A horizon is nearing

With the new Space Marine Codex out, I thought about what I'd like to have in my Shrikes in the future. And, well, this happened...

Short of a couple of Vindicators and a unit of Vanguard Vets, this will be the last major purchase for the Shrikes. There will be little units of things as and when after, but it seems a natural ending is very well in sight. There's still loads to do, so it's going to keep me going for a good long while yet.

I have some interesting ideas for these guys though...

Want a hint? Why not? Everyone loves hints. Which unit could this be about?

'Three. There are always three. They are the Equilateral, and we are witness to their wrath.' - Attributed to Zaidan Shraane, Captain, III Company, Crimson Shrikes Adeptus Astartes.

+++Transmission incoming+++

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Thought for the day - Heresy begets retribution.

'We had recruited from the planet Kerishian Seven-Alpha for nigh on five centuries. 500 years of new Astartes, new warriors to prosecute the enemies of the Emperor. When we found what the Seventh Ethnarch of Quiescence had wrought with his gene heretics, we fell from the sky as vengeance defined, our need to secure our future fuelling our hate. Had we known the great terror and shame that would be brought to our Chapter's name, we would have burned Kerishian Seven-Alpha from the sky'

Veteran Sergeant Enric Seleton, Third Company, Crimson Shrikes Adeptus Astartes.

Squad Sahrael complete. Nerd League results.

Well, this has taken about a month longer than I hoped or cared for, but finally, Squad Sahrael of the Sixth Company is finished after I tidy the bases!  Nothing else to add, except I won't be painting any Tactical marines for a while (I wish, I have at least two more squads I need to do), In the background you can see that my Deathwing squad have had their Seraphim Sepia wash and are just drying.

The Nerd League results for this week were...interesting. I played Danny's Tau/Space Wolves list, and let's just say it didn't go to plan. I was very conservative with my deployment, and suffered at the hands of Danny's Crisis Suits. Having two separate missile pods each is hideous to fight against, and he was hammering my army from turn one. By turn four I had very little left, and as such conceded. I don't think I could have done too much to change the game, maybe going second instead and being more aggressive with my Deathwing and Drop Pod deployment. But it was a fun game, and that's all that matters.

In Gandy and Pootank's game, there was a shocking win for the forces of Chaos! Gandy played much better than recently, and I think some of our advice is starting to sink in. It also probably helped that one of his champions managed to roll up Dark Apotheosis and turned into a Daemon Prince! Gandy's was obviously delighted with this game, and as I'm facing him next week it should be a good game all round.

Grey Knight list and Honoured Imperium

I painted this during the Bank Holiday weekend just gone. Weather was glorious, and we've needed some new scenery in the Nerd Garage, so...well....here he is.

Also, I'll be running this Razorback heavy Grey Knight list tomorrow in our break between Nerd Leagues. It's quite a 5th ed list, but hopefully it'll come good. Any thoughts? I'm sure the main thing I'd change is swapping the Purgation Squad for another Psyfleman, but that's the only thing...

1500 Pts - Grey Knights Roster

HQ: Inquisitor Coteaz (1#, 100 pts)

   1 Inquisitor Coteaz, 100 pts ((C:GK, pg. 45); Infantry (Character); Assault Grenades; Krak Grenades; Psyk-out Grenades; Artificer Armour; Psyber-Eagle; Bolt Pistol; Master-crafted Nemesis Daemonhammer; I've Been Expecting You; Independent Character; Psyker (Mastery Level 2); Spy Network; Stubborn; Warlord; 6E Psychic Disciplines: ; Divination; Pyromancy; Telekinesis)

HQ: Ordo Xenos Inquisitor (1#, 88 pts)

   1 Ordo Xenos Inquisitor, 88 pts ((C:GK, pg. 44); Infantry (Character); Assault Grenades; Krak Grenades; Psyk-out Grenades; Psychotroke Grenades; Ulumeathi Plasma Syphon; Power Armour; Bolt Pistol; Chainsword; Independent Character; Psyker (Mastery 1); Stubborn; Upgrade to Psyker)

Troops: Grey Knight Strike Squad (11#, 290 pts)

   1 Grey Knight Strike Squad, 290 pts ((C:GK, pg. 28); Infantry; Psybolt Ammunition; And They Shall Know No Fear; Brotherhood of Psykers; Combat Squads; Deep Strike; Preferred Enemy (Daemons); The Aegis; Hammerhand; Warp Quake)

      1 Justicar (Assault Grenades; Krak Grenades; Psyk-out Grenades; Power Armour; Nemesis Force Sword; Storm Bolter)

      1 Grey Knight (Assault Grenades; Krak Grenades; Psyk-out Grenades; Power Armour; Storm Bolter; Nemesis Daemonhammer)

      1 Grey Knight (Assault Grenades; Krak Grenades; Psyk-out Grenades; Power Armour; Psycannon)

      1 Grey Knight (Assault Grenades; Krak Grenades; Psyk-out Grenades; Power Armour; Psycannon)

      1 Grey Knight (Assault Grenades; Krak Grenades; Psyk-out Grenades; Power Armour; Nemesis Force Sword; Storm Bolter)

      1 Grey Knight (Assault Grenades; Krak Grenades; Psyk-out Grenades; Power Armour; Nemesis Force Sword; Storm Bolter)

      1 Grey Knight (Assault Grenades; Krak Grenades; Psyk-out Grenades; Power Armour; Nemesis Force Sword; Storm Bolter)

      1 Grey Knight (Assault Grenades; Krak Grenades; Psyk-out Grenades; Power Armour; Nemesis Force Sword; Storm Bolter)

      1 Grey Knight (Assault Grenades; Krak Grenades; Psyk-out Grenades; Power Armour; Nemesis Force Sword; Storm Bolter)

      1 Grey Knight (Assault Grenades; Krak Grenades; Psyk-out Grenades; Power Armour; Nemesis Force Sword; Storm Bolter)

      1 Rhino ((C:GK, pg. 33); Vehicle (Transport, Tank); 10 model capacity; Smoke Launchers; Storm Bolter; Psychic Pilot; Repair; The Aegis; Fortitude)

