A Game Tonight- Cryx vs. Retribution

My first real game of Warmachine in... Well, a long time is tonight. I have played a game to get my feet back under me, a tiny little nothing affair, but tonight- Well let's just say if it's worth doing it's worth overdoing. Straight to a 50 point list, because that's what all the big kids use. My Miniature Market order came in and has been assembled (as you can see) and so, despite their unpainted state, the army list I want to run will hit the table. DakkaDakka wasn't the greatest help ever, as I should expect from a Warhammer 40,000 oriented forum, but I did learn about Bane Knights, Epic Asphyxious, and Darragh Wrathe. Apparently Darragh makes all undead armies very scary for one reason- Deathride. Advancing everything in your command area (9") one inch while on a large base is, well it's awesome. Sure, he can cast Hellfire, and Beyond Death taking 2 off of enemy damage rolls is spiffy, but that movement bit- it just plain extends your threat range noticably. Giving Bile Thralls that little boost they need. Shunting Bane Knights from a position where LoS is blocked (more than 3" into a forest for example) into a position where they can use Ghostly to perform a charge. Spinning around to face an enemy that has outflanked you. Shenanigans with eGaspy's feat (suddenly they're not so bunched up). The list goes on and on. Here's the bonus- it works on everything undead in his command range! I am (in an admittedly uneducated way) impressed with this fellow on paper. Tonight will be my first attempt at using him, so while it may be a bit awkward using him, I'll see what I can do.

So, here's what I'm running:

eGaspy
-Cankerworm
-Nightwretch
Bane Knights (10)
Bane Thralls (10)
-Officer & Standard
Bile Thralls (6)
The Withershadow Combine
Bane Lord Tartarus
Darragh Wrathe
Gorman di Wulfe
Pistol Wraith
Pistol Wraith

As you can see, except for the 'Jacks & Gorman, everything- INCLUDING ASPHYXIOUS is able to benefit from him. Best. Four. Points. Ever.

...Or so it seems. I'll see what I can see tonight.

A More Modest List For More Modest Games

So Demitra informed me that the local Infinity scene is pretty much all starter box games, which is cool. To that end I slapped together a list half the size of the last one. No TAG, no bells and whistles, just basic stuff.

We all have humble beginnings.

 NOMADS

 GROUP 1 (Regular: 7/Irregular: 0):

 ALGUACIL Combi Rifle / Pistol, Knife. (10)
 ALGUACIL Combi Rifle / Pistol, Knife. (10)
 ALGUACIL Combi Rifle / Pistol, Knife. (10)
 SECURITATE Combi Rifle + Light Shotgun / Pistol, Knife. (23)
 SIN-EATER HMG / Pistol, CCW. (2 | 34)
 MOBILE BRIGADA MULTI Rifle + Light Flamethrower / Pistol, Knife. (43)
 ZERO Combi Rifle, Antipersonnel Mines / Pistol, Knife. (18)

 2 SWC | 148 Points

It's a 150 point list, so basically a starter box plus one mini. If a starter box game is desired, I'm all set. If a slightly bigger game is the order of the day, that's cool too.

Demitra has been sniffing around the rules recently, and while I don't expect him to pick up the game (especially with all the WHFB Empire stuff he has laying around waiting for paint) it's kind of nice that he's at least interested in how the game plays. As far as I'm concerned, he's got HordesMachine to play when he's not at my place, and I've got Infinity. It's a symmetry I can deal with.

All that being said, with both the comic book shop and Huzzah Hobbies potentially starting up Infinity, I'll have to consider where I game carefully, as while it's a game likely to be a flash in the pan like Dust was, I want to get as much out of this game as I can, since I'm planning on putting away $10 or so per paycheck in order to attend the NOVA Open Infinity tournament next year- price be damned. I will need practice, I will need opponents with fair sized forces, and I will need a decent number of games. While I don't want to belittle my usual Infinity gaming buddy, Playing all my games against Haqqislam is not the best way to feel out all the factions, how they play, and how various opponents think.

Plus I really ought to get my hands on the Paradiso book...

More Nomad Painting and Army Revision

Alguacil, Securitate, & Reverend Moira

I finished painting a few minis on Wednesday, but I had no time to post them since I had a movie to attend. I went ahead and posted them today, so I guess better late than never, eh?

I've been painting eyes on my minis this time around, but since my brushes are.. sub par. NEVER buy the current Citadel brushes. They do not hold their shape and the tip splays out every couple of strokes. I thought the first one I bought was defective, but it turns out the quality of the brushes is just plain awful. Because if this I've been using an old (like several years old) detail brush. The tip is a bit wonky, but nothing like the Citadel brush I purchased. This made the pupils come out all huge and googly, and the minis are sort of staring, but hey, they have eyes, which is a massive improvement over past efforts.

Zero w/ E/Mauler, Mobile Brigada, & Alguacil w/ Sniper Rifle

My revisions of the paint scheme from before have all of the armor painting in purple, while all the rest of the clothing is in black. I kind of thought that a solid purple TAG might look a bit off, so I left most of the armor plating black. On the Mobile Brigada I decided to just go for it and see what painting every last armor plate purple. On a Power Armored mini this means quite a bit of purple. In fact, there's only a bit of black on the back of the mini and on the MULTI Rifle.

I also made another decision. All the armor plating on my minis will be glossy. I like the idea of having the armor on my minis being made of an advanced plastic or something along those lines. This, while a nifty addition on the other minis, makes the Mobile Brigada have a whole lotta glossy goin' on. That's okay with me though.

Now on to the actual army list. After reading this post I came to the decision that the two groups I had with only a few Orders each were quite possibly a big liability. I guess it can partially be your list rather than you. With that in mind I figured the "swarm/TAG" idea I had was just a little off. It was a great toolbox list, but would have kind of jerky turns- I'd be forced to move some of my minis from each group rather than having the option of having the Szalamandra "go Rambo" or withdraw a mini to the rear to keep it alive.

There was another problem. My original Lieutenant had the highest WIP in my force, which would broadcast who they were. Now the LT has an average WIP, which while a bit of a gamble as far as gaining the Initiative for deployment or first turn, keeps the identity of my leader a secret. For those who don't know, "Loss of Lieutenant" is often a game losing state- you drop from your normal Order pool to two Orders, and it costs both of those Orders if you want to nominate a new Lieutenant. In other words you're in deep, deep trouble.

Here we go:

 NOMADS

 ALGUACIL Combi Rifle / Pistol, Knife. (10)
 ALGUACIL Combi Rifle / Pistol, Knife. (10)
 ALGUACIL HMG / Pistol, Knife. (1 | 19)
 INTERVENTOR Hacker (Hacking Device Plus) Combi Rifle / Pistol, Knife. (0.5 | 26)
 CLOCKMAKER Combi Rifle, D-Charges / Pistol, Knife. (18)
 SIN-EATER HMG / Pistol, CCW. (2 | 34)
 MOBILE BRIGADA MULTI Rifle + Light Flamethrower / Pistol, Knife. (43)
 ZERO Combi Rifle, Antipersonnel Mines / Pistol, Knife. (18)
 ZERO (Deployable Repeater) E/Mauler, Combi Rifle / Pistol, Knife. (0.5 | 24)
 SZALAMANDRA Hyper-rapid Magnetic Cannon, Heavy Flamethrower / . (2 | 90)
 SZALAMANDRA PILOT Pistol, Knife.
 ZONDBOT Electric Pulse. (3)
 ZONDBOT Electric Pulse. (3)

 6 SWC | 298 Points

This army has exactly 10 Orders, which is the maximum allowed in a single group. This will make the group fluid, and allow me to dump Orders exactly where needed. It has the tools to take on any enemy force, with Camouflage Markers roaming around the board causing problems by plunking down mines and E/Maulers in order to deny areas of terrain. Big Burst values allow the army to deal with swarms. Are there weaknesses? Sure, but they can be gotten around. I like the look of this army, but I'll have to try it out on the table to find out for sure. Hopefully on Wednesday I'll be able to play a game. Hopefully on Wednesday there will be someone with a big enough army to take me on...

