfeel: Smooth but a little oily. Carbonation is just right.

Last Drink: More hops coming through now but it isn't a long bitter note. Just a little after the sweet taste and then its gone. Nice.

Drinkability: Very good beer, although it didn't really bring to mind the season or the holidays. Still enjoyed it quite a bit though.

Notes: I couldn't find this beer on Beer Advocate! Shocking! Purchased this from a strange little convenience store that has a huge beer selection. Pricey for a six pack at $9.99 but well worth it I think.

Verdict: 4.25 out of 5. A great pairing of the sweet and bitter without either being too overpowering.

Links: Deschutes Brewery.

Progress Report - 12/24/08.

Well here are again. I didn't lose my job (yet) so the Warhammer must continue! In the past few days I have managed to finish the painting of my Ironguts (with a lot of swearing and touch-ups) and I am ready to dip them before finishing the basing.

So today I plan to:
- Dip the Ironguts and my Bangstick Butcher.
- Base the next batch of models.
- Prime the next batch of models (based on my two 1000 point lists).
- Possibly base and prime my Slayers.

Tomorrow is Christmas! Tomorrow is the day I will received a Battalion box for my next army project! What will it be? Who knows! The suspense is killing me.

Sorry for the scatterbrained approach to this post. I am feeling a bit crazy from so much time off. Here is a review of a holiday brew to get you in the xmas mood!

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Breckenridge Brewery - Christmas Ale

Beer Type: Winter Warmer

Appearance: 12 oz. brown bottle with a festive holiday label. I like the font choice! Poured a dark brown-red color with a thin head that faded.

Smell: Hops, a little bit of malt and some spices? Something darker there too, like a coffee or chocolate.

First Drink: Hops and yeast. This is a fairly "heady" beer. Sweet with hints of chocolate as well.

Mouthfeel: Moderate carbonation and a nice medium weight in my mouth.

Last Drink: More of a lingering woody flavor with a long bitter finish (although not unpleasant).

Drinkability: Wow! 7.4% ABV. I guess that is part of the definition for "winter warmer". I feel warm and jolly!

Notes: Not sure but I think this may be the first Breckenridge brew I have reviewed. I like this beer.

Verdict: 4.25 out of 5. So far this is my winner for a "holiday" ale.

Links: Beer Advocate and Breckenridge Brewery.

More Drinkin' less Modelin'?

Well today was a pretty crappy day. I was told at 4pm that the company I have been working for the last 3 years is going to be doing some layoffs. They didn't say who it would be, or what the exact details were. I am to return to the office tomorrow afternoon at a specific time when I will presumably discover what my employment fate will be.

No job equals no money. No money equals bad times. Bad times equals no Warhammer or models.

I really hope things work out for the best, but just like my WHFB I am planning for the worst. Speaking of the "worst" ... here is a review for a fairly mediocre Holiday brew I had today.

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Spoetzl Brewery - Shiner Holiday Cheer

Beer Type: Dunkelweizen

Appearance: 12 oz. brown bottle with a festive (and slightly German) holiday label. Poured a dark amber color with a thick off-white head.

Smell: Peaches! A lot of peaches.

First Drink: There are the peaches. It is supposed to be a peach and pecan brew but all I get is the peaches. At least it tastes like real peaches and not some kind of fake flavoring.

Mouthfeel: Classic Shiner feel, almost like a soda.

Last Drink: I can just barely make out the pecans and a little bit of hops, but mostly it is still a peach party.

Drinkability: Uhh ... not a huge peach fan so I doubt I will be going back to this one (plus it is a limited edition holiday release).

Notes: What do peaches have to do with the holidays!? This beer isn't bad, it just seems too weird for it's own good.

Verdict: 3 out of 5. It isn't bad if you like peaches.

Links: Beer Advocate and Spoetzl Brewery.

Progress Report - 12/14/08.

The holidaze are coming! The holidaze are coming!!

While I was hoping to have my 500 points of Ogres totally painted by the end of November life has conspired against me. I am 90% of the way done and I just have to finish up three remaining Ironguts. So much metal on these big guys! It is really a pain in the arse to paint.

It has been a while since I featured any pictures so here are a couple (hastily taken) photos of my finished Ogre Bulls and Gnoblar Trappers. I say finished, but looking at them in these photos I can see a few things that need touching up.

The model on the far left is the first I have ever painted, while the other Bulls were done after the fact. I can see a definite improvement which gives me hope for my future models!

And here is the back. I missed some stitches on the far left Bull's pants! D'oh. I will have to remedy that soon. Still toying with the idea of some tattoos, but I want to wait until I feel better about my freehand abilities.

And here are my Trappers! I have really taken a shine to these little guys. I liked them before but now that they are painted I feel a deeper sense of attachment. Plus they have been doing a pretty good job in my most recent games. Go Trappers!

I hope to get the remainder painted in the next couple of weeks as I have time off from work. Planning on starting my next upgrade to 1000 points yet but I still need to decide between a Slavegiant or Gorger themed list. Critique, comments, and questions are welcome as always!

My addiction.

I have become what I feared most, and that is a Warhammer junkie. At times I feel my life revolves completely around the hobby. I read Black Library books, I assemble and paint Warhammer models, I play (not as much as I would like to) Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning, and I read/contribute to/listen to various Warhammer related fan websites.

Yet still my thirst for Warhammer is not sated. I dream of starting collections of 40k miniatures, specialized armies, completely modified and converted forces, and now I am even looking into playing Mordheim (I had already considered running a Warhammer Fantasy RPG campaign but my regular group of gamers aren't really the sort to want that).

Yet still I hunger for new models, new army lists, more games, and all to what end? My obsession runs so deep I asked my best friend (and loving girlfriend) to spare me two months of indecision as to what Warhammer project I should undertake next by purchasing me a new army Battalion box for Christmas. So for two months I have been spared the "what army should I begin collecting next" game I tend to play with myself, but in that time I have simply read every existing army book and planned all of the various armies I might potentially build (depending on which army she would choose for me).

And so on, and so on, and so on it goes. A short list of my current (and possibly future) projects so that I may read this at a later date and weep silently at my own insanity.

