Sunday, January 29, 2017

Showcase: Dark Angels Devastators.

More time filler.  I also just learned it will probably be a month before tax refund not a week, so I'm a bit despondent over that but I'll push on.

I finished the Lascannon Devastator squad. Even though technically I don't have any way to put them on the table right now in a legal formation.



I really do like how they turn out, and the more Dark Angels I paint the more I like the color scheme.

So my current project box is empty. I do have the Ghostkeel and Necrons ready to paint.  Not sure what I want to do next.

Saturday, January 28, 2017

Return of the Ork horde?

I've been trying to decide what to play lately. I've played the same stuff so often that it's getting boring.

I've tried mixing up some Orks and CSM but so far it's meh. I could bring out the Air Armada again.

or

could the Ork Horde have much of a chance?

When I say horde, I mean 180 boyz able to Waagh! every turn.

Yes that means filling all 6 boyz units to the max in the decurion.

Great Waggh! Band

Core:
Warboss: 'eavy armor, Super Cybork, PK
Mek, Killsaw
30 boyz, nob w/pk, 3 weapons
30 boyz, nob w/pk, 3 weapons
30 boyz, nob w/pk
30 boyz, nob w/pk, shootas, 3 weapons
30 boyz, nob w/pk, shootas, 3 weapons
30 boyz, nob w/pk, shootas, 3 weapons

10 grots
3 nobs, 'eavy armor, pk

Aux:
Kannon
Kannon
Kannon
Lobba

That's it. Just fill the board with bodies moving as quickly as possible.  Knights? They will fuck me up.  Anything else though and I might stand a chance.

Besides there is always the mental block of seeing 180 models on the board to kill :)

Thursday, January 19, 2017

My Top 5 X-Wing abilities I want to see in Star Trek: Attack Wing

Time for another STAW top 5!

I did play X-Wing for a while, but just could not keep up financially with yet another game so I sold everything off.  However there are a lot of cool abilities that would translate well to Attack Wing, either on a ship, captain or Elite Talent.

Honerable mention goes to: Veteran Instincts, Mangler cannon.

Anyway off to the list:

5: Pure Sabacc
This is a great ship ability, especially on a smaller ship in the 3-4 hull range.  Would be great on something like a Maquis Raider for example.


4: The Inquisitor

This is more of a captain ability then anything else, but it's another way to get +1 attack die for free.  Also could be ruled to get around the range 2 limit on Borg.


3: Bodhi Rook
A new card for X-Wing but would be a good crew ability, being able to toss around a target lock when out of position is a cool but not over powered ability.


2. Push the Limit

Yes, this ability is already in STAW with the Hathaway, but it's such a good ability it needs to be an Elite Talent so anyone can use it.  In fact, whenever I do it playing the Hathaway, I even say "push the limit"!


1: Keyan Farlander

While this a decent ability in X-Wing, it could be potentially game-breaking in Attack Wing.  Definitely a captain skill to keep it unique.  However the potential to give some ability to those wallowing Cardasian ships with red turns, or getting an effective battlestation on a k-turn, the possibilities are endless.



Monday, January 16, 2017

Can Orks do MSU?

As I was contemplating a Gladius, I was thinking if Orks could do the MSU any better.  The units are cheap, however very fragile especially in small numbers.  I don't know if it would really work but it could be interesting to see if someone can kill enough.

Using a combined Arms detachment of course, because you need that objective secured.

HQ: Warboss, PK, lucky stick, 'eavy armor, Bosspole
HQ: Painboy
Still need some punch, and the warboss' Waagh! might still be useful.

Troop: 12 shootas, 1xWeapon (BS or rokkit), Trukk w/Ram
Troop: 12 shootas, 1xWeapon (BS or rokkit), Trukk w/Ram
Troop: 12 shootas, 1xWeapon (BS or rokkit), Trukk w/Ram
Troop: 12 shootas, 1xWeapon (BS or rokkit), Trukk w/Ram
Troop: 12 'ard boys, Nob w/PK and bosspole, Trukk w/Ram
Troop: 10 'ard boys, Nob w/PK and bosspole, Trukk w/Ram
Lots of ObSec, the unit of 10 is joined by the characters. The shootas zip around on objectives and shoot stuff. 

