083 Let's List Again, Like We Did Last Summer...

Hullo!

Two lists for you today: one from my real-life game against Mike the Merciless this month, and one from my 'Vassal' (online) game against 73rd from December.

2000 pts list:

HQ:
Heroic Snr Officer, P/wpn, bolt pistol (bp), ID, with M/vox, medic, standard bearer and plasma gunner (142pts)
Commissar w. p/wpn+bp (46pts)
A/T Squad (3 lascannon) (110ps)

TP:
1 Pl (347pts):
HQ sect: Jr Officer w. P/wpn, bp, ID; Vix, medic, 2 x grenade launchers
1 sect: Sgt, vox, plasma gun
2 sect: Sgt, vox, melta gun
3 sect: Sgt, vox, gren
4 sect (r): Sgt, vox, flamer (5 pax)

2 Pl (397pts):
[As 1 Pl, but with Light Infantry doctrine @10pts/unit = +50pts]

HS:
1 F/Sup Pl (393pts):
HQ sect: Jr Officer w. P/wpn, bp, ID; Vix, medic, 2 x grenade launchers
A/T squad (3 missile launchers)
A/P squad (3 autocannon)
A/P squad (3 hvy bolters)
Light Infantry doctrine @10pts/unit = +40pts

2 F/Sup Pl (353pts):
HQ sect: Jr Officer w. P/wpn, bp, ID; Vix, medic, 2 x grenade launchers
A/T squad (3 missile launchers)
A/P squad (3 autocannon)
A/P squad (3 hvy bolters)

Griffon S-P Mortar + smoke = 78pts

Basilisk S-P Artillery (w. indirect fire + smoke) = 128pts.

= 1994pts

So there you go. I owe an apology to Mike for two reasons. Firstly, although it was only a fun game (and it was a fun game!), in my efforts to quickly knock together an appropriately fluffy list I didn't realise I had one too many Heavy Support choices.

Secondly, I accidentally miscounted with my maths, and didn't realise that I had no points left for the sniper team I also fielded (5 snipers = 55pts). This is because I omitted to factor in the points cost for some of the Light Infantry doctrines. SORRY MIKE! Those snipers soaked up a lot of Mike's shooting, so it's a little unfair, but it was an honest mistake, and he still beat me!

Okay. Here, then, is 73rd's list from our game back in December: I'll add it to that post too. Dark Angels, 1500 pts:

HQ:
Interrogator Chaplain - Terminator Armour - 120 pts

Elites:
Deathwing Terminators - Cyclone Missile - 245 pts

Troops:
10 Marines - Sergeant PPistol - Flamer, Missile Launcher - 210 pts
10 Marines - Sergeant PPistol - Flamer, Missile Launcher - 210 pts
10 Marines - Sergeant PPistol - Flamer, Missile Launcher - 210 pts

Fast Attack:
6 Ravenwing Bikes, 1 Attack Bike, 1 Landspeeder - 2 Flamers (Bikes) - 380 pts
1 Ravenwing Landspeeder - Typhoon Missile Launcher - 75 pts
Dedicated TransportsRazorback - 50 pts
Razorback - 50 pts

TOTAL = 1490 pts

Thanks, all,

- Drax.

082 Lascannon Squad Completed! Hooray!

August '09 - NB: Since the new Codex: Imperial Guard, my fire support platoons have been disbanded, and their constituent units re-allocated. In this case, these lascannon are now part of 2 'Tactical' Platoon.

Hullo again, mes petits choux-fleurs!

(NB: Col. Krieg, please accept my apologies!)

Good news: I've finished my first lascannon fire support squad - attached to B Coy HQ from D Coy (though I do have to tweak this fluff a little for logistical reasons I can't be bothered to go into. Actually, I think I'll have to re-number my fire support squads. Bugger.) - and that earns me another 12 Painting Points (see the running tally to the left).

Those of you who followed my frosting saga recently may be interested to note that despite (a) keeping the Purity Seal in my pockets for an hour (and shoving it under the dog's blanket as he dozed) for warmth, and (b) shaking it vigorously for five timed minutes, it still frosted a little. Luckily, the ol' magic surgical spirit worked its wonders.

I also finished and varnished the turret from Chimera 2, so that earns me another 2 Painting Points (because I say so). In the pipeline is one of my objective markers (being revamped) and now my Leman Russ armoured company and some more Armoured Fist squads. In addition to the wyvern.

Strewth!

I've a couple of army lists to post soon too, and I owe 73rd over at Unforgiven Angels an apology for not updating stuff from our battle before Christmas - I'll try to get to it this week, mate.

That is all.

