MODELLING: Quick win

In a recent game with my Blood Angels I played my old Dreadnought Rueben. The model was released in late 2nd edition, or maybe very early 3rd edition 40k and came without a base. I improvised with two square Warhammer Fantasy bases joined together with Milliput. Here's how he looked.

He served me well for maybe 10 years but square bases are now a definite no-no in 40k and besides, there are new dedicated Dreadnought bases. I mail-ordered a new base from GW and painted it up to give me a 'quick win' in updating my Blood Angels for 5th edition.

I'm sure you'll agree it looks a lot better. It will also now match my other Dreadnought base (although that one could probably do with a repaint).

One of my favourite things about Dreadnought Rueben is his custom banner. I drew and painted it myself, freehand, to represent the drop pod massacre incident when Brother Rueben was hideously injured and subsequently interred in his death dealing sarcophagus. If you look closely you can see how old this model is by the shape of the drop pods - that's what they originally looked like.

GENERAL: Bi-monthly book update

Two months have flown by so here is my latest bi-monthly book update.

Books bought.

• Sniper One, Sgt Dan Mills
• Soldier, Mike Jackson
• Imperial Armour: Apocalypse
• Battle for the Abyss, Ben Counter
• Warhammer 40,000 5th edition
  

While not strictly Games Workshop books I am including Sniper One by Sgt Dan Mills and Soldier by Mike Jackson in my update. That's because I'm not generally a fan of Military fiction or history but I am interested in how it may inform my gaming activities. In particular I think both books can help me when it comes to writing scenarios, background and my own fiction.

Sniper One was an interesting read. It's a real-life account of a Sniper platoon under siege in Iraq. Bad points first. It made me appreciate the quality of writing in the other books I read, even Black Library novels. The narrative could have been much more compelling, as there was a great story in there somewhere, but it wasn't shaped very well, and the descriptions and characterisations were poor. It was also distressing to see that the hyper violent, racist, misogynistic, meat-headed, Manichean morality of stereotypes of squaddies was firmly in place.

The good points included the fact that the book shone a light on what our armed forces are doing in these far away places - and this is often in conflict with what the politicians are telling us. From a gaming point of view, all the little details were great; the terminology and fetishisation of weapons, the reasons why missions are made and succeed or fail, and the squabbling behind the scenes about resources and policy. All of this could be used in 40k fiction (with Imperial Guard naturally) to create an authentic milieu.

I also bought Imperial Armour: Apocalypse. It was inevitable I would buy this book as I am getting more and more interested in Forge World products and I love the idea of Apocalypse. I wasn't blown away though. It's functional enough I guess but has even less background material in it than I had presumed. Still, it will enable me to get some of Forge World's glorious models on the tabletop.

Brothers of the Snake was not the type of book I was expecting. I thought it would be a straightforward novel but it is actually a collection of loosely linked short stories. I got the feeling that Dan Abnett wrote these over a long time period and drew them all together to be released at once, in a similar way to the start of the Gaunt's Ghosts series. They also differ in style and tone from his previous books as most of the stories are told from a 'distance.' The best comparison I can make is that it reads a bit like the Silmarillion, in that actions are described in generalities rather than specifics. The use of a 'long lens' helps to show the Marines as superhuman and legendary figures, something that other Black Library novels have often failed to do. Brothers of the Snake does a good job describing the variety of missions a Chapter might undertake, and convincingly portrays the rituals surrounding a Space Marine Chapter. I'd still recommend the book but it's not as satisfying as I'd hoped.

40k 5th edition is a 300 page hard backed monstrosity and will take some reading. It looks gorgeous so far, though.

Battle for the Abyss is also currently on the reading stand.

Books read.

• Brothers of the Snake (paperback)
• Imperial Armour: Apocalypse
• Sniper One, Sgt Dan Mills

Here's what I already own and still need to read:

• Imperial Armour Three: The Taros campaign
• Liber Chaotica
• Storm of Chaos
• Imperial Infantryman's Primer (Damocles Gulf edition)
• The Life of Sigmar
• Faith and Fire
• Storm of Iron
• Dark Apostle
• Cardinal Crimson
• Warriors of Ultramar
• Dead Sky, Black Sun
• 13th Legion
• Kill Team
• Annihilation Squad
• Space Wolf
• Ragnar's Claw
• Grey Hunter
• Soul Drinker
• The Bleeding Chalice
• Crimson Tears
• Battle for the Abyss
• 40k 5th edition
• Soldier
  

MODELLING: Mr Fixit

I broke out the modelling files and superglue yesterday to build my Techmarine and Servitors.

The common consensus is that the Techmarine is a characterful but poor choice for a competitive Marine army list. It's a real shame because the model is looks great. The thing I wasn't prepared for was just how large he was with the servo-harness. Emperor knows how any enemy model will actually fit into base-to-base with the Techmarine!

