Fun Army Lists.

So in order to break up all the Tournaments I have been going to lately I have been running Fun/non-competitive lists at my FLGS on our weekly gaming night. I have noticed that these lists have been doing well too. Now I don't know if it's because my opponents have bad luck mixed in with their own fun lists or not. But either way I have been having fun and that's what really matters when it comes down to 40k. I want to review the lists I have run over the last couple weeks and maybe even get some feedback on weather you guys think they really are competitive lists or if you would just consider it to be a fun/gimmicky list.

How to Magnetize a Drop Pod Console!

So I have seen a lot of Google Search returns hitting about how to magnetize the center console on a Space Marine Drop Pod. Well I did it on one of my other Drop Pods but for got to take pictures... Good thing I had another Drop Pod to put together!

DDM Ready and Loaded.

So I had another productive weekend. I was able to put together some models from the AoBR kit and was able to paint a couple things also. But before I show you what got painted I would like to talk about something I was able to try out in a game this last week.

I was able to try out the Mortis Pattern Contemptor Dread with 2 Kheres Assault Cannons and a Cyclone Missile Launcher. It would look kind of like this...

Bad Ass!

Anyway I was playing a 1500 point game vs Kan Wall Orks list. I ran 2 of these dreads in my list and they were defiantly the MVPs of the game. By the end of the game they were able to take out or assist with taking out 3 mobs of 20 boys and 5 of 6 Killa Kans. I will have to give this build a couple more tries before I go and buy the arms and CML for it, but I think it may work very well with the type of lists I have been using as of late.

Anyway on to what I did this weekend. Lets start with the Dread.

I may need to go back over the blue highlights. I will have to take another look at it as they may be a bit to light... but they again it could be just that I can't see it because I am color blind. Let me know what you guys think.

Here is the second Drop Pod. I decided to go with a little different scheme for painting this one compared to the first.

And now for some good measure here are some comparison pics.

Hormagaunts, Drop Pod, and Tac Marines! Oh My!

Well as I don't have a bunch to show this week I thought that I may share some of my Hormagaunts with you. I will show what little progress I have made this week on the Celestial Lions later in the post.

Well the Tyranids were my first army for 40k  when I started 10+ years ago. Unfortunately they are quite a bit out of date as I did not touch them at all during 4th edition and only really got the 5th ed codex and have not gotten any of the new units at this point. One of my favorite Tyranid units of all has always been the lowly Hormagaunt. In this edition they have really come into their own. With proper upgrades the Hormagaunt can destroy most vehicles, kill Monstrous Creatures, and wipe out groups of infantry in 1 turn of combat.

At this point my favorite unit load out for the Hormagaunts with my old 3rd ed list style is the Super-Gaunt with Toxin Sacs and Adrenal Glands. The reason this load out work well in my build is because I have very few units that can deal with tanks, and fewer that can take care of MCs like Wraithlord that are common in my area. I have read allot of forums about how useless Adrenal Glands because most people believe that Gaunt should never be assaulting vehicles. I feel that in a more of a "Horde" style list that everything needs to be able to damage vehicles as you don't want to be left out in the open with your opponents Marines, Orks or Dark Eldar staying in their vehicles and using fire ports or open topped rules to destroy you while staying safe in their boxs.

I have had several games where the Hormagaunts have paid for them selves several times over. Recently a couple of these scenarios have been game changers. In one game I was able to have my 1 unit of SuperGaunts outflank (thanks to Hive Commander) and by the end of the game vs Space Marines they were able to destroy 2 Rhinos, each with 10 man tac squads and a Whirlwind tank. In my latest 1,000 point game vs Eldar half of my gaunts were destroyed by flamers from a Wraithlord in 1 turn. But due to taking my casualties from the front I was able to deny my opponent the charge. In the following turn I was able to charge 2 Wraithlords, killing 1 on the charge and killing the 2nd in my opponents turn leaving me able to charge a unit of guardians in my next turn and wiping them out on the charge. In the last turn of the game I had the SuperGaunts back track and charge the Avatar, killing him as well.

I find it interesting that an opponent my spend 2-3 turns shooting a some Hiveguard while leaving the Hormagaunts to do far more damage then the HG could dream up. In the end I think you need to give some respect to the lowly Hormagaunt.

Celestial Lions Update:
I finally received my Battleforce from 'Ard Boys. I spent a day or 2 cutting out all the pieces off the sprue and organizing them in smaller bins. I was disappointed in the amount of ranged and melee special weapons. It looks like I am going to have to put my Instant Mold and Green Stuff skills to use. Anyway I was able to build 5 tac marines, I was also able to pick up some Mud Wash and Ultramarines Blue to put some finishing touches on the Drop Pod and Contemptor Dread. I have also started cleaning up the 2nd Contemptor Dread so that I can get it build so that I no longer have to use a Chaos Dread to stand in for it during games.

Pics!

Drop Pod Progress

Well it's time for an update. I have been hard at work trying to get one of the Drop Pods painted and I am only about 90% done with it at the moment. I still have some white spaces that need to get cleaned up, give it a wash, and some highlights, but I thought I would share what I have completed so far with you.

It looks kind of plain at the moment but I have been thinking of either doing some freehand of a lions head on the door panels or adding some of these decorative plates from Scibor as they continue to release lion themed items.

Man this pod is harder to paint than I expected. It has a lot more surface area then I though. I hate to think that I have been going with the idea of having 5 in my 1500 point list. I may need to rethink my list a bit if I don't want to paint that much. Also the Shining Gold has been giving me issue with showing the brush strokes, if anyone has some good advise on how to help avoid that issue please feel free to share it with me. At the moment I am having to just paint it with several layers of gold and I am hoping that a wash will also help to hide some of the brush marks. Someone told me that basing the model with Boltgun Metal would help with the brush marks, I tried it and It seemed to work but made the gold way to dark.

Let me know what you guys think so far.

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.