Weekender XLBS: Dark Imperium; Returning To 40K & LARP Thoughts
June 11, 2017 by dignity
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Happy Sunday!
Morning all, im off to bed yawn. Hope you all have a great day 🙂
Sam!
Happy Sunday! Welcome back especially to Sam, Yay! We’ve all missed you. (Was that sycophantic enough?) Only joking!
Happy Sunday & welcome back Sam!
Happy Sunday
@warzan I’ll have to agree with your better half about the MLP RPG – and you should pick up some models for it
Happy Sunday!
Happy Sunday!!!
Welcome back, Sam!
After an extremely long hiatus (well, since 4th edition), my group and I are tentatively getting into 8th edition (via Shadow-War: Armageddon!). I went for Tau, as I always preferred ‘shooty’ armies- I just picked up two of the Start Collecting sets, which I hope should give me a decent starting force…
Buy my Imperial Assault and let me get a couple of Mythos factions 😉
Around 20 years ago I used to LARP a lot, 1st Sunday in every month, and then some full weekends as well. One of the reason were like @brennon that I played a lot of RPGs and 90% of the time as GM. The Nordic (or at least the Danish) LARP scene had a fairly low buy in as most weapons where home made – Duck tape, bamboo and the foam you use under your sleeping bag when camping or at a festival.
Being a Barbarian at heart there where times where our costumes where just a loincloth and the smell of hangovers from the night before, often with a fresh stout poured in to our hair.
Yeah, I’ve been looking at a lot of stuff that could very easily get me into LARP. I think I have a nearby group as well as what I’ve been looking at with Empire.
All just planning and seeing where it goes 🙂
Stick with the TAU Gianna and just get the rulebooks, and yes go with the Tiger Stripes.
woot Sam is back
@dignity the goblin team is available and you have the full rules for all the old teams.
GW also sold old teams but I think they are all sold out.
@warzan the little booklet you got from your daughter would fit me and several others I know to.
About Larp: I don’t do it myself but I know somebody who does and she told me about an event weekend she went to. They went to an ork camp to talk to the people there but before they could leave they had to be “beaten up” and they got blood smeared on them before being thrown out the ork camp.
Welcome back Sam. It is unbelievable that it’s been two years.
oh my Sam got all the kit kat i want
so when is the My Little Pony Lets Play video coming out @warzan
The Weasel coffee. 😛 This video clip sums it up perfectly…
https://youtu.be/fz3P0zDh6wc
Loved hearing about @warzan‘s daughter and My Little Pony. Everyone here will have a story about their gateway game, which for most of us is almost certainly 40k (Rogue Trader & Eldar for me), but nowadays there are so many options, some of which are a lot more accessible than the big games. . And although most of are grizzled gamers, who probably sneer at the idea of My Little Pony being a cynical cash in, I think it’s important that there’s something so different to help introduce our hobby to new gamers.
My eldest loves playing Silver Tower, otherwise just isn’t interested in Daddy’s hobby, despite multiple attempts by me to get both my children to play various games. However, I showed him pictures of the Harry Potter Mini’s coming out (in particular the Voldemort mini) and now he’s asking every week whether it’s come out yet. So I suspect he’ll be getting it for Birthday/Xmas and I’m hoping for a similar response as @warzan‘s daughter.
With that in mind It’ll be very interesting to hear how it goes for you with My Little Pony, and I think it’s important to look at / review these gateway games, as despite most of BoW’s readers not being the target audience, we all have friends/children/family that we’d love to get into the hobby.
Happy Sunday… Welcome home Sam
I am so glad my son is 8 and his reaction to My Little Pony is no way not interested…lol.
@johnlyons I have never played 40k and Proud…and no I am not getting into it..my life is not incomplete .. Hahaha
@dignity maybe I will have to get my Skaven bloodbowl team finished…but Guildball is still inspiring me now.
@commodorerob – “I have never played 40k and Proud…and no I am not getting into it..my life is not incomplete. Hahaha.”
Preach on, Brother Rob! 😀 Couldn’t possibly agree more.
@oriskany I will shout from the highest mountains…lol
In all honesty for those that like 40k all power to them they are gamers like us all. However for me the universe is so cheesy and unoriginal, and from what I have seen whilst the have taken and shaken the rules it still seems to be an out dated mechanic that is several years behind…especially with IGOUGO system in which the person who goes first can devastate their opponent so it will just become an endless arms race with people just trying t get the biggest baddest weapons and hoping they win the initiative.
