Thursday, January 6, 2011

Astronomicon Vancouver 2011

The Astronomicon tournament organizers run annual events in Vancouver, Winnipeg, Toronto, and Dallas. They're also hosting a tournament on a cruise ship this year.

My friend and I are planning to attend the tournament in Vancouver this summer. It's supposed to occur in August, as it normally does. We're going to make a trip out of it with the girlfriends. Spending a week in southern BC is always fun. Mountains, wine country, Vancouver, then back to wine country, back over the mountains, and home (I live in Alberta).

The tourney format sounds really cool. You can find it in their rules section on their website: Astronomicon home page.

Is anyone else thinking of going, or interested in doing so after reading how these tournaments are run?

Missions are designed by the organizers, and are made to suit the terrain on each particular table; and the terrain is varied so that sometimes an army will have an advantage, and other times the player will have to get creative to win.

They even give away an award for best list. I don't mean unit selection. I mean the physical representation of your list. One guy one year turned in a guardsman's field kit, complete with the Infantryman's Uplifting Primer from Black Library, with his list and other papers inside.

If you listen to 40K Radio, you can hear an interview with the organizers in an episode from not too far back.

Saturday, January 1, 2011

Space Wolves Vindicator/Leman Russ battle tank

Quick post, looking for some feedback.

I happen to have a Leman Russ tank, still in the box. One day I would like to build a small Valhallan Imperial Guard army, and it was on sale at a big discount. How could I resist? Anyway, now that I have a Space Wolves army, I am considering using it to represent a Vindicator. As many will know, the Space Wolves could take Leman Russ tanks before the latest codex came out. Their Primarch is the one who found its STC design.

What do you think? Cool idea, lame idea?

The biggest issue I think is whether it would give me an advantage in game. I don't think it would. The tank is taller, meaning I'll have a harder time getting out of line of sight or getting a cover a save. Also, I can use the hull mounted gun to measure and draw line of sight from, so the raised turret wouldn't help me see and shoot enemy units that a Vindicator model could not.

I know that the people I play friendly games with will think its cool. I'm concerned about tournaments though.