Grey Knights Again

Not much time for hobby this past month or 2 due to illness in family, but yesterday there was finally some time to photograph 2 projects. A Brother Captain "Stern". Fine cast is a nightmare to paint as the greasy surface needs good preparation before painting. Any tips. A spray of hardcote before the undercoat perhaps.

Secondly the Razorback transport for the Strike Squad, customised with some spare bits from the Dread Knight and some transfers.  Next Strike squad #2 is to be assembled  etc. And then another Razorback. After that a large transport either a Landraider or a Stormraven. The Stormraven is currently favourite. Next month marks the 7th year of this blog and only 2 more posts before the 250th. How much longer should it go on I wonder.

Grey Knights that is what is on my table

The plastic Grey Knights mini sculpts are excellent for detail and for posing and detailing.  Followers of this blog will know that some of the metal grey knight minis have been painted previously when the Daemon hunters codexs were released. Now with the new Grey Knights and Inquisition codexs there is a need to collect more Grey Knight minis to expand to a bound Grey Knights strike force. First addition was a Venerable Dreadnought. Then a Nemesis Dreadknight, Now a 10 mini Grey Knights Strike force. 5 of the minis have been assembled and 99% painted. Some details to complete, but only after all squads have been assembled and painted. Here are the first 5 minis plus an older "spare" metal grey knight. Which is it? No prizes.

Penal Legion Squads Upgraded to Platoon for Astra Militarum

OK, penal legion squads are history for the latest IG codex now its the Astra M.
So in the collection here there are 2 penal legion squads. Simplest solution seemed to be adding a platoon command squad to change 2 troops choice penal legion squads to a single troops choice "penal legion platoon". The command squad would presumably be drawn from the dregs of the Asta M. So in to the bits box to find a few spare IG type minis. So here is the command squad and the the command squad posing in front of the 2 penal legion squads. Readers of this blog will have seen the 2 penal legion squads previously.

And similarly the Command HQ squad as described in the last post.

Astra Militarum Reorganisation

The new IG codex now renamed as Astra Militarum, has required some reorganisation of the old Imperial Guard. Sadly the Penal Legion is no longer a troops choice. This meant that one of the old IG forces collected was no longer bound in the new rules framework. It had 3 troops choices  - a platoon of 4 squads plus conscripts and 2 penal legion squads as the other 2 troop choices. It could still be used as an unbound army with associated slight penalty, or the 4 squad squad platoon could be broken in to 2 platoons, but this would still leave the penal legion minis off the field. While the penal legion squads did not achieve much in games they would be missed for the character they gave the game. So to keep them they were converted to a 2 squad penal legion platoon - just under gunned Astra squaddies with the addition of a platoon command squad. The whole force then with 90 converted infantry deserved to expand its leadership which originally was a Commissar Lord.  Here now from the bits box is the new Company Command Squad. A ragged band of desperadoes suitable for a last stand, to lead a rebellion or thrown in to the fight as the bottom of the Imperial barrel is scraped. All the minis are Games Workshop. Some are very old and some converted.

Next is the Penal Legion Platoon command squad, also from the same bits box.

It has been a while

Finally to have some time for the hobby.


Firstly the Greater Daemon of Khorne seems to be unbending after being forced to roost like a bat. The question to answer now is how to keep it standing up when placed back on its own 2 feet. Lots of thought is required. Bracing of some sort - internal or part of a scenic base.

 Secondly in time for the new Grey Knoights codex a completed Dreadknight with gatling psilencer and Deamon Hammer. Look out Daemons. 
     

Just Like a Bat - Greater Daemon of Khorne

Life has got in the way of the hobby for a bit, so posts have not been happening. Had some time this evening to consider the storage arrangements for various collections. The result of this has been a decision to do something about the leaning Greater Daemon of Khorne which as weak and flexible ankles. Followers of this blog might recall the post last December about this Forgeworld mini collapsing under its own weight. Now the problem has been turned on its head. See pics.

