Relictors Stalker AA Tank

Well, I am away again at sea - so in the meantime here is a few pics of the latest offering completed before I departed.  A Relictors Space Marine Stalker Anti-Air Tank. I love the model and the rules, much needed AA for the Codex Marines! I chose the Stalker over the Hunter as I love the idea of a 'WW2 Flak Tank' in the 41st Millennium, so here it is in it's glory.

Mean looking rhino don't you think - love the multi-barrelled Stalker Autocannons, and either TL or fire at two separate flyers with a BS2 penalty makes it versatile. Against a Stormraven, I'd recommend the other Hunter as it is S7 Armourbane and if misses, next turn it has another chance to seek-and-destroy. So, I'll get one of those next!

Finally, for those wondering, it is magnetised so the guns rotate. And if you wanted - from one kit, youcan easily magnetize the Hunter or Stalker parts for either on a single chassis - the only part that is required for both weapon ounts is the small aerial assembly - otherwise you can have both weapons from one boxset. I sold my Hunter bits on ebay for a tidy amount that will go towards the next Hunter/Stalker model!

Thanks for reading and I'll be back in due course with some more Relictor and Necron goodies. Take care.

Blog Wars 6 – Iron Warriors List

 

So I will once again be carrying the Weemen flag into the breach that is Blog Wars. The Tournament Organiser, Alex, has now approved lists so I thought I would post mine up and let people know what they are in for…

HQ

Abaddon (my only feasible choice really...)

Troops

10x CSMs (Power Fist, Plasma Gun, Lascannon)

Rhino (Havoc Launcher)

10x CSMs (CCWs & BPs, Power Axe, Plasma Gun, Autocannon)

Thino (Havoc Launcher, Dirge Caster)

Elites

5x Terminators (Lightning Claw, 4x Power Fists, Reaper Autocannon, Cambi-Melta, Combi-Plasma)

Helbrute (Reaper Autocannon, Missile Launcher)

Fast Attack

Heldrake (Baleflamer)

Heavy

Vindicator (Combi-bolter)

5x Havocs (2x Missile Launchers, 2x Flakk Missiles, 2x Autocannons)

3x Obliterators (MoN)

Fortifications

Aegis Defence Line (Quad Autocannon)

So really it is the same list as I took to BW5, except I have dropped the Forgefiend and Comms Relay for a Vindicator, additional Rhino and Quad Autocannon. This wasn’t because of my unexpect4d success at BW5 (2^nd overall…still very random…) but because I haven’t had chance to add much to my army in the past 6 months; I am looking at introducing more Heresy units and IA are not allowed in Blog Wars.

I love the Forgefiend model (mine is one of my proudest paint jobs…), but the potential of the 3x S8 AP2 blasts are just never realised…either because it is blasted apart T1/T2 or it misses…a waste of 200pts. I’m hoping that the Vindicator will be slightly more durable…we’ll see.

The Comms Relay always seems useful, but to be honest, I very rarely needed it; Reserves are much easier to bring in now and if anything, I only ever used it to delay them a turn. On the other hand, a Quad Autocannon adds even more firepower to an already *relatively* shooty list and gives me another Skyfire/Interceptor option if I need it.

Having a look at the list breakdown that Alex has posted over on From the Fang, I think it is going to be a very interesting tournament…a lot of Nids (who amusingly I have never actually played against) and a distinct lack of Tau’dar or other nasty allies combos that I was dreading….we’ll have to see how it goes on the day…

A few bits of Terrain

Hi guys – I just thought I would throw up some pics of a mini terrain project I have been working on.

A few months back I entered a Kill Team tournament at my local club and they awarded additional tournament points for bringing along some terrain to play with (the club has their own terrain, but not really enough for the amount required for a Kill Team tournament). Points were also awarded for bringing cake/goodies…both very good ideas IMO…

I’ve had an idea for an IW themed game board for a while now; trenches and temporary bunkers running across half of the board and the edges of a fortification that is being battered. I could make it but I have two problems right now; a) I have no room in my house to store it without it being damaged and b) I don’t actually play at my house… I thought I would use this opportunity to test out making some trenches and battlefield debris.