- 3000 points of Ogre Kingdoms based on the fluff I am crafting for my Tyrant Karnov (of which you have read on this blog). I am at about 1750 or maybe 2000 if I stretch my models. Still want to get Maneaters, need to fix and assemble some Butchers, find or create a Bruiser, eventually get some Rhinox Riders (although I may wait until they become official), and possible include more DoW units (which are currently being phased out by Games Workshop).
- A Dogs of War (DoW) army based on Pirates (which would include many Ogres).
- A Kislev army (or DoW army based on Kislev). Bear cav!!
- Another DoW army based on Araby (possibly being dual use for a "living" Tomb Kings force).
- My Slayer army (which sits at 1000 points currently but I wouldn't mind fleshing it out to hit 1500 or 2000 with more Dwarfs and possibly some DoW).
- A Middenheim/Ulrich Empire (or maybe DoW) themed army (no gunpowder, lots of relegious nutters and men in furry boots).
- My Troll/Monster Warriors of Chaos list (which I have proxied and it is quite fun).

And those are just the ones I have given more thought to. There are plenty more partially fleshed out ideas laying like burning wreckage on the side of some hideous Warhammer Road Warrior highway.

I have become everything I have feared and I am loving it. Lord save my (miniature) soul.

Speaking of addiction, here is a new beer review! Huzzah!

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Oskar Blues Brewery - Old Chub Scottish Style Ale

Beer Type: Scottish Ale

Appearance: 12 oz. can with plenty of green and red plaid and a big "OLD CHUB" on the front. Poured a dark brown-red color, almost black if you don't have any light on it. No head at all, but maybe this is an off batch or a mispour?

Smell: Sweet roasted malt with a bit of coffee and chocolate.

First Drink: Sweet! This reminds me of Raison D'etre by Dogfish Head brewery. All of the aromas are there in the flavor with a bit of smoke in the aftertaste. This is 8% ABV but I don't taste that at all ... dangerous!

Mouthfeel: Thick and coating with zero carbonation.

Last Drink: Still sweet but I can make out more of the sweet flavors distinctly. Caramel or toffee? Seems very simple at first but it is actually fairly complex on the tongue.

Drinkability: Never expected to have a beer that tasted like this out of a can! It threw me for a loop, and I have had another brew from this brewery called Dale's Pale Ale. I think this beer is actually better!

Notes: This is a well crafted beer and it comes in a can. Costly though as it runs about $8.99 for a sixer around these parts. I would be interested in having this on tap.

Verdict: 4 out of 5. May be higher/lower but I am still getting used to this style of beer so I will stick with personal taste.

Links: Beer Advocate and Oskar Blues Brewery.

Progress Report - 11/29/08.

Is it possible to play too much Warhammer?

This was the question I set out to answer during the past two weeks. Since my last update I played two additional matches in the 500 point campaign, winning two massacres against Vampire Counts and Lizardmen forces. Total scores are still being tallied but as of this writing I am tied for second place (against Dwarfs) with a 2-1 record and 35 game points. Still determining a "fair" way to decide the tie breaker but it will likely come down to total "Goal" points awarded which puts me in second place.

Not bad considering I felt I had no chance of winning most of the games I played. Either I am getting better or it is my new dice!

Spent the better part of this holiday weekend playing Warhmamer as well, mostly in a team setting. My Slayer force took apart a combined Nurgle Daemon and O&G force (with my partner being wiped out by the end of the second turn), and I proxied a 750 point force of Chaos Trolls to great success against a mass of Dark Elves.

All in all things are going well in the game playing department! I have also made decent strides in the painting/finished models for the Beer Gut Tribe with just my Butcher and three Ironguts left to paint by next Monday. Look for pictures of the fully painted force soon!

One of the biggest time sinks involved in this hobby is crafting Army Lists. A lot of thought and effort goes into crafting a solid list, especially in a campaign/tournament type environment when you don't know who you will be facing and what they might bring. My group will be jumping from 500 points to 1000 points in January so I have drafted a variety of lists to choose from as I expand my painted force of Ogres. Here are a few examples of the things I am kicking around, utilizing different play styles with my Rare and Special choices.

List #1 - The "lets get as many models as possible on the table and still have a Rare choice" list.

Bruiser @ 182
- Heavy Armor
- Great Weapon
- Wyrdstone Necklace (5+ Ward save
- Luck Gnoblar (reroll one failed Armor or Ward save per game)
- Fistful of Laurels (reroll one failed Break test per game)

Butcher @ 130

Butcher @ 130

Bulls x 3 @ 105

Ironguts x 3 @ 144

Ironguts x 3 @ 144

Gnoblar Trappers x 8 @ 48

Gnoblar Fighters x 20 @ 42
- Groinbiter

Gorger @ 75

Total Points: 1000 (of 1000)

This list is pretty basic but offers quite a few tactical options. The Bruiser would go with one unit of Ironguts while the Butchers would shelter in the other Irongut and Bull units. The Gorger can be quite devestating but isn't worth banking on as he often gets shot to bits. For 75 points he can dish out a lot of hurt with some luck which is why he is on here.

I am likely to face a decent amount of Magic opposition in this next leg of the campaign which makes the Butchers even better. Wish I could spring for some magic items but they will still get buffs off and with 6 Power Dice and 4 Dispel Dice I should have a pretty good magic phase.

List #2 - The "lets use our Maneaters and Butchers to create a tough as nails combat" list.

Bruiser @ 167
- Heavy Armor
- Great Weapon
- Wyrdstone Necklace
- Luck Gnoblar

Butcher @ 160
- Siegebreaker

Butcher @ 150
- Skullmantle

Bulls x 3 @ 105

Ironguts x 3 @ 144

Gnoblar Trappers x 9 @ 54

Gnoblar Fighters x 20 @ 40

Maneaters x 2 @ 180
- Heavy Armor
- Great Weapon

Total Points: 1000 (of 1000)

The magical 9th Trapper is here, along with magic items on the Butchers and two Maneaters. All this comes at the cost of the second Irongut unit but the Maneaters and the Bruiser should be able to make up for lack of hard hitting.

List #3 - The "screw gut magic, lets blow ourselves up and fall down on the enemy" list.

Bruiser @ 162
- Heavy Armor
- Great Weapon
- Wyrdstone Necklace

Bulls x 3 @ 105

Ironguts x 3 @ 144

Ironguts x 3 @ 144

Leadbelchers x 2 @ 110

Leadbelchers x 2 @ 110

Gnoblar Trappers x 8 @ 48

Slavegiant @ 175

Total Points: 998 (of 1000)

Super bare-bones Bruiser but there are larger threats on the board now in the form of the Leadbelchers and the Slavegiant. I have had really bad luck with Leadbelchers but hopefully the Giant can keep them alive long enough to blast some cavalry or cheap unit blocks off the board. No gut magic could be very problematic but that is the cost associated with bringing big (potential) threats to the table.

List #4 - The "who says you can't have an Ogre gunline" list.

