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Burnout and the Las Vegas Open

Good news!

I recently purchased a ticket to the 2022 Las Vegas Open Warhammer 40,000 Championships, The Warhammer 40,000 Sunday RTT (because I doubt I’ll be playing Sunday on the top tables), and the obligatory “Convention Pass” or “FLG Prints Money Pass.”

Bad news!

I’ve never been more burnt out on playing Warhammer 40k in my life.

I was super psyched to get my tickets to the LVO because I’ve had a blast in the past, I was bummed to not go last year, and I’ve been playing a lot of competitive 40k recently and I feel like I’ve leveled up enough that I really want to take a shot in the big leagues. I’ve toyed around with a couple of armies, including Ad Mech, Orks, and my Salamanders but I’ve been enjoying playing my Space Wolves the most in recent weeks. I’ve been reading the Space Wolf Omibuses (omnibi?) and I can’t get enough of the Vlkya Fenryka lads. When I start painting an ork model, my mind tends to wander to daydreams of painting grey power armor and wolf pelts. I know I’ve got army ADD, because when I start to paint Wolves, I daydream about Orks but with a tournament looming I’m forced to can focus on one army in preparation.

To that end, I’ve been painting new models like crazy to keep up with what passes for a Space Marine tournament list like lots of Vanguard Vets/Wolf Guard. I’ve also been watching lots competitive content on Youtube for tips and strategies to become a better player. I know SWs aren’t a top tier list right now but I’ve been trying to get in a game or two each week to hone my skills. When the Space Wolf Contemptor Dreadnought became available again at Forgeworld, I pulled the proverbial trigger and ordered that chunk of resin to assist my pack with some vulkite rounds. I feel like I’m about as advanced a player as I’ve been since I was working in my comic and game store and getting in 5 games a week. But these days, I’m just burnt out.

Just before my last game, my army box inexplicably slid off the table and smashed apart on the floor. About 75-percent of my army had some damage. Some models popped off the base, some lost an arm or weapon arm… it was totally disheartening and felt a little like the universe giving me a nudge that I shouldn’t be playing Warhammer 40k. I seriously have no idea how the box fell off the table. It was completely flat, no one was around to bump the table; it’s like a poltergeist took his revenge on my army. I guess that’s what I get for using proxy models while the real model is on the painting desk.

I also purchased the Kill Team Octarius. The models are stunning, but the rules of the game are a hot mess. I mean, it’s trash. Also, I’m not looking forward to having to buy another $200 in books, cards, supplements and junk just to play a game with 10 models. I’ll probably write a more in-depth review at some point, but I feel like I paid $200 for a unit of Ork Kommandos. In my rabid fanboy frenzy, I preordered it without thinking and it’s likely just going to collect dust until I sell it when 10th edition of 40k drops and I sell this off on ebay.

The recent controversy with the Games Workshop NDA, Goobertown, Miscast, (the Youtuber who won’t be named who doxed Trent), and other trolls weighing in has also really turned me off. As a former retailer, my relationship with GW has been mixed. They are professionally difficult to deal with and are not a company I want to work with again, but as a fan, they make one of my favorite and accessible miniature games. As much as I love Battletech, Bolt Action, and others, it’s easiest to find a game of 40k.

While cleaning house when my wife and I refinished our floors, I got rid of literally thousands of dollars in old rule books. I had boxes and boxes weighing hundreds of pounds stashed away. I gave away as much as I could press on my friends but much of it went to the recycling center. Even a used bookstore didn’t want them… I wish my local scene was open to trying a new game. I’d really like to try the Judge Dredd game from Warlord.

Anyway, I’m committed to the LVO and I’ll keep posting my army progress as well as great idea I have for an army display.

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