This Week in 40K Podcasting – 1/27/2012 – 2/02/2012
Welcome to another “This Week in 40K Podcasting,”
Here is this week’s top 5!
Highlights: This week the Turn 8 guys check in with a pretty hefty podcast with over three hours of content, and are joined by Andy once again! They guys open up the show with a brief ‘Roundup’ section which covered the doubles tournament that they ran recently. Then in ‘This random time period in 40K’, the boys cover the Necron FAQ, the latest releases from the Black Library, and more. Next up in ‘The (not-so) Distant Future: Part 1’ the boys go in depth with the leaked 6th Edition rulebook. They review the vast majority of the new rules found in this document, hitting on some of the major changes to the game. They first talk about the changes to the phases of the game: now move, assault, and then shoot. They also talk about the new Ballistic Skill and Evasion Values, new movement values, hull breaches and the penetration charts. They then talk about the new ‘defensive’ fire rules and how these will really change the game, also how cover saves are being reduced to 5+ and no more area terrain auto cover saves. Next, they talk about how Eternal Warrior and Instant Death will be changing and how the new levels work, drawing line of sight from the squad leader, the new reserve rules, rules for more than two players, and the stratagem/first turn system. They also deliberate the new wound allocation rules and how there will no longer be any 5th Edition wound allocations trickery and the addition of Flyers to the game of 40K! Next, the guys take a break from the 6th Edition to do another one of their awesome Battle Reports. This week the guys pit the Black Templars, who make their first appearance, up against the Sisters of Battle. They open up talking about some of the setup of the game, the mission, and the terrain layout of the table. They then move on to break down the armies, going over the choices and their upgrades. Next up was the dramatization of the battle itself, read out like an audio drama. These you have to experience for yourself! Next, in the ‘Stratagem’ the guys have a post-game discussion and talk about what went right and wrong during the game, and evaluate the game overall. Then, it is back to ‘The (not-so) Distant Future: Part 2’ and this one covers some of the more interesting subtle changes to the games in this leaked 6th Edition rule set. They open up with pistols in close combat, grenades, and the fun that deep striking will become! They also debate the singular movement phase, so runs and fleet moves are all in the movement phase. They then talked about the changes to Rapid Fire, Fearless saves, limited range firing out of an open-toped vehicle but relentless, and blast weapons & rail guns. They also go into the psychic mastery levels and how they related to psychic hoods and vehicle squadrons. The last part of this overview was a discussion about a controversial change to the game and that is how infiltrate works in this rule set.
Opinion: The new kids on the block have been making some noise as far as I am concerned, and this week they punch in with another amazing podcast! Aside from their great battle reports, which I have grown to love and look forward to each show, this episode was jam packed with most detailed (Signals from the Frontline did a great one too!) rundown of the leaked 6th Edition rules I have ever heard. Bay far and away my favorite podcast this week and a must hear! Check these guys out, they are doing some awesome work!
The 11th Company – Episode 104
Highlights: This week the Myrtle Beach Wild Bunch is back with another monster of a podcast, almost 4 hours of content! They open up the show with ‘This Week in Gaming’ with special guest Breng77 from their forums. Pat played Alex a few games as he is trying to figure out the Blood Angels codex. Steven is playing with his new airbrush and Neil hears tails of his Ghost Ark being built in Larry’s sweatshop. They also talked about the upcoming Indy Open tournament and their plans to attend. Next up in ‘Pat’s Corner’ Pat has an interview with Paul Murphy who is currently ranked #1 in the USA on RankingsHQ. They talk about his switch from Blood Angels to Grey Knights, and why he is switching. They then move on to talk about his new list and what he is thinking will work this year on the tournament circuit. He also discusses some of his tactics that he uses with this list to counter his opponent and win games. Next, Pat talked to Doc who is also ranked on RankingsHQ and he is running Chaos Space Marines. He talks about his unconventional CSM list and what he does to be competitive nowadays. They also talk about how the new FAQ has really hamstrung the Chaos Codex. Next up in ‘Tactical Terrain’, Eric is back and discussing the key difference of buildings and ruins, mostly the rules that make buildings similar to tank. He talked about the rules for entering these pieces of terrain and some tactics for using these pieces of terrain to your advantage. Next up in ‘The Battle’ you get to hear game one between Neil and his Necrons versus Steven and his Imperial Guard. They give a rundown of their lists, going over all of the units and their upgrades before moving on to