Bruiser @ 166
- Heavy Armor
- Brace of Handguns
- Wyrdstone Necklace
- Luck Gnoblar
- Sword Gnoblar

Bulls x 3 @ 105

Bulls x 3 @ 105

Leadbelchers x 2 @ 110

Leadbelchers x 2 @ 110

Gnoblar Trappers x 8 @ 48

Gnoblar Scraplauncher @ 165

Maneaters x 2 @ 180
- Heavy Armor
- Brace of Handguns

Total Points: 999 (of 1000)

Shoot, shoot, shoot, misfire, blow up, lose. That is pretty much how I see this list going but it could be fun. No gut magic again, and no heavy hitters aside from the Bruiser and the Maneaters. This list is fairly defensive which is never good for Ogres, but forcing the enemy to come into charge range and hiding behind terrain while shooting at anything they can could really throw off some of my regular opponents.

So there you have it, four lists that all offer fairly different ways of playing the game. Which one is best? Your guess is as good as mine! The entire game of WHFB basically boils down to percentages. Increasing your chance of dealing damage while decreasing your chances of taking damage and then rolling the dice. Sometimes you win and sometimes you lose, which makes the more relevant question how do you want to lose the game?

My answer would be I want to lose in the most fun way possible which is what I need to take into account while making my final choices for the list.

Battle Report: Beer Gut Tribe vs. Warriors of Chaos 11/4/08.

Played the first game in the campaign with the Beer Gut Tribe last week, against the dastardly new Warriors of Chaos. His list consisted of one group of 5 Chaos Knights with a level 2 Chaos Sorcerer in their midst. All of the mounted units were marked by Nurgle (-1 WS in close combat and -1 to hit in shooting) and the Sorcerer also had a spell familiar which allowed him to cast three spells total. The remainder of his army consisted of two minimum size blocks of 10 Marauders.

My list was as follows (for those not keeping up with the campaign progress):

Butcher @ 155
- Bangstick

Bulls x 3 @ 105

Ironguts x 4 @ 192

Gnoblar Trappers x 8 @ 48

Total Points: 500 (of 500)

Obviously my main concern was the Chaos Knights and their general. Their statline is very high, not to mention their Nurgley goodness and the 1+ armor save. Hell, their horses can kill most of my troops! With this in mind I knew the only chance I had at taking out the Knights was to bait them into a charge they would fail, rush in with the Ironguts, and hopefully buff them with Toothcracker or Bullgorger.

Deployment

Terrain was randomly placed by the game "officials" and the Warriors won the dice off to deploy first. They started with the first unit of Marauders which I followed by my one unit of Bulls. Next up were the other Marauders across from my Bulls, which I followed by placing my Ironguts. Finally came his Chaos Knights and I finished my placement with my Butcher near the Ironguts and close to the Bulls. His Sorcerer went into his Knight block and my Trappers snuck their way on to the battlefield, hiding behind some rocks near the second group of Maraduers. I won the dice off for first turn and took it.

Rolling for his spells the Sorcerer got 5, 7, and 12. This equates to what I remember (as I don't have the WoC book) as being Bubous (deals 1 wound that can't be saved against), Fleshy something (a Regen save that is not remains in play and ends on the caster's next magic phase), and Rot Glorious Rot (which does something terrible to everything within 18" of the caster).

Turn 1

While I was able to get excellent placement with the Gnoblar Trappers they didn't feel like actually coming to the fight the first turn. I rolled a 1 and they stood about bickering. I was really hoping to march block the Marauders and threaten their backs with sharp stuff. Life goes on and the rest of the army marches forward to take on the Knights. Of course here is where I messed up and moved the Ironguts just a little too far, leading to their death at the hands of the Chaos Knights.

Butcher attempts to cast Toothcracker on the Ironguts with a 3 but this is dispelled by the Sorcerer. He aims Braingobbler at the outermost Marauder group but they hold with a 6. He aims at the group again with a Bonecruncher with a 6 which is promptly dispelled with a roll of 8 on two dice. Manage to cast Trollguts on the Ironguts with a 6 and the Sorcerer has no dispel dice left. The Bangstick makes a loud noise but only manages to to roll 1 hit and 1 wound on the group of Marauders. While it could have been a great magic phase it turned out to be pretty mediocre overall.

Now the dirty deeds of Chaos begin with the Knights charging the Ironguts and the Marauders marching up their flanks. The Knights are exactly 14" away from the Ironguts who have moved just a little too far. They hold the charge and take 7 wounds managing to kill just one Knight. They lose combat, flee (8 inches), and are promptly chased down(11 inches). A huge loss for the Beer Gut Tribe and the loss of any chance of victory for me.

The Sorcerer attempted to cast the Bubous spell in CC which the group ruled was not legal. Not sure on this one as the book isn't very clear on what is required besides line of sight. He follows up that with a case of the Fleshy something spell with a 10 which is dispelled by the Butcher with a roll of 13 (on 3 dice). He used his remaining two dice to dispel the Trollguts on the Ironguts which only added to their quick demise.

Turn 2

The Gnoblars finally decide to do something, marching forward behind the Marauders in case they flee the coming Ogre charge which comes from both the Bulls and the Butcher to their front. They manage to pass their fear check by rolling a 3 (although they should have taken two as it was two seperate fear causing units that charged ... I need to remember this stuff!) and hold their ground. The bull charge kills 3 of the front rank outight with the remaining 7 wounds coming in from the Bulls and Butcher. The unit is destroyed and both of the Ogre units take their overrun move forwards, the Bulls with 10" and the Butcher with 5".

Another turn of Gut Magic where nothing happened went by with the Butcher casting Trollguts on the Bulls with a 3 (on 2 dice) and Blood Gruel on himself at 6 (on 2 dice) which is dispelled by the Sorcerer with a roll of 7. The Butcher now has only two wounds left which makes him a great target for the Chaos Sorcerer and his nasty spells.

Chaos begins to reform and moves in to make charges on the remaining Ogres. The Sorcerer attempts to cast Bubous on the Butcher with 6 (on 2 dice) which is dispelled with a roll of 6 as well (also on 2 dice). He then casts Fleshy something on his unit of Chaos Knights again and the Butcher has insufficient dice to attempt a dispel.

Turn 3

At this point the Ogres are playing for survival. Knowing they need a diversionary tactic they send the Trappers forwards towards the incoming Knights in the hopes their tiny green bodies might slow down the massive warriors. The Butcher moves to face the Marauders flanks while the Bulls pull back towards the table edge.

