Finally The Last Lot Of Boers

With dark vengeance looming and a whole influx of new models joining the queue I've been attempting to clear off some half done and nearly completed projects from my desk.  One of these are these last 9 stretlets 1:72 scale boers that have sat around for many many months half done, but finally here they are.

White Dwarf 393 & Wargames Illustrated 299

Well what do we have here, with the release of the new Dark Vengeance set I was of course expecting coverage of such a momentus release, but alas what we get is what feels like a giant advert, with little of real value.  We start off of course with the new releases section with pics of the new models.  We then get an intro to the new starter set and then a bit of background on it.  Next we get a large article which gives brief battle reports on all 6 of the scenarios from the new box!  It's overkill and disappointing.  Next is a terrain 'showcase' (read advert), and then a painting showcase showing some alternate schemes for models in the box.  The painting showcase is quite interesting and features the new chaos models painted up as alpha legion in a similar scheme as I intend to do mine.  There are some other miniatures showcases as well for space marines and a couple of warhammer armies.  There is also the return of the citadel hall of fame and a dreary standard bearer.  Whilst the painting and modeling showcases aren't bad overall I'm not impressed with this issue at all.

This months theme in wargames illustrated is the wars of the roses.  For the theme we get the usual overview article of the period, looks at the battles of towton and bosworth, and a look at how to paint up burgundian mercenaries.  It was all interesting enough although its not a period I can see myself gaming at any point soon.  Flames of war of course features with a tactics article for American light tank companies and a bit of history and paint schemes for the Messerschmitt Me262 'Stormbirds'.  There is also an interesting look at Osprey's new arthurian rules Dux Bellorum, something else to tempt me and one of many new rulesets osprey plan on releasing.  Other articles of note include battle reports for the battle of naseby and the tet offensive.  Like last months this issue isn't bad, but isn't spectacular either.  I presume they're saving all their best stuff for next months special big celebration issue.

Too Many Starter Sets.....

I often hear that we're living in the golden age of gaming, and I think this may well be true, I love the recent explosion in products and new companies doing well.  This does leave a problem though as we approach the christmas season (I know its early but I work in retail and alas I've already been dealing with it for the last two weeks)  There are four great looking starter sets competing for my money and time.

 

 The first of these and the one I am definately going to buy is the new 40K starter set from Games Workshop.  I've said this before but 2nd ed 40K was my first real wargame and after a long break I'm really enjoying playing it again.  This set has some superb figures (the chaos in particular), contains the new rulebook and comes in at a very reasonable price.

Battlefront games have finally woken up to the modern world and have started to produce miniatures in plastic (I wonder if the plastic soldier company was really starting to eat into their profits), and very sensibly they're going to throw a lot of them into a big box with the mini rulebook and call it a starter set.  I have fledgling forces for the Brits and the Germans and this would turn them both into small armies.  It looks to be good value for money and good quality miniatures, but I haven't actually persuaded any of my opponents to start collecting flames of war yet (although one guy has stated an intent to collect), so if I got them they might end up never really getting used.

This next one was a surprise, although prehaps it shouldn't have been.  It's the new sci-fi sports game from mantic called dreadball, its currently up on kickstarter and has already been funded.  It basically seems to be bloodbowl mixed with tron set in their warpath universe and written by jake thornton (the man behind the excellent dwarf kings hold series), which in my mind is probably a winning combination.  As yet there are no details on the gameplay and with a game like this that will be the deciding factor way above how pretty the models are (which for things like 40K selection can for me often be all that matters).

And finally sedition wars from studio McVey, a sort of space crusade-esque board game stuffed full of truly excellent minis.  This also had a VERY successful kickstarter that I regret not joining.

The problem here isn't money, (I reckon all 4 sets together will end up costing £250-£300, which isn't so far beyond my hobby budget from now till christmas to be unobtainable), but gaming time.  I have three regular opponents and normally manage to get a game of something against one of them every 2-3 weeks, so even one of these sets will keep me busy for a few months.  In theory I could buy all four and they would keep me busy for the next year, but in reality they'll just sit on a shelf doing nothing as I get distracted by something new and shinny that we haven't even heard of yet. 
It's a shame but I think I need to limit myself to dark vengence and one other, but which will it be?


