Half the world - Joe Abercrombie - book review

Half a World - Joe Abercrombie

Set several years after the events of the first book (Half a King) this novel follows the life of 2 new characters as their life's become entangled with the characters of the previous book.

A great way to write the book as it gives a new point of view, opposed the re-hashing the thoughts of characters we have already met and seen the world through their eyes, but still it gives the reader an outside view of the characters that they enjoyed from the first book.

Set in a feudal world of small broken kingdoms, you see hints at the post apocalypse world returned to barbarianism with most ancient knowledge lost. I have been enjoying several books like this recently, Mark Lawernce's - Prince of thorns and Peter Bretts - Warded man. Fans of those will enjoy this book.

Joe is a masterful writer, full of gritty, larger than life character's that still feel like real people inspite of their big personalities.

If there is a 3rd book planned sign be up for the pre order now.

Stormfiends - Magnetizing - A guide

I have taken the time whilst building my stormfiends to take some photes of each step I took whilst adding the magnets, what follows us a guide on how I Magnetized my Fiends.

It was suppose to be a quick an easy to follow guide on how to magnetize the stormfiend weapon options. But it turned into so much more.

Tools
Magnets - I use disc magnets the measure 3mm diameter and 2mm thick. These are what I had already but smaller magnets would work just as well.
Glue - superglue and polycement.
Pin Drill - small hand held drill used in modelling. You could use a dremel to do it quickly, but for a little extra time, you have less risk of slipping and ruining your expensive models.
Neddle files - I have several, to remove plastic burrs.
Green stuff/mulliputt

Note - magnet polarity, very important to remember, that magnets will only be attracted to each other if the polarity is opposite. So be sure that you are consistent when gluing the magnets into the plastic. I keep double checking to be safe.

Stormfiend A

Before gluing the vambrace onto the arm I recommend cutting the slot out for the magnet. It can be done after the arm is attached but it is a lot harder to do (personal experience).

Vambraces

Notch cut it of plastic.

Magnets glued into place.

Shock gauntlets
 The shock gauntlet has a small rectangle of plastic, that I drilled into to place my magnet in. Do this before gluing the gauntlet together it will be easier. Once the magnet is glued into the rectangle assemble the weapon as shown in the instructions.

small plastic part

Holes drilled

Magnets glued in place.

gauntlets built.

Doomflayer
Doomflayer fist, before putting the ball together drill a hole in one half of the wrecking ball. The plastic is thin, I went straight through it but with the hole bored out, and the magnet glued in place, a little green stuff behind the magnet with hold it firmly in place once set. Then you can glue the 2 halfs of the ball together.

Doomflayer, wrecking balls

Holes drilled, burrs filed

Magnets glued, backed with green stuff.

Stormfiend B
Before glueing the body and arms together use a sharp knife and a file to remove the notch from the arms. The drill a hole in the center of the arms the depth and width of your magnets. File away burrs, glue in the hole and push the magnet in to be flush with the arm.

Right arm, left arm with back attached.

Notch is cut and filed away, holes drilled.

Magnets glued in flush.

The pipes are the other change on this Fiend. Normally they should attach to the weapon, as we want to change the weapons this is going to have to change.
File down the connection points on the fuel tank, clip and file to pipe so it will sit flat when attached and glue it so it rests against the arm.

Grove cut out of this connector on fuel tank.

This side is filed flat

Fuel pipe, glued in place

And the other

Clipped and filed flat

I think it looked good.

Windlauncher/Warpfire thrower.
Both are straightforward, cut and filed back edge flat. Drill holes, sit magnets flush in holes. Where the fuel pipe should a fix, cut and file it neat.

Wind launcher, have insert glued in pre drilling.

Notch on the warpfire has been cut and filed away. Windlauncher for comparison.

Finished with the rest of construction done.

Stormfiend C
There are 3 of each weapon on this fiend to magnetize. One on the chest and one on each hand.

The arms are straightforward, there is a raises piece to the plastic that is best to cut and file away. Drill holes in the ends of the arms, as close to the centre as possible, to the depth of you magnets thickness. File away any burrs, then drop in a little glue and push in your magnet so it is flush with the lowest point of plastic.

Arms of stormfiend C

Cut a filed flat, then drilled

Magnets glued in flush.

The chest is much the same, but the plastic is much thinner so unless your magnets are very thin (mine are not) the depth of your drilling will break through.  So once the hole is clean, have a small amount of green stuff/putty/playdough ready. Apply glue to the plastic, place the green stuff over the back of the hole, push in the magnet, and smooth the putty flat over the back. This will act as a backing piece when it dry'a so less chance of it getting pushed out later.

Stormfiend C body

Hole drilled, burrs removed

Magnet glued

Green stuff over the back.