The Butcher begins his magic phase with Braingobbler on the Marauders. A roll of 6 is not dispelled by the Sorcerer and the Marauders stay put after rolling a 5. Casting Bonecruncher on the Marauders does 2 wounds, while Bloodgruel is dispelled with an 11 (on 3 dice) after casting with a 9 (on two dice). The Bangstick makes some noise for the second time in the game, but it may be firing blanks as it only does 1 hit again, this time with no wounds. Another round of mostly ineffectual Gut Magic goes down in history.

Chaos moves its Knights forward while the Maruders shuffle backwards and turn to face the Butcher. The Sorcerer attempts to cast Rot Glorious Rot on everything within 18" with three dice but miscasts with two 1's and a 4. Rolling a 7 on the miscast table the Sorcerer takes a wound and ends his magic phase.

Turn 4

The Gnoblar Trappers continue to be the most useful unit on the board for the Beer Gut Tribe, moving forward 8" to march block the Knights while staying out of their charge line of sight. They think about throwing stones at them before remembering they marched that turn and can not do so. Silly, silly Gnoblars. The Bulls shuffle sideways 3" while the Butcher moves forward 12" and faces the Marauders flank once again.

Gut Magic is ineffectual again as the Butcher attempts to cast Braingobbler on the Marauders and fails, while Bloodgruel is cast with a 7 and quickly dispelled by the Sorcerer with another 7. The Bangstick remains quiet this turn as it is dispelled with the remaining dispel dice of Chaos.

The Warriors of Chaos seem to be losing their will to kill only moving forward 7" while the Marauders shuffle backwards to face the Butcher again. The Sorcerer casts Fleshy Abundance (yeah I just now remembered the name) with no attempt to dispel from the Butcher. This seems to confuse the Warriors of Chaos but they brush it off.

Turn 5

Terrible photos aside, turn 5 starts off with the Butcher running into the nearby forest. The Bulls continue to move sideways hoping to stay out of reach of the Chaos Knights, and the Gnoblars move into the flanks and front of the Knights. Once again they feel the urge to throw rocks and bits but their attacks are ineffectual at best, simply bouncing off the Chaos Knights and their twisted armor. The Butcher manages to finally get off a Blood Gruel and heals one of his lost wounds putting him back up to 3 wounds.

The Chaos Knights declare a charge on the Trappers who promptly flee in an effort to smash the Knights into the nearby rocks or at least expose their flanks to the nearby Bulls. They succeed in getting themselves killed but fail to position the Knights within the charge line of sight of the Bulls further proving that you should never trust a Gnoblar. The Chaos Sorcerer attempts to cast Fleshy Abundance again but this time fails (rolling 3 dice in the process). Meanwhile the Marauders turn and high tail it towards the back table quarter in an effort to get more points.

Turn 6

The Bulls can't make a charge so they do the next best thing and move towards the opposite table quarter. Meanwhile the Butcher pops out of the forest to say hello to the sweaty shirtless men on the other side. They get Bone Cruncher and Bangsticked down to just 5 models and run for their lives.

The Chaos turn and attempt to blast the nearby Bulls with Nurgle magic but fail to do so. The game is over and somehow the Bulls and Butcher managed to survive. The result is a Solid Victory for the forces of Chaos (340) over the mostly harmless Beer Gut Tribe (184).

It was a fun game and I can certainly see my mistakes. Hopefully the next time I have to face these close combat monsters from the Chaos wastes I will have a better plan to beat them with. Playing other MSU armies at a low point total just isn't all that fun.

The life and times of Tyrant Karnov Beergut, Fangsmasher, the Outlander – Part I

Here is a little "fluff" (aka story, fiction, a random string of letters and words that may pertain to something) for my Ogre Kingdoms army the Beer Gut Tribe. I had a hard time just jumping into the "now" for the BGT so I thought I would start at the beginning, with the life and times of the Beer Gut's Tyrant Karnov Beergut, Fangsmasher, the Outlander. Yeah it is a long name but that is just how the ogres do it!

I hope you enjoy this first little tale as I had fun writing it. I won't say this post or story has anything to do with the presidential election but I can't say it has nothing to do with it either.

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The life and times of Tyrant Karnov Beergut, Fangsmasher, the Outlander – Part I

Karnov was furious. That was not terribly unusual as he was often angry about something, but it was rare to see his own blood on the ground. His current source of aggravation stood directly across from him in the bone-strewn maw pit. Pulling against Dorfrog Stonechaser’s massive bulk Karnov strained to throw the other Bull over. “I will rip that shrimpy lump you call a gut right off your sorry frame an eats it!” growled Dorfrog menacingly. “You ain’t fit to be callin’ yor’selfs a true Ogre!” he continued as he threw his bulbous stomach forward, smashing into Karnov’s naked gut.

Dorfrog towered over Karnov, easily twice again as large and half again as wide. Even for an ogre Dorfrog was a bully and used to getting his way by beating down any Bull who might oppose him. Might makes right thought Karnov as he steeled his gut for another thundering attack, blinking the stream of blood out of his eyes. Straining forward against Dorfrog’s bulk Karnov twisted to the left, grabbing a fistful of the other ogre’s filth crusted breeches. Using all his strength he pushed forward, putting his front leg out behind the towering Bull, and quickly lowering himself to half Dorfrog’s height. The Bull was momentarily off balance and Karnov pressed the attack, punching Dorfrog once in the mouth.

“Keep your stupid thoughts to yor’self fore you makes me really mad!” roared Karnov as he thrust forward, crashing against Dorfrog’s gut and forcing him to the ground. “You might be big an’ your’es gut may swell, but I’m tougher an heres da proof!” Karnov rammed his head face first into the Bull’s skull with a loud crack. He continued the assault, repeatedly smashing his scarred face into Dorfrog’s now mangled face until the larger Bull failed to resist against his attacks.

Karnov forced himself up on his feet, the strain of pulling his massive girth shown in his squat muscled legs. Looking down at his now unconscious rival he put his large hand to his left ear, feeling the pulpy mass where it should have been. He would miss the ear, but it could have been much worse. Such was to be expected when two Ogres fought in a ‘guts-out’ contest.

Removing the gut plate and fighting to the death was seen as a badge of honor in ogre society, but there was no honor in this fight. Dorfrog was the younger brother of Reekus Goldmaw, Tyrant and ruler of the Goldmaw tribe. Karnov feared Reekus, but could not bring himself to respect the massive leader. While gold, silver, and jewels were plentiful for Reekus from the many assaults made on nearby traveling merchants, very little of this wealth made it to those ogres doing the fighting.

