Grey Knights

 
Hi All,

I recently decided to add a small Grey Knight force to my ever growing Imperial Army, to go with my Ultramarines, Imperial Guard (and Imperial Knights.. see next post..)

After consulting with the codex, I opted to go for a small 5 man terminator squad, that could double up as Paladins, with Lord Draigo. Also within the force was a dreadknight.

I've never been a huge fan of the 'silver' grey knights, and following me listening to the 'Garro' audio books (normally whilst sat in traffic on the M3, M23 or the M1) I decided to go 'old school' and have a very plain Grey scheme. I used a grey primer on chaos black, then washed with nuln oil. The armour plates were then highlighted up with codex grey. Storm bolters were coloured red, with the force weapons painted using a blending technique to go from regal blue to skull white. This was the first time I've tried blending on power weapons- and I like the final results.

With Draigo I opted to alter the head position so that he is looking over his shield- which overall gives the impression that he is charging into combat- this is enforced with the angle of the 'Titansword' which was slightly warped (hmmm... finecast...)

The Dreadknight is armed with a Nemesis Greatsword and a Gatling Psilencer- mainly because I liked the look of the two weapons together! also having 12 shots is pretty good for a single model (especially with Siph's dice rolling)

To finish the army I have a Stormraven and a 5 man Inceptor squad to complete.

Thanks for looking

Terrain and Scenery - Power Turbine Assembly

Hello Readers, here is my latest terrain idea, made from some cake packaging and some unused Aegis Defence Line bits, plus some other bitz. It can be anything, I've called it a Power Turbine Assembly, but mainly it's some cover, splash terrain and adds interest to the battlefield.

As always, I've mounted it on 3mm Hardboard (Fibre Board) and sanded the edges, added sand and painted using Calthan Brown, drybrushed Kommando Khaki and Bleached Bone.

I dented the packaging in my haste getting out the yummy Macarons, but this just adds interest and I've painted the damage. The main colour is a Red Primer car spray - ideal for industrial looking buildings.

The end pieces are also from the Aegis Defence line, but cut into half and mounted. And the turbine fan assembly on top was from a model jet.

Finally, the proof of the pudding (or cakes), another tray of the delicious morsels. It was buy-one-get-one-free! Thanks for dropping by, for more Terrain Ideas please check out the link HERE

Relictors Daemonology - Summoning Something Rotten

When I started this Blog in 2008, it was and still is a showcase of my Relictors for anyone, especially my good friend Lord Halfpenny to see what progress I've been making and him vice versa, and now our good friend 6thDegree too. Whoever else drops by often leads to constructive comments and I check out their blogs for ideas too. I now bring you my latest (and oldest) idea...

Now with the advent of 7th and Daemonology Summoning, my Relictors can further expand within the rules what they specialise in - Using Chaos to Fight Chaos, their fluff can be found here and here. In summary, they are often seen as heretics but they are still loyal to the God Emperor of mankind, but use the tools of Chaos to further their victories over the Dark Powers, they have plentiful Librarians to wield the often hazardous and insidious weapons - some say a dangerous path, others a fickle one, or a necessary one, but to others a step too far, but my Relictors 5th Company have been fighting the good fight since 2008!

Only now, they will be able to field plentiful cheap Librarians, as per their fluff, and use Daemons in their bid to rid the galaxy of the Emperors enemies!

I picked up a number of unusually dark painted Plaguebearers that were painted neatly but plainly - I am now transforming them by re-doing the metallics, pus filled lesions, horns, adding some Nurgle's Rot and Typhus Corrosion with a splash of Blood for the Blood God and of course the bases and here is one I did earlier...

Batrep - Imperial Knights and Grey Knights Vs Necrons - 2000pts

Lord Halfpenny came over for a battle and used his now painted and based Imperial Knights, with a third I didn't know about! Plus Draigo and some Paladins and a Dreadknight and Assassin.  I had the Necron forces I had painted so far plus some part painted Destroyers and a Monolith to make up the numbers - I wanted two more Annihilation Barges but I haven't yet made them!  But as my secret weapon, I had 4 Voltaic Staff armed Crypteks - my sole personal mission was to destroy the Knights, it didn't matter whether I won the actual mission or not!

