Da Boyz - first Orks painted

I have managed to complete the first of the GW/Mantic Ork/Marauder mashups.

Overall pretty happy with the start of the kill team - although I think the boots are overly detailed, with lots plates and some pouches. I’m hoping the basing will hide some of the fudging there. 

I have gone for a uniform appearance for these Orks - which just makes sense to me. 6 more to go and some dog things and a couple of goblin types. Might have a go at another Drakon rider next. 

Always too many figures and not enough time. 

Morts

Ork Marauders for Kill Team - WIP

I have put together the Mantic games Ork marauders for a Kill Team. Lots of green stuff and bits to deal with. 

The top two are possible “big nobz” - Kill Team leaders - slugga and big choppa or power claw. The lower 3 are Boyz gunnas, 2 with big shootas and a burna. 

5 boyz - 3 with choppas and sluggas and 2 with shootas. 

The last pictures are of some cyber-dog things, squiggs in the 40k universe and a couple of Gretchen. Then two Orks in armoured suits - these would be elites (but I have forgotten the name). 

Anyway lots of green stuff to add to these boys. Then trying to match profiles to minis. 

I am thinking a WW2-ish paint scheme - but we will see. 

Morts 

Trajann Valoris - Painted

For my birthday I was given Trajann Valoris figure for my birthday. I have managed to assemble and paint the lord commander of the Custodies of the emperor of mankind. 

I am happy with the red cloak (although I didn’t get the filling of the gaps as well as I could) - I have tried to get the various golds to be different but I am not sure that I have managed it. 

Along with a couple of other things he needs finishing off with a coat of varnish and bases need completing. 

Morts

Ogryn Destroyers for Ad Mech - painted (and played Battlestar).

With the immanent arrival of some Danes (who seem to have drifted into 40k via lore videos on YouTube) I managed to get back on the painting wagon with the 3 Mantic Ogres which have been converted into Ad Mech Ogryn Destroyers (might be Breachers but I’m not sure). 

Overall pretty happy with these (will need a wash on the lacing on the back of their legs) - tried to do some chipping on the armour - not sure that it fully worked. Also hoping that the backpacks look ok. The Ad Mech have quite a powerful force - I have to sort the servitors out a bit - I will have 2 units of 10 - one melee focused and one shooty. But quite enjoyed these once I got going. 

On Friday Steedo invited some of the collective over for a game - Snake-eyes game. A stripped down (no expansions of Battlestar Galactica. And a quality experience was had by all as humanity tried to escape the chrome toasters!

As it turned out I was a cylon … I am a poor liar and they sniffed out BUTR quickly to - however, BUTR revealed himself before he was put in the brig - and I revealed myself out of order (see below) but the others were unable to put me back into the brig for a couple of turns, so I used them trying to put humans in the brig … Anyway good bants was had by all and the Cylons won - so say we all. We did spot a problem with how we play the game, in that we don’t give the Cylons enough time to read their card without making it obvious that they are a Cylon - it’s not like you can go back and look at the card again without it being obvious that you’re a Cylon. Next time we play every will have 30 seconds to look at their card (although this was not the reason I was outed as a Cylon).

We then played a few games of Perudo -  or more exactly Davrudo using DK’s house rules … where either the “number of” or “number called” had to increase. We did adapt in the last game so one of the numbers had to increase - so 3 “fives” could be followed by a call of 4 “threes” which seemed to work well. 

Morts

Still no painting and gaming mojo

I am still missing the gaming and making mojo - just not quite feeling at the moment - which is annoying as I have the Epic warpath kickstarter now. I have watched the rules play through and actually read the rules - looks like a fun game. But total inactivity in regards to getting it, or anything else for that matter up and playing. 

I have been think about it recently to see if I can work out the issue … for the 28mm fantasy stuff I think it is some confusion about basing … sabots or fixed bases and having to make a decision. When I moved over to HotT in the early 90’s it was a not brainer … this time I am having major issues making a decision.

The Viking and Saxons are staying individually based for SAGA games … like I have played lots of that …

Also I have been considering the 40k stuff - the major mission creep on the Ad Mech and Marines in particular well beyond the skirmish/Kill teams that I originally planned … so do I review this set up??

Obviously it hasn’t stopped me picking up some Mantic Ork marauders to make up a Kill Team … they were a bargain, but now I am looking for some GW spare bits. 

More thinking to do …

Morts 

Some Servitors and other news

I finally got on with some of the Wargames Atlantic Canon Fodder and GW spare part Servitors. I see these as recently converted to servitors former convict types, hence the lack of leg cybernetics. If I had waited a few weeks I could have used the Stargrave Automatons, which might have been better. Anyway here are the first 5 - these will be classed as close combat types. 

