Games Workshop Oslo's 40k Hobby Week (June 27th - July 1st)

Back at the end of June my local GW held a hobby week for 40k. Running up to the 27th the staff had helped me with list planning and conversion ideas. I got together a ton of bits from various boxes at home and ordered a couple last pieces to complete the list.

This is what I came up with:
Grand Master Xerophus (Command Tanks)
• Land Raider Excelsior: Extra Armour; Rod of Command 220
• Rhino Primaris: Dozer Blade; Extra Armour 215

Brother-Chaplain Elixian (Interrogator Chaplain in Terminator Armour): Digital Weapons; Melta Bombs 155

Dreadnoughts
• Honoured Brother Kain (Dreadnought): Twin Linked Lascannon; Twin Linked Autocannon; Extra Armour 140

Venerable Dreadnoughts
• Ancient-Brother Cicarus (Venerable Dreadnought): Plasma Cannon; Powerfist; Extra Armour 140

The Remorseless (Command Squad): Company Champion; Apothecary; Storm Shield; Company Standard; 2 × Meltagun 165

The Relic Guard - Squad Cadorush (10 Devestator Squad): Veteran Sergeant (Plasma Pistol; Thunder Hammer); 9 Devestator Squad; 4 × Plasma Cannon 250

Squad Ainstien (9 Devestator Squad): Space Marine Sergeant (Combi Plasma); 4 × Lascannon; Armorium Cherub 235

Squad Lenial (9 Devestator Squad): Space Marine Sergeant (Storm Bolter); 4 × Missile Launcher; Armorium Cherub 210

Squad Trayfal (9 Devestator Squad): Space Marine Sergeant (Storm Bolter); 4 × Heavy Bolter 185

Squad Amian (9 Devestator Squad): Space Marine Sergeant (Lightning Claw; Lightning Claw; Meltabombs); 4 × Grav Cannon & Grav Amo 315

The Pride (2 Predators)
• Lion Claw (Predator): Lascannon Sponsons; Dozer Blade; Extra Armour; Storm Bolter 135
• Lion Fang (Predator): Lascannon Sponsons; Dozer Blade; Extra Armour; Storm Bolter 135

2 500 points

During the week I was able to turn up each day, but later than everyone else (kids on summer holidays). Still my kids were also away on holiday so I was able to make up the time during the evenings. It was great fun, and really inspirational to hobby in a real active environment for a change. Over the course of the week I managed to finish building all 58 Infantry models, the two Predators (the WHW Command Tanks were already built and basecoated) and the two Dreadnoughts.

After this came a lot of drybrushing,
a really effective way of getting a good highlight down on the Marines
and their tanks that saves a loads of time when you've a lot to do

By the end of the week I'd got a few games in, tried out my first ever Predators in a multiplayer game, another chap had one so we teamed up to form a Squadron, now I know I want a third. Some people got a lot more than me done, by the end of the week I'd got all 62 new models built, undercoated, drybrushed and the blacks were basecoated. I also got one mode complete.

Finally, here is a link to a post with the finished army.

The Remorseless - Dark Angels 9th Company - Demi-Company

We Can Rebuild Him... #Dreadtober Construction Phase

Tomorrow marks the first day of my last week of pappaperm (paternity leave), I'm fortunate enough to live in Norway and have just enjoyed eight weeks of paid leave to spend with my now 13 months old daughter. It's been magic, it's also granted me a lot of extra hobby time. :) Hence the (for me) massive amounts of Dark Angels I've painted this year, and the 4000+ points of other armies I've built.

Knowing that Jay time will be harder to come by for my small soldiers very soon I've now dived into building my Deathwatch Veteran Dreadnought, Brother Thanatos, for #Dreadtober. As Chris the Geek recently admonished me on Twitter, I shouldn't be so hasty, I have got some wires crossed going up Thanatos' legs and that left me a messy base to deal with, apart from that it's been great fun to put together, as Dreadnoughts always are.

I began with the legs, working out how much wire would be needed and cutting out a route

Then came the arms and fibreoptics for the scanners

Once I had some things glued together I added the base that I'd started on earlier

This is when I discovered I'd messed up the wires and would need to do more work on the base

Greenstuff and a large plasticard girder are my friend here, the base'll be fine

 

                                

The Red Hunter Chapter Symbol is used as a backpack decoration on the Deathwatch Vets kit. I shaved it off and added it to his 'personal' shoulder

The wiring and battery underneath are quite tidy really, just very sandy from basing :)

#Dreadtober These are my fearsomefoursome that I hope to complete this month

And without glare

I still have some detail work to go on the big guy, likely a purity seal or two here and there, and the tough part, trying to create a Deathwatch style shoulderpad on his left arm out of greenstuff. Wish me luck. I'll post some photos up when he is finished and I'll be getting into the painting as soon as I can so as to get the most out of this last week off work. 

