Power Gaming

I think that I have lost the vibe of power gaming, in fact tonight I really learned to hate it.

Tonight I got to oportunity to talk with a power gamer for a long period of time, and it was painful. Everything was about min/max, everything was pushing something that should have been a game to its furthest details and trying to break everything.

To him it was fun to try to push the boundaries and find just the perfect way to power game and twist the rules.

To me, it was anything but fun.The entire deal he was taking way too serious in my book. I know at the same point he's most likely saying the same thing about me. He's upset because I just don't care about what he obsessed over.

The best part about the obsession was that he had to have the perfect blend of everything. He had to have the perfect minis, the perfect army, the perfect strategy, the perfect fluff, and everything had to e the best that it could be. He had explanations for every thing that he painted that wasn't typical, and he was doing his best to understand every army that he could go up against and the full hundred year history of his unit of guys and how they worked together.

Then he looked at my army, andasked what my back story was for my army and why they looked so different. My explination? It loks cool so I wanted to do it.

I don't have some crazy background story about the fluff of my units. I don't have their unit history of who they are and where hey come from. I also have never read a single 40k book ever. I play the game. I enjoy the game. I enjoy painting them too, but that's about it. I don't need 40k to itch the scratch of story telling for me. for that I've got a novel.

Shopping List

I've been stocking up on gift cards, store credit and whatever else I can get my hands on and I've been growing up a stash of things that I can't put in a bank account, but can buy me stuff. The list of stuff I have in order is actually sort of impressive.

For the record, I'm thinking about buying the following things . . . all for under $80.

Magnus - $130 -
Occult Terminators - $60 - https://www.games-workshop.com/en-US/scarab-occult-terminators
Exalted Sorcerers - $60 - https://www.games-workshop.com/en-US/exalted-sorcerers
Tzangor Enlightened - $35 - (I wanted bonus exalted sorcerers, and that's what I'm going to count them as) https://www.games-workshop.com/en-US/Tzaangor-Enlightened
Start Collecting Tzeentch Daemons - $85 - https://www.games-workshop.com/en-US/Start-Collecting-Daemons-of-Tzeentch

That's a total of $370. I even did the rough math, and it's looking like over 2500 points worth of stuff wrapped up in those guys. I've got something around $290 in credit and stuff floating around which means $80 plus tax is coming out of pocket. I could have skipped the Enlightened, but I have a really big goal to field the OVER the top formation of Magnus + 9 daemon princes (I have three) and/or exalted sorcerers (I'll have 6 once this is done). I could have even stuck to just thousand sons stuff, but they just came out with the tzeentch box, and that was the next army (outside of harlequins) that I was actually thinking of fielding because of fluff with my army, so it was an easy buy in.

Either way, I'm getting a 78% off discount on NEW models. I think I'll be okay.

The only other news to go along with this? I've got only a few weeks to finish up painting everything that I've got in that army (which isn't that much honestly) because right now everything in that list (except magnus) is either pre-order or they're out of stock so I have to wait.  But let's be honest, it's a shock to just about everyone that I didn't buy Magnus the week of release. I main his army. I'm just really hopping that soon the focus goes away from Tzeentch. I picked the army because I liked them, not because I wanted to buy all new stuff. They look awesome, but my completionist would really like to not have new models thrown at it right now.

Thousand Sons Rhino - Warhammer

I've been working on big pieces lately, and going right along side the helbrute and maulerfiend, my thousand sons are finally getting a ride to get around in.

The front-

 Left - and yes I know that's a mark of Khorn, but you get what you get from ebay and you work your best with it. We're rocking it as a thousand sons army, and we're doing it with pride, so don't ask too many questions.

 Rear -

 Right-

 But wait! There's more! I have enough thousand sons that on a good day I could easily fill up one of that first one, so we need a second one! (I have a third on my shelf, but it's not done and not exactly necessary to have at this point in the point value)

Front -

Left

 Rear -

Right -

Like I said, I've been doing a lot of painting since I last updated my painting. I've just been too lazy to put up pictures about it. I'm thinking of putting up my army for my 1250 point game coming up, because it's sort of awesome, and has all of the new toys in it. But either way, there you go, some thousand sons rhinos that are going to make pushing my guys around a table significantly easier than their stupid slow 6 inch movement.

