Ultramarines makeover part 3 – Assault Squads

A 20 model makeover. 

The “makeover” process of the 2. company is well under way. 

This weekend I managed to finish my 2 Assault Squad. They underwent the same transformation as my Tactical Marines (see "Ultramarines makeover part 2 – Tactical Marines").

This is how they turned out (selection):

Next – Devastators.

Cheers,

Ørnulv

We're going to Adepticon 2014!!!

So... We finally got around to registering for the "Geeking out at Adepticon 2014 tour" last night.

Within the our of us clicking the Submit-button, half a dozen emails had gone back and forth between the three of us and Teras Cassidy over at Geek Nation Tours. He even called me, after verifying by mail that I'd still be up, for a (very pleasant) initial chat, to clarify a couple of details and to get the ball rolling.

What I'm getting at here... We're barely out of the starting blocks on this one, and I'm already feeling like this is going to be one of those great hobby experiences we'll be talking about for a long while.

Ultramarines makeover part 2 – Tactical Marines

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A 90-model makeover!

Why 90 models? All of the 2. Companies 6 Tactical Squads (with different special and heavy weapon - before Grav guns).

Why makeover? Because they where painted “way back” in a traditional painting scheme, blue (with high light) and inked gold trims (the shiny boys in blue). Having read a lot of the Black Library books over the last years, and heavily influenced by the 1:35 WW2 model scale arena, I decided that my “boys in blue” was way "to clean and proper” (after thinking about it - I am not convinced these guys are all about beeing the good guys…) I wanted them more “gloomy and battle hardened”.

MAKEOVER

So, what have I done?

1)    I high lighted lenses with Vallejo “orange”

2)    The legs where re-painted and highlighted due to damage when removing models from the original bases (using Vallejo “Ultramarines Blue” and GW “Ice Blue”

3)    Battle damage was “drilled” and “cut” into the armour

4)    Shipping areas and bullet holes was painted with Vallejo "German brown-black camo”

5)    Bullet holed and chipped areas were painted with watered down GW "Chainmail" mixed with GW “Chaos black” and Vallejo “German Cam. black/brown paint”

6)    Scripts where added on the shoulder pads using Vallejo “Dead White”

7)    Metal and chipped parts, and grenades, where given a thinned down oil based black wash (Van Gogh oil “Black Lamp” mixed with “Rectified thinner”)

8)    The armour was washed with MIG dark grey/brown tank wash - "German early" (all white areas where then cleaned with “Rectified Turpentine” thinner)

9)    Models where pined to the new bases(separate post)

10) The model was “hand varnished” with diluted Valelejo "Satin Varnish" 

This is how they turned out:

The "old" colour and base

The new colour and new base

The "Original" Tactical Squd

Tactical Squad after "make-over"

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Next – Assault marines

Cheers,

Ørnulv

Ultramarines makeover part 1 – new cork debris / desert bases

For a long time I have wanted to change the appearance of my Ultramarines army. First step was to prepare new bases, swapping them with the original “grassy” looking bases that became popular with the LOTR models several years ago.

After extensive research, I decided to go with cork debris /desert bases that matches my gaming boards.

I glue cork and sand to base using PVA glue.

I prime base with black spray. I mix dark brown, dark red and black with watered down PVA glue, and cover the whole of the base.

I over brush base with dark earth and stone grey.

I dry brush with desert yellow and pale sand. I wash the base with burnt umber, and then dry brush the edges with pale sand.

Over 200 bases are now finished (all sizes). Currently I am working on removing the models from the bases…

I will post pictures when Tactical marines are done.

Cheers,

Ørnulv

Jørn's Invasion 2013 writeup

Once again, TSB braved the four-and-a-bit hour drive down to Kristiansand, to attend the yearly 40K tournament put on by the local gaming club. A record five of us had managed to clear our calendars, leaving just two team-members at home. Ørnulv brought his Dark Eldar down again. Trond took his Eldar along for yet another ride. Linus dug his Death Guard CSM-army out of the cupboard. Inger-Helene made the trip for the first time with her Ork army. I took my Word Bearers CSM army, again.