The servitors are pretty average lookswise but have a great utility in that I can use them in my Blood Angel army and my Inquisition army retinues.

Righto - I'm off to muster some more Tactical Marines.

MODELLING: Force Lazarus to do list

Over the past few days I've been really enthusiastic about putting together my Blood Angels models. I had a day off work today so I've had a good few hours to devote to organising my army. The first thing I did was pull out all of the models I could find. It was an impressive haul and I have easily enough models to cover the 2000 points I have promised to paint for the Warseer Tale of 40k Gamers.

After I'd put the models into some kind of order I used the Space Marine Force Lazarus chart in Apocalypse to sketch out my own version of the Blood Angels 2nd Company. He's what I plan to collect:

HQ

• Captain Lazarus
• Honourguard (jump packs)
  
• Chaplain Arillus
• Epistolary Angelus
• Honourguard (Razorback)
  

Elites

• Techmarine Kadeon
• 4 Servitors (Razorback)
• Terminator Squad Sanctarin
• Terminator Squad Kalastin
• Scout Squad Versos
• Scout Squad Valera
• Furiso Dreadnought Blackblood
• Dreadnought Rueben
• Dreadnought Osiander

Troops

• Tactical squad Zephrus (Rhino)
  
• Tactical Squad Tabbris (Rhino)
  
• Tactical squad Tarasque (Rhino)
  
• Tactical squad Volturnus (Rhino)
  
• Tactical Squad Favonius (Drop Pod)
  
• Tactical squad Notus (Drop Pod)
  
• Assault squad Solaris (jump packs)
  
• Assault squad Ombra (jump packs)
  

Fast Attack

• Land Speeder

Heavy Support

• Devastator squad Ignatius (Rhino)
  
• Devastator squad Tarsarus (Rhino)
  
• Whirlwind
• Land Raider
• Land Raider Crusader
• Baal Predator
• Predator Destructor
• Predator Annihilator

If I collect and paint all that lot I can expand it further with Apocalypse by buying say another Land Raider to make an Armoured Spearhead, maybe another Whirlwind to make a Suppression Force and I'll certainly have a Battle Company.

In any case I'm completely occupied with gluing together all the models I have already got so expect to see quite a few assembled squads over the coming days. That means I can hit the ground coming for the start of the painting challenge.

MODELLING: Blood Angels Veterans muster

I enjoyed putting my Blood Angels Assault squad together so much yesterday that I decided to dig out the rest of my unassembled Blood Angles models and see what I had. I found a Veteran squad, a Tactical squad, a Techmarine with servo-harness and four servitors and a Whirlwind. They will go alongside the Land Raider, Land Raider Crusader, Land Speeder, 15 Tactical Marines, Command squad with jump packs, Captain and 20 or so Scouts that I already knew about. That's one hell of an army I'll have when everything is built and painted.

I knocked one unit off that to do list when I constructed my Veterans.

From left to right they are armed with power sword and plasma pistol, power axe and plasma pistol, lightning claw, boltgun and finally powerfist. Like the Assault squad I used resin extras and slate to liven up the bases, although a couple of the models already came with their own rocks to stand on.

Rather than use these models as a squad in their own right I think I'll use them as Veteran sergeants in my Tactical and Devastator squads. My tentative plan so far is to model up the entire Blood Angels 2nd company based upon the organisational chart in the Apocalypse rulebook, led by Captain Lazarus. As you can see from above, I already own a fair chunk of the figures.

Anyway, I'm off work on Friday so I plan to get all of my stuff, painted and unpainted, assembled and unassembled, together in one place and make some final decisions then.

MODELLING: Chaaaaaaaarrrrrrrrge!

I was inspired by my two games of 5th edition 40k to put together some more Troops for my Blood Angel army. I had a root around my bits box and came up with five Assault Marines. The Veteran Sergeant has the classic powerfist and he is backed up by four regular Assault Marines. I already have another of these metal models in my army so I gave this one a grenade in his off hand to make him stand apart.

I obviously got these models second hand, but I have no idea where from. They still bear the remnants of an old, blue paint scheme. All that should disappear under a black undercoat.

I made the bases first using resin pieces from the hero and urban basing sets from Games Workshop. I then pinned the Marines using brass rod. Having seen the new True Line of Sight rules in 5th edition I'm just glad I didn't build them any higher.

I'm not going to paint the models just yet as I have signed up to the Tale of 40k Painters challenge on Warseer. I may put together some more Blood Angels instead, ready to be painted as soon as the I'll save them for August I think.

Of course I should be painting that Apocalypse Super-Heavy Mantis Stalk tank...

GENERAL: 2nd and 5th

This is just a short blog entry to point you towards my 2nd 40k 5th edition battle report. It was another game against Gary's Chaos Daemons, this time at a meatier 1200 points. Check it out here.