It had gone from this :

 To this:

And now its just hanging around :

Hoping that gravity will sort out the weak ankle problem.

Ecclesiarchy Immolator Completed

This was a crazy project. It did not seem correct for an Ecclesiarchy battle conclave to be leaping out of an Adepta Sororitas Immolator. Surely the Ecclesiarchy would have found away of sequestering a few of the Adepta Sororitas transports for their own use. Hence the idea to customise an Immolator to keep up with a mechanised Adepta force and deliver an assault battle conclave, comprising of a priest with eviscerator, a crusader and 4 death cult assassins.

Here is the completed project.

Ecclesiarchy Immolator Progress

Still not finished but finally some more progress.

Grey Knight Dreadnoughts

It has been a bit of a gap since the last post here. No excuses the reason is called "XCOM Enemy Unknown". A Christmas present and for those unfamiliar with it, it is a very addictive turn based squad sized tactical scifi game for the PC.

Regardless some progress has been made on the various 40k projects. The Grey Knights Deardnought is completed. One thing that is irritating about the current Grey Knights codex is that Dreadnoughts do not get Psycannons although Forgeworld does make one. Forge world also supplies rules for this so here it is if anyone is interested. These are experimental rules for a Deimos-Lux pattern psycannon, stamped as Imperial Sanction not yet granted.

                    Range       Strength          AP          Type
Psycannon :    24"               7                 4            Heavy 4, Rending

Cost for a Dreadnought Psycannon is 20 points.

 


One other project, the Ecclesiarchy Immolator is also taking shape as seen below.

The Imperial Knights, Astra Militarum and Militarum Tempestus codexes have been making interesting reading. Particularly as the ally with the Inquisition in all its forms. Some pluses and some minuses. Here one plus is definitely the HQ choice of a Tank Commander giving BS skill 4 to Leman Russ and a General for a Tank Army.

Here is another one

Imperial Knights. Yes, they have been added as another project. There has been some progress with the other projects over the last 2 weeks of silence. Reports of their progress will surface on the blog when key points are reached, but at the moment work and life gets in the way of hobby. Here is what you get for your money with the Imperial Knights kit which is one of the more expensive GW single models. An all imperial Knight force will require an over draft to itself.

Too many things on the go to finish any

Nothing is finished. Everything is making slow progress. There is the Ecclesiarchy Immolator slowed by the decision to paint the interior after the hull had been assembled. Behind that just seen are 2 Space Hulk figures partly painted, then there is the Grey Knights Veteran Dreadnought and finally 8 Sisters of Battle. Should have been 4 but I forgot I had bid on the first lot on ebay before bidding on the second lot. But since all 8 were bargains there are no complaints about this bit of forgetfulness. The incomplete state of the multiple projects is why little has been posted over the last month.

Best 40k novels

There is chick lit and there is fan lit and there is 40k lit. And there is lots of  other things lit. Sometimes these offerings from generally held these cliches transcend their genre. This blog offers no opinions on chick lit. As far as 40k goes opinions abound. The following is therefore a personal assessment.

The Ciaphas Cain series by Sandy Mitchell is definitely one of the best and easiest to read, but if unfamiliar with the 40k world it might be hard going except for the futuristic flashman with a large dose of insight. If unfamiliar with 40k taking it as SF with the internal monologue should allow it to continue to make sense.

Favourite and key character in this series is the indefatigable Jurgen, he of the body odour, webbing that contains everything, imperturbability in the face of certain horrible death in combat, but with a fear of flying and the ability to produce ready bowls of tanna anywhere and at any time, plus a handy multimelta. Jurgen is probably the real hero, Commissar Cain is the likable narrator despite and because of his admitted personal failings. Cain is sucked from one catastrophe to another, triumphing despite the odds and despite his penchance for running when the going gets only a little rough because of the ever present unquestioning support of the odorous and imperturbable Jurgen and his melta. If only GW would make a mini of Jurgen. Why is Jurgen not on the cover??

