Double Army Painting Update

Hey there, Internet. I've been plugging away again at some painting projects. For one reason or another, I've gotten the Eldar bug again. I played Eldar a while back, lost four games in a row terribly then put them back up on the shelf. This was about a year and half ago. The issue I think was that I wasn't playing to the Eldar strengths by having the army support each other. The Tau list that I played required a certain amount of synergy to be successful. If I can take those skills and tactics, I think I can apply them to Eldar with some modifications.

Anywho, painting. The models that really set the Eldar apart for me were the Wraithguard and Wraithlords. My starting army had three lords and a small 4 man guard unit. I'm now up to the full 10 man Wraithguard unit with Warlock to make them a troop choice.
I'm working on the original 5 man unit to start.

They start out with a solid black base coat (courtesy of Black Gesso), then coat the whole model with Astronomicon Grey. I do a really rough stipple/dry brush on all the top facing surfaces with White then wash the entire thing in Vallejo Smoke. Vallejo Smoke comes out super super thick so I add a lot of water to it. Why Smoke instead of Devlin Mud or even an oil wash of Sienna? Smoke has this really nice dirty quality to it that does some solid weathering without a lot of effort.

From there its got to dry for a while. Take some Desert Yellow (one of my new favorite colors) and put down some base colors on the top facing surfaces again. The Smoke layer is now your shadow colors. Allowing a little bit of that edge to be seen gives it a great chipped up effect. Heavy dry brush some Bone color, and follow up with White for the best contrast. Done. The gun was done up with some watered down Chardon Granite then washed black. The head is just straight black for now but it'll be getting some attention soon.

My other army, the Raptor Legion, has just received a nice shot in the arm for base colors. The Vallejo Surface primer painted on looks just like the olive green I'm aiming for. Pictured here, you got 5 Terminators, 10 Tacticals, 10 Assualts without jump packs, 5 Assault Termies, and a Baal Predator. All done within about an hour or so.

The Surface Primer brings the primer and base coat to the table so you save a lot of time overall.
Here's a close up of one the Assault Terminators with a resin sheild from MaxMini or Scibor, I can't recall.

Close shot of the Predator.

BLOOOOOOOOOM Lighting

I apologize for the image quality. During the move, I found my camera but the battery died and the charger is still missing. As soon as I track it down, I'll try to do a tutorial or two so you can see my process.

Until next time, have a safe Thanksgiving!

NoVA Day 2 - Late to Update

I've been meaning to get this up so I can start talking about my new project. NoVA seems like a fond memory, but according to the Internets, there was lots of drama. At the end of the day, I'd like to think that if you personally had fun for two days playing games, you walk away feeling good.

Anyway, on to the meat:

Day 2, Game 1: Spaaaaaaaaaace Wolves. Long Fangs, as far as the eye could draw line of sight. Thunderwolf Cav. One unit of scouts. And some Grey Hunters for flavor. I decided to try "First to the Fray" with Mordrak's Lads. Originally, I had first turn but he stole it. I drop the Lads into the scatter terrain near one of his Fang squads and just try to force Panic Checks where I can. This brings the Thunderwolf Cav back around the horn to focus down on the Lads. I could not get a single goddamn psychic power off. The Rune Priests he had were turned up to '11' and denied every single power. In addition to that, any time he needed an insane roll, like a 2 to save or lose the HQ, he'd make it. It was a tough uphill battle without powers available to me but such is life. Game Highlight: Incinerator Squad rolling in from Outflank and killing a healthy Long Fang squad by itself. Seriously, these guys are amazing. Result: Loss.

Day 2, Game 2: Deathwing! I've never played against Deathwing! Sweet! This guy was a great opponent. We were both of the mindset that we weren't hitting top tables so why make the game so serious. Terminators everywhere, One landraider, two vindicators, and one tactical squad in a rhino. Having to kill every terminator squad down to the man is a pain. Cyclone missile launchers are no joke either. I might just have to plug a few shooty terminators in my new army. Game Highlight: Mordrak's Lads fighting up against two squads of terminators and clearing them out. I also managed to get the jump on Belial's unit. Result: Loss, but actually Win! We screwed up the scoring for Kill Points (you had to win by three or more, and he only had two over me). The tie breaker should have gone to the Quarters, which I had. Unfortunately, even though we corrected it with the judges, the published results still show me as losing that game. Its probably why I was near the lower tables later on, but it didn't really matter to me. The game was an absolute blast and probably the most fun I had the entire weekend. It just bugs me a little, but hey, there was nothing really on the line except pride at this point, so I'll just keep rolling dice.