Oh I forgot, there will a new Hobbit game out in december to tempt me too!

Flames Of War Panzer Kanonen

It's subscription renewal time for wargames illustrated and that means another box of free toys!  This time I choose this excellent set of Panzer Kanonen (tank aces) which contains a specially scuplted stug and panther.  I don't have any specific use for these models, but they do look rather cool on my shelf.

Stormtalon, Alpha Legion Lord & Primaris Pysker

There's been a bit of a dearth of posting around here recently, and that's because it's summer and I've been outside enjoying myself.  Finally I've got around to finishing another couple of bits, starting with this stormtalon gunship.  A rather cool piece and I'm looking forward to trying it out next weekend.

Also this chaos lord for my fledgeling alpha legion force.  I've got rather excited this week over the leaked pics from the new 40K starter set, the chaos side in particular will make very welcome additions to my collection.

And finally this primaris pysker to act as a HQ choice for my allied imperial guard detactment.  This is an older model that came with some chaos marines that I bought off ebay as a useful bonus.

Perseus, Medea and Some More Argonauts

A bit of a break from 40K today as I atempt to clear a few half finished projects off my desk.  First up is my completed unit of argonauts from wargames foundry that you can see above (and the new additions below).  The most inetresting of the bunch is the angel like zetes who is the son of boreas the north wind.  The other nine are pretty standard.

And finally a couple of extra personallities from greek mythology, on the left we have the mighty Perseus holding the head of medusa, and on the left we have the targic figure of medea who helped jason win the golden fleece in colchis.

Yet More Alpha Legion

My force is starting to get there now with another squad of legionaires, and a sorcerer.  This squad is very different from the last squad, its smaller for a start (only 5 guys) and is a sort of mismash squad I put together from bits I got from a job lot on ebay added to an old metal plasma gun armed marine I've had in my collection for a long time (I think since the days of 2nd ed).  Tactically this is my unit tasked with holding deployment zone objectives or supporting other more important squads either with firepower or in a joint assault.  The sorcerer also came in an ebay lot, and was missing an arm which was easily replaced from the left over bits from my last squad.

40K Chaos Space Marine Alpha Legion Squad - Part 2

I've finished my first alpha legion squad now, well almost, I've still got their rhino to paint as well.  I'm even more pleased with them now they're all done and am eagerly awaiting news of the new starter set to increase my flegdling army (I've a couple of other bits which are ebay repaints on the go but thats not the same as a box of fresh new minis).

White Dwarf 392 & Wargames Illustrated 298

The first white dwarf after the release of 40K 6th ed and I was slightly disapointed not to find the new choas space marines that have been rumoured for ages taking a starring role, instead we get a new deamon release for both fantasy and 40K.  I'm going to start withe the free daemon booklet that includes rules for the new slannesshi chariots and updates for screamers and flamers for both game systems.  It also introduces soul grinders into fanatsy armies that was a bit of a suprise.  I'm a big fan of this sort of update and I like including it in a seprate handy booklet, although one complaint is that the booklet itself is not sturdy and I don't think will last long.

Of course the new daemons feature prominatly in the main mag as well, with a basic intro to the four main gods and a breif battle report for each system, both of which the daemons win, see if you want to win battles buy the new models ;)  Non-daemon stuff inclues a few pages of player armies with allies, only one of which (the space wolves/imperial gaurd) was really interesting, a fantastic Blanchitsu looking at the plastic nurgle lord and a somewhat naff arena of death trying to sell the new plastic warhammer heroes.  Finally the back cover has a awesome bit of artwork featuring a lord of change.   Overall an OK if not spectacular issuse.

The theme of this months wargames illustrated is the peninsular war, and it's one of the more dominate themes we've had recently, but thats ok, as I'm interested in the peninsular war.  The theme articles include a peninsular war primer, a ridiculously impressive battle of corunna, the battle of salamanca and the battle of avila.  For flames of war we only get a single article which is a look at the soviet invasion of poland and includes a full list for an infantry company.  The other battles featured are the battles of platea and culloden.  Matt parkes teaches us how to paint again, this time clothing and the final article of note is the winners of the salute painting contest, which includes some rather wonderful models.  Like white dwarf the issuse comes across as OK, but not spectacular.

