So... do we call it 6.5 or 7? Plus, a very brief battle report

Wow. Things are crazy right now, on the work front, the home front and the hobby front. I've just been super busy, though I have found time to model. The busyness though has made me feel painters ADD, and I have been jumping around without finishing anything. However, I've found my focus, as I have been working on daemons. Hoping to have a few of them done soon. I have also gotten in a game or two as well.

The other day the hobby net broke (literally and figuratively) with the news of the upcoming release of the 40K rules. Now, is this 7th edition or rather just a tweaking of the rules (6.5 edition)? Who knows? But, it is very apparent that its coming, and coming fast. Holy cow. 6th edition isn't even 2 years old! That's a fast turn around- maybe a bit too fast?

Look, I am all for having a "living rules-set", one that is flexible and changes as issues and flaws are brought out. But, I think this turnaround is a bit too fast, actually. I mean, we still haven't even all the nuances of 6th yet! I do wish they would have waited just a bit longer for this. Another year maybe?

Now, there's been lots of rumors. However, some have been semi-confirmed by photographic evidence. Big changes to force organization. New missions and "strategic cards", and a new psychic phase. That's just what's been kind confirmed.

I am always happy to see more missions, it adds a lot more flavor than the usual 6. One of the things that the new WD has featured is mission variants and unique scenarios. I really liked the one where the Imperial Guard had to rescue the Inquisitor and get him to the landing pad- while preventing the orks from moving deeper down the table. It was a lot of fun to read, and I did a variant of that mission with my friend. More missions are a good thing, and the rumor of "strategic cards", allowing for more ways to earn victory points sounds interesting, making for more mission variability. I also really don't think that a new Psychic phase is going to make too big a difference- the use of psychic powers needs a little streamlining, and maybe making it a phase will help to do that.

And what of the force organization rumors? This is the one that makes me concerned. Apparently one can still use regular force organization, and get a bonus for doing so. But one can also have an "unbounded" list, allowing you to throw in everything including the kitchen sink. On the one hand, I like the idea that, if I'm using my Khorne Bezerkers, maybe I want 4 Heavy Support choices instead of 3? I love Maulerfiends, and they are very Khorne-y in their quest for blood and close combat. However, 4 Maulerfiends aren't overwhelming, as they can get pinged to death with massed fire (which has happened to me plenty). But, it would be fun to play, and would make for a compelling look on the battlefield. Or maybe I just want tons of Death Guard- footsloggers and NOTHING else. Unbounded sounds like it will give you the opportunity to do just that. However, I am fearful that some poor players will abuse it, like taking a bunch of 5 riptides or 9 Heldrakes or something stupid and WAAC-y (BTW- as a Chaos player, I like my Heldrakes, but I would never want to face (or field, if it comes to that) 9 Heldrakes. The most I have ever used was 2, but once was against someone who also used 2, and the other time was in a bigger 2500 point game). I think giving players more freedom and choices is good, but we have all faced that one player that would abuse it. As for tournaments, they won't be impacted by that- they can just say "Regular Force Organization, NO unbounded, NO Lords of War, etc. Meanwhile, casual players may want to talk first before drawing up their lists- a bit of social contract theory won't hurt games of 40K.

I hope that this new edition goes well. I know lots of people think the sky is falling, but I chose to remain optimistic, as I hope that a streamlining of 6th edition will make for a better game for everyone.

Meanwhile, I played another game with my friend that I am introducing to the hobby. He has taken a liking to it, that's for sure. He's getting quite good with the Ultramarines. I decided to play an all Daemon force (which I haven't done in a while, and I admit I was rusty). We played the Emperor's Will mission, and Brian played the shooting game as my Daemons slowly marched toward them. I had gotten so used to 3+ saves with Marines that I forgot that 5+ saves are hard. I made mistakes, including rolling badly to bring in reserves, and a daemon  prince actually failed a charge roll, thus leaving him vulnerable to shooting (which did him in).