Day 2, Game 3: Chaos Marines! Double Land Raider! Khorne guys in both, with Kharn in one. Two sets of Plague Marines to sit on objectives and a unit of three bikes. Oh, and a Chaos Wizard-dude. One thing my opponent taught me is that anything that Marines have that makes them useful, Chaos doesn't have it. No Power of the Machine Spirit on the Raiders. So he tried to castle up on one side while charging in on the other. He went after the assassin quickly but ended up putting his Khorne unit into great position for the Incinerators to fly in. Game Highlight: One Justicar by himself killing the three man bike squad. I also managed to chase the second Landraider into a corner with a Dread. It survived but kept it out of the fight for a long time. Result: Win. Just couldn't keep up with an old codex. The guy was nice but he was definitely giving off a bad, bitter vibe the whole game.

Day 2, Game 4: Grey Knights! Massive Paladin unit, Lib, GM, 3 Strike Squads, a Vinnie, and a Land Raider. This was very similar to my last game on Day 1 but I knew what to expect. Instead of daring him to charge me, I made him choose between confronting me head-on or defending his other units. The Hammer unit kept having to help out the smaller squads throughout the whole battle. Highlight: It finally came down to the last turn, Table Quarters, I had two to his one. He didn't realize what I was doing until after the game. He had let his units die, I would have floated to another Quarter. Deploying too much in one side without respect to the mission is where the fault was. He was a good player too. Our Vinnie stayed out of range from each other, which was funny to measure them just outside of range. Result: Win.

So the whole weekend, I went 4 wins with 4 losses. I hit my target. I wanted to stay for the whole award ceremony but it was crazy late during the drawings. The big thing to pull away is a crazy amount of experience and now I have a fully painted 2000 point army. Feels good, man. The major corrections to the list are as follows:

Dropping Mordrak, plug in a normal GM with Grenades. He's a neat trick or two, but you can get more out of normal GM's with Paladins or Terminator (namely Psycannons). The Librarian can be switched up to be the Swiss Army Knife and I think I get a few points left over too.

Stormravens are insane firemagnets. If I can just figure out a better delivery system for the terminators, like Outflanking them, I can save TONS of points and either spread out the targets or make the units better.

Other than that, I feel really comfortable at this level. I played a game after this with a buddy of mine, Thomas. I changed out the Terminators for Paladins, dropped Librarian and made him Crowe, and swapped all the Strikes for Purifiers kitted out with Halberds. I also tossed in two Techmarines with grenade belts. It was pretty gross, so I might have to practice with that for next time.

As for now, I'm painting up a Raptors Legion from the Badab War. I'm loving it so far. I'm pulling out all the stops for this one too. White is a major color for some of the accents. Lots of practice with that now. I find it incredibly rewarding and looks pretty banging when

2000 GK's and the Callidus

I've been wracking my brain trying to come up with a Grey Knight list that doesn't feel like a carbon copy of another. I had a pretty strong 1500 list with an Inquisition focus, but at a bigger level I feel the Knights themselves can be a lot stronger overall. I think I might have something solid enough to do some damage while keeping the opponents attention all over the place. 

The current idea is to have multiple targets with each pairing being a threat, that if ignored, can put a unit down or at least tie up their attention. 

Librarian (force sword, Warp Rift, Might of Titan, Sanctuary, Shrouding) - 170

Vinidcare Assassin - 145

Callidus Assassin - 145

Terminators x 5 (4 halberds, 1 cannon, 1 hammer) - 225

Strike Squad x 5 (1 halberd on the Justicar, 1 cannon) with Psyback - 165

Strike Squad x 5 (1 halberd on the Justicar, 1 cannon) with Psyback - 165

Strike Squad x 5 (1 halberd on the Justicar, 1 cannon) with Lasback - 195

Stormraven Gunship (twinlinked assault cannons, multimelta, no other upgrades) - 205

Interceptors x 6 (1 cannon, 1 hammer) - 176

Riflemen Dread with psybolts - 135

Riflemen Dread with psybolts - 135

Purgation Dread (twinlinked heavy flamer // DCCW with heavy flamer, psyflame) - 130

[I think that gives me like 9 points left over, so Searchlights for everyone! Yay!]

