As Promised

I looked at the spearhead WD. My brother even bought it. Neither of us were very impressed. I was expecting specialized gear, but what I got was Apocalypse units for regular 40k. Don't get me wrong, I still want to bring all tanks to the table, but it is no different than an all tank Apocalypse battle. In fact, the unit entries are even better! (A predator assassin squad is not nearly as useful as three predators in a tank hunter spearhead - same number of predators AND less points).

All in all, I am disappointed....I wanted my escape hatches (a blast from the Imp. Guard past for those of you who remember)

In other news, check the weekly mini's blog that I am a part of to see how my restoration of the old gunked up land raider went. Sure I want to fine tune it, but at least now it is playable without being shameful!

A New Way to Play

When I heard about the new expansion for Games Workshop's Warhammer 40k, I must admit I was intrigued. Heralded on the website as a new way to play, it supposedly features more tanks and signals the onset of many new vehicle sprues. What is most exciting to me is that it will be featured in the White Dwarf. I remember BFG and Dogs of War being released in the White Dwarf. More recently, the battle report featured a Catachan vs Ork mission akin to the new kill team scenario in the Battle Missions book which interested me greatly. I am hoping that this expansion gives a bit more substance to June's White Dwarf.

With the onset of the expansion, I did what I always like to do on a slow day. I took stock of my Warhammer 40k models. My main concern right now is to make swapable sponsons for my rhino/predators to give some support for my terminators. Well, really my main concern is to find some time to play warhammer more often than once a year. But the sponsons are important, too.

Even though I will be leaving in a week for two weeks on a trip that will keep me from my beloved warhammer modeling, Ill be devouring June 2010's White Dwarf and itching to either play Spearhead or bash it here on the blog.

Cream O' The Crop

Reading about the new Battle Missions Kill Team, and always up for converting some cool looking dudes, I threw my hand to making a Kill Team for my Chaos Space Marines. The theme? A team of Chosen Fallen who troll the galaxy in hopes of sowing the seeds of violence and dissension. I chose Chosen because I love the idea of infiltrating space marines. I'd have given them all sniper rifles, too, if I could.

Now I had to represent these soldiers as the strongest warriors available to an army of super-humans. I decided that I'd arm them with over-powered weapons as these Marines have no qualms about bringing a gun to a knife fight. Thus I ended up with what you see below, though i need two more:



Chosen with Powerfist, Infiltrate, feel no pain (Represents a imposing hand to hand figure who ignores small arms as he steamrolls through the enemy)
Chosen with Meltagun, Infiltrate, Turbo boost (Represents a marine whose strength is to pop in and fry his victims before they can respond, one who must try to avoid being pinned down in hand to hand combat. A wing like cloak shows this marines demonic ability to move at high speeds.)
Chosen with AutoCannon, Infiltrate, Relentless (Represents a relentless tank of a man whose team mates depend on for ranged support)
Chosen with Twin-linked bolter, Infiltrate
Chosen with Twin-linked bolter, Infiltrate
Chosen with Melta-bombs, Infiltrate
Chosen with Infiltrate
And that is about 4 points shy of 200, I believe.

I've been having fun trying to come up with some background for these guys. All I have so far is that they are a highly trained team of mercenaries who believe it obliterating the enemy without being dragged into long, drawn out combats. Rather than having specialists, each member is simply outfitted to preform in a particular role that any of them could just as easily fill if the need arises.

I have enough points left over to buy two more guys. I was considering taking out the power weapon and fielding a rhino with a HML to represent a missile truck, but I was afraid that fielding a vehicle did not really fit into a scenario centered around the idea of a desperate group of warriors pitted against the odds on a regular basis.

Bring in the Big Guns

So I sat down a week or so ago and converted an add-on for my rhinos. I do not think the hull mounted demolisher is bad, but I liked the idea of a turret mounted big gun instead. So I went with that, using pink foam as a base and bit-bashing a bunch of pieces together to give it a sort of WW tank look....just with a bigger gun. Now I need to find time to actually play test....

Aim of the Game

For the past year, I have focused on using my minis in apocalypse games. I do not get out to the hobby stores very often, so when I do, I like to bring everything to the table. Lately, however, I have been trying to use the nerfed Chaos codex (yes I am still bitter about that) to make a decent 1000 pt army. In the face of new awesome models and a slew of cool new rules, the Chaos codex is looking more and more just plain boring. On the other hand, I like how they few good units are versatile and resilient, two attributes I rather fancy in my units. My idea is to field two units of CSM with autocannons with Rhinos tricked out with Havoc Missle launchers. These are dedicated to anti-infantry. However, they can also deal with light armour. They are supported by two units of 2 Obliterators which can switch back and forth between anti-infantry and anti-tank. I think those are solid choices.