turn-by-turn coverage of the game. Next, in a second ‘The Battle’, Pat takes his Blood Angles up against Alex and his Grey Knight army. They open up by breaking down their 2000 point lists before moving on to a turn-by-turn review of the game as it happens. In the 40K Community segment, Pat talks to Teras from Geek Nation Tours, Sam from the 40KNewb blog, Mike from the St. Valentine’s Day Massacre, John from the Gamer’s Guild, and much, much more! Next up in ‘the Guest Quarters’ the boys discuss the numerous Space Marine codices and what the game would be like if it wasn’t dominated by Space Marines. This moved into a conversation about the differences between the different Marine codices and why there are so many. They also looked at the sales of Marine models, and the more options out there, the more GW sells. Next, the crew is back to the ‘Codex Countdown’ and now they will reevaluate the codices, as they have been updated / FAQed since the first time they did them, and as we move into 6th Edition. They move on to redefine their ‘tier’ system, as the bottom tier armies are no longer as horrible as they once were. Then the guys go into look at the Sisters of Battle Codex, which they rate as the lowest of the current armies. They point out what they feel is wrong with the codex and where it is so weak. They then go into a unit-by-unit tactical review of each part of the codex, making sure to highlight to good and point out the bad aspects of each. At the end, they give a few examples of competitive lists and what they believe is the most viable for the army. To close out the show, Pat is joined by MarkDawg for a review of the Black Library audio drama Raven’s Flight.
Opinion: I never seem to get enough of the 11th Company, and the longer the show, the more I love it. This one is crammed full of great stuff this week, ranging from top-notch interviews with some of the top RankingsHQ players, to an outstanding Tactical Terrain this week. I am really enjoying ‘The Battle’ segments, and I am glad to be back to the ‘Codex Countdowns’, as the older ones are starting to show their age. I highly recommend these guys each and every week, and this week’s show is no exception!
40K UK – Episode 41 ***Explicit***
Highlights: This week is back to your usual 40K UK programing after the Masters and the Holiday specials. The show opens up with ‘Operation Codex’ and this week Dave and Gary go over some of the Eldar Heavy Support choices. Before they even mention an Eldar choice though, they have a pretty good discussion about the new Necron FAQ and firing abilities out of open-topped vehicles. They then move on to talk about the Wraithlord and how effective this model could be on the battlefield. They go over all of the weapons upgrades that this model can carry and what you will most likely see on the table. Next, they cover the Falcons, and how virtually un-killable this tank can be. They also talk about the common builds of this unit and common tactics to using it in 5th Edition. Next up, the boys get back to the ‘Forged in Battle’ segment and Leon Smith and Dave do a review of the Forgeworld Wraithseer. They go over the background of the unit itself before covering the special rules and all of the fun this unit can be. They then review the weapon loads out for this model and what the most common builds for this model are, including the psychic powers it can use. Next, the guys give an update on the upcoming UK GT that the boys from 40K UK are running this year. So they give an update on FAQ for the event, and despite some disagreements on some rulings, the document is done and out there for the public. They also discuss some of the Apocalypse events and possible campaign events that will also be run at this event. To close out the show, the guys have a massive new segment called ‘Not a lot of people know that’. In this new segment, new cast member Alex West interviews seven of the top UK tournament players and they discuss how these guys approach the game from a tactical perspective. They start of by talking to Josh Roberts and he talked about the large number of tournaments that he participated in this past year. The boys talks about the importance of the post-game report, where mistakes are pointed out and the learning process begins. They also talk about the importance of those practice games, and he pre-game warm up, and what he looks at first before ever placing a model or rolling a die, including deployment and placement of objectives. He also talked about playing mistake free and how to counter his opponent’s victories within the game and knowing your opponent’s army and its strengths. He also talked about his anti-internet list building techniques, building list to cater to his play style and not necessarily what the net says is the best.
Opinion: Dave and the crew at 40K UK have really come into their and began to churn out 40K Podcast gold each week! This really was an enjoyable show with a little bit of everything for everyone. I loved their tactical look at the Necron FAQ, their look at the Eldar heavy supports was superb, and the new segment is going to be one I will be looking forward to each week. Where else can you hear from the top UK players and learn all of their secrets?
