100th post! A Victory! Ork collection complete!
For my 100th post, I’ll share some thoughts on the first strand: Modeling. One of the biggest parts is choosing your miniatures. The new pewter Ork Kommandos are hideous and I will not have them in my army, except for this model:
I’m not sure I like the Grot’s face, but that Nob is fantastic. Until now I haven’t figured out a way to get this specific model without buying the ugly ones. I just won this model (and no others) on ebay.
Now there is no spot in my Ork army that I feel is not filled. I had Loudmouf Sneakkilla as the upgrade-character nob but I always wanted a regular Nob with a power klaw. Now I’ll have one.
So what do I have for the Orks?
-HQ: Poindexta Smartyskull, Manik Upzindownz, Kajun Gogwurr, Dok Gillgivva, Big Mek with Shokk Attack Gun and Power Klaw, Big Mek with Kustom Force Field, Burna, and Attack Squig.
-Elites: 10 Nobs in Mega Armour, 16 regular Nobz with various weapons and WAAAAGH banner, 15 Lootas, 15 Burnas, Mek with Kustom Mega Blasta, 15 Kommandos with (just ordered) regular Nob and Loudmouf Sneakkilla. 10 Dedicated Nob Bikers with Dok.
-Troops: Loads of Shootas and Sluggas. 20 Grots and 2 Slavers. 4 Trukks.
-Fast Attack: 15 Stormboyz with Rukkstud ‘Andfoot, 10 warbikers with Nob, 3 Deffkoptas with Rokkits, 3 with buzzsaws
-Heavy Support: Fully Modular Battlewagon, fully modular looted chimera, fully modular Deffdread, 3 fully modular Killa Kans, and 8 Flash Gitz with Da Grand Baron Skippy von Peanut Butta.
New Image Gallery
In case you hadn’t noticed, up on the right there’s a new link: Image Galleries. Unfortunately only one is up right now, the Battlefleet Gothic gallery. Check it out.
http://fourstrandshobby.com/battlefleet-gothic-image-gallery/
On my plate: 4-6-11
-Battlefleet Gothic: DONE
-Necromunda: Next on the docket: Finish the Orlock gang, and then do the Delaque gang.
-Warmachine: Pushed back in favor of Necromunda.
-Azure Flames: Need to convert a stand in for Kor’Sarro Khan, and mod up a Chaplain on Bike. I also need to conceptualize an Honor Guard unit for Perseus. Status: ON HOLD. The Flames are complete enough for now.
-Orks: Need to complete painting all minis, possibly buy one more box of Boys but no more. Status: ON HOLD pending spring. I need warm temperatures outside to do dipping, as I cannot do it indoors due to cares.
-The Saratogan 58th: Need to build most of the minis and paint up at least 1500 points to start learning how to play Guard. Status: ON HOLD. Way too much on my plate to start an army from almost scratch.
-Epic 40,000: Have to get more Space Marine Rhinos, and paint both a huge Space Marine army and Ork army. Status: ON HOLD. Once again, too much on my plate.
GOTHIC DONE
I can’t believe it. I’m done with Gothic. Low Orbit Table defenses and Mines are above.
So what’s next? I’m definitely making a Gothic Gallery for all the images, but what do I paint next? My Menoth starter box? Necromunda? Start my Orks again?
Transports and Orbital Defences
Included above:
-Space Station or Orbital Dock (can be either)
-3 Orbital Defences (Lance, Torpedo, Battery)
-Heavy Transport Argosy
-8 Out of print pewter transports
Next: 16 Orbital Mines, 8 low orbit Missile Silos, 8 Low Orbit Lance Batteries, and 4 Low Orbit Airfields, and then GOTHIC IS DONE!
On my plate: 3-31-11
-Battlefleet Gothic: Space Station, 8 transports, Heavy transport, 3 orbital defenses and 20 low orbit table ground defenses. THE END IS IN SIGHT.
-Warmachine: Upgraded priorities. Next project after Gothic is Kreoss, 2 light jacks and heavy from Box Set. Then I can Demo Warmachine. Cygnar on hold.
-Necromunda: Need to finish my Orlock gang, and start painting Delaques. I also need to get more tabs from Jen so that I can use the Necromunda board she made for me. Status: In progress. Orlocks are 1/2 painted.
-Azure Flames: Need to convert a stand in for Kor’Sarro Khan, and mod up a Chaplain on Bike. I also need to conceptualize an Honor Guard unit for Perseus. Status: ON HOLD. The Flames are complete enough for now.