Three Hundred Points of Nomads: The Next Revision

Yep, I'm still pondering my Nomads. This time I listened to my brain and swapped the Reverend Moira for a Securitate and an Alguacil with a Heavy Machinegun. More orders, better defensive capability, and an HMG that can advance and cover the rear of my Szalamandra team (Szally, Clockmaker & Zondbot) as they advance, and not care too terribly much if they die. People bemoan the Alguacil HMG as not being accurate, but it has a Burst of 4 and can tear through armor. All it needs is a decent roll and the target is in trouble. Here's what I'm thinking for my team now:

 GROUP 1 (Regular: 7/Irregular: 0):

 ALGUACIL Combi Rifle / Pistol, Knife. (10)
 ALGUACIL HMG / Pistol, Knife. (1 | 19)
 SECURITATE Combi Rifle + Light Shotgun / Pistol, Knife. (23)
 INTERVENTOR (Hacking Device Plus) Combi Rifle / Pistol, Knife. (0.5 | 26)
 CLOCKMAKER Combi Rifle, D-Charges / Pistol, Knife. (18)
 SZALAMANDRA Hyper-rapid Magnetic Cannon, Heavy Flamethrower / . (2 | 90)
 SZALAMANDRA PILOT Pistol, Knife.
 DAKTARI Combi Rifle / Pistol, Knife. (14)
 ZONDBOT Electric Pulse. (3)

 GROUP 2 (Regular: 5/Irregular: 0):

 ALGUACIL Combi Rifle / Pistol, Knife. (10)
 ALGUACIL Combi Rifle / Pistol, Knife. (10)
 SIN-EATER HMG / Pistol, CCW. (2 | 34)
 ZERO Combi Rifle, Antipersonnel Mines / Pistol, Knife. (18)
 ZERO (Deployable Repeater) E/Mauler, Combi Rifle / Pistol, Knife. (0.5 | 24)

 6 SWC | 299 Points

This one manages to keep the TAG, while still covering the table with enough infantry to generate sufficient Orders to go around. The number of minis does force me to divide my force into two groups, which also splits up my Order pool, but that just means I'll have to use them as a coherent force rather than having a couple of minis running around going nuts with Orders. I feel that this will force me to rely on my force as a whole, rather than simply leaning on my TAG and asking it to do all of the heavy lifting. With that mentality it's a sure way to have me lose games as soon as the Szalamandra goes down, rather than being able to regroup and start my push again. Granted, my TAG basically dominated the board with its HMC last time I used it, but there are ways around it, and opponents will figure out how to tackle the challenge it provides soon enough. Once that happens, the Szalamandra may even become a liability, but who knows? I'll just have to practice, practice, practice. As much as possible, because I'm really thinking that if I do ever go to the NOVA Open, I'd do it to play Infinity.

The tournament is cheaper, and the rules just make sense to me. The geometry and shenanigans involved in HordesMachine have escaped me. If I'm going to harp on a system and try to get really good at it, it really ought to be one that clicks in my mind, no? Besides, I like the unofficial slogan of the Infinity; "It's not your list, it's you."

In other words, this game is less about what minis you bring, it's about how you employ them on the table.

Of course, while I was writing this I came across a beginner's primer on list building for Infinity...

I'll have to think about some of the points the author brought up and see about integrating a few of them into my build.

Back to the list building site...

Nomad Knowledge- Tournament Point Values

I made a discovery today. The NOVA Open runs its Infinity tournament at 300 points (at least this year). My last list was 250 points. That means I had to expand my army a bit. With those extra points I had do make a decision- do I just expand on the concept of my current army, or do I trash it and start from the ground up and re-tweak the entire concept?

This posed a problem; my gaming budget is shot until my wedding, and so I can't get any more minis. Even adding the Zero was a stretch. I had to work with what I had available.

So, I was limited to:
3 Alguaciles w/ Combi Rifles
1 Securitate w/ Combi Rifle+Light Shotgun
1 Interventor
1 Clockmaker
1 Daktari
1 Reverend Moira w/ Shock CCW & MULTI Rifle
1 Sin-Eater Observant w/ HMG
1 Mobile Brigada w/ MULTI Rifle+Light Shotgun
2 Zeroes- 1 w/ Anti-Personnel Mines, 1 w/ E-Maulers
1 Szalamandra & Pilot
2 Zondbots

That's my Nomads collection. It was from this I would have to draw my force. First out was the Mobile Brigada. He's just a weird mini, and I really don't like the look of him. Sure he's pretty cool on the tabletop, but I just can't bring myself to like him (unlike the Yu-Jing power armor- which looks fantastic).

The Szalamandra was an auto-include for its sheer firepower and durability. Ninety points isn't such a hard pill to swallow when you have 300 to work with. The inclusion of the Szally meant the addition of a Clockmaker, his Zondbot assistant, and an Interventor to protect this valuable asset. Of course, not all this is purely to support the TAG, the hacker can also go on the offensive and shut down enemy minis.

Of course, Alguciles are a must-have both as cheap, expendable troops and a way to generate orders for the rest of the gang. If somebody needs to draw out a sniper, who better than an Alguacile? Somebody need to form a meat-shield for your Lieutenant? Alguacile. Gotta clear out that minefield? Well, you get it.

Then defense came to mind. How best to cover my advance or just dominate an area of the board? Sin-Eater. Although he only fires once while I'm active, while I'm reactive he fires four shots when he gets an ARO. He's a beast. Plus he's camouflaged so it's hard to get rid of him once he settles into position. He's just an amazing mini in all respects (I even love the sculpt).

How about getting behind enemy lines? A sniper in the right position (or worse, a Missile Launcher sporting Hac-Tao) could really ruin my day. That's where my Zeroes come in. Got a sniper problem? just set a mine under him, step back, and BOOM! Problem solved. You'll be coming in as a Camouflage Marker, so he won't be able to do squat about it. I went into E-Maulers in my last entry, so if you want my opinion on them check that out.

Now, I've got a fair few infantry minis here, and a lot of them are pretty tough to kill, so how about a little backup? The Daktari is in. She'll nurse my troops back to health (those that don't get instantly splattered) and help recover anybody who falls unconscious from their wounds. Again she gets a Zondbot to run around with her and help out where she can't/shouldn't go.

Now, I've got all these minis I should take, but what about the one I want to take. Reverend Moira. She's a great mini, although she's a close combat mini (where I'm pretty much running a shooting force) but hold on! she's a Religious Trooper with an Optical Disruptor. This means she'll never back down or run away, and she'll inflict at least a -6 modifier to hit her. Tactically I'm torn between her and a Securitate (she's a Repeater and she's always expecting you). I just don't like the Securitate mini as much. She's a better bodyguard for a mini an enemy is trying to assassinate, and in a pinch she can let me try to hack any power armor or TAG that ventures too close to my line. The Securitate would also let me upgrade an Alguacile to an HMG, and you can never have too many HMGs.

I really ought to go with the Securitate. I really ought to go with the HMG. Unfortunately I can't get the HMG until a friend places an order from a mail order company, or I special order one from Huzzah Hobbies. The HMG Alguacile is pretty cool too...

I may, MAY have talked myself into a new mini once finances allow. Either that or someone out there could grab me one as a birthday present... (^_~)*

All that rambling aside, I just plain like the Reverend. she's dynamic, she's melee capable, she's wearing a thong...

Well, here's how the force stands right now:

GROUP 1 (Regular: 7/Irregular: 0):
 ALGUACIL Combi Rifle / Pistol, Knife. (10)
 ALGUACIL Combi Rifle / Pistol, Knife. (10)
 INTERVENTOR (Hacking Device Plus) Combi Rifle / Pistol, Knife. (0.5 | 26)
 CLOCKMAKER Combi Rifle, D-Charges / Pistol, Knife. (18)
 ZONDBOT Electric Pulse. (3)
 DAKTARI Combi Rifle / Pistol, Knife. (14)
 ZONDBOT Electric Pulse. (3)
 REVEREND MOIRA MULTI Rifle / Pistol, Shock CCW. (38)
 SZALAMANDRA Hyper-rapid Magnetic Cannon, Heavy Flamethrower / . (2 | 90)
 SZALAMANDRA PILOT Pistol, Knife.

 GROUP 2 (Regular: 4/Irregular: 0):
 ALGUACIL Combi Rifle / Pistol, Knife. (10)
 SIN-EATER HMG / Pistol, CCW. (2 | 34)
 ZERO Combi Rifle, Antipersonnel Mines / Pistol, Knife. (18)
 ZERO (Deployable Repeater) E/Mauler, Combi Rifle / Pistol, Knife. (0.5 | 24)

 5 SWC | 298 Points
I may also want to work on my group distribution, but that's a thought avalanche for another time.

Breaking Up Black, Green and Purple With... Black, Orange and Purple

I came to a conclusion yesterday. I hate my Nomads' color scheme. As a reminder since I hav not gone into Infinity in a while, here's what they look like:

The paintjob is rather abysmal, even by my own standards. With only about eleven miniatures in the force, I want to be 100% satisfied with the color scheme. It is for this reason that I've decided that a repaint is in order. Why now? Well, two reasons;

-Firstly, I'm approaching "goblin burnout". This is not good, as the end of the army is I sight. I'm almost there, and I don't want to end up saying "forget it" and have them sit on the shelf for another half decade.

-Secondly, there have been Infinity rumblings. Well, there always seem to be rumblings, but there never seems to be any action, as I've maybe played half a dozen games of Infinity since I started collecting my minis, and only once with my Nomads.

