Tuesday 15 September 2015

'nids part 175 - Tyranid Void Shield Generator part 3.

I could be showing you pictures of my updated Cerastus but I'm pretty sure you just want to see a Tyranid Void Shield Generator right now, am I right? Or am I right? Here's the base, another spare piece of hardboard, this time from an old TV cabinet. I'm rapidly running out of these spare bits, I might actually have to buy some MDF soon. I scored through the template with a knife so I'll know roughly where each piece goes when I come to stick it on.


I've trimmed the noodle bowl, it would later transpire trimmed too much but  nevermind.


And the bowl in place, although the numbers don't match up.


I then realised I would need to fill the hole in the ring, preferably before I glued the ring in place. Initially I thought I'd fill it with newspaper but then remembered I had a load of high density foam in the garage from my brother's vivarium. And amzingly there was a circular core cut to form a ventilation hole in the viv. This was a perfect fit and I hollowed out the inside a bit to better form the 'trumpet' shape at the base of the VSG emitter.


And a lot of hot melt glue later and we have the basing structure, with a mechanical pencil tube for the emitter support.


I screwed up a bit on the floor, it's slightly tilted and even worse tilted up against a wall that was cut too deep but hopefully the sculpting on top will fix that, not that it matters as anything on the battlements gets a save, regardless of how much the walls obscure it.


Next step is to fill out the chitin spines with tissue and PVA and then make the chitin spines. This step and all subsequent steps are all things that require me to sacrifice Dark Angels time though, even this step was one too far, we'll see what price I'm prepared to pay...


Tyranid Void Shield Generator Chapter 1. part 1. | part 2. | part 3. | part 4. | part 5. | part 6. | part 7. | part 8. | part 9. |

Tyranid Void Shield Generator Chapter 2. part 1. | part 2. | part 3. | part 4. | part 5. | part 6. | part 7. | part 8. part 9. | part 10. | part 11. | part 12. | part 13. | part 14. | part 15. | 

Sunday 13 September 2015

'nids part 174 - Tyranid Void Shield Generator part 2.

I really didn't expect to do an update so soon but it turns out this bit was quite quick to do. The noodle pot handily has six little support struts underneath the rim. Although the VSG will only have 3 chitinous elements the battlements will have six peaks in it's construction, as per the concept. So I've cut into the pot at three areas, using the struts as a guide.


Here's a look at the rough templates for the spines. The main focusing spine and a variety of little chitin nodes for the other positions, so I can pick and choose the most appropriate. Also the other piece will be the template for the base. A small building in 40k is no bigger than 6"x6" square [or equivalent 36 square inches] the base will be 35 square inches according to my area measurement tool. So unlike the crater base on my Bastion, which is not affording cover or difficult terrain this potentially could but probably would be too impractical to walk through. Bottom line the base is smaller than a small building the actual VSG is therefore considerably smaller so no one should be able to complain about modelling for advantage.


I've freehand cut various notches and trimmed in places to fit the bowl. I'm pretty sure the templates will come as is when I do them, because if you do fancy making them you're going to have to trim to fit the way you want just as I've done, there's no accuracy in this.


I have decided that the large spine is a little too fat though, I'll be trimming a centimetre off the back so I've got more space on the base. And the battlements are in place too, now to make the base.


I recently got into a debate on facebook regarding the battlements, the VSG is classed as an 'Impassable Building' which rules state you cannot enter the building but specifically states you can use the battlements. Having played Ben with his VSG we'd always played that you could climb up the outside. In this discussion someone was suggesting if they could model ladders on it and it was pointed out this is 'modelling for advantage' which I though was tosh as most ruins we can climb up only require a 3" difficult terrain test regardless of any modelled ladders or ropes. I even found reference to battlements being considered the same as the top level of a ruin. However, I was deemed to be interpreting things wrong that the building was Impassable Terrain which does not allow anyone to pass over, or through, unless they have the ability to do so - Jump, Skimmers etc. To which I disagreed as it was quite clear under the terrain rules that as a Building 'they have their own set of specific rules featured in their own section'. But it was argued that building were mentioned in the terrain rule and therefore subject to the terrain rules. I tried to just end things by saying people interpret them in different ways but my adversary had to have the last word along the lines of 'yes, his way which was correct and my way which was wrong'.

