Could it be time to play again?

Well, after about a 2 year hiatus and the release of a new Eldar codex, my interest has been re-kindled.  Enough so that just recently I bought a Crimson Hunter, just to put it together and add to my collection.

I'm feeling the urge to dust off (literally unfortunately) my models and see what I can do to paint them and get them ready.  A simple blue/grey color scheme and use of the line of GW paints should make this fairly straight forward I hope.

I guess we will see where it goes.  I definitely like the new codex.  I will admit I had a couple of "wtf moments" reading it (like Banshees without grenades), but overall I really like it.

I am looking forward to trying new combinations of units and seeing some of my old units (like Dark Reapers) come back on the board.

Time to ease myself back into it...  I hope =)

*Taps the mic* Is this thing on?

Greetings All...

Well at least those who have actually read this blog... so greetings to myself!

Looking at my posts, yet again it seems I have had a long break with nothing happening. While somewhat true, it's not entirely true.

I have been playing again a little. A friend of mine moved within a couple blocks of me and with the release of the Dark Eldar codex, he's been trying new army combinations against me and playing with his new troops. We try to play at least once a month.

Lots of new releases and rumors since last year also. Dark Eldar and the Grey Knights being the most impactful to me. I love the new Grey Knight army and models. Sadly, I keep stopping myself from picking anything up until I do more work on my Eldar (which I haven't).

I guess it's time to try to resurrect this blog and post information on releases and rumors again, in addition to updates as I hopefully play more and paint more.

Horus Heresy and Night Spinner

Well, still nothing new on the GW site except more Fantasy stuff. I still want to get some pictures of all the stuff I have to do up here, but every night when I get home, something just seems to take my attention from it.

I finished "Legion" over the weekend. I enjoyed it, especially coming off "Descent of Angels". It tells the story of the last legion formed, the Alpha Legion and how they ended up siding with Horus during the rebellion. There is a lot of good fluff in there, but I do want to know who the hell the Cabal is.

Having some time yesterday, I picked up and read "Battle for the Abyss". This one is about the Word Bearers trying to take out the Ultramarines in one fell swoop. It was not the best in the series, but it was an enjoyable and apparently quick read (less than 8 hrs to read).


So it seems some folks have been having some good luck using the new Eldar Night Spinner. They have had great success using it to control the battlefield and the paths that the enemy they are fighting takes. Apparently the difficult and dangeous terrain tests that a hit causes are working out.

Spearhead update!

Nothing new on the 40k front on the Games Workshop website. They are still in their Warhammer Fantasy frenzy (understandably). However, while browsing the 40kOnline forums this morning, I noticed an interesting post about the Spearhead rules. It seems GW snuck in an update to the rules.

The Outrider formation can now, in addition to tanks and walkers, include skimmers. This means that Vypers can be used to escort a tank now in that formation!

Sneaky update, GW...sneaky update... At least post something to let us know!

Warhammer 40k Online?!?!

Please say it's not a joke! A new trailer has come out of E3! Warhammer 40k Online, Dark Millennium! You can view the trailer here on YouTube!

Other than this, it's a pretty quiet day on the 40k front as Warhammer just released it's pre-order for the 8th Edition today.

What's New... and Descent of Angels...

After a busy weekend of yard work and a trip to the Woodland Park Zoo in Seattle, I am back. Nice place the zoo, but sadly, those animals can never be counted on to be visible when you are there to see them. *mutters* Stupid bears...

So on to the post...

On Thursday, the What's New on the Game's Workshop site was an very good post about painting tanks, in particular... Eldar tanks =D.

Friday, there is a nice article on Tank Hunting. Sure some of it seems basic, but it's stuff to remember.

Today's What's New has some great pictures of a custom built Leviathan. This thing is a really impressive piece of conversion work.

Over the weekend, I finished reading Descent of Angels. As it started, I was really enjoying the book, but at the end I found myself really 'blah' about it. I know there is another book that comes after it, but overall I thought this book was just lacking. The end left a lot to be desired, the story did not appeared to just throw things out there with no reason or motive, and the last 1/3rd of the book felt rushed. I hope the follow up to it is better.

Next up is "Legion", I started it Sunday, but fell asleep on the couch as I had spent the morning and early afternoon mowing and raking my yard because the weather was nice.

