Titanic Weapon Addition: Apocalypse Missile Launcher

Reinforcement weaponry is here for my Reaver Titan: an apocalypse missile launcher.

This heavyweight resin product from Forge World only comes in a small number of parts. The main body of the missile launcher is one solid, large blob of resin that is hard to miss. On the rear of the launcher is a small vent system that has to be glued on. Beneath is the connector that plugs it into the carapace of the Reaver Titan itself. 

And at the front are the missiles themselves. Each and every one of the missiles comes on a small resin sprue and must be added on its own. This is tricky due to the curvature of the missiles (it makes them tough to get in place, even with tweezers). Significantly, it is also easy to get one slightly misaligned and pointing in ever so slightly the wrong direction compared to its neighbours. This can be seen in the image where I've taken it at a certain angle to exaggerate this effect. Look closely and its possible to see a few missiles whose tips appear to not face forward. In real life when looking at the model straight on, this is hardly possible to detect though. I am reasonable confident that once I've applied a paint scheme to the missiles that any slight deviation from full frontal facing will be easily disguised. 

I know some people like to remove some of the missiles to suggest mid-battle action. But for me, I've decided to keep all of the missiles in their place since I wanted to present a fully loaded and ready weapon system. I should post more Reaver pictures as there's been a hell of a lot of progress since the last time!

Wargames Gallery: Typhus reaping orks

Charging in to a full mob of Orks, Typhus rolls a 6 for his daemon weapon and gains the maximum number of attacks possible. And he also does his stink bomb thing in assault. Plus his psychic powers. The Orks fail to cause a single wound and he slaughters many, resulting in the Orks bouncing off him and fleeing in to the distance. Sadly, he does not withstand the counter-charge by two more mobs of Orks the next turn, but this turn was epic for him! Such is Apocalypse.

Apocalypse Cards

One of the releases that happened alongside the new version of Apocalypse was the deck of physical cards (pictured). These cards contain all of the strategic resources available to players (including those specific to individual races / codexes). Today, I wanted to share a few thoughts about them.

I like these cards in general: they provide a good resource that is handy and ready for the players to consult in the middle of games (if only there were primary and secondary objective / sub-plot cards like that! cf.: my Flux Battle Objectives -- am half tempted to turn them in to playing cards!). In a crazy "everything-in" apocalypse game, it is quite easy to forget these kinds of things, so having these cards is a benefit, in my opinion.

Aside: I accidentally photographed the top card, entitled "Lies of Tzeentch". This is essentially a new version of the old Glamour of Tzeentch which I think is a nice addition to the rules set.

My only complaint about the cards is their colouring. The colour of the text is distinctly dull. Combine this with the off-black background and it sometimes makes for slightly hard reading (especially if trying to read them quickly!). Grim dark - yes. But playability could be slightly better.

The quality of the deck is great. The rectangular set (with corners clipped) are created from quality materials that won't chaff in a rush and can be used repeatedly. Indeed, one way of playing them (particularly that top card and cards like it) is to place them below the miniature in question (i.e. a Herald of Tzeentch in this case) on the game board itself, and have them move with the miniature until they are used up. Hence I'm glad of their robustness in general. All told, the positives for me outweigh the negatives.

Apocalypse Version 2. Not Reloaded!

Forget about the eldar codex.  Sure- its got Eldrad in and a bunch of other exciting things.  But I can't see traditional eldar lists changing much - they'll still have firedragons in if they did before.  The real news for me today was the second version of Apocalypse.

I'm super-excited about it.  I've always been a fan of "play everything you own" and "throw in some super heavy unusual kits" and "crazy rules" plus big blast templates.  There's little not to like.  The images that are now around the internet about the new version are exciting.  They depict a Khorne Lord of Battle updated for modern 40k.  As an old time player, I remember playing these guys in warhammer  40k Epic scale.  They were exciting as Khorne always got all the tech to make up for the lack of magic.  Afterall, he does not care from whence the blood flows (or indeed: how) - technology is simply an efficient way of letting it flow...

And then there are the new necron versions of the monoliths.  Not sure they're going to be kits (great if they are), but at first glance they look like one-off conversions.  So fingers crossed there's some exciting new kits coming out soon.

Time to dust off the Shadowsword...

What Advice to give First Time Apocalypse Players?

I have played numerous Apocalypse games since the supplement came out.  Most were completely chaotic (double entendre intended) and complete mayhem.  Some featured vehicles only.  Some were full on, using every single rule imaginable and then some (did you ever receive a phone call from the store down the road for an incoming template blast on that table you're playing on, in a different store?!).  I actually really like the complete madness that comes with the territory.  But I know its not to everyone's tastes. 