- Drax.

081 Mechanisation

Evening, all.

Just a quick post today. I might post a report of the weekend's last-minute surprise smackdowns against Mike the Merciless soon (when he sends pics), but until then, here are my light vehicles - those of the 1/24th Mech Inf and their accompanying support from the Cadian 144th Field Artillery. And my dog. The pics are slightly larger than normal, for your viewing pleasure:

I've just realised I forgot the sentinels. Oh well. Please note that the wyvern and one of the optional chimera turrets are not fully finished: sorry about that.

- Drax.

080 Wyvern Progress With Magnets

This is my first proper attempt to use magnets: apparently it's been a success!

Quickly then, here's the Wyvern as she is now - not much change as I've been concentrating on other things, but the flash in the pics from before showed me that I needed to paint the Dark Angels Green on a little more evenly, so I've given her another (slightly thinned) coat:

And I've made the grenade launchers detachable:

Here you can see the detail of this - these magnets are so damned strong! The grenade launchers (converted from the ball-mounted lasguns) had the ball mounts cut off and a pin inserted about 4mm in. This is plenty enough metal to keep them well and truly stuck to the magnets.

If you're wondering about the red stuff, it's because I paint the north pole of each magnet red to limit the chance of magnet-to-magnet confusion.

So there you go: happy Drax!

Plus, Mike the Merciless called yesterday: he's driving down for a visit and a game - yay!

- Drax

079 1st Draft Wyvern Rules

Comments will be most welcome!

Here at last are my ideas for rules for my Wyvern variant. I've been thinking and tweaking and tweaking and thinking, and this is what I've come up with. I've never played a 'pick-up' game, so agreeing rules for cool stuff beforehand isn't usually a problem. Not that I get to play much.

That said, I like Koloth's ideas (see 'comments', 075) for 'counts as' rules...

Basics:
Points: 120
Stats as Chimera
Transport: 6 troops

Wargear:
Hull-mounted heavy bolter; turret-mounted Wyvern missile launcher; P-M heavy stubber (turret) - plus any additional wargear from the IG vehicle armoury.

Options:
-- A command squad may fire grenade launchers from the two ports for free.*
-- The wyvern missile launcher (see below) may be upgraded to an AA mount for 15pts, losing its barrage ability.

Special:
-- Wyvern missile launcher. This acts exactly as a missile launcher, but it may opt to fire twice in a turn (counting as a single weapon). It may fire only eight missiles in a game. It is not twin-linked.
-- Barrage. If firing frag missiles, the launcher's targetry systems enable it to engage without line of sight. This works as a barrage weapon, using the stats below.**
* This is simply to reward me(!) for the work I'm putting in to magnetising some grenade launchers for the lasgun ports! It's free because I hardly ever keep my troops in their rides for long, they could only fire one at a time anyway, and the wyvern's purpose is to provide medium-range support (i.e. further than 24").
** Obviously, whilst firing barrage shots, the wyvern may not fire any other weapons (it won't be able to target the same unit). Also, barrage counts as 'pinning' too.

MY JUSTIFICATIONS FOR THE POINTS COST:
-- I like the model and I want to be able to field it;
-- It has only 8 discreet shots per game - assuming it lives long enough;
-- It's only BS3;
-- Compare prices: a basilisk (very powerful long range ordnance) = 100/125 pts. A manticore (tremendously powerful but with only four shots) = only 145pts. A medusa (with 2xT-L long-barrelled AA autocannon) = 200pts, but it's a gleaming anti-aircraft unit, and overpriced anyway. Therefore, reduced shots = reduced points cost;
-- I've taken a chimera, less 6 troops' transport capacity; less 6 lasguns, and added points 30pts for two missile launchers plus extra points for the stubber (they're overpriced anyway) and its (limited) indirect fire capability.

Incidentally, the indirect fire capability was originally going to be the same as on the FW support sentinel, but (a) I only have the trial rules, and (b) I don't know how that'd work in 5th. Plus, indirect krak missiles seem maybe a little too powerful for Guard...
Any thoughts, please? - Good or ill.
- Drax.

078 Ten Thousand Visits!

Yay!

I just logged on to note that 10000 visits to Drax have been clocked up, so thanks for your patronage and please call again!

- Drax

PS: The pic is OC 2Platoon with After The War.

077 I've Broken My Duck!

Hooray!

For those of you who didn't catch my last post, I've decided to award myself points for finishing projects this year. Each point reserves me a quid to spend on models etc. upon the release of the new Codex: Imperial Guard. So I've got my first twenty points for finishing my griffon S-P mortar, Victor!

