Armies and Campaigns

Monday, 23 November 2020

Necrons - We'll be back

Necrons were my largest army when I stopped collecting back in 2005 (ish). The undead of the 41st millennium were the great threat to my Imperial forces. Their basic troop was as good as a space marine and employed in mass their gunfire could bring down any vehicle or character. With a Monolith at their centre you couldn't destroy a unit by attrition as they would phase back to the monolith and return at full strength. 

Needless to say that rule has been nerfed somewhat by now. 

I painted my force in an easy paint scheme of a black undercoat and bolt gun metal (leadblecher silver) heavy dry brush. Of course the eyes had to glow red. I wanted them to look weathered by time so I had a watered down tin blitz (warlock bronze) wash over the larger areas


I had a large force (for me) of 50 warriors with their scrabs, 2 Lords, 1 Destroyer Lord, 10 Immortals, 10 pariah, 10 flayed ones, 4 destroyers 3 heavy destroyers, 3 wraiths, 2 Spyders and a Monolith. Leading them was the Deciever. 


The Deciever is my top model from back in the day although its now just a "shard" it'll still ruin someone's day. 

 Leading the tomb worlds raiding forces are now my Lords. Armed with staffs of light one carries a orb of resurrection. 

There used to be 3 but one fell victim to the Destroyer virus

He used to lead in the close combat element of the old army. The Pariahs. 

 The Pariah are a discontinued line. I can use them as Lychguard with warsycthes but not the most competitive choice. 


The 10 old Immortals are stuck with Guass blasters so new ones can go for tesla when I can get some more. 


The Wraiths are also a old discontinued design. With the new codex they could become ophydian destroyers see below (image from Games Workshop) 

They look a bit similar. 


The spyders are also old models so look a bit dated but should do just fine. For now. 

Flayed ones are flayed ones


Destroyers are now Lohkust Destroyers. 

The heavy destroyers have received an update in the latest edition and are now Heavy Lohkust destroyers with Guass destructor for a single S10 3d3 damage bad day for someone. With the changes to the Monolith making it very costly this is my main anti-tank. 

My monolith came out of stasis (the garage loft) with some parts missing unfortunately. I hope they are in the attic somewhere but I fear they have been lost. The core is still there but I would hate to put it down on the table with someone else. Maybe I can replace the parts of I get one of the other vaults and there are spare bits but I doubt it. I'll have to keep an eye out for broken ones on ebay. 


Narrative reason for campaign. Following the orders of the Pharon Trazyn the Infinite. The resources of a necron tomb world have been sent to find an ancient artefact the Pharon desires for his collection. The rumours of its location on an imperial world have led the Necrons to dispatch forces to search the surface for its hidden location. Any who oppose their presence or attempt to steal the artefact are destroyed.


With the updates to the models I want to expand my collection. I've started with the command edition for yet another lord with 10 more warriors armed with reapers these time. The Skorpeth Destroyers make for some nice close combat threat 
To add to these I picked up a great deal on email for £60 worth from the special imdomitus boxset for £20. Still would have rather got indomitus but beggars can't be choosers. 

In that I got a Skorpeth Lord, Plasmancer, crpto thralls and a Reanimator.

Skorpeth Lord
Plasmancer and his Thralls
Work in progress with the Reanimator. 
I'm really getting back into these models and hoping to actually make them one of my "main armies" once again. 

Reading through the new codex there is one question that remains. What shall my Dynasty be. I liked the old mystery that surrounded the Necrons. They would just appear and butcher the younger races and disappear again for no reason. Man would delve too deep into forgotten worlds and awaken the silver horde and so on. 
 The newer lore of Dynastic rulers makes sense but I don't really want them to have personality to their troops. Maybe the leaders but other than that they are just machines marching forward respomding to a waved hand of their betters.
 I started off thinking I'd take Szarkhan with a 5+ feel no pain to Mortal wounds  re-roll a wound roll for each unit and the protocol of the undying legions gets both regen an extra living metal wound per unit and you can re roll one of the reanimation dice per unit. Nice.
 The make your own dynasty rules come in two columns and you can pick one from each. I'd go with Pitiless Hunters and isolationists so I'm shooting twice with rapid fire if my infantry stay still and if anything is in 12" I can add one to the strength of my weapons. Makes Guass blasters S6 which T3 models will hate. Shooting twice with 10 S5 30" Guass armed immortals also nice.  

Narrative campaign ideas

Some ideas I've had to do some narrative missions. 


1.       When attacking a GC position (sewer entrance or similar) Space Marines come up against equal force resistance. PDF guardsmen are sent to reinforce. GC start with a deep deployment on short table edge with objective in the centre of deployment. Space Marines get other table edge but cannot deploy within 9” of it. PDF force should be 50% of initial force points (i.e. 1000pts each for SM and GC, IG reinforcements equal 500 points.)