In the coming weeks, I'll be introducing the gaming group to Apocalypse in a 5 vs 5 match.  I'm the only person (I think) who's had any experience with Apocalypse though. So, what advice do you think I should dispense to my friends about playing Apocalypse for the first time?  Any words of wisdom would be gratefully received!  (I'm also preparing a minor scenario, and certainly not going to be allowing flank march, but most other things are possible!). 

Rules Homebrew: Power Generator - a Fortification Upgrade

In the desperation of battle, canny commanders will rig up whatever they can find to the laser weaponry to produce a steady and unrelenting arc of fire.  Power generators come in all shapes and sizes, but the desired effect is the same: to enhance what is already present.

Cost:
One-tenth the points cost of the fortification it is installed within.

Effects:
A power generator causes all laser, plasma, melta, or other "energy" based weapons attached to a fortification to become twin-linked, representing an overload of power.

In addition, a single model in base contact with an appropriate type of weapon can "hook-up" that weapon to the power generator and gain the same effect.

The power generator is treated as an AV=10, open-topped immobile vehicle with 2 hull points.  If it explodes, double the explosion radius and inflict an automatic strength 10 hit on the fortification that it is contained within.

(Image: Quantum Gothic power generator).

6th ed. Allies: Not Before The Apocalypse!

There are some armies in 6th edition 40k that won't ally "Not Before The Apocalypse". Most notably, tyranids cannot ally with any other force in 40k.  There are also other combinations (daemons and grey knights -- what? no heretic inquisitors?), but tyranids seem to have been singled out as the only army without any ally options.  In some regards that isn't a surprise.

BUT.... if we're playing an apocalypse game, I'm allowed tyranid allies, right?! 

 *evil smile*

Apocalypse Homebrew: Vuldant the Reaper

The defiler of Cranthia VI, Imperial Shrine World and tomb of Saint Anthei of the knife, Vuldant the Reaper and his warbands have ploughed a swathe of destruction against Imperial Shrines in the Chorus Celestia subsector.  Local forces report his attacks come without warning, as if the winged horror had been invisibly reconnoitring the area for weeks ahead of time.  The truth is probably darker and sceptics point to his daemonic visage...

WS BS S T W I A Ld Sv
6  4  6 4 3 5 3 10 3+/5+

175 points.

Wargear: Power armour, wings, bolt pistol, master-crafted power maul
Special Rules: Daemon kin, infiltrate, scout, independent character, winged charge

Winged Charge: Vuldant may charge up to 12" in to combat.

Wargames Gallery: Lured by the Masque of Slaanesh

Lured by the dance of the Masque of Slaanesh, the Black Templars leave the relative safety of the woodland ruins and come toward the Death Guard.  Only the Land Raider (top right) is unaffected by the dance, but seems unable to bring itself to destroy the rhino and its riders. 

The Death Guard leave the rhino and rapid fire the Black Templars.  This is followed by the Masque charging in to fell the remainder.  Ah, the insanity of Apocalypse!

Rules Homebrew: Psychokinetic Sphere

Psychic Power: Psychokinetic Sphere

The psyker calls forth an expanding sphere of supersonic wind that knocks back all nearby models (friend or foe).

Use at any stage of a close combat that the psyker is involved in.

On a successful psychic test, all models within 2" of the psyker's base (including those in base-to-base contact with the psyker, friend or foe) are flung back 2" in a radial direction from the psyker.  If a model cannot be moved away in such a fashion, they are otherwise moved 2" away from the psyker (e.g. along a wall).  If a model is in a dead-end and cannot be move (e.g. a cul-de-sac style situation), then the model is simply not moved.

As a result of successfully using this power, the psyker is no longer engaged in the combat.  If the user is an independant character and was part of a unit on activation, the psyker will no longer be considered part of that unit after using this ability.

Shadow Sword: Part XII. Rear Face

The traitor Shadow Sword approaches completion now.  This is a shot of the rear of the beast to detail what I've done with the pipework, the barrells, the highlighting, and the sense of semi-rustiness on the treads that I've achieved.

There's a some more fine detail to go, but otherwise, this epic paint job is nearly there now.

Of Angron's Activities and the Other Daemon Primarchs

Continuing my rambling thoughts on what the primarch's are up to in the 41st millennium, today I want to briefly touch on Angron. To my mind, Angron remains somewhat active and is, overall, a very visible primarch at the terminal end of the 41st millennium.  As a daemon prince (daemon primarch) of Khorne, Angron not only has apocalypse rules for his deployment on the tabletop (unlike other primarchs), but actively revels in the destruction he can bring about.  This is in contrast to the other chaos daemon primarchs who have a less than stellar participation rate in the 41st millenium.

