Can't Paint Won't Paint

Battle Report: Cardiff Carnage 2011

2011-08-30T15:21:00.000-07:00

Was just down at Cardiff Carnage this weekend a multi system event hosted by the Viet-Taff. I was playing 40k with my drop podding wolves.

Rune Priest - Chooser of the slain, Living Lightning, Jaws of the World Wolf, Melta Bombs, Wolf Tail Necklace
-125

Rune Priest - Murderous Hurricane, Jaws of the World Wolf, Wolf Tail Talisman, Melta bombs, Wolf Tail Necklace
-120

Wolf Guard Squad
Wolf Guard - Power Fist, Combi Melta (43)
Wolf Guard - Power Fist, Combi Melta (43)
Wolf Guard - Power Fist, Combi Melta (43)
-129

Dreadnought - 2 Twin-linked Autocannons (125)
Drop Pod (35)
-160

Dreadnought - 2 Twin-linked Autocannons (125)
Drop Pod (35)
-160

8 Grey Hunters - Melta gun, Wolf Standard, Wulfen (150)
Drop Pod (35)
-185

8 Grey Hunters - Melta gun, Wolf Standard, Wulfen (150)
Drop Pod (35)
-185

9 Grey Hunters - Melta gun, Wolf Standard, Wulfen (150)
Drop Pod (35)
-200

10 Grey Hunters - 2 Melta gun's, Wolf Standard, Wulfen, Power Fist (205)
Drop Pod (35)
-240

10 Grey Hunters - 2 Plasma gun' s, Wolf Standard, Wulfen, Power Fist (210)
Drop Pod (35)
-245

Total 1749

16 Kill points

So the first surprise was on the Friday night I found my list had made it into the dirty dozen, This is the 12 filthy lists that scored low on the comp...yup I am rocking the filth \m/

This I celebrated by drinking too much on the Friday night as I figured a hangover would make bugger all difference to the kicking I was going to get for my first 2 game as the dirty dozen have to fight each other then.

Game 1: Take and Hold, Dawn of War

Gary Morgan - Grey Knights

Castllan Crow

Coteaz

8 Death Cult Assassins

3 Henchmen - Melta Gun

Chimera

5 Man Strike Squad

Razor Back

5 Man Purifier Squad

Razor Back

5 Man Purifier Squad

Razor Back

2 Rifleman Dreads

1 Ven Rifleman Dread

Land Raider God Hammer

Everything that can is toting Psybolts and a smattering of hammers and halberds on the Grey knights.

Really not what I need with a hang over, my worst match up for my list. The one hope I had was the mission you had to get as many scoring units within 6" of the center of the table so I was going to fall back on the old wall of drop pods plan.

For deployment I won the roll off and decided to go first so I deployed the living lightning rune priest so I at least had some psi-nullification down on the table and his squad in the runes near the middle of the table. Gary deployed his strike squad in a razor back not far from the objective I assumed hoping to seize the initiative and get warp quake up. (We decided the hills where area terrain to give us a bit of cover.

Thankfully I got the first turn and decided the strike squad had to die. The plasma gun squad and the double melta squad landed next to the razor back. Another squad landed with the rune priest on the objective to get some nullification further forward and an empty drop pod came down to act as more cover.

I had kept both dreds in reserve for two reasons. I figured if I failed kill the strike squad they could could come down outside the warp quake range and still be effective they also where my best counter to the assassins.

Thankfully the alpha strike came good and I managed to pop the razorback and kill the squad inside.

Alas the joy was short lived, on Gary's first turn Crow and the two purifier squads went into the plasma gun squad and the assassins with Cortez went into the melta gun squad that blew open the Razor back. Well I say went into what I really mean was they deleted them (A phrase I found myself using quite a lot this weekend).

To add insult to injury the squad in the middle got shot up a bit despite the night fight and failed there break check.

25 Marines dead by turn one, almost half my army gone. This was not looking good, I needed a good counter attack next turn so when only one dreadnought showed up I got a distinct sinking sensation.

He came down in the middle using the pod to block the assassins off from the quick rout to the objective. He managed to glance the Chimera as well. Otherwise I didn't achieve much. In Gary's turn he shot off most of the squad that was in in the middle leaving only the wolf guard alive after the the rune priest took the shot for him. Thankfully the assassins failed there terrain check and didn't get to charge my only other squad on the table.

Next turn was going to important, my other dread came in. I used it's pod to block the arch way to cut off crow who was hiding the other side. Everything else opened up on the assassins killing a few I tend put the dread in to try and tar pit them for a turn or two alas Cotez managed to take it out this gave the assassins a run on my rune priests squad.

Thankfully being down to only four assassins not they ripped apart the squad but I had just enough left to take them and Cotez out. What was left of the squad got shot off the table next turn leaving only one Wolf guard again. The remaining dread got stunned and lost a weapon to crow.

Then my last squad showed up at this point I realised I could still win this, my storm bolters had been slowly picking away at the purifier squad left in the open. I actually had more troop choices left even if two of them where just loan guys so I dropped the pod in the middle and hid everyone behind it.

After this Gary realised the risk and started shooing away the pods and my other squad to try and get in. He managed to destroy a few of the pods but didn't manage to make them go boom so I could still hide behind them. So on turn five his land raider and Chimera rolled on top of the wreak with the land raider that managed to immobilizing it's self.

With crow and the dreadnought still locked in combat come the end of turn five I was winning 3-2 but as is the way the game didn't end.

On my turn it took all three melta guns to blow up the Chimera, despite shooting everything I could at them I only killed one henchmen they passed there test.

On Gary's turn he manage to killed on of the wolf guard pulling it back to a draw.

And with that the game ended on a draw Gary got bonus TP's for killing my most expensive HQ and having more VP's.

Final Score

Gary: 19TP's 1501 VP's

Me: 15TP's 771 VP's

Conclusion

On the whole very happy with that result, Grey knights are my worst match up I was lucky I got the first turn but losing half my army so early meant I was stuck playing a defensive game. My natural urge to try and take out troop units proved it's worth as did the wall of drop pods.

Game 2: Seize Ground (5 Objectives), Spear Head

Chris Silltioe - Imperial Guard

Creed! and Kell + Command Squad

Chimera

Leman Russ with Pask

Leman Russ Exterminator

Leman Russ Vanquisher

Vet Squad with triple Plasma

Chimera

Vet Squad with triple Melta

Chimera

Vet squad with triple Grenade Launcher

Chimera

Vet Squad - Auto Cannon, Camo-Cloaks, Sniper Rifles and joined by Gunnery sergeant Harker

Banewolf

As we can see an army of pure filth well worth it's place in the dirty dozen (!)

I won the roll off and let Chris go first, he caught me a bit off guard by deploying in the only table quarter with no objectives and infiltrating on of the vet squads to an objective on the other side. Thankfully on his first turn he moved out for there and spread out, last thing I had wanted was to be dropping in miles away from the objectives. I then dropped two squads and the dreadnoughts into the middle of all this, the prime targets being the plasma and melta squads.

Both Chimeras went boom and the melta squad got pinned.

Over the next few turns it all went a bit Benny hill with me chasing guards men all over the board as I lost a dred and quite a few marines. The dread in the middle was taking shot after shot while trying to kill what remained of the melta squad. Bloody Creed and his orders, every time they broke and ran off he would rally them and send them back into the fight.

One of the squads dropped in behind the infiltrating guys who promptly tried to leg it.

But not quite fast enough.

And just as I get back into cover guess what shows up from reserve.

Thankfully Chris rolled enough ones for some of my guys to survive and take it out.
At this point the game had swung well in my favour, another pod arrived and squad started hunting down the tanks.

I had managed to get guys on four of the objectives for the game ending giving me a big win.

Final Score
Me: 30 TP's 1543 VP's
Chris: 0TP's 643 VP's

Conclusions

One of the most enjoyable games I have ever played, Chris was great laugh my face hurt from grinning by the end of it.

My army worked perfectly, the alpha was good and just as I started to run of steam another pod would show up with reinforcements allowing me to keep the momentum in my favour.

Game 3: Capture and Control, Pitch Battle

Neil Trent - Black Templar's

Emperors Champion (Preferred Enemy Vow)

2 Units of 5 Terminators with 2 Cyclones each

2 x 5 man Squads with las Plas
2 x 5 Man squad with Multi Melta, Melta Gun in Rhinos
5 Man Squad in Rhino

2 Preds with Auto Cannon/Las Cannon Sponsons

2 Land Speeder Tornados

It's a good mission for me but there is a lot of AP2/3 in the list.

I was going first so I deployed my objective behind a bit of terrain towards the left hand side with the living lightning librarian squad on it. Neil put his objective on the right hand corner and then turtled up very tight in the middle of the board.

Since he hadn't deployed on his objective and had went quite tight I decided to try and take out the transports and try to trap his army in.

Both dreads scattered one landing out in the open. I dropped one squad and the empty pod between his army and the objective.

With my fire I managed to blow up one rhino and immobilized another. Then came the return fire, to say this was painful would be an understatement, both dread and their pods blew up on the first shots that hit them, the grey hunter squad got shot up and then the emperors champion and squad finished them off.

This was not looking good, first wave wiped out and to top it off all three remaining squads decided to show up at once. the only saving grace was Neil hadn't moved far out of his tight castle so my plan was to try and jam him in and delay him getting to the objectives.

On the right the plasma squad drops in to shoot something up while the other rune priest squad ends up tucked away at the back after a nervous scatter.

On the left the squad that went in to block that side had an even more brown trouser scatter. Thankfully they still landed with in range to melta something and blew up one of the Predators.

On the left hand side Niel counter attacked blowing up the pod, and killing a few guys before charging in with the terminators breaking the squad and sending them running.

On the right the terminators wade in again to the plasma squad.

I managed to kill a few but the squad still gets gutted.

After that it was time for me to play hide and seek, I made sure to target the speeders and take them out I just hoped after losing his transports Neil wouldn't have time to get across the table.

On the right my last few marines on his objective desperately tried to keep the distance open for as long as possible.

One the left the long march to my objective begins, with my rune priest ducking back down behind the cover.

On the right I was relived with Neil spilt the emperors champion off from a squad to go after the librarian that at least gave the squad on the objective a fighting chance.

It started to get really tense now 2 squads of two faced off against my guys.

But one wolf guard came through.

At turn 5 I was winning but we went on for turn six where my last guy on his objective was killed.

On the left the termies got a good move through terrain roll and then it came down to the run...

And the buggers got just what they needed to contest :(

Final Score
Neil: 28TP's 1430 VP's
Me: 6TP's 880 VP's

Conclusion

After the game I found out Neil was Bro_Lo from 3++ so I should have expected a hard game.
Losing my first wave really hurt, I had expected it too get badly munched but not quite so easily.

I had hoped I could stand toe to toe in combat but that preferred enemy just beats your face in. I can never quite get the terminators and grey hunter match ups right either When I used to run a TH/SS death star with a couple of lightning claws in it I would charge grey hunters. I would rip the heart out the squad but lose most of mine in the process as well. Every time I try it though the grey hunters tend to just die.

Probably my biggest mistake was at the end, Neil pointed out I could have used the rune priest to block the terminators. I had kept him back in case the game went on for another turn as he would be usefully for shifting the terminators. Broke my own rule of "always play as if the game will end this turn" and paid the price.

So that's the end of Day 1, Day 2 will come later in the week.

Blood Angel AV13 Spam

2011-08-22T14:20:00.000-07:00

Well I said I was going to wait a while before doing another 40k list then before I know whats going on I have this sitting in my house:

Yes my self restraint is as strong as ever...

Seeing the rise of grey knights and fed up in general of getting shot off the table I decided to lay some decent armour down.

Here is the preliminary list I am going for:

HQ (100pts)

Librarian (100pts)
Blood Lance, Shield of Sanguinius
- Power Armour
  Bolt Pistol

Troops (810pts)

Assault Squad (145pts)
4x Assault Marines (72pts), Meltagun (10pts)
- Razorback (20pts)
  Twin Linked Heavy Flamer
- Veteran Sergeant (43pts)
  Chainsword, Infernus Pistol (15pts)
Assault Squad (145pts)
4x Assault Marines (72pts), Meltagun (10pts)
- Razorback (20pts)
  Twin Linked Heavy Flamer
- Veteran Sergeant (43pts)
  Chainsword, Infernus Pistol (15pts)
Assault Squad (180pts)
4x Assault Marines (72pts), Meltagun (10pts)
- Razorback (55pts)
  Lascannon & Twin Linked Plasma Gun (35pts)
- Veteran Sergeant (43pts)
  Infernus Pistol (15pts)
Assault Squad (175pts)
4x Assault Marines (72pts), Meltagun (10pts)
- Razorback (55pts)
  Lascannon & Twin Linked Plasma Gun (35pts)
- Veteran Sergeant (38pts)
  Chainsword, Hand Flamer (10pts)
Assault Squad (165pts)
4x Assault Marines (72pts), Meltagun (10pts), Veteran Sergeant (28pts)
- Razorback (55pts)
  Lascannon & Twin Linked Plasma Gun (35pts)

Fast Attack (435pts)

Baal Predator (145pts)
Heavy Bolters (30pts), Twin Linked Assault Cannon
Baal Predator (145pts)
Heavy Bolters (30pts), Twin Linked Assault Cannon
Baal Predator (145pts)
Heavy Bolters (30pts), Twin Linked Assault Cannon

Heavy Support (405pts)

Predator (135pts)
Autocannon, Lascannon (65pts)
Predator (135pts)
Autocannon, Lascannon (65pts)
Predator (135pts)
Autocannon, Lascannon (65pts)

All the remains is to see how it goes, watch this space...

