The Road of Life...

... is Paved with Good Intentions...

Sadly, the DFIR blog has taken a nose dive over the past month.

But never fear, we DFIR bloggers are alive (at least, barely).

MattP is taking a much needed hiatus to recover from some back issues, and MikeT is, as always, busy as ever.

Myself? I've spent a month in Huntsville, Alabama working on a Plantation site (Oakendale Plantation, 1820s to 1942); plus the last few months getting (a) my current house on the market, and (b) dealing with all the things involved with building a new house.

One UNFORTUNATE side effect of (a) and (b) is that almost all of my 40k stuff is safely sitting in a storage unit in an effort to de-clutter the for sale house.

One FORTUNATE side effect of (a) and (b) is that I have been able to spend the last month or so getting my head wrapped back around the Mark II version of WARMACHINE.

"WARMACHINE?!?" you say? "But this is a 40K BLOG!!!" you say?

So sue me... ;-)

Back when Warmachine was a very new game on the market (2003-2004), MikeT and I were lured by its "skirmish style" of play, and the low-cost start-up element of the game.

I was lured by the sexiness of the CRYX faction, while MikeT dabbled in both the CYGNAR and PROTECTORATE OF MENOTH factions.

But after a few months, we both gravitated back towards our 40k addictions.

Just over a year ago, the Warmachine bug hit me again, and it turns out, it was FATE dealing me a blow - Warmachine was about to embark on its "Field Test" to update to "2nd edition" (called Mark II in the Warmachine World).

But, just about as soon as the Mk II Field Test wrapped up, my little princess began Gymnastics, closing down my Thursday nights for a long time. Given that my FLGS, ALL FUN & GAMES, did Warmachine on Thursday nights, I quickly found myself back in the loving arms of my Eldar and Chaos Marines of 40k.

Well, full circle has come, it seems. The Warmachine bug bit me again a few months ago. Given the (a) and (b) I outlined above, it was a no-brainer to get back into Warmachine. After all, the closet FULL of 40k stuff had to go to storage, but my Cryx collection took up all of two Army Transport foam trays - a couple purchases later, and a third Army Transport foam tray, and I've got all the Cryx I need for most major events. Plus Side is that it takes up practically no room in my clutter-free house, so fits with my current needs.


But what would a DFIR post be without SOMETHING about 40k? It would be rubbish, I tell ya'...

Just before the latest Warmachine bug hit me, our local 40k Apocalypse Group - APOC-ECLIPSE - had their SEMI-ANNUAL MEGABATTLE. I whipped up a bunch of Deathguard/Nurgle/Plague Marines for the event, including the PLAGUEREAPER I've posted about in the past, and also, THIS lovely masterpiece by UltraForge miniatures.

Eventually, I'll put some wings on this bad boy, because what good is a Daemon Prince that can't fly? (no good, I tell ya'!)

Interestingly, this model took me all of a couple of hours to paint. Seriously. Once primed black, I began painting the Plague Daemon at the start of a movie, and by the end, turns out Mr. Plaguey was finished. SWEET!


So there we have it. The first DFIR blog post in over a month. Of course, I'm on vacation next week and the following. But hopefully that will only put a couple week hiatus on this blog (fingers crossed!).

So, until August, KEEP COOL!!!!

Apocalypse Battle Pictures

I just realized that I hadn't posted here to announce that the pictures are up from Apoc-Eclipse's most recent mega battle. It was held on 5/22/2010 at Game Theory in Raleigh, NC. They very nicely gave up the majority of the store for 12+ hours (accidentially on a Magic release weekend). Thanks guys!

Gallery 052010

Make sure to check out the videos. They give you a great sense of the game.

Titan Family Picture

Finally took a picture of my chaos super heavies. From the left we have my Tzeentch Warlord. In front of that we have my Slaanesh Warhound. Next is a Slaaneshi Reaver then a Khorne Reaver. My Silver Tower is after that, followed at the far right by the Slaanesh "Pleasurelord" Warlord.

I was a little worried how the two Warlords would work together, but neither outclasses the other. They do make the Reavers look pretty small, though.

Let me know what you think!

Apocalypse Projects Updated

As noted before, I was unable to make the big Apocalypse game last weekend. A side effect of this is that I was unable to show off my new big models!

Here's my new Warlord titan, in a close up showing his upgraded sensor suite and chaos markings.

The Planetstrike Comm Tower looks like it belongs there.

