Devos IV

Plannin'

2012-01-26T22:26:00.004Z

A selection of half finished stuff.

I've not got enough half finished projects kicking around. So I shall go here http://www.victorialamb.com/store.html to get a few bits. A box of Catchananans will get penal troopers torso(s) and the las gun arms (penal troops being undeserving of enourmous should guards).

A box of Gors will get Catachan torso(s) and arms. This will mean hacksawing the Gor bodies to get the legs, but will give a convincing squad of beastmen.

A box of Cadians will be put togeather with kilts and Tam'o'shanter heads. The spare legs will get FW Vraks bodies and arms.

Four quite different and characterful squads from a bit of cuttin' and shuttin'.

What would improve my hobby expereince.

2012-01-16T16:19:00.003Z

A picture of a wedding - a lot of people's expereice of commitment.

I was pondering my dodgy feelings of ambivalence and general 'meh' towards 40k and gaming in general the other day. I came to the conclusion that what was lacking was commitment. On my part.

If I put more in, I'll get more out. Simples, as the merekats would cheerily chirp. I'm sure that Jervis has delivered many a homily whoes subject, direct or alegorical, has been commitment. Quite a few people in the blogosphere have made commitments in the form of lists of things to build/paint this year. Which is kool.

But looking at things which require my commitment this year (the girl in the white dress, my job, the dogs, my own looming health crisises and the general decripid state of some of my nearest and dearest) there's only a limited amount of stuff I can realistically manage.

So this year I will play three games.

That's the same as this year. Doesn't seem unreasonable. Any finished wee men or vehicles (ie finished by me) will be a bonus.

The Imperial way of war.

2011-12-09T17:55:00.003Z

A huge mob of IG.

Interesting article here http://pathfinder-devilin.blogspot.com/2011/12/40k-6th-edition-what-needs-fixing.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+blogspot%2FCFmrO+%28Pathfinder%29 about 'improving' 40K. Suneokun's ideas about the FOC and adjusting army lists for flufftastic reasons are good, IMHO.

The way he mentions the manner in which (and he uses the blood angles as his example) an army chooses to deploy itself is rarely as contrived as the normal 40k pick up game seems to make it.

For instance: the majority of campaigns against the Great Enemy are fought against the heretics and renegades of the traitor guard types - the Vraksians, Blood Pact, Sons of Sek and all of their jolly bunch of chums. Now, as hobbyists we do have options for heads and other parts to build these armies out of, but considering that this is the one major fighting force in the 40K universe that all of the other armies are fighting all of the time, they are supported only by Forge World ?!?! Shurely some mistake.

Oh well, getting back to the point: It is entirely conceivable that armies are organised in ways other than as presented in the various codices. For instance the Black Guardians of Ulthwe are a 'professional army' without being aspect warriors. This could be reflected, not just in the fluff and the statlines, but in the way they are organised as well; armed and equipped as soldiers (equal to the aspect warriors) rather than militia (vanilla guardians). They might have snipers, D cannon teams, jump troops, squad special weapons, odd squad sizes (squads of five that can mob up and split off as ordered during the game).

Most SM are described as being deployed as a 'strike force', deploying from a space ship, rarely something as grandeous as a battle barge (which seem to be reserved for multi SM Company actions). So the SM Strike Force Commander has a limited amount of material with which to complete his mission. He can get fuel, water, food etc from worlds en route. He may be able to request munitions from the Deptmento (although I can see that ending in tears). Essentially he has a very small force (of admittedly, super human genetic freaks in powered armour), with a finite amount of material with which to complete his mission. Once he is out of special 'won't-fit-IG-ammo' rockets for his missile launcher, his bolt is blown, game over, pack up and go home. They may be super tuf, but they are not war winners. If you want some individual dead, one or two objectives taken, psychos for a forlorn hope for something like that, then yes, the SM are your men. If you want to win a whole war and hold the ground you capture, you need the IG.

The Departmento launches IG armies into campaigns, usually with a huge logistical tail. There are departmento labour corps to conduct civil engineering works and supply and maintain the fighting end. There are supply chains stretching back tens of worlds, all focussed on the eventual aim of allowing the pointy bit to do its job. All of this is a huge effort and does take a long time to set in motion. In galactic terms it is not strategically agile (although this does not mean that individual IG armies cannot locally be agile; just that they are tied to their supply chain). IG win wars. If the High Lords send a serious IG army to your world, they will win.

So there is your campaign basis: the SM player is not allowed to replace any casualties he takes. At all. The IG player, like the 'nids, always has the endless wave replacement rule going. This 'realism' could be extended to other armies. Although I have no idea how.

Consolidation

2011-11-26T17:54:00.004Z

17 Div is now in control of the port city of Randstad. 901Bde (Cadian and Arcomet assets) remain in the city, with the air mobile assets using the former processional way as their base and the Divisional Artillery deployed into the squares and plazas of the eastern city. 902Bde are conducting Battalion scale sweeps , pushing out from the immediate vicinity of Randstad; mechanized units moving out to key locations as the PBI scour the area in slower time, ensuring the area is clear of rebel forces.
It’s a dry cold wind that blows from the interior of Continental Benq to clash with the wet cold south westerlies coming off the southern ocean. The 158 soldiers of Company C, Kado (Valhallan) 540th Infantry are picking their way cautiously eastwards, into the interior. A patchwork of farmland is beginning to give way to the rolling prairies of the interior. These prairies are the home of the nomadic grox herders who provide the second strand of the export value that is the reason for the Imperium’s war of reclamation.
The men are uniformly dressed in the Shinel (Greatcoat) as even with the bitter cold, these men think it too warm to warrant their winter uniform telogreika (padded jacket) and vatnie sharovari (padded trousers).
The company is spread out in platoon combat formations, ready for action. They have been advancing forwards for ten days now, methodically moving and consolidating alongside their fellow infantry companies for ten days now. Some days they have patrolled in daylight, checking signs for enemy activity. At others, they had hidden up during the day, hidden from enemy view, with Comrade Podpolkovnik (Colonel) Komenichi and his company and platoon leaders moving their men into ambush positions after dark and then awaiting for the “People’s Libertine Army” to show itself.
This afternoon, the Colonel is moving Company C from its layup position towards their ambush site; the men will march to within a mile of the ambush site in day light. Only after full darkness will they slip into the selected ambush positions.
The method works well for the 540th, in the past ten days, they have sprung three night ambushes, killed sixteen of the enemy and captured numerous autoguns and las rifles. Against this, they have lost two of their own men KIA with four more wounded and evacuated by Valkyrie. In two more days the 540th will have finshed their sweep pattern and will march back into the city to be replaced by dug in observation posts who can call on mechanized units, artillery and fast air to control the Randstad region. A few of the guardsmen maintain that being in the field is actually better, as the rear areas are full of commissars and missionaries and that the constant rotation through dull guard duties is just a grind. Days in garrison are a chore, to be ticked off one at a time on the calendar.
Nobody in Company C’s point squad is thinking of calendars right now, up front, the point man carries his Kantreal Mk VI rifle at the ready. His grip is relaxed, but his finger is on the trigger, the safety is off and the selector is switched down to automatic. Suddenly he stops and sniffs the light breeze. His non-smoker’s nose has picked up the pungent odor of the coarse local Lho-sticks smoked by the PLA fighters. He swings his rifle in the direction of the smoke and squeezes off two five round bursts, shouts “Urra!” and flops to the ground where he continues to fire at the perceived enemy.
Behind him, Sergant Yashin and the rest of the squad are also spraying the general area with automatic fire in an attempt to gain fire superiority over an enemy they haven’t yet seen. But they are in the grass somewhere and exactly where soon becomes evident. From the front right, 20 meters away in the tall grass, comes the high pitched chatter of the small caliber autoguns carried by the Devos IV PDF regiments as a counterpoint to the crack and fizz of the Kado las-rifles.
From dead ahead, a heavy stubber adds its deep rattle, hitting the last man in the point squad, who is slow to hit the dirt. He jerks and falls, screaming “I’m hit, I’m hit!” and holding his midriff. Sgt Yashin grips the squad and exerts fire discipline, laying down a curtain of fire to allow the following squad to grab the wounded man and begin dragging him toward the rear, passed to each successive man until he reaches the platoon medic. Kommissar Tora hasn’t found anyone wanting yet, but no one wants to be the first to relinquish ground to the enemy, as this would surely result in vyshka (from vysshaya mera nakazanija – extreme penalty).
The other three squads in Platoon three’s line are now in contact. Two minutes into the contact and the platoon has taken four casualties. Comrade Lejtenant Chetek’s vox operator is relaying the contact report to Comrade Major Gogebic. Fifty meters to the rear of Sgt Yashin’s squad, Major Gogebic estimates the situation, the volume of fire and the presence of the heavy stubber(s) mean at least a platoon, possibly a company. Most likely in bunkers with mortar support being dialed in now. He’ll develop the contact, lay on the artillery and see if the enemy ‘hold or fold’. This process takes only a second or two. His other platoon leaders are moving up, one right flanking with the last, that of Comrade Starshiy lejtenant (senior lieutenant) Chewmegowski as his company reserve, immediately behind his own position.
However enemy fire is picking up as well, the suspected mortars are beginning to bracket Lejtenant Chetek’s platoon. Major Gogebic wants them blasted out of their holes. Embedded into Major Gogebic’s command section is Lieutenant Weber of the Armageddon 835th (Steel Legion) Artillery Battery. Weber is a Forward Observation Officer (FOO). Eight Kloms behind 540th are four troops of six enclosed Basilisks, waiting for a call like this. Lt Weber has been walking with Company C for three months now, right now he’s plotting positions on his map slate and checking through the pre planned locations for fire missions that he planned last night in anticipation of today’s route of march. One of these locations, a spot height of 320meters above sea level, approximately 800meters ahead, is referred to by the glorious codename of BC202.
Using the authorized vox net, as prescribed in DM regulations, the fire mission is sent. Eight kloms behind, the men in the Fire Direction Centre spring into action. “Fire Mission.” Crackles out of vox speakers at each gun position. Men who had been warming themselves around braziers (who do not find this weather quite as warm as the Valhallans) breathe life into cold fingers and get to work. In the Fire Direction Center (a large tented area backing onto two Command Post Chimera), Technical Assistants Indirect are punching numbers into artillery cogitators and tracing shapes on acetate sheets overlaying the mapboards. They take the planned target, BC202 and apply the corrections supplied by Lt Weber and calculate the data that is needed to adjust fire onto the new target. Whilst they are doing that Signalers Artillery relay instructions from the Forward Observation Officer through the Command Post Officer and from the Command Post Officer out to the guns. He completes a cursory check of the data that the Technical Assistants Indirect had done (in duplicate, both for quality checking and redundancy purposes) the plot on the mapboard and sends the data to the guns.
Autogun rounds are mowing down the grass all around Company C’s position. Lejtenant Chetek commits his special weapon squad to the fire fight. The six men carry three flame throwers between them and can throw incandescing promethium out nearly 18meters with a following wind. If nothing else, setting the grass alight around the enemy position might reveal the bunkers. The men begin their long crawl forward under fire.
Today, No2 gun is being used as the ‘base gun’; the duty is rotated through each gun to even out the wear on each piece. The Fire Direction Centre gives out the bearing and elevation, corrected for the wind and No2 gun loads one round. The first round will be smoke to allow the FOO to then direct the subsequent rounds off of the fall of shot. No2, aiming off the red and white aiming rods ten meters in front of the gun, report ready and are given the order to fire.
Smoke belches and the basilisk rocks slightly as the shell is launched eight kloms towards Company C. A new smoke round is slammed into the breach, ready for the next adjustment. The report of shot is given by the Fire Direction Centre to the FOO who then waits the impact. Major Gogebic and Lt Weber are watching as round bursts, 100m in the air, right above the line of the bunker position, but about 200m to the right. As the adjustments are being made, the steady crump of the enemies mortars beings in earnest as they commence their own bombardment of Lejtenant Chetek’s platoon. “Left 200, repeat.” Sends Lt Weber.
The other gun crews of the battery are following the instructions that No2 gun is carrying out. Twenty three other earthshakers are tracking the movements of the No2 gun. Each troop of six guns, unless instructed otherwise, fires a roughly rectangular sheaf approximately 200meters long by 100meters deep. The beaten zone of a full Battery fire mission like this is over 400meters long and 200meters deep. Each gun has three HE rounds prepared for this mission, some are fused to detonate between 100meters and 50meters above the ground, spraying thousands of steel shards onto anything below and two thirds are fused with a slight delay, so that they bury themselves into the bunkers, spraying their deadly splinters upwards and outwards.
Less than seven minutes have passed since the point man fired his first burst. The lead platoon is being hammered by the mortar fire but men are still hugging the ground and experienced NCOs like Sergant Yashin keep their squads firing and do not allow the enemy to win fire superiority. Now under fire from the enemy heavy stubbers and mortars themselves, the Company C Command Squad unleash hell. Twenty four Basilisks fire as one. Lt Weber beings to count the twenty eight seconds it will take the first set of rounds to travel the eight Kloms.
Back at the artillery positions, the gunners move with smooth and practiced rhythm. 835th (and its sister 836th Battery, the Divisional Artillery reserve) Battery is well used to technical gunnery. They practice extensively whenever they are able. The second and third rounds are loaded and fired before the first one has landed.
In the fire fight, the men of Company C are holding their own; most of them are between 50meters and 100meters from the presumed position of the bunkers. Melta and flame thrower armed men grit their teeth and wait for the assault whilst trying to be as small as possible. Everyone else is yelling, firing and hugging the ground all at the same time.
The noise as the bombardment lands blots out all else. Firing ceases as the world shakes. Lt Weber orders “Repeat” as the noise falls away, dying back down to autogun, stubber and mortar noise (although noticeably less). Still just over nine minutes from the point man’s first shots, the second batch of artillery rounds land and once again the world disappears into gouts of earth and noise so loud that it cannot be heard by those close to it.
This time the return fire from the enemy positions is desultory and seems to be pattering out. Bringing Starshiy lejtenant Chewmegowski’s platoon with him, Major Gogebic sweeps forwards, ordering bayonets to be fixed and leads the assault on the ruined bunkerline. At last the flame throwers and melta guns that the 540th carry as squad special weapons can be used. Everywhere his riflemen pick themselves up, chanting, firing and screaming obscenities.
Already the Armageddon gunners are cleaning their guns and replenishing their ready ammunition supplies for the next fire mission. Two things made the difference between victory and disaster for Company C this afternoon; the point man’s keen nose and the swift and accurate response of their artillery support.

Lord Inquisitor

2011-11-20T20:21:00.003Z

If you havn't caught this already, (esp if you are 3D CGI teacher,) then check it out. Compare and contrast with the Ultramatines movie, a paid for professional film and this is done by half a dozen people in their free time:

http://www.thelordinquisitor.com/

Super.

Cheese Falcon.

2011-11-09T21:02:00.001Z

http://www.ninjabread.co.uk/cheese-falcon/

This wins the internet.

ASL getting there.

2011-11-06T18:11:00.004Z

The ASL's armoured bit is now all finished to the same degree. This week, I shall attempt to bring their Infantry to the same point, the individual soldiers and the Chimera.

You can, if you look carefully, descern the different LRMBT models; the newer ones have a distinct slope to their vorpanzer. The Sqn HQ is the (# 400, naturally) LRMBT at the rear, along with the 2iC's Executioner.

So there are two troops of LRMBT (incl an executioner and an anhilator, one in each troop) and two 'stompa hunter' troops; armoured sentinals with LC, although each of these troops has one 'executioner' model with a Plasma Cannon.

Wild Wind Widers of Siam Hain Redeux

2011-11-02T16:15:00.000Z

So now I've travelled sarf to the land of Invicta and foolishly challenged John (ie of JTS) on his home ground. Which turns out to be a promethium plant (Isle of Grain ?)

I have my glass hammer all ready to annihalate his Vraks renegades who are entrenched at the other end of the pipework. It all started well. The super fast and hyper manoevurable Jet Bike posse swept down the left flank and began chomping bites out of the opposition.