Here is where I am unsure of my picks. First, I want to include a vindicator. With the two rhinos and the oblits, I think I have enough of a target rich environment to risk this thing on the field. While the template weapon is good for mass infantry, I am not so certain how this will preform against armour heavy armies. But then, I would have to play test it, wouldn't I? Secondly, I am not sure how to handle my HQ. I want to try a Tzeentch Daemon Prince with Bolt of Change. The idea being it will take care of any nasty surprises that deploy close to my troops and it can fire at approaching armour. But he has a target on his head the size of the vindicator...which is not necessarily a bad thing. I want target rich environments against shooty armies.

Anyway, so far I have the two units painted (but need autocannons instead of plasma/flamers) and the daemon prince almost done. I have the two rhinos and three obilterators. I need to convert an add on for my third rhino to change it into a vindicator and somehow find a fourth obliterator.





I have also done some work on my terminators. I want to complete a unit first though and see how they look together. With the advent of the Blood Angels codex, I also may change my terminator army idea if I can fit them into a blood angel army....that Saguinary angel looks goooooooood. And this is what I like about having an army to play with already, any secondary armies are just about the models, not about the game.

Change of Direction - Praise Tzeentch

Changed directions a bit...
Ever since I picked up all these terminators, I couldn't stop painting them. However, they are loyalists. So, in order to feature them on this blog, I switch the blogs purpose. All 1 of my followers must be devastated and I hope they can come to terms with this new focus. That being said, Ill have to post some pics of my termies soon. I'll also need some organization to what exactly I should be posting rather than spewing words on the page like a literary sewer drain.

Shameless Plug

I have since been side tracked by several time consuming activities, among which is included that annoying necessity of real life. However, since I do not see that being over any time soon, I will have to encourage myself to make the time for warhammer.

Admittedly, I have also been distracted by by creation of a loyalist *gasp* space marine terminator army. Having come into the possession of two boxes worth of Space Hulk Terminators, I was compelled by forces beyond my control to create a terminator force out of them. That has taken up the majority of my conversion and painting time....maybe I should start a blog about it.

Speaking of starting blogs, I have joined a project called mini-a-week. Along with several other severely deranged persons, I have taken up the challenge to paint 1 miniature every week for a year....yikes! Apart from the fact that I do not know WHAT I was thinking, it sounds like a fun and rewarding experience. Should I survive, I'll have a bunch of painted miniatures. It is not solely dedicated to GW products, but I'll forgive them for that. Hey, I will even throw in some non-GWs myself. If you want to, check it out at http://weeklyminis.blogspot.com/

See ya there.

In the Works

I have a few things in the ovens right now, focusing on either building new models or completely painting entire units.

First up is an attempt at a Silver Tower of Tzeentch. Right now it is very pink and very phallic. I used a small toy, about the size of a marine, as a 'relic' on the top. I decked the rest out in chains, chaos vehicle symbols, and some dwarven bucklers with ominous runes. I have used a book to add a Tzeentchian flare to it and I am thinking about taking some plague monk models I have lying around and making some sorcerers for the tower. I am happy I could whip this thing up, but it is altogether too thin for my liking. I could either hope it looks better fully painted, or try to fix it. I remain at that crossroads for now while I tend to other projects.

I no longer struggle to save the ill-fated batch of dunking. A little bit of colour really makes the models playable again. That means I will soon have 5 more marines done and maybe enough confidence for another go at dunking.

One of my little pride and joys is an old pattern Land Raider. I traded a chaos biker for this puppy, which was horribly painted and badly converted into a cyclopian nurgle...thing. It had more pva glue and greenstuff on it than it had plastic. However, I have carefully cleaned away what I could and replaced the cardboard top with plastic card. I have found that I may be able to save the thing by painting over it in black. After a couple of months in a Simple Green bath, part of the tank I tested has proven that the paint is not GW paints....it didn't come off. I am going to use some vehicle sprues to patch up some holes and pimp out this raider. This is about the only time I will convert old models. I hated the fact that my old dreadnought is incomplete, but this raider is going to be a loving restoration....certainly a work in progress though.

