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Re: Any more Asrai left in these woods?

Posted: 06 Nov 2015, 09:26
by Phil Rossiter
Siegfried wrote:8th or one of the older editions as they are not supported by the company and as such they are not live games that involve in any way.
I feel this comes down to what people are playing. A lot play 8th edition in Britain, so it is a 'live' game in that sense. Some players need regular rules updates from a game, some don't. Many historical rulesets have been happily played for years with virtually no changes for example.

Re: Any more Asrai left in these woods?

Posted: 06 Nov 2015, 14:11
by Billthesurly
Exactly. Couldn't agree more. How can a book of rules die? If they're well written you can play them forever. The fact that WFB was THE premier rules set for fantasy mass combat for over 20 years says something about the core ideas and concepts of the game. That will never change. Just because the idiots... ahem, "gentlemen" who run GW stop supporting it doesn't mean I have to stop playing it.

Which is why I like what the ETC chaps are doing with their "9th age" concept. They're doing the debugging that GW should have done years ago.

Re: Any more Asrai left in these woods?

Posted: 06 Nov 2015, 20:26
by Duraska
I tried getting into AoS, but my last couple games have just been one-sided nightmares. It's hard to have a game that feels tactical anymore, but maybe that's just my experience.

I've stopped the hobby pretty much. I still have models that need painted, but I have no passion/drive to do that anymore... I've been focused on D&D with some friends, and I'm finding that much more fun at the moment. I still do check these forums from time to time though (obviously!).

Re: Any more Asrai left in these woods?

Posted: 10 Nov 2015, 08:55
by Samoht
I'm the same, still got painting projects sitting on my desk that I'm struggling to find motivation to do. I could do with some cash and for the first time in my life I'm contemplating selling, clear up the now unwanted clutter (possibly).

I'd say the biggest negative impact that this cold business decision will have been, is to fracture the whole 'community' - I'm always reluctant to use that term, it says something that wasn't really there, but there's definitely been a splitting and a sundering of such a small niche community doesn't make it stronger.

Re: Any more Asrai left in these woods?

Posted: 11 Nov 2015, 02:42
by Hyarion
Age of Sigmar was interesting, but the 8th edition armies felt shoehorned in, I'm waiting to see the elf faction rules when(if?) they ever come out.

I looked at 9th age, but it was way too similar to 8th edition for my liking.

I'm just finishing some models, and playing a lot of WFRP these days, but I'm still here.

Re: Any more Asrai left in these woods?

Posted: 11 Nov 2015, 10:22
by Spiney
Warhammer fantasy has taken a bit of a nose dive in my neck of the woods, it was always a bit of a struggle to find opponents but now that all company support for the game has been dropped and the prospect of no new rule updates on the horizon, people seem to have drifted away to other things.
Billthesurly wrote:Exactly. Couldn't agree more. How can a book of rules die? If they're well written you can play them forever. The fact that WFB was THE premier rules set for fantasy mass combat for over 20 years says something about the core ideas and concepts of the game. That will never change. Just because the idiots... ahem, "gentlemen" who run GW stop supporting it doesn't mean I have to stop playing it.

Which is why I like what the ETC chaps are doing with their "9th age" concept. They're doing the debugging that GW should have done years ago.
Except that warhammer rules were not written well and they never have been, they've always been wonky as hell since I've been playing GW games. The game has always had strong/weak armies and 8th edition was no exception to that, which is fine when the company are still cycling through the books, but now they're not all armies are going to stay where they are on the competitive curve forever.

I'm not sure what I think of the whole 9th age thing, as a rule our group has been pretty suspicious of any fan-made content, especially whole army lists, even if I wanted to give it a go I'm not sure I'd find any takers. From what I've seen 9th age hasn't properly dealt with the problem of magic that ruined 8th edition for me.

Age of Sigmar is a pale shadow of what wfb was, it's not that I dislike the game per-se but it just feels so lightweight and insubstantial compared to the warhammer I'm used to.

I've currently stumbled back across to my ongoing 40k projects (building a word bearers force for Horus heresy games)

Re: Any more Asrai left in these woods?

Posted: 11 Nov 2015, 11:31
by Phil Rossiter
I feel it depends what we expect from the game. Most tournament scenes in English-speaking countries found 8th pretty enjoyable, maybe with light comp. Continental Europe was less content, which is why the German scene for example comped it heavily and the ETC in a sort of medium fashion. 9th Age is written by high-profile ETC guys (including the Swedish Comp dudes). It's been adopted by the ETC which means an awful lot of people will play it. Even in the UK, a traditionally 'out of the box' scene, it is taking off.

GW decided up front to make 8th a more bloody game. Lots of models die and the magic reflects that. No-save spells exist to counter the multiple-save characters and units that dominated late 7th. Some players need regular rules changes, some don't, which is why 8th tournaments in the UK remain popular. Yes it's hard if you're a Beastman player for example but most armies are close enough in power. Plus there's always comp. A lot of guys on here (and players of some other armies) made a virtue of getting the most out of a previously under-strength WE army book.

Re: Any more Asrai left in these woods?