Highlights: This week Steve is back from his time off and the boys open up the show by announcing some of the new Black Library books that are due out for release and the latest models from Forgeworld. They also hit on the White Dwarf spine conspiracy. Next, the boys cover some local Overlords news, including their upcoming Broken Alliance event. This then moved on to what they have been up to in the hobby and the games they have played recently. Then, the guys introduces a new segment to replace the old Room 40001 (say it isn’t so!) called ‘Bid Up I.C.’. This is a conversation is led by their special in-studio guess Jim, and the idea behind this segment is that the person has to try to sell an HQ unit to the panel in point value. The first Character they review was the Necron special character Nemesor Zahndrekh. They go over his stat line, his war gear, and his special rules and see if he is really worth the points. Each member of the staff gives their honest opinion of the Character and how many points they would pay for him. To close out the show this week, Ciaran takes the led for a conversation about the Throne of Crowns tournament he recently attended. He talked about his list, what the competition was like there and how there wasn’t ‘that guy’ at the event and some of the fun times he had there. He went on to a brief overview of each game he played there, first was up was a game aainst a new Grey Knight player, then an Ultramarines player, a mech Eldar list, a pretty good Tyranid list (his first loss), and a Dark Eldar list to close out the event. He went 4-1 and was tied for the best Necron Player at the event. Congratulations!
Opinion: I was really glad to have Steve back this week, I missed ya man! A great show overall, keeping me updated on what is on the horizon from the Black Library and Forgeworld. The new segment was really interesting, but I hope that it does not replace Room 40001, as that is one of my favorites. And I loved Ciaran’s coverage of the Throne of Skull. If he keeps it up, he might get himself kicked off of the ‘fluffy’ podcast for kicking so much but on the tournament scene! Must be all that time he spent on the 11th Company!
Imperial Vox Cast – Episode 67 ***Explicit***
Highlights: This week it was just Bill and Dawson, as they were missing both Silas and Tor, and the boys check in with a short show this week. They open up with what they have been up to lately in the hobby and gaming. Bill played some more games with his Daemons to see if they are Adepticon worthy or not, and Dawson has been doing some painting and getting ready for a new league. They move on to talk some news, mostly hitting on the recent FAQ releases. Dawson hit on the main rulebook first, touching on a few of the finer points of the new rulings. They then move on to a Codex by Codex overview of the FAQs, including a big debate over Warptime in the Chaos Space Marines codex. They glance over the next few, making sure to stop on Grey Knights and give a great overview of each new ruling. Other codices basically stayed the same; the boys passed over the Necron Codex to save it for last, and then landed on the Tyranid FAQ and the change to Shadows of the Warp. They then move on to a detailed review of the new Necron FAQ, opening up with killing the Scarab Swarm conga line and moving all the way through all of the question that this very complete FAQ answered. Next up the guys brought back the ‘Verses’ segment and pitted the Black Templars up against the Thousand Sons! They open up by talking about some of the special rules in each book that might be relevant in this battle that might otherwise not be used in a typical list. They then start to build lists, and Dawson and Bill run down what they would want in a good Black Templars list, either fluffy or competitive. Next, they give a rundown of what they would try to build for a Thousand Son’s list, and with the age of the Codex that turns out to be a bit difficult to be points effective. Overall, they felt that the Thousand Sons had little change against the more updated Black Templar codex, but the game would be fun.
Opinion: I have grown to really enjoy the guy’s tactical look at the game and hearing their views on the new FAQs, especially the Necron FAQ, was very interesting. I have always enjoyed their ‘Versus’ segment, and despite the fact that the Thousand Sons list might not be the best, they did a great gjob at making it very story driven and competitive.
Honorable Mentions – All great podcasts that just missed this cut this week, but you should still check them out, in no particular order:
Life After the Cover Save – Episode 43 ***Explicit*** Col. Drakus joins the show and an Apocalypse discussion
Screaming Heretic – Episode 19 ***Explicit*** Apocalypse Terrain and Airbrushes 101
40K Radio – Episode 34 6th Ed Rumors and the Big Game!
Signals from the Frontline 6th Ed Rumors, Bay Area Open and 40K Release Schedule
Jaded Gamercast – Episode 64 ***Explicit*** Vampire Counts
Tyrnat’s Due – Episode 19 ***Explicit*** Vampire Counts and Airbrushing
Noobhammer – Episode 15 Vampire Counts
Seanhammer – Episode 62 Vampire Counts
So, that is it for This Week in 40K podcasting, thanks for reading. Got a podcast all about 40K, or mostly 40K that I am not listening to? Let me know about it, [email protected] and let me know about it. Also you can find me on My YouTube Channel for Battle Reports, Tactics, Reviews and more! Disagree with my review? Post comments for that too!
