First squad of Hearthkyn

The start collecting box I have for Votann included 10 Hearthkyn Warriors. These are the solid battle line of my LoV forces so will very much set the tone for my army.

 I liked the box art colours of the greater thuren league but preferred the lore of the trans Hyperion conglomerate. I therefore merged the two by making one of the shoulders orange. At first on the theryn I made the whole shoulder orange but after painting my champion character with an orange stripe I preferred the look. So the troops all got an orange stripe which worked better

Specifically I went with a grey seer prime followed by nocturn green for the legs and cloth on the arms. The grey on the armour was then covered with coelia green shade and the nocturn too. The white areas got a coat of deepkin flesh to lose the stain of the shade. The gun was different and got a gloss nuln oil shade and then white skar on the main plate with copper for the insets. Silver was then dry brushed over those areas along with the piping on the backpack and muzzle.

 Wildwood brown contrast went in the leather belt and accessories. Buttons on the wrist got picked out and reshaded as needed.the visor has an area that was red but I used the orange contrast I had used for the shoulder to pick it out. The visor had itself was silver. For the models with their space hoods up I went with more nocturn green. Hair colour is going to be orange or light blonde or grey as needed.

 Bases I wanted a asteroid style rubble so I tried using spare sprue chopped up and glued down as a single layer. This was then covered in sand. Primed and painted in dark grey with a dry brush of light grey. I tried a brown ink wash on the theryn but it didn't work so covered it back over.

Final result looks nice and doesn't take too long. I can go back and panel line the armour more with skull white and make the accessories look better.

Making a scene

I have a plan to make a crusade force entry for all my units.

Its a lot of units. 

I want to have a picture for each with a diarama scene with them in the centre. 

I've used my space ship corridor for characters so thought I'd try out a few in there.

First I tried my new space dwarf

I thought he looked good so then tried my new  terminators

It didn't look as good. The camera was too low showing the non painted lid. I quickly painted the inside but it still lacked visual interest. 

 More greeble. 

This looked a lot better. I then ran it through comica. This is an app that turns photos into comic images. 

Tried it with a space wolf captain

Crusading all the time

I had an idea when I should have been working. What if my forces are always using the "crusade" RPG rules all the time. They are gaining experience for agendas on regular games when they should be standing on an objective in the open earning matched play points.....sigh.

I don't play properly that often but watch a lot of bat reps and would like this kind of thing where the commanders have secret agendas the other side is trying to work out.

To try this out myself I need to do a lot of paper work first because everything gets tracked. My plan is to put it all on the blog with each unit having a separate post that I can update post battle.

Therefore there is going to be a lot of boring posts.

welcome to the party Dwarfs!

Okka Conglahr sat in the Council chamber and stared moodly at the holo terminus set in the chambers table. Around him the Kin’s leaders of the Mining expedition were sat in the lead ship Murym’s meeting room and there was a palpable aura of distaste.

“It is the Imperium’s problem” spoke Olfa Greggor. “They have enough resources and troops to throw their weight around. They should have enough for this mess.”

“And if they do not?” Asked Bokka Leggit. “If they fail to stop the Baurggs in this system our hold is next in their path.”

This was true. Imperio was the sector capital for the Imperials. The Votann Hold world had been established in a desolate system with nothing but minor planetoids and a dying sun blasting them with saturated radiation. No sane race would establish a presence there if not for the valuable ores found in dense quantities on those planetoids. Discovered by the Votann, the system had been claimed and a Hardened Kinhost vessels plied the void consuming the floating rocks as quickly as the Tyranid swarms could consume a planets biomass.

 A central hold had been constructed in one of those planetoids. Vast smelteries and construction factories had been invested in, clone vats and kin had been steadly growing to meet with the demand for more workers. It could certainly fend for itself against the normal raiders and scum that was unfortunate enough to poke its nose into the Leagues business but not enough to fend of a full scale invasion by a determined opponent. This was calculated as such by the League. The system was of no interest to anyone, save the League, before the Kin’s investment. Most would not even know it was there to be plundered. But the imperials called the Tyranids would know. They would sense the life of the Kin working their platforms and send their tentacles towards them. Defending the hold would be imprudient. Evacuation would be costly. Potentially the losses could be recouped if and when the Tyranids moved on.

Bokka Leggit continued. “If they fail to stop the Baurggs and they strike at our hold we will have no choice but to return to League space with what we can. We all know not everything can be moved in time. There will be accusations of bad management and worse yet…. Of wastage.

There was a murmuring and a few kin banged their hands on the table in protest.