Tonight I am going to try to get some pictures of my entire Eldar force to post up here and on 40kOnline.com to see if I can get some motivation to work. Should be interesting to take inventory of what I have got again.

Painting Guardians and Support Weapons, Horus Heresy Books

Today's "What's New" on the Games Workshop site has a How-To for painting guardians and the new Eldar Support Platform. Good stuff for me! =) I really do want to have a fully painted army, but damn if I can focus on getting this stuff done like I used to. Here are the images of their painted models.

Enjoyable Reading

So I have also been reading the Horus Heresy book series. I have to say, I am really enjoying it. I started with "Fulgrim" because a co-worker loaned it to me and then he loaned me "A Thousand Sons". I read both of them and I was hooked. I have now bought and read "Horus Rising", "False Gods", "A Galaxy in Flames", "Flight of the Einenstain", and "Mechanicus". I have completely enjoyed them all. The authors are doing a wonderful job capturing the feel of The Great Crusade and the characters involved. The fluff is, of course, always welcome too. Last night I started on "Decent of Angels" and look forward to it as well. I have always enjoyed the Dark Angels' story.

For you IG Tread Heads!

Monday on the Games Workshop website, they posted a step-by-step assembly of the new Leman Russ Battle Tank. It looks like a really nice model. The sponsons and hull mounted weapons are inter-changable. With a little work, I'm sure the turret mounted cannon (which it comes with four options) could be also.

Today, they have a nice article on painting it. I only wish I could paint half as well and quick as the 'eavy Metal team hehe.

Spearhead & New Eldar Fire Prism / Night Spinner

If you haven't seen it yet, the new Spearhead rules and formations are out! You can find the rules in the June 2010 White Dwarf and the formations here. (Web site registration required!) Looking at the formations, I'm really looking forward to trying a few of them with my Eldar.

Mechanized Assault

Looks very Eldar-ish. Being able to outflank on the first guarenteed has got to put a kink in anyone's general attack plan. One to three Wave Serpents loaded up, maybe mix a Falcon with Fire Dragons in there. Lots of disruption potential in this spearhead

Outrider

Need to protect that one unit to make sure it survives to fire or deploy its payload? This is the spearhead for that. Protect one vehicle with one or two others. I only hope this one gets ammended to somehow be able to include Vypers (since they are neither tanks nor walkers.

** Update ** Skimmers are now allowed in this formation via a quiet update. Vypers are in...

Seek & Destroy

This could make vypers an attractive option with the ability to move flat out and fire as if they had moved at combat speed. They could cover some real distance and unload a serious payload into something. Might be a one-trick pony though since they are fragile.

With this release, Games Workshop also introduced the plastic multi-part Fire Prism/Night Spinner kit. I picked one of these up on this last Sunday and opened it up to take a look inside. Quick inspection noted that the new Star Engine and Vectored Engine add-ons look like you can either put them on or keep them off. No easy way to make them removable, but I'm going to play with some magnets and clippers and see what I can do.

Hopefully, I'll be able to get some pictures posted of it before assembly, during, and after. Maybe I'll even get around to painting it *sighs* No I still have not finished those Dire Avengers from 2009.

Week 2 at Ernie's Games

Well, I put together an experimental 1500 point list. The list consistsed of a Seer Council on jetbikes, Dire Avengers and Scorpions in Wave Serpents, Fire Dragons in a Falcon, and a ground slogging unit of guardians with a Wraithlord for support. My opponent was an Imperial Guard player, fully mechanized with veterans, two Vendettas, a Banewolf and Hellhound, 2 Medusas, and a mechanized command squad. Sadly, I lost 6 kill points to 4 kill points.

I think the first roll of the game set the pace. I rolled my psy check for my Farseer for Fortune... box eyes... double sixes out of the gate for the very first roll. Ghosthelm check passed, but that lack of fortune broke the game for me. First shooting round for IG, everything he had targeted the council and took it out round 1. *chuckles* Such is life. My mistake, still moving them up after failing the fortune roll. Lesson learned...(did I mention I moved them up too close to the Banewolf and Hellhound too?.. damn template weapons hehe).

Even still, I managed to make a game of it and almost could have pulled off a draw, but my Fire Dragons, which had to leave the Falcon because it got immoblized, died horribly... right next to his armor. An empty wave serpent went and picked up the Dragons, it then zipped them up to the enemy armor, and that turn, for the first time in the game (turn 4), he managed to destroy a wave serpent after I had moved it 24 inches across the board... bye bye passengers hehe.

