RAW or RAI? Or perhaps just Inquisitor?

The most recent Blogger Group round table discussed following the Rules As Written or the Rules As Interpreted, and it got me thinking about the whole topic. You can read what I said (that I favoured RAW in most circumstances) on FtW, but I just wanted to briefly talk about why, and to highlight some circumstances where RAI is the only way to go. 

I think that at the moment, the general trend is to push for RAW. The recent discussions about the GW errata documents shows how important the exact wording of the rules seems to be and I can understand why. It would seem that RAW is currently king of the debate. 

However, it was not always this way in the GW universe. I joined the hobby during 40k's 2nd Edition, and at this point the rules were becoming very much formalized and codified. Indeed as the game was so much more complex than all the incarnations since, using RAW was key to getting anywhere. But, I'm sure some of you will have been around for that much loved game Rouge Trader!

I recently picked up a copy of the 'Trader rulebook from EBay, mostly just to see what I'd missed out on. I was struck by the recurring insistence by the author that the rules, as presented in the book, were simply a guide line. You, as the player were encouraged to make rules up, adapt ones you didn't like, hell, ignore them if you want too. Anything that you thought improved you game was permitted.

So, supporters of RAI in 5th Ed. might ask, what has changed? 

Rouge Trader is clearly a more narrative game than current 5th Ed. is designed to be. The idea of pick-up or tournament play is not even considered in this rulebook, because it simply didn't happen. Rouge Trader was a game you played with people you knew, using models you mostly had to find yourself, playing scenarios you had to make up yourself. 5th Ed. is of course story based (and so it should, otherwise for me there is no point to it), but it also is designed to be a highly competitive game. 

Another key difference between the two systems is the presence of a Games Master (GM). For those without much experience outside 40K, the GM is a common sight in other model and role playing games. Effectively an impartial 3rd player of the game, the GM's jobs are to mediate between the two players actually controlling the main forces, to drive the narrative on and crucially, to judge where and when it is fair for the rules to be changed. For me, a good GM is the main reason why you can afford RAI in Rouge Trader. There is nothing comparable for the current version of 40K. 

In the end pick-up and tournament games of 5th Ed. are competitive first, and story driven second, as thus need the RAW. Rouge Trader and friendly games of 5th are hopefully the opposite, giving you much more wiggle room on the rules. 

SO, what if you do fancy a game that focuses on RAI and is story driven? Well, I can highly recommend picking up a copy of Inquisitor. For anybody who missed it, this game is great and I simply love it. Its highly story driven, to the extent that winning or loosing a game is largely immaterial. You are encouraged to change rules and to think of the whole experience like a film (i.e. making you characters preform the heroic, as opposed to the tactical). 

For some the element of role-play in the game is too much, but, if you love your 40K background and can find someone willing to put the effort into being a good GM (which can be a load of fun), then please give it a go. Inquisitor is firmly RAI and you wont regret playing it, I miss being able to do it myself. 

Anyway, that's a few hours work firmly avoided for another Sunday. Hope this was an interesting read, I would love to hear anybodies experience of either game!

Dark Angels: Ravenwing Landspeeder Done

Hello all, just a quick update to day to show you all my finished Ravenwing Landspeeder. I took a bit more time on this model than I did with the bikes and I'm much happier with it. Using Codex Grey as the main highlight worked better than Shadow Grey (used on the bikes). I think it gives a more 'metallic' feel. There are a few more pics below, do let us know what you think. 

Next up on the painting table, more Terminators. I'm getting ever closer to having the first 1500pts done, I really can't wait. The Tale of Painters timescale should have me finished by February. Then, finally, I can get some proper games in...

And finally, a bit of fun I had in photoshop, it had to be done really...

Thanks for looking!

Product Review: GW Spray Gun

Concept

As I'm sure you all know, one of Games Workshop's most recent releases is its Spray Gun. Designed to allow you to spray your models with GW Foundation Paint, the spray gun is supposed to give you greater flexibility in your undercoating, and cut down on painting time (something that everybody can get behind!). After an initial release and recall in mid summer, the product has been fixed and has been on sale for a while. Yours truly picked one up last week. What follows is a fairly simple review/tutorial, designed to give you all some basic impressions of this piece of kit.

Now some of you may remember many years back when GW had a wide range of colour primers, not just today's Black and White. This cut down on painting time dramatically, but also led to a number of armies that were just primed in the relevant colour and left. I can remember doing this myself with an IG armoured company (the shame of it!). Indeed I was told by one GW Red Shirt that this was part of the reason why the other colours were discontinued. Whatever the reason, I was annoyed to find the cans were gone when I got back into 40k. Is the new spray gun the solution? 

I've never used any form of spray gun before, which is part of the reason I paid the £23 for the GW version (£18 for the Gun & £5 for a can of propellant).  I've read that there are better & more cost effective models out there, but I figured that the GW version would be more 'noobie' friendly. I realise its far from rocket science, but I find that if I can get something wrong, I often do! 

Contents

So what do you actually get for you money?

