Tuesday, December 08, 2009
Wednesday, November 25, 2009
Making a new army from models I already own
Here's a little sneak peek of my latest project: Chaos Daemons!
I realized that I had ten Flamers and five Horrors sitting around, being "lesser daemons" in my Chaos Space Marines army. Then it occurred to me: Why not build a small Daemon force?
All I really needed was some more troops, so I've bought five more Horrors. They are weak, but can dish out the pain at range like few others.
Seeing as my brother bought these Flamers for the previous editions of both Warhammer 40k and the Chaos Space Marines codex, I have no qualms in bringing this unit of pure awesome to the battlefield. If what I've read is correct, they will melt away just about any unit in the game.
This guy will be leading them, a herald of Tzeentch on disc. I originally painted him up for my Tzeentchian Blood Bowl team, but he fits perfectly in this Daemon force too. He can shoot pretty hard, and target multiple units each turn. Not too good in close combat, though.
As of now, I can field just about 500 points of painted minis. All I did was add five new models to my collection, and presto, I have a new army!
On a personal note:
Phew, having a blog can be a lot of work! I have a lot of content that just need to be edited and published, but I just can't seem to find the time. The last few weeks, I've been mostly just painting miniatures and having a good time. Ah, the simple joys in life :)
I realized that I had ten Flamers and five Horrors sitting around, being "lesser daemons" in my Chaos Space Marines army. Then it occurred to me: Why not build a small Daemon force?
All I really needed was some more troops, so I've bought five more Horrors. They are weak, but can dish out the pain at range like few others.
Seeing as my brother bought these Flamers for the previous editions of both Warhammer 40k and the Chaos Space Marines codex, I have no qualms in bringing this unit of pure awesome to the battlefield. If what I've read is correct, they will melt away just about any unit in the game.
This guy will be leading them, a herald of Tzeentch on disc. I originally painted him up for my Tzeentchian Blood Bowl team, but he fits perfectly in this Daemon force too. He can shoot pretty hard, and target multiple units each turn. Not too good in close combat, though.
As of now, I can field just about 500 points of painted minis. All I did was add five new models to my collection, and presto, I have a new army!
On a personal note:
Phew, having a blog can be a lot of work! I have a lot of content that just need to be edited and published, but I just can't seem to find the time. The last few weeks, I've been mostly just painting miniatures and having a good time. Ah, the simple joys in life :)
Monday, November 09, 2009
40k Tournament Report: 500 pts Doubles
Yesterday I hosted a 500 points doubles tournament at Oslo Miniature Games Club.
There were no restrictions on which races that could team up, so Imperial Guard would fight alongside Tyranids and Necrons alongside Space Wolves.
Special rules:
There were no restrictions on which races that could team up, so Imperial Guard would fight alongside Tyranids and Necrons alongside Space Wolves.
Special rules:
- No 2+ saves
- Max 2 wounds per model
- Max 33 armour (Front+Side+Rear)
- Annihilation / Dawn of War
- Seize Ground / Spearhead
- Capture & Control / Pitched Battle
Monday, November 02, 2009
Warhammer 40k Video Battle Report: Space Wolves vs Necrons
I'm hosting a 500 point doubles tournament next sunday, and Norau is attending. He wanted to test out a list he is considering, and I was more than happy to play him.
I hadn't fielded my Necrons in some time, so the tin cans took went forth once more. For this game, we decided that Phase Out would not apply.
I hadn't fielded my Necrons in some time, so the tin cans took went forth once more. For this game, we decided that Phase Out would not apply.
Tuesday, October 06, 2009
New guy at the club: Sawyer
This Sunday, I went to Oslo Miniature Games Club, looking for a game of Warhammer 40k. In my last post, I wrote a battle report from the game I played, but I also met a guy I hadn't met before. His name is Sawyer, and he has a great-looking Traitor Guard army! Check out these pictures I took (click the pictures for insane macro mode):
Note the empty ammo drum and the scratch-built empty casings next to the Autocannon. Awesome stuff!
