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Kill Team Rules v1.3 and Campaigns v1.1

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Some big additions to the main Kill Team ruleset in v1.3, including a new 'hiding' mechanic (straight from old school specialist games) and massive changes for the assault phase - including supporting charges/attacks for when you just want to shout "bundle!", as well as notes on quick rolling and a new 'supporting' Overwatch mechanic.

The Campaign rules have had a complete overall with changes to almost everything. Now you can 'group' your Core models to make it easy to manage, as well as different EXP, Injury, and Advance tables for Core models. We found this makes it a lot quicker! We've also updated the 'official codex' document to include rules when using it with campaigns.

WARHAMMER 40,000: KILL TEAM RULES CAN BE FOUND HERE

Changes in Kill Team Rules v1.3

  • Changed wording for climbing and jumping, added 1" and unit type exceptions.
  • Added 'Hiding' rule to enable hidden models. This is converted from the old Mordheim rule that we though was great.
  • Combined the Run and Fleet rules.
  • Added Grenade rule - all shooting grenades have One Use Only rule.
  • Added charge sub-phase ‘order of operations'
  • Added Supporting Charges
  • Added Diving Charges
  • Added Climbing Charges
  • Added Overwatch
  • Added Quick-rolling
  • Added Supporting Attacks
  • Removed 'outnumbering' from Assault results
  • Amended Squad rule to include rules for hiding and jumping/climbing.
  • Changed Destructible Markers wording.
  • Added Optional Rule – Destructible Terrain

Enjoy!

Darth Meer

First Game With New Chaos

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I had a game (finally) with the new Chaos codex last night, against the new chaos codex! 1500 points. Guess what, Chaos won... Blood was certainly spilt for the Blood God, fortunately more of it was my opponents. In fact, I wiped him off the table! I didn't even think my list was that good to be honest, as I just grabbed a load of random bits of things I wanted to use and put them in the army. I wanted to give you a brief rundown on my feelings on my first game with the new codex. Fist of all, lists:

HQ
Chaos Lord - Pair of Lightning Claws, Terminator Armour, MoK
- Sorceror

Troops
Chaos Space Marines x15 - CCWs, Champion w/ Power Fist, MoK, IoW
- Chaos Space Marines x10 - Plasma Gun, Autocannon, Champion w/ Power Maul
- Chaos Cultists x25 - 11x Autoguns, Champion w/ Shotgun

Fast Attack
Raptors x10 - 2x Meltagun, Champion w/ Pair of Lightning Claws
- Chaos Bikers x5 - Plasma Gun, Champion w/ Power Sword and Meltabomb
- Heldrake - Baleflamer

Heavy Support
Forgefiend - Hades Autocannons

My opponent had a noise marine based list. Don't ask me what the acronyms stand for, I'm just copying from his email...:

HQ
Chaos Lord - 5+i, PP, PW, VotLW, MoS

Elites
Helbrute - Plasma Cannon

Troops
- Noise Marines x9 - CCW, Votlw, Rhino, IoS, PW+DS
- Noise Marines x10 - 8 SB, VotLW, Blastmaster, PW+BP
- Noise Marines x10 - 8 SB, VotLW, Blastmaster, PW+BP
- CSM x10 - VotLW, CCW, 2x Plasma Gun, Rhino, PS+BP

Heavy Support
- Havocs x5 - 3x Autocannon, 1x Lascannon
- Havocs x5 - 3x Autocannon, 1x Lascannon


The mission was The Scouring and we played the diagonal deployment. I will add that I rolled Infiltrate for my warlord trait, but forgot to actually deploy any infiltrators... although I did seize the Initiative! I won't go through the game itself, just how each unit did.

The Heldrake was awesome. Well worth the 170pts. I suppose it depends on if you have dedicated AA units (Tom only had 2 units of autocannon havocs which missed a lot). The S6 AP3 Torrent flamer is amazing at clearing out squads of marines, and laid waste to most of 2 squads of noise marines and a havoc squad during the game! He did day that he was going to add at least a defence line to his list after the decimation the Heldrake caused.

Cultists with the Endurance psychic power = win at holding objectives. They were shot down to about 10 by the end of the game, taking most of the brunt in the first couple of turns. Feel no Pain definitely helps against those sonic blaster ignore cover weapons! My loudout may not be the most efficient (was basing it off what models I had), but it was still fairly cheap and looked pretty chaotic.

Big blobs of CSM without Rhinos work if you're fairly lucky (and your opponent deploys fairly close to his deployment line). He had 3 turns of shooting at the MoK squad and whittled them down to about 7 (under half) due to his blast master AP3 blasts. But they had Mark of Khorne and Banner of Wrath so charged 10" into a full squad of marines and munched them down like Donkey Kong on a banana. I think this unit will be hit and miss though, depending on how much shooting it attracts during those first few turns.

Forgefiends are OK, not sure if they're worth their points though. It did wreck a Helbrute first turn due to hitting with 6 of its shots and using daemonforge to re-roll armour pen! But then it proceeding to not do much the rest of the game, except for glance a rhino to death over a few turns. I suppose its another random chaos unit! BS3 does hurt its damage output, I will have to have a few more game with it to see if its worth taking in future.

Raptors are great, very cheap for a Jump unit. Although they really need to get the charge off (or take MoK - but that will increase the points). The meltas didn't come into play so I can't comment on their loudout. Although I will say the boon Icy Aura did end up killing more marines than the champions lightning claws...

Bikes were killed turn 2 so didn't really do much, but they were a cheap distraction unit and did they're job, taking the AP3 shots away from the Raptors.

That's about it, overall I think the amount of stuff on the board at 1500 overwhelmed my opponent a little bit! He focussed on killing the Heldrake, Bikes and Cultists too much and let my assault units run across the board to hack him up and take objectives. I was worried about all those AP3 ignores cover guns at the beginning of the game, but thankfully blind luck prevailed!

Final score 7-0 VPs.

Darth Meer

Chaos Lord Painted and Storm Reavers Background

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Here's a photo of my newly painted Chaos Lord, complete with my colour scheme for the 'Storm Ravers' traitor chapter.
Chaos Lord Moros, Master of the Storm Reavers

Here's a bit of origin background for my home-brew traitor chapter. They're basically my old Storm Hawks (see my downloads for their codex) gone bad - I thought it would be a nice touch to continue their story:

"Once known as the Storm Hawks, a loyalist space marine chapter, the Storm Reavers began their descent into heresy on the world of Vardia during the close of M41. After a long campaign against the forces of chaos to free the Vardian sector, the entire Storm Hawks chapter met their enemy upon the capital planet itself to finally bring the campaign to a close. Although Captain Aphael of the Blood Angels requested the Storm Hawks to hold until they could be reinforced, Chapter Master Falco was impatient and over-confident and ordered the assault.

What the Storm Hawks did not know however, is that the Chaos insurgents upon Vardia were already in the process of breaching the warp and summoning a vast horde of daemons. Although the Storm Hawks were swift, without the aid of the Blood Angels they were still too late. The warp gate was opened and hell was unleashed upon the system.

Most of the Storm Hawks chapter was destroyed within the first moments of the warp breach, but a handful survived along with Chapter Master Falco deep within the catacombs of the planet. There must have been a chink in the defences of Falco's mind, or it could have been his proximity to the warp breach, but at some point the master of the Storm Hawks was possessed by a mighty daemon known as Moros.

