Nicassar Dhows, Caravan, and Rig
In my Battlefleet Gothic campaign, I got a new player hooked by letting him use my Tau Kor’or’vesh fleet. You don’t see it in the Image Gallery for Gothic because it’s not painted yet. The collection is small; a battleship, six crusiers, and assorted escorts. It’s just under 2000 points, which is the size you’d need for a roster in a campaign. I also had four Nicassar Dhows and a Tau Orbital unbuilt.
Thank goodness for the 2012 update. It included the option for the Nicassar Caravan, which is an orbital rig with four Dhows to tow it around. Even better: during a campaign you can choose for the Caravan to either be the Caravan OR four Dhows and an immobile unarmed defense. With these options, the Tau fleet comes in at 1990 points, perfect to start a campaign!
…it just took me until now to complete them. The Dhows are magnetized to remove them from their flying bases if necessary. The core bits of the Tau orbital were used, and I bits ordered four of the Tau battlesuit sensors. I modified them into the docking pylons for the Rig. With the four Dhows, the Rig becomes the Caravan.
Next: look for more Gothic and hopefully my first forays into 7th ed 40K!
Gothic Campaign week 2
Our campaign is still teetering on the edge of oblivion. Our third player (Imperial Navy) still hasn’t showed up. Campaigns can’t last with just two. However that does not mean that it is not fun. Here’s a batrep for our most recent game!
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Mission: Convoy, 8 transports (400 point fleet)
Attacker: Azure Flames Space Marines
Defender: Tau Shan’al Shi’ur fleet (Kor’or’vesh)
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I rolled for 7 defending beacon markers, came up 6, 6, 5, 3, 3, 2, 1 for 2 Capital Ships, 1 Escort squadron, and a total of 9 deadfall torpedoes or attack craft clusters. Our special campaign rules allow Space Marine attack craft clusters to be Thunderhawk Gunships.
-Space Marine Strike Cruiser, Extra Shield
-Space Marine Strike Cruiser, Extra Shield
-3 Gladius Frigates
-9 Ordnance groups, split 3, 3, 2, 1 between four markers.
Tau Shan’al Shi’ur list: (note: Grav Hooks requirements are waived for Convoy per special Campaign rules)
-Protector class Cruiser
-2 Castellan escorts
-2 Warden escorts
-2 Warden escorts
-4 squadrons of 2 Tau Il’emmar Courier Transports
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Turn 1 – Tau Shan’al Shi’ur
Two squadrons of two transports, the Protector, and one Warden squadron come on, ready to take on all comers.
Turn 1 – Azure Flames Space Marines
One beacon reveals itself as a Space Marine Strike Cruiser. Launched Thunderhawk Gunships and a strength 6 torpedo wave kill three of the four transports!
Turn 2 – Tau Shan’al Shi’ur
The remaining transports and escorts come on the board. The Space Marine Strike Cruiser suffers two damage… and then one more from the TRANSPORTS! Crippled by a transport, I’ll never live it down! Movement makes a beacon with 3 Attack Craft clusters activate.
Turn 2 – Azure Flames Space Marines
Gladius squadron activates, and moves forward. Incredible turret rolls keep all of the transports safe!
Turn 3 – Tau Shan’al Shi’ur
The Tau fleet reforms and takes on the Gladius squadron as the Transports split up and go left and right around the board.
Turn 3 – Azure Flames Space Marines
Another Strike Cruiser is revealed and it goes on All Ahead Full. Crippled Strike Cruiser disengages while the Gladius squadron goes for the transports. However Brace for Impact makes their guns ineffective.
Turn 4 – Tau Shan’al Shi’ur
Two Wardens harass the Gladius squadron as the rest of the fleet moves out to protect the transports.
Turn 4 – Azure Flames Space Marines
Gladius escorts continue to harass the transports ineffectively. Two attack craft beacons are activated for a total of five Thunderhawk waves.
Turn 5 – Tau Shan’al Shi’ur
Shooting takes out one more Gladius. Thunderhawks take out another transport. Turn not pictured.
Turn 5 – Azure Flames Space Marines
Last attack craft cluster activates. Strike Cruiser takes out one Castellan. The last remaining Gladius tries to board a transport, but a bad roll kills the Gladius!
Turn 6 – Tau Shan’al Shi’ur
Transports near the bottom of the board try to run. Fire causes the Strike Cruiser to Brace for Impact. This turn’s photo brought to you by: the concept of the Dutch Angle
Turn 6 – Azure Flames Space Marines
Fire against the transports is ineffective but Thunderhawks are closing in! The other two transports are destroyed by Thunderhawks.
Turn 7 – Tau Shan’al Shi’ur
Escorts take up position to defend the Transports from ordnance, while fire takes down both Strike Cruiser shields but does no damage! I gambled and it paid off.
Turn 7 – Azure Flames Space Marines
Strike Cruiser reloads ordnance, fires torpedoes which kills one Warden and causes the transports to brace. Thunderhawks go after the cruiser for sub-plot success!