Well, its all fairly straightforwardly packaged and comes with the following:

1. Spray Gun. Yes its shaped like a flamer. Do I really care? No I don't. 

2. Propellant Valve Pin (as well as an adaptor for the Propellant Can).

3. Paint Container.

4. Air Hose.

5. Propellant Can. Just to stress that this comes separately from the rest of the kit.

As I had hoped there is also a fairly in depth instruction manual that breaks the process down nicely. You should also check out GW's own 'How To' for the spray gun. Well worth a look. 

GW's Instruction Booklet

Use/Tutorial 

One of the main quires I had with the GW Spray Gun was over using normal paints. All the promotion material talks about using the new Foundation Paints and Washes, but mentions nothing about using normal paint. Almost to stress the point, the paint container has a set of guides to show what mixtures of foundation paint and water are required for good results. There is no info on normal paint. 

Guide for foundation paint:  Fill the container with foundation paint up to one of the marks on the left. Then top up with water until the next highest mark on the right. 

After some internet research I read that it would be fine to use normal paint in the spray gun, and that only a few drops of water were needed to top it up. So I duly whipped out my Dark Angels green and gave it a go. Be sure to give the paint a good mixing with a matchstick or similar. 

Below we see the spray kit mostly put together. It is as simple as it looks. Screw the adapter on to the can (leaving the valve out, unless you want propellant everywhere) and then attach the air hose. Attach the other end to the 'gun' itself and your almost ready to go!

When in your spraying area you can pop in the valve, by simply screwing it into its hole atop the adaptor. Make sure the hose is securely attached at both ends first. 

You should hear the gas as its released from the can. Do make sure the adaptor is screwed on tight, or you will spend ten minutes wondering why the spray gun wasn't working, like I did!

Below you can see the paint pot in its position on the spray gun. It is a good idea to test out your paint mixture first. If its comes on too thick, go back and add some water. If its too thin then add more paint. Simple! You can also adjust the flow of paint by turning the spray gun's Paint Cap.

My spray gun's first victim was to be my Dark Angels Rhino, hence the need to use DA Green as opposed to foundation paint. When using normal paint, it is important that you still prime the model first, either with a normal spray or foundation paints. This helps the following paints to stick to the model's surface. 

So, following GW's advice and using short sweeping motions, I sprayed away. And uttered some pretty horrible words straight after. It would my appear my mixture was all wrong, and the paint came on a bit thick...

This mistake can however be put down to my inexperience, as opposed to any fault with the Spray Gun. And, as it turns out, once I left the model to dry properly the result was not that bad. 

The coat is patchy in a few places but on the whole it is smooth and will give me a good basis to work from, which was the aim! 

We have also proved that you can happily use normal paints in the GW spray gun. With some trial and error...

Tips

The only major advice I can offer is to ensure that the paint is of the right consistency before you commit it to a model. This means testing, testing and testing! Don't allow your self to rush it like I did! I was lucky with the Rhino, but I easily could have ended up making the eventual paint job harder or even ruining the model.

I would also draw your attention to the Propellant can. Try to keep this as warm as possible, within reason (Remember its a compressed can and will react explosively to extreme heat!). As the can is used it will loose pressure and draw in the cold from its surroundings. This will eventually stop the flow of propellant. If this happens, place it somewhere warm and try again later.

Conclusion

On reflection I do like the GW spray gun. 

Admittedly its not cheap, but it is cheerful and straightforward to use, especially if like me you have no prior experience. The kit seems robust and is easy enough to clean. The paint pot with its markings for foundation paint is also a neat idea. The less guess work involved the better! I will be testing these markings out soon, and will report back to you if they are no good.

My only real criticism is the propellant. I can already hear mine running out after just the Rhino which, at £5 a pop, is not great. I am unsure if the adaptor would be suitable for other makes of propellant but its something I intend to look into. If I can find a cheaper alternative then that would be a major plus for the spray gun.

At the end of the day if you want a simple way to quickly base coat your troops or tanks then I can recommend the spray gun. Its robust, simple and does exactly what it says on the tin.

Rating: 4/5

As usual I hope some of you out there found this a useful/interesting read! Does anybody have their own experience to add?

Tale of Painters Deadline 1: Met

Well, I managed to finish enough Ravenwing for the first ToP deadline today.

As I've said over on my Work in Progress thread at Librarium Online, I really didn't enjoy painting these Ravenwing very much. I guess for some reason I'm just not as happy with the finished result as I was with my previous stuff. This in itself is quite amusing, because I know full well I would have been chuffed to churn these models out only a year ago. I guess its a nice indication of progress! 

Perhaps I need to leave them for a while and come back to them. I always find that helps when evaluating your work. 

But, before I tell you what I think did and didn't work on these models, here are some pictures so you can tell me yourself:

I had some issues with the lights on the front of the bikes, they all came out looking dirty and of a mixed shade. I'm also not 100% on the highlighting, I can't decide if it looks too bold. Finally the white caused me no end of anguish, and is quite blotchy in parts.