Battle Report: Toy Soldier 2011

2011-07-29T08:58:00.000-07:00

Well my weeks of painting finally paid off and I got my army painted up in time for toy soldier. Was well chuffed with how it all looked on the table, seven drop pods just looks ace.

Here is the final list:
Rune Priest - Chooser of the slain, Living Lightning, Jaws of the World Wolf, Melta Bombs, Wolf Tail Necklace
-125

Rune Priest - Murderous Hurricane, Jaws of the World Wolf, Wolf Tail Talisman, Melta bombs, Wolf Tail Necklace
-120

Wolf Guard Squad
Wolf Guard - Power Fist, Combi Melta (43)
Wolf Guard - Power Fist, Combi Melta (43)
Wolf Guard - Power Fist, Combi Melta (43)
-129

Dreadnought - 2 Twin-linked Autocannons (125)
Drop Pod (35)
-160

Dreadnought - 2 Twin-linked Autocannons (125)
Drop Pod (35)
-160

8 Grey Hunters - Melta gun, Wolf Standard, Wulfen (150)
Drop Pod (35)
-185

8 Grey Hunters - Melta gun, Wolf Standard, Wulfen (150)
Drop Pod (35)
-185

9 Grey Hunters - Melta gun, Wolf Standard, Wulfen (150)
Drop Pod (35)
-200

10 Grey Hunters - 2 Melta gun's, Wolf Standard, Wulfen, Power Fist (205)
Drop Pod (35)
-240

10 Grey Hunters - 2 Plasma gun' s, Wolf Standard, Wulfen, Power Fist (210)
Drop Pod (35)
-245

Total 1749

Game 1: Paul Burk, Space Wolves, Kill Points, Spear Head

I had played Paul a few times before and never managed to beat him so I knew I was in for a tough game and when I saw his list I knew I was in trouble.

Rune priest - Living lightning

3 Lone wolves in terminator armour with chain fist and storm shield

5 Grey hunter squads in Las/Plas razor backs

3 Packs of 5 Long fangs with missile launchers

3 Land speeder Typhoons with Multi meltas

I won the roll off and let Paul go first, he deployed tucked in the corner I put two dreadnoughts down tucked in my corner. Paul's first move was to spread out and take some pot shots at the dreads.

Now I was presented with a big problem, the three lone wolves, I knew how nasty they where but currently alive they where worth three kill points to me I decided one had to die and dropped the plasma squad next to it they managed to take it out. Another two squads dropped near the building in the middle and took out one of the speeders and dinged the other. The dreads managed to take out a razor back. Alas it did not all go so well I tried dropping one of the squads in near the long fangs as is fate it scatter off the table and died. 2 of the easiest kill points lost ever :(

After this we started trading blows but the loss of that squad was noticeable, especially in the later turns. I tried reinforcing my center and managed to take out another lone wolf in close combat and shoot up a land speeder and one of the grey hunter squads with the dreads blowing up another razor back.

By this point the momentum had really swung in favour of Paul I threw my army in where ever I could to try and scrape back some kill points but once the grey hunters where all committed to combat all his firepower turned on the drop pods taking him well clear of my ability to catch up.

In the end all I had left where the dreds and a couple of drop pods but I had managed to take a chunk out his army so I clawed back a few tournament points.

Finally score was a 17-3 loss with me loosing 1545 VPs but killing 888 VPs.

Conclusion

This was always going to be a hard match up but the loss of that grey hunter squad really lost me the momentum, Paul's first turn of firing wasn't nearly as bad as I had feared so having another squad right in the middle of his army would have allowed me to make much more of a fight of it.

That 3-0 to Paul, I will get him next time.

Game 2: Jamie Seddon, Dark Elder, Capture and Control, Pitched Battle

Was looking forward to this , never played the dark elder yet and and MSU list at that. I had thought a lot about how I would take on a list like that as it could out manoeuvre me very easily.

Plus Jamie was up for a good scrap, always a good sign :)

So onto the list:

Vect

Heamoculius

3 x 5 man true borne squads with blasters in dual cannon venom's

3 x 5 man wytch squads with agonisers in dual cannon venom's

2 Ravager's - Dark lances

Razor wing - 2 of the missile that wound on a 2+

For combat drugs he got +1 strength.

I won the roll and let Jamie go first he reserved everything so down came my first wave.

The squad with the living lightning rune priest and one of the dreads landed on my objective that was hidden behind a large rock. Another grey hunter squad and dreadnought landed in and behind a building that was near his objective in the corner.

On the second turn, vect and two of the wytch squads along with one of the true born squads arrived at his objective. The two ravager's came on in the middle and shot an arm off the dreadnought in the middle.

Next turn all three of my reserve squads arrived so I decided or death or cake at his objective, I dropped all three down but one of the squads scattered in front blocking a lot of line of site for the other.

A lot of shots later and two of the venom's where dead with one of the wych squads gutted.

In the middle the dreads managed to take out one of the ravengers. The remaining one started making it's way towards my objective.

Back on his objective vect and the wyches went to play with one of the grey hunter squads.

The results where predictable. I threw what attacks I had left on the wytchs and managed to take quite a few out.

Vect and co finished off that squad and launched straight into another, this was fast shaping up for a draw. In the combat with vect I had made all my attacks bar one little grey hunter with a powerfist I decided he may as well take a swing and vect since there was no way what was left of the squad would survive to hit again, needless to say he hit, wounded and vect failed his power field save that one little roll swung the gave hevily in my favour, without vect I could easily clean up what Jamie had on his objective.

He made a heroic charge against my objective with the remaining ravenger, razor wing and a unit of wytches.

He managed to blow up the dread and lat some serious hurt on the grey hunters but in the end they won through.

After that I was just on mop up operations and managed to take out the rest of his army.

After a very bloody game I managed to get a 17-3 win taking 1750 VPs but losing 969 VPs

Conclusion

Vect is a best I got lucky stopping him when I did also getting all three reserves at the same time helped quite a bit as well.

All though I knew in theory DE where a glass hammer I didn't quite appreciate just how much, those wytch squads with an agoniser hit hard but have not staying power.

Jamie was a great opponent and took loosing vect better than I probably would have.

Game 3: Mike Newman, Tau, Dawn of War, Kill Points

Yay Tau in kill point, brilliant I thought he gets one turn to stop me then I am in at him and victory is mine...as I discovered no one had explained this to mike.

So his Army:

Commander in a battle suit

Ethereal

3 Crisis squads with missile, plasma and drones

2 Units of fire warriors in devil fish

Unit of kroot

2 units of broadsides with missiles and drones

So I got to deploy first, Mike had his battle suits walk on first turn, the kroot outflank and everything else in reserve.

Not knowing where he would come on I dropped the two dreads between the buildings at the center of the table for some cover, with one grey hunter squad in the ruins on either side.

Mike walked on and managed to take out one of the dreads straight away and shoot up some grey hunters.

After this it was pretty much Zulu Dawn, Initially I was probably too timid but it wasn't long before I was throwing everything I could at him.

I started to roll up the flank but mike just fed me units and pulled back.

I tried cutting him off but I just couldn't get to grips with his army, when ever I started to get close he would just blow up a couple of drop pods.

I got him back in a corner but in the end it was just too little too late. It ended with a 15-5 loss for me with me getting 880 VPS and losing 1109 VP's.

Conclusion

Ah over confidence is the mother of all sin. I went into this expecting an easy win, though the deployment put me on the back foot mikes target priority and manoeuvre kept me there. From my second turn I should have been running right at him rather than wasting time on ineffectual bolter shots.

On a side note the ethereal did him well, more than once it saved a squad from running off the table.

Game 4: Sean Homan, Space Marines, Seize Ground, Spear head

At first glance I was rubbing my hands at the prospect of an easy victory but as I started to think about it I realised Sean had a really good marine list for dealing with my list.

Vulkan

Chaplin Cassius

Dreadnought with plasma cannon

5 TH/SS Terminators in a landraider redeemer

Tech priest with a thunderfire cannon

3 x 5 Scouts with a powerfist in a Landspeeder Storm's with multi meltas

10 Man Tac Squad - Melta Gun, Multi Melta in a drop pod

The dread and termies where in reserve so the scout speeders where my primary targets, I like to drop my pods on objectives, the last thing I need is one of them sitting near it making me scatter 4D6.

Sean went first and drop the pod aggressivly in the middle of the board with vulkan. The rest of his force hung back a bit.

I dropped in just nicely for shooting at the speeders, just as I am about to roll the dice to shoot Sean reminds me it's night fighting on the first turn, talk about a facepalm moment, I can't believe I forgot, needless to say I managed to do next to nothing bar shoot up a couple of tac marines.

Things went down hill very quickly from there, I managed to blow up 2 on the speeders but couldn't make a dent in the tactical squad.

His terminators with cassisus rocked on I really needed to neuter them fast so I sent in a unit of grey hunters not expecting to take them out but just kill a few to reduce there effectiveness, 11 normal and a rending wound later none of them died :(

I couldn't scratch the land raider either, on the whole nothing was proving effective. Vulkan then proceeded to run rampage through my lines.

I was surprised just how effective he is in close combat.

I eventually managed to kill him but he did more than enough damage. All over it was the same story, in the center my grey hunters got wiped out to a man.

I managed to secure one objective to the left but lost the dreadnought to a scout powerfist.

Despite my best efforts to kill the five remaining scouts to pull it back to a draw I just couldn't manage it.

In the end I lost 17-3 scoring 852 VP's to 1409 VP's.

Conclusion

Firstly apologies to Sean, Most of the pictures I took didn't turn out, for the second day I hadn't noticed the camera was on a strange setting.

Really shot myself in the foot at that start forgetting about night fight, soon as that happened I should have went all out to kill his troops but I got caught up trying to kill the land raider and the terminators, very silly of me.

Very enjoyable game though, shows me I am going to need a lot more practice with this list to make it work.

Game 5 Luke Dobson, Space Marines, Take and hold, Pitch battle

Luke is actually a warmachine player with out much 40k experience using an army he didn't pick...but after my last few games I decided to take nothing for granted.

Luke's list:

Librarian

5TH/SS terminators

10 Sternguard with power weapons
2x10 man tactical squad
5 man scout squad
2 Godhammer Landraiders
1 Landraider Crusader

Lot of AV14 there thankfully no redeemers

He set up in a building over looking the central objective with his tac squad and libby on the top floor and the sternguard on the second. he put the rest in reserve

I decided to turn the middle objective into a parking lot and block off the routs to it with drop pods. Since he didn't have a powerfist in the building I decided to drop the dreadnoughts upfront and see how they did.

We exchanged some fire, I lost a dread and the sternguard killed quite a few grey hunters, then all his reserves rolled on.

The termies ate most of a squad and the dreadnought but lost a few in the effort, I continued to parking lot up and try to take out the landraiders.

He tried to knock a hole through but the stormbolters on the drop pods finished off the terminators, the land raider on the left got taken out and the squad inside pinned.

After that I took out the tac squad on the left hand side and the game ended.

The game ended 15-5 win to me I got 810 VPs and lost 593 VP's

Conclusion

On the whole I was quite lucky here, if Luke had just driven his landraiders on the middle objective first turn I would have had a hell of a time shifting them, once they where in reserve I knew I could use the pods to block most of his routes out his deployment zone.

So over all how do I feel about the list, it's good and I think it can do well about mid table but it will need a lot of practise. I finished 21st out of 32,my goal was to try and get two wins, anymore I would view as a bonus overall I got 5180 VP's on the whole a respectable amount, much better than I would get with my last list.

Look at the amount of Grey knights on the top table I know it's got no chance up there so I have started work on my next list already. This one is good fun and I plan on using it for a long time but I want a bit more filth as well :)

WIP Space Wolves Drop Pod List: Update 2

2011-06-16T13:19:00.000-07:00

Well the schedule has went out the window, Not quite sure how it happened as I lost a week's worth of painting because of practice for the unseen lurker event. Despite that I find myself well ahead of schedule.

As you can see I have got all the Grey Hunters done along with the Wolf Guard and the first drop pod.

First up we have the drop pod, this actually took a lot longer to do than I was expecting but I got the result I wanted. When I get all seven of them on the table it should look quite striking.

Next up we have the Wolf Guard, Some of the combi-melta are kit bashed, nothing fancy but on the table top they look as good as the real thing.

Then we have the wulfen, I wanted these to stand out from the normal grey hunters, so I made them dual wielding and painted them red.

Finally the Grey Hunters, I just have the banners to make up for them now. I managed to paint these a lot quicker than I expected, still not quite sure how I managed to do them so quickly as I am sure I was behind schedule.

WIP: Status Report - Week 1

2011-05-23T08:30:00.000-07:00

Well off to a good start with 10 marines done last week keeping to the target. Starting to get a lot faster painting them as well. Seeing the 16 done so far has given me a lot of motivation, starting to see the project moving forward.