But I stopped. I should have remembered the lesson; move in 12", shoot and then jet boost away 12" in your own assault phase. John even mentioned Shaun's tau doing that very thing and I still didn't cotton on ! So I sat about 8" away for three turns and was moving the falcon and serpent up behind me. Eventually, despite gouging huge chunks out of the Vraksians, the jetbikeposse ended up so small that even the Farseer had had enough and they scoooted off for a rest somewhere less shooty.

It turns out that even a fousand points, an IG army can soak up damage (yes, they do die instead of making their saves, but there's still more of them than you've got ammunition....)

John then promptly shot down the falcon and serpent, exploding one and crashing the other into the 'moat' from whence the DA's would have been lucky to escape.
I should pay more attention or just be more careful next time: Just because they didn't move very far; didn't mean that they couldn't assault me, which they did.

My thanks to John and Val for their horse brutality.

Wild Wind Widers of Siam Hain

2011-10-30T15:35:00.004Z

So, I travelled to the wintery far north to fight Karitas. Logan Wing is an impressive looking build. He has four ickle posses of wulfgardtermies, two dakka preds and a pair of MM/HF land speeders in reserve. And a Dreadnuffink. Which really was untouchable, as you shall see....

I'm arrayed with a bunch of jet bikes and serpents and one falcon. All brittle percussive instruments vs werewolves in terminator armour. Yikes, I thought and said a silent hail mary to Fitz, the patron saint of Siam Hain. OK, so it didn't go too badly; the runepriest and his posse went down to massed SC fire from the jetbike and Vyper armarda after three rounds. The Falcon popped one pred the first turn and kept the pressure on until it went to the second speeder mid game. Two WL marched resolutely into HTH with Logan and his posse and were smashed in two rounds. (WTF ?!?! WL creamed in HTH ? Yep, I saw it with my own eyes. And wept silent internal tears).

Serpents were shot down all over the place, the Falcon was shot down and the Fire Dragons duely de-bussed. They shot Logan's posse. The guys from the Falcon toasted the Rune Preist on the other side of the table. My Autharauch Deep Struck behind the remaining Pred and imobilisied it for a round. He should have stayed there and should have just kept shooting the rear armour of the Pred. But I could have him assault the stunned dred. So I did. Autharchs cannot hit dreads in HTH (at least in that build) and the dread needed a six to touch the Autarch, so with Karitas' rolling he was fairly safe. Even surrounded by another posse of five wulfgardtermies he was chopping his way through them whilst fending off the dread as well (by the end of the game the FD were on their way across to help him).

Logan set off on a one man march into my deployment zone; he took all of my remaining firepower (including TL brightlances to the face for two complete turns) and was only stopped by last remaining scoring unit de-bussing and bladestorming him. Hurrah !

So I elected to roll for the end of the game, having had good results all day. And the game ended there and then with a serpent contesting the SW obj but with my remaining jetbikes still 12" away from my home obj.

So I lost. But my glass hammer had chomped through the Logan Wing army quite nicely. With the dragons about to rescue the Autarch and the Farseer about to chuck his singing spear at the dread, I reckon seven turns could have seen me forcing the last wuldgarfmerties off of his obj as well.

There'll be a next time Logan....

My thanks to Karitas for a great day. I hope he manages to put his pictures up at some point. I have given up on trying to kidnap him as a paint slave; Mrs K also paints so house arrest should do just fine....

Thunderers

2011-10-25T17:30:00.000+01:00

I have had a go at another one of the Dneipr Thunderers.

These take a little more cuttin'n'shuttin' than the mid turret chimera. And I am going to have to arse about cutting slivers of plasticard to cover the gaps etc.

But despite the hit and miss nature of my conversions, I quite enjoy these as they edge towards finished.

I'm putting the Revell ATAT's together more or less out of the box for the iggies. For the Reretics and Hennigades, I considering a unit of those Star Wars walking tanks (the ugly ones) with some more 40k-ification.

Echoes in the warp

2011-10-24T15:16:00.000+01:00

I don't know if you picked this up first hand. I've picked it up from Pathfinder. It has the pathos and sadness of Dolly Parton's "I will always love you". Perhaps.

http://thefrontlinegamer.blogspot.com/2011/09/is-imperium-metaphor-for-games-workshop.html

If you havn't read it, give it a go.

GOT vehicles

2011-10-23T14:35:00.000+01:00

I though you might like to see a little more of the Annocenti's vehicles:

The Hunchback comes with a couple of weapon choices and two turrets to mount them on. So you could gun up a 40K one and put the proper (scale correct) weapons on the other turret for a different game system.

You could leave the hatches off the Zebu for a sleeker look. The cow catcher bull bar thingy on the front is a separate peice as well. Additionally, the model comes with pairs of extra plates for either armouring the window or just adding detail.

The wheels fit well. I stuck them on and left the models on their backs over night, and they are all square and seem more robust than resin could be. 40K figs for scale here. These models, whilst not the cheapest, are well detailed - for instance the tyre pattern on the Hunchback's wheels is crisp and realistic; they look like off road tyres where Space Marine bikes appear to have tractor tyres.

Looking forward to getting some paint on these, just to see what they look like. The Zebu will get an arbities paint job and the Hunchback will have a more generic green colourscheme, to enable it be flexed between armies.

Busy me

2011-10-21T14:24:00.000+01:00

I've been attacking the plastic crack mountain. Partly as an attempt to actually get my DKK onto the table top but mostly as an exercise in self discipline and so on. This is two days work, not including the little ATAT, which I did about a fortnight ago.

The whiteish looking thingies are GOT vehicles from annocenti's workshop. That's a Zebu cruiser (a ride for the Adeptus Arbities [a repressor may follow one day])the blue things on top are hatches for the passengers in the rear seats (it's a coupe). The six wheeled AFV is a Hunchback. This may end up as a Bloodcoat vehicle. But it might not.

Hopefully this will show a Cadian next to the foot of the larger Revell ATAT, just to give you a sense of the scale of these things. Now, I think that it is about right for a Stormlord stand in. But I've a feeling that if I sling a warhound mega bolter under the head, the weight will make the damned thing fall over. Another thing is where to keep it....

No Dougal,

2011-10-19T14:21:00.002+01:00

These ones are very small. Those ones are far away.

Actually, Fr Ted aside, this picture makes the patio look reallllly big.

Chimera MK whatever

2011-10-18T13:03:00.000+01:00

This is my first go at the new Chimera kit. Again, no track guards. Why on earth did they include a bull dozer blade instead of a set of track guards ? I want track guards on every one I build and a 'dozer blade on combat engineer specific models (ie about 1 in 30). Am I really alone in this ?

Nice to see that despite the plethora of new options, the flash suppresor for the multi laser is still enormously oversized. And the HB option has only one HB; unless it's being built for fluftastic reasons, it's possibly completely redundant.

Having said all of that, excepting the skull and banner on the side, I like the kit and it goes together easily enough. Of course, the old kit went together as easily anyway. And the back door opened.

Star Wars !

2011-10-17T12:55:00.003+01:00

I thought that the Brigade HQ could do with a ride. It's actually only chimera sized; it's just a bit taller. With some comms kit stuff stuck to the back it should be OK. And I'm going to try for a Vostroyan colour scheme, using the big 'V skull' transfers from the baneblade sheet.

I was looking for the Revel kit as described here: http://devos4.blogspot.com/2010/04/star-wars-counts-as-superheavy.html But of course, with no new (or re-release) star wars filums out for a few years now, the kit is OOP. The Revel kit is bigger and will make a lovely troop transport.

You might not be able to make them out, but the SW blasters have been replaced by IG autocannons.

ASL reinforcements

2011-09-10T17:35:00.003+01:00

These will be 421, 422 and 423.

They are the 'new' LR kit, modified and with bits from my garage to resemble the existing panzers of 4 Sqn, which are the 'old' (Pheaton pattern ?)kit.

Hopefully when they are sprayed up, the differences will diminish yet further. It's not that I don't like the new kit (It's allowed me to create an anhilator, just to please Admiral Drax), but I wanted a degree of uniformity across the unit.

When they are done, I'll stick up some comparison shots, hopefully the differences will hardly show. Fingers crossed.

Sticking my head above the parapet

2011-08-24T21:20:00.002+01:00

The idea of putting out a Codex in WD has a certain appeal. However it has its drawbacks as well. I bought the WD with the first part of the SoB Codex in it. It is not as robust as a proper codex and will not last as long, even if I resist the urge to rip the pages out. Also it appears to only be six or eight pages (can't be bothered to get up and look, sorry) which means that the whole thing will be less than twenty pages (?) So it would seem unreasonable to expect the sophisication one would ususally associate with a 40K codex.

I never wanted a SoB army. They always seemed a little to up their own arses for me. I imagined Eisenhorn or Ravenor type bands, supported by ISTs. Perhaps even Jaq Draco, although I may be going back a bit too far...

Anyway, the point was that, equipped with the Witch Hunter codex, you could build a proper Ordo Hereticus warband or an army of power armoured breasts. Now, I havn't seen the second part of the WD codex, but it does look awfully slanted towards SoB, rather than being something that could elegantly allow one to field a Hereticus warband without any of Sisters of Perpetual PMT. Ho hum.

Yes I am just shooting my mouth off prematurely, but this is the interweb, after all.

Angry Birds, indeed.

New style LRMBT vorpanzer

2011-08-09T21:51:00.003+01:00

This is one of the new style LRMBT turrets along side one of the old ones. Both have plasticard vorpanzer. To try for homogenity across the fleet, the template for the angled sections either side of the gun is the same one I used for the old type. Which is in itself based on the profile of that part of the turret.

Hopefully with the existing turret, you get an idea of how it'll turn out. And also how different it might be. The new turret has a much more 'modern' look, IMHO. In shilouette it resembles a Merkava turret. Well, a little bit anyway.

There's three of these to do, to add another troop to the panzer squadron; I might alternate them with the Thunderers. But the thing is to try to make them look "the same but different". So each subsequent model is based on the one before but without cutting out dozens of sets of templates; for one thing, for instance, having built one Thunderer, the next one will be quicker and better built.

There. Makes a change from riots.

Thunderer WIP

2011-08-06T14:06:00.004+01:00

Vindicator bits in a LRMBT hull. No doubt someone has done it before, but that's ok, its not like any of GWs IP is actually original in itself is it ?

There were a few fit issues and some bits and peices could have been done better. For instance where the shell winch sits on its arm, the plasticard plate obviously looks like it should be braced or supported. But I'll do this one and her sisters up to a point before going mad on detail that I might not be able to reproduce.

I'm a bit stuck with the cupola. It will have to be an iggy one for continuity's sake, but it'll need cutting down to a level to allow it to sit on the vindicator hull top. Also for the next ones I intend to cut out the louvred plate to allow the extractor fans to be recessed lower in the hull.

This should show the butchered iggy dozer blade now relegated to being the mount for the siege shield. I don't know about fitting seige shields to the next two, but more about this below.

Why Thunderers ?

Generally speaking, the turrets on LRMBT are too small for their armourments. For scale and layout, they resemble early WW2 russian tank turrets. In the 1980s, GW obviously decided that if they put a proper scale gun in their LRMBT, then it would constantly be getting broken, which resulted in the 'normal' battle cannon having the dimensions of a howitzer or petard.

Which means that the LR Demolisher is just ridiculous. If you have the chance, hold the shell from a vinicator up against a demolisher turret. See ? I know that it's all made up and therefore doesn't matter, but still.

So the only sensible configuration for a Demolisher is for the demolisher cannon to be hull mounted. A turret mounted laser cannon, whose ammunition supply amounts to a HV cable, is a far more sensible proposition.

But FW have published rules for the Fundara and this little project will leave me with a couple of spare LRMBT turrets for the next project, so the thing you see above is what I'm working on.

The others may get a mine plow and a ditching beam/fascine; all good engineering things for combat engineer assets.

I'm still here

2011-07-27T19:50:00.003+01:00

Hello,

It's been a bit quiet here on Devos IV. I've even tidied the garage and put everything away. Work is just not giving me any hobby time at the minute. This is not to say that the whole thing has stymied as I'm still getting some army components painted.

I'm also trying not to buy anything, due to spending money getting stuff painted. But I have bought some of KR Multicase's aloominum cases to keep my precious DKK safe from being sat on or anything like that.

And I've sprayed six of the built Chimera up as ASL, so I'll be replacing those...

I have a scheme for some drop troops - Warlord Wehrmacht with Elysian weapons. And a penal unit of Empire hand gunners with Las rifles and Cadian heads; I'm hoping that these will just look 'underequipped' rather than 'ridiculous'.

And I like the faux Cadians with wargames factory heads so much I've some legs from 'let the dice decide' and will throw a few more together.

Hope you're all enjoying the summer.

I've got my DKK back.

2011-07-07T20:17:00.003+01:00

It's one of PVP's pictures. On Tuesday I just popped down to Cardiff on my way home and picked them up.

Earlier this evening, I had the opportunity to get them out and have a look at them. There was only one casualty, a flammer soldat who has already been glued back to health.

I whole heartedly recommend PVP if you either lack the time to paint your own army or are rubbish at painting (guilty on both counts).

So I now have two platoons of DKK, one of DKK grenadiers and assorted hangers-on. Looking forward now to seeing them in action.

Er, dunno where these'll fit in.

2011-06-15T20:39:00.003+01:00

I got some legs from 'let the dice decide' and the rest are leftovers from other projects

These guys look like a decent kill team, all fitted out with laser range finders and lamps for night fighting. P'haps.

So the bits built two command squads (good for Apoc, where I'll be scattering them like confetti). I'm currently writing them up as the Margrav Hakisyke's household guard, just so I squeeze them into my army somewhere. I'm thinking black with very dark fatigues, sort of like the Death Star fellas.

For anyone who doesn't know - those are the heads for the Wargames Factory greatcoat stormtroopers. A small amount of butchery to get them to sit where I wanted, but then, they'll pass once they are painted.

Zombies in Liecester !

2011-06-10T21:44:00.004+01:00

Three cheers for the FOI !

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-leicestershire-13713798
So the UK is unprepared for a Zombie attack. Who knew ? I'm off to Italy (via Norwich). I'll keep an eye out for anti zombie measures.

Valhalla ahoy !

2011-06-05T16:56:00.004+01:00

The mass of bodies in the centre of the picture is a large part of the Kado 540th Infantry Regt, orginally the Valhallan 540th, but there are now possibly more Kado bodies than Valhallan ones, so that's the way it is.

Anyway, I've just assembled the last fifteen of them. So when they are all based and painted, I'll have to get them all out and divide them up into squads/platoons to see what the final orbat is going to look like. I do like the three large platoons. I can do four smaller ones, but meh. I'll blob them up with commissars and they can walk down the centre behind the ASL's wall of LRMBTs.

Oh oh ooo ! Admiral Drax has shown me a sneak peak of his LCI project* It looks really good. I am so tempted to put one of his pictures up, but that would be stealing his funda, so you'll have to keep an eye out.

Pirate Viking Painting: Death Korps sir! Thousands of 'em!

2011-06-03T22:20:00.001+01:00

Pirate Viking Painting: Death Korps sir! Thousands of 'em!: "A very short update today as there is only one picture that matters, this one! This is the first time I have attempted to shoot such a la..."

Gulp. There's loads of 'em. I'll leave the banner picture up as the header for a few days. Jus' to gawk at.

Pirate Viking Painting: We'll keep the khaki flag flying here...

2011-06-01T20:16:00.000+01:00

Pirate Viking Painting: We'll keep the khaki flag flying here...: "Well, this is it! The last Death Korps! I decided to leave the banners for last as a treat so here they are: This fellow is the Command H..."

So, They are almost ready. Quake in fear, rebellious citizens of Devos IV....

Mixed bag

2011-05-30T20:39:00.005+01:00

The awful weather, lack of anything we both want to see at the kino, Mrs Zzzzzz's need to perfect and practice her presentation has meant I had a pretty good w/e for painting.

19 Kasarkin shaped Stormies*, 12 VASA Suppressors (Arbities), ten meltavets and eight of my fake Valhallans (similar to those in the photo - WF greatcoat bodies, Pig Iron winter heads and Cadian arms).

Also sprayed the Armageddon camoflage colours on six Chimera. Decals next. Tomorrow night, if Mrs Zzzzzz goes swimming.

*I'm saving the best cast Stormtrooper sergeant for a possible project later.

And in case I forget, if you're off to blogwars next w/e, good luck.