Story Outline

Over the break I've started my next story in outline. I know that I need to edit 4th Wall, but I honestly just don't want to. It's ugly, and I'm doing my best to try not to work through that thing again because I don't have that much of a drive behind it. So, with having the time to do things that I actually want to do, here's the rough outline and notes that I made myself.

Any thoughts or ideas about the order of things or questions you might have - you know how to get in touch with me.

Chapter Layout

Just to remind me of everything – MC = Jared SK = Rigel

Chapter 1

·         Seminary start – what if?

o   Let’s do it!

·         Can start to drop hints toward historical times that it’s gone. Power and strength story are over the top, but it sets up things that will happen. Every time in the earlier chapters pre-ascension, they talk about angels in history, something in the same realm will happen in his story.

o   Most recent – Madge (F) – service –life of service in the slums, mother Terresa type

o   Alva (M) – patience in suffering – 30 years of waiting for refuge from daily pain

o   Florence (F) – Educate/ preach – converting thousands, entire cities.

o   Warren (M) – Saving & protection – protecting a city from an army single handedly.

o   Viola (F) – Communion – disappearance into nature with nothing for two years, came back divine

o   Milton (M) – strength /endurance  running, movement, shattering chains, over the top

·         Get home, play around, call it out and start living and practicing as being as good as possible

o   Football down the hallway

o   Family – can’t lie, have to be kind, have to ask for forgiveness, have to serve.

§  Grounded for life

·         Set up that MC is idea and action type guy, and SK is support and along for the ride, and willing to help out because there’s not really much else to do.

Chapter 2

·         1^st Ascension

o   Tradition only worries about shoes, and otherwise says white clothes. When you’re done you shine with the light of an angel.

·         Different students have different approaches towards the ceremony. Informal, formal, then hyper traditional of MC and SK.

·         Boring ceremony, useless, seemingly pointless phrases, but the location (cathedral), atmosphere, lighting, and everything outside of the actual ceremony is where the attention and specialty of the entire thing stands. MC can’t stand paying attention to the speaker but attention stay and focuses on the surrounding, the shoes, and everything else that is actually important.

·         The glow! Wrap things up, stand on light to glow. MC and SK step off lights and realize the glow is real. Freak out. Don’t know how to get rid of it. Insult each other and watch it dull to nothing.

·         Ceremony over congrats from family and friends, small little party of everyone afterwards.

·         MC and SK – “What now? Was that it? One shot then done? No more?”

Chapter 3

·         Same night – sleep over at MC’s house. After being grounded, ban has been partially lifted for the night of their first ascension.

·         Discuss the glow –comfort, warm.

·         How to get it back? Apologize and glow.

·         Glow! ( but still cold)

·         Shoes? Shoes!

·         Try them out, warm up, go out for a run.

o   Out of breath? No

o   Speed? Sprint and no restraint

o   Comfort? Better than anything else.

·         Talk it out while running, pure shock. Miles pass fairly fast and then run back. Bring in Milton’s story

·         Way back around hear police siren

o   Ditch the police!

o   For us? Let’s not find out

Chapter 4

·         In soup kitchen service, lifting bags and boxes, talk around things. Show transition from ascension to tickets to a conference.

·         While passing out rolls they start to hear rumors and stories of the people in the line about two angels running around.

o   Who/what are they?

o   Rumors of angels, debates about existence

o   Few try to link their appearance to good things

·         Leader of kitchen, foot down, angles don’t exist like that anymore. It doesn’t happen like that anymore.

Chapter 5

·         Area leader at church/cathedral knocks out everything, calls them fake, imposters and nothing from angels

o   SK – Can I show them? Let me show them!

§  Apologies for everything, MC won’t forgive him, no glow.

·         On their way back in car discussion, MC driving

o   Is what we doing okay?

o   Yes we’re okay, keep going!

§  Let’s prove them wrong when we get home. Time for a run.

·         Cathedral grounds, nearby graveyard, doing laps and not feeling bad about any of it.

·         Touch door, try to get in. Locked, turn, run.

