Blood Angels Banner

So I am working on my Blood Angels right now, and in particular, the chapter standard bearer. I have named mine Ancient Medici. He is part of Squad Alighieri, Dante's Honour Guard. I have finished painting his torso and have just a little work to do on his jump pack.
Then I have the hard part.
Free handing his Banner.

So this is a huge undertaking for me. I think I am pretty good at painting, but still, this is going to be hard.

Plan:
Well first I am putting down a layer of mecharite red foundation paint all over the banner. This I have already done.
Next, I am going to draw with a mechanical pencil (.05 mm) all the large general shapes. Any lighter color (wings, skin, clouds, scrolls) will then get painted dheneb stone. This should easily cover the mecharite red.
Then any yellow will be picked out in iyaden darksun.
Once I have these down, I am going to paint in the chaos black background.
With all the base colours laid down, I am going to go back in and draw once more with the pencil all the fine details except for writing.
The next step will definitely be the hardest. I am going to have to paint the detail and then the shading for the detail.
Once that is done, I am probably going to use a really fine point pen to write out the lettering instead of painting them. I have used one before for purity seals and it worked rather well. Hopefully it will prove the same for this.

Once this is all done, I am probably going to spray hair spray to try and seal it. Usually inking my minis does this fairly well, but here I am not going to ink but still need to protect this.

In addition, expect to start seeing some posts from a friend of mine, Hatmaker. I haven't been able to keep a regular posting schedule going, and so he should help provide some more content to Sepulchre.
He is a big Khorne player, but also dabbles in Tau, Tyranids, Blood Bowl (wood elves) and Necromunda (Delaque).
Imagine the following in a hawaiian shirt and you pretty much have the Hatmaker.

Looks vs Stats

What is more important to you as a hobbyist.
Looks of the Model or Stats of the Unit?

I bring this up because of these babies:

The Death Korps of Krieg Heavy Mortars

I love the way they look. They are just so... well... AWESOME.
They, to me, are what field artillery pieces are supposed to look like. They are at the top of my Wishlist right now because I just can't resist the model. I can see in my head a battery of these pounding away through the day and night. The ceaseless Thump of round after round lobbed on high. It is just plain old fashion Cool.

But then I look at the rules...

45 (50 for DKK) points a pop. Armour 10 all round. And glancing or penetrating hit DESTROYS them. G12-48" range. S6 AP4. 5" Blast
Not really all that great. Indirect fire I guess helps. But all in all, not the most impressive. If it took more to destroy them, maybe, but still. And only 3 crew to buffer wounds. 3 guardsmen. 5+ saves. Eh. I can buy 2 more for 6 points each, but that is just making me buy more models as well.
In addition they are immobile unless I buy a centaur, but they can't fire if I move them, which really is inefficient.
It also costs even more points to upgrade their ammo. Infernus shells are pretty nice, but 20 pts. Siege Shells are okay, but not the most useful. At least they are only 10 pts.

So it comes down to this. Do I want them because they look cool even though my points could be better spent elsewhere?

This happens, I am sure, for many of you. You see a new model that is a must have, but then you see the rules and go: Oh, I guess I don't want that.

I personally think it should be a blend. Take what you like. That is what you will be happy with. I know I would have never have taken the old Hellhound (except the FW model) just because I hated the way it looked. Never mind its effectiveness. I just didn't like it. At the same time, I think Lightning claw terminators look cooler, but I can't ignore what storm shields can do for me.

But when it comes down to picking a unit for the sake of having a unit, for me, it is looks all the way. If I am just getting a new unit because I feel the urge to expand, it probably won't be the most useful. It is just going to plain out be the sweetest designed mini I can get my hands on.

Like this:


On the other hand though you can always convert your more boring looking squads to be more exciting as well. So if you play solely the best thing you can, I suggest doing that so you at least aren't looking a cookie cutter units.

So what does it come down to? Are you going to play a list just because it has the highest utility point for point, or are you going to take those cool but inefficient guys (Vespids, Ogryns, Rough Riders, Thunderfire Cannon, Striking Scorpions, Incubi, Soul Grinders, Daemonhosts, Chaos Dreadnoughts, Pariahs, Vanguard, etc. etc.)?

Well there is a poll over there for you to answer. -->

POLL RESULTS
What is more important when getting a new unit, looks or rules?

The rules all the way, no matter how bad it looks. 1 (4%)
The rules as long as it looks okay. 3 (12%)
I HONESTLY equally consider rules and looks. 6 (25%)
The looks as long as it has decent rules. 6 (25%)
Looks no matter how bad it plays. 8 (33%)

Blood Pact Book Review

Well, I recently read the latest installment in the Gaunt's Ghost series: Dan Abnett's Blood Pact