Brother Thanatos Honoured-Ancient of the Deathwatch

The Red Hunters a Chapter of the Adeptus Astartes with a long, proud and mostly unremembered history. Some of the stories place them among the second founding chapters, and even in those accounts their ties to what would oneday become the Inquistion are clear. Where as the Grey Knights and the Deathwatch are Space Marine chapters that fight as the military arm of a certain Inquisitorial Ordo the Red Hunters will gladly serve any Inquisitor with a task that requires an Astartes level response.

Red Hunters in the Deathwatch

Due to their extensive Inquisitotial duties the Red Hunters are perhaps called on to serve in the Deathwatch less than other chapters. And due to other chapters' mistrust of their extensive Inquisitorial ties the Red Hunters are perhaps found in command posistions amongst the Deathwatch less than other chapters.

Those Brothers that do serve  however excel, the Chapters long experience with Hypno-Training and Deep-Core Psycho-Indoctrination means they learn the tactics and weapons of Xeno slaughter well. Infact few of those who do join the Long Watch return to Montsegma again.

Brother Thanatos

Such Is the case with Honoured-Ancient Brother Thanatos. On M40.039.855.3 Veteran Brother Thanatos, having served a century with the Red Hunters was selected for service in the Deathwatch. After his Killteam succeded in their six mission to assassinate an Eldar Seer Thanatos went on to join a new Killteam on a new mission.

Eighty years and many missions later Thanatos was torn apart by a Mechaniod from the Xeno 'Binary Conclave'. However, much of his torso, spine and head was able to be recovered. This allowed him to be implanted in one of the Deathwatch's Dreadnought sarcophagus'. Now, almost 1000 years later he continues to serve, his zeal for slaying Xenos in the Emperors name undiminished. 

This is #Dreadtober

This week marks the start of Dreadtober, I wasn't part of the 2015 event, but I see some lovely models were built and painted, this time round I am in. Joe at Broken Paint Brush is organising this year, and he's got us off to a lovely start. A few e-mails to keep us upto date on where we should be, some articles on his own blog outlining the goals and structure of the (slightly long) month and so far a couple of links to advice for getting done what we need to get done. There is a Facebook page for the event, but most of the action seems to be taking place on Twitter, follow #Dreadtober to see it all.   The big picture point of Dreadtober is to get a model done, a Dreadnought or similar sized model, and show it off to a larger community. By all joining together to do it hopefully we'll motivate each other to finish. The nails and tacks up to the minute goal for this week is to make a plan and declare what we want to get done. So here are my goals for the month, a little on how I have arrived at them and how I hope to achieve them.   

•  Build a Venerable Dreadnought with LED's in, copying from taking inspiration from Bruno Massa's recent AoBR Dread. 

     

Bruno Massa's recent Ultramarine Dreadnought    

• Completely finish painting said LED filled almost dead Space Marine hero. 

• A little (sort of) side goal of mine is to get some paint, perhaps even finish the three Angels Sanguine dreadnoughts that I built and undercoated in July. 

Brotherhood of Ancients

 

When it came to deciding what Dreadnought to build I first thought about what I had lying at home, two Ven. Dreads and a Contemptor from B@C, the Venerables lended themselves nicely to the LED idea so job done. A quick poll to my Twitter followers gave the the answer that it should be my first model towards a Deathwatch force rather tgan Dreadnought #6 for my Dark Angels, 100% of votes actually. With this in mind I needed to find a Chapter, I didn't want to go for anything I already collect (Dark Angels, Mentors or Angels Sanguine) and decided that I'd like to avoid any of the Chapters with pads in the DW Veterans box as we'll be seeing enough of them. I hit the Lexicanum pages and went a-browsing. It didn't take long for me to find the Red Hunters, with a nice simple and clear Chapter symbol, a few colours that could be used nicely with Deathwatch black and a background full of Inquisition and reasons to be interesting they were a pefect fit for a model I'd want to show off. 

 

I then briefly played with the idea of using a Dreadknight's sword for his CCW, but I decided that it wasn't the right scale for a MK.IV Dreadnought, also it looked to be a nightmare to make LED's work well. Then I questioned the WH 40k Deathwatch group on any tips for a weapon to go next to the CCW. I didn't want a Plasma Cannon as I'd just painted so many for my Dark Angels, the suggestions and thoughts helped and we ended up deciding on an Assault Cannon as I've not painted one on a Dread before and it's a nice in your fave weapon for a Dreadnought that'll be up close supporting his Battle Brothers. 

