My Converted Stormraven (Now 55% More Aerodynamic!!!)

 I really love the Stormraven, but I am not a huge fan of the model. So, I decided to make some small conversions to the kit in order to create a more streamlined, stealthy flyer for my Raven Guard. For this model, all I did was move the guns down to the side of the body, and place an older tank hatch over the hole from the missing gun turret. Quick and easy, and I am really happy with the results. I was planning on using this over the Ghoul Stars campaign day, but ended up playing with my 800pt list twice. Expect a full, narrative recap on the day soon (Spoiler: it didn't go well for the Raven Guard). For now, enjoy a couple more shots of Commander Krios's personal gunship.

Until next time!

 

Shadow Commander Kanir Krios (New Warlord for the Ghoul Stars Campaign)

 

I love converting models, and I find that I am not doing it enough lately. One of the few drawbacks of 30k is my own personal desire to create a "historically" accurate fighting force to represent the Post-Isstvan Raven Guard. Because of this, I've been focusing more on painting accuracy and less on modelling creativity. But, thanks to the Ghoul Stars campaign, I was inspired me to build a new warlord. Enter Kanir Krios, Shadow Commander of the Ghoul Stars Expeditionary Force.

This guy is a real bits box king. A mix of standard MK VIII, MK VI, a Space Wolf frost axe and chainsword, as well as a Dark Angels backpack and Forge World shoulder pads. I love his pose, and who doesn't want their warlord swinging a gigantic chainsword. He'll be leading the Sons of Corax into the Ghoul Stars come late May. And, I feel like it isn't a huge stretch to use him as a praetor in my 30k army, which is always nice. I'll be writing up some background on him soon, so stay tuned!

As for this weekend, I'll be up to my ears in Microset applying decals to my Tactical Squads. Any tips or tricks would be greatly appreciated! Then, on Sunday, I'm hoping to sneak out and get some reinforcements at Games of Berkeley. Have a great weekend, and roll high!

Until next time.

Out now!!! Raptor (a new audio drama from Black Library)

If you haven't listened to any of the audio dramas that Black Library has done recently, you are really missing out. These hour to hour and a half modern takes on the classic radio show are excellent. They lift these stories off the pages and breathe life into the Warhammer universe. Everything, from the music to the voice acting, feels intense and exciting. We may not be getting a 30k/40k feature film anytime soon, but at least we have these. Here is a teaser for the latest audio drama, Raptor by Gav Thorpe:

After the decimation of his Legion on the killing fields of Isstvan V, the primarch Corax sanctioned an accelerated implantation process to create new Raven Guard - a process subverted in secret by his enemies. But in spite of their horrendous mutations, the warriors of the Raptors still stand ready to do their prim arch's bidding. When a watch-pack of Space Wolves legionaries arrives unannounced, it falls to Lieutenant Navar Hef to greet their warlike kinsmen and decide whether or not they might be hiding flaws of their own... 

Raven Guard and Space Wolves! I just downloaded it, and I look forward to hearing more about Navar Hef and his mutated brothers. I'll make sure to write up a review when I'm done. Download it and give it a listen while you're finishing up those hobby progress challenge models. Thor wills it!

Until next time!

New Blood! How Do I Get My Buddies to Play 40k?

My fellow LoC member Joel is on a new general gaming podcast called The Dice Decide! 

Check them out here!

One of us! One of us! One of us!

I still feel like it was some type of divine providence that I got into this crazy hobby. For some reason, unbeknownst to me, my junior in high school self stubbled upon the old GW message board. I quickly fell down the rabbit hole and asked my dad to take me to Gamer's Realm, my LGS in New Jersey. I walked into that musty store and immediately saw my object of desire. Eldar guardians.

My first 40k purchase.

It was all downhill from there. Fourteen years later, here I am writing about this beloved game of mine. I'm one of the lucky ones. But how can bring this joy to others? How do you get your non-wargaming buddies to play 40k? Well, this weekend I tried just that. My buddy Brad came over and played his first game against my good buddy Joel. We all had a great time, and Brad is already looking to buy the Space Wolves codex. Here are some steps that I took, and I think they would work well in your conversion teaching games.

1. KISS (Keep it Sweet and Simple)

40k is a rules heavy game with a rather heavy learning curve. When you start out, you really just want to focus on the main tenants of the game. Try to avoid most of the special rules and really hone in on these four aspects of the game:

1. Stats [WS-BS-S-T-I-LD-S+]
2. Movement
3. Shooting
4. Assault

These rules are essentially the game. All of the other USRs and special abilities add the flavor and variety to 40k, but those can't be enjoyed without a strong understanding of the aforementioned rules. Make sure to explain these each before the game begins, but focus mostly on reinforcing them as the game moves along.