And finally, my chaos horde will finally have some competition. Yes folks, loyalists are en route in the form of Space Hulk and I am tempted to paint my chaos terminators red so that when I play apocalypse, I can throw down 30 terminators in dread claws (which I play on converting...hopefully with more success than my Silver Tower...). Now, I know I have more than enough to paint without making more work for myself (read: biting off more than I can chew) but I could not resist. Space Hulk is, well, if I have to explain it to you, then you should probably come back here when you learn about it yourself. However, limited edition nostalgia aside, the game comes with a large assortment of specially sculpted models, including a host of terminators. Coupled with my brother's old terminators (which I have stolen once again) and his three dreadnoughts (which I am appropriating after seeing my friend's dreadnought. Really cool plastic kit) I will have a reasonable loyalist contingent.

So that is the update. Nothing too exciting on the modeling front, but there is some progress. And SPACE HULK!!! Its just like eating an elephant...one flame-broiled endangered morsel at a time....

(pics pending)

Tactical withdrawal

So the Apocalypse battle did not go as planned. In a bittersweet moment on turn 1, One of our opponents rolled a 6 to penetrate my already damaged Stormlord. He proceeded to roll a torrent of 6's ending in a cataclysmic explosion which took out 2 chimeras, a sentinel, 20 guard, and 15 orks. My brother, who had forgotten part of his army at home, was down to 2 units of grots at the end of the game. I had lost 2 Chosen, 2 defilers a Stormlord, most of the Baneblade (immobilised and missing both main cannon and demolisher), 1 unit of Noise Marines, and a Demon Prince. My ally was in a shoot out, Guard on Guard, inside a ruined city. We had no way of taking and holding objectives so we called it at the Fourth turn. Some changes to my strategy and army composition are in order, but for their first run....not too shabby. In addition, the Doomsday device preformed well and was the focus of much fun. I just dread the day when it goes off and takes half my army with it.

Tally-hooo!

In preparation for an Apocalypse game I may be participating in, I have constructed a list of the majority of my Chaos. The list is 7500 points and makes use of some models that I will have to appropriate from other sources. The only problem I have is that I will have to deploy my Chosen on the field rather than use their outflank maneuvers. This is because I would have to hold the whole formation in reserve to do so. This means my disruptor beacon HQs will be in reserve when their best use is on the table. Luckily, I can bring them in on the second turn, having 4 units outflanking and one deep striking. If only I could ensure that they all outflank on the same side... It seems better to simply rhino up my Chosen and advance. The tactic is to screen my brother's ork infantry to give them time to get into close combat. Since I am bringing some tough cookies along with me, including 3 super-heavies, I expect to attract most of the shooting anyway.

so without further adieu, my Chaos Apocalypse Army list:

Conclave of Chaos	Orbital Bombardment (Apocalypse 5)
Abaddon the Dispoiler (Represented by lightning claws new chaos terminator).	Acts as disruptor beacon, Deep Strike.
Chaos Sorcerer with mark of Tzeentch, Bolt of change. (Cloaked chaos space marine with cane)	Acts as disruptor beacon.
Chaos Sorcerer with mark of Tzeentch , Bolt of Change.	Acts as disruptor beacon.
Daemon Prince with wings, mark of Slannesh, Lash of Submission.	Acts as disruptor beacon.
Daemon Prince with mark of Slannesh, Lash of Submission.	Acts as disruptor beacon.
10 Chosen Chaos Space Marines with Aspiring Champion, 4 power swords, Icon of Khorne.	Infiltrators.
Rhino with twin linked bolter.	Dedicated to above entry.
10 Chosen Chaos Space Marines with Aspiring Champion, 4 power fists, Icon of Khorne.	Infiltrators.
Rhino	Dedicated to above entry.
10 Chosen Chaos Space Marines with Aspiring Champion, 4 flamers, 1 power sword, Icon of Khorne.	Infiltrators.
Rhino	Dedicated to above entry.
10 Chosen Chaos Space Marines with Aspiring Champion, 1 power sword, 2 Plasma guns, 1 twin-linked bolter, Icon of Nurgle.	Infiltrators.
5 Chaos Terminator with heavy flamer, 1 combi-flamer, 4 power fists, Icon of Khorne.	Deep Strike

Chaos Annihilation Force	Precision Strike, Scheduled Bombardment
Chaos Lord with Terminator armour, Mark of Khorne, pair of lightning claws.	Deep Strike (within 12” of objective).
5 Chaos Terminators with heavy flamer, combi-flamer, Icon of Khorne	Deep Strike (within 12” of objective).
5 Chaos Terminators with Reaper Auto-Cannon, Icon of Khorne, 5 power fists.	Deep Strike (within 12” of objective).
5 Chaos Terminators with Reaper Auto-Cannon, Mark of Khorne.	Deep Strike (within 12” of objective).