Bottom line I see the VSG as an enclosed box, you are not able to enter it to take advantage of any 'transport' protection abilities but it does have a Battlements you can access by climbing up the outside. The idea that you can also not pass over it because it has the word impassable and another different piece of terrain also has the same word in it, does that mean Impassable Terrain is also subject to the rules of an Impassable Building...

Yes, I know, message boards and forum trolling, should know better ;)


Tyranid Void Shield Generator Chapter 1. part 1. | part 2. | part 3. | part 4. | part 5. | part 6. | part 7. | part 8. | part 9. |

Tyranid Void Shield Generator Chapter 2. part 1. | part 2. | part 3. | part 4. | part 5. | part 6. | part 7. | part 8. part 9. | part 10. | part 11. | part 12. | part 13. | part 14. | part 15. | 

Friday 11 September 2015

'nids part 173 - Tyranid Void Shield Generator part 1.

 
It seems the vaguaries of the Warp ate the first draft of this but I'll persevere. My Tyranid Void Shield Generator concept has been around pretty much since Stronghold Assault came out and despite it being completely non-essential to my current hobby priorities I thought I'd crack on with it. Hopefully it'll progress, but it could easily stall [can you say Caestus Assault Ram?]. But first and formeost, should you wish to have a crack at my idea, you will need a Chef Kuo's Express Noodle Bowl. These are available from Home Bargain/Quality Save for 99p [I remember when they used to be 59p]. I like the Spicy Kung Pao, I'm eating one as I type and hopefully the spicy kick will shift this sore throught I started with today, but they also do a Sesame Seed Teriyaki flavour.


Once you have eaten the noodle goodness you will have a bowl, I also use one of these to store my sand mix but this one will form the basis of the VSG.


I created a ring template [whihc I will eventually share once I've ironed out the kinks] this will form the battlements. As you can see it can support the 10 models a small building battlements can hold.


And this is the battlement floor in place, it'll be textured in a similar way to my Bastion so it should look pretty cool.


Now this thing is pretty unique, so I can't expect folk to have one to hand. It's a cannon ball from one of my kids old Pirate playsets from the Early Learning Centre, I've kept it for years just for this purpose. You could easily replacy it with a polystyrene ball, around 40-50mm in diammeter, perhaphs sculpt some surfacce details similar. Alternatively a cluster of smaller balls or even lava stones then covered in tissue paper/PVA will have a similar effect for the Void Shield emitter.


Here it is in the generator, for scale, obviously it'll be mounted on a rod to match the concept above and that hole in the middle will be sculpted with suitable alien structures to support it and make it so you can't put figures in it as only the 10 on the ring will be legal.


Now this isn't a priority but I can get some of it done that won't impact my Dark Angels. How it continues once it does begin to impact, well I always say 'go with the flow' but I'm juggling about 5 projects that are on my To Do List and from my experience previously one of thos may well become a primary focus but currently I'm engoying the variety and shifting inspiration.


Tyranid Void Shield Generator Chapter 1. part 1. | part 2. | part 3. | part 4. | part 5. | part 6. | part 7. | part 8. | part 9. |

Tyranid Void Shield Generator Chapter 2. part 1. | part 2. | part 3. | part 4. | part 5. | part 6. | part 7. | part 8. part 9. | part 10. | part 11. | part 12. | part 13. | part 14. | part 15. | 

Wednesday 9 September 2015

1500pt battle report - Dark Angels v Craftworld Eldar

Having promised to take my Dark Angels to BWX I created a list that had most of what I've got painted, plus some other bits that will 'make do' and some I can hopefully achieve in the intervening period. However I found myself in the unpleasant position of having a new army/codex to get to grips with and I need to do it now and I can only achieve that with some part-painted models. So I arranged a game with PeteB and he was actually shocked [as you, good reader will too] to see me turn up with figures that weren't painted.

So I have 2 tactical squads with a Rhino, 5 Scouts with Sniper Rifles and one Missile Launcher. Asmodai as my Warlord with a Techmarine and 5 Deathwing in a Land Raider Redeemer, a Ravenwing bike squad, and a Missile Devastator Squad in a bastion with Quad Guns.

