Terrain WIP: Imperial Cathedral

Last week, I put the Imperial Cathedral on the table for the first time. Afterwards, I realized that I had not posted any WIP updates for this piece of terrain.

It is a very large piece. I think it has character. Some of the younger gamers in the group have taken to calling it "Hogwart's." It was quite popular at the club.

Nevertheless, she is not complete. I plan to paint wood grain on the front door. Also, there are some great flat spaces for freehand painting. So, I am going to get all my Imperial Iconography out and pick some good stuff to paint on these 'wide-open spaces.'

Here is the first post about the Imperial Cathedral, if you are interested.

Psykers in 6th Edition

 Now that I have a few games under my belt, I must confess that I am a bit disappointed in the new psychic devastation. Perhaps I had my expectations set too high.

I really expected the powers to play a major part in the outcome of the game. I began trying to use the Telepathy powers. However, the range on them is so short that I only get to use them once or twice in the games.
That is according to my experience thus far.

I switched to biomancy and divination. Divination turned out to be pretty effective. In my game two nights back, I was giving a squad a 4++ invuln save. I also had the power to give 'to-hit re-rolls' to a unit. These powers proved to be effective in support.

Nevertheless, I expected to blast stuff off the table with psychic powers. I really think one of the major issues is random selection. I really haven't gotten used to random in place of choosing.

Random entails an inability to plan on the basis of not knowing which powers the librarian will actually have. In the end, I simply need more time playtesting to figure out which psychic discipline is the best option for my army.

Please do not think that I am complaining about 6th edition. By no means am I complaining. I am loving sixth edition. It is very fun to play. I would call it a marked improvement over 5th edition, which was a fun game to play.

Do any of you have any suggestions concerning psykers? Which powers are you using? Are they effective?

Old Apocalypse Battles: Circa 2009

I decided to post up this still shot video of an Apocalypse game that I played in a few years back. Ahhh, the nostalgia . . .

I hope you enjoy.

Magnetized Dreadnought WIP: Furioso Librarian Complete

A while back, I started working on a magnetized furioso dreadnought. I wanted to be able to run the Librarian, Death Company, and Standard variants off the same model. However, I stopped painting after the standard faceplate.

With psychic devastation in the advent of 6th edition 40k, I figured it was about time to paint up the Librarian faceplate and arm.

I included some of the earlier pics for reference.

Here is a link to the previous posts about the magnetizing this Furioso Dreadnought. 

Just scroll down, you will find three posts in addition to this one.

Terrain WIP: Imperial Bastion Scratchbuild

 With all the cool rules for terrain in the 6th edition rulebook, I had the desire to build some terrain. I thought about the fortification FOC slot, and I decided to try my hand at building a Bastion.

If the piece turns out good, then I will get into the bits box and whip up a Quad Gun to defend my army from the flyers and winged monstrous creatures.

Here are some progress pics.

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.

40k Gamer's Edition 6th Edition Arrived

I am pretty excited as I am now digesting the new rules for myself. I wanted to share an thought that I have had early in my reading.

I think that the new rules will speed up game play. "How?" you may ask. Well, we are all familiar with the fact that game play speeds up as games move into the later turns. Why does this happen? Because we have been removing models on both sides as casualties. Fewer models on the table means faster game play.

I believe that 6th edition, being a deadlier gaming environment, will remove models faster and reach the quickened late game pace earlier. All of this entails our having become very familiar with the rules and comfortable with them.

Time will tell. I am off to read more . . .

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.

Product Review: Vallejo Matte Varnish

I don't do these very often. Perhaps I should do more. Nevertheless, I want to bring your attention to an outstanding product: Vallejo Matte Varnish.

I love this stuff. I have most exclusively used the Purity Seal/Matte Varnish from Citadel Paints. However, I have tried various other products in an attempt to find something cheaper. I have tried every kind of spray varnish labeled 'flat' or 'matte' at local craft stores or DIY stores.

I went into a FLGS the other day to buy some Citadel Varnish and one of the Italian gentlemen suggested that I try Vallejo. He was quite adamant about the products superiority to other competitors. I agreed to try it.

Wow! He was right. Vallejo Matte Varnish is far superior to every product that I have tried. The finish is perfect. A model that is protected from chipping by a clear coat. Furthermore, this product is able to remove the shiny that sometimes comes from washes or glazes. The product is so good, that I was able to correct shiny mishaps from other products which I had sprayed on my models in search of the perfect Matte Varnish.

Vallejo's Matte Varnish cost the same as Citadel Varnish in the store where I bought it. So, you are not 'beating the man' to save money. However, you are buying a superior product.

I highly recommend Vallejo Matte Varnish to anyone who has the mind to clear coat their models.