How the army currently looks

Left to do
35 Grey Hunters
3 Wolf Guard
2 Dreads
2 Rune Priests
7 Drop Pods

Week 1
~~10 Grey hunters~~

Week 2
10 Grey hunters

Week 3
10 Grey hunters

Week 4
9 Grey hunters
1 Drop Pod

Week 5
3 Wolf Guard
2 Drop Pods

Week 6
3 Drop Pods

Week 7
1 Drop Pod
2 Dreds

Week 8
2 Rune Priests

WIP: Painting Schedule, The challenge is on

2011-05-16T05:47:00.000-07:00

I have decided to make an all out effort to get my new army paint for toy soldier, it's not going to be easy but here is the schedule I have worked out:

Left to do

45 Grey Hunters
3 Wolf Guard
2 Dreads
2 Rune Priests
7 Drop Pods

Week 1
10 Grey hunters

Week 2
10 Grey hunters

Week 3
10 Grey hunters

Week 4
9 Grey hunters
1 Drop Pod

Week 5
3 Wolf Guard
2 Drop Pods

Week 6
3 Drop Pods

Week 7
1 Drop Pod
2 Dreds

Week 8
2 Rune Priests

This should leave me a bit of time spare for any last minute emergencies, lets see how it goes.

WIP: First models roll off the line

2011-05-14T09:51:00.000-07:00

Well got my first few done and based, took a lot longer than I thought.

Two main problems so far a) Still not layering the paint on thin enough B) Dust, lot of it about just now and it's getting on the models :(

The bases are from secret weapon miniatures, I did put weathering powder on these ones but I won't do it again, it's too messy with models this colour.

Battle Report: Summer Conflict, Space Wolve Drop Pod List

2011-05-03T10:21:00.000-07:00

This year for summer conflict I decided to give my WiP space wolves a shot. It was only 1500 points but thankfully that's all I had built.

Rune Priest - Living Lightning, Jaws, Melta bombs

(Rune Priest's Squad)
8 Grey Hunters - Banner, Wulfen, Melta Gun
Wolf Guard - Combi-Melta, Power Fist
Drop Pod

9 Grey Hunters - Banner, Wulfen, Melta Gun
Wolf Guard - Combi-Melta, Power Fist
Drop Pod

9 Grey Hunters - Banner, Wulfen, Melta Gun
Wolf Guard - Combi-Melta, Power Fist
Drop Pod

10 Grey Hunters - Banner, Wulfen, 2 Melta Gun, Power Fist

Drop Pod

10 Grey Hunters - Banner, Wulfen, 2 Plasma Gun, Power Fist

Drop Pod

2 Wolf Guard - Combi-Melta
1 Wolf Guard - Combi-Melta, Power Fist
1 Wolf Guard - Combi-Melta, Wolf Claw
1 Wolf Guard - Wulfen
Drop Pod

Game 1 - Size Ground, Spear Head (5 objectives)

Chaos List

Demon Prince - Wings, MoS, Lash

10 Chaos Marines - MoS, Melta Gun, Flamer, Power Fist
Rino - Havok Launcher

10 Bezerkers - Power Fist
Rino - Havok Launcher

2 Plague Marines - 2 Plasma Guns

Chaos Marines - Missile Launcher

Defiler

2 Oblits

Predetor - Auto Cannon, Heavy bolters, Havok Launcher

This was looking a bit tricky unlike my old list this one would be at serious risk from the lash.

Turn 1
Chaos go first and move out The Bezerkers moving to the bottom objective, the Noise marines going for the one in the center.

Fortune favours the brake and I didn't want to have to dig the chaos out that middle chunk of terrain so I dropped down to cut them off and try and crush that advance.

The rune priests squad and one of the squads with wolf guard, and the 5 man wolf guard squad dropped in an blew the demon prince and the defiler off the table.

Turn 2
I was feeling pretty good after that turn, that didn't last long. To paraphrase Admiral Beatty "There appears to be something wrong with out bloody power armour today" this was a start of a trend all weekend for me, though not drastically bad my power armour saves felt a bit low. In this case the rune priests squad took a pounding off havok missile launchers.

Then the noise marines charged into one of my grey hunter squads, that's to there +1I and my luck with the power armour the squad got mauled. In my turn none of my reserve showed up but the rune priests squad managed to get into the fight and take out the noise marines. The last wolf guard took out one of the oblits.

After this point I dug in near the central 2 objectives , the plasma gun squad dropped on the hill in the middle and shout up some of the plague marines the other melta squad dropped next to the bezerker. They took the charge off the bezerkers and where taken out out.

By the end I had two objectives and my opponent had one, with my drop pods covering the hill contesting the other one.

Game 2 - Capture and Control, Dawn of war

Tyranid List

Tyranid Prime - 2 Scything Talons
Tyranid Prime - 2 Scything Talons

2 Zone Thropes

Doom of Mytan
Drop pod

20 Genestealers - Brood Lord
20 Genestealers - Brood Lord
20 Hormagaunts

5 Ripper Swarms
3 Ripper Swarms - Adrenal Glands

Carnifex - scything Talons, Crushing Claws

Was feeling ok about this match up. The doom could prove to be very effective against my army but I would just have to take him on the chin. the rest of his army I had the tools to deal with.

I deployed my objective in a wood, my opponent put his on top of a building on the right hand corner.
He then deployed a unit of genestealers in the building in the middle of the table near my objective with the prime tucked in behind and the hormagaunts onto his objective.

Turn 1

Most of his army walks on with one unit of stealers left in reserve to outflank. I drop in but have a bit of bad scatter the rune priests squad comes on behind my objective, one squad next to his and the last squad in from of his advancing units. My shooting doesn't achieve a great deal.

Turn 2
This doesn't go particularly well for me, the outflanking stealer squad arrives on and charges my squad that's next to my objective promptly doing a stupid amount of rending hits, it was only wound allocation that saved the squad from being wiped out. The squad that scattered in front of his army got charged by the rippers and one of the prime. 7 wounds off the rippers results in 5 dead marines, again with the not great.

Turn 3
The stealers on the right finished off my squads, the last 2 remaining members just managing to escape. the squad in the middle was ground down till they had only one member left. T
he other group of stealers started making a move to my objective. Thankfully all three reserve squads came in.

I decided the key thing was to preserve my objective so I dropped in two squads there bracketing the stealer squad that was in the open. The third squad I dropped in the right looking to lay some righteous bolter fire on the stealer squad there.

The stealer squad in the middle was gutted by the bolter fire then promptly broke and headed towards it's table edge, the squad on the right fared better and only lost a few members.
The rune priest managing to jaws the carnifex

Turn 4
The doom lands right in the middle of my tree squads that where near my objective thankfully I only lost 6 guys from one squad everyone else managed to pass their leader ship. one squad took a charge off the rippers and one of the primes but managed to kill them going on to bolter the other prime to death leaving him with only a zonethrope for synapse. on the right the stealer squad charged my full grey hunter squad and started kicking their teeth in again.

After this the last zone throap bought it and the hormagaunts jumped off his objective and started hitting on of the drop pods, alas the last few stealers on the right managed to get the six they needed to get on to the objective to claim in and get a draw.

Game 3 - Pitch battle, Annihilation

Blood Angel List

Dante

Sanguinary Priest -Jump Pack

5 Sanguinary Guard
5 Sanguinary Guard

5 Terminators - TH/SS
Land Raider Redeemer - Multi melta, Extra Armour

Librarian Dreadnought - Blood Talons

Vindicator

8 kill points to my 13, and lots of things that love power armour in the open.

This was a very short and brutal game, not much in the way of tactics just a straight up fight.

First turn the BA's moved forward and I dropped right in the middle taking out the dreadnought and the the vindicator cannon, for some silly reason I didn't go for the redeemer and in started mauling my squads. On turn 2 the two units of guards came down. Between the redeemer and one of the units they finished off a unit of my great hunters. After that we just traded units I took out one of the guard units and the vindicator Dante's unit took out one of mine only to get shot up next turn. The redeemer killed a lot more guys before I finally managed to stop it and bolter the terminators to death.

In the end I did managed to table my opponent but I didn't have a lot left.

Game 4 - Capture and Control, Spearhead

Ultramarine's List

Calgar!

Techmarine - Thunderfire Cannon

5 Sternguard - 2 Combi-Melta, Lightning claw
Drop Pod

Dreadnought - Assault Cannon
Drop Pod

Tactical Squad - Multi Melta, Flamer
Drop Pod

Tactical Sqaud - Las Cannon, Plasma Gun

Devastator Squad - 3 Heavy Bolters, 1 Plasma Cannon

Scout Squad - Sniper Rifles, Missile Launcher, Telion

Land Speeder - Multi Melta

His objective when on the top floor of a four story building that the tech priest reinforced, this was a daunting challenge, every floor have marines on it and thanks to Calgar they wouldn't be breaking.

His stern guard and dread drop near my objective, I counter drop and disabled the dreadnought and kill a couple of sternguard. the last squad drops on to the ground floor of the objective.

My squad that shot up the dreadnought got mauled by return fire, his tac squad dropped in near his objective, my rune priest squads took out the devastator squad in close combat. The sternguard squad was finished off by my grey hunters.

The wolf guard squad scattered in front of the tac squad though they opened up they didn't do much to them and after a bit of mutual spanking got taken out.

The rune priests squad moved up the building and engaged calgars squad but got got ground down. another squad deep struck in the bottom, took out the thunderfire got charge by 2 tactical marines and had a drawn combat! They also ran into calgar and got taken out.

In the end there wasn't anything to do but drop in the last squad to take out the speeder that was going to my objective and we ended on a draw.

Game 5 - Pitch Battle, Annihilation

Grey Knight List

Inquisitor - Terminator Armour, Psi-Cannon, Thunder Hammer

5 Terminators - Psi Cannon, Halberds

10 Grey Knights - Thunder Hammer, 2 Psi-Cannon, Psi Bolts
Rino

10 Grey Knights - Thunder Hammer, 2 Psi-Cannon, Psi Bolts
Rino

5 Grey Knights - Psi Cannon
Razor Back - Twin Hevy Bolter, Psi-Bolts

5 Purifiers - 2 Psi Cannon, Halberds
Razor Back - Twin Hevy Bolter, Psi-Bolts

Dreadnought - 2 x Twin Auto Cannons, Psi-Bolts
Dreadnought - 2 x Twin Auto Cannons, Psi-Bolts

Probably my worst nightmare, I am dropping right into their perfect engagement range, lots of power weapons and warp quake.

The Grey knights move forward and after ten minutes of talking about how warp quake would screw me up promptly forgot to do it. Well never one to pass up an opportunity I went for it, in they dropped and managed to take out a rino and a dreadnought.

The Grey knights shot back and charged in.

And not much was left

And it went down hill from there no reserves showed up on turn 3 so all I had was two drop pods to shoot, after that I just deep struck away from the knights as I didn't want to get tabled :p

So 2 wins, 2 draws and a loss not too bad considering I had only two games with the list before the tournament.

What did I learn, Firstly this list is a lot of fun to play with, it's so aggressive, Loving having so many units floating around. The two draws I think I should have just went all out on their objectives, I generally did best went I deploy everything close together to support each other.

Looking forward to getting the 1750 version up and running.

WiP: First painting attempt

2011-04-29T11:53:00.000-07:00

Here is my first go at painting my home brew chapter, think the scheme works over all but I need to water the paint down a bit, it's currently three layers of deneb stone and 4 of bone white. Need to be putting the bone white on thinner.

WiP: Space Wolves drop pod list

2011-04-25T08:52:00.000-07:00

I have finally decided to nail my colours to the mast and start work on a new 40k army, Drop pod space wolves.

I only started 2 weeks ago but I have been a busy bunny.

The Army

1750
Rune Priest - Chooser of the slain, Living Lightning, Jaws

8 Grey hunters - Melta gun, Wolf Standard, Wulfen in a Drop pod
9 Grey hunters - Melta gun, Wolf Standard, Wulfen in a Drop pod
9 Grey hunters - Melta gun, Wolf Standard, Wulfen in a Drop pod
10 Grey hunters - 2 Melta gun's, Wolf Standard, Wulfen, Powefist in a Drop pod
10 Grey hunters - 2 Plasma gun's, Wolf Standard, Wulfen, Powefist in a Drop pod

Dreadnought - 2 Twin auto Cannons in a drop pod

5 Wolf Scouts - Melta gun

Wolf guard
4 Combi Melta, Powerfist (three of these go with the Grey hunters and one with the scouts normally)
2 Combi Melta
1 Combi Flamer
1 Power Fist
1 Wulfen
1 Combi Melta, Wolf Claw
Drop pod

I set myself a couple of initial rules when building this list
1) No Long fangs or thunder wolves
2) Everything in a drop pod
3) Boots on the table

My initially list was just grey hunters and dreadnoughts but I decided I really needed the wolf guard, the scouts are currently in even though they break rule 2 just because they annoy guard players.

The grey hunters I think are one of the best troop choices you can get, good at shooting with the two special weapons, good at close combat the wulfen and the banner are just the iciing on the cake.

The dreadnough is there to provide me a bit of token long range as after I hit the table I have no manoeuvrability.

The plasma gun squad is there to help against terminators or power armour in the open. I also made it and another squad 10 men strong just for a change as I was trying to make the list not too spammy.

I have had one try out game so far need a few more before I nail the list down.

The Models

Every time I do a new army I always try to add some new skills to my painting and modeling this time it's going to be converting and highlights.

I won't be using the space Wolf models as I don't like them going for a home brew chapter using normal marines and dark angel vets as the wolf guard.

The paint scheme is going to be base on a combination of the Angels Absolution and the Guardians of the Covenant. For chapter markings I am going to use the genesis shoulder pads.

As for the models them selves I have made minor conversions to almost all of them to make them look a bit more animated.

Wulfen

For my wulfen I decided to give them the old Mk 6 helmets and two close combat weapons each (dual wielding is one of the themes I have went for), also thinking about painting them mostly the red so they stand out a bit more.

For the wolf guard I had to bodge together quite a few combie meltas, took me a few goes to get it right, up close it doesn't look great but on the table top it should be fine.