Sawyer's next project for this army is a squad of Renegade Ogryns. Can't wait to see'em, can't wait to play'em! Bring it, man! ;)
Note the empty ammo drum and the scratch-built empty casings next to the Autocannon. Awesome stuff!
Sawyer's next project for this army is a squad of Renegade Ogryns. Can't wait to see'em, can't wait to play'em! Bring it, man! ;)
Monday, October 05, 2009
Warhammer 40k battle report: Tyranids vs Orks
The Hive Mind barely registered the fungus-creatures hiding in the ruined human city. This world had fallen long ago, just as all other worlds had, as hive fleet Kraken had spread its tendrils. Why were they still resisting the inevitable?
In the end, it did not matter. They would all be eaten. It was simply a matter of time.
500 points combat patrol
In a month, we're going to have a 500 point doubles tournament, using the 40k in 40 minutes rules. For those unfamiliar to these rules, they are:
I met a guy I haven't played in over a year, and we decided to play a 500 point game using the rules outlined above.
My list:
His list (from what I remember):
Deployment
We rolled for mission and deployment and got Capture & Control and Dawn of war. This meant that my precious Warriors would be off-table first turn. Crap. If he managed to kill enough Gaunts, they would probably run off the table without any Synapse nearby. He took first turn and deployed in such a way that he was controlling two of the four objectives. I deployed my Gaunts and Hormagaunts far back, behind cover. Fortunately, the units were large, and Ork shooting isn't very accurate.
Turn 1
I failed seizing the initiative, and he started his turn. The Trukk boyz came up the board at full speed, and the two other boyz units shot their Big Shootas on the Devourergaunts. Only one of them hit and wounded, and I passed the cover save. Phew!
In my turn, the Hormagaunts pushed forward,
ran 4" and charged the nearest Boyz, wiping them and the Weirdboy out to a man. Hormagaunts are Ace! The Gaunts and Warriors kept up, moving up the board.
Turn 2
Shocked by the carnage, the Orks were initially reluctant to engage. The Trukk Boyz drove to a better position, blasting away. A Tyranid Warrior lost a wound, and I lost a single Hormagaunt.
The Tyranids shuffled about, making sure that they were in a good position to charge next turn.
Turn 3
The Trukk Boyz drove up 13" and jumped out, perhaps hoping for a fight. They were an inch too far away, but their shooting killed a Tyranid Warrior.
The Tyranids were going for bust! The Hormagaunts charged the large unit of Ork Boyz, while the Warriors charged the Trukk Boyz, after the Gaunts had shot them up a bit. As there were only 8 Boyz left, the Warriors were confident of victory (12 attacks, hitting on 3s, wounding on 3s, 6+ save).
As expected, the Hormagaunts killed the entire unit of Boyz, taking a couple of casualties themselves. However, the Tyranid Warriors completely fluffed their charge, only killing 3 boyz! The 3 boyz and Nob still standing then wiped out the Warriors! Disaster!
Turn 4
The Trukk turned and tank shocked the Hormagaunts, which promptly fled the scene. Without synapse, the Tyranids were in complete disarray!
The four Orks left charged the Gaunts, killing a few and forcing them to flee.
Game end - Ork victory!
With no forces left, the Hive Mind had to accept defeat this time. It was the single round of combat with the Tyranid Warriors that made all the difference. On average, they would have wiped the Boyz out to a boy, but alas, It wasn't to be. Without synapse, the Tyranids were completely useless and lost very quickly.
The battlefield was suddenly blurred and distant for the Hive Mind. The Synapse creatures had perished. No matter, the planet was soon to be digested anyway. The Orks had won this battle, but the war was already decided. The fungus would be valuable bio-matter for the coming onslaught of the Imperium of Man.
In the end, it did not matter. They would all be eaten. It was simply a matter of time.
