40K Using the models you want to.

I play a game against a player new to the club last week, he was using an all round Elder army, but as we where talking he said something to me that I believe we should do but something that I think a lot of us don't.

What he said was that he like to use that models that he wants to, now think about that for a moment & then ask yourself is that something you do ? sadly 40K at times can be such a mismatch that taking what model's you want to can very easily end up in a very one sided game.

There must be away to do it so that you get the models you want & an even game, now this might not be possible all of the time but I believe it can be done a lot of the time I'll explain, for the most part we play games of 40K against people we know so we all so have a good idea of what type of armies they like to use, now while I never believe you should tailor your list based on what your facing I think you can use that knowledge to get some units in that you like to use but know are a lets say a little below par (crap).

So for tonight game I've decided I'd run an different type of army to the one I've been using of late, this will do two things for me, one it will let me take some stuff I haven't used in a while & two it will be a nice change of pace more so with Brocon on this weekend which will see me back to what has been more or less my main army over the last while.

Now I don't know about you guys but I have to admit that while I might be using the army I want I couldn't say I've been using the the models I want & that's a shame as I bought them for a reason & that reason was because I liked the model, if you only buy models based on how bent they are then trying this might not be for you, but if like me the look of the model in the first thing that makes you buy it then I think you should be trying to get thm on the table top don't you ?

Well that's it for this post the picture's are from my game with Sean so my thanks to him for an enjoyable game & as always my thanks for dropping in & if you'd care to leave a comment it would be welcome.

40k Brocon looming

With Brocon just off a week away it was time to have a look at the army to see what still need to be done, I'm a firm believer in it's ok to use models your working on in games at home or in the club but when it comes to a tournament your army should be the finished item.

A right motley crew. 

Now to be honest I've been chipping away at the army all the time as most of you will know & I knew there wasn't much to finish off, but it best just to know what needs doing at this stage, I'd decided to put all apart from the original part of the army on to clear bases.

This army is such a mismatch at this stage that I think it feel more correct now then when I did it first, what I mean by that is that I think it was a bit to uniform for what it meant to be.

To try to make some sense of it all I decided that I used the older part of the army as the HQ's, elites, vets & weapons team, with what I think of as my loyal guard taking up the roll of the basic infantry.

With beastmen & mutants taking up the other rolls it all help to take away the guard army look.

As your able to challenge in the first round I know what I face in the first round & it Jan with meganobz, battle wagon's & some grots.

I'm finding the colour coding of the squads to be of a great help & I'll do something similar for the rest of the army so there will be no confusing about who's in what squad or leadership.

 As you can see purple squad needs to be finished & rebased, but this has since been done & I'm working on what other stuff needs doing which to be honest is not a lot so I'm not under to much pressure.

With it looking like 20+ 40K play while still down from the glory days it does look like 40K tournament is making a bit of a come back.

I would like to believe that tournament becoming FW friendly these days has something to do with the numbers starting to rise but that's more they likely wishful thinking on my behalf.

Either way if FW wasn't permitted I wouldn't be heading down as I've always been a big fan of FW & really can't understand why it took so long for people to except it.

The beastmen are not on clear bases as they where done at the start of this army & there bases match what I think of as the renegade guard, but as I do use the beastmen in other things I might at some point change them.

This army has been a long time in the making & is far from finished, but at least it's at a point where it at long last feels right & is the army that reminds me of the old eye of terror dex which if fitting with the wolfen now returned.

Zombie's & I don't even need to have Typhus, I know GW bless them tried to to had a little bit more of the over all chaos feel to the last CCSM but really imho they couldn't have got it much more wrong.

That's not to say that FW hit one out of the park with the updating of the Vrak's book compered to the IA's before they starting the HH this Vrak's book & IA 13 are a let down but half a loaf & all that.

Well that's it for this post as always my thanks for dropping in & if you care to leave a comment it will be welcomed.

40K The real joy of Renegades

I think for me the real joy of the renegades is the modelling, what do mean Frank you ask ? Good question, if you look at the armies in 40K the stuff they use from guns to tanks in more or less set in stone.

A rhino was used to create Hydra

Apart from ork's who can have anything the other armies not so much so, unless you're doing stuff like Dave over at http://www.40kaddict.uk/ did for his nids, I mean Marines have rhino,s yep, Elder have Falcons and you can't really change that to much IMO.

A Mantiore using the missile's off a whirlwind. 

Now Renegades don't really suffer from that as they're not a real army so get away with a bit more, when I started this army some years back it was done from a modelling point of view.

A simple little carriage to mount the havoc launcher on  

While FW do some wonderful models there more the real army type & that's not really what I'm looking for, what I want from this army is the we make do with whatever we can get.

Ready for a paint j

So it was when I wanted to add so quad launchers and a heavy mortar I went for something a bit different, using havoc launchers on little home made carts or whatever it is you might call them.

One I've already painted

The heavy mortar is a multiple rocket pod with a part of a defiler &,some plastic tube a part from the chaos tanks kit that just sits on the bottom part of the havoc launcher.