So, what will the repaint look like? I'm going with my original color scheme, black and purple. I've already run some test minis through the process, and they came out looking pretty darn good. Well, better than the above paintjob any way. They have more of a night time Spec-Ops look to them. Of course, being Nomads they have obnoxiously colored hair, which kind of breaks down the subtlety, but brightens up the minis. Of course the Zero and the Sin-Eater have no hair which makes the end result remain quite dark, but they have the Camouflage special rule, so they probably ought to be.

Since I'm out of Simple Green I'm doing something unheard of. I'm painting over the existing paint. It's actually come out rather well. Pictures in a few hours to a few days, time permitting.

Of course, it wouldn't be a return to a game system without the addition of a new mini to the force, so I went ahead and grabbed a Zero with an E/Mauler. These beauties are just what the doctor ordered, if the doctor is a Interventor Hacker that wants to stay well away from the action. The E/Maulers are pretty sweet since they both act as Deployable Repeaters for hacking attempts, and have the ability to defend themselves with an EMP pulse if an enemy gets too close. Of course since they're so big that they can't be hidden they have the weakness that they can just be shot off the board, but that just means I'll have to learn to deploy them correctly. Perhaps they should be protected by a land mine? I'll have to fiddle around with the idea, but having Sin-Eater covering fire for them, or perhaps just having the Zeros watch over them from a safe distance will work. It'll be pretty situational, and will require some practice, but this game is slick enough that I won't mind.

Of course, why do an Infinity order at all without a touch of cheesecake? I went ahead and grabbed the "Bootleg Lizard Squadron Pilot". I'm not sure if she's limited edition or not, but I decided not to risk it and go ahead and grab her while I'm at it. Even if I never decide to run a Lizard TAG, she'll be a nice piece to have, and I'll just show her in my display case.

The reason for the purchase of the new Zero is that I've (again, as usual) rewritten my army list. Before I had a Mobile Brigada mini in my force, but after a bit of reconsidering I decided to drop him. For his cost and the addition of an Alguaciles trooper I could add two Zeros and a Daktari. The Zeros are great for area denial with their mines and E/Maulers, and the Daktari is a quite competent field medic. The addition of the Zeros would also mean that I would have the ability to hunt down things that toss out smoke (my force's glaring weakness) which would disrupt my advance since the Szalamandra TAG I run is rather obsolete and can get blinded by such things. The last thing I want is for my Hyper-Rapid Magnetic Cannon to be rendered useless, as it takes up 90 of my 250 points. With a Burst of 5, an effective range of 36" (maximum 104"), and a Damage of 15 with Armor Piercing ammo, it is death to everything- even other TAGs.

The TAG itself may be considered obsolete, but HMCs never go out of style.

Well, al that's left is to toss out my list, which will of course have my Lieutenant's identity concealed. Here we go:

 GROUP 1 (Regular: 9/Irregular: 0):

 ALGUACIL Combi Rifle / Pistol, Knife. (10)
 ALGUACIL Combi Rifle / Pistol, Knife. (10)
 INTERVENTOR (Hacking Device Plus) Combi Rifle / Pistol, Knife. (0.5 | 26)
 CLOCKMAKER Combi Rifle, D-Charges / Pistol, Knife. (18)
 ZONDBOT Electric Pulse. (3)
 DAKTARI Combi Rifle / Pistol, Knife. (14)
 ZONDBOT Electric Pulse. (3)
 SIN-EATER HMG / Pistol, CCW. (2 | 34)
 ZERO Combi Rifle, Antipersonnel Mines / Pistol, Knife. (18)
 ZERO (Deployable Repeater) E/Mauler, Combi Rifle / Pistol, Knife. (0.5 | 24)
 SZALAMANDRA Hyper-rapid Magnetic Cannon, Heavy Flamethrower / . (2 | 90)
 SZALAMANDRA PILOT Pistol, Knife.

 5 SWC | 250 Points

It's a bit more fluid than before, and is less vulnerable to EMP, hacking, and the like. I still have the Sin-Eater's brutal AROs. I won't have to commit my Interventor, Clockmaker, or Daktari to the front line, and I get to paint and use those adorable little Zondbots! What's not to like?

I'll see how it performs on the table later, but on paper it looks killer.

*** After doing some reading it turns out that the Lizard TAG is the out of date chassis. Oh, well. My comment about the HMC still stands.

Plaguebearers & Chaos Marines- Nurgle Gravy

So, I've been a big fan of Nurgle as long as I've played 40k, and while I wanted to try a Khorne flavored list for a change, Papa Nurgle just calls to me. Having found that Bloodletters are useless, I have to say that somewhere deep down inside there was a part of me that was almost happy. As happy as a bit of me can be after realizing I had just wasted $60 on miniatures that are just plain...

Not Good In Assaults.

This is a bit odd for Khorne as he and his followers are supposed to be the consummate melee fighters. Theirs is the marital prowess to end all martial prowess. That, it seems, is not exactly reflected in their in-game performance.

They're Toughness 3.

They have no grenades.

They're 10 points a piece.

These things make them rather not good. They die en masse as they try to close the gap, and even if they deep strike they'll get cut down by even lowly bolter fire. They're really expensive for their performance, and they simply cannot assault into cover. Believe me, I've seen the results.

Deep strike -> run -> get shot in your opponent's turn -> move -> get shot by overwatch fire -> roll assault distance on 3d6 discarding the highest  -> move in -> get struck first due to no grenades -> maybe kill one or two enemies -> lose combat -> make an instability test -> go pop -> regret wasting hundreds of points on a single squad.

That is unfortunately the "Bloodletter Flow Chart". They're supposed to be an offensive powerhouse, but at Toughness 3 and no ability to dig enemies out of cover they just plain don't cut it.

Which daemons do cut it? Well, in my opinion, Plaguebearers. These fellas have the resilience to warrant their points. Toughness 4, Shrouded, and defensive grenades. Give them a Herald and they also can have Feel no Pain. They're the defensive unit of defensive units. Good luck prying them out of position with a 2+ cover save when they set up camp in a building. Sure they're Slow and Purposeful, but so what? The rule isn't the crippling blow it was last edition. My daemons can't run? Whatever. They're not there to pick fights, they're there to either start the game on an objective or to Deep Strike into position and squat on their location.

Now, this may not be ideal in an all-daemon army, but I'm talking about them in terms of an ally for Chaos Space Marines. Chaos Marine armies have plenty of offensive punch in the forms of things like Havocs, plasma guns, and the universally loved or loathed Heldrake. I can go get you. What I have problems with is grabbing and securing backfield objectives. This role is usually taken up by cultists, and they can be very good at it, but in the end they're really little more than expensive Imperial Guardsmen with less armor and an inferior gun. If they draw any real attention they will die, and they'll do it in a hurry. That or they'll run away. Also in a hurry.

Now, Cultists have one very big thing going for them- they're cheap. 100 points for 20 models with 2 flamers is not too bad a deal.

But what then do Plaguebearers do that outclasses the humble Chaos Cultist? Well, not just the things listed above, but other things that mesh with their allies. They're competent in hand-to-hand combat for one. While they won't go out picking many fights, they really won't be backing away from too many either. Sure, they can be outclassed by things like Terminators, but a lot of stuff is so that's no reason to turn your nose up at them. just rely on your cover to save you, and get ready to try to smack them off the board once they get to you. Better yet, use other assets in your army (remember that plasma I mentioned earlier?) to keep them away from your campsite.

Plaguebearers are also pretty cheap (for a Daemon). Sure, a unit of 20 is almost double the point cost of a Chaos Cultist squad of the same size, but it has massively more resilience. That 2+ cover save goes a very long way toward their survival. Even if they're not in a building (say they're in the woods) they've got a 3+ save, which makes them superior Space Marines (they even get their save against things as extreme as demolisher cannons).

So, what would I do if I were to practice what I preach? I'd re-tweak my army a bit, dropping the Chaos Cultists and either the Chaos Lord or the Sorcerer for a Herald of Nurgle and 20 Plaguebearers. I haven't quite decided which HQ choice to drop, but I'm thinking the Chaos Lord as my army is a bit more of a "hang back and shoot" affair, and the Lord wants to get up in your face, but the Sorcerer is less resilient and a bit unpredictable. It's something that would have to be experimented with. Most likely I'd go with:

HQ
Sorcerer (warlord) w/ +2 mastery- 110 pts.

TROOPS
9 Chaos Space Marines w/ 2 plasma guns; Aspiring Champion w/ power sword, melta bombs (10 models)- 190 pts.
9 Chaos Space Marines w/ 2 plasma guns; Aspiring Champion w/ power sword, melta bombs (10 models)- 190 pts.
9 Chaos Space Marines w/ 2 plasma guns; Aspiring Champion w/ power sword, melta bombs (10 models)- 190 pts.
9 Chaos Space Marines w/ 2 plasma guns; Aspiring Champion w/ power sword, melta bombs (10 models)- 190 pts.