The Generosity of Gamers

2011-05-22T21:59:00.007+01:00

As further proof that not only are not all gaming bloggers not cannibals, but that some of them are quite nice* - following a conversation with Karatis about foamcore buildings, without prompting, he made a gift of this:

In similarly generous spirit, Admiral Drax offered to paint something for me. So I'll be sending him something soon. And it doesn't end here, Soviet Space also left this behind:

But giving it back will be a good excuse to catch up with him again.

* Now that's us damned by faint praise.

Pirate Viking Painting: Officers and Gentlemen of the DKK

2011-05-22T21:42:00.000+01:00

Pirate Viking Painting: Officers and Gentlemen of the DKK: "Just a quickee this time and the penultimate Death Korps update before the project is finished! This time it is the turn of the officers and..."

Operation Lockheart

2011-05-15T21:30:00.002+01:00

The Battle.
This is it. Sort of. There was a lot going on and I’ve slept since:
The Cadian Recce unit deployed into the ruined Administratum building. Two Wolverines covered the landing field whilst the third and the Weasels covered the built up area to the south. A detachment of Preatorians arrived immediately to the west of their position. The Cadians remained wary of the Preatorians, who had been conspicuously absent during the last year as the Cadians fought their guerrilla action.
Their reasons were well founded. The Preatorians did not make contact with the Cadians, waiting in cover in the adjacent city block until the first PLA presence made itself felt, immediately to the East.
A Platoon of Tigers arrived, creeping along in search of the Cadians who had spent the last week evading them. As the hidden Cadians, including their snipers, engaged the Tigers, dissuading them from advancing any further, the Preatorian’s armour arrived. Meadusa siege guns and MBTs rolled into place and the Preatorian infantry began to fire and manoeuvre towards the ruined Adminstratum.
Turn Two
17 Div’s mobile reserve, C Coy of the Cadian 2/24, trained in the light role, landed en masse in a huge Valkyre lift in the square that used to be home to a weekly market and holy day morality plays. The ankle deep blanket of rubble and rubbish was hard on the infantrymen, but the open space was good for the Valkyre pilots, who landed everyone without incident, the vast clouds of dust thrown up keeping the airframes from serious AA fire.

A Tigers ML sentinel opened fire on a Wolverine. Which was a mistake, the Wolverine gunned its engines and hurtled forward, to crush the walker. The sentinel and its two HF fellows were still in action, all four vehicles thrashing about in the space between a tower and an empty basilica. The Preatorian Armour opened up on the weasels, destroying two of them as their infantry swept into attack. A Wolverine shot at one of the meadusae, knocking it out.
Elsewhere, the Tigers hesitated and the QRF shut their eyes and held hands over mouths and noses as 50 TLW dusted off, leaving them controlling a lot of ground with precious little cover.
Turn Three
Lead elements of the PLAs 79th Tank Battalion rolled into town; of the Cadian 2/24th had control of Freeman’s Square itself only moments before, they were joined by an ominous and threatening shape as a Baneblade entered the NW corner of the square with its MBT escort.
The 79th Tank Bn chewed its way through the Cadian relief force as the rouge Cadian guardsman Bomar jumped off the bell tower where he had been hiding and took on the Tiger’s Sgt Harphur and his remaining vets in an epic brawl that ended with Guardsman Bomar victorius. A similarly epic punch up went on in the shadow of Zarathusa’s tracks between a Preatorian Grenadier and an Arcomet Psyker, each of them the last of their respective units.
Epidemus, the Tallyman of Nurgle, arrived to anchor the Tiger’s right flank and two other Major Deamons of Nurgle arrived before Zarathusa and its escort of Arcomet Armour and promptly laid into them, chomping into the structure points available.
Turn Four and Five
Mechanised units from the Cadian 1/24 began to arrive. Griffin mortar carriages opened fire on PLA units threatening the square. One PLA LRMBT lost its main armament to an assaulting lone Cadian sentinel. PLA tank fire continued to keep the Cadians heads down. A lone Marauder Destroyer from the PLA’s air brigade hurtled over the scene firing its autocannons and loosing off a barrage of Hellstrike missiles at Cadian targets, scoring hits on many of its mechanised assets. Desparate meltagun fire and a curtain of flak from a damaged hydra took down the Marauder.
Arcomet units, scrambled as the Cadian QRF left to succour the 144th, began to arrive. Their elite PBS, veterans of many fights against Orks, found themselves in desperate HTH with Preatorian Grenadiers.
Behind the Tigers, the Arcomet Stormsword arrived, to counterpoint the arrival of the Cadian’s Lucius Pattern Baneblade ‘Zarathusa’ in the SE corner, threatening the Preatorians. As the Preatorians charged the Cadian’s position, the platoon were countercharged by a single special weapon squad, who held them up for an unfeasibly long time without going down.
At this point things started getting much worse for the Liberation Force, as deamons of Nurgle appeared. Nurglings and Plaguebearers assaulted the remains of the Cadian 144th. Melta teams from the Cadian 2/24th worked their way through the 79th Tank Bn’s tanks whilst their veterans faced off against the Tiger’s Colonel Strapon and his supporting Ogryn. The Tiger’s redoubtable CO only took down only two vets, but took almost all of the Cadian’s fire power for two or three turns before eventually going down.
The Deamons finally took out the Zarathusa, the ensuing explosion clearing a good two square feet of space in that corner of the board, the only survivor in the area was one of the Major Deamons. Unfortunately for ‘it’, the explosion had removed the building between it and a squadron of ASL Tank Hunter Sentinels and promptly took a Las Cannon to the face, sending it back to the warp.
The Cadian 1/24 arrived and drove into the fray, committing everything they had to clearing the Plaguebearers off the 144th’s scanner with its vital data.
Epliogue
Technically, the objective was still being contested at the end of the game. In narrative terms, the Cadian 144th lost all but three of its men, Major Budget (OC of the 144th) lasting on his own until the very turn that the deamons were banished.
So the Imperium has possession of the scanner, but there is every chance that the cogitators are full of plaguebearer slime. We’ll have to wait a while to find out.
My thanks to the participants, Admiral Drax and Kartias. Especial thanks to Soviet Space, who’s obvious experience of Apoc and keeping things running along at a good pace possibly saved us from a three day game.

Operation Lockheart

2011-05-11T21:31:00.002+01:00

Can you tell what it is yet ?

2011-05-11T19:27:00.000+01:00

A little better. The tamiya spray paint is the right colour, but the tin, didn't cover the vehicles. More base colour, methinks.

Quite delightfully, Karitas fixed my airbrush. By it together and turning it on. (why didn't that work for me ?) So these babies are next for glory. Especially as their passengers could be back at the end of the month.

Combat Patrol

2011-05-08T18:26:00.004+01:00

The forces of the Empire have landed at Randstad, a port on the western seaboard of Benq. The port and main road inland are overlooked by a series of hills known locally as the Nolag Hieghts. The area contains many prepared positions and supply caches for the PDF set in case of planetary invasion.

The 72AG (ie 17 Div, as that is all there is) sends F Coy Cadian 2/24 to agressively patrol the Hieghts, to ensure that any future advance won't be overlooked by hostile eyes. Or Artillery, for that matter. A detachment of the elite Arcomet 877th rotates into 901 Bde's QRF. Col Stirling, being the kind of man he is, sends his Recce Platoon out to keep an eye on the Cadians and give his QRF as much advance warning as possible.

What you see here in various views is the table with no bodies on it. You can see the trench system, Arty Posn(s) and the anti vehcile barriers. The whole ridge line looks like this, some eight Kloms.

The PDF's dickers see the Cadians advancing into the hills and report this to their leaders. The PLA are worried that the Imperium is going to find the command post with the encrypted cogitators and aim to cut the Cadians off in a pincer movement. Elements of 13th Mech ('Tigers') and 99th Foot ('Bloodcoats') set off.

So there was a 400 point Combat Patrol game with the Cadians (Admiral Drax), Arcomet (Karitas), Tigers (Zzzzz) and Bloodcoats (Soviet Space). The Objective, such as it was, is the abandoned PLA Command Post AFV in the centre of the board. The Cadians started in the trench line. An Arcomet sniper team hid itself in one of the snadbagged emplacements. The Tigers attacked the Cadian position from the Arty Posn and the Bloodcoats established their gunline between the objective and the anti vehicle barriers.

Lt Woolpack, Commanding No 3 Platoon, quickly assessed the situation and decided to dislodge the heretics from the hill top. He bravely defended the trench as he sent his brave boys over the top to march down hill, bayonets fixed and power cells ejected, towards the waiting bloodcoat heavy stubber and mortar defended Bloodcoats.

No 3 Platoon's own supporting mortars were soon in action, during the ensuing firefight, Cadian sergeants handed out buckshee power packs and the Bloodcoats got the worst of it. There wasn't really much of a let up for the Bloodcoats when a squad of Tigers "hut, hut, hut'd" their way into the HW dugout and saw off all of the Cadian HW teams, only to then go down in long drawn out melee with Lt Woolpack's command team.

The Arcomet snipers had another Tiger squad in their sights. They had already called for back up and could have let the squad go straight past, but the men of Arcomet are made from sterner stuff and three guys with sniper rifles elected to take on ten Tigers at well within charge range. Fortunately for the Tigers, these men of Arcomet had been hitting the hard stuff all morning and only got one of them. Unfortunately for the Tiger squad, they were quickly flanked by one of F Coy's sentinals, which promptly began to toast the Tigers.

The Tigers veteran Sergeant Harphur Scrambled to the top of one of the Arty emplacements and, firing a heavy bolter from the hip, imobilised the sentinal. Everything was still hanging in the balance, the Bloodcoats Coy Cmd squad was still in action, although their Plt Cmd Sqd was still pinned following and earlier mortar barrage.

The Arcomet QRF arrived, Valkyre screaming over the hill top at less than ten meters. A slavo of rockets rippled into the heretics. Incredibly, Harphur jumped off the high point he was on and into cover. A squad of Arcomet Drop troops engaged the Tiger cmd sqd holding the Arty Posn. Another squad of Arcoment Stormies landed next to the Command Post vehicle.

A few minutes later, the hilltop belonged to the Imperium.

Huge thanks to the guys for turning up. Esp Sov for keeping us chipping along and not getting bogged down. More later. There was another battle after this, a consequence of the action on the Hieghts.

Combat Patrol lists

2011-05-03T21:50:00.002+01:00

Er, these are for the weekend. Now all I have to do is figure out how to import PDF (the file, not the army) into the blog.

13th Mech

400 Pts - Imperial Guard
Name # Grp WS BS S T Wo I A Ld Save Cost
Troops: Veteran Squad (10 , 125 pts)
Veteran Squad 9 3 4 3 3 1 3 1 7 5+ 125
Unit Type: Infantry; Flak Armour; Frag Grenades; Krak Grenades; Close Combat Weapon
(x9); Lasgun (x9); Gunnery Sergeant Harker
Gunnery Sergeant Harker 1 4 4 4 3 1 3 2 8 5+ [55]
'Payback' (Heavy Bolter); Close Combat Weapon; Flak Armour; Frag Grenades; Krak
Grenades; Catachan Devils; Feel No Pain; Relentless
Troops: Infantry Platoon (25 , 192 pts)
Infantry Platoon 1 192
Platoon Command Squad 4 3 3 3 3 1 3 1 7 5+ [82]
Unit Type: Infantry; Flak Armour; Frag Grenades; Close Combat Weapon (x4); Lasgun (x4);
Medi-pack; Platoon Standard; Vox Caster
Platoon Commander 1 4 4 3 3 1 3 2 8 5+ [8]
Flak Armour; Frag Grenades; Laspistol; Bolter; Junior Officer
Infantry Squad 9 3 3 3 3 1 3 1 7 5+ [55]
Unit Type: Infantry; Frag Grenades; Close Combat Weapon (x9); Flak Armour; Lasgun (x8);
Flamer (x1); Combined Squad
Sergeant 1 3 3 3 3 1 3 2/3 8 5+ [5]
Flak Armour; Frag Grenades; Laspistol; Close Combat Weapon
Infantry Squad 9 3 3 3 3 1 3 1 7 5+ [55]
Unit Type: Infantry; Frag Grenades; Close Combat Weapon (x9); Flak Armour; Lasgun (x8);
Flamer (x1); Combined Squad
Sergeant 1 3 3 3 3 1 3 2/3 8 5+ [5]
Flak Armour; Frag Grenades; Laspistol; Close Combat Weapon
Fast Attack: Scout Sentinel Squadron (2 , 75 pts)
Scout Sentinel Squadron 1 75
Scout Sentinel 1 Grp: WS: 3 BS: 3 St: 5 In: 3 At: 1 FA: 10 SA: 10 RA: 10 [40]
Unit Type: Vehicle (Walker, Open-topped); Heavy Flamer; Move Through Cover; Scouts
Scout Sentinel 1 Grp: WS: 3 BS: 3 St: 5 In: 3 At: 1 FA: 10 SA: 10 RA: 10 [35]
Unit Type: Vehicle (Walker, Open-topped); Multilaser (x1); Move Through Cover; Scouts
Total cost: 392

99th Regt

400 Pts - Renegades and Heretics
Name # Grp WS BS S T Wo I A Ld Save Cost
HQ: Company Command Platoon (11 , 187 pts)
Company Command Platoon 1 187
(IA5, pg. 158); Heavy Weapons Squad; Heavy Weapons Squad
Company Command Squad 2 3 3 3 3 1 3 1/2 D6+4 5+ [67]
(IA5, pg. 158); Unit Type: Infantry; Frag Grenades; Close Combat Weapon (x2); Laspistol
(x1); Lasgun (x1); Grenade Launcher; Heavy Stubber; Combined Squad; Leadership;
Renegades
HW Team w/ Heavy Stubber 1 3 3 3 3 2 3 2 D6+4 5+ [5]
Unit Type: Infantry; Frag Grenades; Heavy Stubber; Close Combat Weapon; Lasgun;
Combined Squad; Leadership; Renegades
Exalted Champion 1 4 4 3 3 2 4 3/4 D6+4 5+ [27]
(IA5, pg. 158); Unit Type: Infantry; Frag Grenades; Bolt Pistol; Power Weapon; Exalted
Champion; Independent Character; Leadership; Renegades
Heavy Weapons Squad 3 3 3 3 3 2 3 1 D6+4 5+ [60]
(IA5, pg. 158); Unit Type: Infantry; Close Combat Weapon (x3); Lasgun (x3); Mortar (x3);
Combined Squad; Leadership; Renegades
Heavy Weapons Squad 3 3 3 3 3 2 3 1 D6+4 5+ [60]
(IA5, pg. 158); Unit Type: Infantry; Close Combat Weapon (x3); Lasgun (x3); Heavy
Stubber (x3); Combined Squad; Leadership; Renegades
Troops: Renegade Militia Platoon (25 , 212 pts)
Renegade Militia Platoon 1 212
(IA5, pg. 161)
Militia Command Squad 2 3 3 3 3 1 3 1 D6+4 5+ [70]
(IA5, pg. 161); Unit Type: Infantry; Frag Grenades; Close Combat Weapon (x2); Lasgun
(x2); Flamer; Missile Launcher; Combined Squad; Leadership; Renegades
HW Team w/ Missile Launcher 1 3 3 3 3 2 3 2 D6+4 5+ [15]
Unit Type: Infantry; Frag Grenades; Missile Launcher; Close Combat Weapon; Lasgun;
Combined Squad; Leadership; Renegades
Champion 1 4 3 3/6 3 1 3/1 2 D6+4 5+ [20]
(IA5, pg. 162); Unit Type: Infantry; Frag Grenades; Melta Bombs; Laspistol; Power Fist;
Leadership; Renegades
Militia Squad 7 3 3 3 3 1 3 1 D6+4 5+ [71]
(IA5, pg. 162); Unit Type: Infantry; Frag Grenades; Close Combat Weapon (x7); Lasgun
(x7); Flamer; Autocannon; Veteran; Combined Squad; Leadership; Renegades
HW Team w/ Autocannon 1 3 3 3 3 2 3 2 D6+4 5+ [10]
Unit Type: Infantry; Frag Grenades; Autocannon; Close Combat Weapon; Lasgun;
Combined Squad; Leadership; Renegades
Veteran 1 3 3 3 3 1 3 2/3 D6+4 5+ [6]
(IA5, pg. 162); Unit Type: Infantry; Frag Grenades; Close Combat Weapon; Laspistol;
Leadership; Renegades
Militia Squad 7 3 3 3 3 1 3 1 D6+4 5+ [71]
(IA5, pg. 162); Unit Type: Infantry; Frag Grenades; Close Combat Weapon (x7); Lasgun
(x7); Meltagun; Heavy Stubber; Veteran; Combined Squad; Leadership; Renegades
HW Team w/ Heavy Stubber 1 3 3 3 3 2 3 2 D6+4 5+ [5]
Unit Type: Infantry; Frag Grenades; Heavy Stubber; Close Combat Weapon; Lasgun;
Combined Squad; Leadership; Renegades
Veteran 1 3 3 3 3 1 3 2/3 D6+4 5+ [6]
(IA5, pg. 162); Unit Type: Infantry; Frag Grenades; Close Combat Weapon; Laspistol;
Leadership; Renegades
Total Cost: 399

50th Tatical Lift Wing

2011-04-28T19:21:00.002+01:00

Apologies for the quality of the fots. One Squadron (three flights of two airframes) of 50 TLW. I'm imagining that as the Imperium likes a certain symetry to things, the TLW would be six Squadrons of six airframes (36)

The crews with their shiney heads

Pirate Viking Painting: Death Korps: the home straight!

