Urban Base Test Case Pt. 5

I give you a work-in-progress photo of the second contender in our little urban base challenge: The Cereal Card Urban Base. You will remember how tremendously pleased I was with the CD Plastic Urban Base. So, this cereal card base had better be good if it wants to best the CD Plastic.

Everything went well with our new baby girl over the weekend. My wife is recovering from the surgery, and I am trying to take care of everything around the house including my 2 year-old daughter.

Well, everyone was fed and napping this afternoon. Furthermore, I had caught up all the dishes and such around the house. So, I sat down at the painting table and broke out the paints.

As you can see from the photos, this Veteran Assault Marine is nearing completion. I have some work left to do on the Power Sword and Bolt Pistol. Also, the Jump Pack is not complete (or attached).

As a result, the painting of the base should take place tomorrow. I have only base coated it black and added some modeling sand which will become rubble. We shall see how it turns out.

I really do not believe that the Cereal Card method of urban basing will match or exceed the quality of the CD Plastic method. We shall see . . . We shall see.

Friday's Article of Interest

As you may know, my wife and I will be traveling to the hospital early tomorrow morning for a scheduled c-section. We are expecting a new baby girl!

As a result, Friday's Article of Interest is coming out on Thursday Night.

So here is Friday's Article of Interest: Link

The article comes to you from Pacific's blog entitled Eaters of Worlds. His blog is an excellent resource devoted to Pre-Heresy World Eaters.

In this article, Pacific discusses a particular problem that faces all pre-heresy armies. Namely, there is no codex for a pre-heresy army. Therefore, you must use one of the currently legal and up-to-date codex books for your army.

This was a concept with which I have very little familiarity. No one in our local play area dabbles in the pre-heresy. However, Pacific's blog and article really make me want to get into it. Furthermore, I believe that this article would be informative to anyone playing any pre-heresy armies, not just World Eaters.

So here is a buff for Pacific over at Eaters of Worlds. Check him out.

Tactical Squad Repaint WIP

I had the opportunity to begin the repaint and re-base on my Tactical Squad.

However, I have put everything on hold as we are getting ready to go to the hospital for the birth of our child tomorrow morning. I have taken care of most things that need to be done here around the house in preparation.

So, I took a few minutes to give you this picture of the Tactical Squad work in progress. As you can see, I still have several stages left before completion. I hope to have the chance to get back to some painting and modeling next week.

As was the fad a bit back here in the 40k blogosphere, I have decided to post a picture of my workspace.

The Space Wolves are Coming!

I hope that the new codex for the Space Wolves is great. I would really be happy if their codex pushes them up into the top tier. I envision everyone who bought all the IG models at the beginning of the year over on ebay trying to sell of their Guard stuff to buy Space Wolves stuff.

I really love all the sub-codex marines. I should say that I love them more than all the the cookie-cutter marines, or generic marines, or whatever you like to call them.

I just feel that the Space Wolves, Dark Angels, Black Templars, and Blood Angels all have definite flavor. They each have a unique feel. Their fluff shows up in the types of units that they can field and in the way that they play on the table.

I get excited about seeing High Marshal Hunters Black Templars in action. I have the same feelings about Space Wolves, Dark Angels, and of course Blood Angels.

I would like to see each of them find favor with GW and receive a great new codex.

A Disclaimer: This is not an attack on any other armies in 40k. In reality, I do love them all . . . some more than others. But I can get excited about any army for which the owner has a passion. If you put an effort into painting and playing, I can appreciate it.

By the way, I did not paint this miniature in the picture.

On the Workdesk

I just finished 4 days of working 12 hour shifts. It really eats up the day. So naturally, the Urban Base Test Cases have been pushed back. I finished one style (pictures and info already posted), but the second must wait.

Also, my wife and I are having another baby: Delivery by C-section is scheduled for Friday. This will be daughter number 2 in our household. I am really excited, but we will be in the hospital for the weekend. (This means that I am missing this weekends 40k games. Ahhh, but a new daughter is well worth it)

Here is what I am working on:
-I currently have a little terrain project going. Our gaming club is very small. I decided that our woodland/grassland table needed some more appropriate terrain. So I am making about 10 bases that are roughly 4" (shapes vary) out of some crafting dry moss. It fits the table well, and it was simple to make. That way the woodland/grassland table can be more woodland than grassland, providing adequate cover instead of fighting in a field.

-I am repainting and re-basing my tactical squad. They really needed it. They were bringing the rest of the army down.

-I have the urban basing project going. This project is part of me trying to finish up my two veteran assault squads.

-I also have the honor guard sitting on the desk. They are all primed up waiting to be painted. They have been primed and waiting for painting since the middle of May.

A Tactical Survey

I wanted to mention a phenomenon that occurred during my games at 'Ard Boyz. The reason that this is a survey and not tactical advice, is because it is really only an observance from a limited number of games. I thought I would mention it to you and see if you have experienced something similar.