The possessed Chapter Master requested his brothers join him in fleeing through the warp gate, he persuaded many that there was no other way to survive, and that they would take the fight to the enemy. Those that were left were soon overrun by daemons, but those that fled with Moros found themselves corrupted irreversibly by the warp. The Storm Hawks were propelled through the warp until they found themselves in the Eye of Terror, the journey twisting them so much that they held hardly any resemblance to their noble origins.

Lord Moros and his now named 'Storm Reavers' have left the Eye of Terror in search for recruits and commit to a never-ending war in order to gain glory and slake the unquenching thirst of their gods."

Darth Meer

Kill Team Rules v1.4 Update

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First of all, yes, plasma EXPLODES! We all thought plasma was a bit overpowered in Kill Team currently (hence, everyone was taking as much as they could), especially with Suppressing Fire. Making Gets Hot weaponry explode gives it a little bit of a drawback. Plus its cool.

Also in this update is the addition of new Difficult Terrain rules, stolen shamelessly from the LotR game. Its a bit more time consuming to work out than the normal 2d6 rules, but we think its a lot more immersive (and makes more sense to be honest). Plus it evens out the impact of our running rules.

The other big change is the Mission rules. I know there was a lot done in v1.3, but v1.4 really shakes them up. Gone are the random secret missions - they just didn't seem to be popular, especially as un-trustworthy people tended to just make up their secret missions... The new system is very tradition, with 5 big missions/scenarios (I couldn't make up a 6th, that will be a future update) that you simply roll a d6 for at the start of the game. The new missions are Skirmish, Relic Hunt, Last Stand, Hostage, and Sabotage.

In other Kill Team news, the Chaos Space Marines and Space Wolves team lists are live, as well as a fillable version of the updated roster sheet (download to fill and save) and the updated Legendary Heroes document for your campaigns - including a very familiar dreadnought!

Get the new Kill Team Rules here!

Darth Meer

Kill Team Rules v1.5 Update and The Raid Mission

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I'm afraid its another Kill Team update post, not much painting going on lately (very busy time of year for me). Anyway, update v1.5 is out for the core Kill Team rules. In this one we have focussed on emphasising 'cinematic' terrain, adjusting some of our existing rules to match this, and changing some of the more 'abstract' rules of 40k to be more 'real'. There is now a sixth mission (missed from the last update), and a general tidying up of rules (especially grenades, and the other missions).

Get the new Warhammer 40,000 Kill Team rules here.

Also in v1.5 are optional rules for Injury. Now we originally didn't want to add these, but we've had demand for it from a few people now. It is important to note that these are additional rules, and are NOT the 'official' Kill Team rules. Our game will not be balanced to take into account these optional rules. The rules are basically taken from Mordheim, with a few tweaks to make them work in 40k. They haven't really been play-tested, so if you're brave enough to try them, any feedback would be invaluable.

You can now download the first 'mission' document, called The Raid. Its basically an attacker/defender mission using sentries - hearkening back to the old Kill Team rules from white dwarf! It even includes mission wargear such as wirecutters, grapnels, las-traps (laser beams), etc.

On the KT lists front, I'm still working on the Tau list ready to be play-tested by the group. But I have been through the current lists and added tweaks, new wargear, etc. So it's worth seeing if your list has been updated.

Finally, my group and I love to hear of peoples Kill Team campaigns and battle reports, so if any of you have any photos or reports you want to share, email me at darthmeer@outlook.com. I also want to share a battle report I received this week from KaC, found here.

Next post will be pretty models, I promise.

Darth Meer

Norse Blood Bowl Team Converted and Painted

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I love Blood Bowl, but haven't played for many years (since Uni). So when I got the chance to pick it up again, I jumped at an opportunity to re-create my original Norse team. Only this time I thought I'd convert up some Marauders instead of using the horrible old GW models. The Ulfwereners are from heresy minis.

Norse Blood Bowl Team
As you can see the Warhammer Marauder models work really well, and extremely simple to convert! The painting, however, is what I like to call 'slap dash' - it isn't my best. I basically needed to get these ready for this weekend, so used the tried and tested base-shade-layer technique. I may go back and highlight them eventually (may...). Here's a close look at the shoddy paintmenship:

Norse Blood Bowl Team Close-up
Wish the team all the luck in the Warhammer World, as from what I remember, they tended to die a lot... I may be purchasing an apothecary first chance I get.

Darth Meer

Blood Angels Army Background Document

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Bit of a random one today. I thought I'd share a little background document I've been working on today for my Blood Angels army. I've added the screenshots below, but you can download the PDF here (its only 6 pages). I'm planning to spend time on each of my armies background over the Chrimbo period as I doubt I'll have much chance to paint (we're here, there and everywhere next week). I think putting together a document like this really brings you closer to your models, and the background of the 40k setting. It also makes a neat 'leaflet' to give to your opponent before a game.


 



40k Kill Team Rules v1.6 Update - New look, DA team list

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The next update to Warhammer 40,000: Kill Team is here, and with a shiny new look. This look isn't restricted to the main rules either, I'll be rolling it out to all the team lists soon. For now, you can check out the new Dark Angels team lists to get a feel for it. The DA team lists also features a new format of unit entry that I'm trying out. More tabulated (and harder to edit) but should be easier to read!


Rules wise, v1.6 is mostly tweaks with the only 'new' rule being for psychic powers (they actually work now...). Take a quick read through though, as the whole document has had a going over with rules tweaked, missions adjusted slightly and you can now Deep Strike (only if you teleport though - yey for deathwing!).

If you have any comments or ideas for Kill Team, please email me at darthmeer@outlook.com

I was hoping to get my Helbrute finished for today (for some non KT content), but alas he's taking longer than expected. Damn all that trim! I've not been totally idle this last few weeks however, and have finished 10 more saurus! A mighty achievement in my books. Only 30 more to go for that unit of 50...

Darth Meer

Storm Reavers Chaos Helbrute Painted

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Storm Reavers Chaos Helbrute
Meet Varea Metalla, the newest painted member of the Storm Reavers warband (see here for the army background). I've only been taking him in bigger games lately as he tends to die quickly unless the opponent has other threats to focus on, but I wanted to paint him up as I love the Dark Vegeance model - so much detail!

Paint wise, I wanted to go for quite a 'choppy' look when highlighting so the metal looks as though its chipped and scratched. The flesh red is simply Mephiston base, Carroburg Crimson shade, layer on the Mephiston, then an organic highlight of Evil Sunz.

Chaos Helbrute - Close Up
"Varea Metalla was once Brother Nisus, a well-respected veteran of the Storm Reavers Chapter. Nisus met his fate during the Vardia campaign against Chaos and was entombed in a mighty dreadnought. However, it was on his début battle in his metal sarcophagi that the Storm Hawks were overrun by daemons and fled into the warp with Chapter Master Falco. Nisus battled his way through the daemon hordes and followed his brothers into the warp rift. But when he re-appeared in material space, like his Storm Hawks brethren, Nisus was not the same being. Twisted by the warp and driven mad, Nisus became Varea Metalla, his metal body chained until his crazed fury can be unleashed on the eve of battle once more."

Darth Meer

Chaos Sorcerer Conversion - Plastic Kitbash

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Chaos Sorcerer Conversion with Wings!

I've been wanted to convert a plastic Chaos Sorcerer for a while now but didn't seem to have the inspiration until recently. This beast is actually very simple to kitbash! The legs, arms and gun are from the new Raptor kit, the torso and wings are from the Possessed box, and the head, torso, staff, and miscellaneous gubbins are from the Terminator Lord sprues. Bung them all together with magic glue (Humbrol Liquid Poly actually) and viola!

I will be Jump Pack-ing him around the table in future games, but if this turns out to be folly the wings can simply count as 'excessive decoration'.