We rolled for edges, Vanguard Strike and setup and Lord Halfpenny got the choice and first turn, and I failed to seize the initiative. It was Big Guns Never Tire using D3+2, 4 Objectives and Heavy Support choices would offer new VPs - I had two (Monolith and Annihilation Barge), Lord Halfpenny 1 (Dreadknight).

Lord Halfpenny advanced across the board with his Dreadknight and 3 Imperial Knights, the Senschal open fired on Imotekh and his immortals scattering wide, the second Knight followed suit, downing 3 Immortals in the mechanicus building and the Dreadknight open fired on the Destroyers, but re-animation protocols bought him back.

The Necron Turn one see's 2 Crypteks open up on a Knight with Voltaic Staffs, hitting him 4 times and glance on 2+, Pen on a 6, rolling 4 ones!! No damage.... dice gods be cursed! Imotekh Lightning Storm fres better stripping 2 Hull Points of the Knight Paladin. The Monolith follows up with it's Gauss weaponry failing to glance. The C'Tan using a Thunderbolt strikes the Knight Errant but fails to get through his armour, whilst the Destroyers strip one hull point with their Gauss weapons. Nightfighting also ends so no more Imotekh Lightning...

The Knight Errant takes down 3 Destroyers, but two re-animates. Elsewhere, the other Knights open fire on the Tesla Immortals and charge into combat with the Necron Warriors in the mechanicum building wiping them out with the exception of one. The Knight Errant advances against the C'Tan Shard, tying in combat - the shard hitting 4 times but at T7, failing to penetrate.

The Necron turn 2 saw one Night Scythe coming on and along with the Annihilation Barge, strip the Knight Paladin to one hull point. The disembarked Cryptek and his squad finishing off the Knight and killing one of their number in the explosion, also hitting Draigo but he saved. The monolith opened fire with its particle whip and Gauss against Draigo and his squad advancing in the centre, Draigo making all seven saves.

In combat, the C'Tan shard tied again in combat, striking the Knight 3 times but again failing to penetrate. The knight failed his attacks in return. The Senschal Knight killed the remaining Warrior, being in combat during the turn saved him from at least two Cryptek's attentions. The Destroyers and Destroyer Lord charged the Dreadknight but failed to damage, the Warscythe of the Destroyer Lord failing to penetrate twice.

In turn 3 the Knight Errant and C'Tan Shard continued to trade blows, wounding the C'Tan twice but losing a hull point - now on 4. The Senschal Knight strips three hull points off the Monolith but it survives the stomp attack intact, rolling a one to miss the stomp! His shooting wasn't so good, failing to take revenge on the squad who killed the Knight Paladin.

The Dreadknight in combat with 2 Destroyers and the Destroyer Lord killed the two Destroyers but the Lord failed to hit back with the Warscythe.

The Necron turn saw the destruction of the Senschal Knight through the combined Annihilation Barge, 2nd Night Scythe and some Cryptek firepower. The Destroyer Lord finally died and the C'Tan Shard died under the Knight Errant's feet, remaining on 3 hull points. Draigo advances toward the centre but a Warrior squad claim the objective. Elsewhere, the Assassin claims one and the Acanthrites another. The fourth objective is held by the Warriors in the rear of the Necron lines.

In turn 4, the remaining Knight takes down warriors and a Cryptek, the Paladins take down a lone warrior  near the power generators. The Dreadknight takes down some of the centre squad. The Knight charges two Immortals. Necron Turn 4 – Not much shooting except the Monolith Particle Whip and Gauss shots at the Paladins to no effect. The rest of the Necron force move around to claim 3 objectives.

Knight Turn 5 – The remaining Knight smashes into the Monolith smashing it into the ground. And the Dreadknight wipe out the 4 man Warrior Squad on the centre objective!

Necron Turn 5 – The Necron Nightscythe in the centre Tesla Destructors’ the Paladins, taking out one Paladin. The Annihilation Barge and Voltaic Staff Cryptek strip the final Imperial Knight of its hull points and it is destroyed giving the Necrons the moral victory and all Imperial Knights are destroyed!

