Two Blood Angels Conversions: Librarian and Lt. Commander

Here is the Librarian I use a bunch. This is my favourite Librarian model and one of my favourite GW models. In 4th ed. I liked him alot as an HQ choice. I need to spruce him up paint wise to my new standards, especially the chest eagle, but he is really what got me going in the right painting direction.

The wings are from a Brettonian Pegasus. To attach them I just cut the vents of an SM backpack and used some green stuff. Simple conversion, dramatic effect. The wings are blue to represent how they are the psychic power "The Wings of Sanguinius."

This is one of Master's of the Chapter. He will be representing a Lt. Commander of the Blood Angels rather than a company captain, which is why I gave him one plain shoulder pad.

He is a Blood Angels Death Company Model. His Shoulder pad is a metal BA logo avaliable online or in the DC kit I believe. The Lightning claws are actually terminator lightning claws. I cut them off at the base of the fist and then hollow out the "sleeve". Then I take SM assault marine arms (the chainsword and bolt pistol sets). You cut off the hand and then shape the arm down to fit in the sleeve, using a little green stuff to fill any gap and help seal the join. Also, I cut the plastic cables connecting the claw to the upper arm of the Terminator arm off the fist and used a pin vice to dill a small hole into the housing where the cables had plugged in. I then took some guitar string and ran cables to his back. I added 2 scroll containers to his belt just for some extra detail.

Missing from the photo to make painting easy is the CSM Raptor Jump pack he will be equipped with.

Champions of the Game: Poll Series to find the Best!

POLL RELATED POST

So I am going to be running a set of polls over the next few weeks and I would appreciate as much participation as possible. The goal is to find people's favourite characters in a codex and across the board.

This first week I am doing the Ultramarines from the Space Marine Codex. Figured that the best place to start. I thought about guard, but I want to give people time to mess around with those characters first.

The criteria are as follows: Whatever you think is most important.

Character Review:
Marneus Calgar- Chapter Master of the Ultramarines: So Calgar is a whopping 250/265 points. Hit Titanic Might rule allows him to always re-roll to wound. He may choose between Terminator Armour (+15 pts, also gives him a Teleport Homer) and Power Armour. God of War lets you pick and choose when to stand and fight, applying to the whole army. Then the Gauntlets of Ultramar have a stormbolter with AP 2. The only thing is that as they are powerfists, he will strike last in combat, though he gets +1 A for having 2 of them (on a base of 4 at WS 6). OR if you’d rather have higher initiative, you can use his power sword instead. Iron Halo grants him a 4+ invulnerable save. Top it all of with an orbital bombardment and immunity to instant death with 4 wounds. He also alters force org, allowing you to take 3 honour guards (though only one Chapter Banner) that do not take up slots on the chart.

Cato Sicarius- Ultramarines 2nd Co. Captain: Sicarius comes in at 200 pts. He allows you to re-roll to seize the initiative. Rites of Battle give the entire army an LD of 10. He gives a Tactical Squad a free special rule of the following: Counter Attack, Scout, Infiltrate or Tank Hunters. His sword may make a single S6 instant death causing attack. WS 6 base attacks of 3 other wise. On top of his 2+/4+ armour save/inv, AND he has feel no pain. Other weapon is a Plasma Pistol. End it all with 3 wounds.

Varro Tigurius- Ultramarines Chief Librarian: Knows all the Psychic Powers available to Librarians. May re-roll any reserves, even successful ones. Has a psychic hood that functions normally and allows him to use 3 powers a turn. The Rod is a Master Crafted force weapon, other weapon is a humble bolt pistol. Only 2 wounds though. All this for a stately 230 points.

Ortan Cassius- Ultramarines Chaplain: Feel No Pain, Honour of the Chapter and Liturgies of Battle. Armed with a Crozius and Master-Crafted Combi-Flamer, armed with hellfire rounds wounding on a 2+. Rosarius gives him a 4+ invulnerable save, which is good as he only has 2 wounds and a 3+ armour save. T6 makes him the toughest character though, so his 2 wounds count for a lot. 2 Attacks base at WS 5. Stick him with some Sternguard and he does best. Fluffy too as he is rebuilding 1st company, so hanging with Veterans is his style. Have him for 125 points.

