Friday 23 September 2016

A Change of Direction

Hi guys,

Just a quick post to draw a line under this blog as I've not played 40k since April and can't see myself doing so for a while.

I've been playing Imperial Assault almost exclusively for a good 6 months now and have been active on my YouTube channel for that if anyone is interested in checking it out on the below link:

http://www.youtube.com/c/StarwarsStreaming

And a quick example:



Thanks for all the support here, I really appreciate all the feedback I've been given previously but at the moment I'm not enjoying 40k and as a result it's just not getting played.

Thanks all!

Rich

Monday 18 April 2016

Tournament Results


So went down on Saturday and got 3 games in with my "Shadow Raptors" Dark Eldar.

Bit of a strange system the scoring was via 6 objective cards that each person had available all game, plus a VP for each Objective at the end of the game.

Something Like:

Assassinate - 1 VP per independant character killed this turn
Take and Hold - 3 VP's if you control 3 objectives
Purge - 1 VP for manifesting a psychic power or denying the witch
No Prisoners - 1 VP per unit killed in Assault
Something? - 1 VP per unit killed by Shooting
Linebreaker - 1 VP if you have a unit within 12" of the opponents table edge

Was a bit strange as I'm used to scoring through the game with Maelstrom and I'm not a big fan of leaving the scoring to the last turn, however it is what it is.

Had one big win, one big loss, and one closer game so fairly balanced I guess, although it was a shame as none of the game's were particularly close.

First game (18-1 Win against Space Wolves)

Bad matchup for this guy and I did feel bad for him, He had roughly:

Njal Storm Caller in a unit of 9 Wulfen, 3 Claws, 3 Hammers, 3 
Arjac Rockfist in a unit of 6 Terminators inside a Landraider (2 Flamestorm Cannons)
Giant Flyer thing
2 units of 5 Grey Hunters

With him just really having 2 big dangerous units I was able to dance around and shoot  them to pieces, he had nothing left on the table by the time the Flyer finally arrived turn 4.

Wyches did OK I guess, moved out of their transport turn 2 and knocked two HP off the Landraider with a thrown and then placed Haywire Grenade, before being toasted by the flamestorm.

Game ended turn 5 with 4 units of kabalites chasing after the flyer snap shooting at it and finally bringing it down. Jumped onto the objectives at the end for an extra 6 points. (MISTAKE as it dictated my next matchup)

Second game (20-0 Loss against Eldar)

Brutal matchup and I was almost tabled turn 1 (Just de-meched Kabalites and half a unit of Wyches left with him destroying all 6 skimmers before I got a turn)

His list was pretty brutal for a "friendly" tournament:

Farseer on bike
4 Scat Bikes
4 Scat Bikes
10 Warp Spiders
5 D-Scythe Wraith Guard in Wave Serpent
3 Hornets with 2 Pulse Lasers
3 Hornets with 2 Pulse Lasers
Dark Reapers with Exarch manning an Icarus LasCannon emplacement

so the Scat Bikes took a skimmer out each (16 s6 shots per unit) then the Hornets took a skimmer each (12 s8 shots per unit) then the Warp Spiders accounted for 1, and the Icarus Lascannon plus Dark Reapers plus Serpent Shield and Lance from the Serpent finished off anything that was left.

Fun...

Wanted to call it before my First turn but opponent pointed out we needed to carry on for VP purposes. He finished what was left his turn 2 but my reserves came in afterwards. He then tabled what was left T3.

Funnily enough that list went on to win the tournament having won 19-1 // 20-0 // 20-2

My last match was against a friend of mine with his Tau, something like:

Riptide
Y'Vara (Spelling?)
Ghost Keel
Coldstar Commander
Regular Commander with 5 Marker Drones
1 Crisis Suit with Fusion Guns
3 Crisis suits with S7 / S5 stuff?
2 Broadsides
5-6 Sniper drone things
Pathfinders

Again pretty brutal with 3-4 Skimmers down first turn although I did manage to score a few points in this match at least, losing 12-7 in the end.

Anyway!

Long and short of it is I think if I ever go to anything semi competitive again I'll probably need to bring some Eldar support as it just didn't feel that I could compete with my opponents after the first game. 






