Highland Hijinx: the end of the Immortal campaign!

Highland’s last game session was an absolute blowout.  First, Stephen had some new minis painted, including some kickass Forge World stuff.  Those are the first pics in the gallery.  Then, to end the Immortal campaign, we had a tournament style playoff.  My first game was against Eldar.  With Antonius’ new super teleporting Wargear, I made a Drop army.  I took it against some Eldar first, who whooped me hard.  I still won due to a time limit making the game finish early as I was sitting on two objectives.  Then, against Dominik’s Tau I fought a solid fight.  Dominik did not keep his eyes on the prize and I won that game too.  Hey kids!  Objectives matter.

Lastly, everyone earned (or purchased) raffle tickets for some stuff and gift certificates.  Benefits go towards making some new terrain for the club.  I didn’t win but I threw in $20 and even donated some old terrain from the Big Game including our “Orbital Defense Plasma Cannons” which were fancy looking cheap waterguns cut off, glued to a foam ball and spraypainted.

Next, look forward to Paint Night in Fowlerville!

Fowlerville Battle Report: Azure Flames vs. Ultramarines 1500

This past Thursday I visited the fine folks at Game Links in Fowlerville MI.  They have a pretty quality store with some pretty friendly players, including one gentleman who I used to play Warmachine with back in the day.  They have a vibrant community of Magic the Gathering and Pathfinder.  They had a fledgling 40K community, but they got off the ground several months before 6th ed hit, and many of the younger players did not want to drop $70 on a new book.

Further complicating things, 40K is supposed to be every OTHER Thursday, and I came on an off day.  Luckily, one of the regular 40K players by the name of James had his Ultramarines ready to go, so we threw down a 1500pt game.  Here’s the details:

Bozeman – Azure Flames

-Chapter Master Liam Perseus, Terminator Armour, Lightning Claw, Storm Shield, Aux Grenade Launcher

-Terminator Assault Squad X 5, THSS

-Land Raider Redeemer, Extra Armour, Multi-Melta

-Tactical Squad X 10, Powerfist, Meltagun, Missile Launcher in a Drop Pod

-Tactical Squad X 10, Powerfist, Meltagun, Missile Launcher in a Rhino, Extra Armour

-Ironclad Dreadnought, Chainfist in a Drop Pod

-Land Speeders X 3, Multi-Meltas

——————-

James, Ultramarines

-Chaplain, Terminator Armour

-Librarian, Storm Bolter (Psychic powers: Haemorhage, Flame Breath)

-Tactical Squad X 10, Power Axe, Plasma Pistol, Flamer, Heavy Bolter in a Rhino

-Scout X 10, Sergeant Telion, Heavy Bolter, Sniper Rifles X 8

-Terminator Assault Squad X 5, THSS X 2, LC X 3

-Land Raider Crusader, Storm Bolter, Multi-Melta, Extra Armour

-Sternguard X 10, Pair of LC, Combi-Melta X5, in a Drop Pod

————–

Deploy: Hammer and Anvil (short board edges) Mission: Crusade (5 objectives).  We forgot to use Mysterious Objectives.  Oh well.

I won setup and chose to go first.  Seize Initiative failed.  Here’s the setup before turn 1:

Turn 1 Azure Flames

Land Speeders fly up 12″, do 1 glance to the Land Raider.  Tactical Squad deploys into the hill.  Land Raider and Rhino move up and pop smoke.  Drop pod drops behind the Land Raider, is very menacing yet ineffectual.

Turn 1 Ultramarines

Land Raider moves up, shoots 1 Land Speeder to death.  Rhino moves, pops smoke.  Sternguard drop in, do 3 casualties to the Tatsquad which breaks.  Snipers fire at Land Speeders who make INCREDIBLE jink saves. and ignore all 3 glancing results.  I forgot to photgraph this turn until I dropped in my drop pod at the beginning of Turn 2, so pretend that tatsquad is not there.

Turn 2 Azure Flames

Tatsquad runs off the table, gaining First Blood to the Ultramarines!  Tatsquad in Drop Pod comes in behind the Scouts and shoots all but three to death, including an amazing run of Look Out Sir rolls by Telion.  Land Raider move up, disgorges Terminators, who WASTE the Sternguard in close combat, including the Librarian who was killed by Chapter Master Perseus in a Challenge.  Sternguard sergeant is only survivor, breaks.  Land Speeders put one more glance on the Land Raider.  Ironclad fails to charge.