My army, then... I suppose I better start with that:

Leading the Word Bearers was Coryphaus Kratos Drak'ftae (aka Kharn the Betrayer), escorted by a squad of nine Chaos Space Marines Veterans with Mark of Khorne in his Land Raider. Sentry and guarding duties was undertaken by three squads of ten/fifteen/fifteen men Cultist squads, mostly behind an Aegis Defence Line manning a Comm. Uplink (represented by the altar above). They were overseen by two squads of Obliterators with the Mark of Nurgle. Air support was conducted by a pair of Sentinel pattern Heldrakes and their escorting Hell Blade.

Round One - Crusade/Dawn of War
Daniel Sverre Hagen (Tyranid)

Two flying Hive Tyrants with two twin-linked Devourers each, two Tervigons with the attendant Termagant broods to make them Troops, two broods of Hive Guard, a Trygon. Not too dissimilar to Ørn's take on 'Nids from earlier that week. The Doom of Malantai and a brood of Ymgarl Genesteralers was a bit of an unknown quantity for me, though.

I wasn't completely in the dark as to what the threats was, but would have to keep on my toes to be ready for the two unknowns when they arrived. One Tervigon was reduced to one wound in my first turn, and earned me First Blood in the second. The other one lasted until turn four, IIRC, when Kratos chopped it to bits while the assault squad could only watch. The Hive Tyrants very nearly ruined it for me, though. After having taken down both Heldrakes (12 twin-linked S6 shots against rear armour does the job just fine.) they were Swooping around behind my lines and gunning down the remaining cultists. A bit of concentrated autopistol fire, and a failed Grounded test or two (finally!) allowed the Obliterators to execute the beasts just before the game ended.

4 of 4 points.

Round Two - The Scouring/Vanguard Strike
Christian P (Death Corps of Krieg army list from Imperial Armour 5/6)

This was a very cool-looking army, with several units I didn't really know. Company command squad, Infantry Platoon with attached Heavy Weapons squad (Autocannons), Death Riders squadron, two squadrons of Sentinels, Leman Russ , Basilisk and .

I quickly noticed that there was no answer to my Heldrakes in his army, and decided to play aggressively to take out his artillery early on and engage his units on his side of the table to keep them away from my Cultists. Kratos and the CSM squad sped 18" across no-man's land turn one, and spent the next three or four turns slaughtering guardsmen. One of my Obliterator squads teleported down close to his Basilisk and and shot one each turn before being deleted by a Leman Russ . By the end, there was nothing left but a Heavy Weapons squad and a couple of tanks in his corner.

8 of 8 points.

Round 3 - Purge the Alien/Hammer and Anvil
Opponent: Magnus Liene
Army: Chaos Daemons (Tzeentch & Slaanesh) with Chaos Space Marines allies

Max score so far... There was only four of us with two 4-0 wins thus far, so I was sure I'd come up against something I couldn't handle pretty soon. Kairos Fateweaver, two heralds of Tzeentch on Disks joining eight Screamers of Tzeentch, eleven Horrors of Tzeentch, sixteen Daemonettes of Slaanesh, two Soul Grinders, a Chaos Sorcerer on Bike joining five Chaos Spawn and finally a squad of Cultists.

Even though I got first turn, by the end of the second one a sea of Screamers had blitzed my firebase and locked pretty much everything except my fliers in combat for the entire game. No matter how well I rolled to hit or to wound, the Screamers would save on twos - rerolling ones. My fliers went after his Troops, to stop them from capturing objectives, but with good dispersal, invulnerable saves and Fearless (for all practical purposes) they were still there when the game ended. I did get Kairos towards the very end, though. Autopistol-fire from a band of Cultists finally caused him to fail a Grounded test and loose a wound. The Obliterators on that flank took another three wounds with their Assault Cannons, before the immobile Land Raider swivelled one twin-linked Lascannon out and (in my mind's eye) put a bolt of energy through each of Kairo's heads.

