'nids part 220 - Genestealer Hybrid Acolytes - TO DONE!

Apologies for the delay, usually I post around mid-day, y'know so you can get to read the blog during your lunch but for one reason or another I couldn't finish the post until now. Obviously that included taking the pictures of my completed Acolytes.

Currently the Neophytes just need varnishing and they're complete, although I won't get they're 2016/17 Hobby Season To Done post until after the Season review. I've put a huge amount of effort into getting them done before the new season, I'm not about to give them a Great Big Gamboge Stamp of Approval when they're entitled to a Purple one.

But the Acolytes, well they're TO DONE!

And the light box is delivering some fairly decent pictures I think.

I think the first generation hybrids are my favourite, in particular the kilted ones.

But I think they make a nice group and actually far more cohesive than I gave them credit. They're still a bit 'busy' but tie together quite nicely.

The Tyranid Bone-knives came out pretty cool too.

While same of the other blades got a healthy dose of gore and blood spatter.

And on a white backdrop.

The 'red' group.

The 'orange' group.

Some of the detail on the back, lights and stuff on the environment suit.

Stabby, stabby.

I may well kick myself I didn't do more Free Radical Collective symbols but the four I did do came out really well.

BOOM! 

So here's the Big Purple Stamp of Approval. As usual I've got some Moar shots from my phone but they'll be in a separate post in the new season [but retrospective]. As I said before the Neophytes won't be revealed until the new season either but they'll be finished over the weekend, so they count. It's been hard and tiring getting these done and I'll be glad to move onto some other things but with less of an immediate deadline to worry about - I have until October to get my next two things done... 

'nids part 219 - Genestealer Hybrids - moar details and highlights

Another boring task that needed addressing - Bonewhite chips on the bases. I'm not sure if it's apparent but I did try and do less of them, partly because it's so tedious but also because I imagine fewer wraithbone chips in and around the heavily industrialised areas of Ferron Proxima. Whether I have limited their inclusion I'm not sure. But I did put some Free Radical Collective logos on the kilted pair of Acolytes.

They came out really well considering. Not sure I'm going to do it on all the hybrids, space becomes limited and they're already busy as hell.

I also added all the blue highlights to their uniform.

It's more apparent on the Neophytes and you can see how they match up with the Primus

A few more highlights on the skin tones and subsequently added some groovy flushed, veiny back of the skull similar to the Aberrants, which have come out pretty well. I also painted ll the tongues red but flitted off before completing any of the highlights - highly unusual in the OCD way I paint. Eyes and teeth have also been done.

I'm not sure how consistent that sits with the Acolytes and Purestrain Genestealers though:

• Purestrain - Bonewhite rear cranium, red fleshy mouth and face, turqouise chitin crest
• Acolyte - Red fleshy rear cranium, mouth and face, turqouise chitin crest
• Neophyte - Red fleshy rear cranium, various skin tones on face and crest
• Abberant - Red fleshy rear cranium, various skin tones on face, turqouise chitin crest
• Magus/Primus - Red fleshy rear cranium, various skin tones on face, turqouise chitin crest

Maybe the purestrains have the bonewhite bit as a stronger substance, then with the first and second gen hybrids that material is replaced with all flesh [the red bits] then the Neophytes mutate the red skin into the natural skin tones of their heritage, with the skin covering the forehead crests, allowing them to blend in with the populace. The Abberants meanwhile are mutated further so the crests aren't covered in skin. Equally the Magus and Primus have exposed crests because of their exalted status and given they're so shadowy in the background they're never seen so their overt mutations are less important in exposing the Coven.

All that's left is claws, talons, anything black, all the little headlamps that have been started with some orange, toxic green elements and then the Neophytes guns need some work. Then base edges, varnish and all the other special FX - gloss varnish, Tamiya Clear Red X-27 etc. I'm almost certain these can all be To Done by the end of the Season but the blog posts themselves are struggling to fit into my current schedule, we'll have to see how that works out.

'nids part 218 - Genestealer Hybrids - environment suit highlights

You may recall this time last year I was actively sabotaging my Hobby Season goals by avoiding the Land Speeder Typhoons that were so close to completion. This year felt like history was going to repeat itself but it's fatigue more than mindless ambivalence that is putting my new goal at risk. I've managed to overcome the mundane nature of the cultists but unusually by abandoning any sense of a plan! I'm literally flitting from one element to the next without consideration of following it through to completion. That may well bite me at the end but it has brought renewed vigour and purpose.

As such all the highlights are done, although I might want to add a few extra touches to the red

I then added all my Tyranid Chitin highlights and have waethered all the Acolyte weapons with Typhus Corrosion and Ryza Rust.

As much as the plan was to reach a point where I focussed predominantly on the Acolytes I'm still very much bringing the Neophytes along with them, they just happen to be a few steps behind in the likes of weathered weaponry...

At this stage I should have been working on the Acolytes but given the potential obstacle of the variety of skin tones still to do I saw it as a bit of a challenge to highlight all those heads and hands.

You can just about make out the highlights on the turquoise skinned hybrids, I carried it through with all of the skin tones, but I was less confident doing the dark skinned guys, not sure why, I think its the challenge I face every time I do it with the Dark Angels.

Having varied skintones was always going to be a problem reconciling with my hive fleet colours. I think I've managed it reasonably well but I also know this force is incredibly busy looking, an unholy riot of colours and variety. It disappoints me a little I wasn't able to make it more simplified but it does reflect the ragtag nature of the force at the least and if I wanted them all the same I've done that already with the Tyranids themselves...