Left is home made, right is off the commander sprue

The grey hunters I went to town on had great fun with these some of the poses aren't too hot others I am quite chuffed with it's all a learning process though.


Grey Hunters

I tried converting some of them up to hold the knives, initially I cut the hand up repositioned it and green stuffed the gaps it game a good effect though I had to go without a thumb as it was too small to glue back on. After doing that I took a pair of needle nosed pliers and just bent the hand and thumb around it's not quite as tight a grip but its a lot simpler and they get to keep their thumbs.


Done with the needle nosed pliers and brute force


Green stuffed

I have most of the army built now, the drop pods will be fully assembled once painted. The standard bearers need some standards, my missus as and all singing and dancing sewing machine so I am going to see it that can embroider some up.

For the scouts I am going to use normal power armour marines but give them some cloaks. I found a nice tutorial here. So that's going to be something new to try.

Other than the scouts I have a few more wolf guard to build and the dreadnought, that could be problematic though as it looks like forge world are out of one of the auto cannon arms.

Old Witch, Iron Fang Pike Men and Assault Kommandos

2011-03-21T10:25:00.000-07:00

Been a while since I have done an update, been quite buyst with my painting.

First up some Assault Kommandos. Got these to annoy Cryx players. Still not 100% sure of them yet but I have liked playing with them so far.

Next up the newest caster I am going to be trying out, the old witch. Had a lot of fun painting her and scrap jack, it's the first time I have used weathering powders on a models and the effect is really good.

Here is a close up of one of the bits the powder was used on, very simple to do and gives a much better effect that you can get with paint.

Also got around to finally finishing my Iron Fang Pike men, after the UA was nerfed I ended up dropping them from my lists but might start using them again. All the orgional spear shafts where replaced with brass rods that don't bend.

Got around to purchasing the big man, it's a bitch of a model to build, the parts don't fit well. Bit too expensive points wise but still worth having.

And finally, whats better than one devestator, 2 of them. Having enjoyed running one so much I decided to fork out for a second. Worth every penny for the look on your opponents face when you drop two of them.

Battle Report 40K: The Open at the Masters

2011-01-24T08:07:00.000-08:00

I decided to go with my two normal lists

At 1500

Librarian – Terminator Armour, Storm Shield, Null Zone, Vortex of Doom, Melta bombs (145)
6 Terminators – 4 TH/SS, 2 LC (240)
Land Raider Crusader – Multi melta, Extra Armour (275)

5 Man Tactical Squad (90)
Razorback – Twin linked Heavy Bolter (40)

5 Man Tactical Squad (90)
Razorback – Twin linked Heavy Bolter (40)

5 Man Tactical Squad (90)
Razorback – Twin linked Heavy Bolter (40)

2 Land speeders – 2 x Multi melta, 2x Heavy Flamer (140)
2 Land speeders – 2 x Multi melta, 2x Heavy Flamer (140)

Predator – Auto cannon, Heavy Bolter Sponsons (85)
Predator – Auto cannon, Heavy Bolter Sponsons (85)

Total Cost: 1500
Kill points 13

At 1750

Librarian – Terminator Armour, Storm Shield, Null Zone, Vortex of Doom (140)
6 Terminators – 4 TH/SS, 2 LC (240)

Land Raider Crusader – Multi melta (260)

5 Man Tactical Squad (90)
Razorback – Twin linked Heavy Bolter (40)

5 Man Tactical Squad (90)
Razorback – Twin linked Heavy Bolter (40)

5 Man Tactical Squad (90)
Razorback – Twin linked Heavy Bolter (40)

5 Man Tactical Squad (90)
Razorback – Twin linked Heavy Bolter (40)

2 Land speeders – 2 x Multi melta, 2x Heavy Flamer (140)
2 Land speeders – 2 x Multi melta, 2x Heavy Flamer (140)
2 Land speeders – 2 x Multi melta, 2x Heavy Flamer (140)

Predator – Auto cannon, Heavy Bolter Sponsons (85)
Predator – Auto cannon, Heavy Bolter Sponsons (85)

Total Cost: 1750
Kill points 16

Game 1 - 1500 Points, Annihilation, Spearhead
Gary Marsh - Sister of Battle

2 Canoness
5 Seriphim – 2 Flamer Pistols
10 Sisters 2 Melta guns in a rhino
10 Sisters Melta gun, Heavy flamer in a rhino
Guard platoon of three squads with auto cannons and a bunch of power weapons

Set up

I positioned the speeders and the land raider to catch him no matter way he went around the terrain in the middles, using the preds to hopefully drive him around it and catch them between the speeders and raider

I left one razor back in reserve to stop my movement getting too jammed up and one squad of speeders to hopefully catch on of his tanks when it ventures too close to my table edge.

Sisters all in the missile with the guard blobbed in cover, 2 exorcists to start moving around the flanks

Turn 1

Playing aggressively Gary drove straight at me, popping smoke on both his rhinos.
The speeders took a bit of fire and one pred went boom
Speeder turboed into the middle while the land raider managed to immobilise one of the rhinos.

Turn 2

All the sisters piled out the rhinos and both the speeders in the middle got blown off the table.

At first I thought his deployment was a bit strange then I realised he was trying to bait my terminators into the sisters, he losses one unit then the bit platoon charges and overwhelms the terminators so I decide to go for the seraphim and canonesses

I then vortex of doom the seraphim only for Gary to tell me they where going to use the sister power that makes their save invulnerable for one phase...bugger that threw my calculations out a bit suddenly this wasn’t looking such a good idea. Thankfully the vortex still managed to take out a few sisters and one of the canoness.

At the start of the close combat phase he tried to make them invulnerable but failed, the termis proceeded to much threw them, I decided to him the canoness who only had one wound with the thunder hammers as I wanted to lock her in combat forgetting she had hit and run so bugged out and next turn used the vow to make her fearless so I couldn’t escort here off the table leaving me far to close to the guard blob squad

Turn 3

This is the start of the turn

And this is the end

The canoness felt the wraith of heavy bolters the terminators lost against the blob and got escorted off the table, the land raider ate melta.

I managed to take out one more of the sisters squads and a rhinos so when the game ended turn six in was a draw even VP wise it was 930 – 925 so a very good game that went right down to the wire.

If it had went on one more turn I would have been in trouble as there where no easy kill points for me to get my mitts on by that point. Gary did have quite a bit of bad luck, but most of the time I was never in position to take advantage of it.

Game 2 – 1500 Points, Capture and Control, Pitch Battle
Paul Croghan - Space Marines

Master of the forge – Conversion beamer

10 Man Tac squad – Melta gun, missile launcher
Rhino with a dozer blade

10 Man Tac squad – Flamer, Missile Launcher
Rhino with dozer blade

Scout squad – 3 sniper rifles, heavy bolter
Sergeant Telion

Two Dreadnoughts with multi melta

2 Landspeeders with 2 heavy bolters each
2 Land speeders with multi meltas and heavy bolters
2 Land speeder typhoons with heavy bolters

2 Preds with auto cannons and heavy bolters

Deployment
I won the deployment roll and let him go first.

Paul deployed his objective on the middle floor of the building in the left hand corner mine went in my right hand corner

As you can see he deployed the width of the board, master of the forge on the top of his building, 5 marines on the objective and a dreadnought tucked away below.

I had 2 major problems here, The large amount of shooting that would be coming my way and the complete lack of terrain to hide behind. Before the game we checked it all out and other than the big hill in the middle there was no where to get a rhino sized unit out of sight (and even that was a bit dubious there) add to that most of the smaller hills wouldn’t even give it a cover save this was going to be hard.

So a cunning plan was required, I decided to put both speeder squads and 2 razor backs in reserve while deploying the preds and land raider on the far right, the idea was simple, throw the termie forward into the troops and try and draw him to the right while trying to destroy as much as possible. Then the reserves make a dash straight for his objective.

Turn 1

As I hoped Paul started swinging his army to the right to go for my objective, his firing managed to stun one of the preds.

Straight forward turn from me the land raider went straight forward and the preds engaged in some ineffective shooting.

Turn 2

Most of his army keeps making a bee line for my objective, the land raider blows up pretty quickly and the preds take some more damage

A couple of speeders arrive from reserve I decide to bring them in on the right as I need to stem the tide that was coming my way.

The terminators went in against both rhinos and the speeder squadron taking out both the rhinos.

Turn 3

Under a hail of fire all but one terminator was killed, this was not so good, I hadn’t planned on losing quite that many.

In my turn one of the razor backs and the other land speeder squadron game on I decided to use them to prop up my right flank, the remaining terminator charged one of the tac squads that came out the rhino he killed a couple then they ran away. His other tac squad that was heading for my objective got charged by one of mine they then proceeded to flail away at each other

Turn 4

At the stage it was a bit tit for tat, I lost a razor back and the preds took some more damage

In my turn my turn my last speeder squad came on and killed one of his MM speeders. My remaining Razor back drove on to the wreck of the other one (I decided just to make my own cover). The last terminator join my tac squad in then fight and showed them how it was done ending that fight.

Turn 5

At this point I had pretty much given up hope of a win, I just hid all my guys behind my tanks.

The last land speeder went for a hail mary on his objective

That was really it for the game, it ended turn six the speeder died and I ended up cowering on my objective

So what did I learn, Master of the forge with conversion beamer is awesome I want one. The twin heavy bolter land speeders where also quite impressive.

The terrain really did gimp me this game, It’s the risk I take relying on short range AV10 vehicles for my main anti tank especially in the face of all those missile launchers.

In hind site there was a rather easy way for me to win this, Paul had only left 5 men on his objective, if I had shot them up about turn 3 he would have real problems getting any troops back to contest it since they where all on the other side of the table.

Game 3 – 1750, Seize ground, Dawn of war
Matt Cook – Daemons

Greater Demon in slannesh – Unholy might, Scorpified musk
2 units of 5 fiends one in eachnwith unholy might
3 flamers
2 untis of 6 pluagebearers
15 bloodletters
7 horrors – changling, bolt of change

Three deamon princes with MoN, Iron hide, demonic gaze, cloud of flies and noxious touch

Well I got off to a good start here I won first turn so let him go first and didn’t deploy anything on the table, he then failed to get his preferred wave down.

My plan was pretty simple null zone and lots of shooting them move to contest as I was reasonable sure I would have enough speeders alive at the end to do the job.

Turn 1

In deep strike the demons

The key threats where then seekers and the Monstrous creatures in the army so with that in mind the speeders moved on to engage the seekers in the woods, the land raider made a bee line to the demon prince. The rest of my army came on the right side of the table.

In the shooing phase most of the seekers where taken out.

Turn 2

The remaining demon princes, Greater Daemon and the horrors arrived.

The two plague bearer squads moved to consolidate on objectives, the seekers charged one of the speeder squads to minimum effect.

In my turn the terminators charged on of the Demon princes, managing to get 3 wounds on him, the rest of the army plugged away taking out the remaining seekers and heavy boltering the greater demon to death

Turn 3

The flamers game in and had a mishap so they where banished far away, a large unit of blood letters also arrived.

The terminators took out the demon prince but they themselves where also wiped out to man.

In my turn I started moving up to contest while managing to shoot another DP to death.

From this point my memory gets a bit sketchy (I forgot to take photos every turn)

The speeders turbo in front of the blood letters while the rest of the army shot away at them a bit, took a charge off them, lost one and moved to contest

They would eventually move to contest and objective on my side of the board

On the right the Libby got out the crusader to assault the horrors but it wasn’t needed as the crusader gunned them all down. The remaining demon prince took out a tac squad and Razor back

In the end he tried stringing a unit of plague bears between two objectives I shot all but one, thankfully his run roll had left him just 4” away from the objectives giving me the win.

Matt had a bit of an uphill struggle here, I could out manoeuvre and out shoot him and without terrain to hide in it left him in a difficult situation, I didn’t play this one particularly well, I let the null zone wielding librarian end up out of position, I started moving too late to the objectives resulting in me only winning by one and if his run or difficult terrain roll had been a tad higher then it would have ended in a draw.

Game 4 – 1500, Take and hold (One objective in each deployment zone worth 1 point and one in the middle worth 2), Pitch battle

Nathan Roberts – Demons

Great unclean one
6 blood crushers
2 units of fiends (6 strong IIRC)
2 units of 10 flesh hounds
2 slanesh chariots
3 units of pluage bearers

Deployment

I just castled up in the middle of the table as with all that cav I didn’t want to get pinned in a corner. I left one razor back in reserve.

I chose to go second and he got the wave he wanted.

Turn 1
(forgot to take pictures at the start)

The blood crushers arrive smack bang in the centre with the 2 units of flesh hounds either side of my army with chariots, the seeks behind the blood crushers.

Staring all this down was highly intimidating, This battle was going to be over very quickly, I decided the blood crushers much die so most of my force moved up to engage them the terminators jumping out to charge.

One speeder squad moved to the left to flame some hounds to open and escape route.

Null zone went up, I flamed a few hounds then everything else shot at the blood crushers getting a grand total of one wound on them.

Well time for the terminators to rescue the day, in the charge and fluff every roll spectacularly causing a grand total of one wound and losing 5 to the return strikes.

Turn 2

The GUO and a unit of seeks deep struck into he middle of my army

On the left flank the flesh hounds went into the speeders, the chariot into the predator. The hounds didn’t do much but the chariot took out the predator.

And on the right the hounds went into a razor back, the chariot into the predator and the seekers into the speeders. The pred blew up the razor back was destroyed and one speeder died.

