Revisiting that Whole “Allies” Thing…

This post was brought on by doing some quick math as it pertains to my Blood Angels project:

Holy shit.  I have 1,500 points of Blood Angels.

The Battle at the Cadian Gate Rages On: Month 4

Hey all!

Just a quick note here that this past weekend the Black Legion ambushed a Cadian Column as it advanced through the cities of Solar Mariatus.  Travis (SmackTalk) has posted some glorious photography and a solid write-up over at our campaign blog, and you should definitely go check it out.

Boy, That Escalated Quickly

For those denizens of the House of Paincakes, this won’t come as a surprise.

I’m SW Armada these days.

What might come as a surprise is just how quickly this got out of hand:

• July 1st, 2015 – Funds approved for expansion of hobby in light of local sale.
• July 1st, 2015 – First game played (with Mrs. Oak)
• July 5th, 2015 – Vassal discovered, installed, poked around in.
• July 7th, 2015 – SWAFT discovered, several theoretical lists made.
• July 10th, 2015 – Second game played (with cousins of Mrs. Oak).  IT WAS EPIC.
• July 12th, 2015 – ALL THE THINGS BOUGHT.
  • MOAR Dice
  • Imperial Gladiator Class
  • Imperial Squadron Pack
  • Rebel Assault Frigate Mk. II
  • Rebel Squadron Pack

It took less than 12 days and two games to become fully involved in this.  No regrets either, because the game is absolutely fantastic.

I might have been playtesting a pair of my lists (by myself) when I shot this picture.

Without going into too much detail, I love how simple the rules are to understand.  I also enjoy how difficult the game is to master.  There’s a different way of thinking when you start to plan out your ship’s movement… “Wait, so I can’t pivot on the spot and BLAST SOMEONE?  Huh.”

The ships really do feel lumbering, and manoeuvring them around a table while: a) avoiding obstacles, b) avoiding other ships, some of them malicious, c) keeping maximum weapons baring on your target, d) making sure you don’t over-shoot everything and go flying off the table.

As if to drive this point across, you’re also forced to plan a few turns ahead with certain ships, making it more difficult to adapt to fast-changing circumstances.

For example, at one point the Rebel Assault Frigate suffered a Ruptured Engine while going at a zippy clip of 3.  A ruptured engine deals damage to the ship whenever you complete a maneuver and your speed is greater than 1.  This is a huge problem, because I wasn’t planning on slamming on the brakes 3 turns ago, and the only way to change speeds is via the Navigation Command on the dial, or getting a token somehow.

So some clever strategery needs to happen in order to cover yourself otherwise you might get completely hosed.

There were some rules issues that I’m still working my way through:

1. The Squadron Command, and squadrons in general.
   1. The first game I played, I assumed squadrons could move and shoot in the same activation.  This turned out to be false.  During the Squadron Phase, squadrons can only move or shot, not both.
   2. There is an exception to the above, and this is through use of the Squadron Command, which allows a squadron to move and shoot in any order.  This is obviously a game changer, and makes “Aircraft Carrier” type builds extremely effective, particularly with large groups of interceptors or bombers.  I’m only now starting to put together possible synergies to take advantage of this command.
2. Being Obstructed doesn’t mean that you have to pick a new target.
   1. This is a huge derp for me, because I read the rules such that you cannot shoot through another ship or obstacle.
   2. As it turns out you can shoot through another ship, but you need to sacrifice one of your attack die to do so.  Another game changer.
   3. The exception to the above is that you can’t attack a hull zone through another hull zone of the defending ship.  I think this is where I got kind of crossed up on this rule.
3. The interaction between LoS and Firing Arcs is sometimes a little odd.
   1. The defending hull zone needs to be within the firing arc of the attacking ship, and you need to be able to trace a line between the two yellow pips of the hull zones.
   2. You’d think the above is straightforward, but in practice it can be weird.

Anyways guys, more reflections (and maybe a batrep) to be coming sometime soon.  Cheers!!!

Reinforcements Have Arrived

So as I alluded to in my previous post, The Warlock’s disbanded Astra Millipede have worked their way across through the warp, and are preparing to be incorporated into the Cadian 42nd.  The Quartermaster has advised that Marmite supplies are now critically low.

Censor brick wants to protect the addresses of those parties involved. Sure is a box!

Once I answered the Sphynx’s riddles (protip: the answer’s MY KNIFE), I revealed the treasure trove within. NOTE: I was actually relieved no poisonous critters were hidding in this box.

More like a box of holding, amirite?

So what you’re looking at is as follows:

• LR Vanquisher (more than half built)
• LR Exterminator (built)
• Taurox (mostly built — I’ve since made it a second BRRRRT ‘Rox)
• Hellhound (old style)
• ~30 Regular Cadian Troopies
• 3 Heavy Weapon Teams (ish)
• 6 Ulmar’s Apprentices
• 24 Inquisitorial Stormtroopers incl. 2 sarges, plasma, grenade
• 4+ Scions (mostly built, kitbashed to extend parts)
• Rokkit Armoured Sentinel
• A metric fuck-tonne of bitz

I kind of sat there on the back deck soaking in the box and the implied potential for hobbying in the near future.  It’s a huge delivery.  Optimistically, this box will occupy my time for a couple of months.  Realistically, I could be working on it for about a year.

I think prioritizing will be important here, and I’ve kind of put together this small short-list:

1. Russes.  Always need more.
2. Hellhound
3. Taurox Prime
4. Stormtroopers
5. Regular Troopies

The vehicles, because they take the least time for me, and stormtroopers because I’ve been derping around with Militarum Tempestus lately.

Close up shot of the vehicles.

This is an old guardsman from a by-gone era. I almost like his sculpt the best, to be perfectly honest…

Ulmar-lite. For when you want an Ulmar, but none of the yucky calories. These guys are likely going to be subbing in as ML-1 Ulmars for distribution among foot-sloggers for a nice Leadership boost and psychic support buffs.

Once I had gotten over myself a bit, put things into perspective, I brought the Scions downstairs and into my lair, to see what I could do with them.

Within about half an hour I had gotten the arms off the medic-scion and turned him into a Scion with a death-wish.

Maybe he *really* misses his parents or something.

“It took you an hour to do that?!?!” you might be asking?  Well, apparently The Warlock doesn’t mess around, because he uses some kind of nuclear fusion to glue the models together.  It took some pretty serious torque with a pair of pliers before I could get them off, and I was another 30 seconds away from brutally using the plastic snips.  I’m not optimistic about being able to trim the barrel off of the Vanquisher Russ in order to change it into a regular MBT on this basis… but we shall see…

The Warlock’s tools of the Trade. I might have to get me some.

I also like his ideas pertaining to his Tempestor Prime.  Most of the stuff is hidden under cloaks, etc, so why not just use a regular guardsmen’s torso?

 

I added a bit of extra bling, in the medallion and the shoulder-pad turned knee-pad, but it fills out his character nicely.  I put the servo-skull on (perhaps a bit haphazardly) in order to emphasize his greatness.

You can hardly notice his torso isn’t fully armoured any more, can you?

Anyways, that’s it for me.  Cheers guys.