2.  Start Small

A quaint battlefield (only 24"x18")

40k is best played at high point levels, but avoid starting out there. For our scenario, we had two 200 pt lists on a 2ft x 1.5ft table (damn Magic took up all the tables at both Games of Berkeley and Endgame). Brad, the neophyte, controlled ten generic Space Marines against Joel's Dire Avengers. The mission was Purge the Alien, and Brad set his Astartes up in the trees while the Eldar controlled the base and supply tanks at the bottom of the board. 

The game went on for a coupe turns, and ended up with the Space Marines smashing face in close combat. Having the books open to the reference charts helped a lot. By the end of the game, Brad was able to reference these basic rules without much thought.This was a learning game, but both Brad and Joel still had fun. When thinking about the missions and theme for your teaching games, make sure to start small. Still focus on your favorite aspects of the game (fun combos, great weapons, or cool psychic powers), but don't try to introduce too much too quickly.

3. Get them Started

Who doesn't love dreadnoughts?

Starting a Warhammer army is a huge investment of time and money. So, if you can, help out your buddy with some old minis or kits from your bits box. In my opinion, a squad or two and an HQ is a great place to start the game. Help the newbie create a list around 500-750pts, and let them find out what they enjoy most about the hobby. Do they love playing, but hate building models? Offer to put everything together so they can get in some games. Do they hate painting? Setup a hobby day and show them some of your tips and tricks. That, or just buy them a pot of Agrax Earthshade. 

In the end, everyone plays this game differently. Let your friend find out how they want to play, and be there as a positive ambassador for Warhammer. Introduce them to your gaming group, and make them feel like a part of the community. Blogs (::wink::), podcasts, forums, and YouTube tutorials are all great resources available to the modern gamer. Share them with your buddy! Then watch as they spiral into a nest of grey plastic sprues and Black Library books. One of us, one of us, one of us!!!

Until next time!

Killer Robots of Death!!! (My First Foray into 30k v. 40k Gaming)

This past Sunday, I went over to Games of Berkeley for a couple pick up games. As a veteran of the long war, aka Gamer Dad, I only ever find myself playing at home or on specific campaign days at Endgame. Lucky for me, GoB's Facebook group is really great. I put something up that morning and got everything set an hour or so later. The store has an awesome variety of minis, and the playing space was really fun. Beautiful tables, great terrain, and a fun atmosphere made for an A+ gaming experience. Wargame Days are Thursday nights and Sunday afternoons. If you are ever in Downtown Berkeley, make sure to check it out.

Games of Berkeley - Check it out!

I played against Sage and his new Necrons. Man, those guys are nasty! How many armies have troop choices that can kill a Land Raider in one turn of shooting? But, the unit that really makes these robots sing are the wraiths. Ho-lee-crap are they good! Just imagine these death robots snaking through the air, flickering in and out of reality above the desert sands. Then, at the perfect moment, whipping their tails and jamming razor-sharp claws into their prey. Great fluff, great rules, and great models. These guys are the trifecta.

We played maelstrom on a 4x4 board at 750 points. The Raven Guard infiltrated into a forward position (big mistake) as the Necron's moved on en mass from the corner. The wraiths got into combat right way, and we stayed locked in until about turn four or so. Sage won the game thanks to the wraiths, but in the end it came down to my praetor getting shot to death by twenty some warriors. Using infiltrating forces can be a challenge, but it's games like this that help you learn. Overall, it was a really fun game against a great opponent.

Fluff-wise, 30k and 40k mesh really well. It does take some mental gymnastics, but as a narrative gamer I find myself doing that in standard games just as often (Why do I always end up assaulting Tau Riptide factories!). I see a lot of really cool opportunities to get in some fights against other xenos forces, and I'm thinking about reaching out to some local players to start a small Great Crusades campaign. If you're in the Bay Area and play Orks, Eldar, 'Nids, or Necrons let me know!

As for rules balance, it's not bad but I wouldn't say it was perfect. The standard Space Marine stat line helps, but losing And They Shall Know No Fear does make things more tenuous. That being said, I will continue to play 40k armies for now because our 30k scene is still growing. As for competitive events, I don't really see myself bringing a Horus Heresy list a large ITC event, but I do see a lot of 30k v. 40k games in the future! ::womp womp womp woooommmmppp::

Until next time!

Tools for the Wishy-Washy Wargamer

Hi, my name is Joe and I'm a wishy-washy wargamer. I have a bunch of boxes in my closet filled with grey plastic sprues. A graveyard where weird army ideas go to die. I will dream up an idea for a really cool hobby project, only to have a new vision only a couple weeks later. Early on, this prevented me from building any large collections of one specific force. When allies came around, this got a bit easier. But, it also became more expensive. So here I am, treading water in a sea of grey plastic. 

