I'm a bit confused. As a teacher, I'm about to go on my summer holidays - six weeks of trying to persuade Mrs. Drax to let me have some time to my hobby - and work's eased off enough for a while that I've had time to tinker. But there's the thing: I don't know what to tinker with,
I'm really looking forward to doing more Flames of War stuff, but the colours and the scale are such that I need daylight for painting that (hence the lack of progress recently). That's a project for sunny afternoons whilst Mrs. Drax is napping.
But 40K?
Hmm. I dunno. I can't enthuse about the Guard at the moment. It's not burn-out, but I need a bit of motivation.
I have a manticore that needs painting and a half-built (badly-built and rescued via a cheap ebay) armoured sentinel...but I've no burning desire for either.
The obvious choice would of course be for me to buy a valkyrie, which I rekon would be fun to build...but then I'd be just another Guard player with a mediocre flyer...and yet another 40K player with a flyer at skirmish level.
I really like the general look of sixth edition, but it really feels as if life's got disproportionately trickier for mundane Guard like mine. I love that the game's swinging toward narrative gaming, and I'm absolutely fine with things like allies - I just hope my lot can still get in a decent game without being trounced every time. I was hoping for something nice for Guard gaming-wise: the wind just seems to have been taken out of my sails a little.
Oh, I dunnno.
If you're still reading (thank you!), here's a question for you:
Do you have any suggestions, please, for IG stuff that I can build, paint or (better yet) convert?
All ideas gratefully received...
Cheers,
- Drax
(confused and a little lost)
How about updating your Primaris Psyker? Your original was a regular sanctioned psyker in 2008 and you said you were planing to get a Primaris in 2010, Do you?
ReplyDeleteI say get a new Primaris (or two) or better convert one so you can put the new 6th edition psychic abilities to the test.
ColKG
Valkyries are not very good but Vendettas are awesome, I'd paint three if I were you :P Still haven't painted mine from three years ago by the way...
ReplyDeleteI know what you're saying - being cinematic is cool, but I like my Guard being somehow "realistic" - there aren't psykers and aircraft in every theatre, every battle, every detachment. My medium infantry aren't loaded to bear with plasma, melta, lascannon. I am not going to tear sponsons off tanks I've built and painted to change their in-game cost...
ReplyDeleteOk well now I sound like a curmudgeon without that intention. Anyway, I know what you mean. The basic guardsman leads a hard life (but it seems like in Gaunt's Ghosts it's a lot less hard/fatal)...
Then again, I guess if everyone collected "realistically" it would all be Guard, Orks and Tyranids, right?
Take the armored sentinel cockpit, convert some autocannons on either side, and rig up your manticore so that you can swap out the missiles or your new "hydra" turret.
ReplyDeleteDrax, Sadly you've reached a point in your Army's completion where there is little for you to add and nothing that you need to. I'd guess you can field 5000 points or so of well painted guardsmen quite easily. So I can only offer you these weak suggestions.
ReplyDeleteConsider a new regiment that can fight as a combined arms unit with yours. This gives you new color schemes to design and could spark some creativity. Maybe including some roughriders?
Or,
Pick up a fortification or two.
Lastly maybe a trio of Sabre Defense Platforms with interchangeable guns?
Not sure...but what do you have for artillery support? A basilisk battery would probably be useful...
ReplyDeleteWhat about engineering/support vehicles? A mine-sweeper, tank transport, refueling vehicle, tank recovery vehicle, etc...
Paint up some Allies. Sixth edition is the perfect opportunity to bring something fresh and new into your army?
ReplyDeleteHow about an Space Marine Master of the Forge and Tactical Squad and do them up as an Adeptus Mechanicus detachment? Plenty of conversion potential and still could fit well in your army.
Oops, I mean
Deletearmy!
not
army?
:)
RealGenius beat me to it, but I was also going to suggest some allies too. I think the best aspect of the new allies abilities is to produce themed additions to a force, and use the rules from another codex to represent that.