All in all a good read. Well it is an Abnett book, so of course it is.
This is a little different from your standard Abnett. There is far less combat than a typical story and it focuses on a select few characters.
Once again, it ties back to Traitor General, and is kinda the same story, but from a different perspective. As well, Maggs gives it a tie in to the last book Only in Death.
I really think he is setting up for the final installment with this one. Thats really all the book seemed like. It just didn't have the huge punch the other books in the series did, but the final chapter leaves a setup for the end.
Well written, but not as exciting as the other Ghosts books. Still I couldn't put it down and I am left wanting more.
What I found particularly nice was that is is set on Balhaut, and you get a taste of what the most critical battle (now 15 years previous) of the Sabbat worlds crusade was like.
As well, this book, as the title would suggest, give the reader an interesting look into the archenemy mind, in particular, the mind of the Blood Pact. Until now, they seemed for the most part like highly effective animals (space wolves?). I liken them more to like a group of very hardcore criminals. They each have individual personalities, quirks, and abilities but are all very sick and violent men, devoted to the dark gods.
So if you are looking for all out warfare, you won't find it here, but the book does play out like a good spy/chase movie. So if you want for a moment for there to be NOT ONLY WAR, pick it up. As well, if you have read the previous 11 books, you need this one. I think it will be the stepping stone for the End.

All in all: 4 out of 5 Aquilas.


Poll Results:
Who is the best Black Library (40K) Author?
Dan Abnett 12 (100%)
Graham McNeill 6 (50%)
William King 1 (8%)
Lee Lightner 0 (0%)
Ben Counter 3 (25%)
James Swallow 0 (0%)
Mitchel Scanlon 0 (0%)
Sandy Mitchell 0 (0%)
Mike Lee 1 (8%)
Nick Kyme & Lindsey Priestly 1 (8%)
Gav Thorpe 3 (25%)

Reinvention of my Imperial Guard

Okay, so I am sitting with my room mate yesterday and he announced that he had decided to start his Light Infantry Guard army. Pretty good list I think. No vehicles. Just alot of snipers, melta and cover savers. Not the kind list for a tournament really, WAY heavy on kill points, but unique I think given the current trend.

This though got me thinking, how should I reinvent my Guard Army? And can I keep them unique without Doctrines?

"Doctrines had a quality too"- Gothmog

So here is what I currently have to work with

3 x Command Squads
-Melta Gun, 3 x Medics, Company Standard, 3 x Vox, 2 x Power Weapon, 1 x Power Fist, 2 x Bolt Pistol, 1 x Plasma Pistol
5 x Infantry Squads/Veteran Squads
-5 x Vox, 4 x Bolt Pistol, 1 x Bolter, 3 x Grenade Launcher, 2 x Flamer
Stormtrooper Squad
-Power Weapon, Plasma Pistol, Vox, Flamer, Grenade Launcher
Special Weapon Squads
-3 x Sniper Rifles
7 x Heavy Weapons
-2 x Lascannon, 2 x Autocannon, 2 x Missile Launchers, Heavy Bolter
Techpriest Enginseer w/ Heavy Bolter Servitor
2 x Commissar
Extra Company Standard (Kell model)


Chimera
2 x Armoured Sentinels
-Lascannon, Autocannon
2 x Conqueror/Eradicator Russ
2 x Vanquisher
3 x Demolisher
4 x Leman Russ Battle Tank

So there you go. What would you do with this? What would you add? What would you take away. What would your theme be?

I know I need more melta guns. I would like to see Roughriders or Ogryns added (or both). I just like those units. Not the best choices I know, but fun choices.

I am not trying to make a super competitive list here. I want something fun. If I could do an all cavalry regiment I would. OR if I could afford DKK I would (the Heavy Mortars look SO COOL). Things like that.

So how do I reinvent my guard to be, well, fun?

FOUND MY ANSWER: KRIEG ARMOURED BATTLEGROUP!!!

Second Founding Quizzes

In case you think that the two quizzes uploaded yesterday were a little difficult (even I can't do them without cheating) here are a few more for you to try.

Blood Angels Second Foundings
Dark Angels Second Foundings
Ultramarines Second Foundings
Imperial Fists Second Foundings
Assorted Second Foundings

If you want more you have to wait unfortunately. Apparently there is a limit on the number of quizzes I can contribute each month. I already have another one ready and just need to be allowed to contribute. I'll make a few more so that I have a bunch ready and then I will try to put them up once a week.

Quizzes UPDATED

Okay, so if you don't know what Sporcle is, you should check it out.

And as such, you should take the first 40k quiz I made for Sepulchre. I am making more.

Can you name the Warhammer 40k Space Marine Legions, their Primarchs & Homeworlds?

I am working on a second quiz which will be up as soon as I finish it.

NEXT QUIZ

Can you name the Warhammer 40k Special Characters?

Help Wanted

I know I have been really bad about posting as of late. Being at one of the Top Universities in the nation has kept me extraordinarily busy this semester.

First of all: GOD MACHINE IS COMING! I promise. I am just having trouble finding time to work on it. Pretty much the first version is done, I just need to convert my hand written scribble into a presentable .pdf download.



Being at it is, I am reaching out to my readers for some things:
1- Leave comments here with what YOU want to read about/see
2- Send me emails with what you want
3- AIM/Skype me to discuss anything 40k
4- Email me guest articles! I know you all think about 40k about as much as I do. Write something up and send it to me!