Our hobby is an interesting mix of creativity and impulse purchasing. Hell, Games Workshop's business model is based on our desire for shiny new toys on a weekly basis! Unless you have carls upon carls to spend on models, how do you manage this? How do you show self control in a swirling sea of pewter and plastic? Luckily, we have some help. Here are a couple resources I've used in the past that have helped me seize control of my hobby.

Independent Characters Hobby Progress Challenge

The mother of them all. The knight in shinning armor in the battle against grey plastic. Committing to this challenge is a great way to keep your focus on one specific project. Let all the internet know that you are going to paint a squad or model over thirty days. Accountability and support are so important when working on a large project. The forum members at the ICs are there to offer both, in spades. Submissions for February are due on the 15th, so make sure to get your commitment in soon!

1HourANight Facebook Group

A take on the #rudgietime/#tuttletime method. Spend one hour a night focused on the hobby. That can be modeling, sculpting, painting, etc. Post your pictures and get great feedback from an active community. Feedback can be a difficult thing to receive, but every gamer knows where you are coming from. Once you get rid of that fear, you will see that you can really produce some beautiful minis in a short amount of time. I also advocate the hour a night method as an almost meditative activity. Allowing yourself to be fully consumed by the hobby you love should leave you feeling relaxed and confident in your abilities. 

Blogs, Gaming Groups, Friends and Significant Others

If either of those options make you feel uncomfortable, then I'd suggest reaching out to your friends and family. Tell people what you are working on, and talk about it! My wife is a huge help when it comes to this. I'll tell her about one of my projects, and she'll ask me what I'm doing or how it's coming along. If your friends know you are working on a neuron army but see you painting something else, they'll ask how your death robots are coming along. Pallet cleansers A little motivation goes a long way. The blog has also been a big help here.

I had written in a previous post that I was going to do my Raven Guard on 32mm bases. Being the impatient guy I am, I immediately based them on their snug 25mm rounds. Once I finally received my 32s in the mail, I was stuck on what to do. Should I rebase the marines, or just leave them as is. Remembering my written commitment to 32mm bases really helped here. Like runes etched in stone, I was bound to upgrade. So I went from this...

To this!

And you know what? I was happy! Probably why I originally made up my mind on the larger bases. Commitments in your wargaming hobby are important. Don't overburden yourself, but make sure to set high goals. And, most importantly, be proud of your work! 

Until next time!

Blood for the Resin Gods!!! (My First Forge World Day)

Yesterday I receive the most wonderful present to myself. Fifteen marines in Mk VI power armor and one sweet Raven Guard dreadnought. After washing, trimming, and making myself bleed (for the thousandth time) my guys are ready to assemble. I decided to go with the 32mm bases for this project, so I am just waiting on them before I put my bird gang together.

Endgame is going to be starting a 30k campaign the last week of February, so that seems like a good deadline to work towards. And, with the added dreadnought and a repurposed drop pod, I am already up to 750. I am excited to see how successful this list is, and what tweaks I'll need to make. Here's the list:

Raven Guard 750 pts

Praetor

Pair of Lightning Claws (Ravens Talons), Cameoline

Rites of War: Pride of the Legion

Veteran Tactical Squad x7

Sergeant (combi-weapon), melta gun

Veteran Tactical Squad x7

Sergeant (combi-weapon), melta gun

Dreadnought Talon x1

TL Lascannon, Extra Armor

Deathstorm Drop Pod x1

I'd love to hear what people think about this list. Also, don't miss out on the free ebook Dark Hunters: The Last Detail on the Warhammer app. According to the wiki, the Dark Hunters fight in complete silence. Not sure how that will pan out, but getting free books is always good. 

Until next time!

30k... It's Haappennnniiinngg!!!

There is no going back now. The siren's song has grabbed hold of me. I've made my resin bed, and now I need to buy a sand warmer. After some serious deliberation, I have made my first big (probably half a Carl) Forge World order. I have fifteen suits of MK VI "Corvus" power armor headed across the pond to start my Raven Guard army!

Corvus by Nicholas R. Giacondino

A couple things sold me on the Raven Guard. They have a great background story, a cool primarch, and the flexibility to transitions pretty smoothly about 10,000 years between both systems. But, the biggest selling point was their play style. I've always enjoyed running stealthy, low model count forces. With the Raven Guard Legion rules and the Rites of War: Pride of the Legion rites I can have the infiltrating veteran space marine army I've always wanted. I'm starting out small (500 pts), with a pretty solid core. From here, I can add pretty much anything. Here's my starting list:

Raven Guard 500 pts

Praetor

Pair of Lightning Claws (Ravens Talons), Cameoline

Rites of War: Pride of the Legion

Veteran Tactical Squad x7

Sergeant (combi-weapon), melta gun

Veteran Tactical Squad x7

Sergeant (combi-weapon), melta gun

I'm very new to 30k, so let me know what you think of this list. In the meantime, I'll be hiding in the bushes outside my house waiting for UPS and reading Deliverance Lost. 