The low down:
  • Hammer and Anvil
  • Some Maelstrom mission, we only ended up drawing an objective or two per turn, I think we messed the rules up a bit
  • Warlord Trait - Asmodai - 3 VPs if I kill the opposing Warlord in a Challenge.
  • No night fighting, lost deployment, deployed second and failed to steal the initiative.
Pete B


Missile Devs, in the Bastion.


Combat squadded Tacticals, there's an objective the other side of the tower.


Two Wave Serpents filled with Fire Dragons, Striking Scorpions, Dark Reapers in the watchtower a Fire Prism, some Swooping Hawks amongst other things


Pete's first turn and he manages to wipe out one of the Tactical Combat Squads for First Blood. Typically I fail just enough cover saves to lose all five. He surges the Wave Serpents forwards to pressure the Land Raider.


With the Wave Serpents in my face I had to deal with them. Not having any experience and this being a learning game my immediate thought was just to ram the Wave Serpent in front but Pete gave me some advice, the plan was to hopefully wreck one or both of the Serpents with the Devs, Quad Gun Plasma Cannon and Krak Grenades on the bikers and potentially mop up the contents with the Flamestorm Cannons. However, thanks to Jink only one Hull point was taken off it and I lost my Plasma Gun Tactical to 'Get's Hot' when he fires from the top hatch of the Rhino :( We did discuss later on the merits of the Terminators charging out of the Land Raider and and breaking a Wave Serpent apart, with the view to starting the turn again, to achieve that as a learning experience but I decide to press on with my original tactical choices.


Swooping Hawks arrived in my Deployment Zone in the newly vacated watchtower.


Their grenades targeting the Dev squad in the Bastion, not sure how effective it was.


After quite a while trying to find the Ravenwing special rule in my electronic Codex and being super stoked for re-rollable Jink saves I was then immediately deflated by having my tiny biker squad obliterated.


Matters made worse by the now de-bussed Fire Dragons destroying my Land Raider. It survive the initial fusillade from the Dragons on the right, only one pen, but the second squad melted it and one of the terminators in the process.


I'm now left with only the two Devastators, which became none! At this point I realise I've made no mention of objective, well in fact it doesn't really matter, most of mine ended up being unobtainable, Pet was scoring with objectives in his deployment zone and I think the Land Raider scored him a point so he was well up on me at this stage.


I get an objective to destroy a unit outright but if I destroy 3 I get more VPs. I split Asmodai and the Techmarine from the Terminators. The Deathwing head for the Fire Dragons on the right they shoot them and assault losing one of their member but killing the dragons outright. I take a gamble to get my three units, the Techmarine assaults the Wave Serpent, I take two hull points, but fail to destroy it with my pens. Meanwhile Asmodai assaults the remaining Fire Dragons, which are down to just two thanks to some lucky shots but he fails abysmally in assault, but thankfully so too do the Dragons.


Pete's War Walkers turn up.


I'd had the Scouts in the really tall tower on the right but moved them towards my deployment zone and the central tower. There were actually quite effective with some shooting, or did they capture the objective in front of the tower? I can't quite recall what it is that they did, I think they wrecked the Wave Serpent but they became a target for Pete this turn and I was happiest with their performance, which says a lot as they didn't really do much else!


As the War Walkers finished their movement  my Quad Gun Intercepts and kills one.


The second War Walker wrecks my Rhino which had been moving round the back to get away from the Swooping Hawks and deploy my combat squad of tacticals.


Warp Spiders move up, into the position previously occupied by my Deathwing so I'm guessing they ate them or something.


My Tac squad assaults the War Walker.


The Techmarine joins Asmodai who was only able to kill one Fire Dragon in the previous assault phase, seriously if you can kill a Warlord with this guy then you deserve more than just 3VPs, he is absolute rubbish and I'm thinking Ezekiel for 5pts more may be a better choice for BWX, although my Librarian is a proxy whereas this is the proper character model..


The central tower gets wrecked but my scouts stand fast in it's smoking ruins.


The Scouts prepare to go down fighting, which is more can be said of the slightly more experienced units that have fallen like dad leaves around them.


The last Fire Dragon succumbs to Asmodai and the Techmarine [well probably the Techmarine] and they consolidate.