Oh and as a coffee lover who has many Many MANY different types of coffee, and coffee making machines to hand…I have to say poo coffee is just pretentious and overrated.
Happy Sunday! And welcome back Sam!
I’m bit of a coffee nerd, but I would never go for the weasel beans. Firstly if they’re harming the animals anyhow in the production process, and secondly what I’ve heard it’s actually not anything really special.
New 40k: will be giving the rules a try and desperately attempting not to buy any new models.
I haven’t done LARPing for 15+ years, when unfortunately the leader of our group moved on the group slowly dispersed with it. But in my experience it’s extremely accessible, most groups will have spare gear for you to borrow, and then you can slowly build/buy/create your costume and accessories. A simple tunic and a basic weapon can be picked up (or made) for not a lot of money and will ‘do’ until you’re more invested.
Alternatively, as you say, joining the monster/baddie side is a great way to get a taster without having any kit of your own. Although I would say being a monster is hard work, as you tend to get hit a lot, frequently it’s in the summer in the woods while wearing a full rubber mask, which generally smells of dried sweat from the previous week! And after dying you have to run ahead to the next encounter to get geared up and to go again and again 🙂
Many (most?) LARPs will let you play a monster or NPC if you are new. It doesn’t require anything on your part beyond showing up and doing what they tell you. If you enjoy the experience you can progress to making your own character in future events. It’s the best way for total newbies to get involed.
Another thing to consider would be finding LARPs that take place in modern day so you don’t need to buy special costumes. Back in my college days I helped run various Vampire LARPS and one time I wrote and ran a home brew StarWars LARP where Rebel and Imperial agents vied to buy/steal vital intelligence data from a crime lord.
Welcome back Sam!
@koraski I had a totally lapse of memory and I couldn”t remember your member name. I wanted to give you a big shout out for you tremendous donation and that it is going to a good cause. Again, a BIG THANK YOU!
I did LRP back in the 80`s in chislehurst caves, in fact they still do it….http://www.labyrinthe.co.uk/. I made my own outfit from second hand shops and made my warriors kit. A old black council jacket with the leather, a donkey jacket, it was too big so it was double breasted, with a large belt with studs. Made my own shield ( far too heavy ). But the best bit was being in the caves with a torch. and having the light go out and running into walls..!!! I even did a 1920`s horror weekend, and one night i was with a friend after dark walking around the mansion, and out of the darkness this guy came running up to us and said “what are you doing out here, there`s a werewolf on the loose”… armed with only my flashlight and knowledge of the nightsky i run back into the house… But at the time in was a cool moment, and something i have never really forgotten…..
LARPed in my 30s and had some of the most fun times of mylife
@johnlyons here’s hoping Dorset can give you some decent weather whilst you are over, have you guy’s decided on when you will kick off the how to play 8th edition content? Can I ask a favour, can you present it for a complete newbie to 40K?
Start here mate 🙂 http://www.beastsofwar.com/warhammer-40k/warhammer-40000-8th-edition-demo-game/
Yup watched that thanks, but still a bit “based on prior experience”, a real phase by phase followed by some example Batrep would be great cos I’m thick and me son expects me to know
@warzan and @dignity I am thinking your topic yesterday may have spawned the idea for another BoW challenge. Would be awesome to have one where people can come up with the background for either a new or revived chapter, then convert and paint up a new primaries marine for that chapter. Maybe even come up with a unique, personal background story for that marine.
I think it might be awesome to see what the community comes up with.
But nothing will beat the Astral Knights…
Welcome back Sam. I love the fact that you blokes took a trip up to Warhammer world on the way home. It is great that “New GW” (it is a thing) is talking more to it’s community and more to people like yourself to promote gaming. It is really good to see.
Justin you will love Bloodbowl . I regularly play it , Guild Ball … and slightly less lately Dreadball, and they all play differently and have a different emphasis. Bloodbowl is characterised by the spontaneous hilarity when your best laid plans go haywire due to a bad roll, bad card draw, or inevitably your most expensive player tripping over air to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory….. It’s beautiful.
A bit like ‘New Democrats’ and ‘New Labour’….?
@dracs Welcome back Sam!
