Dear Liber Animus IV Invitees,

Bane hit the nail on the head when he PM'd me saying I should be able to tell you all what I would like to see at Liber Animus, rather than utilising an arbitrary math comp restriction process. Due to the unique nature of Liber Animus, I truly believe this is the best and most honest course of action to take. So, let's start with a bit of background, eh?

Selection and Theme - Mutually Exclusive. What do I mean by this? When scoring a list a do not assume a well themed list is automatically weak, neither do I assume a very powerful tooled list is lacking in theme. This is one area I feel a lot of gamers get tangled up or confused on the matter. And clarifying it here is vastly important. When I score an army list I want to know if I need to consider 'fluffiness', or do I need to consider 'effectiveness'?

A theme for an army can be simple or complex, strong and bold or subtle and insidious. Regardless, I applaud any player that goes out of his way to create an army list which represents a true and authentic theme. On the flipside, I hate gimmicks. Absolutely loathe them. A wolf in sheep's clothing, I despise utterly. You may be thinking, but you just implied above that a fluffy list can be tough. And, indeed, they can. But when I mean a gimmick, I mean when someone bolts together a theme around his list, so that he ensures he gets all the selections which matter, and can easily discard the supposedly crap or less effective entries in a list. But, I'll admit, gimmicks can be very convincing at times. Hell, I've probably verged on them myself. You can usually tell though, little inconsistencies, and the 'too good to be true' style of it. Theme should never be used in conjunction with the effectiveness of a list. It should be kept completely separate.

Now, by 'effective', this requires another explanation. Simply put, the list has all the good stuff, in spades, and none of the not-so-good stuff. Balance and a nice variety of selections has been ignored. Is this a bad thing? No, not at all, in the right environment/tournament. And this, I think, is key. What you bring to a tournament should reflect what is expected at the tournament. If it's a win at all costs (WAAC) style tourney, just bring the damn cheese factory! If it's a fun tourney where enjoyment of the game is most important, bring something balanced, with a good amount of variety, some funky units you mightn't often use. Think about your opponents, would they want to be on the receiving end of a Edam sledge-hammer. More importantly, would they expect to be? It comes back to the pure ethos of the tournament you are attending.

A TO can throw up restrictions on entry of lists (No Armoured Co as an example) and guidelines (Rogue Trader for example) to show what styles of list they want to see at their tournament, but at the end of the day the net that is caste can not fish out all the rubbish. The math based guidelines I put up were there to encourage players to bring troop heavy armies, with a moderate selection from the other categories and with a certain leniency for themed lists via the Special Consideration rule. But even this, I have decided, would not get the point across clearly. Players would alter what they want to bring to fit in to the guidelines better, or build "A list most vile"© to fit snugly in to the guidelines and utterly miss what I was hoping to achieve.

So, this is my vision of what I would like to see at my last Liber Animus as Tournament Organiser.

First and foremost, bring what you want to bring, build the list you want to play with. Take that funky unit that you've never considered using before, or discarded as not effective enough. Bring an army full of variety, heavy on theme, and one that is balanced. Think of your fellow Liber Animus brethren, do you really want to bring the ball-tearer army from hell? I truly hope not, as this was not the point of Liber Animus.
What Liber Animus is all about, and why I created it was so that like-minded players from across Australia and New Zealand could come together and compete. The four pillars of Liber Animus are Battle, Selection, Sports and Painting. Expanding on that, you have all been chosen because you (generally) all have these pillars covered. You all know how to play the game, and play it very well. You pick competitive, well thought out and interesting army lists. This ones probably the most important, you're good sports, you play the game with the right mind-set and principles. And lastly, you all bring along great looking armies (some more so than others, but regardless, the level is still very high on average). Liber Animus is your reward, for all showing hallmarks of why we go to tournaments, why we get involved, why we run so many damn tournaments, why we strive to do better. Liber Animus is supposed to be a step above everything else, across all the four pillars.

My challenge from the outset was to create that kind of tournament, a unique tournament that players wanted to come to, would travel any distance to attend, were assured of a quality event against quality opponents. This is why I named LA4 'Ascendent', I believe this will be the one to establish Liber Animus as what I wanted it to be. It will be my challenge fulfilled. After this I can rest, I can blend back into the masses a very content and happy little gretchin. This is why this is my last year, the goal I set myself will be achieved. Your challenge, and this is where the gauntlet is thrown down, is to help me make it everything I wanted it to be. Bring your best. Not an over-tooled army list, or a gimmicky theme. Bring the right attitude, the right ethos, the right spirit and the rest should be easy.

As for the future, that is out of my hands but will be given to a group of people I trust completely to continue this tournament. What should it be next year? Who knows. But as long as the spirit of Liber Animus is maintained new challenges can be set in place and achieved. Bigger, bring more in to the fold? Reward more players that display all these values? Maybe, that is not for me to say, but I definitely hope I can be involved in some capacity going forward.