Some more shot below. Only minor green stuffing was required - mostly due to the MASSIVE Sorcerer head preventing the shoulder pads from sitting correctly. I've also repositioned his left foot slightly so he's pushing off the rock.




A simple, but effective alternative to the Finecast model I say. I'll be painting him up soon and writing up some more of my oh-so-popular background! Oh, and I'll just leave you with this parting shot or something I may be talking about a little but in the future...

Pew pew pew!
Darth Meer

Star Wars X-Wing Miniatures Game Review

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Introduction

I finally managed to get my hands on the Star Wars X-Wing miniatures game by Fantasy Flight Games. It's been pre-ordered for a long time, and OG Games have now managed to get stock from across the pond. For those who have been living in an exogorth, here's the official blurb:

Control the most advanced starfighters and outstanding pilots in the galaxy! In X-Wing Miniatures Game, you take the role of squad leader and command a group of merciless Imperial or daring Rebel pilots in furious ship-to-ship space combat. Featuring stunningly detailed and painted miniatures, X-Wing recreates exciting Star Wars space battles from small engagements of only a couple of crafts, to large conflicts where multiple squadrons clash. Select and equip your ships, pick your crew, plan your attack, and complete your mission.Taken from the FFG Site.

The first thing I'll say is that I love Star Wars, as if you didn't already guess from my internet handle. I was the kind of kid that ran around the woods with his mates and bashed the crap out of each other with plastic glow rods screaming the star wars theme. So as you might imagine, I had steep expectations.

In this review I'll talk mostly about the Core Set and its out-of-box gameplay, with only a small section on expanded play (as I only have two expansions currently).


Opening The Core Set

As with any other FFG game, you get an overwhelming number of components! The box provides all the movement templates, action and status tokens, range rulers, asteroids, mission counters, dice, cards and miniatures (two TIE Fighters and a single X-wing) you need to start playing. The only thing you have to provide yourself is a 3' x 3' gaming surface - I just used a square of black fabric from Hobbycraft, but it would have been nice if they included a play sheet or fold away board. Anyway, all of the included bits and bobs are printed on high quality card stock and feel as though they could handle some serious use. I was particularly impressed with the artwork on the cards and templates as they really give off a Star Wars 'feel'.

Star Wars X-Wing Miniatures Game - My Ships

The ships themselves look like they came directly from the ILM archives, and are highly detailed. The models are adequately painted to gaming standard, and to be honest I probably won't even touch them up - although I may add Rogue or Wraith squadron markings at some point... but that's purely to satisfy my nerd cravings. The scale is just right, not too big to interfere with gaming and not too small that you can't see the details.

With all these components X-Wing initially seems to come across as a bit of hybrid game. Part miniatures, part board game. You can buy the Core Set and set up a game in minutes (once you've read the rules) using the pre-generated pilots and missions, just as you would a board game. No assembling and painting models beforehand. Of course you only get 3 missions in the rulebook so this approach may get tired fast. On the other hand, if you want to go deeper and craft your own squadrons (like a traditional miniatures game) you can - which I will cover later.

X-Wing Miniatures Game - Core Set

Another thing I wanted to say was the box itself is actually sturdy enough to hold your bits. I have two expansions and their plastic 'cradle' (for want of a better word) sits nicely inside with enough room for everything else. I've used resealable bags to store all the components and the rulebook sits nicely on top. This is a nice touch as the game can sit on a shelf with the rest of my board games, I don't have to buy any additional storage like I do with my other miniatures games and find a place for it.


Playing the Game

As a space miniatures game I was expecting pages and pages of rules (like Battlefleet Gothic), but was surprised when the rulebook turned out to be just under 30 pages, and only about half of that is actual rules. You can read the pdf, or watch the tutorial video on the FFG site so I won't go deep into the rules, rather give my overall impressions.


X-Wing is simple and easy to learn. The book is very well laid out and takes you through the game step by step. The game uses templates in order to determine movement and range, and custom dice for combat. Something I actually rather like and makes movement and combat a lot quicker with less contention. You don't have to look at any charts to see what effect your roll had on the game - it's already right there on the die face.


I also really like the 'hidden manoeuvre' aspect of the game, where you have to try and out-guess your opponent in where they will be moving next - with different ships having different manoeuvring capabilities. The combat phase is totally reliant on your movement (through firing arcs) so it adds a heavy dose of tactics to quite a simple game mechanic. With most ship stats being similar, manoeuvring well and outguessing your opponent is what will win you games. Another thing to add is that the rounds fly past, this game is so quick! With most of the decision making done simultaneously, both players have something to do at all times - none of this twiddling your thumbs for half an hour while your opponent moves and picks off your army.

X-Wing Miniatures Game - Game In Progress

I've played a number of games with my fiancée now (a non-gamer) and she picked up the rules after only two games. She even said she had fun, something she has yet to do for any other miniatures game I force her to play! I personally would have liked a little more detailed rules (being a seasoned miniature gamer), but the game is very quick to play and there isn't anywhere that says I can't make up some extra rules myself! You never know, they may being out an Advanced version some day.

X-Wing Miniatures Game - Game In Progress

Squad Building and Expansions

Where X-Wing diverges from its board game roots is the ability to build and upgrade your squad. Like all good miniatures games it uses a points system for ships and upgrades, with 100 points being typical. You can load up on ships with elite pilot skills, missiles and modifications, or go with lots of ships with fewer upgrades, or you can find a nice balance. As I only have two expansions (about 50/60 points a side) I can't say how playing a 'full' 100 points game would effect the rapidity of play, but as the rules are so simple I doubt it would have too much effect.

An example Rebel squadron from the FFG site.

One bad note I have with this is that instead of giving you all the upgrade and pilot options from the start (such as a Codex), the upgrade and pilot cards come packaged with different expansions. This means that the only way to get all the options is to buy everything (as most upgrades can be used by both Rebels and Imperials). This annoyed me a little with one of my favourite SW characters Wedge, as instead of being able to buy two starter sets (and thus grabbing 2 X-wings and 4 TIEs) I'm forced to buy the X-wing expansion if I want to use him. But I suppose that's business.

Of course the main reason for buying expansions is the miniatures, and FFG are bringing new ones out all the time. The larger ship expansions also come with new rules and missions. I can't wait to get an Interceptor, piloted by the famous Soontir Fel of course! May have to paint the rest of my Imperial squadron with red stripes then.


Cost

I bought the core set for £25 from OG Games and expansions are around a tenner (of which you'll need about 2-3 per side). So a 100 point squadron will cost you around £45-55 if you're only collecting one of either Rebel or Imperial. Which of course no-one will! So it ends up being more like £75. That's a lot of money, but a new army from GW costs over £300 for each player not including things likes books, paint and other paraphernalia  When you take into account that £75 gives you everything you need for 2 players to play a decent sized game, its a bloody bargain!

X-Wing Miniatures Game - Game In Progress

Conclusion

If you love the movies, love the books, there is no way you won't like this game. The miniatures, the art, the characters, awesome. To be honest, even if you're not a Star Wars fan I would recommend it. I wouldn't replace my regular more-in-depth miniatures game with it, bit X-Wing is great for light evening entertainment. The models are of high quality, rules are tight and quick to learn, and if you can resist making 'pew pew pew' and 'froooom' noises while playing then you're a better man than I.

Darth Meer

P.S. You know you want to play it with A New Hope playing in the background.