Wednesday 13 April 2016

Shadow Raptors Background

Going to a tournament on Saturday and part of the entry is that I need to write a piece of fluff for my army.

I always enjoy giving my army a background and doing the "factual bits" (A friend has just politely pointed out they're not real - spoilsport!), similar to what I did with my Craftworld Eldar a few weeks ago, and have done for my Wych Cult in the past. However I hate the process of weaving that into a story! I just can't seem to get it right and it just always seems to read like I'm a little kid again writing "let's pretend" stories.

I am also terrible at generating names for my characters so just nicked a few Dark Eldar sounding names from the "Path of the Renegade" book.

Anyway, it had to be done so I've spent a few days off and on thinking about it and eventually finished it up over breakfast this morning.

The initial task I set was to set the scene for why my kabal was playing these games, and to excuse the fact that I'm bringing a unit of Wyches along (the tournament doesn't "have" to be fully painted but I'd much prefer to play fully painted and there is a slight advantage in VP's if you bring a painted army so I figured what the heck, they've been on the shelf long enough)

This is what I came up with anyway, it's too late for change now but I'd appreciate any feedback you may have so that as and when I come to do it again I can improve upon this offering. (Army list is below for anyone interested)

----------------------

Duke Yllithian strode down the ranks of his arrayed kabalites,  daring one of them to blink out of turn. Not known for his patience at the best of times he was currently fuming inside, and looking for an excuse to release that rage on something or someone.

The arrangements for the raid had started well, he was soon to be launching a sustained campaign aimed at raising the stature of the Shadow Raptors kabal, and had begun pitting his warriors against each other to ensure only the very best were given the honour of joining the coming slave harvest.

All had been going well until the insolent Succubus Xelion had dropped from the sky unannounced in her Raider while final preparations were being made.
The wych cult of the Dancing Death was known to Yllithian, a once powerful gladiatorial cult that prided itself on the acrobatic skill of it's Wyches but that had fallen from grace recently as the powerful kabals it used to sell it's services to, found that they would rather fill their ranks with more of their own kabalites. (An arrangement also significantly less likely to end with a knife in the back)

Yllithian couldn't help but take the opportunity to point out the power he now held in comparison to the shreds of a reputation that the wych cult now clung on to and asked what Xelion thought of his assembled warriors.

The lithe Succubus had hesitated, stroking the blade of one of her knives down a thigh just enough to draw blood, before responding with a shrug and launching into wildly exaggerated tales of the feats her Wyches were capable of. Yllithian had cut her off at the point she began to compare his kabalites with the grace of a Squiggoth, a nod to his Sslyth bodyguard Morr the signal to throw Xelion overboard.

Xelion somersaulted out of reach and landed with one foot on the very tip of the Raider's aethersail. "A wager then!" The shout had come down, "one group of my Wyches, to outperform your entire raiding force!"

Yllithian had been left with no choice but to accept or lose face at that point and was raging at the fact that her been manipulated into taking along a group from the wych cult. A webway portal could only be held open for so long and the presence of the Wyches meant he would likely have to leave one of his favoured razorwing jet fighters in Commorragh.

With a mock bow the manipulative Succubus leapt back off the Aethersail and onto a swooping venom, leaving Yllithian to continue with his preparations...

----------------------

Shadow Raptors + Guests (1500 pts)

Duke Yllithian - Archon with Agoniser / Armour of Misery / Shadowfield / Webway Portal
Bodyguard - Court of the Archon, 3 Sslyth and 2 Medusa in a Raider with Nightshield

5 Kabalites with Blaster and Sybarite with Haywire Grenade in 2 Splinter Cannon Venom
5 Kabalites with Blaster and Sybarite with Haywire Grenade in 2 Splinter Cannon Venom
5 Kabalites with Blaster and Sybarite with Haywire Grenade in 2 Splinter Cannon Venom
5 Kabalites with Blaster and Sybarite with Haywire Grenade in 2 Splinter Cannon Venom
5 Kabalites with Blaster and Sybarite with Haywire Grenade in Raider
8 Wyches with Hydra Gauntlet and Hekatrix with Agoniser and Haywire Grenades in a Raider with Nightshield

Razorwing Jetfighter with 2 Disintegrator Cannons and 4 Monoscythe Missiles
Razorwing Jetfighter with 2 Dark Lances and 4 Monoscythe Missiles

----------------------

It's not the most optimal of builds, but it's fully painted and the tournament was pitched as "fluffy" so I don't feel so bad including the Wyches and Razorwings over Ravagers and more Kabalites.

