On my plate: 4-6-11

-Battlefleet Gothic: DONE

-Necromunda: Next on the docket: Finish the Orlock gang, and then do the Delaque gang.

-Warmachine: Pushed back in favor of Necromunda.

-Azure Flames: Need to convert a stand in for Kor’Sarro Khan, and mod up a Chaplain on Bike.  I also need to conceptualize an Honor Guard unit for Perseus.  Status: ON HOLD. The Flames are complete enough for now.

-Orks: Need to complete painting all minis, possibly buy one more box of Boys but no more. Status: ON HOLD pending spring.  I need warm temperatures outside to do dipping, as I cannot do it indoors due to cares.

-The Saratogan 58th: Need to build most of the minis and paint up at least 1500 points to start learning how to play Guard.  Status: ON HOLD.  Way too much on my plate to start an army from almost scratch.

-Epic 40,000: Have to get more Space Marine Rhinos, and paint both a huge Space Marine army and Ork army.  Status: ON HOLD.  Once again, too much on my plate.

GOTHIC DONE

I can’t believe it.  I’m done with Gothic.  Low Orbit Table defenses and Mines are above.

So what’s next?  I’m definitely making a Gothic Gallery for all the images, but what do I paint next?  My Menoth starter box?  Necromunda?  Start my Orks again?

Transports and Orbital Defences

Included above:

-Space Station or Orbital Dock (can be either)

-3 Orbital Defences (Lance, Torpedo, Battery)

-Heavy Transport Argosy

-8 Out of print pewter transports

Next: 16 Orbital Mines, 8 low orbit Missile Silos, 8 Low Orbit Lance Batteries, and 4 Low Orbit Airfields, and then GOTHIC IS DONE!

On my plate: 3-31-11

-Battlefleet Gothic: Space Station, 8 transports, Heavy transport, 3 orbital defenses and 20 low orbit table ground defenses.  THE END IS IN SIGHT.

-Warmachine: Upgraded priorities.  Next project after Gothic is Kreoss, 2 light jacks and heavy from Box Set.  Then I can Demo Warmachine.  Cygnar on hold.

-Necromunda: Need to finish my Orlock gang, and start painting Delaques.  I also need to get more tabs from Jen so that I can use the Necromunda board she made for me.  Status: In progress. Orlocks are 1/2 painted.

-Azure Flames: Need to convert a stand in for Kor’Sarro Khan, and mod up a Chaplain on Bike.  I also need to conceptualize an Honor Guard unit for Perseus.  Status: ON HOLD. The Flames are complete enough for now.

-Orks: Need to complete painting all minis, possibly buy one more box of Boys but no more. Status: ON HOLD pending spring.  I need warm temperatures outside to do dipping, as I cannot do it indoors due to cares.

-The Saratogan 58th: Need to build most of the minis and paint up at least 1500 points to start learning how to play Guard.  Status: ON HOLD.  Way too much on my plate to start an army from almost scratch.

-Epic 40,000: Have to get more Space Marine Rhinos, and paint both a huge Space Marine army and Ork army.  Status: ON HOLD.  Once again, too much on my plate.

HOO HAH.

Finished Chaos Fleet!

The above ordannce markers are the last thing for my Chaos fleet!  20 fighters, 21 bombers, 20 Forgeworld Dreadclaw assault boats (yes there’s one per base, they’re expensive) and 8 count ’em 8 custom converted torpedo bomber bases!

All were glued to 20mm fantasy bases.  The torpedoes for the torpedo bombers are bristles from a $3 woman’s purse hairbrush.

The final picture is the fleet!  There are fewer escorts for Chaos compared to my Imperial Navy fleet.  However, I do have the Repulsive Grand Cruiser re-based onto a large base so I can buy the 3rd shield.  I also have a LOT more ordnance because my Chaos fleet is pretty carrier heavy.

Next: Defences!!

The Azure Flames Color Scheme

Back when I was first getting in to 40K (in 2001), I bought the games Workshop Mega Paint Set (which for those who don’t know is one of every GW paint plus burushes, etc.).  After painting several minis from the old board game HeroQuest, I sat down to make a scheme for my newly chosen Salamanders Successors.