My Bloodthirster and Great Unclean One did well. In particular, my Bloodthirster wiped out a squad of terminators and a librarian very quickly indeed. And my Plaguebearers were on the objective, their shrouded making them nigh on unkillable. But, those wins weren't enough. The game ended 4 -5 for Ultramarines. I had my objective plus slay the warlord. He had his objective plus linebreaker and first blood. It was a close game by the end, but I got wailed on in the first half. With my friend Brian, I may have created a tactical monster...

This weekend I'll get my hot little hands on the WD and see for myself the rumblings for the new edition. Until next time...

When Is Introducing Someone To 40K Like A Medical Emergency?

Hey there Chaos followers and heretics. Old Man Chaos is back with a bit of a kind of humorous post. But first, I just did a quick read through of the Imperial Guard codex (I am fine with Astra Millitarum, but I'm always going to call it IG). I really like the codex- the orders system is really solid, there is potential for lots of Psykers and such, and of course, the tanks are as dangerous as ever (the Hydra will be a must in this age of flyers). I think the book is really solid- I shall have to work on my Traitor Guardsmen, that's for sure!

The Ultramarine's line

The Scions of Gorechild prepare to charge

At any rate, last Friday was round 3 for me and my friend Brian, whom I have been introducing Warhammer 40K to. To begin with, Brian already knows about Warhammer from the computer fantasy games (which, I'm frankly not sure), but he knew little about 40K. He always saw my models and all that, so finally he had asked what it was about, so I loaned him the big rule book so he could see for himself. At any rate, he decided that he wanted to try, so I let him use my Ultramarines and away we went. In our first match (at like 800 points), his Ultramarines shot my Khorne Bezerkers all to hell, and he won. Wow. Beginner's luck or a hustler? Ha. The first game was a basic set up, with some Marines, a dreadnought each, etc. Simple enough to learn the rules. Brain was successful in fire discipline, carefully whittling down each unit in turn- impressive enough for a newbie. In our second match at 1200 or so, the Scions of Gorechild got revenge, defeating the Ultramarines handily (Brian learned to hate the Maulerfiend, which quickly tore through his back ranks, and the Defiler, which blew huge holes in his lines). We introduced jump packs as well as deep strike and Terminators. Brian appreciated the learning curve thus far.

The Stalker was ready to shoot down enemy aircraft

So, this past Friday Brian said he wanted to play again. So we increased it to about 1800 points, and included flyers (Heldrake versus Storm Talon, as well as a Stalker tank, which I wanted to see in action). This game would allow Brian to play a larger match, as well as learning about Flyers.

The Defiler blew up chunks of the Ultramarine line

The mission was Relic, for which we used a simple set of barrels amid a crashed ship (who knows what was in those drums? A hiding Inquisitor perhaps? Nyuk Nyuk). Brain won the roll off but decided to let me go first- that'll learn him not to do that again. I decided to hold nothing in reserve and charged everything at him, as a Khorne lord should. My Defiler cut a whole into his army, taking out some of his jump squad and some regular men, thanks to a drifting blast template.

Two Maulerfiends can be quite a headache

Brian again was very disciplined in firing, even taking out a couple of my Chaos bikes as well as some of my Warp Talons. He naturally targeted both Maulerfiends, (eventually taking out one with a hale of fire from his Dreadnought). His Land Speeders shot my cultists all to hell (as I was sure he would).His Librarian suffered a perils of the warp with double 6s, which made me laugh (and Brian scowl).

Smite the enemies of the Imperium of Mankind!!

I failed to give the bikes the mark of Khorne- an accident that became a big mistake

Close combat was amusing at times. My first Maulerfiend wrecked a squad before it was destroyed. My second Maulerfiend killed the Stalker (thus I still didn't see it in action). My bikes shot at and charged the Scouts- but I didn't give them the Mark of Khorne and thus couldn't cut through them fast enough. My last remaining Talons got into it with the Assault Terminators, but those thunder hammer / storm shield combos hurt. The funny part was my champion challenged his sarge, and... both of us came up with lousy rolls, not even scoring hits (I didn't take VoLW, as I want him to learn more rules before I turn it up a notch). My damn Heldrake was nowhere to be seen. Damn it.