I'll let you know how I get on and hopefully add some pictures next week




Wednesday 23 March 2016

Dark Eldar Progress

Just a few work in progress pictures of the Dark Eldar so far, I'd just finished the razorwing and my wife had the camera out so took a few pictures.

Unfortunately it turns out I had it on the wrong setting so apologies for the poor quality pics but a friend has offered to help me take some better ones once the 1500 is finished.

Getting there now, I have another 2 venoms in progress right now which should be done by the end of the week, and a couple more units of kabalites, then it's just the ravagers to do for the campaign list.

Anyway, picture dump coming up!




  










Quick recap from A Cam(bridge) too far



Just a quick recap from my trip with a few details. I did take some pictures but appear to have lost all but one from my phone 😑

Ended up being the biggest bolt action tournament yet with 60 players in attendance and generally had a great time, despite the 5 hour drive each way!

First game was a draw against British 8th army, 8-7 to me but needed to win by two for a minor win
Second game minor win against Russians
Third game heavy loss against Russians

Due to that last game I ended in 42nd out of 60 but had a great time and hoping to go again next year.

Monday 7 March 2016

Court of the Archon finished (Minus basing) // A few Bolt Action pics





Still need to do the bases but have to wait for those to arrive from the U.S. - Didn't think to order any 40mm ones when I first got them as I didn't have the Sslyth at the time.

Nothing spectacular but I'm happy with the overall effect for a couple of evenings work, Quite chuffed with the colouring on the Sslyth. Not really happy with the green rags on the Medusae but I wanted to try and tie the unit together and think it needed the green to do that.

It's worth noting that my Eldar project lasted all of one game as my opponent just didn't have a good time against my Eldar/Harlequins list (I had tried to tone it down by adding 750pts of Harlequins but obviously not enough) therefore I just decided to finish my Dark Eldar and run those for the campaign instead.



Still have to post some of my Bolt Action bits but I seem to have deleted some of the pictures on my phone so can't post full army pics right now. I'm at the event on Saturday so will try and take some pictures then if not before.

For now just a few pics of some of the bits that I could find. Bit of a mish mash sorry!













Wednesday 17 February 2016

Idrathanil Background

Hi all, I know it's been a while - believe it or not I've gotten a fair bit done despite the latest addition to the household.

Been playing a good amount, primarily bolt action (British Paras) and imperial assault but recently been convinced to join a 40k campaign starting in May and likely to use this blog to document my progress.

I'll pop some pictures of my bolt action up at some point soon as I'm quite chuffed I've gotten a full 1000pt army built for a tournament I'm attending in Cambridge next month.

For now though I wanted to share some of the background I've built up for my latest project, the Eldar of Idrathanil. Some of this was edited from existing background, some written myself, and I used a couple of random Craftworld background generators to direct me in places.

Mostly here for my own reference but posting up in case anyone else finds it interesting :)

Might need to play with formatting later as currently posting this from my tablet.


Craft world name - Idrathanil

Craftworld Environment - Split between Temperate Rainforests and Mountainous areas.

First Encountered by the Imperium -  Limited contact from afar before The Fall

Before the Fall - Explorers. The Craftworld was used to explore and keep tabs on the galaxy surrounding the Eldar Empire.

During the Fall - Escaped. As a result of its explorations, this Craftworld was far away from the core of the Eldar Empire and managed to survive safely.

Demeanour - Diplomatic. Because of its role on the edge of the Eldar empire this Craftworld learned always to establish peaceful contact as a preference, although there was always an unseen eye on negotiations should help be needed.

Goal - The Craftworld's ultimate goal is to rebuild the Empire. This Craftworld seeks to re-establish the Eldar Empire and the direct power of the Eldar race.

Craftworld Strength - Prosperous. This Craftworld has thrived from its strong bond with the Harlequins of the soaring spite and consequently the Dark Eldar.