The mortar  part I also use as a griffen 

 Maybe not everyone's cup of tea but to me they help create the feeling I'm looking for in the army and give me that something that I know I'm not going to look across the table & see looking back at me.

No mistaking who side this is for.

Most people think of Renegade's as a guard army just gone over to the other side, happily for me that is not the case at all & I try to show that the models, anyway that's it for this time as always my thanks for dropping in & if you'd care to comment it would be welcome.

40K Brocon List

So after years I find myself heading back down to Brocon to play some 40K & needless to say the Renegades will becoming with me in the shape of the Vrak's  Renegade Unending Host detachment with some Allies from IA 13.

Even with the list not needing to be sent in for a couple of weeks yet I've decided to get it in early as there is still some work to be done on them & with the list set I now know what needs doing, the list in away more or less picked it's self & it is what I think of at the moment the core of my army. 

In the club we platy at 1850pts but Brocon is only 1500pts the extra 350pts in club games is what I more or less use for changing the list around from week to week, I think in a tournament 1500pts is better as it helps to get the games played in a more relaxed way so I not in anyway put out be it.

How well I or the list will perform I no idea tbh & the only requirement I have on this event is to have fun, enjoy it & let the dice gods decide my faith as this army has not 1 single reroll in it, what a chance from my power gaming days of when my army would be built around as many rerolls as I could get.

The only thing this army has going for it is that every thing init is cheap pts wise & that 6 of the units in it can return on a 2+ something I feel necessary in this kind of army in todays world to stop you been tabled in a couple of turns (I hope).

Below is the list, but before that I'd just like to thank Bryan for the game the few pictures in this post are from & as always my thanks to you for dropping in & if you'd care to leave a comment it would be well come.  

Renegade Command Squad 45pts 

master of the horde 20pts

Chaos Cocenant 10pts

Lascannon 20pts

Command net vox 5pts

Total 100pts 

Renegade Disciple Squad 35pts 

Lascannon 20pts

Plasma gun 15pts

Total 70pts

Renegade Disciple Squad 35pts 

Lascannon 20pts

Plasma gun 15pts

Total 70pts

Renegade Infantry Squad 30pts 

5 Renegades 15pts

champion 5pts

3 flamers 15pts

melta bombs 5pts

power weapon 15pts

militia traning 10pts 

Total 95pts 

Renegade Infantry Squad 30pts

5 Renegades 15pts    

champion 5pts

3 Grenade launchers 15pts

Autocannon 10pts

melta bombs 5pts

militia traning 10pts 

Total 90pts 

Renegade Infantry Squad 30pts

5 Renegades 15pts  

champion 5pts

3 Meltaguns 30pts

melta bombs 5pts

power weapon 15pts

militia traning 10pts 

Total 110pts

Renegade Infantry Squad 30pts

5 Renegades 15pts 

champion 5pts

3 Meltaguns 30pts

melta bombs 5pts

militia traning 10pts 

Total 95pts

 

Renegade Infantry Squad 30pts

5 Renegades 15pts  

champion 5pts

3 Plasmaguns 45pts

melta bombs 5pts

militia traning 10pts 

Total 110pts  

Renegade Infantry Squad 30pts

5 Renegades 15pts  

champion 5pts

3 plasmaguns 45pts

melta bombs 5pts

militia traning 10pts 

Total 110pts 

Renegade Mutant Rabble  30pts  

Total 30pts

Renegade Mutant Rabble 30pts 

Total 30pts

30 Plague Zombie Mob 90pts

Total 90pts

Renegade Support Squad 25pts  

3 Renegade Weapons Teams 30pts

4 Autocannons 40pts

2 Missile Launcher 30pts

Militia traning 10pts

Total 135pts

Total 1135pts

Allies

Renegade Command Squad 45pts 

Missile Launcher 15pts

Total 60pts

Renegade Disciple Squad 35pts 

Lascannon 20pts

Total 55pts

5 Renegade Infantry Veterans 35pts 

Deep strike 15pts

Plasmagun 15pts

Total 65pts

5 Renegade Infantry Veterans 35pts 

Deep strike 15pts

Plasmagun 15pts

Total 65pts

Renegade Field Artillery Battery 30pts

Heavy Mortar

3 Heavy Quad Launchers 90pts

Total 120 

Total 365pts

Total 1500pts

40K Colour coded

If you came here lately you know I've gone back playing 40K using  a Vrak's list that allow for Renegade Infantry Squad's to come back on a 2+, with me more than likely settling on 6 squad's for 16 that's' a lot of guardsmen to try to keep track off without slowing the game down to much, more so when you take it to a tournament.

 My answer to the problem was to use a colour code system for each squad by painting the left shoulder pad a different colour, so what I have now is squads blue, brown, grey, green and red, yes I know that's' only 5 I'm working on the last one which I think will be squad purple.

I used this system in a game against Cathal & found it worked very well much to my delight & doesn't' seem to take anything away from the armies appearance which would be important to me.