As these are the first I have painted in a while I a fairly happy with these. Especially as I a now thinking that I shouldn’t have started these, because 28mm sci-fi should really be just skirmish, but my Ad Mech forces are pretty big now. Damn that mission creep!

Also on the horizon, the Mantic games Kickstarter for Epic Warpath has arrived. Some nice little miniatures and the rules seem tight, having watched a how to play video. So something else to do … and still thinking about rebasing to multi bases the 28mm fantasy armies, but I am a little confused on that one. 

Morts

OPR - Grimdark Firefight - Test Game

With my brother and nephew over it was necessary to play a game of some sort … as over the years I have purchased various starter sets and kits from GW … and my nephew has got into the 40k lore ( in a big way) the game was going to have to be 40k based. 

However, I don’t have 40k (well I do have a copy of 3rd edition - never played) and the first two editions of Kill Team. But due to work and cooking commitments I decided to go for One Page Rules Grimdark Firefight - I had done Marine and Mechanicus lists for a big game, but thought a skirmish game would be quicker and we could play a 3 player game.

So we picked sides - 

Little Dane - Space Marines 

Big Morts - Necrons

Myself - Chaos Marines and Cultists

The young Dane was cautious with his marines - trying to keep them out of harms way … the Necrons were slow … the Chaos forces rushed forward with cultist meat shields. My brother and I managed to score some objectives in turn 1. What we were finding difficult was to kill space marines - their armour was blocking most hits. We were also finding that very few wound rolls were “knocking out” operatives.

The game rolled along fairly well - the cultists did their job well as canon fodder, with 5 out of 6 being killed off in the game, but gaining a few objectives on the way. One of my chaos marines was vaporised by a plasma gunner … If I recall correctly the Necrons and Space Marines only lost one figure each, the armour and self-repair being a bit of a pain. The last turns were a grab for points - the Necrons managed to kill a marine when he was on an objective and a cultist was killed for the little Dane to score a point. The final scores were 5 to me, 2 to Big Morts and 1 to the little Dane. I saw this as the Chaos Marines ruthlessly rushing in a getting an artefact for some nefarious purpose or preventing the Imperium and Nercons from getting some Blackstone …

I quite liked the rules - although we probably played a few rules wrong and with 3 players possibly a bit slow. Possibly we played the game a little dry and needed a better reason for the engagement.

Anyway a game played.

Morts

More kitbashed Servitors

My distraction on servitors has continued. More Wargames Atlantic Cannon Fodder to be … Ad Mech Cannon Fodder - close combat types this time. My reasoning will be that these with be recently “punished” convict servitors - hence the limited amount of adaptations on them. 

Like the others - I need to put some wire (tubing) on them and some green stuff. Otherwise they are basically done (apart from the paint). 

Morts

New distractions - Ad Mech Ogryn Destroyer Servitors

So my Ad Mech Servitor distraction has continued - I picked up a Mantic sprue and have done some cutting and gluing. 

They need some green stuff to fill some holes and some sort of power pack (and cables), but I think they look ok. The armour strapped on works ok - so I have the “melee” human sized servitors to go - canon fodder and the elf/skitari Hoplites … I am sure I should be painting celts …

Oh well - off to UK GamesExpo at the weekend, no doubt that will bring more distractions …

Morts 

Work on the distraction …

So as I said in an earlier post I was thinking of kit bashing some servitors - I had initially planned to make Gun Servitors, but when the Wargames Atlantic Cannon Fodder arrived I realised that they were too small. I think I would need an ogre sized body to put the big guns from the  Kataphrons too look right, so these are combat servitors.

They are armed with 3 guns and 2 flamers - I have 5 more bodies I can use - I think I will try to make them melee types. But I need to watch the parts I use, as I might try to kit bash a Marshal and a Techarchaeologist out of a couple of skitari bodies (the official models are around £20 a pop or £12-15 on eBay). Back to the servitors - I think I need to add some wire “pipework” before any paint work happens, I will also try to finish the other servitors too.

This is stopping from the celts - of which I have some in progress … too much too do … and the weather is getting better and the garden project has started …

Morts

Oathmark Eldar - comparisons

The Oathmark Eldar here compared with their official GW offerings. 

The top shows then with a couple of Corsairs - the figure on the far right is a Guardian with a Corsairs head - I think they match pretty well.

The bottom shows the Oathmark guardians with a Farseer and a couple of Dire Avengers. Again these work too - possibly the colours help with that. I do need to get another pack of tufts.

As I commented on a couple of posts ago I was planning to to some kit bashes with some Ad Mech Hoplites … and then I saw these on the GW website. 

