And boom goes the dynamite ....

Hello my Mek friends 

Well its a blast to bring you few folks that listen to my ramblings on this blog.an opportunity has come to bear for your your host. So we are close the Mek shop down.I'm setting up shop at www.trollbloodscrum.com, a troll blood site.this is a good thing as I believe my voice can be heard buy more people so join us there. And as always....Have Fun!!! 

Zach

How does one, prep for a steamroller tournament?

One of the biggest things you should do is build lists you enjoy and have fun with. You probably be trounced into the ground the first few events you go to, but playing fun lists and things you enjoy will make the experience that much better. You don't need to win to have fun. You should just have fun playing and you get to meet some new people who share your hobby. That being said I'm sure your planing on going to tournament and rocking your list to the top spot. Here are a few things to do.

The first thing I do for a tournament is to get all of the rules. If you are playing Steamroller, download that packet. Found here....

http://privateerpress.com/files/Steamroller_2013_Rules_3.pdf

Make sure you’ve read it and understand what it is saying. Compare what your event has listed to what is in the packet.

•A default Steamroller event is 1 list minimum, 2 lists optional. 

•You have to bring at least 1 list, but you don’t have to bring a 2nd.

•Be aware of character restrictions. You can’t take the same character model in both lists, some events prohibit taking the same character of any version between both lists.These are rare but they do crop up.

•Be aware how many times you have to play your lists. Divide and Conquer and X Lists Required will change how many times you need to play each list. X Lists Required means each list once, Divide and Conquer means you have to play each list as close to even as you can. This will force different list builds.

Check for a painting requirement. Very few events will require it, but some offer painted prizes/raffles for having lists painted. Find out what the TO plans to do for this. Does it include basing? Do both lists need to be painted? Will players vote? Will the TO decide? Is it random?

After figuring out the event, it is time to list build. Here is a list of things to consider while building your lists.i have lost many a game because of these 

•Can your list  handle multiple high ARM models?

•Can your list  handle multiple high DEF models?

•Can your list handle Purification/Hex Blast/Lamentation?

•Can your list  handle Stealth?

•Can your list  handle Immunities (Fire/Corrosion/Lightning) and general attack immunities?

•Can your list  contest a zone/flag/objective?

•Can your lost handle rough terrain (either physical terrain or Rifts/Inhospitable Ground)?

•Can your list handle ranged superiority? AOE spam?

Then there is the matchup dependent considerations. My analogy is a Rock , Paper ,Scissors  approach to list building. 

Can you handle the top Cryx casters eAsphyxious, eDeneghra, or eSkarre?

Can you handle Menoths top two, Kreoss, and Harbinger?

Can you handle some Cygnar casters ,Haley,eHaley, and eCaine?

Can you handle some Circle shenanigans,  Kromac,eMorvahna, and eKreuger?

Can you handle LOE tricks, Saeryn? Both Vayls,e Lylyth?

Can you handle the missile that is Molik Karn? how about e Makedas, or Zaal?

You can’t answer all of those questions in two lists. Its imposable. You do need to know which of your lists have a rock to your scissors . When building your list, figure out what it is good at, and then decide to make your second to shore up any weaknesses in the first. Be careful not to duplicate the same rock, between both lists, as this will lead to a "Paper" matchup that you’ll have a very hard time beating.

Now lets look at the scenarios ,you need to make sure to know which scenarios are easy to win. By knowing these, you’ll run into less issues of not being able to play a game due to your opponent winning scenario by turn 3. Also be aware of which scenarios have Killbox.Dont forget killbox isn't a instant  loss ,it gives up 2 control points. Which  in 2013 first to 5 Control Points  wins.

With your  lists in hand, it is time to pack . 

Here are the things I bring.

Models for both lists, including models that get created in the game (extra Thralls, extra warjacks, etc).

Tokens for effects/abilities/focus/fury.

Enough dice (preferably two different colors, 1 of off color, 5 of normal)

Pen/Pencil (for marking your tournament sheet)

Cards for both lists (War Room and tablet if that)

Spray/AOE/Rings/Acrylic templates

Measuring tape 

Laser

Carrying tray

I personally think you should mark your front arcs on models. During the event, it will really cut down on free strike issues with the marks.

This isn't comprehensive, but it does give you a good jumping point to start off from.

Have fun !

Hit it with the whole load (part 2)

Painting 

This is my color scheme in case you want to replicate it. Whatever colors you use, I recommend some PVA glue mixed into your base coat, to help cement things together. I inject PVA directly into the crevasses around the outcroppings to secure them. I also like to add small stones and model railroad talus to places where shattered rocks will appear in life. This can also be used to reinforce weak joints and seams.

I like to start with a dark base coat ( black , dark brown, I went with black )

I then go up with a heavy laden dry-brush of  50/50 black /grey. I then dry-brush a 25/75 black grey  the a 50/50 grey /white , especially on the top surface. Follow this up 25/75 grey /white light dry-brush. Bits of lichen,clump foliage ,and or flock can added, especially to the edges which are less visually impressive than the upper surface.

Hope you enjoy

And for my 40k friends ....

Hit it with the whole load!

Smash hills....

My smash hills are great for desert terrainor a rock out cropping , and can be used for all games (Warmahoards,40k ,Fantasy, , FoW etc...)and modeling sizes .This technique produces a surface that looks very convincing and yet is flat enough to accommodate your miniatures. This is a very durable terrain . It is also simply a lot of fun to make.

