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.