8 of 12 points.

While the kids went out for pizza, we stopped by the hotel to freshen up before making our way over to our favourite local restaurant; Mother India. Much Kingfisher, and excellent food was consumed. After a drink back at the hotel, we turned in and caught a few hours of 'shut-eye' before day two...

Round 4 - The Emperor's Will/Dawn of War
Opponent: Kjetil Liknes
Army: Chaos Space Marines with Necron Allies

Ah! My nemesis... For the last two or three years, I've found Kjetil across the table from me at the start of the first game of Invasion. When that didn't happen this year, we were both a little perplexed. Now, balance was restored to the universe. ;)

Kjetil had a Chaos Sorcerer, three squads of Chaos Space Marines, a squad of cultists, a squad of Autocannon Havocs. The allied Necron Lord brought his Command Barge, two small squads of Warriors, each with a Cryptex(?) in a Night Scythe and an Annihilation Barge.

With each of our objectives secreted away behind terrain near the corners of the same short table edge, and with me having the initiative, I decided to put pressure on Kjetil's army from the very beginning. The Obliterators prioritized the Necron Barges while the Land Raider drove full speed towards the infantry horde around Kjetil's objective. When my flyers came in, the Heldrakes went to work on the Marines but the Hell Blade lined up on the Sorcerer. Since he was the only visible model from the unit he'd joined, and failed two of the required four armour-saves he had to take, I earned both First Blood and Slay the Warlord early on. On the ground, things went a little less according to plan. Kratos rolled snake-eyes and failing to reach the Cultists turn two and, a few turns later, failing three out of five armour saving throws after being wounded by the same cultists. At the end of turn five, one of the Necron Warriors squads dropped in off their Night Scythe, but when the game went on the remaining Obliterators as well as all three Cultist squads did have enough fire power to take the tin-men down. Luckily, the Cryptex failed his Reanimation Protocols roll too. The game ended with each of us still clinging on to our own objectives, but with me up one point (First Blood, remember?) I barely managed a win

12 of 16 points.

Round 5 - Big Guns Never Tire/Vanguard Strike
Opponent: Frans Svaasand
Army: Craftworld Iyanden Eldar with Tau Empire allies

Just the final game of the week-end to go, then... When the pairings were read, I knew I'd be facing one of the armies I'd hoped I'd steer clear of...

The Eldar army consisted of a Spirit Seer joining the allied Riptide Suit and Shas'O, three squadrons of three Jetbikes, two squads of ten Kroot, a squad of three Broadside battle-suits with missiles deploying inside an Bastion and finally three Wraith Knights with two Wraithcannons each.

I set up my fire-base as normal, pointing the Land Raider at the corner I expected the Eldar army to deploy in and the Obliterators in a three-storey ruin just behind it. One squad of cultists hid on the ground floor. This time I felt that discretion was the better part of valour, and held off for a turn. The "Tau-dar" army had deployed back in their corner, so with Night Fight in effect I only had range to the Bastion. To my surprise, the Wraith Knights held off at range and started taking pot-shots at my Land Raider. It didn't help my opponent that his dice were completely cold where his Wraith Knights was concerned. During the game, they fired close to a score of shots without causing more than a single glancing hit. The Land Raider and Obliterators shot down one of the Knights and brought another down to two wounds by turn four, when one of them finally advanced to contest one of my objectives. Kratos and the Marines met the Wraith Knight and took another wound off it, but were unable to finish it off.

So there I was, thinking I might have this under control after all. A squad of Kroot had made an attempt at the objective on my far right, only to be seen off by the Heldrakes and the Cultists camping out there. As I finished my fifth turn, however, we were close to the end of regulated time, so the Eldar army performed one of their usual endgame tricks finally captured the objective assaulted earlier.

As we were out of time, my opponent was disinclined to roll for a sixth turn. While I was pretty sure I could have removed the Jetbike unit holding my third objective, it was largely academic. My closest unit of Cultist would need both the sixth and the seventh turn to reclaim it, and I had reminded my opponent that his Riptide was not a Heavy Support unit, and thus not a scoring unit. I conceded.