Note: You're about to read me working through the list with some strategy and logic behind it. Just a heads-up.

So the general layout would stick the Librarian with the Terminators in the gunship. Rocket around or straight up the gut to create a sense of urgency. Slap the Purgation Dread in the back to get it across the field quickly. The trick is just clearing that 24" gap between the lines. Once its on their side, the Dread is just going to cause as much havoc as possible. The gunship only really needs to survive maybe two rounds of shooting to get over, but with the mass of missile launchers out there, gotta test it out some movement strategy. 

Interceptors pick the weak flank and either jump along or try an ambush an exposed unit. I'm debating on the cannon or the incinerator for them but I think from turn 1, the cannon will give me a better chance overall of doing damage. They can buddy along with another unit as a supporter rather than a solo unit. 

For anti-tank, the two Rifleman Dread, LasBack and good old Vinnie. Plus the multimelta on the gunship and the Librarian being able to Might of Titan should help support that and psycannons all over the place. So on a good turn, from range being able to pop potential 5 tanks of various armor values, I'd feel pretty safe. On a bad turn popping at least 1 to 2 should be enough to get the Psybacks and Strike Squads together to fire up.

For each Strike Squad and their Razorback, I can buddy up a Rifleman or the Vinidicare to assist in limiting the field. With three Dreads helping out, I also get the Reinforced Aegis and a Psychic Hood flying around. 

Now the only thing that might look out of place here is the Callidus Assassin. I think she's been given a rough time with the new 'dex but I think I might have figured her out. She drops in all sneaky-like within 3" (but not within an inch) of an enemy unit and is placed there. She has Stealth so cover is awesome, but dropping her into cover using deepstrike causes a Dangerous test. 4+ invul, and a FNP at a 6+, she actually can reasonably land in a terrain piece with a unit and survive. That is if I'm remembering my Deep Strike rules correctly (please correct my logic if you know differently). 

So she's landed, d6 STR4, AP2 hits on the unit. Just hits, so you take the raw number and try wounding. Against something like a Long Fang squad, you have a decent chance of removing a few from the squad (if you get lucky, you could actually cause a panic check in the movement, and then again in the shooting phase). Now you're stranded with a template weapon close to a squad that just lost a few guys. Everyone is trashing this template but I think it can really do some harm. The big deal is that its STR 8, AP 1. Sweet! But it works against LD instead of Toughness. Lame! or is it? 

Now, follow me here. If my logic is correct: similar to a unit that has a mixed toughness values you would use the hit individual model's value. To wound you use the LD value of the models hit instead of toughness. So slapping this template down on, say a Tactical Squad, you would be rolling against LD 8 for the grunts and LD 9 for the Sarge. My understanding of leadership is that the Sarge's LD is used specifically for tests, but the value stays the same in terms of the profile. So Sarge is gone on a 5+ and grunts on 4+ (barring invul saves, of course). No cover saves because of the Template rules. A small 5 man marine squad would have something to fear, but imagine lining up against a bigger unit. 20 guard unit, that template could do some serous hurt. 

If all of that logic stands up, the Callidus is pretty powerful and not as situational as most people think she is. I really wished they covered her specifically in the FAQ, because subtle differences in wording can make or break her easy. 

If she gets charged by the unit she's been blasting, at I7, she should be able to reduce the amount of attacks coming in and has the 4++/6+ just in case. Hit-and-Run gets her out of dodge with an I7 on your opponent's turn and you're free to finish off the unit with firing your next turn. More likely, she'll get shot to hell, in which case she's absorbing the fire of at least one unit away from the rest of the army. This is all based on a good target being available to bomb out and you roll with reasonably good luck. So, slightly situational, but if you haven't popped a transport with that much fire by at least turn 2, then you have other problems. If anything, even having the Callidus in your army provides you with an advantage in the mental game. Until she comes in, any unit out of a tank is at risk. 