Torias Telion- Ultramarine Scout Sergeant: Stealth, Acute Senses, Infiltrate, Move Through Cover, Scout. This guy is loaded with more USR than anyone. A BS of 6 is the best you can get, and a WS of 5 with 2 attacks base ain’t to shabby either. One wound with a 4+ save though, so use that cover (which you should be doing with scouts any ways. You can allocate his shooting wounds however you want, much like a vindicare. He can lend his BS 6 to someone else in the squad, which is good if using something like a missile launcher is more important, or he doesn’t have LOS. Then he has his sweet boltgun which is the same range as a Sniper rifle, has 1 more AP, is Rending and has 2 shots. The only thing is that it has S4 so doesn’t get the wound on a 4+ automatically like sniper rifles, meaning it only inflicts wounds on the high T guys with the rending rule. He can be yours for 50 pts, replacing a normal scout sergeant.

Antaro Chronus- Ultramarine Tank Dude: Can only be bought as an upgrade to a vehicle for 70 pts but has rules to be outside it. Want to keep him on one though. Gives the Tank BS 5 and immunity to shaken and stunned results. When independent of a tank, best bet is to get him to a nearby squad and join them, lending another wound and 2 attacks base and a servo arm. Plus he still has a BS of 5.

SO Hit the Poll over there -->

RESULTS
Which Ultramarine (smurf) is the best? (Choose 1)
Marneus Calgar 8 (30%)
Captain Sicarius 4 (15%)
Chief Librarian Tigurius 1 (3%)
Chaplain Cassius 6 (23%)
Scout-Sergeant Telion 6 (23%)
Brother Sergeant Chronus 1 (3%)

Gothmog got Twitter

I will be using twitter now as well, so follow gothmogbalrog there and you will know when I am updating the site, or have a particularly profound 40k musing. I won't start updating though untill I have at least one follower, so join!

And remember, I have a skype, an aim (which I am on more), and a gmail. All are located over there <--- under contact us! But I will sum up for you:

email- sepuchreofheroes@gmail.com
aim- gothmogblog
skype- gothmog.lord.of.balrogs
twitter- gothmogbalrog

So feel free to contact me.

Specialist Games Forums return!!!!

So back in their 3rd iteration, the specialist game forums are once more.

http://www.sg.tacticalwargames.net/forum/index.php

I am Gothmog Lord of Balrogs. So if you see me there, you already have a friend! All my links and stuff point back to here.

Check out the page. It used to be a great and vibrant community and I am glad to see it spring to life once more (after nearly 2 years of being dead). The guys who used to be there really made the specialist games what they are today, influencing a lot of GW rules reviews, and in my area of expertise: BFG, they developed many ships that most players would allow you to use. They were even balanced (something GW can learn a lesson about).

WOOOHOOO!!!!

Hounds of Hell: An IG Unit Review

So with the new Guard codex a lot of people are taking the new Hellhound. I find myself wondering "why?" Not because I don't like it, don't get me wrong, but why take the Hellhound when their is a perfectly good Banewolf in the same entry.

These tanks are the same point costs, so no advantage there.

The Hellhound does have 12" range, yes, but check this. All 3 variants are fast vehicles. So that means while going up to 12" they can fire a single offensive weapon and all defensive. This means for a hellhound, only the turret weapon and any stubber or storm bolter, the hull mount can't fire, unless going a stately 6 inches. BUT THE BANEWOLF has a S1 weapon. That means you can move and shoot the hull mounted weapon and fire what is the real main weapon of the vehicle, the chem cannon, plus any other defensive weapons. Meanwhile the Devil Dog, while named after the USMC (ooh-rah!), is nigh worthless since you can take a multi-melta on the hull of the other variants. Sure you get a blast with the melta-cannon, but that scatters! Why risk scattering when I just need a 4+ to hit with a hull mount.

Lets look at the Chem Cannon: AP3 poison (wounds on a 2+). Range is only the template BUT it is a fast vehicle, so moving into range shouldn't be a problem. So this thing KILLS Space Marine, Battlesuits, Nid Warriors. ANYTHING with a 3+ save. Plus, firing the hull mount further devastates. 2 template weapons (or whatever your hull mount is actually). Bye-Bye cover saves.

Did I mention the Chemcannon wounds on a 2+!!!

AHHHH POISON!!!!

So there we go. Why take the hellhound. It has 1 less AP and can't always wound as effectively, especially against marines. The Chem Cannon is a must take in my own humble opinion.

Although this does look cooler