12 of 20 points.

Those twelve points was enough for a fifth place, split four ways. The winner scored 17 points, and there was just a single point separating each of the next four positions. Pretty close-fought, I'd say...

That concluded another great weekend in Kristiansand. Almost! Ørnulv mentioned it towards the end of his own writeup, but I think that it bears restating that his Dark Eldar took home the Best Painted award again. If I'm not mistaken, that makes him the first one to take it two years in a row. Congratulations, old chap!

Invasion 2013 – Ørnulv´s Bat Rap

Home again, after yet another great tournament in Kristiansand – the “Invasion tournament” held during the weekend 14.09-15.09.2013.

Of course the event started earlier for the members of Team Storm Bolter (TSB) attending, since it takes over 4 hours to drive from Oslo to Kristiansand. Inger Helene, Jørn, Trond, Linus and myself drove down on Friday, enjoying a meal and a few drinks the night before the “big bang”.

Ego; Drinks in the harbour after a 4,5 hour drive

WHAT TO PLAY?

This summer I started a massive project, rebasing the whole of my Ultramarines army (more on that in a separate post), and I had a plan to field them during the tournament using the new Codex: Space marines. Even though I tried, I just could not finish the new models in time, and where left with the choice between Tyranids (NIDS) and Dark Eldar (DE).

I play tested my DE army against Jørn two times, and Trond one time. Disaster! With those damn Hell Drakes (and Jørn is fielding two of them), and my own army without cost effective AA, I was nearly wiped out. During the preparation for the tournament Trond fielded a test army who pretty much did the same (as a side note, I think I had fare better facing the army he ended up with, but I am sure Trond will comment why so I am not going into that). Then I test played my NIDS against Jørn, and that was a much better match up. I went back and forth between the armies driving some of my fellow team members to the brink of despair, but in the end, after letting “my inner feel-god” decide, I went with my DE:

HQ:

Arcon

TROOPS:

5 X Wyches in Raider

5 X Wyches in Raider

5 X Kabalite Warriors in Raider

5 X Kabalite Warriors in Raider

5 X Kabalite Warriors in Venom

5 X Kabalite Warriors in Venom

ELITE:

4 X Kabalite Trueborn in Venom

4 X Kabalite Trueborn in Venom

4 X Kabalite Trueborn in Venom

FAST:

5 X Scourges

HEAVY:

Ravager

Ravager

Ravager    

This is obviously a 5^th edition MSU list. Yes I ended second last year (2012), but 6^th edition was relative new at that time, so I was scared I would be completely overrun, mostly due to my lack of ability to handle flyers and flying monsters. I did not feel very confident, and to be hones, I talked “down” my army. 

An old photo - The entire "Kabal of Eternal Hatred"

 

DAY ONE

Game One – NIDS – Crusade – Dawn of War

In 2012 I played a Tyranid Genestealer spam army, with lots of Gaunts, Tervigons and Hive Guard. Invasion 2012 had a different point system, I lost with one point against this list, due to first blood, but besides that the game was a draw. I have fought that battle over and over again in my mind during the last year; “Why did I not go slightly forward unleashing a hail of splinter fire instead of redeploying going for a safe draw”? And now, I actually got to play the game once more, what an opening to tournament!

This time I got it right! First turn I managed to gun down two units of Genestealers, reducing yet another two units, taking down a squad of Hive Guard, and wounding the Tervigons. As the NIDS advanced I managed to gun down almost all the Genestealers, hordes of Gaunts, but most importantly, a Tervigon (Warlord) and a flying Hive Tyrant. After having managed to save my Venoms by using Flickerfield 5 times in a row, my opponent ended the game.

I held 4 out of 5 objectives; I had First Blood, Slay the warlord and most Kill points.