No do not adjust your screen or wipe your glasses that is a monolith & if you look at the picture below you'll see another of  the mostly forgotten crown units.

Yes that is the nightbringer, Cathal been the cleaver lad that he is decided that instead of bringing the usual default go to Crom army that a lot of people are using & that won't die but doesn't' do much else brought an all round list & we where both rewarded with a very enjoyable game, which just goes to show that just because you can take something doesn't' mean you have to :-)

Another thing I'm happy about is the piece of terrain above which while been a good line of sight blocker is also interesting looking on the table.

And what about that hole in the centre is it large enough that someone like Panama Jack might crawl into ? I'll finish up with you thinking about that, my thanks Cathal for a good fun game & as always my thanks to you for dropping in & if you'd care to leave a comment it would be welcomed :-)

40K Death from the skies, all or nothing

Death from the skies the latest addition to 40K & an interesting one, not because I believe the book is something 40K needs, although if you now except that 40K is now 40K apoc & you should BTW then I guess you should welcome the book as it does add to the over all feel of the game.

Now I've got you, but were not over the battlefield yet.

I said above that I felt the book an interesting one & here's why unlike other books of this type that came before even the last death from the skies, this book replaces the rules for flyers that are in the rulebook, could it be that GW have learned that if you give player's the choice that most of them won't use the new rules ?

Someone better go back & tell the Inquisitor that he can't use us any more, well I'm not.

There are I feel 3 thing behind this book & a lot of the other books like it that we've seen over the last couple of years planet strike/  strong hold assault, 1 to try out new rules before a new addition which I believe will come next year, 2 to add more for flyers to feel right in the game in real war flyers are in danger long before they reach a ground battlefield & also to give the different types different roles, 3 to try to sell us more models, fancy them doing such a thing.

Is this the end for me ?

For me I like the book to be honest even though it seems my guard will no longer have a vendetta & can the inquisition still use a valkyrie ? what about FW flyers ? if GW want FW to be part of the game which they do btw then the two need to work a lot closer & no I don't think FW need to release a book with rules for all their flyers in it, just a down loadable PDF will do thanks.

How do I work now ?

Now where was I ? yep the book & that I like it & here's why, 40K is not the game it was a long time back GW have changed it & dragged most of us a long kicking & screaming with them, 40K I think at this stage is more like how FW was from the 3rd IA book, as in they want us playing out campaigns & telling stories in our games & the rules & the missions in this book add to that.

Nan't like old times Bill.

if you think 40K hasn't change much then take another look at the picture above at what was at the start of 4ed for GW a typical 40k army, now do you believe ? on that I'll finish up but watch the skies my friend's because GW knows what way they want us to play 40K even if we do or don't & sooner or later I would guess we'll be using these rules & with that my thanks for dropping I & if you'd like to leave a comment it would be welcomed. :-)

40K The Blood God would approve

On my return to 40K two things are standing out to me, 1 either free USR's left right & centre or free units formation are how players build armies these days, the other seems to be players building armies that don't want to die (I know) be it warp spiders jumping away before you can shoot them invisible deathstars, lifestars or ravenwing jinking & rerolling to beat the band nothing seems to want to die.

So what's a guy to do ? fight fire with fire ? that would not really be my thing tbh as I want death & destruction on a grand scale in my wargames, so instead of fighting fire with fire I intend to fight with water & my savour is the 2sd ed Vrak's book.

You see in it is a detachment that uses the master of the horde rule but in stead of infantry squads of 15+ models coming back on a 5+ with lets them come back on a 2+ with the out flank rule as well, now this might seem very bent & in away it is but as these units are basic crap troops & you have to invest a lot of points in them I don't see it as the type of thing top tournament armies will lose to, but what it might be is a spoiler as it would be hard to table & I think (don't know) to get a 20-0 win over.

My days for having any interest in winning tournament are well in the past but I've no wish to be getting tabled in 2 or 3 turns either, a mate of mine (Doc) told me I was still building armies like it was 5th ed & that I need to move with the times, this is my way of doing so.

I had my first game with a list from the Vrak's book last night & found it to be good fun & we got in 5 turns in under 2.5 hours which was good as it was one of the things that I worried about using is army, close on 250 models that's a bit of managing that's why I've no pictures for you.

In the game last night I got I think 5 units back while losing 2, well if it wasn't for one's lol, there's a certain freedom for me been able to throw my army at some one else's with wild abandonment & for me this army seems to be ticking the right boxs, you don't want you army to die ? fine lets have fun killing mine, I think the Blood God would approve.

Before I go a good mate of mine as done a post on his thought of going from WHFB over to KoW, don't worry it is not a rant just his honest feelings & thoughts, here's a link.
 http://iga.ie/old-world-to-mantica-from-warhammer-fantasy-battle-to-kings-of-war/

Well if you come back my thanks as always for dropping in & even if you didn't come back my thanks anyway & if you like to leave a comment it would be welcome.