-Orks: Need to complete painting all minis, possibly buy one more box of Boys but no more. Status: ON HOLD pending spring. I need warm temperatures outside to do dipping, as I cannot do it indoors due to cares.
-The Saratogan 58th: Need to build most of the minis and paint up at least 1500 points to start learning how to play Guard. Status: ON HOLD. Way too much on my plate to start an army from almost scratch.
-Epic 40,000: Have to get more Space Marine Rhinos, and paint both a huge Space Marine army and Ork army. Status: ON HOLD. Once again, too much on my plate.
HOO HAH.
Finished Chaos Fleet!
The above ordannce markers are the last thing for my Chaos fleet! 20 fighters, 21 bombers, 20 Forgeworld Dreadclaw assault boats (yes there’s one per base, they’re expensive) and 8 count ’em 8 custom converted torpedo bomber bases!
All were glued to 20mm fantasy bases. The torpedoes for the torpedo bombers are bristles from a $3 woman’s purse hairbrush.
The final picture is the fleet! There are fewer escorts for Chaos compared to my Imperial Navy fleet. However, I do have the Repulsive Grand Cruiser re-based onto a large base so I can buy the 3rd shield. I also have a LOT more ordnance because my Chaos fleet is pretty carrier heavy.
Next: Defences!!
The Azure Flames Color Scheme
Back when I was first getting in to 40K (in 2001), I bought the games Workshop Mega Paint Set (which for those who don’t know is one of every GW paint plus burushes, etc.). After painting several minis from the old board game HeroQuest, I sat down to make a scheme for my newly chosen Salamanders Successors.
But I didn’t want them to be green.
So, I just copied parts of several other schemes and blended them together, with a hint of inspiration from Mega Man.
Could you tell?
Anyway, the scheme is as follows:
-Storm Blue undercoat (now discontinued by GW, substitute Stormy Blue by Vallejo)
-Blue Ink (also discontinued, washes from GW don’t do the same thing, so use P3 blue ink)
-Enchanted Blue details (wrists, helmet ridges, aquilla, etc. with ice blue highlights.
-Chainmail drybrushed over black for metal. (backpack, gun, etc.)
-Scab red with Red Gore highlights for purity seal wax, and bleached bone with skull white highlights for paper (cracks inked black)
– Bolters are Blood Red over Mechrite Red, eyes are Mechrite, Blood red and then Blazing Orange (lighter near front) with skull white dot.
-(not shown) Company is marked on kneepad or greave with Enchanted and Ice Blue symbol.
-(not shown) Squad number is on shoulder pad (and bottom of base) in Roman Numeral with color denoting company
-Veteran’s Shoulder Rims in Vallejo Gold
The Victory Point, the Kill Point, and Missions (or, Get Off My Lawn, you kids!)
One of the most hotly contested parts of 5th edition is Kill Points. After all, it seems to hideously disadvantage certain armies (orks, guard, nids) and greatly favor others (Chaos, Marines etc.). If only there was some way to value a unit based on how powerful it was and judge the game on that…
Oh. Wait. We already had that. It was called Victory Points and it used the exact same points system that you use to make your army! Essentially a destroyed unit gave it’s full points cost to the opponent, and a 50% unit or an immobilized vehicle gave 50% of its points. It made it so that armies that had a lot of cheap units was just as tactically viable as an army that had few expensive units.
Now admittedly in 5th ed’s awful mission system, only 1/3 of the games rely on kill points. But it’s just stuck with me how unfair kill points are to the horde armies.
Some have defended Kill points in that in the Victory Point system, you didn’t tend to risk expensive units. After all, if they kill your expensive Space Marine Command Squad with a lucky tank shell, you were out almost 400pts, handing the victory to the enemy. With Kill Points, your decked out command squad is worth just as much as a 10 grot mob, so if you lose it, big deal. While this is valid, it’s not a good enough reason to keep kill points.
The bottom line? We need more missions. I liked the mission book at first, but if the main missions in the rulebook are chocolate, strawberry, and vanilla ice cream cones, then the missions book is chocolate, strawberry, and vanilla ice cream in a bowl. It’s the same idea, presented slightly differently.
We need more flavors. We need a new missions book that is the Baskin Robbins of 40K. Bring back Meat Grinder, Assassinate! and Breakout. I had some amazing games with those old missions. Let’s get some variety.