40K OSR? (18)

The latest 40K OSR? update. What's an OSR?

Could be an Old School Renaissance, an Other School Renaissance or even an Optional School Renaissance, or not, and maybe the 'R' stands for 'Review', 'Revolution' or 'Revelation'. Maybe...

Colonel Kane's logo is to the right. If you use it, consider giving him credit and adding Tales from the Maelstrom to your blogroll for the inspiration.

Here we go then - even more of that inspiration.

• Big Jim at Adventures... talked more about Killzone Evolution, posted a house rules pdf and looked again at the wow factor and using GMs in 40K; his full interview with Loquacious is also up at World of Wonder, ...

• ...while Brian at A Gentleman's Ones covered KZ's missions and tokens...

• ... and the third full interview was Lantz, looking at the AdMech FanDex.

• Bryssling has hints for homebrew weapons and more on the Disciples.

• Overlooked last time were the custom missions and cards at Roll With It.

• Karitas at Excommunicate Traitoris has a three-way idea, with a H Mudd. 

• At Confessions... dwez has biomorph markers and looks at terrain setup.

• Zac's Gaming Blog has a second edition battle report, found via Musings.

• Fine Detail Miniature Painting posted the Necromunda video report that triggered the multi-system online campaign, as well more Necro painting and an ash nomad conversion, with the shrike, and a nomad long rifle.

• Loquacious also posted a Specialist Games-focused Top X with Von over at HoP and the very next day Von posted a thoughtful look at Inquisitor.
  

• At Kenzie's blog the action moves to a Deathwatch drop on the starport.

• There's a list of warbands and two mini reports up at Terminus Omega.

• TheAmbit has parts two and three of a Night Hawks tale; the first is here.

• At Warpstone Flux jabberjabber presented a Tyranid origin hypothesis...

• ... and Laughing Ferret has pics of a genestealer cult infantry squad.

• Drathmere at 40k Hobby Blog is scratchbuilding a Ragnarok - 1, 2 so far - ...

• ... Krisken at Scratchbuild 40K built then painted some Eldar platforms, ...

• ... Kamui showed a scratchbuilt opening drop pod at Creative Twilight, ...

• ... Rictus at Recalcitrant Daze put up 1, 2, 3, 4 more posts on Ork looted wagons, and 1, 2, 3 on the defensive walls, moulds for which are for sale, ...

• ... Apocalypse 40K gave us a look at a scratchbuilt Ork soopa stompa...

•  ... and at Heresy Workshop Will Wright made a salamander on a chimera.

• Scaling back down, Warhammer in Progress converted a demon prince, a great unclean one, cyberwolves and some cyclone missile launchers.

• More Nurgle at Rust and the city, where Cameron has some terminators and more plague marines, and looked at sculpting the belly plates.

• Brovatar finished the female C'Tan and a Necron overlord; court here.

• At Spiky Rat Pack izeColt introduced us to Skull Hopperre, a companion for Mutie Kul, and there's a new JB-inspired build underway, the Rifleman.

• And to finish, another Goatboy interview, also for ID at World of Wonder.

If I've overlooked anything this time round, feel free to leave a link - even your own work.

Update: I missed Ron's post at From the Warp on sculpting hair and beards, as well as this 28mm Inquisitor force at The Grim Darkness, of which there's even more here.

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40K OSR? (15)

Another flood of 40K OSR? links. I let them build again, but I'd like to get this weekly to fortnightly.

Various definitions of 'OSR' are here and Colonel Kane's logo is to the right. If you use it, consider giving him the credit and adding Tales from the Maelstrom to your roll as a fine example - since the last time they've posted on Rogue Trooper.

And away we go then - just don't look down...

• First a PSA: Inquisitork is moving blog, to The Maddening Words of C M Forde.

• A Night Lords playtest codex developed via TCP was announced at Galaxy in Flames, the blog now renamed Big Jim's Hobby Adventures.

• Chaos Gerbil released his Codex: Lost and the Damned Fandex v4.

• Tabletop Fix announced an Inquisitor sourcebook from Dark Magenta.

• Rules Man Bryssling has an unfinished post from Rules Manufactorum on rules design for tournaments and a reworking of Necron flayed ones.

• Kraggi at The Varcan Cluster posted the 36-entry events table for the campaign as well as parts 7 and 8 of the rules and pics of 1, 2 maps.

• The campaign is underway at Terminus Omega, with 1, 2 parts of an IG v. Harlequin battle report, details of a solo approach and throne agents.

• Thor's final versions of the King of the Hill, Search and Destroy and Target Priority missions were posted at Creative Twilight, along with updated versions of The Long Haul and Attack and Defend.