Troops: Grey Knight Strike Squad (6#, 171 pts)

   1 Grey Knight Strike Squad, 171 pts ((C:GK, pg. 28); Infantry; And They Shall Know No Fear; Brotherhood of Psykers; Combat Squads; Deep Strike; Preferred Enemy (Daemons); The Aegis; Hammerhand; Warp Quake)

      1 Justicar (Assault Grenades; Krak Grenades; Psyk-out Grenades; Power Armour; Nemesis Force Sword; Storm Bolter)

      1 Grey Knight (Assault Grenades; Krak Grenades; Psyk-out Grenades; Power Armour; Storm Bolter; Nemesis Daemonhammer)

      1 Grey Knight (Assault Grenades; Krak Grenades; Psyk-out Grenades; Power Armour; Nemesis Force Sword; Storm Bolter)

      1 Grey Knight (Assault Grenades; Krak Grenades; Psyk-out Grenades; Power Armour; Psycannon)

      1 Grey Knight (Assault Grenades; Krak Grenades; Psyk-out Grenades; Power Armour; Nemesis Force Sword; Storm Bolter)

      1 Razorback ((C:GK, pg. 33); Vehicle (Transport, Tank); 6 model capacity; Smoke Launchers; Psybolt Ammunition; Searchlight; Twin-Linked Heavy Bolter; Psychic Pilot; The Aegis; Fortitude)

Troops: Grey Knight Strike Squad (6#, 171 pts)

   1 Grey Knight Strike Squad, 171 pts ((C:GK, pg. 28); Infantry; And They Shall Know No Fear; Brotherhood of Psykers; Combat Squads; Deep Strike; Preferred Enemy (Daemons); The Aegis; Hammerhand; Warp Quake)

      1 Justicar (Assault Grenades; Krak Grenades; Psyk-out Grenades; Power Armour; Nemesis Force Sword; Storm Bolter)

      1 Grey Knight (Assault Grenades; Krak Grenades; Psyk-out Grenades; Power Armour; Storm Bolter; Nemesis Daemonhammer)

      1 Grey Knight (Assault Grenades; Krak Grenades; Psyk-out Grenades; Power Armour; Nemesis Force Sword; Storm Bolter)

      1 Grey Knight (Assault Grenades; Krak Grenades; Psyk-out Grenades; Power Armour; Psycannon)

      1 Grey Knight (Assault Grenades; Krak Grenades; Psyk-out Grenades; Power Armour; Nemesis Force Sword; Storm Bolter)

      1 Razorback ((C:GK, pg. 33); Vehicle (Transport, Tank); 6 model capacity; Smoke Launchers; Psybolt Ammunition; Searchlight; Twin-Linked Heavy Bolter; Psychic Pilot; The Aegis; Fortitude)

Troops: Grey Knight Strike Squad (6#, 171 pts)

   1 Grey Knight Strike Squad, 171 pts ((C:GK, pg. 28); Infantry; And They Shall Know No Fear; Brotherhood of Psykers; Combat Squads; Deep Strike; Preferred Enemy (Daemons); The Aegis; Hammerhand; Warp Quake)

      1 Justicar (Assault Grenades; Krak Grenades; Psyk-out Grenades; Power Armour; Nemesis Force Sword; Storm Bolter)

      1 Grey Knight (Assault Grenades; Krak Grenades; Psyk-out Grenades; Power Armour; Storm Bolter; Nemesis Daemonhammer)

      1 Grey Knight (Assault Grenades; Krak Grenades; Psyk-out Grenades; Power Armour; Psycannon)

      1 Grey Knight (Assault Grenades; Krak Grenades; Psyk-out Grenades; Power Armour; Nemesis Force Sword; Storm Bolter)

      1 Grey Knight (Assault Grenades; Krak Grenades; Psyk-out Grenades; Power Armour; Nemesis Force Sword; Storm Bolter)

      1 Razorback ((C:GK, pg. 33); Vehicle (Transport, Tank); 6 model capacity; Smoke Launchers; Psybolt Ammunition; Searchlight; Twin-Linked Heavy Bolter; Psychic Pilot; The Aegis; Fortitude)

Heavy Support: Purgation Squad (6#, 236 pts)

   1 Purgation Squad, 236 pts ((C:GK, pg. 29); Infantry; And They Shall Know No Fear; Brotherhood of Psykers; Combat Squads; Preferred Enemy (Daemons); The Aegis; Astral Aim; Hammerhand)