Playing 1000 Point Mini 40k Campaigns

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Last week me and my gaming buddy decided we would try something different in our usual weekly game, a mini campaign! Three story-driven 1000 point games played on three different boards. Amazingly we managed to play it after work, taking about 3 and a half hours in total (including lots of chat with on-lookers).

We played on a Tuesday at Warhammer World and it was pretty empty so we got to use two of the 'special' boards as well as the Zone Mortalis table in the last game. Really sorry there's no photos but I just wanted to share the rules for our little campaign, and hope to inspire some other players to create there own!

The campaign story follows the Storm Hawks (the codex I wrote a long time ago can be found here, although I didn't use it) last stand on Vardia and their eventual fall to chaos (see here for background on my Storm Reavers). There is a lot of background taken from the Vardia campaign book my friend is writing, so it may seem a little off-cuff to some readers.

The rules below are built specifically for our mini campaign (Space Marines vs Chaos), but it may give you ideas about how to write up your own. I kept the mission objectives simple as I knew we would be playing after work, but you can spice them up if you have a day to play.


GENERAL CAMPAIGN RULES


  • Three different 1000pts armies. The third army may not have any Vehicles except for Walkers (and no Defilers!)
  • The Storm Hawks must take Chapter Master Falco in every army: A Chapter Master with Terminator Armour and Twin Lightning Claws. In addition he gains the Fearless special rule.
  • If Falco is killed during battle, at the end of the game roll a D6. On a 1 the model's Wound value is permanently reduced by 1. On a 6 the model permanently gains the Hatred special rule. If you roll a 6 again after future games, the model also gains Rage.
  • If any of the Chaos HQ units are the same (both type and build) they may keep all of their rolls on the Chaos Boon table for all games.


GAME 1: RAPID ASSAULT


The Storm Hawks have arrived at Vardia, only to find it already lost to Chaos. Heedless of the Blood Angel requests to hold, the Storm Hawks race towards the planet in a daring attempt to break the enemy's back before it can reform to meet the incoming reinforcements.

In this game the Storm Hawks use a lot of fast moving transports such as Stormravens, Drop Pods and Land Speeder Storms, supported by Stormtalons and regular Land Speeders. The Chaos forces have lots of troops on the ground but not many 'linebreaker' units such as Obliterators or tanks.

Objective
The Storm Hawks must rush in and destroy the Chaos forces.

Deployment
The Chaos army deploys first, anywhere in the table that is more than 12" from a table edge. In addition, Chaos units must be placed more than 6" away from each other. The Storm Hawks will enter play on their first turn from any one table edge (in exactly the same way as arriving from reserve). In this mission, all units fall back to their nearest table edge. No Chaos unit may be placed in reserve. Any Storm Hawks units that do not arrive first turn are assumed to be in reserve. Storm Hawks always get first turn.

Special Rules

  • Orbital Assault: Any Storm Hawks unit that can Deep Strike may arrive automatically on the first turn.
  • Already Dug-in: All Chaos forces receive the Move Through Cover and Stubborn special rules.

Victory Conditions
Kill Points and Secondary Objectives.


GAME 2: THE ENDLESS TIDE


The warp portal has been unleashed upon Vardia and caught the Storm Hawks unawares The Storm Hawks have been pushed back by the chaos tide against the entrance to the ancient Vardian catacombs. Luckily, the marine forces have come across an abandoned PDF strong point and plan to use it to try and whittle down the enemy before they retreat further in.

In this game the Storm Hawks forces have no fast support units, but have managed to deploy artillery tanks such as Whirlwinds and Vindicators in order to support their defence. Most of the Chaos forces are transported in Rhinos or are equipped with Jump Packs.

Objective
The Chaos side must cause as much damage to the dwindling Storm Hawks as they can!

Deployment
The Storm Hawks deploy first, up to 12" from the edge of the table. They also get an Aegis Defence Line to set up for free (note: we actually used a Fortress of Redemption instead). The Chaos forces deploy anyway up to 24" from the Storm Hawks forces. Chaos automatically gets the first turn.

Special Rules

  • Endless Tide: When a non-Vehicle Chaos unit is completely destroyed it automatically re-enters reserves. This counts as a new unit in all respects.
  • Last Stand: All Storm Hawks units gain the Stubborn and Preferred Enemy special rules.

Victory Conditions
Kill Points and Secondary Objectives.


GAME 3: FALL BACK!


Chaos have overrun the Storm Hawks and Chapter Master Falco has ordered their retreat into the warp portal, through the underground catacombs. The trouble is some of the Storm Hawks are too stubborn to run! What the Storm Hawks do not know however, is that their Chapter Master has already succumbed to the will of chaos and is in the progress of being possessed!

Objective
The Storms Hawks must get as many units through the warp portal as possible before they are destroyed!

Army Restrictions
No vehicles may be used in this game except for Walkers.

Deployment
Played on a 4x4 board. A lot of terrain must be placed as the game is played within the Vardian catacombs (preferably on a Zone Mortalis board!). Both sides deploy within 12" of their board edge. Randomly determine who sets up and goes first. You may seize the Initiative. Only units which are described as being able to teleport or materialise from the Warp may use the Deep Strike special rules.

Special Rules

  • Filled with Doubt: At the start of the Storm Hawks movement phase, any unit not within 24" of the Chapter Master must take a leadership test. If it fails, the unit may not move at all this turn (except to charge).
  • Falling Back: The Storm Hawks are proper legging it! They may run 2d6 and choose the highest.
  • Chosen of Chaos: Chapter Master Falco gains the Champion of Chaos special rule.

Victory Conditions
For every Storm Hawks unit that leaves the board via the Chaos board edge, they gain 1 VP. For every Storm Hawks unit that is completely killed, the Chaos player gains 1 VP.

Storm Reavers Chaos Bikers Unit Painted

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Storm Reavers Chaos Biker Unit - Achlys' Marauders
Chaos Bikers are awesome both in-game and model wise. Unfortunately they are a bitch to paint! They have been the bane of my existence this last couple of months, I'm sure everyone has their 'painting dread' that they leave on the desk for an age in the hope it finishes painting itself. Anyway, they're finally done. That's it, no more bikes! Too... much... trim!

Achlys’ Marauders Background
One of the original Storm Hawks that fled through the warp gate at Vardia, Achlys had resisted the extreme mutative effects of Chaos for many decades of service in the Storm Reavers. That was until the battle of Davkon V against the Iron Warriors, where Achlys squad was slaughtered by sustained Havoc fire. Achyls turned and ran from the battle, infuriating Lord Moros, and inciting the wrath of the gods. Achyls was sealed within his armour and to his bike for all eternity, cursed to feed only on the tainted fuel of his motor and to feel only the cold steel of the bike's chassis. Although Achyls has been given command of another unit of bikers, he has vowed to Lord Moros to never again run from the enemy - if he does so, Achyls may face the terror that is spawndom.

Forge World Chaos Havocs
And here's the next project for my Chaos army! The autocannons are from the Forge World legion set, and are really, really good. Only a little liquid green stuff (I like to call I liquid awesome) to tidy up small gaps and miss-casts.

Forge World Chaos Havocs

A Note On Kill Team Support
Most of the people who this matters to will have probably already read my note on the Kill Team page, but I just want to reinforce it here. Development for Kill Team will not stop, but will slow down. A lot. Life is taking me in new and wonderful places, but as everyone knows this can leave little room for hobby. The hobby time I do get will be spend mostly painting (my way to relax) or socialising/gaming with friends. The time I used to use for working on, and answering emails about, Kill Team has been replaced with work and other things. I would like people who have questions to post them on the forums, and hopefully the community will be able answer and work out house rules for things I overlooked. If this is popular, I will compile a list of community house rules and incorporate them into Kill Team. I have enjoyed the last year of Kill Team development, but it has reached a point where the rules are stable enough that I can take a back seat. But please, please, please do not let this mean the end of your Kill Team enjoyment!

