Dark Vengeance Marines WIP: Angels Sanguine Bikes II

 I have completed the Bike squadron for my Angels Sanguine. As you can see the three bikers are from the Dark Vengeance set. I have removed all the Ravenwing Iconography.  Some iconography was on either side of the front tire and on the left shoulder of each marine. The two with helmets had the ravenwing badge on their foreheads. There was also a wing sticking up in the back.

I think they turned out well, as the minis are dynamic in their poses. As usual, I free-handed the Army Badge on the left shoulder and the second company badge on the right shoulder.

I would recommend painting your base up pretty close to completion before gluing the bikes down.

As I look at the photos, I see couple areas I missed on the touch-up. I will hit those before applying the sealer.

I have another set of Dark Vengeance Marines. So, I am planning on adding three more at some point.

Next up: Angry Marine Terminators.

Dark Vengeance Marines WIP: Angels Sanguine Bikes

I am making a little progress on the Dark Vengeance Bikes. I have removed all Dark Angels Iconography, and they are joining the Angels Sanguine.

I will add them to my lone Attack Bike to make my first Angels Sanguine Bike Squad!

For the Emperor! Death to all who oppose us!

Battle Report: Blood Angels vs Blood Angels

Got a game of 40k in this morning against Hand0. We had a great game, and he came out on top. Enjoy the video.

I will add a bit of analysis later.

Battle Report: Blood Angels vs Orks 1500

I decided to run a very different list than normal. I am still trying to feel out the proper balance between shooting and assault in 6th edition. So, I built a shooting BA's army.

A couple of things that stuck out in analysis right off the bat:
1. I wasted 150 points in my Army List. I paid 250 for Mephiston to stand in one place and cast Prescience each turn. I could have instead paid 100 points for a stock Librarian to stand in one place and cast Prescience each turn.

2. The Plasma Cannon Devastators felt very expensive to me. It was painful for me to field them in the beginning. Add to this the fact that they failed morale and ran off the table after doing nothing, and I have a real bad taste in my mouth.

I don't like to stand in one place and shoot at the enemy. I far prefer closing with them into melee. However, shooting does seem to be king in 6th edition. I do not think that it is to the exclusion of melee. Nevertheless, each army needs to find the proper balance between the two, specific to race and ability, in order to be strong.


I need to conduct more research!! More games of 40k are in order!!

I would like to conclude by saying that the most important part is that fun was had by all involved. It is always a pleasure to play a game against Dark Saint.

Death Company WIP: Bolters Incoming

I do have a certain love for the Death Company. As the 6th edition Rage rules are golden, I have felt free to indulge myself a bit.

These five Death Company Marines with Holy Bolters are my most recent project. I am working on their bases now. They are magnetized to take either the jump pack or the backpack. I look forward to adding their Relentless, Rapid Fire skills to my DC.

Do you have any experience with Boltgun toting Death Company?

Lemartes in 6th Edition II

I have been extremely excited to allow my love affair with the Death Company to continue unhindered by compulsory movement. You will recall that I have been experimenting with Lemartes.

In this past week's game at the club, I continued the table-top experiment with Lemartes. I was playing against an assault dedicated Black Templar army.

I learned a couple of things:

First, my opponent's army was so dedicated to assault, that he had very short-ranged shooting. This fact in conjunction with the DC jump packs meant that I couldn't get a wound on Lemartes before the DC charged into combat. If I had hung around waiting for the wound, then I would have given the charge to the crusader squads. I did manage to get a wound on Lemartes in the first round of combat. However, it was after Lemartes' initiative step. So, his Fury Unbound rule didn't take effect until the second round of combat. It is a little less impressive on the second round. This also meant that I was having to pass wounds off on a 4+ Look Out Sir, which is slightly more dangerous than the 2+ for Independent Characters.

Second, having an AP4 Crozius is a bit detrimental against MEQ. The inability to penetrate power armor means relying exclusively on failed armor saves. This would not have been as much of an issue if I had the 8 str 8 attacks on the charge. You will recall that I was unable to get the wound on Lemartes before the charge.

So, the jury is still out on Lemartes. Is he worth his points? Should I continue to use him? What do you think? At the least, some more play-testing is in order.

Lemartes in 6th Edition

 Lemartes has always been an interesting type of beat-stick character. Throughout the years, editions, and codices, his role and particular application on the tabletop have changed. He has always been one those iconic type of awesome individuals whom everyone loves regardless of whether he ever saw play in their list.