But I didn’t want them to be green.

So, I just copied parts of several other schemes and blended them together, with a hint of inspiration from Mega Man.

Could you tell?

Anyway, the scheme is as follows:

-Storm Blue undercoat (now discontinued by GW, substitute Stormy Blue by Vallejo)

-Blue Ink (also discontinued, washes from GW don’t do the same thing, so use P3 blue ink)

-Enchanted Blue details (wrists, helmet ridges, aquilla, etc. with ice blue highlights.

-Chainmail drybrushed over black for metal. (backpack, gun, etc.)

-Scab red with Red Gore highlights for purity seal wax, and bleached bone with skull white highlights for paper (cracks inked black)

– Bolters are Blood Red over Mechrite Red, eyes are Mechrite, Blood red and then Blazing Orange (lighter near front) with skull white dot.

-(not shown) Company is marked on kneepad or greave with Enchanted and Ice Blue symbol.

-(not shown) Squad number is on shoulder pad (and bottom of base) in Roman Numeral with color denoting company

-Veteran’s Shoulder Rims in Vallejo Gold

The Victory Point, the Kill Point, and Missions (or, Get Off My Lawn, you kids!)

One of the most hotly contested parts of 5th edition is Kill Points.  After all, it seems to hideously disadvantage certain armies (orks, guard, nids) and greatly favor others (Chaos, Marines etc.).  If only there was some way to value a unit based on how powerful it was and judge the game on that…

Oh.  Wait.  We already had that.  It was called Victory Points and it used the exact same points system that you use to make your army!  Essentially a destroyed unit gave it’s full points cost to the opponent, and a 50% unit or an immobilized vehicle gave 50% of its points.  It made it so that armies that had a lot of cheap units was just as tactically viable as an army that had few expensive units.

Now admittedly in 5th ed’s awful mission system, only 1/3 of the games rely on kill points.  But it’s just stuck with me how unfair kill points are to the horde armies.

Some have defended Kill points in that in the Victory Point system, you didn’t tend to risk expensive units.  After all, if they kill your expensive Space Marine Command Squad with a lucky tank shell, you were out almost 400pts, handing the victory to the enemy.  With Kill Points, your decked out command squad is worth just as much as a 10 grot mob, so if you lose it, big deal.  While this is valid, it’s not a good enough reason to keep kill points.

The bottom line?  We need more missions.  I liked the mission book at first, but if the main missions in the rulebook are chocolate, strawberry, and vanilla ice cream cones, then the missions book is chocolate, strawberry, and vanilla ice cream in a bowl.  It’s the same idea, presented slightly differently.

We need more flavors.  We need a new missions book that is the Baskin Robbins of 40K.  Bring back Meat Grinder, Assassinate! and Breakout.  I had some amazing games with those old missions.  Let’s get some variety.

Chaos Escorts

Next: Ordnance and then Chaos is done!  Then defences and Gothic is complete!

What does Sanguinius have that I don’t have?

40K Space Marine players are familiar with different options that each chapter can take.  Every chapter can take almost all of the options, but the Blood Angels have been different since 2nd edition.  They have special variants, and they don’t want to share with the other children.

For example, in the fluff the Space Wolves were assaulting a planet and their Land Raiders were destroyed in some kind of accident.  Lacking mobile lascannon support, they cannibalized their Long Fang lascannons and mounted them on Predator tanks, making the Predator Annhilator pattern.  This worked well, and the design was almost immediately disseminated to all the other Space Marines in the galaxy.

The Blood Angels, on the other hand, have Furioso Dreadnoughts, Baal predators, overcharged engines (which now make their Rhino Chassis vehicles Fast) and most recently the Stormraven Gunship.  Admittedly the Grey Knights also have the Stormraven, but that seems like an odd combo.  No one else has these unique vehicles.  I envision conversations like this happening when Sanguinius chapters meet other chapters.

Dante: Bro, what’s up?

Marneus: DUDE!  Just hanging out, how you been?

Dante: Oh, I gotta tell you about this sweet new tank my techmarines made.  It’s the Shizzle fo’ rizzle!

