Confessions of a 40k Addict 2016/17 Hobby Season Challenge: My to do list

Confessions of a 40k Addict apparently does a yearly tracking challenge that he starts in August. Since we recently found each other's blogs, I noticed this and decided to jump in on it. I drafted up a to do list for the year.

This is overly ambitious, I know. But that is the point isn't it. Set the bar out of reach and go for it so you don't become complacent.

Here is my to do list for the year as of now. I may however reorganize it into an excel format to track overall progress of certain projects. However, I think this is a great start.

Items in bold are what I consider "Major" projects.

-Cult Mech for Adepticon (12 models)

-Armies on Parade Display Board

-Adepticon Display Board

-Kato Kiyomasa & Banners for Crystal Brush (4 models)

-Finish Arbites (2 Models)

-1 Blood Bowl Team (16 models)

-Steel Fist Samurai (9 Models)

-Thunderbolt Fighter (1 Model)

-Spare Contemptor Arm

-Baal Turret & Weapons

-Land Raider Crusader/Redeemer (1 model)

-Vindicator (1 Model)

-Lucius Drop Pod (1 Model)

-Xiphon Interceptor (1 Model)

-Jetbikes (5 Models)

-Chaplain (1 Model)

-Lizardmen Saurus (20 models)

-Drop Pods (2 models)

-Baal Predator (2 models)

-Rhinos (2 Models)

-Samurai Cavalry (12 models)

-Fury Road Cars (4 cars)

-Land Raider (1 model)

-Death Company (4 models)

-Tactical Squad (10 models)

-Devastator Squad (10 models)

-Sternguard Squad (10 models)

-Objective Markers (6 models)

-Relic (1 model)

-Vanguard (5 models)

-Knight Paladin (1 model)

-Battlefleet Gothic Gothicomp Entry (at least 1 model)

-Battlefleet Gothic (at least 6 models)
-French Line Battalion (30 models)

So that is at least 179 models! PLUS 2 DISPLAY BOARDS! AAAAHHHHH! I must be out of my mind. But hey, aren't we all if we are in this hobby

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Recent and Weekend WIPS

Just some quick photos of stuff I have been and I am working on! See the finished Typhon here!

AHH RESIN!!!!!!

And 2 games!

Thoughts on a Blood Angels Gladius/Decurion

So the one thing the Blood Angels are missing for sure is there own Decurion style detachment/ Gladius Strike Force. Definitely somethings that needs to be remedied to bring them back up to snuff (apart from these other issues)

So first of all lets talk the most important and defining factor of the force, the Command Benefits. I think that the first and most obvious one is +1 I on the charge. This is the same benefit a Baal SF and BA demi-company get right now, no reason to change that. BUT that can't be all. Every other Decurion type formation goes way over the top in this realm. So what should the sons of Sanguinius get? There are a few possibilities that stick out to me.

1- All transports gain the "Assault Vehicle" rule. Now, this may very well be too OP (though next to the new Deathwatch I am not all too sure. Have you seen the Frag Cannon rules. Assault 2 Lascannons, really GW?). BUT Decurions are known for the OPness, and this may just fit the bill. It makes tactical squads in a a BA army useful. It gives us a BIG chance to actually make it to assault. Possibly this would not be allowed or apply to drop pods, and that seems reasonable, if not a little clunky.
2- Everyone gains Rage. This is okay, if not a little plain. Still, something to consider.
3- Everyone gains Relentless. While this may not seem very BA like, it would be great for a Battle Company of Angels. Think of it, being able to move, shoot and assault with non-assault weapons. If you are being mandated to take 2 demi-companies (like both the Lions Blade and Gladius), this means 6 tactical and 2 Devastators. Those aren't really assault units are they? Well Relentless makes them such, especially since they have FC and, assuming it stays on the detachment, +1 I.
4- What would this list be without a "free stuff" option. Free transports has been done, though it would not be bad IF the BA decurion HAD to be a Battle Company. BUT something else would be nice. Maybe free upgrades on Sergeants or Veteran Sergeants (ie, pay 10 points to be a vet, then you can get anything).

