State of the Games: Warmachine, 40k, WoW, and More!

Not sure anyone ever actually reads my ramblings any more (post comments! Let me know you're alive!) but I thought it was time to update everyone in what's going on in my little corner of the nerd galaxy. Time for... (cue suitably impressive music...) D-9's State of the Hobby Address. (bound to be more cheerful than a state of the Union address, because, let's face it, the Union's pretty much in a bad state right now, but I digress...) Let's talk about all the things that make nerdin' great.

1: Warmachine/ Hordes: As you can easily tell by my blog posts, this is THE game right now. We've been playing PP games for almost two years in our gaming group and they have become the only mini game we really spend time with any more. I've been steadily cranking out painted models and just as steadily getting solid games in on a weekly schedule. Wrath was awesome, and our group is looking forward to Domination. We still have spirited discussions about the balance of Hordes vs. Warmachine, but overall the PP system is a very enjoyable, solid game. My biggest gripe is that I don't get to play enough to try all the armies/ ideas that I come up with. Currently on the hobby table is my goal to get 35 points armies done. eStryker, eSkarre, and pSkarre are all 100% finished. eNemo has two models left to get done. From there, pStryker, pDenny, and pNemo are the next candidates for the full paint treatment.

2: Warhammer 40k: Wow... how the mighty have fallen. Our group has let 40k silently slide to the wayside, and then fall of the table to be crushed under the steam driven heels of a plethora of warjacks. Some great models have come out in the last two years, but to be honest no one seems to care. GW's business studipity has been met with a few chuckles and I'm just glad I have almost every model I'll ever need in metal and won't have to muck with finecast at all.... Will 6th edition re-light the fires of grim-dark wargaming? Probably. A new chaos codex would inspire me to dust off the World Eaters. I look at all my 40k armies and the models are incredible, the rules just really need a change.

3: World of Warcraft: Forgive me Blizzard, it has been a week since I last logged in to Azeroth... and I really don't miss it. WoW has taken a hit this summer, everything feels "grindy." Even the fun of leveling Horde characters for the first time hit a wall when I got out of the re-designed zones. I don't even touch my Alliance 85s unless someone needs me to heal a raid. The instances just aren't as fun as they were in WoTLK or BC. This is preturbing. I love WoW. I really do. I have a lot of fun playing this stupid game, but right now I'd rather paint models, play XBox, watch TV or even write pointless blog entries that no one will read. I have one eye on the horizon right now, and have already pre-ordered Star Wars: The Old Republic. We shall see what the fall brings. (but Old Republic looks freaking sweet! Space ships! Jedi! Sith! )

4: D&D/ Pathfinder: We had some awesome Pathfinder sessions in the spring, but now we are back in the traditional rut. Its hard to get working adults with families together for long rpg sessions. That said, the Pathfinder rule set is, hands down, the best RPG I have seen in my 20+ years of playing RPGs. Our group is working through "The Curse of the Crimson Throne" adventure path, and it is truly an incredible experience. If we can just get everyone to play....

5: Magic?!?!?!? yep... the crack is back on the street... Saturday night yours truly is hosting a sealed deck 2012 event. It's always fun to come back to MtG, especially in a controlled setting. Depending on how the event goes we may be looking at a contained league for the fall/ winter. I've never written about MtG on this blog, so maybe I'll put some stuff up following our weekend.

6: Board Games: Board Game night continues to be a big hit amongst our group of friends. Last Night on Earth by Flying Frog Games is probably our favorite. I wrote a review a few months back, but suffice to say it's the zombie apocalypse board game. Other games in rotation right now are Killer Bunnies and the Search for the Magic Carrot, Red Dragon Inn (hilarious!), Forbidden Island, and Cleopatra. Forbidden Island is a cooperative game that is fast paced and a lot of fun. I highly reccomend it out of this list.

So there ya have it. That's where good ol' D-9 is in the hobby right now. If you still read, post a comment to let me know I haven't finally become that guy who types to himself in the internetz. Who am I kidding.... ;)