Rattling cannons
The rattling cannons need to be assembled first, and left for a time to make sure the glue is set. Then take a small amount of green stuff to fill the hole at the base of the weapon, allow to cure/dry, then cut file flat.

Glued together holes filled.

Grinder fist
The fists should be filed flat on the back.

Grinder fists

 After that the 3 rattling guns and the 3 grinder fists are all done in the same way.
Use the pin drill to drill holes into the weapons up to the depth of your magnets (deeper is better than to shallow), file away burrs, drop of glue in the hole, push the magnet in the hole so it sits fluch to the lowest point of plastic. Once glue is dried file away any excess.

Rattlings drilled.

With magnets glue in place.

Grinder fists, drilled.

and magnets glued in place.

I didn't attach the small weapon hose for this fiend.

Here is how I can use the magnets to play with the weapon configuration, notice each of the 6 fiends has a rattling cannon in a hand.

18D6 shots anyone?

All of the weapons options!

Thanquol and Stormfiends vs Skarsnik's Night Goblins - 2000pts

Saturday night and it's battle time, I almost didn't record this one for a report so glad I did!

We played this game in my basement which is slowly being made into quiet a comfortable game room. Needs some better permanent lighting so I apologise for any poorly lit photos.

2000 point battleline.

Army lists

Skarsniks horde

 Skarsnik and Gobblar

Nightgoblin Shaman level 4

Nightgoblin Shaman level 1

Nightgoblin BSB with the badmoon banner.

50 nightgoblins, with nets and 2 Fanatics X2

10 Cave Squigs, 25 Herders.

10 Trolls

1 Mangler Squig

1 Gaint tunnel spider (Archnarok)

Thanquols horde

Thanquol on Boneripper (Screamingbell)

Chieftain BSB, Shield, 4++

41 stormvermin, FC, flaming banner

50 Skaven Slave, musician X 2

3 Jezzials, with champion X 3

Doomwheel

Warp Lightning Cannon

3 Storm Fiends, 1 rattling cannon, 1 warpfire projector, 1 windlauncher.

Goblin spells - Vindictive Glare, Gift of the Spider God, Gork will fix it, Curse of the bad moon, Night shroud.

Skaven spells - Pestilence Breath, Wither, Vermintide, Plauge.

Deployment

The screaming bell is a proxy for Thanquol.

Skaven play the refused flank, using the building and board edge to anchor my flanks

Spider hides behind the rocks he can just walk over.

Night goblins start to deploy in the centre, but seeing the skaven all on one flank. Decide to place more of his units to the Goblin left flank. 

Slaves and Doomwheel in reserve.

Skarsniks sneaky goblins manage to delay some of my troops forcing them into reserve.

Skaven turn 1

Reserves arrive, Doomwheel on the far left, slaves with the rest of the army.

Thanquol goes for a small vermintide, miscasts but does no damage to himself or the enemy.

 The skaven cannon takes careful aim at the rear of the Spider (only part it can see beyond the rocks). Overloads, spins and shoots out 8 slaves and 9 Storm vermin.

Treacherous cannon crew.

Combined Jezzials take down the Manglar Squig.

Used to be a mangler in that gap.

Nightgoblin turn 1

The horde advances, Spider climbs over the impassible rocks. The big shaman aims his vindictive glare at the stormvermin, killing 1.

Spider mounts the rocks.

Skaven turn 2

Rats advance, Thanquol is out of range for most of his spells so he throws 6 dice at Plague at the Trolls with the hope of the contagion spreading to the goblins. Irresistible force, the spell does 1 wound to the Trolls, and then the plauge spreads,...... to my stormvermin, killing half. And the it continues to spread....... to my slaves, killing half, and it continues to spread....... to the Jezzials who all survive and then the spell ends, after killing half of my own army!

The Stormvermin, panic and flee! (LD9 with a bsb, and I still failed)

Plague decimated my large units.

Doomwheel rolls up to the Spider mounted rocks, blasts out strength 8 warp lighting, no more spider.

Spider Zapper!

Jezzials on the buildings left, take pot shots at the Squig herd, one of the rifles malfunctions and kills its team the remaining teams think they are under attack and run away.

Jezzials flee!

Skaven decimate themselves.

Night goblin turn 2

Skarsniks unit fail animosity, and must charge the slaves, their charge causes the fanatics to release, both are pushed at the slaves but both fall short. Skarsniks unit complete the charge running past one and landing on the other fanatic, many goblins die!

Move faster ball swingers!

Trolls fail stupidly and are unable to charge.

Skarsnik kills many slaves but takes a wound in return. Slaves loss the combat but are steadfast and hold.

Brave slaves hold their ground unexpectedly.