Next would be the command, core, and aux choices. Command would be simple: Captain or Characters w/ 0-1 Honour Guard or 0-1 Sanguinary Guard. A Blood Angels Librarius Conclave would be nice. Also, I think some sort of "Baal Priesthood" option would be cool, with Sanguinary Priests.

Core for the BA would most likely be a Demi-company, as it is with all the other chapters. It would be nice to see other options. Maybe they would make a Flesh Tearer Decurion too and that is where the heavy assault troop options would come in. I would love to see something with tons of Assault Marines.

Auxiliary Choices, just some spit ball ideas here.
- Some sort of BA variant of Skyhammer
- Death Company with an attached chaplain.
- Furiosos!
- Some super sweet Baal Predator Formation. Maybe they gain torrent!
- Vanguard and Assault Marines together
- A BA variant of the 10th company task force
- An "Assault Wing" with bikes, land speeders and jump troops. Basically an 8th company task force I guess.
- The Sanguinor with 1+ Sanguinary Guard squads
- A BA variant of the 1st Company Task Force

Do you all have any thoughts on the matter?

Blood Angels Typhon Siege Tank (with Freehand designs)

Just finished up my Typhon siege tank the other night and I can say, I am quite happy with how it turned out. All the symbols are freehanded with the exception of the brass etch right over the main gun. All in all not that bad of a kit, though mine was made before the tracks were part of the hull. However, I would have painted them separately had I known they were going to be such a pain.

Without any more ado, I give you, the Typhon "Metatron"

How and Why Forgeworld should bring back Aeronautica Imperialis

Probably one of the greatest games you never played. It was too short lived and came too late into the SG market to survive the Kirby killing. But none the less, Aeronautica Imperialis is a GREAT GAME and really REALLY REALLLLLLLLY should be made again. Serious fun, awesome models, fast paced and super tactical. I loved this game.

First of all, GW is bringing back the SG slowly, starting with Blood Bowl. BUT they are doing it primarily through FW. And while Aeronautica (AE for the rest of the article) was never a true SG game, it is niche enough to consider it as such. Furthermore, it was made exclusively by FW.

But that is not the full reason as to WHY. The bigger reason is X-WING. There is obvious demand for a Dogfighting style game, and AE is the GW way to break back into this market. Sure they will never be on par with X-Wing in terms of marketability and market share, but that isn't the goal. The goal is to stem the loss of 40k players to X-wing, or to provide the GW veteran hobbyist that dog fighting outlet. Nearly all the factions are there, so why not get your Tau or Ork on in the sky as well? It also is much more attractive to mechanics purists, as it truly is a 3-d table top game (you have to take altitude into account in all your movement, and certain maneuvers change it).

And if you can manage to keep a player loyal to GW with this, they may and likely will stay loyal in all aspects. A small share of the market is better than none, so long as the costs are justified. Which is where the HOW comes in.

Given that they were all done in resin and the game was relatively short lived, it is safe to assume that FW still has the moulds and they are not worn out. Either way, they definitely have the masters for all the models still. Ultimately this means very little start up cost. And since it is FW, a niche game, and small models, that means small batch sizes with low lead times are very easy to produce and warehousing costs are virtually non existent. Given that all SG games are slowly coming back, the necessary added production capability is more than likely already being grown (or they have excess from the explosion that is 30k). The point here is that model production should be a relatively low fixed cost, and with FW prices these costs should easily be recovered in a short time period.

Additionally, ALL of these models are EPIC compatible, so if that is going to make a comeback, it is a no-brainer to just produce the AE kits and their specialized bases.

Where the true cost of a relaunch could come it is that cost of book printing. But here is the catch. Just don't do it. Simple. Instead of trying to make another great publication that FW is known for, they should just put the rules for free online. All of them. They wouldn't even have to rewrite them. They could just put up PDFs of the old books. The game is still good and still works. No reason to change it. And before you say "But WHY do that?", remember AoS is "Free" rules wise for the most part.