Karnov had a small gnoblar-hide pouch of his own which contained his meager wealth before Dorfrog had taken it. Such activities were commonplace among the ogre tribe, the large taking from the small, ensuring that only the most massive ogre made it to the top of the tribe. Karnov was not the largest nor the toughest Bull in the camp, but what he lacked in stature he made up for in ruthless cunning.

Waiting until the time was right, Karnov had confronted Dorfrog in front of the assembled tribe for his stolen possessions. The laughing and sneering coming from his rival had simply stopped once Karnov had removed his gut plate, throwing it at the Bull’s feet, and challenging his place in the hierarchy of the tribe. Such a thing could not be left unanswered and Karnov knew his life was the only thing truly at stake in this battle, no matter who was watching.

With a glance up at the engorged glittering beast seated in front of the maw pit Karnov drove his thumbs deep into Dorfrogs eyes. The semi-unconscious Bull struggled feebly against Karnov, grunting as he strained his head away from the savage attack. “You won’t be needin’ deese where you going!” Karnov said between clenched teeth before slamming the Bull’s head against the hard ground.

CRUNCH
CRUNCH
CRUNCH
CRUNCH
CRUNCH

Dorfrog’s head finally burst with a sickening pop, leaking what few brains he had on to the bloodstained mud of the maw pit. There was suddenly a deep foreboding silence in the camp. Karnov pulled himself away from the now unmoving corpse of Dorfrog, his mouth full of the dead Bull’s brains. Where were the cheers and accolades from his fellow Bulls? Where were the knowing grunts from the older Ironguts not wanting to give him too much credit at their own expense?

Looking at the gathered crowd outside the maw pit dug into the center of the camp Karnov saw nothing but downcast eyes. He turned his view towards Reekus Goldmaw before suddenly realizing what he had done. While family was not the most important aspect of ogre tribal life Dorfrog had been the Tyrant’s brother. His twisted sneer of hate told him everything he needed to know. It was time to go.

Progress Report - 11/2/08.

Legends speak one man would rise above all obstacles, to paint and model like none that had come before him. Generations have sought this champion of brush and steel, this majesty of glue and file. This is the story ...

... the story of some other guy because that certainly is not me!

I began painting the Beer Gut Tribe! It only took me 8 months or so but here I am with painted models! Behold!!

The first steps towards painting my entire 500 point list for the "Paint and Play" campaign I am running with my WHFB cohorts. A test model, painted in 8 base colors to be "dipped" in Polyurethane stain (Minwax Polyshades: Antique Walnut to be exact), highlighted, based, and finished with a flat spray varnish.

There is a Gnoblar Trapper test model as well!

He is a cute little bugger. So those are the "before" pictures, and you may have guessed (or looked below) that were going to be "after" pictures as well. You were right!

Overall I am really happy with the results. All the colors I chose look really good under the stain, with the possible exception of the skin color. Maybe because of the large nature of the Ogre models, or my poor first attempt at dipping, the stain pooled in some of the flat places. The results look a bit like this Bull is covered in gore, or slime, or sickness, which was not the desired effect. I am hoping to use highlights, and maybe another coat of skin paint, to rectify that particular problem.

And in case you thought I forgot, fear not, here is the Gnoblar Trapper as well!

I will post more pictures as soon as I complete these models. Questions, comments, critiques, and random utterances are all encouraged.

This week I do battle with the dastardly Warriors of Chaos. Here is hoping the Beer Gut Tribe can come out on top and show the new kids on the block who is the boss.

Progress Report - 10/26/08.

Time flies! It was a busy week for me, but not in the Warhammer sense. I didn't find time to accomplish any of my WHFB goals but I did manage to secure a tabletop that was missing legs. One trip to the hardware store, some cheap MDF prefab pieces, a couple bolts, a drill, and plenty of swearing later I had myself a gaming table.

Total cost: about $15.00, give or take a few cents. It isn't the best piece of furniture I have ever owned but it beats a couple of sawhorses and a piece of wood. The next step is to build some modular boards which I can place on top of the table to play on.

In case you were wondering that is my dog Udo chewing on his bone, and that is my Arnold Palmer picture on the wall. Best not to ask about that.

Not much else to update, so here is a review of another tasty Stone beer!

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Stone Brewing Company - Oaked Arrogant Bastard Ale

Beer Type: American Strong Ale

Appearance: 12 oz. brown bottle with the Arrogant Bastard devil on it. Poured a dark amber color with a tan head.

Smell: Strong smells, lots of malts and hops in addition to something a bit flowery. Not as hoppy as the regular Arrogant Bastard.

First Drink: Smooth, with a lot of woody hops flavor. Like the regular AB there is a lot going on here. Quite complex.

Mouthfeel: Smooth with just the right amount of carbonation. Maybe I am recalling the AB too much but I remember it being a much "rougher" beer where as this is just right.

Last Drink: Darker flavors are noticeable now. Something more along the lines of a brown ale with the wood undertones.

Drinkability: Great! I like it better than the regular Arrogant Bastard to be sure (but maybe not as much as the Double Bastard?). I miss the really strong hop flavors of the original but the oak adds something this beer gets along with nicely.

Notes: Great brewery, and another great beer. "You're not worthy" is the slogan and in some ways I would have to agree. A fine brew and I think I will have another one right now!

Verdict: 4.75 out of 5

Links: Beer Advocate and Stone Brewing Company.

Progress Report - 10/19/08.

Work, work. I spent the past week or so putting together my 1000 point Slayer Army before playing it against MikeyD's Greenskins last Tuesday. There were some high (and low) points to the game, but I did not do a good job of tracking the events that took place so I will spare you a rambling recap (this time). Long story short, the Slayers got shot to bits and managed to squeeze out a Draw from the game.

That game was a test to see which army I would run in my group's current 500 point "Paint and Play" campaign that I am running. The idea is to work together to get our WHFB armies under way and hopefully have a fun, fluffy, and painted army by the end of the campaign. We are starting at 500 points and are working our way up (maybe to 2000 or 2250) from there.

I am setting goals for all of the competitors which will award points. These are in addition to the points which can be won for painting the models in the army, and points awarded in games played. Our first set of campaign matches will take place this week on Tuesday, with more to follow until we are done. My first matchup is with the new Warriors of Chaos list, a Nurgle force led by a Chaos Sorcerer. Should be a good test for the Beer Gut Tribe!

I got my force together this week and here is what I will be using in this "all comers" type campaign.

Butcher @ 155
- Bangstick

Bulls x 3 @ 105

Ironguts x 4 @ 192

Gnoblar Trappers x 8 @ 48

Total Points: 500 (of 500)

The Butcher can normally only be the Army General under the Warbands rules but my fellow gamers felt the OK book had enough list restrictions and allowed me to use him. It is a pretty basic set up, but then again most lists are this way for the Ogre Kingdoms at sub 1000 points.