Baws this was not looking good.

My only hope was to scatter to the 4 winds and hope I could contest to a draw

What followed was lots of running

And lots of dying

I think at the end of the game I had the land raider, Libby and one tac squad left lost that one the full 20 -0

Game 5 – Seize Ground, Spear head 1750
Apologies to my opponent I forgot to write down his name and army but from memory its:

Command squad – 3 Melta’s
Chimera

4 Melta veteran squads some with heavy weapons
Chimera

3 Vendettas

Plasma cannon russ variant

2 Manticores

Since I had take first turn and there was nothing that would block line of site this was going to be relatively straight forward, I was going to rush forward and give him one turn to stop me. I left one squad of speeders and 3 razor backs in reserve (Right now I can’t remember bring on the 4th razorback, I hope I didn’t forget it!)

Guard 101 really, hide in a corner

Turn 1

Seeders and land raider went straight down his throat, the preds managed to shake a gun ship

So what are the odds of one or two speeders surviving, bugger all that’s what couldn’t make a cover save (This was a theme through the whole game) all 4 died and a pred lost it’s turret.

Turn 2

Terminators go in, blow up a couple of chimeras

The turret less pred moves up to get in the way a bit

So can the terminators survive to next turn….

Na not a hope, the land raider was blown up by the first guard with a melta gun, I had hoped it would take a few more shots. Initially the terminators looked like they might just make it but by the end of all the shooting only one was left who charged a guard squad next turn and got beat down before he could do anything to it.

After this it was just a case of me trying to hold on enough to contest.

On the left flank they tried to hide

But failed

In the middle 2 marines survived till turn six by hiding under the piles of dead, seriously that was it a whole 2 marines

Needless to say that was a big loss, I hate fighting guard, I really need some decent LOS block terrain and some good cover saves to be in with a fighting chance needless to say I got neither this game.

Game 6 – Annihilation, Dawn of war 1750
Matt Cook – Demons

Last game and I drew Matt again this time on a table with even less terrain. I won the roll and let him go first and again the wrong wave showed up.

I rolled on like this taking out most of a unit of steeds and all the blood letters on the first turn.

The greater demon died in a hail of heavy bolter fire and the terminators started munching demon princes

After that I just drove away from most of his army leaving just a couple of squads of plague bearers at the cost of the terminators and 1 razor back

It was a shame I had to meet Matt again for the last game, I understand why you have to play who your allocated up the top tables but down where we where it wouldn’t make a lot of difference. It was a really bad match up for him but he kept in good humour the whole game, a hard thing to do in that situation, much respect for that.

So on the whole not a sterling performance from me. The terrain really didn’t help and I made a few blinding mistakes as well (game 3 I kept forgetting to move stuff, and I wasn’t even drinking!).

Looking at the armies out there I think this lists days are numbered I can’t out manoeuvre the demon lists and I can’t survive in the face of the auto cannon fire with all there fragile speeders.

Here are some pictures of the armies up for best painted, some really nice stuff there:

I have put more of them up here

Mycetic Spore Tyranids

2011-01-11T14:36:00.000-08:00

I have got fed up trying to come up with a new marine list that excites me, I can come up with ones that work but not ones that really inspire me so I have went back to my half finished nids.

I originally started building a nid army a few weeks before the announcement of the new codex. Once the new codex came out I couldn't find an army that inspired me. The current crop of tyranid lists doing the rounds feel quite boring to me.

I have decided to give them another shot and try a deep striking nid army.

Here is the initially 1750 build I am going to try out

Hive Tyrant - Heavy Venom Cannon, Lash Whip and Bone Sword, Adrenal Glands, Wings, Hive commander

3 Zoanthrope - Mycetic Spore
Death Leaper

4 Tyranid Warriors - Death Spitters, Mycetic Spore
8 Genestealers - Toxin Sacs
13 Termagant - Devourer, Mycetic Spore

Carnifex - 2 Scything Talons, Bio Plasma, Adrenal Glands, Mycetic Spore
Carnifex - 2 Scything Talons, Bio Plasma, Adrenal Glands, Mycetic Spore

5 Raveners

The Tyrant gives everything +1 to reserve roll so most of the army should come on in the second turn. Zoanthropes for the tank busting and Death Leaper to screw with psyker's. The Tyranid Warriors cause I like the models and they bring synapse and some more firepower. The stealers can out flank to hopefully get a charge off on the second turn. The termagants are expensive at 10 points each but 39 str 4 shots will always prove to be useful. Two Fex's for tin opening and 5 raveners for the same purpose as the stealers.

On paper the list doesn't look to strong but I have decided to give it a try out anyway and see how it goes. Should make a nice change of pace anyway.

Gorman, Eryiss and PIursk

2010-12-16T13:39:00.000-08:00

I have taken a break from painting the IFP to do something I actually enjoy it's been quite a few productive days, I got Gorman, Epic Eryiss and PIursk done as well as getting all My other mercs on to resin bases.

Quite chuffed with how these all look together, the bases are from Secret weapon.

Also got Piursk painted up, need to get a few mroe game sin with him but so far he has been working quite well.

Flames of War and a General Update

2010-12-13T06:38:00.000-08:00

Been a while since I posted anything so felt an update was in order. Despite resisting for years I have finally scummed to Flames of War.

Had a demo game a few weeks ago and loved it. It just feel right, tanks, infantry just work like you would expect them to work.

To start with I am going to do a mid war American rifle company.

Here is my starting list:

1 Company HQ @ 60 pts
2 Carbine team
2 Bazooka team

1 Rifle Platoon @ 150 pts
1 HQ Section
1 Rifle team
1 Bazooka team
3 Rifle Squad
3 Rifle team

1 Rifle Platoon @ 150 pts
1 HQ Section
1 Rifle team
1 Bazooka team
3 Rifle Squad
3 Rifle team

1 Rifle Platoon @ 150 pts
1 HQ Section
1 Rifle team
1 Bazooka team
3 Rifle Squad
3 Rifle team

1 Weapons Platoon @ 120 pts
1 HQ Section
1 Carbine team
1 Mortar Section
3 M2 60mm mortar
2 Machine-gun Section
2 M1919 LMG

1 Field Artillery Battery @ 165 pts
1 HQ Section
1 Carbine team
1 Staff team
1 Observer Carbine team
1 Jeep
2 Gun Section
2 M2A1 105mm howitzer (Gun shield; Smoke)

1 Field Artillery Battery @ 315 pts
1 HQ Section
1 Carbine team
1 Staff team
1 Observer Carbine team
1 Jeep
2 Gun Section
2 M1 155mm howitzer (Bunker Buster; Gun shield; Smoke)

1 Self-propelled Anti-tank Platoon @ 230 pts
1 HQ Section
1 Carbine team
1 Jeep with .50 cal AA MG
1 .50 cal AA MG
1 Anti-tank Section
1 Carbine team
1 Jeep
2 M10 3in GMC
1 M7 3in gun
1 .50 cal AA MG

1 Intelligence & Recon Platoon @ 80 pts (Reconnaissance Platoon)
1 HQ Section
1 Carbine team
1 Jeep with .50 cal AA MG
1 .50 cal AA MG
3 I&R Squad
1 Rifle team
1 Jeep

1 Anti-aircraft Artillery (Self-propelled) Platoon @ 80 pts
1 Automatic Weapons Section
2 T28E1 CGMC (37mm) (Awkward Layout)
1 T28E1 37mm combination mount (Anti-aircraft)

Total List Cost: 1500

Infantry is the anvil, the artillery to force the opponent to come to me, some recon to limit their movement and a bit of anti tank and anti air. I have most of the infantry and artillery on order so hopefully I can start playing in the new year.

In other system I am continuing my quest to make a new 40k list, still playing around with various combinations, not got something I am happy with yet.

For war machine the painting goes one, currently working on a unit of IFP and it’s sucking the life out of my doing them I really hate painting units of WM infantry. On the once they are out the way I have very little left to paint of my Khador.

Madelyn Corbeau and the Kodiak

2010-11-21T14:07:00.000-08:00

I appear to be on a roll with the painting just now so I am making the most of it.

Firstly Madelyn Corbeau, since I got her she has become a firm favourite of mine for my assassination casters, can't complain about +3" threat. Took me a few goes to get her done every time I would take pictures I would spot something in them that needed tidying.

Next up is the Kodiak, I picked this up cheap second hand so decided to get it painted, not really used it much yet but will work it into a few lists and see how it does.

Terminators

2010-11-20T14:11:00.000-08:00

Thought I would share a few pictures of the terminators I did. My army is painted dark angels so I used a sort of death wing scheme including Darnath Lysande who I used to run.

I will never use that sort of flock on models again, there are over a year old and the stuff still gets everywhere.

I just filed off the most blatant Imperial fists markings. There was a big one on the shield but I just took the worst of it off and covered it with a bunch of purity seals.

The Librarian was one of my first attempts to use green stuff, Sticking the silly book he normally wears on his back onto his shield, it's about as basic as it gets. Up close you can see the green stuff thankfully on the table top it doesn't show.

And finally here are some Dreadnought just because.

Finding something new with vanilla marines

2010-11-17T05:38:00.000-08:00

Well waiting on the entire Dark elder range to come out I have decided to try an design new marine list and I need your help. I am suffering from a bit of tunnel vision since I have been playing with almost the same list for about a year and a half I am finding it a bit difficult to move my mind beyond it.

Firstly here is what I have been currently running at 1750.

Librarian – Terminator armour, Storm Shield
Terminators – 4 TH/SS, 2 LC
Landraider crusader – Multimelta

4x5 man tac squads in razorbacks with twin Heavy bolters
2 AC/HB Predators
3x2 Landspeeders with Multimelta/Heavy Flamer

The terminators give me a good counter charge unit or something I can shove down my opponents throat and force them to have to deal with it.

The speeders give me a second threat that can deal with heavy armour or hordes, tend to suck up quite a lot of fire power especially when turbo boosting and finally they are great for contesting objectives.

The preds just give me a couple of AV 13 that plink away at units and light vehicles.

The razorbacks/tac marines I deliberately didn’t upgrade for a number of reasons. Firstly with the land raider bearing down on you and all those speeders zooming about it’s hard to justify shooting at them. Secondly because they have only heavy bolters you don’t feel any major loss of fire power by moving them 12”. I have never seen a marine list quite like it at a tournament yet, if your not expecting it dealing with 6 speeders is a real problem. Normally if I can’t our fight my opponent I can out manoeuvre them.

Now there are a few down sides, first and foremost are space wolves, between the psychic powers and the masses of missile launcher my speeder tend to be neutered. Nids tend to be able to deal with terminators and all the hive guard hurt the speeders quite bad but at least I can out run them.

In general I find the list is still overly reliant on the terminators doing well they are the main killy unit and as good as the list is at opening up transports its still needs the terminators to actually kill what drops out. This also leads to low victory point scores as I win by out manoeuvring and killing key units not wiping my opponent off the table.

So that’s what have been running now onto what I am thinking about, picking a original vanilla marine list is proving a bit of a challenge made worse as a lot of the lists I have made you can generally do better in the marine +1 and +2 codex (BA and SW).

So the first list I have been play testing is a proper Razorback spam list

2 Librarians
5 tac squads (2 with combi meltas) in Twin Assault Cannon Razorbacks
3 squads of 3 attack bikes with Multi Meltas
3 AC/HB Predators

It’s a pretty straight forward list lots of dakka, I will try it out with las/plas as well but I like the sheer number of shots your putting out with those assault cannons. The second libby is because I had 100 odd points left.

I went with attack bikes over speeders as I find with the speeders you tend to only have one multi melta in the squad to shoot with and when you do have two you miss with both so I wanted to try out having three in the squads for over kill. The dakka preds because it’s rude not to for that points.

My main issue with the list is it’s rather boring and predictable, it works but it’s very cookie cutter.

The other thing I have always wanted to try is a drop pod list, I decided to break at least one rule I had and add Vulcan into the list.

Vulcan
4 x 10 man tac squads with melta gun, multi melta. Sergeant with combie melta and power fist in a drop pod
2 x Dreadnought with multi melta/heavy flamer, drop pod
Dreadnought with multi melta/Storm bolter, drop pod
2 x 1 land speeder with multi melta

Nothing shockingly new or original here drops down with lots of melta but again a bit boring, your alpha either works or it doesn’t there is no half measure.

Sternguard as something I have been trying to get working from the start so playing around last night I game up with the following.

Pedro Kantor
10 Sternguard, 4 Combie Melta, 2 heavy flamers, Power fist, Drop pod
10 Sternguard, 3 combie Melta, 2 Heavy flamers, Power fist , Drop pod
1 Dreadnought Multi melta, Heavy Flamer, Drop pod
2x10 Tactical marines, Melta gun, Multi melta, Drop pod
2x2 Land speeders Multi melta/Heavy flamer

The list currently has a few points spare but I think that’s the bones of it there, the sternguard and dred go in first and try to bust open some heads. The speeders DS and try and pop some tanks.

Any one got any suggestions how I could improve these or got any experiance with all drop pod lists?

The Great Bears Of Gallowswood

2010-11-16T14:27:00.000-08:00

Since these guys are in every army I pick I figured I had better get them painted up.

Initially I wasn't too keen on them, I couldn't get them to work for me but I perceived and now they are proving to be worth their weight in gold. They work best in the second wave as a counter attack unit, you pick one thing you absolutely want dead and they make it happen.

They aren't quite as neat as my last lot as I am trying to get quicker at painting war machine infantry just for my own sanity never mind anything else.

