War for the Norh'tek Nebula Campaign

The release of 6th Edition Warhammer 40,000 is upon us...and to renew enthusiasm for the Hobby and its storytelling and model-building--as well as gameplay--aspects, Adeptus North Texas and participating Metroplex retailers will follow it up with an expansive new ongoing campaign!

War for the Norh'tek Nebula will see each participating store representing a planetary system; as the Nebula region of space roughly corresponds to North Texas, so each store system will be roughly contiguous to their location across the Metroplex. The campaign theme will be announced following the release of V6 details, but all 40K combatant armies will be able to participate!

Campaign battles will be fought three ways 1) in participating stores; 2) at special events (tournaments, Nebula games days/Apocalypse megabattles) in participating stores; and 3) at home/clubs/anywhere else. There will be incentives to fight games actually in stores--for example, retailers who provide in-store playing space will represent a planetary system within the Nebula with a major planet, and all games played in-store will count toward control of that major body, while games fought elsewhere but committed to that system will count toward control of moons/minor planetary bodies therein--but *any* game played (and reported) by participating hobbyists can affect the ongoing campaign. This will allow participating stores which retail GW product but lack in-store playspace to still participate (though their planetary system may be a shattered planet or asteroid belt or somesuch similar lacking a major planet--since they cannot host the in-store game portion--if they can rearrange their store for the occasional special event they might get a special 'high priority' asset discovered to fight over, for example).

The campaign is being announced well in advance of product release to allow hobbyists to take advantage of an additional campaign feature: players will be able to 'declare' a home planetary system by purchasing any version of the upcoming V6 rulebook or the eventual V6 starter boxed set from a chosen retailer--and any campaign games players win for their home system accrue extra benefits toward control of that store's system (representing investment of and/or control of high value assets, etc, such as any martial force might commit to maintain 'home base'). Hobbyists should thus consider in advance where they play most frequently, encourage that retailer to join the campaign, and then make their rulebook/starter set purchases there!

All administering of the campaign will be done on Adeptus North Texas so interested hobbyists will need to be subscribed to the site's emailing list to report results and follow campaign events. Hobbyist participation will be rewarded with in-campaign benefits, as well: name your army's commander, write up your chapter's background, share a campaign battle report, use your graphic arts skills to help compose the Norh'Tek Nebula map (or your store's individual planetary system)--and post it to Adeptus for the community to share!--and you may see it reflected in ongoing campaign events.

It is a time of change; it is a time of struggle. It is the forty-first millennium--and regardless of edition changes, one fact remains constant: in the grim darkness of the far future...there is only war!

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North Texas Gamer's Summer Tourney Batrep Log

North Texas gamer Brad Smith will be taking his Warhammer 40,000 army to the Alamo GT, the Railhead Rumble, Wargames Con and select battles against American ETC players and documenting *each game* in a proper battle report in his 'The Trilogy' summer 2012 project:

http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/list/450058.page

Follow the link to see if he completes his ambitious hobby goal!
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March Storm of Magic Event Series Modeling Contest: Mounted Wizards at Area 51

The North Texas Storm of Magic Modeling Event Series races to its climax with an opportunity to enter a spellcaster on a mount for Warhammer Fantasy Battle (see specifications following) at participating retailer Area 51 Grapevine. This is the final opportunity to accrue benefits such as rerolls, extra lives, extra spells and/or powerful magicks for models to use in the climactic Event Storm of Magic Megabattle at Gunslinger Games, a chance to take home great prizes in the doing--and a terrific opportunity to support a fine North Texas retailer and fill his display cabinets with sharp-looking fantasy miniatures!