      1 Justicar (Assault Grenades; Krak Grenades; Psyk-out Grenades; Power Armour; Storm Bolter; Nemesis Daemonhammer)

      1 Grey Knight (Assault Grenades; Krak Grenades; Psyk-out Grenades; Power Armour; Psycannon)

      1 Grey Knight (Assault Grenades; Krak Grenades; Psyk-out Grenades; Power Armour; Psycannon)

      1 Grey Knight (Assault Grenades; Krak Grenades; Psyk-out Grenades; Power Armour; Psycannon)

      1 Grey Knight (Assault Grenades; Krak Grenades; Psyk-out Grenades; Power Armour; Psycannon)

      1 Razorback ((C:GK, pg. 33); Vehicle (Transport, Tank); 6 model capacity; Smoke Launchers; Psybolt Ammunition; Searchlight; Twin-Linked Heavy Bolter; Psychic Pilot; The Aegis; Fortitude)

Heavy Support: Dreadnought (1#, 136 pts)

   1 Dreadnought, 136 pts ((C:GK, pg. 35); Vehicle (Walker); Smoke Launchers; Psybolt Ammunition; Searchlight; Twin-Linked Autocannon; Twin-Linked Autocannon; Preferred Enemy (Daemons); Psychic Pilot; Reinforced Aegis; The Aegis; Fortitude)

Heavy Support: Dreadnought (1#, 136 pts)

   1 Dreadnought, 136 pts ((C:GK, pg. 35); Vehicle (Walker); Smoke Launchers; Psybolt Ammunition; Searchlight; Twin-Linked Autocannon; Twin-Linked Autocannon; Preferred Enemy (Daemons); Psychic Pilot; Reinforced Aegis; The Aegis; Fortitude)

Nerd League final results and a Necron army list (!)

The final games of the Nerd League were played this week. I took on Pootank's Space Wolves in what can only be described as one of the oddest games I've ever played. It consisted of me walking towards two units of Long Fangs while they poured fire onto my units. My poor rolls to hit and wound, and Pootank's ability to roll all his saves were a nightmare for me until I started (on turn 3 of 5) to actually kill some of his Marines. At this point the rest of his army came out to play. The highlight for me was when my Deathwing Knights absolutely battered his unit of 5 Thunderwolves in one round of combat. I really adore Smite mode! However, we tallied it up and at the end of my turn 5 there was no way I could stop his units taking the objectives, leading to my first loss in the league. I'm not sure there was much I could have done different, and as I guessed it turned out to be tough.

In Danny and Gandy's game, the Tau cut their way through Gandy's CSM army. Gandy realised that his list was sub par at the start of the League, and tried to compensate by playing aggressively. However, he just wasn't able to compete. 

So, at the end, both myself, Danny and Pootank had two wins each, meaning it was a three way tie! It just goes to show that we are all starting to create lists that can take everything on, and Gandy, after some help, is starting to pick up what makes a list decent. The next round promises to be brutal, and I'll be rolling out my new mixed wing list. I'm looking forward to seeing what lists the guys come up with as well...

Finally, I've been messing around with lists for my Necrons. I wanted an incentive to get them rebuilt and ready to go, and was struggling to come up with a list I found fun. I think Necrons are a bit of a funny army to list build with, and if you aren't using Scythes as your transports then they aren't quite the threat people make them out to be. In my group we've not really started with using flyers yet, so taking an air force isn't an option for me if I want to keep playing games. So, with this in mind, I created this list. It's very AV13 heavy, and with 36 Necrons being supported by both Rez Orbs and Ghost Arks should be a tough cookie to crack. I also threw in Zahndrekh as he can buff my units, debuff enemy units and also is quite cheap for his wargear loadout. He's a bit of a bargain imo!

1500 Pts - Necrons Roster

HQ: Nemesor Zahndrekh (1#, 185 pts)

   1 Nemesor Zahndrekh, 185 pts ((C:NE, pg. 60); Infantry; Staff of Light; Phase Shifter; Resurrection Orb; Sempiternal Weave; Adaptive Tactics; Counter Tactics; Ever-Living; Independent Character; Phased Reinforcements; Reanimation Protocols; Warlord)

: Royal Court (4#, 180 pts)

   1 Royal Court, 180 pts

      1 Harbinger of Destruction ((C:NE, pg. 32); Infantry; Harbinger of Destruction; Eldritch Lance; Ever-Living; Reanimation Protocols)

      1 Harbinger of Destruction ((C:NE, pg. 32); Infantry; Harbinger of Destruction; Eldritch Lance; Ever-Living; Reanimation Protocols)

      1 Harbinger of Destruction ((C:NE, pg. 32); Infantry; Harbinger of Destruction; Eldritch Lance; Ever-Living; Reanimation Protocols)

      1 Lord ((C:NE, pg. 30); Infantry; Warscythe; Resurrection Orb; Ever-Living; Reanimation Protocols)

Elite: Triarch Stalker (1#, 165 pts)

   1 Triarch Stalker, 165 pts ((C:NE, pg. 39); TL Heavy Gauss Cannon; Quantum Shielding; Living Metal; Move Through Cover; Targeting Relay; Vehicle (Open-topped, Walker))

Troops: Warriors (20#, 260 pts)

   20 Warriors, 260 pts ((C:NE, pg. 33); Infantry; Gauss Flayer; Reanimation Protocols)

Troops: Warriors (9#, 219 pts)

   8 Warriors, 219 pts ((C:NE, pg. 33); Infantry; Gauss Flayer; Reanimation Protocols)

      1 Ghost Ark ((C:NE, pg. 53); Gauss Flayer Array (each side); Quantum Shielding; Living Metal; Repair Barge; Jink; Vehicle (Open-topped, Skimmer))

Troops: Warriors (9#, 219 pts)

