Blood Angels- Changes in fluff (Honour Guard)

With the new Blood Angels codex came some changes in fluff. Most noticeable of all was some of the paint scheme changes. To me, the most noticeable of these was the change in the style of the Honour Guard.

See. It went from red w/ gold helmets to all gold apparently. Why? Because some 'eavy Metal painter had made a conversion at one point. Really though, if you look at the "new" Honour Guard, they look closer to what inspired Sanguinary Guard than what the old Honour Guard was.

With this change came a change for veterans as well. It used to be that only their company marking (white skull on right shoulder) marked them as a Veteran of the 1st Company.  Now it is that they have gold helmets. But wait, that is what Honour Guards used to be. Now I have an old painted Honour Guard that are Veterans and not an Honour Guard because they don't have gold Armour but rather just helmets...

I get the change from Sanguinary Priest to Sanguinary Novitiate. The priests are heroes in their own right deserving of leading rather than following, so give an officer one in training. It allows the novitiate to learn and grants the officer council and services of the priesthood.

BUT Honour Guards lost Tech Adepts. These guys may have fit in a little weird rules wise in the past, but it made sense that an officer would have an adviser on Technical details in his inner sanctum, which the Honour Guard is supposed to be. Although it makes sense in a way to not represent the Adept in the rules. What Honour Guard would stop to wait for an Adept to fix a tank or bolster defences. None. But he is there to advise the Officer. Just because you aren't rules wise gaining the benefits of another Tech Marine does not mean that fluff wise your force commander is not gaining the insight provided by one. Plus, I am sure the Armoury would want to have someone with knowledge right next to a commander they lent rare tools to, like a vindicator.

So, what is an Honour Guard really supposed to be? Well since they aren't a permanent formation (not on the Chapter Organization page and the fluff says they pretty much are put together from whomever the captain wants at the time) I am going to go with this:

1.) Honour Guards have red armour with gold helmets. They are veterans from their company or 1st company.
2.) Maybe Dante has a permanent Honour Guard in all gold armour. But really, these guys just look like proto-Sanguinary Guard. And the ones above are clearly members of first co, as per their shoulder markings. Plus, the org does not have a permanent one listed. So MY version of his honour guard is going to be just like it was, red with gold helmets. But I would say that if you want the gold honour guard, only do it for Chapter Officials (Dante, Astorath, Epistolaries, Reclusiarchs) or 1st Company Captain. 2-10th Company Honour Guards would not be so ostentatious IMO.
3.) Though they aren't officially part of the rules anymore, I am leaving in the Tech Adept model. He is now just a veteran with what ever weapons I see fit. If you say "well what about the servo-arm?" Well, as Blood Angels you probably should have jump packs on your honour guard. BUT if you don't, there is a loop hole. Put the servo arm on and call it a power fist in your list. Then on the Tech Adept model you put 2 normal arms. One with what his other weapon is, the other holding an auspex or grenade or something. He is there for the fluff of it, not for the rules.

"If I had the time and the money..." Hobby Motivation Challenge

We all tell ourselves that don't we. We either never have enough time to do what we want to in the hobby or we never have the money to do the cool projects we'd make time for. But is it that we just don't try to make the time or save the money?


TIME FIRST:

I know I am super guilty of this. I tell myself I am going to paint all the time. But it doesn't happen as often as I like. I tell myself I didn't have the time. But I probably would have had I not watched that repeat of Top Gear (at least I picked a really good show instead of murder she wrote or golden girls) or played Mass Effect 2. I am a slow painter, I know this, but I always set unrealistic goals and never reach them. Why? Because I never utilize my free time properly to do so. Or you just get bored of painting certain things (Jump Packs for me) and stop making time to paint as a result, just to avoid something. Or you have a million unpainted minis lying around (who doesn't) and the scope of that is just discouraging.

I know alot of us are legitimately busy. From college students to full time jobs and kids, days get eaten up. BUT I know I can find time. I just need to force myself to do it. So to start, I am going to take baby steps of commitment. By the end of this week I will paint 2 marines. I am a slow painter. Like really slow. I spend too long on my guys (hours) and I know this. So accounting for my speed and schoolwork (academics first mind you!) 2 marines is a small, but attainable goal I believe. Especially since I have 1 half done. I want you guys to hold me to it and yell at me if I don't get pics up sometime Sunday. I already feel the pressure.