Darth Meer

Hobby Update: Cultists, D&D, KR Cases, BFG, Kill Team

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If you haven't noticed already, It's starting to become a long period between posts. I expect this to continue for the next few months while we move into our new house and plan wedding, but after all that hullabaloo service should be back to normal :-D. Until then I'll probably do a few Hobby Update posts like this one.

Cultists

I managed to grab a few hours last weekend to finish off one of my two squads of chaos cultists. Pics below:

Sect Momus - Chaos Cultists
Xenophon Momus - Chaos Cultist Champion

As you can see its not the usual quality of both painting and photography! After all, they're only cultists, and I have 30 of them to paint. Eventually I may go back over them and highlight but at the moment gaming standard will suffice. To be honest, I was still quite impressed what a simple layer and wash (well more like a dip really, as its all one shade) can accomplish in almost no time. It also means more time to paint more important models! Next on the desk will be one of the Chaos Space Marine squads I think.

Dungeons & Dragons

We've started a new D&D campaign using the playtest rules and I'm painting up a new model. My character is the mighty Thrulk the Barbarian.The model is from Avatars of War found here. I'm taking my time with him, especially the flesh (there is lots of it!)

We've had one D&D session so far and the new rules are pretty awesome. Much, much simpler than 4th edition, and focussed more on the 'what do you want to do?' aspect of RPGs rather than just a constricting narrative miniatures game that I found 4e to be. Although I don't think the difficulty is quite balanced yet, we struggled to survive a couple of Orcs but the Cleric managed to one-shot an Ogre...



KR Cases

I've decided to fully convert my old GW cases to new shiny KR ones. This, astonishingly, has been put forward by my fiancée who wants my armies out of the way in the new house! The card cases fit snuggly in an Ikea Billy bookcase if anyone wants to know.

I won't post a review (I did that previously), but I will say again that these cases are simply awesome. The custom cut ones are worth the extra few pounds, especially for vehicles. You can fit so much in! Check it out, 3000 points of vehicle heavy Blood Angels in 2 cases (plus an extra one for my Stormraven that I've had for a while):

KR Cases - Left has custom foam, right has core

Battlefleet Gothic

I won't lie, I'm disappointed in Games Workshop for suspending their Specialist Games line. I totally understand it from a business perspective, but they must still be making a little bit from the models - enough to keep the line selling and the fan boys happy perhaps. Of course this started a panic buy from the community and now hardly anything is available. Luckily I managed to place my order for a few bits before the rush! A few bits for BFG, mainly a Battle Barge and some Cobras to add to my fledgling Imperial Fleet that I still haven't got round to finishing. I'm going to have to try and have a few more games of BFG soon.


Kill Team

The new update for Kill Team (v1.7) was released a while ago, but I'll post the update log here for anyone doesn't check the forums or the Facebook group (which you can join here by the way, and is the easiest place to post your questions or comments - or just share your tactics and teams).

Kill Team v1.7 Update:
  • Added Blasts and Real Terrain rules
  • Added 'purchasing grenades' rules
  • Clarified mission VP/EXP with Squads
  • Clarified optional Injury rule with Squads
  • Replaced Hostage mission with Breakthrough
  • Replaced Grab & Run mission with Seize Ground
  • Adjusted bonus EXP rewards for missions
  • Only Special models may now become the banner bearer in Last Stand
  • A load of rewording for clarification
A few updates have been released for the Kill Team lists, so check them out and see if your army has been updated  Of special note is the update for Tau (new codex) and new Black Templars and Deathwatch lists.

You can find all of the unofficial Kill Team rules here.

Thanks for reading, and happy hobbying!

- Darth Meer


Mutagenesis Skirmish Game - Update 1.4

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Mutagenesis is a sci-fi skirmish game written by me over the last 5 years or so. It uses an in-depth 'action' system that's really quick to learn and play, a cool mission mechanic, and the four current factions are filled with customisability. 

You can download the complete v1.3 rules pdf here.

I've been taking a look at Mutagenesis again recently - it always pays to step back from your work for a few months (well, maybe a year...) or so and take another look. As such v1.4 is pretty huge, as I've shaken up the core mechanic! The ULF and Fera factions have fleshed out equipment too.

Once I've had some feedback, and playtested this version a bit more, I'll update the complete rules PDF. I'm also currently working on a cool, original campaign mechanic to add in v1.5 - the Kill Team campaign system is an amalgamation of Mordheim and Necromunda really, so I wanted to create something original for Mutagenesis. If you've played the FFG 40k roleplaying games, the way XP works when buying upgrades isn't far off.

Cue wall of text:


MUTAGENESIS UPDATE v1.4 

THE CORE MECHANIC

The ‘core mechanic’ of Mutagenesis will add something called the ‘Difficulty Value’ or ‘DV’. This will remove the need for confusing modifiers, and is an extension of the psionic power rules. Instead of modifiers, you simply increase the DV you need to succeed. E.g. when shooting, the base DV is 10. If the target is obscured, instead of having a -2 penalty on the roll, you increase the DV to 12. This gives the player a clear result needed to roll and does away with confusing modifiers.


THE ACTION PHASE

Aid Action (Amend)
Change ‘+2 bonus to recovery roll’ to ‘reduces the DV by 2 when making a Recovery Roll’.


CHARGING

Devastating Momentum (Amend)
Change ‘charging model gains a +1 bonus to their Fighting and Power attributes during the same action phase they charged in.’ to ‘DV of any Striking Roll the model makes during the same action phase they charged in is reduced by 1.’


RANGED COMBAT

Line of Sight (Amend)
Change ‘the firing model suffers a -2 penalty to any Shooting rolls it makes against its target.’ to ‘the firing model increases the DV of any Shooting Rolls it makes against its target by 2.’

Range (Add)
The further away you are from your target, the harder it is to hit. For every 30cm away the model is to its target, increase the DV of the Shooting Roll by 1 (see below).

The Shooting Roll (Amend)
To determine whether a shot hits its target, roll a d10. Take your result from this roll and add the models Aiming attribute. If this total equals or beats the Shooting Roll’s DV, you have successfully hit the target. If you have failed to meet the DV, your shot is off target and is ignored.

To work out the DV required when making a Shooting roll, see below:

10Base Difficulty Value
+1Target is 30cm and up to 60cm away
+2Target is 60cm or over away
+2Target is Obscured
+3Shooter is Dazed
+3Target engaged in Melee

Note that some Special Ability effects may reduce or increase the DV required.

Shooting Into Melee (Amend)
Change ‘decrease the roll by -3’ to ‘increase the DV by 3’.


MELEE COMBAT

The Striking Roll (Amend)
A model may attack an enemy model in base contact by using the Strike action during his action phase. To determine whether a melee attack hits the chosen target, roll a d10. Take your result from this roll and add the models Fighting attribute. If this total equals or beats the Striking Roll DV, you have successfully hit the target. If you have failed to meet the DV, the enemy has blocked or avoided the blow.

To work out the DV required when making a Striking roll, see below:

10Base Difficulty Value
-3Target is Dazed
-1Attacker has Charged this phase
+3Attacker is Dazed

Note that some Special Ability effects may reduce or increase the DV required.

Coup de Grace (Amend)
Change ‘adds a cumulative -2 ‘bleeding out’ modifier to all Recovery rolls.’ to ‘increases the DV value of all future Recovery Rolls by 2, exactly like the ‘bleeding out’ rule.’