In preparation for the games and painting I primed the models I need for this list today. Overall they turned out well, but I certainly could have done better. I may have applied too much primer to the Butcher and lost some of the details I spent so long sculpting on his apron. Oh well, better luck next time I guess!

I will be adding some "fluff" and other backstory for this group in the coming weeks, partly so I can meet the goals I set for the group and earn some bonus points!

I should have some more painting and in progress pictures to post soon. Time to ruin all my hard work with my shoddy painting skills! I leave you with a cruddy shot of my work space. This is where I put together all of my models. It is also the space I use for all of my music projects which is a little frustrating as I have to switch back and forth depending on what I want to work on. Hopefully I can make myself a better work space soon, or at least get a few more lights!

Until next time, see if you can find any lurid details of my life from this picture (hint: the trash holds secrets untold).

Progress Report - 10/4/08.

The sickness is spreading! The sickness is spreading!

Picked up the Empire army book last night at my local gaming store. I was there to get the remainder of the Slayers I need for my Slayer Army. I am still in the process of getting all of the little buggers cleaned up and assembled, but I hope to have some WIP pictures up here soon (maybe tomorrow!?).

I bought the Empire book for a couple of reasons.

1. After I complete the Slayer Army I want to model a force of Ulric/Middenheim Warrior Priest driven smash-a-tude. I will get into more of that at a later date, but it is something I have been kicking around in my head for awhile now.

2. The THURMANATOR seems ready to make the dive into WHFB (finally!) and has chosen the Empire as his starting point. Being friendly and what not I wanted to help ease the financial burden of starting the hobby by having the Army Book ready for him to use.

Still kicking around the ideas for a "Paint and Play" campaign type setting for my small Warhammer group. With the upcoming Warriors of Chaos release we should have 6 players to get this going. Maybe then you will finally start seeing some painted Beer Gut models!

I leave you now with a beer review! Expect more reviews of beers from this brewery in the near future as they are more readily available in my area now!

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Stone Brewing Company - Stone Smoked Porter

Beer Type: American Porter

Appearance: 1 Pt. 6 Fl. Oz. brown Stone bottle with the good ole Demon/Gargoyle logo. Not the fanciest bottle, which is a bit off for this brewery, but there is still plenty of ink printed on the glass. Beer poured a dark redish black with a thick tan head that started to patch up a bit as it settled.

Smell: The aroma isn't terribly strong which was a bit surprising to me (most Stone brews have a solid smell), but I can make out some dark smells. Coffee, roasted malt, some smoke of course, but it is not overpowering.

First Drink: A little sweet for a porter, but there is a lot of dark flavors at work here. Again, coffee on the front with the roasted malt and smokey flavors coming out in the finish.

Mouthfeel: Smooth, perfectly carbonated, no complaints here. Maybe a little thin for a porter?

Last Drink: A lot more smokey, woody, flavors now. Tastes like a delicious beer flavored campfire!

Drinkability: I can't say this is my favorite Stone beer, but it is a solid porter in the American brewing style.

Notes: There are suddenly new variations of Stone brews here in Austin! Very exciting! I have a couple other which I will be reviewing shortly. One of these days I would love to make it out to this brewery for a tour and to get some schwag.

Verdict: 4.25 out of 5. Tastes good, and feels good with the cooler fall air coming in.

Links: Beer Advocate and Stone Brewing Company.

Battle Report: Beer Gut Tribe vs. Skaven 9/30/08.

Bare bones post. Just got home from my game tonight which was postponed from last week. It was a 1250 point battle against Skaven with one of our "new" regular players DANNY (you may remember him from my last Battle Report as the Chaos Mortals player). DANNY played a Skaven list crafted by our regular skitter skitter general, and did not create his own list. This may have contributed to my downfall, but overall the game went south from the beginning for the Beer Gut Tribe.

My list was as follows:

Bruiser @ 171
- Heavy Armor
- Brace of Handguns
- Wyrdstone Necklace
- Luck Gnoblar

Butcher @ 150
- Skullmantle

Butcher @ 155
- Bangstick

Bulls x 3 @ 127
- AHW
- Bellower

Bulls x 3 @ 127
- AHW
- Bellower

Gnoblar Fighters x 20 @ 40

Gnoblar Trappers x 10 @ 60

Leadbelchers x 2 @120
- Bellower

Leadbelchers x 2 @120
- Bellower

Maneaters x 2 @ 180
- Heavy Armor
- Brace of Handguns

Total: 1,250 Points (of 1,250)

The plan was to throw my Trappers in front of his Warp Lightning Cannon while sticking the Fighters in front to get the zap coming from his Warplock Engineer's Warp Lightning and Storm Demon. Meanwhile the Leadbelchers would negate the flanks on both sides, attempting to get into a position to get some good shots on the more expensive blocks of troops (Plague Monks, Rat Ogres, etc). The Bruiser and Bangstick Butcher were to head in with the Maneaters while the Bulls staggered up the sides to get some flank charges.

That was the plan. Lucky for DANNY things rarely go to plan when relying too heavily on Gnoblars. The great maw was not pleased with the BGT, and almost all of the inital rolls in the game were quite bad. As I don't feel like reliving the terrible beating I received at the hands of the sneaky ratmen, here is a quick recap of the "highlights" from the game.

Turn 1

• Both the Gnoblar Trappers and Fighters bickered and sat motionless, ruining phase one of the game plan.
  
• Butchers manage to buff one unit with Toothcracker while all other spells (including the Bangstick) fail or are dispelled.
  
• Bruiser and Maneater make 6 shots at a screening unit of Night Runners, hit 5 and kill 4 but the unit passes its Leadership 6 check and stays in the way.
  
• Skaven Warplock Engineer unleashes Warp Lightning hell on a unit of Bulls with the Skullmantle Butcher (the one that should have been screened by the Gnoblars), dealing a total of 7 wounds and killing two Bulls while leaving 1 wound on the Butcher (kuckily the unit passes it's panic check and sticks around).
  

Turn 2

• Trappers don't bicker but the Fighters continue to fight over shiny objects, again failing to screen any of the Ogre units.
  
• Trappers throw 20 sharp objects at the nearby Night Runners blocking an Ogre charge, hitting only 4 times and wounding none.
  
• Butchers continue their failure spree but manage to get a Trollguts off on the large unit of Characters and Maneaters (all other spells are dispelled or fail outright).
  
