Friday 29 May 2009

120 At Last! Mortars in Progress!

Hullo!

Well, they're everyone's new darlings, and I have to say in my last game they acquitted themselves extremely well, with some real hawk-eyed mortar sniping...and here at last is the first progress pic of my mortars:
  • YES - I've rebased them onto 60mm, though it makes painting and basing a pain in the backside;
  • YES - They're not quite finished (it's a WiP!) - I've more basing yet, and they'll still need transfers, too;
  • YES - One of them's wearing gloves. All my guys handling mortars will be wearing gloves (more-or-less);
  • YES - Drax has been playing a little more with drybrushing. Woo-hoo.
  • YES - There's built-in cover. Someone else has posted their mortars recently (can't remember who, sorry) with the note that if anyone really has issue with it, they can always turn the base around!
Hopefully it won't be too long before I have the whole squad done. I'm pleased to say that - given the recent clemency in the weather - Drax has moved back into The Shed. Huzzah.

Cheers - it's nice to actually post some progress for once!

- Drax.

13 comments:

  1. Posting actual progress??? Show off!

    These guys look great. I look forward to seeing the whole squad together, ready to rain mortar death upon the Emperors foes!

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  2. Looking good, Drax! I too base my heavy weapons teams with scenic 'cover' as befits my heavily urban-themed army. Though the rules say 'you can't take your cover with you', neither my opponents nor I have ever seen a problem with it from a pure modeling standpoint. Style before purpose, I say!

    Can't wait to see how they turn out, I really like how they're coming along so far!

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  3. Great stuff, we know how useful these fellas can be! How did you drybrush the rubble on the base? It looks brilliant.

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  4. Looking good! I think gloves are a very sensible option, really... Anyone without them is just asking for their fingertips to get pinched whilst changing the magazine...

    How would you advise using mortars, by the way? Are they better in dedicated squads or as part of standard infantry squads?

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  5. Mortars... Lookin' good. I'm considering making three as well, but I'm not sure if I'll have enough spare Cadians to make them all, sigh! ;)

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  6. Thanks, chaps. I was up 'til two in the shed last night - frustratingly, the rubble has to be applied in three lots to enable me to paint it.

    Rubble: Chaos Black, then light drybrush of Codex Grey, then very light, verydrybrush of Vermin Brown on and near the ruins.

    And Hal'jin - if you drop me an email I may be able to help a little.

    - Drax.

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  7. Looking good Drax, haven't had much joy with mortars in the past. You've got me wondering if I'm missing something?

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  8. Nice work, Drax. It's easier to paint the heavy weapon teams if
    you leave the 2nd man off. Drill and pin the spare man into the base. Basing 60mm bases is a chore
    -sigh-
    Do you realise the new IG codex
    allows Commissar Lords and Platoon
    /Company Commanders with 2 power fists (think mini Marneus Calgar)

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  9. uhhhh what????? two power fists on IG commanders???? sweeeet. Im gonna model me one of those!

    The bases look great when scenery is used, im gonna be doing somethin like that in the future I think, just need to buy me some ruins!

    Craig @ cadian8tb

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  10. Yes. The wording in our codex is the same as the new SM codex.
    Marines get 2 lightning claw/ thunder hammer option as well.
    Look at p42 of main rulebook; characters with 2 fists are here to stay ;)
    Ork codex doesn't allow it funnily enough

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  11. Thanks,

    @Corbane: 60 points is simply great for three S4 barrage templates - they can even hurt marines, though they're unlikely to pin them, sadly. The single best thing about mortars (apart from the facts that they're scoring and can just sit in cover all game) is that they're really good fun to play!

    @SolarMach: Thanks for the tips in both cases. I did leave the second man off (he's balanced for the picture) but that base is almost done now...thankfully!

    It's cool about the powerfists too, but I never use them with guard. My few officers/commissars who brandish one count it as a power weapon only. I like to think of it as a 2nd Edition-style 'power glove' - that seems suitably 'second rate' enough for guardsmen, too!

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  12. Drax, please tell us in a future blog what has happened to the missile-launcher team, pictured at the top. Have you ripped him off the 20mm base, or are you doing a new team?
    2 powerfist is a good alternative to Straken, for non jungle fighters. Strength 6 is still useful vs Wraithlords or T8 opponents, only strike last!

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  13. SolarMach,

    Someone (Col. Corbane, maybe?) came up with the genius idea of keeping his heavy weapons teams based as they are and simply mounting them onto a 60mm base when an opponent cares enough.

    I fully intend to follow this lead, and I plan to get some 60mm plastic bases cut soon (I'll see if I can use the laser cutter at school) to customise for this purpose.

    Actually, I'll probably make them 50-55mm so that they fit on Cities of Death ruins more safely.

    As my Veterans are now only third in line for a re-visit, I'll be doing progress stuff on them soon; but thanks for the reminder: I'll probably post my intentions anyway so I can take people's comments and suggestions on board.

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Thanks for taking the time to comment!