2000pts battle report - Tyranids v Dark Angels - Game 5 - North West Open

The North West Open Tournament @ Wargames is an ITC format competition using the following rules pack: ITC 8th ed Combined Arms Missions. Each mission was rolled for randomly before the game and we were then all told which one to play.

Game 5 low down:

• Scenario 4 - The Scouring [check the rules pack linked above for all the details]
• Search & Destroy deployment
• 1 Eternal War Objective and 2 Maelstrom

Moving down the tables I was on table 26 with only one pair below me and my partner Colin Mill's Dark Angels. However, it turned out the two other players were 'no shows' and as such I'd managed to reach the bottom table - we were indeed fighting for the Wooden Spoon! The added bonus for me was seeing how Dark Angels fare in 8th. Colin had a vehicle heavy list [all lists are here], Razorbacks, couple of Predators, two Dreadnoughts and two Las Cannon Devastators with Azrael to buff his nearby units behind that ruin in the top left.

I got first turn and rolled hold objective 1 and 2 for Maelstrom which meant I could swap them for hold 3 objectives. It's a bigger gamble but the rewards were 3 VPs instead on a max of 2. It was doable as all three objectives were within [Death] spittingdistance of my DZ. I mean it was a competitive decision, I felt I had a 65-75% chance of success given the bodies on the board but failure would push me into Wooden Spoon territory. I couldn't ignore the chance, to do so would spurned the gift, so I went for it.

Flyrant and Carnifex moved on one of the Razorbacks, but no First Blood in this game! The Flyrant was spectacularly inneffective against the tank. He really needs a Melee weapon if I'm going to play him like this. I think further insult was added by possibly being killed by Colin in his following turn, he doesn't appear in any further pictures.

I thinned out the Devastators in the Ruins opposite my DZ but the 2 remaining wouldn't break.

The returned fire by killing the Tervigon. Support from the Predators were surprisingly effective, their Auto Cannon was particularly brutal, propmpting me to consider moving my own one further up my 2017/18 Hobby Season To Do List. Unfortunately it wasn't enough to pull me off my objectives and I gained 3 VPs in my turn.

Colin had inadvertanly positioned his units in such a way as to make my Trygon tunnel really difficult to place. I coudl certainly put them down, just nowhere to take benefit of their deployment, with trees and choke points all around. However, I'd drawn objective 1 and 2 again so a second chanc eto convert that to 3 objectives. The odds were prety even in success now. Without the Tervigon the Trygon and Genestealers could soak up the fire while everything else secured the three objectives.

The Carnifex attempted what the Flyrant had failed to do and were equally unable to complete the task. The fact their Thresher Scyth tails is only S4 the reason for their inability to wound the tank.

And therefore paid the price as the Razorback fell back leaving them exposed.

And one Carnifex went down.

The Trygon Prime was also felled but my line stayed true and I was able to secure another 3 VPs in my turn.

I drew hold objective 2 and kill a unit. I'm not entirely sure what went down in this turn 3 [our final turn, believe it or not]. I know I ultimately scored both Maelstrom objectives. I think the Razorback got destroyed, I couldn't quite get the last Devastator in the ruins and my remaining Genestealers tried to assault the two Razorbacks in the woods, not sure how many survived but the end of the game I'd won 8 VPs for Maelstrom [thanks to the three objective gambles], we tied the Eternal War mission on 4 VPs each and I got Linebreaker for my Carnifex while Colin Scored Big Game Hunter and Slay the Warlord - final score 13-6 to me - a win!

Because of the win I was out of the Wooden Spoon competition and I was convinced Colin had been successful but he actually lost out on that 'accolade' by one VP. I suppose it's no surprise to discover that Colin's experience was limited, this may well have been his first five games of 8th if I recall but his sportsmanship was awesome and such a genuinely friendly bloke, his kilt was also particularly special :)

There we have it, five games, one win, about right and Martin [owner of Wargames] did say, with no disrespect, that I'd found my place. The third floor was by far the most relaxed, even Aceface said it got progressively tense the higher up the tables [the lower down the building]. Every game was a treat, every player was a true gentleman of the hobby and as you know I did come away with Best Army and £50 to spend which will cover the Tyranid Codex and perhaps go towards an Exocrine if they ever return.

I think as a 'make or break' for 8th it's been apparent in my reports and comments that I still have reservations. It's such a change that it's clear I can't continue to play 8th as I have 5th, 6th and 7th. Bottom line Tyranids are competitive and I currently am not. Whether getting better at the game can be achieved without that need to be ruthless that seems to predicate success I don't know.

The ITC format was interesting in the Maelstrom missions only scoring in your subsequent turn - this certainly led to some tactical thought to ensure you would still score your points after your opponents turn. But beyond that I think tactics in general have taken a huge hit. I keep referring to the first turn - regardless of missions it seems you have to decapitate as much of your opponent as you can because they're sure as hell going to do that to you. Once you've blunted their force you have room to deal with whatever tactical missions are on the cards.

I confess I'm not sure how this is different from me always striving for First Blood. but that can be achieved with just one unit, however small and a wrecked Rhino isn't exactly ruining your day. Purge the Alien missions have always been my least favourite missions but it seems like this forms the core introduction to how 8th games pan out. Maybe there's a little more finesse I'm missing because I'll admit my grasp of how to approach games is sorely lacking. But this is still coming to terms with 8th and so long as my mates are still invested and I'm still having fun, which the NWO provided in abundance I'll be there. Next stop - Nevermind the Blog Wars.