500 points combat patrol
In a month, we're going to have a 500 point doubles tournament, using the 40k in 40 minutes rules. For those unfamiliar to these rules, they are:
- No 2+ saves
- Max 2 wounds per model
- Max 33 in total armour on vehicles
- Min 1 Troop, no other Force Organization Chart requirements
I met a guy I haven't played in over a year, and we decided to play a 500 point game using the rules outlined above.
My list:
- 4 Tyranid Warriors - Wings, Adrenal Glands (+WS), Adrenal Glands (+I), Toxin Sacs (+S), Rending Claws, Scything Talons, Flesh Hooks (192)
- 16 Hormagaunts - Adrenal Glands (+WS), Toxin Sacs (+S), Flesh Hooks (224)
- 12 Gaunts - Devourers (84)
His list (from what I remember):
- Weirdboy
- 14 Slugga Boyz - Nob w/Power Klaw, Big Shoota
- 14 Slugga Boyz - Nob w/Power Klaw, Big Shoota
- 12 Slugga Boyz - Nob w/Power Klaw, Big Shoota, Trukk w/Reinforced Ram
Deployment
We rolled for mission and deployment and got Capture & Control and Dawn of war. This meant that my precious Warriors would be off-table first turn. Crap. If he managed to kill enough Gaunts, they would probably run off the table without any Synapse nearby. He took first turn and deployed in such a way that he was controlling two of the four objectives. I deployed my Gaunts and Hormagaunts far back, behind cover. Fortunately, the units were large, and Ork shooting isn't very accurate.
Turn 1
I failed seizing the initiative, and he started his turn. The Trukk boyz came up the board at full speed, and the two other boyz units shot their Big Shootas on the Devourergaunts. Only one of them hit and wounded, and I passed the cover save. Phew!
In my turn, the Hormagaunts pushed forward,
ran 4" and charged the nearest Boyz, wiping them and the Weirdboy out to a man. Hormagaunts are Ace! The Gaunts and Warriors kept up, moving up the board.Turn 2
Shocked by the carnage, the Orks were initially reluctant to engage. The Trukk Boyz drove to a better position, blasting away. A Tyranid Warrior lost a wound, and I lost a single Hormagaunt.
The Tyranids shuffled about, making sure that they were in a good position to charge next turn.
Turn 3
The Trukk Boyz drove up 13" and jumped out, perhaps hoping for a fight. They were an inch too far away, but their shooting killed a Tyranid Warrior.
The Tyranids were going for bust! The Hormagaunts charged the large unit of Ork Boyz, while the Warriors charged the Trukk Boyz, after the Gaunts had shot them up a bit. As there were only 8 Boyz left, the Warriors were confident of victory (12 attacks, hitting on 3s, wounding on 3s, 6+ save).
As expected, the Hormagaunts killed the entire unit of Boyz, taking a couple of casualties themselves. However, the Tyranid Warriors completely fluffed their charge, only killing 3 boyz! The 3 boyz and Nob still standing then wiped out the Warriors! Disaster!
Turn 4
The Trukk turned and tank shocked the Hormagaunts, which promptly fled the scene. Without synapse, the Tyranids were in complete disarray!
The four Orks left charged the Gaunts, killing a few and forcing them to flee.
Game end - Ork victory!
With no forces left, the Hive Mind had to accept defeat this time. It was the single round of combat with the Tyranid Warriors that made all the difference. On average, they would have wiped the Boyz out to a boy, but alas, It wasn't to be. Without synapse, the Tyranids were completely useless and lost very quickly.
The battlefield was suddenly blurred and distant for the Hive Mind. The Synapse creatures had perished. No matter, the planet was soon to be digested anyway. The Orks had won this battle, but the war was already decided. The fungus would be valuable bio-matter for the coming onslaught of the Imperium of Man.
