Woah…?

So apparently there are still a lot of people out there that find this blog (probably due to having the #2 spot on a Google search), so I should probably explain myself really quickly, especially since it’s been five months since my last post.

I just finished up my third year of college and am currently on summer break. This past semester was extremely difficult for me, with no help coming from missing two straight weeks to take part in a simulated Mars mission, with those two weeks falling right before my first string of exams (I had three within the first three days of getting back to campus). With the rest of the semester following it being a long game of catch-up and stay-above-water, I had no time for any hobby-related activities whatsoever. I even cut back on my moderation duties at Advanced Tau Tactica, which was a necessary choice in order to pull off the grades that I did.

With summer here, though, I should have time to work on some hobby things. I even bought a box of Fire Warriors to start working on the showcase army I mentioned a long time back. Of course, I haven’t cracked the box open yet since I just took the GRE (another big time sink, but I earned a 550 Verbal/800 Math) and am also working on programming a computer game, which also involves drawing all of the sprites and everything else past the actual coding. It’s a long process, and something that I’ve really enjoyed these past few weeks, plus it’s always a good topic of conversation.

Unfortunately, though, I only have a month until I leave for a two-week camp that I’m working, and I know that I won’t be able to finish the Fire Warriors by then (especially if I paint them to the standard I want to), so the updates will be relatively sparse still…

40k Pick-Up Lines

Well, since 40k in general has been pretty much expunged from my daily life, that is, until I find the time, there isn’t much more for me to say about either the gaming aspect or the hobby aspect. I did play a 1500-point game a few weeks ago, but I don’t remember all of the detail and would rather not post up an incomplete battle report. As for painting and modeling, absolutely nothing has happened. I left my paints at the apartment, along with the few unpainted models I have left, and didn’t even enter a GW or LGS at any time during the last few weeks.

So, what do I have left to contribute? 40k pick-up lines! What better way to start off the new year than being an uber-geek with a few of these bad boys under your belt. Please feel free to add your own in the comments as well, and I’ll edit them into the post. For lines I get from outside sources (i.e. not my brain), I’ll provide a link. So, here goes!

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WARHAMMER 40,000 PICK-UP LINES
Tau Empire
- The procreation department doesn’t have to approve all pairings, if you catch my drift…
- You make me want to be a Kor just so I can blast off with you.
- You know what they say about the Fio? They can work wonders with their hands.
- Did you just throw a Photon Grenade at me, or is your beauty that blinding?
- My Pulse Rifle isn’t the only huge thing I carry…
- Let’s make like a pair of Kroot and get feral.
- I was a patient hunter for you, but now I’m going in for the mont’ka.
- No, I’m not a Shas, I’m an Aun! I am now using my pheromones to seduce you.
- Normally, my Devilfish holds twelve, but right now it just has space for me an you.
- (Kroot) Want to get into some close combat?
- (Vespid) My neutron blaster isn’t the only thing I can turn on.

Space Marines
- All of my organs are genetically enhanced…
- You don’t have to do it for the Emperor, but want to do it for me?
- When they said ‘Humanity’s Finest,’ they were really just referring to me.
- I can go without rest for days on end… while fighting off an Ork infestation.
- You know, I’m naked under my MK7 Power Armor.

Imperial Guard
- I am your superior officer, so you must ‘Go to Ground’ with me.
- I’m more lethal than these lasguns.
- There might be thousands in this regiment, but I only have eyes for you.
- I’d jump from a Valkyrie without a grav-chute just to be with you.
- Here are the orders from the Commissar, and you know we can’t disobey those orders.

Tyranids
- Looks like we’re out of synapse range… Ready to resort to instinctive behavior?

Christmas Vacation

A few days ago, I left my apartment in East Lansing to come home to Beverly Hills for the holidays. Normally, I tote my two army cases, my paints, my backpack, and everything else I need to playing Warhammer 40k with me. Usually that means my complete packing list is a backpack (with computer and toiletries), a full laundry bag, a guitar and amp, and a second backpack and extra case for 40k.

Not this year. Since I’ll only be home for two weeks, I have to save my money (no gas or plastic crack), I didn’t want to make two trips down the stairs, I need to work on a research project, and since I’ll only be home for two weeks, I left all of my 40k stuff an hour away. Honestly, I probably could have even left my guitar and amp at the apartment as well, since only two weeks isn’t much time for practicing (although I am going to learn some Beatles songs for my mom…).

Before leaving, I figured that I should at least bring back the paints to start on the showcase army I mentioned previously, but due to space limitations in my backpack, they were excluded. I know that I’ll probably make one trip to Games Workshop while I’m home (I usually get a giftcard from my parents), so some plastic crack will make its way back to EL with me, but I’m not going out of my way to make this season a 40k-filled one.

I’ve even been severely lacking in my moderation duties, although that was more due to me having my hardest semester yet, plus being selected for a research opportunity, so my relative lack of excitement for 40k has been around for a while. I did play a game (1500, vs Eldar, Take and Hold, Pitched Battle) last Thursday, which was a close loss for me. I only needed one more turn, and I could’ve pulled off the win (we ended after six). Anyway, next semester I may be able to get back into things, but we’ll see…

Imperial Guard?

Well, it’s not really a good idea to shell out $130+ on some models that you’ll never use.

After having a solid few months without working on a single Imperial Guard model, and only owning two models that I would conceivably use in my army (two Valkyries), I’m putting my Imperial Guard project on hold. Heresy! you cry. Well, I would be dropping $400+ in order to play a 500-point game, since I was going to buy Elysians for all of my infantry, and that just can’t happen now. I’m paying for groceries (and I eat a lot!), utilities, I have Christmas coming up, plus I’m taking part in an expensive research trip that will take quite a bit out of my bank account. Don’t worry, though, as I’ll probably start it back up when the Elysian vs. Orks Imperial Armour book comes out, or after that, so I won’t be selling off my models just yet.

So, what am I going to do with the nice Vallejo paints I bought for the army? Well, an idea I had before starting the IG army was to create a “Tau Showcase” army. I’d make a set 1500-point list, then paint every model to an amazing standard. While an entire army now seems unfeasible, I’m going to at least paint up some models, like extra Fire Warriors, in the desert colors I had picked out. I was actually going to paint a test model a few days ago, but then decided that one of my research papers was more important. I’ll have quite a bit of time over break to paint, so I should have some actual models by year’s end. So, here’s an image of what the models will eventually look like! I’m still undecided on the sept color (currently Red for Vior’la, but I may switch it to the blue of Bork’an), and some minor details will probably change as I actually start painting the models

I’ve also decided to weather my vehicles similar to what was done by Jordtron and lostinnm on ATT. It will take a while to “retro-fit” all of my vehicles, battlesuits, and maybe even my infantry, with this new direction, but I’ll be starting with my newer models first (since I’ll probably end up buying a few models this break as well) and taking my time, so it will be a long gradual process. It should make my army look even better, and it’s always good to try something new and develop your painting skills, so why not?

Fire Warrior image created using Bolter and Chainsword’s Fire Warrior Painter from their April Fool’s joke from 2008.