Chaos Grippes (Brief) and DEATHWATCH!!

Hey there Chaos fanatics! Old Man Chaos is back with a new installment of the ongoing lunacy of Old Man Chaos! LOL

First, I want to say a big "I told you so" regarding Traitor's Hand. I don't like saying I told you so (Wife? Why are you laughing at that? You know I NEVER say "I told you so"... that's you're department), but... it was pretty much what I predicted. I posted that blog BEFORE the leaks came out.

Sadly, I knew all too well that Traitor's Hand would not come close to helping Chaos Space Marines. It is, at best, a band-aid. A band-aid for a freshly amputated limb ("Tis just a scratch"). While there are some decent formations, it just isn't at the level of Space Marine formations (or, indeed some others). It is just a resounding "Meh". I even played a game against my friend Joe using some formations- his Dark Angels wiped the floor with me pretty much. It was hardly a contest. Joe said that when I take Mechanicus, he sweats, and even a win for him is closely fought. Against CSM, he wasn't too concerned, and he took a fairly conservative approach against them. So sad- the mighty Chaos are so low.

Now, there might be hope. Recent rumblings have proven true- Magnus the Red Daemon Primarch is being bandied about, as are new Thousand Sons. Now, while I don't have 1K Sons, anything that Chaos gets that's good will make me happy. If it is a 1K Son Codex (a la Khorne Daemonkin) I could get behind that- KDK is a fun book with some nifty special rules, and KDK is a solid army on the tabletop. If 1K Sons get the same treatment I'll be thrilled. Maybe Plague Marines could happen too?

Anyways, I have been working on some Deathwatch forces. First off, I have always loved the idea behind the Deathwatch- Space Marines from wildly different chapters working together under the auspices of the Ordos Xenos... great hook for storytelling, and I have enjoyed their Black Library stories. Particularly the current The Beast Arises story, which delved into the origins of the Deathwatch! (If you haven't read the series, you should. There are a few clunkers, but overall its been a great story).

From a modelling standpoint, the Deathwatch are nice too- they are Space Marines but with a bit more variety. The different shoulder pads add color and personality to the army. They are uniform, yet distinct. Visually, the Deathwatch are a lot of fun.

My wife had bought me the Deathwatch Overkill board game when it came out last spring. The models in that box are fantastic. I really was excited and put the entire box together very quickly. But, as often happens, I didn't get to paint them for a while. Other projects, real life, etc all got in the way.  So they sat for a while.

When the Deathwatch codex was released at the end of the summer, I quickly scooped that up. Yes... I was sorely tempted. After all, I already have a good start with the Overkill box- what's one more squad? Or a Drop Pod? Or... Well, you know how that goes. I now have a new army.

However, I do TRULY intend on keeping it small, for two reasons. First, from a fluff perspective, they rarely go out as a full-blown army (unlike Grey Knights). They are usually smaller strike teams, using sneak attacks and guerilla warfare to hurt the enemy. Second, I plan to use them as allies to my Mechanicus. My Cult Mechanicus forces can use allies that have Drop Pods, Razorbacks, and air support from a Corvus Blackstar. I don't need a huge army. Just a couple of troops with fast delivery methods; by fast, I mean in a vehicle, which AdMech simply don't have access to for some strange reason (after all, don't the Tech-Priests repair and maintain these things? Seriously).

My plan is to have two squads of varying size. One squad will focus on close combat (Thunder hammers are nice). The other squad will have shooting with special weapons- the frag launcher in particular could be quite nasty- deploying from drop pod and shooting the rear of the enemy at close range... yeah, that's nice. My AdMech need that.

After reading the Codex, I'm not sure the Deathwatch are the most viable army. They are more costly than average Space Marines, and don't have access to key pieces of SM units and equipment. However, as an ally, they are a nice fit with the AdMech I think. I'll have to try it out at some point, once I have enough built and painted, that is.

So, that's my latest. Hope you enjoyed this look at my Deathwatch. I will certainly post more as I finish them. Now I must go... A squad of Deathwatch don't just paint themselves you know.

Until Next time!

Pics of my Ultramarine Stalker and Where 40K is at now

Hey there friends! Welcome back to another edition of Chaos Corner. Old Man Chaos has more pics for you, this time of a newly minted Ultramarine Stalker tank. Yes, every so often I have to take a break on the bad guys to work on my good guys. I do have plenty of Chaos stuff in the works though, but once in a while I need to work on the sons of Guilliman.