Now, I did touch on what I like seeing, a strong, authentic theme, balance and variety. What do I loathe? Well, I can't go through everything, so let's boil it down to broad generalisations. The easy options, by that I mean the completely overdone, no-brainer type selections. Mention Blood Angel Chaplains and I'll scream... multiples of 3 (only in rare circumstances do i find this cool)... do Space Marine chapters have commanders/captains anymore? Or are they all told what to do by bookworms and zealots in black?... carbon copy squads *sigh* 2 is okay, but 3 or 4, pu-lease... infiltrating noise marines, they've got freakin' noisy sonic weapons FFS!...

I could go on, but I won't... ah hell... one more... freakin' wolf scouts!

In summary, what I would like to see at Liber Animus in the form of armies is something with genuine character and theme, variety, balance. Steer clear of the cliche stuff, look for lists that will be different, fresh and unique. I'll be keeping 15pts of the selection mark separate to the peer/judge scoring, these points will be rewarded to you for keeping 'in the Spirit of Liber Animus'. I'm expecting you will all get 15pts, and if you don't I will be earnest with you and explain my reasoning.

Now that is a rant.

Kane "Ghetti" Tucker
Liber Animus Tournament Organiser

Needed some more venting

Roy

bravo

now i will go back to my origional planned list, and dump that silly one that met the % points spent per category guidlines

with maybe a few more troops...

Respect!!!

Very Very Righteous

This is a challenge worthy of the brain-hurting sleep-loosing agony over writing an army list and building an army that should come to Liber.

Thanks Kane



Gauntlet picked up from dusty ground

"Now to live up to the challenge!"

Light goes on in painting room!!!

meh........ i just didnt feel the anger

Im cool with that..

Kane what u say goes dude.

cheers

Rick V

See, I told you... Take what you want and don't pay "to much" attention with what is going to to score you points

Well said Kane, i love you, and need to hug you right now...

It also re-estblishes my faith in the list I wanted to bring, as opposed to the list I thought I should bring...

coming in to my second Liber,this cements my outlook for the tourney, I just hope I can stay sober enough to give my Oppos a good game...and not breathe on them too much...Scotch Breath FTW

The Spirit of Liber Animus: DO AS KANE SAYS OR HE WILL BREAK YOU

I'm all for it Kane, I wasn't going to deviate from my original list anyway, but this sort of vindicates that point of view.

while discussing liber with sgt benny last night...................he reminded me of one thing.


"well I guess when it comes to it......its about having fun, and kicking the ###### out of some kiwis"



GOLD

So you guys were dreaming then? at least you have a fervent imagination so you can visualise it, but its never going to happen.

You were a 4 turn wonder last year vs me, see if you can last longer against jack

AL

I thought your mum didn't approve of civil unions?

Or was this at his place???

I don't get it Hagen... I see absolutely no hint of a "civil union" in Badfangs post??

its because hagen is a closet gay so he will always see the gayness in any situation.

Aahhh, gotchya

why do threads about comp always transform into discussions about gayness

simply because hagen is allowed to post on them

And that, children, is the true Spirit of Liber Animus

Gayness??? Man, this tournament just gets better and better

You're gay.

(Just bringing the level of the conversation down so that Dave can understand it)

Hagen - Considering I have never met you nor have I really conversed here with you, I must agree with my Australian couterparts and say that you are as gay as a ten man gay orgy.

Adam - your card is now well and truly marked my son.

Dave - you're obviously still desperate to say something witty (this quest continues... ), and I know you are attracted to me (the grudge match challenge, plus the inability of you not to respond to anything I post are massive givaways old boy...)

To be honest though, you wouldn't be the first and you definately won't be the last - given that it's probably easier on your feelings if you just keep idolising me from afar. And probably fairer on your soon to be new wife too I should imagine...

Cheers
Hagen

PS: I feel a song coming on

It's not 'It's raining men' is it?

I hate that song..

R

gold rargh!

i would use wit on you hagen but alas you would never understand it

where as i shall understand you if you pronounce your i's as i's instead of as a u

See? Couldn't help yourself... a sad and desperate cry out for contact from afar...

Doug - no, not "It's Raining Men"... you are safe. Sheesh, gimme some credit here...

Cheers
Hagen

Funny how a 'Spirit of Liber' thread turns into a 'rag on Hagen thread'.

*sigh*

Children...

dont worry kane in a few months hagen will be nothing nut a bad dream to you

Here we go again... he just can't keep away! Nor stop fantasising about nuts

It's ok Dave - you were meant for me. Perhaps as a punishment for something I've done.

Cheers
Hagen

mate im here to punish EVERY ONE!

Dave just can't resist the opportunity of a good spanking!

nah i like being the spanker!

hagen would make a lovely little gimp boy

picture.... go on i dare you

Hi All

I hope that most players take this oppurtunity to help turn Liber into something very speacial. My last visit inspired me with ideas and concepts that have drawn me away from power armor and improved depth of my game. I hope that this liber will inspire more players and improve the standard of 40k in Australazia.

As a outside obsever to the Ozzy game I would like to point out the following observation that can get very boring :
- Lists seem to start with 3 or more Heavy support.
- Indirect fire seems mandartory
- There are only "uber" Independent characters in 40K, with everything points can buy.

This is not restrict to just some codex's, but seems to be the STC for any list.