Take Lorgar for instance -- the canon background is that he has locked himself away on the daemon world of Sicarus to contemplate, meditate and worship the nature of chaos for a long time, whilst letting his Word Bearers, commanded by the Dark Council in his stead, launch a twisted war from both Sicarus and Ghalmek.

Mortarion meanwhile rots away on the plague planet.  Occasionally sending a plague fleet in to the Immaterium to plague (literally) the Imperium of man.  Hence Mortarion has retreated from the real world, but still acts as a conduit of Nurgle's will.

On the planet of the Sorcerers, Magnus the Red confines himself and doesn't leave; content to send out agents (in much the same way as Mortarion, curiously) and learn more about magic from afar. The only notable exception being the Battle of the Fang.

Perhaps Fulgrim was a bit more active than the Tzeentch and Nurgle primarchs (and certainly moreso than Lorgar!), but his last known action was to lay low Roboute Guilliman.  Since then, he's perfectly happy (pun?!) spending his time on a Slaaneshi daemon world and has effectively removed himself from "activity".

Meanwhile, Perturabo secured the daemon world of Medrengard (where whisps of black smoke from a dark star caresses the surface) the and built the Fortress of Hate. He hasn't partaken of any further campaigns directly as far as I can tell.

And as for the Alpha Legion, it is likely their primarch(s) are not daemons...  So who knows what Alpharius and/or Omegon are up to...

Apocalypse Homebrew: The Dark Contagion

This one was inspired by the old Realms of Chaos: The Lost and the Damned book:

The Dark Contagion.
Points Cost: 77 points per unit; 17 points per character.  May only be given to followers of Nurgle (daemons of Nurgle or models already possessing the mark of Nurgle).

Description: One of the more unpleasant "gifts" of Mortarion, the Dark Contagion causes the victim's flesh to swell up and sport black and purple blotches.  Out of these blotches spills a viscous and foul-smelling pus. 

Effect: If an opponent lands a close combat wound (regardless of whether it is subsequently saved or unsaved) on the unit or character possessing the dark contagion, the pus bursts out and splatters the opponent, causing them to retch and/or generally be overcome with disgust.  The opponent's initiative is reduced to 1 for the next close combat round and they strike last.  (This applies to the whole attacking unit in an analogous way to thunder hammers causing oppenents to strike last.)

Historical Notes:
This gift of Mortarion originally had the opponent take a willpower (now known as Ld) test if they caused a wound.  If that failed, the opponent lost all subsequent attacks in that round and in the next round as well.  In an on-going campaign, there was also a risk that affected models would contract the dark contagion themselves.  This interpretation of the Dark Contagion is a bit more stream-line and effective, which is reflected in the points cost. 

Painted Horsemen of Apocalpse: Khorne

What feels like a long time ago, I assembled a collection of chaos marines riding on horseback with the intent to field them as Chaos Lords or in games of Apocalypse.  This is the first painted horseman: the Khorne Lord.

Khorne colours are straight forward to paint, if nothing else.  Basecoat in mechrite red, followed by a few dark washes and gradual lifting of the red tone using blood red and hints of oranges does the main regions very well.  The gold is pure shining gold with very subtle highlights across the washed tones.  The horse itself was picked out in shades of grey, bleached bone and silver (as appropriate) and makes for a moody complement to the red and gold of the rider. 

Mirage of Tzeentch

I have just re-discovered the Apocalypse: re-loaded strategic asset for Tzeentch. It's called the Mirage of Tzeentch, and in essence allows you to take control of any opposing unit for one shooting phase (so long as it is within a certain range).  Yep - that even applies to titans, super-heavies and the like. 

Having re-reviewed it, I am shocked (once again!) what a powerful strategic asset this is.  If Lash of Submission was game-breaking for allowing you to move your opponent's miniatures, then this piece of trickery is truly impressive.  Unlike the Changling's ability, there is no second chance to decide not to fire a certain unit.  The effect goes off, and that is the end of the story.  Your targeted titan does what you want it to for an entire shooting phase!

If apocalypse is ever reviewed (or indeed, re-written for the next edition of Warhammer 40,000), I wouldn't be surprised to see this power change.  That got me thinking: is there anything else in apocalypse that folks think should change in a re-writing in the future?  Comments welcome!

Horsemen of Apocalypse: IV - Tzeentch

The fourth horseman in the line-up is the Tzeentch Chaos Lord -- Lord Deceiver.  As befits Tzeentch, this horseman will be a sorcerer rather than a lord.  The sorcerer is mounted on another chaos knight steed and has in his possession a force weapon and a bolt pistol.  When equipped with the Mark of Tzeentch and a pair of psychic powers, the points value rapidly pushes up toward the high one hundreds, or just below 200. 