Non-Formation Units

10 Khorne Bezerkers with 2 plasma pistols, Aspiring champion, power sword, personal icon.

10 Noise Marines with 10 sonic blasters, Aspiring Champion.

10 Noise Marines with 10 sonic blasters, Aspiring Champion.

9 Havocs with 4 missile launchers.

9 Havocs with 4 missile launchers.

3 Obliterators

Chaos Land raider

Defiler with 2 extra close combat weapons

Defiler with 2 extra close combat weapons

Super-Heavies

Baneblade with extra sponsons

Baneblade

Stormblade Doomsday Device

You Learn Something Every Day

Something I learned about dipping. Even if you use the same can of varnish to dip your miniatures, you have to do them in batches. I did up two marines separately and they came out alright. However, the next batch of five came out dark....really dark. I think they are salvageable, but it is going to take some work.

Below are some picks of the ill-fated dip:

These compare to the other dips in the following manner:

(in this picture from left to right: Dark (4th) dip, 2nd dip no dry-brushing, 3rd dip light silver dry-brushing, 1st dip heavy silver dry-brushing)

single shots of miniatures:

In addition, my brother has taken back his rampagers, so my total force has changed. However, I managed to pick up an extra defiler, a rhino with forge world doors, and a really old land raider (vintage baby YEAH!)

Here are pics of the overall force (imagine a Stormlord in the corner with the Banblade since I still have to build it.) :

Massacre at Minister Square

The Rampagers. They are a chapter of loyal Space Marines who excel in fast and ferocious assaults. Ranks of experienced techmarines carefully maintain the bikes, razorbacks and dreadnoughts that provide the bulk of the assault force, supported by row upon row of honoured battle brother. Not only do these fierce warriors prove themselves in the thickest fighting against the strongest foe, but they also make up one half of the twin chapters protecting an outlying planet near the Eye of Terror. Constantly at war with endless chaos raids, the Rampagers take the fight to the enemy while the Bone Giants erect the necessary defenses to repel any prolonged Chaos incursions. For a long time, the two chapters worked in unison, demonstrating how the individual strengths of the Emperor’s finest have protected the Imperium in countless campaigns…until…

It was during one of Abbandon’s black crusades, when Chaos activity flourished all along the Eye of Terror. All elements of both the Rampagers and the Bone Giants deployed to every planet in the system. The Bone Giants had their hands full clearing a safe zone from which the Rampagers could launch their ground assaults. Pushing back the Chaos forces that had overrun the majority of the system, the Bone Giants not only carved out a base of operations, but turned entire continents into a complex systems of earthworks where their skills were best put to use. No matter were the enemy was, they would face the siege specialists in trench warfare. Due to their assault expertise, the Rampagers spent most of the war in ship-to-ship battles, letting the Bone Giants clear the planets and wait for their counterparts to lend their support. It wasn’t until the climax of the war that the Bone Giants even saw the Rampagers. At the crux of the fighting, when the Bone Giants had cornered the Warmaster responsible for uniting the warbands in the sector, the Rampagers dedicated the bulk of their forces to over-running the Chaos defenses in the Warmaster’s fortress. Already weakened by the extended fighting with the Bone Giants, the Warmaster and his army crumbled and Col Von Lionex struck down the arch-fiend with his power sword before grinding the traitor’s body beneath the spinning wheels of his bike. For his bravery, Col Von Lionex and his Rampagers were awarded with 5 complete suits of Terminator Armour, the celebration of which would occur once the entire chapter had assembled on the system’s prime planet…and in the shadows of his chapter’s trenches, seething with envy, the chapter master of the Bone Giants, Lord Prayce, looked upon his battle brother’s with contempt.

A Horde of traitors clog the roads leading to Westminster square.

Lord Prayce, along with a good many of his chapter, believed that they had been slighted. Not only did the Rmpagers have little use for the terminator armour, which they spurned in favour of their bikes and razorbacks, but in addition, it had been the Bone Giants who had identified, isolated and weakened the Warmaster in the first place. The prestige and, more importantly, the equipment was rightfully theirs. As the days went by, Lord Prayce began to plot more and more of how to avenge this dishonour until he was finally consumed by his hatred for Col Von Lionex. As the day of the celebration drew near, Prayce initiated his plan to gain the Tactical Dreadnought Armour and escape to take his revenge on the rest of the Imperium. His problem was that some parts of the Bone Giants remained loyal to the Imperium, supporting their battle brothers in the ranks of the Rampagers. Prayce would have to separate his forces. (to be continued).