Saturday, October 03, 2009
5th ed compatible tournament terrain project
When 5th edition hit, Norau and I were relatively unaffected by the dreaded true LOS (Line Of Sight) rules. We had always used terrain pieces that were high enough to block LOS to most things. Granted, C'Tan and Land Raiders were hard to hide, but we didn't see this as a problem.
My buddy Briefspite, however, actually dumped 40k for a period of time because of "true LOL", as he calls it. I see his arguments, but my counterpoint was always that the terrain should be used to provide not only cover, but block LOS completely. In my opinion, no 40k board has enough LOS-blocking terrrain if a unit can have complete view of the battlefield.
Norau and I were using fairly large hills to achieve this. Briefspite has a lot of city terrain, that he wants to use for tournaments (after grudgingly admitting that 40k is fun after all, even with true LOS). To achieve "5th edition compliant" ruins, LOS had to be blocked. Not only for the little guys, but also for Carnifexes, Land Raiders and Defilers.
Today, we painted up the first building to a good gaming standard. This building blocks LOS in almost every direction. If you hold this building, you can get good firing positions if you want, or hide safely inside if that's your cup of tea.
Note that all the pieces for the ground floor are completely blocking LOS. We think that this will force players to use this tactically. Gunline armies are all great fun for about five minutes, but it takes the small gribblies, the guardsmen, the Fire Warriors and similar infantry-sized models to really shine here, in an environment where tanks cannot move, and Lascannons cannot get LOS to the target.
Our first building painted up.
How much terrain do you guys normally play with? Have you changed the way you use terrain after 5th edition was released, or have you just changed your armies?
My buddy Briefspite, however, actually dumped 40k for a period of time because of "true LOL", as he calls it. I see his arguments, but my counterpoint was always that the terrain should be used to provide not only cover, but block LOS completely. In my opinion, no 40k board has enough LOS-blocking terrrain if a unit can have complete view of the battlefield.
Norau and I were using fairly large hills to achieve this. Briefspite has a lot of city terrain, that he wants to use for tournaments (after grudgingly admitting that 40k is fun after all, even with true LOS). To achieve "5th edition compliant" ruins, LOS had to be blocked. Not only for the little guys, but also for Carnifexes, Land Raiders and Defilers.
Today, we painted up the first building to a good gaming standard. This building blocks LOS in almost every direction. If you hold this building, you can get good firing positions if you want, or hide safely inside if that's your cup of tea.
Note that all the pieces for the ground floor are completely blocking LOS. We think that this will force players to use this tactically. Gunline armies are all great fun for about five minutes, but it takes the small gribblies, the guardsmen, the Fire Warriors and similar infantry-sized models to really shine here, in an environment where tanks cannot move, and Lascannons cannot get LOS to the target.
Our first building painted up.
How much terrain do you guys normally play with? Have you changed the way you use terrain after 5th edition was released, or have you just changed your armies?
Friday, September 25, 2009
Why use a suboptimal unit build?
I often discuss unit efficacy with my 40k friends. We choose a unit, and try to come up with the most optimal way to kit it out for a plethora of hypothetical situations.
This is a great way of coming up with a good loadout or role for a unit that can operate effectively while isolated and/or unsupported on the battlefield. For example Terminators, Land Speeders, Falcons, Hammerheads, Tau Battlesuits, Daemon Princes, and so on. However, when it comes to selecting an entire army, a collection of individually excellent units can be a mixed blessing. Even if these units are great at what they do, the synergy of the army may be hurt in the process.
A great example of this line of thought is the meltagun. It is widely renowned as the most cost-effective anti-tank weapon in the game. Taking all meltaguns must be the way to go, then? No. The meltagun is only effective if you can get it into range of enemy armour. If you don't have a single lascannon in your army, you're giving the enemy the freedom to move his vehicles outside the range of your meltas. Letting the enemy move freely around the board is a sure-fire way to lose the game in Warhammer 40k.