@brennon I’ve never done any LARP but I’ve done SCA (Society for Creative Anachronisms) before. SCA is mostly an American thing where we recreate the middle ages but without the annoying parts like plagues and peasants. 😉 SCA is technically reenactment but it ranges from 450 CE to 1492 CE so you can have a viking, a knight, and a Romano-Celt all sitting around and drinking… I mean talking together, ok drinking and talking. Also in the SCA there is no fantastic elements like elves and dwarves. In SCA combat the armor is real (often thinker and heavier than the real stuff) and the weapons are made of rattan that still has the tough outer sheath (roughly the same weight per length as iron/steel and turns into a fibrous mush instead of snapping into a sharp point when it fails). After being a member of the SCA, doing modern sport fencing, and Western Martial Arts, I’m skeptical of LARP fighting, from what I’ve seen of LARP events the people engaged in the combats generally swing wildly without form or control… they are dangerous even with the foam weapons. This is at least how I’ve seen the fighting in the USA. I once tried out fighting with some local LARPers who were practicing in a local park. After I got used to the wildness of their swings I rocked them (sorry for the lack of humility). I only used very basic shield parry/riposte and parry/shield strike combinations but they were dumbstruck by them, especially that I moved my shield and hit them with it (you can strike with shields in their rules set BTW). I’d personally not be unable to refrain from getting really salty if someone rolled up on me and I smacked them around like a limp fish and they claimed they won because of RPG levels… I’d probably respond with something like “git gud n00b” (pardon my internet speak there). So depending on what you want from combat look into the LARP rules set deeply. If you’re not looking to fight and just want to hang out in character then from what research I’ve done (again for the USA) a lot of LARPs are good. As you can tell I have mixed feelings about LARPs, the fantasy ones anyway. I loved to play World of Darkness Minds Eye Theater back in the day, Virtual Adepts FTW!
There is a huge gap between US and Euro Style LARP. US LARP is more about competetiv Boffer Fights, Euro LARP more narrative storytelling.
Both could be fun, but in totaly different ways.
In germany you will find LARPs which reminds more of SCA or Reenactment. Historical accurate clothing and armour, and also fighting styles (The most of those players practice HEMA besides LARP), the players there have learned to “lose”, because it will be more fulfilling for their character roles. They don´t need to be heroes, they are characters.
In the US the people have less spare time (So I was told), they use it to meet up and fight for fun, don´t get to deep in characters, costumes and storys. In Canada btw. there is Bicolline http://www.bicolline.org/en/ which is more in the likes of Euro LARP, perhaps you will give it a try.
Empire looks like a good Euro Style LARP as well, in Germany we have “Broken Crown” ( http://broken-crown.de/index.php pictures can be found here http://tinyurl.com/y7jehnxf ) what seems to be a paralell “Empire”.
I hope you´ll understand my bad english gibberish. ^^
Thanks for the info @jocke the difference between Euro and USA LARPing does seem to be rather large. Your English is fine by the way, no problems reading it.
The Enlightenment in Blood larp at World of Darkness Berlin was very much Nordic LARP, and so much more about social and narrative play rather than boffer. And of course, modern day setting larps are much cheaper in terms of costume and props.
I played MET back when White Wolf was still an independent game publisher and was still working on the “old” World of Darkness. We didn’t use boffers to fight in MET it was all descriptive fighting, no prop weapons or miming of combat was allowed.
Welcome back Sam. Are you back for good?
This is my favorite time, the XLBS Weekender. I so enjoy it. Thanks again, for another great weekend of entertainment, information and inspiration.
If you’re going to get into 40k, go with the one army you like the looks of. Don’t be distracted by the two player starter. I was attracted to Tau but got convinced to get the Black Reach starter so I spent a lot of time and money expanding on the starter box and never got a start on the Tau. Eventually quit 40k altogether because the rules were so archaic.
I know that role-playing in general will draw a groan from the majority of the populous. If on a training course and the trainer says ‘now for some role play’ half the class melt away or tut with annoyance.
I have never played an RPG. It was more that there was no one to play in my social circle rather than not wanting to play.
LARP sounds fun to me, but I have no interest in the horror specific stuff. People getting way too into their character, playing as vampires or other violent characters, would just make me feel awkward.
The right group of people, not taking the game, or themselves, too seriously would be great.
@dugthefug1644 hmmm awkward you say have you seen the video of the Saturday night of the hobbycamp…. hahahaha
Was I role-playing a drunkard who loves kebabs?
I do love a stage and a karaoke machine or any excuse to sing. Do they sing on LARP weekends? I could be a bard?