Turn 2 Ultramarines

Terminators with Chaplain jump out and charge the Ironclad, knocking off its Chainfist but losing 2 LC Termies.  Tatsquad jumps out of Rhino, moves 6, and gets a great Charge roll to charge the Azure Flames Tatsquad.  Incredibly poor rolling makes this fight a tie.  Land Raider moves, limiting its firepower and only puts one more glance on the Land Speeders.

Turn 3 Azure Flames

Chapter Master and Termies embark into Land Raider, speed away.  Dreadnought fight continues, one LC Terminator dies.  Land Speeders melta the Land Raider to death.  Tatsquad fight continues, Ultramarines lose but are caught and do not run away due to ATSKNF.

Turn 3 Ultramarines

Tatsquad fight continues, Azure Flames lose but hold.  Dreadnought is destroyed but kills one THSS Terminator, leaving only one and the Chaplain.  Scouts kill 2nd Land Speeder with a glance.  No picture of this turn.

Turn 4 Azure Flames

Land Raider moves 6, disgorges Termies who get a HUGE 7″ charge against the Scouts in the building (considering charging into terrain).  They eat the scouts, overrun one whole inch.  Tatsquad fight a draw again.

Turn 4 Ultramarines

Chaplain and last Terminator run toward the Tatsquad fight.  Rhino TANK SHOCKS Terminators who move out of the way.  Azure Flames are killed down to the Sergeant who breaks, is caught, and stays due to ATSKNF.

Turn 5 Azure Flames

Terminators charge the Tatsquad fight, kill all Ultramarines including Power Axe Sergeant by Chapter Mater in a Challenge.  Massed fire kills the Ultramarine THSS Terminator and then a lucky Melta shot from the Land Speeder kills the Chaplain outright.  Split Multi-Melta from the Land Raider kills the Rhino.  End of game.

Closing thoughts:

-Librarians need an Invulnerable Save.  This is why I run a Librarian with a Storm Shield.

-James had some pretty bad rolls in key times.  I heard that in baseball you lose 1/3 of your games, you win 1/3, but it’s what you do with the other 1/3 that count.  This was a game won and lost on a few bad dice rolls.  James should have been able to kill the Land Speeders and the Tactical Squad.  Their improbable survival kept me in the game.

-I’m still getting used to 6th ed Disembark rules.  I think it’s a little weird but it works better than the old 3rd ed where you had to get all models out and THEN move.  It saves a bit of time, especially if you “fudge” the guys in the back.

-Challenges are neat, but can be treacherous.  I think James made the right move not challenging my Tatsquad sergeant in the Tatsquad fight.  We would have probably killed each other, and then the fight would have taken longer.  But, challenges SAVED some of my Terminators in the Sternguard and Tatsquad fights by removing pesky power weapons at Initiative 5.

-James drove away from my Ironclad.  Though I love the tactic of dropping this guy on the enemy, I need to drop in FRONT of them so they either have to deal with me or go around me.  Going behind is an invitation to get ignored.

-I still need to get Aircraft.

——————–

Next: a battle report from Highland!

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/

MOAR LADZ! Last of the Shoota Boys completed!

Once again, lads before and after showing the dipping process.

This was my last project before moving, so I might be a little dry for a while.  Next up: more Lost and the Damned, or possibly more 40K Orks.

Battle Report Azure Flames vs. Eldar Combo 1750pts

Time for another battle report at Highland Library!  This game was against Ian, a veteran Dark Eldar player.  This game took place within the context of the ongoing campaign I mentioned earlier, so they use the old GW “Immortals” rules for experience.

Scenario

Each army gets a mysterious objective in their deployment zone worth 2 victory points.  There is a SUPER mysterious objective with a weird chart to roll on in the center worth 3 victory points.  Dawn of War deployment. (12″ from long table edge).  All units can hold objectives, unless it is a non-walker vehicle that is trying to contest a point held by enemy infantry or walkers.  Basically a Rhino can hold an objective if no one else is there.

