'Ard Boys

With the Semi-Final round of 'Ard Boys tomorrow I am making some last minute adjustments to my list. I am not going in with the idea that I am going to win the whole thing as I know that there will be a lot of stiff competition here in the L.A. area. IGJames from my local store (who went 7-0 at the Bay Area Open) is going as well as some of the guys from Two Smoking Bolters are coming in town all the way from Las Vegas. I hope to put up a good fight and have some fun playing new people and new armies.

Right now there are a couple things that may become an issue with getting to 'Ard Boys. 1)Today (the day before 'Ard Boys)  is my wife's birthday and we are having a party at our place. It might be hard to get some sleep. 2) I called the store that is holding the event to verify that I was on the list and... they did not have the list there. Also they are moving locations and the new store is not ready so the tournament is not being held at the store. The employee I spoke to said that the person who has the RSVP list should be calling everyone with the address and directions of how to get to the event location. When asked when I should receive a call he said "in a couple hours."
So now not only do I have to fight off drunk people I have to find an unknown event location for an event that will start at an unknown time...

This should be fun. I will try to take some pictures for everyone. I will be the giant of a man with the LAtCS t-shirt on. LAtCS = Life After the Cover Saves, this is a pod cast that a few local gamer's started about 40k and poop jokes. Check them out unless you are easily offended @ http://lifeafterthecoversave.com/

Small update / BatRep

Sorry I have not posted in the last week. I have not done too much in the last week with building models. Last Monday I started working on my 2nd Drop Pod and only got as far as magnetizing the center console so that it can be removed so the pod can be used for a Dreadnought.

On the other hand I did have quite a few games this last week. Over the long 3 day weekend I played one of my friends who is newer to the hobby and his Craftworld Eldar. We worked on building him a couple 1,000 point lists as he had only been playing 1,500 point games he thought it would be a nice change. What we came up with I thought was kind of scary for 1,000 points. It included the Avatar, 3 Wraithlords, and 3 Guardian squads with Brightlances, and Warlocks. Both games we played were multiple objectives and Dawn of War... Game 1 I took my "normal" 1,000 point chaos list with Nurgle D. Prince w/Wings & Warptime, PMs with Fist & Melta, 10 CSM with Fist & Melta (both in rhinos), and 2 sets of Havocs 1 with 4 autocannons and the other with 4 missiles.

Game 1 Eldar won 2-0. He made me go first and I had to spend too much time killing his Wraithlords that his Guardians were able to hold 2 objectives without taking too many casualties.

Game 2 I asked him if he wanted to play against a different style list so he can get a better idea of how his army plays. So I ended up taking a really fun (non competitive) close combat list that consisted of Abaddon w/8 Berserkers w/Fist in a Land Raider, and 9 Berserkers with Fist in a Rhino... and thats it. He forced me to go first again so I deployed the Rhino with 9 Berserkers in the center of the table with all 3 objectives close by. While he Deployed off to my right flank. The game did not start off well for me as the 9 man squad was destroyed when they were charged by the Avatar and a group of guardians with a Wraithlord ready to charge in to support right behind them. Luckaly the Zerkers were able to take out the Guardians and force a couple saves on the Avatar taking out 1 wound. The tables turned when the Land Raider was in position for a multi-charge on a new guardian squad and a Wraithlord. Abaddon took out the Lord before he was able to realize he was in trouble, and the Berzerkers were able to cut the Guardians down to the last man before they were able to get in their attacks.

Here the game makes another turn, The eldar open fire on Abaddon and his Berzerkers with the Avatar, and the 2 Wraithlords and their flamers killing about 4-5 Berzerkers. I remove casualties in a way to deny the charge to 1 of the Wraithlords, but still get hit with the Avatar and 1 Wraithlord. I am able to kill the Wraithlord but take several casualties from the Avatar and lose combat. I survive with a hurt Abaddon (from fearless wounds) and 1 Berzerker left. In the next turn my land raider turns and starts firing at the last set of Guardians, but only manages to kill 1. Abaddon takes out the Avatar and he and the Berzerker consolidate back towards the Land Raider. The Eldar Guardians advance on the Land Raider, firing their Brightlance with no effect. While the Wraithlord moves away from Abaddon (he knows that Abby is bad news) and fires at Abaddon and the Berzerker in hopes of killing my last scoring model. His shots bounce off the Power Armored Marine like they were pebbles. Abaddon and his companion embark into the Land Raider and Move into cover on top of an objective. The Eldar advance towards the Land Raider again in hopes of destroying it and their passengers. The Brightlance fails to hit and the Wraithlord is also unable to hit the quick moving Land Raider with his 3 attacks.

Abaddon decides that it is time for swift action. He disembarks alone and faces off with the Wraithlord, while the Berzerker disembarks and keeps in cover by the objective while the Land Raider moves towards the Guardians in hopes to block their line of site to the Khorneite Marine. The Land Raider is able to pluck off another guardian while Abaddon utterly destroys the Eldar Wraith and consolidates to the Guardians. The Guardians shoot the Raider again to no avail as it was successfully blocking sight to the Berzerker, and the Warlock charged the Raider with no favorable result. And in the end Abaddon charged the Guardians and in the blood bath the followed stood alone covered in scraps of Eldar.

Victory: Chaos

Like a Boss!

Incoming Drop Pod!

Well, after the tournament on Saturday I spent some time hanging out with a friend on Sunday building models. I started on my first of several Space Marine Drop Pods. When I opened the box and started looking at the instructions I was surprised to see that the build only had 3 steps. Now looking at the instructions a little closer I did see that there were several things being accomplished in each of the steps, but still 3 steps is rather simple.

After completing the build I was very impressed with how easily the model when together and with how easy it was to magnetize the  storm bolter/missile launcher part, and how I was able to keep the model in several parts yet it would still hold together so that I can use it in a game before I take the whole thing apart to prime and paint it.
Here are some pictures of the Pod assembled and in parts ready to be primed and painted.

I think in my next builds of the Drop Pod I will magnetize the center console so that it can be removed and used as a dreadnought drop pod for the Conptempter Pattern Dreads that I am working on.