Those of you who suffer from this as well, I challenge you to do the same. Set a goal. Email me or post it in the comments. On Sunday, photograph any progress you made (before and after shots would be best) and email the pics to me (sepulchreofheroes@gmail.com). I will post everyone's results (so please give me something to post). It doesn't have to be painting either. It can be building, making terrain, basing, building, cleaning up your workspace so you can start painting again. Whatever. Just set a small goal, small being the keyword here, and go from there. Baby steps is the name of the game. Don't think of the fact you have tons of other minis and how time consuming the army will be, just focus on getting a little chunk done.

Who knows with my new found goal setting drive I may try it again, but I won't get ahead of myself here. Baby steps.

If you haven't seen Office Space, watch it. That is, watch it while you paint...

MONEY SECOND:
I am slightly guilty of this, but I also think this is a far more common and uncontrollable factor. We can make more time, but not neccessarily more money. Not all of us are making bank, and alot of us have bills to pay and mouths to feed. So ultimately this one is more understandable and definately a more long term thing.

The problem I have is I never have the money to do the conversions I want to do. Its why I haven't posted on this in forever. I still have it in my mind and on the back burner. But it just hasn't ever happened because I bought some warmachine or went out to eat too much or saw too many movies, etc. etc.. The issue with the latter things is friends and I always want to go do things with them. So if I can afford it, just barely, I go and blow the little spending money I had. This though stops me from affording the really cool things I really want to do (i.e. Terminator Assault Squad made with Sanguinary Guard bitz)

So here is where I set myself another challenge. I am going to save up $50-75 (not sure what yet) for a conversion (not sure which one yet) by November. That is a month and a half, which seems like a good amount of time I guess. At that time I will select which one to do and get the stuff to do it. Hold me to this as well please.

If you want to join in on this one, just price out something you want to do and post it. Update on progress via email again and work towards doing it.

So I know I have these issues and it is a matter of motivating myself past them. I planned on painting this evening. Now to make sure I get home and do that. Setting a little and immediate goal like this should help instead of FINISH 3 SQUADS THIS SUMMER. I never do because it is too many to notice over to long a time frame to really puch myself.

Codex Testosterines

So my brother and I this summer (which I need to put up battle reports from) started work on a joke codex.

Darth Vader as a Testosterine

Codex Testosterines. Basically it is supposed to be the manliest chapter of Space Marines in the Imperium. Today I am going to share some of the stuff we came up with.

The chapter uses a non-codex organization structure. Marines follow paths, much like Eldar Aspect Warriors. These paths represent manly endeavors, such as hunting or bull fighting. Paths that are similar gather in lodge houses.

First Lodge House: THE GYM- Toughguys, Strongmen, and Testosterines.
Second Lodge House: THE BUNKER- Demomen and Pyrotechnics
Third Lodge House: THE UNION- Construction Workers and Firemen
Fourth Lodge House: THE ARENA- Gladiators and Matadors
Fifth Lodge House: THE GARAGE- Bikergangs and Gearheads
Sixth Lodge House: THE CORRAL- Cowboys and Gunslingers
Seventh Lodge House: THE LODGE- Hunters and Lumberjacks
Eighth Lodge House: THE STUDIO- Metal Bands (Hair and Heavy)
Ninth Lodge House: THE CASTLE- Crusaders
Tenth Lodge House: THE BOOTH- Sportsfans
Chapter Council: THE OCTAGON- Chapter Master Arnold Schwarzenegger presiding.

When a marine first joins, he spends time as a hunter to hone his ballistic skills, as the bolter is still the most common instrument of death utilized by the chapter. From there they move onto being Testosterines. Testosterines are just generally manly and cool. They can lift heavy objects with ease and they don't look at explosions.
As Testosterines are exposed to combat more and more, they may realize that they have a calling for a more specialized form of awesomeness and petition to joining another lodge house. They will be tested and placed appropriately. Sometimes, a particularly devout brother will be called upon by the crusaders to join their ranks, inspiring their brothers with zeal for the Emperor and their founder, Chapter Master Hercules. Other times, a young hunter will be discovered to have latent psychic abilities and be drawn towards the Sportsfans, whose knowledge of everything sporting and manly is vast and powerful.

