Terrain - 40K Outpost (Confessions of a 40K Addict Template)

As promised, here is the finished item. The template downloaded from Confessions of a 40K Addict (templates here) is excellent. I printed it a larger size to make a landing pad sort of affair. The only adjustment I had to make is 2 layers of foamboard for the base/floor to build it up so that Space Marines didn't have to go on tiptoes to see over the wall! Check out the photo and don't forget to head over to 40K Addict and check out Dave's excellent blog.

Terrain - 40K Outpost (Confessions of a 40K Addict template)

Hello again!

I must confess something readers. I have no terrain. None. Zip. It's shameful, I know. I have plenty of materials stockpiled, but have never gotten around to building anything. Well I've now decided it's time to get cracking. I intend to build various pieces over the next couple of months or so, but I'm starting with something a little different.

I have downloaded and printed one of the excellent templates from Confessions of a 40k Addict, a fantastic blog run by Dave Weston. It has everything including tutorials, battle reports, free terrain templates and game markers and some excellent fluff as well. You should definitely head over there and follow the blog if you love 40K. Also check out Dave's Tyranids in particular. I had the pleasure of losing to these stunningly painted beasties at Blogwars 9 last year.

There is also a competition running on the blog at the moment whereby if you build some of Dave's terrain and send him photos of it in action you have a chance at winning a Knight Warden kit! Amazing competition and definitely worth a go.

So I have decided to build Dave's 40K outpost design. As such I will not be posting a tutorial on this one as that would be using Dave's hard work to further this blog (more than I already am) so what I will do is have a 'before' and 'after' post with a quick photo so show the piece. In future any terrain bits I create from my own design will have a tutorial attached. If you want to know how to build this outpost head over to Confessions of a 40K Addict's STC page here.

Fire Raptor Gunship Part 3 - Cleaning With Meaning

Hi folks, me again!

Just a quick post this morning to continue the Fire Raptor work in progress. Today: cleaning.

For those of you that don't know, Forgeworld resin models (and Finecast as well as it happens) should always be cleaned before you attempt to assemble them. The reason for this is to do with the resin casting process. When Forging these spectacular miniatures (see what I did there?), A release agent is applied to the mold before the resin is added. This acts like a lubricant so that the resin doesn't adhere to the mold and to make it easier to removed. The problem with this is that it can (and does) leave a residue on the resin which also stops paint and glue adhering to the model further down the line. So that's why we clean them.

The good news is it's very simple. Just take a bowl of cool water (remember the straightening? Don't want to undo that work) and some ordinary washing up liquid (dish soap) and an old tooth brush and give it a good scrub. Don't go at it so hard that you manage to damage the details (although I've never managed this myself) but make sure you give every little corner of the resin a thorough clean. That should ensure you have no issues with gluing or painting.

And that's it. Apologies for the lack of photos on this step (I may have some but I will have to dig for them) but it's very straight forward and doesn't really need a visual aid!

My Fire Raptor is now ready for assembly and undercoating. That post will be coming very soon (I'll let you in on a secret. I've already done those steps!)

Check backs soon!

List Writing 750pts - Blood Angels Part 2

Happy weekend everyone!

Here we go again with another 750 point Blood Angels list. This is a fairly big departure from the previous Terminator based list. This time we are running fast...

Blood Angels Combined Arms Detachment - 750pts

HQ
Sanguinary Priest - 66pts
   Blood Chalice, Narthecium, Chainsword, Frag and Krak Grenades
   +Auspex
   +Additional Weapon - Bolt Pistol

Troops
Tactical Squad - 170pts
   4x Tactical Marine
      Boltguns, Frag and Krak Grenades
      +Heavy Flamer
   Tactical Seargeant
      Bolt Pistol, Boltgun
   +Razorback - Smoke Launchers, Overcharged Engines
      +Lascannon and Twin Linked Plasma Gun
      +Stormbolter

Tactical Squad - 205pts
   4x Tactical Marine
      Boltguns, Frag and Krak Grenades
      +Grav Gun
   Tactical Seargeant
      +Grav Pistol
      +Power Sword
   +Razorback - Smoke Launchers, Overcharged Engines
      +Lascannon and Twin Linked Plasma Gun
      +Stormbolter

Fast Attack
Bike Squad - 84pts
   3x Space Marine Bike
      Twin Linked Boltgun, Frag and Krak Grenades
   Space Marine Bike Sergeant
      Bolt Pistol, Twin Linked Boltgun

Heavy Support
Fire Raptor Gunship - 225pts
   4x Stormstrike Missiles, Twin Linked Avenger Bolt Cannon, 2x Twin Linked Autocannons