INJURY

Wounded (Amend)
A model may try to recover at the start of each of its recovery phases that he is still Wounded. The controlling player makes a Recovery Roll by rolling a d10 and must roll equal to or over the Recovery Roll DV to get back up. If the model fails to meet the DV it is still Wounded. The base DV of a Recovery Roll is 6. You may be able to take further Recovery rolls during the action phase if another friendly model uses the Aid action. In the turn a model recovers from being Wounded, he counts as being Dazed.

Bleeding Out (Amend)
Once a model is Wounded, their condition may rapidly decline if left unaided. Every failed Recovery roll made during their recovery phase will increase the DV of any subsequent Recovery Rolls by 2. This increase is cumulative and will last until the model recovers or is Disabled. For example, a model who has already failed two Recovery Rolls in the previous recovery phases must roll a 10 to recover (+4 to the DV). If a model must roll over a 10 to recover during a Recovery Roll then the model is automatically Disabled.


WEAPON PROFILES

Accurate (Amend)
Change 'reduce the penalty on Shooting rolls caused by being Obscured by -1' to 'reduce the DV modifier on Shooting rolls caused by being Obscured by 1'

Automatic (Amend)
If you want to fire in full auto, you must use the Shoot Support Weapon action. Choose a ‘primary’ target within range; any models (friend or foe) within 3cm of this target are now ‘secondary’ targets. Make a Shooting roll as normal against the primary target. Once any damage is worked out, make individual Shooting Rolls against all secondary targets, increasing the DV of these rolls by 2.

Poison (Amend)
Change 'suffer -2 modifier to any further Recovery rolls made' to 'add 2 to the Recover Roll DV')


SPECIAL ABILITIES

Correct Aimed Shot description.


ULF

Gatling Laser (Amend Characteristics)
Add ‘Automatic’.

Sniper Scope (Amend Action)
Reduces the DV of any Shooting Rolls the model makes by 2 during this action phase.

Add the following new equipment:

Medikit (Rule)  
Any Aid action a model with a Medikit takes decreases the Recovery Roll DV by a further 1.

Grenades
A ‘grenade’ is a piece of equipment used in exactly the same way as any other – with the exception that each grenade is one use only. Once the model has used the equipment’s action, you may not use it for the rest of the battle. You may, however, take more than one of the same grenade - if you do, make a note on your roster when you use each one.

Smoke Grenade (1 AP)
Place a grenade marker anywhere within 15cm and LoS of the model. Any model within 5cm of the marker counts as being Obscured. Remove the marker in the model’s next recovery phase.

Frag Grenade (1 AP)  
Place a grenade marker anywhere within 15cm and LoS of the model. Any model within 5cm of the marker must pass an Agility test or be hit with a Power 4 ranged attack. The marker is removed once this action has completed.

Titan Armour
Heavy Metal (Rule)  
Models wearing Titan Armour gain a +1 bonus to their Resilience attribute but may only move up to 20cm when using a Run or Charge action.

Ghost Armour
Stealth (Rule)  
Any model shooting at a model wearing Ghost Armour increases the Shooting Roll DV by 1.

COMMANDER
(Extra Equipment Options:)
May take any of the following Equipment:
- Medikit2 FP
- Phase Shield4 FP
- Smoke Grenade5 FP
- Frag Grenade6 FP
May take one of the following Equipment:
- Shear Armour3 FP
- Ghost Armour3 FP
- Titan Armour5 FP

Fire On My Target (Amend)
Change 'have a +1 bonus' to 'decrease the Shooting Roll DV by 1'

Inspiring Word (Amend)
Change 'receive a +2 bonus or penalty' to 'increase or decrease the DV by 2'

ADEPT
Confusion (Amend)
Change 'a -2 penalty' to 'the DV increased by 2')

INFILTRATOR
(Extra Equipment Options:)
May take any of the following Equipment:
- Sniper Scope4 FP
- Active Camouflage4 FP
- Smoke Grenade5 FP
- Frag Grenade6 FP
May take one of the following Equipment:
- Shear Armour3 FP
- Ghost Armour3 FP


TERRA LIBERTAS

CYBORG
Cognitive Stabilisation Unit (Amend)
Change 'negative modifiers' to 'increases to DV'.

Emergency Evasive Manoeuvres (Amend)
Change '+2 bonus to the Agility test' to 'reducton of the Agility Test DV by 2'

OUTCAST
Terrifying Presence (Amend)
Change 'suffers a -2 penalty to' to 'increases the DV of'.


THE FERA

Feran Blowpipe (Add)
Max: 30cm, Pow: 3, Characteristics: Poison, Suppressing

Feran Sling (Add)
Max: 30cm, Pow: 3, Characteristics: Poison, Burst (5cm)

CHIEF
(Extra Equipment Options:)
May replace Feran Bow with:
- Feran Throwing Axe 3 FP
- Feran Blowpipe3 FP
- Feran Sling3 FP

TRIBESMAN
(Extra Equipment Options:)
For every six Tribesman you take, one of them may replace their Feran Bow with one of the following:
- Feran Throwing Axe 3 FP
- Feran Blowpipe3 FP
- Feran Sling3 FP

MOUNTED TRIBESMAN
(Extra Equipment Options:)
May replace Feran Bow with:
- Feran Throwing Axe 3 FP
- Feran Blowpipe3 FP
- Feran Sling3 FP
May take any of the following equipment:
- Flaming Arrows 3 FP
- Obsidian Tipped Arrows 4 FP
- Virenite Tipped Arrows 4 FP


COUNTERS

- Add counters for grenades.
- Change description of recovery counters to DV.

QUICK REFERENCE SHEET

- Needs a complete overhall.



The Blog's Back Baby

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That's right, it's back! The blog has been on hiatus for quite a few months as I sort my new house out, plan for weddings etc (I'm sure it wasn't missed too much) but I'm going to be hitting the painting table again with renewed enthusiasm.

Blog Changes
"There's going to be a few changes around here." The original plan was to get guest bloggers to write some articles but that idea seemed to die (although if any readers want to submit one, or even start a regular feature, email me here). So, as my painting isn't as prolific as it used to be I'm going to expand the blog's focus a little. Not only will I share my painting and gaming progress as normal, I may be doing reviews of non-GW gaming and even some graphic novel articles (well... one, maybe). We're finally getting a dining table soon so hopefully I'll be playing more board and card games - if you have any suggestions of games my mates and I should play let me know in the comments!

Kill Team
The Kill Team ruleset is still going strong, and you can check out the growing community on Facebook. At the time of writing the group has over 150 members! The group is a great place to share photos of your team and gaming boards, as well as work out any rule contentions you may have. Campaigns v2 has just been uploaded, adding more in-depth rules for Walkers as well as a new optional 'HQ' mechanic for those who want to take their campaigns further (think base upgrades in the original Dawn of War).

Mutagenesis Skirmish Game
The 2nd edition of my home-grown game Mutagenesis is nearing completion. You can find the alpha version here. It's a lot different to the original book, and now has a 'you-go-I-go' system like chess which has allowed me to add in things like interrupt actions and just gives a whole new tactical depth to the game. The book is still in heavy alpha and needs a full proof-read and more playtesting before it goes beta but if you have any comments or ideas please contact me (either on the KT facebook page or email below).

Plans for the Future
In the coming months you'll hopefully see progress on my Lizardmen army, as well as bits a bobs from my on-going Storm Reavers (chaos). We've also started playing Battlefleet Gothic again so you'll probably see me finally paint some ships! I'm also putting together a guide on how to start reading Marvel graphic novels so we'll have our first non-gaming post soon. Also look out for more 'xenos' related posts on the horizon... maybe with a Tauish feel.

