Tales of a Frozen Planet

Nova Open

2011-08-25T11:44:00.000-07:00

IT LOOMS.

I'm looking forward to the 40k Championships this weekend, but I'm also not stressing them either. Or, at least, as much as "not stress" tournaments. The peril is that I'm going in cold, having never tested my list, and I have until, well, tomorrow. And really, my list is fixed at this point (turned it in early to get the extra raffle ticket), so crying, spilled milk, etc.

My list is semi-casual, and fits in one (small) Battlefoam case. I figure that I'll be able to keep all my clothes, figs and travel display board in one suitcase. So, anywho, here is the list.

The Sanguinor

Librarian with Jump Pack, Blood Lance and Shield of Sanguinius

Honor Guard with 4 Lightning Claw/Storm Shield Troops and Priest

1 Sanguinary Priest with Jump Pack

3 x Assault Squads with Melta x 2, Powerfist

1 Assault Squad with Flamer x 2, Powerfist and Melta Bomb

1 7 man Vanguard Vet with 3 Power Weapons, 1 Power fist, and one Melta Bomb trooper

Relevant to my interests

2011-08-23T12:17:00.000-07:00

Kromlec is putting out some interesting products soon

I shall watch this project with great interest.

WIP Counts as Coteaz

2011-06-08T22:53:00.000-07:00

I've been working to convert my old Sister of Sigmar Matriarch into a counts as Inquisitor Coteaz. I'm not quite done, as I want to armor her gauntlets and add a hawk to her hand, so as to better emulate power armor and represent Coteaz's wargear. I'm going to buy the Reaper Familiar Pack that contains the hawk and the raven, though I might go with the raven, as it seems more fitting to her. It just seems more Mordheim-esque.

MiniWargaming's Open video letter to GW

2011-06-08T11:31:00.000-07:00

Websites like BoLS, Dakka, and the Warstore increase my hobby participation. The Warstore is my mainstay for big purchases, but I still spend my hard earned dime at Canton Games and the occasional GW.

Adepticon Relic

2011-06-02T23:34:00.000-07:00

I was playing in the Combat Patrol on Saturday at Adepticon, and it was Orks, Orks, Orks, and Space Wolves.

The Space Wolf player was using counts as rules, but I didn't mind so much, as his models were really sharp. Not Golden Demon level, certainly, but they had a look and depth to them that made them stand out. Sadly, I didn't have my camera with me at the time, so all I got was his Army list, which you see above.

Look at the level of effort taken to get that thing just so. He didn't have to go to that depth, as a simple typed thing would have got the message across, but he went that extra mile. I know it's a small thing, but that extra effort is why I go to bigger cons, so I can see what rabbit people pull out of their hat.

And yes, he pummeled me. :)

Alternate Models

2011-06-02T09:19:00.000-07:00

Meet my new "Counts as Coteaz". I've since dunked her in the Simple Green, and I'm going to green stuff more tech bitz on her (Bionic eye, power armor greaves). I'm also looking at getting the reaper Familiar pack with a hawk in it to have it alight on her hand, along with adding a RT era power pack to her back. This is in keeping with my new "No more GW purchases" mentality.

I'm also re-purposing the rest of the sisters as Death Cult Assassins. I'm thinking I might change their hammers for blades, so as to make them more "Initiative 6" looking.

It's almost like they planned it

2011-05-23T11:57:00.000-07:00

Privateer Press is having a sale for their tenth anniversary.

Way to capitalize on Games Workshop's flaws and gain some market share, PP.

100th post

2011-05-23T09:24:00.000-07:00

And it's a less than pleasant one.

If you are on the internet at all, you're well aware of the gigantic shit-storm GW has caused by cutting off the Pacific Rim, moving to cheaper materials and raising prices, changing their marketing strategy to announcing new products one week before their release date, and rendering puppies and kittens down into a fine powder to snort.

And what does this have to do with me? I'm just getting done with my semester, and I was looking forward to spending the summer working and gaming. Games Workshop was going to get some of my hard earned dollars on a new Daemonhunters/Grey Knights army. And now, after all of the above? I'm done.

Will I still play the game? Yes.

Will I buy GW models? Yes and no. There are many other model companies that I can purchase from to get my GW fix, and they don't abuse their customers. I'll purchase from them, and fee-bay is always there to hook me up for things that aren't alternate models.

If they come around, and stop being evil, I might reconsider, but damn, it'll take a lot.

The 40k Championship List

2011-03-29T05:34:00.000-07:00

Here's what I'm bringing:

2 x Librarians with Shield of Sanginious, Blood Lance

2 x Sanguinary Priests, CCW, Bolt Pistol, Jump Pack

3x Regular Assault Squad, Melta Gun x 2, Power Fist

1 Regular Assault Squad, Flamer x 2, Power Fist

1 Vanguard Veteran Squad Sgt with Lighting Claw/Storm Shield, 2x LC/SS, and 2 ccw/BP (One with Melta bomb)

1 Vanguard Vet: Sgt w/ LC/SS, 3 Power Weapon/BP (one with Melta bomb), 1 with Powerfist

The Priests and libbys each join one of the melta squads, and the vanguards choose an appropriate target when they drop. The priests and the VGV hopefully drop in similar locations so the VGV can use the priest's Furious Charge on their heroic intervention.

It's a risky list, but also a fun one as well.

38 Bases Finished

2011-03-28T21:33:00.000-07:00

And now all I have to do is finish the models to put on top. :)

It's the Monday before Adepticon

2011-03-28T04:46:00.000-07:00

And there's still so much to do.

I have to finish the Flesh Tearers, of course, and I need to finish the display.

I'll get it done, but it'll be tight. Yay for procrastination.

Okay, I lolled.

2011-03-09T16:23:00.000-08:00

I'm still unsure about the Grey Knight baby bjorn known as the Dreadknight, but this amused me so much, I to share. Credit for the pic goes to juraigamer on Dakka.

Things have spiraled out of control

2011-02-25T08:38:00.000-08:00

I was pricing Apothecary bits this morning, and the cheapest place I found them after a casual search?

Games-workshop.com

I can buy a RARE OOP APOTHERCARY (poor spelling intentional) from GW for $11.50 + tax. Or I can spend $3.00 more for one I'd have to soak in Simple Green for three months to get all the smick off it.

When did it come to this? :)

What's Ruining My Hobby Today: Blood Bowl

2011-02-17T14:04:00.000-08:00

It's 43 days until Adepticon.

My army isn't painted, and neither is my display board. Why?

Friggin' Blood Bowl on the PC. I'll admit, it's addictive. I'd forgotten how much I'd liked the game, and having access to all the teams, all the time, without painting them up is too easy to pass up.

I realize I'm late on this train, but I want to put my voice out there as a proponent of this title. I haven't played the real-time mode. Why would I? The translation from board game to PC is seamless, and the ability to organize matches anytime I want is the bee's knees.

If you were on the fence about this game before, buy it.

Convention Mania

2011-01-29T23:48:00.000-08:00

This Twilight Fan is the Avatar of "Convention Mania."

I just realized that I really will be at three cons this year.

Adepticon, Gencon Indy, and the Nova Open, which went from tourney to con in a year's time.

In addition, the Inner Circle's Sausage Fest -complete with actual sausage, and not just the implied kind- is coming up soon, in just 20 days, in-fact. I've got a few other trips planned as well, mostly camping trips. This May-June, I'll be camping three weekends straight, with the last weekend being a hike on the Appalachian trail.

All that, and I've got 15 credits, and I have to find a (better) part time job. There's a ton of work to do, but I can't wait to start.

25th Anniversary Battletech Boxed set

2011-01-28T23:48:00.000-08:00

Part of me can't help but feel nostalgic.

The printing proofs for the new Battletech intro set are in the hands of the publishers, and are (possibly) soon to be approved. They mentioned being in the company's warehouse in February.

For those who have forgotten what a Thor and a Loki look like, take a gander at these preview pics from October 2009. I love 'em. Hopefully, they go the plastic route with all the Omnimechs. It's far more profitable that way, in my humble opinion.

Bat Rep - New Deathwing vs. Nurgle Daemons

2011-01-27T23:06:00.000-08:00

A friend of mine is attempting to enter the tournament scene, and -fortuitously for him- he runs a Deathwing army. I figured that the Adepticon Primer 40k Championship Primer Mission 1 would be a good start for him, and I was itching to try the new format myself.

In 1750, he was running:
1750 Pts - Dark Angels Roster

Total Roster Cost: 1715

HQ: Belial, Master of the Deathwing (1#, 130 pts)
1 Belial, Master of the Deathwing, 130 pts

HQ: Interrogator-Chaplain (1#, 145 pts)
1 Interrogator-Chaplain, 0 pts
1 ...in Terminator Armour, 145 pts

Troops: Upgraded Deathwing Terminator Squad (5#, 265 pts)
4 Upgraded Deathwing Terminator Squad, 222 pts = 4 * 43 (base cost 43) + Cyclone Missile Launcher 20 + Apothecary 30
1 Sergeant, 43 pts

5 * Troops: Deathwing Terminator Squad (5#, 235 pts)
4 Deathwing Terminator Squad, 192 pts = 4 * 43 (base cost 43) + Cyclone Missile Launcher 20
1 Sergeant, 43 pts

I had my Daemons with me, and decided to see how it would all work out.

Total Roster Cost: 1749

HQ: Epidemius (1#, 110 pts)
1 Epidemius, 110 pts

HQ: Great Unclean One (1#, 160 pts)
1 Great Unclean One, 160 pts

Troops: Plaguebearers of Nurgle (20#, 325 pts)
20 Plaguebearers of Nurgle, 325 pts = 20 * 15 (base cost 15) + DG: Chaos Icon x1 25

Troops: Plaguebearers of Nurgle (8#, 145 pts)
8 Plaguebearers of Nurgle, 145 pts = 8 * 15 (base cost 15) + DG: Chaos Icon x1 25

Troops: Nurglings (7#, 91 pts)
7 Nurglings, 91 pts = 7 * 13

Troops: Nurglings (7#, 91 pts)
7 Nurglings, 91 pts = 7 * 13

Troops: Nurglings (7#, 91 pts)
7 Nurglings, 91 pts = 7 * 13

Troops: Nurglings (7#, 91 pts)
7 Nurglings, 91 pts = 7 * 13

Heavy Support: Daemon Prince of Chaos (1#, 235 pts)
1 Daemon Prince of Chaos, 235 pts = (base cost 80) + DG: Daemonic Flight 60 + DG: Iron Hide 30 + MC: Mark of Nurgle 30 + DGN: Cloud of Flies 5 + DGN: Noxious Touch 10 + rDG: Daemonic Gaze 20

Heavy Support: Daemon Prince of Chaos (1#, 235 pts)
1 Daemon Prince of Chaos, 235 pts = (base cost 80) + DG: Daemonic Flight 60 + DG: Iron Hide 30 + MC: Mark of Nurgle 30 + DGN: Cloud of Flies 5 + DGN: Noxious Touch 10 + rDG: Daemonic Gaze 20

Heavy Support: Daemon Prince of Chaos (1#, 175 pts)
1 Daemon Prince of Chaos, 175 pts = (base cost 80) + DG: Iron Hide 30 + MC: Mark of Nurgle 30 + DGN: Cloud of Flies 5 + DGN: Noxious Touch 10 + rDG: Daemonic Gaze 20

The mission set up was a pitched battle (which since we were both deep-striking, we ignored) that contained three separate sub-missions.

1. Annihilation, ie, Kill Points.
2. Killing the costliest unit.
3. Three objective markers- one in the center, and two placed in each deployment zone, by your opponent.

We rolled off, and he gave me first turn, which would allow him to take the last objective run. We also set up a 2 hour time limit, to give him a better feel for the time limits tournament games require.

I get first turn, and he's held everything in reserve to DS. I roll, and I get my favored wave: Epidemius with his small body guard, the two flying princes, and two squads of nurglings. E and his boys drop on "my side" near my objective, and the two nurgling squads drop near there, and the princes drop near the table center, behind the central building. Having nothing to shoot, and nothing to do, the various parties run and spread out.

His largest point squad drops near his objective (a mishap occurred and I placed them there in a crater, hoping for some dangerous terrain rolls, but got nothing), and Deathwing squad materialized near mine. He looked like he'd scatter off the board, but he was able to place all of them quite easily, with a good quarter inch to spare on the backside. Another squad dropped right of center after their scatter, placing them within easy reach of one of my daemon princes next turn. Sadly, the Deathwing's combined fire and my poor rolls stripped the Daemon Prince of all but one wound, and sent a few plaguebearers back to the warp.

When my turn came around, all my nurglings came in, but the Great Unclean One and the walking prince failed to show. My wounded prince flew toward the closest squad, ready to put the hurt on the 5++ save Death Wing. He took one down with his Daemonic Gaze, and looked like he was going to tear them a new one in CC, but Brad made all his saves, and the Daemon Prince was soon powerfisted into a greasy stain. This trend would continue all night. The Deathwing squad down south was tied up over a series of 6 rounds of combat with 14 bases of nurglings, and ended up losing only three models to the snotty buggers.

The center objective was contested by nurglings and the twenty man plague bearers, and that had a DSing deathwing tossed into that. Slowly, over time, they too were whittled down, but a last man stood to contest it, and also to deny me a kill point. When time was called on the end of the fourth turn, I had yet to kill an entire unit, and I had just finished killing 11 models (a key point of the game). Had we continued at that point, all my models would wound on 2+ poisoned attacks, allowing my nurglings to have a much greater effect on the outcome. Alas, it was not to be, and Brad beat me on two missions to none.

1850 Tournament List - The Valhallan 42nd

2011-01-19T23:15:00.000-08:00

1850 Pts - 5th Edition Roster - 42nd Valhallan Imperial Guard - Matt Stanley

Total Roster Cost: 1850

HQ: Company Command Squad (6#, 150 pts)
4 Company Command Squad, 69 pts = 4 * 6 (base cost 6) + Plasmagun x3 45
1 Company Commander, 26 pts
1 Chimera, 55 pts

Elite: Ratling Squad (6#, 60 pts)
6 Ratling Squad, 60 pts = 6 * 10

Elite: Psyker Battle Squad (10#, 155 pts)
8 Psyker Battle Squad, 80 pts = 8 * 10
1 Overseer, 20 pts
1 Chimera, 55 pts

Troops: Infantry Platoon (37#, 375 pts)
1 Infantry Platoon, 0 pts
4 Platoon Command Squad, 44 pts = 4 * 6 (base cost 6) + Flamer x4 20
1 Platoon Commander, 6 pts
1 Chimera, 55 pts

7 Infantry Squad, 50 pts = 7 * 5 (base cost 5) + Plasmagun x1 15
1 Heavy Weapons Team, 20 pts = (base cost 10 + Autocannon 10)
1 Commissar, 45 pts = (base cost 35 + Power Weapon 10)
1 Sergeant, 5 pts

7 Infantry Squad, 50 pts = 7 * 5 (base cost 5) + Plasmagun x1 15
1 Heavy Weapons Team, 20 pts = (base cost 10 + Autocannon 10)
1 Sergeant, 5 pts

7 Infantry Squad, 50 pts = 7 * 5 (base cost 5) + Plasmagun x1 15
1 Heavy Weapons Team, 20 pts = (base cost 10 + Autocannon 10)
1 Sergeant, 5 pts

Troops: Veteran Squad (11#, 155 pts)
9 Veteran Squad, 93 pts = 9 * 7 (base cost 7) + Meltagun x3 30
1 Veteran Sergeant, 7 pts
1 Chimera, 55 pts

Troops: Veteran Squad (10#, 115 pts)
9 Veteran Squad, 108 pts = 9 * 7 (base cost 7) + Plasmagun x3 45
1 Veteran Sergeant, 7 pts

Fast Attack: Vendetta Gunship Squadron (1#, 130 pts)
1 Vendetta Gunship Squadron, 0 pts
1 Vendetta, 130 pts

Fast Attack: Hellhound Squadron (1#, 120 pts)
1 Hellhound Squadron, 0 pts
1 Devil Dog, 120 pts

Heavy Support: Manticore Rocket Launcher (1#, 160 pts)
1 Manticore Rocket Launcher, 160 pts

Heavy Support: Ordnance Battery (2#, 280 pts)
1 Ordnance Battery, 0 pts
1 Medusa, 140 pts = (base cost 135) + Medusa w/Bastion-breacher Shells 5
1 Medusa, 140 pts = (base cost 135) + Medusa w/Bastion-breacher Shells 5

Heavy Support: Hydra Flak Tank Battery (2#, 150 pts)
1 Hydra Flak Tank Battery, 0 pts
1 Hydra Flak Tank, 75 pts
1 Hydra Flak Tank, 75 pts

There's just a ton of hurt going down-field, and the Ratlings help to keep unwanted scouters from reaching me too soon. I can blob my squads to provide L9 anti-transport fire, and plasma punishes anyone who gets close. I have no psy defense, though, and drop armies cause massive problems, so I might not bring this out this tournament season.

I do love them, though.

New Bases For Fantasy

2011-01-19T14:53:00.000-08:00

In this post, I mentioned the 40k bases I sell, but since I was getting into fantasy, I wanted to have bases for that as well.

I have those for sale as well, in 40mm, 25mm, and 20mm scale, in a Broken Temple Style as you can see below.

I'm selling 20mm bases at 10 for $4.00, 25mm at 8 for $4.00, and 40mm at 4 for $4.00. As always, shipping is a flat $4.95, no matter what size order you make, and you get a 10% discount for all orders over $100 prior to shipping.

Wargames Factory has a melt down

2011-01-15T23:21:00.000-08:00

You know those neat alternate models that could be used for IG, put out by Wargames Factory?

Well, it looks like they're in rough seas.

A press release from Wargames Factory Sales Director Lonnie Mullins -formerly of GW Trade Sales- detailed that CEO Tony Reidy is no longer with the company in an official capacity, and that with Tony's departure, the supply issues would be resolved post haste.

Reidy, not to be outdone, posted an open letter that all that was bollocks, and Lonnie Mullins was someone who would "[throw] me under the bus" and who "has no honor whatsoever." It seems at some point, Reidy sold the majority of his company to his supplier, and this is a cause of great regret for Reidy, as he has no say.

More information can be found on this Dakka thread, including a link to a further staffer's letter regarding the situation. The long and the short of it, though? If you got those great coat troopers, count your blessings, as we're not likely to see them ever again.

Resin Bases for Sale

2011-01-10T11:14:00.000-08:00

Hello, Everyone! I'm casting resin bases up as a hobby/small business for myself to make income while I'm in school, to help pay for the various Cons I hopw to visit. I cast bases that look good, are flat enough to fit a variety of different figures, and blend in well with other bases from other companies to better suit the average figure. I don't make the fanciest bases, I make good bases in bulk at the best prices.

ARMY BASES AT ARMY PRICES™
To order them, email me at V42Resin@gmail.com, or leave a comment on this post.

Corrupted Tech

25mm

40mm

60mm

Heavy Weapon Bases

60mm Heavy Weapon 1

60mm Heavy Weapon 2

Modern Urban

25mm

40mm

Rocky Ground

25mm

40mm

Not Pictured

Flight Base

Bike Base - Rocky Ground

Here are a few of my figures on my bases, as an example

Let me know which style you'd like, either Corrupted Tech, Modern Urban, or Rocky Ground.

All bases are cast in white resin, and are sold unpainted.

Base Size/Cost*

25mm: 10 for $4.00

40mm: 5 for $4.00

60mm or Flight Base: 1 each $4.00

Bike Base: 4 per $4.00

Orders over $100 prior to shipping get a 10% Discount

*Price does not include shipping. Shipping is $4.95 via USPS Priority Mail within the continental US, international priority rates may vary.

I accept paypal.

Grey Knights are confirmed.

2011-01-10T09:00:00.000-08:00

See the Incoming! article here.

As the Emperor prepared for his final confrontation with the traitor Horus, he granted one final gift to Mankind, a safeguard and protection against the horrors of the Warp - the Grey Knights. A brotherhood of warriors as elite as they are secretive, the Grey Knights are a shining line of silvered steel that stands between humanity and the Daemons of Chaos.

Trained as the mightiest paragons of mental fortitude and martial discipline in the Imperium, the Grey Knights maintain a vigilant watch for daemonic incursion, responding wrathfully against the scions of the Dark Gods, and those who dally with them.

Clad in baroque Terminator armour and wielding powerful weapons such as storm bolters and Nemesis force weapons, the Grey Knights tear through the enemy, unleashing an onslaught of psychic powers and sorcery to sunder the foe.