   8 Warriors, 219 pts ((C:NE, pg. 33); Infantry; Gauss Flayer; Reanimation Protocols)

      1 Ghost Ark ((C:NE, pg. 53); Gauss Flayer Array (each side); Quantum Shielding; Living Metal; Repair Barge; Jink; Vehicle (Open-topped, Skimmer))

Heavy Support: Annihilation Barge (1#, 90 pts)

   1 Annihilation Barge, 90 pts ((C:NE, pg. 49); TL Tesla Destructor; Gauss Cannon; Quantum Shielding; Living Metal; Jink; Vehicle (Open-topped, Skimmer))

Heavy Support: Annihilation Barge (1#, 90 pts)

   1 Annihilation Barge, 90 pts ((C:NE, pg. 49); TL Tesla Destructor; Gauss Cannon; Quantum Shielding; Living Metal; Jink; Vehicle (Open-topped, Skimmer))

Heavy Support: Annihilation Barge (1#, 90 pts)

   1 Annihilation Barge, 90 pts ((C:NE, pg. 49); TL Tesla Destructor; Gauss Cannon; Quantum Shielding; Living Metal; Jink; Vehicle (Open-topped, Skimmer))

Nerd League Round 2 results, and more WIP pics

We played round two of the Nerd League this week, and I was up against Gandy and his Chaos Marine list. He was roundly tabled in his first game against Pootank, and was looking to get back into the running. He set up first, and then, for the second game in a row, I promptly stole the initiative. This set the tone for the game, where my luck was beyond belief. I blew up a Maulerfiend in close combat with a Tactical Squad using kraks before it even swung! The game was a complete murderfest, and by the end of my turn 4 Gandy had 6 marines and a Rhino on the table, at which point he conceded. So I've now gone two for two! Pretty hapy with that, especially as I've taken a list I wouldn't begin to call optimised. I think my success has come from two factors, the cautious deep strikes of my Deathwing, which I've been using to make sure I get my twin linking and ensure optimal Standard of Devastation deployment, and the aforementioned banner. It's been an absolute beast, and the amount of bolter shots you can throw out are obscene. Couple that with a Librarian using the Divination table and you have a solid base to an army that can take out most threats.

In the other game, Danny and Pootank went toe to toe. The game was back and forth, and both sides could have won at any point. In the end, Pootank had about 8 Space Wolves left on the table, meaning Danny took the game. However when we totaled the scores, there was two points in it, which is due to Pootank sticking to taking objectives, which when you're playing can sometimes be easily forgotten in the rush of playing.

So next week is the deciding week. I have a strong advantage having not lost a game yet, but there's all to play for, and I'll be having a very tough game against Pootank. 

And finally, I did some more work on Sahrael. I really need to get my act together and get these finished. I only need to do the Warpstone Glow highlight on the armour and then it'll be time for the details. Really gonna pull my finger out and see if next week can see these marines done and dusted!

Librarian Conversions, a new list and Nerd League game one results

I've been building a variety of Librarians recently. I had to build one for my Nerd League list as I don't like the standard Terminator Libby, and wanted to give him a Deathwing twist. With a bit of converting, and the use of a Nemesis Force Staff, I ended up with the below...

I've got lucky with the pose, as I feel it makes him look like a guardian of secrets. Which is kind of convenient really! 

I also decided it was high time to build a Libby on a bike, as I have a few ideas for Ravenwing based lists, and a biker Librarian is always useful. He also allows access to Ravenwing Command Squads, and that in turn leads to the Standard of Devastation...

You see where this is going right?

We played the first round of the new Nerd League this week, and with the roll offs, I ended up facing Danny's Tau/Space Wolf list. I took a shoeing last week with my Grey Knight list, and with Danny taking the same list, I was concerned that I would struggle. The game was fast and furious, with high volumes of fire coming from both sides. My Deathwing Standard Bearer alone took over 40 shots in turn two on his own! However, in the end the combined might of the 1st, 2nd and 6th companies were too much for the Tau, leaving me with a 12-7 win! It was nice to take vengeance against the blue skinned xeno, and both myself and Danny agreed it had been a cracking game. In Pootank and Gandy's game, the Space Wolves of Pootank* were too ferocious for Gandy's Chaos to overcome, and Gandy suffered a 11-3 loss. It was a rough game for Gandy, and his luck just wasn't there. For the next game Danny will be taking on Pootank whilst I'll be playing Gandy. I'm sure that I will have a hard challenge ahead!

And finally...I've been making lists with Ravenwing Command Squads to take advantage of both the new FAQ ruling, and the usefulness of the Standard of Devastation. With a quiet day at work, and a lot of hard decisions, I've come up with the below. Thoughts and comments are always welcome!

1500 Pts - Dark Angels Roster

HQ: Librarian (1#, 120 pts)

Auspex, Power Field Generator, Bike

Ravenwing Command Squad (5# 245 pts)

Standard of Devastation, Ravenwing Grenade Launcher

Elite: Deathwing Terminator Squad (5#, 250 pts)

Thunder Hammer & Storm Shield x1, Cyclone Missile Launcher

Troops: Tactical Squad (11#, 205 pts)

Plasma gun, Plasma Cannon, Drop Pod

Troops: Tactical Squad (10#, 170 pts)

Plasma gun, Plasma Cannon

Troops: Tactical Squad (10#, 170 pts)

Plasma gun, Plasma Cannon

Fast Attack: Ravenwing Attack Squadron (6#, 181 pts)

Meltagun x2

Heavy Support: Devastator Squad (5#, 135 pts)

Missile Launcher x3,Lascannon x1 

Total - 1496

*I may have said before that Pootank would be taking a Tyranid list. However, he felt that it was time his fledgling Space Wolf army got an outing. An outing with five Thunderwolves (!). Pretty sure this is gonna be the winning list, but hopefully I can ride my luck...

