Grey Knights - More Hobby Progress

I accidentally left my mouse at work last night so a night I had planned on spending on Battlefield 3 servers was instead spent painting.  I was frustrated at first though it ended up being a blessing in disguise.  While you can't see much progress on the models I got a solid 2 or 3 hours of painting in while my wife was out being social. 

I was able to get a basecoat down on all of the purity seals (these guys have at least 3 or 4 per model) as well as any other cloth/paper items.  I also finished the gold wash as well as touch up a few I missed.  The storm bolters and metal bits got their washes as well. I also basecoated all of the power weapons with some mordian blue.  I haven't decided exactly how I am going to paint the power weapons, though I know I want it to be some kind of blue...

The next step is to finish the purity seals and start picking details.  Then I might start the power weapons.  We'll see.

Black and Gold Grey Knights - Actual Progress

I picked up a project that had laid dormant for months yesterday.  Over the summer I had started the Independent Characters Hobby Challenge with a Grey Knight Army though I had stalled out somewhere around month 2.  I missed the deadline for the second month because I got married and it just took too much time, so by the time I had the time I had lost interest as well as just didn't think I could catch up.  My eyes were bigger then my stomach on trying to take on a new army in the time leading up to getting married.   I had some free time on my hands yesterday and decided I wanted to do something other than work on the Land Raiders I've been chipping away at for the last few weeks.

I pulled out the models and finished the Gold details and got a coat of Devlin Mud on the gold.  My next step is to get the metal washed and then begin another line highlighting step.  I also started in on the bases, giving the resin a good coat of gray primer.

This picture is before washing the Gold.  I'll post some pictures later of the washed Gold.

I think I have a dice problem?

While cleaning my garage today I put all my dice sets into a box and I think I might have a problem....

Hobby progress Land Raider Mark I and Mark II

I made some progress on my Land Raiders that I had started a few weeks ago. Not quite done with the old style though I started my other one to get them at least table top ready so I didn't have to use primed stuff in gsmes.

Resin Necron Scarab Models from Puppetswar

Puppetswar has some fantastic resin "Cybernetic Beetles" for Sale.  So far I have suppressed my normal urge to start every new army the day it hits shelves, and one of the things that has helped is the most interesting build, the scarab build, is kind of tough to do.

Thanks to Puppetwar.com there is now a pretty easy (and cheap, 5 euros for 5) solution to the problem of no scarabs. I've seen some guides on from the warp on how to make a scarab mold though even the author admits its not easy to do.

One day GW will realize how much money they can make if they actually sell the models in the codex.  Until then, I hope more places like Puppetwar give the market what it's asking for.

Repainting a twenty year old Land Raider Mark I

I've had a Mark I Land Raider sitting on my shelves for about ten years.I picked it up from a guy in a game store I used to hang out at who wanted a new one and was complaining his Mark I looked terrible compared to the new (at the time) current Land Raider model.  Most folks have forgotten, but the Mark I had been out of print for ten years, ten years ago, so I jumped on the chance to get an old model of such legendary status as the Land Raider was at the time.  I offered to buy him a new one, and I was able to add a Mark I to my collection.  I've always liked to use old Marine models in my Chaos armies, as it leads to a sense of authenticity.  

Last weekend, I decided that my Mark I had seen better days.  It was dusty, terrible paint job, and either needed to be sold or given a new lease on life with some new paint.  I decided to try painting it in the style of my new nurgle marines with some edge highlighting.  I think it came out pretty well.  I'm not 100% done, I still need to highlight the edge highlighting, though I thought I would post some pics showing how good a twenty year old model can look with modern painting techniques. 

I gave the model a good brown basecoat with Army Painter primer. 

 

I then gave it an airbrush coat of a reaper green. 

 I then gave it two highlights of the next two lighter shades of Reaper greens.

 I gave the model a Devlin Mud Wash and then spent some time Edge Highlight the tank itself with the first airbrush highlight color. I also painted the treads boltgun metal and gave them a badab black wash.

 I then highlighted the Tank Treads

A few more details and I am almost done.   The only real remaining details is cables on the weapons and the final edge highlights. 

Second East Bay Wargamers League Game at Alamo Games Workshop

This weekend I played in my second East Bay Wargamers League game. I didn't get any pictures from my first game, though I did take some from this game.  The game was a brutal slugfest as my opponent had some really effective hammer units that bashed the hell out of my Chaos Army. I also learned a lot about the Black Templars codex, as it was only my second game in the 18 months I've been played fifth edition that I faced them.  

I took a Nurgle list that had a splash of Khorne for some additional assault punch.  Not only was I looking for a little more oomph in the third phase then my list has had lately, I've been breathing some new life into models I painted years ago with a bit of touch up. I re based a unit of Khorne bezerkers and my Kharne model on Friday night, tossed some Devlin Mud and they look about ten times better.  So much improved that I spent some time after my game and Sunday adding even more details. 