Elite: 6 Tankbustas, Trukk w/Ram
Elite: 6 Tankbustas, Trukk w/Ram
Elite: 6 Tankbustas, Trukk w/Ram
For the elite slots we use the trusty Tankbustas. The grenade rule isn't used in ITC so the meltabombs are still useful. 

Fast: 4 warbikes
Fast: 4 warbikes
Fast: 4 warbikes
Warbikes are still the best unit in the book. These guys zipping around, absorbing overwatch, or whatever else they need. Defkopptas work too, but cost more.

Heavy: 6 Lootas
Heavy: 6 Lootas
Heavy: 6 Lootas
We round off with lootas, small units are easy to hide in cover and are still quite effective. 
1842pts

So that's it. 9 Trukks, 12 bikes, 26 total killpoints.  Lots of fast moving things zipping around the board causing problems.  I wish I could try it but I only have 4 trukks.

An interim project - Dark Angels

The "downside" to buying Devastator boxes for Grav Cannons (just doing the bits is usually not worth it, or they are recasts) is having a bunch of other heavy weapons left over.

I decided to go with a unit for Dark Angels, going with all Lascannon.




So this my next project waiting impatiently for my tax refund to begin a new, more focused army build.  Right now the only thing I know I'm going to buy is a Dark Vengeance box.  That will be a nice expansion to my CSM (mainly more cultists) as well as enough Dark Angels models to have a good sized force of those if I want to play them - mainly as a non-competitive Marine army.

Tuesday, January 10, 2017

Showcase: More Ravenwing.

A good deal is hard to pass up, which is what these guys were. Just $10.  I cut off the plasma and magnetized the options of Melta, plasma and Grav.



Which brings me to the next subject, my 2017 army plans. I've scratched the Lion's Blade off the list. I do plan on getting a Dark Vengeance set which will give me plenty of DA models and between that, the models I already have, and a Devastator squad out of the 2 I have that should be plenty.

Right now I'm leaning towards the Iron Angels Gladius as a competitive army, mainly because it won't take much at all to finish it with the new armored assault boxes.  It's also a completely different play style to what I've been playing (all death star, all the time) unlike say, the Space Wolves.

But I'm not ruling out Knights as well.   Tau is still a contender but I won't be able to afford to do both Tau and a gladius.  I still have about a month to figure it out.

Sunday, January 8, 2017

New year, new projects on the horizon.

But I just don't know what yet!

Right now I'm gearing up to my big shopping season once I get my tax refund, which will give me the plastic to build and paint all year long.

Right now I'm not sure what exactly I will be spending my money on.

There are currently 6 choices I am debating.

1. Expand my current Iron Angels into a full Gladius
Pros: probably more competitive then the Medusa, not a lot of models to buy
Cons: I don't want to paint any more Blood Angles

2. Build a whole new army, a Lion's Blade (Dark Angels)
Pros: Very competitive, easy to paint
Cons: Lots of models to buy (but the new armored assault boxes really helps)

Right now this is probably the last option. I will do some DA going forward, including getting a Dark Vengeance box for myself. But I think going for a less-competitive Marine force using DA is the better option.

3. Expand my Space Wolves
Pros: not a lot of models
Cons: unsure on competitiveness

Basically when I decided to go with the Medusa I had another option of getting more Space Wolves instead.  This includes more Wulfen, drop pods and Thunderwolves.  But like other options, I'm not sure if the list will be that good.

4. Finish the Tau/Necron army
Pros: what I want to try, I have a good portion of the models already
Cons: experimental - not sure if it will be good at all much less competitive, the models left to get are expensive

Most intriguing options, and I will probably work on some of it anyway (I really want a Stormsurge).  But it's simply the most unknown of the tournament options.

5.  Expand my CSM into a full Deathguard army
Pros: lots of of fun modeling options, should be decently competitive
Cons: Need a good number of models, CSM is annoying to paint

6. Buy Renegade Knights for my Orks
Pros: Cool modeling options, could be a good bump to the Orks
Cons: Still won't make Orks good

The biggest problem with this option is deciding if I would model the Knight(s) as regular Chaos or as looted Orks.  On one side having them Chaos means I can more easily use in both armies, the other side is looting them will be awesome AF and I can scratch-build weapon options much easier.

So that's the list. Any input would be appreciated.  I have at least a month to think about it.