The Grey Knights are an unstoppable force, the manifestation of the Emperor's will, valiant warriors who willingly sacrifice their own humanity so that Mankind itself can endure.

This April Games Workshop releases Codex: Grey Knights, alongside a comprehensive range of fantastically detailed Citadel miniatures. Although details are being kept firmly under wraps for now, you can expect an exciting selection of plastic kits to enable you to build your own Grey Knights army.

Over the coming weeks we'll be releasing more details both here on the Games Workshop website and also in the pages of White Dwarf - to ensure you're the first to get the news, make sure you subscribe to the Games Workshop newsletter and keep an eye on the What's New Today blog.

In typical GW style, it tells little and shows nothing. Can we get a damn teaser pic at least? Take a page from Forge World and at least make a puzzle piece picture that we can composite together.

Battle Report- Wolves vs. Flesh Tearers

2011-01-04T23:28:00.000-08:00

I had the pleasure of heading over to Games and Stuff to complete a trade with Damien. We got to talking, and he introduced me to a friend of his waiting for a game. I had brought my 1850 Flesh Tearer list with me, plus some extras, so I was happy to oblige his request to go to 2000.

What I brought:

Librarian with Shield/Unleash Rage, traveling with 5 TH/SS Terminators and a Sang Priest with Infernus Pistol in a MM/LC Storm Raven. Oh, and a Furioso Dread with HF, Magna Grapple, and Blood Talons riding in the back.

Shield/Blood Lance Librarian in a drop pod with a 5 man Infernus/MG Assault Squad, with an Infernus packing Priest

2 x Assault Squads, 10 men, Double Melta, Sgt with a Power Fist in a Rhino

Baal Predator- LC Assault Cannon, HB

2 Vindicators, both with siege shields

What Dave brought:

2 Wolf Characters, one with Saga of the Bear and Thunderhammer, one with Saga of the "I get to roll extra attacks for killing people last turn" with a wolf claw/SS, both of those on Thunderwolves, and a Wolf Ironpriest on a Thunderwolf, kitted out with a thunderhammer, and such. All three of these had wolves accompanying them, and were formed in once mega unit.

A Runepriest with Living lightning and something else that he never used.

3x 8 man Grey hunters in Rhinos, with attached wolf guard goodness

1 five man Grey hunter squad in a las/plas razorback

2 long fang packs with missile launchers.

Mission: Seize Ground (3 objectives)/Dawn of War

Dave and I rolled for it, and he won first turn. He set up his Rune Priest with a Grey Hunter Squad and Rhino near the right objective. I started with nothing on the board. I opted not to seize because I wanted him to waste a turn of potential shooting, and since it was an objective game, I wanted that possible last chance to grab or contest an objective. I had intentionally placed objectives mid field to draw him to the board center, and closer to assaults.

He moved his deployed Rune Priest and attached squad forward into the ruins near the right most objective. His other transports entered near the center, book-ending the T-Wolves, and created a space just big enough for my pod to fit. He popped smoke, and waited for my response.

My pod struck the earth in the dead center of his formation. From the superheated hull of the pod, there spilled forth a Sanguinary priest, who went right, a librarian who went left, and the squad in the center. Three units, one pod, and one mission: to take out as many transports as possible on the first turn. The Storm Raven screamed up the center to support, and the Baal and Vindicators moved 12 inches onto the board, a foot behind the Raven. The Rhinos both aimed at the Rune Priest's Rhino, on a mission to pry it from the objective, and break that Rune Staff as soon as possible. And will fast forward to the result: nothing. Not a single thing broke, died, or was otherwise inconvenienced. The Blood Lance went off, but did nothing. The Melta and Infernus Pistol from the squad both hit, but the smoke saved the Rhino. The Sanguinary Priest's pistol missed. The Raven's Machine Spirit-guided Multi-Melta hit, penned, and was smoked into nothing-ness. Everything else was out of range, or unable to fire.

His wolves moved up to pummel the 5 man squad to a fine paste, and the Sanguinary Priest from the pod was gunned down. Dave's razorback penned the Raven, luckily just stripping the Multi-melta. Things were not looking all that great, but I've faced worse, and I have learned not to give up in the face of crappy luck. The Librarian and the Terminators disembarked, and the Raven moved in behind them, turn it's lascannon and missiles to the two transports in front of it. The Vindicators and Baal advanced, hoping to gut the Thunderwolves. To hedge my bets, the Assault squads in the Rhino stayed in their transports, but moved up to melta the Rune Priest's Rhino. I started off the shooting phase buy having my librarian's power getting shut down by the Rune Staff, and the Raven's missiles hitting with only 3 of the 4 missiles I fired, and the lascannon and the accurate missile only scratching the paint of the transports they targeted. The regular assault squads did manage to immobilize the Rune Priest's ride, and the combined firepower of the vindicators killed a wolf or two as they scattered to the five winds.

The rest of the battle was a desperate scramble to keep my units on the other two objectives, kill as many of his troops as I could, while claiming the Rune Priest's objective for my own. At the end of turn five, the far left objective was unclaimable, as I had killed all the troops on that side with my Furioso dread, save one lone wolf guard, who died in a vehicle explosion caused by one of Dave's characters. As it was, if it had ended at turn five, the game would have been mine. I contested the center objective with a lone Sgt, and the remaining full assault squad had claimed the right most objective. Sadly, the 6th was rolled for, and I was pulled off the objective by the remaining Thunderwolf, and my long sgt was beaten like a rented mule.

So close, and yet so far...

The Furioso - despite missing with all four attacks on his first round of combat- performed exceptionally well. He killed the wolf lord with thunderhammer, killed Dave's Razorback squad of Grey Hunters, and nearly wiped an entire Grey Hunter pack by himself. My deployment severely hampered his Long Fang's utility. The pod tactic was risky, and didn't pan out, sadly. I may not repeat it. Dave was an excellent player, and really got me thinking about objectives, which is what I need to focus on. We shook hands at the end, and had a great time.

My thoughts on the pair of Storm Ravens

2011-01-02T00:43:00.000-08:00

Keeping it short and sweet:

I'm a fan of the idea that if something is nice, take it twice.

But in 1850 points, that's a really questionable idea.

And by questionable, I mean, "I hope they don't have Hydras."

First games out...

2010-12-21T21:10:00.000-08:00

Like I said, it's been a while.

I didn't realize how long.

The first game out with my new list, I was playing against a person who has played, quite literally, three games. I can try and assuage myself by saying that he stole the imitative, but the fact of the matter is, I lost because I made stupid mistakes and played too conservatively. I weathered the first turn of fire, losing one Raven to a drop podded Sterngard squad. I hung back to use the remaining Storm Raven's firepower, and ended with the squad and dread inside being out of position when the Raven crashed. He pummeled me, with me helping him to do so. Still, the shame hung with me for a day, until I faced off against his roommate.

That game went significantly better. I ended up controlling the pace of the battle better than the last by being aggressive and shoving the Storm Ravens right in his face. I pounded his Death Company and troops, and his immobilized Land Raider was surrounded by my troops and a Blood Talon dread.

I need to test out and refine this list a bit further before I'm satisfied, but I like the way it plays.

It's about damn time...

2010-12-10T13:46:00.000-08:00

It's about damn time I returned to this blog. I haven't been playing much in the way of games since the semester started winding down.

Tomorrow, I'm headed out to Games Workshop to order a few bits and pieces for my revamped 1850 army of cheesy doom. I'm hoping to get a game against Dark Eldar at some point, but I haven't yet.

Here's what I'm thinking of taking in 1850:

1850 Pts - Blood Angels Roster - Flesh tearers 1850 Double Raven

HQ: Librarian (1#, 100 pts)
1 Librarian @ 100 pts (Blood Lance; Fear of the Darkness)

HQ: Reclusiarch (1#, 145 pts)
1 Reclusiarch @ 145 pts (Power Fist)

Elite: Terminator Assault Squad (10#, 425 pts)
5 LC and 5 TH/SS

Troops: Assault Squad (11#, 250 pts)
10 men, rhino, Melta gun x2, Power fist

Troops: Assault Squad (11#, 250 pts)
10 men, rhino, Melta gun x2, Power fist

Heavy Support: Stormraven Gunship (1#, 215 pts)
1 Stormraven Gunship @ 215 pts Extra armor, Multi-melta, Lascannons

Heavy Support: Stormraven Gunship (1#, 215 pts)
1 Stormraven Gunship @ 215 pts Extra armor, Multi-melta, Lascannons

Elite: Furioso Dreadnought (1#, 125 pts)
1 Furioso Dreadnought @ 125 pts Blood talons, Storm Bolter/Melta

Elite: Furioso Dreadnought (1#, 125 pts)
1 Furioso Dreadnought @ 125 pts Blood talons, Storm Bolter/Melta

I see this as a hyper-agressive fun list. I'm not sure about the storm raven's survivability, and I want to play test this before I use it anywhere important. Of course, Adepticon is fast approaching, so I want to get in as much practice as possible. I can also swap in some drop pods for the rhinos, and I was thinking about adding locator beacons to allow the Storm Ravens to safely deep strike.

Mid-way point

2010-10-18T16:56:00.000-07:00

The Proto-type Storm Raven is coming along quite nicely.

Bloody Blood Blood Missiles (Or whatever they're called).

Ditto.

Underside:

Profile Shot

It begins!

2010-10-16T13:54:00.000-07:00

I've finished the basic blocking for the front portion of the first Storm Raven. This is the first time I've worked with a conversion of such complexity, and it's quite interesting so far. I'm working with making all my measurements in millimeters, since I think they lend themselves better to making exacting measurements.

Here's my initial build of the hull. The portion of the top deck was cut away to increase the overall height of the model, and will be used to create the nose of the Raven. The rear angled areas were also cut as well, as the body will be lengthened to suggest an area for the Dreadnought to ride in.

The rear, cut away from the front.

The tail has been turned into a canard wing.

Here is the upper structure on the fuselage.

And here are the front Multi-meltas in place. They're from the IG Russ kit, BTW. The rear tab was cut off to allow them to fit, and I filed the sides down to make them fit.

2010-10-12T15:45:00.000-07:00

So, against my better judgment, I'm going to attempt the above conversion (click through the pic to see the full write up on BoLS). Not once, but twice. I'd love to play with two Storm Ravens, and I don't see GW making one any time soon. Due to some fortuitous trades, I was able to get two Valkyries at no cost to myself. I'm thinking I'm going to need some help, and I'll seek out some advice from a friend or two for this.

Wish me luck!

NOVA Open Round Three

2010-08-20T09:16:00.000-07:00

The third round saw me facing Joseph Trueblood, a gamer I had not met before. He plays mostly in the VA area, and, like me, was undefeated coming into the round. Scenario 3 saw us setting up as a pitched battle, with table quarters as the primary, with objectives as secondary, and VP's as the tertiary. As you can see from the very brief video above, I completely slacked on the recording of my games as the day wore on. This was the last video that I took for the day.

Joe was playing a highly mobile BA force.
Mephiston
3 5 man assault squads with various special weapons in Razorbacks
3 Furioso dreads
3 Vindicators
3 Baal Preds, 1 flame storm, 2 Twinlinked Assault Cannons

I won the first turn, and set up in the far corner, castling and waiting for the pain to come my way. He toed the deployment line, getting as close to me as he could. He attempted to sieze initiative, but failed.

He scouted forward, and my valk scouted to the flank to get side shots on his preds and vindicators. The valk also served as a distraction to draw away fire power, as did my ratlings, which were also deployed to get side shots. I had Marbo and a guard squad in reserve. The guard squad was to enter on another table quarter and hide to add 75 points to my total there.

With the set-up we had, I was able to whittle him down over time. Anything that threatened my area of the board got unloaded on until it was stunned, immobilized, or destroyed. He clumped his vehicles together, which allowed my manticore, devil dogs, and medusas extra leeway in targeting, and indeed, got me extra hits. That being said, it was still a hard row to hoe. I had to maneuver to get shots in his vulnerable side armor for his baal predators and his vindicators. He made excellent use of cover as well. My guard squad that was meant to hide was actually forced to do something, and plasma-gunned on of his vindicator's guns off.

It was another desperate, hard fought battle, but in the end, it was tied for quarters, tied for objectives, and I won in VP's. Set-up was very favorable to me, and it accounted for my victory.

NOVA Open Round 2

2010-08-17T23:23:00.000-07:00

Round two was possibly the hardest fought game that I had. The impossible happened, and we ended up going through tieing all three victory conditions until a winner emerged.

Out of eighty-eight possible opponents, my foe was no less than Leigh Brady, a fellow Fr.A.G.er. I knew I was in for a hard fight, but little did I know how hard. I don't have his list, but you can see it on the video: Razorspam with Gating Terminator bully boys and Dakkadreds. It was hard as hell, and twice as ugly to have to face. The mission was objective capture, and the deployment was pitched battle. Secondary tiebreaker was VP by a 250 point margin, and tertiary was table quarters.

As with the last post, my camera work was hit and miss, but I hope that it lends you all the impression that after turn two, I thought I was done. My losses at that point: My Devil Dog, two Manticores, a Chimera, a Platoon Command Squad, and I was sitting looking at Thunder Hammer/Storm Shield Terminators squarely in my deployment zone.

Then it all took a turn for the better. I torrented the Libarian away from the Terminators, and they took a ton of wounds. I passed my Weaken Resolve roll, and they fled for the rest of the game. My hydras, Chimeras and autocannon squads pummelled his vehicles senseless, and my melta vets captured a key objective in the center. Each of us were tearing each other to pieces, but the game ended all too soon. At the end, we tied on objectives with two each, we failed to clear a 250 threshold for a VP victory, and both of us had two table quarters. It came down to raw victory points.

I won the game by 5 points. Let me repeat that: 5 points. Less than 1/3 of a Marine. But a "W" is a "W", so... Leigh sucks. Forever.

Seriously, though. This was a hard fought game, and it couldn't have been closer had I tried. It also goes to prove that whole addage of "never giving up". Had I conceeded after turn two, I never would have had that great game. Neither of us can beleive that the game turned out that way. It just goes to show you what massed firepower can do.

NOVA Open Recap, Round 1

2010-08-17T10:16:00.000-07:00

After watching these videos from the weekend, I realize that I am unqualified to do these things in a tournament environment. I'm far too into the games to actually remember to take the videos in the first place. But the videos are all I have, as my still camera crapped out on me. So, they're what you get. My apologies.

That being said, the NOVA Open was a great time. 4 rounds of some of the best (and closest) 40k games I've ever had. I can't say enough about the level of competition and sportsmanship on display this weekend, and the dedication of the staff on hand to resolve issues that arose during the game. The format can be found on the Whiskey and 40k blog.

So, let's get onto the games, shall we?

Game 1 had me facing Casey Campbell, from the Iron Fist League, a group of veteran gamers based in Northern Virginia/DC.

His list:
Swarmlord
2 Tyrant Guard
Warrior Prime with Lashwhip/Bonesword, Deathspitter
8 Warriors with Rending Claws, Deathspitters, 1 Barbed Strangler
9 Stealers+Broodlord with scything talons
9 Stealers+Broodlord with scything talons

10 Termagants with spine fists - 60
Tervigon with catalyst, scything talons, cluster spines, adrenal glands, toxin sacs - 200
3 Hive Guard
3 Hive Guard
Doom with Pod
3 Ravenors with rending claws

What did I bring? The glorious Valhallan 42nd Mountaineers, pride of the Motherworld!

Lt. Sorin Company command with lascannon, plasma x 2 Chimera with HHB and TML
Chef Gordo Ramsey and Kitchen Crew (3 Ratlings)
Psyker Battle Squad 7+1 Overseer, Chimera with HHF, TML
Guardsman Marbo
Revnik's Ragers, 1st Platoon, Faith Company
-Platoon Command, flamer x 4, Platoon Commander, Chimera with HHB, THF
-3 Autocannon/plasma squads
-Commissar Price, power weapon
Veteran Squad with 3x Melta, Chimera with HHF, TML
Al-Marakesh's Irregulars (Veteran Squad) Plasma riflex3*
Devil Dog, HHF
Devil Dog, HHF
Vendetta Gunship *(The plasma rifler's ride)
Manticore
Medusa squadron of two
Hydra squadron of two

Mission: Dawn of War set up, VP primary objective/Table Quarters tie-breaker/Objective secondary tiebreaker

How do I sum this game up? It was a dawn of war mission with a shooting army opposing a close combat army with no real form of transport. Casey's only chance was getting his infiltrating stealers into CC early, and getting Doom quickly to distract me. Due to his terrain rolls and reserve rolls, it just wasn't happening. He made some interesting choices for his list that-- which as someone who doesn't play tyranids-- I just didn't understand. Not spawning, including warriors, not including another tervigon, allowing termigants to slow the Swarmlord down... I think the cards were stacked against him, but I think at that point, you have to play more aggressively than he did. He attempted to keep the termigants in cover, and the tyrant guard/Swarmlord squad behind them to give them cover. All that ended up doing was hold the Swarmlord back, and I never had to worry about him. I know what he was attempting to do, protect all at all cost, but that was the wrong strategy to employ with a Tyranid list. He was so afraid of failing that he ended up failing. All my list had to worry about was: the Hiveguard, stealers, and the Doom and pod. 2000 points versus 806 points tells you how that scenario will end, no doubt.

Fantasy Flight Games: Out for my Soul?

2010-08-05T12:14:00.000-07:00

Or at least for my wallet?

I've often joked that GW will own my soul upon the shuffling off of this mortal coil, but lately, a new contender has arrived, demanding my nonexistant hobby dollars. Between Dom and myself, the list is long:

Horus Heresy
Chaos in the Old World
BattleStar Galatica
Pegasus Expansion
Twilight Imperium
Warhammer Invasion
Arkham Horror

If we expand that even further, I know that Tony owns Runescape, and I'm fairly certain he owns the WoW board game and Age of Conan as well.

I think we need an intervention.

Oh, Blog, you're right, I have been ignoring you!

2010-08-03T10:43:00.000-07:00

I had been preparing for two tournaments, one of which has passed (the Inner Circle GT qualifier), and one which is still coming up, the NOVA Open in Dulles, VA. And my brother was in town this week, so we got a few board games in this week. See also the Chaos in the Old World pic above. We played that about 5-6 times over the week, falling more and more in love with it as we did. I can't recommend it more highly. Buy it, buy it now.

How did the ICGT go? Four games in one day is exhausting mentally, and I didn't get enough sleep. See how I'm building excuses right there? I took my IG instead of my Flesh Tearers as I couldn't come up with a list that seemed to work on paper. Game one had me facing off against PJ Brady of F.R.A.G. who had a wonky Shrike/Khan/TH/SS/Melta Drop pod list. It was victory points/dawn of war. I ended up killing all his troops, and he returned the favor. Khan and my Marbo counts as had an epic duel, and, sadly, it did not end well for Sly. It was a 400 point difference in the end, and sadly it was not in my favor.

Game two was another marine list, a great looking Aurora Chapter list that was a tad bit underperforming. The Mission was objectives/Pitched battle. I would have had a clear victory with it, but I made a silly mistake in not chasing after a broken Sternguard squad with Vulkan attached, so we had to go to the tiebreaker of VP's, where I was the clear winner. That led me to game against another F.R.A.G.er, Pete, who's Eldar raked me over the coals. It started with the turn two loss of my Manticore, which hadn't fired a shot. The worst part? The scatter die that wrecked my tanks was mine own! Part of it was dice, but over all, my target priority was off the entire game. I hate grav tanks, with a passion, and I chose to shoot them over the Dire Avengers that wrecked my infantry.

So, I'm 1-2, and that means at best I'm mid-tier. So the last game is a fun one. I ended up playing Dave Johnson's exquisitely painted Nid Army. All the target priority problems I had in game three were gone, and I got hits all over the place. I also ended seizing initiative .His Hive Guard were halved the first turn, and gone by turn three. A Tyranofex had 5 wounds by turn one's end. It was a pitched battle old school recon mission, with whoever had more scoring troops in the enemy deployment being the winner. It came down to two squads of termigants, one with two, and one with one. He hid them so well, I had to maneuver my entire army to get them. One survived, getting him the tie, but I won the tie breaker (VP's). So, 2-2 isn't all that bad, and I was only 4 points behind the Paint Score winner.

A Note to My Great Unclean One

2010-07-25T01:08:00.000-07:00

Dear Sir:

If you are to continue your current practice of arriving late to the battle field on all occasions, then I shall be forced to downgrade you to a Middling Untidy One.