·         Angel (Madge) appears.

o   Glows, wings, halo, white robes, sword, sandals.

o   Robes open flowing behind/around. White clothes underneath everything.

·         Try to dodge around the cathedral, unsuccessful.

·         She talks – they don’t understand.

·         Bail home and she doesn’t chase.

Chapter 6

·         Get home and relax in back yard. “I can’t believe it!”

·         Madge shows up.

·         Freak out, almost run, she stops them in a language they understand.

o   “We need to talk. . .”

§  Nothing good ever comes from that introduction.

o   You’re headed in the right direction

o   Check points made

§  First ascension

§  Service like angel

§  Suffering

§  Endurance

o   You’re not supposed to turn off the glow!

·         Time to go to the next step, you’ve got to get your halos.

o   Next quest! Need to take halos she gives them to the point of her ascension. IN a different country. It’s officially closest part from Earth to angels.

·         Wait, why not now in back yard?

·         Rules are rules

·         Why the face to face then?

o   Not too many modern halo makers

o   Go team! We want to help you

Chapter 7

·         Different country for meeting

·         Minor opposition to stop, just physical ropes and barriers, signs that say do not cros.

·         Halo blessing, Madge’s official coming back to Earth after her ascension.

o   They work!

·         They get pointed towards making robes as the next step of the process.

Chapter 8

·         Finding the person to make the robes

·         Checklist from scriptures of who can make robes, and qualities of them

o   Old seminary teacher can do it

·         Discussion with seminary teacher

o   Why? What are you two up to?

§  Try to lie, but it doesn’t work. We want traditional robes.

§  Cautious but approves.

·         List of things needed for the robes. Get the stuff, and you’ve got yourself robes.

o   X yards of white cotton per user, blessed by authority at cathedral

o   X spools of white thread, soaked in holy water for a week.

Chapter 9

·         Bless the water, start soaking thread first thing.

·         Clothing blessing

o   Everyone says no.

o   Rinse repeat, talk to as many people that work there as possible. Everyone says no. Almost disregard it like it’s a silly prank or something like that and they won’t stoop to that level.

o   Out of frustration of a few days into it – pulled into back room. Speed blessing.

§  Get out and leave. Stop bothering everyone.

·         Back to teacher

·         Robe style choices

o   Open, closed, long sleeve, short, no sleeve.

§  MC – Open that can zip (think graduation robes) – short sleeve.

§  SK – closed and sleeveless.

·         Give materials, not sure if prep even worked, but you’ve got what you’ve got

Chapter 10

·         Push back from authority because of the growing rumors and stories.

·         Leadership shows up and crushes

o   “Extremist traditional values”

·         Hunt from leaders

o   Inquisition

·         Focus put on the “modern” angel

o   PR push for modern ascension

·         Rationalize

o   Explain away the great. It’s all just a metaphor

Chapter 11

·         Finished robes!

o   Back flaps?

§  They’re for angel wings

§  Reality hits that wings might be in their future.

o   Glow glows through fabric.

·         Cathedral rush (Where does this information come from? Scripture or story? Or seminary teacher?)

o   Have to visit at least 5 cathedrals as a pilgrimage, helping others along the way.

o   Each cathedral has a location high up in rafters

§  Some internal accessed (stairs, ladders) while others are only accessible outside and in theory, if you can fly.

o   Once up, commune with angels, be blessed by them, and then on to the next

o   Have the unringable bell ring once you’re up there, and it counts.

o   Which first? The local!

Chapter 12

·         First one! Scout local cathedral, impossible to get to because we aren’t airplanes. Next city.

·         Rent-a-cop protection in front of the stairs that lead up to the angel’s nest.

·         SK robes up and halos to run distraction and get the rent a cops away from post.

·         MC goes upstairs.

·         Meet with angel. (#2 on the list – Alva)

o   Don’t hide it, you need to go full angel

§  Robes, halo, glow

·         Keep on going

o   What about opposition

§  What about it? Back in my day!

§  Goal is to ascend, not to deal with politics. Don’t let humanity keep you down.

·         Ring the unringable bell. Alva takes sword and baseball swings into it, sound is significantly louder than it should be. Loud enough to get people’s attention in the nearby area.