Lemartes made his 6th edition debut in my army the other day. He was amazing. The combination of a few rules really pushed him over the top in game terms.

First, the new Rage special rule makes the Death Company extremely useful. There is no major negative which eliminates them from play. As Lemartes is an upgrade character to the Death Company, you can't take him without them.

Once you put him on the table, you have the Fury Unbound special rule to consider. After Lemartes takes his first wound, his Strength and Attacks jump to 5. So, I placed Lemartes out in front. This takes advantage of the wound allocation. I let Lemartes make saves until he took a wound. After that, I used the Look Out, Sir rule to divert any others which he failed (remember that he is not an Independent Character, so this only works on a 4+). On the following movement phase, I placed him a bit more centrally in the unit.

At that point, I had the S5 A5 base for Lemartes. As usual, he has an extra close combat weapon for an extra attack. We are up to 6. Add to this the effects of Rage, gaining +2 attacks on the charge, and we have 8 attacks. Pretty impressive.

We have more rules to add on. The new rules for his Crozius: Master Crafted Power Maul. A Power Maul is +2 to Strength. We now have a Strength 7 Lemartes with 8 Attacks on the Charge.

We have one more rule to cover: Litanies of Blood. Chaplains give Death Company models re-rolls on hits and re-rolls on wounds for the charge. As Lemartes is a Chaplain and Death Company Model, he gives himself re-rolls for hitting and wounding. So, we now have a Lemartes with 8 attacks at strength 7 with re-rolls to hit and re-rolls to wound on the charge. Pretty Impressive Indeed.

We haven't even considered the rest of the Death Company charging with him. I need to upgrade my Lemartes model.

What have your experiences with Lemartes and Death Company been in 6th edition games?

*Edit: I forgot to mention Furious Charge, which adds a further +1 to Strength on the Charge.

6th Edition: First Game Battle Report

This is a small game: 500 points. I am testing the new rules out and decided to use the Battle Force Recon mission which was designed for small battles. However, it seemed like a great size to begin my introduction to the new rules on the table.

I have videoed this battle and posted just in case there is someone out there looking for more exposure to the new rules.

So consider this my contribution to the community at large for educational purposes.

If I made any rules mistakes, please let me know about it.

I am very pleased with 6th Edition: My love affair with the Death Company can now continue unhindered by compulsory moves!

6th Edition: Death Company and Psykers

 As Rage has changed for the better, no more compulsory movement and 2 attacks added on the charge, the Death Company are back strong. However, there are a couple other changes which also affect the men in black.

Rapid Fire weapon ranges are not hindered by moving anymore. Nevertheless, the charging restriction still applies. This leads us to Relentless. The Relentless rule overcomes this restriction.

Death Company can be armed with Bolters and fire the weapons off to their hearts content at maximum range taking full advantage of the new shooting rules for Rapid Fire. After they finish all that shooting, they can charge. When you combine their base attacks with the buffed Rage attacks, they hit like a ton of bricks without having to sacrifice range on the shooting end in order to take two close combat weapons.

6th edition has given us options. Both ways of running the DC seem good right now. In the future, one of them will probably surface as optimal. However, the DC load-out must be considered in light of the rest of the army, and the role which they will be playing in the greater scheme of the army as whole.

Are you playing a defensive shooting type list? Blood Angels can do this type of list. In that type of list, DC can stand in your lines near a priority unit or objective you are holding. They can fire off those bolters and either charge the enemy before they reach the objective, or counter-charge.

Are you playing with a heavy assault element or looking for a deathstar unit. The DC are the original deathstar unit, before we were in the habit of calling them deathstars. They are the poster boys for such play style. Kit them out with 2 close combat weapons, a transport or jump packs, and watch your opponent cringe when the black power armor hits the table.

I am also pretty excited about the expansion of psychic powers. The Blood Angels codex has access to some pretty awesome librarians from different FOC slots. Combining Furioso Librarians with HQ types (or even Mephiston), we could field 5 psykers in our primary detachment alone. When you think about a second primary detachment and allies. I really need to spend some time thinking and experimenting on the table. I really feel like the psychic portion of the game could be a place where Blood Angels rise to the top of the pile.

Death Company: Vanguard Veteran Converts

 They're Back!! Like many of you, I am excited about the prospect of playing with our beloved Death Company again. They really are one of the great units of 40k. They have been loved by all since their inception. They have great fluff, and they hit like a ton of bricks.