FAST ATTACK
Heldrake w/ baleflamer- 170 pts.
Heldrake w/ baleflamer- 170 pts.

HEAVY SUPPORT
4 Havocs w/ 4 autocannons; Aspiring Champion (5 models)- 115 pts.
4 Havocs w/ 4 autocannons; Aspiring Champion (5 models)- 115 pts.
4 Havocs w/ 4 lascannons; Aspiring Champion (5 models)- 155 pts.

ALLIED HQ
Herald of Nurgle w/ Greater Locus of Fecundity- 70 pts.

ALLIED TROOPS
19 Plaguebearers; Plagueridden (20 models)- 185 pts.

TOTAL
1,850 pts.

I've also played around with the idea of dropping the lascannon Havocs instead of the Chaos Lord, and the idea does have some merit, but I fear 2+ armor saves. This fear is most likely irrational as I have eight plasma gunners in the army, and the Telepathy discipline messes with units in other ways, but that's just my current assessment. I'll have to get some Plaguebearers some time and try this concept out.

...Until then, I'll just keep plugging along with Cultists. 

Chaos Space Marines- The Finalized List & More

Death to the False Emperor!

Well, my journey down the road to damnation is nearly complete. My final Chaos Marine squad is drying at home on my painting table, along with my third Chaos Lord. This Lord is the one that's going to stick, honest! His weapon loadout is much more sensible than previously- the Murder Sword is only good for a highly mobile army, and on a Lord with no jump pack that's just not going to...

...fly?

It's pretty hard to get at the target of said sword when the target is just camping in his deployment zone directing missile launchers all day.

Tomorrow I'll varnish my dudes and I'll put them up here for all to see. Today it's just a bit of reflection on the current state of my army.

I'm okay with where my army is sitting right now. It performs admirably on the table (against Demitra any way) and it has a fair amount of flexibility. I'd like to get it out of the house to take on something other than a still-evolving Dark Angels list, but of course, like any modern GW army, the minis don't fit in my figure case. Normally I'd just say "whatever" and grab a pistol case for them from Wal-Mart, but again, like any modern GW army, they have all these little fiddly spiky bits all over the place.

Note the fiddly spiky bits.

 These little hoo-has will gladly snap off at a thought, so I don't dare put them in something as rough on them as a pistol case. Thus my dilemma. Do I toss them all in a box and sort them out when I get to my FNSLGS (they're varnished, so I don't really worry about their paint jobs)? Do I try to find some Battlefoam to hold them? Do I just sit at home with them until who knows when?

Right now I have opted for the last option.

This irks me a touch because word has it that there is a 40k night out at Huzzah Hobbies, and now that my eyes are fully healed and I can drive at night I'd like to get out of the apartment and play a game or ten against some new people. Maybe, dare I say it, try out a local tournament? That is assuming they hold them with any regularity, and on a day I don't work. These are both mysteries to me as I haven't headed out that way in months.

These thoughts, along with the new 40k arms race with Demitra, have caused me to totally rethink my approach to my army since I first started it. Initially I was aiming to make a somewhat effective army by building up from the base of two Dark Vengance boxed sets. I'll make what has been a long story short- it can't be done. The Chaos Lord is improperly equipped to deal with, well, anything. The Chosen are over equipped. Cultists have to be taken in large groups and hidden away to be effective- a role in which they go to ground behind cover and basically babysit an objective while they (hopefully) are ignored in favor of bigger threats. And Helbrutes? Well, this edition there is not really any amount of conversion and weapon swapping that can make them effective.They're slow, their armor is mediocre, and they have 3 hull points. Basically this is their time on the table in a nutshell;

*Rawr!!!*
*Dakka dakka dakka*
*Pew pew pew*
*Ka-splosion!*
*Waste of 105 points*

This has led me to hone and refine my product. My army has become leaner, meaner, and much more shooty. Gone are the days of the Mark of Khorne and Veterans of the Long War.  Gone is all the extraneous point-sinking gobbledy-gook that once cluttered up my roster. Now it's lean, mean, and (thusfar) devastating on the table.

It's an old picture, but bear with me here.

Now, I say again my test runs have been against Demitra's unfinished Dark Angels army, so once I get it out in the real world it may perform a bit differently than it has at home. It's getting to the point where I'll need to head out to a FLGS to try it out soon as Demitra has become a bit flustered with this army and so I've decided to shelf it until he's willing to try his luck at it again. He hasn't actually said that he's not willing to play against it, but I can tell (rather plainly) that he just doesn't care to play against this army. Thusly this week we played Dust Warfare. I think it may be time for a break from 40k.

I'm not trying to paint Demitra in a negative light here- I'm just saying that the point of us getting together every Tuesday morning is to have fun. If that's not the order of the day for him as well, then there's really no point to the event.

So, what is this horror-inducing army?

HQ
Sorcerer (warlord) w/ +2 Mastery (telepathy), Sigil of Corruption- 135 pts.
Chaos Lord w/ lightning claw, melta bombs, Aura of Dark Glory, The Burning Brand of Skalathrax- 130 pts.

TROOPS
19 Chaos Cultists w/ 2 flamers; Cultist Champion (20 miniatures)- 100 pts.
9 Chaos Space Marines w/ 2 plasma guns; Aspiring Champion w/ power sword, melta bombs (10 miniatures)- 190 pts.
9 Chaos Space Marines w/ 2 plasma guns; Aspiring Champion w/ power sword, melta bombs (10 miniatures)- 190 pts.
9 Chaos Space Marines w/ 2 plasma guns; Aspiring Champion w/ power sword, melta bombs (10 miniatures)- 190 pts.
9 Chaos Space Marines w/ 2 plasma guns; Aspiring Champion w/ power sword, melta bombs (10 miniatures)- 190 pts.

FAST ATTACK
Heldrake w/ baleflamer- 170 pts.
Heldrake w/ baleflamer- 170 pts.

HEAVY SUPPORT
4 Havocs w/ 4 autocannons; Aspiring Champion (5 miniatures)- 115 pts. 
4 Havocs w/ 4 autocannons; Aspiring Champion (5 miniatures)- 115 pts.
4 Havocs w/ 4 lascannons; Aspiring Champion (5 miniatures)- 155 pts.

TOTAL
1,850 points (tournament standard) 

Aren't they cute together?

 Now, admittedly the Heldrakes are the workhorses of my army. They swoop in, Vector Strike something, frequently light that target up with their Baleflamers, and then fly around making a mockery of Strength 7 anti-aircraft weapons. They're great! It takes just a touch of forethought to use them- just a touch as they can switch into Hover Mode and spin around to face any direction they want to. Being in Hover Mode is not ideal, as then ground weaponry hits you normally, but the option is there.

Plus, unlike the rest of humanity (it seems) I actually like the model.

I've found that in the environment they exist Havocs are superior to Obliterators. Obliterators are a valid target for anti-tank weaponry, whereas Havocs are just more Space Marines. They also offer more shots, and they're cheap as sin! Just 115 points for 8 Strength 7 shots! With that volume they can even harass flyers as they Zoom along!

Uh-oh...

Now, my days of air superiority may be limited. It appears as though Demitra (and likely the rest of the world) will be picking up the new Firestorm Redoubt. Four twin-linked lascannons with Skyfire (and maybe Interceptor) will likely make a mass of a Heldrake as it enters the board. I incorrectly made the assertion that this was to be an "Apocalypse only" piece of scenery. Upon reading the piece's description it appears I was dead wrong. Oops...

For now however I'll be content to rule the skies. I have plans for this terrifying little piece of terrain- most of them either ignore cover or just pump a huge volume of shots into the emplacement, but those plans will have to wait until (if?) Demitra grabs one of these suckers.

Back to the ol' painting table tomorrow though, as Demitra just gave me a great idea as to which miniatures to use to fill out my Chaos Cultist squad without having to order a whole box of them from GW just for one mini. Fans of old-school GW will likely be amused by the solution, but you'll just have to wait to see what it is for a few more days.

Marines and Chaos Lord tomorrow.
I promise.

Hot List-Building Action!

Still a dark picture, but it's what I have.

My Lascannons arrived today (as did the email saying they had shipped) and so I have begun assembling my final Havocs. While I was up to that I realized I hadn't posted my finalized (of so I hope) army list. It has changed (again) since Tuesday, as I had a learning experience. There is nothing that 25 Chaos Cultists can do that 20 Cultists can't do just as well (i.e. squatting on objectives or getting gunned down or both). With these points in hand I went about upgrading both my Sorcerer and Chaos Lord with invulnerable saves. A 4++ for the Sorcerer and a 5++ for the Chaos Lord. Since they're going to just wander through combats challenging everything that moves, I might as well buy them insurance policies. Especially my non combat-wombat warlord, as the last thing I want is him getting torn to shreds in melee.