Showing up on turn five does not count as timely attendance.

Sincerely,
The Management.

Double Valkyrie all the way!

2010-07-23T23:53:00.000-07:00

Well, technichally, a double vendetta.

This was a photo that I took at Adepticon 2010. It happened during a game between my friend Erich and the well-known Dave Taylor. Yes, that Dave Taylor. It was a great table to watch, as both opponents have exquisite armies, Erich's being a stunning Vostroyan force, and Dave's being, well, Dave's Blood Pact.

As for Team Banzai team is already gearing up for another visit this year, and we're hoping to field two teams, a spirit/theme team, and a more competative team for the face smashing. I'm team captain of the face smashers.

There is a possibility of us making an assassin team, and hoping to take most in the way of HQ points from our foe, while making highly survivable HQ's capable of doing some very nasty work. The peril is that I will need to make a mixed team, and if I do that, as per last year's rules, only one "named" character can be used. It will be an interesting challenge, one that I hope we can rise to. I still need two more members to round it out. We have time, but the more we practice, the better.

Individually, I'm also looking to enter the championships, if for nothing else than adding to my RankingsHQ standings.

Board Games.

2010-07-19T09:21:00.000-07:00

I told you I was a board gamer.

I've played it twice since this video, and I've lost both times. I still want to play it. I'm doing a full write up later on about it, but I just want to give you all this initial introduction.

Fantasy? 40k?

2010-07-19T00:24:00.000-07:00

The answer is yes to both. I taking a break from my list making blues and I'm building my 40k/Fantasy Daemonettes. My 40k daemon army is my "fun" army. I bring it out when I just want to play a game. It's a one trick pony, but it's a trick that it does well: kill infantry. Of course, no-one runs an infantry army, so it's a dog's breakfast now-a-days, but it's still a neat looking thing to break out. Daemonettes are really fun in the 8th environment, what with Always Strikes First. I take a prince that uses Lore of Shadows, and I love the idea of ASF-Mind Razored Daemonettes. Let me personally say that cutting the tiles fit the board was hell on toast, but it will be worth it once they're all assembled and painted.

List block

2010-07-16T13:43:00.000-07:00

I'm playing in an 1850 point tourney on the 31st, and I'm blanking on a decent list for Blood Angels at the point level.

2000? I've got a list I consider decent. 2500, I have my 'ard Boys list. 1850? I've got nothing.

Army Builder lists have been pounded out, and they all seem wanting. I'm looking at a 90% of the current opponent roster being mechanized, and what I have painted for my BA just can't hack it. I'm lacking a decent punch at a decent range. 24-12 inches? I'm set. Any thing beyond that, and I'm found wanting.

It's wracking my brain. I have a mental block that I just can't seem to get rid of.

I might have to switch to my guard.

Another 1500 point game

2010-07-10T00:46:00.000-07:00

I went to 'orkridge to hang out and talk to the people there, and I ended up playing another 1500 point game.

I used the same list, against a young gent's Lizard list. 3 skink priests, so he had all the Heavens spells, a big block of Sarus cav, and a big block of Sarus. I don't know what he was thinking.

We played meeting engagement, and it ended up with most of my stuff being on the board, except for the nurglings. So no worries. Up until I read that fliers take extra hits from all Heaven spells. Those skinks had to go. The lizards got the first turn, and the cav got in there quick. His foot Sarus were stuck in reserve, and walked on. It was the start of his bad luck with the winds of magic, a remarkable three dice. His charging Sarus on Cold Ones killed two whole Plague Bearers, and I ended up killing three. His Sarus held due to some magic item making them stubborn. My Prince moved to kill the priests, and to get out of the charge arc of the foot sarus.

My second PB unit flanked the Cold One Riders, and we cut them down. I didn't fail a single regen save. He couldn't hit anything. It was horrible. He finally got his Foot Sarus in, and his hero rolled 5 misses for his five attacks. I just couldn't lose. I straight up murdered him. I kind of felt badly. It was as if my dice were in opposite land. I will never, ever have this good a game in a tournament. His Sarus, despite charging and being in 4+ ranks with spears, ended up running, and moved a bold three inches away, right in the charge arc of the Prince. At that point, my opponent shook my hand and called it a night.

What did I learn?

Position is everything, and the charge doesn't mean a thing when you can't hit. Also, complex combats suck to figure out.

1500 Escalation League part 2

2010-07-07T23:13:00.000-07:00

Same list as the last post.

I ended up facing a Brettonian list with two large lance formations, a Duke, a BSB, a prophetess on foot, a damsel on horseback, peasants with fire arrows, and a stone thrower.

We played mission 4, which stated that once your army was down to two remaining banners/general points, they lost the game.

We rolled off for terrain, and I placed a manor house centrally to block LOS for some of his units, and a tower opposite it to funnel the action to a narrow choke point. I set up favoring the choke point, and set my Prince up behind the manor house to keep from the archer's line of sight. My nurglings flanked to the right of his heavy unit with the Duke, BSB and assorted knights.

His Duke unit was stationed near the choke point, and his other unit was to the right of the manor, near the stone thrower. The peasants were at the choke point opposite the Duke/BSB unit, and the Prophetess was between the two, as bait.

Fairly soon, I got myself in trouble. My nurglings tried to get out of his charge arc, but the didn't quite get there. The Duke's unit stomped them into the ground in one combat with the nurglings doing nothing.

I charged my Prince into the duke's unit unsupported, hoping to kill them fairly easily, but their armor held well. I had a chance of breaking him that first turn, but the valorus standard (accompanied by his uncanny knack of making ward saves) saved his bacon. Over a few rounds of combat, the rpince was seen off. To support him, I charged the units in after him, and we ended up with a bizzare combat tetris. Please marvel at my MS Paint skills:

Eventually, even the peasants joined the party, flanking my plaguebearers on the side, but it was too late for the Prince, as he was killed shortly after, but not before the prophetess died. The peasants were flanked themselves by the other Plaguebearers. The peasants died horribly, and I failed to restrain my victorious Plaguebearer's pursuit. They took themselves out of the cover the manor provided, and allowed themselves to get smashed between two brettonian units of knights. After that, it was game over. Two rolls determined the game: his passed leadership after my Prince charged him, and my failed pursuit retraint. If either of those had gone the other way, it would have been a much different game.

What did I learn?

My list is vulnerable to heavy armor. I need magic or high strength models to get past it. Or I need to cause more wounds. I have to learn not to be baited by seemingly vulnerable units alone. I have to learn better positioning, and that monsters unsupported are not in a favorable position. Had my nurglings survived and been able to flank him, I might have broken him, and then the game would have swung a different way.

Good lessons, I say.

1500 Point Escalation League WHFB

2010-07-07T01:22:00.000-07:00

Making a Daemons of Chaos army fit 1500 points with the models I've got is more difficult than I thought. I was supremely outnumbered by both my opponents, but that's to be expected with daemons, I suppose.

Lords:
Daemon Prince
Winged Horror, Soul Hunger, Unnatural Swiftness

Heros:
Herald of Nurgle, BSB with Banner of Sundering, Noxious Vapors, Slime Trail

Herald of Nurgle, Noxious Vapors

Core:
20 Plague-bearers, MSC, Banner of re-roll wounds

20 Plague-bearers, MSC, Banner of re-roll wounds

Special:
5 Nurgling bases

1500 even

I lucked out with my first opponent taking the Lore of Light, so my banner was in full effect against the Empire.

We played meeting engagement, and my prince and my non-bsb plague bearers ended up in reserve. I won the roll to set up first and positioned lone PB unit where I could claim some cover from a watchtower midfield. I held my scouting nurglings back. He ended up with just two units in reserve, some swordsmen with their detachments being in reserve, and some handgunners. He placed his remaining swordsmen to the left of my unit, and his flagellents right in front of my BSB unit. His wizard was midfield, and his priest was with his swordsmen. There was a mortar and a cannon on my far right, and a cannon just behind the midfield wizard. I placed my nurglings where I could threaten the warmachines and prayed he didn't roll a six to get first turn.

My prince and the missing PBs came on from the board edge, and the nurglings marched toward the mortar. The charge against the flagellents failed, and the PBs stumbled forward. Things did not look good for our intrepid non-heros. On his turn, his flagellents crashed into the BSB's unit, full of hate and such, but the PB's gave as good as they got, and ground them down after two turns. The prince ended up being shot up, and in the next turn, was Van Horstmaned to death by the priest. The priest's swordsmen and attached spears smashed into the fresh PB squad, and the two units slowly ground each other down, with the advantage on the side of Nurgle. In the meantime, the BSB's unit killed the handgunners attached on the priest, while the underestimated nurglings slaughtered the mortar crew, overran into the nearby cannon crew, killed them, and panicked a unit of handgunners off the board, and then survived a fulisade from another handgunner unit, only to kill them off as well. Don't underestimate the power of 15 poisoned attacks!

Meanwhile, the BSB's unit circled around to the rear of the now decimated swordmen, and were in a position to charge them. The priests bound spells had all been dispelled, and now the unbreakable swordsmen with the priest with a 5+ ward save was down to just the priest. The spearmen had long fled, and the priest decided to leg it. The nonBSB plaguebearers ran him down. From there, it was simply consolidating my victory.

Bizarre Bazaar

2010-06-27T19:13:00.000-07:00

My local Games Workshop, Yorkridge (aka 'orkridge), had a Bizzare Bazaar yesterday, and I feel like I made out like a bandit. I ended up with the makings for a Daemons of Chaos Warhammer Fantasy Army, and about 900 points of Beastmen, all for trading stuff that I wasn't using, and didn't want. This solidifies my entrance in to the forbidden world of Warhammer Fantasy Battles.

If you've never had a hobby swap meet, I highly recommend having your local shop do one. The way that the BB works is that no chash is exchanged, only bitz, models, and gift cards. If you're like me, you've got tons of hobby stuff taking up space that you no longer want, but someone else will. The store benefits from the gift cards burning a hole in the various participant's pockets. The atmosphere was good natured trading, and you can end up with some very neat odds and ends.

Warhammer Fantasy Review: A Fresh Perpective

2010-06-25T06:24:00.000-07:00

Before I get into this review, I will give you a bit of a back ground. I have always preferred Sci-Fi over Fantasy fiction. I always preferred the rational to the mystical. I never really "got" fantasy fiction, I never saw the appeal. It probably didn't help that during the time I grew up, "good" fantasy was hard to find. That changed with, like a lot of people, the Lord of the Rings movies. They made a fantasy world feel real, and I finally understood what the appeal to those types of settings where.

So naturally in the early 00's, when I got into miniature wargaming my tendency was towards Warhammer 40k. And 40k will always be my first love; tanks, Space Marines, and mass carnage will keep me in that game a very long time.

But Warhammer was always there, and always tempted me. I always loved it's background, and the mixture of so many fantasy concepts that existed in this world.

During my many years of gaming I have false started many of the Warhammer Races that interested me the most. Empire, Lizardmen, Bretonians, and High Elves, are the short list of races I always wanted to play. So if I always had this desire to play Warhammer, what has stopped me over the years. The answer is simple.

The game.

There are many players that will disagree with me, and this is just my personal opinion, but the Warhammer game has not been a fun game for quite some time. Everytime I would feel that fantasy itch in my early years, get some models together and actually sit down and play the game, I would immediately shelve the army I was building and going back to the realm of tanks and boltguns.

Why? Well the game simply wasn't fun. Basically when you have Army "A" charge Army "B", automatically go first, kill your front rank before you had a chance to strike, and make you flee off the table in the course of a turn, that didn't make the investment of 40 to 60 dollars a unit (not to mention the high priced metals) worth it. I also absolutely hated that only the front guys in a rank get to fight. I never saw it as a good return on my time to assemble and paint big blocks of infantry to only get maybe 5 attacks.

That is not to say that Fantasy didn't have it's backers in the last editions. I am sure there are many people out there that loved the fantasy game for every reason I disliked it. But as the immortal Austin Powers says "It just isn't my bag, baby".

Having said that what has changed? Almost everything.

My advice to everyone who has even heard of the game, forget what you know. This is almost a totally new game system.

Sure the basics are still there. Four phases to the game, blocks of infantry and calvary, warmachines, monsters, etc., etc. still all exist. You declare charges at the start of the game, you move per your movement rate (and have the option to march), you cast spells in the magic phase, you shoot in the shooting phase, and you fight your combats in the assault phase. All standard fantasy affairs.

But the system has changed for the better in many ways. The more I play and experience things I will be posting more in depth reviews of certain aspects, but I will go over some of the key differences and why I think they have improved overall game play.

The fundamental change to the game is that you can premeasure everything. Suddenly, the game is no longer about who can determine distances anymore, but rather what your army can do.

Premeasureing is the major change that trickles down into the rest of the game.

But let's get to the major changes and how they effect the way the game plays.

First: Charging. Charging is a random distance of 2D6 plus your movement (Calvary, Monsters, etc. get 3D6 and pick the two highest). Your opponent still has charge reactions, so the decision to charge is still a live or die part of the game. If I am 13" away from my Skaven opponent with my unit of Swordsmen, do I charge? At first glance that may be an obvious answer, but what if my opponent flees? It is doubtful that at that distance, your charge distance is going to equal the Skaven's 2D6 roll plus the 13" difference. Now suddenly I have a 20 man infantry block out of position with the rest of my army.

Second: Magic. Like all versions of the game, Magic is very much a phase you have to plan out ahead of time. Now, instead of generating dice (which lead to some armies just dominating with ridiculous amounts of power dice), it is now a simple roll of 2D6. You get the total of the number rolled, your opponent gets the highest die number you rolled. You can throw large numbers of dice at any particular spell, adding the level of your wizard to the pool. With these changes, magic is very much a quality over quantity system now. Level 4 Wizards have a great chance to cast, can have and cast more spells, and have a greater ability to dispel. Because of the limited amount of dice that can be thrown around, bonuses to your casting (such as being a level 4) or abilities that can add extra dice will be king of the magic phase. (Slaan are absolutely scary).

Third: Shooting. Most everything is the same, the modifiers to hit and save modifiers hasn't really gone anywhere. The biggest thing is the removal of partials. Template weapons, that where few and far between anyways, finally feel worth it. Considering you still need to roll to wound and very few template weapons are highly damaging weapons, the loss of partials is a good thing.

Forth: Combat. All models fight at initiative now and there is no chance of killing the front rank anymore. In addition, all units fight further in. You will always get a supporting attack from the second rand, spears give you an additional rank worth of fighting if they are charged. So basically the changes in combat have made combats much more brutal and shifted the responsibility of fighting combat from who got the charge back onto the capabilities of the unit. This, I think, is probably the biggest change and the one that has really made the game great. For example, Empire generally have 3 State Trooper options, all at the same cost (if they have shields). In 7th, there was almost no reason to field anything but Swordsmen because, with the higher weapon skill and your first rank only fighting, the benefits of the other options didn't help. Now, an Empire player really has a choice. Do I take Swordsmen and utilize the higher weapon skill but suffer if I fight other units with equal or higher weapon skill? Do I take Halberters that are going to hit most things on 4s but have a higher strength to wound things? Or do I take spearmen and try and win on weight of attacks? As you can see these changes have fundamentally changed how most armies put units on the table, and how they support them. Some armies will field tarpit units, some will field units that rush into the charge. To me, the new system rewards a greater amount of diversity of units in the system.

Lastly: Terrain. Terrain is much more plentiful these days, which is great because that means the fantasy battlefields will not always be barren wastelands with little on it. They also addressed this in the core rules with only putting minor penalties on the units, making the greater increase of terrain not bog down the game.

All these changes make for a system that is a lot quicker to play and battles that are incredibly bloody as well.

So ultimately, I really like the system. I am sure there are going to be hard core players that will hate how big of a change it is, but to me, they addressed mostly everything I felt was wrong with the system.

The biggest thing though is that it is fun. Could you ask for more?

Fantasy?

2010-06-19T20:47:00.000-07:00

I'm debating it.

I know, say it isn't so.

I've made a stand against the system for years due to it's fiddly bullshit movement rules. But I played my first game in ten years today, and I liked it. I had my ass handed to me, of course (friggin Dark Elf assassins!), but there were a few moments out there that seemed like fun.

I ended up borrowing a friend's High Elf army, with a big block of 50 Lothran Sea-guard, White Lions, Sword Masters, and Phoenix Guard. Add in two mages and a lord, and that was it. He pulled out a Hydra, Two units of Corsairs, and some Cold One Knights. I did well in the Magic Phase (despite a miscast), but he pummeled the snot out of me in the Melee Phase. Though I did have a champion challenge one of his Assassins, and over the course of two rounds, the assassin proceeded to whiff entirely, while my champion murdered him outright. It was all for naught, though. Eternal Hatred carried the day. I was sent scurrying back to my island home, with the forces of Naggaroth claiming the field of victory.

The game was well paced, the combat was relatively transparent, and the new casualty removal rules made the second + ranks seem less like counters and more like they were part of the unit. I'll have to sit down with the rules at some point and read through them more thoroughly. But, all in all, I enjoyed it.

Sanguinary Guard WIP, again

2010-06-18T23:41:00.000-07:00

I ended up doing a bit more work on these guys, simply because. I really don't think that they fit my play style, but the figures are well sculpted.

Quick and Dirty Sang Priest in Terminator Armor

2010-06-15T18:54:00.000-07:00

I was bored today, and so I went on a cleaning spree of my hobby bench.

I came across a spare Corbulo (from the old Heros of the Imperium Set, if you remember that), and a spare AoBR Terminator.

So, I got out my trusty clippers and razor saw, and got to work.

First, I cut the face of the terminator down to give it that Grey Knight look. I wish the idea was mine, but I stole it from Bolter and Chainsword.

I then cut off the Chalice hand of Corbulo just past the elbow, and did the same with the terminator's corresponding arm. I took care to keep the wires on the Exsanguinator portion of the arm. I pinned the metal piece to the plastic arm, and added a spare devotional cloth to the shoulder pad of the arm. I then took a spare searchlight from the DA Assault Cannon for the Land Speeder, and added it to the Priest's back.

Here's the semi-finished product. I'm going to go back and tidy up the mold lines, and add sculpted blood drops. I'm also going to tidy up the helmet a bit as well. But I think it looks good so far.

So I just got back from the Semi-Finals...

2010-06-12T22:54:00.000-07:00

Scooter, Damien, Leigh and I all caravaned up to The Aventurer's Guild in Harrisburg, Pa to take part in the 'ard Boyz Semi-Finals tourney.

Here's my list:

Flesh Tearers

HQ
Reclusiarch	Power Fist	145
Librarian	Blood Lance Shield of Sanginus	100

Troops
Assault Squad, 10	Sgt Cost Paired Lightning Claw Flamer Flamer	230
Assault Squad, 10	Sgt Cost Power Fist Melta Melta	235
Assault Squad, 9	Sgt Cost Power Fist Remove jump packs Melta Gun Rhino Searchlight	223
Assault Squad, 10	Sgt Cost Power Fist Flamer Flamer	225

Elites
Sanguinary Priests, 2	Jump pack Power Weapon for Jump Priest	140
Assault Terminators, 7	Lightning Claws x2 Thunder Hammers x 5 Land Raider Crusader Multi-Melta	565
Furioso Dreadnaught, 1	Librarian Dreadnought Wings of Sanguinous Might of Heroes	175

Fast Attack
Attack Bike, 1	Multi-Melta	50
Attack Bike, 1	Multi-Melta	50
Attack Bike, 1	Multi-Melta	50

Heavy Support
Vindicator, 1	Siege Shield Searchlight	156
Vindicator, 1	Siege Shield Searchlight	156

Points Summary:
HQ:	245
Troops:	913
Elites:	880
Fast Attack:	150
Heavy Support:	312
Total:	2500

My first opponent, Kier, was using a two Land Raider Crusader Blood Angels list with a crap ton of Typhoons, two units of missile devs, Asteroth with a jump squad, and a multi-melta dread in a pod. I had first turn, and set up with an aggressive position with my Vindicators, LRC, Attack Bikes, Libby Dread, and I had this all backed up by my PA Libby in the Rhino with Shield of Sanginius. I kept my double melta assault squad in reserve to DS with the Sanguniary Priest with the jump pack, and my other jump assaults to reserve in on the long table edge near my placed objective. Essentially, my plan was a basic pincer move. I would herd my enemy from his corner, down to where my reserves would be coming on, and we would meet in the middle. This plan worked almost perfectly.