My goal this weekend is to get a game following the list above in the NoVA primer set-up. I need to get as many games as I can before that weekend so I'm ready to go. 

Let me know what you guys think. Is my logic around the Callidus wrong? Is the Stormraven not worth it? Find a way to reduce points and add more units? Is she really going out with him? Is she going to take him home tonight? Sorry, radio's playing. Till next time, folks.

Future Project

Getting back into 40K in a big way now. I've always been a staunch supporter of Xenos and Fantasy but I have to admit; I'm having a blast painting up some Marines for a change. I've actually been reading into the newer Codicies and enjoying the fluff. Again, didn't see that coming.

With the NoVA Open on the way and my Grey Knights nearing completion, I've already queued up my next project.


Blood Angels.

I only played against them once or twice, but they have loads of character. I'm digging on Death Company way hard. Plus, they can actually make a well-rounded flexible force without a lot of sacrificing. What really got me was a piece I read about the Grey Knights working in tandem with Blood Angels. Afterwards, they mind wipe the BA's and send them off. As a background to the army, I want to base it around this idea and have some of the color scheme possibly translate over to the BA's as well. My GK's have a steel body but the heraldry is olive/cream colored, so maybe a split red/cream or even split olive/black down the center line of the models. Really like the 50-50 color schemes because each model really pops and you get to flex some painting skills.

The current boxes I'm looking to get consist of:

Dante x1
The Battleforce x1 (its got a transport and 3 troop choices, great deal)
Sanguinary Guard x1
Assault Termies x1
Death Co. Dreadnought x1
Baal Predators x2
Drop Pod x2

Its a pretty penny to drop on this (~400 bucks) but here's the plan: I want to get all of this by either returning models I bought and never opened for store credit OR funding it by selling off some of my old fantasy stuff. I have about 4 fantasy armies including a full painted, fully based 2500 point Skaven army. Fantasy is just not holding my attention these days and it takes up too much space. And the boxes of stuff I never opened were usually painting projects for fun or just cool models. I might also try to pick up some painting commissions as well. The idea is to get up around 2500 points with either models I already have (mostly transports and older metal HQ's that fit in most Imperial armies) or a minimal amount of money.

No real important reason, I just want to see how I can build a fun army on a limited budget and getting a little creative with the resources already provided to me. I'll post up on the status of this little journey as I go along. Hopefully someone can glean some information or some cost saving tricks from it.

Stay tuned for a basing tutorial in the next couple days. Happy on-coming July 4th everyone!

Hobby Update and the NoVA

So I haven't done a hobby update in a while so I thought I'd share what I've been working on. As you can tell, I recently got back into 40K in a big with the Grey Knights. They were one of those iconic groups that can really stand out on a table if given the right treatment. My airbrush is getting a real workout. Enough to the point that I used the Vallejo Air Brush primer and it actually clogged my cup.

My new place doesn't have a good place to use the airbrush outside so I've made a little studio in my bathroom. Ghetto, I know, but nonetheless effective. Absolutely required: mask and fan running at all times. Not so much for the fumes (using acrylics) but I want to keep my lungs fresh.

I just signed up for the NoVA Open last night and I'm bringing the GK's this time. Last year I did Fantasy with Lizardmen but I want to really develop as a 40K player. One of the units I want to run is a solid 10 man unit of Terminators with the Brotherhood Banner. I've never really run a big unit with that high a save, so I'll need some practice for sure before August. Right now, its looking like 10 guys, 2 psycannons, the Bro-Banner, and all Halberds/Swords/Hammers, maybe Psybolt Ammo too if I find the points.

Since a unit like this comes in just shy of 500 points, I really want to have them stand out. Originally I was going to airbrush them up, but with all the details I was afraid of losing the nicer bits. I decided to hand paint the base colors and build the reflective layers manually.

Grey Knight Terminators - Class of 2011

Now if you know me, you may have noticed something I did very different here: I actually based my goddamn models for a change. I hate basing, especially static grass. I somehow always make a mess or inhale something. I need child proof containers or something.

More of ground level shot of the Boys

I'm actually really proud of the bases. I wanted to make the terrain a bit ruptured and rough. Terminators look kind of boring just walking through fields of grass to me. They're made with a combination of resin molds, regular hobby sand, and baked clay tiles that I broke up by hand. 