It was all made very basically; some wooden boards for bases and polystyrene shaped with a jr. hacksaw blade (I don’t have a polystyrene cutter and its better than using Stanley/scalpel blades). It was then sealed with PVA, rocks/walls coated in all-purpose-filler and sand added. I used balsa to make the planks in the trenches, old sprue for spikes and random spares I had lying around.

They were finally painted up to match my IW bases.  Overall I am pretty happy with how they turned out and now I just wish I had the room to make a full sized board.

Relictors 4th Company Tactical Squad - New Plastics

Well, I've had a lot of Tactical Marines done and didn't need anymore, however the new GW Tactical Squad is the only place to get the greatly sought after Grav Weapons, so, with a stroke of genius, here is the first member of a 4th Company Squad... I've already got all 6x 5th Company Tactical Squads painted up.  He can be identified as 4th Company by the green trim of the Shoulder Pauldrons - 5th Company to date all have Black trims.

The real reason to post is to have a quick look at the new plastics - no doubt at all that the newer GW plastics are a lot more crisp and sharp and great when compared to the old - look at the above legs - they are old tactical marines, the top half ofthe figure is newer... crisper and sharper. Forget the tardiness of the leg paintjob, the newer plastics are superior. There is a lot of disappointment online that they were released the same, except additional Grav Weapons etc. John at 40K Hobby Blog mentioned it too 'here', but I agree with him. It's a good thing.

And for the Grav Weapons and this firing pose 'up on aim' alone it is a good thing to go buy the new GW Tactical Squad! I love the new Grav Weapon, the Combi Grav abd the fact that the hands are separate to the wrists. My painting is also improved ;) And I added the '4' to the knee pad!  Well, GW gets some stick - but the new release of a Tactical Squad to replace the old Tactical sprue is worth it in my view, the older moulds were getting worn and losing the details, plus the new injection magic they must have makes the newer models crisp. I am a fanboi, but the results show it was worth a new release.

Relictors Centurion Devastator Squad Finished

Finally I have finished the other squad members of the Relictors Centurion Devastator Squad. These models have grown on me quite a bit and were fun, although took ages, to paint. They are packed with details and an part constructed methodology I think is best. I constructed the body, legs and arms as one piece, guns, pipes, head, both sets of shoulder guards, groin armour and pistons separately.

I've also added an Aquila above the Sergeant's head to give him some more height when compared to the other two. That was not there in the last post about him. I think they look good together, somewhat better than I was expecting - they don't scream 'teletubbie' Marines to me anymore!

Here is the two remaining troopers in all their freshly painted glory. I think I did a good job on the Grav-Amp lens, again these are packed with detail, I was even tempted to use some of the spare honour markings in the box to cover the one remaining knee armour on the right-hand marine! But, instead, I left at least one armour plate bare.

Thanks for stopping by. Right, where is that Stalker tank... should only take as long as one of those did!?

Alternative Heavy Weapons Battery? New UK Plastics Company - PDC Gaming

I recently backed a successful Kickstarter campaign and the plastics company are based just up the road from me, so when I saw that they were doing 'combi-weapon' style plastic weapons, I was sold and backed - who wants to pay ebay prices for a combi-weapon?!

They were also doing a tracked weapon as pictured above, too small for a Thunderfire but ideal for maybe Imperial Guard heavy weapon teams or as an alternative to Forgeworld Rapier Batteries. I have three FW Heavy Bolter Rapiers and love them, I love the snub nose lethality of them and wouldn't change them, however if I want some Laser Batteries, then maybe these will make a great cheap alternative!

Not as detailed as FW resin, but good enough for the table top. This is the weapon carriage sprue, no flash, good moulds and plastic slightly more brittle than GW plastics. Slightly tougher to file but good stuff.

This is a 28mm miniature portable Heavy Weapon Sprue, makes a variety of weapons like FW Legion Heavy Weapon Squads, again not as detailed but good for table top.

The combi-style weapons, plenty of them too!

And finally, the company themselves, good luck to them. Plastic toys indeed for my plastic weemen. Nice additions.

