Things I'm Looking Forward To

Life (including work)

1) Bonus. Hopefully given such a poor 3Q and 4Q and probably not very good 2009, I'll get some pocket money courtesy of my company. Hopefully.

2) Hopefully increment as well. But again, since some companies in the same industry actually had no increments, and with cost cutting everywhere, not too optimistic as well.

3) Looking to early settlement of my car loan. I mean with interest rates this crap low, my Fixed Deposit rates to HP rate means I'm better off just paying off the car loan, save on the interest, and put monthly payments to better use. That said, need to time lah. Can't just settle. I'll probably wai until end of this year. Save at least 15 months interest and the balance + penalty should be low enough.

Games, Tech and Gadgets

1) Money considerations not withstanding, I'm really looking forward to WM6.5 and the price reductions for the Touch Diamond 2 (RM2,600) and Touch Pro 2 (RM3,200). Hopefully in 6 months time the price would drop to a level where I can afford either device.

2) Tatsunako vs Capcom for the Wii is like a holy shit game to me. Having missed out the vs era (such as Marvel vs Capcom), Tatsunako vs Capcom is really like the only fighting game of its kinds for any current generation consoles. Just go to Youtube and search Tatsunako vs Capcom.

3) Wii Motion Plus with Wii Sports Resorts bundle for the US Wii is due this month. Play-asia has the price at RM210+ which is quite ok given the rave reviews for Motion Plus. I have thought of the Tiger Woods PGA Tour 10 bundle which can be purchased now, but it costs RM250+. Again hopefully some local distributor might pick up some bundles.

4) Windows 7. The biggest thing to happen to Microsoft since the announcement of Vista. Note I said announcement not sale. However pricing is a bit on the steep side with the Home Premium based on US pricing comes to about RM380+. A little high but probably well worth the money. Still that's based on US pricing and for some reason, things have a tendency to either skyrocket, or much cheaper, when released in Malaysia.

Warhammer 40k

1) Not sure of the exact timetable, but the Space Wolves codex is getting me interested. Well not really. I did give Space Wolves some thought when contemplating a second army but then decided to stick with Nids. That said, since Space Wolves is the first Space Marine chapter I know off, its always going to occupy a special place. So looking forward to the new codex.

2) Planetstrike rulebook is due 16 July and I'm psyched. New play rules that isn't Apocalypse? I'm sold. Even if not for the rules, I have a thing for Warhammer 40k fluff. Even Warhammer fantasy. I've bought Dark Angels, Black Templar, Space Marines, Tau, Tau Empire, Tyranids, Imperial Guard and Eldar for 40k, and Lizardman, Dwarf and High Elf for Fantasy. I'm looking for Empire codex for fantasy and Necrons for W40k. Just enjoyreading the fluff.

There you have it. A kinda not so very interesting list of things to look forward to. 

Kelvin signing off.

Battle Review: 21-06-2009 Tyranids vs Daemonhunters Post Mortem

After some thought, I'm suddenly in the mood for some Warhammer 40k write ups. This time, a 1,500 point game involving my 'Elite' Tyranid vs Daemonhunters. Mission = Annihilation. Just what Tyranids are built for. Deployment = Dawn of War. Just what the Tyranids hate. Darn.

Tyranid Army

Hive Tyrant + Bone Sword & Lashwhip (I just like how the mini looks) + Venom Cannon

1x Broodlord + 8x Genestealer Retinue

6x Genestealers

17x Termagaunts

9x Hormogaunts

1x Lictor

2x Carnifex + Venom Cannon + Barbed Strangler

1x Carnifex + 2x Scything Talons

Standard configuration means around 1,200 points. Which means I ended up with a tooled up Melee Fex and all Fexes having 1+ Wounds and lots of Extended Carapace, Initiative and WS boosts, etc. Things you normally wouldn't kit your Nids with.

Daemonhunter Army

I don't really know the units, all I know is the Force Org chart.

1x5 Terminators (HQ)

2x Landraider

2x5 Grey Knights with Storm Bolters

1x5 Grey Knights with Pscycannons

I think its something like that. So let's get down to the post mortem. 

I won the roll and I deployed first. Deployed as forward as possible. Hive Tyrant and all gaunts for my 1x HQ and 2x Troop Choice. Daemonhunters deployed the HQ and 2x Grey Knights. 

Guess what? Seize the Initiative! 1 in 6 chance and Daemonhunters gets the first move. 

TURN 1: Daemonhunters move shoot, flame, etc. Gaunts line thinned. Tyrant took no wounds. Gaunts move into cover, takes Fleshborer shots, no kills. Tyrant jumps forward fires Venom Cannon no kills. Oh yeah.

TURN 2: The Inquisition rolls in. Opens fire, miraculously, Hive Tyrant still standing and there are some gaunts left. Hormogaunts have at least 3-4 left. My turn, Tyranid rumbles! But.... Broodlord being a useless prick and outflanked onto the wrong side of the board. The rest of the army came. I chose the wrong terrain and my Lictor deepstriked onto my half of the table, totally out of the battle. Shooty fexes take shots at the Terminators, 2x hits no kills. Hormogaunts charge, Tyrant charge. Tyrant stomps 3 Grey Knights!. Hormogaunts did nothing. Grey Knights strike back and down to 1 Hormogaunt. Won the battle but fearless Knights stood their ground.

TURN 3: Psycannons shoots at my Broodlord, few kills but squad stands. Landraiders take shots at 1x Shooty fex and the Melee fex. Some wounds. Rest of the squad concentrates on the fexes but not enough wounds. All 3 fexes stand. Assault! Darn Tyrant falls. 270+ points sink for less than 100 point kills. Urghh.. Smoke clears, Tyranid front line is.... Gone. Terminators mount up. Landraiders advanced. My turn. Broodlord takes a leisurely walk towards the Psycannon squad. Genestealer, Lictor and the fexes all advance. More bang bang but yet no kills. Sigh. I sense a route.