The Dark Angels FAQ

The first proper FAQ for the Dark Angels Codex went live yesterday. It's got some awesome errata, and some...interesting ones...

Let's break it down. 

Courage of the Lion now only applies to Leadership tests for morale. Nothing more to say.

Stasis Anomalies and Vast Stasis Anomalies don't stack together. I guess this was a big issue? Not having used a Dark Talon I can't say I ever thought about it.

Power Field Generators - If the bearer is embarked upon a Transport vehicle, the

powerfield’s effects only apply to models embarked upon that

vehicle” - This always seemed likely to me, however I would have thought they would have let the vehicle itself have the PFG's save. Seems like GW have broken their own rules on area effects when boarded on vehicles, but as I haven't really dived into the world of PFG's it's not something I'll miss.

Asmodai finally gets a bolt pistol. Really not ever going to make me take him, but at least he can use more than harsh language at range now.

Deathwing Command Squad options are now clarified. Don't think anyone thought these would work any other way, but now you know an apothecary can't get a 3++

Ravenwing Command Squads - Well, this is the biggie here. An extra two Black Knights at 40 pts each!! this means that you can have a few bikes drop before your Standard of Devastation gets killed. Really don't see how anyone would consider taking other command squads now. 295 pts gets you 4 Knights, an Apothecary and the SoD. A little expensive maybe, but you have a banner that can be put where you need it, multiple saves and FNP, and can be used to redeploy and Plasma Talon anything that threatens your gunline. To me that's an autopick in most lists in place of any Black Knights if you have any characters on a bike or Sammael.

Deathwing Sargeants cannot now replace their initial loadout. Erm, why? Not sure what the purpose of this is, as they were hardly overpowered by taking a TH/SS, and I'm sure most players have one or two Sarges with that or LC's. Odd, odd, odd, and probably soon to be altered

Deathwing Assault units do now count towards your 50% reserves. Guess all Deathwing armies were battering someone at GW HQ! But in all seriousness, I think anyone looking for another ruling was kinda pushing it. Shame, but them's the breaks.

Finally, a clarification on what counts as a bolter for the SoD effect. I would say this was fairly simple, but I've seen at least one forum post where they tried to claim that any gun listed under the 'Bolter' section in the Rulebook counted. This is probably going to convince me to bust out the old Land Raider Crusader I have stashed somewhere, so that's good :P

So, some good, some not so hot. It's not exactly the end of days that some on the internet are claiming, probably due to the PFG ruling, but seeing how many you can fit in an army it was always going to happen. I can safely say that the Ravenwing Command boost makes me want to buy another Black Knight box, so I guess that's a win from GW's perspective. Yay for painting more Black Knights!

Squad Sahrael of the Sixth. Brother Knight Aneases walks. Exitus Acta Probat. The Nerd League finishes.

So with the Black Knights finished, it's time to look at what will be next for the Dark Angels. And that, as seen below, is Tactical Squad Sahrael. This is a ten man squad with a Plasma Cannon and Plasma Gun, which I've been running with great results in my recent games. They will be a pleasant change from painting massive amounts of black, and will help get a large chunk of my army finished as well! They do have a Rhino as their transport, but I'll tackle that after I complete these guys. After these and their Rhino are doneI'll be cracking into my Darkshroud, The Lion's Shade.

The first of my two Grey Knight Dreadnoughts, Brother-Knight Aneases has been built. The Venerable Dreadnought is a great kit, and gives you lots of extra bits. However, I decided to Knight up my Dread by using bits from the Grey Knight, Grey Knight Terminator and Dreadknight kits. It's mostly purity seals and shields  but I also made sure he had an appropriate head from the Terminator kit to make him appear part of my strike force. Looking forward to getting some paint on him, and I'll be working on him at the same time as Squad Sahrael to make sure I don't get bored with either.

I remembered that I had an old, badly painted Vindicare Assassin in my bits box, and thought he could use some love. I dug him out and stripped his bad paint job using Fairy Power Spray (an absolute godsend. I use it to strip paint from any models including plastic). I'm not sure what colours to use, but am thinking that Charadon Granite would look especially good on him. He'll be useful in my Knight army to snipe out sargeants and special weapon guys from enemy squads.

As a side note I remember buying this model at Games Day...1997! It's been that long!

And finally, we played the final round of the Nerd League this week. A tough game for me against Poot's Tyranids. It was back and forth all game, and I had to actually think while playing (as anyone who knows me will know, I tend to move first, think later). However, my firepower started to take its toll, and Poot struggled to throw the numbers he needed at me. I focused on his Tervigons, killing two out of three, leading to hordes of Termigants being removed from the table in the process. After five hard fought, tense turns, the game ended with a convincing 19-12 win to me, meaning I won the league without a loss! This was a surprise to me as in the previous League I had come stone cold last, but it shows that by learning both your army, and creating an effective, balanced list, anyone can do much better in their gaming. 

This means that we're not going to be playing the Nerd League for a couple of weeks to give ourselves time to recoup, play some fun games and then start list building for the next League. However, I'll be trying my Standard of Devastation list and seeing how that copes. With any luck my Angels can defend their streak and bring honour to the Lion. Failing that, the Deathwing can catch some Fallen from Gandy. Hopefully Danny will have his new Tau ready by that time, throwing in a new and dangerous army as well.