Relictors Devastator Centurion Sergeant

Hello avid readers, thanks for stopping by. Here is my latest offering and addition to the ever growing Relictors Battle Company! I know I should just get on with the remaining Command Squad and be done, but new rules, new models and new Codex means more new shiny bits of kit for the armoury!

This Sergeant is armed with the Grav Amp seen here, and a rather pleasing lens effect I thought.

...And a very much sought after Grav Cannon. I tried to do something different with the muzzle - bronze effect so it stands out but no charcoal burnt effect as it is a gravity enhancing weapon, not a chemical 'burn' type, this will also mean that the various Grav type weapons amongst the line troops - Grav Gun and Combi-Grav Bolters and Pistols will be easily distinguishable from the other boltgun, pistol or special weapons I already had. The green energy drum-thingy will also help a lot too. My plasma guns have a blue energy.

I chose to simply decorate the shoulder pad with the Devastator marking as well as front and back Relictor skulls, and left the left-pauldron blank with the exception of the Centurion badge - done in Boltgun Metal as the Terminator Crux on my Termies is also metallic.

And finally, the chest mounted Missile Launcher, with yellow missiles to tie in with my Whirlwind and Deathwind Missile Pod missiles, to be common across the army. The skull-like head is from Anvil Industries and is painted similar to one of my Assault Marine Squads with similar grimacing heads. And the pose of this centurion is the most static, I managed to get some movement out of the remaining squad members, but the Sergeant can stand still and direct their fire with the pointing gesture nicely.

Here is a size comparison of normal Power Armour, Terminator Armour, Centurion Exo-Armour and a Dreadnought. Great stuff, can't think why GW didn't have one of these shots in the WD? Nevermind, thanks for reading, I am progressing with the rest of the Squad, and a Stalker AA Tank...

Iron Warriors - (kitbashed) Chaos Spawn

So here are a couple of conversions I built a few months ago but never got round to painting – well, now they’re done!

You might remember that I kitbashed an IW-themed DaemonPrince a while ago – not to use in any of my lists, but in case I got lucky on the Chaos Boon table. I then realised that I hadn’t got any Chaos Spawn if I managed to roll at the other end of the table…

Rather than forking out £20-something for a couple of GW Spawns which would probably not see the light of day (and not look very IW-like), instead I decided to kit-bash my own out of spares.

As you know, I’m not going for “chaosy” IWs and also wanted to reflect that with any Daemons associated with the army. I immediately thought of the Technovirus (which according to some fluff originated from Nurgle) and The Thing (got to love the effects of the mutations).

The first Spawn is an old CSM from my bits box that I hacksawed in half. I then patched up the sawn edges with greenstuff and added some fleshy texture and connected the two halves with guitar wire (bottom E I believe…) for mechanical guts/tendrils.

I wanted both Spawn to appear as if they had recently ‘changed’ so painted all the armour as I would any other IW trooper. Tamiya X-27 (with a touch of brown) was used for the blood (we might see more of that later in an idea I have for another unit….).

The second spawn was relatively simple to bash together – although it took quite a bit of greenstuff to get the limbs to meet in that position… The head is a 3^rd party bit from Puppetswar.eu.

I didn’t think these guys would ever get used, but the first time I took them out a lowly CSM Champion ascended/descended to spawnhood after hacking apart one of LordH’s Termi Sergeants in a challenge…and then went on to finish the Termi squad and trash a Razorback…so maybe the dark fates are watching minis after all…?

Iron Warriors - Vindicator

Hi guys – sorry for the sporadic posts of late…geek’age is still happening up North…just at a slower rate of late.

Anyhow, here is a little toy I’ve had finished for a month or two but not had chance to take pics of yet – my first Iron Warrior Vindicator.

I picked the tank up of eBay randomly for an absolute steal of £10.50 – and it came with FW IW doors and some light chain-work conversions which I quite liked so kept.  I simply knocked together a quick combi-bolter to reduce the likelihood of those annoying weapon destroyed results.

It was painted up in my typical IW style and then treated to a lifetime of battering and weathering.

Only had one game with it so far – where it helped destroy Lord H’s Contemptor and made his Centurions very nervous indeed (S10 AP1 will insta gib the entire unit with no saves allowed…) – so pretty happy with the results so far!