Childish, but chuckle-worthy

Before that, I just want to rant about the state of GW and 40K. I am still mad about Visions being such a rip off. I emailed the editors at WD, expressing to them my (admittedly) strong feelings on the subject. They have not emailed me any reply (nor did I expect them to). I just hope that others who were frustrated by the Visions mess has emailed them/cancelled subscriptions as well. As for the 2nd issue of WD weekly- it was all Dwarfs. I approve of this, even though I don't play them. I know now for sure that there will be some weeks I simply won't buy. That will save me money in the long run, and gives me choice. I am happy with this- but I still feel GW pulled the wool over people's eyes with Visions.

As for the game, the recent Vegas tournament has caused a stir- rather needlessly I say. Look, I don't usually play tournaments (except at I-Con). I play against friends, and I play at my local store. I have fun, win or lose. Most of the people I play with are pretty much the same. Yes, the competition gets a bit heated with some opponents, but at the end everyone has a good time and shakes hands. Yes, I have met WAACs, but they are not the majority. Not even close. As for the tournaments, its just not my scene. If it is yours, that's cool, more power to you. But there are people getting all bent out of shape about it- because Eldar won? So now the game is broken and all over. Seriously? Come now- just turn it down a notch. Tyranids didn't do great? That is a concern, though the book has only been out a month- again, too soon to say that the game is broken.

I haven't played a game since December (work, snow, stuff), though I intend to rectify that soon and start playing weekly again (spring sounds good). My local even wants to do a campaign in the spring (I'm down with that). Notice- he said "campaign" not "tournament".  A big part of the fun of 40K is the story, the characters and factions, not just winning at dice rolling. That's why I'll never get WAACs. 40K is a fun game, but not necessarily a "make or break" competition. That's making it something that it really isn't. I wish some players could just take a deep breath, relax, and enjoy the game for its story, modelling, and camaraderie. Ugh.

Anyways, here's some pics about my Stalker. I was in a hobby store I used to go to frequently (back in college, which is now much further from my more local store). The owner is a great guy, if a little eccentric. That's part of his charm. Anyways, I was out there with my wife near Christmas and decided to go to my old stomping grounds. At any rate, as I looked around the store (and my wife dreaded what I'd want to buy hehehe!), I saw that he had a "holiday bargain" table. There was a Stalker/Hunter kit- for 39 bucks! That was a huge discount. I immediately grabbed it- how could I pass that up? When I asked him why it was cut so low, he said that the darn things just wouldn't sell, so he lowered the price just to get it out of the store. Well, at that price I decided to help him out and buy it. Hey, I told you he was eccentric.

Interestingly, I was about to get a Storm Talon for Christmas as well- thus I had no choice but to take up my Ultramarines again. As you know, I did the Storm Talon first- a really easy model to put together, and painting it was fun. At the same point, I was also working on the Stalker.

At first, I tried a different blue, which didn't work (the darker blue just didn't look as "right" for the Ultramarines). Thus, I had to re-do it with Altdorf Blue... so if the Stalker looks slightly different from the Storm Talon, there you go. Still looks good for my army though.

The kit is basically a Rhino, which I can pretty much put together in my sleep at this point. The extra armor sides were easy enough to put on though. The trick was the gun- did I want a Stalker or Hunter? I decided on the Stalker, as I thought the anti-air guns looked more "action-packed" if you take my meaning- more dynamic. The guns were a pain to put together and get them just even though. I later discovered that the missile was super easy to put together... I did actually assemble that later, and I may use that on terrain or something (a story driven missile silo or something).

Anyways, once assembled, painting it was fine, and it settled for me how I'd paint the Ultramarines with the new paints. I did it like the Talon- Altdorf blue, with Earthshade gently done in the recesses and the like. Then I cleaned the mess with more Altdorf, followed by line highlighting of Calgar Blue. The metals were done with Leadbelcher, Nuln Oil, and highlights of Ironbreaker.

I painted up some areas of the tank to have battle damage and wear and tear. Its again leadbelcher and ironbreaker. Once the model was done, I decided to put on some transfers- I had experimented with transfers on my Talon, and felt more confident in using them now. I must say they look quite good, and add some punch to the tank. I wouldn't use transfers on my Plague Marines, and I actually draw and paint it on my Khorne Bezerkers, so I don't need it there. Perhaps if I do Thousand Sons... Hahahaha!!