 Imperial guard reinforcements could actually turnout to be Brood Brother units. Thinking 4+ die roll and the GC get them. Less and they are Loyal.

 If possible Imperial player should not be aware of reinforcements until they arrive and the dice roll is made (GM to deploy IG forces). Players should be told the GC objective is the sole VC and requires “capturing” by turn 4.

 Terrain should be in favour of defenders and encourage attackers to advance ( line of sight blocking pieces that allow Cult to hide from initial fire.

 VC for those that don’t get the reinforcements would be to escape. SMs would have to punch through either ends or destroy all comers. GC units would have to move off the board through the tunnel or destroy all comers. VPs awarded for PL destroyed or escaped.

 

2.       Drukhari wishing to get a strong Imperial response to the GC to enable them to capture the Patriach simulate a GC attack upon a critical Imperial structure guarded by PDF forces. Objective is to destroy/damage the structure leaving terrified survivors of the attack to report “Xenos” attackers. Drukhari to leave GC icons/evidence/bodies for Inquistion to find.

Potentially a Kill team game with a sabotage objective and DE play using Grotesques and Wracks to make it look like mutants attacking. VPs for killing models (x2 for specialists) and a stack of 5 for blowing up/defending the building by turn 4. Optionally placing evidence at an objective point gains a VP.

 Alternatively play a 40k with a similar coven themed DE force. Objective is played like a Defend objective “-“ DE player has to hold it for a turn to place the bomb. 5 VPs for that and then VPs per PL destroyed. DE get x2 for close combat kills optionally placing evidence at an objective point gains a VP similar to secure objective “– “. DE not allowed Vehicle keyword units. Guard get x2 VP if building not destroyed by turn 4.

 Suitable objective/building should be placed in Guard Deployment zone. Evidence objectives outside of DE deployment zone and 12” from each other and the target building.

 If DE fail to achieve more VPs that would mean potential discovery requiring assassination mission or defend mission to retake the initiative.

 

3.       The Drukhari use the chaos of the now triggered uprising to gain access to a civilian shelter and take slaves. The ministorium priest who has his congregation in the shelter calls for aid and the Death Tempters/Imperial Guard answer the call.

The Shelter entrance is placed in the centre of the board with lots of ruins surrounding it. This is a simple take and hold mission for the Drukhari. Their side has to take and hold the entrance long enough for the doors to be breached at the end of the game. Turn 4. If the defending forces are at 50% or less it’s a win for the Drukhari. If they don’t hold the objective it’s a loss. If the imperium hold the objective they win. If the Drukhari hold the objective and the imperium forces are at 50% or more then it is a draw.

 Drukhari decides whether to replay at more power level or leave it. If Drukhari breach can play inside the shelter with imperial conscripts defending the shelter in a zone motalis style game.

Monday, 16 November 2020

Gamma One Four: 3rd Company's Iron Father

The Feirros Iron Father model for the iron hands was an awesome model and I wanted it the moment it can out. Its taken a while with my Death Tempters to get this far but I felt it was time. 
I don't want to run him as Ferris as I don't have a successor chapter therefore I have named him Gamma One Four or "Gamma" for short. He will be a primaris techmarine and fight in my Crusade forces and I will aim for him to become Master of the Forge for the Death Tempters allowing my regular techmarine to come and stand in if points are a thing. 
I still have bits to  do on him. The iron bar at his feet still isn't right and there's more highlights to do and following these photos I noticed that pipe into his nose shouldn't be flesh coloured but other than that he's looking good and playable. 

Tuesday, 10 November 2020

The lady of the red grief

I've been working on using the spares from the melusi kabalite kits after finishing up my Sslyth bodyguards
 I found the hair and bodies of the melusi made for pretty good wytches. This will be my new Succubus carrying the blood glaive. 
Getting the head to stay on at the right angle was a challenge. I used green stuff to fill in from the head to the hair to increase the contact patch and I put a couple of strands down to make supports to the body.
The base was an idea stolen from reddit (u/Help_Ive_Fallenn). She is looking good if slightly delicate.
The Sslyth are also looking good. It was pointed out that you can only take 3 in a match play army. Doh. Good thing I don't really care for competitive play. 
 I want to get my wracks glued and then I can spay these all up but my enthusiasm may get the better of me.
 Not sure what to do with this mini I made before the other. Its pure melusi top half but I don't like the fighting pose. 
Most likely I'll chop the arms back and add normal weapons. 


Sector 4 Storage tanks

Another present for me was sent through was some of TTcombat's MDF industrial terrain. I like this stuff and it makes up most of my space ship interiors. 
I haven't painted most of my MDF terrain because it looks nice and I am worried about ruining it but I felt inspired so I primed it up
I broke down the tanks and supports and painted them separately then joined them up again. TTcombat's laser cutting is just right to be able to hold together without glue. 
Still not quite finished but close enough to throw down on the table. Barrels and control cabinet just for fun not attached.