So I have purchased some Wargames Atlantic Canon Fodder sprues, so I can kit bash with the spares from the Destroyers/Breachers and Skitari kits. The fliperty gibert nature of gamers … so I will update as I make the servitors. 

In the mean t8me I will continue with the celts and elf dragon conversions. 

Morts

Oathmark Eldar Guardians and …

The Oathmark Eldar have been finished - well apart from their bases. 

I am pretty with they have turned out - when they are based up I will take a picture with the Dire Avengers. 

Of course the kit bash, got me thinking about what to do with the arms and stuff from the elves - and I remembered I have some skitarii bodies and I could try making Secutarii Hoplites (the Upgrade set costs about £35). 

I think this could work - I need to find away to make the spears more sci-fi and Ad Mech ish. 

Morts

Oathmark Eldar - Work in Progress

In a good demonstration of the whimsy on the modelling and gaming hobby, I have been quite taken with the Oathmark Eldar kitbash. 

I have filled the gaps, between the bodies and the packs. But now need to smooth off the backpacks -  I am now thinking that I perhaps should have used the Starship Troopers packs as they are not as wide across the shoulders. Too late now. 

The shoulder pads done - possibly a little smoothing to be done and these will be ready for some paint. 

Morts

Paying attention … or not … Oathmark Eldar

In an earlier post I mentioned getting a sprue of Oathmark Elf light infantry, for replacement heads for the Drakon Riders - the bodies I thought could be used for ranger types. So I bought some … or more to the point I thought that I had bought some … in fact I bought some armoured Elves instead. Now these are quite nice figures, but don’t fit with the Ral Partha Elves - so what am I to do? Sending back wasn’t an option as this would push the cost up, which would rather defeat the object of getting the Oathmark Elves.

Now I have been thinking of getting some Eldar guardians as possible canon fodder and I had some bits from the corsairs and converted guardians …

I think he works quite well - I do need to get some sci-if backpack thing and some sort of pauldrons will be needed to cover up the arm to body joint, but I think I will make a little squad of them. 

I will post work in progress as I go. 

Morts

Combat Patrol - Issue 1

So issue 1 of the new GW part work is out and I picked up a copy. 

Nice little pack - i picked it up for the Terminator Captain for my Space Marines - just need to assemble and put on the rams skull moulding. However rather that just moving the Tyranid Prime on I think I will use as an Arachnid Overseer Bug. The extra dice are always useful. 

Also included were a double sided game mat - which to be fair is better quality (light card) than paper one I picked up with a previous part work. 

Happy with the purchase - should be fun to put together. 

Morts

Xenos Rampant - Space Marines versus Bugs!

So I finally managed to get Xenos Rampant to the table in a IP mash up as Space Marines checked out an abandoned outpost only to be set up on by Bugs from the Arachnid empire … not Tryranids! 

I had set up the forces as Space Marines - Lieutenant (Elite), Dreadnought (Fighting Vehicle, with Walker), Intercessors and Assault Intercessors in squads of 5 (but with enlarged squad size, so 2 hits to remove a mini). The Bugs were a Tanker bug, 2 units of 5 warrior bugs, 1 unit of hopper bugs and a unit of Firefly bugs - all the units of bugs had swam, so again 2 hits to remove a model. Due to the actual size of the bug models I think that 2 hits seem right) - also they would take up a lot of a space! The game was played on my 150cm by 90cm table, with deployment in opposite corners. 

The battle of Compound F162 was about to commence …

I won initiative, but the relative speed of the bugs meant that they were get to the compound first. I did forget to put some rough ground on that table - although I’m not sure that it would have made any difference. 

The advancing bug menace!

The bugs are over the wall and will be Wild Charging next turn - they do suffer some damage from the intercessors and dreadnought.

Bugs - thousands of them (9 or 10 actually but it doesn’t sound as good), trying to overwhelm the dreadnought.

Things looked a bit dodgy for a moment - but the armour 6 on the dreadnought made it a tough cookie for the bugs - but it sustained 1 strength point of damage. The marines lost a man. The lieutenant was wandering why he had send the assault intercessors around impassable woods - especially as the hopper bugs had redirected to flank the marines by the wall.

The bugs have fallen back from their assault - time for a breather… I must admit that at this point I thought the balance wasn’t quite right and the Space Marines would have this game …

But no! The lieutenant blasts at the sand bugs - but the hoppers swoop in on the marines - with devastating consequences!

The lone survivor of the intercessor squad cowers behind the lieutenant … then things got very cinematic!

DK activation roll was snake-eyes (blue), which cost him a lot. As I would be able to shoot next turn with the lieutenant. The double 6 is the rally roll for the single marine - he knew no fear! Then the lieutenant obliterated the 3 warrior bugs in front of him … simples, a ready cool moment in the game.  