·         People start to see what all the noise is about and MC and SK bail out.

Chapter 13

·         Chest pains

o   I’m sick!

o   I’m poisoned!

o   I’m dying!

·         Same body look but weight drop and growing pains

·         Too much, go to hospital

o   Dr. says nothing seems off. X-ray just to make sure.

·         WTF

o   Bone mass loss, muscular growth, new muscles and bones around chest

·         Dr. patient confidentiality!

o   You can’t show anyone

§  But. . .

·         NO!

Chapter 14

·         Nubbins

·         How to live with them

o   Sleep, sitting, swim – how without damage?

·         Clothing issues

o   Baggy shirts and layers

·         Ahhh, back flaps on robes.

·         Molting start to grow feathers fluff down first

Chapter 15

·         Travel to next city – not closest, just most accessible

o   Cathedral scout and plan

·         Run same diversion because only minor resistance – MC goes

o   It’s SK’s turn? No, you go. You do this all first, and I’ll do it later.

·         Clean go up to bell.

·         Visit #2 – Florence

·         She rings bell and hell brakes loose. Try to stop at all costs, people in hiding come out. Escape route is not just run as fast as possible.

·         Not rent-a-cop organization. Organized. Try to swarm with people, not brains. Out think to survive.

·         Lead by inquisition. Organized forced, minimal trained leaders actually present.

Chapter 16

·         Nubbins grow

·         Previous out to shoulders, growth out to elbows

o   Wiggle!

·         Fall time, jackets are your friend.

·         Church, burning talk about the heresy of physical angels.

·         Some murmurs after it’s all done from congregation. Debates with each other. Theoretical vs modern.

·         Catch the Dr in the meeting. Say hi. Listen in, try not to make it awkward.

·         Turn to MC and SK what do you think? You’re oddly quiet for this whole deal.

o   Ahh!!!

o   Should we answer? How?

·         All in They’re real. Nothing more, nothing less. They exist. They’re not an omen, a sign or any other interpretation, they’re real. You can’t say they’re not. The interpretation of their existence says more about the induvial interpreting rather than the angels themselves.

·         Threatened to get in trouble due to supporting heresy.

Chapter 17

·         Heresy!

o   Rebellion super small. Outside voices, no one in a normal level actually saying anything publically.

·         Church distances from anything ‘bad’. Rebels are no longer associated. Done quickly and with little discussion about the individual or what might happen to them.

·         Small groups start meeting in private and MC gets wind of it

o   Hear rumors, but don’t know anyone inside the group start of underground.

o   Hunters try to push against underground lightly they’re not worried.

Chapter 18

·         Next city

·         Scout out cathedral

o   Take the tour.

§  Take off your coat? No, I’m good!

§  Ask questions about getting up to the rafters.

§  No way up, or try and climb the building. Have to fly up or try and climb the building.

o   See increased security everywhere around the cathedral. Inquisition floating around.

o   Can’t go for now.

·         Outside check for flight. Crazy flight.

o   Bell tower area. Only way in is up.

Chapter 19

·         New city

·         Underground is stronger

o   Signs, billboards, graffiti, picketing

§  Discuss with picketers, get a foot into the underground.

o   Focus down. Not extremism. It’s taking it back to the basics. Can’t use angels as a reason to be rude or break laws. Still need to follow the teachings, can’t just rebel to rebel

·         Friends in the underground

o   Wait, this is the underground? It’s a meeting at a rec center or a person’s house with snacks and juice.

o   Try to show them the glow.

§  Majority freak out.

·         Promise to keep quiet and help protect.

Chapter 20

·         Scout the cathedral

·         Figure out the plan (not sure on this yet, I’m thinking during a concert or some other event, get MC past guards, wait for people to leave then go)

·         Get the underground to help with the plan, make SK a front runner and

Chapter 21

·         Work the plan. Plan works to get MC up into the nest.

·         Angel #3 – Warren

o   Discuss weaponry. Sword, axe, mace bow

§  Gun?

§  Baseball bat?

§  I’m not trained. Don’t trust myself with a sword.

§  Need special training? Hoops to jump through?

·         Just bring the weapon you want to be yours.