The 4th Brotherhood. Nerd League Round Two.

Been a while! I didn't really get much chance to get any modelling/painting done over the last few weeks, due to staying at the GF's house for a week, and then having a stag do in Bristol over the Easter weekend. However, I did get more work done on the Black Knights. Pouches, weapons and bases to go, so not too much...

I have been looking at what I need to build/paint to get my Grey Knight Brotherhood up to scratch. I have been digging through my army case, and have pulled out the following.

Castellan Crowe. He's not a massive priority, seeing as he's only in my army to unlock Purifiers as troops (Crowe tax!). However, his sword was always slightly bent, due to the joys of Finecast, and eventually snapped. Which would have been fine if I hadn't painted him already...! So, new sword time. I'm going to cut off the remains of the sword and look to either use a standard Nemesis Force Sword, or try and look for a suitably Chaotic replacement.

Strike Squad Dumias. These guys used to be Interceptors, but I realised I had a lack of basic power armoured Knights in any army I ran. So off came the vanes. These guys are what I consider a standard loadout for GK's - a five man unit with a Daemon Hammer and Psycannon, mounted in a Psyback with Heavy Bolter. For under 170 pts you get a unit that can pump out shots and present a strong threat. I have ordered a box of Grey Knights and will mix them with the models from this squad to give me two of these units. I also have a Razorback on order.

Grand Master Larandis. Standard Kaldor Draigo conversion. He does need a Force Halberd though, as the sword is a throwback to 5th Edition when combat was a lot more dangerous, and a 3++ save was the bomb. Nowadays, especially with challenges, being able to kill your opponent before they strike is much more important, and I7 is going to give me that option.

Librarian Hyperion. The name is a reference to The Emperor's Gift by Aaron Dembski-Bowden, which I cannot recommend highly enough. It really shows what happens to the Imperium after a massive battle, and the results are not pretty. He needs a storm bolter strapped to his wrist, but I'm not sure what Nemesis weapon to give him in his right hand. I really want him to avoid combat, but need to keep him ticking if he gets there somehow. Ideas?

A Dreadknight to be built. This guy will have a Heavy Incinerator , as he will be able to flush out models behind cover using torrent and then beat them in the face. Plus, it's always been a cool model. Always.

     

And I think you can guess what these are for. They're ordered and waiting for their new arms :P

Round Two of the Nerd League was played last night. Gandy and myself went head to head in an extremely tight game. Poor rolling from myself lead to me having a 5-0 deficit by the end of turn two. However, Sammael did what he does best, absolutely turning the tide of battle. On his own he killed two units of Chaos Marines, a unit of Havocs and took out Gandy's Warlord in combat, scoring three points for this one act alone. In the end the Dark Angels were too much for the forces of the Alpha Legion, leaving me with a 12-7 victory. Two for two, which is about the best run I've ever had :P In Danny and Pootank' game the Tyranid hordes were voracious in exterminating Marines, setting the stage nicely for next week's game to be a decider between Pootank and me. It will be a hotly contested, exciting game, with all to play for!

Also, a promise. The next post will have my finished Black Knights, even if I have to press gang people into helping me finish them!

Standard of Devastation 1500 pt list

Something I just came up with...what are your thoughts on this list?

1500 Pts - Dark Angels Roster


HQ: Azrael (215 pts)

Command Squad (270 pts)
4 Command Squad, Plasma gun, Apothecary, Standard of Devastation, Razorback -  Lascannon and TL Plasma gun

Troops: Deathwing Terminator Squad (240 pts)
Thunder Hammer & Storm Shield, Plasma Cannon

Troops: Ravenwing Attack Squadron (100 pts)
Meltagun x2


Troops: Ravenwing Attack Squadron (100 pts)
Meltagun x2


Troops: Tactical Squad (215 pts)
Plasma gun, Plasma Cannon, Rhino


Troops: Tactical Squad (215 pts)
Plasma gun, Plasma Cannon, Rhino


Heavy Support: Devastator Squad (140 pts)
Missile Launcher x 2, Lascannon x2

The Tomb Awakens. The Gift of the Emperor.

I've recently been looking at the armies I have unfinished sitting in boxes, and after some discussion I have decided to pick two of them back up and complete what I started. So, in addition to the Dark Angels I've been blogging about, I will soon be adding posts about my Necrons and Grey Knights. Both of these armies are at vastly different stages.

Necrons

Oh dear, where to start with these guys? They were built pretty rapidly to get gaming with them ASAP, and due to some shoddy gluing and spindly joints, the vast majority are now in pieces. I have been working on them slowly to get them pinned and rebuilt, but it has taken time and dedication. I'm currently still putting pins in place, and will hopefully be starting to get these guys put back together soon. I still have a few models to build to get the army to a decent 1500 pt level, and from there will start to look at ways to build on the core list. I have painted a few models, but I'm not too sold on the colour scheme and will probably look at some colour theory to find my new scheme.

Grey Knights

These are looking a lot healthier. The vast majority of the army is painted, excluding tanks. However, due to a change in the way I run and play with them, I will need to paint some Psyflemen Dreads, at least one Dreadknight and some extra Razorbacks. I'm going to be painting some more Strike Squads and adding details to the current tanks, as they're just boring silver boxes, using spare tilt shields and adding colours. I've added some pictures to show how these are looking so far.