Thats all the time I have for now. I will detail more later and hopefully get a fandex out sometime. I do have some work already done.

The most Elite Blood Angels List I could think of: 2000/2500 pt BA "Storm Guard"

Dante Rocks the Stormraven!

So I was sitting around yesterday and just decided to make a list utilizing 3 Stormraven Gunships. With their 6 person capacity though, I thought that the best use of them was the Sanguinary Guard w/ attending priest. But I needed scoring units. Commander Dante fits in here. BUT I didn't want to completely waste Dante's Tactical presision rule, so I kinda took another idea from BoLS and added an Honour Guard to go with him.

Here is the list

BLOOD ANGELS "STORM GUARD" LIST

HQ- Commander Dante- 225
HQ- Honour Guard- Jump Packs; Blood Champion; Power Fist, Infernus Pistol; Power Weapon, Infernus Pistol; Melta-gun; Chapter Banner- 295
Elites- Sanguinary Priests (3)- Jump Pack x 3, Hand Flamer x 1- 235
Troops- Sanguinary Guard- Power Fist, Infernus Pistol- 220
Troops- Sanguinary Guard- Power Fist, Infernus Pistol- 220
Troops- Sanguinary Guard- Power Fist, Infernus Pistol- 220
Heavy Support- Stormraven Gunship- Multi-melta, extra armour, Assault Cannon- 215
Heavy Support- Stormraven Gunship- Multi-melta, extra armour, Assault Cannon- 215
Heavy Support- Stormraven Gunship- Multi-melta, extra armour, Plamsa Cannon- 215

Pts: 2000 Scoring Units: 3 KPs: 11

24 models, 3 Vehicles

The idea is to load a Priest and Sanguinary Guard unit into each Stormraven and have Dante go with his Honour Guard. Ideally the Stormravens come in turn 2 and Dante turn 3, but if you can hide Dante well enough turn 2 that is fine as well. You want to try and keep everything close together to get the advantages from the chapter banner, and utilize the assault vehicle rule of the Stormraven as well. This is kinda a homage to the Dante Ball of Death army from the last codex. Keep it packed tight and hit hard.

If you keep it tight enough, you may get overlapping Priest effects, as there is one in each squad including the novitiate. This is key if you lose one. What is really nice is 16 models in the army have 2+/4+ saves with FNP and the remaining 8 have a 3+/4+. That is really good. And they all are Furious Charging. And you have alot of Master Crafted power weapons. Sanguinary Guard further help make up for a lack of numbers slightly with angelus boltguns, as they are assault 2 weapons and +1 AP over a bolt pistol.

Well, when I was done making that list I thought "What would I do with another 500 pts and still keep the list really elite." I couldn't fit another Stormraven, and I didn't want to just Deep Strike a squad normally seeing as I already had 3 storm ravens (Dante doesn't count as normal DS because he doesn't scatter).

Well here is the answer

1- Lose the Hand Flamer on the Sanguinary Priest
2- Add the Sanguinor- 275
3- Add a Furioso Librarian- 175 (Wings of Sanguinus and Might of Heroes. Make sure to take wings, but you can switch Might if you want. I thought Blood Lance was a little useless given the amount of melta above)
4- 60 more points.... Hmm. Landspeeder Tornado- 2 x Heavy Flamer- 60

Pts: 2500 Scoring Units: 3 KPs: 14

The only thing kinda out of place is the Landspeeder, but it actually really helps for against horde type armies. It is really easy to be outnumbered with this list, so if that can Deep Strike in and flame a brood of guants or mob of boyz off the table before being destroyed, then you can concentrate your force on other things.

Sanguinor allows 2 things. Either a more concentrated Ball of Death with another +1 attack on top of the Honour Guard chapter banner OR allows you to spread out a little and have 2 spheres of +1 attack.

The Furioso Librarian is able to come in on a Stormraven and then is a pretty formidable unit himself. Use him to force your opponent off objectives you don't have the numbers to hold.

So there you go. If you try it tell me how it works. I am not doing Stormraven until there is a model, so I really don't know.

OH and I thought this actually may be a good method to go about proxying a Grey Knights army. Low numbers of super elite guys.