Skaven turn 3

Thanquol casts Wither, with irresistible force, for the 3rd time in as many turns I roll on the miscast table.......Dimentional cascade and I get sucked into the hole.

No more Thanquol

Stormfiend have been shooting at the Trolls for the entire game for very little success, the windlauncher has scattered of target every time. The Fireprojecter, has fallen short both last turn and this. The rattling cannon has had some success at least bit against the trolls regeneration and the spell nightshroud has been constantly up, it has been limited. Until this crazy roll to hit.

Needing 5's to hit, rattling is effective.

In combat Skarsnick kills the remaining slaves. The slaves explode in all directions killing the fanatic behind Skarsniks unit.

Cowardly Slaves flee in all directions.

Goblin turn 3

Trolls charge at the Stormfiends, who stand and shoot, fire projected finally hits and kills 2 trolls out right, rattling takes a few more wounds off.

Backed into a corner, and rat will turn....

Shaman casts curse of the bad moon at my stormvermin and Jezzials. 11 vermin die but once again the Jezzials pass their stat check (lucky little jezzials)

The Bad Moon curse

Three wounds are inflicted alone the stormfiend in combat, but in return 2 trolls die. The combat is a draw.

Battle of the Monstrous Infantry.

Skaven turn 4

Slaves charge at Skarsnik. As the slaves approach the unit of Nightgoblins behind release their 2 Fanatics......through Skarsniks unit, but failing to reach the slaves beyond. The slaves continue their charge avoiding to whirling grobbi and into skarsnik and (depleted)friends.

Treachery!

The 4 remaining Stormvermin Lead by the Chieftain, charge behind the slaves and into the Trolls flank. Flaming banner held high.....

 I love the smell of burning troll!

Chieftain goes to work killing one troll, Vermin and Fiends kill the last.

BBQ?

2 slaves on the edge of the unit focus their attacks at the Shaman, both hit, but they are netted (strength reduced to 2) and require some luck to both wound him (6's needed, he has 2 wounds left) the Horned Rat is good and the shaman is slain !

Punk'd

The remaining goblins, kill enough slaves to make them break, as they scatter they kill the fanatics.

Broken slaves kill 2 Fanatics.

Goblins turn 4

Squig herd try and fail to charge the Cannon in the building. Skarsnik leads his boys for a charge at the Jezzials, but also fails to reach.

Little shaman casts Night shroud, Skarsnik is angry to find there is no magic left for his prodda. 

should have Prodda'd that cannon...

Skaven turn 5

Doomwheel charges the Squig herd flank. Stormvermin attempt to get out of the nightgoblin forward arc And clear the fiends line of fire.

Time for desperate measures.

All shooting is aimed at Skarsnik and his boys. Jezzials claim a couple, Fiends take some pops shots, windlauncher scatters away, fireprojecter falls short, and rattlings effectness is lessened by Night shroud.

The Warp Lightning Cannon on the other hand has a wicked flank shot. Boom strength 8, look out sir for the BSB fails! look out sir for Skarnik fails! Yes-yes the Horned Rat is good! Both wound, both do enough wounds to kill them both. 

BOOM! 

The other casualties cause the unit to take a break test, and with out the boss and bsb the nightgoblins break and run from the cannon.

Flee cowardly goblins.

Night goblin turn 5

The last remaining horde of goblins see my mistake and try to charge the stormvermin I have left in their forward arc (stupid mistake should have measured better). So we do what all skaven would do when confronted by supieror numbers we flee. Unable to past the redirect test the goblins fail the charge. 

The small unit of gobbi's rally. 

Doomwheel and herder combat continues to be a stalemate.

Grinding away.

Skaven turn 6

Stormvermin rally. But why are those goblins fleeing in that direction?

Horde of terrified goblins flee past.

Because the cannon crew have finally got the range finder settled in and blow 14 goblins out of the unit causing them to panic away from it. The rest of skaven shooting try's to finish off the small unit of goblins, but is not effective enough.
Doomwheel breaks the Squig herd.

Tables have turned.

Night goblins last ditch effort

The horde continues to flee all the way off the field of battle, so it is left up to The few remaining of skarsniks lads. They charge at the much depleted stormvermin unit. 

5 vs 5

Chieftain Tyr lashes out, through the nets entangling him, like a cornered rat and kills one of the night goblins. Whilst his stormvermin bodyguards who are also netted get a lucky strike that manages to kill an approaching goblin. The few remaining goblins try to kill their netted opponents but are turned by the rats superior skill, reflexes and heavy armour. With a surge the skaven throw off the nets only to see the goblins already fleeing, they give Chase but are unable to catch them, breathing hard they stop and let the few goblins escape.

Run for your lives!

Wow what a game I was certain i was going to lose after turn 3 and only some amazing luck for me, and some bad for my opponant allowed me to swing it back in my favour.