Hey guys! Sorry for the dearth of posts, I have been stupidly busy with work, hurt my back pretty badly (couldn’t paint/hobby :’( ) and have been struggling to build up the mental fortitude to paint this wee guildball commission for Mr Pash. I’ll be honest, I have completely gone off guildball recently and haven’t really enjoyed doing this team. I don’t know exactly what it is but it’s the lack of the game being a wargame/having the epic coolness that AoS and 30/40k has and the fluff doesn’t draw me at all.
As I haven’t been able to paint/hobby as much recently I have been reading tonnes of Horus Heresy books and it has solidified my long term love of the Games Workshop universe (still haven’t made my peace with AoS fluff though…) and their models. It really struck me just how far ahead GW are compared to most other model manufacturers. Some of the guildball models are very good and dynamic (fishermen and some of the brewer models) but some are utterly terrible, the big lady is a case in point, she looks like a kinder egg troll… When you compare to say the Atrapos Cerastus Knight I just built or even just the plastic clampack heroes (just build the assassins, wow!) they are just infinitely better (in my opinion anyway!).
I do take on board that guildball is meant to be a really fun and tactical game but it just isn’t for me I’m afraid, I find it really hard to get excited about it when I’m not emotionally invested in game like I am with 30/40k. A lot of focus on the internet these days purporting and flat out arguing the most important thing about a wargaming hobby is the game aspect. So many people simply flat out hate 30/40k and AoS (right since day one) because it isn’t as deep or complex as other systems (guildball, kings of war, 9th age or 8th ed was etc). While persons of this persuasion also have other reasons I do find it a shame that they do not seem to give as much credence or value to the other aspects of the game which effect my (and I believe many others) enjoyment of game. Painting, assembling, story and overall polish to me actually effect my choice of “hobby” more than the quality of a rules set. I also find it a shame that given the vitriol and sweeping statements some people made at the time of AoS launch that they may now feel out of a sense of pride that they will never back down or see the positive things that are in fact happening with GW. The increase in social media presence, specialist games (OMG Warhammer quest looks amazing!) and the potential development of apps and community involvement of AoS “competitive” gaming GW announced for summer (general’s handbook) are massive and such positive steps forward in our community.
When I look back to all my worst memories (both on the receiving end of and being in the situation of causing) of wargaming in the last 7 years it was always when rules were pushed to extremes or even abused and I really do not want to repeat this or continue with this. My favourite memories are hanging out with friends and playing casual fun games where we simply just had a laugh smoothing over any rules that “felt wrong”. Rules as written is not for me, play as intended is my preferred mode of gaming. Bizarrely one of my favourite gaming memories was when Scott and I played our first game of AoS and simply had a laugh and fudged the rules to what we felt was right!
This amongst other work/life balance constraints has led me to realise that tournaments are perhaps not for me any-more. I will do to them when I can and when I want to but I really don’t feel the desire anymore to build and work towards a tournament. While they are a lot of good fun to hang out with friends and just chill out for a day I think I will only go to them now when it fits and the stars align. I have been massively enjoying reading and planning my 30/40k/AoS projects and also playing X-Wing which is the polar opposite to the other systems, requiring no “hobby” and just simply is a fun game in a universe I love.
Anyway, really hoping I can get back into the swing of things hobbywise and I am still aiming to finish the year with my backlog of unpainted models. My rough aim at the moment is to paint the following:
Inquisitor Coteaz
4x Servo Skull Markers
1x Culexus Assassin
1x Caldius Assassin
1x Eversor Assassin
1x Vindicare Assassin
1x Cerastus Knight Atrapos
Let me know your thoughts guys!
Rich