 We roll for a Sixth Turn, however the dice Gods are not favoured and a 2 is rolled ending the game. Lord Halfpenny has Won with Draigo and the Knights with 2 Objectives, Big Guns never Tire (Monolith), and First Blood. Necrons have 2 Objectives and Slay the Warlord for the Senschal Knight! 4:3 to the Grey Knights and Imperial Knights.

Siph – Well this was a close one. I was confident I could take on the Knights I knew Lord Halfpenny had at our previous encounter, but 3 appeared and my first volley with the Voltaic Staff’s was a damp squb. Imotekkh did nothing after the first turn with the ending of Nightfighting so was a waste of points. I need to paint up another Annihilation Barge (or 2) to give me the fire power I want, too many points are tied up in the Monolith – merely because I have one made – it wouldn’t be my first choice. A great and enjoyable game, especially when I achieved my personal aim of removing the Imperial Knights, all three of them! Draigo and his Paladins were a points sink and ineffective throughut, but also a hard nut to crack – saving 7 times in one turn, darn those Imperial Heroes!

L HP- A real good, and enjoyable battle- I'm finally seeing the Necron's as quite the force- with some interesting 'toys' that are a nightmare for vehicles. Turn 1 showed that it didn't matter how many shots you've got- if you keep rolling high numbers with the scatter dice you are going to miss- I think I must have missed about 5 battle cannon shots through the game. The tactic I went for was to charge the 3 knights in, and sweep up with the Grey Knights- the Nemesis Dreadknight was a monster and obliterated everything that it fired against. I've found playing with the knights really enjoyable- I'm not sure how I'd cope if it was the reverse.. 

Terrain and Scenery - Rocky Outcrop

My latest terrain idea to populate my Games Table with nice looking terrain and scenery is this Rocky Outcrop. Made from expanded polystyrene foam, a little mortar debris (the spiky rock) and mounted on some 3mm Hardboard (Fibreboard).

The expanded foam needs sealing with a PVA/water mix undercoat or paint before spraying with any aerosols as the propellant in the cans often melts the expanded foam - I hand painted the rocks before spray sealing some GW model sand around the hardboard base. Then I continued with the painting once sealed.

I used my normal recipe of Calthan Brown, with Kommando Khaki and Bleached Bone dry brush highlights. Finished off with a touch of flock to add some interest.

I hope this has given you an idea of how to make quick and effective, easy, good looking terrain! For more terrain ideas please see the labelled posts "Terrain".

Thanks for reading.

Siph's Weemen Room Improvements

Hello Reader, thanks for dropping by. Everyone is inquisitive when it comes to peoples hobby set ups, I know I am. Well, after my newly installed Games Table I wanted to add some Black Library art I had bought ages ago to brighten up the walls and get them framed properly.

Well after a great productive trip to B&Q (a UK DIY outlet for our friends across the pond) I managed to pick up some nice frames at a good price. And apart from a nasty crack (seen above in the plaster which I've had checked out - it's not structural, just old lime plaster cracking on the brickwork as the house has settled over the last 50-60yrs - not modern plaster board on wooden stud work) - so apart from that messy job yet to do, the Games Room is looking pretty darn sweet! The above photo shows the work place.

Here's another nice BL print framed alongside my Titans display cabinet. And some of my scenery on the shelves.

Two more sweet BL prints from the HH series of books, and an old double page spread of the famous Emperor Vs Horus battle - I love this version - the best and inspiring, just above a sketch of me and my adversary, my Older Brother - just kidding bro! You can also see some WIP scenery.

This was the double page spread in an old White Dwarf I cut out and framed - Sweet As! Horus just oozes badass, crazed maniac... and the Emperor regal, just, true. A great piece of artwork by Adrian Smith found in the Horus Heresy Collected Visions book! He also did the colour version with Horus holding a Mace and Lightning Claw.

My GF is totally awesome and got me a nameplate for the door! Amongst other Air Brush cleaning purchases - I'll need to be brave and try that out soon!

So here's the parting shot, the Games Table often doubles up as my WIP bench too! Hope it gives you some ideas of how to make your hobby areas more funky and weeman like! I know I am lucky to have a dedicated room, I feel for you if you don't!

Thanks for dropping in.