So, what does this all mean? Well hopefully I will be able to start breaking up the posts on here so that it's not all Dark Angels, which will mean a nice variety of stuff to check out and keep an eye on. I can also start to log my progress with the Necrons, which will push me to finish fixing the suckers and get them built finally so I can have a non-Marine army. I'd also like to add modelling and painting advice so that will give me a perfect opportunity to throw in some posts about that side of the hobby.

Now, this doesn't mean I won't be pushing to get my Angels finished up, as these guys are my number one priority. But it does mean I shouldn't suffer green and black burnout, which I think is important! I'm also going to have a decent clearout of models and bits to ensure that nothing distracts me from finishing these three armies this year, or at least getting them to a decent painted standard. There will be one offs that catch my eye, and to avoid working on the same things over and over though, so keep your eyes open for those as they will be eclectic and not fit in anywhere else.  

That's the plan anyways. Luckily I have a supportive gaming group, and a girlfriend who knows how to make me focus on these sorts of things! After a small initial outlay this should save me money too as I will only need the odd bit from GW (barring treats and list revisions).

Lastly(!), please take five minutes to have a look at my friend Danny Kastigaunt's blog, Hand Of Junk on the sidebar. It's a damn good read and convinced me to start my blog. He covers a wide range of topics with regards to his Salamanders army, and has a slight obsession with Rogue Trader era models. His tutorials are fantastic too, and well worth a read! Get to it, and tell him I said hi! 

Squad Numiah finished, Nerd League round one, and The Red Murder

Squad Numiah is now finished! I'm really happy with how they've come out, but I decided in the end to leave the wings as my freehand is not up to scratch. Little bit disappointed with that, but I think you have to know when it's time to stop painting a model and walk away...

Pics

Next up for the Dark Angels is completing the last three Black Knights, and then either my second Ravenwing Attack Squad or a complete tactical squad. Just have to see what I feel like!

We started our Nerd League this week, and I was drawn to play against Danny's Salamanders. His list consisted of 40 footslogging marines, two Preds, two Rifleman Dreads and five Hammernators. That's a lot of 3+ to put down! However, Danny went melta heavy without taking Vulkan, which could have made the army absolutely awful to deal with.  The game was close throughout, but really did come down to the last dice roll of the game...which left me with a 12 - 10 win! I was happy with my performance, but in hindsight I was very aggressive with my Ravenwing, and really should have let Danny come to me and reacted as I had the speed and maneuverability to attack weak points. But a win is a win! In the other game Pootank had much better luck this week against Gandy, and produced a wave of Termagants that Gandy just couldn't compete with. I know the general internet consensus is that Tyranids are underpowered, but in all the games I've seen with them they always do well...maybe the Internet underestimates a good Tyranid general? (I know, the Internet getting something wrong?!?!? :P) The next set of games in two weeks will be Danny vs Pootank, and myself vs Gandy, which I'm looking forward to to help Gandy with some of the tactics and complexities...I dislike winning just because someone hasn't played as much!

Finally, as I have felt the need to paint something for fun, I have felt the call of the Blood God! I have been reading Betrayer by Aaron Dembski-Bowden, which is a fantastic read, and have started to fall in love with the World Eaters. I feel that Khorne Berzerkers aren't just blood crazed, but save their notorious rage for when it is needed. More of a needle than a blunt hammer! So, I have decided to paint a test piece to see if I can be inspired to start an army of Angron's finest. I present to you Kalak Scraan, The Red Murder.

 This was the best model release of the recent Chaos Marine update in my opinion, and is just a beautiful model. I want to try my method of painting red that I have been using on my Dark Angels on a whole model, and hopefully can do this guy justice.

Squad Numiah WIP 2! Rumblings in the Nerd Garage!

These guys are at about 80% now. I need to finish the weapon casings,, complete the wings (ugh) and then base, so, time permitting, they should be done by Wednesday (he says)!

It's nice to get near to the end of my first Greenwing unit, although having looked closer, it appears they aren't quite the same shade of green. I have been looking at them under terrible light though, and to compensate I have given the darker Marines an extra layer of highlight, which has helped to tie them together. They look fine for tabletop though, and I doubt you'd notice if you're just having a quick nose!

The Nerd Garage is rumbling with the sounds of war. Mighty armies clash in the heat of conflict. Ancient scores will be settled, and new rivalries will emerge. But in the End Times of the 41st Millennium, there can only be one victor...

At which point you're bound to be asking what I'm waffling on about!? I'm pleased to announce that we will be running our 40k League once again in the Nerd Garage. Danny is using Salamanders, Gandy's using his Chaos Marines, I will obviously be rocking the Dark Angels and Pootank is going with Tyranids. This means there should be a challenge every round, and the lists we will be running will have to deal with a variety of foes. I'm sticking with my list, as I need to get a feel for it more, and I hope to get the rest of them up soon. Hopefully I will have a better showing then last year, where I struggled to win any games and had terrible luck. Time will tell, but I feel confident and have a much more flexible list than the Grey Knight list I used last year (no weapons over 24"! I know, what was I thinking?). I'm especially looking forward to my games with Gandy as not only will they be tough games, but I can redeem the honour of the First Legion by capturing the Fallen!

Squad Numiah WIP + The assault of the Great Devourer.