Granted, he was great at hacking apart Death Company, and he should have offed that Blood Angel Chaplain twice, but that's still not where he'd like to be. He's not blessed with extremely high Weapon Skill or Attacks, he's not especially strong, and if he wins a challenge there's a chance he could turn into a Chaos Spawn. That's not so good.



So what is my army now composed of?

HQ
Sorcerer (warlord) w/ level 3 psyker, melta bombs, sigil of corruption- 140 pts.
Chaos Lord w/ lightning claw, melta bombs, aura of dark glory, The Burning Brand of Skalathrax- 130 pts.

TROOPS
19 Chaos Cultists w/ 5 autoguns; Cultist Champion- (20 models) 95 pts.
9 Chaos Space Marines w/ 2 plasma guns; Aspiring Champion w/ power sword, melta bombs- (10 models) 190 pts.
9 Chaos Space Marines w/ 2 plasma guns; Aspiring Champion w/ power sword, melta bombs- (10 models) 190 pts.
9 Chaos Space Marines w/ 2 plasma guns; Aspiring Champion w/ power sword, melta bombs- (10 models) 190 pts.
9 Chaos Space Marines w/ 2 plasma guns; Aspiring Champion w/ power sword, melta bombs- (10 models) 190 pts.

FAST ATTACK
Heldrake w/ baleflamer- 170 pts.
Heldrake w/ baleflamer- 170 pts.

HEAVY SUPPORT
4 Havocs w/ 4 autocannons, Aspiring Champion- (5 models)- 115 pts.
4 Havocs w/ 4 autocannons, Aspiring Champion- (5 models)- 115 pts.
4 Havocs w/ 4 lascannons, Aspiring Champion- (5 models)- 155 pts.

A much more mobile firebase is now the backbone of my army, with 8 plasma guns laying down covering fire for me. Over their heads will rain 8 autocannons and 4 lascannons worth of covering fire as Heldrakes swoop in for the kill. This variation appears to be the most hopeful variant of my army, now for more extensive playtesting.

Not That I Am, But If I Did II

The NOVA Open.

No entry has kicked up as much dust on my blog as when I ranted about how insanely expensive it is to attend this event. The organizer even went as far as to post on my comments section as to how his event was not overpriced and how people came from far and wide to attend. That is not the point of this post.

What this post is about is points. In particular 1,850 points, which between Adepticon and the NOVA Open seems to be the tournament standard point allowance.

Now, were I a wealthier man I would not think twice about entering the tournament, but seeing as I am poor that is an objective for a later date.

...But a man can dream...

It is that dream which has inspired me to add 100 points more to my original army list. It is this dream which has led me to a leaner, meaner (according to DakkaDakka any way) Chaos Space Marine army. My parts arrived today, and tomorrow the frenzy of assembly begins!

What, you ask, is my destination with this force?

HQ
Sorcerer (warlord) w/ force sword, mastery level 3 (telepathy)- 110 pts.
Chaos Lord w/ lightning claw, melta bombs, The Burning Brand of Skalathrax- 115 pts.

TROOPS
14 Chaos Cultists; Chaos Cultist Champion (15 models)- 70 pts.
14 Chaos Cultists w/ 14 autoguns: Chaos Cultist Champion (15 models)- 84 pts.
9 Chaos Space Marines w/ 2 plasma guns; Aspiring Champion w/ power sword, melta bombs (10 models)- 190 pts.
9 Chaos Space Marines w/ 2 plasma guns; Aspiring Champion w/ power sword, melta bombs (10 models)- 190 pts.
9 Chaos Space Marines w/ 2 plasma guns; Aspiring Champion w/ power sword, melta bombs (10 models)- 190 pts.
9 Chaos Space Marines w/ 2 plasma guns; Aspiring Champion w/ power sword, melta bombs (10 models)- 190 pts.

FAST ATTACK
Heldrake w/ baleflamer- 170 pts.
Heldrake w/ baleflamer- 170 pts.

HEAVY SUPPORT
4 Havocs w/ 4 autocannons; Aspiring Champion (5 models)- 115 pts.
4 Havocs w/ 4 autocannons; Aspiring Champion (5 models)- 115 pts.
2 Obliterators- 140 pts.

TOTAL
1,849 pts.

Now, some explanation may be required. Optimally I wouldn't take the 14 points worth of autoguns on the Chaos Cultists. Their job is to squat on objectives and/or to die horribly. Why arm them? Because that's what they've got, and I'm a WYSIWYG nut. Besides, I'm not really hurting for points in this list those points would most likely go toward giving out some more melta bombs, but why bother giving them to things like the Havocs in the first place? I mean, if they're getting charged all they can really do is fire off one last volley and commend their souls to the Dark Gods. They're doomed if they're in melee.

Along the same lines, I stripped the Cultists of their flamers. There is no reason for them to be toting them around. I've found that they die so quickly that they lose their ability to fire before I get a shot off. Waste of 5 points per squad right there.

Then there are the Chaos Space Marines. They've kept their plasma guns, but the aspiring champions are toned down. Since they wander off and challenge everything and every one, they need to strike at initiative rather than dropping down to 1 and just waiting to get chopped to bits. The Strength 5 AP 2 is super keen, but what does it matter if he never gets to use it? Melta bombs have been included to ward off Monstrous Creatures and Walkers.

Heldrakes? They're Heldrakes. No explanation required.

I'm stubbornly keeping the Havocs with Autocannons. The wall of fire, and 48" range just (in my opinion) makes them too valuable to drop. The extra dudes are all gone, since there's not much reason to keep ten bolters when for the same price I can have two Obliterators. If the Havocs are taking fire they're not long for this world any way. Those Strength 7 AP 4 shots are death to Tau and lighter infantry, wound MEQ models on a 2+, and can rapidly strip vehicles (even flyers with their volume of fire) of Hull Points. That's my reasoning.

The Obliterators? I'm actually afraid they're a waste of points. Every anti-tank weapon on the board is going to be pointed straight at them, and I'm pretty sure they'll disappear very, very quickly if I'm not super careful with them. I'm not too used to having to treat Oblits gingerly, so this will be an adventure for me.

Finally, my HQs. My Chaos Lord retains a similar weapons loadout to his previous one, but as with every other unit in the army, his fat has been cut. He's now a Burning Brand of Skalathrax delivery system, not much more. The lightning claw is there as a last resort- but I honestly don't expect to see him live too long once people realize what he's capable of. I'm trying to figure out how to model on the Brand, and I saw one idea I like. Use a Chaos Terminator heavy flamer, cut off the barrels, and replace them with something else. If I had one I'd use a Chaos Vehicle Sprue gargoyle head, but no such luck. I'll have to root through my bits to find something fitting.

Then there's my new warlord, the Chaos Sorcerer. I'm going to use the plastic Warriors of Chaos sorcerer mini and tweak it. He's going to get a head swap for a Chaos Marine head (I'm even thinking maybe one of the wolf's head helmets I have laying around) and he's going to lose his staff since force staves suck and are useless. I want to replace it with a severed head (like on the Space Ork Boyz or Zombie frames) but that's something I'd have to trade for. Something equally greusome would work out just fine. He'll also get a bolt pistol holster on his right hip, and a Chaos Marine backpack. After that he should more than look the part.

So, yeah. It's a fairly optimized all-comers list Between the Sorcerer, the Chaos Lord, and the scratch-built Obliterators (tweaked from various left over weapon bits and using Chaos Terminators as a base), I should have plenty of conversions for people to ooh and ah over. All the ingredients needed for a top-tier tournament army. Of course, my painting could always use improvement, but that's a whole other kettle of fish.

That's the aim of my army for now. Hope you're looking forward to seeing my stuff as I'm looking forward to building it.

Order In! The Strength Seven Solution?

Something like this.

Well, I've pulled the trigger. Autocannons and lots of Chaos Space Marines are soon to be on their way to my door. Two squads of Autocannon Havocs should be just what the Dark Gods ordered. That's sixteen strength 7 shots per turn, with plenty of ablative wounds. Then there are the three additional ordinary Chaos Marine squads that will be toting around plasma guns. Lots more firepower, and almost zero close combat. I'll see how this direction turns out.

It is a bit dangerous to drop my close combat deterrents, but in the end it's been shooting, not hand to hand that carries the day. I'm sick and tired of being mowed down on my way into position, and that's going to stop in a really big hurry.

