Facing The Grey Tide Podcast - Episode 79: Skari is Here to Help

What is up Everyone? In this episode, Bryan, Chandler, and Evan are joined by the one and only Skari.  The guys talk about some of the projects they are working on, we get an update on the #CultRises progress, and we get to know Skari a little better.  Skari gives us his best paint blend (you will understand, trust me), talks about his origins in the hobby as well as his first army, and we talk about his thoughts on everything from list building to painting and even get his experience at LVO.* Skari also explains how he would help someone getting into the hobby as well as someone looking to get better at the hobby.  Overall it is a good look into someone that really understands the hobby at the tabletop, hobby station, and above the table, and we are glad he came on to help us get better.

*Not all Cops in Vegas will Spank you......

Skari brings the Maple Syrup, Tim Horton's, and a lot of good information.

Facing The Grey Tide Podcast - Episode 76: The Plan for 2019

What is up Everyone? In this episode, Chandler, Evan, and Bryan sit down to talk about the plan for 2019.  With Genestealer Cult right around the corner, Bryan is in full prep mode to get stuff painted up as he is making 2019 the Year of the GSC.  Chandler talks about how Chapter Approved helped his wolves and he breaks down a couple of lists that he has been made to take to some local events.  Evan talks about the plans for his Blood Angels and some of the points adjustments that have helped his lists.  The guys talk about their plans for the coming year, what events they are looking on the horizon for, and the lists that they are starting 2019 with.

#TheCultRises

Facing The Grey Tide Podcast - Episode 73: The NOVA Recap Show

What is up Everyone? In this episode, Evan and Chandler come together to talk about Evan's last minute preparations for the NOVA Invitational as well the GT.  The guys start off talking about the Daunting Challenge that is Nick Nanavati.  Evan talks about his thoughts on his list and the challenges it will face against Nick's list.  They then break down the scouring system that NOVA has gone with this year, the round by round missions, and the challenges that his list will face in each mission.  They also break down the scoring for the Primary, the Secondary, and the Tertiary and their thoughts on which ones work well for his list.  We also break down Evan's lists and talk about the strengths of both lists in each of the tournaments.  Evan goes round by round and talks about the challenges and success of each round.  He had a great showing and talks about what he liked most about his GT list.

Two in a WEEK? Must be a NOVA thing!

Facing The Grey Tide Podcast - Episode 72: The Week Before NOVA

What is up Everyone? In this episode, Evan and Chandler come together to talk about Evan's last minute preparations for the NOVA Invitational as well the GT.  The guys start off talking about the Daunting Challenge that is Nick Nanavati.  Evan talks about his thoughts on his list and the challenges it will face against Nick's list.  They then break down the scouring system that NOVA has gone with this year, the round by round missions, and the challenges that his list will face in each mission.  They also break down the scoring for the Primary, the Secondary, and the Tertiary and their thoughts on which ones work well for his list.  We also break down Evan's lists and talk about the strengths of both lists in each of the tournaments.

Tyranids, Gene Stealers, and Blood Angels! Hopefully Evan has a great showing.

Facing The Grey Tide Podcast - Episode 71: The NOVA Invitational Breakdown

What is up Everyone? Tonight on the podcast, Evan, Bryan, and Chandler break out the beer, the lists, the match-ups, and talk about the NOVA Invitational.  With a heavy hitter list, with match-ups that look into a mirror, and with Evan going up against one of the toughest opponents in the World (look he was part of the Team USA win at the ETC) in Nick Nanavati, we talk about everything we can when it comes to the Invitational.  What more could you ask for? Well glad you asked.  We talk about our thoughts on some of the key matches, we joke about some of the match-ups, and we try to figure out a tactic to help Evan win, and if Evan wins, who he could face down the road.  It's a fun time getting ready for the NOVA Invitational, and we do it the Grey Tide Way.  Don't forget to check out the link to the 2018 NOVA Open 40k Invitational Challenge Bracket!  Will Evan pull the upset?  Will Blood Angels, Knights, and Guard rule the Day?  Will we see a perfect bracket?  Only time will tell!

May the Slamginor protect Evan!

Facing The Grey Tide Podcast - Episode 70: ATC Breakdown of Team FTGG

What is up Everyone? Tonight on the podcast, Evan, Bryan, and Chandler man the podcast as we break down how Team Facing the General Geek (FTGG if you need to shorten it) did at the event.  Captain Evan breaks down how the team did, how the games broke out each round, and some of the challenges he felt and had in his games.  Evan also gives some helpful advice for those of you that are thinking of attending.  Evan also talks briefly about the events that happened there at ATC, and also how the team approached their lists.  Bryan then springs the Beerhammer List to beat all Beerhammer lists.  Not going to spoil the lists, but if you go up against Bryan, be ready for a fun time.