My List

• Two Plaguemarine squads in Rhinos with a Power Fist and Meltaguns in each.
• Raptor Squad with Mark of Nurgle, two meltaguns and a Power fist.
• Nurgle Demon Prince with all the trimmings
• 8 Khorne Bezerkers
• Khorne Lord with Demon Weapon
• Two Land Raiders

My opponents list (I apolgize, I don't know the exact unit names)

• Two 5 man tac squads with plasma guns and lascannons
• TH/SS terminator unit
• LC terminator unit
• Two Crusader Land Raiders
• High Marshall
• Emperor's Champion
• Venerable Dreadnought in a Drop Pod

The game was Capture and Control with Dawn of War. My opponent won first turn and deployment. 

 He placed his objective in the upper left building, so I had placed mine rather close with the idea that we would smash into each other around both and hopefully I'd be left standing.

I got lucky and seized, so my Rhino with a squad of plaguemarines rushed forward to grab my objective.  The red land raider had my bezerkers and the green one held my plague marines.

 My opponents army comes in.

 He popped the Rhino.

 I was able to get two meltaguns in range and blew up one of the two, the one that was holding the lightening claw terminators.

 He rushed forward and got into combat with some of my vehicles. He didn't much, as everything had rushed forward so hitting on 6's just didn't work.

 I was able to charge in at this point.  I decided to concentrate on the TH/SS terminators as at the time I thought they were the bigger threat. I ended up getting really lucky and he failed a lot of saves.

 Next turn he was able to get the Lightening Claw terminators into the combat and destroyed everything.  The combat result was enough to finish off my fearless Demon Prince and Chaos Lord.

 

At this point, the game turned into a chess game. I had moved a squad of plague marines onto the objective he held, along with my raptors squad.  I was able, with the help of two powerfists, finish off both five man squads.   He did deep strike in the Dreadnought, but it wasn't able to get close enough to the objective before the end of the game. 

 

It was a game that had a lot of swings back and forth.  In the end, while I rolled terribly for most of the big melee in the middle of the board, I got lucky as his remaining nasty units were just too far to get into it with my remaining scoring unit.   If it was Victory or Kill points I would have been owned.  All I had left at the end of the game was 5 plaguemarines and 3 raptors, but it was enough to hold an objective so I pulled out a victory. 

Land Raider Armored Proteus released by Forgeworld

Forgeworld has released another amazing model this week, the Land Raider Proteus.  As an old school player I remember when Land Raiders only looked like the bad boy on the left and we didn't have the modern Land Raider sitting on every hobby store's shelf.  Land Raiders used to be elusive things, things you heard about from veterans of the game, that as a young whippersnapper in the game you would never see. 

Then the plastic Land Raider MK II kit came out and the Land Raider became as ubiquitous to space marines as a 3 plus save.  I for one, remember when the Mark I was the Land Raider, and one of these days I am going pick up the new Resin version put out by the artists at Forgeworld, knowing that my sixteen year old self would have been pretty happy about it.

That and its a kick ass model.

Review of Imperial Armour Apocalypse Second Edition

During the Apocalypse game I played last weekend I picked up the new Imeperial Armour Apocalypse Second Edition book as a bit of an impulse buy.  I've enjoyed the recent Imperial Armour books and I've begun to collect them slowly. 

Earlier this year I had picked up both of the Badab War books, Imperial Armour Nine and Ten.  These books both detail out a conflict we have heard snippets of from codexs (even one of the most used washes, is named after the dispute) and some novels though this is the first description of the marine on marine conflict by the Forgeworld folks.  The thing I enjoyed most about the book was it's descriptions of the different marine chapters.  Each book went into graphic detail of the history and involvement of about ten chapters per book, including my beloved Raptors. I've also been teetering on the edge of starting an Astral Claws army for a while now, and one day that impulse may be too hard to resist.

But I digress, back to this Imperial Armor book.

This book has become a bit of a lightening rod for debate lately, due to "The Stamp".  The book is a collection of units, each with a stamp that designates which game it should be used in, Apoc, Apoc Formation, or Warhammer 40k.   It is the Warhammer 40k stamp that is causing some calamity. The statement in question (or stamp, if you will) is the below(stolen from BOLS, with apologies.)

The interpretation has fallen into two camps, one that the units are official and okay to be used in any game or tournament. BOLS is making the case, as many in my local meta gaming scene are, that the units help balance a currently vastly unbalanced game.  The second camp, with The Independant Characters being the most high profile example I could find, is stating that the above statement is mearly the status quo, that nothing has changed.  You need your opponents permission to use Forgeworld in any game and they are not Kosher for most tournaments, unless explicitly allowed.

I don't honestly know who is strictly right, though I hope the first camp is for two reasons. One is, I simply like Forgeworld.  The models are fantastic, the books are well put together, and other then a terrible distribution system for sales are a huge asset to the hobby. Two, I think this game does need some more balancing.  Games Workshop has shown very little interest, other then some FAQs, in balancing the game that they see as more of a hobby and less of a balanced competitive game.  I've always disagreed with this stance, I think it can be both. Regular codex updates and FAQs (with today's digital distribution through e-books and pdf.s should be easy) would fix this problem.  Forgeworld has come along and helped out a few long in the tooth codex's by giving them some effective, points appropriate units.  The BOLS article does a detailed explanation of this, so I won't plagiarize or rehash, so if you haven't read it go take a look. 