So, is the tank useful? Hmmm. I have only played against a Space Marine force that had one only once. The guy fired it once, but then kept forgetting about it (don't know why). So, I really don't know how it does. As a dedicated anti-air, you run the risk of paying the points but being SOL if the opponent has no flyers (rare nowadays, but still a possibility). Most players now take flyers, so I think a Stalker would be a good investment. And besides, the super sales price meant that I couldn't pass it up, in any case. Hehehe!

Well, that's all for now from the Eye of Terror. Stay tuned for future astropathic messages. (That is, until next time...)

Ultramarine Stormtalon Gunship and a White Dwarf Update

Hey there my friendly followers of Chaos. Old Man Chaos is back with another blog update. I have some juicy new pics of a recently completed project- my Ultramarine Stormtalon Gunship. I would also like to update you on the whole White Dwarf debate. So let's get the unpleasantness out of the way first, then dive in to see some pics!

On Sunday, I sent an email to the White Dwarf editors. I basically told them what I thought of the Warhammer: Visions debacle. I was as professional as I could be (not as angry as I had been on my blog, obviously). However, I iterated that the Visions book was not at all what White Dwarf had been, and that was not what I subscribed to, and that I felt that GW had betrayed its loyalest customers. I have not heard a response, nor do I think I will. I just wanted to get that off my chest. I also emailed Apple and told them that GW changed the product. Apple quickly gave me my money back (got it back this morning, as a matter of fact).

Now, at some point, if a particular issue of Visions is Chaos-centric, I might buy it. But it is not something I want every month. One day, if they change the format to something more to my liking, then I'd gladly subscribe to it again. And I will certainly buy the weekly if the contents are what I'm looking for. I won't buy any more Dwarf-centric issues, but when they do 40K stuff I will certainly buy it. I just think that GW should be more careful in the future, and should be more cognizant of how their decisions impact their loyal customers.

Anyways, now that is out of the way, let us check out my latest- an Ultramarine Stormtalon...

I have had Ultramarines since 2005/06. I had been playing Plague Marines and Chaos for a long time (my Dark Eldar had fallen by the wayside). I had decided at some point to chose a "good guy" army, as it were. And you certainly could not get any more "good guy" than the Ultramarines. Initially, I wanted to do Imperial Fists, but there was no way I could pull off that yellow at that time. With today's paints I might be able to, but certainly not then.

At any rate, I decided to go with Ultramarines. Mind you, I didn't do that bright blue that they had been in back in the day. I used some slightly darker blues for them. Unfortunately, I never wrote down what I used, and the new paints just don't quite get that shade, but more on that in a second.

I enjoyed playing Ultramarines, especially against my friend Pete and his Tyranid swarm and my brother's Black Legion. However, I never "loved" them the same way I love Chaos. I don't quite know why, but I guess I like the bad guys more. As it turned out, once the 5th edition book came out, I was pretty much out of the Ultramarines. I just kept doing Chaos, and of course the re-done Dark Eldar more recently.

This past fall, I picked up the Space Marine Codex in hardcover form. I didn't buy it on the ipad, as I figured I wouldn't be using it that much, and I wanted to save room on my iPad. The truth is, it is a great Codex. I have played against it several times, and I have found it to be a very fair and balanced book (even if the centurions are a bit too much at times). I then read the book more closely, and found that I was itching to play Ultramarines again.

Over Christmas, I got a few Space Marine models, in this case, a Stormtalon from my friend Pete. I must say that it was a real ease to put together, and I really like the look of the vehicle. I think it really matches the aesthetic of the Space Marines.

In terms of painting, I did an undercoat of Macragge Blue. Then, I hit it with Earthshade in the cracks and joints, etc. Then I gently brushed on Altdorf Blue- not too thickly. Then I used Calgar Blue for the highlights. This made it slightly brighter than my old Space Marines, but I like the look. I intend on painting all of my Ultramarine stuff like this in the future.

The metal parts I did with Leadbealcher, Nuln Oil, and some brighter metal highlights. The gold was done with a buildup with Ghenna's Gold and a Earthshade wash. The pilot was done in the same blue, but I added green lines on him, to make it look as if the cockpit console lights lit him up. It didn't turn out quite as I had thought, but it was my first attempt to do this technique.

Last, I decided to use transfers for the first time. I had never actually used them before. They are a bit flimsy, and I tore a couple of them, actually. However, I really like how they look on the model. Its just one more detail that I think really makes the model pop. I intend on doing more with transfers on my upcoming Ultramarine projects.

I am really happy with how my Stormtalon came out, and considering I haven't painted Ultramarines in years, the Stormtalon has gotten me excited to paint more Ultramarines. Now, I have to get a couple of games in with them... Ha ha.