Descent of Angels List: No Armour Need Apply

Well, I sat down just now and wrote a list solely based on Jump Troops

HQ- Dante: 225
Elites- Sanguinary Priests (3): 270- Jump Packs x 3, Power Weapon x 3
Troops- Sanguinary Guard (5): 250- Chapter Banner, Infernus Pistol, Power Fist
Troops- Assault Squad (10): 250- Power Fist, Infernus Pistol; 2 x Melta-gun
Troops- Assault Squad (10): 240- Power Weapon, Infernus Pistol; 2 x Melta-gun
Troops- Assault Squad (5): 135- Lightning Claw, Plasma Pistol; Flamer
Fast Attack- Veteran Assault Squad (5): 210- Lightning Claw x 2, Infernus Pistol x 2
Fast Attack- Veteran Assault Squad (5): 210- Lightning Claw x 2, Infernus Pistol x 2
Fast Attack- Veteran Assault Squad (5): 210- Lightning Claw x 2, Infernus Pistol x 2

Pts: 2000 KP: 11-13 Scoring Units: 4-6

So, the idea is to try and use descent to bring everything in at once. Bring in the Sanguinary Priests first, in any of the Troops Choices really. Then bring the Veterans down near them and try to get the Priests bonus for their Heroic Intervention. Each Vanguard squad should eliminate a squad the turn it lands. Don't pair the Lightning Claws. 2 Marines with 1 is better than 1 marine with 2.

If you can bring in 75% of the force at once, that is still 33 Marines in at once, ideally 15 of them Assaulting when they arrive. If you pull it off right and get furious charge then you should be Golden. And if you are near the Chapter Banner, you are really set.

Even without bonuses, a Vanguard Squad should get 6 Power Weapon Attacks that re-roll to wound and then 12 Normal SM attacks. 18 Attacks that can't be stopped from reaching the table is nothing to scoff at.

DragonCon coverage PART TWO: Cool Stuff

So today's post is really just about the cool 40k outfits I saw at DragonCon yesterday. Unfortunately, I missed the Tau on Friday. Anyway, enjoy!

Warmachine Menoth Flameguard

Our friends in the Adeptus Mechanicus.

Your neighborhood Commissars.

Inquisitors (all Malleus I believe) and Retinues. I particularly like the Digi-weapons and the family team.

FOUL XENOS SCUM! Though a really good job with the Dire Avenger Helmet and Rifle.

GROUP SHOT!

Dragon Con coverage PART ONE

Well I have been to 2 days of DragonCon and have to say I have mixed feelings about the results. The Con seems plagued by its own size. Because they have it at hotels instead of a conference center, there is limited space for everything, thus you always have to wait in line early for anything if you want to see it.

As well, apparently the people who were the main 40k and Warmachine event organizers got kicked out of DragonCon. Here is the story:
The store running the demo events and small tournaments (Combat patrol 40k and 25pts Warmachine I believe) has a Gaming Convention license, allowing them to sell at conventions. They were told by one director of DragonCon that this was enough to sell outside the showroom and in the game room where they were running the demos. Then another director came and yelled at them for selling and the one who gave them permission just left when the yelling started. The organizers of the gaming event said they would pack up all the intro-products and asked if they could at least still run their events. The angry director though would not even allow this and took their badges and kicked them out entirely. So there was no 40k or Warmachine. And as there was none the first night, no one showed up for other organizers events assuming they all got canceled, even though they were actually separate. So ultimately, DragonCon hurt a lot of gamers with their own ineptitude.

This though did not stop me from seeing some cool stuff which I will talk about tomorrow. Here is a sneak peek:

Gothmog is at DragonCon today

If you want to see me and talk 40k or wargaming at all, send an email to sepulchreofheroes@gmail.com.

Should be a good time today. Adult Swim and Star Wars stuff.

How does Ork technology work? POLL

POLL RELATED POST!

The comic relief of the wok universe. The Orks. Really a wonderfull creation of GW's part. They took one of the most iconic fantasy images and molded it into something awesomely new and suitable for a sci-fi realm. One of the biggest contributing factors to this is Ork Technology (or lack thereof).

We all know Orks just make things work. They just do. Slap metal together, paint it red, add some dakka and a button to do something unexpected. TADA You have a battlewagon. Or is it a Fighta-Boma. Or a Kill Krooza. See they all are essentially the same formula. How do Orks do it?

