Lakeside Cup 2010, Result = I Suck!

Lakeside Cup is a team tournament (East vs. West) held in Cobourg, ON.  It's TV125 where only two players can have more than one skill (Captain & Asst. Captain) and the Captain gets Leader for free and a new upgrade after every game.

My roster was; Ripper, Blitzer w Dodge/Frenzy/Leader (C), Blitzer w Guard/Stand Firm (A), 4x Black Orcs w Block, Orc w Block, Orc w Wrestle, Goblin, 1 Reroll.

DAY 1 (Or - "1 out of 4 is pretty bad")

Game 1 vs. Mark H
Mark had a nicely painted Chaos Dwarf team, including a Minotaur with Claw, 2 Bull Centaurs, 6 CD Blockers. The game started really well for me, I had 3 casualties by the middle of the first half.  I managed to score, but unfortunately I couldn't capitalize any more than that and in the second half, Mark just started owning me, I think for something like 5 or 6 turns in a row he would knock a player out.  By the last few turns of the game I had 3 black orcs and a goblin left on the pitch.  I had faint hopes of holding out for a draw, but his damn Bull Centaur scooped up the ball and ran in it on the last turn for a second TD.  Loss #1.

Game 2 vs. Matt C
This game was against another Orc team.  Matt had a regular troll who spent much of the game being stupid, but it couldn't make up for the fact he surrounded Ripper the first time he was knocked down and fouled him out of the first half (knocked out)  I played pretty well and had earned myself a chance to tie up the game late in the second half, only to have my captain drop an accurate pass on the last turn of the game. Loss #2.

Game 3 vs. Dan C
Dan had combined his mini's from his Khemri and Necromantic teams to bring a vanilla undead team.  This game got off on the wrong foot for me when I decided to try kicking to him when I won the coin toss and I rolled "Throw a Rock" as the kickoff result.  Guess who spent most of the first half knocked out before turn one...  RIPPER! Yay!  Dan immediately knocked out a black orc with his first hit and it just went downhill from there.  Dan mentioned (I think after his second or third touchdown) that every time I rolled the block dice, at least one of them was a skull.  Yea, that kinda game.  Still I find Dan one of the most fun guys to play and I voted him Best Sportsmanship or whatever the Lakeside equivalent is called.  Loss #3.

Game 4 vs. Colin
Colin's wretched Nurgle team.  Anyone who actually reads these will know he DESTROYED me at the Golden Sweetbun.  After some atrocious luck in my earlier games - the luck reversed and I managed to cage my way slowly downfield.  He did enough to slow me down quite a lot which meant I had to rush it near the end of the half.  Then I shot myself in the foot by rushing it and skulling a single die block with my only guy in position to score. BONE-HEAD!  At this point I figured I'd earned my fourth loss.  It was going to take a mistake on Colin's part to give me any chance.  Well a mistake was made, he had burned his reroll and did a "Go For It" with his ball carrier...  and rolled a one.  Probably the turning point of the game (except maybe his block with his captain that he skulled and casualtied himself) regardless I got a few casualties in as I picked up the ball and ran it downfield.  He did keep knocking my ball carrier down but I managed to complete a handoff in the last turn of the game to win it 1-0.  Win #1 - YAY!


DAY 2 (Or - "I can't believe I still lost!")

Game 5 vs. Adam J
Probably the highlight of the tournament for everyone but me.  I was SMOKING Adam in this game.  It seemed I couldn't NOT injure his guys.  Failed to score in the first half, but for most of the game he had 5 or less players on the pitch to my near full team (I think I had one guy KO'd or Casualty).  However the big moment was in the last turn of the game.  Adam had one guy left on the pitch (his captain) who had side step.  He had a tackle zone on my ball carrier so I had to surround him before trying to push him off, otherwise he would just get a tackle zone back on the ball carrier.  I had a choice of using my captain with frenzy to push him off or using a line orc with a "Go For It" to be able to blitz.  I picked the frenzy guy which ended up losing (it was a tie but I have to count this as a loss!) me the game.  All I could get was a push which meant I had to hit him again.  Another push meant he got a tackle zone on the guy with the ball again.  I had managed to save my reroll so all I had to do was make a successful 3+ dodge out to score and win the game.  1, reroll, ONE.  ARRRRRGGGHHH!!!!!  Ours was the last game being played so EVERYONE got to watch me screw-up.  My own team-mates were even giving Adam advice (thanks Ben! Winner of the Jackass award..  Hell yea I voted for him!). Tie #1.

Still this game will live forever in memory as possibly the funniest game I've ever played.
Damn you Jones! I'll get you yet!

Game 6 vs. Pat
A game against Pat and his dwarves.  After the last game I didn't really have much to play for (not to take anything away from Pat, he played a really solid game and just crunched my team into the dirt) Didn't stop the bad luck from continuing with a couple single die = skull and 2 die = double skull rolls on my part.  I don't really remember much of this game as after Game 5 I started drinking quite heavily!! Loss #4.

A really really fun tournament hosted by Peter and his wonderful wife Tammy.  They fed and housed us all weekend and it was nice to not have to travel anywhere to play our games.  The team format was extremely fun and generated a lot of laughs and  good times.