Until next time...

A brief diatribe on Codex: Space Marines and Codex: Chaos Space Marines

Hello once again, my friendly neighborhood chaos worshipers! Sorry that I have been away for so long- work has been really busy, and I have hardly had time to sit and paint, let alone write on the blog. It didn't help that Grand Theft Auto 5 came out and sucked up what little remained of my free time. Oh boy. At any rate, I felt moved to write on the blog today about two intertwining issues- the newly minted Codex: Space Marines and naturally, the ongoing "issues" with the Chaos Codex.

Could this be the real appearance of The Emperor of Mankind?

The new Space Marine Codex is an amazing book. It is not exaggeration to say that this is an incredible looking book. It is so well put together, great art, great fluff- fantastic, as a matter of fact. The best thing about this Codex is that they back away from it being "Ultramarines plus some other guys" and they really broaden it to "All Space Marines". They focus on the original loyalists, with each having their own section, as well as some great bits about the successor chapters. You really feel the weight of millennia of history, with great deeds and enormous sacrifice from all the chapters of the Adeptus Astartes. The entire presentation of the book is just beautiful and awe-inspiring- this is the new high water mark that all other future books will be held up to.

The Emperor used Brock's DNA as the basis of the Primarchs. That makes a lot of sense, actually.

But, what of the rules? A pretty book is nice and all, but its nothing if it doesn't have the rule set to make it worthwhile. Again, I have never been a WAAC player, but I have always wanted to be "competitive". Again, the Codex is really good here as well- a Space Marine army is quite formidable. Any Space Marine list could be worthy- they are not overpowered, but will certainly provide a challenge- basically, it is a very balanced book, with strengths and weaknesses. Best of all, the book has a ton of options. First, you must designate what chapter you are (or successor from), which automatically gives you special abilities. Now, all the major chapters are represented, and in a clever way. Plus, you can ally with another chapter of Space Marines! The new units are quite solid- the Centurions are tough (in either form), while the Hunter/Stalker will come in handy with all the flyers running around nowadays. Basically, this book is a really good book- you can make the Space Marine army of your dreams here.

"Now... how do we destroy the Space Marines..."?

There are some problems here though for those that will oppose the Space Marines. I have already seen articles online with people using loopholes with the allies rule ("So an Iron Hands librarian joins a Raven Guard unit and thereby they all gain everybody else's abilities..." ugh. Can a Khorne Lord join a Plague Marine unit and thus he gets a bump in toughness and they get Rage... come now. Let's be real). My other big concern is people who don't paint their models. It will be very difficult to tell which grey marine represents which chapter, and shenanigans will ensue. Even worse, I bet many players will not WANT to paint their Space Marines, so that would lock them in as "Ultramarines"... thus we may get armies that are painted generic black, and each game they will "represent" someone different- this game it's white scars, next game its black templars... Again, that's like saying my Plague Marines are going to be Thousand Sons... we Chaos players have NEVER really been keen to do that, for the most part. For Chaos traitors, we are awfully loyal to our legions.

Overall, I think the Space Marine Codex is phenomenal. While there is some opportunity for mischief (and modeling laziness), the book is a fantastic book. The highest praise I can give is that it makes me want to dust off my Ultramarines (which I haven't done in a long time). It won't be next week though, as I am scheduled to go up against a vast Black Templar force with my insane Khorne Bezerkers. After that, perhaps.

Now, what about the continued rumblings about the current Chaos Codex? If you have read this site before you know my views- this book is NOT broken. It has quite a few weaknesses, but it is viable, and I say this as both a Plague Marine player (easy and tough) and a Khorne player (much, much trickier, to the point where I have had people look at me incredulously- "A Bezerker army? Are you crazy?! That doesn't work anymore..."). The book does work. We Chaos lunatics always want more (and why shouldn't we, damn it!).

However, in light of the Codex Space Marine release, I can certainly see where people are coming from. I just read another post HERE that shows how the Chaos book could be tweaked using what was done in the SM book as a guide (no, he does not suggest taking "Raven Guard" and substituting Night Lords instead). He makes several valid arguments and suggestions, so check that out if you feel so inclined. Again, I think our book is viable, but I can't quite argue against these ideas either. Just something to ruminate on.

Well, that's my two cents. I'll try to put up a battle report from next week's game when it happens. I am also nearing completion on some Chaos Cultists and a few more surprises. I promise that it won't be a month till my next post.

Until next time...