Well for one, looting. Orks loot. Some more than others, but they have very little idustry. What industry they do have is looted and orkified. But looting straight up is only half the equation. When was the last time you saw orks driving a normal chimera. Never. Not shooty or choppy enough. Not orky.

So when orks loot, they modify. But how can guys that do this:

Make this:

It boggles my mind. How?

Well I have a few theories.

1- Sheer Will: It works because they are to dumb and to headstrong to allow it not to work. I wish I had this ability without the idiocy. Now I call orks dumb in intelligence. BUT they can be extremely clever. Maybe that plays into it as well. The Meks just by will and cleverness put parts together and make it work. Hit it with a hammer. Tighten it with a wrench for good measure. Kill a grot. Done.

2- Innate Understanding: Maybe orks are just innately able to understand technology. I guess at some level, this is definately ture. But if it were so instinctual, why are they so bad at it? Everything they do and make is substandard and it is not a matter of if it will explode, but when. So I put some eggs in this basket, but not all of mine.

3- Actual understanding: BWAHAHAHAHAHA. Joke. Orks don't really understand technology. Otherwise they'd know that just because it is louder does not mean it is better. Do you really think orks sit down and learn why and how something works? Do you really think they have the patience for that?

4- Gork/Mork/An ability to tap into the accumulated knowledge of the universe: This one is basically they know how to do it because of the warp. They gain any and all technical prowess from some greater power or knowledge than themselves and are unable to identify that this is occuring, thus the absence of ture understanding and learning.

OH And all of this applies to Ork medicine as well:

So there are my four thoughts. Do you have more ideas? Tell me.

And remember to vote over there ->

POLL RESULTS
How does Ork technology work?

Sheer willlpower/cleverness 12 (37%)
Innate Understanding/instincts 12 (37%)
Actual Understanding/learning 1 (3%)
Gork/Mork/Warp/Knowledge of the Universe 4 (12%)
Other 3 (9%)

What I'd like to see in the Dark Eldar Codex 2010 when it drops:

So it seems Dark Eldar will be coming pretty soon. After 19 gallion years and 3 editions of the game, they are seeing a little love.

Aside from new models, particularly ones that don't leave me cut just from looking at them, there are a few things I'd like to see from Dark Eldar.

AHHHH SO SPIKEY!!!

1- Fast Foot Army w/ Skimmer support: I don't want to see an all Skimmer force. I know we will, but I'd like to see some great advantages from playing an army not entirely meched up. Now how fluffy is this? I guess not enitirely, but some good flanking rules in the DE codex for infantry would go a long way to reducing mech in the game.

2- Diverse list options: I don't want a codex producing one list that is the only competitive list to play, like leafblower is in IG. I would like to see several options equally viable. And please, don't make raider lance spam the best choice again. Diverse options also means tons of units and wargear. These are DE, they are suppossed to be characterful and freaky. More to troops than just warriors. Really ideally there should be IMO
2-4 Troop options (3 optimal)
3-6 Elite options (4/5 optimal)
3-4 Fast Attack options
4-6 Heavy Support  options

3- An end to IG reign of terror: Not saying I want DE to be top dog, but I want them to at least knock IG off their pedestal and level the playing feild. Make these guys an anti-alpha strike army. Something like where they have a chance of making any mission nightfight during the first turn (or d3 turns to be more brutal). Kill leafblower right there.

4- A new vehicle- Raiders, Ravagers. Thats it? Really? Oh, I guess the Talos. Try giving them something else as well. I don't know what. DE version of a warwalker maybe. Helps on my first point at least.  But something new and outside the box would be great to see here.

5- Something to replace Scourges: Heavy Weapon Jump Packs? Really? Yet no Fast Attack Jump Infantry? Really? Wow... Even just an addition of relentless still makes them weird. That is probably what is going to happen. But they are then super expensive, as a jump pack usually costs as much points wise as a light heavy weapon. Then if you want a dark lance or something, they will be outrageously expensive. I'd rather see scourges be a fast attack with normal weapons and have a guy upgradeable to a heavy weapon. Maybe have a heavy support scourge type with a weapon more akin to what fire dragons have.

So yeah, that is all I have for now. If I think of more, I will let you know.