Here's my WIP Fire Lord. It's a custom Thunderhawk with Flamestrike Cannons in the front sponsons. The skull is from PetsMart.

I haven't shown a completed engine yet, so here it is:


Lastly, I've finished my first Silver Tower. The paint is WIP (otherwise known as "late the night before a mega battle), but I like it. There's the (not very) old Chaos Terminator Lord on the veranda.

It is actually taller than the Warlord, including the antenna array.

I can't wait to use them myself!

Apocalypse Personal Objectives

Over the past weekend Apoc-Eclipse (a super-set of DFIR) ran its semi-annual unlimited-point Apocalypse game. You can check out the basic army lists and other scenario information here.

As one of the organizers I design a set of individual victory conditions or personal objectives. This gives every player or sub-faction something else to strive towards besides just trying to win the scenario itself. Sometimes these big games are so huge that it can feel like an individual with a small army won't be able to affect the outcome. If you can achieve your own personal objectives, then you can feel that you did well.

My theory when making these up is that I take a lot of effort to look at what the player is bringing. We don't restrict anything, so when you have all the options in the world the units that show up must be important to you. I like to make the minor victory conditions something that you should be able to achieve if you put some effort to it. The major victory conditions are much more difficult and should only be achieved if you do very well.

Of course, "the best laid plans" and all that. I ended up spending all day Saturday in the hospital with my first kidney stone (courtesy of a doctor's brilliant idea that calcium supplements would help my bad back). I missed the game and the personal victory conditions were skipped to avoid unnecessary complications.

I've decided to post the victory conditions that I came up with here along with some notes. I hope that they may inspire you when you start to make up a new scenario for your group to play.

Individual Victory Conditions
Imperial: Ultramarines
Calgar has assumed control over this failing campaign, much to the chagrin of the other commanders. Show the rest of the Imperial forces why the Ultramarines are the Emperor's Finest.
Minor Individual Victory: Claim more objectives than any other individual Imperial force.
Major Individual Victory: Claim enough objectives for the Ultramarines to win the game without needing the assistance of the other Imperial forces.

MattP: We had two very large mechanized Ultramarine armies attending. I figured it would be nice to give the strong infantry units something to do.

Imperial: White Swords
This planet has caught the attention of some of the most infamous devils in the Imperium's glorious history. Rid the universe of this filth. Let the light of the White Sword guide you.
Minor Individual Victory: Kill at least four named Chaos characters.
Major Individual Victory: Kill at least three named Chaos characters in close combat.

MattP: The White Swords are a custom chapter created by Curt, one of Apoc-Eclipse's organizers. Their background has lots of anti-daemon aspects down to a custom Apocalypse-only item. The army doesn't have many Apocalypse units, but it is important that everyone feel the grandeur of the battles!

Imperial: Silver Skulls
An ancient device that raised the interest of the Silver Skull's master tech marines has been uncovered on the battlefield. Claim it quickly!
Before the start of the first turn, pick one objective in the Chaos deployment zone and announce it to the group. This is your major objective.
Minor Individual Victory: Ensure that no Chaos unit claims this objective.
Major Individual Victory: Silver Skulls units claim the objective.

MattP: The Silver Skulls are also a custom chapter created by a local player. I am not as familiar with their background, but I do know that they are very mechanized and have a Thunderhawk Gunship. I felt that this would be a good match for an army that specializes in strike tactics.

Imperial: Squat Guard/Daemonhunters (Any)
The reports are true. The foul daemon-god Nurgle has sent his generals to fight on this battlefield. Purge the unclean!
Minor Individual Victory: Kill four Nurgle special characters (Typhus, Mortarion, Epidemius, Mabras, Mamon, Necrosius).
Major Individual Victory: Claim the Trophy Kill of the Death Guard Primarch Mortarion?s corpse.

MattP: I usually try to make a few of the objectives about directly engaging the enemy. I knew we had a strong Nurgle group coming with a lot of special characters and the Daemonhunters would certainly be targeting the Primarch Mortarion anyway!

Imperial: Eldar
The threads of fate have wrapped around the ancient enemy's neck. Weave them into a noose and throttle the life out of the despicable creatures.
Minor Individual Victory: Destroy two of the Slaaneshi titans.
Major Individual Victory: Destroy Slaanesh's Lash, the Pleasurelord Titan.

