IA:13 continues to inspire

Image from Forgeworld 

Well, what about those Dreadclaws?!  Seriously, an assault craft that is a dedicated transport for CSM or Chosen?  Sign.  Me.  Up.  This little baby gives me some flexibility on the battlefield while not competing for those all important Fast Attack slots... if those are really even a thing anymore.  Anyway... liking the rules, loving the concept, and not to happy with the FW pricing.  At 57 Pounds Sterling, that's ~$88 before the shipping.  Now I do love FW, I did get the collectors edition of IA:13, but thats a lot for something slightly larger than a normal stock GW Drop Pod.  So... I go looking for "dreadclaw conversion" and find this nifty article over at Dark Future Games that pretty much summed up what I wanted.  Exactly.  Their tutorial is spot on, and a fantastic start.  For my own Dreadclaw I pretty much followed it to the letter, but then I started looking at the all the other conversions as well.  They were all pretty much the same.  Make the pod, flip the fins.  Except I don't like how the fins look after they get flipped.  The fins look to splayed out, like they buckled a bit when they made impact and thats why they look a little "splayed".  Well, how could I change that and make a bunch of extra work in the process?  Simple!  Try and find the correct angle to flip the tips inward to look more like the Dreadclaw.  I think I got it to work out pretty well, let me know what you think.

Basically follow Dark Future Gaming's tut for the main hull assembly, and where to clip the fins initially.  After that, you're done.  Prime and paint!  It doesn't look bad at all really.  However, if you want to spice it up a bit... then please continue on.

So what it really comes down to is two cuts, sawing actually, and some spacing material.  Old sprue could do it as well, I just happen to have some plasticard from ancient days around to chop up.  Start with the yellow line first in the photo above.  Use the orange area of the stabilizer tip to find the approximate length you will need to for the end of the second cut.  Finally follow the blue line to make the second cut.  You may want to trim some of the servo arms for the fin off to make sawing easier.  Repeat x 5.

Then all you have to do is flip the stabilizer tip and glue.  Again, if you wanted to, you could stop right here and call it a day.  I added some spacing to help raise the whole pod a bit, and I even added tips from the "dozer" blade on the CSM Vehicle Sprue to jack it up a little more.  I wanted infantry models to be able to fit underneath it, so I needed it to be taller.

Fins at dry fit.

So there we have it.  This, to me, feels more like a Dreadclaw and I'm waiting on some bits to come to finish it up.  There's only a few more things to get planned out.  Adding some more stabilizer fins back to the top, and how to do the flying stand for it as well.

So here's the Photoshop mock up, and then the actual template for the construction of the top stabilizer fins.  

All in all, this has been a fun project and I *might* do another one.  My personal philosophy is that one might be good but a pair is better, but that's not always the case.  One of the best unit analysis posts for the Dreadclaw is here.  It's especially malisteen's post, #16, that really lays it out to not think of the Dreadclaw as a drop pod but more like a stripped down Storm Raven.  Great post.

That's it for now until those bits get here and I have a chance to wrap this project up and put it on the very large "to paint" shelf.

So... Eldar

This past weekend I played Black Legion against my buddies Iyanden Eldar.  I had 9 Cultists alive at the end of turn 5.  It was sort of an eye opening experience as it was the first real 6th edition codex I was playing against.  My opponent's first love is Space Wolves.  I can understand that, that was my first real attempt at collecting an army... well actualy that was 13th Co., but I digress.  Points was set at about 1860, if you're a couple over or under it doesn't really matter to us.  For myself, it was a lot of firsts for me in this game...

First time using a named character - Abaddon

First time using a Land Raider

First time running Chosen, and more than one unit

First time using a bare bones Cultist squad

First time not running my AC Havocs

First time using a supplement

and... it was the second time for me running Obliterators.

My buddy was using a 10 strong unit of WG with Axes/Shields, 5 WG with D-guns, 2 WLs, a WK (also the Warlord), 10 Rangers with sniper rifles, 2 x 3 Jet Bikes with a Shuriken Cannon, 1 Crimson Hunter Exarch, and three Spirit Seers.

I got blasted and torn asunder.  It was great and humbling at the same time and I found out first hand Eldar are little nuts.

Now my friend was making fun of me a little as he said " Thats the smallest list I've seen you make...".  Well he was right about that.  Abby, Lvl 3 Sorc with Last Memory, 6 Chosen with 5 Plasma Pistols; a Power Sword and a Meltagun... in a Land Raider.  6 Chosen with 4 Plasma Guns in a Rhino, Heldrake with Bale, and 3 Oblits with MoN.  Ally in a Slaanesh Lord with Spinshiver Blade and jump pack, 10 Cultists, and 5 MoS Raptors.  So there was some decent CC and they had a good ride to get them there, some quality shots with all the plasma, a backfield unit to cower in fear, a dragon, some lumbering guns, and a fast slicing unit.