• Leadbelchers decide it is their time to shine, first unit rolls a total of 8 shots (gets 5 hits, 3 wounds) while the second unit promptly Misfires before making its 8 shots (6 hits, 4 wounds).
• Meanwhile the Bruiser and Maneaters shoot ineffectively at the nearby Plague Monks and miss every single shot.
• A unit of Slaves charges and runs down the trappers (meeting their flee distance exactly, even through difficult terrain).
  
• Night Runners charge the Characters and Maneaters, unleashing their assassin who is promptly crushed in a challenge by the Butcher.
  
• Night Runners lose combat and are mowed down in the pursuit, but the Ogres are too close to the Plague Monks to get a Bull Charge on the next turn.
  
• Meanwhile the badly damaged Bull and Butcher stave off the Warp Lightning onslaught while chasing off another large unit of Slaves.
  
• Leadbelchers manage to stave off additional charges with their Fear and stand still to reload.
  

Turn 3

• Characters and Maneaters charge the Plague Monks, challenging with the Butcher.
• Butcher deals 2 wounds which are saved by a 4+ Ward Save.
  
• Plague Monk champion (how did the champion have a Ward Save?!) deals no wounds and the challenge is null.
  
• Meanwhile the Bruiser and two Maneaters deal and addtional 4 casualties and only take 1 wound back (on a Maneater).
• Characters and Maneaters lose the combat by 1 point (a banner), and roll a 10 for Leadership.
  
• They flee 6" and are promptly mowed down.
  
• At this point I quit.

And that was that. I took some pictures but I don't feel the need to post them here after a loss like that. The bottom line, I rolled really poorly. This seems to be a theme for me. Terrain placement went my way, I got to go first, and I still blew it. Here are a few things I would have done differently if I had to play it again.

• There were two forests on the board for the Trappers to deploy in. One was near 4 units of enemies (Clan Rats, Slaves, Giant Rats, and Night Runners), while the other was only near a unit of Rat Ogres (and near impassable terrain in the form of some rocks). I should have deployed near the Rat Ogres, waited for them to head into the woods (their path forward and to their sides were blocked). The unit would have stopped outside of the Trappers who would have been able to move out around the Rat Ogres, throwing Sharp Stuff at their flank.
• I should have placed the Leadbelchers closer to last. I placed them first in an attempt to keep units off my flanks, but DANNY responded by putting trash units in their range or simply outnumbering them. They had no worthwhile targets and had to shoot at things like Clan Rats and Slaves.
  
• Taken a banner. Well maybe. I would probably have been better off with a Fistful of Laurels though. I really hate losing the entire game because of one bad Leadership role.

Overall it was a crappy end to a fairly crappy day, and another loss on my record (which is already pretty bad). I don't think the list that was played against me was especially kind, but I also don't think the list I put forward was really ideal in this situation. I ran two Butchers in the hopes of dispelling the Warp Lightning and still ate one huge blast of it, while trying to dispel it with all of my dispel dice (4 dice!!). I am either really unlucky or the universe is plotting against me.

Back to the drawing board ...

Progress Report - 9/22/08.

Negate. Negating. Negated.

ne·gate [ni-geyt, neg-eyt], verb, -gat·ed, -gat·ing.

–verb (used with object)

1.	to deny the existence, evidence, or truth of: an investigation tending to negate any supernatural influences.

2.	to nullify or cause to be ineffective: Progress on the study has been negated by the lack of funds.

I have been negating this gnoblog! This gnoblog has been negated!

Two factors have come into play against my "regular" postings (aside from the usual life stuff like eating, working, drinking ... oh wait that part is covered here).

1. Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning. First it was the Preview Weekend, followed by the Preview Weekend+, quickly challenged by the might of the Open Beta, which led directly into the Headstart Program for the Collector's Edition (which is a mighty fine box of game if you have not seen it yet).
2. Actually, there wasn't really a second thing.

In my time away from the Beer Gut Tribe I have looked into creating a 40K Witch Hunters army, a Gnoblar Horde list, a Ulric themed Empire army, and I am still in the process of putting together Slayers for my Slayer Army. But alas, my time with the BGT has been woefully slim.

No longer! I have an epic update chock full of poorly lit and photographed pictures for all of you still stumbling upon this blog! These "riches" are yours to do with what you will. Without further rambling from me ...

First up is my Gorger. I have had this fellow for awhile, but I just recently got around to green stuff'n his MASSIVE GAPS. I took that time to construct a weedy little snack from the Giant sprue, which is directly under his foot. A simple conversion that turned out pretty good. It will look "better" when it is painted of course. Apologies for the shoddy lighting ...

Next up we have my Hunter. This is another Ogre who was sitting around for quite some time, waiting for some green stuff TLC for himself and his kitties. I posed his club a bit different from the other Hunters I have seen out there, which makes him harder to rank up in the "normal" pose. I like the way he looks though, almost more menacing this way?

Here is his "arty" profile shot (warning: nothing "arty" about this shot).

Next up, my Paymaster Maneater who is currently filling the role of my Bruiser. I need to get some real Tyrant/Bruiser models or craft my own, but I keep putting it off (haven't gotten past 1000 points yet). Nothing special here, just show and tell.

Okay, now we are getting to the better stuff. Here are my three Yhetees. I am still not totally sold on this unit, and I was having difficulty fitting them into the "fluff" (theme) for the Beer Gut Tribe. I decided they needed to be drunks. There, that wasn't so hard now was it!?

Basically the BGT heads into the mountains and recruits these "rednecks" who only care about 2 things: DRINKIN' and FIGHTIN' (the BGT cares about 3 things, they like money too). They bring with them all of the nastiest, skunkiest beer and liquor they have, and give it to the Yhetees in return for their help in combat.

Its a pretty good deal for everyone involved! Here you can see the middle Yhetee with his cask of ale (they are very protective of their swill, to the victor goes the spoils!).

And last, but far from least, we have the new and improved Bangstick Butcher!

I was unhappy with my initial attempt at converting this fellow, so I attacked him yet again to practice my green stuff'n, and to make him look better. I grafted on one of the extra arms from my Butcher model (which I haven't completed), and made him a new apron (with a sort of Leatherface/stitched together vibe).

Overall I am quite happy with the results. I am still learning about green stuff, and I did a much better job of keeping my fingerprints off the finished product (although I can see some on those pictures, gah!).

And that is all I have for today! The Beer Gut Tribe will be going up against the cowardly Skaven for the first time tomorrow, so there should be another update very soon (assuming WAR doesn't suck away my soul). Until next time ...