Liber won't be decided by battle points. Theme, concept, presentation, and sports will score you better points than BP. I hope players take the oppurtunity to push the envelope for ideas and concepts. I will play anything you bring with an open mind. If you bring an STC army, expect STC scores.

Liber is speacial, it's speacial because of the players that attend and the ideas that they bring. Try to inspire and I believe that you will be playing in the spirit of Liber.

Good luck, see you there

@@

Sorry Dave, i hope my 3 Haemonculus werent too much for you last year

I guess the Talos though fit one of your points.

1/3 aint bad.

Tom

-can I add more than 4 Landspeeders with Assault Cannon/Heavy Bolter to that list?

Go for it Buddha, 9 landspeeders and Ravenwing Master on a jetbike, feel the speed. Of course the 9 Elder warwalkers with scatter lazers, guide and doom will think it is christmas and give you good points for sportmanship and comp for providing a live fire excersize and fireworks display.

Concept and theme, bring what you want, it's liber, we are experianced enough not to be surprised by anything. The question will be is it insparational enough to get the respect of our peer's.

See you there

But that would be 3 maxed Heavy Support choice....

surely no new Zealander would be bringing something like that?

Tom

No Tom you are right, Kiwi's would show you how to do it with guardian squads, just like last year, soft and fluffy ........

We play the game at a different level, We play with your minds first, that way by the time we have finished with you on the table, you still won't know what hit you or how we did it. Trust me Tom....soft and fluffy.

No I fully suspect one of your breathern will be inspired with an Avatar, 30 Hariquiens & 9 warwalker, but will get mark down because he does'nt have any indirect fire.

" Know your self and you cannot be defeated"
" Know your enemy and he can be defeated "

I gotta' take your spiel on army composition with just a little skepticism Dave.

the kiwi army spectrum last year wasn't exactly an exercise in fluffiness and while the kiwis avoided some of the cliches you mentioned, they fell in to some others. As Tom said, the assault cannon speeder factories and hard armies were not unique to the australians. So yes, while I agree with your comments abot composition, I defend the australians from the accusations of power army building...



in fact, it goes the other way....Jonas wild rider host, Lonehunters Tau, Speedies Tau, Ian's daemonhunters, Rargh's necrons, my bikers, Shippy's DW, Brads wyches, Anton's orks, Toms haemies, the list goes on....all armies which were not uber, they themed well, and filled in the bottom places of the tournament since they struggled to win games. Some suffered the ignomy of being penalised in comp as well as losing most of their game.

otoh...the kiwi armies...well....let's not go here eh ? bro ?



geebus.....maybe you should revisit the Liber comp scores from 06.....

I agree with you Dave, but the irony is getting a little hot.....I don't mind who wins and I don't mind what armies you take, but spare me the bleating about how uber the Australians are and how balanced the kiwis are.

....there, that should fire up the dabate a little

stu

Flame on?

As far as my feeble aussie brain can recall - I fought four games, four marine armies, one from Canberra, the rest from NZ. Out of 8000pts of "marines" there were ten guys on foot, in power armour, and that was in the aussie list.
All so nicely themed, as long as it didn't include chumps with T4 Sv3+ it was OK!
Nice guys, WAAC lists.
My 2c,
Steve

Yes stu I agree but I was so inspired by your "Milk of the Parrots" poem that I have changed my ways, Gone are the trappings of upgrade, heavy weapons, and power fists, No more landspeeder maintenance or terminator armour polishing.

I have gone for the smaller, simpler army. One I know that you will .....

Hope we get to play Stu, you are a scholar and a gentleman. I hope that you get another chance to wax lyical, well worth the price of admission.

must say that i have played both hard and softer armies from oz and nz

i just think you like to whinge

Didnt Pete take a 22 man seer council.????



Fluffy FTW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I just want to hear you laugh again dave.....

likewise, I hope we get a game on, in fact, I want to play everyone at Liber, for 'tis true, the armies are of such a quality and variation that all this negative talk of WAAC and finger pointing is mute.

and no more poems....I'm spent.....hagen has sucked me dry....I'm emotionally and physically drained, "walk on the wild side reprise" was the final drop in my big bucket of lovin'

....and is it my imagination or are little horus and big pete stalking this thread !

wow, looks like Liber iv should be renamed the comp whining.

only way to be safe is to leave the tactics behind, otherwise you get accused of being ott.

Stu, ever think the people you listed just were not very good at the game, or had not even read the missions or practiced one of the missions (badfang)? or more likely were still completely ######faced from the boozing. hard to claim fluffy balanced armies on the basis of not winning much when i would be surprised if half of you could see straight

armies don;t win, good players do.

hopefully this is all just jitters, and people will calm down before the actual day and just learn to play better, rather than focus on what others have taken.

AL

But still,

who would you rather play against?

the best, who else?

oh well then that'd be me

i like playing stu because when you beat him he lets you ride him around for ten minutes

that only happened once mat.....

Grendel.....I take it you are using kroot mercs at liber then, just to make your point ?

sheesh everyone knocks the kroot

its been a while stu i havent won a match vs you since pre GT 2005 i gotta stop letting you mix the drinks damn roofy-coladas

>edit< unless we're counting poker