DE 4 – NIDS 0

Game Two – Imperial Guard – The Scouring – Vanguard Strike

Damn. Mechanised Imperial Guard (IG) with Chimera spam, two artillery tanks, Russ with Demolisher cannon, two Vendettas and Eldar allies! I went second. Holding half of my army in reserve I hoped for an effective “punch” in turn two. It was not meant to be. My units entered from reserve one by one, and where shot to pieces, one by one. Adding injury to insult, my new dice failed me, and my Lance fire was ineffective.

I lost big time, but it was a good game against a pleasant opponent.

DE 0 – IG 4

Game Three  - Necrons - Purge the Alien – Hammer and Anvil

Once again I faced an opponent I played in 2012. One of the most polite and easygoing opponent I have ever played. I was pleased to spend yet another couple of hours of my life playing this guy.

He played Necrons last time I met him, this time he fielded two “tanks with Warriors”, units of Wraiths with Destroyer lord, Immortals with a Warlord, Death marks with Crypteck, another unit of Warriors and Battle Barges! That was a lot of models with reanimation protocols and a lot of fast moving armour with AV 13!

He got turn one. Night fight, so he went slightly forward hugging cover. I moved the whole of my army forward, opening fire with everything that had weapons that would have effect from long range. I managed to blow up one of the transports, killing most of the Warriors inside, blowing up a Battle Barge and killing of half of those damn Wraiths. He closed in on my line but had little success; my Filcher fields and Jink saves, in combination with ordinary cower, left my DE pretty unharmed. This again gave me the possibilities to bring the full weight of DE firepower to bear turn two. Another Battle Barge was downed, the Wraiths and their Destroyer lord killed. Warrior units on the ground where hurt, but not totally whipped out. The Necron army kept pushing forward, downing some Venom’s, and the Deep striking Death Marks finished of my unit of Scourges in one go! But after that, the DE army mixed Lance and Splinter fire picking of armour and infantry unit by unit. Although, the Necron army kept going, and by the end of the game the Immortals (with the Warlord) and two small warrior units was still making their presence felt.

I had first blood, Line breaker, more Kill points and held 2 table quarters.

DE 4 – Necrons 0    

Taxi, a quick cleanup, new clothes, a bear in the lobby, yet another fantastic dinner at “Mother India” restaurant, some more drinks back at the hotel, and – RIIIIING – Day two!

DAY TWO

Why do I always have to ask for extra spicy food? Well, I was all right by the start of game four.

Game Four – NIDS - The Emperor’s Will – Dawn of War

I played a well known gamer in the 40K environment that I really hit it of with. Straight away I felt that this was going to be one of those “pleasant feel god games”. None the less, my opponent had way more gaming experience than me, so I expected a nail biter!

Three Tervigons(!), tons of Gaunts, two Trygons, The Doom of Malatigh and two Winged Hive Tyrants…. I really hate those bugs….

I got turn one. Night fight. The DE adjusted position and opened fire. I managed to take one Tervigon down to one wound, killed a Trygon and one Winged Hive Tyrant! Spawning from hell – 30+ new Gaunts turn one, and they kept spawning….. The whole of the NIDS army moving forwards, the remaining Hive Tyrant (Warlord) swooped forward gunning down a Venom, with Trueborn failing their Pinning test. They where closing in, fast! Ok - keep your head cool, they are only bugs… I managed to kill a Tervigon on one flank, and sent some units up to secure the object in the NIDS deployment zone. By that time it was pretty clear my opponent used that as a decoy, going for my own object. The rest of the army focused on the majority of the NIDS army, and of course, the Flying Hive Tyrant. I opened fire, with most of my army aiming at the Hive Tyrant. You have got to be kidding me - NOTHING! Sure, I plucked some wounds of a Tervigon and killed some Gaunts, but the main target was very much alive and kicking (eh - flying….)! The NIDS kept pushing, and the damn Doom of Malatigh deep strikes straight into my line, causing havoc with those damn LD tests its presence demands. Again a Venom was downed, and two units with Warriors destroyed. Damn. I knew that if I failed during turn three, the NIDS would overrun my lines, possibly the game ending with a draw. Splinter drill; I started to kill of the Gaunts holding the objective in the NIDS deployment zone, but could not commit enough recourses there this turn in order to bolster my line in centre. This time the DE came through for me, ore should I say the dice rolled decent, I finished of the Doom of Malatigh, the Hive Tyrant and more Gaunts. Puh. Get me a beer! The NIDS kept coming, but I managed to secure the NIDS objective and contesting my own. A real nail biter, so much magic, so many models to kill. The Spawning never ended, fortunately, the game did.