Bone Giant traitor crewed Predators fire relentlessly into the closely packed ranks of their former brethren.

As quick as lead!

Knee deep in Shakespeare and high schoolers who hate him, I have had little time for the wonderfullness that is Warhammer. I have been thinking about my backstory, though, and like any disillusioned old git (they call them veterans now, but they are really just old gits), I have settled on givening my Chaos Space Marines a decidedly Malal feel. That is, I am calling them the "Cursed Ones" as a nod toward the fluff. They will also be motivated by a deep seeded hatred towards structure and hierarchy, as well as the delightfully odd twist of fighting against Chaos. There are a few things that I will need to address, some of which I have alreayd been thinking about.

Paint Scheme:
Why do they look like oil-covered rust buckets?
The paint scheme represents a weathered, dilapitated look as the marine wearing the armour abandoned his former loyalty to whatever legion or chapter he hailed from. Subsequently, the paint of the armour was slowly scratched and worn away from countless battles, from exposure to weather and from exposure to the warp itself. The disrepair is limited to the appearance of the armour, the Marines still ensure that the suit itself is in working condition.

Who the heck is going to ally with these guys?
Unlike every other mysterious chapter, the Cursed Ones do not suffer from the problem of appearing at the begining of battle and dissappearing without a trace afterwards. The Cursed Ones are pirates and will fight with whomever meets their ends. In most situations, the help is welcomed either from a desire to cause as much damage as possible (Orcs, Dark Eldar, other Chaos, etc.) or from a lack of options and the shimmer of hope it offers (Forces of Order fighting over-whelming odds). With the countless hordes of daemons, Chaos legions, Renegade Chapters and such enemies of the Imperium, only the most puritanical of armies readily hunt down the Cursed Ones....generally, the Imperium has bigger fish to fry.

____________________________________________________________________

I have a sizable Chaos Space Marine Force, backed by a small group of Necromunda models that I can use as traitor Imperial Guard in addition to an assassin...just because I love the Vindicare assassin. Essentially, this is my Apocalypse army. I want to add a Stormlord, 2 Silver Towers of Tzeentch and a Plague Tower. Only then will I have the Chaos Space Marine Army of my dreams. Though I lack a full list as of yet, I have the second best option...behold! Pictures of my stuff:

The Colours of Chaos

Having started with a collection of miniatures from the previous edition of Warhammer 40K, I already had a good selection of units to choose from. That means some of them were also already painted. However, displaying my long cultivated ability in the painting department usually yields less than impressive results. My earliest attempts at a painting scheme left me with what I had been calling the Bone Giants. Large expanses of unshaded, unblended, and barely washed metallic paints were the hallmark of the one unit I had finished. They lacked the luster I so desperately wanted, but at least made a nod towards the Iron Warriors, a chapter with which I am quite obsessed, fluff-wise. Suffice to say I had to either improve upon this painful, if not total, failure or abandon it in favour of a new design.







Thinking I needed a new approach, I tried to create a variation of the Storm Lord painting scheme. That didn't end so happy either, as my dry brushing skills are far from 'leet' as they say. Though I love the contrast, I am still left with either improve or abandon. At least now I had two bad paint jobs to choose from.



A couple of days ago I crawled through the bug infested basement where we keep all our paints and retrieved an old can of wood varnish. I was going to try dipping. I had done it once before and was not as happy as I could have been with the results, but I was lazy and desperate....mostly lazy. I figured I would attempt the dipping on one of my silver saturated marines and it didn't turn out so bad. With the exception of a little gunk at the bottom, which I had to quickly clean off, the varnish did its job. Incidentally, a green wash from my last attempt to make this model look like a Plague Marine really jumped out, especially on the backpack. With a little more practice, I think I can get these models looking relatively close to the Reborn paint scheme in the book.










Thus, I found my intended paint scheme. The next step is to change the entire above squad into looking like this. I think I am going to play around with the green wash and such to see what happens.

My choice now is whether I should clean the blue marines and go totally Reborn, or if I should try dipping on them and see what happens. Having begun to tire of testing my poor paint skills, my mind is leaning towards the former of the two choices