I could tell that this opponent was not as familiar with the Blood Angles codex as he would have liked. He didn't know that Vindies were fast, and how the Psychic powers worked. I advanced into his lines, and he was hesitant to strike against me, holding Astaroth and his squad back. One of his LRCs was immobilized the first turn, and while his fire neutralized the Vindies with stuns and shakings, he kept pouring fire into them, letting everything else into close contact with troops. My Terminators ended up killing his Devs, Astaroth, and his squad, while my attack bikes and LRC pummeled his Land Speeders into submission. He did pop my Librarian dread first thing with his podded dread, but, for the most part, I kept everything intact and functioning. What did not work on my end was meltas vs his second LRC. It happened to be parked near an objective, and cost me the Massacre. Major Win, with three points.

Second game had me playing against Trevor, an Iron Fist Leagueer, who was also using an Asteroth BA list. 3 Storm Ravens, Death Company, DC Dreads, Furiosos, Lemartes, a partridge in a pear tree... I won the toss to got first or second, and I went second, keeping everything in reserve. As I began to trickle in on the second turn, I ended up with my double melta squad DSing onto a Storm Raven (Yes, I know, even with DoA), but beyond that, I got about a third of the force in. I pulled them onto the extreme right flank, hoping to mitigate the left-most storm raven and a libby furioso. It was very touch and go at first, with my casualties mounting quickly. But the tide turned with Trevor moved a Storm Raven near the board's edge to get a rear shot against my Vindie, and ended up killing it. The next turn, I surrounded its base, and wrecked it. Since he had to deploy, and there was nowhere else to go... There went a DC dread and the only other scoring troop in the game. I killed off about 500-600 points in one blow. From there, I mopped up. Trevor was jovial throughout, and a great opponent. He ended up giving me the Massacre, and two bonus points were earned in addition.

That placed me in a very good position to take one of the top three spots. I ended up facing Damien Greene, who I played in the last 'ard Boyz as well. It was a hard fought, and fantastic game. Damien and I fought tooth and nail the entire time, and shook hands at the end. He was running a Kahn bike list, with three Twin-linked AC Dreads, an Inquisitor with Tarot, three bike squads, three thunderfire cannons, two inquisitorial melta storm troopers in rhinos, and two landspeeder typhoon squadrons. He castled center, and I came in from my side deployment, all in at once. I defeated myself. I thought I could take out his melta storm troopers in the rhinos, but it was all for naught. They popped both my vindicators in the second turn. It turned that area into a parking lot. After that, I got bogged down in assault, which Khan left over and over with his hit and run. It was frustrating as all hell. His thunderfires kept pinging me to death. Over six weary turns, he killed all but 310 points of my list, where I didn't even get quite through half of his. My TH/SS terminators were rockstars, though. They survived almost until the last turn, and ended up chasing Khan and his squad off, earning me my one lonely point for this round.

Total Score: 43 points, Damien took first, Logan Payne took second, and Scooter scoot, scoot, scooted into third.

Of Tournaments and (Little Tiny) Men

2010-06-11T06:08:00.000-07:00

Games Workshop has posted their final revisions for the 'ard Boyz Scenarios, which can be found here.

So, what do I think about them? They're clearly slanted towards assault based armies. Considering I'm taking Blood Angels, I'm strangely okay with that. I've made plans for all three missions, which I will not reveal until later, for obvious reasons. Bwah-ha-hah.

Also of note, I am strongly considering the Nova Open. The internet buzz seems fairly positive, and the Tournament Organizer's dedication to balance in both scenario and prize support seems dead on. I've invited my teammates from Team Banzai; let's see if they want to play along.

All this will be prep for the Team Tourney and Championships at Adepticon, which I'm really looking forward to participating in. Oh, I have plans within plans for the Team Tourney... Bwah-ha-haha-hah. All secret of course, I passed the reality check course at villains school, and I won't be monologuing my plans to you all.

Oh, and then there's Games Day as well. I'm attending on behalf of a gentleman in Chicago who can not make it to Baltimore, but still wants the Games Day model. Oh, if I must. Since it's likely to be the last one in Baltimore, I think it'll be good to attend. I've heard rumors that next year it will be in Vegas, which would not offend me in the slightest. I did fairly well with craps last time I was out there, so I might have to add dice rolling to my rolling dice hobby. Games Day would be a lot better with cocktail waitresses, to be sure.

Mark Your Calendars Now

2010-06-10T21:28:00.000-07:00

To quote Shang Tsung: IT HAS BEGUN!

As per Adepticon's site.

It’s time to mark your calendar and start making travel plans, because on April 1st, 2011, AdeptiCon will return to the Chicagoland area for our NINTH year of miniature wargaming excitement! Once again, the Westin Lombard Yorktown Center will be hosting AdeptiCon, providing a home for the one weekend that brings together those of us who are passionate about the miniature wargaming hobby.

Last year over 1200 hobbyists took part in the fellowship, excitement, and enthusiasm that has earned AdeptiCon its reputation as the “can’t miss” event of the year for the miniature wargamers across the country and the globe. We brought back our traditional Games Workshop favorites, and expanded our lineup of events to include new core gaming systems, such as Privateer Press’s Warmachine and Hordes, and Battlefront’s Flames of War. You can expect all of our core gaming systems to return, with a lineup of both traditional AdeptiCon signature events as well as new, exciting challenges.

Registration will begin this fall, so stay tuned for more updates!

Mark your calendars and put in for vaction now.

Tweaked 'ard Boyz list for this Saturday

2010-06-09T11:05:00.000-07:00

With this list, I have a heavy assault Death Star in the TH/SS Terminators, I have 4-7 troops units for claiming objectives, two hoods for Psy defense, three melta units for anti-tank, a twin AC dread for pinging troop transports at range. I'm going to attempt to try it today or tomorrow and see how effective it is.

Flesh Tearers 4th Company Blood Angels

HQ
Reclusiarch	Power Fist	145
Librarian	Unleash Rage Shield of Sanginus Epistolary	150


Troops
Assault Squad, 10	Sgt Cost Power Fist Flamer Flamer	225
Assault Squad, 10	Sgt Cost Power Fist Melta Melta	235
Assault Squad, 9	Sgt Cost Power Fist Remove jump packs Melta Gun Rhino Searchlight	223
Assault Squad, 10	Sgt Cost Power Fist Flamer Flamer	225


Elites
Sanguinary Priests, 2	Jump pack	125
Assault Terminators, 7	Lightning Claws x2 Thunder Hammers x 5 Land Raider Crusader Multi-Melta Searchlight	566
Furioso Dreadnaught, 1	Librarian Dreadnought Wings of Sanguinous Might of Heroes	175

Heavy Support
Vindicator, 1	Siege Shield	155
Vindicator, 1	Siege Shield	155
Dreadnought, 1	Twin-linked Auto-cannon Twin-linked Auto-cannon Searchlight	121

Points Summary:
HQ:	295
Troops:	908
Elites:	866
Fast Attack:	0
Heavy Support:	431
Total:	2500

Battlefoam makes foam for ALL your gaming needs!

2010-06-08T16:01:00.000-07:00

I think that Battlefoam has just won the foam wars.

A friend of mine from the Freebootaz, Brother Grimm, has ordered this particular gaming accessory from Romeo and his company, who make custom foam inserts to your specifications. This is in addition to their expansive line of trays for their own bags, and their foam trays available for Sabol and GW style cases.

And no, they're not compensating me in any way.

Building an Ard Boyz list, an excercise in theory...

2010-06-08T11:33:00.000-07:00

Since this Saturday isn't the real Ard Boyz for me (playing in the "consolation" tournament here.) I though I would theory out a list in public to show how I rationalize a list, and look for any comments towards my method.

Basically, I look for three elements in a list:

1) Good anti-tank
2) Good Long Range Shooting
3) A decent assault element or two (or three)

After playtesting Saturday, I settled on a "core" of my list:

10-man Tactical Squad w/ Meltagun, Lascannon, Powerweapon in Assault Cannon Razorback = 290
10-man Tactical Squad w/ Meltagun, Lascannon, Powerweapon in Assault Cannon Razorback = 290
Predator w/ Autocannon, Lascannon Sponsons, Dozerblade = 140
Predator w/ Autocannon, Lascannon Sponsons, Dozerblade = 140
Stormraven w/ Twin-linked Lascannon, Twin-linked Multimelta, Hurricane Bolters, Extra Armor = 245

The troops are a little pricey, but there is something to be said with having 7 Lascannons on the table. I found that Blood Angels really need decent anti-tank at range, to help disrupt the enemy enough to fight on their terms. People may disagree but Lascannons are important still...

So, that starts me off at 1105 with no HQs just yet.

I am a little light on anti-infantry, and I have two Heavy Flamer Razorbacks dieing to be used. Assault Marines are a great way to get two more Razorbacks (and two more scoring units) on the table. Since I get a discount, and I am already paying a premium for the Tactical Squads Razorbacks, I think it is time for a split.

So now my scoring "core" is:

10-man Tactical Squad w/ Meltagun, Lascannon, Powerweapon in Heavy Flamer Razorback = 255
10-man Tactical Squad w/ Meltagun, Lascannon, Powerweapon in Heavy Flamer Razorback = 255
5-man Assault Squad w/ Flamer, Powerweapon in Assault Cannon Razorback = 175
5-man Assault Squad w/ Flamer, Powerweapon in Assault Cannon Razorback = 175

That is only 860 in a 2500 point list, and a potential of 6 scoring units.

Now I am at 1385 for all the troops, and the heavy support section.

Still no HQ though. My list is tracking shooty, so I think it's time to add some assault elements. Most of the Blood Angel Characters are assault characters, save regular Tycho (which would be my choice is a shooty from hell list). I am not a big fan of Mephiston, though he is a beast, I get screwed against Eldar and Space Wolves. The Sanguinor is a favorite of mine, but he doesn't really "gel" with the core of this list, most of my sergeants are going to be in transports most of the game, so his blessing will be lost.

No, I think we need Dante. If I include Powers in my list, I can limit some of the other armies defense, and some "hidden" characters suffer from his rule.

So if I include Dante, what support do I give him? I think his best support is squad with Jump Packs to capitalize on his special ability. I have plenty of scoring units, so I don't need troops sanguinary guard (and Death Company may need a place...) so I am going with Honor Guard, mainly for their "free" sanguinary priest that can't be targeted.

So my typical build for Honor Guard have been refined to this:

5 Honor Guard w/ Jump Packs, Sanguinary Novitiate, 2 Lightning Claw/ Storm Shield, 2 Meltaguns = 235

To further add to the "fun", I like to include a second HQ in a Jump Pack Librarian, as far as powers go, how about "Unleash Rage" to boast Dante and the Honor Guard, and "Blood Lance" to further the tank firepower.

Protip: Blood Lance doesn't have a target so you can draw a line in another direction then what the unit actually fires at.

So this combo costs a mighty 585. A little much, but worth it.

That puts us at 1970. A little close to our "ceiling".

I feel like another assault element is needed, plus I need something in that Stormraven.

I haven't touched the elites yet, and I also have Death Company as an option. Elites can go quickly, and I think at this point level, I need some Sanguinary Guard to buff the amount of probably 5 man squads my list has. Terminators seem fun, but I think I already have the "quality" assault unit in the Honor Guard.

Basically, it comes down to whether I want to include Corbulo. Corbulo and 2 cheap Sanguinary Guard puts me at 2175. A little tight to fit the Stormraven element (which I want to be an assault element and a Dreadnought).

To hell with it, they are in the list.

325 left...

Death Company would be nice, but I can't field them without a Chaplain, and that would burn the rest of my points.

But of course I feel the same way towards Terminators.

Since the Dreadnought is going to be a Blood Talons Dreadnought, it comes down to Furioso versus Death Company.

I think the Death Company Dreadnought is more important in this equation, namely for it's ability to fleet off the Stormraven. Being in the transport prevents rage from being a liability, and in this equation more reliable delivery matters.

Making that choice will put me over, as I don't feel comfortable fielding the Death Company outside of this configuration:

Chaplain = 100
8-man Death Company w/ Thunderhammer, 2 Power weapons, 5 Bolters = 220
Death Company Dreadnought w/ Blood Talons, Heavy Flamer = 135

Total = 455

which puts me over by 130. I think Corbulo is a luxury and should be dropped.

So that is 25 over. Hmmm....

There isn't anything I really want to drop. So making the sacrifice to make this list work is going to be a hard decision.

Let's add it up again for good measure:

Dante = 225
Librarian w/ Unleash Rage, Blood Lance, Jump Pack = 125
5 Honor Guard w/ Jump Packs, Sanguinary Novitiate, 2 Lightning Claw/ Storm Shield, 2 Meltaguns = 235
2 Sanguinary Priests = 100
Chaplain = 100
8-man Death Company w/ Thunderhammer, 2 Power weapons, 5 Bolters = 220
Death Company Dreadnought w/ Blood Talons, Heavy Flamer = 135
10-man Tactical Squad w/ Meltagun, Lascannon, Powerweapon in Heavy Flamer Razorback = 255
10-man Tactical Squad w/ Meltagun, Lascannon, Powerweapon in Heavy Flamer Razorback = 255
5-man Assault Squad w/ Flamer, Powerweapon in Assault Cannon Razorback = 175
5-man Assault Squad w/ Flamer, Powerweapon in Assault Cannon Razorback = 175
Predator w/ Autocannon, Lascannon Sponsons, Dozerblade = 140
Predator w/ Autocannon, Lascannon Sponsons, Dozerblade = 140
Stormraven w/ Twin-linked Lascannon, Twin-linked Multimelta, Hurricane Bolters, Extra Armor = 245

Total = 2525

Let's nickle and dime this a little.

What if we swap the Power Weapons on the Tactical Sergents to Combi-weapons. Puts basically another Melta in that squad and cuts 10 points.

Next up, lets drop the dozer blades from the Predators, I think that matter more on the Baals.

So 20 points saved. 5 points left to drop. I will drop a meltagun from the Honor Guard. Hurts, but between Dante's pistol and Blood Lance, it isn't absolutley necessary. Since I have plenty of shooty elements, I may need some searchlights for Dawn of War. 5 searchlights on 5 tanks puts me at exactly 2500.

So here is the final list:

-HQ-

Dante = 225

Librarian w/ Unleash Rage, Blood Lance, Jump Pack = 125

5 Honor Guard w/ Jump Packs, Sanguinary Novitiate, 2 Lightning Claw/ Storm Shield, Meltagun = 225

-Elites-

2 Sanguinary Priests = 100

Chaplain = 100

-Troops-

8-man Death Company w/ Thunderhammer, 2 Power weapons, 5 Bolters = 220

Death Company Dreadnought w/ Blood Talons, Heavy Flamer = 135

10-man Tactical Squad w/ Meltagun, Lascannon, Combi-melta in Heavy Flamer Razorback = 250

10-man Tactical Squad w/ Meltagun, Lascannon, Combi-melta in Heavy Flamer Razorback = 250

5-man Assault Squad w/ Flamer, Powerweapon in Assault Cannon Razorback, Searchlight = 176

5-man Assault Squad w/ Flamer, Powerweapon in Assault Cannon Razorback, Searchlight = 176

-Heavy Support-

Predator w/ Autocannon, Lascannon Sponsons, Searchlight= 136

Predator w/ Autocannon, Lascannon Sponsons, Searchlight= 136

Stormraven w/ Twin-linked Lascannon, Twin-linked Multimelta, Hurricane Bolters, Extra Armor, Searchlight = 246

Total = 2500

Let's see how it does. Thoughts?

Even More Progress

2010-06-07T21:53:00.000-07:00

My vindicator now has a brother to attend battles with him.

Vindicator #2 has a green blood drop on him, indicating that it is from the 4th company's motor pool. According to the old background, the Flesh Tearers have only 4 companies left due to constant attrition, so this is from that last Company, as are all my Flesh Tearers. Of course, the green drop is the one for which GW doesn't make a transfer, so I have to hand paint all of mine. I wanted to weather the paint on both the Siege Shields, as I tend to make great use of them. These tanks get run through every stand of trees on the table, it seems. At some point, I'll have to weather the tanks as well.

Speaking of green blood drops, I've made a bit of progress on the Librarian Dread as well. I didn't like the highlights I did on him, so I glazed over them with some Red Ink mixed with a touch of Devlan Mud. It got me the right tone, but it left him too glossy for my liking. I'm hoping to find a decent matte sealer to tone him down.

Sanguinary Guard WIP

2010-06-06T13:01:00.000-07:00

I'm going against the traditional* paint scheme to better match my Flesh Tearer painted Dante (who was my Seth before they had a Seth model/rules). They'll have black wings and shoulder pads, and golden death masks.

I don't know if I'll use the unit, but damn do these models look pretty**. This is my second layer of red over black. The total process is Mechrite->Scab Red->Red Gore->Blood Red->Baal Red.

The base on the model is one that I cast myself, and has a pin in it to give it the appearance of flying.

*Traditional, aka, invented by GW a few months ago.

**That's a compliment to the sculptors, not to my very much WIP paint job, mind you.

Hive of Activity (Works in Progress)

2010-06-02T22:48:00.000-07:00

I've been getting things together for this week's Tournament @ Blob Park, and since it's a "paint optional" event, I don't have to get things together for it.

But it still feels better having a cohesive looking army on the board. To that end, I've been working on getting things painted if I can make the tourney.

You can click on any of the images, and it'll take you to the image's dakka page, where you can see it full sized, and even zoom in on things. Dakka's Gallery is free for members, and membership to Dakka is free. So, win.

These terminators are not fully highlighted, and are missing lens work on the two in the back. Plus, My Baal Red wash got all shiny. I'll have to dullcoat them at some point.

I need to work on the siege shield, the smoke stacks, and the cupola gun, but otherwise, we're done with this one. I still have to finish another one, though.

This is nowhere near done, paint job wise, but I like how the conversion came out.

All metal bodies + all plastic arms means I pinned each of them. There's nothing worse than hunting for missing body parts.

These High Priests are pretty much done, except for basing and a few touch ups.

Battle For Blob's Park

2010-06-01T19:47:00.000-07:00

This weekend, the Battle For Blob's Park is happening in Jessup, MD.

For 40k, they're having a 2000 point 4 round tournament. This is all taking place in Blob's Park, which has a German Beer Garden attached to the park. Let me restate that: GERMAN BEER GARDEN. Players of all ages will be allowed, and those of an appropriate age will be wrist banded and allowed to have a frosty adult beverage on hand. There is a camp ground on site for those who wish to spend the night.

Pro-Tip: If you have any interest in going, now would be a good time to sign up. Sign up by visiting the above link.

The Schedule is as follows:

8:00AM-8:30 AM – Check In

9:00AM – 11:30PM Round 1

11:30AM – 12:15PM LUNCH ON SITE

12:30PM – 3:00PM Round 2

3:30PM – 6:00PM Round 3

6:00PM – 7:00PM DINNER ON SITE

7:00PM – 9:30PM Round 4

9:45-10:30 – Awards and PRIZES!!

11:00PM – Movie, Popcorn, BEVERAGES! (BYOB)

There is rumored to mucho grande swag, and I hope the Inner Circle does not disappoint.

FTW Games

2010-05-29T22:40:00.000-07:00

There's a new sheriff in town! And by "sheriff", I mean store, and by "town", I mean Richmond, VA.

It looks like a nice store; I hope some of my more southerly friends check it out.

Not-so-Serious Soap Box: Smoking is bad for your habit.

2010-05-29T22:34:00.000-07:00

I'm all for individual freedoms, but I'm all for people realizing the costs of their bad habits. And the bad habit I want to talk about is the big daddy: smoking. I've never smoked myself, beyond the odd bummed clove while drinking. The main reason was that I was too cheap. And smoking is stupid expensive in the long run. Let me illustrate it for you.

One of the fellows on the Freebootaz forum quit smoking for six months, and with his savings, was able to buy the following:

A Chaos Warhound and 2 turbolaser arms
2 Renegade IG Conversion Kits
1 Renegade IG Enforcer kit
1 Renegade IG Priests
2 Shadowsword kits
3 Manticore/deathstrike kits
1 Basalisk Kit
1 Wii

Just think about that amount of stuff. That's just six months after quitting. Don't make the decision for health or whatever else. Make the decision to quit because of the shiny stuff you'll get otherwise.

