Waaaauuuugggghhhh!

Regular readers know that Wednesday is Epic: Armageddon game day for me. I get together with Mark, of The Conservative Zone blog, and we have at it for several hours across the tabletop. He has a great write-up of yesterday's game posted. It was tough, as I corrected some mistakes I've been repeatedly making but I gave up the crazy aggressive moves that have helped me win in order to play strong defense.

Ah well, I'm still learning. Now I need to balance strong defense with good deployment in order to capture my objectives, and keep the occasional "Oh sh*t!" surprise.

Mark is smart. I keep babbling on about my strategies and what I'm learning (That's why I blog. I babble when you get me started.) while he keeps mum and listens. He's learned that his Warlord Titan (a scary-powerful war machine he has and I don't) works really well as an offensive weapon, rather than as the defensive backup he's been playing. Up to now, I could just avoid it and work on other formations successfully, but now he's pushing it into my face and wreaking havoc. Havoc, I tell ya!

That's why I enjoy this game. It's forcing me to relearn strategic thinking. I used to play chess -- which is a related type of game with deployment of varied troops in order to set up lines of attack, create fronts, and secure certain objectives-- and like the "general's chair" feel of Epic. I'm still learning the strengths and weaknesses of the different formations I can deploy, and how the work together. As I said, I'm also relearning strategic things like feints, traps, setting up coordinated assaults, etc.

I started off losing all the time, which of course if frustrating. But then I was beginning to win, and to launch surprise attacks that led to consternation on Mark's part. Now he's adapting to me and winning again. But, I know I can beat him. And so I keep plugging along until I start winning again. 'Cause I know I can.

And with us playing on Saturdays now, there's the opportunity to play against other Memphis Epic players who can't come out on Wednesday nights. This means I'll soon be facing forces other than Space Marines (what Mark and I play) like the Orks, the Eldar and the Imperial Guard! Whee! I'll also get to face the General Emeritus of Memphis Epic: Greg Lane. He plays Chaos (ie. Evil) Space Marines.

More whee!