I have been steadily painting away at Squad Numiah, mostly focusing on the robes. These are coming out really well IMO and hopefully they look like thick cloth. I have also found a nice simple green scheme that is quite easy to crank out, looks dark and means all the marines are roughly the same shade. The only issue I have had is with the robed marines, as I tend to paint the robes first, and this means taking my time with painting on the green around the robes. I'm a messy painter at the best of times, so you can imagine this isn't fun for me having to go slowly :P

Getting there though!

Also, I had a game yesterday against Pootank and his Tyranids. I have a mortal fear of Nids, due to how much the big bugs tend to give me issues. However, the game was very, very close, and ended as a 10 -10 draw! I'd like to think this is due to my superior skills, but probably is due to Pootank's bad dice rolls that saw two of his three Tervigons run out of Gants in turn one to start, and only got worse from there. Was a good chance to run my list against the kind of lists that I thought might give me trouble, and for my first game I was happy. I do need to remember that I can't assault from a Scout move on turn one though...

Tactica Black Knights

I want to try and start giving advice on units within the Dark Angels codex. This won't be a regular thing, but I thought it would be good to break the painting side of it, and to help people who are a little stuck on how to use units.

Disclaimer
I'm not the best player. I have a horrible W/L record. These kinds of posts are my opinion only, and should not be taken as game winning advice.

So, with that out of the way, let's get it on! And to start, I'm going to advise on one of my favourite new units from the Codex - Ravenwing Black Knights.

Ravenwing Black Knights are the elite of the Ravenwing Comapny. Clocking in at 42 points a model, they come with Skilled Rider, Hit and Run, Grim Resolve and Scouts. They are also armed with Plasma Talons and Corvus Hammers as standard.

Plasma Talons are a shorter ranged twin linked plasma gun. This on its own is a sound gun to have, but put onto a bike unit gives you a 30" range for putting plasma wounds onto a target. Getting better right? One in three bikes can swap their Talon for a Ravenwing Grenade Launcher. This little gem can fire frag and krak grenades (never a bad thing), stasis grenades (useful for making elite assualt units less deadly to attack in HTH) or rad grenades (this is my personal favourite, knocking all models uner its blast's toughness down by one. This does affect ID thresholds, meaning T4 models can be ID'd by the Talons. Use this on Obliterators or Paladins and laugh)

Corvus Hammers are a +1 strength, rending CCW. These are very useful for mopping up elite units after blasting them with Talons, or, as each RBK has 4 attacks on the charge, for shredding horde infantry. The Huntsmaster also has the option of a power weapon, which if you do choose it, should be a power lance to take advantage of your ability to choose your charges due to your maneuverability. If you get stuck in a combat, or need a little extra oomph to break that tough unit, then Hit and Run is a great option. Just remember, never , never, NEVER use it in your turn, otherwise you will be in for a world of hurt.

If you do take Black Knights, a useful choice to choose alongside them is a Darkshroud. This, combined with your Skilled Rider will give your Knights a 3+ cover save. Turbo boosting gives you a 2+! Of course this will depend on your army composition, but if you are going Ravenwing heavy you can't go far wrong with this mix.

I know it's not the most detailed overview, but hopefully it will help someone :)

Squad Arael rides to war! (Guest starring The Nerd Garage)

And done! Really happy with these guys. They're definitely better than just table top in my eyes, but I would say that. I thought painting Sergeant Arael would be a chore, but he was surprisingly easy to do. I just need to remember that when I paint, my models only tend to come together at the end, and that they always look a mess just before finishing.

Enough talk. Picture time!

 They look quite happy, and will be running around melta-ing the Fallen soon enough...


So now my first unit is complete, time to line up the next thing. Which is...

Three Ravenwing Black Knights! These guys are half of Squad Kushial, which is the elite part of my army. I've decided to paint these in two halves as this will mean I get less bored with painting the same thing six times over, and to reward myself for finishing my first unit. The second half will get painted after I complete something else significant (possibly either Sammael or my Darkshroud).

I say reward...I looked at these guys again yesterday and realised the amount of detail on the models. Gulp.

Also, I thought it was time I mentioned my gaming group. We usually play at my friend's garage, which we have christened The Nerd Garage, here in Coventry on Wednesdays. There's four of us in the group, Gandy, Pootank, Danny Kastigaunt and myself. It tends to be a bit of a 40K free for all, with Danny and Pootank running tournie lists against each other, while Gandy and myself like to kick back and play casually. Gandy is the newest gamer to our group, and has only just started playing 40K. He runs a Chaos list and is starting to get very good at working out threats and creating havoc. His janky dice rolling doesn't help either :P

Next week I will be running a Ravenwing/Greenwng list against Gandy, who's only gone and bought himself a Heldrake. It promises to be brutal and I will try to get the battle report up on here...if I don't lose too badly that is! (Edit - I found out that this won't be happening next week but the week after, so probably 27/02/2013. I'm really sorry about that, but as an apology here's a copy of the list I will be using and am currently painting towards


Sammael (Corvex) 200
6 Ravenwing Black Knights - 1 x Grenade Launcher - 252
10 tact - Plasmagun, Plasma Cannon, Rhino - 205
10 tact - Plasmagun, Plasma Cannon, Rhino - 205
5 tact - Lascannon - 90
5 devs - 3 x Missile Launcher, 1 x Lascannon - 135
3 x Ravenwing - 2 x melta, Combi-Melta, Attack Bike (Multi Melta) - 165
3 x Ravenwing - 2 x melta, Combi-Melta, Attack Bike (Multi Melta) - 165
Darkshroud - 80 pts

I will definitely do a battle report now to make up for the delay!)


Kobrakei