MattP: The Eldar player was borrowing three of my Eldar titans (Phantom, Warlock, Revenant). I know these are very powerful units, so I thought it would be best if he was directed to attack my own forces with it. I'm used to getting shot with my own models anyway...

Chaos: Nurgle
Papa Nurgle demands a sacrifice, preferably one on a planetary scale.
Continue to keep Epidemius' tally, even if he is banished to the warp. When dead or off of the table, Epidemius? bonuses are conferred at totals 10x of those used when he is alive.
Minor Individual Victory: Take the tally to 100.
Major Individual Victory: Take the tally to 200.

MattP: What do you do if more than half of your Chaos players are playing Nurgle? What does Nurgle want on the planet anyway? The best answer I could come up with was "death." With a Plaguereaper, a Daemon Primarch, and just about every special character I felt that 100 was an easily manageable total. Epidemius has the biggest bulls eye painted on his slimy back, so there's got to be another reason to keep the tally going.

Chaos: Vraks/Undivided
Your madness knows no bounds. If you can't have the planet, then you'll ensure that no one else will!
Your Troop units have the Corrupt and Despoil strategic asset. (From Apocalypse Reloaded: If they are in base contact with an objective during the assault phase and not in combat, they may remove the objective from the game.) If any friendly or enemy unit is within 6" of the objective, they can prevent you from destroying it, so ask nicely.
Minor Individual Victory: Destroy at least five objectives.
Major Individual Victory: The number of objectives destroyed is enough to win the game.

MattP: We were expecting several Chaos players who weren't deeply devoted to one of the major cults but were, instead, closer to the Codex description of warbands. I could easily see them acting on a mission within a mission just laying waste to the battlefield itself.

Chaos: Titan Legions
Finally, opponents worthy of your wrath!
Minor Individual Victory: Damage every enemy super heavy walker.
Major Individual Victory: Ensure that the enemy possesses no more than 20 structure points worth of vehicles.

MattP: I was bringing a lot of super heavies, and if I turned the guns on the enemy infantry it would not have been pleasant for either side. I wanted a victory condition that required me to target the opposing super heavies.

Chaos: Tau
It is difficult to understand the stubbornness of the humans. They resist a simple trade agreement simply because it crosses borders through their empire, and tighten their grip on the systems in question like a snake. As is known, the way to kill a snake is to cut off its head.
Minor Individual Victory: Kill at least four Space Marine Commanders or Captains.
Major Individual Victory: Destroy the Ultramarines Masters of the Chapter with your own units.

MattP: This is the Chaos version of the anti-Nurgle one from earlier. It is a good idea to get the Tau motivated to hunt down enemy units since it is otherwise so easy for them to castle-up and hold a defensive posture.

Let me know what you think!

Apocalypse Sized Building Pt 2

Part one of this post covered cutting and assembling large scale buildings for an apocalyplse battle

This post will cover the final steps in getting the buildings ready for battle. Step one was taping the window pattern onto the buildings. I used blue painters masking tape as it's easy to pull off and wouldn't damage the black paint. This part of the task took a couple of evenings and quite a bit of tape.





Once the buildings were properly taped I painted them with grey primer. My initial plan was to use the airbrush and give the windows a base in grey and spray offset highlights in each window. I was hoping this would simulate reflected sunlight. Time did not allow for this so they just got a basic single coat.



Once the paint dried I was able to remove the tape. I think they turned out well!



Man that took alot of tape!



If I make another set I'll improve a few things. I'll take more care in cutting and assembling the boxes. Possibly make a jig to help line things up.

I'm considering texturing the walls and/or roof using spray texture. Flekstone or a similar stone effect.

Airbrushing effects for windows and ageing would help give them a bit of personality, as would signage, graffiti, and imperial decrees.

Templates for the windows may be faster than tape. That saved time may be taken up by touchup due to underspray. Experimentation would be required.

Deathguard & Apocalypse

LETS GET READY TO RUMMBBBLLLEEE!!!!!!!!!!!!

Come this time on Saturday, Yours Truly will be deeply involved in trying to slaughter the False Emperor's lapdogs and the evil Eldar scum helping them.

In other words, I'll be playing my Deathguard this Saturday in a massive game of Apocalypse hosted by our local apocalyptic group APOC-ECLIPSE (wargaming so large it will block out the sun).

I've signed up to field about 10,000 points. Almost all of this is Deathguard/Nurgle in nature; however, I do plan to field about 1 or 1.5 k points of Black Legion to fill-out the points.