Bokka raised his voice slightly “If we side with the Imperials here, in their worlds, we can shield the hold from losses. We can fight on ground we like, free to fall back as we may, let the Imperials fight for every inch while we rip the heart from the Baurggs forces. If we fail to stop them it’ll give the hold more time to evacuate and reduce our losses overall.”

Olfa Greggor raised his head again “the Imperium doesn’t like our kind. They’ve made that plain enough when we’ve tried negotiations before. What makes you think they’d take our help even if we offer it. They’ve brought in enough ships and material to conquer half the sector. They ain’t the local lads. Its those genetically altered mad buggers they’ve brought in. That means trouble”.

Okka raised his hand. “The trade envoy brought with him one of their “Inquisitors” he said he speaks for their high council. They are willing to over look their usual ire in the name of expediency if we provide assistance. They offer a contract for our help. We would get a valuable trade agreement in addition to protecting the Hold.

 

Olfa Greggor spat “So they’d be in charge of us. Not while I take breath. I’m no mercenary and neither are our kin”

 

“The contract would be for the defence of the orbital mining colonies and outer works. We would be free to conduct are own affairs as an allied power.” Said Okka. “Should the colonies fall we would lose the trade contract but such a loss would not hurt us as we have done without it before.”

 

“ We should vote on these terms, If the Kin are to go to war I think this is our best path. I have asked the Grimnyr to consult with the Votann…..” and like a poker player laying down four aces he looked at Olfa Greggor “….and the ancestors agree”

To be continued.....

 Well what would it be if another year did not pass and I didn't try a new army. This time the Leagues of Votann and their Space dwarf / Squat model look alikes caught my eye 

 Wish they'd caught my eye it sooner when there was a copy of their introduction army box going at the local flgs. Oh well.

 At the moment I have the Combat Patrol and the Einhyr Champion giving me a small but effective force. I'm planning to run them as the trans hyperian alliance but didn't like the colour scheme just their out look and lore so they have a green and white armour sort of like the box art and an Orange shoulder badge to match their league.

 Haven't painted them all yet but already looking to expand them with vehicles and more heavily armoured troops.

 

10th Ed The Good the Bad and the WTF?

"Simplified not simple" was a tag line for the 10th Edition of Warhammer 40k

10th started out looking to be a good game with good ideas about characters joining units as leaders, data cards for the units rules that are easy to have at the table and simplification of common rules so they are the same whatever army. But they messed with some things that, at the moment, I don't like and it's the death of a thousand cuts. The Little bad things that I just don't like the look of the gameplay and general army components that add up to make me not like the edition.

Here's the good

Leaders. 

 It's nice to have characters attached to units and their skills adding to that units power.

Command Point management

 Having a smaller number of command points and starts to use them on makes use of them feel more strategic.

Data cards

 Putting the unit rules in one place where they can go around the table is a good thing for ease of play 

Here's the Bad

1. They removed options from units. This is an odd one but I will try to explain. In the most recent versions of 40k a unit could have any number of models between it's max and it's min. With the new broom they decided to simplify this and let you either take the min or increments the same size as the pack you buy. Good for new players but I've been collecting and converting for decades. I don't have the "standard" number of models for my units meaning I have to pay full price for smaller number of models.

2. They turned terrain into a simple plus one cover

Terrain is very much part of the narrative driven game play. If all it is is a bonus to a saving throw a lot of its value drops. You ay as well play with blocks of wood for line of sight blocking and cover cause there is little point making a dense jungle surrounding a bunker with swamps on one side because other than for visuals it does nothing to the game.

3. They removed the pyshic phase.

In two minds about this as it's now a weapon you can use along with the armaments but it kind of takes away that special thing and it removes choice.

 Certain psykers can do certain powers. 

How dull.

4. Tau drones becoming war gear.

I put together some of these and it takes time, effort and thought into what mix you want on your units. Now they are just markers. So what's the point.

5. Rule wording is lengthy.

 This was a problem in 9th but it explained it in the same sentence. Problem usually occurred with overlapping rules in different places in different books. Now it's all like that. Not a fan.

6. They discarded codexes that were at max 3 years old and some were less than 4 months! I feel I have been had and wasted my money on 9th rules. 

7. The removal of different weapon profiles

 I like options! That why I collect more than one of a unit. For example my 3rd company has 2 units of intercessors. One with auto bolt rifles for close encounters and normal rifles for holding the back field. Now I have 20 bods with the same and they are both heavy and assault but look different. 

