Tuesday, September 27, 2011

Working through some backlog - Rainbow Wraiths


I tend to save bigger projects for when I have longer blocks of time available, so I can get significantly through a particular step before having to stop, clean up, put things away, etc.  So for times like now when I can only squeeze in five minutes at a time, I prefer to work on more one-off figures, like those above.  Nice, single-piece metals with no assembly required (other than sometimes attaching to a base).  I decided to do up the ringwraiths in a variety of colors to be able to tell them apart more easily in play and to have some extra fun with something different.  I love figures like these, lots of folds, recesses and raised areas, great for my preferred methods of getting things done quickly, washes/inks plus drybrushing.

The one on the left is traditional black, with grey drybrushing for highlights.  Next to him is blue ink over a grey undercoat.  He may be my favorite of the bunch.  Next is green ink over grey, then a series of flesh tones built up with bone armor, going for kind of a skin&bones necromancer look, then red ink over red paint for kind of a "bloodwraith" look.  Last on the right is a Reaper female fighter/paladin type, just simple metals with a bit of Ogryn Flesh wash over most of it. 

Tuesday, September 20, 2011

First time up against Dark Eldar

Or rather, the new Dark Eldar.  I played against them a lot in 3rd and some in 4th, but today was the first time facing the new book. 

I arranged a game with Alex and brought my Merkan Imperial Guard along, figuring that a footslogging horde would be a fun match against a superfast force.  Although at 83 guardsmen to 50 Dark Eldar I guess the horde needle wasn't too far in my favor.  Fun having two armies on the field with neither of them being predominantly T4 or 3+.  Despite multiple notes to myself, I managed to forget to bring a camera.  Next time I need to just put it in the car while I'm thinking about it!

We got a few comments about how much terrain there was, which is usually the case when you actually put 25% down.  Some of the terrain were some new donated pieces by another local gamer named Austin, who made some very cool, very sturdy adobe-type houses with removable roofs.

We played Dawn of War Annihilation.  I got some licks in, but BS3 IG + some poor fire lane choices + some very sturdy light skimmers + DE mobility + thoughtful play let Alex take the day.  His army is pretty similar to how I think I would build one, though I think I would drop the Incubi for some things like Hellions and Jetbikes.  Granted, his would be more effective!

Fun game, and glad I got to play Alex again.  Best moment of the game was, after having had some sidebar conversations earlier in the game about 40K's lack of "realism", having a Leman Russ ram the DE jetfighter and knock a weapon off.  Classic.



Friday, September 16, 2011

The Endless Ones - Part One, Prelude




The Banishers chapter was founded as part of the 13th Founding in M36 alongside the Exorcists, with similar purposes and methods.  As part of their training they invited possession by minor warp entities under controlled conditions to enable them to better resist such intrusions.  

For most of their history the chapter had a distinguished record against all manner of foes.  Over time their careful safeguards began to fail, opening them to corruption.  Their contact with the denizens of the warp left residues of foreknowledge that aided them in future battles, and such success left many hungry for further insight.  Under the supervision of the Binders – the chapter’s Apothecaries and Librarians combined – marines sought longer and longer possessions by more and more powerful entities, both as a measure of pride and to wrest knowledge and power from them.  

The Binders labored along two tracks to perfect the chapter’s possession methods – physically improved recruits better able to resist the corporeal rigors, and better psychic measures to allow for domination of the daemons rather than the other way around.  The chief of the Binders in M38, Shaitan, was especially driven to push the envelope, and through his guidance the chapter acquired more targeted knowledge and equipment, sometimes through intentionally false readings of the Tarot leading to attacks on isolated Mechanicum installations and the purging of a “rogue” Inquisitor, with the confiscation of her library and artifacts. 

 Over time as such events became more common and the Binders’ experiments took ever more esoteric turns, others within the chapter leadership began to have more doubts as to Shaitan’s sincerity.  Chapter Master Hezekiah, accompanied by several Chaplains, burst into the concealed lower levels of the Binders’ laboratories and uncovered secrets that horrified them.  Cloning operations, forbidden geneseed tampering, and confined subjects of possession that had been allowed to run its course so that the changes over time could be studied closely.

Enraged at how far they had strayed, Hezekiah demanded that Shaitan and the Binders destroy the possessed marines and end their heretical studies at once.  Unwilling to be denied, Shaitan refused and battle soon erupted with the possessed being freed, slaying the Chapter Master and Chaplains.  Once loosed, the bloodletting would not be easily caged again.  Partisans of the Binders fell into line and clashed with those who doubted the more extreme paths the chapter was pursuing.  War raged within the corridors of the Fortress-Monastery, with brother slaying brother as previously concealed sorceries lashed out and previously tightly controlled daemons were given free reign against the reticent. 

  Shaitan’s faction emerged triumphant, but not without great loss.  Acclaimed master of the reduced chapter, Shaitan began to lay the next stage of plans as the Binders carefully collected the geneseed of their fallen brothers, friend and foe alike.

(This is the first part of the background for the eventual reworking of my Chaos MarinesMore will be forthcoming over time, but models will likely wait until after I get the Space Sharks sorted.  As a note, doing traitor background is generally more involved, as you have to come up with how they were before the turn, then why they turned, and what they're like now.  Loyalists have it so easy!)

Sunday, September 11, 2011

First wave of Mogambians completed


During the times when I have been left in peace long enough to work on something, but not left in enough peace to concentrate sufficiently on schoolwork, I've gotten some painting in.  I completed this first batch and got them dullcoated over the weekend.  Eighty-five figures in all so far.  Next step are the 30(?) Wargames Factory Zulus.


Here are the figures that will mostly be used for good guys, the more plains-based Mogambians.  With defending more wide-open spaces, missile weapons come in handy.  The Zulu figs will also be for the plains Mogambians, as heavier infantry.  The colorful fellows in the back will be various wizardly and priestly types.


A bunch of masked guys, plus a Reaper lady.  These will be some of the opponents, from more wooded and denser terrain.  Warriors and shaman-types.  For some the shields and masks will be magical, many with extra powers beyond protection.


A close up of a couple of the shields/masks, which were a lot of fun to paint.  I didn't have any particular rhyme or reason for painting them or how I paired up the painted shields to particular figures.  I basically took a color and went through the figures/shields and added a little to a number of figures, and repeated with different colors until they all looked like they had enough coverage.  Then I grabbed a figure, grabbed the first shield that caught my eye and put them together.  The pose of the guy on the right here is a bit unwieldy; those guys were tipping over even before adding shields.  The mask isn't as cool or fully-done as the other poses either, making it my least favorite sculpt out of the mask-guys. 

Thursday, September 1, 2011

It's Raining Marines! Battle Report: Orks vs. Blood Angels, Part 2


(Part one can be found HERE )

The marine reserves streak down onto the battlefield.  Two assault squads land on my left, with terminators in the distance, a firepower dread facing the battlewagon and a third assault squad behind the dreads. 

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