Azure Flames – Bozeman

-Antonius, Captain of the 4th Company.  Power Axe, Plasma Pistol, Artificer Armour, Melta Bombs. (campaign items: Camo Cloak, Combi-melta shot, 18″ plasma pistol)

-6 Assault Terminators with Storm Shields in a dedicated Land Raider Crusader

-Tactical Squad, Combi Flamer, Powerfist, Meltagun, Missile Launcher in a Rhino with Extra Armor

-Tactical Squad, Combi Flamer, Powerfist, Meltagun, Missile Launcher in a Drop Pod

-Ironclad Dreadnought with heavy flamer in a Drop Pod

-5 man Scout Squad with a Powerfist in a Land Speeder Storm

-3 Land Speeders with Multi Meltas and Heavy Flamers

————-

Dark Eldar with Eldar Allies – Ian (Note: I do not know the specifics of this list)

-Lord with a lot of wargear (Immortal)

-Wych squad in a Raider

-Warrior squad in a raider

-Ravager

-Succubus character with whips that re-roll to hit and to wound.

-5 Incubi in a Venom

-Razorwing Jetfighter

-Farseer

-5 Wraithblades

-Wave Serpent

-5 Rangers

-5 Rangers

Initial Setup

Turn 1 Combined Eldar

Dark Lance takes out the Land Raider because there was almost no terrain on the board, it being used elsewhere.  Venom with Incubi and Wych character zooms ahead.  Wave serpent closes in on mysterious objective.  Other skimmer move up and kill a few Terminators.  Oddly the Ravager fails to kill the Rhino.

Turn 1 Azure Flames

Rhino moves up pops smoke.  Tatsquad in crater makes a huge tactical error firing at the Ravager.  Terminators and Antonius consolidate around objective.  2nd tatsquad drops in and annihilates Rangers on enemy objective in forest.  Land speeders bake the Venom to death with glancing hits.

Turn 2 Combined Eldar

Wych character and Incubi eat most of the Tactical squad in the crater.  Combined fire kills all the terminators.  Farseer and Wraithblades disembark Wave Serpent and take the central Objective.  A weird effect causes one Wraithblade to die.  Ravager kills the drop pod.

Turn 2 Azure Flames

Ironclad Dreadnought drops in and puts a glance on one of the Raiders.  Rhino Tank Shocks Wraithblades, and one of them dies in a Death or Glory!  Land Speeders move flat out.  NOTE: in the picture below, I took it before resolving the combat, so the two Tactical Marines near the bottom died in combat.

Turn 3 Combined Eldar

Wych character and Incubi assault the back of the Rhino, glancing it.  Wave Serpent and Raider knock down 2 Land Speeders.  Jetfighter kills 8 Tactical Marines.  Antonius takes 1 wound from fire.

Turn 3 Azure Flames

Tactical Marines try to kill Wave Serpent, but fail. Land Speeder kills one Incubus.  Antonius shoots down the Raider with his Melta shot.  Ironclad Dread assaults the Farseer and Wraithblades, kills two.  No effect from the central objective (it became a kitten?)

Turn 4 Combined Eldar

Due to movement constraints, the Jetfighter is ineffectual.  Melta shot kills Antonius outright.  Ravager kills Drop Pod, and Wave Serpent kills Land Speeder.  Dreadnought kills Farseer and last Wraithblade.  Wych and Incubi put the last glance on the Rhino.

Turn 4 Azure Flames

Land Speeder Storm comes in, Scouts take enemy objective.  Ironclad walks over, kills Wych character and Incubi, and overruns back to the objective which oddly heals him?  I don’t know.

Turn 5 Combined Eldar

Wave Serpent kills 4/5 Scouts, Sergeant flees 4″ and is still on the objecive, regroups.  Immortal Lord and Wyches advance on the central objective.  Ravager and Raider put one Pen on the Dread, but it’s Crew Shaken.  Jetfighter kills the Land Speeder Storm.

Turn 5 Azure Flames

Dreadnought snap-fires at Raider ineffectually.  Game ends.

Final Victory Points

Azure Flames 5, Combined Eldar 0.