With the removal of the movement penalty for Rage and the attack buff added to rage, the death company has shifted from a 'never take' unit to a 'must include' unit. It couldn't have happened to a nicer bunch of space marines either.

Since the days of the White Dwarf codex, I have been slowly converting all my old DC (the metal ones) into other things. I was oblivious to the possibility that something might change to make them useful again. Then 6th edition drops.

So, I have some Vanguard Vets on the work desk which I had never painted (they had 2 power swords and 3 thunder hammer/storm shields). I grabbed an arm from a AoBR Terminator out of the bits box. Sliced it up and put the power fist on this death company marine. Of course, I magnetized them for jump packs or backpacks.

I also ordered a box of the GW plastic Death Company. I have been wanting to do that for a while now.

Devastators: New Heavy Bolters Complete

 I have completed the Heavy Bolter Devastators. As you can see from the pics, a more momentous event has occurred.

I have officially completed the re-basing project. Every single model which I possessed in the previous incarnation of this Angels Sanguine Army has now been switched over from the brown sand to the urban bases.

Other news: GW sent me an email yesterday stating that my new 6th edition stuff shipped on Tuesday. I am very excited. Who knows? Maybe these Heavy Bolter marines will be useful in 6th.

Also, I downloaded and printed some templates for making pre-heresy shoulder pads for Terminators. I am preparing for a test model.

Devastators and Waiting for 6th Edition

I am finally finishing the re-basing. These are the last models which needed the urban bases.

Let me just add here that I am super excited about 6th edition coming out. Based on the rumors and info that is now being included in GW's videos, I think that the new edition is going to be the great equalizer in terms of competitive play and great great fun for the 'beer and pretzel' crowd.

Not long now, and we shall see where 40k takes us.

As I contemplate the possibility of starting another army in 6th edition, I have been researching pre-heresy conversions for terminators. What does the future hold??

Battle Report: Blood Angels vs Chaos Space Marines 2000

I had a wonderful weekend, as I managed to play 2 games of 40k. Here is the first battle report.


I have discovered one mistake by watching the video. The Obliterators assaulted in the turn that they arrived via deepstrike.

I really enjoyed a great game against a great opponent. We both had tons of fun playing.

I hope you enjoy watching.

Sanguinary Priest in Terminator Armor WIP: All but the Base

 I am nearing completion of these two Terminators. The Sanguinary Priest in Terminator Armor is finished with the exception of painting his base.

I have a few details left before I can say the same about his Thunder Hammer buddy.

Here are the pictures, and your comments are welcomed. I like these mini's, and I have enjoyed putting them together and painting them. However, I will be glad to move on to the next project.

Monday's Game at the Club

 I played in a 1500 point game against a combined force. My opponents: 750 Vanilla Space Marines and 750 Imperial Guard.

I ran the following list for fun:
-Reclusiarch in Terminator Armor
-Honor Guard with 4 Meltaguns
-Terminator Assault Squad with 4 Lightening Claws and 1 Thunder Hammer in a Land Raider Crusader (joined by the Reclusiarch).
-2x Assault Squad (5 man bare-bones)
-3x Baal Predator with Heavy Bolter Sponsons and Pintle Storm Bolter.


Mission: Capture and Control
Deployment: Dawn of War

I really had a blast playing this week against to really great sports. They are still learning the game, and I spent some time teaching throughout the game about basic game mechanics, good 40k/table top etiquette, and having a plan for the battle. All this teaching meant that we had to call the game after turn 4, as the 2 hours for the after-school club had expired.

The game ended in a draw, but I know the exact reason for this end. I was tempted into putting my Assault Marines into the assault instead of putting one unit on my objective.

The after game analysis teaches a lesson. Don't give up on your plan for any reason. I planned on fighting the battle with everything except for my Assault Marines. I reserved those Marines in order to protect them from fire and bring on later for objective grabs. However, I was having so much success in killing in the early game. When I made my reserve rolls, I dropped my Assault Marines in on the opponents side of the table to join the battle. The result: when the game was called, I controlled no objective. My opponents controlled none as a result of the killing.

Nevertheless, it was a light and fun game. As usual, I was not pressing hard because this was the teaching environment. Yet, I thought we could all learn (or be reinforced in our good practices) by a little post game analysis.

Do not give up on your plan for any reason. We would each do well to start with a plan and stick to that plan. Pay attention to the mission objectives, and work early enough to put yourself in a position to win the game.