ReplyDeleteAn Adeptus Mechanicus maniple of Skitarii to join your guard, you have the Space Marines. A newly developed, specialist sniper unit from the Adeptus Terra, use the Tau. Perhaps there is a specialist commando unit, experts in deep insertion into the enemies lines and trained to attack silently and up close - use some webway Dark Eldar. The possibilities are pretty endless and you don't necessarily have to use the models of the codex you are allying with, just the rules and a suitable representation.
Hope this might present you with some ideas.
Darn, beaten to it! I was going to put forward the idea of either, a Primaris Psyker, or making use of the new Allies rule, to build upon the narrative of your Guard.
ReplyDeleteFortifications may also provide a break from painting armour, particularly when converted to mirror and build upon the theme of the Guard. Using the 4 examples given in the rulebook as a template for your own buildings, an entrenched and reinforced manufactorum for instance.
Looking forward to your next Guard endeavour!
How about some abhumans. The true underclass in the Imperium. Make your own conversions. I have ratkin - a combination of skaven bits, warhammer militia and catachians. Theres plenty of possibilities combining 40k plastics with warhammer plastics
ReplyDeleteWow - thanks, chaps! I ought to have mentioned that spending much money isn't really much of an option for me, but here I go with some replies...
ReplyDelete> Killgore & Will B:
You're quite right! I do indeed have a new psyker model - one of the early 2nd Edition ones that look a bit WFB-wizard-y: I'll pop him back on the 'to-do' list!
> Antipope:
I might just about get away with buying one, so you're right: I should go for vend over valk. Top tip.
> sonsoftuarus:
Hmmmmmmmm...thanks for the idea. Hmmmm...*thinks*
> Spyrle:
You're pretty much spot-on. I have 6 rough-riders (and loathe them) and I've no desire to branch out massively, but after 300+ identical Guardsmen a change might help!
Not so sure about the inclusion of fortifications, but it's certainly something I could have fun designing and making out of foamcore... Hmmm...
>Darkwing:
D'you know, I've two basilisks...and I've fielded neither since early 4th edition. Even if I accept the points cost, I just can't stomach S-P artillery on the front line with skirmishers. Plus, their minimum range is (appropriately enough) troublesome. I've no idea why this doesn't bug me so much with the manticore. Maybe it's because it seems more ad hoc, or maybe it's just because the model looks so frickin' cool.
Oh, and if I can pick up a dirt-cheap hull from ebay I might really enjoy making an engineering vehicle: thanks!
> RealGenius and Andy-bG:
I dunno. I'm wary of allies. I have some tau (and very much like them), but it's not really my thing at the moment, and it's a bit of a faff. Maybe. Anything else non-Imperial is right out(!) and besides: for anything else I'd need to invest in a codex as well as models. Converted IG as SM scouts I might consider though. Hmmm...
> Artificer:
Thanks, but no thanks! With the sole exception of squats(!) I don't really 'do' abhumans. Even my 'ratlings' are Cadian snipers. Although don't get me wrong: I love the idea of beastmen etc., just not for me.
THANKS AGAIN, EVERYONE, FOR THE BRILLIANTLY HELPFUL COMMENTS: THEY'VE REALLY CHEERED ME UP!
I have a few suggestions, having only just seen this post (thanks Zzzz)
ReplyDeleteGet a super heavy! that plastic kit is wicked, and totally justifiable for those big apoc games...
or.. in the light of the new allies rules.. snag some inquisitorial allies.. fits with the guard, something new to paint..
now i dont suggest GK.. but coteaz and some characterful henchmen might just scratch the hobby itch...
I'm a bit late to the party, but if you want some spice for your army I'll be happy to send you a squad of Sadouakdi Greatcoats to sample. If you like them , maybe you could do a quick review of them here on the blog.
ReplyDeleteinfo at madrobotminiatures dot com
>Karitas: Thanks, Mate. I did consider a stormlord kit, but the price is simply prohibitive. Inquisition are fairly tempting, as I like the eclectic nature of them, but if I put some together they're unlikely to bear any relation to the rules.
ReplyDelete>Mad Robot: My friend, nothing - NOTHING - would bring me more hobby-related joy. A very kind offer indeed, and I shall email you forthwith. What a great way to enthuse a stranger, eh?!
You're a gent. Thank you.