Posted: 11 Nov 2015, 14:41
by Billthesurly
In any war game system where the armies are truly different, some of them will be somewhat stronger and some will be weaker. The extent to which this is true depends on how good a job the writers do of balancing the various factions. But no matter how finely balanced they are there will always be some degree of power difference.

My only gripe with 8th ed was that there were things that were so obviously broken that GW just never seemed to be interested in fixing. The 9th Age guys seem to me to be ruthlessly hunting down and fixing those annoying glitches that persisted in all of GW's product. That said, WFB was still the best mass combat fantasy game system around. What else even came close?

So we played 8th ed and we locally and internationally tweaked, and comped and house-ruled them into a pretty darn good set of rules. 9th Age is taking all those comps, house-rules and such and setting them down where everybody has instant access for free. Gotta like that. And unlike most "fan based" productions - these guys seem to be doing a very professional job of it as well.

Re: Any more Asrai left in these woods?

Posted: 13 Nov 2015, 15:43
by FriedTaterExplosion
I can't imagine 9th Age will ever be more than a really niche thing. The rules seem fine, but with the lack of influx of new players over time, all that I can see is a continually dwindling fan base.

Re: Any more Asrai left in these woods?

Posted: 13 Nov 2015, 17:37
by Phil Rossiter
The thing is, ETC has adopted it. That means it will dominate the tournament scene in several Continental countries and be a player in quite a few others. Sure, tournament players were a small part of the total player base but I seem to remember Germany alone having around 4000 ranked tournament players a couple of years ago.

As for new blood, this probably depends on how people get into the game. Obviously kids are not going to wander into GW and learn 9th Age. But in places where clubs are the main way people get involved, players are often prepping for tournaments so new guys will be exposed to 9th Age, if that's what the local events are running.

Re: Any more Asrai left in these woods?

Posted: 16 Nov 2015, 05:44
by Blackcat
AoS has definitely killed it for me. No one plays 8th anymore and AoS is just a weaker version of 40k which I already play. I would sell my army but no one is even buying anymore so its pointless anyway.

Re: Any more Asrai left in these woods?

Posted: 16 Nov 2015, 09:30
by Phil Rossiter
Just got back from an 8th edition tournament.

Spoke to several guys and the consensus was they would try 9th Age as a tournament game and see how they liked it.

Re: Any more Asrai left in these woods?

Posted: 17 Nov 2015, 01:13
by Mollesvinet
How did it go Phil? Are you gonna post on Ulthuan?

Re: Any more Asrai left in these woods?

Posted: 17 Nov 2015, 05:06
by Kakapo42
I'm still here!

I've been particularly quiet recently due to being overwhelmed by university work and waiting and seeing how recent developments from GW would affect this site, but I have no plans to leave any time soon - indeed even now there's a regiment of Glade Guard sitting half-finished on my hobby space patiently waiting for me to get around to them.

There has been a noticeable drop in activity though. I think it's mostly fallout from the whole ET/AOS fiasco, which has polarised the Warhammer Fantasy community a lot. I myself am no longer really affected by it - I switched off from official current rule-sets shortly after the 8th edition Wood Elf book hit, and I switched off from official current background shortly after the first ET book hit. It means I can't really contribute much to all the areas of this site (never will my dreams of posting battle reports and meaningful tactical advice now be realised) but I still maintain a hidden stronghold in the Meadow of Arts where I work on hobby stuff and non-ET compliant background, all the while using the 6th edition Wood Elf army book alongside various combinations of 8th and 6th edition core rules.

Re: Any more Asrai left in these woods?

Posted: 17 Nov 2015, 11:16
by Phil Rossiter
Mollesvinet wrote:How did it go Phil? Are you gonna post on Ulthuan?
I've begun Thomas and will post more. Pleased to say Wood Elves won the tournament!

http://www.ulthuan.net/forum/viewtopic. ... 6&start=30

You may also be interested in this:

http://www.ulthuan.net/forum/viewtopic.php?f=51&t=69560

Kakapo, 9th Age gives serious buffs to the combat units, especially tree spirits. It also reintroduces Kindreds and 'Spites'. Maybe worth a look?

http://www.the-ninth-age.com/index.php? ... 741c3bb00b

Re: Any more Asrai left in these woods?

Posted: 17 Nov 2015, 12:09
by Kakapo42
Phil Rossiter wrote:Kakapo, 9th Age gives serious buffs to the combat units, especially tree spirits. It also reintroduces Kindreds and 'Spites'. Maybe worth a look?

http://www.the-ninth-age.com/index.php? ... 741c3bb00b
It's a good attempt with some interesting stuff, but unfortunately the continued lack of Asrai Archery (or an equivalent move-and-shoot Asrai Archery substitute) and a full Lore of Athel Loren (having only a Tree-singing spell just doesn't cut it for me) makes it a no-go for me. The different name for the ersatz Amaranthine Brooch is also a hit for me, since the magic item being named 'Amaranthine Brooch' was the main reason why I took it, as a reference to my favourite song - Amaranth by Nightwish.