Land Raider Crusader WIP: Free Hand Angels Wings

I Feeling a bit improved from my sickness, I set to work painting. Inspired and empowered by Ron's work on From the Warp, I planned to apply some freehand to the top of my Land Raider Crusader.

The only thing better than delivering a large and deadly unit of Assault Terminators into the heart of an opposing force is delivering a large and deadly unit of Assault Terminators into the heart of the opposing force in style.

I used the self-made transfer technique which Ron shared with us. It worked perfectly.
-I picked out some Blood Angel Iconography from the Codex.
-I drew it on a piece of paper which I had measured and cut to the exact size of the space I wanted it to appear on the tank. I also drew a mirrored image.
-I turned the paper over and shaded the back with the edge of the pencil.

-I turned the paper back over, held it in place on the tank, and traced over with a ball point pen the image which I had drawn previously.
-The pencil shading from the back of the paper transferred the image I drew onto the surface of the tank.
-All that was left was to paint it.

It worked like a charm. I decided mid project to eliminate the blood chalices from the images. So, I have to decide how to finish the images off. Nevertheless, they are off to ta great start.

Furioso Dreadnought WIP: Magnetized

 My Furioso arrived in the mail today. As I started to assemble him, I could not decide between the three variants. So, I decided to pull out the magnets. You can see in the pictures where I placed the magnets. I put one in the body, and one in each of the face plates. The arms are interchangeable as most of the dreadnought models are.

The magna-graple can also be glued together and set in on top quite securely.

Hopefully this opens the eyes of anyone else who wants to keep their options open. This particular model was very easy to magnetize. The only problem I could not resolve was how to magnetize the talons and the fists.

If you have any questions about the magnets or the tools, just ask.

Thanks for reading.

Battle Report: Blood Angels vs Imperial Guard

I have a video battle report here. I played a game against Darksaint this past Saturday. It was a really fun battle for everyone involved. I ended up with a win, but Darksaint had a wonderful time blasting my army into the stratosphere with the firepower of the Guard.

My analysis:
--Devastators are devastating!! I mean it. They proved themselves to me. They filled a definite void in my army: fire support. The redundancy of three squads made them that much more effective. If you think that Devastators don't match with a jump pack list, just try it. You'll like it. Now I have to get to work on modeling them up.

--I deployed my Assault Marines on the table, rather than reserving them for deepstrike. This worked out well. I had a giant line of sight blocker in my deployment zone. So, I went for it. I will be experimenting with this more in the future.

Vanguard Veterans WIP: Squad 2

 As it is taking so long for Mephiston and the Land Raiders to arrive, I set back to work on my second Vanguard Veteran Squad.

You can see the progress here in the pictures. I think that this model is turning out pretty good. I am pleased with the look of the pose after my converting. I had to saw off the left leg, sand down the hip to change the angle, and re-attach the leg.

I have also been working on some more terrain that I will get up on the blog in day or so. Also, I am painting a Leman Russ Battle Tank.

As always, your comments are welcome.

Angels Sanguine 1850 Points

I apologize to any who read here regularly for the long time between posting. My brother-in-law was here visiting over the last three weeks. Furthermore, I had a nightmare week of admin paperwork and the like at work.

I had a game of 40k scheduled for today. I had the camera out and was going to try making my first video battle report. The stage was set for Blood Angels versus a Slaanesh Daemon Army. However, my opponent fell ill. He went to the doctor instead of coming to play today. To my friend, Darksaint, I hope you get well soon.

I decided to post the current list that I am running along with my plans for the future.

Blood Angels 1850 points
HQ
-Lord Commander Dante
-Honor Guard- 4 Meltaguns
-Reclusiarch- Terminator Armor, Meltabombs
Elites
-Terminator Assault Squad-1 Thunder Hammer and 4 Lightning Claws
-2 Sanguinary Priests-Jump Packs, Meltabombs
Troops
-10 Assault Marines-2 Meltaguns and Powerfist
-10 Assault Marines-2 Meltaguns and Powerfist
-10 Assault Marines-2 Meltaguns and Powerweapon
Fast Attack
-Vanguard Veterans- Jump Packs, 3 Power Swords


In the future, I am planning on mixing it up a bit. I have recently ordered Mephiston and 4 Land Raiders. I intend on beefing up the Termies and putting them in a Crusader. I also have in mind to try out the Devastators with Missile Launchers in conjunction with the DoA list. Drop podding some dreadnoughts sounds like a lot of fun, too.

Ideas or suggestions? What are my fellow Blood Angels players running? Are you having any luck?