2011-04-18T19:51:00.000+01:00

Pirate Viking Painting: Death Korps: the home straight!: "Greetings all! Thought I would post the new Death Korps pics since they represent the last of the non-character infantry. Everything from he..."

Must remain calm.

Virus attack.

2011-04-17T08:50:00.001+01:00

On my hotmail on Friday or Saturday. My apologies if if got you as well.

Progress.

2011-04-13T19:40:00.001+01:00

Just in case you thought I'd been swallowed by the warp.

Headless Valk crews.

50th Tac Lift Wing taking shape.

Pirate Viking Painting: Death Korps Horde!

2011-04-02T22:32:00.000+01:00

Pirate Viking Painting: Death Korps Horde!: "Remember this picture? And how I said I was really looking forward to turning into a painted version? Well wait no longer because here it ..."

Oh man.

Pirate Viking Painting: Death Korps Officer and Grenadiers

2011-03-19T19:42:00.000Z

Pirate Viking Painting: Death Korps Officer and Grenadiers: "It is Death Korps time again! To open we have one of my favourite models in the range: The model is simply stunning, the quality of th..."

PVP strike again. I am enourmously impressed not only with Jeff's skills as a painter, but also his flexibility and willingness to put up with client changes.

If he can continue to put up with my dithering ways, I will definately be using PVP again.

Crew Shaken, Not Stirred: TACTICA: "Edenbreaker" Musings on 5th Edition Elda...

2011-03-06T02:00:00.000Z

Crew Shaken, Not Stirred: TACTICA: "Edenbreaker" Musings on 5th Edition Elda...: "The concept behind 'Edenbreaker' really is the cumulation, in my mind, of where the Eldar game has been going since late 4th Ed into what we..."

I was talking to a Blue T Shirt the other day, and we were talking generally about the game. My point to him was that the Iggies now have the Valk (and the Vendetta cop out) and now the BA have been given the Stormdrain. So I have a shopping list for 5th Ed Eldar:

Pop up attacks from all of our skimmers.

High flying.

Web portal.

Storm Guardians

Augment as a Warlock power

Camelioline Scorpions

Wraithguard split into Assasin (CC) and Executioner (warp cannon)

Waithseer (ie a Wraithlord with Farseer powers - obviously not affected by wraithsight)

Pirate Viking Painting: Death Korps Specials

2011-03-02T20:43:00.000Z

Pirate Viking Painting: Death Korps Specials: "Well, more finished Death Korps for you all to enjoy. This time it is the turn of the engineers along with some special and heavy weapons to..."

Still really excited. Better starting paying.

22 Armd Regt, ASL.

2011-02-18T14:00:00.000Z

Base colours, detail colours, decals, oil wash and a modicum of rusting.

The sentinals are just base colours and decals so far (running out of non-odourous turps subsitute)

Like the Cadian Wolverine tank hunters, these will get chips and dings before being varnished.

79 Armd Regt, Devos IV PDF

2011-02-04T14:00:00.000Z

79 Regt's LRMBTs. Base colours, decals, oil washes & rusting.

Like all the other things posted up, still awaiting dings and chips. Unlike the others, these will get a lot more rust.

Their 'blade. With its first bits of rust (Mig "ordinary rust" - it's brilliant). More work to do on the blade than the other armour, if only 'cos being bigger, it draws attention.

And now, the news.

2011-01-29T20:07:00.004Z

First the bad news: I've got a job - now this is only bad in that I will no longer be a gentleman of leisure. It's a proper career job an' everyfink, highest wage I've ever pulled, which is nice, but I'll be leaving home at 0700 and getting back at 1900. So there will be a little dent in the Devos IV campaign build up.

The good news: I've made progress with my reinforcements for the Valhallans, the Bloodcoats and all of the armour.

Here are wolverines, decals and pin washed, with little rust; scratches and dings and purity seal still to do.

Moving swiftly on....

And, as mentioned in JTS, GW are launching their legal team at Chapter House. Which we decided was a shame'n'all. I've just pciked up from here http://plasticlegions.blogspot.com/2011/01/corporate-misadventures.html That GW's timing seems to be dictated by their legal advisors and allowed to go ahead, despite the chance of pissing off everyone who has anything to do with Adepticon. Nice one !

And whilst we're at it, why is WD no longer going to be stocked by WH Smith ? For anyone from outside GB reading this, WH Smith is our largest newsagent - if there is a magazine about something, WH Smith will get it in for you if they don't have it already. So if we'll still be able to get WD from GW shops, FLGS and Menzies, then why the rift with Smiths ? Looking forward to Jervis' Standbearer explanation of this one.

DKK progress.

2011-01-17T10:52:00.004Z

Possibly the best thing I've done so far (Giving them to someone else to paint)

http://piratevikingpainting.blogspot.com/2011/01/death-korps-back-for-more.html

I remain madly excited, like a small boy at Christmas. Combined with own recent burst of progress, things are looking up for Devos IV ! I must apologise to PVP for letting them get so battered. I did leave him with a (large) handful of resinous casualties to return to fitness. I sincerely hope that he is enjoying as much as he seems to be.

Now, I must concentrate on the rebels a bit.

Hurtling headlong towards readiness.

2011-01-15T21:50:00.001Z

13th Mech's Rough Riders with their Chaos Hound screen. Of course they are more of a CC threat, but they all move the same and should be interesting on the table top. Anyway, these are now based (after lanquishing for a year or more) and ready to basecoat.

Basecoating in the garage - I've got the Cadian 144th Recce Regt nearly ready for the table top - tranfers and pin washes on the wolverines and weasels. Sprayed the insides of the valks, so crew next and then they can be put together.

Kado 540th. Again, based and basecoated 26 of these guys. Pig Iron Heads, iggy arms and greatcoat bodies.

Bloodcoats, based and basecoated fourty of these boys - iggy legs, FW Vraks torso and greatcoat stormtrooper arms.

An Emperor's Children speeder. S'mazin' what you see on Devos IV. Three more of these to do.

Got to think about the transfers for 79th Armd Regt. And picking up some more kits that are waiting for me somewhere.

The whole Devos IV project, has for me, been revitalised by the sudden rush of progress. I am enthused and looking forward to April or May when hopefully the armies will be ready and the scenery ok as well.

22nd Armd Regt ASL Colour Scheme

2011-01-14T21:38:00.004Z

This is it; Citadel Chaos black undercoat, Tamiya German Grey and Army Painter Necrotic Flesh Camoflague striping. The authentic ASL colour scheme, perhaps. These are now ready for transfers, detailing and all that other stuff.

I'm still really pleased with the vorpanzer on the LRMBT turrets. I'm sure if I were a sentinal pilot, I'd want an ejector seat; failing that, an infantry escort. Not that an armoured cab is a bad thing, certainly better than just a roll cage.

2010 round up

2011-01-06T08:42:00.003Z

Well, not as much as 2009.

But I have put together another platoon of blood coats (five squads)
another a couple of squads of loyalist IG of various shades.
eight LRMBT
one Valk
a wall (the aqilla shrine)
the three wolvarine armoured cars (based on a 'russ hull they are huge - the size of a tank no less)
And started two squads of melta vets (for the blood coats)
and started two squads of IG.

In terms of progress elsewise, during the meanwhilst I got to grips with my airbrush, put paint on nearly everything (ie a base colour over the basecoat)and then broke the airbrush somehow.

I also bought Soviet Space's Siam Hain and have finally got to grips with painting my DKK by paying someone else to do it.

So hopefully the Devos IV campaign will actually get underway this year. Given enough warm weather, I should be able to spend more than ten minutes in the garage before freezing to incompetance; getting some of my terrain peices finished.

And I must mention the Kataan Updates blog; if you like the idea of build your own armour, this is inspirational. Both the recent updates and the archive. Nice to see blogomancy in action.

trawling the blogosphere

2010-12-17T09:01:00.001Z

I found these jetbike conversions.

http://w40ktenerife.blogspot.com/2010/12/motos-reaccion-del-adeptus-arbites.html

My spanish stretches to cerzeva and perhaps cuidad imperiale, so I can't tell you any more, but they certainly look the part.

And these bad boys make me want to buy even more Wraith Lords. You can have too many Wraith Lords, as it implies that all of your exarchs are dead. But a couple more, if they are posed like these, would be a fine addition:

http://w40ktenerife.blogspot.com/2010/12/senor-espectral.html

This is just brilliant:

http://dicerolla.blogspot.com/2010/08/drones-of-sector-7g-illustrated.html

As is this: Proof that investment in plasticard is worthwhile.

http://www.warseer.com/forums/showpost.php?p=4322387&postcount=172

And these ideas from Warpstoneflux are brilliant.

http://warpstoneflux.blogspot.com/2010/12/secondary-missions.html

Supreme Commander Imperial Forces on Devos IV, By appointment of the Lords Militant of the Obscura Sector.

2010-12-14T09:05:00.000Z

General (1st Class) Zhukov is an old school Vostroyan military man. Blue blooded himself, Spireborn, his father purchased his first commission. He still passionately believes in the purchase system as a way of ensuring that the Imperial Guard is run by the right sort of officer. For him, being in the Imperial Guard, being one of the Firstborn, being Vostoryan even, is a privilege. His military career is unsullied with service with any other formation other than Vostroyans. He has followed a perfectly normal recognised route for a Vostroyan officer, buying each successive commission (partly financed by selling the old one) culminating in recent command of 388th Battle Group by way of a staff appointment (head of internal security) for Lord General Potemkin on Agripinna. These last two were appointments by Lord General Potemkin (and therefore, by extension, by the Lords Militant themselves). He did not have to pay for them, as they are Imperial Guard appointments, not ones within the Vostroyan regimental system.
Although he no longer needs it, he has retained his Colonel’s command of the 8th Vostroyan First Born Grenadier Regiment. All of the subordinate commissions therein and the shenanigans around them are his plaything. He can dispense or withhold his favour as he sees fit. This is his right as the commanding officer, someone who has played the Vostroyan promotions game and spent an awful lot of money. He has indirectly spent his entire career making those like Lord General Potemkin even more wealthy. If an officer of the 8th Vostroyan First Born Grenadiers falls in battle or otherwise dies on active service, his commission reverts to the Regiment (ie to Zhukov). The dead man’s next of kin do not get to sell on the commission, Zhukov does. And he has volunteered them for service in the hottest war zones available.
The command headquarters of 72nd Army Group revolves around the cult of personality. The General is the star about which his staff officers orbit, sometimes in favour, sometimes out. Fully aware of the effect that the coming of the Imperial Guard brings to a world, he allows (some would say encourages) his underlings to make the most of their privileged position. Lechery and Larceny are the order of the day for some of his staff officers. If court red handed (or if important locals complain) they might be reprimanded. But the general reminds his commissars’ that for the Imperial Guard to be sent to a world in the first place, that world requires corrective action and that therefore, to a certain extent, they are all fair game. Also, especially for the Vostroyans, campaigns such as this are an opportunity to acquire enough of a personal fortune to purchase one’s next promotion.
General (1st Class) Zhukov’s attitude to his own worth to the Departmento (ie his position in history) is easily discerned by his dealing with the Lady Inquistrix of the Ordo Hereticus. He referred her straight to General (2nd Class) Tolstoy, citing that man’s command of the only combat formation available as the reason she should deal with him directly. He will keep his subordinates waiting if he can; it reminds them who is in charge. He is also apt to forget that he has said or agreed to something. If it can be proved or is otherwise incontrovertible, he will explain that what was understood was not actually what he meant and the fault lies with the other party, not with him.
General (1st Class) Zhukov is not happy that he doesn’t have a dozen such battle groups to throw at the enemy. He wants to “crush with tanks, pound with artillery and bayonet with infantry” the enemies of the imperium. The paucity of forces available has left him content to sit and wait until he gets the forces that he thinks he needs to complete the task. He has learned very little about Devos IV since he arrived, spending hours each day pouring over the responses to his requisition orders. All for more fighting men to increase his chances of glory, rather than force multipliers that would be useful to 17 Battle Group.

Merry Christmas

2010-12-12T20:31:00.004Z

(picture of sidebooms lowering 48" pipe into its trench. One of the better moments of the last three years)

Laid off.

Bah ! I didn't like working for them anyway....

On the plus side, more time for hobby stuff. On the minus side, a lot of the abundance of time will be spent looking for work. And also on the minus side, the absence of money will be a problem. On the plus side, I won't have to go anywhere on snowy icy roads at daft times of the morning. Unless I get an interview.

Once again struck by the awfulness of being made redundant juxtaposed against being free of 'not be best employer I have ever worked for'. And the desire to have some time to walk the dogs, paint little men, get my 10K time back down below 40 minutes and my climbing grade back up to HVS (maybe about 5.9 for those of you in the US). Against this is the desire to get back into work and actually further my career (hard to believe, but when I'm doing well or feel that I'm getting somewhere, I do actually enjoy my work, just don't tell anyone eh ?)

PS, Yes Admiral D, they are my DKK, my apologies for not repsonding earlier, only recently caught your question.

Ministorium Assistance.

2010-12-03T10:39:00.002Z

Within the Ministorium there are many orders and disciples who value human life, believing it to be sacred to the immortal emperor of mankind. One such organization, the starfaring missionary cult known as the Tree of Man, preaches peace and an end to war. Those who die quietly in bed after helping a community avoiding conflicts that involve human deaths are escorted to the emperor’s Hall of Deliberation by beautiful beings on pegasusi.
The order’s militancy is reserved for xenos, with every member taking a holy vow to cleanse the galaxy of all foul xenos, using the emporer’s holy flame (and any other weapon that falls to hand). As can be imagined, this is a difficult goal and many holy men go to extremes to ensure their place in that heaven.
For example:
They go vegetarian and walk everywhere to avoid hurting animals.
Are exceedingly polite to avoid raising someone's ire.
Shout "Forgive!" as they strike another human in combat.
Develop Machiavellian strategies to keep communities politically and financially motivated to find a peaceful solution to their problems.