A breakdown of the 'ard Boyz winners from 38 Tournaments

2010-05-28T11:46:00.000-07:00

So, I was looking at Dakka's "How did you do" thread, and I was compiling the results for 38 different tournaments just to get a sense of what I'd be facing in the upcoming semi-finals.

Here's what I found. To get these numbers, I took a look at the winners of the 38 tournaments and assigned 3 quality points to the 1st place winner, 2 quality points to the second place winner, and 1 quality point to the third place winner. I then added the total quality points earned and then divided that total by the total number of times the race placed. For example, the Blood Angels placed 8 times in 38 tournaments, once in 1st (3 points), four times in 2nd (8 points), and thrice in 3rd place (3 points). Divide that by 8 times they appeared nets you an 1.75 quality points.

Here they are broken down in a more raw form:

Nids were surprising, as they placed 19 times out of the 38 x 3 positions available, making them the most populous of all the winners. We'll likely see more of them. Orks were not a surprise, as people were using them to meta the dreaded third scenario. I didn't expect my beloved Blood Angels to fall so low, not did I expect the IG to be so high, considering the internet babble about the death of the Dreaded Leafblower build. The numbers show that people still have trouble with that build.

Also, what the hell are daemons doing there?

EDIT:

I forgot to add the population totals from the orginal post, and I think it's vital to the discussion:

Army Total Population out 114 places

Nids -19 - 16.6%

IG - 13 - 11.4%

Daemons - 5 - 4.4%

Eldar - 6 - 5.3%

Orks - 17 - 14.9%

Wolves - 9 - 7.9%

Dark Eldar - 5 - 4.4%

Tau - 4 - 3.5%

Blood Angels - 8 - 7%

CSM - 10 - 8.8%

Black Templar - 3 - 2.6%

Marines - 9 - 7.9%

Vulkan - 4 - 3.5%

Dark Angels - 1 - .8%

Necrons - 1 - .8%

The numbers just above show raw success regardless of place. These numbers assume that the semi's are your only goal, and that success in reaching them is your only concern. I think that's a poor goal to set. It's far better to choose an army that will allow for greater success. In other words, it's better to be vying for first and just get second than to have to battle it out for third.

Doe you beleive that this trend toward Nid, Ork and IG success was caused by Scenario Three? Or do these scores show people's "first choice" armies?

What are your thoughts?

Part Three of Stories of the 42nd

2010-05-27T19:10:00.000-07:00

Continued from Part Two

Lt. Revkin peered over the lip of the trench in a vain search for the hidden snipers. He'd heard of them before from his men. "Always deadly, never seen," had been the words of the Angel Company quartermaster he had been grifting over a game of tarok. The fat bastard was right. I can't get a bead on them. How do you kill an enemy you can't tell apart from the trees... Then it hit him. Ducking down into the trench, he tapped his combead to link him to his driver.

"Chimera 1, Chimera 1, come in! We need those woods torched. Enemy snipers ahead. Repeat, Enemy snipers ahead. Relay word to the 57th, and tell them we need Colossus fire 50 yards forward of your position". The driver's acknowledgment was almost drowned out by the roar of promethium from the Chimera's flamer. "Dyalov, we're moving out to rejoin the others. Keep to the trench." Out of the corner of his eye, Revkin though he caught movement, but when he turned, all he saw was more mud and brambles, lit by the purifying light of the flamer. Making the sign of the Aquila as a protection against evil, he moved on.

************

Precious good that's gonna do you here, iceboy, thought the collection of brambles. Of course, it's just that kind of blasphemy that got me here in the first place. The smoke from the forest fire began to itch his throat as much as the explosive collar he wore itched his neck. The voice of Penal Sgt. Killgore called out over the combeads he and his fellow Legionnaires wore. "Time to earn your penance, squad. Rejoice in His Mercy. Let's move up and find those snipers." The blasphemer knew that to remind the Sgt. that there was artillery fire coming in would be meaningless. The Sgt. was as dedicated as any Commissar, and merciless as an Ork warboss. Just about as bright, too. Whoever assigned a Catachan Penal Sgt. to a Valhallan regiment must have been one cruel son of a bitch.

The eight of them, the ones that survived the infiltration into the woods, moved cautiously forward. As they advnaced, they gave each other mutual cover, leap-frogging between whatever pieces of rock and stump the forest provided. Their orange jumpsuits and ill-fitting flack vests were covered in mud, giving lifesaving concealment to those that deserved none. They moved with collar-enforced discipline through the undergrowth, seeking out the xenos who might stall the 42nd's advance. The woman ahead of him, charged with murdering a superior officer over a card game, scanned the forest from behind a tree stump. Not well enough. he thought, as the rapist behind him was taken down. Just as well, no one liked him anyway. The murderer popped off a few shots at random, and was just as surprised as anyone was when she heard an answering scream. Killgore pointed unerringly in its direction. "Maybe 20 yards ahead! GO! GO! GO!"

And there was no argument. The seven sprinted forward, firing at random, hoping to hit another ghost hiding in front of them. Grenades, why don't they give us grenades! Killgore, the murderer and he were the first to break their way into the clearing. The sudden brightness and stillness stunned them all. After months in on this gray sump of a planet, the sudden riot of color they saw was almost too much to take. An arch of bleach white bone dominated the clearing, glowing and pulsing. Surrounding that were a council of the xenos witches, their attentions focused on the arch. Eldar troops walked beneath the arch, only to disappear. The murderer broke the silence. "They're retreating." Killgore tapped his combead, relaying their position to command.

Killgore turned to the seven penitents. "We have a clear duty. We must kill the witches before they all can escape. For the Emperor..." was all he could get out before a trickle of blood appeared on his lips. The trickle became a torrent, as an Eldar they had not seen appeared behind him. Clad in a riot of color, shifting and whirling, the Eldar disposed of Killgore's corpse in the manner reminiscent of a dance step, that is if your partner was a broken doll. The dancing Eldar turned to the shocked penitents just as they had begun to raise their weapons. A quartet of Eldar, similarly clad and masked, appeared around the six remaining humans. The dancers slapped the weapons from human's hands, and as they did, the penitents heard a familiar sound echo from the leader's mask. It was the scream that lead them into the trap. It ended in a mocking note as the five xenos fell upon them. It was the last sound they ever heard.

Rebuttal: The Autolas Predator

2010-05-26T07:19:00.000-07:00

Much to my chagrin, I still read Stelek's Blog "Yes the Truth Hurts", mainly because the lack of good competitive analysis on the internet is a frustration of mine, and only a few spots actually have it. One of them being "Yes the Truth Hurts", even if you have to wade through Stelek's off putting and overly critical nature.

I could post my rebuttal on the comments section of Stelek's blog, but what is the fun of being a contributor to a blog if you can't write an article or two.

This article is in response to Stelek's article he posted concerning the Autocannon / Lascannon Sponson Predator(known as the Autolas Pred) and it's use in the Blood Angels codex, specifically in relation to a directly competing choice the two twin-linked Autocannon Dreadnought (know as the "Rifleman" Dread).

It's a good read, and he makes some excellent points. You can read it here:

http://www.yesthetruthhurts.com/2010/05/blood-angels-analysis-autolas-vs.html

Essentially his argument boils down to these points, that puts the Rifleman Dread above the Autolas Pred:

1. The Predator is overpriced because it doesn't fully utilize it's fast status and is to static in a Blood Angels list that relies on speed.

2. Eldar have better fast moving tanks then Space Marines, and Space Marines shouldn't act like Eldar.

3. It doesn't have a high side armor and is more prone to die quicker to side shots. Versus Eldar the higher front AV means nothing.

4. Cracking heavy armor is unnecessary in that slot considering Assault Squads with Meltaguns.

5. You can accomplish the same task the Autolas does with other slots and save Heavy Support slots for other things.

They are not bad points, but I think the point of including the Autolas Predator is lost a little in this article.

The majority of this article compares the Blood Angels to Eldar, which I think is a misnomer. Obviously having Fast Vehicles does not make Blood Angels Eldar. Marines are still Marines and play the same. The only thing Blood Angels do is promote a fast moving glass hammer aspect to units that are accustomed to being more "take all comers". The role of an Autolas Predator in a Blood Angels list in not the same roll as a Falcon or Wave Serpent in an Eldar list, and the Autolas shouldn't be trying to accomplish the same role.

Comparing the two units (the rifleman and the autolas) is a good comparison point because you are more likely to take one of the other. So let's compare them.

The Autolas Predator is 135, 140 if you include a Dozerblade (and at tht price, why not).

The Rifleman Dread is 120. 135 if you take extra armor, which is more appealing to a Dreadnought then a tank.

Both units provide the same role, long range fire support for an army that is best played aggressively. This is a critical function, as an assault army losses a lot of efficiency if the opponents guns run unmolested for even a single turn.

The Predator has +1 Armor on the Front, but -1 on the sides. Has a slightly bigger profile so it is a little harder to get cover then a dreadnought, but not by a significant number. The Dreadnought has a higher profile on it's guns, but generally, if your opponent knows what he is doing, you are probably shooting at something in cover anyways. All of this is not a significant argument for me to dismiss either as the better choice.

Both have the same move and fire potential at 6". The Predator has the ability to move flat out for last minute objective contesting if it needs to, but we are not Eldar, we should only consider that as a last resort action. The Predator can move 12" and fire a single weapon, but that seems to be a waste to move and intentionally limit the fore power it puts out, and should only be done, again, if absolutely necessary. The Dreadnought on the plus side can tie units up in close combat, but the con of that is that the Dreadnought in no longer shooting, the Predator can easily move away and fire again, if ever charged.

So ultimately both units in optimal situations will be moving 6" and firing almost all the time.

The real question is and will always be, is a higher front armor and 2 Autocannons, 2 Lascannons worth 15 points more then a lower front armor and 4 twin-linked autocannon shots.

Let's look at damage output for each against common targets (for the sake of argument, I am going with front armor on all targets, and cover for all targets, my opinion, worst case scenario is always the best judge):

Against a Chimera:

Autolas:
2 Autocannon Shots hit 1.32 times, of those hits, 0.22 Penetrate, 0.11 Get's Past Cover
2 Lascannon Shots hit 1.32 times. of those hits, 0.66 Penetrate, 0.33 Get's Past Cover
Total 0.44 chance of Penetrating

Rifleman Dread:
4 Autocanno Shots hit 2.64 times, plus 0.89 for twin-linked, equals 3.53 hits, 0.56 Penetrate, 0.28 Gets past Cover
Total 0.28 chance of Penetrating

Against a Rhino:

Autolas:
2 Autocannon Shots hit 1.32 times, of those hits, 0.44 Penetrate, 0.22 Get's Past Cover
2 Lascannon Shots hit 1.32 times. of those hits, 0.87Penetrate, 0.44 Get's Past Cover
Total 0.66 chance of Penetrating

Rifleman Dread:
4 Autocanno Shots hit 2.64 times, plus 0.89 for twin-linked, equals 3.53 hits, 1.16 Penetrate, 0.58 Gets past Cover
Total 0.58 chance of Penetrating

In each instance, the higher strength of the Lascannons make all the difference. And should we go into the amount of tanks in the game that a Rifleman Dread can't even hurt? Like Russ chasis and Monoliths? How about Tyranid Monstrous Creatures? Most of the time they will not stand to concentrated Lascannon fire in conjunction with other shooting, but they can easily handle Autocannons that grant them their saves. And my last point is Valkries/ Vendettas/ Storm Ravens which are big models on a tall stand that rarely get cover. The higher strength matters much versus them.

To me, this points out why the Predator is worth the 15 point difference. That doesn't make the Rifleman Dread bad by any stretch of the imagination, but the higher strength and low AP of the sponsons keeps is as a competitive choice in my opinion.

On last argument, part of Stelek's anti predator argument was this little jem.

"When deploying your army on the long board edge, you should put a Predator in each corner. This allows you to cover midfield and keep your higher front armor against the enemy. This will let you fire into side arcs of any vehicle that crosses into midfield, with at least one Predator. The other will likely be firing into the front arc, which may or may not matter. For Chimeras and Battlewagons, it does. For most other units, it does not. Oddly enough, the only Predator you'll be shooting in the side armor, will be...a Blood Angels Predator."

I think that argument is ultimately very situational. Namely one point I have is that you will not have pitched battle deployment in every mission. In Dawn of War, you can move on to cover the field like that, but in Spearhead, it is nearly impossible without burning movement to set that up.

Side shots are nice, but not necessary. As I pointed out, against most targets, the higher strength of the Predator allows it to still have a reasonable chance to penetrate even from the front. Also with the ability to move and fire, I can still get side shots on things with minimal effort. If I was worried about my opponent shooting me in the side, I would be more then willing to either move behind cover and/or still keep my front facing to the enemy and shot only a single lascannon at my target.

As he eloquently pointed out, Blood Angels have plenty of opportunity to bust hard armor. The role of the Autolas and the Rifleman is to shake/stun armor on your approach to an IG gunline, or to eliminate aggressive armor coming your way that will more then likely be in light armored transports. In that regard, my opinion is that the Predator is superior in that task. Especially combined with the necessary support elements.

If you are fielding Dreadnoughts in a Blood Angels army that aren't Librarian Dreads, they need to have Blood Talons, but more on that later.

The Fun Army

2010-05-24T22:07:00.000-07:00

At this point I have four fully purchased (but not fully painted) 40k Armies, my Flesh Tearers (Blood Angels), my Celestial Lions (Codex Marines), my Valhallan 42nd Imperial Guard, and last, but not least, is the Host of Hope's Demise, an all Nurgle based Epidemius army, full of Nurglings, Plague Bearers, and assorted corpse yellow goodness. The 42nd and the Flesh Tearers are competitive minded, and I consider the Celestial Lions and the Host as "for fun".

What makes a "fun" army? That's the nebulous part, since fun is different for everyone. For me, the fun army is one built with form over function. You have to look at the army and say "Yes, that makes sense from what I know of the background of 40k.", not "How the hell did he shoehorn that nonsense in?".

In that mind, I created a list that I still think will win games, but due to thematic elements, will likely have vulnerabilities that most tournament savvy players will exploit.

Host of Hope's Demise - Chaos Daemons

HQ
Epidemius 110
Great Unclean One Cloud of Flies Aura of Decay 185

Troops
Plague Bearers, 7 Chaos Icon 130
Plague Bearers, 14 Chaos Icon 235
Nurglings, 7 91
Nurglings, 7 91
Nurglings, 7 91
Nurglings, 7 91

Heavy Support
Daemon Prince, 1 Wings Iron Hide Mark of Nurgle Cloud of Flies Noxious Touch Daemonic Gaze 235
Daemon Prince, 1 Wings Iron Hide Mark of Nurgle Cloud of Flies Noxious Touch Daemonic Gaze 235

Points Summary:
HQ: 295
Troops: 729
Elites: 0
Fast Attack: 0
Heavy Support: 470
Total: 1494

So, we have an army that's random, and controlled by the whim of the Chaos Gods, but if the right wave comes in first, it will start murdering any ground troops available, adding to the Tally of Nurgle straight off. Then, when the Nurglings come in, the little nasties will hopefully have Noxious Touch straight off, and will be wounding on a 2+ in close combat. This army is highly vulnerable to mech, with only three models being able to pop armor (the two daemon princes, and the Great Unclean One). Any high toughness foot army needs to watch out, though! So that's nids and Eldar Iyanden Armies, then, I suppose. For that exact reason, it's not exactly a take all comers list, but it makes for great moments. Moments like nurglings murdering a Bloodthirster in close combat because they wound on 2+ with no armor save. Just avoid Sisters Of Battle and Vulkan Marines. Template weapons will clear you out in a hurry.

Board Games, Card Games and you

2010-05-24T07:31:00.000-07:00

Thanks to Twitter, I now know Fantasy Flight has put their new trailer for the Horus Heresy up, which can be seen here.

Who knew we would live in an era where board game companies have trailers for their products? Let me state first and foremost that I have not received anything free from any games manufacturer. I think there's that law where you have to make that statement, right? Note to Fantasy Flight: I wouldn't be opposed if you did send me free stuff.

My friends Dom, Tony and Dustin often get together for a game night, where we pull out the board games and the various carbonated beverages and go to town. So, from time to time, I'll write up a review of some of my favorite games we've played, starting with one of my favorites: Cutthroat Caverns.

Published By: Smirk and Dagger Games
Play Style: Co-operative Betrayal (My Favorite Kind!)
Number of Players: 3-6
Playing Time: 1 hr. 30 Min.
Final Grade: A

The tagline on this game pretty much sums it up: "Without teamwork, you'll never survive. Without betrayal, you'll never win."

You play as one of a group of adventurers that has worked together before, and you've established that who ever kills the most monsters gets the first pick of the loot. You enter into the dungeon, smash your way into the inner sanctum at the center, and there you find it, the Ultimate Artifact of Incredible Power. Whoever gets first pick of the treasure will control the artifact and live a life of unfathomable luxury and ease. But the nine monsters between you and the dungeon's exit might have something to say about that...

So, how does this game work? The basic object is to be the living character with most prestige at then end of the last encounter. That person will claim the Ultimate Artifact for himself. Note, however, the emphasis on "living". Now, you're a party, so you can't just go killing your other teammates. Instead you might play cards that: force the monsters to attack them instead of you, give the the wonderful opportunity to act as a human shield for you, or cause their attacks backfire so badly, they injure themselves.

You can do that all you want, but of course, the other characters pale in comparison to the monsters you'll encounter. As a clever design feature, the monsters are scaled in power in relation to how many people start the game. What does that mean? If you start with six players, and you get two friends killed in encounter 2, the seven remaining monsters are going to be "6 Players" tough, not "4 players" tough. They'll wail on you so hard your grandmomma will cry. So you have to keep the other players around to keep your own sweet self alive. That is, of course, until the end of the game, when you can merrily frag them to your heart's content.

In the basic set all the characters are essentially the same. Whether you're slinging spells, wielding a blade, or backstabbing a monster, you all do damage based on the cards you secretly set in front of you. These cards get revealed in the order of initiative (which is based on separate cards randomly drawn each round). As cards are revealed, they're placed on a stack and are resolved in order. If there is a damage result that equals or exceeds the monster's current hit points, then the person who did the killing blow earns prestige based on the monster's difficulty. Not knowing what cards your friends have, you have to guess at what kind of cards they'll play. If the monster survives, he generally attacks one or more players for varying amounts of damage.

But you knew it wouldn't be that simple. Once those damage cards are set, you can use action cards from your hand to screw with everything. With the right cards, you can change the initiative of the players mid-round, you can discard a person's attack before it's revealed, you can double or halve a person's attack value, or cause them to fall on their own sword. Of course, there are cards to counter all those counter-cards. The exception to all these? If your character plays an attack card with his portrait on it, that attack card is privileged, and no-one can mess with it.

Since all the characters are generic, what makes this game shine? Simply put, the encounters and monsters are all uniquely fiendish. Each encounter card is different, and each one can elicit groans from the players. From the goblin who has been cursed with an on again, off again invulnerability, to the trap rooms, to the Cursed Paladin who gains life equal to the damage he does, each is wonderfully deadly. Every expansion to the game ends up adding more encounters to the deck, adding even more replayability. The expansions also add character abilities and additional magic items, adding to the player's power as the dungeon gets more deadly.

The cards of of good quality, and the production value is high. The artwork is excellent, and reflects the game's morbid humor quite well. This game will go well with the competitive player who has a sense of the tongue in cheek. People have called it a "more serious version of Munchkin", but I think that's an inapt comparison. Munchkin, while funny, isn't really that great of a game, and isn't really replayable over and over. I think Cutthroat really shines in comparison by being a tighter game. Most of us have played games of Munchkin that have 5 expansions shoe-horned into it. You never end up seeing all the cards, so half the jokes become wasted. Cutthroat's deck is more manageable, and it has more depth to it's play. I would thing that Cutthroat is a small box that would make a fine addition to any gamer's closet.

Product review - Armory Spray Primer.

2010-05-19T21:32:00.000-07:00

So, I usually use the Walmart brand Colorplace Flat Black, but I was at my local gaming store, and decided to pick up a black primer while I was there. My only gripe with the Colorplace spray is the fact that it isn't a true black; it's more of a dark grey.

They were selling the Armory spray at a very reasonable price for a specialized primer, and I picked it up.

I regret my purchase. My new vindicator is completely fuzzed, and I'm going to have to dip it to clear that gunk off of it. I did all the usual tricks: I shook it for a minute, sprayed a bit to get it going, and then used small sharp bursts. It worked for the GW primer back in the day, and it worked for Colorplace as well. It does not work for Armory at all.