In addition as good a read is Ian Watson's Inquisition War trilogy taking in the Eldar. A complex and in some ways unsatisfying tale at the end.

In a similar vein is the amazing Dan Abnett Eisenhorn trilogy of Xenos, Malleus and Hereticus spanning all (is it really all) of the Inquistions flavours.This is the back story for the Inquisition and a must read for anyone wanting to deploy the Inquistion on the table top with any connection to the background story. 








Finally there is the Ravenor trilogy also written by Dan Abnett. Less reflective  and more action than the Eisenhorn trilogy but less weighty all the same.

Kill Team

A fun game of Kill Team using the recent digital release of rules for this 40k mini game. It took just under 1 hour to complete. The mission was head hunt. And while the 2 opposing teams were IG the selection of leaders traits gave meaning to the mission as on leader was identified as a Zealot. Clearly a dangerous sergeant that needed to be brought back in to line with the Imperium before he created an outbreak of heresy. As might be expected the Zealot triumphed in the end massacring  most of the IG platoon sent to hunt him down.

While kill teams should be only up to 200 points this was relaxed to approximately 240 to allow a full IG platoon plus sentinel to go after a rogue Veteran squad mounted in a chimera with an accompanying armoured sentinel.

Point is the game was fun and the rogue zealot won by 7 vps to 3 vpts.

So here is the set up and the casualties and the final positions.

Ecclesiarchy Immolator Details

Details done. There is a small amount of tidying up to do, but this is best done after the primer paint coat is sprayed on. The weather here has prevented that happening today. Here it is on the kitchen work top glued, blu-tacked and clipped together.

Imperial Guard Rumour Round Up

Times are changing for the Imperial Guard. These are rumours collated  from Faeit 212 from several posts and recycled here.

The Imperial Guard are to be renamed - Astra Militarium.

There are to be new Steel Legion plastics but Catachians will be dropped and not exactly on the same wavelength there will be an emphasis on Cadians as their equipment will be universal and there will be much less emphasis on exotic regiments, so perhaps Valhallans and Mordians and Vostroyans will be phased out.

Rough Riders are also out. The minis date back to 2nd edition.

There will be new tanks perhaps including, Griffon, Colossus, Medusa, Tank Hunter Destroyer.

There will be plastic veterans/storm troopers

 Imperial Knights will not be part of the Imperial Guard - sorry Astra Militarium

The new codex will be out April

There could be a Horus Heresy era tank

Or will it be all change and everything remains mainly the same. Who knows

Ecclesiarchy Pattern Immolator Crusader Gunner

There is still a long way to go. Will this project take 6 months like the Steel Legion Medusa? Originally the idea was the Ecclesiarchy might hide their armoured power amongst the Adepta Astartes, and indeed they must as they have been banned from having men at arms, yet there are a few crusaders providing muscle for the Ecclesiarchy. Hence it may be possible that the gunner on a transport Immolator might be a crusader if the Adepta were stretched. And so the turret gunner was born. The mini may yet change but at the moment it comprises the seated lower part of the SoB gunner mini with the power armour knees sanded down. The torso is an IG tank crew torso with a Grey knight shoulder shield fixed to the chest as a breast plate. The head is a spare from the Brettonian men at arms, while the arms are from the Empire militia.

Otherwise the basic bits for the delivery vehicle for the Ecclesiarchy assassination squad are fixed together as planned. The key components have now been defined apart from a few ideas not yet crystallised plus and essentially details, details and details. So here they are:

  

Steel Legion Medusa Completed

Its taken 6 months. As there is little time tonight here are some pictures of it.

Ecclesiarchy Pattern Immolator Project

OK, some activity here. Here are the results of making a platform for the immolator turret and some alternative side doors for the Rhino platform.

Rigidity to the plasticard assembly is given by the "girder" from the tanks sprue and the turret assembly cut from the Rhino kit.