You all know that I run a mechanized list. For the big 2500 pts at 'ard boyz, I added 2 veteran assault Squads and one honor guard, all with jump packs. Partly because those are the models that I had, and partly because I wanted to see them in action.

As part of my mechanized tactics, I was reserving everything for last second objective grabbing. The funny thing that I observed (and I was not expecting this at all) was that my opponents came close enough to my board edge (in search of objectives) that the Jump Troops could assault on the turn that they entered play.

I suppose it is obvious then that I was not deepstriking them, but jumping in from the table edge.

Well, it worked out really well. I call it a phenomenon, or merely an observance, because I have not tested it over enough games to know if it is truly effective or something that you can count on.

In reality, there are an infinite number of variables that could influence your opponent to come close to your table edge or to stay away from it.

So, I wonder if this is your experience? What do you think? Is this viable, or was it just a fluke? Please post your comments, and lets collect our thoughts on this gaming phenomenon.

Smoke and Mirrors, er . . . uh Transports

Here is another battlefield tactic. A quick tip, a battlefield tactic that will serve you well in your games.

The availability of cover in 5th Edition has changed the game greatly. However, if you do not take full advantage of this aspect of the game, then your opponent will have an edge on you. It is one thing to make a good army list, but you must play well on the table to win the day.

Here is the quick tip: Make cover for your transports where there is none.
You must learn to move your tanks your in a way that will provide cover.

In the first picture, you see how two rhinos traveling together are stronger than one. The first Rhino pops smoke, and the second takes cover behind the first. Make sure that you obscure the vehicle by keeping it tucked in behind the first. On the next turn, drive the rhino in the back out full speed ahead. Pop smoke, and drive the rhino which smoked on the previous turn up behind the new lead rhino.

Be sure to tuck the Rhino in behind to maximize its cover. With this method, two Rhinos can cover much more distance, and they can benefit from the smoke launchers for two turns.

In the second picture, you can see a rhino parked on an objective in the edge of a ruin. I placed the Rhino so that its side armor facing was 50% obscured to provide a cover save. Also, the Tactical Squad inside can fire the lascannon out of the top hatch. In this scenario, my opponent must either change his plans and move to another part of the table to change armor facings that he is targeting, give up on firing at the rhino, or allow me the cover save.

In the last picture, you can see another use of terrain to get that cover save. You have to think about the saves as you make your moves. Use every bit of the terrain to your advantage.

There is a right way and a wrong way to move. Hanging your transports out in the wind is the wrong way to move.

Tank Shock!!!

I want to share a quick tip on battlefield tactics.

For all you veterans out there, this will be nothing new. However, I want to share some of these tactics that a lot of us take for granted, just in case someone has not heard it yet.

Ok, here is the tip:
Tank Shock objectives.

If your opponent is holding his objective with infantry, he may have done well to keep them in cover and keep them alive. He may have spaced them out so that you cannot get within 3" to contest.

Well, that may be correct for some of your models. However, that is not correct for you tanks. If you tank shock and they pass their leadership test, they will not run away. However, they must move out of the way to let your tank go by. They cannot stop you from getting on the objective.

Even if they decide to 'death or glory,' you may still get close enough to contest.

As a matter of fact, that was the difference between a minor victory and a massacre in the first round of 'ard boyz last month. On the bottom of the last turn, my opponent held 2 objectives, and I held 2 objectives. I had the advantage in Kill Points. Well, I tank shocked one of his objectives with on of my Baal Predators. He passed his leadership test, and chose to 'death or glory' with his meltagun. He immobolized the Baal Predator. However, it was stopped within 3" of his objective. As a result, I won the Massacre by canceling one of his objectives with a shocking Baal Predator.

So, don't forget to Tank Shock on the final turn. Use your Heavy Support tanks to help contest objectives. Use your guys loaded up in Tank Transports.

This is a tactic that needs to be second nature. It needs to become part of your normal way of conceiving the game.

Friday's Article of Interest

This weeks article of interest comes from Path of Seers.

The article gives out some great advice, that I have not often heard from any considered to be great painters. Generally the focus is always on instructing how to do this or how to do that.

However, Farseer Oliver makes a great point. All mini painters are not created equal. We each have certain and various strengths and weaknesses. We would do well do determine what our strengths are and capitalize on them.

So try out some different things and figure out what style and type of painting comes most naturally.

Here is a buff for From the Warp community member Farseer Oliver over at Path of Seers.

Model One Finished (Urban Base Test Case Pt.4)

I give you the finished project. This is the first finished Veteran Assault Marine for my Angels Sanguine Army.

I am really pleased with the result.

Of course, this marks the end and finish of the first Urban Base Test Case model: CD Plastic.

The next model naturally will be the exact same Vanguard Veteran Model from the second Veteran Assault Squad which bears the Cereal Card Urban Base. After I finish that model, then we will have the two together for the judging.

Let me know what you think.

Thanks for reading!