March 2012: Area 51 Grapevine -- Storm of Magic Mounted Wizard Painting Contest: Participants may submit an objective-claiming spellcaster model which must be riding a mount or monster option from it's entry in the relevant army book to Area 51 in Grapevine any time from March 1 through close of business Sunday, March 25 where they will remain on display through March 31. The submitted model may be a spellcaster from the chosen army book *or* a legal ally spellcaster from another army book as described in the Storm of Magic supplement. There will be *no* entry fee at this sponsoring retailer, and no purchase is required. Entries are restricted to one per hobbyist. Entered models must be primarily Citadel miniatures, must be riding a mount (including monsters) of a type legally described as an option in the relevant army book, and must be on a standard GW base appropriate to the model's size type (though customizing/decorating the base is encouraged, the dimensions must remain play-legal). Prizes will be awarded for Best Mounted Wizard and Best Dedicated Sponsor/Event Mounted Wizard: hobbyists who present with their entered model a valid receipt showing proof of purchase for that kit at the sponsoring retailer (Area 51) after the start of the Storm of Magic Event Series November 1, 2011 qualify for this additional prize from this month's sponsor, Area 51 Grapevine!

Results: HobbytownUSA Dallas Monster Contest

Mark Pollet won his first Storm of Magic Event Series modeling contest with his entry in HobbytownUSA Dallas' February event, the Monster contest. Mark offered a powerful daemon as his entry.

Chad Jones was runner-up with that most quintessential of fantasy monsters, a red dragon.

Mark and Chad will collect their prizes from HTUD, as well as accruing benefits to their force in the climactic WHFB Storm of Magic Megabattle at Gunslinger Games.

Meantime--March is Mounted Wizard Month at Area 51 Grapevine!

Bolt Action!--WWII in 28mm Playtest

Adeptus North Texas has been selected by Warlord Games to be a part of their pre-release playtesting of their upcoming World War II 28mm miniatures game: Bolt Action!

Warlord already offers a tremendous line of 28mm WWII miniatures and vehicles under their Bolt Action line, usable for any extant gaming ruleset...but as they have done with their excellent Black Powder and Hail Caesar rules, Warlord is developing their own game for their offered WWII miniatures--to also be called Bolt Action! This ruleset has reached the playtest phase, and interested North Texas gamers will have the opportunity to help influence the game by their advanced playtest participation.

Although official credits for Bolt Action will not be released until the game itself is publicly announced, veterans of previous generations of the Warhammer series of games, including Warhammer 40K, will recognize the design influences of such luminaries as Alessio Cavatore, Rick Priestley and Paul Sawyer.

How do you take part? As Adeptus North Texas is being considered a 'club' for playtesting purposes, all potential playtesters will have to be subscribed to the Adeptus emailing list (if you are getting this announcement there, you are good!); sign up from http://www.adeptusnorthtexas.com. Then watch for announced playtest games, and come test your mettle!

Of course, once introduced to the game, participants may want to run additional playtests themselves. That, too, will be possible.

And to facilitate the construction of initial forces necessary for play, Warlord have offered North Texas playtest participants the opportunity to build initial forces via their website--at a 20% off discount incentive!

Interested participants can identify the forces they would like to playtest with at: http://www.warlordgames.com/home/bolt-action/

Once you've determined the starter force you would like to purchase, email it to me with product names/ID codes (anything you consider necessary information to determine you will get precisely what you want) at: Outrider@adeptusnorthtexas.com with the Subject: 'Bolt Action Order'.

I will get back to you with your final cost, how to pay, when the order will be placed, etc.

Bolt Action is a squad-based game; while there will be plentiful utility for ancillary forces as the game is published, to best participate in playtests, look at the basic infantry boxed set types and especially starter forces on the website. An armoured vehicle, transport and tank or two will certainly be viable parts of a playtest force but building said force around a core of infantry is likely to be most satisfying.

This is a fairly unique opportunity to shape a ruleset--as well as get started on a force at a significant incentive discount!--so act quickly. There will be Bolt Action playtest games beginning soon at a retailer nearby in North Texas...and as Bolt Action has generously offered prize support, there will likely be a free Bolt Action demo playtest for paid Astronomi-con Dallas members, if the time and logistics can be managed!

Bolt Action: WWII in 28mm. Coming worldwide soon from Warlord Games...but ready to commence battle in North Texas today!