It was too slow, and lacked bodies.  Which, I knew was going to happen because a Black Legion army is going to be expensive.  But it was fun to try out.  

I was surprised by the Toughness values of some of those Eldar constructs, and the Strength of the weapons.  I don't buy all the codices anymore because I don't have the money to, so I had a few surprises to deal with.  Truth is, I was just outclassed.  Now, I can be like every other CSM whiner and jump ship to the new hotness of the Space Marine 'dex.  To be honest I would use the maligned Black Templar rules... JUST to get at their challenge mechanics.  Gods, that seems like such a simple solution to Chaos' Champion rule... some tools to make your unit Champions stand a chance?  Yes please!  But this isn't going down that particular rabbit hole. (The entire state of Chaos Hate is starting to get out of control, it's pretty telling when they have a stickied thread over on B&C for just that, so the rest of the Chaos Ascendant forum isn't getting clogged with hate posts.) No, Chaos is for me thanks... I've loved the fluff and rules since I've read them so long ago.  No, this is about going back to some basics for the rematch for this coming Saturday, the 9/21/2013. Sorry to report that the rematch didn't happen, I got a cold from school or my child brought it home.  I know that doesn't sound bad, but my buddy has an auto-immune disease AND his girlfriends mother is visiting until the end of the month.  How about we not play Papa Nurgle, or one of his chosen?

So what does that mean exactly?  More shots!  I had some high quality shots, but lacked the volume of fire to systematically destroy (or at the very least cripple) a unit per Shooting Phase effectively.  When the Chaos 'dex first hit I was using 5 AC Havocs with a pair of AC/ML Helbrutes that would shuffle around the Havocs to extend the range here and there from a central fire base.  14 strength 7 shots with 2 more at strength 8 and all at BS 4.  Now put that behind an aegis and there's my fire base... shooty, durable, and setting up some lane denial.

I still think that the Abby/Sorc/Chosen in LR is good, but it needs tweaked.  By that I mean the Chosen need MoK and the Icon of Wrath.  Weight of attacks, for the Chosen that's 2,+1 for kit, + 2 for the charge off the MoK, at STR 5... make it a 7 strong unit and that's 35 attacks just from the Chosen, to force more armor saves.  More saves = higher chance of failure.  Then add a Demon Weapon, hell... add 2, swap out the Sorc with a Khorne Lord with AoBF or Kharn, and you have yourself a very choppy unit with 3 characters to challenge as you wish.  With re-rolling the Charge out of a Land Raider, it will be a fire magnet unit, but what to support it with?  Now top that off with a 10 man Cultist unit and there's the primary detachment.  It's an expensive detachment as well as all that is 1150 points, or just 1025 if I don't make this a Black Legion primary.

Now what else to take?  Either a BL or Demons secondary could do it to at least try and get some synergy with some units.  I have also seen some great ideas out in the blogosphere using Orks as mutants and it sort of rekindles that Lost and the Damned vibe from the Eye of Terror 'dex.  Lots of real cheap bodies cloggin' yuz gunz, and all tying up your untis and what not.  Decisions, decsions... damn ally matrix.  Anyway.  Really, it's just a matter of what do I want to take...  20 Horrors with a Lvl 3 Herald, loci, and Portal Glyph?  3 Exalted Seeker Chariots for a single Heavy slot?  A Nurgle Soulgrinder?  A flying DP with Eternal Warrior and Spineshiver Blade?  A unit of Nurgle Oblits?  The blessing, and curse, of allies... makes it hard to choose!

I think if I was going for speed it would be a Slaanesh Herald on a Seeker with Loci of Grace and Portal Glyph, maybe Grimoire.  10 Seekers to accompany the Herald, 10 Plaguebearers (maybe Horrors for the shooting), and a Seeker Cavalcade made out of Exalted Seeker Chariots.  The chariots alone are scary at 4 HP each with rending HoW attacks, never mind the Move through Cover cavalry with +6 inches on the run move.

A flying DP with Eternal Warrior... ah, the good 'ol days.  Maybe MoK and a Spineshiver Blade to trick him out.  A fast moving monster, shoot that or the LR...  hmmmmm.  Maybe a unit of Bikes, or Spawn, or a Heldrake, any of those would do really.  Maybe even run a DP with a Spawn shield?  Lvl 3 Sorc with jumpack (or bike), spell familiar, Last Memeory and the Hand of Darkness?  Either another unit of AC Havocs... more than likely... or a unit of Nurgle marked Oblits.  Oh, and either ally list can take a Decimator as it is an elites choice for either CSM or Demons.  *Fun Fact -  Since Abby is an IC and is considered to have all 4 marks, you can buy the Decimator any mark you want.*  A MoK, Rampaging death machine?... ummm, yeah.  Or MoN to give it It Will Not Die, to make it REALLY annoying.