·         When do I use it? Teachings are pretty pacifist about violence. It’s more someone gets tricked then they smash skulls

o   Pretty much. Stay good, be good, ado the right then, but when push comes to shove, you shove and you win.

·         Bell ring

o   Freak out down stairs. Sounds go crazy.

o   Only way out is up.

§  Break windows, try to glide out on mini wings.

§  Not flying, not gliding, but the rubs at full extension and trying to catch air, at least slow down the fall so he doesn’t die from the 40/50 foot drop.

·         Get out. Bail

o   Beet back with everyone – SK never shows

Chapter 22

·         Where is he?!

·         Inquisition trapped him.

·         Plan to break out with underground

o   Plots, nice and complicated

o   Simple walk in, full angel command

·         No

o   Why? What could possibly go wrong?

·         Argue

·         Sleep on it, We’ll see what happens tomorrow morning.

·         Morning, inquisition PR rush

o   Freak show, publish square humiliation

o   Not SK. Random guy who looks strung out and messy.

o   Sideshow all day. No SK.

·         MC tries to lurk around and talk to everyone.

·         Pack up and move to next city.

o   Follows in hopes to find SK

o   Contact friend of underground

Chapter 23

·         Back to city from Ch 18. Closest to sideshow start.

·         Sideshow starts up again, still no SK

·         Find contact in underground in new city

o   Start feelers in finding SK in new city.

·         Locked up.

o   Time to break him out

o   MC needs to be the hero

§  Not sure how but break out

§  Head home

·         We need to go gun shopping

Chapter 24

·         Weapon shopping discussion with SK

o   Gun and sword final decision

§  Ammo?

§  Type? Shot gun? Revolver? Hand gun?

·         Brain storm break into rafters

o   SK – FLY!

o   MC – anything but that

·         Can I? Is it even possible? Is it physically possible, or does it go through divine powers?

o   Wings?

o   Doctor’s visit

§  Muscle mass +

§  Bone density –

§  Need to stretch and use it more. Stop hiding it. Arm in a sling 24/7 doesn’t become stronger.

§  You lift bro?

Chapter 25

·         Wings out more. Go hiking, get outside.

·         Outside and talking

o   Reality check, dude, you have wings.

o   Feel of it

·         We’re actually doing it!

o   But what’s next?

o   Check ins, but what’s next?

§  Who knows?

·         Fly training

o   Gliding and cliffs

Chapter 26

·         How to travel with wings? Want to go home

o   Sitting sucks, they’re out, can’t hide – public reaction

o   Fly places?

§  Have troubles with taking off and landing. Once up in the air, staying up is hard too.

·         Rent a van to travel home

o   SK gets van, picks up MC, hassle of trying to get into the van.

o   Fold behind, superman in and lie down on the middle row of chairs.

·         Home try to sneak in.

o   Night time no problem in, sleep

Chapter 27

·         Morning Mom (or Dad) “Wake up!”

o   Freak out. Don’t come in!

§  Honey I’ve seen you naked before

o   Don’t come in!

o   Back and forth door opens, angel wings

·         I can explain. . .

·         SK tries to step between it all and explain

·         Breakfast is ready in 10.

·         Breakfast around the table

o   You could at least put a shirt on

o   Parents don’t react, breakfast like normal

o   MC freaks out

§  Don’t ruffle our feathers son – dad joke to a new level

o   Mom says everything’s okay and keeps on with the gossip of the neighborhood.

·         Rest up and schedule for cathedrals.

o   Why those two? Why not go to easier or other countries? Why those two?

o   It’s how it has to be. Have to at least do the one at home. It’s where it has to be.

o   Why the other? They know you’re coming.

o   It has to be.

·         Then how?

o   Fly.

Chapter 28

·         Flying lessons

·         Gliding jump and float down

o   Landings?

·         Trying to flap. Have to fall to push up

o   Body positioning ‘lying’ down not straight up

o   Gain alt leads to take off

o   Learn how to control alt leads to slowing down and ultimately with ait all together, can fly.

·         Flying in one place, the hover.

o   Impossible. Physics says no.

·         Practice with flying. Flying with weight. Need to at least cary a sword and a gun.