On Devos IV, Monk Sven Jharden had no other choice but to face Shatter Fang, chieftain of the Oolong, a large tribe of pastoralists, in a champions duel. The Oolong were a large Grox herding concern and had assimilated other Grox herding tribes in southern Benq. The predicted outcome was that Shatter Fang would eventually gain a strangle hold on the supply of protein into the planet’s only hive, San Cantor. He had a bad experience therein during his formative years and was known to have sworn a personal oath to bring the place down.
Monk Jharden, on the planet to defend the population from the indigenous Eldar population on Devos XII, found that the far greater threat to human life was the threatened conflict between the Grox herding majority of the population and the smaller but more organized and technologically advanced urbanites. So he set off, following local customs, to fight his way through the ranks of the Oolong until he faced Shatter Fang.
The monk had already spared many lives by forcing the chieftain into an honorable duel, but to seal the deal, he needed to win the combat. Knowing that he needed every skill he could muster, he doubted that he could hold back. He feared for his immortal soul for the amount of pain and perhaps death he might inflict. The night before, Jharden prayed to the emperor and petitioned the ancestor spirits in the Hall of Deliberation for a weapon that could subdue such a ferocious opponent.
Filled with faith, he went on towards victory on the dueling field and forged a lasting peace between two disparate cultures.
The Ministorium delegation accompanying 73rd Army Group has largely been drawn from the ‘Tree of Man’. The delegation is led by Bishop Popper. He has fourteen Brothers under holy orders and fifty two lay preachers with him. The fourteen Brothers are a mixture of administrators and combat teachers, allowing the Bishop to concentrate on helping the Generals to appreciate the Ministorium’s (and therefore the Emperor’s) policies on Devos IV. And to ensure that the lay preachers are ready to accompany the 73rd Army Group’s units into battle.
The Oolong were effectively cleansed as a tribe from the Benq population. Oolong has passed into the local dialect as a word for Rough Riders; in modern military parlance, Rough Rider formations within the PDF are referred to as Oolong units.
There is a shrine to St Jharden, but on the continent of Acer, rather than Benq. On Benq, revisionist historians have recently been portraying Jharden as an off world meddler in other people’s affairs. He is said to have slaughtered his way through to Shatter Fang, before butchering the old statesman, who was only trying to get a fair market price for Grox meat for all of the herding peoples of southern Benq.
The Ordo Hereticus has made sure that so far, Bishop Popper remains ignorant of the blasphemous sentiments popular on Benq.

Utterly delighted.

2010-11-18T09:30:00.005Z

From my best effort (above) to this:

http://piratevikingpainting.blogspot.com/2010/11/death-korps-first-look.html
Pirate Viking Painting: Death Korps first look

Hurrah !

Phoney War

2010-11-14T22:07:00.002Z

One of 50th Tactical Lift Wing's Valks in Southern Acre.

902nd Inf Bde have conducted their shake out exercises – they are now earnestly training for war in southern Acer. The two infantry Battalions, the Kreig 77th and Kado 540th are practicing combined operations with the Armageddon armoured units and Divisional Artillery. The weather at sea will preclude any opening to the campaign for a few months.
The Cadian 144th LRRR and Devos IV 2nd Regt are on their own on the continent of Benq for the time being.
The Lady Inquisitrix has deployed her assets (including her storm troopers in the Navy’s 50th TLW) across Acer in an attempt to secure the continent for the emperor. Inquisition sleeper cells have been activated by Ordo Hereticus codewords. Satellite establishments from the covent on Benq are the focus of much public attention; the whys and wherefores of the Inquisitorial Intervention are the subject of media interest; The media on Devos IV is freer and a lot less ‘on message’ than it is on a lot of Imperial worlds. Local advice from their in system agents prevents the Ordo Hereticus storming the printers and pict-factors; the public outrage at a massacre of their free media would have more harm than their current solution of ‘guidance counsellors’.
All of the attention on the Inquisitorial mission has left the 17th Battle Group HQ and it’s one combat unit, the 902nd Inf Bde, free to exercise in the deep south. This keeps the local media away from the Imperial Guard and the Death Korps of Krieg away from Acer’s major population centres.
The Departmento Construction Corps despatched with the 73rd Army Group has begun the task of converting the Industrial and Commercial areas of Sandvik into a suitable garrison not only for 902 Bde but also for another possible two brigades to follow. The railroad to the coast (to embark to Benq to fight the enemy) and to the Starport (for supplies and reinforcements) already exists. Other parts of the Labour Corps are spending the winter converting a number of the giant plankton harvesters into vessels suitable for transporting the Imperial Guard across the sea.
In their HQ in the market town of Peltor, 17th Battle Group’s planning is focussed on the winter storms around the southern ocean. Properly timed, the wet fleet can embark 50th TLW from calm seas to drop Storm Troopers to seize the sea ports in anticipation for the landing.
In stately Hakisyke, the astropaths for the 73rd Army Group HQ have heard at last from the Departmento Munitorium. They are to receive reinforcements for another Inf Bde. The new units will form the 901st Inf Bde. They should arrive in system in six months, warp travel notwithstanding.

Winter Conditions

2010-11-07T15:00:00.002Z

It is not really snowing here. In fact, when the sun is out, at midday, it is quite warm. But the clear skies are making for cold nights.

For the first time in about two months, I got into the garage yesterday. I was going to put more IG arms and Pif Iron heads on the greatcoat bodies. But the cold has got to the glue. I'm going to have to box up all the glues and paints and hide them indoors for the winter.

Knickers

2010-10-21T13:49:00.004+01:00

OK.

We are told that grenadier units are split up amongst the more common-or-garden Iggies. But that they come from proper formed units etc.

So, I have a desire (and the figures) to field a grenadier platoon. Of Pl HQ and four squads.

So with an army list that already includes two common-or-garden platoons (of HQ and four squads), I could possibly fit in four Vet Squads to represent the four squads of the Grenadier Platoon (there is no codex entry for Grenadier Platoon HQs).

I want doctrines back.

114 Coy, 77 Sturm Bn, 28 Armd Regt DKK

2010-10-18T21:13:00.003+01:00

I have bitten the bullt and outsourced the painting of my DKK. Like a government, me. But better able to manage a conspiracy.

The rhetoric of war

2010-10-17T15:17:00.000+01:00

The following was broadcast from the Quinelle Palace in Xyphonica the morning after 17th Army Group successfully executed Operation Tranquility (seizing the Acer Starport) and before the 902nd Bde made planet fall.
“A dark fleet has settled into orbit around our world. We are under the black cloud of imminent war. Until this clear and present threat is removed, the sun will not shine on Devos IV. The Planetary Defense Force has been mobilized. The Frataris Millitia are to report for duty to their muster stations.
All citizens of Devos IV must clearly understand that whatever the issue may be, it could be resolved without off world interference. Your elected leaders exercised their legal prerogative and this has irked the uncaring imperium. The Imperium came to our rescue when were invaded by Waagh Burkatt centuries ago; A changed and uncaring Imperium now returns as invader and occupier in its own right.
Civil Defense measures will be taken, populations will be evacuated from potential target areas. No-one who does not want to will be made to fight – but all should realize that led by the Inquisition, the armies of the imperium are a merciless totalitarian killing machine with nothing in common with normal human beings. There is no guarantee of safety, no succor from their misplaced wrath.
We must defend Devos IV against invaders from outer space. Although our cities may be razed and our farms destroyed, in our hearts the people of Devos IV will always be free; We will face the coming conflict with clear consciences and resolute determination to keep what is ours free from interference of outsiders.”

The Dark Mechanicus of Devos IV

2010-10-15T15:12:00.000+01:00

Over two thousand miles from Xyphonica, under the ruins of San Cantor there are ‘The Forges’. After the atomic purging of the San Cantor Hive over seven hundred years ago, this is where the Adeptus Mechanicus brethren came looking for salvage and secrets. Whatever they found kept them here, amongst the millions of tonnes of reclaimable scrap.
The years passed and those who remained, in order to continue their work, became more machine than man. Eventually machines were repairing and replacing machines. The Omnissiah would be pleased. Their contact with the outside world, when she was appointed, was a high ranking official from the planetary government. She stayed in ‘The Forges’ as well. Eventually the position became a hereditary position for the daughter of the previous incumbent. Contact with the local government was eventually lost, but ‘the speaker’ remained, and over the years, the holders of the title have developed psychic powers.
On the speakers authority, Skitarri took what they needed from passing trade caravans. Seven hundred years later, the inheritors of the Adeptus Mechanicus mission to Devos IV are almost a folk memory for most of the population. All of their leaders are long gone, preserved as data slugs, venerated by their successors, but never committed to a processor. Oh no. It would not do to awaken the old ones. The speakers have been telling them that for hundreds of years.
What remains today is a society of servitors, ruled by a mad woman, making things in the dark. On the edge of many things. On the edge of the ash wastes, the edge of the known world. On the edge of reality, the edge of the ‘other’ as the speaker calls it.
Under the ruins of the Hive it is hot and dark. There is constant noise and fume. Everywhere the walls drip with leachates from the ruins and condensation from the remaining population. Slaves are kept in chains. They keep some of the processes running. And provide valuable genetic material to keep the mission going. The darkness is lit by bright burning fires, the forges, ducts and channels of molten metal. The lords are the Sorcerer-Engineers, Arcanists, some possessed, some mad. Some feed off of the slaves. They used to be aided by minions, all identical, grown in vats in the image of one supreme soldier of millennia past. These minions are still the overseers of the processes, tormentors of the slaves. But the knowledge of their making and remaking is lost now. Many are lobotomised, slaved to a single task, identical to other servitors throughout the Imperium. But they are wearing out.
The Elder Speaker is a tall strong woman who's ferocity is only matched by her deep mystery. Through sadistic rituals and dangerous story telling traditions she and her acolytes balance the twisted nature of ‘the mission’ and can manipulate the "other" through somewhat unique quasi religious techniques.

Veils worn by the devotees represent a past shrouded in guilt and secrets. The White Speaker cult is forbidding, rituals of blood and delirious narration keep most of Sorcerer Engineers clear. The number of White Speakers remains constant, as one dies another is initiated; too few and they would disappear and too many might create a blood frenzy that the Elder Speaker fears she could not control.

White speakers power is rooted in the names and tales of things. The Elder Speaker shares stories with young listeners bound in chains. The secrets and lore she chants drive them into violent twisted seizures as they try to absorb the words of power. Speakers learn in layers and riddles to protect their mind from dismantling under the weight of what they know.
And all of this happens in secret.

The head of the PLA's political branch

2010-10-13T15:04:00.002+01:00

Baroness Apocrypha Quintelle, leader of the Coven of Thecula V, threw her home world into chaos (almost literally), rebelling against the Imperium. Her insurrection was put down by Inquisitor Vincorum of the Ordo Hereticus. She was freed by her confederates and nearly succeeded in slaying him during the escape. He chased her from system to system, eventually catching her in the city of Xyphonica, spiritual centre of life on Benq and possibly the whole of Devos IV. She was incarcerated, pending being shipped to the shrine world of Salem Proctor for trial.
Unluckily for Inquisitor Vincorum, this was as Chaux Na Mrr’see’s coup was unfolding. Baroness Quintelle’s crime was to have been born psychic and remained undetected until she began to suffer from an unfortunate case of episodic possession. On Devos IV, under sceptical, dismissive and hostile media focus, the Ordo Hereticus was put on trial, in the person of Inquisitor Vincorum. The charge was failing to protect the vulnerable Apocryhpa. Leading to an unfortunate chain of events and the unnecessary deaths of many innocent Imperial citizens on Thecula V and other places.
The Inquisition was found to be guilty and Inquisitor Vincorum was ceremoniously incarcerated in his own Incarcerator. Baroness Quintelle herself was allowed to flick the switch to begin the rite of purgation. On the continent of Benq, making the sign of the Aqilla in public is swiftly moving from a quaint idiosyncrasy, through public derision to cause for arrest.
Baroness Apocrypha Quintelle is now the Chief Political Officer for the Peoples Libertine Army. She sent Inquisitor Vincorum’s ashes to the Hospitallers convent. It was this threat that provoked the Mother Superior to call for aid.
As far as the New Republic are concerned, the cause of the arrival of the Cadian 144th LRRR can be directly traced to the Ordo Hereticus’ failure to guard Baroness Quintelle against deamonic possession. The PLA is only defending Devos IV against the warmongering Sisterhood and their lickspittle lackies from Cadia.

Hakisyke & Danny Bloodcoat

2010-10-11T15:00:00.000+01:00

Post landing the 73rd Army Group needed a Headquarters Location. Margrav Hakisyke, a leading light of the Loyalists in Acer, offered up his ancestral home to General Zhukov. The Margrav’s son was duly commissioned into the PDF in short order, despite being untrained and (just) under aged.
The 17th Battle Group HQ are lodged a few kilometres away at the market town of Peltor. 902 Inf Bde (currently the only one they have) is encamped around the commercial city of Sandvik, some 48km to the East. Unlike the stately but remote Hakisyke, or the prosperous but provincial Peltor, Sandvik has good communication links and plenty of hardstanding and warehousing. Any protests from local business regarding the sequestering of their assets are being channelled through the local government (to Margrav Hakisyke’s town office).
Daniel Horpan
Daniel Horpan joined the Devos IV PDF as an officer cadet seventeen years ago. He spent eight years within the 99th (“the Bloodcoats”) Regiment before becoming company commander. From there he moved to Maj Gen Firth’s staff as a planning officer. Firth, recognising his talent, despatched him to Agripinna to serve in the Imperial Guard for a few years. Six years later Colonel Horpan returned to command the 99th.
In the last three years, Horpan has been courted personally by Chaux Na Mrr’see herself. She obviously thought that she might need an able military commander on her side. Horpan is staunchly loyal to his birthworld. Colonel-Commandant Welbhann, the commander of the 902 Inf Bde knew Horpan on Agripinna. Despite being from quite different backgrounds (Welbhann is from Armageddon), Welbhann believes that Horpan has somehow deluded himself that his following the creed of Chaux Na Mrr’see is in line with his loyalties as former officer of the IG and senior figure in the Devos IV PDF.
The 99th Regt were delighted to find themselves commanded by Horpan. “Danny Bloodcoat” he is known as. They are encouraged by his elevation to (as they see it) strategic commander of the PDF. The creed of Chaux Na Mrr’see has become all the more popular thereby. Such is his reputation that the 13th Mech and other formations within the PDF, as well as the militia, have ‘bought in’ to his campaign. Having held posts in Agripinna for so long, he knows what is coming. Col Cmdt Welbhann knows that 902 Bde is not enough to take the planet. He knows from Gen Tolstoy that Gen Zhukov’s plan is to get 902 Bde so badly mauled that Driftward Command either flesh out the rest of 17 BG or (better yet) send a proper sized army to Devos IV.

The cabal of the Broken Tea Spoon

2010-10-10T20:38:00.000+01:00

I'm quite excited about the new DE figures. I havn't been able to get shredders, so GW actually making them again will be nice. Hopefully I'll pursuade someone to get me some for Christmas or something.

Cyrxian Harrower Helljack Thingamyjig o' Doom.

My DE army is bascially an apoc splinter riad force with a few other bits and peices. It is fast, but the new figures will look better than the existing. Plastic warp beasts will be good, but not as good as a plastic Talos. (the Privateer Press Harrower makes a really good Talos - If PP do this in plastic then any new GW Talos will have to be beat it)

Theory Question (breaking 40K)

2010-10-08T14:39:00.000+01:00

OK. I've said on here before that one of the strengths of fortykay is that you can play kill team and apoc with the same little men and the same rules set (tweaked, but I hope you see what I mean). Another strength is that you can take your legal army to another part of the world and language not withstanding, play a game (it might be a struggle, but you could do it).

So what follows is an abstract argeument; I'm not suggesting for one moment that I would ever advocate this with anyone other than someone who I played with on a regular basis and it was just to see what happened etc:

This is a list from another games system (GZG, I think) it is itself extrapolated from an existing military formation from sometime in the last twenty years. I have 40kificated it a bit, just to bring it into context.

It does not follow FOC (duh !) rules and is certainly not optimised or even vaguely likely to last long on a 5th Ed battlefield (without some AFV back up). In the game system it is from, these guys are mounted in (GMC 4x6) soft top trucks.

Motorised Infantry Company:

Total Strength: 6 Officers, 117 Other Ranks (123 total troops).
Company Headquarters (2 Officers, 1 Other Rank)
The company headquarters comprises 3 personnel - the Company Commander, the Executive Officer (carrying the vox caster), and the Company Sergeant (carrying the company standard).
Mortar Platoon (1 Officer, 11 Other Ranks)
HQ Squad (1 Officer, 1 OR)
The HQ of the Support Platoon consists of just two men - the Platoon Commander and Platoon Sergeant (carrying a vox caster).
3 x Mortar Squad (3 ORs each)
Three three man mortar teams operating mortars. Each team has a gunner, loader, and ammo carrier equipped with a standard Las gun in addition to their mortar.
Forward Observer (1 OR)
Independent figure armed with standard Las gun, carrying an auspex and vox caster.
3 x Rifle Platoons (1 Officer, 35 Other Ranks each)
HQ Squad (1 Officer, 1 OR)
A two-man team, including the Platoon Commander and Platoon Sergeant. The Sergeant is armed with a bolter.
Rifle Squad (9 ORs)
Squad Leader, 2 x Hvy Stubber (Gunner + Loader), and three riflemen and one marksman with a sniper rifle. The squad members, except for the marksman, will have standard las guns.
Rifle Squad (9 ORs)
Squad Leader, 2 x Hvy Stubber (Gunner + Loader), and four riflemen. The squad members will have standard las guns.
Rifle Squad (9 ORs)
Squad Leader, 2 x Hvy Stubber (Gunner + Loader), and three riflemen and one flamer operator with a flamer. The squad members, except for the flamer operator, will have standard las guns.
Weapons Squad (7 ORs)
Squad Leader and two 3-man Hvy Bolter teams. Squad members are armed with the standard las gun and each team has a tripod-mounted Hvy Bolter.