• At Warpstone Flux the current army list challenge uses a fiery scenario.

• Nurglitch is looking at a card-based approach to Adeptus Titanicus.

• Naftka at Faeit 212 reports the sixth edition leak is real and part of a plan.

• There's a celebration of 25 years of Rogue Trader at Fawcett Avenue Conscripts, and thanks to Dave G at Wargaming Tradecraft for the link.

• Not so far back, Stillfrosty at White Scars has the Movie Marines rules.

• Also re old rules, HoP has links for 'flash 40K' via Dracus' Journal.

• Gotthammer at Collegia Titanica has the second Koronus Gazetter.

• Kenzie's blog has 1, 2, 3 more write-ups for the Dark Heresy campaign.

• Miniature-wise the big news was Mantic's human Corporation range, ideal for counts as IG, and the Privateer Press Colossals, possible knights.

• Eldar Addict has some dangerous-looking Dark Eldar grotesques in 1, 2 parts so far based on this approach by Lucky No. 5 at Eye of Terror.

• Warhammer in Progress has an unusual Ork trukk build, the Grot Rod, and a work in progress on the wider Ork army, with all kinds of conversions.

• Unite All Action has an old, bits-heavy feral Ork warboss conversion.

• Ron at From the Warp sculpts detail to get a fuller Mk. 6 power armour, and has an Eldar corsair based on Forge World's, modelled and painted.

• Hungry Ghosts has the Chaos Squat bikers on parade in 1, 2 parts.

• Cameron at Rust and the city is building a spectacular Imperial renegade force and looking for some advice on going with counts as Grey Knights.

• Laughing Ferret is working on a scary counts as genestealer cult.

• Mordian7th finished a whirlwind built the good old White Dwarf way and now has a Magnus the Red as well, with possible rules in the post.

• At Spiky Rat Pack izeColt is part-sculpting a mutie and companion.

• Apocalypse 40K linked to work on a scratchbuilt Eldar superheavy flier and a Nightwing and mentions the Necron-like Cyber Bike and Orc Gruberwagen from Puppets War and Chaos pauldrons from Kromlech.

• On the subject of alternatives, specifically Ork buggies, Whelp Slayer likes the Mantic Raptor; thanks to Miniature Musings of a Bear for the link.

• Old School Terminator at Dark Future Games has some uses for the new Mantis Tank from Blight Wheel Miniatures, with the measurements here.

• Imaginary Life shows off some 28mm bits good for cultists and marines.

• An alternative to buying new of course is refurbishing old, and Sign of the Aquila is doing that with a marine dreadnought in 1, 1.5 parts so far.

• There are sci-fi interiors at Hudson, for a Space Hulk, BFG and 40K mix.

• Hogs of War posted a work in progress on a set of large fortress walls.

• Vitor at Aurelius Legion finished the ventilator, inspired by Necromundicon.

• At Confessions... dwez painted the modular plug and the second man-made hill, and posted 1, 2, 3 updates on the plasma generator.

• Goblin Mini-Mart has some work in progress Necromunda scrap wastes. 

• Redscorps has research station terrain, with a weathered stormraven.
  

• On the 3D printing front, Apocalypse 40K also has a shout-out for a pioneer.

• Rictus at Recalcitrant Daze looks at using 3D printing for defensive walls in 1, 2, 3, 4 , 5, 5a, 6 parts, as well as building elements in 1, 2 parts so far.

• How 3D printing might change things is suggested by this story at TGN.

• CounterFett has 1, 2, 3, 4 more pics from Space Crusade at All Things Fett. 

In case you haven't read it yet and you have an interest, I'll also plug my recent post on ownership of IP. It's closely linked to the essence of this and possibly 3D printing most.

As ever, if you think I've missed anything, even your work, drop a link in the comments.

Update: Here's the first, a link to a series of posts at The Retired Adventurer on using Stars Without Number to run games set in the 40K universe; the introduction is here.

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40K OSR? (10)

Been a while since the last full 40K OSR? post.

I don't know what's up, but it seems to me output is down. I'm assuming it's just a mix of summer, anger online at price rises and limits on sales to Australia, maybe the move from metal, plus the fact GW itself is bringing old 40K material back, possibly early edition complexity in sixth edition.

I'm still linking though. I'll do full updates like this less often, but you can see the latest mentions at any point using the 40K OSR? search label.

So then, the usual. First, what's a 40K OSR? There are some potential definitions here.