Week 27: Tristan - Antagonist "aka the bad guy"

Another long hiatus between posts.  Life hasn't been too crazy I just seem to lack motivation.  I've finally finished up Dave's second model (from mini painting for free)

Sorry for the quality of the photos, just took these quickly with my phone.  When I get a chance I'll stitch these last four together to give a 360 degree look.

I used my tested and true method for black which is very light gray drybrush highlight followed by several layers of badab black wash. I missed a tiny piece of flash on his cloak so I painted it green to look like a caterpillar or bug. Other than that I stuck to neutral'ish colours since he's not necessarily uber evil. Though I did paint dark arched eyebrows to make him look sinister.

Mantic Games = FAIL

The original name for this post when I originally planned it was going to be Mantic Games = WIN, I would like to explain the series of events that has changed all that, and soured me on Mantic forever.  Even if you don't want to read my rant - please check the bottom of the post, as I have a bonus for someone making a donation to a very impressive Storm Wardens project.

I as many other gamers I'm sure - was quite impressed with Mantic when they first burst onto the scene.  I liked their elf figures quite a bit and thought when I had the cash, I would use them to build a large Melnibonean themed army (based on the Elric novels by Michael Moorcock).

I signed up for their newsletter and would check out their blog and website to keep up to date on new figures and developments.  It was at this time I noticed their "Speed Building Challenge" - essentially, beat their time to assemble a box of Mantic figures (10 figures) to win yourself a warhost (a boxed special costing about 30 pounds or approximately $60 USD.  It includes a quite large number of figures and I decided this prize was tempting enough to order a box of spearmen to try and beat the best time posted (at the time, 11:33) especially when I noticed their free worldwide shipping offer.

It's not an easy challenge and I failed by at least two minutes in my first attempt, but this only motivated me more!  Around three weeks later I ordered a second box of spearmen and tried again.  This time I was successful, beating the time by more than 10 seconds!  Was I ever excited, I encoded the video as best I could to reduce the file size and sent Mantic an email.  At the same time my excitement led me to buy a special deal they had online, which included some elven models that would not be in the warhost box.  This was near the end of March.

Here is a link to my video - be warned it is boring as I have no video editing skills.  It is also quite large at 1.5gb :\

I tried to be patient knowing they are a smaller company, but after two weeks had passed with no response, I sent another email.  Another week, another email.  Another week, another email.  Finally after a month I received a response from Mantic.  I don't plan to post the contents of the emails as that is unnecessary, but regardless I was given the impression my entry would be reviewed, currently this is late april.  Throughout the entire discussion I always asked if there was any problem with the video or anything I could do.  Never have I been asked to do anything or told there was any problems with the video.

I waited for more than a month before I sent another email explaining my disappointment in hearing nothing.  Another week, another email.  Finally I received another response, promising me a prize and asking for the video link again.  At this point it has been more than two months since I submitted my initial email.  I waited expectantly hoping to come home one day to a box in the mail.  No dice.

ANOTHER month passed with no response regarding the contest.  During that time I tried to keep in touch regarding something other than the contest - as I saw the person I had been corresponding with had participated in a tournament with poor results.  I had just come back from a blood bowl tournament where I ended second from last and thought perhaps some gaming discussion might keep me in his memory.  It didn't.  I emailed again about the contest after the month had passed and received no response.  I waited another week and sent another email.  I still have not heard anything back about the contest since I was last promised a prize on June 8th, 2010.

It has been 112 days that this ordeal has been going on.  Nearly a third of a year!!!  Over a $60 prize.  I have had enough. Today I noticed that Mantic has altered their site.  The challenges pages are gone (they used to be in the "Mantic" tab). They can still be found through google (http://www.manticgames.com/Hobby/Mantic-Challenges/Speed-building-Challenge.html)

My wasted effort amounts to the below.

• Feb 24, 2010 - I took advantage of their free worldwide shipping and spent $16.26 USD for a box of 10 spearmen.
• Mar 19, 2010 - I took advantage of their free worldwide shipping and spent $15.65 USD for a box of 10 spearmen.
• Mar 26, 2010 - Mantic had a special deal, which I ordered for $49.99 USD which got me 20 spearmen with command, 10 scouts and 5 metal characters (still taking advantage of free worldwide shipping)

Total = $81.9 USD

The first person to donate at minimum half that amount ($40 USD is acceptable) to the Storm Wardens project (use any of the links to your personal favourite storm wardens participating blog I've linked below) and forwards me their paypal receipt email (my address is in my blogger profile & I will confirm with the guys at Santa Cruz Warhammer before shipping - this is for charity, please don't try any scams) will receive all of my Mantic figures FOR FREE! (I will also include my 6 mantic points stickers) In addition this will enter you to win possibly the coolest space marine army ever made!

Please be aware this donation must be made by Sunday July 18th at 7pm PST.

Also please be respectful and post a comment here if you have made a donation with the intention of getting these models - I would hate for multiple people to donate expecting a bonus.  I will also try to update this post as soon as possible upon hearing someone has taken me up on this offer.

Donations can be made at any of the blogs listed below
http://stormwardens.blogspot.com
http://santacruzwarhammer.blogspot.com
http://miksminis.blogspot.com
http://fromthewarp.blogspot.com
http://warhammer40kbloodangels.blogspot.com
http://davetaylorminiatures.blogspot.com
http://www.misterjustin.com
http://dulanisminis.blogspot.com
http://40khobbyblog.blogspot.com
http://wynnstudiomodels.blogspot.com