Sometimes the Motorized Rifle Company will also have an attached reconnaissance platoon, or other Battalion level assets. Possibilities are not limited to the following examples but they are fairly representative.

Reconnaissance Platoon (1 Officer, 25 Other Ranks)
HQ Squad (1 Officer, 1 OR)
A two-member team, including the Platoon Commander and Platoon Sergeant. Both will be armed with las pistol and CCW.
3 x Recce Squads (8 ORs each)
Assault Squads include a Squad Leader, Hvy Stubber (Gunner + Loader), RPG [counts as ML] (Gunner + Loader), and three riflemen armed with standard las guns.
Other Attachments
Anti-Air Team (3 OR)
A three-member team, armed with a shoulder launched anti-air missile launcher (counts as a ML on an AA mount). They may have standard las guns or auto guns.
Anti-Armour Team (2 OR)
A two-member team, armed with an ATGW (counts as Hunter Killer Missile). They also have standard las guns.
Grenadier Team (7 OR)
Squad Leader, 4 riflemen, 2 grenadiers. They have standard las guns and the two grenadiers have GLs.
Casualty Aid Team (3 OR)
A two-member team, medic and assistant medic. They may have las pistols or be unarmed.

How do think this would play ? I was thinking that it would make for an interesting Opposing Force for an IG army. It would give the OpFor a distinct flavour, making them an interesting opponent (in terms of doctine/tactics as well as appearance), rather than just IG with the aqilla filed off.

I'd like to hear the nays as well as the ayes, if you have the time.

Bloggin'

2010-10-04T19:29:00.004+01:00

It's a tool for communication, isn't it ? You could restrict the audience to a few individuals who you wanted to share some ideas/data with. Certainly this was my first intention - my audience were the original four apoc generals. No idea if they're still interested or not.

I see some other peoples FTW blogs and they seem to be so much more focused than my dribble. I waffle. I'm sure that I come across as a whinging, ineffectual person in my writing. There's relatively little "progress" these days. Oh well.

So on to communicating: My appologies to Courtney at the Cadian 127th for waffling about my Valkyre on his blog.

And for JL; The three I read were Hans Von Luck, Erhard Raus and Hienz Guderain. All good stuff. The Osprey book about the WWII Soviet Rifleman is also worth a look - quite IG flavoured, as it happens.

Not 40K

2010-10-02T19:37:00.007+01:00

I spent in week in June with Mrs Zzzzzz and our friends Steve and Kath. Steve and I have climbed together in the Alps and New Zealand. The ladies let us out to play, so we went up and had a nosey around the Hellbrunner and a closer look at the Dent De Giant.

The scenery is all quite impressive. If was at all dilignet, knowing where these pictures were taken from, I could look at a map and work out which mountains these are. Basically, if you're climbing in this part of the world, keeping an eye on the weather to the south, you can see the weather building from the south, so occasionally there is a mad race to get back to the safety of the valley before the thunder storm reaches where you are.

This is me on the way back. My nose looks white because my face is plastered in sunblock. Still slightly sunny here.

It is quite a wonderful thing for me, being in the mountains. It's one of those things that can be retrospectively pleasurable - ie at the time it can be bloody knackering. This is less than ten minutes later, further down the same arrete; see the weather change.

This last picture is from the cable car that runs between Italy and France. If ever you are in Courmayour or Chamonix with a day to spare and the sky is clear; popping across to the other place on the telepherique is a nice way to spend the day; The views are magnificent and an' all that. And sunny again, you'll note.

Castrol (Nine) GTX

2010-09-27T21:24:00.003+01:00

I bought myself a prezzie for my birthday (which is on Wednesday). But took it to France to read. I now want orks. And Elysians. I'm back at work now and the feeling of "I need killa kanz" is subsiding.

The book lacks a little of the depth of the Vraks Trilogy (well, it would, wouldn't it ? A question of scale, rather than a lack of ambition/material. I'd love to see what they culled to fit the page count. Oh well. Volume Nine at Christmas...

Work gets in the way.

2010-09-05T14:41:00.003+01:00

This is a picture of the Combined Heat and Power station that Eon are biulding on the Isle of Grain. Quite handy as I was able to visit John (of JTS fame) Lamshead.

That was about two or three months ago. I'm currently on COMAH (control of major accidents and hazards [big gas sites, oil rigs, Buncefield - places like that]) site just north of Crewe. So no mobile phones on site, which is a hinderance when trying to find a different job. And long hours and all week away from home. Unlike last time, I'm being moved from hotel to hotel on a weekly basis, so there's no regular two hours a night for 40K and also this time, no bonus payment either.

Not a happy bunny.

But the wargames factory greatcoated storm troopers finally arrived. I've made two squads (with cadian arms, Pig Iron kolony militia heads and DKK backpacks) and used the auto gun arms for the remainder of the Bloodcoats. The shotgun arms are going on the Devos IV 1st (SF) Regt squads quite nicely, although I'm having trouble getting the Meltaguns to fit nicely.

And I've broken my airbrush. I'm getting my hobby fix vicariously through all the other blogs at the moment. But I have the dubious pleasure of yet another birthday soon, so for the fourth year running, I've treated myself to a FW tome. Looking forward to getting that.

And looking forward to getting some more scenery done by mid October as well.

Real Artillery

2010-08-16T14:27:00.003+01:00

This is the iggy Basilisk. It is quite often seen in hand to hand combat with everyone the IG fights. It has a scale range of, well, not very far.

Jessica Alba, if you ask me.

This is FH 70. For those unfamiliar with arty systems, the barrel has been reversed over the trails (legs). It would be other way 'round when brought into action (made ready for to fire). It would normally be towed, the little engine is just to get it into final position and power the hydraulics. (interesting anecdote - The Indians bought them without the engine and have 55 person crews to man handle them into position.)

FH70 has a planning range of 17km. ie an FH 70 battery would be placed 17km behind the front line; it has enough give and take in it's range and capabilities to cope with the front line moving a few km in either direction.

On a 6' x 4' board, the FH 70 would still be a football pitch or two away. I'll quite happily pay the points for the bombardment. No way am I putting a Basilisk on the tabletop.

79th Cavalry

2010-08-15T14:59:00.000+01:00

The left over bits from the building of the 22nd ASL were enough to make this. Devos IV PDF's 79th Cav gets another tank !

I've seen other peoples plasticard LRMBT and Chimera sides, with all of the detail faithfully reproduced. I really cannot maintain concentration for that long - or even begin to start measuring it up. I might cover it in Zimmereit later. Perhaps.

22nd Armegeddon Steel Legion Armd Regt

2010-08-14T14:44:00.000+01:00

Coy HQ. The OC and 2iC's Panzers. Not quite sure who will get the executioner. Probably the 2iC.

1 Troop. The anhillator is nice - the guns fitted straight into the 'old' LRMBT turret, no trouble. The first bits of vorpanzer were spaced out from the turret on spare GW single track links. But I might need my stock of those as I work my way through the Chimerasaurs, so the later ones are all spaced on the thinner sections of tank wheel sprue.

There is another troop to add to this little bundle of tankie goodness, but I have yet to receive the models. Also, I have stuck another ten gasmask/beret heads on cadian bodies, pending some arms. These will be detachments from the Devos IV 1st (Special Forces) Regiment. I'm imagining dark grey fatigues, black flak and red berets. Sort of like guardian angels (from the 1980s) with melta guns.

Tranquility

2010-08-13T14:30:00.003+01:00

The Imperial Guard Command Suite on the 1505th Imperial Navy transport vessel Optime II
"General Tolstoy Sir ?"
"Yes, what is it ?"
"Vox from the Starport, General; it has Kaptain Ilich's cypher, but it was sent in clear gothic."
Silence.
"Well ?"
"It is just one word, General: 'Tranquility'."
"Good. Assemble the General Staff and the Divisional Commanders immediately in the briefing room. Ask the Navy to pict link us to Lord General Zhukov as well, if they would. It's time to return the light of the Emperor to the darker corners of Devos IV."

Tranquility

2010-08-11T14:37:00.000+01:00

The fleet reorganised in system. The Redemption class battle cruiser The Light of Heaven assumed High Guard beyond the gas giant Devos X. Imperial Fury class near space ion drive fighters shadowed all commercial traffic in and out of the system. The rogue trader Corinthian Summer arrived with an Ordo Hereticus Lady Inquisitrix arrived and the interdiction tightened. Frigates that had been flanking the moving fleet were released to board and inspect all of the passing trade.
The 1505th Imperial Transport Fleet moved into position. Since the Vindare Hersey, the Imperial Guard had been organised into blocks of roughly three thousand men, the size of the Navy’s normal troopship. The Optime II was the 1505th Transport Fleet. A gaggle of atmospheric transports – drop ships capable of carrying a few hundred men and their vehicles followed the Optime II through the warp like ducklings following their mother, although these ‘ducklings’ were sheltering within the geller field of the larger carrier.
The Lady Inquisitrix had some strong ideas about the conduct of the campaign. General Zhukov was not overly enamoured of Ordo Hereticus interference in his campaign. However, she had drop capable storm troopers in her household. And none of his staff expected the 50th Tactical Lift Wing to hang around once the shooting started. Planetstrike would be made without jeopardising any of the 73rd army groups’ limited assets.
General Zhukov waited on The Light of Heaven. It would send a clear message to the Witch Hunteress; that she was dealing with his subordinate, Gen Tolstoy. Tolstoy and the rest of 17th Battle Group HQ transferred to the Optime II.
The drop ship Diggavic swung into its low orbit. On board, Kaptian Ilich, Gen Tolstoy’s ‘eyes on the ground’ felt his pulse quicken as the sixty soldiers moved from their temporary billets, by squad in two ranks, through the corridors of the drop ship. The carapace armoured storm troopers moved without speaking, following their embarkation drills precisely. Codex grey armour marched past, quickly and without any fuss or mishap. Sergeants at the head of each squad, every man marked by the inquisitorial badge. Grav chutes in their jump packs, a few precious Elysian pattern weapons here and there amongst the Kantrel pattern ones. Demolition charges, grenades and spare ammunition and batteries adorning every spare space. Ilich felt a queasy mixture of pride, agitation and apprehension as the Inquisition and Navy kicked off the Imperial Guard’s Devos IV Campaign.
Service crews made the last checks as the crew masters, plugged into exterior vox ports, guided aircrews through their start up procedure. Low whining filled the cavernous hold of the Diggavic as each of the six Valkyrie started first one and then the other of their engines. Loadmasters ushered the storm troopers aboard.
Kaptain Ilich had been at the aircrew briefing. This was a one way mission, the Valkyries would use up not far off half of their fuel load holding the craft up for long enough not to be damaged entering the atmosphere. The 50th TLW would then swoop down on the starport to establish the bridgehead for the 73rd Army Group. If the starport wasn’t taken swiftly, the Valkyrie squadron would have to break for mainland Acer and hide until they could be secured.
The last of the storm troopers mag-clamped his melta gun to the roof of the rear Valkyrie. From his doorway, Kaptain Ilich stood to attention and saluted. The only person to notice was one of the load masters. As ground crew armed missile pods and hurried to clear the other trappings of a Valkyrie lift away, he stood at the rear of his bus and casually (as a navy man) returned Ilich’s salute as the tail ramp closed.
Claxons sounded and lights strobed as blast doors descended and the cargo bay opened to the upper atmosphere. Ilich could not see, but he knew, if everything were going to plan, every 23 seconds, one of the Valkyries left the hold of the Diggavic.
There was the hum and thump of compressors working as the hold re-pressurised and the lights and claxons ceased. The storm troopers descent would take 43 minutes. They would deploy, by grav chute, to secure the astropaths, orbital traffic control centre, the main and subsidiary gates and other vital systems. The Valkyries would remain on station for another 58 minutes, flying a loop around the star port, ready to respond to the storm troopers calls for assistance. After that they would have to start landing. At the starport.
Kaptian Ilich was already acting. He made his announcement over the tannoy and the next wave of soldiery was on the move. Behind where the Valkyries had been were the hunched forms of the 22nd Armageddon Steel Legion’s Sentinels. Even now the crews were unshackling the war walkers from their confines and climbing into their cockpits. Kaptain Ilich strapped himself into his drop couch.
The Sentinel screen for 4 Coy was chosen as the close support for the Inquisitorial Storm Troopers. Basically at random, they were the first unit he came to when Kaptian Ilich was instructed to find Sentinel support for the landing. It had been observed that they were not scout sentinels. The pilots did not have an open view, nor did they have close target recognisance training. They were armoured cabs with laser and plasma cannons, hunter killers; Stompa Hunters. Ilich noted that the Inquisitorial Storm Troopers were more heavily armed and armoured than most guardsmen. Nothing more was said.
The air filled with diesel fumes as the ten Sentinels of 4 Coy powered up. Air and hydraulic oil pushed the odd machines to their feet. This was the second wave. The Sentinels would be ok on their feet, between their own auto balancers and the Diggavic’s internal compensators, they should all still be ok by the time they reached the ground. Kaptain Ilich of course, knew otherwise. If the Diggavic was shot at and took evasive action, they would all fall over. And their chance of remaining upright depended on the smoothness of the landing. If the two lead Sentinels fell over, then the others would be stuck in the hold until they could be hauled out of the way. There were lots of things to go wrong.
Barely twelve minutes had passed since the last of the Valkyries had left the Diggavic. His stomach lurched as the Diggavic broke through the atmosphere and began its descent. The whole operation was proceeding exactly to time. ‘Planning is everything, plans are nothing.’ thought Kaptain ilich to himself as the drop ship began its journey to the planet’s surface.

Chimerasuarus

2010-08-01T14:41:00.000+01:00

The first of the Chimerasaurs for the 13th Mech. It's a Revel 1/35th BMP2. The four of them were knocked down to £9 each so I 'ad 'em. It is an old model - the moulds were obviously worn as there was a fair amount of flashing and awful die marks. Much worse than any other Revel kit I've looked at recently. I suspect this one is now is OOP and trying to find a Revell 1/35th BMP2 will either draw a blank or get you a new (well moulded, joy to build etc)one.

It's got a hull mounted flamer. An ugly carbuncle, I know, but the WYSIWYG fiend in me won out over the other me. A sentinal ML for the turret, GW tracks and two chimera las guns - being a BMP it has moulded in firing ports in front of where the las guns are.

I've done a bit more work on the org and disposition of the Devos IV PDF as well. So all of those cadian coloured LRMBT are actually the 79th Cavalry Regiment, not actually part of the 13th Mech. So you can expect these Chimerasaurs to be in the Tigers green and yellow stripy pattern. I can't wait to start masking them up (rolls eyes).

RabidChild

2010-07-30T15:02:00.000+01:00

Did you my e-mail ? It might have gone to junk (?)

I'd be very interested (and grateful, nautrally) if you could put up a picture or two of the Avatar helo next to a Valkyrie or other IG vehicle. The Mattel model you've used would seem to be exactly what I am looking for...

22nd Armegeddon Steel Legion - first tank

2010-07-29T14:43:00.000+01:00

This is my attempt at an LRMBT with Vorpanzer (spaced armour) or Schürzen (bazooka plates). With the exception of the FW Executioner turret*, I intend on finishing all of the ASL's tanks like this. It might look a bit odd because I painted the outside of the turret and the inside of the armour with black before construction; I expect a lot of grey paint to end up in there, but didn't want to take the chance of having quasi translucent armour on my tanks !