Orin Midwinter and Harlan Versh

2010-11-14T03:56:00.000-08:00

Thanks to RSI brought on by too much Call of Duty I have had time to get a bit more painting done. Decided to get a couple of the my mercs done.

Harlan Versh finds his way into a lot of my lists. Midwinter I haven't got around to using yet but I am going to get old witch as a new caster and I think he will fit in her list.

I am sticking with the same colour scheme for all my mercs, Charon grey and Hormagaunt purple it works quite nice I think and stands them out from the rest of the army.

Versh has an annoying mold line on his face, I tried to file it a bit but was worried about taking the rest of the detail off, doesn't matter much on the table top as you never see it.

Autumn showdown - Battle Report

2010-11-09T05:53:00.000-08:00

So I did Warmachine at the Autumn showdown in the North West Gaming Centre.

I decided to go this these lists:

List 1
Pvlad
Draco
Devastator
Spriggan

Max Winter Guard Rifle Corps
Great Bears
Lady Aiyana and Lord Holt
Min Iron Fang Pikemen + UA

Kovnik Joe
Madelyn Corbeau

Lots of heavy metal that’s I could shit across the table on the feat turn, rifle corps+joe to deal with light/med infantry. Corbeau for the extra movement for vlad (17.5” Threat range, yes please). Great Bears cause they are pure win. IFP to throw in the enemies face and finally Lady Aiyana to give me some magic attacks or for the +2 DMG.

Plan with this list was pretty straight forward go for the alpha with the Jacks and beat down as much of their army as possible before bring vlad out for the kill.

List 2
Eirusk

Devastator
Spriggan

Great Bears
Max Man o War shocktroopers
Max Winter Guard Rifle Corps
Winter Guard Mortar
Winter Guard Mortar
Lady Aiyana and Lord Holt

Kovnik Joe
Madelyn Corbeau

This list was a bit more risky, I hadn’t used the shock troopers before but was itching to give them a shot. It was a defensive attrition list sit back and bombard the enemy before counter charging.

Game 1: Kill box, Kieran with Cryx

Venethrax

Death Jack
Nightmare
Max Bane Thralls + UA
Min Bane Knights
Bane Lord Tartarus
Max Bloodgorgers

General Gerlak
Withershadow combine

Set up

Pretty straight forward set up, bloodgorgers out on the far left with the bane thralls the caster and nightmare in the middle with the bane knights, Tartar and death jack on the right.

My vlad list was outnumbered in a big way here so I decided to turtle up in the left hand corner, the 2 heavy jacks holding the left flank the IFP and great bears on the right with winter guard in the middle and Draco set to counter charge where needed.

Turn 1

Reasonably uneventful, the cryx ran forward enmass my left flank moved forward read to intercept

Turn 2

The cryx closed in, and I launched my alpha, I dropped 3 focus on the devastator and Draco and popped my feat.

The devastator went into the bloodgougers, between the rain of death and the fist attacks only 2 where left. The spriggan moved up and put it’s flare down to highlight the base thralls and the wither shadow combine, the winter guard then moved up and shot up quite a few of the bane thralls. On the right I sent a full loaded Draco into the death jack. His rolls weren’t exactly great so I had to send in the IFP as well who minifeated and promptly failed to kill DJ as well. As next turn will show sending them in was a mistake when dealing with DJ.

Turn 3

Since both DJ’s arms where out I thinking I was pretty safe, alas not to be Kieran head butted one of the IFP and that let DJ heal both his arms back up, needless to say Draco took a beating from him with the band lord and knights finishing off all the IFP and Draco.

Nightmare moves across to kill a few of the winter guard and the spriggan got mobbed by the wither shadow and bane thralls but managed to survived.

Venthrax move up to bring vlad into his control area, that caused any spells I wanted to cast cost double effectively neutering vlad from casting either of his good spells.

The remaining bloodgorgers attacked the devastator to little effect.

Things weren’t looking good it was time to bring vlad out to play, using the ability from Madelyn Corbeau that’s lets me move a warrior up to 3” if there is an enemy in her control range, I set vlad exactly 14.25” from venthrax *evil grin*

My army parted like the red sea, the great bears went and wrecked nightmare. The winter guard just shot up some bane thralls that where in the way and the devastator took out the remaining bloodgorgers.

Now for the big one, I unleashed vlad and he did smote the dirty cryx.

Just as was feeling quite chuffed for pulling that move with Kieran lamenting the 14” charge you can get with him I did the maths 6 + 3 for blood of kings + 3 for charging + 2 for boundless charge…boundless charge…bugger.
I realised I hadn’t cast boundless charge and the two focus for it was needed to kill venethrax. In hindsight I thought he had went down too easy, I remember now my original plan was to run over and take it in the face for a turn before beating him to death.

On realising my screw up I came clean and gave the win to Kieran, well it beats my usual mistake of walking my caster out the kill box.

Game 2: Rectangular capture area, Toby Menoth

Etestement
Avatar
Reckoner
Vanquisher

Max Daughters of the flame
Max Choir
Max Temple Flame guard + UA
Max Exemplar Bastions

Vassal
Vassal
3 Wracks

I decided to try the Eirusk list against this as I figured 2 mortars would be really useful against all this infantry.

Set Up

Toby Set up first in a pretty unsuitable brick with the avatar on his right flank and the Daughters of the flame out on the far left

I got to go first so I set up in a square shaped piece fo stone as well. I set the spriggan up to counter the avatar and the devastator to deal with the daughters of the flame since I knew what a pain they could be

Turn 1

Toby ran forward and cast a few things on his jacks.

I moved up but made and fired off a few mortar shots, the winter guard killed a bunch of the daughters of the flame. This didn’t work quite as intended as the spells he had cast allowed the avatar and the Reckoner extra moves (I assumed since the spell on the reckoner let I charge when something near it was kill it wouldn’t be able to since nothing was in charge range I didn’t realise you could just charge and fail by quite some distance)

Turn 2

The remaining daughters ran in to pin units on my left flank the Reckoner got a shot off at Irusk leaving him on 5 health *gulp* the avatar move up aggressively as well. The rest of his army just shuffled forward a bit into the box

On my go I loaded up the spriggan and the devastator with focus and move the spriggan up against the avatar thinking it would lock it in place, it go one charging hit off and them the spell the vassal put on last turn kicked in and gave the avatar a 5” move ignoring free strikes…the ignoring free strikes I did not know about so I ended up with him in B2B with Irusk

Baws, not only was 3 focus wasted on the spriggan my caster was in serious trouble and nothing else was in a position to help. Plus I needed to get something in the box to contest.

So with this in mind the spriggan charged the reckoner, the ROD killed a few sisters of the flame and it punched a few chunks out the jack for good measure.

Joe gave the winter guard boosted attack rolls and shot the daughter of the flame that was pinning the great bears in place. Lady Aiyana then cast Kiss of lyliss for +2 to dmg on the reckoner allowing the winter guard to them nickel and dime it to death.

Then came the important part, the great bears charged the Avatar and in fantastic style destroyed it in 4 hits, the third one never even got the chance to dent his axe, with that I moved Irusk to the back to hide but for some reason that escapes me I move advanced and didn’t run him right to the back.

Turn 3

It was over quickly, the Vanquisher moved up and shot Irusk, game over :(

Game 3: The mission with three flags, Duncan with Cryx

Litch Lord Terminus
Death jack
Cancker Worm
Slayer

Max Bane thralls
Max Bile Thralls
Min Mechanathralls
Revenant Cannon

Pistol Wraith
Machine Wraith
Necrotech and Scrap Thrall

Duncan is my usual opponent so this was a dance I knew well I broke out vlad, I knew I wouldn’t get near his caster till he popped his feat and was ready to try and assassinate.

Set up

Duncan’s deployed the bile thralls in a big line with the mechana thralls on the far left and the rest tucked in behind

My set up was pretty straight forward, with vlads feat I knew I would be able to get the charge off with my jacks.

Turn 1

We both moved forward, that is all.

Turn 2

At the start of this turn the left hand flag vanished.

Now the fun begins, Duncan moved forward with death jack casting a spell on the winter guard kill a few.

On my turn I popped my feat and ran the devastator in to lock down DJ, spriggan fired of a few shots killing a bile thrall but Duncan’s tough rolls held fast, the IFP then mini feated and moved up to engage the bile thralls and the cancker worm. My plan was to try and delay his army and go for the two capture points next turn.

On the left flank Lady Aiyana gave the winter guard magic attacks and they went to work killing the pistol wraith, Necrotech, Machine Wraith and 4 of the mechanathralls

Turn 3

Terminus popped his feat ready to reap the souls this turn.

An uber juiced up death jack wailed down on the devastator and miraculously failed to knock out a eany systems …that’s was with 8 focus!

The bane thralls then charged into engage with some sweeping past to contest the middle flag. They managed to take out one of the devastators arms.

The two remaining mechanic thralls ran in to engage some of the winter guard, finally some of the bile thralls on the right went boom taking out the all the IFP but also laying some serious hurt on the canker worm.

On my turn I had about 6 Bane thralls to kill and that would give me two capture points. I powered up Draco and the devastator, the devastator went boom taking out a couple and punched up death jack a bit, the winter guard then move up and opened fire on the bane thralls killing some more but a lot of them passed there tough rolls, The spriggan them moved up to capture the right hand objective and put a few more shots into the bane thralls, but again the tough came into play finally Draco then went in and despite hitting with all six attacks Duncan past all but 2 of the tough rolls letting him keep contesting the objective.

Turn 4

The remaining bane thralls picked off the devastator and the canker worm and slayer threw a few hits at the spriggan.

DJ trampled a few of the winter guard.

As you can see Terminus was now full juiced but so we be coming out to play. I had placed vlad just out the threat range ready to go get him as soon as he moved up.

Alas I had forgot he could charge and still cast spells, those extra 3” managed to get him in range of vlad for some spell spamming and on the last roll killed him :(

Final thoughts

Well thats a first for me, came last over all (out of six), on the upside it gave me free entery into the next showdown in January :)
I made a lot of silly mistakes, part of that is down to me playing across three systems regularly and I find WM you really have to play constantly or you forget the detail. I need to get a bit more practice and make a point of exactly understanding what each spell my opponent casts actually does.

Eirusk is going to take a lot more practice, I think he is more useful in 2 caster games and the men o War really do suffer for being slow, here is hoping for a UA that’s speeds them up soon.

As usual I lost vlad when I don’t cast blood of kings, I think as a rule from turn three onwards I am going to have it cast.

One thing that does bug me a bit with Khador. You don’t appear to have anything quite as ridiculous as the other factions can manage, sure we have some pretty hard stuff but it tends to be slow and have a low def.

Nothing has the ability to do anything as silly as this:

Yup that’s 21 souls and I have seen more than that on him before.

On the upside Madelyn Corbeau with Vlad is an auto include for me now. Also I feel I have got a handle on using the great bears now, they are proving very effective and breaking face. The other thing I am thinking of is another Devastator for vlad, they are very focus efficient thought maybe 2 of them, spriggan and Draco might be over kill :)

Bases and Weathering Powders

2010-11-06T13:22:00.000-07:00

Having taken a bit of a break from painting I decided I should get of with getting my Khador onto the scenic bases I have.

When deciding on bases I didn't want to do the usual snow that Khador always have. Since I painted them up shiny metal I wanted rusty metal bases as if would set off nicely, keep with the steam punk vibe I like and give me a chance to try out weathering powders.

There where a couple of things I noticed, firstly you can apply the weathering powers very heavily, when you you varnish them it tones them down quite a lot. Secondly don't worry too much about making mistakes since they aren't fixed on till you varnish them you can just wipe them off and try again.

On the topic of varnish, initially I had painted, weathers and varnished the bases before pinning the model but they superglue caused the varnish to go all milky around there feet requiring me to touch it up. Best way is to paint it, pin the models on then weather and varnish them.

As you can see the end results look pretty good, just in time for my first warmachine tournament tomorrow :)

pIursk Musings

2010-09-30T00:41:00.000-07:00

Got my first couple of games in with pIursk last night, I am well and truly sold.

Iron Flesh: How did I get by for so long with out this spell, in both games I cast it on some IFP who where in shield wall, my cygnar opponent could shift them for love nor money.

Superiority: Who doesn’t love a move 6 Spriggan

Inhospitable ground : I get the feeling this will be worth it’s weight in gold. I like attrition warfare and using this spell will limit my opponents ability to engage my second wave.

Feat: I tended to pop this on my first turn as a defensive measure after running the IFP into the enemy or a control zone

It’s just a combination of win, there where a few problems though as well. Firstly he is a bit squishy (by Khador standards) but you need to play him close to the front line I have to be more carful with his placing as I let a destroyer get a bead on him that took a large chunk out his health.

There is also a lack of magic weapons and path finder in the army. I suspect I can get by without the magic weapons (The doom reveres have them at least) but I need to work out a way to get pathfinder in, currently only the spriggan and manhunter have it.

Purchase wise I finally got my hands on the one man-o-war I was missing so I finally have a full squad of 5 to use with eIursk. I grabbed Gorman DiWulf who I have been wanting to try out for a while.

Kovnik Joe

2010-09-27T15:10:00.000-07:00

Well I was supposed to be painting a dreadnought up for the 40k tournament I have this weekend but got sidetracked finishing Joe off. Thats all the winter guard I have done for now.

Club Face Off

2010-09-08T06:49:00.000-07:00

So last Sunday saw me taking part in the club face off between the Night Owls, Flame on, Maurders and the Mighty Pub Team. It was across, 40k, WHF and Warmahords

We (The very drunk pub team) managed third with flame on going to win the following is how I got on at the 40k.