@brennon I posted this a few weeks ago
http://www.beastsofwar.com/groups/backstage-green-room/forum/topic/a-living-fake-history/
And for the record, the combat is the best bit of the hobby 🙂
It depends on the art of combat ^^
Like in tabletop you can have huge Battles or small Skirmishes and duells. Then it depends if it is a cineastic fight or a competetiv one (In germany we have huge debates about the art of combat)
The most important is, that you have fun. 😉
It’s all fun, from one on one duels to mass battles. Everything else is sort of secondary. Although I enjoy the roleplay it doesn’t really offer you anything you can’t already get at a tabletop game. Live combat is really what separates it from pen and paper.
Will be returning to 40k in the actually playing it sense with 8th edition, pretty much rage quit it when 3rd came out ” wtf new codex and rule book, that’s my beer money!!!” And just played second edition with mates, be good to finally get some use out of a 20 year hoard lol
Glad to hear it. Dark Vengeance will be my entry point into 40k for the first time at all. (Lost Patrol and Space Crusade doesn’t count I’ve been told). Not sure I can afford 1000s of points of any army, but even the box set will be enough to enjoy some narrative games with my son. The guys at my local club have been collecting for years and said they might lend me a few bits to play bigger battles if I get the bug. 🙂
Dark Imperium oops.
Good to hear Tim, please tell me that it’s an army containing squats and robots 😉
I wanted to field a 3000 point Gretchin army but they said there wouldn’t be enough room on the table. They were just scared I’d take out their Knight turn 2 that’s all.
Happy Sam…..ugh….Sunday!
I don’t think i’ll be getting into My Little Pony or, perhaps alas, LARPing any time soon, but i like the miniatures for both because they are true to scale.
@brennon You might be interested to know that there was a Nobilis 2nd edition LARP called ‘A Game of Powers’.
If you’re going to try LARP, avoid Fools and Heroes. No one takes the time to explain the intricacies of the rules, and you get into trouble if you get a rule wrong. And you’re not allowed to have a copy of the Player’s Guide until you’re a full member. Also, unless you’re buddy-buddy with the refs, your character won’t last long.
Konnichi wa Sam san!
Okaerinasai!!!
I want to see you all playing Dancing Eggs (a children’s game from Haba) in a public place. That’s gaming out of your comfort zone!
I’ve LARP’d on and off for about 20+ years. Always enjoyed the freedom that you get with it and have done a variety including fantasy and vampire. Last year I got to give Empire a go and it was probably the best experience of the lot. The weather let us down somewhat but the feel around the camps was fantastic.
If you feel like going along later in the year Ben let me know and I might well join you. Would be quite nice to have a Beasts of War mini faction.
New 40k? Sorry, looks a little like SSDD to me. If you have to compare the “new” and the old figs side by side to see the comparison, then not much change was made (oooh, they cranked the scale a few per cent and added a couple of armour plates). I might be interested if the starter were 50 quid, not 100+.
nice one guys good to see Sam home.
Yay Sam’s back
Happy sunday and welcome back Sam!
Was about to spout a long froth about larping and spotted the post over on the forums – here’s my frothing: http://www.beastsofwar.com/groups/backstage-green-room/forum/topic/bow-goes-larp/?_wpnonce=54c12a8e64#post-205170
I have done some LARP in the past, but it wasn’t for me. Events around here were mostly oriented more towards fantasy and I’m not a big fan of fantasy. I like stuff from the medieval times, dark ages and before, but I’m more interested in the historical side of it and fantasy kind of ruins that for me.
Big week eh?
Sam’s back and he’s all growed-up – like seriously – he went from a Servitor Cherub to an Imperial agent in two years – I don’t know if you guys should fully trust him, he might have some form of Ghost-in-the-Shell upgrade from Japan. 😉
Dark Imperium is out soon. I ordered a copy. After years of bitterness and hate towards GW – last year I put away the bad feelings and committed to giving them a chance and I’m happy to say they did not disappoint. I’m going to try this new system out and I’m very hopeful so far!
Big Week!
all this RPG talk of late has me beaming. well done to Ben for getting mouse guard and mice and mystics into the conversation. yes Ben torch bearer does look good, Shadows of Esteren for me though.
when you said Lance picked up Lord of the Rings, was it the RPG or the miniatures game ?
ah nostalgia. went through this when I got back in a couple of years ago. the first year was me going through my old collection.
to give an example my scifi collection is the STAR WARS RPG and STAR WARS cannon, plus Infinity, my new school hotness. but when it came to nostalgia i spent my money on going to STAR WARS celebrations to get Mark and Carries auto graphs, as well as getting a limited edition master replica of yoda light sabre and a card backed yoda kenner action figure.
if i was to pick up anything else i would love to get daisy’s autograph and Anakin/luke/reys lightsabre before i got my realms of chaos rogue trader emperors children army sorted,your talking big money for ether.
sold all my first and second edition bloodbowl Justin mate and spent the money on KD:M. just prefer story telling to sports games these days.
i do have a copy of merp GW 1985 boxed edition, the game that started it all for me.