Again, if anyone wants to post an article or start a regular progress report email me here! It may take me a while to reply to your email as I don't check this one very often.

Until next time,
Darth Meer

Quick Citadel Mephiston Red Spray Review

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Thought I'd do a quick review of the new citadel sprays (in-between the rain, I live in Nottingham...). Specifically Mephiston Red. I used the Blood Red spray back-in-the-day and remember it not being very good, so I was very curious about this new attempt by GW.

Ease of Use
If you know how to use the Citadel undercoat sprays you should be right at home with these new colour sprays. Just remember to undercoat your model first! Very light coats is a must, otherwise you'll either get obscured detail or a powder-like coating. You can usually get away with heavy coats with the black, but this red spray is very unforgiving (like white) - I'm having to strip a few models from my first attempt...

Coverage
The true test of a sprays capabilities (in my opinion) is BFG ships - it just has so many nooks and crannies to get into!


Pretty good! A few bits I need to touch up but a fairly even coating overall. Here's another model sprayed with plenty of detail:


This one has come out a little thick. You really have to spray this stuff on lightly! Hey, its all good experience for when I use this stuff for proper models (don't worry, that model was a spare). Coverage isn't a problem though.

Colour Match
Maybe the most important question is does the spray match the paint colour? 


The model was sprayed, then the right hand-side painted with Mephiston Red. It's probably hard to see on this photo but there is only a slight difference in shade. Mostly, its the fact the paint is more glossy, which most people will wash over anyway.

Economy
A 400ml can of spray costs £10, a 12ml pot of paint costs £2.40. You would think the pure maths of the matter would sway heavily in the favour of the spray can, but remember most of that 400ml is probably propellant and the very act of using a spray can is very wasteful. I sprayed a battleship, 2 capital ships, 3 escorts and that marine with about 1/4 of a can I reckon. For saying that the battleship is the size of most tanks (and I put way too much spray on my models) it's not bad. Would I have used a pot of paint (the same cost at 1/4 can)? Probably not.

Conclusion
In my opinion the new sprays (or the red I've tested anyhow) are a very good basecoat (not undercoat). It's infinitely quicker to spray models than basecoat them by hand. But they should be used as a basecoat and washed or painted over. The finish looks a bit too matt, especially in comparison with the regular GW paints. I think I still need some practice with them as they also seem to go on too thick - maybe GW really wanted them to colour match the base paints and piled up the pigment. Advice to myself from this test: lighter dustings from further away.

Darth Meer

The X-Wing Collection Expands (plus a little Rebel tactics)

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For those who have read my review on the X-Wing miniatures game you know I think it's pretty awesome. So It's no surprise I've been increasing my collection of ships since then, as well as improving my space board:

X-Wing Space Board

The new space board is a simple canvas frame with the stars/nebulae painted on. Easy peasy! We even have two to play bigger games (as well as BFG):

Playing Battlefleet Gothic on 2 boards

My absolute favourite thing to use ever has to be this beauty though:

X-Wing Millennium Falcon

It's such an awesome model, and the paint job is top notch for a pre-paint. Many, many compliments to Fantasy Flight! The Millennium Falcon is also a beast in game, my two favourite ways to outfit this ship are:

Chewbacca - Draw Their Fire, Shield Upgrade, Millennium Falcon = 48 pts
or simply
Han Solo - Gunner = 51 pts

Chewbacca is by far the toughest nut to crack in the game, with his special ability of simply ignoring all crits your opponent has to get through every. single. one. of those 5(6) shields and 8 hull with no loss of firepower during that time. The Draw Their Fire card makes Chewie the perfect tank, taking critical hits from your more vulnerable ships (Y-wings and B-wings with their 1 agility spring to mind) and the 360 turret on the Falcon means Chewie can manoeuvre close to friendly ships without worrying about his own firing arc. Shield Upgrade increases your Shields by 1, its pretty expensive at 4 points but it just ups his survivability even more, The Falcon title is also a must as you'll be wanting to spam those Evades with all that firepower coming your way!

If you want your Falcon to be more of a beatstick you can always grab Han Solo as HAN ALWAYS SHOOTS FIRST. Well that's not strictly true (Imperials getting Initiative and all that) but you get the idea. I usually just load him up with a Gunner to absolutely make sure he damages something.

Although I've been rambling on about how awesome the Falcon is, I've been trying not to use it in our friendly games (it is pretty EPIC). The current build I'm playing around with is:

My latest X-Wing fleet

Luke Skywalker (X-wing) - Swarm Tactics, R2-F2 = 33 pts
Rookie Pilot (X-wing) = 21 pts
Prototype Pilot (A-wing) - Assault Missiles = 22 pts
Blue Squadron Pilot (B-wing) - Fire Control System = 24 pts

I struggle against a lot of TIE fighter swarms, so I thought 'if you can't beat them, join them'! Rebel ships are expensive, so my fleet is pretty unskilled (most of them are skill 1/2...) to keep the points down but its actually worked pretty well so far. Luke is in the list purely for skill 8 swarm tactics - mainly so I get the A-wings missiles off before it blows up, secondly so I can use the B-wing for pot shots at wounded ships before they can strike. Otherwise Luke's job is to try and stay alive.

As stated before, the A-wing is in there for its assault missiles: assault missiles are great against TIE swarms flying in formation! B-wings are pretty durable with a lot of shields/hull and can pump out plenty of firepower while barrel rolling out the way of firing arcs (the FCS is in there so he can still target lock while rolling).

I've tried some of the list combos on the net and they all end up with tiny fleets. In my experience, the more ships the better! I suppose I should really play Imperials...

Darth Meer

Homebrew Blood Angels Supplement - Warlord Traits, Chapter Relics

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Learning that the soon to be released Blood Angels digital codex is literally just an errata update was very disappointing. So I had a quick brainstorm and gave the Blood Angels the 'Adepta Sororitas' treatment with warlord traits, relics, etc. I also wanted to update their points costs to 6th edition standard, the simplest way of doing this was to write a mini-supplement for the new Space Marine codex. The Blood Angels follow the Codex Astartes pretty well so it made sense. My usual gaming buddies are usually pretty happy with me trying these thing out so I'll report back once I've had a few games.

You can download a slightly prettier pdf version here.


BLOOD ANGELS
AN UNOFFICIAL CODEX: SPACE MARINES SUPPLEMENT

To use this unofficial supplement you will need both Codex: Space Marines and Codex: Blood Angels. A Blood Angels army is chosen using the army list presented in Codex: Space Marines. There are a number of supplemental rules found below, including rules that will dictate which units you may or may not take in a Blood Angels army.


CHAPTER TACTICS
When creating a Blood Angels army, all models with the Chapter Tactics special rule must use the Blood Angels Chapter Tactic with the following special rules:

Descent of Angels
A unit that entirely consists of models with Chapter Tactics (Blood Angels) with Jump Packs can re-roll failed reserve rolls if arriving by Deep Strike. Also, due to the precision of their descent, it scatters D6" less.

The Red Thirst
After forces have been deployed, but before any scout moves are taken, roll a D6 for each unit with Chapter Tactics (Blood Angels). On a 1 the unit gains the Furious Charge and Fearless special rules instead of the And They Shall Know No Fear special rule for the duration of the game.


