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With the recent threads on is 40K dead and worrying about fantasy got me thinking. It's obvious that as a community we are fracturing into more niche games. Where once 40k held us all in awe, we have begun to find things higher on our prefer list. So, my question to all of you, and to get us all on the same page, what is your wargamming priority list?

For me;

1) Warmachine/Hordes takes the top spot. It's interesting, it''s evolving, it is easy to add to and it's got a solid set of rules. Within the game, I have three armies, each one is different and though small, each offer great choices for growth. Most important is my Circle army. I find it a challenging and diverse army with some really cool background. I do intend to get it painted and ready for next year's tournament. Right now I'm just waiting on the paint. Second is my Khador, which will be my mainstay. Playing Khador is a perfect fit for me as a player, easy to get comfortable with and get into the smashing mood. Last is my Retribution. It's the red headed stepchild of the three. Nothing in the lists really stand out or grab my attention but the army as a whole challenges me to think outside my comfort zone in a way that makes it something I want to work with.

2) Battletech comes in second. This is the game that got me into both roleplaying and wargaming. It holds a special place in my heart and the constantly evolving story line keeps it interesting. That they still support the older parts of the time line gives even more options for role playing and wargaming. As I have just recently got back into the game, I haven't settled on any factions or planned a role playing game yet, expect to see something in the future here.

3) Flames of War has a lot going for it. A solid rule set, great writing, variety of options and the chance to explore history in detail. As I've got two late war armies now (one that can play mid and early and one that can do mid somewhat ok) and a lot to paint up, it gets a lower priority. Also that I prefer early war means that expanding mid and late isn't as interesting to me so much. Once I can raise the funding for a huge purchase, I'll build my Greeks and take on any comer in proud defiance.

4) Warhammer fantasy; I enjoy the new rules a lot. The magic expansion is awesome so I am all for playing it. The hard part is painting up my rats and expanding the army. GWs prices make this hard enough for an elite army, the horde army makes me shiver. Transporting is also an issue. I am thinking of bringing my warriors of chaos back into play as they are elite though I will wait and see when the new book comes out.

5) 40k takes last spot. I'm sure many of you remember my problems earlier on with the guard. That issue hasn't changed though I do enjoy the necrons and demon armies. Again sheer numbers make painting hard, plus costs to buy pull the game down. Also I am finding 40k so much better as an RPG over the tabletop game. 6th Ed. may or may not see this game rise in rank so we shall see. As for my guard they may be up on the selling block here soon.

So there are the games I am interested in and in order of what is most important to me. I'm curious to see what others will say.

Hmmm. I can give you my current order of priority, but I'm a fickle bugger and my preferences change regularly based on what shiny new paint job/original conversion/kunnin plan happens to be floating around in my head.

For the nonce, I'd say:

1) warmachine, and quite possibly Hordes. I'm enjoying painting my jacks a lot just now, and the game is very fair and balanced.
2) Malifaux - I suck at this game, but I kinda like that newbie feeling of "I may suck now, but if I practice I will learn, and then, ohoh, then the world shall tremble, ohyesitwill"
3) space hulk - I do rather want to get some more games of this under my belt.
3) playing 40k (painting/building not so much)
4) BB and other misc games

All of this will be supplanted by Battle For Alabaster in November, however. Rarely have I been so stoked about a new game.

My own priorities are... unfortunate, given the unsupported / dead status of my favorites:

1) Epic, no contest. I love the scale, I love the rules, I have boatloads of terrain and lots of armies.

2) Would have been AT-43, but realistically I have to take it off the list because nobody expressed any real interest even before Rackham went under, so I kinda doubt I'll ever get the chance to play again. Good rules, good minis, but unpopular to start with and now the company's dead. So...

2) WHFB. I like my Gobbos - they're fun to play and surprisingly competitive, the game rules are pretty good, and I only rarely get a match-up with an opposing list that makes me wish I hadn't started the game. The latter is damning with faint praise, I know...

3) FoW, as soon as I get my army put together. It's good fun.

4) Everything else. There's a lot of good skirmishy games floating around, and I do like Warmahordes, but nothing really gives me the "man, I really want to get more games of that in" vibe. 'Course, I am waking up from a wargaming hiatus hibernation at the moment, so something may grab my attention. I've been cool on 40K for some years now, and one of the games I tried of 5e a couple months ago put me off even further.

Games I'm interested in getting into is also an interesting ranking, I think:

1) Dropzone Commander. The models look sweet, the scale is towards the end of things I like, and the rule teasers look interesting.

2) Dystopian Wars and/or Firestorm Armada. Having played a game or two of Uncharted Seas, I like what I see of the rules, and the models of course are sweet.

3) Brigade Models' Land Ironclads / Aeronef. Similar to Dystopian Wars in that it's small-scale Victorian sci-fi, but a lot less wacky and more solidly grounded in H.G. Wells' style tech as opposed to modern steampunk. Plus inexpensive and nice-looking models.

1. Warhammer Fantasy — no contest here. I love fantasy, and this seems to be the most well-supported game with a rich fantasy world, flexible gameplay and abundant modelling options.