A little better detail on the basing

I'll toss up some better quality photos once I track down my DSLR camera (its gotta be in a box around here somewhere). Painting the bases was an adventure. Start with a dark grey base coat > dry brush Graveyard Earth > mix up some Vallejo slate gray weathering powder with water and spread liberally all over > once dry, hit it with Devlan Mud > let dry, do another dry brush of Graveyard Earth this time around the edges > finish off with a nice dry brushing of Pale Sand by Vallejo and you're done. 

I'm going to be running some Dreads in the list too. Here's some work in  progress shots:

My rifleman dread

This fun guy was a breeze to convert. If you're playing GK's and you haven't yet, shell out the bucks to do it.

A shot of the arms. The basing is the same for the Terminators

My second Dread - Twin-linked Heavy Bolter w/Psybolts

I got the Forgeworld Dread and magnetized the arms. I have the other one but I still need to get him fully assembled. He'll have a swapable Rifleman/Purgation pattern. 

Like I said, I'll get some more detail shots up once I dig out my better camera. I'll throw up a tutorial on my bases too. Until next time, let me know what you think!

--Mr. Blank

Nemesis Force Coma

Oh man, its been a while. So here's what's been going on for me:

insane amount of job related stuff
holiday stuff and family trips
moving into a new apartment
and just adopted a dog

Busy is an understatement. I think in the last 6 months or so I've gotten in about 5 games. Recently I've been going through a revival of my gaming spirit. Painting for the last 6 months has left me itching for a few fights and a wargaming wishlist item actually came true: Grey Knights released.

I had always liked the idea of a special forces version of the Marines but the book was so outdated and the models all metal made it difficult to bridge that gap away from Fantasy and my 40K Tau army. In addition, I dig the whole concept of a future Inquisition.

So yep, you guessed it: I am definitely an agent of Formosa. I managed to find the Coteaz model at a FLGS before the re-release. Since the model count is so low in the GK book, just throwing Coteaz down gives you the options to double the count fast with cheap units. Customizable henchmen units and new (old) models can give the army a really fantastic look on the table.

I've gotten one game in so far with the new book and a tourney in May. I dig the models, dig the strategies I've been developing, dig the painting that's come out of it. I dig digging.

Stay tuned, and I'll throw up what I'm thinking at 1500 points for a mixed GK/Inquisition list.

Wot was that? ::shank::

Hey, everybody. Sorry I've insanely busy with life and work. But I have had a chance lately to do some projects. I took a quick break to play in a doubles 40K tourney. My buddy and I ended up winning for the second year in a row. His sisters, my Tau. Crazy fun times.

Our last game was with a team of two ork players. One of the best games I've had of 40K in a while. It inspired me to get back into 40K a little, but don't worry. Fantasy is still getting the majority of my time. Recently, I've been working on my Wood Elves and my Beastmen at the same time. They're looking pretty mean at each other across my desk. It got me thinking of some good ambush units in the 40K world. I usually run my Kroot like that but Snikrot has it down pat. Hence my for fun project:

This bad boy is about two hours of good work from done. I love painting green skin. I'll update again when I got him finished. Snikrot was also the test model for my new airbrush. Just wait till I get it on Mork's Teeth.

For the Beastmen front, I've been looking at Chariots. They're an iconic piece of the army and make for an intimidating line if you drop 5 or 6 core choices like that, so I've been working them up. 

The chariot is finished but I need to work up the boars and the base, but a good start.

Expect another painting update and some cool Wood Elf tricks up next. They might not be popular but they will still hand you teeth at the end of the day. Stay tuned.

Fresh Start

After thinking about it for a while, I've finally decided to actually make an account of some of my Warhammer experience. I've been playing a little over a year, which isn't much compared to some people. I started out in 40K but I quickly got hooked on Fantasy when I picked up the Ogre Kingdoms. Since then I've started a Skaven, Empire, and most recently, Wood Elves. I like the weird armies that have a lot of character. I think the real enjoyment of the game comes from having a good time with the people you play against. If both players have a blast, neither side feels like they've lost something, except maybe an hour or two.