As you can see I have a lot ideas of how to finish this list off.  The problem is trying to fit what I think would work together in a 2000 point list.  That will be the next game size (I think) and will allow me to crank some things around and get a feel for it.  I have the core pretty much thought out, now what about the details?

Chris

Things are coming along

So, things have been actually coming along.  I'm finally getting some paint on some minis, building some more, trying a new paint scheme... life is good.  A long time ago, or at least it feels like a long tome ago, I mentioned switching my paint scheme over to Black Legion.  That is the new scheme I've been trying out and I've been really pleased with the results so far and it looks like it's here to stay.  Which is kind of auspicious timing since the Black Legion supplement seems to be right around the corner... well, if anyone could find any information of it beyond the rumors of the up coming Space Marine codex.  (Almost forgot, there seems to some buffs coming in the new supplement, like the Mark of Chaos Undivided supposedy giving +1 to WS AND the ability to take any icon, which for a unit of CC Chosen could be awesome... ).  Lets take a look at the latest handiwork!

Here's the Decimator conversion, now with paint!  This has been the model for me to figure out new recipes for gold, silver, and black.  Gold and silver have been tweaked for new shades that are available, but still remain laborious (If there is any interest I can provide the recipes I use in the comments below).  With black, I wanted to get away from the standard grey highlighting you'd normally see for something that would complement the tones on the model.  The blue highlight seems to do the trick well... it's complementary with the gold and silver while not fighting with the red accents.  Again, overall for my first black armored anything I'm pretty pleased with it and look forward to refining the process down even more to really get some FINISHED models on the table!  Yes, I am guilty of using the grey brigade to play... sorry.

Next up, Abaddon.  Not your standard model of the Despoiler I know, but once I saw the GW Fantasy Chaos Lord... I HAD to have that model. I got 2 actually, the other one is waiting for  its turn under the knife.  This was a way for me try some more converting and a new pale flesh recipe for the skin tone.  Which is just as involved as the gold and silver and I can provide the recipe if anyone would like it, I write most of the recipes down because it can be a long time between paint sessions for me.  

One thing that occurred to me is I might have to get another 40k Chaos Lord and remake Abby so he's got some more bling.  The reason for that is I got inspired by page 10 of the old 3.5 Chaos Codex.  The holy tome of all things Chaos, the tome all other Chaos codices are held too and found wanting.  On this page you have the short fiction of Abaddon's Chosen, with an accompanying illustration on page 11.  Now, it is an interesting thing that two of the Chosen in the Dark Vengeance (DV) set are almost directly ripped from this illustration.

Here's what I have so far.  It's not much as the conversions are relatively simple for 3 of them, but you can see where I'm going with it.

Terrible picture I know, but I do have close ups.

The DV Chaos Lord is perfect for Skyrak Slaughterborn.  Now the trick, and it's going to be a big one, is going to be converting this guy with a little less kit to bring him back inline with being a Chosen and not a Lord.  It's a little difficult to cut away the inside of his cavity, trim the right skull down, and trim the stars down, but he's well on his way to being there.  He's going to need a a good amount of rebuilding on the legs, and that will stretching my GS skills a lot but I want to see him done so it's going to happen.

The rest of Abaddon's Chosen don't require as much conversion work.  Skyrak's buddy, Urkrathos is a simple head and two weapon swap.  His sword will be from a Plaguebearer champion to represent the "dripping, and yellowed sword".  Add a small amount of GS and he'll be done.

Devram Korda, is another simple conversion. Two weapon swaps, and change out the backpack and done.  The biggest problem with him has been trying to find a sword large enough enough but not too big.  It's been one or the other, I don't want to make a scratch built sword, but I might have to.

Last but not least is the sorcerer, Ygethmor the Deceiver.  I originally thought that the Chosen with the power maul would be a good choice... it wasn't.  I didn't think the conversion through enough, and in my excitement flubbed the conversion.  Looking at the models again, the lighting claw Chosen started to look like a better choice.  Again, swap out the weapons, add two small eyes above his current set and his body is done.  A thin plasticard cape with green stuff feathers on it for the feathered cloak and he's complete.  Now I'm still out on using the Finecast Sorcerer  backpack (which wasn't the best cast... go figure) or a more traditional metal sorcerer backpack which would have to be pinned.

This unit, once completed, will be crazy expensive.  Abby, a sorcerer, and 7 Chosen in a Land Raider with a Dirge Caster... rocking as many plasma pistols and power weapons as possible with a force weapon, the demon weapon Drach'nyen, and the Talon of Horus.  It's going to be a third of my army in a 2000 point game.  It WILL be a fire magnet and people should be scared of it, since Abby gives Preferred Enemy to friendly units within 12 inches.  Is it a "competitive" unit?  Hell no.  Will it be fun to make and play?  Oh yeah.

Chris

*Edit - Lesson learned for blogging on an iPad... text good, pictures bad.*