So sixth edition has come and moved me back into being interested in 40k again. Allies have me working on tons of projects and planning on heading to a . Current projects include: 

1. God Awful Belial conversion. It is hideous/hilarious.  

2. First squad of Deathwing painted, forgeworld Shoulders ordered...

3. Converting combi-weapons from the Commander sprue and stormbolter clips into combi-weapons for a Stermguard/Deathwatch squad.  Have bodies and shoulder pads from Wolves/Dark Angels/Ultras/Crimson Fists (need a Blood Angel body and shoulder pad)  to build a squad. I have an extra Cannoness I was thinking of painting up as the Sarge. Want to create a Deathwatch detachment to ally with Pedro. I have always been fascinated with the Deathwatch as it was one of the original things I learned about in the 40k . 

4. I have a 20 sister squad working for allying. Ten are solid and completly painted and magnitized. Need to test out my purity spray and give them a coat. 

5. Immolator and dominion squad. 

6. Want to convert my Cannoness into Celestine as I have misplaced the model for Celestine. I have the bits just not the body. Very strange. I do love the Cannoness though one of the first models I painted that I was proud of. 

7. Creating bases for my Seraphim Squad. Going for an urban rubble look. 

8. Ezekiel - Freshening up the model.

Lots to do. With Allies though I feel like everything I do is closer to a working army which is a big change from the last edition. 

 

 

White Dwarf Codex - the bad and the ugly

I was really (read: foolishly) hoping that the White Dwarf treatment would get me inspired in 40k again. I am always interested, in that I read other blogs and read novels and such, but rarely am I inspired. When inspired I spend my hobby time actually painting, planning and modelling the rediculous collection of minatures that at the moment are gathering dust in my house. Sadly the first White Dwarf didn't come with enough information to really move foward with an army build. It seems most squads took some subtle knocks, but without wargear or cost it's way to early to have an opinion on how things will be. I have two concerns:

1. The squads all look like they are in line for a considerable points reduction. It may be difficult to form a 1750-2500 army with the stuff I have and that is harsh, as the models are metal and expensive. I have a few pieces that I still need to put together but this does not bode well for me.

2. I need to learn how to properly base models. I really struggle with this and it's completely keeping me from moving foward in the hobby. I don't want to buy every base I put a model on, and every base I have completed to date looks like poo.

No amount of internet searching has given me the guidence my dumb self needs to create bases that I am proud up. Note looking up "Free Basing" is not recomended at work.

The current trend around the store is 2500 points, as everyone wants to work on lists for Ard Boyz. Sisters 2500 Cannoness - Mantle, Bolt Pistol, Blessed Weapon, Frag Grenade, Book 4 x Celestian Retinue - Two Melta VSS - Evicerator Immolator - Smoke 4 x Celestian - Two Melta Sister Superior Immolator - Smoke 4 x Celestian - Two Melta Sister Superior Immolator - Smoke 5 x Dominion - 4 Flamer VSS - Book, CCW, Bolt Pistol Immolator - Smoke 9 x Battle Sister Squad - Two Melta VSS - Book, Combi-Melta Rhino - Smoke 9 x Battle Sister Squad - Two Melta VSS - Book Rhino - Smoke 9 x Battle Sister Squad - Two Melta VSS - Book Rhino - Smoke 9 x Battle Sister Squad - Flamer, Hvy Flamer VSS - Book, Combi-Flamer Rhino - Smoke 3 x Exorcist 7 x Seraphim Squad - Two Hand Flamers VSS Book, Evicerator 1 x Inquisitor Lord, Psychic Hood, Hammer of the Witches 3 x Familiar 1 x Callidus Assassin 11 Faith Points Old school Psychic Hood I am sure by the end of playtesting the Callidus will be gone and the Inquisitor may become a firing platform in a Rhino. Gives me access to Plasma cannon/Multi-Melta bunker if I really feel the list is lack that. It feels really weak, no alternate deployment options no tricks other than callidus shinanigans. Seems boring. Going to give it a shot though and see how it feels

I really don't know why I don't post more I am constantly working on something in the hobby. Currently the updates to the Deathwing rules have me digging out Terminators, (and buying a few boxes) to roll out the bone with terminator goodness. I spent about six hours last night basecoating terminators. The current list is:

Belial
5 Deathwing squads as troops three shield heavy two shooting
3 Ravenwing Support Squads with Typhoons
2 Dreads
and the random three Ravenwing guys with Melta

All of the models are here and all of the terminators have received a base coat. So perhaps if I call in sick on day this week everything can be table ready by Saturday.