Like I've said before in other places, I found my sweet spot with the 6th edition Wood Elf army book, and it's what I'm happiest using. For a rule-set to rival that it would need to emulate the 6th edition book so closely that it's effectively identical, and at that point I might as well stick with the 6th edition book anyway. The 6th edition Wood Elf book was exactly what I asked for, so that's what I'm sticking with.

Thank you for the suggestion though. :)

Re: Any more Asrai left in these woods?

Posted: 17 Nov 2015, 12:22
by Phil Rossiter
You're welcome.

I guess we all have things we look for. I was never too fussed about Asrai Archery but I'm with you 100% on the magic, losing our own Lore was a bitter blow. I'm also not too happy that Treesinging got weaker and became technically a 'Life' spell. Though the spell in 'Life' that counts the target as being in a wood is good.

In a way I envy you that you are perfectly happy with one incarnation of the army. I tend to make do if I can play a list generally the way I like it (eg Great Stag was playable in 6th book, 8th book and also in 9th Age). I was never a fan of Kindreds (but liked Spites) and I still miss my chariot!

Re: Any more Asrai left in these woods?

Posted: 18 Nov 2015, 03:09
by Billthesurly
I'm still holding on to my chariots. You just never know.... ;)

Re: Any more Asrai left in these woods?

Posted: 21 Nov 2015, 21:21
by Ramesesis
Still around, friends of the forest!

I got a new best friend that I have spent much time with. She have also suffered a string of true setbacks messing up her life including a recent divorce, she fell love with a guy who then shanked her and tried to get her out from the Homeguard Company we are Soldiers in and now risk losing her job as nurse and even her liscence due to false accusations. So old Raimie have been busy being friend and true Knight.
I was pumped to try out 9th age or KoW with a friend but now I just want to play a good old proper 8th ed game. I just fell like I cannot find the energy to learn new system, no matter how ingenious. If I find time and energy to play I want to play something I know.

I want to be in the old World. No Sigmarit bullshit. Good old Athel Loren, Hail of Doom etc.

I want to keep telling the tale of Lord Raimie ap Taluwin

Re: Any more Asrai left in these woods?

Posted: 21 Nov 2015, 21:54
by Billthesurly
Try to think of 9th Age as 8th ed with a lot of the bugs ironed out. Not that hard to wrap your brain around.

Sounds like you're on the side of the angels - keep on doing what you're doing. Gaming will still be here when you have more time again. :nod: :thumbsup:

Re: Any more Asrai left in these woods?

Posted: 25 Nov 2015, 22:39
by Beithir Seun
Good to see there's still a few people around this ol' place :)

I still check in occasionally, but I've been drifting to other games for a while now. AoS was the straw that broke the camel's back in some respects - I'd happily continue playing 8th, and I may give 9th a try, but I've no interest in AoS as a system. If I want to play skirmish games, I have a multitude of other options that are more appealing. I've tried KoW only once, but it didn't really grab my attention as a replacement for WFB. It seems to be catching on though, and I like other Mantic games, so maybe I should give it another chance.

I've been doing more on the historical side of the gaming radar recently, and enjoying it quite a bit. My group have managed to play almost an entire SAGA campaign (we've never finished a campaign in our history, so this is an achievement!), we've got more campaigns planned and talks are underway to get a roleplay group started after Christmas. I don't plan on leaving the hobby, as gaming was never my primary motivation, so I don't miss WFB as much as some might. It just means I paint other stuff and when I play, I play other things. I've plenty of projects to keep me going without WFB!

Re: Any more Asrai left in these woods?

Posted: 30 Nov 2015, 19:47
by chickenbane
I just had my first game of KoW last week. I must admit for all its streamlined rules there seems to be a good deal of tactical depth. I also managed to write a batrep up in 3 days so I was pretty enthused about the whole thing! It's on my blog if your interested.

Re: Any more Asrai left in these woods?

Posted: 03 Dec 2015, 14:13
by Ramesesis
I really need to get some kind of game in soon. Be what it may. GW might have saved me to try AoS if they had just brought out new elves and not handed that lazy battletomes to us. The only redeeming thing was that they gave us chariots...

Re: Any more Asrai left in these woods?

Posted: 03 Dec 2015, 14:16
by Ramesesis
I really need to get some kind of game in soon. Be what it may. GW might have saved me to try AoS if they had just brought out new elves and not handed that lazy battletomes to us. The only redeeming thing was that they gave us chariots...

I also realized I had lost so many Raimie stories with the loss of all campaigns sites here and there. Saved the stories of the first one for my earlier mentioned friend who actually like them and also said she felt I was a better fiction writer than as a popular historical write. More life and emotions.

So I am writing a nde Raimie story for her to read.

Re: Any more Asrai left in these woods?

Posted: 04 Dec 2015, 18:44
by frogboy
I've played 10 BloodBowl tournaments this year, I've found a local group of gamers so my gaming has never been healthier. It's just a shame about Warhammer...

Been spending a lot of Internet time here...

http://www.talkfantasyfootball.org/

And here...

https://fumbbl.com/