Monday, 20 August 2012

20 Questions

OK, I'll jump on the band wagon too!

Favourite Wargaming Period, and Why?
The future, because anything goes! With a bit of tweaking you can mix every historical period into a great big sci-fi jumble mix tape! Plus I do enjoy sci-fi which I only realised when I got to my 20’s.



Next Period, money no object?
Victorian steampunk. My dad’s hobby is steam trains. He builds them, chases them, collects memorabilia and knows everything about them. I’m not kidding you. On my parents farm there are full size railway signals and ride on steam trains among other things. So I was heavily indoctrinated into 'steam' at a young age. I already said I love science, so science and steam –yeah that’s pretty cool!


My Dads Train
Favourite five films?
Hard one for me as I change my mind regularly, but if I’m pushed…
Alien
Predator
The Terminator
The Thing
Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back or VI - Return of the Jedi


Favourite five TV series?
I don’t really have any favourites so really the question is what have I been watching recently?
Dr Who
Star Trek
Time Team
The Avengers (cartoon)
Horrible Histories
-It only just occurred to me that these are all pretty much kids shows, and 3 out of 5 are from the UK.








Favourite book and author?
A New Earth - Eckhart Tolle
An Amazing book!

Greatest General?  Can't count yourself!
Alexander III of Macedon AKA  Alexander the Great


Favourite Wargame rules?
40k because it has been my dominate game for most of my life.


Favourite Sport and Team?
No. I watch Ausy footy (AFL), the cricket, V8 supercars, rugby and other sports with my mates, but don’t follow any teams religiously.


If you had a one-use-only time machine, when and where would you go?
I’d visit myself when I was a kid- just to say “hey, it will all be ok”.  Then I would just hang around enjoying classic 80’s warhammer and stupid fashion. Maybe put some shares in the right place then sit back and relax.



Last meal on Death Row?
I'd like a massive breakfast consisting of: Fried eggs and bacon, French toast, pancakes with maple syrup and whipped cream, a fried banana, a massive omelette with tomato, mushroom, bacon and cheese, 2 hash browns, then a bowl of apple and cinnamon porridge, a bowl of fruit with vanilla yoghurt, 2 crumpets covered in honey, and finally a piece of toast with Vegemite and a glass of pineapple juice -please.




Fantasy relationship and why?
When I was 5 I had a crush on a girl at school. But somehow I couldn’t help but always make her cry. Yep as lame as it is, she is/was my fantasy girlfriend.
 (Luckily for me I met up with her 15 years later and ended up marrying her- double lame I know).


If your life were a movie, who would play you?
I would be a cartoon character- something like roger rabbit.


Favourite comic book superhero?
The original Speed Racer (if that counts)




Favourite military quote?
To fight and conquer in all your battles is not supreme excellence; supreme excellence consists in breaking the enemy's resistance without fighting.

-Sun Tzu 


Historical destination to visit?
Australia 17thcentury.



Biggest Wargaming regret?
I regret that Games workshop has treated Australians so poorly in recent years. It is pulling me away from a game that I loved and grew up on. In all likelihood I will stop playing it completely soon and focus on non GW minis. (I still haven’t got a copy of 6th yet!).


Favourite fantasy job?

Once I thought it was this...

Until there was too much of this...
Scandals
And this...



So now I'd say my fantasy job would be working as a mad scientist with loads of minions and a giant laboratory filled with cool gadgets, and a gold volt with enough money to finance all my wildest ideas.

'Death-ray' Matthews (a relative of mine)

Favourite song top 5?
Muse - Knights of Cydonia
Ben harper - I am Blessed to be a witness
Boy and Bear - Fall At Your Feet (Crowded House cover)
Apocalyptica - Farewell
Florence + The Machine - Breath Of Life







...and anything that I can rock out on with my electric violin.




Favourite Wargaming moment?
The Medusa V Campaign.
It was a great period of wargaming for me. I played more at that time than before or since, I won heaps, I got my first group of Praetorians painted. I can’t remember ever being as excited about 40k as at that time.

21 wins in 25 games!



The Miserable Git Question:  what upsets you?
Seeing madness in myself and in the world around me.

And people that wont sit on Santa's knee at Christmas
...my Christmas hobby (its a suit, I'm not that fat!)

11 comments:

  1. Colonel Scipio20 August 2012 at 05:20

    Hurray! Spread the virus. Have to say I'm a big steam nut as well, with a similarly insane father. Good list - and Time Team! Haven't seen that for ages! How are things in Australia, GW-wise then? What sort of prices do you have to pay? I've been looking more and more into non-GW minis recently...

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  2. Kevin Spyrle20 August 2012 at 06:20

    I also miss Medusa V, but I forgot about the medals.

    Thanks for sharing.