What I am working on

Since the last time I posted I actually purchased someone else's Space Wolves army. There were no painted minis and only around 25 or so assembled Grey Hunters. In total the purchase was 7 assembled but unpainted Rhinos, 7 boxes of grey hunter/blood claws a 'TDA Njal', a custom made Rune Priest and a really awesome magnetized Wolf Lord. A few weeks later at the local 40k swap meet, I was able to pick up a classic Njal and a Logan for a few bucks a piece so I have the start of a pretty decent list with all this stuff. I thought it would only take a month or so and I would be rolling out a new battle force.

The test squad is taking forever. Painting Space Wolves are such a pain. The models are so busy. On the cool side the modeling opportunities are awesome as each guy can be a unique member of the clan and that really fits with the fluff of the Space Wolves. On the suck side it is so frustrating to paint and assemble the guys as they require so much effort and planning. I feel as if the models are never finished. There was always one more wolf tooth necklace or wolf tail to paint. I attempted to assembly line 7 of guys, which was a really terrible idea as they all require different paint schemes as some had runes etched into the legs and others had multiple wolf skulls/pelts/tails/jewels placed in random locations. They just aren't similar enough for me to assembly line.

About half-way through my awful space-wolf experience, I realized why I didn't know how to paint these guys. The Sisters of Battle squads have 6 different sculpts. It's so easy to set every sculpt in the range in a line and paint because they all are so uniform. One may have a grenade or a bolt-pistol holster but overall they are the same chick. Same iconography in the same location on every single Sister. After putting together and painting a Sisters force I simply was not prepared for the amount of work that would need to go into a fully plastic high detail army. So back to the drawing board on the best way to get the Space Wolves on the table. I may just do basing, undercoating and the basecoat as an assembly line and then treat each model as an individual project. Hopefully I can get some images on the site so anyone who cares can see the skill level I work at and maybe make some suggestions. Lrn to piant not withstanding.

It's 2:00am in the morning do you know where your local game store is?

One of the biggest issues for me in this hobby is actually finding time to play. Playing a game requires, picking out a list, gathering the models, packing up said models, gathering up the peripherals (dice, codex, ruler) packing all this junk in the car and going to the local game store. Lucky for me the local game store is a block up the street or I doubt I would ever get in the random game of 40k. Sadly even when I make time now I have trouble getting a game.

The place I play is called the Tower Games in Lawrenceville, GA. He has 5 0r 6 Custom built 6x4 tables quite a bit of terrain laying around, and a few armies on the shelf if you need to proxy or 'borrow' a unit or two. One of the better hobby stores around due to the size of the store and the quality of the tables.

A few months ago the place was slammed with 40kers, I could walk in just about anytime after 3:00 and see someone playing 40k. Now it's kind of dead. I don't know if the fifth edition excitement ran out or what, but it's been a few months since I have seen a 40k game going on. Where did all the gamers go and why? This is not a cheap hobby to invest in. How do you just quit on something you spent so much money and time to start? Honestly when I talk to most of the guys they still have interest in 40k just not the army they started. Pretty much to a man it comes down to the competitiveness of their army in their mind. They purchased an army tried to play, lost a few times and quit. (Can i hav yur stuf?!?) Most point to their lack of competitiveness versus the local 180 boyz army (which while a pain really isn't that great of an army). Mob boyz take some getting used to playing against but once you figure out it's weakness (mainly AV14 or using 12' moving empty vehicles to open them up to extra rounds of shooting or to simply block charge) you find you will be in the position to win games where you don't roll horribly. At what point did everyone believe that they should just 'Auto-Win' at everything?

I have been playing 40k games for the past year, and it took me a few rounds of play before the system and my army clicked. After a game I analyze what went right, what went wrong. I attempt to recall and discuss anything my opponents did that I thought was rel event to the outcome of the game. I am not spectacular at the game at this point but I know what my units are capable of and I know quite a bit about the other armies and their rules. At this point I consider my training wheels off. I really don't have any ambition to play tournament 40k as the system seems pretty out of wack right now, (Who would let people bring their own dice to a competition where money is involved?) but I could not imagine just dumping my stuff if I didn't win a couple of games. I would really like to help rebuild the stores player base but right now I just don't have that kind of time. Hopefully I can get a campaign kicked off with the new Galactic Empire tiles.