·         Never tire through it all. Just like running. It’s more of time spent trying to learn the mechanics of using the new appendages.

Chapter 29

·         Back to Ch 18’s city! Fly and drive.

o   Air control tower research, how to fly without getting their attention.

o   Don’t flight high (cold and oxygen) or too fast.

·         They fly, imagine running to another city.

o   60 mph on average.

§  Quiet time, we should get a walkie talkie next time. It’s quiet no music, no nothing.

·         Flying into city. Fly in and land on cathedral roof.

·         Clothing change, halo, grab weapons, swoop into the nest.

·         Angel discussion #4 – Viola

o   Bless weapons, not just typical for two, but sure we can work with that.

o   Unlimited shots! And sheaths and holsters for them

o   Chat about wings and flying.

·         Bell!

o   Fly away back home

Chapter 30

·         Underground blows up. They know the count. They’ve seen the signs. They know it’s only one more.

o   Lots of noise. Reverant noise, but noise none the less.

·         SK gets to walk in with all of the debates and disagreements.

·         Leaderhsip and inquisition try to stop them, or argue with them.

o   Police get called on argument.

·         Inquisition gets heavy. The research and hunt for MC gets going.

·         Leader of church comes to city.

·         Security even goes higher.

o   Search lights doubled as building lights.

o   Inquisition high guard.

·         Sermon on the impossibility of those angels

o   Packed house SRO

o   Picketers outside. Passive aggression. Sit in. MC tries to hide wings in trench coat and listens with people reacting outside.

·         More sermons to come. Fight against the heresy

·         Reaction is strong.

o   Underground is in arms.

o   What’s even all the fuss? Non believers

o   Why spend this much effort to say no?

o   Blind faith, agreement.

·         MC – I know what I want to do now.

Chapter 31

·         Week later – massive sermon.

·         Once sermon starts, MC goes full agnel in the graveyard. Lands in back, walks to cathedral

o   Crowd gawks

o   Inquisition comes in

§  Pulls out sword and gun.

§  They stutter step

·         Some back down, order are orders for others and they attack

·         Fight between MC and inquisition

o   Triggers fight with audience and onlookers.

·         SK goes partial angel and trying to egg people on to attack him. He won’t start the fight, but he will defend himself.

·         MC flies up to next

o   Angel #5 – Milton

o   Sorry, sort of made a mess, there’s a bit of chaos down there.

o   No worries, run the checklist.

§  Follow what was set up in seminary class, and show how MC did it all in his own way, with flying colors.

·         What now? I ascend?

o   You’re good to go. Any time, any place, say the word and you’re able to ascend and be an angel.

·         Time frame?

o   None, show up when you’re ready.

·         Wrap it up. Bell! Milton then MC.

o   My turn!

·         Swoop down and into cathedral.

o   Lift up leader and put him away.

o   Take podium

§  Yelling commotion

o   “Quiet!”

§  Silence

o   “Hi everyone. I thought with everyone talking about me, that I should show up. For the record, hi, my name is MC and I’m an angel.”

The End

A few other things just for house keeping things –

MC’s name – Jared, Brian, Connor

SK’s name – Rigel, Eric

Not sure on city names or location. Fake cities? Clearhollow, Smith Field, not sure on others.

First angel visit location Marsta hill in Sweden.

Seminary teacher – Sister Anderson?

Structure within the church

Cheribum à Radiant à Celest à Solar à Achron à Arc Achron à “____ the divine” à “ ____ the ascended”

Inquisition – dull brunt orange outfit. Hasn’t updated look since their last use back in the 1700’s knee high pants stockings button up collared shirt.

Leadership look .Try to double in all fo the real views of things. Backpack of wings from solar level up. Quality of materials to create false image depend on leve and authority. Local leaders – meh. Big powers go all out. Quality and money are heightened on things in hopes to show extra power.

Regular robes vs. multi layered, shining, embroidered.

Steel sword vs. glass sword only for show

Glow from lights vs clothes with electronics in them

Robe materials – basic cotton silk vs high thread count well-made expensive fabric

Cothing under robes basic vs gaudy

Shoes – white dress shoes vs rare leather (odd animals whatever)