Currently I have air superiority, but once Demitra takes flak missiles in his army, that'll nerf that. I'll be leaning on my Havocs to clear them out ASAP. With a 48" range I can pretty assurredly lean on the ACs to at the very least mangle the enemy Devastators, but offing every last missile launcher? That's a taller order. At least I'll have two or more shooting phases to clear out rocket-toting jerks, which with 32 shots should (hopefully) mop them up. I'm too lazy to do the math now, but the numbers at least look good. I'll also get the drop on them with at least one baleflamer, and the Burning Brand of Skalathrax won't be far behind...

But that's just making them priority one. there are plenty of other things on my hit list.

I've really backed off on the toys, making my squads leaner and meaner (in a sense). Veterans of the Long War is totally gone from my list which, while I may miss the Leadership boost, will do away with one point per model and will remove the (if I'm going to be honest with myself) useless Hatred rule. It has yet to perform at all, and when fighting against enemies with Preferred Enemy (Chaos Space Marines) it's pretty pointless in close combat. I get one round of re-rolls to hit, you get to re-roll ones both to hit and to wound forever. I'm pretty much doomed if you get your mitts on my dudes. Why bother?

That's not to say I've entirely forsaken close combat. No, melee is a fact of life (even when offing things with overwatch fire), and you need to be prepared for it. To this end my Aspiring Champions all have power weapons of some descriptor, excepting the Havocs which, provided things are going right, should never see melee.

Admit it Chaos players, you miss this.

Basically what I've been leading up to is this:

HQ
Chaos Lord (warlord) w/ power axe, The Burning Brand of Skalathrax.- 110 pts.

TROOPS
14 Chaos Cultists w/ flamer; Cultist Champion w/ shotgun- 77 pts.
14 Chaos Cultists w/ 13 autoguns, flamer; Cultist Champion- 88 pts.
9 Chaos Space Marines w/ 2 plasma guns; Aspiring Champion w/ power fist, plasma pistol- 210 pts.
9 Chaos Space Marines w/ 2 plasma guns; Aspiring Champion w/ power fist- 195 pts.
9 Chaos Space Marines w/ 2 plasma guns; Aspiring Champion w/ power axe- 185 pts.
9 Chaos Space Marines w/ 2 plasma guns; Aspiring Champion w/ power axe- 185 pts.

FAST ATTACK
Heldrake w/ baleflamer- 170 pts.
Heldrake w/ baleflamer- 170 pts.

HEAVY SUPPORT
9 Havocs w/ 4 autocannons; Aspiring Champion- 180 pts.
9 Havocs w/ 4 autocannons; Aspiring Champion- 180 pts.

TOTALS
1,750 points
1 HQ
0 Elite
6 Troops
2 Fast Attack
2 Heavy Support
93 miniatures

It looks really good on paper, and it's well rounded. There are Fast Attack choices for The Scouring and Heavy Support for The Big Guns Never Tire. There are lots of Troops for grabbing objectives, and they're well armed (except of course for the Chaos Cultists, but whatever). I haven't sunk too many points into an HQ choice that is cheap to begin with and should remain so. There's also a theme. It's a freshly turned chapter without time to earn any marks or become veterans. That goes with their color scheme. I would have liked to mix the kits up with loyalist parts, but I need the parts that come in the Chaos Marine box more. Plus my first plasma squad was already built.

I haven't determined how I'll step up to 1,999 points (not 2,000 because two Force Organization Charts is dumb) yet, but I'm leaning toward Helbrutes or Terminators. I guess that will be determined by my spending money allowance.

Here's hoping this isn't another gigantic mistake like my last armies have been.

THIS JUST IN:
My Chaos Marines and Autocannons just shipped. Woohoo!

A Chaos Marine List Just For Demitra

Last Tuesday Demitra and I played our second game of 6th edition 40k. While he deleted most of my army easily, one model gave him fits. You guessed it, that guy. --->

Now, I like the Heldrake. I really like it. I've almost finished painting up my first one, and I've got a second one sitting in a box under my modelling table. But is it the end-all be-all of 40k? Not really. It's a bit of a glass cannon that, granted, is hard to engage without Skyfire, but that doesn't mean it's a game-breaker. It's AV 10 across the back, so as it swoops by you all it takes are a cluster of Bolter shots to let it know you're there. A squad of Devastators with Prescience and Krak Missiles will open the thing up pretty easily too (barring horriffic die rolls). Or just go with the simple solution- Aegis Defense Line. It's 100 points of Heldrake killin' goodness, and these days it's pretty much an auto-include in any army any way. Not just for the quad-gun either. Those pieces of cover you can set up wherever you want are pretty spiffy too.

That having been said, it is a very effective infantry killer. That Baleflamer (I've decided against taking a Hades Autocannon) just shreds stuff. Strength 6 is why. Yes, AP 3 is amazing, but at its Strength value it even reliably lights up Terminators, and they can't all save forever. I even managed to off one with a Vector Strike last game.

...But it can be hard to get it where you want it. As long as it's Zooming it has to move 18". That means it usually only gets a single good go at any given target. Sure it can Hover, but doing that allows enemies to shoot at you with their normal Ballistic Skill instead of Snap Shots, and that equals one VERY DEAD Heldrake.

Enough rambling about my Heldrake love however. This is the real reason for the post today:

HQ
Chaos Lord (Warlord) w/ Melta Bombs, Sigil of Corruption, The Murder Sword, Veterans of the Long War- 135 pts.

ELITE
Helbrute w/ Reaper Autocannon- 105 pts.
Helbrute w/ Reaper Autocannon- 105 pts.

TROOPS
9x Chaos Cultists w/ Flamer; Cultist Champion- 55 pts.
9x Chaos Cultists w/ Flamer; Cultist Champion- 55 pts.
9x Chaos Cultists w/ 8x Autoguns, Heavy Stubber; Cultist Champion w/ Shotgun- 65 pts.
9x Chaos Space Marines w/ 2x Plasmaguns, Veterans of the Long War; Aspiring Champion w/ Plasma Pistol, Power Fist- 220 pts.
9x Chaos Space Marines w/ 2x Flamers, 7x Close Combat Weapons, 2x Additional Close Combat Weapons, Veterans of the Long War; Aspiring Champion w/ Power Axe- 179 pts.

FAST ATTACK
Heldrake w/ Baleflamer- 170 pts.
Heldrake w/ Baleflamer- 170 pts.

ALLIED HQ
Herald of Khorne w/ Minor Reward, Greater Locus of Fury- 85 pts.

ALLIED TROOPS
14x Bloodletters; Bloodreaper- 155 pts.

TOTAL
1,499 pts.

Lots of scoring units, and enough armor to keep those anti-tank weapons busy. Those Bloodletters may be dropped down to 13 strong and given the Banner of Blood instead, but with all those Toughness 3 dudes deep striking or running across the board I'm thinking that more bodies is the way to go lest they simply get shot dead. The Daemon Prince is gone, as all he's accomplished to this point is being shot dead and wasting 255 points. Yeah he's a nightmare if he gets his hands on you, but that's a big, huge "if". It is indeed the Heldrake Flying Circus (well not totally, I'm not going to buy a third one).

Hopefully my next post will be a picture of my first Heldrake all painted up and pretty.

Another Chaos Marine Revision- The Fall of the Chosen

So, after my first game of 40k 6th edition against Demitra, I have found my army... lacking. In particular ifn the mobility department. Now, Demitra clearly had the advantage going into this one as he could just park in his deployment zone while I had to slog toward him, but in the end my force had one glaring hole in it. Mobility.

It is to this end that I introduce the long feared, oft seen Heldrake into my army. This first one comes equipped with a Baleflamer for sure. It will be great for rooting models out of cover, an ability I sorely need. The question remains, does the second model get a Hades Autocannon?

The question comes up because of my need for air superiority. The Heldrakes are great, and I mean GREAT aircraft-daemon-beastie thingies, but will simple Strength 7 Vector Strikes cut the mustard against other flyers? The Baleflamer can't be fired into the air, the Autocannon can (albeit at BS 3). Without owning the air, I can't safely move across the ground.

I think the answer is clear (due to the Ballistic Skill), Baleflamer, but the Hades Autocannon just stays stuck in my head.

So, with a $100 gift card I got my hands on, I grabbed both a Heldrake and another Chaos Marine squad- this one to turn into Havocs. I went home and fired up my netbook to build a list. I am a bit bummed that I had to strip the marks off of every unit except the Daemon Prince, but oh well- that's what the Bloodletters will be for.

HQ
Chaos Lord (warlord) w/ Sigil of Corruption, The Murder Sword, Veterans of the Long War- 130 pts.
Daemon Prince w/ Power Armor, Wings, Daemon of Khorne, Axe of Blind Fury- 255 pts.

ELITE
Helbrute w/ Reaper Autocannon- 105 pts.
Helbrute w/ Reaper Autocannon- 105 pts.