WARLORD TRAITS
When generating his Warlord Traits, a Blood Angels Warlord may either roll on the Warlord Traits table in the Warhammer 40,000 rulebook or on the table below:

1. Blood of Sanguinius: The Warlord and his unit have the Fleet and Fear special rules whilst equipped with a Jump Pack. If your Warlord is not equipped with a Jump pack, re-roll this result.

2. Accuracy of Angels: The Warlord, and any unit he joins, does not scatter when arriving by Deep Strike. If your Warlord cannot Deep Strike, re-roll this result.

3. Champion of Baal: The Warlord may re-roll any To Hit rolls while taking part in a challenge.

4. Visions of the Primarch: All units with Chapter Tactics (Blood Angels) in the Warlord's detachment will succumb to its effects on a roll of 3 or less, rather than a roll of 1.

5. Masters of the Sky: The Warlord, and any unit he joins, gains the Skyfire special rule

6. The Rage Consumes: One use only. Declare your Warlord is using this ability at the start of one of your Assault phases. For the duration of the phase, the Warlord and his unit have the Rage special rule.


BLOOD ANGELS ARMOURY
The Blood Angels use a number of Chapter-unique items, and have access to their own Chapter Relics.

Add the following to the Ranged Weapons list:
   - Hand Flamer10 pts
   - Infernus Pistol15 pts
Add the following to the Melee Weapons list:
   - Glaive Encarmine15 pts
Replace the Chapter Relics list with the following:
   - Blood of Heroes20 pts
   - Wings of Saronath25 pts
   - Standard of Sanguinius' Bane50 pts
   - Spear of Telesto60 pts

Blood of Heroes
It was during the first battles of the Greyhell front against the Tau that the Blood of Heroes was created. The Chapter records that a single Blood Angel, outnumbered and alone, stood against an entire cadre of alien warriors, blessed by a single drop of blood from each of his fallen brothers gathered in a vial. The Battle-Brother claimed his brothers spoke to him through their blood and strengthened his will to survive against his foes. 

A model bearing the Blood of Heroes gains the Adamantium Will and Fearless special rules.

Wings of Saronath
The Wings of Saronath is the jump pack of the legendary Sanguinary Guard Saronath. Saronath was killed by unknown alien attackers on Baraspine, in the Adrantis Nebula. When he was found, his body was a dry husk, his golden armour shattered into thousands of fragments. Only his winged jump pack was salvageable. 

The Wings of Saronath is a Jump Pack (and therefore may not be taken with a Space Marine Bike or Terminator armour). In addition, its wearer gains the Fleet special rule and may use its Jump Pack in both Movement and Assault phases if it wishes.

Spear of Telesto
The Spear of Telesto is said to have been wielded by Sanguinius during the Great Crusade. Its blade is shaped like an elongated tear with a hollow in the centre to represent the single drop of blood Sanguinius shed when he swore fealty to the Emperor. The haft is sculpted to show the primarch as a hooded angel of blood and beneath that is a Purity Seal handwritten by the Emperor.

The Spear of Telesto is a weapon with two profiles:

                RangeSAPType
Melee          -+13Melee, Two-handed, Master-crafted, Primarch's Wrath
ShootingTemplate53Assault 1, Blood Memory

Primarch's Wrath: The bearer of this weapon has the Rampage and Fear special rules.

Blood Memory: The Spear of Telesto will never cause Wounds against a model with the Chapter Tactics (Blood Angels) special rule, and the template may be placed over friendly models with this rule in contradiction to the normal template rules.

Standard of Sanguinius' Bane
This Standard of Sanguinius' Bane is an ancient banner that usually resides within the Fortress-monastery on Baal, it depicts the fateful duel between Sanguinius and Horus during the Horus Heresy. All Blood Angels that look upon it are driven to near blood lust with anger.

Friendly units within 12" of the bearer with Chapter Tactics (Blood Angels) gain the Fearless, Rage and Hatred special rules.


BLOOD ANGELS UNITS
A Blood Angels detachment may use the following units from Codex: Blood Angels in addition to those found in Codex: Space Marines:
  • Commander Dante
  • Chapter Master Gabriel Seth
  • Astorath the Grim
  • The Sanguinor
  • Mephiston
  • Captain Tycho
  • Sanguinary Guard
  • Furioso Dreadnought
  • Sanguinary Priest (and Brother Corbulo)
  • Death Company (and Lemartes)
  • Death Company Dreadnought
  • Baal Predator

A Blood Angels detachment may not use the following units from Codex: Space Marines:
  • Chapter Master (and therefore Honour Guard)
  • Master of the Forge
  • Ironclad Dreadnought
  • Legion of the Damned
  • Thunderfire Cannon


UNIT ADJUSTMENTS
A number of units in Codex: Space Marines are adjusted in the following ways:

Librarian
Librarians taken in a Blood Angels detachment must generate their powers from the Biomancy, Divination, Telepathy or Telekinesis disciplines instead of those stated in Codex Space Marines.

Chaplain
Chaplains are moved to the Elites section and gain the Blood Rage special rule. The Blood Rage special rule grants re-rolls to Wound in the first turn of combat for any Death Company unit the Chaplain/Reclusiarch joins. A Chaplain may be upgraded to a Reclusiarch for 40 points. A Reclusiarch is an HQ choice instead of Elite and gains +1 to his Wounds, Ballistic Skill, Initiative, and Attacks. A Reclusiarch may take an option a Chaplain can take.

Assault Squad
In a Blood Angels detachment, all Assault Squads are Troops choices instead of Fast Attack choices. Remove the 'Up to two Space Marines may replace their bolt pistols with one of the following:' option and replace with 'For every five models in the squad, one Space Marine may take one item from the Special Weapons list.'

Stormraven
A Stormraven replaces its Stormstrike Missiles with Bloodstrike Missiles.

Lucifer Engines
All models with the Tank unit type in a Blood Angels detachment, except for all variants of Land Raider, may purchase Lucifer Engines for 10 points. Lucifer Engines grant a vehicle the Fast unit type.

Land Raiders
All variants of Land Raider gain the Deep Strike special rule for free and are moved to the Dedicated Transport section. You may not take Land Raider variants as Heavy Support.

Blood Angels Scouts with Sniper Rifles Painted

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With the new marine dex hitting, my enthusiasm for marines has come around again. Originally I had planned to start a wholly new chapter (Iron Hands) and start an army from scratch. But then I remembered all those other, unfinished, armies I have and re-thought that plan... If you read my last post you'll see the Blood Angels supplement I've been using.

Blood Angels Scout Squad

So, I'm going to be painting a few new Blood Angels units to scratch that power armour itch. Using a new colour scheme with the new citadel paints. I'm working on a Tactical Squad painting tutorial (using Mephiston Red spray) as well, so keep an eye out for that. The new scheme is a bit darker, a bit more realistic than my old 'ARGH RED!' style.

Blood Angles Scouts - Back

These Scouts are the first unit I've painted of my Blood Angels: The Next Generation. I've tried to do a little conversion work on them as well. I fully admit I'm not the best at sculpting with green stuff but hopefully it's not too obvious...

Blood Angels Scout Sergeant - With green stuff trim!

I wanted to give the Scout Sergeant an armour trim to make him more spangly (I don't think that's a proper word) and gave him a hand and head swap to mark him out as more of a veteran than his squad.

The previous generation of my Blood Angels.

For those of you not following my blog, you can find posts of my previous generation of Blood Angels here (scroll down). They were painted using the old GW paints so expansion is impossible really. Also, I started to paint them a good 5 years ago now and my painting has improved somewhat since the heady days of yore (well... Uni). Hopefully Blood Angels Gen 2 will be an improvement!

Darth Meer
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