DK again swoops in on the marine leader with the hopper bugs, and almost straight out of the most cliched 40k story the power of the Emperor of Mankind channels through the warrior and with the slashing of his power sword the hopper bugs are removed from the sky (and game).  Brutal DK and the bugs had now lost 3 out of 5 squads … the planet would be cleansed!

However the bugs had other ideas and proceeded to spit acid at the lieutenant and surviving intercessor, which tragically overwhelmed these heroes on the Imperium.

But all was not lost as the assault Intercessors finally get into action - destroying the firefly unit of bugs … but hilariously failing their courage test and routing from the field of battle … these marines knew fear!

All that was left on both sides were the Tanker bug and Dreadnought …

They briefly tussled, but it was decided that it was time on the game … and a draw was called. 

Walking away, nothing to see here …

The game played fast and fun - I think we made a couple of errors when counting hits to strength points and with some courage tests,  but overall pretty clean rules wise. I think I called it right but buffing the units with increased squad size/swarm, but not increasing the model count. It would have been too crowded. The elite was tough and I am glad that the standard space marines were classed as heavy infantry - I had read that a number of people were running this in their games - also it does give terminators (if I get any) much room to be the bestest. The armoured vehicle - dreadnought again was a tough nut - as it should be - I didn’t give the tanker the anti-tank trait as it didn’t seem to fit the army theme (I might use the blaster bugs for that …). 

 As it was both DK and I had fun and the game played smoothly on the whole. Now I need to do stats for some of the other 40k models I have. 

We then had go at Valhalla card and dice placement game - a quick run through the rules and we were away. A pretty close game but I ran out 25-19. I really would like to play this with 3+ players, as I am sure it would change the dynamic. 

Morts

Voidscarred Corsairs - building the team

For Christmas I purchased myself the Voidscarred Corsairs Kill Team, but decided to put off the build until I had painted some stuff which had been hanging around the painting queue for a while (3/4 years). 

I decided that was going to have every option available in the team, so I bought 5 guardians off eBay to be converted into Corsairs - these are on the bottom row. Two are just basic head swaps and a green stuff fabric loin cloth as standard warriors. The female guardian is also a standard warrior with power sword and pistol. One is now a heavy gunner and the one on the right has now had the pistol removed and is a Kurnarthi (blade master/assassin) - which I read last night, so thought I needed to sort that out. I need to go around with some more green stuff before priming. Planning grey armour with purple fabrics, so there is a theme with my other Eldar.

Should be interesting to paint, but I am concerned that these will be like the Skitari with lots of annoying details.

Morts

Farseer for …

For the reason I thought it would be cool I picked up and painted an Eldar Farseer miniature off eBay. 

The colour match those of the Dire Avengers and Rangers that I have - he can’t be used in Kill Team, but I think could be used in One Page Rules Firefight and with the right traits Xenos Rampant. Happy with this one. 

Busy this week with mock marking and a couple of games at the weekend - so a few more posts coming soon… ish. 

Morts 

Some more Adeptus Mechanicus

With the week off nearly over I managed to sit down and paint the last Ad Mech miniatures I had picked up. I think the plan is to play some One Page Rules Grim Dark with them - as I am too tight to get 40k (although I believe the rules etc are available for free online), there is also Xenos Rampant to use as well. 

None of these can be used in Kill Team - so bigger games are needed. 

First up the Tech-Priest Dominus. 

He has got greener robes in comparison to the rest of the army - I should have mixed in more of the standard green with the scaley green. But it looks pretty good. I picked up the model assembled from eBay - I have to say that with this model and the Kataphrons to follow they can be a little challenging to get to all of the model with the poses they are in. 

The Kataphrons;

No 1 - Heavy Arc Rifle and Hydraulic Claw

No 2 - Heavy Arc Rifle and Arc Claw

No 3 - Torsion Cannon and Arc Claw

I went for a mixed load out on these, as I don’t think I will get anymore and it seemed to be more interesting - I imagine in games (unless skirmish type) they would all count as the same for ease of play.

These were assembled and painted with the tractor unit and torso separately - which I think worked ok.

All I have left on the 40k front is a farseer to paint for the Eldar and when I get them for Christmas Voidscarred Kill Team.

In between jobs I painted an eBay rescue - Theoden King - from Lord of the Rings. 

He arrived missing his sword arm - fortunately on of the Gripping Beast plastic sets does have left handed sword arm, so with a little carving and paint he was repaired - it’s only taken about 5-10 years to finish him - ridiculous! 

I have been stalking eBay and Etsy recently to see if there is anything I might want and sadly there isn’t, which is probably a good thing as I will hopefully get on with working through the metal/plastic back log.

Morts