My List:

Librarian – Terminator armour, Storm Shield, Null zone, Vortex of Doom

6 Terminators – 4 TH/SS, 2 LC

Land Raider Crusader – Multi melta, Extra armour

5 Tactical Marines
Razor Back – Twin Heavy bolter
5 Tactical Marines
Razor Back – Twin Heavy bolter
5 Tactical Marines

Razor Back – Twin Heavy bolter

2 Land Speeders – Mulitmelta, Heavy Flamer

Predator - Auto Cannon, Heavy Bolter Sponson’s
Predator - Auto Cannon, Heavy Bolter Sponson’s

Game one – Pitch battle, seize ground

Game 1 was against Josh Roberts, I actually picked this fight as I have seen him win both the 40k tournaments I had been at this year so I wanted to see how I would do against him.

He was running an ork battle wagon list.

Ghazghkull

5 mega armoured nobz

Big Mek – KFF

10 Burna boyz

15 Slugga boyz – Nob with PK
15 Slugga boyz – Nob with PK

15 Gretchin – Runtheard

Battle Wagon – Death roller
Battle Wagon – Death roller
Battle Wagon – Boarding plank, Ram
Battle Wagon – Boarding plank, Ram

We had three objective deployed in a diagonal line with one near each table edge and one in the middle.

Deployment

I won the roll off and elected to go second, I have next to no long range firepower so going first would do me no good.

Ah what a lovely brick from left to right it’s boyz with a death roller Ghazghkull and the nobz, Big mek and scorchas and finally the other boyzs mod and death roller.

I put two razor backs in reserve

I put the 2 preds with a razor back and a land speeder squad behind opposite him the land raider with the termies in it went on my right with the other speeder squadron on the left.

Turn 1

Orks moved forward…that’ is all.

I moved the land raider up on the right to get a flank shot, two speeders on the left move for another flank and the two in the middle turbo boosted to straight in front of the two centre battle wagons.
Got a fantastic first turns shooting destroying both the flanking battle wagons.

Turn 2

Well this turn got off to a good start for me with the big meks battle wagon immobilizing it's self trying to drive over one of the wrecks despite it having the ram (the big mek fixed it later in the turn)

The 2 wagon less boyz mob moved to engage the landspeeders, Ghazghkull got out separate from the nobz and called a waaaagh! and the gretchin wandered on at the back of the table.

In the close combat phase Ghazghkull and nobz took out both predators and the razor back in the middle (I should have moved them)

The left hand speeder squad lost on and got the other one shaken, with the middle squad only taking minor damage.

On my turn on razor back cam on behind the raider, the land speeders bugged out the line of fire for a turn and the five marines in the middle ran as fast as they could from the mega armoured nobz.

Turn 3

The big meks battle wagon tried to drive over the wreck again and rolled a 1 thankfully this time the ram save it from would could have been a moment of pure comedy.

One of the boyz mobs and Ghazghkull got back in a working battle wagon, the mega armour game chase to the 5 tac marines on foot and the rest of the orks spread out a bit.

My other razorback game on and moved up the right hand side, the land raider moved to the middle and all the speeder swooped down on the big meks battle wagon. In the shooting I only managed to immobilize it

Turn 4

At this point we realised we where fast running out of time having only 90 minutes to do a game.

The Gretchin moved to secure one objective, A boyz mobile the middle one and the mega armour nobz to grab the one near my half.

Ghazghkull tried to assault the land raider but didn't manage to do anything to it.

My tries assaulted the mega armoured nobz wiping them out at this point I made a serious error, I had meant to move my speeder to contest the middle objective and run my tac marine to contest the gretichin.

This and it cost me a draw as at the end of my turn dice down was called giving Josh the win

Game 2 - Kill points, Spearhead

Apologise to my opponent as I have forgotten you name.

Oh joy it's nid and even better is very similar to nasty list I took on a toy soldier.
Hive Tyrant
3 Tyrant guard

3 Hive Guard
3 Hive Guard
2 Hive Guard

2 Of the gaunt spawning things
2 units of termagaunts
1 unit of hormagaunts.

Plan was simple run away shooting.

Deployment

Nothing fancy going on here big block of nids as close as they could get.

I put all the tac squad in reserve planned to use the preds and land raider to try and shoot me the odd kill point while using the speeders to distract.

Turn 1

My speeders shot along both table edges, the land raider moved a bit closer.

In the shooting phase the land raider and the two preds managed to take out a gaunt squad giving me a kill point.

On the nid turn everything moved forward and a couple of Gaunt squads where spawned.
The shooing managed to shake one of the preds

Turn 2

The speeders kept zooming about, the land raider started rolling backwards and the pred that couldn't shoot put a bit more space between it and the nids. One razor squad came on I put them in the back corner.

In the shooting phase I tried to take another gaunt squad out but four survived.

On the nid turn the advance continued with the mauled gaunt squad disappearing to the back.

Turn 3

More backing away, more shooting from me. The remaining razor backs both came on, I tried a sneaky move brining one on at the far end of my table edge to try and get the gaunt squad at the back.

IIRC I shot up another gaunt squad this turn for my second KP

The nids went after the loan razor back and managed to take it out for there first kill point.

Turn 4

I stared putting some fire into the hive tyrant and his unit that was getting too close for my liking putting a wound on the tyrant and one of the guard.

The nid shooting but blew up one pred and shot the turret off the other bring the game to 2 kill points each.

Turn 5

This turn everything I had went into the Tyrant's squad putting another wound on him and taking out one of the guard.

I then charged the termies in the ensuring fight all but one tyrant guard where wiped out and the hive tyrant was left on a wound. I lost the my librarian and both the lightning claws.

At the end of my turn the nids where winning 3-2

On the nid turn the shooting didn't do much so it came down to close combat thankfully the termies managed to kill the last guard and the tyrant pulling it back to 5-3 to me.

And thankfully for me with the game ended.

Game 3 - Dawn of war, capture and control

Darren with the shiny medals

The winners Flame on

The Mighty Pub Team

Maurders

Winter Guard Rifle Corps

2010-09-06T14:33:00.000-07:00

Well they where a right old slog to do, I didn't so much finish them as get to a point where I could stop.

I love painting the solos and Jacks but painting units is proving to be quite painful to do.

Expanding my collection

2010-08-11T02:22:00.000-07:00

My goals for the next couple of months are to start using a third Khador caster and to get my cygnar army upto 50 points (and actually play with it).

For Khador I have been using PVlad and EIrusk for my third caster I wanted someone who could run a few jacks well and had iron flesh, after a lot of indecision I finally decided to go with PIrusk.

I have always been a big fan of Irusk's fluff. As for PIursk himself, his feat is handy for my play style against faster armies as they tend to get the charge off so I have to take it on the chin and then hit back.

As for spells, I can't wait to get superiority on to a spriggan, Battlelust for wrecking some face and inhospitable ground to screw with peoples plans.

My initial planned 50 point list:

PIrusk
Spriggan
Kodiak
Wardog

Doom Reavers + UA
Great bears
Max IFP+UA
Max Winter Guard Rifles
Kovnik Joe
Man Hunter
Harlan Versh

Eventually I want to get a unit of Kayazy Assassins and Beast 09 in there but for now this list will have to do.

For a second army I decided to go with Cygnar as I like a lot of there casters. The first list I am collecting is a 50 point Kara Sloan list.

Sloan
Defender
Defender
Squire

ATGM + UA
Cyclone
Black 13th
10 Precursor Knights
6 Trenchers
Reinholdt

The first game I had with a small subset of this didn't go too well, a winder guard death start hiding in cloud effects rolled right over my army.

I am hoping to have a bit more luck next time now I have the cyclone and the Black 13th in there to throw down some templates to block them.

Hopefully will get a couple of games into tonight with both armies and see how far my theory is from reality.

EIursk

2010-08-09T16:17:00.000-07:00

Lot of hours went into getting him painted up, I love the models so spent a bit longer than normal on it.

Next on the list is the winter guard rifles and Joe. I have been putting off painting units after the pain that the widow makers where but I really need to get cracking on with some of them.

Reinholdt

2010-08-08T14:49:00.000-07:00

Well I have started back on the warmachine stuff now toy soldier is out the way.
Currently trying to paint epic Irusk but in the mean time finished I off Reinholdt as he had been sitting half done for ages.

2010-08-06T01:41:00.000-07:00

Firstly can I apologise to anyone who’s name I have got wrong, I am rubbish with them at the best of times and forgot to write them down.

My List:

Librarian – Terminator armour, Storm Shield
(Vortex of Doom, Null zone)

6 Terminators – 4 TH/SS, 2 LC
Land raider Crusader – Multi Melta

5 Tac Marines
Razor Back – Twin Heavy Bolter
5 Tac Marines
Razor Back – Twin Heavy Bolter
5 Tac Marines
Razor Back – Twin Heavy Bolter
5 Tac Marines
Razor Back – Twin Heavy Bolter

2 Land Speeders – Multi meltas, Heavy Flamers
2 Land Speeders – Multi meltas, Heavy Flamers
2 Land Speeders – Multi meltas, Heavy Flamers

Predator – Auto Cannon, Heavy Bolter Sponsons
Predator – Auto Cannon, Heavy Bolter Sponsons

Day 1

Game 1 – Chris Green (I think), Space Wolves (Kill Points, Dawn of War)

The list had a rune priest with living lightning and possibly jaws
3 Las/Plas razor backs, 2 with 5 man squads in them and 1 from the wolf guard that where spread through squads
2 10 man gray hunter squads in drop pods
2 assault cannon dreadnoughts in drop pods
2 Vindicators

Was a pretty straight forward battle, I knew this was the sort of army my list was designed to take on.

His dreads dropped right ion from on my lines on the first turn but there shooting was off and by the end of turn 2 they where both dead from the land speeders.

On the second turn one of the remaining drop pods came in I moved the LR over with the termies and for some daft reason got them out to charge even though it was clear as day they weren’t going to be within range. The gray hunters then went on to kill 2 razor backs and 2 tac squads before the termies finally caught them and munched them up.

The other drop pod came in and tried for a cheeky flank shot on a pred but scattered to close to allow the melta gun to fit so it bounced off the front armour. I then went a bit over kill on the squad with the land raider gunning down most of them and the land speeder finishing them off, I even managed to take out the drop pod.

The rest of the game involved the land speeders popping tanks well the remaining gray hunters tried to take them out without a huge amount of luck.

Finally score was a 28 – 2 win for me.

Game 2 – Aythlan Crookes, Blood Angels (5 Objectives, Pitch Battle)

So the list:
10 Death company with Chaplin in a land raider crusader
2 x 5 mans assault squads in las/plas razor backs
10 man jump pack assault squad with a librarian and sanguinary priest
3 scout bikers
2 Dakka preds

Was feeling quite good about this match up, my army excels in the objective games and I had the second turn.

Aythlan deployed in a big brick off centre with the scout bikes out on the flank.

I deployed spread out a bit position to grab the objectives.

First turn his scout bikers took out one of my speeder squadrons (I really should watch out for that move it’s the second time someone has done that to me) the rest just rolled straight forward. I just moved to counter and shot up the scout bikers and managed to immobilise his land raider with a lucky assault cannon shot.

He then threw the jump pack squad forward, well I could hardly pass up that challenge, I used my land raider to block the front door of his one while putting the terminators into the assault squad I won the first round of combat but he held the next round the libby was all that was left so he broke and ran.

The speeder squadron on the left flank blew up one of the preds and them moved to block one of the side doors and with an immobilized razor back next to the other one I was hoping I had the death company trapped. Alas he just managed to fit them by a baw hair in the gap between the razor back and the land raider. They then proceeded to much through my termies and looked poised to be a real problem. Thanks fully the game ended turn 5 before they could cause too much hassle giving me about good win 28 – 4

Game 3 – Paul Burk, Elder (Drawtastic two objective game, spear head)

I had ran into Paul twice before at the club challenge and toy soldier last year, both times he tabled me I was determined not to give him a third.

Needless to say when he put a duel warplock council army down it wasn’t going to be an easy prospect.

He had 2 farseers with two tricked out councils on jet bikes
2 squads of 5 dire avengers
5 fire dragons
2 tricked out Falcon gravs

My cunning plan was to put the termies into one of the seer councils and try to take it out I figured I would ten be able to out manoeuvre the other one and take out the troop choices well rushing his objective with my own and trying to contest mine.

Needless to say with the land raider, termies and libby where taken out on turn 2 before they got to engage anything that plan went out the window.

I did make a couple of mistakes this game, having not played a warplock council before I assumed they had power weapons it was only half way through I found out my tac marines where a very good tar pit to use on them. Also I kept my vehicles too close giving them the ability to charge more than one.

Thankfully though the land speeders saved the day with one loan land speeder managing to contest his objective and with my on being contested it ended up in a scenario draw, course the bonus TP’s gave Paul the win 20 – 12.

Day 2

Game 4 – James Ramsay, Tyranids (Cleanse, Spearhead)

One look at James army and one look at the scenario and James army set this one up for a draw from the get go.

Hive tyrant with 3 Tyrant guard and a tyranid prime
3 squads of 3 Hive guard
3 of the gaunt spawning MC’s
Couple of gaunt squads

It was a 7 turn game and next to nothing much happened, I spread my army to the four corners, James dominated the centre, I fed some units to his army here and there, the picture really sums it up.