Final Analysis: HOLY CRAP.  I got the shit kicked out of me, had 2 models left, and STILL WON?  Odd.  First, flyers are a problem for a dude who stopped in 5th.  I need air support.  Second, vehicles are not all that anymore, as glancing results can just tear apart anything.  Third: I AM A BIT RUSTY AT THIS.  The tatsquad in the crater should have shot the Venom, and then the Land Speeders could have mopped up the Wych and Incubi.  I need more practice.  Sadly, I am not likely to get it due to 21st Century Comics and Games in Lansing closing.

All in all, a good game.  My opponent Ian was more than fair and played well.  However I was severely hindered by lack of terrain, and lack of anti-air.  I am moving to Lansing, so I might not be able to play with these guys in the future.  I hope I do, as they are great.  THEY NEED MORE TERRAIN THOUGH.  I donated a box of my old stuff to them, but perhaps they can do a Terrain Building event in the near future.  That would help a lot.

Epic Lost and the Damned Land Transporter

The above model is a Polish Suwalska Half-track APC from Brigade Models.  I have spent years and lots of money buying bits to “chaos out” these generic looking models.  It is only today that, completely by accident, I figured out the perfect thing to make the model more spiky: ordinary tack nails.  I added eight ends of nails and two small links of chain.  Now I only have to do that like 23 more times.

Still working on those Orks, I just had to do this because I was inspired by the shape of the nails.  I want to finish these Orks before I move in two weeks or I might never finish.

Epic Lost and the Damned Daemon Prince and Chaos Altar

I’ve been a bit busy.  Got some new stuff for my Lost and the Damned.  Now you may ask, Bozeman, why all the Nurgle lately?  Surely other Chaos gods need love too.  My answer is that for the list I’m building, I need a big Nurgle blob squad tricked out and ready to summon daemons and hold an objective.  Hence, the altar and Daemon Prince.

First, the altar uses old pewter Ork trakks.  The body is a bit that I got in an auction a year ago and have no idea what it is.  A normal non-slotta round base makes up the filth pool, with a plaguebearer cut in half.  The plastic pustules are from the Tyranid Mawloc sting tail.  The hose nozzle is from the old plastic Ork Mega Stompa.  Chains were from a hobby store.  Finally, two beasts of Nurgle tow the thing.  I added a drop of putty to make it look all pus-filled.

The Daemon Prince was easy, I took an old Necromunda Milliasaur (not easy to find, or cheap) and added two Tyranid Mawloc mandibles.  It makes him look like Duriel from Diablo II, which is what the army is visually based on, in part.

Next: painted Ork shootas, a Tzeentch Chaos Altar, and possibly more!

Epic Nurgle Plague Tower mod

I was bad a while ago.  I bought a bunch of stuff for my Lost and the Damned Epic army.  This included a Tzeentch Firelord and three Tzeentch Doomwings.  It also included most of a Nurgle Plague Tower.  This was my fault: I did not research what a Plague Tower should look like, and it was missing the Plague Mortar up top and the Nurgle symbol staff on the back.

So, I improvised.  I used a handcannon from the Privateer Press Devil Dogs mercenaries up top, and embedded it in a pustule of putty.  I added some drips to make it seem bursting with pus.  I then added putty to the back and three more pustules in the Nurgle symbol.  I used a pin vise in the top pustule when it was cured, put in a small piece of paperclip, and covered it with putty to make a spurt of goo.

Yeah, it’s not 100% authentic but it looks great and it’s way cheaper.

Next: Ork shootas!  The last of the shootas, then on to sluggas.

Free-for-all battle at Highland Library!

WOW!  Huge battle at Highland Library 40K club!  Each player got 1200pts and a secret mission.  There was one objective in the middle of the board in an AV12 building.

Everyone converged on it during turn 2…

…and then the Ork player Shawn decided to blow the building up for no reason.  It was a radioactive bomb building.  Everything within 5D6″ took a STR8 AP1 Hit (we rolled 16″)

After that it devolved into a mixed scuffle.

Shawn (ruiner of buildings) plays Orks but also Necrons.  He had his Necrons painted by his friend John, and let me take some pics!

Next month I might have a Battlefleet Gothic report that’s not a generic training report!  More soon!

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.