However, I've learned a good technique for leather, and I do love the pose on the Attack Bike. Ultimately they are playable, which is what I'm going for. I'm also lucky I only have 3 more bikers and the Landspeeder to do - thank god the Deathwing element of the DA appealed to me more!

Its been a real push to get these models finished within the time limit and this blog has been a bit neglected because of it. Look forward to a few new posts before this month is through, including a product review and a showcase of some custom made models.

As always I would love to know what you think! Thanks for stopping by...

Unoffical Dark Angels FAQ

Only a quick post today, just an attempt to bring something to the attention of players it might interest. After an great discussion right here on the merits of Codex Space Marines Vs. the Codices of the various 'special' chapters I was interested to see an unofficial 'Rationalised Dark Angels FAQ' on The Dark Fortress (although it apparently began life on Bolter & Chainsword).

This is an attempt to bring the DA codex more into line with C:SM, in a way that many have called for. It would seem to well balanced at first glance, it modifies points costs and allows the DA access to the new wargear options in C:SM while (rightfully) denying them any of the new units.

Now, I can't see myself using this FAQ, as I stand by my comments made in the discussion post, and I certainly wouldn't want to see this used in any 'official' or tournament games. However, if somebody in a pickgame felt sufficiently hard done by that they wanted to use the FAQ, I wouldn't really object. And knowing that there has been some interest right here on this topic, I though I would try to spread the word.

Does anybody know of any equivalent Blood Angles or Black Templars documents, or is it on the DA getting attention? Actually, if you read a recent post of The Bell of Lost Souls, it would appear that the Black Templars don't need any assistance to be game winners!

If you've got any opinions on this debate, feel free to add them to this thread, or the original discussion.

Cameras, Tactical Marines & Ravenwing...

Good news people, I have access to a camera! Although not my actual digital camera (I keep on spending money meant for repairs on more models...) I've got a fairly good camera phone that will do the job for now. 

So, as promised, below are some pictures of the Tactical Squad I finished a while ago. They took me about around a month to complete. I still consider that as slow, given the speed some of the people on blogs and forums seem able to achieve. What do you all think, are these people just insanely talented or should I be looking to paint faster? 

Please also add you vote to my poll on painting the interiors of vehicles. I'm sitting here looking at my Rhino and wondering if its worth the effort. I'd love to hear some comments on this too. 

Anyway, photos. Apologies for the lighting on some of them, I just wasn't able to get it right today.

These pictures are all attachments, so be sure to open them up in a new tab/window for a better look.

As you can see I've used a number of bits from the DA Veterans box, including some of the Veteran torsos. I decided to paint these marines in brown robes instead of the traditional Deathwing Bone for a few reasons. Primarily I think that bone robes stick out far too much in a dark green squad, I wanted them to look like a coherent unit. It also means that if I do ever get a veteran squad, they will look distinct as they should. And of course, the brown was far easier to achieve! Any thoughts on if this look works?

Below are a few closer detail shots as well as some photos featuring some excellent terrain I bought on ebay - that site really can come up with gems every now and then! 

These last two photos show my highlights quite well, they don't aways show up on camera...

I'm really pleased with how the squad turned out, but I welcome any criticisms or improvements people can suggest (compliments are also nice!).

To finish off this already picture heavy post, here are some WIP shots of the Ravenwing. I'm hoping to get the first 3 done within a week. I have already confirmed that I really REALLY hate painting white...

ToP Update & Blog Housekeeping

Well, it appears that I am an idiot. When signing up for the Tale of Painters Project on Librarium Online I misread the process in a rather major way. Because the sign up for the event began in early September I naturally assumed that the first deadline would fall on the 15th of the next month and thus furiously began painting my first Tactical Squad, which I finished yesterday.

I was, evidently, wrong.

The first deadline is in actually on the 15th of November, a fact I only realised a few days ago. Now, because I don't really want to buy or paint any more Dark Angles than what I need for my 1500pts List, I was left with a bit of a choice. Do I paint no DA for a month and submit the Tactical Squad in November (allowing me to work on some Saim-Hann), or do I solider on with the DA and end up with more than I technically want? Well, simply because I'm enjoying painting to the higher standard that the DA enjoy, I've decided to continue with them. I'll probably just paint an extra tactical squad for ToP. I'm also desperate to get an army painted to the best standard I can manage on the table as soon as possible.

This leads me on to a bit more blog housekeeping. I guess I just want to warn those reading that due to some time and transport constraints, this blog is largely going to be a simple log of my painting efforts for the next few months. I'm not able to get to somewhere to game at the moment meaning that I wont be able to do battle reports and other things I would like to do. However, this should change at the start of next year- just about the time I plan to finish my DA! Convenient? I think so!

Finally, in a twist of fate it seems quite fortuitous that I muddled up the ToP deadlines. My camera suffered an 'accident' and is not working at the moment - meaning that I would not have been able to submit pictures of my entry in time anyway. However, the camera is in for repair, and pictures of the Tactical Squad should be gracing these pages shortly.

Be sure to check out my thoughts on the new Space Marine codex below. In the mean time, work begins on the Ravenwing...