Also combi weapons. What was hard why did that need to go into a mess of wordy rules. It's a kick in the teeth to all the conversions of melta and plasma that did different things and I had to choose or magnitude but it was obvious what was going on. Now my combi-plas is the same as my combi meltas and worse than both because it's not tailored to a job.

Lightning claws can now only be taken in pairs. Why? Otherwise they are not twin linked and that's complicated if you give them the old rule of re roll wounds. Nevermind the couple of space wolves I took a single claw on cos it looked cool and did something 

And finally the WTF.

It's a Money grab.

 To compare the wargame  Infinity has a great digital rule system. A new player can download the whole rule set. Navigate to a free webapp to build their force which is then printable with all the stats and abilities listed so no digging through data sheets and Codexes on A4!

 GW tried to go digital with their app. It's free with limited functionality. You have to pay to get access to the army builder and see the rules and you could see it coming from 9th model. When the Codexes release the rules get pay walled. Leaving players to have to fork out while already paying a monthly sub. 

 I get it. As the dominant market player you can charge what you want. But that doesn't mean I have to buy. Especially as I can make a spreadsheet that works just as well.

 The datacards that were released as free indexes at the start of 10th as free digital or paid physical looked a good sign. Right up until you found the physical cards had misprints or GW changed rules making the obselete within weeks of purchase. If you bought Space Marines or Trynids they replaced your cards with new ones to go with their Codexes. Get your wallet out again player.

 The free indexes disappeared from the website forcing you back to physical media for your cards or the sub for the app.

 This isn't so bad for the player with one army or starting out just after their codex is released. One army's worth of rules isn't that large compared to the models. But it's bad for consumers generally cheeses off people new to the hobby who got the indexes and thought this was how it works. People with multiple armies (like me) are looking at a 4 figure bill to keep our 10+ armies relevant. 

 I'm not buying new rules until they show a change. If you are going to insist on physical media make sure that physical media isn't going to change.

 Other army builders exist and for free. It's being done just as another revenue stream. I will fall back on my 9th ed resources I've paid for.

I suspect 10th was rolled out according to an accounting schedule rather than from a need of the game tself. Some have said it was needed from a rules bloat point of view but 10th seems just as bloated and contradictory and it's just 3 months old.

House rules for 9th ed games in the 10th crazy. 

 The bits I like of 10th I will add to 9th. 

 Leaders can join units. Any character can join any unit. Auras are still their rules but keywords add up with common sense.

-As per 8th rules. Space marines can pick when they change doctrines downwards. Devastator to Tactical to assault. 9th rules apply. Think this is in the Dataslate for 9th. 

-Multipliers stack but a 6 is always a hit a 1 is always a failure. Snipers are still cool when shooting through windows. 

-Los is a thing. This one I might change but I think it really helps make things a war game.

It was while I was thinking about this I found myself understanding why they did the shoot the whole unit thing. It removes a lot of extra mechanics.

 I might try this idea, that essentially your troops can only hit the models they can see. Therefore if half the unit gets behind a wall and can't be seen the enemy unit can only kill half the models in that unit but conversely  it's those models that have to be taken away so if the Sarge and the special weapon are out front out, of cover they are going to get hit. 

 When shooting at a unit in different states of cover the attacker chooses how many shots it takes at each type. For example 10shots at a five man unit with three in cover and 2 out they might pop 5 shots at those in the open and 5 at those in cover. If the shots overkill their targets the wounds don't spill over. 

So in the example photo the Reivers are shooting the fire dragons at 10 shots. The Exarch (no1) can't be seen so cannot be a target. No2 is in light cover (+1 to armour save) 3 is in the open and No 4 & 5 are behind dense cover (-1 to hit). The Reivers pump four shots at the one in the open and 6 at the ones behind dense. When rolling this out the guy in the open is killed and so is one of the dragons behind the dense cover. 

 Compared to normal rules the guy in cover takes the shots and shrugs all but one and the guys on the end of the conga line takes the damage. 

 This then causes issues with unit coherence which might mean extra models in a unit get lost through no fault of the player. This is unfair. Easiest way to deal with it is to ignore coherency until the players movement when they must return to coherency.

Terrain still has 9th rules with the addition of dangerous terrain. Unit rolls per model entering terrain area on a roll of 1 the unit takes 1 mortal wound.

Why is everyone in Imperio

Space marines The Death Tempters

As part of task force 81 the Death Tempters have been sent to stabilise and beat off the coming Tyranid assault. Simple. 

Astra militarium :

 There are multiple regiments of guard and PDF forces holding the Imperial worlds of Imperio and it's moons and asteroids and space stations and whatever bits of rock they can strap a cannon on.