So straight off you can see this is meant to be a force that is going places. Everything in this army is mobile and designed to snatch objectives or move quickly to react to threats. With the ability to Deep Strike the Fire Raptor in a pinch, and otherwise arrive spitting hot, flaming death at MEQ or worse, it is a fun include for me. I could save a few points by taking a Stormraven instead, but for 25 points I am getting an extra hull point, Strafing Run, Deep Strike and some interesting weapons. The Tactical Squads with RBs is a no-brainer for me in this kind of set up frankly. Two 24" moving Obsec transports that can then dump their squads next turn but still maintain ObSec is just good stuff for Maelstrom games. A little bit paper thin on the armour but packing the punch of a Predator. They will prove to be a headache or at worst, a decent distraction. The Sang Priest is the cheapest HQ I can take and yet serves a good function, if only for Feel No Shame and +1WS (although I hope not to see too much assault with this one, hence the Auspex and CAD rather than a Baal Strike Force. Every fibre of my sanguinary sensibilities says fisticuffs but I am fighting the urge in the current meta.)

There will be some of you who will probably be wondering why I have taken expensive Grav in one of the squads.Good question! It's purely because I am a stickler for WYSIWYG, and they are modelled with Grav. Plus you never know when Grav might come in handy. I may swap those out for a Flamer/Hand Flamer but we'll see.

The sharp-eyed amongst you may have spotted the Bike Sergeant with a Power Weapon and that one of the Razorbacks is actually a Baal Predator with a Forgeworld turret. Well spotted! Yes the Bike Sergeant is driving my O.C.D. crazy but hey ho, and I may buy another Razorback before June, but the Baal Pred makes an excellent stand in.

You may have also noticed the 'lots to paint' motif still running through these armies. Again, well spotted you clever lot! That's why I need to choose my army soon and get on with it!

Let me know what you think of this one again. Far more manoeuvrable than the the last list but also easier to kill. Also, Stormraven or Fire Raptor? (Hint, I'd really like to take the Fire Raptor!)

List Writing 750pts - Blood Angels

Good morning internet land!

It's time for a bit or list analysis. Coming up at the start of June I am taking part in Alex Brown's Double Trouble tournament (details here. Also make sure you check out the rest of Alex's blog From The Fang. It's far superior to mine!). The basis of the tournament is randomly drawn, 1500pt pairs (750pts each), so I thought it was high time I decided what to take and get it painted.

So here's my first list for your perusal. I like to call this the Deep Strike Menace.

Blood Angels Archangels Strike Force - 750pts

HQ

Terminator Chaplain - 150pts

Storm bolter, Crozius Arcanum
+Teleport Homer
+Melta Bombs
+Veritas Vitae

Elites
Furioso Dreadnought - 160pts
Power Fists, Meltagun, Stormbolter, Magna-grapple
+Drop Pod

Terminator Assault Squad - 225 pts
Thunder Hammers, Storm Shields

Terminator Squad - 215 pts
Storm Bolters, Power Fists, Power Sword (sgt)
+Chainfist
+Heavy Flamer

The theory behind this list is a semi alpha strike list. The Archangels Strike Force 'formation' (really more of a detachment) has the benefit of scattering D6" less when deep striking, and get a re-roll for reserves. This will give me a guaranteed 6" scattering pod turn one and almost guarantees 2 deep striking termies turn 2 *if I choose to deep strike*.  If my partner for a particular game brings a shooty list, this lot can deep strike and take objectives/cause confusion/split the enemy fire. Deep striking the thunder hammers will see them wasted for a turn but they should be resilient enough to weather storm and protect the chaplain before going vehicle/MC hunting in turn 3. At very least they might force units out of cover to stay away from them and into lines of fire from the other half of the team.

If my partner for a game brings their own alpha strike setup, I will deploy the termies to weather the storm if they want to null deploy or join the strike with the furioso and drop pod before mopping up with deep striking termies.

In both cases the chaplain can roll on the Archangels Warlord Traits which are not too bad as a whole, but the ObSec for Warlord and his unit could see a unit of stormshields sitting on objectives with ObSec. Nice. The chaplain also has the Veritas Vitae which gives him a roll on the Strategic table in the BRB all of which can add another nasty edge to the force. 

So this is the first choice for my 750 army for the Double Trouble tournament. I think it's low model count is balanced by it's resilience and although not hugely mobile, it has the potential to cause havoc with deep strike. There's no flier control here at all so I would have to just largely ignore the skies and push to wipe out ground forces. Let me know what you think in the comments. More lists coming soon so keep popping back and help me figure this out!