In the end it was a 14-14 draw (I got my land raider in his deployment and he got most VP’s)

Game 5 – Forgot the name, Space Wolves (King of the Hill, Pitch battle)

Wasn’t keen on the scenario but I figured I had a good list for rushing troops in on turn 5.

This was a small elite space wolf list, I was feeling good about this fight till I heard what was in it:

Logan
3 Rune Priests (All three with living lightning, 1 also had the anti skimmer power)
Long fang squad with 3 missile launchers, 2 las cannons and a wolf guard with a cyclone
Long fang squad with 5 missile launchers
2 ten man gray hunter squads in rhinos 1 with wolf guard
5 man gray hunter squad in a razor back
1 wolf guard in a razorback
Loan wolf in terminator armour, SS/chain fist

It was one of the best list I have seen for nullifying every advantage my speeders bring me.

The big long fang squad was accompanied by 2 rune priests and Logan, with tank hunter that was effectively 2 str 10 shots, 5 str 9 and another 2d6 str 8 shots.

Both long fangs where deployed in the center of the board I had the big hill spliting my depolyment your of advance.

I was really put on the back foot by this list and it showed in how I played rather than throwing the speeders into the mix I held them back and used them to soak up fire. In hind sight this was a mistake the anti skimmer power had me too scared to put them in the mix.

The termies managed to almost take out on gray hunter squad before dying they left one alive and that load guy made all the difference.

He had managed to stop me getting any troops near the objective and got 4 choices on himself, I managed to tank shock one squad off and I thought that had lessened the loss, but then I found it he only need 3+ for the top score so it ended up a 30 – 0 loss for me.

My final placing was 14th out of 40 well chuffed with that, my goal was to get in the top half finish.

The weekend showed the strengths and weaknesses in my army to me quite clearly against balanced lists it does very well but if I come up against a min maxed list I don’t have killness to stop proper hammer units. I was also quite chuffed with how I played personally, I made a few mistakes but on the whole I came up with a plan each game, stuck to it best I could and in generally came through.

I have put up some more picutres of some of the really nicely painted armies I saw here

Battle Report: 1500 Marines vs Witch Hunters

2010-07-08T07:28:00.000-07:00

1500 Marines vs Witch Hunters

Got a game in last night against Danny, a new comer to the gaming centre

Space Marines (Me)
Librarian – Terminator Armour, Storm Shield.
(Vortex of doom and null zone)

6 Terminators – 2xLC, 4xTH/SS
Landraider Crusader – Extra armour, multi melta

5 Tac marines
Razor back – Twin Heavy Bolter
5 Tac marines
Razor back – Twin Heavy Bolter
5 Tac marines
Razor back – Twin Heavy Bolter

2 Land speeders – 2x Multimelta, 2x Heavy Flamer
2 Land speeders – 2x Multimelta, 2x Heavy Flamer

Predator – Auto Cannon, Heavy Bolter Sponsons
Predator – Auto Cannon, Heavy Bolter Sponsons

Witch hunters (Danny)

Inquisitor – Power armour, power weapon, scourging
Servo skull
3 guards men – 3x Plasma Gun
Landraider Godhammer

Vindicator assassin

5 Storm troopers – 2x Grenade Launchers
Rhino
5 Storm troopers – 2x Grenade Launchers
Rhino
5 Storm troopers – 2x Grenade Launchers
Rhino
5 Storm troopers – 2x Grenade Launchers
Rhino

5 Storm troopers – 2x Grenade Launchers

5 Sisters of Battle – Book thingy, Heavy Flamer, Flamer
Immolator – Twin Multi Melta

Exorcist
Exorcist
Immolator – Twin Multi Melta

We went with pitch battle with 5 objectives.

There where two buildings on the left flank, one in front of each deployment zone they each got an objective in them. There where some ruins in the middle of the table with an objective placed either side in the open the final objective was on the right had side of the table in the corner of a building (this building was just in front of Danny’s deployment zone).

He won the roll and decided to go first.

Danny deployed one rhino squad in the left hand corner with an exorcist to cover that objective. In the middle going from left to right the other exorcist went down then the two immolators (the second one loaded with the storm trooper squad without the rhino). The Land raider deployed to the middle left. One rhino went behind it with the last two deployed in the middle at the back.

I deployed my land raider opposite his with me two preds deployed to the middle left to cover the exorcists with two razor backs behind them. All four land speeders deployed on the far right hiding behind a building. The last razorback squad went into reserve.

The vindicator assassin infiltrated on to the top of the building on the right with an objective

Turn 1

Danny

There wasn’t much moving on Danny’s part, the rhino behind the landraider went right towards the objective there the immolators also rolled right to counter my land raider. The exorcists shuffled forward a wee bit.

The exorcists opened fir on my preds blowing the auto cannons off them both, the land raider shot at mine but the las cannons bounced off.

Me

Well losing the auto cannons was a bit of a blow I had planned on using them to suppress the exorcists (also didn’t help that I forgot they where AV13 and not 11 to the front).

My landraider drove straight at his and popped smoke. One squad of land speeders went up the right flank at top speed, the other squad shot across to the middle of the board to help out with the immolators. The preds and razor backs rolled forward 6”.

In the shooting phase the preds and razorback managed to stun on of the immolators but that was it.

Score 0-0

Turn 2

Danny

The one working immolator rolled around to get a shot at the land raider, the sisters in the back jumped out. A couple of the rhinos squads moved to intercept the speeders coming up the right hand flank. The exorcist in the middle started heading over to the left of the table while the one on the far left moved forward to get a flanking shot on the preds.

In the shooting phase the exorcists destroyed on pred and stunned the other one. The immolator and the land raider opened fire to the crusader but between failure to pen and cover saves from the smoke it survived. One of the land speeders in the squad that moved to the middle was destroyed by the sisters heavy flamer. The speeder squad on the right emerged unscathed from the fire that was thrown at them.

Me

The razorback tac squad in reserve came on this turn, they rolled up the far left to let them get a flank shot at the exorcist.

The land raider rolled forward 6” and disgorged the terminators into the middle of his army. The two razor backs shuffled about one heading towards the objective to the right of the ruins in the open.

The two speeders on the right flew around the building to draw a bead on the landraider and the remaining speeder in the middle moved only a little to allow it to fire both weapons (a first!)

This was going to be a crucial shooting phase, it didn’t go according to plan, Despite getting three penetrating shots on the land raider from multimeltas and one from vortex of doom (all AP1!) all I managed to do was take off all the guns and immobilise it.

The other land speeders heavy flamer killed 3 of the sisters that shot it then the multimelta damaged the immolator with the resulting explosion killing another.

The razor backs managed to put a wound on the assassin, but the one on the far left failed to hurt the exorcist.

Failing to destroy the landraider with shooting put a bit of a dent in my plans so I had to put the terminators into the damaged and the land raider immolator, thankfully they managed to make both them go boom.

Score 0 – 0

Turn three

Danny

Counter attack time, again not major movement just some shuffling to get the exorcists in line of site and to get some stuff out the way of the termies.

In the shooting phase the two land speeders on the right died in a hail of plasma fire from the inquisitors squad. In a nice little move the vindicator killed on of the terminators to make more than 50% of the landraider viable to the exorcist that then promptly rolled one missile and a one to hit.

The second exorcist stunned the razorback that had came on the left flank.

Me

Losing the two land speeders was a pain but it could have been worse. In the movement phase the termies headed to the back of the board to get a rhino that was hiding back there.

The land raider moved around to try and engage one of the exorcists. The librarian started moving through the building on the right that had the objective.

The last land speeder lined up the inquisitors. The Tac squad in the razorback on the far left jumped out and started heading towards the objective in the building. The ramming pred and two razor backs kept moving to cover the objectives either side of the ruins.

My shooing this turn didn’t do much only the inquisitor and his whole command squad where killed by the land speeder and crusader.

The termie popped another rhino and the last immolator in combat .

Score 2-0

Turn 4

Danny

He started with sending the rhino squad that had been hiding in the back left corner in the direction of the building in front of them, the other rhino squad went around to get the objective on the far right.

In his shooting phase one exorcist put five wounds on the termies killing four of them thanks to some shocking rolling on my part. The rest of his fire managed to destroy one of the razorback in the middle of the table.

The assassin shot the librarian putting a wound on him before charging in, both parties fluffed their rolls leading to a drawn combat

Me

My last TH/SS termie moved to engage one of the stromtrooper squads that was out in the open.

The three remain tac squads moved to secure the objectives in the back left and the two centre ones. The land speeder moved to contest the one on the far right.

Well the pred and razor back still alive on the left move to block the exorcists and provide some cover for the tac squad sitting in the open.

Shooting I popped the rhino on the right with the speeder and a couple of storm troopers with the landraider.

The last terminator then charged the squad but only killed one so they stuck around. The librarian and the assassin continued there ineffective flailing.

Score 3-0

Turn 5

Danny

Not much left to move, the rhino on the right move in the direction of one of the objectives in the missile to contest. The squad it dropped off move onto the objective.

In the shooting phase two tac marines on the squad on the right died to a grenade launcher and the land speeder lost it’s multimelta.

Close combat the terminator still ended up stuck in combat and the librarian and the assassin continued to dance (ass opposed to actually kill each other)

Me

I just moved to try and block of some lanes and cover myself in case the game didn't end.

The terminator finally killed the squad and that other fight still went on!

Score 3-1

And the game didn’t end so on we went for another turn.
Turn 6

Danny

The last rhino moved over some dangerous terrain to contest on of my objectives and the last pred finally died to the exorcists.

In close combat the assassin finally managed to kill the librarian, I was just glad that fight was over by this point.

Me

Not much left to do really. The Crusader manoeuvred to shoot the rhino contesting the objective in the ass. The multimelta immobilized it, the assault cannon took the weapon off it and finally the bolters glanced it to death.

The terminator broke the squad in close combat and with that the game ended

Score 3-1

Overall it was a really tough close game, Danny is relatively new to this version of 40k but he didn’t make much in the way of mistakes.

The game did confirm that grenade launchers are a waste of time. Despite all the shooting they did they killed 2 marines and blew a multimelta off a land speeder.

Road to Brit Con

2010-06-30T02:58:00.000-07:00

Well I have decided to try my first warmachine tournament at Brit Con so needing some tactical advice.

It’s 75 points and 2 casters, I figured it would be a nice easy one to start with (!)

Here is the list I am thinking of, the only things I don’t own are the MoW and the Koldun Lord

pVlad
Devastator
Drago

eIrusk
Spriggan [Bond]
Wardog

Doom Reavers + UA
Great bears of Gallowswood
Min IFP + UA
Max Shocktoopers
Widowmakers
Max Winter Guard Rifle Corps
Mortar
Mortar
Harlan Versh
Koldun Lord
Kovnik Joe
Lady Aiyana & Master Holt

My main assassination vectors are Vlad, devestator, spriggan and mortars.
(Drago and the doom reavers tend to be primary targets so I don’t plan for them to get a chance to get near the enemy caster)

Lady Aiyana gives me the ability to drop magic attacks plus the +2 dmg ability will never hurt.

I have fallen in love with the rifle corps and with Joe + signs and portents 4 dice take away the lowest to hit and 3 take away the lowest dmg (and with Lady Aiyana puts them upto pow 12).

Koldun is in there to drop a focus on the devastator as that’s all it normally needs.

The MoW are there to form a wall for Irusk to hide behind.

Lady Aiyana & Master Holt

2010-06-24T17:02:00.000-07:00

Every since I was on the wrong end of them one game this pair now they find there way into all my Khador armies.

I mostly have them for her ability to make one units attacks magic as normally only my caster and doom revers have them so they fill that hole. Of course a couple of POW 12 shots and her other abilties are always useful to have around.

Cause one big jack isn't enough

2010-06-22T16:52:00.000-07:00

I still can't decide if I love the Spriggan or the Devastator more, I have started using them both plus Draco in my pVlad list, it looks damm good down on the table and now I have all three painted it should look even better.

More Axe Baby

2010-06-17T15:49:00.000-07:00

Having realised I still need to buy the rest of my marine list I went back to painting up some war machine stuff. The man-hunter was simple and easy. Not sure I like the way Vlad has turned out but he will do for now I plan on getting the alternative pose and trying something different on that in the future.

Widow Makers

2010-06-14T16:01:00.000-07:00

Well these where a pain to do. It's what I get for making it up as I went along. Really wasn't happy with them but started finishing them off as I was just making more mistakes well trying to correct the other ones.

Thankfully liberal use of wash saves the day, now I look at the pictures I think they turned out ok. they don't stand up to close inspection but will do for the gaming table.

Just glad I don't have to paint any more of them.

Well that's the last Warmachine stuff for a wee while I now need to get my marine army finished off for toy soldier.

Starting the Ball Rolling

2010-06-13T11:06:00.000-07:00

Well other than the pledge it's time to try and fulfil another new years resolution, to start a modelling blog.

Currently I have been painting up some warmachine stuff and am surprisingly finding it quite enjoyable. Could be down to the fact I am actually painting an army without a deadline looming for once, it's a novelty I really should try and get used to.

For this army I am try to use a lot less of the GW washes and use a lot more metal. Most of it is done using the game colour brass.

I find the game colour stuff takes a lot less coats to get good coverage compared to the GW paints. Anything that requires my to put a brush to the model less can only be a good thing.

Just finished my doom reavers love this unit in the game (Crazed maniacs with large possessed swords that hit like a freight train whats not to love)

Got more pictures of them and the other bits I have done for it so far here

Currently I am trying to paint up the widow makers, lovely models with a lot of detail but taking me ages to get done, That's the risk when you make up the paint scheme as you go sometimes you get a bit lost.