Genestealers

The cult has found a sanctuary hiding in the mobile mine platforms of the Secondus jungle forming crude work camps while working to secure the ascention. With the hive fleet approaching they start their plans In motion. 

Tyranids

In beknown to the imperial defenders initial sporecraft have entered the system and nests of proto nods are growing. 

Drukhari 

The web way has lots of entry ways on secondus that have allowed the Drukhari to steal whatever they felt like for centuries. The presence of genestealers has engaged them further as they now see the planet as a hunting ground of dangerous sport they wish to capture the brood lord and it's get to use as a beast in their arena .

The Aeldaeri

The Eldar gave sensed a node of fate is attached to this system and it's fall and destruction would be a disaster to the Eldar. What the node is is clouded from their Farseer's sight only that order must remain.

The Thousand Sons

 Deep beneath the one of the worlds of Imperio is a vault locked behind stone and black noctalith a dangerous artifact lurks which if uncovered will grant exceptional power to those who can control it.

Necrons. 

An ancient weapon of the old ones is locked hidden on the second planet. It's uncovering or worse it's absorbition into the Tyranid genetic arsenal would be a disaster for the Necrons. A force has been dispatched by Tyzan the infinite to recover it and place it in his personal vaults...... For safe keeping.

The Custodes

 The Aqullian shield has been extended to the new governor. His survival is pivotal to the Imperium. But for how long?

The Grey Knights 

A terrible power is being summoned on this world and this brotherhood has been summoned by and old inquisitor lord of the ordo mallues to uncover it's plot.

Space Wolves

 The relic frost axe has been lost and the new Wold lord must retrieve it or die in the attempt. The chaos spy that stole it has been tracked to the second planet. Nothing will stand between the Emperor's executioners and their quarry.

The Deathwatch

With Xenos races all seemingly against the bastion world the local Watchmaster and his company have been summoned to lead the purge.

The Tau. 

 A secret research station was installed prior to the maladictium to watch for build up of forces that could be directed towards the spheres. It's also being used by the etherals to attempt to promote the greater good through givasha agents. Hidden on an astorid base the Tau have been cut off and are forced to steal food stuffs and materials to maintain their base and systems. Seeing the build up of imperium crusade forces and un aware of the tyranid threat they are acting to sabotage what they can. 

The Leagues of Votann

With a hold system next on the lunch menu for the kids the kin have picked up a contract to protect the asteroid mining facilities. But from whom..

Imperial Knights

The free lance sworn to the death tempters has joined them on crusade. Will the black knight forfill his vows. 

Chaos space marines

 A warband is here to disrupt the defence of the system. If the bastion world falls the 13th crusade will capitalise of the imperium's weakness.

Orks

 Orks can smell a fight and this warband of raiders want to get in, get the loot and have a scrap if it's not too much trouble.

Land Raider

Land raiders are just the best

The doors open and everything 

There's lots of little internal bits that really bring it to life when that big assault ramp drops. 

Only thing is that once all the doors and panels are in place it's way too dark to actually see all these little details unless you shine a torch in there or are able to fit a Led to the roof somehow.

Well there was an option to add a multimelta so of course that has to go on but there was nothing in the box. Seems to only be available in the Redemptor version of the kit. Grrr. 

No worries though I stole one from the land speeder I got at the same time. 

 This does mean my Land speeder typhoon squadron has one with the heavy bolter rather than multimeltas all round. Could be a useful point reducing option...... 

Redemption awaits those with Stompy robots

I got the Redemptor dreadnought in the Dark Angel combat patrol box a while back but never did a post for him.

Went with the anti infantry roll just because you get to throw a fist full of dice with two gatling guns blazing. Fragstorm in the chest just because I thought it looked cool.

Diamond plate experiment

When coming up with my new Deathwatch army I needed a new base type for them. With my Birthday looming I wanted to add some non model options and perused the modelling & hobby section of element games website. 

 There I came across green stuff world's rollers. I've seen GSW's stuff before but it usually has a £12 delivery charge from Spain. But Element had them in stock. I liked the look of diamond plate to give my Deathwatch a industrial / space ship vibe. So on the list they went with some more DAS clay. 

 I've been using DAS quite a bit for bases to give the ground more texture and height so was confident in this material. 

In amongst the models someone kindly got me the roller and  I pumped out some experiments. 

Not every base was perfect and it's going to take some experiments to see how it works best. As a starter for ten I'm happy enough. Now to stick some models on them.