If you identify with the concept, especially if you're putting out new ideas, feel free to use Colonel Kane's logo, at the top of this post. If you do, consider crediting him and adding Tales from the Maelstrom to your roll. It's 40K magic; up now is an inquisitor's retinue.

• A little sadness to start, the sale at Mordian 7th Regiment of a converted adeptus mechanicus force, but check out the Thousand Sons jetbikes.

• Rules Manufactorum have been running reviews of Shawn Abreu's homebrew, the renegade Constantinus, Necron Stalkers and the Dark Eldar Avatar.

• If you're a craftworlder, For Holy Terra is creating Fandex: Eldar unit by unit, while for Chaos Chaotic Painter has some work on a Word Bearer fandex.

• Bix at The Veil's Edge has more for the Blood Drinkers too, on the Flaw.

• Auberon at Digital Waaagh! is back with more Ork madboyz, moroniks.

• Commissar Carrie at Inquisitork has a project status list - work for Lantz's AdMech FanDex is done, and there'll be a new blog, plus some Ork fiction. 

• Lantz himself gave us a conversion at Twin Linked Awesome, the Leman Russ Butcher, and as mentioned here, more AdMech minis completed.

• Staying with the adeptus mechanicus, fuzzbuket has a patrol droid.

• Over at A Gentleman's Ones Brian is making strong progress on the Heroes of Armageddon boards, and HoA itself only has a week left to run.

• Ghola Scale is sculpting an ambull, that classic Rogue Trader beastie.

• On the subject of building from scratch, thanks to James S at Warp Signal I found In the Grim Cheapness of the Far Future... and the 'Paperhammer'.

• And get this: The Inner Geek is building a card Emperor-class titan. There are Epic-scale reavers and warlords over at Confessions of a 40K addict.

• Unite All Action has a pair of the original Ork battlewagons converted.

• The Squat project at You Aint Seen Squat! proceeds apace, while Hungry Ghosts at his Chaos Squat blog adds to the history with the Citadel flyers.

Finally, perhaps as a wild card, Gotthammer at Collegia Titanica had a look at the development of the game, focusing on a critical juncture; first part here, second here.

If you think I've missed anything, leave a comment, and feel free to make suggestions.

Update: Big Jim has the first in a series on narrative gaming at Galaxy in Flames.

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Cohabitation

Could the Dark Eldar also be popular because of the balance between male and female miniatures? A pleasant thought to offset the less pleasant nature of what those minis represent. Re my ponder under the last post, perhaps a sleek female form - in skimpy clothing in the case of Lilith Hesperax - sells better too than a short, portly abhuman?

Three recent posts then on a hot subject of late - men, women and games.

It might be best to read this first, an image-heavy post on what we mean by 'sex sells', with thanks to TalkToYoUniverse for the referral.

If that seems overly simplistic, you could well enjoy this fuller essay.

If you haven't been following the discussion between Greg and Zak on the representation of women in games here at Errant, it's challenging and I recommend reading as much as you can. Here's the post I think best puts the context, also an excellent contribution.

Finally, Atrotos has a new post up at Victory Candescence on the subject of computer games especially. It's irreverant to say the least, but arrives at an interesting conclusion.

DE QEF

I wanted to write something today about the new creatures for the GW Dark Eldar range, but I really can't. Not because I'm not interested of course - I've usually got a comment on the potential for alien lifeforms - but because the DE just make me sad.

My thoughts on the faction I've put at Bell of Lost Souls and will surprise none of the longer-term readers there. Without getting into all the issues of their suitability for the younger end of the customer base, I feel that while the structural quality of the miniatures is high, and the DE concept might have moved beyond 'Eldar who are Dark', this really ought to have been true over 12 years ago when they were first released.

After all, the structural and conceptual quality of the succubus in the most recent batch doesn't seem to me greatly different than the House Escher miniatures released for 1995's Necromunda. Compare that latest mini with the Escher gang here. If only the original DE - released just under three years after the Escher - had been so well-proportioned and naturally-posed.

Discussing terms (1) - Beer and pretzels

Since I started keeping up with the hobby online, I've come across plenty of terms and trends in language use I'd never seen before. Many of the regional differences and the markers of a different approach are a source of interest and pleasure. Unfortunately not all of them. The language of violence sometimes gets a bit out of hand for example.

I'm not especially thin-skinned or prudish, but I do think that we underestimate the power of words. I'll mention George Orwell here yet again, for his Newspeak. If you haven't already thought about it, I'd say take a good look and consider how the concept applies to us. For argument's sake, I'm going to play devil's advocate occasionally and be a pedant about hobbyspeak. Those who know Porky know this side of him well.