40K Chaos Space Marine Alpha Legion Squad - Part 1

My new alpha legion army now has a legal unit painted!  Although it's not actually finished yet and they will be joined by another 5 marines including one with a flamer and one with a melta gun, which will give me a nice mix of anti-infantry and anti-tank.  This will actually end up being a very flexible unit all round and will normally deploy from a rhino (acquired, but not yet painted).  I'm very impressed with the chaos space marine plastic kit and there's a lot you can do with it, it's also nicely provided me with a load of bits to fix up some of the second hand chaos stuff I brought off ebay.

The painting was actually pretty fidly compared with what I normally do and it took a long time (partly due ot the detail on the models and partly due to the alpha legion scheme), although I think its been worth it and am pleased with the result.  I just need to remember that this is only supposed to be a small force and make sure it doesn't eat up all my painting time for the next year!

Another Imperial Guard Squad & The First Choas Marine

My current Imperial Guard 'Army'

Yet more 40K, I'll start with my second imperial gaurd infantry squad, as before a bunch of catachan repaints.  This means I can now play a basic allied detactment of a HQ and an infantry platoon which I'm looking forward to trying it out with my space marines.  I have another 30 gaurdsmen prepped and ready for painting, though this time cadians.  At first I was worried about mixing cadians and catachans in one small army, but I've decided just to go ahead and paint them and not overly worry about it.

I've made my decision of how to paint my new chaos marines as well and have finally plumped for Alpha Legion.  The background is a bit mysterious and unconclusive which means I can play around with them a bit, from my reading there seems to be cells scattered around imperial space each of which has evolved slightly differently to the others since the heresy.  They also utilse cultists a lot, so I'm hoping the rumours about cultists being in the starter set prove to be acurate.

40K Eldar Fire Dragons

Well 40K definately seems to be becoming the theme of my summer, and today I put the finishing touches to another squad for my eldar army.  I did these fire dragons to provide the eldar army with some much needed punch, as assault guns at S8 melta make a mess of almost anything.  I'm really pleased with how they've come out and I think are my best eldar to date.  I do have a couple of non-40K units on my painting table, but they seem (unitentionally) to be getting left behind.

Decisions, Decisions......

I've gone and done something that could either be considered brave, stupid or awesome, I've started yet another army!  This time continuing with the current 40K theme as it's what we've been playing most of and thats hardly likely to change once we finally get our mits on the new 6th ed.  That army is Chaos Space Marines.  I've bought a bunch of stuff on ebay which hasn't arrived yet, but being impaitent I popped into GW on the way home from work today and came out with a chaos space marine squad.

I've only assembled the couple above, but now its decision time. I can't decide what colour to paint them!  It was going to be easy, I have some khorne berserkers on the way and I was going to paint them all red, but one of my main opponents has gone and done just that with his new chaos army! Gutted, but now I need a new plan, the main two possibilities at the moment seem to be either black legion (which seems too easy and obvious) or possibly alpha legion, but neither 'feels' quite right, I suppose I need to get my thinking cap on!

40K Imperial Guard Infantry Squad

Yep the title says it all really, I've finished the first Infantry squad for my Imeprial Guard allied detachment.  This will form part of the infantry platoon that will be the mandatory troops choice for the detactment.  These have been repainted over an original paint scheme and this shows in places, still I'm happy enough with them.  I've got another squad of these on the painting table at the moment and I've gone and ordered one of those new shiny stormtalon gunships as well.  all this means my Space Marine army is approaching 5000pts, now I just need one of my mates to paint up all their models so we can have a really big battle!

40K Imperial Guard Detactment Command

New 40K is out and one of the most intriuging and controversal new rules is that of allied detactments, and whilst I accept that the chances are someone will find a broken combo somewhere, as a non-tournament player I'm excited by the possibilities.

As it happens I happen to have a few Imperial Guard models in my collection (around 45) which are never going to amount to a whole army, but now find themselves in the painting queue and destined to support to Space Marine Army.  To start off I've painted a Patrol Command Squad and an old Mordian officer who I've painted black and am going to use as a Lord Commissar.  Next up will be a couple of infantry squads to round out the infantry platoon.  I've also finished another objective marker which is a little comms array.