Tuesday 30 September 2014

Return of the Mac - a story of 40K and X-Wing

This is a common story, one I've seen all over the interwebz.
Old blogs are dying, new stars are rising.
40K is ever at the heart of online controversy.
And look... its the "codex release, game balance, crazy rules" shit.

So let's get this out the way so I can move on to telling you all about how much I love X Wing:

I've been away.
I'm really sorry about that.
I've been tired with competitive 40K mainly due to changes in my personal life - taking on a bigger, bolder "project house" for serious DIY and more and more responsibility at work has left me with less hobby time.
Goatboy's Sons of War art :)
Of course, I still run the single greatest gaming club in the Cambridge (UK) area - Sons of War every Wednesday..
But I struggle to fit in a second gaming night with the Bringer of Death/Steve.
Now, I know many of us would kill for a consistent, night-per-week gaming scene... but it's all relative.
I've struggled to make it to any tournaments this year, in the main due to spending up to August saving money for said bigger, bolder project house... and now I find myself spending my online browsing time looking at the structural calcs for an extension, the best brands of wood burning stoves and finding the best deals on a range of things from glue laminated beams, heat retention for various glazings .. etc etc.
A far cry from spunking my cash on a new 40K army every month.

I could of course - new DE are out and I've got a DE army - they attended the first Blog Wars tournaments, my "Kabal of the Pink Bastards", winning a couple of events... I've even played in 6th ed with them..of course with a beastpack and allied to Eldar..

But I find myself not wanting to. I see others like Big Sexy - Dave Symcox dropping away from the scene.. Last week also saw the departure of the Death or Glory boys. This was a sad day - but I can't blame them.

Don't get me wrong - I'm NOT going  to spend my time hating on GW or lamenting the poorly thought out codices.
We asked for a long time that codex releases were faster.
We asked for older armies and new ones to be reintroduced.
We now have Imperial Knights - a huge success, literally, on the table and for the financial health of the company.
Speaking of that, we could whinge about the rising price of goods... in a niche market...of a recovering western economy...when all other costs are rising... when the industry finds itself in a perpetual decline.. OR we could just accept that shit.
Man up.

Me, I still play 40K.
I find that's a big thing amongst a lot of my contemporaries.
I am currently still booked into Battlefield Birmingham at the end of October.
But I'm sad to say my excitement for 40K is at a low, low, low...ebb.

On the otherhand...

X mutha fucking Wing is a-mutha fucking-mazing.

Haha.. I'm so god damn cyclical..
Look back in the blog and every year or so you'll see it.
1 year ago - Dystopian Wars
2 years ago - Infinity
3-4 years ago - Malifaux
I do it every god damn year.

This year, I've mostly been playing X Wing.
But something is different about this one.
I am able to reflect and see my "tedium cycle" for what it is, a way of keeping 40K fresh for me.
However, with X Wing I feel a different way - perhaps it is because it has a 'real' context/backstory/universe. I grew up on a diet of "A New Hope" and "Empire Strikes Back" from my father, Big Poppa Humps, who loved Star Wars and throughout my early, post-uni career I read all the expanded universe books.. Thrawn to Yuuzhan Vong.
And loved it.
So here I am, not bothered if PanOceania is doing well in Infinity, not bothered if Lilith is still in charge of the Neverborn.. who gives a shit.
Whilst I accept that the Malifaux fluff is EPIC, it's no Star Wars.
I've even been to my first X Wing tournament!
It was awesome.
I was awful.
Meh. I had fun.
I even got the wife to play!
I'll get bloody better too!

So - the blog is alive, I hear it breathing.
My other contributing authors are spread across the country and world and are not necessarily still in the loop, but they may emerge - phoenix like - to throw some thoughts out.. but like me, they have lives and dreams and not all of those include writing shit on some blog.

But I find that Sons is an 'old horse' in the blogging world.. we've been going a while and dammit....we will not go quietly in the night, we will fight on, we will live!

So readers, thanks for your faith. Blog hits might be through the floor, but my ego no longer needs to be stroked in such ways.. X Wing ideas and discussion will be coming (I've already drafted a couple) and the Sons of Sanguinius will survive... who knows, maybe my love for 40K will return by the time BA hit the shelves... !

Here's hoping.

Peace.

8 comments:

  1. Great to see you back with a post. As a long time follower I notice the trends that you point out.

    Tbh it was reading this blog and from the fang that finally persuaded me to take up xwing- so I'm always up for reading about that!

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    1. Hey LS - Thanks, it's good to be back! Glad you will be a continuing reader and that X Wing is something that will interest you!
      I'll post about 40K too over time... let's face it... it's inevitable that I'll get back on the wagon!

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    2. Rebel scum :) I have the alliance symbol tattooed on y arm so didn't have much choice! I'm looking forwards to the rebel aces set this month.

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    3. Lol...fair enough then...predetermined that one was! I'm running both, mainly Imperial though.. Rebel aces is gonna rock - keyan farlander is already proving to be a pain in the arse in our local league :)
      The bounty hunters will get him though...

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  2. ok, i'll make some more posts if rigor mortis hasn't quite set it :)

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  3. No arm twisting buddy - if you happen to have a topic on your chest.. get it off!
    I'm lamenting my ability to fly defenders man - I got totally smoked again in 2 games, then switched up to the old staple favourites of Bounty Hunters (2) and Lambda and smashed 3 wins.. I think I need to accept I'm just not at an "underdog" list level yet lol :)

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  4. Awesome stuff.

    My brother has just picked up Advanced Hero Quest so hes tasked me with painting that, prob will venture a few games, will pop up the results here.

    I do think GW miss a trick with not pushing the quick fire games more. XWing, to me, seems so appealing as I dont need to collect 50+ models for a tourney. Pretty sure I'll be playing that soon, will hit Atreides up for some learner games.

    Mostly been faffing around with WoW recently, though Smash 4 has now taken up 99% of my attention.

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