All in all, I had fun though and it was nice playing against something new.

My son sadly lost also. He played a veteran Eldar player fielding two Fire Prisms that just took their toll on his armor and infantry. He learned he needs to take those things out =)

So that's week #2. On the plus side, we both made our terrain rolls to take a new area on the planetary empires board after our games.

Imperial Strongpoints

I also finished assembling the Imperial strongpoint boxes I bought. I now have three bastions and a lot of defense lines. I made one box into two normal bastions. The second box, I coverted the bastion into one big one with two levels. I like the way it turned out. I suppose they too are now on the need to be painted list.

40k League at Ernies!

So this last week, my son tells me that one of his friends asked him to come play 40k on Monday at Ernie's Games in Woodenville, WA. He wants to go, so I am happy to take him to get him out and playing more with friends. Imagine my surprise when we get there and it turns out they were starting a new league that night. So he and his buddy played.

He lost, but he did manage to take a territory in the Planetary Empires portion of the game. So, next Monday we go back... continue the campaign and I myself will probably jump in to.

On a side note, if you look back to April of 2008, I bought a Windrider Host of jetbikes... well just over 2 years later, I finally started to paint them *chuckles*

Ultramarines vs Chaos Marines

So my son was hired to do some lawn mowing for a friend last Saturday. After he was done, the two of them threw down on the battlefield with 750 points a piece.

My son fielded his 750 pt "Storm Minor" force & my friend threw together a quick army.

The dice gods dished out a Dawn of War Annihilation battle for the two of them and off they went.

After 5 turns, the Ultramarines won the day, 2 kill points to 1 kill point.

A squad of assault bikes earned some distinction taking out a Land Raider with their multi-melta.

All in all a good afternoon of steaks and 40k.

Myself, I started assembling two Imperial Strongpoints. There are a lot of pieces in these things, but I'm really happy with the quality of these new models. They are well designed and going together quite nicely. They even seem to have the ability to be modular without a lot of conversion work. I'll get some pictures up after the first set are built.

As for the Dire Avengers, yeah, I'm slacking, yet again....

Chaos Marines take the board... barely!

So Friday night had one of my co-workers swinging by to throw down in a 1500 point game. He brought his chaos marines over and we started setting up. We had a good table mixed with ruined buildings and forested terrain for an edge of the city style battle.

I rolled up an annihiation battle, while he rolled up a dawn of war deployment. I managed to get first turn and took it, despite his attempt to steal initiative. In hind sight this may have been a mistake *chuckles*

---

The farseer and a squad of dire avengers made their way up and behind some cover, while one of the squads of rangers carefully made their way into a ruined building on the eastern side of the board, using the broken walls and windows for cover in the morning dawn.

Across the board, I watched a demon prince settle in behind some ruins, uncomfortably close, a rhino speed on to the western side of the board and a squad of garishly colored chaos marines march up into a copse of trees.

Eldar Turn 1
Not much to be done here... Nothing in shooting range or sight. Some farseer blessings and some cautious advance by the first Dire Avenger squad ended this turn.

Chaos Turn 1
While the chaos marines advanced out of cover and the rhino moved forward, the real horror was about to be unleashed. Leaping straight over the ruins towards the squad of Dire Avengers, the demon prince landed right in front of them. It rushed in and started swinging, downing three without a thought. Not willing to give up without a fight though, the Dire Avengers managed to wound the warp spawned beast and held their ground.

Eldar Turn 2
Seeing the warp spawned leader of their enemy leap into battle, the farseer saw through the threads of fate that without re-enforcements, they would not last long. The ground shook even as the farseer scried the threads of fate that would help his brethren win. Looking up, the farseer spotted the familar forms of a warwalker squadron striding on to the field from his left and looming visage of a wraithlord from his right.

Quickly reacting, the farseer casted the runes that allow the newly arrived walker squadron's aim to be true. Spinning around, without missing a beat, he then cast the runes of fate against the garish marhines that had advanced out of the trees. Seeing the targets ahead, the squadron of warwalkers and the wraithlord unleashed their firepower on the chaos worshipping marines.
The sheer volume of firepower instantly reduced the corrupt mon'keigh to half their unit strength.