TROOPS
Chaos Cultists w/ Flamer- 55 pts.
Chaos Cultists w/ Flamer- 55 pts.
9x Chaos Space Marines w/ 2 Plasmaguns, Veterans of the Long War; Aspiring Champion w/ Plasma Pistol, Power Fist- 220 pts.
9x Chaos Space Marines w/ 2 Flamers, 2 additional Close Combat Weapons, 7 Close Combat Weapons, Veterans of the Long War; Aspiring Champion w/ Power Axe- 179 pts.

FAST ATTACK
Heldrake w/ Baleflamer- 170 pts.

HEAVY SUPPORT
9 Havocs w/ 4 Meltaguns, 9 Additional Close Combat Weapons, Veterans of the Long War; Aspiring Champion w/ Power Axe- 223 pts.

Why Melta? Isn't that weapon dead with 6th? Well, not so much. It's still a great anti-mech weapon, it still kills Space Marines (all the way up to Terminators) dead, and it still allows you to assault afterward.

I've dumped the Chosen. At their point cost they're just not able to do anything more than get shot dead. I love the models, and I'm glad they're painted, just not so much on the table.

Next week in gaming is now a question... Dark Eldar or Heldrake?

Only time will tell.

Where I'm Going- 2,000 Points Of Chaos

Well, my Chosen are coming along, but I have no photos to share as of yet. What I do have today are thoughts about the overall direction of my Chaos Space Marines.

I've been tooling around with my list yet again, removing unfluffy or just plain unneeded items. That Plasma Pistol on my Chaos Lord? Not really worth the risk of him frying himself for 15 points. That's the cost of a Space Marine, and all it'll most likely achieve is a single gibbed enemy mini before the guy gets into melee and starts slaughtering enemies. His sword is his weapon, not his gun.

The Daemon Prince remains a flying killing machine. All those attacks at his strength value turn him into a glorious Cuisinart of choppy goodness.

What about the Chosen? Well, they're getting the Mark of Khorne back. Those extra attacks on the charge are totally worth it against big units (like Orks) where you need to thin them out as quickly as possible. A prolonged combat with those fellows will result in you losing your Chosen to plain attrition, which is rather an unceremonious way to go out.

The Helbrutes have been discussed. Reaper Autocannons all the way.

The Chaos Cultists will be deployed in an MSU format, ten to a squad, just there to squat on objectives. They'll be armed as they come in the box, 1 point overpriced upgrade to Autoguns (it should be free) and 5 point glorified Bolter all. My worry is that should they come under too much fire they'll just pack it in and leave, but that's the risk you take with those fellas.



The Chaos Space Marines have undergone a tweak as well. The plasma squad has had the Mark of Nurgle dropped from them. It was just plain out of place in the army, since everything is Khorne marked or not at all. The other squad of Marines remains unchanged. I like their loadout enough to leave them be.

Finally we come to the add-ons. at 1,750 points I'm going with a Heldrake (duh) and a final squad of Chaos Cultists. The air superiority and/or dogfighting power the Heldrake brings to the table are just too good to be left out. The Chaos Cultists are there for their usual "grab an objective and go to ground" antics.

Finally we step up to 2,000 points. Daemons, Daemons, Daemons. The carnage a wave of Bloodletters brings to the table is just too good to be missed. Lots of bodies, AP 3 standard-issue weapons, and Rage + Furious Charge. All for 10 points per model. Just plain awesome. Oh, and did I mention their HQ choice clocks in at a whopping 85 points? Not too shabby.

That's the plan any way. Here's what my 2,000 point army list will look like:

HQ

Chaos Lord (warlord) w/ Mark of Khorne, Melta Bombs, Sigil of Corruption, The Murder Sword, Veterans of the Long War- 145 pts.

Daemon Prince w/ Power Armor, Wings, Axe of Blind Fury, Daemon of Khorne- 255 pts.

ELITE

8 Chosen w/ 2x Power Axe, 2x Power Fist, Veterans of the Long War; Chosen Champion w/ 2x Lightning Claw- 308 pts.

Helbrute w/ Reaper Autocannon- 105 pts.

Helbrute w/ Reaper Autocannon- 105 pts.

TROOPS

9 Chaos Cultists w/ Flamer; Cultist Champion- 55 pts.

9 Chaos Cultists w/ Flamer; Cultist Champion- 55 pts.

9 Chaos Cultists w/ 8 Autoguns, Heavy Stubber; Cultist Champion w/ Shotgun- 65 pts.

9 Chaos Cultists w/ 8 Autoguns, Heavy Stubber; Cultist Champion w/ Shotgun- 65 pts.

9 Chaos Space Marines w/ 2x Plasma Gun, Veterans of the Long War; Aspiring Champion w/ Power Fist, Plasma Pistol- 220 pts.

9 Chaos Space Marines w/ 2x Flamer, 2x added Close Combat Weapon, 7x exchange Bolter for Close Combat Weapon, Mark of Khorne, Veterans of the Long War; Aspiring Champion w/ Power Axe- 199 pts.

FAST ATTACK

Heldrake- 170 pts.

ALLIED HQ

Herald of Khorne w/ Lesser Reward, Greater Locus of Fury- 85 pts.

ALLIED TROOPS

16 Bloodletters w/ upgrade to Bloodreaper- 165 pts.

TOTAL

1,997 points

I'm not normally a huge fan of Khorne, but I am a huge fan of the current Bloodletter minis. I just have to put some together in more dynamic poses than can be achieved when making a WHFB regiment, and I would just plain love to make my own Herald mini. I'll need to figure out how to make him special, and I'm pretty sure my leftover Dark Eldar and Chaos Marine bits will fit the bill. That has more or less shaped this army into its current form, with my faux Khorne Berserkers leading the charge alongside the Chosen and Bloodletters. I'll probably get chewed to bits by plasma fire, but like I said, if I want to be competitive I'll pull out my Dark Eldar and torment Demitra with my ability to kite him around all day.

Now I just need to finish painting what I already own and get the stuff I need to finish up the army.

Revision of Helbrutes

Getting the axe? Or just the saw?

I know that Helbrutes (I've been spelling their names wrong this whole time) are sub-optimal choices, but the model is so slick I want to run it any way. What, then, is the ideal armament? Multi-Melta? It seems no. Dual Power Fists? while it would look cool, it would be even less effective than the Multi-Melta loadout. Twin-linked Heavy Bolter? Lots of shots, but not a lot of killing power. Reaper Autocannon? It only has a 36" range, but now we may be in business. Two shots, Strength 7, twin-linked... It may not be a rifleman Dreadnought, but it's cheap and can flay Hull Points off of enemy vehicles. Even better, it's only a 5 point upgrade.

So that makes the mini 105 points with what I would call the "best" (as the model lacks any dual-weapon loadouts, and it would be a hassle to remove the Powerfist, which would make the model look a lot less cool any way) equipment the former Dreadnought can carry.

Now, let me make one thing clear- this army is a project to see what kind of an army one can make with two Dark Vengance sets. It's not really a project to build an ideal army (that's why I have my Dark Eldar) but I don't want to get squashed every game either. Thus, I'm taking some constructive criticism.

To that end, I have put together the following army list:

HQ

Chaos Lord (warlord) w/ Plasma Pistol, Mark of Khorne, Melta Bombs, Sigil of Corruption, The Murder Sword, Veterans of the Long War- 160 pts.

Daemon Prince w/ Power Armor, Wings, Daemon of Khorne, Axe of Blind Fury- 255 pts.

ELITE

Chosen x6 w/ Power Axe x2, Power Fist x2, Veterans of the Long War; Chosen Champion w/ Lightning Claws- 250 pts.

Helbrute w/ Reaper Autocannon- 105 pts.

Helbrute w/ Reaper Autocannon- 105 pts.

TROOPS

Chaos Cultists x9 w/ Flamer; Cultist Champion- 55 pts.

Chaos Cultists x9 w/ Flamer; Cultist Champion- 55 pts.

Chaos Cultists x9 w/ Autogun x8, Heavy Stubber; Cultist Champion w/ Shotgun- 65 pts.

Chaos Space Marines x9 w/ Plasma Gun x2, Mark of Nurgle; Aspiring Champion w/ Power Fist, Plasma Pistol- 250 pts.

Chaos Space Marines x9 w/ Flamer x2, Close Combat Weapon x9, Mark of Khorne; Aspiring Champion w/ Power Axe- 199 pts.

TOTALS

1,499 pts.
HQ: 2
ELITE: 3
TROOPS: 5
FAST ATTACK: 0
HEAVY SUPPORT: 0

Note that the Chosen no longer have the Mark of Khorne. That means that the Chaos Lord is now running with the Khornate Chaos Space Marines. This spreads out the hitting power a little bit, as the Chosen come with two attacks each, and Rage plus a Chaos Lord is a touch overkill.