I had First Blood, Slay The Warlord, one objective and more units in my enemy’s deployment zone. 

DE 4 – NIDS 0

Game Five – Daemons of Chaos – Big Guns never tire– Vanguard Strike

But I tire… I was really tired and already dreading the 4,5 hour drive back to Oslo. And to top it of I was facing an army I did not know anything about, an army that also had 3 victories behind it, including one of my fellow TSB.

After 15 minutes of rolling dice (powers and abilities I partly understood), the game started. Turn one I managed to get first blood when I blew up an armoured monstrosity. But when a large unit of screamers with 2+ Inv with re-roll failed saves on one! hit my line in combination with powerful spells turn two, I started loosing units fast. Fortunately I managed to kill of the other armoured monster, and inflicted pain on he’s infantry units. The battle became very intense, but in good spirit. I almost used my “I am old and have a hart condition so I must not get to exited, please let me know if I am sweating” trick. The battle wavered back and forth, but I felt early on that I probably would loose this game. As the game progressed it became clear to me that my opponent really hated my army and had the same feeling! I hoped for a draw. At the end, it came down to two dice rolls! I held an objective where he placed a “web portal”. I hit it with a Blaster shot. If he failed a 5+ cover save, the portal would collapse. It did not! In his last turn he spawned daemons on a 4+ from it. He rolled a 4. A daemon came and flamed the unit holding my objective, also claiming it! He held one objective. All others where contested by both armies. A nail biter, and great game!

DE 0 – Daemons 3

The last game had taken a long time, and I was desperately trying to pack my gear when the results where called. Between applauding the winners and packing my army, my name was suddenly shouted, and I realized I had won the award for best-painted army for the second year in a row! Very happy about thatJ

Gaming vice I ended #6 out of 28 (ore 26), not to bad for a 5^th edition MSU list. And as my fellow team members stated afterwards – never talk your DE army down again Ørnulv! I assure you, I will not.

 *****

 Looking forward to next year. Now, what to bring? Well, I will call Trond and Jørn, at home, ore at work, but I think I will wait at least 10 months. In the mean time, I will revert to more friendly “fluff gaming”, trying to keep in contact with new gamers I have met and had the pleasure to play against.

Looking forward to next year!

Arcon Ørnulv,

signing of    

List building - wtf?

I need help, or just a little advice on a list for Invasion.

 

I’m rusty and I need a really quick fix. Nurgle is still my main theme, but with a little effort I think I can manage to blend in a little Daemons contingent. What are your thoughts on this? What armies will it suffer the most against, what armies will it stand a good chance against? You may mention the bad dice throwing general 😉 

No termies, no triple las predator, no daemon princes, no high strength CC weapons. What is this list's main weakness in a turnament, a turnament I just want to play and have fun and honestly not care about the results...

 

Typhus - 230

Plague Zombies (incl. Champion) x 10 - 50

Plague Zombies (incl. Champion) x 10 - 50

Plague Marines (2xmeltagun, Rhino, incl. champion) x 5 - 175

Plague Marines (2xmeltagun, Rhino, incl. champion) x 5 - 175

Plague Marines (2xflamers, Rhino w/combiflamer, incl. champion) x 5 - 175

Heldrake (baleflamer) - 170

Vindicator (combibolter, siege Shield) - 135

Havocs (4xMissile launchers, 2x Flakk missiles, mark of nurgle, Champion) x 6 - 186

Aegis Defence Line (Quad gun) - 100

Herald of nurgle - 45

Plaguebearers (incl. plagueridden) x 10 - 95

Flesh Hounds x 10 - 160

 

Total: 1746