Grab a drink, pull a chair up, and enjoy!

Facing The Grey Tide Podcast - Episode 69: ATC Prep

What is up Everyone? Tonight on the podcast, Evan and Chandler man the podcast as we break down the upcoming ATC.  Team Captain of FTGT FTGG (Facing the General Geek) Evan breaks down the team, how the changes came about, and how we came up with the new name.  We then break down how the tournament is setup this year, how the games will be set, and the schedule of events for one of the best tournaments (this is should be a bucket list tournament).  We also talk about ATC using the ITC missions and some fun updates from last years tournament.  Evan also breaks down what the teams thoughts were going into the ATC, how we are approaching the game, and a little of the psychology in why we are doing what we are doing.  Evan also talks about the list makeup of the team and the basics of the lists.  They then wrap up by breaking down the other major changes for people to expect going into the big event.

Team FTGG is ready to roll, are you?

Facing The Grey Tide Podcast - Episode 68: Dark Eldar Codex Review and List Building

What is up Everyone? Tonight on the podcast, Evan, Bryan, Ron, and Chandler all come together to talk about Dark Eldar.  The boys are back and run down through the Codex talking about the hard hitters, units and strats they like, and then about building a list of just pure Dark Eldar.  Bryan talks about his list he is toying around with to possible play with and his thoughts on the power of the book.  Evan gives his thoughts about list building, some units he has been thinking about trying in a list, as well as his thoughts on how to tactically play with some of the models.  It is good to be back and the guys are ready.

Get your Eyeliner ready!  No, we aren't going to a Green Day concert, it is Dark Eldar Time!

Dabling In Eldar Soup - List Building - Evan's Aeldari 0.1

My friend and ATC teammate Phil, the Glacial Geek, was in my area last week and we were able to get a game in. We opted to play ITC Missions in prep for ATC, which is rapidly approaching. I  was interested in trying out armies other than my bugs to get wider experience so I asked Phil if he had any preference. He mentioned he didn't think he'd had Harlequins on his channel before, and certainly not since their Codex released (side-note: I did a first look Codex review for Nights at the Game Table); with this in mind I decided to run my Harlequins, with other Eldar support.

Mathhammer - Taking Variance Into Account

A couple months ago I listened to an episode of The Best General that blew my mind and made me question how I managed my pregame and in-game expectations. Specifically, it was Episode 14, where Adam spoke with Eric Lofgren of Variance Hammer; Eric brought up that there is an inherent issue with looking purely at averages when evaluating units in Warhammer because averages rely on the law of large numbers, which overlooks the variance in our actual, on the table results.

Warzone: Atomic Empire - Evan's Tyranids 2.0

Lists have been submitted for Warzone: Atomic Empire, which is just over a week away now. As I went through in my last post, I was weighing a handful of variations of list, and eventually settled on one, fairly similar to the List Doctor list I got from Matt Root.

Facing The Grey Tide Podcast - Episode 67: The FAQ is Here and we build Tyranids

What is up Everyone? May the Fourth be with you, and this week Evan and Bryan get together to talk about a little thing that dropped:  THE FAQ!  IT IS FINALLY HERE and after some shock, awe, and getting into the nitty gritty of the FAQ and what it means for our lists.  The guys talk about some of the big changes to how the lists are built.  The guys talk about the debates on what Nid lists have the punch to do the work to win.  The guys break down the big changes that the bugs have faced, how their lists are changing, and how what was old, just might be new and refreshed.  The guys talk also talk about some changes that may come out of the FAQ that may be an unintended consequence.  Back and better than ever, and with a FAQ to help us get in the flow.

Remember, Hit like a truck; Die like a Mazda.

Consulting a List Doctor: Competitive List Building - Evan's Tyranids 1.5

As I mentioned in my last post, I reached out to Nick and Matt at the Brown Magic for some List Doctor assistance. I opted to have them each construct a list from scratch, given nothing other than the Warzone: Atomic Empire packet and my desire that they be Tyranid lists, bringing in GSC and Guard if desired.