Hopefully there will be enough flat open space to apply the transfers to so that the whole load of them look the same. I did not consider the painted and decal'd article when I put the earlier 13th Mech LRMBT together - all of the boring flat spaces were festooned with skulls and chains and eight pointed stars. Nice, but not good for a factory finish (ho hum).

This is the sort of effect I might be after. I'm not going to try to side skirts on the LRMBT as I think it will look odd, rather than kool. And whilst I'm damn sure that the ASL would rather be better armoured than look anything, it's only a game, dear.

*I'm with Col Corbane here, the FW executioner looks OK. The new plastic one is wank. And not in a good way. I can see what they were trying to do, but they did not try hard enough.

144 LRRR

2010-07-28T21:31:00.000+01:00

Some of the more regular members of 2/144 and their almost catachan like comrades. (I hope; its just showing me html so it could be anything ?)

More of them. These brave men and women of Cadia are the only Iggies on Devos IV at the moment.

The Wolverine troop. This is (should be) them with their paint job and a few details. Ready for decals and weathering.

The Devos IV Campaign

2010-07-27T15:13:00.000+01:00

The Terrain

Devos IV

Devos IV is an important Agri-world in the obscura sector. There was an important imperial shrine in the city of Xyphonica and a generally well regarded PDF of 80000 personnel. Devos IV has itself, within living memory, raised two IG regiments (one now defunct and one deployed in support of the Cadian Gate).

Seven hundred years ago the then capital city (San Cantor [pop 18.4M] was occupied by WAAAGH Burkhatt. San Cantor, the only hive complex in the system, was purged from orbit. This unprecedented (within this system) use of atomics within the Devos System is believed to have triggered the amount of Eldar traffic that was observed in system in the two centuries afterwards.

The Imperial response to the WAAAGH included a regiment of Adeptus Mechanicus Skittari from the Forge World of Ryza. The remnants of this force still exist on Devos IV and they and their equipment are an increasingly uncommon sight, but are still present in some numbers.

The planet was controlled by Governor Marcus Firth III (a former IG General) with the support of the Ecclesiasty. One of the Ecclesiastical agents was obviously seduced by the ruinous powers and has overthrown the planetary government and seized the capital.

The army of Chaux Na Mrr’see is in rebellion. The Imperium has despatched its nearest forces to crush the rebellion before the cultists begin to attract allies from outside of the system.

Benq

So far, the cultists have seized the continent of Benq. Benq is 80750 km2 There are two major cities, Xyphonica [pop 4.7M] the main city of Sommerlund and Slough [pop 2.2M] the main city of Magnamund. Xyphonica is a religious centre, this is where the Imperial Church has been cruelly overthrown and the cultists are basing themselves. Slough is a largely automated industrial mega complex on the edge of the 20400km2 ash wastes from the last WAAAGH to pass this way. The Ash Wastes themselves, locally known as the Gnaaglund, contain the ruins of San Cantor, once home to 18.4M imperial citizens.

Acer

The continent of Acer [120000km2) remains loyal. The starport is situated on the Allain peninsula to the west of the continent. The Allainlund region, generally taken to include the Allain Penninsula, includes mining and heavy industry stretching eastwards across Acer to the littoral boundary. There are three large cities: Riba [pop 7.4M] which is an industrial base only 400km from the starport. Dana [pop 2.2M] an important nexus for travel and commerce on the west coast, just across the straights from Benq. Charnport [pop 2.2M], where the starport is, on the Allain Penninsula, this city is the commercial hub of the entire system, as well as being the centre for both the mineral extraction and sea farming industries.

The southern extent of Acer, known as Helgedad, is largely agricultural and includes a vast heavily forested belt and the mountainous polar regions south of there.

The Sea

The oceans of Devos IV are arguably the most important part of its ecology. Certainly, the mostly calm seas are festooned with a vast number of floating algae farms that produce powdered and freeze dried foods for the rest of the Obscura Sector as well as the IG. The cleanliness of the oceans is important to all on Devos IV.

Devos VIII

Devos VIII is a gas giant. The Imperial Navy regularly stops in at the orbiting refineries to refuel. The presence of the easily maintained fuel stop here is vital for interstellar trade in this sector.

Devos XII

Devos XII is no larger than a small moon. It does have an atmosphere, but the terrain is too harsh and the weather too violent to allow the imperium to practice agriculture thereon. Plants do grow on Devos XII, but extremely thickly and only to height of 4 or 5 meters. It is known to have a population of feral Eldar. It’s orbit leaves it diametrically opposed to the main shipping lanes the run in and out of the system via the gas giant.

The Eldar name for this moon is Daziarn.

Devos XXIV

Devos XXIV is a cold barren moon. There are part buried ruins of previous civilisations thereon. There is an astropath station there to ensure that incoming traffic takes the correct route through the asteroid belts to reach the gas giant at Devos VIII and then Devos IV itself.

The sides:

The Rebels

The army of Chaux Na Mrr’see is growing in size. It remains popular and does not yet have the reputation for wanton destruction that follows most chaos cultist uprisings. Significantly, the PDF Headquarters was at Xyphonica. Most of the Devos PDF has now gone over to the rebellion. They are being supplied out of Slough.

Certain sections of scavvy society and mutants from the Ash Wastes are known to have joined the army of Chaux Na Mrr’see. Unconfirmed reports have been received of deamons accompanying rebel troops.

The Imperium

The Imperial Guard is able to land men and material without hindrance at the starport. However, there are problems with sabotage as imperial forces are perceived as invaders whereas the army of Chaux Na Mrr’see is largely comprised of local persons. This issue will have to wait, however, until after the army of Chaux Na Mrr’see has been defeated. Then the population of Devos IV will have to pay the price for their treachery. Restoration of Marcus Firth III, if viable, would provide a government of unity that was popular with the people and would also bring the planet back into the Emperor’s grace.

The enormous amount of effort is being expended to remove the army of Chaux Na Mrr’see with the minimum of collateral damage is due to Devos IV itself is an important agricultural world that feeds three nearby systems.

Small numbers of loyalist Devos IV PDF and the survivors of the first IG units thrown into action as a stop-gap have regrouped in the Buroklammern region to the NW of Dana. Problems are envisaged where PDF units on either side will be reluctant to engage each other with any true effectiveness.

The Feral Eldar

The dwindling population of Feral Eldar on Devos XII maintain a Webway node. They would like to be left in peace and as such allow both the Craftworld and Dark Eldar to transit the Webway and access the Gates on Devos IV. If pushed, they will join any fight against the forces of Chaos (the Great Enemy).

Craftworld Eldar

If alerted to the presence of the army of Chaux Na Mrr’see, the Craftworld Eldar will set out to ensure that the scions of the Great Enemy are destroyed.

The Feral Eldar (so called “Exodites”) have trading links to the xenophobic barbarians of the Bel Tain craftworld and the thrice damned witchery of the Ulthwë craftworld.

Dark Eldar

If alerted to conflict in the Devos system, the Cabal of the broken/venomous/bloodied claw/blade/tea spoon will come after slaves and plunder. They couldn’t give a stuff about the army of Chaux Na Mrr’see or anything other than their own profit.

Orcs

Any Orcs are survivors or descendants of WAAAGH Burkhatt. As far as they are concerned, the WAAAGH is still on. They could possibly be pursauded to act as mercenaries for one side or the other.

Orders 4

2010-07-26T15:09:00.000+01:00

Restricted
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX The information in this briefing is RESTRICTED and is not to be communicated to anyone without the express permission of the Departmento Munitorium. XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
M39.102243
Agrippina. 72nd Army Command
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Colonel LaStrade,

017. Please pass on my regards to Lord General Potemkin. I am now en route to Devos IV with my staff.

018. Due to the diligence and foresight of my staff and their ability to extract information from the Navy, I have been able to ascertain the composition of my command.

019. The 17th Battle Group consists of:

HQ Lt General Zhukov & Staff (Vostroya)
50th Tactical Lift Wing

902nd Inf Div

114th (Krieg [Pentarung]) Mech Coy Chimera Infantry
22nd (Armageddon) Steel Leigon Sentinals & LRMBT
540th (Valhalla) Kado Heavy Infrantry Infantry

903rd Inf Bde Maj Gen Marcus Firth III (Cadia/Devos IV)

2nd Devos IV PDF Infantry, hvy wpn squads
144th (Cadia) Long Range Recce Regt Infantry, weasels
1st Devos IV Armd Laser tank destroyers

020. The existence of the 903rd Inf Brigade remains, at this stage, hypothetical; depending as it does on their attrition before our arrival. If the 903rd is viable, then effectively I shall have one Division with no experience of operating with the other units therein. The outlook for swift victory is not favourable.

021. The Valhallans have no transport and are not up to full strength. In theory, they could be deployed by the 50th TLW. My concern is that at the first sign of a real fight the Navy will develop an urgent operational need for 50th TLW somewhere a long way from Devos IV.

021. Given that the rebellion is of the ‘popular’ type, meaning that the population will support the rebels and not Imperial rule of law, the forces arrayed are insufficient to both crush the rebellion and secure the planet.

022. I am perfectly happy to prosecute an attritional war. Please prepare to supply Battle Casualty Replacements.

VK Zhukov
General, Commanding
12th Battle Group

Orders 3

2010-07-25T15:02:00.000+01:00

Orders 2

2010-07-24T14:58:00.001+01:00

Confidential
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX The information in this briefing is RESTRICTED and is not to be communicated to anyone without the express permission of the Ordo Hereticus. XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
M39.102239
Agrippina. Mission of the Martyred Lady.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Lord General Potemkin,

Sir,

006. I am leaving the Agrippina hub for the Obscura subsector this afternoon.

007. You are to land on Devos IV, subdue the rebellion and apprehend the leaders.

008. I have unconfirmed reports that elements of the Devos IV 2nd PDF Regt have remained loyal to the Emperor. They may or may not have custody of the incumbent planetary governor, Maj Gen Marcus Firth III. The governor is to be detained at the Emperor’s pleasure.

Josephine Helmwyrr
Lady Inquisitrix
Ordo Hereticus

Orders 1

2010-07-23T14:52:00.001+01:00

Classified: Cyan
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX The information in this briefing is RESTRICTED and is not to be communicated to anyone without the express permission of the Departmento Munitorium. XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
M39.102237
Zulu DTG 09:1502APR 10
Devos IV. Cadian 144th Long Range Recce Regt.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Lady Josephine Helmwyr, Ordo Hereticus,

Madam, In response to a request from Sister Angelica:

001. The Heretic Army of Chaux Na Mrr’see has seized Xyphonica. Her army is based around a Cadre of the Devos IV 99th Infantry (“The Bloodcoats”) Regt. It is widely supported by a rabble drawn from the workers and those who were inducted into her political movement before they broke into open rebellion.

002. They are being supported by further renegade elements of the Devos IV PDF formed around the core of the 13th (“The Tigers”) Regt.

003. Loyalist elements of the Devos IV 2nd Regt are falling back in a westerly direction towards our insertion zone. It has been reported that the planetary governor, Maj Gen Marcus Firth III is under the protection of a company sized detachment of the 2nd.

004. Other loyalist units, largely from the Cadian 144th LRR have been in contact with the Army of Chaux Na Mrr’see. The 144th have been left in place to delay the advance of the enemy towards our point of entry onto the eastern continent. It might be over enthusiastic to imagine that the 2nd and 144th will be intact as formations by the time that the rest of the Army has landed and mustered. No word has been received from the Preatorians on the fifth moon.

005. It has also been reported that various xenos of the Eldar sub-types have been seen in conflict with the Heretic and Renegade forces. These have been confirmed as originating from the Bel Tain Craftworld, renowned for their aggressive stance towards humanity.

Ave Imperator,
Impega Budget
Major, commanding
Cadian 144th LRRR

114 Mech Coy.

2010-07-22T12:14:00.001+01:00

114th (“Pentürug”) Company of the 77th Sturm Battalion/Krieg 28th Armoured Regiment

The 114th were originally raised as a rough rider (‘Waffenritter’) Regiment of five battalions of five companies. They conducted cavalry operations on a number of campaigns, being reinforced from Krieg with depressing regularity as casualties mounted.

They were despatched as part of an Imperial Army deployed to counter Abbadon’s Black Crusade, where they won their share of the glory as the shock troops of the Imperial Armies on many occasions. This gained them a reputation for holding onto territories and objectives gained by their famous blitzkrieg tactics.

Although hugely successful (in terms of the Krieg military idiom), the cavalry actions during the Black Crusade left the 114th Rough Rider Regiment hors de combat by the end of the campaign they were down to just under eight companies. They had also lost the majority of their cybernetically enhanced steeds. The remaining personnel were formed into an infantry company and for a long time it was almost certain that the company would be assigned as one battalion (complete) to one of the regiments of the 88th Siege Army. And the remaining three companies would be split out as platoons of Battle Casualty Replacements. It seemed as if the remains of the 114th Waffenritter Regiment were destined for the meat grinding hell of the Trenches of whichever place the DKK were laying siege to.

However fate intervened and the 114th were re-roled as Mechanised Infantry and sent to join the 28th Armoured Regiment as an over strength reinforced battalion. As a component of the 28th Armoured Regiment, the 114th (Pentürug) battalion fought on Armageddon. The Battalion’s first commanding officer was a Kolonel Pentürug and it is from him that the unit took its name. From Armageddon the 28th Armoured Regiment was moved to Radnar along with many other Krieg based units. Here the Armoured formations of the 28th were committed as heavy support in bitter city fighting and suffered heavy losses. At the conclusion of the ‘Cleansing of Radnar’ campaign, along with other barely viable armoured fist battalions, it was reorganised as a company.

Today it remains a part of the 28th Armoured Regiment’s order of battle. The 28th Armoured Regiment is currently commanded by Generalleutnant
(“Gruppenführer” to his regiment) Fothar Shur. The Regiment consists of various armoured and mechanised formations, formed into basic building blocks of company size. These are tank hunter, fast armoured Artillery, panzerkampfwagen and mechanised infantry (“armoured fist”). These are formed into ‘storm’ (assault) battalions. The 114th became a company of the 77th Sturmbattalion; an ad hoc formation from within 28th, based around one or more armoured fist companies.

The 114th company, along with the other Armoured Fist comapnies (see DKK 19 Armd Regt, IA 1), comes under the command of Kolonel Urbam Pentürug, a descendant of the General who led the 114th from Armageddon to face the forces of Chaos undivided. The current Kolonel Urbam Pentürug never served in the 114th himself but is suspected to be quietly pleased that the formation that bears his family name is a part of the formation he commands.

The ninth company now the senior company in the formation. When a company is rendered hors de combat, its colours, if retrievable, are laid up in the Korps’ Imperial shrine. Subsequently raised companies are issued designations following on from the most recently issued.

The 114th Company is currently commanded by Sturmbannführer
Erwin Boelcke. Unlike most other Kreig infantry battalions, Sturmbattalions normally deployed without preliminary artillery bombardment (the broken ground, whilst providing cover for infantry, also provides cover for the enemy and more importantly, slows the advance of the armoured vehicles) but with a dedicated troop (or troops) of Leman Russ panzers from the 12th company.

The ninth, eleventh, fourteenth and one hundred and fourteenth are normally sent forth in a diamond pattern with a squadron of the 12th company’s Leman Russ in the centre of each formation for maximum flexibility. The 12th company’s heavy section and their attached field artillery travel in the centre of the diamond formed by the four armoured fist companies. This diamond formation Sturm Battalion is expected to smash its way through any opposition. Typically they are used for ‘take and hold’ land grabs and would expect to be relieved in place by dismounted infantry and artillery formations.

(At the time that this was written, the 28 Armd Regt had the same TO&E as the DKK 19 Armd Regt (Imperial Armour Vol 1) hence the presence of Mech Inf within an Armd Regt)

22nd Armegeddon Steel Legion Armd Regt

2010-07-21T12:21:00.001+01:00

In their penultimate incarnation, the 22nd Armd Regt formed part of the right flank at the battle of Hades Hive. During that battle the regiment, which had fought all the way through the Second War for Armageddon, finally ran out of staying power or luck and was rendered Hors de Combat.