A fight that went nowhere for two turns.

Keep moving... blood for the blood god!

Then,  his Storm Talon roared in, Lascannon blazing at my Defiler, destroying it. Combats were not going anywhere, as the bikes just couldn't finish off enough of the Scouts still, and the Warp Talons finally getting knocked out. But, by top of turn 3, my Lord and his Terminator retinue had just taken the relic. Yes, Brian was about to pitch a lot of his force toward me, but I had a Maulerfiend and an inbound Heldrake that could ruin his day, as well as two squads of mostly untouched Bezerkers at either side of the Lord's squad.

The Stormtalon's arrival heralded the end of the Defiler

Keep your eyes on the prize!

Then, as it was about to start Brian's turn 3, he said he needed to go to the bathroom. Sure- happens to all of us, even in the midst of battle. But then, when he emerged from the bathroom... he was as pale as could be!! He said that he needed to go to the doctor ASAP. What?! Holy Cow!! I have met people who couldn't handle losing before, but geez. To fake going to the hospital to get out of losing... ;-)

Actually, Brian did suffer a medical problem, and thankfully the ER was able to help him. I've never heard of a game of 40K making someone sick before (Ha ha. These jokes just write themselves). Apparently he was ill from rolling too many ones (see what I mean). Just when I think I have seen it all as a 40K player... I've never sent an opponent to the ER before. This will be a game I will long remember, for its crazy ending!

For his part, Brian was as gracious as usual, conceding the game to me, since I had the relic. He says he wants a rematch though, as soon as he is 100%. He obviously likes the game...

Can you top that gaming war story? Until next time...

A couple of Rhinos and Epidemus

Hey there Chaos fanatics. Old Man Chaos here with another edition of Chaos Corner. I've been working on a ton of stuff- indeed, I have been suffering from painter's ADHD, working on a little bit of this and a little bit of that. I've got some good stuff coming down the pike, if I can just focus on one thing... geez.

I have been interested to see the Imperial Guard stuff coming from GW (excuse me, Astra Millitarum). I dislike the tracks of the Taurox, but the rest of the vehicle is just fine. I don't know how I'd fix those wheels though... The Tempestus (storm troopers) are really fine models though, with plenty of detail and accessories. I'm diggin the Hydra/Wyvern, I have to say. I will be buying the Guard codex this weekend, so I'll let you know what I think after I read through it all. As for the Tempestus "supplement"- I won't get it, but I like the idea of an all storm trooper force and the fluff behind it. But I do like the Guard, and I can't wait to get my grubby hands on that book.

Good shot of my 4th Rhino

On another front, I have played 2 games with my friend Brian, who is new to the game. He won the first go, but I won the second go. Now, he wants revenge this week. I'll be sure to take pictures and make a formal battle report. I wonder if he will buy an army? I certainly don't mind him borrowing mine if he decides not to. Time will tell. I also plan on going to my local store next week, getting back into the gaming scene there after this rather nasty (and busy) winter.

Does that really look over the top? Ha ha.

At any rate, I have some pics here of a Plague Marine Rhino and the daemon Epidemus. I have shown the Rhino before, but these pics are better due to the new studio that I'm using (have I mentioned that I love the set up?).

I like the Nurgling playing in the guts.

Now, the Rhino is a fine vehicle, but I'm always trying to make them look different for the Plague Marines. I worked on this puppy last summer before my big Apocalypse game. I used lots of putty for this one. I decided to go completely over the to with guts. I've got guts on the top, and in the rear. I know it was a bit much, but if you can't go over the top with Chaos, who can you go over the top with?

Forge World doors on my 4th Rhino

This is my favorite Rhino. 2 of my oldest Rhinos that I did I did WAAAAAAYY back when I was first building my Plague Marine army look  quite primitive compared to what I would eventually do with my army. The third Rhino I did is more in line with the rest of my army.