Competitive List Building and Bat Rep - Evan's Tyranids 1.3

Building off my last list-building post, this post is going to go over the changes I made from the last version of my Tyranid list to the one I used last week in a game against James and his Poxwalker bomb list, and review how that game went. This is also likely the final version of the list before the impending March Balance FAQ, which I'm nervous could impact the future of the list.

Facing The Grey Tide Podcast - Episode 64: Crazy List Building

What is up Everyone? This week Chandler, Evan, and Bryan are talking about crazy list designs and where there place in list building lies.  We talk about how these lists come up, how we should approach the lists, what can we take from crazy list building.  Evan and Bryan bring some key points on what to do with certain lists and where the lists should be played.  We then jump into some of the crazy Nid lists and some fun lists that we have come up with.  How do we feel about Sporocysts?  How many is too many Tyrants?  Are outflanking Primaris Marines worth their costs?  What happens when you confuse the rules?  All of these have played into the crazy lists at one point or another, and the guys discuss where that happy valley lies.

The True question of 40k life:  What is list?  Correct Answer:  42

Competitive List Building - Evan's Tyranids 1.2

On our first podcast of 2018, Bryan mentioned an idea I really liked: keeping a changelog of his lists as he begins his Year of the Tyranids (hence the title). As someone with more responsibilities than game time (assuming that's most everyone), I tend to have more lists than games with said lists. My thought in shamelessly stealing Bryan's idea, is to do a bit of a post series documenting this changelog publicly for each army I embark on. I won't inundate these posts with every single list I consider and debate, but just those that actually see the table, and maybe the first thought revision following the last game.

Warzone Atlanta 2017 Army - henceforth referred to as List 0.3

As the first of its kind, this post will also include some backtracking to show where I have come from.

Facing The Grey Tide Podcast - Episode 62: Hobby Talk for 2018

What is up Everyone? This week Chandler and Bryan sit down to talk quickly about their goals with the hobby for the next year.  Bryan talks about his new color scheme, and Chandler talks about some of the realizations he had about the hobby. Both discuss how they plan to approach painting in the new year, how they are going to keep themselves accountable, and some of the challenges that they face in 2018.  It is a two man show to rival that of Ron and Evan's from 2017.

Two guys talking about their new year and they both spend time on the couch discussing this hobby.

Facing The Grey Tide Podcast - Episode 61: Local Tournaments and Tyranid Strategy

What is up Everyone? Evan and Ron do a duet on local tournaments and some Tyranid strategies.  Ron is list building and trying to figure how to build his bugs, what he likes and doesn't like, and what hive fleet to use when he knows the meta.  Evan talks about the tournament he went to recently in Gate City, VA put on by Ricky Addington where he had a good weekend and lost to The Paul Murphy.  Both Paul and Ricky are part of the Forge the Narrative podcast.  Evan also goes down some key strategies, when to use certain stratagems, and gives an overall view of one of the many ways to play bugs in 8th edition.  It is a quick duet, so enjoy the show.

The bugs are coming out to play!

Facing The Grey Tide Podcast - Episode 60: Warzone: Atlanta and Renegade Open Recaps

What is up Everyone? Evan, Bryan, and Chandler work their way into a healthy discussion about the most recent tournaments they went to:  The Renegade Open and Warzone:  Atlanta.  Bryan starts the night off by going through his list, talking about some of the fun moments and crucial decisions he made, and the overall feel of one of the top tournaments in the Midwest.  Dave and Puck really know how to setup a fun and challenging event.  Chandler and Evan then breakdown their round by round games as they discuss some of the challenges that happened with the missions, some of the fun aspects of the opponents and games they played, and then talk about some of the finer moments of the tournament.  This is one of the Biggest Warhammer 40k Parties in the Nation and the men and women from the General Staff do a hell of a job putting it all together.

We've got a fever, and the only cure, is more Tournaments!

Facing The Grey Tide Podcast - Episode 59: TYRANID CODEX REVIEW: Part 1

What is up Everyone? Evan, Bryan, and Chandler join forces to start the epic Tyranid Codex Review.  It is almost Thanksgiving, and the Nid Players are Thankful for a great bounty of possible options in this new codex.  The guys sit down to start off this review by going through the Hive Fleet adaptations, the Stratagems, and to start the discussion on what we think of the Warlord Traits and some fun synergies.  We also start to discuss possible list building, because there has been a ton of list being sent over the FTGT Communication Array.  Bryan is finishing up some painting for Renegade, Evan and Chandler are both back from Warzone, but the only thing on the collective Hive Mind are the New and Improved Bugs.

ALL HAIL THE MIGHTY SPORELORD!