TURN 4: Daemonhunters ADVANCE! Landaraiders rumble forward. Machine spirit takes a few shots while cargo deploys. Terminators and 1x Grey Knight squad readies weapons. Charge the Melee Fex! Skewered for Nid Pie. Psycannons take aim at Broodlord. Some kills but squad still potent. Nids turn, Genestealers have to do a U-turn around a building. Curse my movement sense. Withing range of assault! Finally! Arghh the only thing within range is the cursed Landraier. Diamond hard claws my arse. Could barely scratch the AV14 armour. Broodlord suddenly found reason to be quick. Run 6! Yes! 1 more turn. 

TURN 5: Both shooty fex kaput. Broodlord unit = 1x Broodlord + 1x Genestealer retinue.  The Genestealer troops still trying desperately to get into the fight and the darn Lictor is somewhere. My turn. Lictor charge! Genestealer is.. Well trying to find a way. Broodlord moves and aha 1" away from enemy! Lictor dies. Urgh.

TURN 6: Game over. A massive route. Heavy defeat.

What Did Tyranids Learn?

In Dawn of War, choose a flank and WAIT FOR THE ENTIRE ARMY. Tyranids work better as a horde and the first turn night fighting rules provide sufficient protection.

Tooled up Tyranids equal mess. End up each Genestealer costs more than a Grey Knight. On the other hand, Carnifexes if up against heavy shooty army or a mobile shooty army, the +1 Wound biomorph is actually quite decent. Expensive as it is, I have 3x Carnifex for a total of 15xT6 wounds. Quite intimidating. 

Tyranids best friend may very well be deepstrike. Don't outflank unless neccessary (by that I mean the Broodlord). My original plan was to outflank from the Daemonhunters table edge but... Come to think of it, I might be better off deploying my Broodlord first and wait for the Tyrant to come in. Hmm.. Anyway by deepstrike I mean Ravenors not Lictors. I looked at the Ravenors and I find them appealing because of their disruptive presence. Not an ability, by that I mean deepstrike in the middle of the enemy formation and suddenly, holy crap some hard hitting melee units in the enemy's rank. At the very least saves 1 round of shooting against the advancing horde. Might be my next buy. 

Horde or Genestealer army. That is the question. I did end up getting another box of Genestealers last week. To provide more "tactical depth" to the army. But that leaves a tight leesh on a horde army. Another box of Gaunts might add another 150 points which leaves very little wiggle space for other things like Ravenors. But if I go Genestealer heavy, I might have enough troops to fit in some Ravenors. Hmm..

So that's a Warhammer 40k update. 

Kelvin signing off.

Equal Rights. Not So Equal After All.

I'm a believer in the notion that asking the right question gets the right answer. That's not to say I've not been guilty of asking the wrong questions or the "not quite right" questions, but I do try and ask the right questions. Remarkably the simplest way to ask the right question is to listen not talk. 

Anyway, thought it might be good "exercise" to write on something more 'serious'. Something to ensure my brain is working as it should. So what's on the menu? 

Even in the freest of societies, inequality exists which begs the question why are some people not equal to others? That’s because we tend to equate equality with rights. But equality is not the same as rights.

In the real world the rights of man are conditional on the majority. If a majority’s decision is binding on those who disagree, does it not mean the decision is unequal to those who disagree? If decisions are based on the simple majority rule which means 50% + 1 vote what about the 49% that disagreed? Should equality not mean that any decision by the majority should apply only to those who agree?

But we often claim equality means giving people the RIGHT to partake in acts which has been granted to another. Example the right to vote, the right to speak, the right to associate, the right to bear arms, the right to abortion, the right to privacy, the right to, etc…

EQUALITY does not mean RIGHTS. The right to vote doesn’t make the decision equal. The right to bear arms does not mean the decision is equal. The right to speak does not mean words spoken are equal.

The right to bear arms is conditional upon a person been given the right to bear arms but does not necessitate the decision to be equal. A person who wants to bear arms claims he has equal right under the law to do so. But a person who doesn’t want to bear arms claims he thinks the right of another is infringing on his equal rights to live without fear under the same law.

The right to vote is conditional upon a person been given the right to vote but does not necessitate the decision to be equal. Voting is based on the principle of first past the finishing line. The first to 50%+1 wins. So what about those that voted against? 

All man should have equal access to the laws of the land.  So say the laws. But access is often governed by how deep a person’s pockets are. So while the law guarantees your rights, some have “more access”.

The progressive tax system is the foundation of every modern economy's finances but the system is far from equal. I quote Sam Seaborn from The West Wing TV series.

"... I left Gage Whitney making $400,000 a year, which means I paid 27 times the national average in income tax... But I don’t get 27 votes on Election Day. The fire department doesn’t come to my house 27 times faster and the water doesn’t come out of my faucet 27 times hotter..."

Sam Seaborn had the right to vote. Have the same right to public healthcare, have the same right to  speak, have the same right to call the police. Why? Because he paid for it in taxes. But paying 27x the national average doesn't give him 27x more access. What about Free Riders? Those that do not pay tax or do not pay their share of taxes yet claim the same level of access as Sam Seaborn.

The fight for rights should not be mistaken as a fight for equality. You can promise all the rights, but if access to those rights become conditional, intentional or otherwise, then it is not equal.

What does this mean? For starters solutions to problems always depend on the questions asked. Every solution manifests itself first in a problem observed then a question asked. Therefore to solve a problem, we need to ask the right question first.

Kelvin signing off.