The nozzle is now clogged with black gunk. It even had a ribbon of black pigment ooze out of the thing like one of those crappy black snake things you give to kids that you can't trust with sparklers.

So, in short, don't buy this product.

New Additions to the Flesh Tearers

2010-05-19T14:30:00.000-07:00

I received some Sanguinary Guard as part of my 'ard Boyz winnings, and I thought I'd pose them to be "in flight". I cast some resin bases up for them, and then cut the rubble from the bottom of the feet to add the post (a paper-clip). I then added some Green Stuff and piping to my Librarian Dread.

My plan is to paint the Sanguinary Guard in an atypical paint scheme: red bodies, black wings and shoulder pads, and gold death masks. That will match my painted Dante model.

I can't say enough about these models. They really expand the boundaries of what I thought was possible in terms of plastic detail. They'll be a real pleasure to paint.

Why Size Doesn't Matter.

2010-05-19T06:40:00.000-07:00

Hello, Mahu here, new contributor to this Blog.

I want to address a disconcerting trend in recent discussions on the internet and all over, the matter of point costs.

Some argue that lower point games, specifically, 1500 to the 1850 range allows "tighter" army lists, and therefore require the player to be forced to think more tactically about their choices and actions within games.

The most famous posts advocating this has been Tastytaste's Blood of Kittens Website:

http://bloodofkittens.com/?p=3230

Others, more notable Stelek on his "Yes the Truth Hurts" Blog, advocated that games need to be around a minimum of 2000 points in order for the full potential of the game to be realized, and allow players access to all the "toys" their codex has to offer.

http://www.yesthetruthhurts.com/2009/03/points-levels.html

I think both arguments have merit, but I also think both arguments fail to grasp the simple concept of a restrictive points system.

You can't have everything.

There is always going to be that unit, that symmetry that you are looking for that will be hard to fit into any points cost. But the basics of list construction will always be the same.

1. Do you have decent anti-tank?
2. Do you have the ability to handle hordes?
3. Do you have proper scoring coverage?
4. How do you handle strong assault armies?
5. How do you handle strong shooty armies?
6. Does your list contain the four basic principals of good list design; Adaptability, Synergy, Redundancy, and Personal Preference? (More on this later).

The only thing that really changes at certain points levels are the units you use to accomplish those tasks.

For example, I am going to be playing in a 1500 point tournament this weekend with my Blood Angels. Here is the list I intend to bring:

-HQ-

Mephiston = 250

-Elites-

Furioso Dreadnought w/ Blood Talons, Meltagun, Heavy Flamer, Extra Armor in Drop Pod = 185

-Troops-

5-man Assault Squad w/ Flamer, Power Weapon in Razorback w/ Twin-linked Assault Cannon = 175

5-man Assault Squad w/ Flamer, Power Weapon in Razorback w/ Twin-linked Assault Cannon = 175

5-man Assault Squad w/ Meltagun, Power Weapon in Razorback w/ Twin-linked Heavy Flamer = 145

5-man Assault Squad w/ Meltagun, Power Weapon in Razorback w/ Twin-linked Heavy Flamer = 145

-Heavy Support-

Predator w/ Autocannon, 2 Lascannon Sponsons = 135

Predator w/ Autocannon, 2 Lascannon Sponsons = 135

Vindicator w/ Siege Shield = 155

I have a crap ton of shooting, plenty of scoring coverage, and two fairly decent assault elements. At this points level more "flavorful" units like Sanguinary Priests seem like a waste, especially when they are not adding anything much to the low model count of this list.

This is a competitive list to be sure.

Did the lower point level "force" me to not be as competitive? I really don't think so.

Did the lower point limit "weaken" my army? Again, I think not, it only changed my considerations in making my list.

If anything the lower point limit merely made my list a little more "one-dimensional", as the considerations and unit choices I had to make where almost made for me.

My preference is for the 1850 to 2000 point range. My feeling is that at the higher point level, you can be a little more liberal with how you create a balanced competitive list. For example, Sanguinary Guard and Dante feel much more at home in a higher point list then a small one.

Is there more room to spam in a higher points cost list? Sure, but as I showed you, no more so then in a lower point list.

So my end point is this, as to the argument of what point cost creates a higher test of skill, at what points cost creates a better "tighter" competition, I saw that ultimately it doesn't matter. A good player is a good player, and the fundamentals of list design does not change, no matter the points cost.

We can have our preferences, as I have shared mine, but at the end of the day that is all they are preference.

As our good Black Templar Player's remind us: "Accept Any Challenge, No Matter the Odds".

Brutal honesty

2010-05-17T20:06:00.000-07:00

"People who are brutally honest get more satisfaction out of the brutality than out of the honesty." - Richard J. Needham

Too often, the anonymity of the internet allows us to hide behind our jolly pirate nicknames. These faceless knaves look at lists posted on boards by underdeveloped hobbyists, and reply with savage intensity usually reserved for child molesters and line dancers.

But that's too easy. Tearing down someone serves no purpose. It's less than useful. Mentoring someone is hard, and it takes honesty and patience. The only reason I got into this hobby is because people took the time and the effort required to be mentors. The people who sheltered and nurtured my desire to participate were the ones who gave me honest appraisals of my lists (crap), my painting (still crap), and my generalship (better than it was). Without them, I might have missed out on 17 years of fun.

I'm not asking that people coddle anyone. What I'm asking for is a basic respect that you would give to any stranger on the street. Every list that gets attacked might push some 14 year-old kid out of the hobby, which hurts us all in the long run. Tell a kid honestly why you think his list is poor, -- that it lacks anti-tank, or that lacks mobility-- and advise him how you think he should change it. Ask him why he took that one subpar unit, and advise him to try subbing a different unit to test it out. Don't be surprised if he doesn't take the advice immediately, but over time, that stuff sinks in.

It takes more effort to be a mentor. It is more difficult than snapping off a snarky comeback. But it's worth the effort in the long run.

Daydreaming about a list

2010-05-16T15:49:00.000-07:00

The 2500 point list I would build if I was a master painter with more money than sense. Inspired by the Sanginary Guard Box set:

Dante 225

BA Libby with jump pack, Unleash Rage, Shield of Sanguinus 125

Sanginary Guard Squad x 3 with Death Masks, Inferno pistol and Power Fist 250 x3

2 Regular Assault Squads (ten men) with Flamers x2, Power Fist x1 each 225 x 2

1 Regular Assault Squad (eight men) with Melta x 1, Power Fist 189

2 Sanguinary Priests with Jump Packs 125 x 2

2 Vindicators with Siege Shields 155 x 2

2 squads of Attack Bikes x 2 with Multi-meltas x2 100 x 2

Would it be effective? Hell no.

Would it be pretty? Hell yes.

'ard Boyz result

2010-05-15T23:02:00.001-07:00

I went with my Blood Angel list, and fought three skilled opponents, and three hard lists, but I ended up taking the top prize.

And now, I'm exhausted.

And, yes, I'm still undecided

2010-05-14T10:30:00.000-07:00

I played against Keith last night with a slightly tweaked version of the BA list in the last entry. I ended up winning fairly handily.

Upon reflection, I think Keith's list was interesting, but not as strong as it needed to be in terms of an 'ard boys style competition. I'll save a full bat rep until Sunday. I also forgot to take pictures, which I'm kicking myself for, as I had my new BoLS approved flip cam with me. :)

Here is an alternate list I'm thinking of taking:

HQ
Librarian Epistolary / Null Zone / Vortex of Doom / / Force Weapon / Psychic Hood / Terminator Armor w/ SS 190
Khasaro Khan 160

Troops
Tactical Squad, 10 Power Weapon / Flamer/ Multi-Melta / Rhino / Teleport Homer/ Melta Bombs 240
Tactical Squad, 10 Power Weapon /Melta Gun / Multi-melta / Rhino / Teleport Homer / Melta Bombs 245
Tactical Squad, 10 Power Fist / Flamer / Missile Launcher /Melta Bombs 200
Tactical Squad, 10 Power Fist / Flamer / Missile Launcher / Melta Bombs 200

Elites
Assault Terminators , 7 Thunderhammer/Storm shield x 5 Lightning Claws x 2 280
Assault Terminators, 8 Thunder Hammer/Storm Shield x 5 Lightning Claws x 3 320

Fast Attack
Vanguard Veterans, 9 Sgt's Power Weapon / Power Weapon x6 / Power Fist x 3/ Melta bombs / Rhino 395

Heavy Support
Devastator Squad, 5 Missile Launcher x3 135
Devastator Squad, 5 Missile Launcher x3 135

Points Summary:
HQ: 350
Troops: 885
Elites: 600
Fast Attack: 395
Heavy Support: 270
Total: 2500

22 kill points for mission 3 and 5/10 scoring units as needed. I looked at the mission, and I really needed mobility and protection. The rhino offers a bit of that, and they'll help get my homers into place. Khan would run outflanking with the Vanguard, and will give them FC and hit and run. Hopefully, with three holy S$% units, I'll be able to split fire.

The transports are vulnerable to AT fire, that I know. I might swap out the Devs, and replace them with Vindicators to give the Rhinos mobile cover.

I hate the end of the semester

2010-05-12T14:25:00.001-07:00

16 pages worth of projects due, and 'ard Boyz this weekend.

Still, despite the Third Mission Controversy, I think I'm going with my Blood Angels list. I'll do some play testing tomorrow and Friday to see if I should go with something else, but here goes nothin'

Flesh Tearers 4th Company Blood Angels

HQ
Reclusiarch Power Fist 145
Librarian Unleash Rage Shield of Sanginus Epistolary 150

Troops
Assault Squad, 10 Power Fist Flamer Flamer 225
Assault Squad, 10 Powerfist Melta Melta 235
Assault Squad, 8 Powerfist Remove jump packs Melta Gun Rhino 204
Tactical Squad, 10 Powerfist Melta Gun Multi-melta Rhino 250

Elites
Sanguinary Priests, 2 Jump pack Power Weapon for Jump Priest 140
Assault Terminators, 7 Lightning Claws x2 Thunder Hammers x 5 Land Raider Crusader Multi-Melta 565
Furioso Dreadnaught, 1 Librarian Dreadnought Wings of Sanguinous Blood Lance 175

Fast Attack
Attack Bike, 2 Multi-Melta Multi-Melta 100

Heavy Support
Vindicator, 1 Siege Shield 155
Vindicator, 1 Siege Shield 155

Points Summary:
HQ: 245
Troops: 914
Elites: 880
Fast Attack: 150
Heavy Support: 310
Total: 2499

WIP Thunder Hammer Terminators

2010-05-06T20:31:00.000-07:00

I need a few Thunder Hammer terminators for a tournament this weekend, so I slapped some paint on a few. These are nowhere close to being done, but I'm liking the way the red is turning out. I started with white primer, a thin coat of mechrite, and then a base of blood red overtop of it. I then hit it with some Baal Red, which you can see on the model below.

This model hasn't been hit with Baal Red yet.

They're both on my resin bases that I cast.

INAT FAQ

2010-05-05T20:17:00.000-07:00

A good deal of ink seems to fly each year prior to Adepticon about one topic more than any other: the INAT FAQ. It is either viewed as the most comprehensive tournament FAQ ever produced, or reviled as a serious undermining of the rules system by which we play.

We've all come across that rule which is vague. It seems invariably that the rule that causes the most arguments is the one for which GW hasn't made an errata or clarification: Doom of Malanti's, Deff rollas (finally taken care of), the use of Descent of Angels for Storm Ravens with embarked squads, the Manticore's template scatter... Maybe those have come up in your games, maybe they haven't, but I guarantee you that in six months, these things will be gone over line by line by the FAQ council that Adepticon appoints.

But is that a good thing? Opponents have valid points. There are out and out rules changes in the INAT, no if, ands, or buts. This is not all from GW's canon. A group of people are putting thier own clarifications, changes and spins on the product that you've purchased. It's fan based, not offical. And there's the very valid sticking point. It's not official. Stelek, a well known opponent of the FAQ, articulated his views thusly: "You have no right to change the way the game is played."

Proponents are very quick to point out that even GW doesn't count its own FAQs as official, except for the errata. And GW's FAQs fall very short of answering questions that will come up in the higher levels of play, things that if answer one way or the other will determine who walks home with a pat on the back, and who walks home with a thousand dollars worth of prizes. Things like that can put real pressure on a judge to make the "right call", and no matter what call he chooses, the blood-crazed hounds of internet will savage him. The proponents value the transparency that the INAT brings; here's the call we made on this, it was put up months ago, please review it. At that point, there's no argument. There might be bad blood, or hurt feelings, but the matter is closed.

As for myself, I find the proponent's argument more measured. Having been to Adepticon but the once, I only found reason to call upon the FAQ one time. The judge came over and quickly applied the ruling needed with minimal fuss. I played seven tourney games under the FAQ, and really didn't have to consult it. Which made the sturm and drang over the FAQ seem wasted effort. Differences in play exist from person to person, region to region, and state to state. The INAT, or something like it, is needed at nationwide events to smooth out those differences. Is the INAT appropriate at every event, regional or otherwise? That depends on the payer base and the Tournament Organizer's call. The only reason I would be unlikely to use it at an event is player feed back.

As to the charge leveled that the organizers of Adepticon have no right to change or clarify the game to their liking, I would refer the gentleman to the gray box on top of page 2 in the 40k Rulebook, under "The Most Important Rule". The game designers want you to do with your game what you want, including making house rules and house clarifications if you see fit. The only difference with the INAT is its scope.

The Stories of the 42nd, Part Two

2010-05-04T18:07:00.000-07:00

When we last left Captain Sorin, his assault on the Eldar stronghold in the woods was at a critical point. Angel Company had been mauled on the left, but Chain Company was gaining ground on the right flank. It was up to Faith Company to hold the center, and support Chain's assault.

Lt. Revnik's heart sank as he watched the xenos beam carve its way through Katya's hull. The jouncing of his Chimera's hull made it hard to focus his periscope on the stricken vehicle, a Chimera that had been with the regiment since it's inception. There is no way that anyone could have survived that! Then, he saw the Company's banner unfurl. Though, all things are possible through Faith! Heartened, he turned to his men. "Boys, get your flamers ready! We have xenos to burn!" The red light of the cabin washed over the mud-streaked faces of his squad. The pilot lights of their flamers flickered as they bounced their way across the rutted no-man's land, tiny devotional candles to the Emperor.

The xenos weapons tried to make their mark in the Chimera's hull, but found no purchase. The tank's gunner fired its weapons haphazardly, doing little more than keeping the Eldar heads down. Revnik ordered the driver to press into the woods. The driver's reply was terse. Revnik heard the questioning and fearful tone even through his combead, but knew that his order would be followed. The beast was likely to be bogged down inside the tree line, but it would bring the squad's flamers to bear that much sooner. Anything to confound the enemy and take pressure off the assault. His thoughts were interrupted by the sound of a fist sized hole being bored into the turret. The gunner (or what was left of him) fell back down into the hull. Cauterized, he though dully. No, cooked. Putting his flamer aside, Pvt. Dyalov alone had the presence of mind to quickly get a blanket to cover the tanker's body. With the boy covered, Revnik snapped out of his shock.He was from the motor pool. I didn't even know his name.

The driver, ever professional, warned the squad that they had ten seconds to the tree line, and that they should brace themselves. The Chimera roared over the embankment that hid the Eldar, and pressed into the woods. Its heavy flamer was a font of vengeance for the fallen men of Valhalla, its flames a benediction for the men behind the Revnik's squad advancing into the Eldar guns. The rear gate slammed down, and Revnik's men poured forth. The xenos, armored blue and yellow, turned their strange weaponry toward the squad, but the Emperor's wrath would have its say. A fan of flame poured forth from the squad. Revnik added his laspistol to the assault. They even die gracefully. Aiming for one alien's chest, he watched as it danced its way out of fatal wound, the lasbolt hitting it in the arm. It was spun, a dervish now sans an arm. You can't outrun light, though. He put an other lasbolt right in the thing's chest for good measure. By now, the Eldar's infernal disc throwers were sending stray shots the squad's way.

Heedless of the danger, Revnik charged the line of Xenos in the trenches. Gurov took an unlucky hit to the fuel line. His promethium tank went next, and the spark from the Eldar weapons ignited the remaining gel and Gurov with it. His screams did not slow the remaining men. Wielding their flamers like clubs, they savaged the remaining xenos near them. The Eldar seemed frail, but proved quick and strong enough to leave Kozmin lying on the forest floor, his large frame bleeding from a dozen delicate cuts. What Revkin and his men lacked in finesse, they more than made up for with their zeal. The Lieutenant's chainsword carved into the peaked helmet of one of the Eldar citizen-soldiers. A foe had stabbed through Dyalov's greatcoat, only to have his alien blade turned aside by the hidden flack vest. Dyalov responded in kind, but with better luck. Maisky overbore his opponent, toppling the alien, and made he short work of it. The remaining Eldar seemed hesitant to engage such savages, and that hesitation cost them their lives. The Demolisher shell hit the far end of the trench, followed quickly by the atomic bright flash of plasma. The alien menace had been vanquished by the superior fire power of the Imperial Guard. Not a single enemy stood in sight. Ears ringing, Revkin was shocked into speechlessness for the second time in five minutes. And then he began to laugh. It was the laughter of a man who assumed himself dead a second earlier, and found himself given a reprieve. Dyalov and Maisky soon joined him, the laughter sounding madly through the smoke and flame of the wood. They laughed till it hurt.

That was, until Maisky's head took a round and exploded. "SNIPERS!" shouted Dyalov, as he tackled his Lieutenant into the trench...

Theme: How do you tie it all together?

2010-05-04T00:00:00.000-07:00

You have models, and you have a list in mind.

How do you make these models work together? Often, the models from the same army are similar in nature. Imperial Marines of all flavors are a fine example of this. But what happens when you're playing imperial guard and you're tired of painting just Cadians? Or you play daemons? The Gods of Chaos favor certain color schemes, and you are left with a plan to make what seems like an explosion in a paint factory.

What do you do? The key is a proper selection of colors.

My guard army contains many elements. I have Tallarn, Valhallans, Cadians and even a Mordian sergeant thrown in for good measure. With a casual glance, you'd never notice it, due to the army's unified color scheme. Let me show you:

Even though the models have different colors, poses, and body styles, they all reference the main color: olive drab. It allows for differences amongst the models to blend into a cohesive whole. The same goes for any other guard army, and any other color choice. Imagine an army of Tallarn in white tunics with black turbans. Pair them with Sisters of Battle from the Order of the Sacred Rose. Though the armies are different, their cohesive color scheme will make them a stunning army to field or face.

But what about the daemon army? Slaanesh loves his/her/its pinks and purples, Khorne, his reds, etcetera. How do you blend them? We turn to fashion advice for this. For maximum impact, one mixes vivid colors and neutrals together. The colors should be an accent to the larger neutral palette. What is a neutral color? A neutral color is one not found on the color wheel: black, white, grays, beige and other earth-tones.

How does that knowledge help us bring those disparate elements together?

Model by Ferix on DakkaDakka:

The skin on this daemonette is a neutral shade, leaning toward a white/beige, with the blue accents becoming the accent.

You could easily pair that deamonette with the following bloodletter, if one tweaked the colors.

Model by Catpeeler on DakkaDakka:

Another example of a neutral fleshtone comes from my own daemon army, the Host of Hope's Demise. Though it would not fit with the above two examples, I would have no trouble painting a daemonette's flesh in the same earthy flesh tones.

The neutral flesh you choose for your army will help it blend, while each squad will show the colors of it's patrons, giving both players a quick visual shorthand to each unit's nature.

Possible 'ard Boys List #2 Celestial Lions (Space Marines)

2010-05-03T00:00:00.000-07:00

My Marine List

Captain Leo Cusuro (Kahn) and the Libby ride in the LRC with the TH/SS termies, and everything can outflank. The Assault squads, which normally suck since they need to spend three turns getting anywhere, can hit a line in one or two turns. The devs are there to avoid a penalty from not having HS (which came up last year), and to move on and start taking side shots next turn. I won't nessecarily outflank everything every time, but I'd like to think this would really screw with leafblowers. Kahn would also give the termies FC and Hit and run for extra fun.