3rd Rhino Pic 1 (inspired by an old conversion in 3rd edition's codex)

3rd Rhino Pic 2 (the forerunner of my 4th Rhino)

3rd Rhino Pic 3- fungal growths and slime

My new 4th Rhino is slightly different, but it is so over the top that I just love it. It certainly gets a lot of looks when I take it gaming. When players tell me "Ewww. That's gross", I just smile. Papa Nurgle would be proud.

Awwww. He's drooling. Isn't that cute?

The other guy I want to show I probably haven't shown specifically, though you may have seen him in some battle report pics. The Tallyman himself, Epidemus.

I have an old model (which my friend bought for me from a Battlewagon, believe it or not), which was a Plague Lord on a Palanquin. I love that model, and still use it sometimes. I really loved the model. The only thing I disliked was the nurglings holding him up- not them, but the way I painted them. I tried to do them different colors, and they ended up a bit too technicolor for my tastes.

But, when Epidemus was released, my Nurgle painting style was perfected, and he ended up looking like the metal Plaguebarers that I did at that time. I sickly pale color, with just some green in there. I was always happy with how I did the maggots/vomit on his stomach. The yellow ink really sets that off on the model.

Better was the nurglings carrying him, which I did various shades of green. Thus, I avoided the random colors, but made them just different enough so that they are distinct. I really like how the nurglings are all over the place on this model, struggling to keep the throne upright under Epidemus' bulk. 

"Tally Your Blessings"

I have had mixed results with Epidemus on the field, and he always got killed before his Tallyman effect could really get going. That and I lost track of how many my Nurgle units killed (my fault). I will use him again at some point, and I will absolutely try to do better with him in the future. I have never done an all Nurgle daemon army though- perhaps it is time for me to do just that... hmmm. We shall see.

At any rate, that's it for me. Oh, before I go- I saw Captain American 2. It was awesome, and I should try to write up a review on it soon. I really want to see it again before I do, as it has a lot going on (all of it cool).

Until next time...

Conversion Time: A Nurgle Heldrake

Hey there Chaos fanatics! Old Man Chaos is back with another blog post- trying this weekly proved to be too difficult, but I am trying to get a few a month up, plus keep up with my painting and hobby related stuff. I have a few things I want to talk about and show off, starting with a recently completed Plague Marine Heldrake. So, away we go...

"The man at Radio Shack said I was mad... Well- who's mad now? Hahahaha!"

I was in my local store a few months ago (before winter came and derailed my whole schedule) gaming (I forget which battle it was now). As such, there were a bunch of us hanging around, talking about strategies, upcoming GW releases and, modelling. Well, I am not sure how the conversation turned, but I remarked that the Heldrake did not lend itself easily to Nurgle- it didn't look sickly. So, I proposed a conversion that would take parts of the zombie dragon fantasy box and basically kit bash it to make a properly decayed looking Plague Heldrake. As I discussed the potential conversion, one esteemed gamer told me it could not be done. The wings were the wrong size, it would be impossible to get them to stay- and so forth. He told me that I was mad to even think of such a thing! Well, that did it. The old Chaos converter in me decided to take up the gauntlet that was thrown down- I WOULD accomplish this feat!!!

So, it took me a few months due to interruptions (like, say, oh I don't know...an Imperial Knight perhaps, just for starters... as well as me getting back into Ultramarines and continuing with my Khorne Bezerkers... Geez), but I finally set to work. Having 2 kits, I decided to kit bash them in equal measure- thus 2 kits will get me 2 Heldrakes (not exactly saving money the Chaos way, but the zombie dragon is slightly cheaper than the Heldrake, so...). What follows is the first Heldrake that I completed.

Basically, I decided to use the body of the Heldrake with zombie dragon wings. So, it is fairly simple: I glued the wings onto the body. Presto. It was not difficult at all. Indeed, the nub of the wing fit fairly well in the nub for the Heldrake wing, though it was not a perfect fit. In order to make sure it wouldn't break, I added a bit of putty work to secure it. Frankly, I think this was the most straightforward conversion I've ever done. The wings fit just fine. And while they are a bit smaller than the Heldrake wings, it is still a large wingspan (just backwards instead of forwards).