Due to the massive population of Armageddon, Imperial Guard regiments can easily be raised through volunteer efforts, drafts, and even from street gangs. In addition to this, Armageddon is one of the prime manufacturers of the Chimera transport tank for the fighting forces of the Imperium. This means the Imperial Guard forces stationed upon the planet are able to field a large number of these sturdy transport vehicles. These Armageddon Steel Legions make use of air filtration masks as well as the airtight Chimeras to effectively fight in and traverse across the vast ash wastes that surround the hives of Armageddon.

The current 22nd Armd Regt is a new formation built around a cadre of Armageddon tank veterans. The 22nd are arranged into eight squadrons of four troops. Each Squadron also has a formation of armoured sentinels for recce and screening operations.

Despite their home planet’s ability to produce armoured vehicles, the 22nd were dispatched with only 2/3rds of their slated Leman Russ. The shortfall in combat power is being made up by detachments from 699th (Armageddon) Steel Legion; The 699th were a Mechanised Infantry regiment but they have been reduced down to reinforced company strength. To fulfill their new role they have been reorganised into Troops of three Chimera. The 699th would have been used as a cadre to rebuild the regiment, however, they have lost all of their senior officers and their commissar; hence their deployment in support of the tanks of the 22nd.

Departmento Munitorium regulations prohibit mixed teeth arm formations; therefore despite the 699th elements being taken into the 22nd’s chain of command, they remain separately numbered in order to comply with the regulations.

72nd Army Group. (there will be a test at the end)

2010-07-20T12:12:00.002+01:00

Lord General Potemkin is the commander in chief of Imperial Guard forces assigned to Driftward Command in the Obscura Sector. His task basically revolves around the raising and assigning of IG regiments. By arrangement, regiments raised in one of the four ‘directional commands' are deployed elsewhere in the sector, if not further afield. Regiments raised by Driftward Command are offered over to other commands and other Lords Militants in other sectors. Careful count is kept to ensure that men out is balanced by men in, that for every elite or armoured unit that leaves, another is received from outside of the Driftward Strategic Area of Responsibility.

The Lords Militant of the Obscura Sector divide their bailiwick into four; Spinward, Driftwards, Coreward and Trailing. Each of these ‘Commands’ within the Sector has a nominal four armies with which to prosecute the emperor’s wars. Of course these are only administrative ‘armies’ for accounting purposes. Each will tend to have a flavor; a slant towards the origins of the Generals assigned to lead it on campaign. Lord General Potemkin favours Vostroyan and Valhallan Generals in the 15th Army.

Driftward Command has four 'armies' at it's disposal. These are actually the logistic tails that enable campaigns to be prosecuted. In theory an 'army command' can fight multiple campaigns simultaneously, this actually depends on the logicistic Main Supply Route being linier enough for this to be feasible enough to allow this to happen. The 15th Army contains a number (up to 700) of Corps. It is these administrative groups that attach and detach regiments to form formations that are then deployed. It is these Corps that are the umbrella organisations for the formations that actually do the fighting.

The scribes of the Lords Militant keep the numbers and the lists of what unit is a part of which formation. Everything about what is sent to support that regiment or formation in the field is recorded. Thus it looks like every IG regiment is well supported and gets all the material it could wish for. Of course, occasionally, data on the amount of material that the regiments actually received comes back to the Lords Militant’s offices. The disjoin here is that it normally goes into the Departmento Ante Bellum, into the records. The Departmento Ultra Bellum, who deal with planning and future wars, rarely refer to the records to inform their planning, it’s a different office within the Departmento Munitorium.

Still based on Agripinna, The Klestor Sub Sector war office deals with far more than the Klestor Sub Sector. There was once a conflict there that spanned five systems and involved the Inquisition, Imperial Navy and Adeptus Astartes. The expertise gained has not been completely eroded by time. So the Klestor Sub Sector war office is pre-eminent within Driftward Command. It is here that wars are planned, at least as far as which assets are to be assigned.

The 72nd Army Corps was the number of the Skitari and Astartes supported Army Corps that deployed to Devos IV hundreds of years ago. This number was reassigned to the Devos IV expeditionary force by the Departmento’s bureaucrats, possibly at the behest of a Staff Officer who is also a student of military history. Most of the Devos IV PDF regiments trace their origins back to elements of the 72nd Army Corps of antiquity.

The Vostroyan doctrine for campaigning is for Brigades of 1 to 4 battalions as the normal unit of maneuver. 1 to 5 Bdes form what the Vostroyan's refer to as a 'Battle Group'. General Tolstoy's staff has for the last seven years referred to itself as the 17th Battle Group. This number stretches back to a brief and successful campaign putting down a rebellion based around promethium manufacture on the Ice world of Stegen. The Departmento has not changed the number yet.

The 15th Army has assigned numbers 900 to 904 for the 72nd Army Corps' brigades. The 17th Battle Group believe this to be optimistic in the extreme. The available assets, from Armageddon, Krieg and Valhalla, amount to one Division. The Vostroyans do not use 'Brigade' in their vocabulary and therefore the Brigades are Divisions. They have nominally assigned another Division for any remnants of loyalist PDF units. This includes the Cadian 144th Long Range Recce Regt, sent to secure the Priory of the Silver Chalice when the insurrection began and a detachment of the Praetorian 5th, who were guarding the system defences on Devos XII.

In the unlikely event that the IG force on Devos IV eventually exceeds five brigade/divisions, another 'Battle Group' would be needed. This new Battle Group would still be a part of the 72nd Army Corps.

Another Vostroyan, General 1st class Zhukov, has seniority over General 2nd class Tolstoy. General Zhukov has Lord General Potemkin’s confidence. Gen Tolstoy has commanded 17th Battle Group for the last three years, having been a Regimental CO within 17BG prior to that. Gen Tolstoy will only get "his" command back if either General Zhukov is killed or the camapign goes on for so long (or goes so badly) that 72AG gains another Battle Group; elevating Zhukov back out of his way.

So, therefore; Imperial Guard forces both en route to Devos IV and those already present all fall under the umberella of the 72nd Army Group. (Although those already present won’t know this until the main body arrive).

The HQ of the 72nd Army Group continues to refer to itself as 17th Battle Group, because the Departmento Munitorum has not officially renumbered it yet. The chances of a second ‘Battle Group’ within the 72AG coming into existence are thought to be remote, but the possibility remains.

The fighting formations of the 72AG are:

900 Inf Bde
901 Inf Bde
902 Inf Bde
903 Inf Bde
904 Inf Bde

Although their HQ, 17BG refers to these formation as “Divisions” because they (the staff officers) are Vostroyan.

902 Inf Bde is comprised of the existing assets that Gen Tolstoy knows are en route; ASL, DKK and Valhallans. It is mostly Armd (the ASL) and Mech (the DKK). If the Navy’s 50th Tactical Lift Wing can be persuaded to ‘hop’ the Valhallans in theatre, then so much the better.

903 Inf Bde comprises of the remnants of the Preatorian 5th who were the garrison for the system defences on the Moon of Devos XII, the Cadian 144th LRRR, who were sent to bolster the Loyalists and any remaining Devos IV PDF who remain within the emperor’s light.

Valkyrie Alternative 3

2010-07-19T11:15:00.000+01:00

Hopefully these are pictures of the Republic Gunship in it's sample camo scheme. (I've just got the html code ?) I'm not too sure about the red surround for the canopy, but as I don't want to paint the plexi glass over, I'm reluctant to try to cover it. I've left the wing tips the accent colour as well. I'm thinking that GW dark flesh or Tamiya red brown would be better....

Wolverine Armoured Car WIP 2

2010-07-18T19:06:00.000+01:00

Do you remember these ? (Am I turning my blog into a memory test ? I get lost sometimes - my WIP accumulating space being the size of a single garage, I have to look on here to find out what I should be looking at) With mud guards and a bit of stowage they look much better.

Still undecided about fixing a bumper to the front of each. Ideally, It'd be the sort of quarter-fender each side with a winch in the middle arrangement seen on a lot of WW2 kits. But all I actually have is a load of ol' sprue. I can do a plain bumper ok, but would it look right, I wonder ?

Anyway, this is with a coat of camo black green (again, Vallejo air). These will be plain green with unit numbers and Cadian Gate badges. Really they should be black ones as these are supposed to be the sneaky 144th LRRR, but hey, they wouldn't show up as well.

And another view, just for variety. I'll be following the paint scheme for a russian tank from one of the modelling glossies, so wish me luck.

Valkyrie Alternative 2

2010-07-17T18:24:00.000+01:00

Here it is next to the real Valk. I have sprayed most of it with grey primer prior to putting it together (there is grey primer on the wing facing you, just not very much). The tiddly little gun things have been replaced with a LRMBT LC and a bit of plastic tubing. Which I suppose must be the HB. You can see it sizes up quite well. It has an opening rear ramp and working side doors.

And a stern chaser/LZ clearing HB to the rear as well. There is a mini missile rack on the top, but that would have be ignored for 'counts as' purposes. It could easily be plasticarded over.

The kit went togther ok, in a fraction of the time a Valkyrie does. It has less than 50 parts and is 'snap together'. Since these photos have been taken it has gained a coat of khaki, except for the undersides, which remain light grey. Er, dunno where I'm going with the colour scheme, but I'll think of something.

And it even has a flying stand ! Although I might swap that carbuncle for a GW one.

Valkyrie Alternative.

2010-07-16T18:13:00.000+01:00

Ok then, do you remember me showing you the two kits side by side ? I did promise a better comparison and here it begins. The main issue (problem, if you're a glass half empty person) is one of scale. This pic shows the original pilot on what's left of his seat. He and another like him go into the cockpit assembly to the right of the picture. Between is my elephant solution; two Cadian torsos with Valk crew heads. The dark bit at the back of each is the other bit of the pilot's chair(s).

Et voila; I was expecting to have to shave a little off of the bottom of each to be able to fit the canopy, but they've turned out OK. The canopy itself has more obscuring paint on it and so our armless aircrew don't really look too bad.

Sorry about the lack of focus here, but I'm hoping you get the picture, as it were. Next; on with the (snap fit) build.

13th Mech

2010-07-15T22:48:00.000+01:00

Loyal Imperial agents have died to bring us these pictures.... As you can see, the 13 Mech's Baneblade and LRMBTs (and LR Eradicator) have had a little more detailing done, including their formation flash on the front of each tank.

Apologies for the dodgy pictures but I was unsure just how stark the contrast would actually be (between the bit in the afternoon sun and the bit in the shade). The picture at the top of this post is the best, I suppose. These tankettos all need numbers and their army badge - Which for the Army of Chaux Na M'rr'see will be the battle axe.

This bottom picture nicely shows the slightly crazy sea green splinter pattern on the Sentinals; the same as on the infantry. The tanks, meanwhile are in 'good ol' GW vanillia Cadian colours, which I'm hoping increases their utility in the future somewhat. I really do like the renegade LRMBTs on JTS, but these were my learning to airbrush (and then reproduce the result multiple times) tanks. So I'm happy. If I change my mind, I can always respray them later.

Cadian 144th LRRR

2010-07-14T22:42:00.000+01:00

These fine fellows are from the Cadian 144th Long Range Recce Regt. Which you may recall is the 'holding force' present on Devos IV, stemming the tide of heresy until the 72 or 73 Army Group turn up to 'restore order'. So these are the men that the =I= agents are trying to contact. Obviously these guys are uncontactable until they have been based and given at least three colours, but this dodgy pict should keep the =I= keen for the time being.

Just a reminder.

2010-07-13T23:01:00.001+01:00

These guys are the fun and interesting bit of the Cadian 144th LRRR. Old pictures, but they got me my first comment, so here they are again. The Cadian 144th LRRR were on their way somewhere else when they, as the closest (suitable)military asset, were diverted to Devos IV to support the local Sisters Hospitalar convent who reported being under attack from heretically inspired govt forces. So they are now on the planet, reportedly becoming less and less combat effective as time passes. For instance one of their Coy Commanders is now OC, as he (and the rest of battalion HQ are missing). But they, the 144th, are still there. Just.

Most of the squads are CESTFAW Infantry, with snipers and so on, rather than heavier weapons. I might dig them all out at some point for a group shot, before the Bloodcoats finally run them all to ground.

first Valkyrie.

2010-07-12T22:23:00.001+01:00

This shows the two grey&grey colour schemes off quite well. The =I=FV has a hard edged four colour scheme and the Valkyrie has a two tone mottled pattern on the top and sides, the underside is another shade lighter again. The =I=FV is mostly in Tamiya acrylics and the Valk in Vallejo Airbrush goodness. The air crew. All of the aircrew of the 50th Tactical Lift Wing will have different coloured helmets. Just like the cast of "Top Gun". They are Pig Iron heads.

The Valk paint scheme needs metal and burns on the engine outlets and vapour trails therefrom. Then the lenses and a tail number. Also a bit of colour on the ML and HB. And I should have filled in those two little dents in the nose. Oh well. This was my first Valkyrie and took me more or less most of Friday to get from opening the box to here. I'm going to look at the Star Wars Republic Gunship next.

The 50th TLW do not see themselves as close air support. They see themselves as a movement asset; inserting and extracting. They may well shy away from Hot LZ.

The Inquisitorial IFV

2010-07-11T22:16:00.001+01:00

You can make out the devotional Eagle on the starboard rear door. And also make out some of the camoflague pattern. This shot shows the disruptive pattern off even better. You can make out the little blue =I= symbol above the front wheel. Only a little more weathering and detail needed; the light above the main armourment and a soot streak where the exhaust is. It's hard to make out here but there is some detailing (Hatches and the main armourment mantlet) in the same blue as details a lot of the Lady Inquisitrix's followers. I'm not sure if it really looks ok or not. You'll get a better look at it tomorrow.

On the continent of Benq

2010-07-10T22:09:00.004+01:00

Imperial agents clandestinely visit Devos IV. The IFV is from the household troops of Lady Inquisitrix Josephine Hellmwyr of the Ordo Hereticus. The Valkyrie is from the Imperial Navy's 50th Tactical Lift Wing.

Doubtless they are looking for remnants of the Cadian 144th LRRR.

Link

2010-07-08T13:18:00.000+01:00

What about these guys ? How do they size up to GW Iggies, I wonder ?

http://www.warlordgames.co.uk/?p=6427

And the wargames factory greatcoated stormtroopers that I ordered and paid for in April are still not here. I bought mine through Wayland Games. You'd have thought that they might have put something up on the website instead of just 'awaiting stock' for a three month delay.

England's Shame

2010-07-07T13:09:00.003+01:00

No. Not the world cup. Analytically, we did far better against the DKK than Argentina did, so we shouldn't feel too bad. After all, even if we'd pulled back to a draw, it would have gone to a penalty shoot out.

But I digress. We've been to the SE corner of France for a bit. Which involved driving quite a long way (if you're American and reading this, it was a long way for us).

The French are better motorway drivers than we are.

There, I've said it. Hard to countenance, difficult to swallow, but true. A lot of it could be down to mostly having two lane motorways, instead of three. But generally, the French motorway user will pull out to overtake (yes, beginning from lane 1 [!]), overtake and then pull in again. Unlike the large population of middle lane driving cretins who are sadly allowed to make our motorways more stressful, frustrating and ultimately, dangerous places by staying in lane 2 for their entire journey.

Link of the season

2010-06-17T21:25:00.000+01:00

I really like this.

http://www.yestthetruthhurts.com/2010/06/steleks-stormraven-conversion-how-to.html

Technologically retarded

2010-06-16T20:16:00.000+01:00

There's a bit in this months WD where the guy who drafted the Spearhead supliment describes the Imperial Guard's vehicles as resting somewhere between WW1 and WW2 (with added zap guns) in terms of AFV technology.The thing that grates slightly is that so far through our history, those who have innovated have been the winners. I know that we can have more advanced vehicles from different planets where things arn't quite so dogmatic, so no real complaint there.

These things have no suspension to speak of, rather like a modern buldozer or 360 excavator. The suspension on these is in the seating and the lack of flex in the running gear is to keep the damn thing still whilst it does it's job (moving earth). In the LRMBT and Chimera this would compensate for a lack of hi-tech gun levelling mechanism. It'd still be rubbish, but it wouldn't be able to bounce on its springs when it fired its battle cannon.

Woe betide the Iggy AFV crew, whose attrition rate is going to be related as much to muscular-skeletal disorders as it is to enemy action.