Celestial Lions, 3rd Company Space Marines

HQ
Captain Leo Cusaro (Kor'sarro Khan) Power Armor Frag and Krak Bolt Pistol Moonfang Iron Halo 160
Librarian Termnator Armor with Storm Shield Null Zone Vortex of Doom Force Weapon Psychic Hood 140

Troops
Tactical Squad, 10 Sgt Upgrade Power Weapon Flamer Lascannon Rhino Melta Bombs 235
Tactical Squad, 10 Sgt Upgrade Power Weapon Melta Gun Lascannon Rhino Melta Bombs 240
Tactical Squad, 10 Sgt Upgrade Power Weapon Flamer Heavy Bolter Rhino 220
Tactical Squad, 10 Sgt Upgrade Power Fist Flamer Missile Launcher Rhino 230

Elites
Assault Terminators, 6 Thunder Hammer/Storm Shield x6 Land Raider Crusader Multi-Melta 500

Fast Attack
Assault Squad, 10 Sgt Upgrade Power Fist Flamer 225
Assault Squad, 10 Sgt Upgrade Power Fist 215
Attack bikes, 3 Multi-Melta Multi-Melta Multi-Melta 150

Heavy Support
Devestators, 7 Sgt Missile Launcher x4 182

Points Summary:
HQ: 300
Troops: 925
Elites: 500
Fast Attack: 590
Heavy Support: 182
Total: 2497

Possible 'ard Boy List #1 The Flesh Tearers

2010-05-02T13:22:00.000-07:00

Wow, it certainly has been some time since I looked at this. Time to blow the dust off of it, and get back to regular posting now that school is winding down.

'ard Boy Season is upon us, and given my resounding lack of success from last year, I want to make up for it this year. I know that I'll be facing leaf blowers x 8000 if I go, so I'm thinking I need to make a list that combats that, rather than succumb to using my own Imperial Guard list. In that vein, I'm looking at two non-ig options I have that might make my inital run easier.

Flesh Tearers 4th Company Blood Angels

The Reclusiarch rides with the Termies, and the libby and the priest float where they're needed. This list is not subtle at all, and is meant to pound face. It's got psy defense, and can kill anything it gets it's hands on. The baal can scout or outflank, which ever is needed. The tac squad can combat squad in case an objective needs a baby sitter, a risk, but worth it.

HQ
Reclusiarch Power Fist 145
Librarian Unleash Rage Shield of Sanginus 100

Troops
Assault Squad, 10 Sgt Cost Paired Lightning Claws Flamer Flamer 230
Assault Squad, 10 Sgt Cost Powerfist Melta Melta 235
Assauly Squad, 9 Sgt Cost Powerfist Remove jump packs Melta Gun Rhino 222
Tactical Squad, 10 Sgt Cost Powerfist Melta Gun Lascannon Rhino 260

Elites
Sanguinary Priests, 1 50
Assault Terminators, 6 Lightning Claws x3 Thunder Hammers x 3 Land Raider Crusader Multi-Melta Extra Armor Search light 531
Furioso Dreadnaught, 1 Librarian Dreadnought Wings of Sanguinous Might of Heros 175

Fast Attack
Attack Bike, 2 Multi-Melta Multi-Melta 100
Baal Predator, 1 Extra Armor Heavy Bolter Sponsons Searchlight 161

Heavy Support
Vindicator, 1 145
Vindicator, 1 145

Points Summary:
HQ: 245
Troops: 947
Elites: 756
Fast Attack: 261
Heavy Support: 290
Total: 2499

I know that most IG players will be running with a Mysticx2 combo, so I'll want to avoid Deep Strike. I'm going to put the vindicators in front of the Land Raider to provide cover, and move agressively up a flank. Depending on the sight-lines afforded available to the mystics, etc, I may combat squad my melta assault squad to drop them on a flank. As long as they can avoid the mystics, they might be able to roll up a flank. Descent of Angels will make Deep Striking more attractive, and could combat the penalty for the Officer of the Fleet.

Rubbing it in

2010-01-06T22:43:00.000-08:00

I just won Chaos in the Old World!

2009-12-23T21:24:00.000-08:00

It was a limerick contest, and my winning entry was:

There once was a man of the Reik,
Who oft found a girl to his like,
He fondled their tresses,
Said ten "Hail Slaaneshes!"
And was gutted by Witchhunter Mike!

And so I am getting the game shipped to me! WOOT!

Wow, I've been busy

2009-12-23T16:24:00.000-08:00

Or something like that.

Since I last blogged, I played in a tourney, and had my ass handed to me. 2-1 in fact, and I played at the kiddie tables for the last two games. Sad, but true. I got a lot of things painted for the tourney, most of which you saw in the last few posts, but I also finished my Manticore, which was shown as a WIP in my first few posts.

Of course I don't have pictures of it! I want to get pictures of my whole guard army, but I want it done outside. And of course, the whole of the outside world is still covered in snow, so...

In the mean time, I've gotten bored of painting Warhammer miniatures, so I thought I'd give myself a little break and paint up a Reaper mini I got in a paint set I bought for 50% off. He's a neat little fig, and he's acutally on of the few "realistic" mini's that Reaper puts out. I think he'd look good for a level 1 fighter.

He's been primed black, painted with GW foundation paints, and his armor was washed with Devlan Mud. Devlan Mud should be sold by the gallon. The symbol is a transfer from the IG sheet, and the base was a resin cast base that I did.

Additional recruits

2009-12-15T10:40:00.000-08:00

I haven't been writing as much because I was preparing for a tournament. FYI, apparently, my scatter die mojo has gone south for the winter, as I went 1-2 and got pummeled the entire time. Apparently, strategy isn't my thing. :)

I'm a big fan of the alternate heads available out there for your cadian/catachan bodies. Things like the Seperate Head System from West Wind, or the ones from Pig Iron Productions. Pig Iron produced Winter Heads, and I snatched those up. I'm also a fan of the Rebel Kolony line. Both of those are available from the Warstore.

I think he has some Captain in him:

I don't know what to call this regiment, as I don't see them as Valhallans. I started making them during the whole Mordant 13th thing, so I might go with that. Or I might come up with some new regiment altogether.

And full disclosure, I receive no free stuff from anybody on this or any other product. I know there's a whole new law passed about that. I don't know the particulars, but I thought I'd cover myself, just in case. :)

New recruits for the Valhallan 42nd!

2009-12-10T14:58:00.000-08:00

The newly minted leader of the 42nd, Captain Sorin:

The new Company Banner of the 42nd Mountaineers, Faith Company:

A Fleet Officer attached to the 42nd:

A Flamer for Lt. Reznik's squad:

And a grenade launcher for 1st Platoon (him, I'm not so proud of, paint-job wise):

Oh, the humanity!

2009-12-09T00:01:00.000-08:00

So, there ist is again, you rock up to your friendly local gaming store (FLGS) and you're looking for a 40k game. You brought your freshly painted 5th Company of the Face-Punchers of the Emperor's Fury Chapter, and you're itching to put some xenos scum in their place. You open the door, and what do you see? Tom with his 135th Ultra-Cadians, Dick with his Order of the Holy Name of He Who Sits Around All Day, and Harry with his 4TH Company of the Face-Punchers of the Emperor's Fury Chapter. You care about theme; you hate fighting against the "same side". So, now what?

So, why the hell would two Imperial Forces fight each other? Well luckily, the last time I checked, the 40k Universe is full of paranoia, back-stabbing and other unpleasant motivations. Not all is rosy in the Imperium of Man.

Before we begin, it helps to have an established story for your force. Are they an expeditionary force? Are they defending their homeworld? Are they on campaign? If you have a foundation, it's far easier to build a solid house on top of it.

Here are some ideas:

1. It's a wargame. Real armies do these all the time. To prepare for war, one plays at war. This is probably easiest to rationalize, though it's kinda weaksauce for the creative types.

2. Rivals come to blows. There's a Forbidden Item of Great Power on the planet below, and both side are arguing about how to dispose of it. There is no compromise, there is no backing down, and it must be settled by blood.

3. A Radical (Heretical?) Inquisitor has manipulated one or both of the forces. Which would be a neat backstory for a branching campaign, if one your other friends has a large Daemon Hunter force, you can have the two forces join against the manipulating bastard at the end to put him down.

4. Your Chapter is skirting the razor's edge of heresy, loyal until that last straw breaks the camel's back, then the descent into howling madness begins!

Here we have a pre-battle story illustrating #2

"It seems the Sisters have not forgotten Armageddon, Brother-Sergeant. They hound us at every step."

"They seem to know our objective, Brother Chaplain. Their agents must be very well informed. Not that their information will help them. If they but knew our true cause, they would likely join us." Brother Sergeant Lucius's auto-senses tracked the heat-bloom coming off of the sister's lead Immolater. The rest of the Sisters milled about in the pre-dawn gloom, taking positions covering the impact crater.

It had been several years since Chaplain Odio found the tome that led them on the quest to recover the mortal artifacts of Angaron. If the Liber di Furia Inumana could be believed, then the gathered items they found could banish Angaron into the Immaterium forever.

"I doubt that highly, Lucius. The Ecclesiarchs are a prickly lot. If they are even aware of our quest, I doubt it would matter. They see us as tainted, no matter what." He sighed as he watched the Sisters take the high ground far in the distance. "It is time we teach them a lesson. Release the Annointed Ones from their chains. They could do with a hunt."

Odio tightend his grip on his Crozius, it's spiked head arcing with energy in response to the sudden rage that gripped him. Odio turned to the Fourth Company, his Brothers in Arms.

"Once more, we are opposed by those that would keep us from our quest. Once more, we must fight and spill blood for what we know to be true. The skull of the last victim of Angaron as a mortal man awaits us in that crater. The Skull Last Taken will be ours, Brothers! We attack at dawn! None shall stand against us! BLOOD IN HIS NAME!"

"BLOOD IN HIS NAME!"

As one, the Flesh Tearers advanced....

Team Tournament Backstory

2009-12-08T16:57:00.000-08:00

So, back about two years ago, my friend Simon and I went and played in the Adepticus Orlandicus Team Tourney held (oddly enough) in Orlando, FL. We, as Team Bloody and Broody (Flesh Tearers/Dark Angels) took third overall, and won for the Head Hunter's Prize (prize for killing the most HQ's/Keeping the most HQ's alive). Go us. Fluff was taken into account for the team's scoring, so no Dark Angel/Dark Eldar pairings. In mind of that, I wrote a little short story explaining how our two forces met, and how we began to cooperate.

But first some back story on my back story. My Flesh Tearers are charged with finding the Eight Artifacts of Angaron (a non-canon idea, but inspired by the Blood Quest comics), and bringing them back to Creticia so that they may be destroyed, killing or weakening Angaron. Simon's Dark Angels are doing what they do best, hunting for a Fallen.

Sgt. Thracius watched his bolter round enter the renegade’s eye. With grim satisfaction, he watched the World Eater’s head explode like a rotten gourd. The gore-soaked giant collapsed, crushing some of the rebel factory workers underneath his bulk.

Sgt. Thracius turned to face his next foe, as the battle raged around him. Blood stained the robes that marked him as member of the Inner Circle. His Dark Angel Brethren had traveled to this factory to hunt down one of the Fallen Angels, and had instead fallen into his trap. The approach to the factory showed the glorious icons of Imperial industry had been torn down or smashed asunder, and had been replaced with runes which burned the eye to look at them. The skull rune of the Blood God had been carved into the head of the Immortal Emperor, incensing the patrol as their rhinos approached the twisted ruins of the factory. Thracius urged caution, and spoke of signs of the enemy in the rubble. The cultists they saw were twisted, stunted parodies of men, clothed in the skin of those who had remained loyal to the Emperor. Bearing an assortment of autoguns, las pistols and crude hand to hand weapons, they were easy prey for the even this small patrol of Astartes. But even this small coven could lead to information regarding this renegade leader, known only as “The Angel of Slaughter”. They could not risk this possible Fallen to escape.

All had gone as planned. Small arms fire pinged off the Rhino’s hide on the approach, representing very little threat. A cultist bearing a grenade launcher, seemingly the heaviest weapon amongst their force, was picked off at range by the more accurate fire of the second squad. The Rhinos gained entry to the compound virtually unopposed. Sgt. Thracius and his battle brothers poured forth from the Rhinos, bolters spitting death. The cultists charged unheeding into the massed fire power, but gained no ground. All seemed to be going their way until Sgt. Thracius heard the throaty roar of chain weapons starting. From concealed positions, eight crimson armored forms rose to join battle. Cleaving through their own followers to better get at the Dark Angels, the World Eaters made their way to join the combat.

All was bedlam for several minutes. The swirl and rush of combat overtook them. Sgt. Thracius’s close encounter made him realize that their positions were untenable. The World Eaters were pressing too hard, and the cultists were cutting off any chance of escape. The Unending Duty, high in orbit, could not be reached, and neither could their Ravenwing patrol. All would be lost if they did not fall back soon.

It was then that Thracius heard the clap of thunder. “Three drop pods on an approach vector, Brother-Sgt.” That brief message confirmed the worst of Thracius’s suspicions. More of the Enemy were coming. He made the only order which made sense.

“Return to the Rhinos, Brothers! We must fall back! Grab your fallen Brothers! No one is left behind!”

At that moment the drop pods slammed home, sending a shock wave through the battle. All was silent for a split second. Then the explosive bolts holding the drop pod doors fired. Red-armored marines poured forth from the pods, armed for close combat, and all seemed lost.

That was until the newcomers fired into the cultists. A scream of “Blood! Blood in His Name!” carried over the din of battle as the newcomers launched themselves into the cultists. Ten of them were armored in white, covered in saltaires of crimson. Those armored so seemed unstoppable, taking fire that would level a grox. As a force, they moved through the foe like a scythe.

“I don’t know who they are, Brothers, but kill the rebels!” The Dark Angels redoubled their fire, slaughtering the cultists. They watched in mute horror as the newcomers rent and tore the foe with chain-axe, combat knives, and even bare hands. Soon, even the Berserkers fell to the warriors in white. What few cultists remained fled to the hills when they saw their benefactors fall. The white armored marines turned to follow them, breaking spines, crushing skulls and rending limbs in a display of unmatched savagery.

The Dark Angels stood, bolters at the ready, and watched the newcomers. A black armored form marched forward, a skull mask marking him as a chaplain. Is this some trick of the Fallen?, thought Sgt Thracius. His Crozius is more of a cudgel than a symbol of devotion. The chaplain raised his hands in salute, and reached up to break the air-seals of his helm.

“Well met, Brothers of the Dark Angels! I am sorry for the lack of warning, but you did not seem to be on the standard frequencies. And there is the matter of the jamming that seems to be taking place.” He seemed normal, a bit pale and gaunt perhaps, but free of taint. “I am Brother-Chaplain Lucius, of the 4th Company of the Fleshtearers. I would speak to your commander, if possible. We may have common cause.”

Why now? These blasted interlopers will ruin the hunt! But Sgt. Thracius could not refuse without drawing suspicion. “I am Brother-Sgt. Thracius, 4th company, 2nd squad, leader of this patrol. Brother-Epistolatory Praxilus is not here. I will vox him to let him know of your desire to meet. But we have little time for conferances. These covens demand to be purged. If a meeting can be done, he will let me know.”

“That is all I can ask.”

______________________________

The Sgt. watched as Brother Librarian Praxilus strode away from the meeting with the Fleshtearer command. Suspicious eyes watched as the battle-scarred craft closed its ramps and began to lift skyward.

The robes of his fellow Inner Circle members moved in the winds created from the other chapter’s Thunderhawk lifting into the sky. “Brothers, I need not tell you that this is a critical moment” began Praxilus. “I have spoken with this Chaplain Lucius. And he targets the same renegade that we do, for reasons unrelated to our quest. Indeed, he is of the mind that this “Angel of Slaughter” is a renegade from his own Chapter, or of his parent Chapter. He does not know anything of the Fallen, and that should remain so if we remain vigilant. Indeed, the Emperor’s Tarot predicted a great challenge ahead of us; forces gather the likes of which we have never seen. Ordinarily, I would not do this, but our casualties have been great. The Enemy was prepared, and though we could find the Fallen, we would not be able to guarantee our success. With them, we can prevail. Without them... who can say?”

With this, Sgt. Thracius grinned. “Better to have hounds to flush our prey. Should they learn too much, who will doubt us when we say they went mad, and had to be put down? Their reputation is our leash, and our weapon.”

______________________________

“Brother Lucius! We have left the atmosphere. Docking with the Righteous Fury in 30.”

“Well done as always, Brother Gregor. Keep scanning for anything unusual.”

“Ave, Brother…” A pause. And then the question, “Brother, these Dark Angels, what do you make of them? Do you trust them?”

“I do not trust them, Gregor. But I trust I know what they will do. They seek our fallen Brother for some reason, I dare not ask what. As long as this ‘Angel’ has the axe we seek; I care not. Just be on guard. I don’t wish to be lost in an ‘accident’ if we step on our Brother’s robes once too often. The Sons of el’Johnson were ever peevish regarding their secrets. In fact, we should probably sensor sweep this Thunderhawk as soon as we return. Still, we need them as much as they need us…”

X-Mas Project

2009-12-07T18:01:00.000-08:00

So, the 40KRadio listeners' group, the Freebootas, are doing a gift exchange. It's your typical Secret Santa thing, but 40k related. You know, something small, but nice.

The guy I got mentioned he liked Eldar and Orks, so I whipped this together:

It's a tad bit hard to see, but it's a resin cast dreadnought sized base with added detail. It's got a guardian casualty on it, with his leg being pinned by the tip of a broken Eldar Warpgate. I'm going to wait until the greenstuff sets, and then add a bit more detail. I'm almost tempted to make a cast of it, but that seems like cheapening the gift a bit. Not like I can sell them, anyway, since it has GW parts...

I'm a sucker for a Space Game

2009-12-07T00:24:00.000-08:00

I love BFG.

Let me state that again, I love Battle Fleet Gothic. I put little hearts over the "i" when I write Gothic I love it so much. And Fire Storm Armada looks to be pushing my Gothic Button (take that as you will).

A few gents from the D6 Generation put up a battle report on Spartan's forums.

It looks good, and there's been positive buzz for sometime about it.

The stories of the 42nd

2009-12-03T13:18:00.000-08:00

Katya’s hull rang with the impact of energy bolts that clawed at the outer hull, desperate to pierce it. Sorin’s face was lit a garish green in the light of the tactical display. He could feel the sightless eyes of Walker boring into him, and it was disturbing him. He didn’t even know Walker’s first name yet, as the Astropath had been assigned to them just this morning. He was another of Commissar Price’s “suggested” innovations, and as disturbing as Walker was, he was already proving his worth.

“Are the penal legions in position?”

“Yes, Captain. They have advanced past the broken lines of Angel Company. It seems either that they have not been spotted, or that they have been dismissed as a minor threat by the Eldar in comparison.”

“More likely the second. Still, have them proceed with their mission. Forgiveness is theirs to be had, even if it’s found while wearing a martyr’s collar.” More impacts hit the hull, one of them causing the hull to glow an intriguing cherry red to the captain’s right. “And see if we can have the 57th do something about this insistent knocking.”

“Ave, Captain.”

Seconds later, a roar that was felt as much as heard filled the cabin with insistent drum beats. The artillery pieces had been concealed in the hills behind the battle-lines of the 42nd Valhallans. The patter of the Eldar’s energy weapons stopped. “Finally! I can get some Mark 1’s on this situation! Pop the top.”

Katya’s top hatches were thrown back. Grabbing his field glasses, Captain Sorin cautiously raised his helmeted head into the grey light of Quentin III. The sight of a war-torn charnel house was his reward. High command had triangulated this area as the center of the Eldar raids, and had postulated that this heavily wooded area was either their base camp or an area of interest to them. Resistance had been heavy in their push to take the woods. Sorin saw the smooth hulls of multiple Eldar tanks burning in the killing fields between the rocky hills they were trapped in and the woods the enemy held. Sorin saw his men, the men of Faith Company, were huddled behind the rocky outcroppings approaching their objective. Borisova’s Angel Company had been mauled on the left, but at least Katzev’s Chain Company was pressing on the right. No matter how well Katzev's boys are doing now, they will falter without support. Faith Company had to press or else the assault would stall and fail. He could hear Commissar Price’s voice exhorting the men to advance, but if the men advanced now, they'd be cut down. It was reaching a point of no return.

“Vox a message to the 57th. Let them fire danger close on those wooded positions ahead of us. Dead of our own shells or dead of xenos weaponry… It makes no difference if we can’t advance. Vox the sergeants leading the assault as well. Tell them they better be 30 seconds behind the shells, or Price will be the least of their worries. And bring those ipaccing Demolishers forward. We need their hulls to cover the assault!”