My Tactical Squad manages to destroy the War Walker, they really are quite vulnerable to almost anything.


And the final insult - Pete 'claims' my Bastion for his own, no VPs awarded, just bragging rights.


I think the final score was 5:1 to Pete, but I only had the Scouts, 4 Tacticals Asmodai and the Techmarine. I'm thinking back to when Dawn of War II came out and they said that reduction in unit numbers was to give you the impression that every Marine matters, a single loss is a huge loss. Of course no one wanted that sort of game and ultimately the expansion increased the numbers significantly to levels similar to the original DoW. Well I certainly mourned every lost Marine here. I was genuinely disappointed about how fragile things were. I expected Power Armour to shrug off all sorts but it was the cover saves I was reliant on. The Land Raider was more vulnerable to the Fire Dragons some of my Tyranid MCs, just one Pen will kill a Land Raider but it takes 6 to kill a Tervigon!

In all honesty when I see the amount of figure I'm putting on the board then this is actually how I imagine the outcome is going to be but I know on paper they should be more durable and effective but I actually felt my nids are superior and that's despite me often bemoaning their ineffectiveness. It's early days though so I shouldn't throw in the towel just yet. I am thinking though that the Dark Angels will be more a show army, that is unless I go Ravenwing which really do look quite durable and effective, that is if I can actually paint up some bikers to deploy.

But it does make me appreciate my nids a little more, I did have an epiphany a few months back when seeing my MCs all aligned about how chuffed I was not to have space men in vehicles, even if it did have a Tervigon or two transporting  gaunt embryos. I was just pleased just to have an army of creatures, no tanks or giant robots to cover weaknesses Anyway, I've a game with Otty coming up where I'll take the nids because as a fellow nid player it's nice for him to see how I approach them, maybe share tactics and theres a chance he may take nids too which is always an interesting match up. Then my next game against Ben will be Dangles again so I can get in some more experience.

Monday 7 September 2015

Dark Angels - Dark Vengeance Tactical Sergeant

Quick Micro-blog while I prepare my latest battle report. This is the current state of my Dark Vengeance Tactical Squad Sergeant. All the squad have had their first highlights, similar to this. I now need to add second highlights and then look to add some more black wash to try and Darken them up a bit. The tabard, bronze and plasma really wors though, which is more than I can say about his eyes...


I really need to tackle the eyes, both on this and Azrael who has frankly gone pear shaped. Still I'll manage it with time...

Friday 4 September 2015

Dark Angels - Bastions, it's not easy being green

Bastion 1 has had it's Angel Green buffing/stippling. As you can see the initial result is so much better than the the Hunter Green, I've managed to blend in the shadows a bit too. I'll be adding some rust elements in later on so it should look really quite vibrant and cool.


This is how the highlighting goes on with the Angel Green, I'm practically stippling it on with a big chunky kids paint brush. It almost looks like a ceramic tile in it's richness. This was on Bastion 2


but even so the end result will look like these, which bears little resemblance to the wet version. You should also be able to see some of the next level of highlighting on the edges and ledges. Not sure which GW paint that was [edit: Waaagh! Flesh] but the Manchester store manager said he used it but when I got it home I wasn't convinced. Instead it'll be used for highlights on the Bastions, it'll shift the colours hue a little bit compared with the Dark Angels but I'm hoping it won't be too noticeable.


Close up you can see where the Martian Ironearth crackle paint has created some really interesting paint chips. Because the cracks are formed based on how thick the paint is, so long as you smooth out the edges ,it'll blend seamlessly with the texture molded onto the Bastion [and any textures you've added to it].


Bastion 2 has also been sprayed green and shadow washed.


I'm still going with the red roof, it helps the Dark Angels blend in when they're on the battlements so I'll try not to obscure it too much with metallic scratches and scuffs, because I tried that on Bastion 1 and had to repaint the red because I felt it had lost something.


I'm hoping that some of this texture will work out as rust perhaps...


And just to prove there are two Bastions - 1 & 2


Of course progress will be slowed soon by detailing and I've still got to deal with the heavy bolters.


It's nice to have progressed so far on these though, particularly so soon into the Hobby Season [although I did start the before the season began]. I've also completed the first set of highlights on my Dark Vengeance Tactical Squad so that's coming along too!