The conversion work consists of  a possessed chaos marine back pack attached to a regular chaos knight torso, legs and steed, with the Tzeentch chaos marine head and shoulder pad.  The left arm is the force weapon from the chaos terminator lord set.

Horsemen of Apocalypse: III - Slaanesh

The third chaos lord is the Lord Purgator -- The Slaaneshi lord.  With the other three, he will form the core of the Lords of the Black Crusade Apocalypse formation.  Of all of the chaos lords that I created in this series, I think I had the hardest problem with this one in terms of what to choose for his load-out. 

The first choice was whether to make him a chaos lord or sorcerer.  Although the sorcerer could have had access to the Lash of Submission, I opted for a regular chaos lord in the end simply because I feel that the Lash is probably over-used.  Or, at least it was over-used the last time I fielded a large Slaaneshi force!

As well as the steed (or counts-as bike), the Slaaneshi lord has been equipped with a single lightning claw to take advantage of the Mark of Slaanesh (I+1).  The right hand holds a halberd that could either be a daemon weapon or a regular (but impressive looking!) close combat weapon.  The head is from the standard chaos space marine boxed set whereas the lightning claw comes from a loyalist terminator(!)  The rest of the model (including the shoulder pad on the top of the lightning claw) is from the chaos knights kit. 

Horsemen of Apocalypse: II - Nurgle

The next horseman is the Lord Corruptor -- the Nurgle chaos lord.

The steed has has some extensive greenstuff work applied to it (or milliput in this case). Lots of detail has been added to the surface to demonstrate a diseased horse with decaying and rusted armour. This technique has also been extended to the legs of the chaos lord to give a more Nurglesque appearance.  The horse also has eve guards that are similar to the destroyer hive accessories that Typhus carries around -- very fitting for this fellow.

The torso of the chaos lord is one of the Forge World Death Guard / Plaguemarine conversion set. He is armed with a power fist (chaos space marine) and a wicked looking halberd (chaos knights).  The toughest part of the conversion was getting the torso to sit on the chaos knight legs right.  Lots of re-positioning was needed to make the angle of the halberd and power fist look fluid.

In game terms, this is a chaos lord with the Mark of Nurgle, equipped with a power fist and a close combat weapon (halberd!).  His role is to take care of some of the hardier targets, terminators and so forth, before the bulk of the army has to worry about them.  I considered adding some melta bombs as well for extra anti-tank duty, but felt that the powerfist was okay for a bit of light tank busting.  He's therefore a threat to most opponents in the game: not an over-powerful opponent, but one that merits attention.

Horsemen of Apocalypse: I - Khorne

The intent with this series of articles is to construct four horsemen (with perhaps an icon holder) to represent four chaos lords (one of each of the major powers) mounted on horseback (representing chaos steeds or bikes even) for use within Apocalypse games (and standard games on their own, or with one other chum).

First out is the Khorne horseman -- Lord Ravager.  No real special work has been undertaken on the horse itself (beyond the selection of a chaos knight kit that looked suitable for the blood god's minions to ride -- note the skulls on the chains).  For the chaos lord, I've used a chaos marine torso with a world eater berzerker head on the top.  One of the arms is a standard chaos marine plasma pistol (because even their own blood is welcome, right?!) whilst the other wields a deadly looking axe.  The backpack is one that I had lying around and is very thinly coated, so shouldn't be too much trouble to paint over.  

In terms of load-out, this will be a chaos lord with the Mark of Khorne, riding a motorbike and armed with a plasma pistol and a daemon blade.  This guy has one function: shoot things with the plasma pistol and promptly get in to combat and cause mayhem.  

Apocalypse Homebrew: Daemon Carriers

A whole unit of chaos space marines, each wielding a daemon blade?  Surely only in Apocalypse!

Cost: 45 points each, up to ten in the unit.
Statistics: As per standard chaos space marine troops, but with a bonus 6+ invulnerable save (due to the warping power of all the daemons contained within!).
Each chaos space marine is treated as if armed with a daemon weapon, as described in the codex.

When one of the blade carriers perishes, the chaos space marine model is replaced with a standard lesser daemon model.  If this replacement happens whilst in combat, then the lesser daemon is treated as engaged in the same combat and is considered to have charged in (this is in partial compensation for charging in and rolling a "1" for the daemon blade).  The daemons are considered to be part of the space marine unit (just to make things easy in the Apocalypse craziness).