Thought it
appropriate to end the hobby activities in 2013 with a post presenting the last
of my two finished models-
In a
somewhat desperate attempt to challenge the Helldrakes out there, I decided to
give the Stormtalon Gunship a go. But there was one major problem. I did not
like the GW model at al (we named it “the shrimp”)! During a gaming event at my
flat back in April Linus and Jørn suggested that I looked at the Dark Angles Nephilim Jetfighter. Now that’s a
fighter/gunship with clear design coherence with the Forge World "Imperial models" (my opinion
anyway).
I of course had
to ”convert” it a little. First I had to cut/sand away all the dark Angels
markings. Then I decided to alter the antenna array a little, and to add,
”belly thrusts to the engines making them longer and more potent, but the
biggest problem was the weapons. I did not want to end up with a ”shrimp”
looking nose with wings, it was the slim lines I liked, so I had to compromise.
Since the missile housing is an integrated part of the wings I decided to use
them as either the Typhoon missile launcher or the Skyhammer missile launcher.
So far so good. What about the nose and standard twin linked assault cannons?
Well, the original model has various armaments in the nose, but I could not fit
two Assault Cannons in it, so I decided to use a vent/fan from an old
Vindicator set. I then
mounted the Assault Cannons where the Heavy Bolters where mounted on the
original models. To make them more flexible, I added two Lascannons under the
wings. All guns are magnetized, so I can now field all current weapons configurations
(when using the Lascannons I must tell my opponent to ignore the missiles).
Enough said,
this is how the model turned out with all weapons mounted:
Both of
them:
Gaming wise,
as it turned out, they where both absolutely rubbish when facing several Helldrakes,
but still cool models and effective against other targets (I think...)!
2013 is coming to an end! As I looked
back at 2013 I am pretty satisfied with my hobby activities. First of all I
have finished two gaming boards with new woods, a temple, new craters, tank
traps, a bridge and a large building. Second I have finished a 3500p Warriors
of Chaos Army. Thirdly I have given my Ultramarines a major Makeover and I have added
three new units. I have also added three new units to my High Elves. When it
comes to gaming I had a goal of playing a game every second week. I think I
played approximately 25 games of 40K including a tournament (not counting
several Fantasy battles), so that is ok. In the tournament I came 6, and
I managed to win best painted army with my Dark Eldar:) I have also hosted a private gaming
event and tried to be helpful toward fellow team members where I could contribute.
My gaming results in 2013 are not as good as in 2011 ore 2012. I have way more
losses and draws than before. But as I stated in my pledge for 2013, new gaming
boards and hobby activities (Fantasy) would claim a lot of my resources, so I
guess it was inevitable. With this in mind; Al in al I am happy with 2013 and
look forward to more gaming and hobby activities in 2014!
Finally I
would like to wish you all a happy new year!
Cheers,
Ørnulv
Happy new year to you too, Ørnulv!
ReplyDeleteFirst, your gunships are absolutely fabulous! They look fantastic. Even though they don't perform quite as good on the battlefield as you would like, I hope to see them there. They will really shine on your glorious tables.
Hobby wise I must say your achievements speak for themselves. No one near. You are the absolute power hobbyist in our group, pumping out new finished models - troops units, elites, vehicles - everything, showing us fantastic painting and modelling skills - every week. And in between this stunning work with 40k, you've managed to finish a huge army of square base figures and squeeze in a large amount of games there as well. Of course your pace makes you improve your skills as you go. You've reached a very high level, my friend!
I will not set out in the new year with goals I know I will not be able to reach. But I will start out modestly, hoping to make some games, finish a unit at a time, and attend all your big gaming events. I look forward to 2014!
To the whole group - have a great evening and a happy new year! We'll meet by the gaming table - a little more often than in 2013 I hope!
Linus
Excellent looking models, as always, Ørn!
ReplyDeleteI'm not so sure they're quite as 'absolutely rubbish' as you claim, though. Using ground attack flyers like the the Heldrakes are pretty straightforward, but using anti air flyers to counter them demands more tactically. Especially when your flyers can't make that extra turn at the end of their move that some can rely on.
Here's to us seeing at least as much of each other, both over the tables as well as in other settings, in the year to come as we have in 2013.
(...and stay tuned for the end-of-the-year article later tonight, everyone.)
Helldrakes be aware! Well, everything flying should be aware of these. Very nice looking models, nice convertions and a great paint job. Can`t say that I look forward to fly against these
ReplyDelete