Combat Tactics - Stealth. Rangers and war walkers scout ahead whilst striking scorpions lie in wait. When the time is right, from nowhere swooping hawks drop from the skies and crimson hunters tear in on attack runs to obliterate the unsuspecting enemy. When the situation calls for a greater infantry presence, the craftworld has been reported to use speedy Dark Eldar attack craft to jet into position from nowhere.

Military Composition - Aspects and Rangers, striking scorpions and swooping hawks match the tactics of the Craftworld whilst as normal for Eldar there is also a strong presence of dire avengers.

Fabled Hero - The enigmatic Harlequin Troupe Master who came to the rescue of the Craftworld and provided assurances that there was a future for the Eldar Empire to plan for. The Harlequins were instrumental in helping to destroy a Necron tomb complex that would have meant destruction for the Craftworld, although some of the younger Eldar of Idrathanil whisper that it was also them who awoke the threat...

Autarch - Iselyth - A respected commander having mastered all of the paths of war with particular affinity for the swooping hawk and striking scorpion aspects. Showing respect for both those aspects Iselyth is normally seen armed with a scorpion chainsword and mandiblasters, with a las blaster and swooping hawk wings, and has a knack for arriving at the perfect moment at the head of a trio of swooping hawk shrines.

Farseer - Oreshae - Little is known about the spiritual leader of the Craftworld and he rarely takes to the field unless the Eldar of Idrathanil are forced to fight a pitched battle rather than their favoured hit and run tactics. When he has been seen he has shown himself to be a powerful psyker and the Inquisition are said to be very interested in knowing more about this individual.

Head of Rangers -  Arlon StarStrider (counts as Illic Nightspear) With a burning hated of the Necrons, Arlon has devoted himself to bringing about their destruction whenever a new tomb world is discovered. Little is known about the origins of Arlon but it is known he was one of the first to discover the Necron Tomb World that so nearly destroyed Idrathanil and he has a stronger bond than most with the Harlequins of the Soaring Spite that intervened.

Common Aspects - swooping hawks // striking scorpions
Rare Aspects - fire dragons // dark reapers // shining spears
Common Path - Outcast
Common Allies - Harlequins and Dark Eldar
Bitter Enemies - Necrons

Themes:

Peaceful but dedicated to their path.
Stealthy, striking from an unseen angle
High amount of Exarchs/Rangers, Eldar often get stuck upon a certain path or become outcasts

Background:

While all Craftworlds make use of highly efficient sniper Rangers, none utilise them more than, or as well as, Idrathanil. By their nature Idrathanil Rangers, known as The Wanderers, do not reside upon the Craftworld, but travel the galaxy. These Rangers retain their loyalty to Idrathanil, returning to their craftworld regularly to report on any threats to the Craftworld or the Exodite Worlds it protects. The Wanderers are all highly trained snipers and can cause havoc to the enemy from afar with their long rifles.

In times of need the Craftworld sometimes recalls their Rangers to contribute to Idrathanil's military force. Idrathanil can also call upon an unusually high number of Exarchs, as its Eldar are more disposed to become utterly consumed by their chosen Path. This has caused some ripples amongst other Eldar, with rumours that the aspect shrines of Idrathanil are becoming more and more secretive, and sightings suggesting that warriors of the hawk aspect are slowly becoming twisted by their over zealous dedication.

The history of the craftworld details a time in M36 when a Necron Tomb World awoke on one of the Exodite worlds that Idrathanil was sworn to protect, with the craftworld fighting with unsustainable losses before an intervention by a Dark Eldar force guided to the battlefield through the webway by a Troupe of Harlequins. Since that time there has been a strong respect from the Idrathanil Eldar for the Dark Eldar cult and Harlequin Masque involved, and they can often be seen fighting alongside each other.

It is said that by capturing large numbers of Outcasts, the Imperial Inquisition has gleaned much knowledge of the Eldar through torture. This has increased tensions between the Imperium and Idrathanil, and the two currently share very tense relations, with the Imperium eager to find out everything they can about the Eldar whilst knowing that any ally in the battle against Chaos is priceless and at times they will need to work together.

For the Eldar of Idrathanil there is a similar struggle, as whilst they detest the methods of the Inquisition and feel the need to protect their own, they also realise that there are important allies within some factions.