Marneus: HELLZ YEAH!

Dante: So get this: We mounted a twin linked assault cannon on the Predator Turret.  We call it the Baal Predator.  Bitchin’ huh?

Marneus: Aww, you gots ta get me that design, bro.

Dante: …uh.  Hmm.  Well about that…

Marneus: Come on dogg!

Dante: Sorry bro, but no-can-do.  Mephiston would kill me, and that dude is, like, totally psycho.  Plus he’s 250 points.

Marneus: Harsh, bud.  Look, I got some girls coming over, you’d better go.

Dante: Oh.  I see how it is.  Later.  Bro.

Kajun Gogwurr, da Zombee Masta

Modeling

Kajun was modeled mostly from the Ork Nob box.  His snapping fingers are a hand holding a combi-weapon with the gun carved out of the palm, and the fingers custom sculpted.  The Skull is from the Ork Trukk sprue and the cane is brass rod with putty.  The Suit is sculpted out of putty, as is the hat.  The brim of the hat and the red ribbon are plasticard.

The Zombee is the Zombie Champion from the old Fantasy Zombie Command Blister.  The Shield arm was modified with a rokkit and putty to be holding an overflowing beer stein.  The Mardee-Grah Beads are putty.

The “voodoo dolls” are a placeholder mini designed to represent Kajun’s extra attacks.  They are a mix of Epic minis and putty.

Background

Smartyskull’s rise to power involved incorporating several other warbands into his. Mostly, other Ork Warbosses resented a Boss who was a dirty stinkin’ Humie lover.

Gurrshak Wart-rot was one of these. He and Smartyskull raided each other for resources until the clash came to a head at the battle of Da Great Round Clearin’, a clearing in Wart-rot’s forest that was generally squarish. Smartyskull dueled with Wart-rot, and managed to get the upper hand. His Ork instincts telling him to kill competitors overrode his Humie-machine logic preaching mercy, and Smartyskull killed Wart-rot.

As the death blow was struck, green lightning pierced the sky, and a strange Ork appeared. Surrounded by a green haze of psychic energy, he wore a tattered black suit coat, and face paint like a skull. He doffed his strange stovepipe hat and proclaimed to his tribe that Poindexta Smartyskull was their new Warboss. The tribe answered with a joyous WAAAAAAAAGH!

Suddenly, a large KLANK sounded as a Power Klaw impacted Smartyskull’s back. One of Wart-rot’s drinking buddies decided that he would be a better candidate for Warboss.

*SNAP*

As the strange noise echoed through the forest, Smartyskull rose to his feet to find the Nob who had backhanded him replaced by an emaciated rotting shadow of his former self. The strange Ork in the hat approached.

“You not lissen what I say, an’ dat’s da las’ mistake you goan’ make. I’s Kajun Gogwurr an’ you’s a Zombee, so you’s do whatta I says oh you’s goan’ stay dat way, heah?”

The zombified Ork moaned and lunged for Smartyskull. Kajun shot forth his hand and sprayed a reddish powder. It covered the Zombie from head to toe, and he burned with green fire. A bit of the powder got into Smartyskull’s nose, and it burned hotter than the hottest pepper-shroom. After a mild sneezing fit, he turned to Kajun.

“Kajun Gogwurr, you gotta lotta mojo. How’s about you be my number one advizer?”

“Das’ jus’ fine. Come, we celebrate wif’ mah fahnest Squig-Gumbo. Fire up da pot, boys!”

After barely choking down the hideous spicy goo, Smartyskull and Kajun Gogwurr made a pact. Smartyskull would allow the snakebites to keep to the old ways if they wanted, but to give them newer supplies if they wished, and lead them to battle. He would also let Gogwurr organize Mardee-Grah, a festival of masks and heavy drinking. Gogwurr would keep uppity boys in line, and dish out gumbo. He is Smartyskull’s wisest source of council (not difficlut considering the competition) and the warband’s greatest chef. His Gumbo is so spicy you can’t tell it’s been rotting.

Gogwurr has also made a habit of making little dolls of all the powerful Orks in the camp. After all, one day he might need to do something to them…