@lancorz picked up the miniatures for the SBG although I was very tempted by the Cubicle 7 version of the D&D rules. It looks great.
I’m slowly getting my group into playing Torchbearer I think but for me, I just want to get some RP in, whatever it might be! Need to play some D&D as a Dwarf!
the crucible 7 stuff has been on the top of my list of things to buy for a while now, really need to make that happen.
every group needs two DMs even if one of you is carrying the major load, anything else is just not cricket.
tell them they’re bad friends and that you want to play too.
play an elf who wants to be a dwarf. acts like a dwarf, hangs around with dwarves, wears a fake beard ” beard Madame ” and stoops to make himself look shorter.
Another show guys!
1) Welcome back Sam! 😀
2) Thanks for the mention Warren, and Sam on Sea Lion. Did you ever see our Sea Lion article series? 😀
3) +1000 points for Ben’s mention of MouseGuard. Great stuff. The combat system is terrible, especially when you start having multi-character encounters, but anything non=-combative is a great and innovative system (especially all the seasons and rules on nature).
4) I had some of those sake-flavored Kit-Kats at the Desert FoW Bootcamp. Definitely an experience.
5) HOLY CRAP, thanks for the mention on the “Minecraft” @caesar “miniature.” What can I say, Caesar designs a great kit. And another community member – @runefang , also built one complete with some buildings!
6) Always great to see Gianna on the show. 😀
Welcome back Sam! Yo dawg. Send me a box of those green tea Kit-Kat’s
Also picked up the My Little Pony rpg to try with my daughter. She is fired up to try it!
Welcome back Sam.
I have a copy of the My Little Pony rpg in order to get my kids interested in gaming (completely selfishly so they will play wargames with me when they get older). Just need time to read it and get a group together.
Ben, one of my mates is well in to LARPing. He’s tried to get me to go many times and I like the idea but I just think I’m a bit nervous stepping out of my comfort zone. When I see his photos they do look good. I think he goes to Empire. When he has tried to get me involved he has suggested a one day event to have a taster but points out that some times these are of a slightly lower production level. Some of the tales do sound like good fun. I’ve never played a rpg so don’t know how I would get on. Maybe I’ll give it a blast.
@warzan Having recently visited Warhammer World for the first time since the refurbishment, I agree with everything you’re talking about here. The new display area is astounding but seeing all the dioramas from the McVay era made me pretty warm and fuzzy too. They’re from the times I was a young teen getting into the hobby! Great stuff,
Some of those super displays though! Good grief. Loved the Dwarfs Vs Skaven mines and hold diorama too! That was probably a fave!
Welcome back Sam!
I went to Warhammer World for the first time just a few weeks ago. It really was a brilliant experience. I’d love to put together a massive diorama one day!
Welcome back, Sam.
@warzan So when will we see the first MLP Let’s Play on Beasts of War? 🙂
Gamer Dad segments are awesome!
Went to a LARP event called the Gathering many many years ago! A weekend of skirmishing and getting pissed with me mates ending in a massive battle! Just being in the shield wall was an experience I will never forget. At one point I was head butted by a French man in a steel helmet (he was taking it a bit too far) and went down to the ground. Within seconds the battle line had moved and I found myself behind the enemy shield wall bleeding heavily from the forehead! I reasoned that I hadn’t actually been stabbed/hacked/bludgeoned to death yet so just jumped back into combat from behind…….”twas a glorious time! One day Skank of Scum will come out of retirement and take back up his axe and sword…and probably get twatted in the face again!
Good Gods *Start with Space Marines*. ‘Specially with 8th, I’m sorry but that’s just lazy talk. You could just as easily *master* the Death Guard Dark Imperium starter forces or the *Get Started* forces of Astra Militarum, Eldar… heck at least half of the starter boxes. Give people some credit for being able to focus, digest & learn how to get started with their chosen faction.
Loved the talk about Warhammer World, family rpg-ing & the usual hobby time tales. & welcome back Sam!
Blaster was here…