2. 40K

3. German/Euro boardgames

4. Mordheim (played years ago)

5. Lord of the Rings (played years ago)

I've watched a few other games but the themes or miniatures don't generally excite me. I wouldn't mind trying Black Powder or Flames of War, but I don't want to collect and paint an army, and the factions seem a little limited compared to fantasy scenarios. Bolt Action looks interesting online, but I haven't seen anyone play it and only Prim to my knowledge is collecting it.

1. 40K. It has always been the game that I play regularly. Whilst I do like my small skirmishy games, 40k is where it is at for me. That said, 6th Ed. may change all that, we shall have to wait and see.

2. Black Powder. This game is aces. Very easy to play, lots of fun and the rulebooks (BP, Hail Caesar and Pike & Shotte) have a pleasant narrative style to them that really puts the emphasis on really casual play which makes a change from nearly every other game out there.

3. Malifaux. The card mechanic is inspired. Sure, some of the rules for the minis often cause 'WTF?' moments and the game is nowhere close to being balanced, but I do like it a lot.

4. Warmachine. Every game I play, I want to buy 2 or 3 factions. Not WM. I love my Khador and all of their stupidly hard to damage 'jacks. Sure they may be as slow as cold molassas, but when they reach you it's clobberin' time.

5. Cutlass. Another fun little skirmish game, but this time with the added benefit of a campaign mechanism behind it. Plus it has pirates.

6. Uncharted Seas. I have only played a few games of this, but ol' Spevna has got himself a couple of fleets now, so I will be getting more games in everytime I can make it to Yokkaichi. ToD mentioned Firestorm Armada and Dystopian Wars, two other games from Spartan. Whilst I have yet to try FA, I can say that I dont like DW. The models are certainly cool, but the simplicity of US was thrown out of the window and a gazillion new rules added which make the game take twice as long without offering any real benefit IMHO.

7. Dust Tactics/Warfare. DT is a fun little game, easy to play, but allowing some room for players to customise their forces and make each game unique. I haven't played Warfare yet, but I am looking forward to it a lot. Now that the Russian forces are starting to appear I hope it encourages others to get stuck in.


My thoughts on upcoming bits and pieces:

Dropzone Commander looks lovely and I am sorely tempted to buy it, I am no fan of small scale models, but big stompy robots may prove the exception to that. We shall see.

Bolt Action, a platoon level WW2 game is coming out from Warlord/Osprey this year. Written by Cavatore and Priestley and being a scale that I like (28mm), I can see it being lots of fun.

Hail Caesar, Warlord's ancient battles rule system looks great. Very similar to Black Powder in style and rules I think it could be a lot of fun. I just have to paint something my 300 or so Romans and Celts and I can start playing.

Pike & Shotte, another of Warlord's games. This time covering the Renaissance period and the English Civil Wars. Sadly I cant afford another historical-horde army game right now, but maybe a few years down the road the Cavaliers and the Roundheads will clash in Nagoya.

Of course, all of this is just wargames. There is no mention of RPGS of which I have a few. Sadly free time is a valuable commodity and there just isn't enough of it to go around.

@Prim - what say you to Battle For Alabaster? Interestin` or not? I believe it's in the Dust Tactics ballpark of gameyness. i.e. on a board, but not entirely a board game. I foresee a dust warfare stylee tabletop game as a next step, too (but by no means required, of course. I'll probably stick with the board game version, unless other folks get really into it. Which they should, cos it looks ace )

me_in_japan wrote:@Prim - what say you to Battle For Alabaster? Interestin` or not? I believe it's in the Dust Tactics ballpark of gameyness. i.e. on a board, but not entirely a board game. I foresee a dust warfare stylee tabletop game as a next step, too (but by no means required, of course. I'll probably stick with the board game version, unless other folks get really into it. Which they should, cos it looks ace )

The models are nice, but I will probably wait and see how Sedition Wars pans out. I will play the game if you buy it though. If it is a good game, I may buy into it.

If I could be disciplined enough to stick to things, and could get off the internet long enough to get on with them, it'd be:

1) Finish my Infinity stuff.

2) Finish the second squad of Space Hulk terminators

3) Finish my Elysian Drop Troops

4) Paint my Empire of the Dead models

That's it for the moment. As it is, I'm mucking about with old Gropos models (10mm Babylon 5 ground combat) in anticipation of Dropzone Commander.

1.Whatever the I have and whatever the guy I am playing wants to play.


2. Cutlass (pirates!) 'nough said

3. Blood bowl. Necromunda Mordhiem Gorka Morka. All those games are fun. PS I still have not found my teams.
4. 40k love it just plain fun. when I say 40k I mean killzone Apoc and even EpicArm. And best of all combat patrol 400 points level no Monstous creachers no ordnance weapons no model with more than two wonds. At least one troop choice. 0-1 hq units.
5. FB It wold be ranked higher but I hate magic.
6. Jus about every thing else fits here.

1. Uncharted Seas
2. WH40K
3. Anything else