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  3. Col. Ackland20 August 2012 at 12:11

    @ Colonel Scipio:
    Here are a few price comparisons to make the point -with GBP on the left and Aust dollars on the right at the current exchange rate:

    Imperial Guard Leman Russ battle tank example-

    UK GW 31 GBP $46.50 AU
    UK Maelstrom 27.9 GBP $41.85 AU
    Australia GW 55.33 GBP $83 AU

    6th ed Rule book example
    UK GW 45 GBP $67 AU
    UK Maelstrom 40.5 GBP $60.75 AU
    Australia 82.66 GBP $124 AU

    Plus- we can't get things shipped from overseas companies and our White Dwarfs come late. Also the general standard of our GW store staff is terrible in comparison to stores in the UK due to the fact that store wages are low and there is no staff progression. There is just no reason why a good gamer would bother working for GW in Australia.
    What really got everyone's back up was when many Ausy GW gamers politely and constructively asked "why that price?" in a series of letters. We got a very blunt and unhelpful 'suck it up or go away' response.

    At the time is wasn't hard to find finance articles on the web that were saying things like
    "The CEO of Games Workshop, Mark wells, has decided his 20% salary increase needs to be covered by his Australian customers..."

    So what started as a price thing became a loyalty thing because GW won't be reasonable or courteous to their customers.

    Anyway, a bit of a rant, but that's our situation.

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  4. Col. Ackland20 August 2012 at 12:15

    I meant to say "at the time *it* wasn't hard..."

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  5. Col. Ackland20 August 2012 at 12:16

    @Spyrle, nice work on your Medusa V web campaign! I'm looking forward to getting some games in and joining the battlefield again :)

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  6. Kevin Spyrle20 August 2012 at 12:49

    I used the Warstore a bunch when I was in Okinawa, Japan, but I had a military address so it fairly easy for me to get my stuff with no hassels.

    I'm not sure what sorts of customs and duties they would charge when the package arrives, but at least your starting with 20% off.

    Neal is a good guy and I've never had a problem with comminication or packaging when I've purchased from him.

    I don't know if exchange rates make it better to order from UK based web stores or US ones, but I'd at least shoot Neal an email before your next order.

    http://www.thewarstore.com/InternationalOrders.html

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  7. Colonel Scipio20 August 2012 at 17:35

    @Col Ackland: Rant totally justified!! That's outrageous - I knew things were bad, but not that bad. When I think about doing rants I should probably consider people overseas as well, I live about 10 mins from GW's Nottingham HQ in the UK so I don't see that side of the problem, but it really seems like they don't care. I'd love to see that reply if you have it. Have you tried http://www.blackcultist.com.au/store/index.php - I came across it while hunting for discount sites. Never ordered from them, but 22% off (they also stock paint), "competitive" shipping rates across Australia and free shipping to Canberra.

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  8. Col. Ackland20 August 2012 at 22:55

    Yes I have seen 'Blackcultists' and thanks to Spyrle I'll check out 'thewarstore'.

    The thing is when I'm looking at the prospect of paying roughly double, even 22% less isn't as exciting as it should be. When it has come down to it, every time I have been about to put in an order for some GW miniatures I have just ended up buying something else. I mean 10 plastic guardsmen cost $48 AU, and 10 resin Forgeworld Krieg Guardsmen cost $54 AU, so why bother with the cheap plastic ones? Then someone like Victoria Lamb will say here have a ten man firing line for $30.

    I'll see if I can find that letter too for you. One thing that I do remember was that they said that this is a non-essential hobby (or something to that effect). No one HAS TO have any of their stuff so they can charge whatever they like. I don't hate GW or anything, but that statement of theirs is really the truth. Honestly, it has been incredibly nice to start looking elsewhere for stuff to buy. I have gotten back into 15mm again, which is cheap as (I should post up some pics!), and it is looking like Spartan games have cool stuff on the horizon too. Also, I’m happy to keep giving Col Gravis my money when I really want to spend it.
    As for 6th ed rules, I’m sure someone I know will buy 2 new starter sets and end up giving me the mini rules anyway :)

    Just one last thing!
    Two massive changes that I have seen over the last year here in oz-
    1) a positive is that when playing away of a GW store, using other companies models (like wargames factory)is becoming very well excepted.
    2) a negative (or maybe more questionable change) is that counter-fitting companies are springing up in China, and with a growing climate of people that would love to 'stick it' to GW, it seems people have no ethical problems buying stuff from them. AND it is a little bit funny that the counter fit stuff seems to have less miss-casts then the real stuff (well that's what I hear, I haven't been that desperate yet!)

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  9. Kevin Spyrle21 August 2012 at 03:34

    Yeah, if the prices were that close, I'd just buy ForgeWorld too.

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  10. Nic E9 March 2013 at 09:37

    if you are not using 6th Ed what are you using? I would totally recommend 6th over 5th as its a lot more fun. And I use Discount Games store even after hideous postage we are still saving %50 on Aus Retail we put in big orders from multiple ppl to cut down postage between us all.

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    Replies
    1. Col. Ackland11 March 2013 at 16:14

      I am using 6th now. This post was from August last year when I had't got around to getting a copy of the new rules. I must have gotten hold a copy of 6th later that month because by the 30th I tried it out with a small solo game (Medusa V: The Lost Magistratus).
      As for Discount Games I have seen them on the net. I haven't needed to put in an order yet- I've been working through my backlog of miniatures for the time being. I think big orders between a group of mates is totally the way to go! Cheers for the advice. ;)

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