Meanwhile, the Dire Avengers were still very much fighting for survival against the demonic leader of the forces. Two more of the warriors fell to the beast, unable to withstand it's onslaught or presence, they were force to fall back from it.

Chaos Turn 2
The demon prince, watching his prey fall back out of his reach, turned his eyes on a greater prize. With unnatural speed, he closed the distance on the eldar farseer, intent on shredding the psyker.

The whine of archaic jet packs announced the arrival of the fanatical raptors, landing within range of the ranger holed up in the ruins. Their ancient and corrupt bolt pistols firing at the rangers as they landed. The rangers withstood the hail of bolter shells using their superior cover in the ruins, losing no one.

The rhino disgorged it's unholy cargo. The blue and gold armor combined with the glowing eyes announced the sons of Ahriman had joined the battle.

The eldar warwalkers, still revelling in their decimation of the mon'keigh squad, were unprepared for what was about to happen. The air in front of them shimmered and crackled with warp energy as five corrupt terminators materialized before them and unleashed firepower only their heavily armored suits could support. Two of the three walkers exploded under the hail of fire.

The threads of fate finally conspired and brought the two leaders together. The demon prince ravaged the farseer with an unbridaled chaos rage. The farseer's armor flashed with impacted, but he still reeled under the blows and took two hard shots from the beast. Not one to cower before enemies of the warp, he stood his ground, but was unable to get past the beast's warp blessed hide.

Eldar Turn 3
Below the raptors, blurs of disrupted and broken light entered the field on the hills below. The guardians of the webway annoucing their presence firing into the squad of raptors. Seeing their harlequin brethen join the fray, the rangers provided cover fire, sniping at the agile raptors to soften them up. Their precision shots downed three of the mutated marines.

Behind the burning wrecks of the two warwalkers, another squad of Dire Avengers joined the fray, taking sight on the heavily armored chaos terminators. The hail of shuriken fire slicing the air and even the chaos corrupted heavy armor of the terminators. Three of them being downed with mono-molecular slices in their armor.

On the far side of the battlefield, a second squad of rangers crept into the trees behind the hollow suits of armor that were the Thousand Sons.

In the midst of all this, the farseer and the demon prince continued their dance of death. Seeing that its live kin was in trouble, the wraithlord stepped in to join the whirling melee. The farseer, now more focused on the battle at hand, managed to avoid the blows of the towering demon and actually strike a blow in return. The fearless demon roared and changed into yet another wound, not wanting to fall back out of combat. Hoping to end the combat, the wraithlord swung its sword at the beast, but sadly it did not penetrate the demon's cursed skin.

On the other side of the battlefield, things went a little better for the Harlequins. They charged up the hill to the raptors and wiped them out entirely in what any watcher would have only called a beautiful dance of death. Seeing none standing to charge them, their attention turned to the swirling melee encompassing the farseer, demon prince, and wraithlord and moved towards it.

Chaos Turn 3
As the rangers settled in behind the Thousand Sons, a loud crashing noise alerted them to the latest troop to join the fray.... a dreadnaught. Unable to deal damage to the charging beast, the rangers had to fall back off the field of battle dragging two of their dead with them.

Their backs now safe, the sorcerous leader of the Thousand Sons squad unleashed a massive bolt of arcane engery that exploded the last warwalker standing, even taking one nearby unlucky Dire Avenger with it.

The two remaining terminators, now safe from the heavy weapons of the warwalker turned their sights on the Dire Avenger squad that thinned their ranks earlier. Unleashing a hail of bolter fire and with a swath of flame, the terminators dropped four of the blue armored Avengers. Having weakened their ranks, they closed the distance to engage them in hand to hand combat. The agile Avengers managed to land a hail of blows and even kill one of the remaining terminators, before losing another Avenger to close combat. However, neither unit wanted to give up the combat and continued to clash.

The marines in the middle of the field opted not to move and take some steadied shots at the harlequins moving across the field and managed to even drop two of the Eldar clowns!

In the middle of the table, the demon prince roared as yet again he was unable to kill the farseer, but shrugged off blows from the farseer and wraithlord, not even letting them get close to him.

Eldar Turn 4
The Harlequins, having weathered the fire put upon them closed on the towering demon in the middle of the Eldar deployment.