This post will discuss some of what is included in my 10k force.

Previously, I posted about the construction of my PLAGUEREAPER model. Well, I wish I could show you a picture of it painted. But its only primed. But paint will be going on that monster tank this evening (and tomorrow evening, and probably even friday evening...). So I hope to post a separate piece on that once it is finished.











Fellow DFIR poster MattP is being gracious enough to loan me a few models. Primarily, MORTARION, Daemon Primarch of the Deathguard.

Matt's got a stupendous model for Mortarion (shown here), and an excellent set of rules for him as well.

I highly doubt my lower brain form will do these rules justice, but I at least hope to remember half of his nasty tricks during the day.





Then there is Typhus (not my picture of Typhus, this is one from AEROPLANE posted as a WIP at Librarium Online HERE).

I've offered to let DFIR poster MikeT take him instead, but haven't heard back from Mike. Typhus has been my main HQ over the last several months. All the internet bitchers will tell you just how junk Typhus is, particularly pointing out his lack of Eternal Warrior.

Bah on them!

MOST 40k Special Characters aren't Eternal Warriors. I've found that Typhus is definitely worth his points, and if anything, puts the fear of Nurgle into my opponents when they see he's about to deep strike with 7 Nurgle Terminators...

Another Special Character joining my force is one I made up myself. His name is Mabras, and I don't currently have a picture of him; however, HERE is his datasheet. This guy's rules started quite a while back, probably in the fall some 6 or so months ago. He started as a home-made version of the Necrosius character in Imperial Armour 8 (Seige of Vraks III). But three major versions later, and he had really taken on his own style. Since the model is a converted Fabius Bile (all weapons swapped and most of the backpack "instruments" removed) that still has the two "tubes" on the back, I wanted to create an attack consisting of a two-part contagion that once mixed, pretty much vaporizes infantry in close proximity to Mabras. Check out the Purgatis Contagion rule on his datasheet (it took a lot of help from MattP, CurtF, and MikeT - THANKS GUYS!!!).

Moving away from characters and whatnot for a moment, let me talk about that little do-dad over to the left. That's a picture of a Vortex Grenade - the limited edition marker that was released along with the first Apocalypse book.

LOVE IT!

USE IT EVERY APOCALYPSE GAME!

And so far (knock on wood), it hasn't scattered back on my own models - partly due to good scatter rolls, and partly because once I unleash it, I get my guys the Hell outta there!

Formation-wise, I have TWO Chaos Terminator Doombringer Annihilation Forces. They both come with scheduled bombardments as well as precision strike strategic assets. I also have an Armored Spearhead (3 Land Raiders) and a Predator Assassin Squadron (3 Predators). Both of those are technically SM formations, but there's no reason in our Apocalyptic world why Chaos can't use them; after all, MY Deathguard are pretty smart chaps, and know a good tactic when they see it used against them...

Speaking of Deathguard, I'll only be bringing a measly 47 Plague Marines (five squads with five rhinos). But I do have a good mix of miniatures. 20 are the OOP metal ones, 17 are Forgeworld Deathguard, and 10 are the "current" Citadel Plague Marine miniatures.

For my Black Legion contingent, it is small, but potent. Abaddon, Terminator Lord, Terminators, bikes, and a Winged Daemon Prince. Theoretically, I could make a 3rd Doombringer Annihilation Force out of the Black Legion, _OR_ I could field the formation "Abaddon and the Lords of the Black Crusade." But I've already got two of the former and fielded the latter a couple Apocalypse games ago. So I'm going to skip them this time around.


So I'm looking forward to it. Like the Apoc-Eclipse events always are, it should be a blast!

I'll see if my mind is not too mushy afterwards to post a vague report of the event. Plus MattP will post all the pictures we take to our GALLERIES (cough**DFIR post**cough, MattP). I should also be able to post some pictures of my PAINTED Plaguereaper too!

In summary, here's my "nutshell 10,000 point list":

Mortarion + 10 Nurgling bases (retinue)
Typhus
Mabras
Nurgle Lord w/ Daemon Weapon
Abaddon
Black Legion Terminator Lord
Winged Daemon Prince
47 Plague Marines + 5 Rhinos
32 Terminators (in 2 Doombringer Forces)
15 Terminators (in the 3 land raiders)
10 Black Legion bikers
Plaguereaper
3 Predators
3 Land Raiders
VORTEX GRENADE

Bring it, you Imperial Pukes!