Another example is the guys in the picture up top. Thousand Sons are a peculiar bunch, and I've often seen tacticas on the web, telling everyone that the Doombolt is the only power one should give the Aspiring Champion. However, even if the power neatly matches the rest of the unit's shooting, one of the things I often lack in my Chaos armies are mid-range anti-tank. Something that fits neatly between the Lascannons on my Land Raider and the meltaguns on my Chaos Marines, is the awesome power of the Bolt of Change. Even though the unit of Thousand Sons themselves benefit more from the Doombolt, the army as a whole will benefit more from the Bolt of Change.
To emphasise my point; even if the Land Speeder with Multi-Melta is the greatest thing since Rending was on to-hit, if your army has enough mobile anti-tank, you should consider the Typhoon instead. Even if it is less cost-effective on its own, your army may benefit way more from an "inferior unit" than the optimized build.
What do you guys think? Are you always checking the internet for the latest optimized build of single units, or are you experimenting with which combinations of units works and which doesn't?
Monday, September 21, 2009
Video Battle Report: Chaos Space Marines vs Tyranids
After losing to Briefspite in the last battle of the Invasion tournament, I was looking forward to a rematch. Well, not a rematch per se, because this time I would bring my Chaos Space Marines to the battlefield.
We rolled randomly for mission and deployment, and got Annihilation (Kill points) and Pitched Battle (deploy up to 12" from the board edge).
My list:
2 Khorne Daemon Princes with wings
5 Thousand Sons in a Rhino
8 Khorne Berzerkers in a Rhino
14 Lesser Daemons
10 Chaos Space Marines
Land Raider
His list:
Hive Tyrant (shooty) with 2 Tyrant Guard
Broodlord with Genestealer retinue
Dakkafex (twin devourers)
Lictor
3x8 Gaunts
2x6 Genestealers
2xSniperfex (Venom cannon & barbed strangler)
My plan
Exploit outflanking Genestealers and race up the center of the board. If I could get into close combat before the Genestealers got into the fight, I would be using my 1500 points to attack his 1100 points. Add to this that my forces were very close combat oriented, whereas his were not, I would just have to get there to get a big advantage.
Deployment
He gave me the choice of table edge, and I set up with some mobile forces on the edges. I hoped this would make him put all his stealers in outflanking reserves. Unfortunately for me, he didn't. The Broodlord and 'stealer retinue was right in the middle. Crap...
In addition to this, he seized the initiative! I had not deployed in anticipation of this, so I was expecting a pretty brutal end to my mobile infantry forces. Watch the video battle report below to see how the game progressed.
Music from www.freeplaymusic.com
We rolled randomly for mission and deployment, and got Annihilation (Kill points) and Pitched Battle (deploy up to 12" from the board edge).
My list:
2 Khorne Daemon Princes with wings
5 Thousand Sons in a Rhino
8 Khorne Berzerkers in a Rhino
14 Lesser Daemons
10 Chaos Space Marines
Land Raider
His list:
Hive Tyrant (shooty) with 2 Tyrant Guard
Broodlord with Genestealer retinue
Dakkafex (twin devourers)
Lictor
3x8 Gaunts
2x6 Genestealers
2xSniperfex (Venom cannon & barbed strangler)
My plan
Exploit outflanking Genestealers and race up the center of the board. If I could get into close combat before the Genestealers got into the fight, I would be using my 1500 points to attack his 1100 points. Add to this that my forces were very close combat oriented, whereas his were not, I would just have to get there to get a big advantage.
Deployment
He gave me the choice of table edge, and I set up with some mobile forces on the edges. I hoped this would make him put all his stealers in outflanking reserves. Unfortunately for me, he didn't. The Broodlord and 'stealer retinue was right in the middle. Crap...
In addition to this, he seized the initiative! I had not deployed in anticipation of this, so I was expecting a pretty brutal end to my mobile infantry forces. Watch the video battle report below to see how the game progressed.
Music from www.freeplaymusic.com
Wednesday, September 16, 2009
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