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All posts for the month March, 2013

I think every gamer nerd, regardless of gender, is familiar with the cycles of games. What was killer cheeseball one edition gets hit with the nerfbat in the next, all in the name of “balance” (and really, in the name of profit, because nothing ever actually balances except the gamemakers’ checkbooks when you spend more money to buy whatever’ll keep you winning.) We’ve talked a little on this blog before about making themey lists instead of cheesy lists, making characters instead of powergaming, that sort of thing… the idea that some armies/classes/specs/colors/whatever are more powerful than others is pretty standard, right?

I got into 40k about…oh… early 2004? Something like that. And I didn’t really build my own army until the Witch Hunters codex came out in that summer, and I became a decent player during that fall after the 4th edition rulebook came out. I was a newbie to the geek world at the time, and although I understood that some armies were cheesier than others (or beardier…do people still say beardy? We used to say beardy.) I didn’t understand that this could change at the drop of a hat. A combination of MtG, WoW, 40k, and D&D taught me this.

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I was thinking to myself what could I do to make War Dolls weird or quirky, or in general fun or something.  Well I thought about me and my Tyranids, as well as the various different units and tactic combos that I have used in the past.  Most of them I have tried on the idea of a friend of mine, but regardless they are fun ideas and quirky things you can do with Tyranids.  So here begins our first episode of Fun with Tyranids.

FUN WITH TYRANIDS: DEVILPODS
 
Yeah, I know, it is a bit melodramatic, but hey, I am just having fun here so let us dive on in.

I want to send a big welcome and thank you to Jill and Beth who have signed on recently and who’ve both been helping with the revival of the War Dolls. They’ve both had some great ideas so expect to see more of us soon!

I have to give a shout out to Rachel who’s never given up on us. Thanks Doll!

Cami/HurricaneGirl

So, I don’t know how many people followed that reality show on TBS, King of the Nerds – hilarious, btw, if you can watch it you should – but if you’re unfamiliar with it, here’s the premise: 11 nerds locked together in a house called “Nerdvana” compete to prove which of them is the biggest nerd and has earned the right to sit atop the Throne of Games.

Pretty standard reality series, right?

But here’s the oddity. As the game progressed, one by one, the male nerds were eliminated, but the females were untouched. In fact, of the final five, four were female. And the final three? All women. So, yeah, the first King of the Nerds, at least according to reality TV, was a queen.

And that’s pretty cool! How empowering for little nerdy females to watch these strong women compete and win, to watch these women embrace their nerdiness and win the cash prize! To see them take down the men one after the other and remain standing as the strongest of nerd-kind!

The problem is, though, that these women weren’t left in the finale because they fought and triumphed. They were left in the finale because they were by and large ignored by the men. Over and over again the nerds had to nominate people to go to the elimination rounds (“nerd-offs”) and of course, the nerds voted in the people they perceived to be the biggest threat. At those perceived big threats? All male. Only one of the women was given a second glance, and when the dust settled at the end of it, the last nerd standing was a woman who had basically flown under the radar the entire time. She’d never been to a nerd-off, never dominated a challenge, never made herself out to be a threat and since she didn’t step up to the plate and show herself as important, all those guys automatically assumed they didn’t have to worry about her.

What does it say about the nerdy gamer culture that these things still happen? Should I expect my male opponents in 40k to go easy on me because I’m female? Should I expect my guildies in WoW to forgive lower healing numbers and carry me through heroics because I have a higher-pitched voice on vent? Should I step aside and let the guys stutter and stumble their way through teaching a newbie how to roll a character in D&D, even though I’m a ten-year veteran player and (gasp) actually a teacher?

Personally, my answer is no to all of those things. I’m kind of naturally shy, but when someone says (or implies) that I’m not as good as they are for any reason, it raises my hackles, if you will. My numbers in WoW stand up to any other healer or DPS. My 40k list can win games without being slapped with the cheese-label (and it’s characterful and themey, too!). And when someone’s struggling with a character sheet, I can’t help but jump in.

I hope that things like this blog, seeing Beth walk around the game store in six-inch platforms, and Cami running – not just participating in –  the current 40k campaign, will do things to make the males of the nerd-world see us more as equals, as viable opponents instead of eye candy. But, until then, does anyone know when the next King of the Nerd auditions are? I could use a hundred thousand dollars…

I may be a newcomer to the gaming community, but I have been overwhelmed by how accepting and welcoming everyone is. I have learned a lot of different games from Magic to Warhammer to Pathfinder, and have loved every minute of it. (By the way, don’t let my inexperience fool you – I learn quickly.)


My latest endeavor has been a campaign for Warhammer 40k. I’m currently running Battle Sisters, but I am in the process of switching to Tau. Close combat scares the crap out of me, so my basic strategy is kill everything in sight before it can get across the board and in close-combat range of my army, which I hear is the way of the Tau. (Plus, I think the Tau will look great in the hot pink and black color scheme I have in mind for their armor.)


Not going to lie – the shoot-first-ask-questions-later method has been really effective thus far considering my squad consists of a flamer, a heavy flamer, my Canoness and her plasma pistol, and 16 more battle sisters. I also run an immolator that boasts twin-linked heavy flamers and a dozer blade, but the weapon gets destroyed pretty quickly once it’s on the board. However, there is a lone traumatized Nurgle running around somewhere that must still be having nightmares about the Battle Sisters’ Immolator that scattered and then ran down all his friends. I may not be able to shoot you, but getting run over by a transporter will certainly do the trick. *squish*


To be perfectly honest, I’m not thrilled with the Nurgle army rules. The term I’ve heard summarizing my feelings towards them and their new codex is “cheese.” The word that I’ve used is “obnoxious.” Regardless of which word you want to use, I have deemed it my mission to destroy all Nurgle I come across, simply because they are all cheese – and not the tasty kind.


But I digress. I won my last two 40k campaign games which has allowed me to add a Retributor Squad to my point list. Two multi-meltas, two heavy bolters, and a Sister Superior carrying a plasma pistol and melta bombs? Yeah, those Nurgle should be running scared when they see my army coming.


Love and +3 Inv Saves!
– Beth