And so it begins...

Hey there folks, what's up!  My (internets) name is Xaereth, and it appears that I'll be posting here from time to time.  Figured I'd introduce myself in this post, and leave the 'real' content for later.


 So, about me.  I'm primarily a 40k player, though I also dabble in Fantasy and Warmachine.  I'm thinking of picking up Flames as well, though to be honest I'm not sure if my brain has enough room in it for three different games, much less four.  I certainly don't have the time to spend painting all of them- I don't have nearly enough time for the models I already have!

I started playing 40k right at the very start of 3rd edition.  I remember borrowing my friend's 2nd edition rulebook and reading it for like 5 days straight to learn all the rules really well, and then 3rd edition came out later that week.  My friends and I had bought a bunch of random squads from a friend, who had painted them all different colors.  One was Ultramarines, one was Orks, one was Ogryn, and the last was Blood Angels.  I got the Blood Angels squad because it was the one nobody wanted, actually.  It was literally the only reason my first army was Blood Angels.

What armies do I play, you ask?  Right now I have:  Blood Angels and Space Wolves (which I use some of the same models for- sue me for not wanting to paint an entire new army to start Wolves), Chaos Marines, Salamanders, and Guard.  For Fantasy I play Dark Elves, and for Warmachine/Hordes I play Circle of Orboros.

I guess you could label me as a fairly competitive gamer.  I've been to a number of 'big' events, getting reasonable results most times.  I have a ton of tournament reports on my blog.  Here's a link to my list of battle/tournament reports (where there are links to the actual reports).  Lots even have pictures!

As a continuation on the 'competitive gamer' topic, I should warn you:  my lists have little bearing on fluff.  I'm much more of a tournament player than fluff bunny, and my tactics and articles will reflect this.  It's not that I don't appreciate the fluff of the game- it's pretty neat.  It's just not the reason I'm involved in this hobby.  I like to compete and win games, as my lists and tactics will show.  I'm just telling you this so as not to be pretentious and act like I'm something I'm not.  Hope this was straightforward enough for you :)

I have my own 40k blog as well, though it doesn't really have that huge of a following at the moment.  If you're interested in taking a look, here's a link to Delusions of Grandeur.  Fun times :)

So what can you expect from me?  I think I'm going to start off with a 'Rediscovering Blood Angels' series of articals, with lots of Battle Reports, and unit analysis of different ... erm... units.  I've neglected my Blood Angels a bit too much of late, and right now they're about the only army (that I own) that I feel like I don't understand inside and out.  This is a good opportunity for all of us to get a closer look!

Otherwise, I might do a few really simple beginning hobbyist articles.  I'm not presumptuous enough to give advanced advice- I'll let Jawa and his other contributors who are actually qualified for that kinda stuff handle it.  But everyone needs to know how to drybrush.  Line highlights are simple, and make armies look lots better.  Ink washes are also invaluable to new painters (and even mid-level ones, like me).  Those are the types of hobby articles I'll do.

Guess that's about it, guys (and gals?).  If there's anything you want to know, feel free to ask.  I'm happy to answer any questions you might have for me.  Until next time!

Xaereth

Welcome Xaereth!  Some time ago I put out a call for contributers to add some variety to my blog.  The first wave were some of the big name guys that I had met previously at gaming events like Old Shatter Hands. I got a slew of other "applicants" and after sifting through them finally sent out a few invites for some guys to join the crew.  Look to Xaereth to give you more of what you love... Blood Angels, batreps and beginner hobby articles as the Jawaballs blog grows!  


More to come...


Jawaballs