The head was actually trickier. It was not going to fit onto the body at all, so I had to cut, pin, and use plenty of putty. This was actually clever (if I do say so myself)- I used the decayed neck to actually hide the conversion- the putty around it looks like dead skin and even tissue in the throat of the ugly beast. With the putty securing it, I know that head isn't going anywhere. And the downward angle of the neck and head makes it look like that it is belching a poisonous Nurgle fume on the terrified Guardsmen below! Hahaha!! Nurgle loves his little pets indeed! For the final touch, I put Chaos Spawn hooks in for the Heldrake legs, thus making it look totally warped and unnatural. Plus, the poisoned hooks will be lethal for those Vector Strikes.

So, now for the paint job. I started the whole thing with Deathworld Forest green. The Heldrake body would stay that color, pretty much. On the wings and neck, I built up from there with Nurgling Green and even a drybrush of brighter flesh shades (to give the wings definition). The bone was my usual Dust buildup, with a drybrush of Tyrant Skull and a light Praxetti White.

The metal portions were done up in Leadblecher followed by washes of Earthshade and then the new Effect Paint of Typhus Corrosion and Ryza Orange drybrush. The effect is different from my old way of doing rust, but the effect cannot be denied- the thing looks rusty and broken and dirty- just the way Grandpa Nurgle likes it!

The engines I did purple (it really does contrast the green well). The bone continues from the neck to the back of the Heldrake, giving a nice bit of continuity there. The "legs" I did in the green, but the hooks I did bone, but without the drybrushing of Praxetti. The guts in the neck I did with various reds (I was going to do pink, but I decided against it). I must admit it took me a bit of time to get the wings and bone just the way I wanted them.

However, the model was not done. How could it be, now that we have that fantastic effect paint, Nurgle's Rot. I applied it rather generously, as this is a Plague Heldrake. I was careful to put just a bit on the tongue and his teeth, looking like he just spewed the unholy filth of Nurgle upon his errant children. I also put a bit on the wings, just to give them a slimy look. Thus, my beast was completed, and I am eager to have him take to the field!

Of course, I am still working on my other Heldrake, though working with the zombie dragon body is far trickier than I had first imagined. However, with the spring here I will put him together, sooner or later. I'll let you know how that one goes.

A few other things I wanted to talk about. First- the weekly White Dwarfs. I think they have been really good lately, since they have been 40K focused. In particular, the issue that gave the rules for the Knights. Now, I know some people complained that the codex was pricey for 1 model army. I didn't mind, as I loved the fluff for this newly re-illuminated area of the 40K lore. But- the rules were in a 4.00 WD, which is amazing if you think about it. Again, the weekly WD is giving us choice, which is good.

I am not pleased about the recent "limited supply" Void Shield generator though. I don't mind having limited edition books, so long as the regular book is out there. Forgeworld is expensive, but you don't NEED anything from there. The special one off model like the "White Dwarf"... who cares. But- this is different. They limited it to 1,000... what? Why would they do that? It's stupid. And I wasn't even going to buy it in any case (so this is not sour grapes for not being one of the lucky 1,000). It just makes no sense. This reminds me of what comic books did in the 90s- limited edition this or bagged copy that. Ugh. That is something this hobby does NOT need, and I hope they don't repeat this experiment in the near future.

I made this with a Demotivator site... and saved 100$

Finally, I introduced a friend to the game last week. He knew about Warhammer in general from computer games (fantasy, mostly). He saw my models when he visited my house on many occasions. He was interested, so I loaned him the rule book, which he read through. So, the time was right and we played a 1,000 point game- Ultramarines versus Khorne Bezerkers. I made both lists, but allowed him to choose. He chose Ultramarines... and proceeded to kick my ass! Brian was a quick study, and was rolling and cursing the dice gods just like the rest of us. He won 4 to 8 for points. He did a fine job. The best part... he wants to play again this week...

As Mr. Burns would say... Excellent!!

Until next time...