Materials needed 

A bread knife or if you own it a foam cutter ( knife or wire )

1/8” hardboard (I use MDF but if you were mounting it to a play board no need to )

pink foam insulation. I'll be using  1 1/2 in. pink foam, which is tall enough to block line of sight for most of the heroic scale models. Don't use beaded ploystyrene as it won't work.

Wood glue ... Trust me 

Paints. I use cheep craft paints like  Apple barrel or folk art

And a Hammer !!!

Build Steps

I start by cutting a basic shape on the MDF . I prefer  kidney-bean or ovialish shapes for natural objects, since straight lines look out of place. The more books and crannies  the more places for model can hide and the more your hill  will be used. 

Next, using the wood glue , go ahead and glue the base plate to the foam. Let it sit for 2 to 3 hours. Go watch some television ,do a load of clothes ,what ever you want ,just leave it alone .

After it dries, using a knife or foam cutter trim the foam to the profile of the base. I use a straight-up cut, with no slope. I have learned that some foam has seams ,that cause it break into  16 in widths during house construction. Place these seams face down if possible.

Now comes the fun part! Beat it with a hammer. Tap the upper surface of the hill with a hammer. If you’re hammer sinks completely into the surface, you’re hitting too hard. If you’re not cracking the surface, you’re not hitting hard enough. The hammer should bounce back a bit, and you should be able to set up a good rhythm. Once you get to the edges, strike at an angle so that the edges flair out a bit, creating outcroppings and mashing the edge down a bit. Remember not to get to carried away this , since the outcroppings are weaker that the rest of the model.

Repeat as many times as you want hills ...

Next up Painting !!!

Iron kingdoms RPG!!!

We here at "It's A Mek's World" we are are happy to see the new Iron Kingdoms RPG. In honor of its release I have pulled out a gift my friend gave me. Now I present .....
The Adventurer's Handbook
Some basic rules for making it as an adventure

1. Try every door-if it's unlocked you're welcome to enter. If you're a thief there may be adventure behind every door--go ahead and pick the lock. If the DM's wanted to keep you out of people's homes uninvited they would have given you that "vampire" subrace.

2. Any cry for help will get you XP and Gold,even if doesn't seem like it on the surface-just go with it; wether it's saving the kingdom or getting some kid's cat out a tree. Also when a NPC comes up to you and gives you a big flowery speech on much your aid is needed-it really angers the DM if you are like "Piss off kid,I'm going shopping." DM's don't make speeches to have you ignore them

3. At 3rd level never ask the Arch Mage "Why don't you just get your staff black from the Soot Scale Kobolds yourself, it take like 15 minutes? Seriously man- it's going to take me like a week and I could die!"

4. Even if you have the artifact, killed the boss and saved the princess, the dungeon is not complete until you've searched every corner and looked under every rock for treasure and stuff to kill. A gold piece is a gold piece and damn it, moss is living, it gotta be worth some XP.

Cygnar class of 2012

Here is a quick pick of my 112 points of Cygnar, with the Storm Strider finished I thought it fitting

in the for ground Reinholdt is leading the way looking all dapper

Rise Up my minons. Rise!!

Ok Ive been Gone along time from this blog but I have been in a funk I have not wanted to play a game own in months so what do I do I become a Pressganger for Privater Press, ran 6 tournaments in 5 months,joined a tournament 40k team, put together a 1500 point arm, bought a 50 point Merc army put the finishing touches on a 115 point Cygnar army,Bought 2000 points of orks,Lost my camera to a car driving over it, and "took an Arrow to the knee" in Skyrm
so with that I give you two of my Mercs to look at first up is Alexia,Mistress of Witchfire

I pick her up during the "longest Night" event for Warmachine I followed the No Quarter article up to the point of simple time save thing like not putting 6 layers of metals on her undead horse bridle I do not plan on her seeing much table time as I will only include her As A reforcement for Fiona
And here is one of my Merc Warriors A Nyss Hunter

And Last My new cygnar play pretty my "Shiny Disco Ball!" the Storm Strider

From the Gates of Hell! As we make our way to heaven!

So just a quick up date on my IG project I have been working on some new techniques on my tanks I wanted it to look like they have been used to fight for longer then the should so I hit them with blast damage

as you can see it on the rear of this side but on the next one

And if some of you might have noticed it is a short barrel Lascannon ( creative chopping there as the gun was ruined by the previous owner)
Also Here are aq few of the troopers for my Ig

More to come on as I get to paint

One Lone Beastie I be!

So I just finished up my first fantasy piece. If you read the previous post you would have seen that call him "Geronimo" he looks like all those old western "Indians" with the tomahawks







hope you enjoy the pics

Come my Beasties we have a job to do

Here is my new Army for Warhammer Fantasy.It's Beastmen. I've always liked the Satyr look to this army and after looking into Dwarfs and not liking the models they seem to have some thing off (its a lack of legs). I then decided to go with this army.


My first unit of gors


These are my favorite models so far out of the set.From left to right Vig Rhames(its the face), Speedy, and Geronimo


the brown on the base is cork My Beastmen are coming down from the Black Fire Pass

see that brown spot with the horns shaped like a "V" that my forest and I will kill any hornless stuntie that tries to come into it!!!!