Captain Sorin, paused, weighing the odds. It was now or never.

"And we need to button up. Order Lt. Revnik to bring his Chimera up to support the Demolishers. We need his flamers to burn the those bastard Eldar out. We're going, too."

That last bit of news made the vox operator look stricken. Sorin resisted the urge to slap him. Corporal Nikitin was new to the 42nd, brought to the front to replace his his old vox-op who had taken a sniper round in the shoulder. His hands were more used to grinding coffee than digging fox-holes, and the fear showed in his eyes. "Pull yourself together, Miska! Did you think you'd see war from a comfy seat here in Katya's hull? You're a son of Valhalla, boy! Time to earn that greatcoat!" Nitkin didn't seem so sure, but prepped his lasgun anyway.

Katya rumbled forward, progressing slowly over the rocks ahead of them. The roar of the 57th's guns firing was eclipsed by the sound of their shells hitting home 100 yards ahead of them. The demolisher's cannons added their shells to the roar, and their heavy bolters spat death into the half-seen Eldar holding in the woods. Sorin checked the workings of his chainsword, pushing down the fear he felt with practiced ease. The eyes of the company would be on him, and he had to keep their fighting spirits high.

Suddenly, Katya lurched to a halt. The cabin's heat rose perceptibly. Sorin sensed danger, yelling "Hit the deck!" not a moment too soon. A beam of pure light cut through the transport compartment at gut height. Petrachkov grabbed the company standard and threw it to the deck, and was caught by the beam. It cut into him, the heat from the beam caused him to explode. Nitkin wretched, but had the common courtesy not to soil the company banner any further than Petrachkov had. "It looks like we need a new banner bearer, Nitkin, and it looks like you've just volunteered. Get that banner unfurled! Hold it high, for the Company's sake! Walker, stay here and hide. Katya's down, but she will protect you from stray shots. Men of the 42nd, we go the rest of the way on foot!" With that, Sorin kicked the broken ramp down. He drew his chainsword and strode forth, touching Katya's aquilla icon for luck. He hoped to the Emperor his men were following him.

To be continued...

My Flesh Tearers, 4th Company

2009-11-30T21:30:00.000-08:00

What is there to say about the 4th Company?

Being that they are one of my older armies, the pics I have aren't the greatest, but they'll do for now.

I had these as my 4th edition all jumppack beat-stick army, and I haven't really addressed the changes inherant in 5th edition with them. I'm really holding out for the rumored new codex to come out next year. I'd hate to make a ton of changes only to have to change them again.

The problem is is that they were built to be a high-risk, high reward army, but lately, they've been having trouble getting the job done. They have no real anti-tank other than attack bikes or landspeeders.

I'm adding more stuff to them to make them more mechanized and less jump pack based, and I'm probably taking the cheese engine out of the the equation. Yes, I used both Dante (Chapter Master Seth) and Corbulo (didn't think of a name) in a 2500 and 1850 army.

Instead of two Assault squads, and one Tac (for a screening rhino), I'll likely reverse that ratio. I have assualt terminators waiting for the day they get that 3+ invulnerable save, and my Crusader is mostly painted as well. There's all that great detail. Man do I love that kit.

If you haven't got one yet, I highly recommend it.

Valhallans

2009-11-29T21:26:00.000-08:00

My Valhallans are going through a change, as I noted before. A newer (cheaper) commander was promoted to Captain, with the Colonel moving up in the ranks through field promotions. Penal Legion are being added, as are a Psyker battle squad and a new commissar.

Captain Sorin rested his aching back against the interior of Katya’s hull. His overcoat hung open, and his view out Katya’s open ramp was painted in shades of grey. The weak light of Quentin III’s sun struggled manfully to break the cloud cover, but it was wasted effort. Not even the mud on this sump hole has color. Sorin fumbled for his lho sticks, finding them stowed in his dry inner pocket. He began to pull them out, unthinking. Light discipline! I can’t smoke these. He shoved them back, disgusted.

“Pardon me saying so, Captain, but you’re better off quitting those things.” The voice was only a mild rebuke, but it startled the newly minted Captain just the same. He turned to face the company’s Commissar, who was rounding the bend, an easy smile on a face framed by a crisp salute.

A relieved smile lit up Sorin’s eyes, glad for the distraction. He stepped out of his chimera’s hull, his hand brushing the worn aquilla just inside Katya’s entrance.“Actually, Commissar Price, I was reaching for my pistol to shoot you myself. I thought it a mercy to relieve you from this tropical nightmare that we’ve landed ourselves in. It must be at least ten degrees above freezing. Walk with me, I’d like to hear your morale report.”

Price nodded, his smile still in place. “I’d hardly call ten degrees above freezing ‘tropical’, Captain.” Price fell in with Sorin, and they toured the company’s section of the line, noting the men’s dug-in defenses. “The men are ready for the Eldar’s next push. Casualties were light, mostly from sniper fire. They have been at prayer, and they seem in good spirits.”

“I wish I shared their optimism. These Eldar have been like ghosts. I keep feeling like we’ve got them, and then they melt away like salted snow. It’s been two months of hunting on this hell pit, and we’re still no closer to pinning them down. At least winter is coming. I might actually have to buckle my coat.”

Price could see the strain on Sorin’s face. “The men are up to the task, Captain. I begin to wonder if the Captain is ready for it.” Sorin turned as if he had been slapped. “What the ipac are you talking about, Commissar?”

“My lapels, Sorin. You’re wrinkling them.” Sorin looked down; his hands had grasped the Commissar’s own greatcoat unbidden. Sorin released the other man swiftly, as if he was a scalding pipe. The men who had turned to watch them found sudden interest in their prayers and cleansing rituals for their lasguns.

Price seemed unflustered despite his wrinkled clothing. “Let me repeat, Captain. If there is a problem with this regiment, it is you. The men respect you, General Zedowsky certainly had faith in you.” Price stepped in close, closer than was comfortable for Sorin. “You’re afraid of losing a single one of them, Captain. And for that, you might lose all of them. It’s the peril of raising one from inside the ranks. You’re too connected to the idea of the 42nd as they were under the General’s command. Losses will occur, Sorin. There’s nothing fair about it, and it will come to rest unquietly on your shoulders. But rest assured that High Command, and thus the Commissariat, is unconcerned with your mental health.”

“I can’t just send them into the meat grinder again and again. To do so is a waste of the Emperor’s resources”

“And yet you must. If it means victory, you must be ready to sacrifice them to the man. Not heedlessly, certainly, but blood shed in His Name is the ink that writes the accounts of our victory. But don’t worry, Sorin. I did secure something for the company that might help you overcome your problem.”

Only then did Sorin note the truck pulling up. Full of men in filthy orange jump fatigues, it could mean one thing.

“Penal legions?”

“Yes, Captain. Think of them as training wheels…”

Plans for my next army.

2009-11-28T00:12:00.000-08:00

I'm building a chaos marine army, and the basic idea is thus:

Two forces are lured onto Hope's Demise by the machinations of the Chaos Gods. A band of Death Guard, and a band of World Eaters are caught in the subtle net of Nurgle’s humor.

In a prank of horrific proportions, Nurgle gives both a disease that affects not the body; instead it affects the mind and the memory in particular. Their minds are wiped, and they believe themselves back in the time of the Heresy. And they believe themselves to be heroes. They hallucinate, so that they believe that they are without mutation, their loyalist foes are horrendous mutants, and their defilers and daemon allies are dreadnoughts and loyal militia respectively. Which explains why they are in their original Legion Colors….

Chaos Daemons on Parade

2009-11-27T12:35:00.000-08:00

I liked my librarian picture so much, I decided to take pictures of my Chaos Daemons outside as well. See more pictures here.

2009-11-26T19:38:00.000-08:00

There's a new Tyranid On-line Painter in town.

The Valhallan conundrum

2009-11-25T21:53:00.000-08:00

I'm having trouble finding a compelling hook for the back story of my Valhallans.

There was once a time that I had the Valhallan 42nd Mountaineers, a regiment mostly of foot troops, led by the zealous Colonel Zedowsky. Over time, my regiment changed in its nature. Elements of support came from the 135th Krieg and some Irregulars that the regiment adopted from their time on Utica IV, a desert planet that had some of the most vicious mountain warfare.

Now, it is lead by a different model, one Captain Sorin (as Colonel Z had some wargear that was costly for a model unlikely to survive actual combat...). Captain Sorin doesn't believe in front line fighting, and is much more likely to be poring over a data-slate and directing his men from his Chimera Katya than being on the front line.

The nature of the regiment changed even more. The 135th didn't make as many appearances. The Irregular's veteran duties fell back on the 42nd, who enjoyed their new Valkyrie. The Mordant 57th Penal Legion was attached to them for mine clearing duty, and the received the support of an Astropath and of a Squad of Psykers. Medusas and Leman Russ Demolishers started making more appearances. The question I have for myself is if they are still the Valhallan 42nd any more? Do I see it as the same regiment with changes, or as an entirely new body?

Maybe that's why I'm having a hard time writing for them, unlike my other armies. Of course, I haven't written anything for my Flesh Tearers. Stelek (of YTTH infamy) first suggested my army list to me, and I feel like they're kind of soulless. I haven't played them as much for that reason.

Valhallan Flamer with Cinematic effects

2009-11-25T21:40:00.000-08:00

I like the cinematic effects that Armorcast has, but I'm a bit broke right about now. So I decided to cook up one of my own. This here is just green stuff and a paperclip. I drilled a hole deep into the flamer, and glued it into place. On the clip itself, I left the curve at the end to provide support for the rising flames. I did an unequal mix (about 60% blue) to provide a firmer set at the end of it. I think it came out nicely.

You should write a bit each day.

2009-11-24T00:00:00.000-08:00

Hemingway did it, and so should you. I’m not talking about drinking to excess or going on safari. I’m talking about writing.

Of course, our writing can take many forms. Like writing short stories, army lists, novels, and of course, what I call the theme side bar. Think of it as a scene, a vignette that reveals the flavor of your army. Better yet, think of it as a written trailer for your army. You, of course, have read dozens, if not more of these shorter than short stories. Some of them are highly memorable, others less so. They're all in those text boxes in the sides of your codices and rule books.

The one that I love is simple, and it sets the image of the 40k universe so well. Turn to your chaos codex, current edition.

There is the story of the desperate struggle of an imperial guard regiment under attack by the Red Corsairs. The Guardsmen cower in a bunker, and attempt to call in artillery on their coordinates, when a Land Raider rolls over their position, making a mockery of their resistance. The guardsman's death is an inexorable as a drowning man's. The Red Corsairs, finding him damaged and of no use, toss him aside contemptuously.

What elements does this need to make it work?

1. Brevity - the shorter you can make it the better.

2. Clearly defined conflict - the classics work best here, Man Vs. Man, Man vs. Nature, Man vs. Self

3. A satisfying resolution? - Obviously, you want your side to win. You're writing it, so you get to define the ending. Of course, this being a just a scene, you can build in a cliffhanger. Describe only a tiny slice of the victory.

Your hive fleet's lictor slaughters a few guards, but moves on into the night. Does it complete its mission? That's for the game and dice to decide.

You might a Dark Eldar Wych leaping into the fray against a tactical squad, performing a deadly dance with the marine sergeant. Have that fight end with the wych planting a poison kiss, and having it end with her asking who is next.

What's the story? Part 2

2009-11-22T21:57:00.000-08:00

Continuing with my clever plan of: a. writing to a non-existant audience, and b. not writing at all about my Valhallans or Flesh Tearers, I present to you my back story for my Chaos Daemons army, The Host of Hope's Demise:

“...It is here, aboard Hope's Refuge, that we meet our end.”

The sound of the bolter round echoed around the small chapel, its doors bound in this world and the other, the first by the finest locks, and the second by the hexagramatic wards that burned in the eyes of those with the sight. A second bolter round was heard, followed by the slam of meat hitting cold steel, and then, all was silence. Three figures watched the horrors that had unfolded with surgical detachment, the glare from the hololith illuminating them with its harsh light.

“Turn the recording off, Charles. Destroy the 'lith. Take all the standard precautions.”

“Yes, your Holiness.”

Even though Charles had been in Inquisitor Kranz’s service for years, the sight of the taint of Chaos so rampant still turned his acolyte's stomach. The ‘lith left nothing to the imagination. Watching the junior officer's transformation from man into plaything of the Diseased One had been bad enough for all three of them. But to see him take the ultimate step to salvation, and shoot himself not once, but twice... Well, that was a man of the Emperor to the last.

Tech Priest Wanohfour spoke aloud the Inquisitor's thoughts. “It was brave of the organic to terminate functions before the onset of Final Stage Warp Necrophage Majoris. Reanimatic possessions are difficult to terminate.”

Kranz turned a wry eye to his red-robed companion. “Nurgle's Rot can be a bit of trouble, yes.” The Techpriest, for all her bluster about organics, still made the sign of the Machine God with her mechandrites when he mentioned the Lord of Plague by name. “Hope's Refuge was hospital ship in the Segmentum Pacificus, in support of the Sabbat Worlds Crusade, correct?”

“Yes, Inquisitor Kranz. It was lost to the Emperor's Light during a warp jump. We originally believed that there were saboteurs on board, who interfered with the Gellar fields. In light of this new evidence, it is my supposition that WMN and an unwitting carrier are a more likely culprit.”

“We've seen this before. The Rot spreads and infects not only its passengers, but the ship itself. The ship will have wards of succor, but given such repeated exposure...”

“Yes, your Holiness. It is likely the Hope's Refuge itself has been tainted, stem to stern. The post-incident encounters with the ship have all been the same. An Imperial ship, off course and lost in the warp, takes damage and casualties, encounters the Refuge, who reports to be lost in the same Warp storm. All appears normal; though scan reports from that time offer evidence of danger. The crew must be beguiled by some unknown force to ignore them. The Officers and medical crew are drawn off, to who knows what fate, and then the Refuge attacks the leaderless and medically depleted ship. Boarding parties consist of Class 1, 3 and 5 Abominations who seem to seek more raw genetic material to infect. Named and known Abominations are known to frequent these attacks.”

“Spread word throughout the Sector. Reclassify the ship as the Hope's Demise, and alert the Commissariat that officers that do not take hostile action against the vessel are to terminated at will. Let them blow through a few clips until they find someone willing to draw up a firing solution. Order them to double the amount of purifying incense in the bridge of any vessel that finds itself operating alone...”

“So shall it be done, Lord Kranz. Now, I must anoint the hololith's memory buffers, lest any taint remain...”

What's the story, Morning Glory?

2009-11-22T10:05:00.001-08:00

Why do I put myself through the torture of dealing with Games Workshop as a hobbyist? Why does anyone?

That's an answer as individual as each hobbyist, but for me, it's because of the rich background that Games Workshop has stolen from just about everywhere. I don't blame them. Every artist steals. It's the synthesis that makes it great. How does all this theft get tied together and reintegrated into a new whole? That's the key.

It occured to me that I've let this vital portion of my hobby fall to the wayside. I think trying to be more competative has made me forget that story needs to trump rules at times, or burn out will occur. For that reason, I'm presenting my background story for the Celestial Lions 3rd Company to you, my audience of no one.
They honor those who fell at Armageddon, those who were doomed by their own government:

“To have faith in times such as these is easy. Man is beset from all sides by the Xenos, the traitor. The Emperor is our only refuge. But what of those whose faith is tested? What of those who have been judged, found wanting, and still believe? There is no greater faith than those who hold true after being brought low.”
--Brother-Captain Lerato Vinerex, Master of the Fleet

+++Lexicanum Entry: Restricted, Vermilion Access+++
Thought for the day: An open mind is like a fortress with its gates unbarred and unguarded.

The Celestial Lions are a Space Marine Chapter created in the 38th millennium. They have a long and glorious history. Recently, the highly naive nature of the Chapter led them into conflict with the Inquisition.

Background

During the event known as the Khattarn Insurrection, five companies of the Celestial Lions were attached to Inquisitor Apollyon in order to crush the ongoing revolt on the main planet, Khattar. The orbital defences were nothing to the Space Marines and they quickly landed on the planet, with virtually no opposition. As the campaign progressed and the number of prisoners increased, it became evident that this was no mere minor rebellion. Apparently the priesthood of Khattar had been corrupted and had led the leaders of the planet into the arms of Slaanesh. Local renegade Imperial Guard and Planetary Defence Force regiments were quickly defeated and within three months the rebellion was crushed. The detachment of the Celestial Lions boarded into their ships and left for their fortress monastery.

As the ships left orbit, the Imperial Navy, under orders of Inquisitor Apollyon, bombarded the planet, and obliterated the entire population of the planet. This action horrified the Celestial Lions who proceeded to condemn the Inquisitor. Captain Saul had attempted to halt the bombardment, but could not counter-order an Inquisitor. From then on, the Celestial Lions were highly vocal against the Inquisition, as it was unnecessary to destroy the planet. They sent a series of very loud and public condemnations against the Inquisition in general. A delegation of senior Chapter officers left for Terra to further their cause, but the ship never arrived. It was blown wildly off course by a freak warp storm, far into Ork territory. The wreckage was eventually found two years later, although this was not enough to deter the Celestial Lions, which kept demanding an investigation into the events surrounding the destruction of Khattar.

Their efforts, though valiant, were completely in vain. The Inquisition technically answers to no one but itself and the Emperor, intolerant of any outside pressure and criticism.

With the outbreak of the Third War for Armageddon, the entire chapter of the Celestial Lions dispatched was deployed to defend Hive Volcanus. They suffered horrendous casualties within months of arriving. The intelligence they received was horribly inaccurate and often led them into ambushes where they were outnumbered and outgunned. Some of the higher ranking officials began to suspect this was intentional, a ploy to wipe out the entire chapter, but nothing could be proven.

One particularly devastating battle was when four entire companies were wiped out in the Mannheim Gap by the combined forces of Warlord Thogfang's Gargant mob and the Razor Speed Freaks. Losses mounted and ended with a very well-coordinated attack on the Celestial Lions base camp.

This particular battle lasted for three hours. Hundreds of Marines fell to the overwhelming Ork forces. Sniper fire rained down from the mountain sides, relentlessly targeting the Apothecaries. Finally, a small company was able to break through the Ork lines and fight their way back to the Hive. Only ninety-six Marines survived and, to make matters worse, the last Apothecary took a bullet to the head within hours of arriving at the Hive. Their gene-seed lies unharvested on the surface of Armageddon and the remaining brothers have sworn to die alongside their fallen brothers, fighting to the last.

++END DOCUMENT/SECURE TERMINAL UPON PAIN OF DEATH+++

“It was true that we were thought to be doomed. But the Emperor saw us through that day. It is true that we are a shadow of what we once were, and that Armageddon was what broke us. But what is broken can heal. Is it not our burden as Space Marines to carry on, no matter the cost?”

--Brother Epistolary Marcus Alesius

It is whispered in some corners of the wide galaxy that one Apothecary was spared by the grace of the Emperor. Mortally wounded, he saw to his own internment in a dreadnought of the Third Company, Scipio’s Claw. Though nearly blinded by the pain, Brother Albus’s transformation from something more than man to something less than machine was accomplished. Though it pained them to do so, a large contingent of the Third Company smuggled themselves out of the ruins of Volcanus Hive, escaping with Albus to an awaiting Strike Cruiser.

Since then, those elements that survived the hell of Volcanus have rejoined their Battle Brothers. Though they are a shadow of their former glory, the Celestial Lions still keep the vows they made to uphold the will of the Emperor. They survive by the most tenuous of threads, but then again, what servant of the Emperor does not?

Remember, he looks better from three feet away

2009-11-20T13:11:00.000-08:00

I ended up putting some paint on the Libby, and he's table top ready.

Celestial Lions Terminator Librarian with Storm Shield

2009-11-17T19:40:00.000-08:00

It's a pity that the only way you can get a Librarian with a decent invulnerable save is to kit him out with a storm shield.

There's nothing too major going on with this 3rd Edition Librarian, other than a weapon swap. He was carrying the force axe in his left hand, and I had a fierce opposition to that. So, I cut away the storm bolter, pinned the axe in place, and affixed a Brettonian Footman's shield. I added an old shield boss from an Empire shield, and then sculpted the Lion Sigil from there.

I added the guitar wire to the axe to remind everyone that it's a force weapon. I also like the idea of thinking someone to death, even though it's unlikely that this guy will ever get that lucky. Librarians aren't really combat monsters anymore. He's there for the Null Zone/Vortex of Doom love he provides.