The Farseer, trying to see the thread that would bring the desperately needed Howling Banshees on the field was distracted and could not find it. All his attention being diverted to stay alive for a few minutes more, knowing his fate, but holding off the demon long enough for the Harlequin Troupe to engage the demon prince.

The Chaos Terminators and Dire Avengers continued their fight, but the Dire Avengers were unable to eliminate the final threat against them. The massive terminator, however, was not so unlucky and took down another of the compartively lightly armored Eldar.

As the Harlequins charged in to engage the demon prince in their dance of death, with a roar of success, the demon finally smashed through the Farseer's armor and managed to shred the Eldar psyker. He paid dearly for his victory as the Harlequins proceeded to send him back to the warp for his crimes against their kin.

Chaos Turn 4
The loss of the demon prince was a blow for the chaos forces, but did not deter them as a squad of marines carrying heavy weapons joined the battle for them and began to setup to fire once their weapons were steadied and aimed.

The dreadnaught moved onward attempting to gain a suitable firing lane.

The Thousand Sons also moved forward slow and steady on the Eldar forces.

Meanwhile the chaos marines in the middle of the battlefield were attempting to move up and flank the agile Eldar Harlequins.

The last standing terminator, while taking no wounds from the Dire Avengers, was unable to hurt them.

---

Sadly, this is where the battle had to end. The Howling Banshees stuck out of play in reserves (which would have automatically come in on Turn 5) that could have turned the tide for the battle torn Eldar forces. In the end, quick count was 3 kill points to 2 kill points in favor of the Chaos forces.

Good Battle!

Painting white...

Ugh... Working on the white helmets and tabards of the Dire Avengers... what a pain, but it will be worth it. First coat went on last night and it will take at least 2 to 3 more. Ah well. It should look good!

Finally got a chance to look at the Planetstrike book in peace at Ernie's Games in Woodenville, WA last night. Nice place, reminds me a lot of Games and Gizmo's in Redmond, WA. I will be stopping by more often that's for sure. It's a helluva lot closer than the Alderwood Mall heh.

As for Planetstrike, I am looking forward to it next weekend. I can't wait to try it. I need to get a lot of my heavies set up and painted. Being the defender is going to be fun I think.

Planetstrike....

Well, I tried to read the new Planetstrike rulebook on Sunday. We had to go to the Alderwood Mall Games Workshop to pick up some paint and I tried to read it... but I freaking couldn't because the damn red-shirt wouldn't freaking leave me alone long enough. He kept trying to tell me this about it and that about it... I have the damn book in my hands, leave me alone I'll read it myself! ARG... I don't mind enthusiam or discussion, but seriously, they need to tone it down in there. What little I saw looked like fun. The new FoC's are huge.

Sadly, I did not get any painting done this weekend. Had to go to a party for a friend and work on the Jeep and play softball on Sunday. Will get back to it tonight. Now the good Sister however, pretty much finished all her army this weekend... ugh lol

Next Bit Done...

As promised, I got the non-blurry pictures of the last step finally. I touched up the paint work a little last night, then got the pictures.

From WH40K

From WH40K

After that, I started prepping for the white. I added some light blue to the spots I am going to paint white for some layering. Sadly, I don't have the steadiest hand anymore, so yet again I will need to go through for some touch ups. All in all, I am about half way done with these. After the white, I will be adding some detail to the weapons, face masks, and such. Then finally my attempt at the gems.

From WH40K

From WH40K

Step 2...

Well, I got more work done this weekend on the Dire Avengers. I got the upper plating on the armor painted a lighter blue and it stands out well. I will need to do some touch ups, then start working on the helmets and tabards. I will try to get some pictures posted as the ones I brought to post turned out blurry.

I went in to look at the Planetstrike book on Saturday. Apparently, I was a day early and the manager couldn't show me until Sunday... and since I was busy on Sunday....

I'll have to look it over another day.

Dire Avengers - Step 1

Well, the first step of painting is done. Took me 2 days, but at least it's done. Oh and let me say, daylight bulbs rock. Next step, highlighting with enchanted blue.

From WH40K

From WH40K

Primed and ready to be painted...

Well, the whole squad of Dire Avengers is now based and undercoated with Chaos Black. Tonight starts the madness of painting again. Here's hoping I can actually get through it this time. Lately, everytime I paint, I just seem so unmotivated to finished... hence the current state of my multi-hued army of Eldar...

Though some say that's just the way Eldar are heh