BUT by making the rules free heres what they do
1- Avoid unnecessary and expensive publication and warehousing costs
2- Potential players are not deterred by the added 64GBP startup costs of rule books (each of the original books was 32 GBP)
3- It allows more people to check out the rules and lures them into buying the models, which is where the real money is at.
4- It builds customer loyalty and relations to an even greater extent
5- It can much more easily attract new hobbyists to the world of 40k as a small cost, free rules, great starter game.
6- It competes with X-Wing by not playing their game of GET THE NEW UPDATE. People who like dog fighting but are tired of an ever shifting meta that constantly requires new ships and cards may find the stability of AE to be refreshing. Where FW is more than capable of providing freshness is with their known ability for great mission and campaign design!

I really want this game to resurface. I unfortunately have very little of it, but I refuse to sell what I have. This game needs to make a comeback, or I somehow need to get my hands on much more of it. Let us all hope for the former. Trust me, you will not regret it.

Disembarking/Reserves, Shooting and Assault: A Solution?

If you couldn't tell, I play Blood Angels. I have always played Blood Angels. I love them and I am not going to change. However they are hard to play right now. Not just because they lack the USR granting formations and detachments other armies have, or the massive amounts of Psychic power, or the countless free upgrades or super low costed units. All those would help. The issue is this

They are an Assault Army in a game of Shooting.

It used to be you got shot in the shooting phase and that was it. In These days BA were great. To counteract this, you  eventually couldn't charge out of a vehicle UNLESS it was an assault or open topped vehicle. Annoying but okay.

But then there came overwatch. And a psychic phase full of Witchfire. And Interceptor. And Grim Resolve. And Cognis Weapons. And a million powers to reroll to hits or to wounds or saves. FNP everywhere. Do I need to go on?

All of these things slowly made Assault go from GREAT to "Why bother?"

I am not saying the game needs to go back to the days where assault was king. But it needs something. There is too much stuff now that counteracts it to leave it how it is.

Now the biggest reason for DISALLOWING charging after disembarking from a stationary vehicle or coming in from reserves is that your opponent doesn't get a chance to shoot you, but you get to shoot and assault.

Well the 1st part isn't entirely true is it. They do get overwatch. BUT for the most part it is valid. They should be able to do something or you shouldn't be able to hit as hard. And I still agree with not getting to assault from a moving vehicle unless it was open topped or an assault vehicle.

"Don't worry, I am not going to land on you swinging. I think it is only fair I stand directly infront of you and let you shoot at me before I charge you. Oh, and go ahead and shoot then too. I don't mind. Its not like I am trained to be death from above anyway..."

However to me it just doesn't make sense that a dedicated and trained assault unit like Assault Marines or Howling Banshees can't run headlong at the enemy at all times, but ever joe shmoe in the game can shoot his weapon like the Hero in every Action Movie EVER!

So what to do?

Well I propose a simple fix:

When you disembark from a vehicle, you may only fire Snap Shots. Simple and effective. Allow me to charge, but don't give me a full effective round of shooting. And if getting out is such a hassle to prevent an assault as it is now, why am I able to take aim and fire to full effect. Even better would be to apply this to all non-vehicles arriving from reserve as well IMO.

If you think this is too powerful, we can take this one step further: You may only make a disordered charge after disembarking or arriving from reserves. BAM. See how I did that. Now I can still come to grips. I won't be as effective, but I served my purpose and made contact with the enemy.

What this allows is for me to not worry about leaving my vital assault troops sitting unprotected while my opponent can deliver their effective shooting units with impunity. Contrariwise it also means that shooting troops will never get hit full force by an assault unit that just appeared.

This would also go along way to balance Drop Pod of Doom armies/elements like Skyhammer, Grav-cents etc. etc.  Especially if the SNAP SHOTS ONLY applied to arriving from reserve as well.

Tell me, what do you think of this?  I honestly believe there is just WAY too much to counteract assault these days and not enough mechanisms to enable it. This seems like a pretty simple and logical fix IMO.