As far as units in the book are, there are some fantastic models.  The two standouts that I see are the Remora Drones for the Tau and the Wraithseer for the Eldar.  While other armies get some much needed love, these are two models that add something to codexs that were released when Bush was still in his first term and are woefully under served by our Games Workshop overlords.  

The Remora Drones helps get the Tau what they need, more marker lights that aren't tied to Devilfish.  They also add some needed speed to the list.  While the Tau used to be mobile, in today's game of fast vehicle spam they can play down right snail like.

The Wraithseer does to the Eldar what some of the Marine Chapter Masters do. It add some synergy by unique abilities that affect only certain types of units and makes them stronger. The Eldar have always had a strong psyker enhancement and the Wraithseer does this in a new and unique way by helping the Wraithbone units in the list.

All in all, despite the controversy, I am hoping to see some of these units pop up in my local gaming scene. A friend this weekend put it best.  "I got into this game to play with cool toys,and there are a lot of cool toys in that book".  I couldn't agree more.

What do you think? Do you want to see these units showing up, or is Forgeworld to be only used in "special" games and events?

Starting a Hobby Project list - Too much on my plate

I've decided I need to start planning my hobby efforts.  With rumors swirling of the next two codexs to be released being ones that I know I want to get in on next year could be very busy. I've got one major project and a few minor projects on my shelves to finish up.  I have been keeping a running track of projects in my head though its lead to many a half done list as something new comes across my line of sight. 

With the next codex coming into view about March-ish this is when I've decided I need to finish up what I'm working on or it just won't get done.  I run into this quite often, the finish or sell mode.  Anyone who knows me know that I collect way more then I actually have time to assemble and paint. I'm a bit of a 40k pack rat.  I think its due to me wanting to try many things and truly not finding one that is "my army". 

My current Major project is my Warriors of Chaos.  They are about 60% assembled and unpainted.  I am planning on breaking out the airbrush and getting these guys done over my Christmas break.  I planned that with my guard and it didn't quite work out last year, so we'll see how successful I am.

My minor projects are much more vast and in order of what I want to finish.

• Finish my Nurgle Terminators/Raptors.  I've only got about 5 or 6 hours to finish highlighting and basing.
• Grey Knight Terminators. I have 20 terminators and 2 dreadnights that are 40% done painting.  I had started a black and gold theme though it is just too consuming.  I am thinking I will break out the airbrush and just do the traditional bolt gun metal, wash, highlight and done. 
• My "Valkyrie down" terrain peice.  I really just need to highlight and paint some sand I added and this one is done. 
• My Ork Bikers. I have six bikers for my Ork army I need to finish up.
• Cleaning up my bits.  I have 30 or 40 boxes of various models that I need to finish clipping the sprues of use full stuff. While not as sexy as the above, I need to do it, as the boxes take up too much room.
• Adding to my Guard.  I'd like to paint up a baneblade and add about 4-6 russes to have on hand for both Apoc and and regular games.  I'd also like to pick up a Vendetta or two.  I have about 60 infantry I could paint up, though I don't have much interest in the "blob" lists.  I like tanks.

I'd like to clear off about half of the minor list and finish my WOC before March.  If it doesn't get done by then its not happening.  How do you organize your hobby projects?

Tanksgiving Apocalypse Game at Games Workshop Alamo

 Today I spent the afternoon at Games Workshop Alamo playing in an Apocalypse game with the appropriately named Tanksgiving. The game was run by Reece of Front Line Gaming.  He owns a local game store where they sell GW and also do some amazing paint commissions.

It was fun to get my first Apocalypse game in, though I wasn't quite prepared for the sheer chaos of it.  The game was about 10-12k a side, with three objectives.   It was supposed to be a scenario with Necrons though no Necrons showed up so it was just played as a regular Apocalpse game.  I had brought my regular guard army though others had plenty of super heavies (mostly of the baneblade variety) and even one Eldar titan. 

 Our side had to hold the below objective as one of our three. You can see my guard in the lower right (green vehicles).

 The other side rolled hard with a large Vindicator formation followed by two superheavies.  Our artillery rained a lot of death on those models.

 The aforementioned rain......

 After the rain...

 My command squad was brutally gunned down by some Templars with only the Commander remaining.

 A squad of my veterans with Meltaguns and Meltabombs snuck in behind the super heavies on the bridge and was able to after a few turns destroy one of the Baneblades.

 Our Super Heavies began to fall after the second turn.  Tons of marines deep struck or rode in Stormravens and got into our lines.

 The giant silver balls were teleporters that brought in reinforcements.  Lysander in a large squad of TH/SS terminators was a real threat showing up in our back door.

 Luckily a vortex missile was locked in the chamber ready.

 ...and no more Lysander or Rhinos.

 My meltavettes managed to take out one more vehicle before getting blown to pieces.

 The fight for the bridge raged on with our Tyranid allies trying futilely to get the enemy ff the second objective.

 My guard did do okay at taking down a lone Space Marine.

 The game ended with both sides contesting the second objective and each side holding one.  A big fat tie.