I also finished re-finishing(!) Ubique, my basilisk/griffon combo, (after recent varnishing disasters,) so here's the pair of them (NB: Victor is the one with the extra crew, and I should point out that she was an eBay win in early '04 in her current converted state and I've only just got around to fixing up a P-M storm bolter and repainting her):

More pics and a proper griffon entry soon - possibly tomorrow, weather and (my huge pile of marking) permitting.

Please, please, please: if anyone can suggest a way to display the accumulation of my points/cash fund, then please let me know!

Cheers,

- Drax.

076 Points Mean Prizes

Greetings, Fellow Humans!

I hope to post a couple of things up this weekend, but before I paint stuff and think about stuff, I thought I'd note a good idea I'm going to steal from Juahn F'Rann over at The Star Vagabonds (he got it first, I believe, from 'Lone Pilgrim'): awarding myself points for finishing miniatures.

For the sake of clarity, 'finishing' will mean varnished and based, although in the wake of recent varnishing debacles I might waive that point at times. The tweak I'll be making to Juann F'Rann's version though, is that I shall allow myself £1 for each point I accumulate to spend on stuff come the new codex. Here's the idea for points:

- Infantry miniatures on standard round bases - 1 point
- complex infantry or equipment, bikes, horses etc. - 2 points
- individual minis (e.g. characters) and easy scenery- 5 points
- Walkers and medium-sized scenery - 10 points
- Tanks* and CoD ruins - 20 points
- FW Baneblade 'Zarathustra' - 30 points

I'm in a nice position here: I believe I've bought just one model in the last year, and that's the chimera used in my ongoing Wyvern conversion. Either way, I've spent next-to-nothing on the hobby apart from a Games Day '08 ticket and modelling supplies. Money's always a little tight, but having 'finished' collecting my Cadians almost two years ago now, I've hardly bought a thing, so I'm looking forward to a new Codex, cool new models and doubtless a force re-organisation of the Cadian 24th.

In other words, I'll have salved my conscience enough to justify buying plastic valkyries!

I'll ensure I tally the points somehow in a sidebar. If anyone can think of a nice visual for this, do please let me know!

- Drax.

* Ubique doesn't count, as I technically 'finished' her (first time around!) last year!

075 Glad Tidings of Great Joy I Bring

(Or 'Frosty the Arilleryman - Redux')
[NB: Please see below for anti-frosting tips]

Good news! FIRSTLY, comrade Koloth has finished building his Wyvern after my design - and it's come up a treat! View this and his other models over at: http://s296.photobucket.com/albums/mm190/SentinelV/ or by clicking on his name, above. Koloth is, officially, an awesome person, and I'm jealous. I'll start back on mine again soon.
SECONDLY, great news! If you remember poor old Frosty the Aritlleryman, commander of my basilisk/griffon 'Ubique', then you'll remember that he got well and truly coated with 'frost' from a spray-varnishing incident. AFTER lots of friendly advice and hints from you lot, I fixed him. In the end, I figured, "Ah, sod it - I'll just strip it and start over," so I plunged Frosty himself into a tub of surgical spirit (rubbing alcohol) and Lo! The frosting disappeared! Fearing that the remaining paint would just drip off anyway, I removed him and blew him dry - and he was fine!

The next day I painted surgical spirit onto the rest of the vehicle with a broad brush and that - likewise - was fine. All was a little tacky for a day or so afterwards, but it's absolutely great now. The only lasting and noticeable difference is that the transfers have had to be removed. Some peeled off when it frosted, but others I had to scrape off. They'll be replaced soon.

Pics below. 'Ubique' as she was:
Then as she was frosted:

And as she is now. Note the front panels on the port side, which I left frosted for comparison; also, this aquila transfer wouldn't come off:

Plus, of course, a cute picture of Cadfael on Christmas day:

FINALLY: Bad news about Ron, over at FromtheWarp: he's quitting the blogging. Thanks for all your efforts and help, mate, and good luck with stuff! NB: This is no longer the case - Hurrah!(Feb '09).

Here's a little song, just for fun:

Frosty The Artilleryman

Frosty the Artilleryman
Had a bright new grey jumpsuit
With an intercom and two shoulder pads
And a stormbolter to boot,

Frosty the Artilleryman
Was a sad old tale they say
‘Coz his new paint job, so crisp and clean
Got frosted one cold day.

It must have been the weather
Or I shook too little time
But when the varnish had dried out
He was covered in a whitened rime

Frosty was rescued
By a dip in surgical spirit
Now his tank is looking good as new
So he’s glad to be back in it.

Cheers, especially to Koloth,

- Drax.