 

Next up I'll post a small piece of fluff about my Red Hunter Deathwatch Battle Brother. 

We Do Still Play

Well I last posted in March, we're almost in October, by my maths (math for Americans) that's over half a year! So appologies, excuses and reasons abound. We hope to do a little better in the future, let's call this a wip.

In the past almost seven months there has been a lot of gaming and modelling though. The Highlights include Pandemic Legacy: Season 1, Sushi Go Party, over 6000 points of 40k built, and about half of that finished painted and based, some AoS & 40k has been played, the Marvel Super Hero game was tried out and we've completed all four scenarios in Mansions of Madness 2nd. Ed.

On top of that Mari's broken a finger, we've been to Disney World, Sweden, Cornwall and Stavanger. Life has been great, and now I'm just starting on my #Dreadtober and Tim has recently gifted me Destiny to try out (Level 17 Titan already).

I'll be in touch again soon, some details about all of the models I've been building and painting and a few photos of some of the games played.  

The Battle of Chantilly - Bolt Action British Commandos

Last week I met with a  friend in Oslo and we played a smallish (1000pts) game of Bolt Action in Outland in Oslo. We'd chatted plenty in advance and decided on our armies and mission as well as a narrative around the events. So we set up a nice looking wooded board and got to it.

In early August 1944 a small force of well equipped British Commandos from No. 4 supported by a Matilda infantry tank infiltrated the forest of Chantilly in Northern France and began an aggressive scheme of disruption from behind the German lines. at 14:00 on August 11th the Germans launched their raid on the British camp with an elite Waffen SS force.

Chantilly Forest

The light green order dice marked the objectives.

The Germans came in hard and fast over the rough terrain, they quickly won the battle of the snipers although the STuG III never managed to get a bearing on the Matilda as it quickly found some light cover behind a tree. The Pioneer's rode their Hanomag into the centre of the British, scattering them for cover, and unleashed a torrent of flame that killed many men, although a heavy retribution was laid upon them afterwards.

Heavy casualties caused by the Pioneer's and the ADKFZ 250/9's autocannon during the middle of the battle left few Commandos to retaliate, soon it was just a few men left trying to hold off the horde. The officers were amongst the last to fall, the SS officers even ordering that the medic was a valid target.

The Germans took the forest before 15:00, although they paid a cost in lives for the victory.

We had a great game as we always do, it made for a change to not be spearheading an attack against German held lines with my Commandos. I'm not sure when we'll play again, but I'll try and get myself a heavier mortar next time to lay down some more pain, perhaps even a bigger tank. The Matilda survived the game through thanks to some poor roles by the STuG, but it wasn't very effective either.

It Came From the Stars... A Slann's Tale (Part 1)

"Lord Soquala-Astrain left Lustria in his great temple ship enraged. He, and his Slann breatherin, the greatest of the Old One's creations had failed to peotect this young world from the vile eye of Chaos.

Soquala refused all contact, remaining within his ship's command chamber focusing his entire will upon travelling deep into space. He was determind to find the Old Ones, his burning rage had cooled down to a cold fury. He would find the Old Ones and demand of them an answer as to why the Great Olan failed.

For weeks, years and eventually generations none of Soquala's Skink aides saw him. Eventually they all passed away, and almost passed entirely from memory Soquala was so focused on his quest for an answer. No other Slann traveled out in to the depths so far."

From the First Orbit of the Lord Solar, Poldrakens Heart​

This is the start, and currently the extent of the fluff I've dreamt up for my emerging Seraphon force. I imagine them, as the Battletome describes, as a force of celestial power, imagined into being by the Slann that leads them and fading away outside of battle. But I think he summons the same Seraphon to being each time, and through his experiencing their actions in one campaign they come back different each time, slowly developing a greater capability and understanding. Somewhat like Pokemon and their Pokeballs.

To capture some of this on the table I'm going with a starfield pattern on the skin of the Seraphon, which will hopefully show them to be 'made of the stuff of the stars' and give a nice uniform look to the army amongst the different colour of their scales. I also see the star pattern showing how Lord Soquala lost touch with almost the entire physical world on his journey and coming to battle now his mental constructs are not as solid or bound in tradition as many other Slann's are.

Obviously I have a way to go on the background for my army, I want to next write up some details about how Lord Soquala found his way to the Mortal Realms and what now motivates him to fight. For the time being I intend to leave very vague what he may have met out in the far reaches of space.

I hope you enjoyed this little look, please let me know what you think and any ideas on where I could take the theme.