Battle Report: Beer Gut Tribe vs. Warriors of Chaos 9/4/08.

I'm sorry gnoblog. I lied to you. I said I would post some pictures of my works in progress in this next entry. I had every intention of doing so, I even spent several hours over the long weekend working on my models! Sadly, I can't find my digital camera. It is around here somewhere and I hope to have it located soon. My next entry will have pictures, honest!

In the meantime I have a short update and a not particularly robust Battle Report from my game against Warrior of Chaos (aka DANNY) Tuesday evening.

First .... THE LIST!

Bruiser @ 177
- Great Weapon
- Heavy Armor
- Brahmir Statue
- Fistful of Laurels

Butcher @ 155
- Skullmantle

Butcher @ 150
- Bangstick

Bulls x 3 @ 115
- Bellower

Ironguts x 3 @ 154
- Bellower

Ironguts x 3 @ 154
- Bellower

Gnobs x 20 @ 40

Gnobs x 20 @ 40

Without my camera I wasn't able to get any pictures of the game, but here is a very basic MS Paint version of the map terrain and unit deployment.

I deployed my units in a staggered formation with the bait units in the front and the heavy hitters in the back. My goal was to flee from any charges DANNY might make on the Gnoblars and Bulls, setting me up for a front and flank charge in response. That sort of worked out, but not quite as I was hoping.

Turn 1 Short Thoughts Recap!

DANNY won the first turn. He marched forward with his infantry blocks and rolled up with his chariot. Meanwhile the cav moved into a "hey, I am in your flank" position. The Beer Gut Tribe (BGT for short) sent the Gnoblars rushing in. Bulls marched 12" up the right, between the rock formation and a hill. Irongut units moved up just enough to cast Gut magic (GM). Offensive GM killed 2 marauders, and defensive GM buffed the two in range Ogre units.

Turn 2 Lets See What I Can Remember Collection!

DANNY delcared a charge with his horseys into the first Gnob unit. They flee 12" behind the Ogre lines and near the table edge. The horseys fail their charge and sit helplessly in the field. Remaining units move up into a turn 3 charge range. BGT moves the Bulls into a flank position on the Marauders, while the Irongut units stay put and blast away with GM. A few more dead warriors, and the main unit passes their first Ld roll at a -4. Gnoblars throw sharp stuff and kill 1 marauder. The other Gnoblar unit rallies and turns around to face the enemy. Hah!

Turn 3 Is Where It Starts To Get Fuzzy Ideas!

DANNY charges the the other Gnoblars (2) with his Chariot and Marauders. They flee, causing the charge to fail. Both units roll to a stop outside of the Gnoblars, leaving the Marauders wide open to a flank charge from the Bulls. The horseys move further down the edge of the flank to line up with the large Ironguts unit. BGT strikes back by charging the Marauders from the front and flank. They lose combat and start to run. Bulls pursue while the Ironguts and Butcher hang back. The Warrior block is forced to flee with a Brainrobbler, running backwards 7" towards the trees. Gnoblars move up to cover the command unit's flank and intercept the horse charge.

Turn 4 Ah Hell, I Am Just Making Stuff Up Storytime!

DANNY fails to rally his Warriors, and charges the Gnobs (1) with his horseys. The Gnobs flee, leaving the horseys standing directly in front of the control unit full of big (hungry) Ogres. Mmmm .. horsemeat! Meanwhile the Marauders keep running for the table edge and the Chariot slams into the Gnoblars on the right (2), killing them in a pursuit off the table edge. The BGT runs over and eats the horses while the Bulls chase the Marauders off the map.

Turn 5 It Is Kind Of Scary How Much Of This I Remember Flashback!

DANNY rallies his Warriors and turns to face the oncoming Ogre horde! The BGT sends the remaining Gnoblars to face the returning Chariot, putting themselves in front of it and throwing rocks (dealing 1 wound). GM takes off a few more Warriors.

Turn 6 Is When The Game Ends Prophecy!

Danny runs over and kills the remaining Gnoblars, while the Warriors move up and into a better position to take the encroaching Ogre Bull charge. BGT rushes the Warriors who manage to pass 3 consecutive Fear tests (including the one at -4) and hold their ground. Close combat ensues, but the large control unit falls 1/2" short of the charge and is left out of the flank. The Butcher and Ironguts kill the Warrior's Chosen (and army general) while the Bulls manage a few wounds of their own. The BGT almost lose the combat by 2 points, but win and chase down the warriors in their pursuit.

And that was the game! The final outcome was ....

A MASSACRE! (1600 points BGT, 80 points Warriors of Chaos)

Progress Report - 8/20/08.

Not a whole lot to add in this short progress report update. I was hoping to get some modeling action on this past weekend but I ended up being busy with settling in to my new home. I did get the majority of my Yhetees and my single Gorger put together, I just need to finish basing them.

I also put in an order for Dwarf Slayers at my local tabletop shop. I should have my Long Drong Slayer Pirates and about 1100 more points for my side project ... a Slayer Army! Look for some pictures of my assembled models in my next update. Nothing too exciting, but better than a bunch of boring words!

Speaking of boring words, here is a review of a beer I am greatly enjoying at the moment.

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Stone Brewing Company - Stone Pale Ale

Beer Type: American Pale Ale

Appearance: 12 oz. brown Stone style bottle with a TON of ink printed on it. No wonder this beer costs me $9.99 for a six-pack! I can't really complain too much though, the overall design aesthetic is great and I love the Stone logos. The beer poured a reddish amber color, with a thin head. I probably could have gotten more head out of an aggressive pour.

Smell: Sweet, sweet, candy! Something a little fruity with a backing scent like caramel. It smells really good.

First Drink: Malt with just a hint of hops kick. Some sweetness, but it is not overpowering at all.

Mouthfeel: Smooth with a bit of carbonation, but just the right amount. A little slick in the mouth after a drink, but not in an unpleasant way.

Last Drink: More of a bitter herbal/floral finish now. The hops doing a little devilish jig on the back of my tongue. Nowhere near the hops level of Arrogant Bastard though.

Drinkability: Stupidly drinkable. I could polish of six of these by myself in no time, and enjoy every minute of it. As it stands I made my half of a six-pack (as I share all my beers with the Frankster) last 3 days by only drinking one a day. Hard to do with a beer this good!

Notes: This is the third beer type by Stone I have seen in Austin. Maybe one day I will be able to get all of their delicious beers in Texas! I hope to visit their brewery at some point, or at least get a t-shirt or pint glass with their logo on it.

Verdict: 4.5 out of 5.

Links: Beer Advocate and Stone Brewing Company.