Turn 8 – Tau Shan’al Shi’ur
Wardens disengage while the rest of the fleet turns on the Strike cruiser with limited results. Torpedoes and bombers come up empty.
Turn 8 – Azure Flames Space Marines
Strike cruiser chases the transports but can’t quite hurt them. Turn not pictured.
Turn 9 – Tau Shan’al Shi’ur
The transports make a break for it as the fleet once again fails to hurt the strike cruiser.
Turn 9 – Azure Flames Space Marines
One last reload ordnance gets off a boarding torpedo wave that wastes the second to last transport. Game ceded.
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This was a lot closer than most Convoy missions I’ve played. Two mistakes I made. 1: I split Thunderhawk squadrons into smaller groups that turrets could destroy (those were lucky rolls) and 2: I should have boarded one Transport with the Gladius squadron, both together. As it stood I only boarded one one one and lost with a bad roll.
Final word: we need our third player for some variety!
Battlefleet Gothic Campaign – Week 1
Our first game was a scorcher! Tau vs. Space Marines. Due to some unlucky failed Disengage rolls, I lost big time. The Tau Empire expands into the Epps system from their home base in the Talbon system.
This Thursday, hopefully the Imperial Navy will add a third faction. Who will come out on top?
Battlefleet Gothic Campaign 2014 – The Laurie’s Hope Subsector
I’ve never been able to play Gothic in a campaign setting. That all changes this Thursday. I’m going to be organizing a Gothic Campaign. See above the custom sector I made while I watched House on Netflix. We have three confirmed players, with the possibility of more. Here are our current players:
Bozeman – Space Marines
Rob – Imperial Navy
Josh – Tau Kor’or’vesh
Josh’s above fleet is mine, and unpainted. I also have a super secret project that is totally not illegal related to it, updates later this week.
Who will be victorious in controlling the Laurie’s Hope subsector? Find out soon!
A Funeral for Specialist Games
Specialist Games has been unsupported for a while now. If you’re unfamiliar with me and my site, just look to the upper right. I’m a huge cheerleader for Specialist Games. I shed a tear when they stopped selling, but at least they kept the rules online for free. It was a nice nod to the past.
The new Games Workshop website puts an end to that. No more specialist. Pour out a ’40 for them; they’re gone for good.
That’s not to say they’re DEAD. You can still find the files online in several places. I am considering building a Specialist Shrine right here on Four Strands Hobby just to make the files available to myself and others.
If you play specialist, KEEP IT ALIVE. Share it. Lend armies or fleets to friends. Our friends are not gone so long as we remember them.
On My Plate: 1/5/14
I have so many projects that I’m working on that I can’t really decide which to do, so hopefully laying them all out will let e get perspective.
-Battlefleet Gothic Necrons: Must come up with a paint scheme and paint. I’m thinking Gold with green power pathways that have “pulses” of energy in a lighter green.
-Battlefleet Gothic Tau Kor’Or’Vesh: Another scheme and paint. Perhaps Farsight Enclave? Maroon and grey look good together.
-Azure Flames Grav Project: I have four tactical marines and two magnetic biker arms to complete. After that, ten Sternguard veterans with Combi-Gravs. Yes, ten. Suck it superheavies and giant monstrous creatures.
-Blood Bowl: The Grimfang Scrappaz coach is partially done, as are assistant coaches. I need to do a few cheerleaders and then paint them all. I also need to do an Apothecary and Bloodweiser Babes…
-Epic: Finish painting Azure Flames, finish painting Ork 3000 point teaching list, finish Lost and the Damned Chaos Altar conversions, build and paint Eldar, and find two of the new version of the Revenant Titan for the Eldar. Last ones on ebay went for $150 for the pair.
-Necromunda: Hired Guns are a priority if there’s going to be a campaign at AFK, and I also have Razor and the Scumettes to paint…
-Saratogan 58th: Still need a viable 1500 point list and/or allied detachment to take with the Azure Flames. Note sure what I want.
-WAAAAGH! Smartyskull: Still need to paint half the stuff and find ways to improve the case situation, some stuff is getting dinged.
-Fantasy and Warmachine: On hold
Based on the above, I think I’m going to work on the Flames. They are my main army, and grav weapons are FUN.
Interesting blog I found: Afterimagedan
As you can see to the right, there’s a new blog in the blogroll: a BFG centered blog by Afterimagedan. He’s a fantastic painter, a great tactician, and an entertaining blogger with good pictures. Check his blog out here:
http://afterimagedan.blogspot.com/
DARK ELDAR COMPLETED! GET YOUR WEAPONS READY!
DARK ELDAR ARE DONE! Seen here with modular magnetized weapons on some ships and all custom printed Ordnance markers. Next: Orks, Epic Orks, or Menoth Starter set.
EDIT: The actual creator of the markers is caller Tyberius. Here are all of his markers. Thanks Tyberius!
Also, next is definitely Ork Shoota Boyz.
On a roll! More Dark Eldar Escorts!
Three more to go! Will probably finish tomorrow. After that, who knows? Probably 40K Orks if it gets warm enough.