Another thing, the Mark of Nurgle is a touch out of place. I'd like to take it away from the squad, but it would drastically reduce the squad's staying power. Besides that, what would I do with the points? Probably more ablative Chosen.

In the end I'm still skeptical about my ability to convert the Helbrutes, but if indeed they just get shot dead early on, it's a waste of 200 points. That's probably worse than the pains of conversion ahead of me.

I wonder if my Creepy Local Hobby Shop (CLHS) has any plastruct tubes? Guess I'll check in a day or two.

The Posting Madness Continues! Daemons as Allies

As I said before, I have been set on using Chaos Daemons as allies for a while, but I have been unable to come up with a finalized detachment. This is what I'm currently looking at:

HQ

Herald of Khorne w/ Greater Locus of Fury, Lesser Reward- 85 pts.

TROOPS

19x Bloodletters; Bloodreaper- 205 pts.

19x Plaguebearers w/ Icon of Chaos (Plague Banner); Plagueridden- 205 pts.

TOTALS

POINTS- 495
HQ- 1 (17%)
ELITE- 0 (0%)
TROOPS- 2 (82%)
FAST ATTACK- 0 (0%)
HEAVY SUPPORT- 0 (0%)

This configuration brings several things to the party. First off, the Herald of Khorne gives Rage to his Bloodletter unit. His Lesser Reward will just be an Axe of Khorne, I'm not even going to bother rolling. This will make him a challenge ace, with an AP 2 weapon and Instant Death on a to-wound roll of 6 (basically what would be Killing Blow in WHFB). Many characters with a much higher point total will be afraid to challenge him. As stated before in a previous article, 20 Bloodletters charging in with 3 attacks each and Strength 5 will make short work of pretty much any squad they touch. at WS 5 they'll be needing 3+ to hit, and 3+ to wound against most enemies, so why bother with the re-rolls for Hatred when it's a more expensive Locus?

Next up are the Plaguebearers. With their less than stellar Toughness of 4 (for a Nurgle unit) and Slow and Purposeful they don't look like too much until you consider their cover save. With a 3+ against anything without Ignores Cover (due to the Shrouding provided by their cloud of flies you see) and even better, a 2+ in ruins, these things are perfect for grabbing and babysitting objectives. They also carry Defensive Grenades and bear Plagueswords, which will shred vehicles with their ability to glance any vehicle on an armor penetration roll of a 6.

What are the downsides to this detachment?

Well, for starters, this leaves my army with no real anti-aircraft capability. Even though it can Vector Strike enemy aircraft, the Daemon Prince wants to be in melee hacking things into tiny bits (1d6+7 Strength 9 AP 2 attacks on the charge against ground targets vs. 1d3+1 Strength 6 AP 3 against flying targets). What, then, do I do?

Soul Grinder. it has a Harvester Cannon that it can fire at passing planes with 3 Strength 7 shots. Marked by Nurgle it has the same 2+ cover save as the Plaguebearers. With a Phlegm Bombardment (Basically a 36" Battle Cannon) it can hang back and tear MEQ units and the like to bits. It's a great all-rounder, but it takes away my Plaguebearers. With the Mark of Nurgle and a Phlegm Bombardment it comes to 180 points, a 25 point savings over the Plaguebearers. But it can not score.

I've discussed other options elsewhere, such as deleting my Plaguebearer pack in exchange for a Heldrake. This leaves me with:

FAST ATTACK

Heldrake- 170 pts.

ALLIED HQ

Herald of Khorne w/ Greater Locus of Fury, Lesser Reward- 85 pts.

ALLIED TROOPS

19x Bloodletters w/ Icon of Chaos (Banner of Blood); Bloodreaper w/ Lesser Reward- 235 pts.

This leaves me with 10 points to give either my Chaos Lord, or more likely my Daemon Prince the Gift of Mutation so that he starts the game with a Chaos Boon in order to enhance his killing capability.

I'm torn, and this may not be resolved until just before I place the order for my reinforcements.

Re-Tweaking Chaos

Breakfast of Aspiring Champions.

As is the nature of the immaterium, my army is constantly in flux. I've been pondering and pondering my Chaos Space Marines, and I just think it's silly for my Chosen Champion to have a weapon as stupid and useless as a Power Maul. Sure, it's concussive, but it has a shoddy AP of 4. Not exactly a great weapon for the compulsory challenges the mini is forced into due to his "Champion of Chaos" rule.

I have considered his proper armament for a while, and after determining which weapons I want in my (massively expensive) Chosen squad. I considered killing ability for the Chosen. I considered challenge effectiveness. I considered model coolness. The clear winner was the mini with Lightning Claws. I have tweaked my army list yet again in order to accommodate these changes.

Why the Lightning Claws? Challenges. The mini (when fighting any flavor of Imperial Space Marine, and let's face it- that's really what's mostly out there) gets re-rolls to hit, to wound, and has AP 3- enough to shred most enemy squad leaders. Sure, he's in over his head when fighting enemies in 2+ armor, but he's in over his head when fighting these sorts of enemies to begin with, so no real sense in tweaking him toward fighting in challenges he's sure to lose.

I've also reconsidered my Chaos Cultists. They're really there to grab objectives, be cheap, and die horribly, so why mob them up too much? They're Ld 8 provided they're still with their Cultist Champion (who's dumb enough to wander off and challenge any enemy character in melee) which is a mini who's not likely to be there and provide his already mediocre Leadership stat. Once that idiot dies the Cultists have to lean on their well less than stellar Leadership of 7. Of course, if they're in Close Combat they're in a whole heap of trouble in the first place.

As much as I could complain about the price, the book is just slick.

So, with that in mind, I turned to my handy-dandy Codex and Army Construction Software in order to come up with a new army list. It still sits at 1,500 points, as I've finally figured out my Chaos Daemon allies (which is a subject for another post) assuming that you're allowed one Herald per HQ when using them as allies, which is the most likely logical solution to the FOC conundrum I discussed in an earlier post.

Here's what I'm working with now:

HQ

Chaos Lord (Warlord) w/ Plasma Pistol, Sigil of Corruption, the Murder Sword, Veterans of the Long War- 145 pts.

Daemon Prince of Khorne w/ Power Armor, Wings, Axe of Blind Fury- 255 pts.

ELITE

8 Chosen w/ 2x Power Axe, 2x Power Fist, Veterans of the Long War; Chosen Champion w/ 2x Lightning Claws- 290 pts.

Hellbrute- 100 pts.

Hellbrute- 100 pts

TROOPS

16x Cultists w/ Flamer; Cultist Champion- 83 pts.

9x Cultists w/ 8x Autogun, Heavy Stubber; Cultist Champion w/ Shotgun- 65 pts.

9x Cultists w/ 8x Autogun, Heavy Stubber; Cultist Champion w/ Shotgun- 65 pts.

9x Chaos Space Marines w/ 2x Plasma Guns, Veterans of the Long War; Aspiring Champion w/ Plasma Pistol, Power Fist- 220 pts.

9x Chaos Space Marines w/ 2x Flamer, 7x Close Combat Weapons, Veterans of the Long War; Aspiring Champion w/ Power Axe- 175 pts.

TOTALS

Points: 1,498
HQ: 2 (26.7%)
Elite: 3 (32.7%)
Troops: 5 (40.6%)
Fast Attack: 0 (0%)
Heavy Support: 0 (0%)
Model Count: 70

Apparently she's a Chaos Cultist...

It's a decently sized army considering it's made from a base of two Dark Vengance starters. Those Chosen really eat into my points.

I'm wondering how taking a theoretically balanced force against Demitra's "storm of plasma-ey death" Dark Angels will go. He apparently has Preferred Enemy (Chaos Space Marines), which will make his shooting really accurate and really quite scary (as only a wall of Strength 7, AP 2 can be) so I'll have to close the gap quickly and focus on denial of objectives while keeping the big guns in close combat. At 1,999 +1 points, I'm really quite worried. I guess that's what my wall of 41 Chaos Daemons is for.

If anything gets dropped, it'll either be the Hellbrutes or the Chosen in favor of a Heldrake or two. Those things are just brutal, and if Demitra does in fact take all that plasma (in particular Plasma Cannons) it will just plain rule the battlefield.

Ultimately this list is 100% theoretical any way, and until minis hit the table in a week or two all I'm doing is looking at numbers on paper and dreaming about what they'll do in a real game.

In actual hobby news, I've run out of Vallejo Dwarf Skin paint. This sort of slams my painting progress to an abrupt halt, as without that I can't paint the vast, fleshy areas of things like my Hellbrute, or the bare arms of my Chaos Cultists. Luckily it ran out after basecoating my Daemon Prince, so I'll try to have him up here ASAP. Also, I've finished my first squad of Chaos Marines, and I'll try to have them up by tonight.

Well, back to pretending to work. All that surfing the web can be exhausting.