Until next time!

Nurgle's Rot and my new Yell Hounds Librarian

Well, that sucked. I came down with some stupid cold, and ended up having to cancel the Steiermark game last weekend. That, coupled with being busy at work meant I didn't get my normal hobby time this week. But, do not fret Corsairians! Check out Brother Amergin, Yell Hounds Librarian.

This was a really fun project. I basically rummaged through my bits bag and ended up finding all the makings for this guy. I was debating going for the standard blue, but since the Yell Hounds aren't necessarily codex compliant I felt like a non-standard color would look nice. Since the majority of the  army is grey, red really makes him stand out. And, it was a great opportunity to play around with a color I haven't used that often. Overall, I am really happy with the results.

Next weekend, Endgame is hosting a Highlander event. I've never played in one of these before, and I am really looking forward to seeing the types of list people bring. I have some painting to do before (five assault terminators, a razorback, a drop pod, and my custom Captain Tycho), but I feel like I always work best on a deadline. I am really excited about Tycho (he's in the picture below). Tycho is a really awesome character, and I am looking forward to putting him on the table.

Until next time!

Holiday Gift Ideas for Warhammer 40k Gamers

Ho, Ho, Ho!!!

Buying gifts for the Warhammer 40k gamer in your life can be tough. Unless you are trolling message boards and blogs it can be hard to keep up with the new hotness. So, in order to get on Robot Santa's nice list I have decided to offer up  recommendations for some of my favorite gift ideas. These area pretty good catch-alls, and things that I believe any gamer would be happy to receive over the holidays. If you have any suggestions, share them in the comments so others can see.

Gift Cards

Games Workshop Gift Voucher

These are by far the easiest, and often best, options for presents. Every Warhammer player has a wish list of things they want to add to their arsenal. Due to some recent changes in stocking, the Games Workshop website is often one of the better places to find specific miniatures and books. For that reason, I'd suggest GW Virtual Gift Vouchers. They are a bit more pricey than some of the other retailers, but they will always have what your gamer is looking for. I would suggest a base value of $50 to give your gamers some flexibility

eBay is also an awesome resource for wargamers. From new kits, to bits and out of production models, eBay Gift Cards offer an incredible value. There are a bevy of small retailers that sell everything from model kits to individual bits. Two of my favorites are Black Dagger Games and Lazarus Games. Due to the savings you can get from eBay I would suggest at least $30 on the gift card.

Hobby Supplies

Vallejo Paints

These are all things that will make the hobby easier for your lucky wargamer. Paints are essential to any avid Warhammer player, and the nicer the paints the better the result. Citadel paints are great, and the Citadel Hobby Starter Set is a great beginning or addition to anyones collection. Secret Weapon Miniatures also offers some really cool weathering pigments and inks that making creating that grimdark look a lot easier. And finally, Vallejo Paints are by far my favorite. Any of these Vallejo Paint Sets would make an excellent present or stocking stuffer for your favorite Space Marine.

Bases

Micro Art Studios

Bases add a nice final touch to any miniature, but are often the last thing on gamer's minds. Any of these sets of Micro Art Studio bases would make an excellent gift. 40k uses two main sizes of bases, 25mm and 40mm. 25mm is the most common, but either of those sizes will work out well. These bases would also be a really fun stocking stuffer if you are picking up a model kit or two.

Gaming Aids

Litko 1" Linear Guage

Remembering the rules is hard enough, so why not make it easier with some of these awesome gaming aids. I never leave home without my Litko 1” Linear Gauge. Standard movement in 40k is 6", so this template has dramatically cut down on measuring tape injuries. Tokens, like these ones from Dapper Devil, also make tracking certain mechanics like wounds on characters and hit points on vehicles a breeze. I would also suggest picking up a set of tactical objective markers from Battle Markers.

Sabol Army Transport Case

But, the best gaming aid anyone can receive is a miniatures carrying case. A couple years ago my wife got me a Sabol Platoon Carrying Case. It costs $40, and I use it every time I play. Plenty of storage space, and a nice mesh pocket for holding codices and iPads. A miniatures player can never have enough carrying cases, and the more cases they have the less clutter you'll have around your house!

And, last but not least...

Your Local Gaming Store!

Endgame Oakland

Every gamer has a favorite local gaming store. Their home away from home. If you are really stumped on what to get them, just ask the staff for help. Most likely they will know your gamer and have an idea of what is on their wish list. Best of all, you are supporting local business and the local gaming community. Not sure what your closest store is? Check out the Dakka Dakka Store Finder or ask around. If they don't have what your looking for, just ask and they can special order it for you.

Hope this list helped. Anything I can do to make a fellow gamer happy. Still have questions? Comment below and I'll see how I can help.

Until next time!

Shield of Baal: Deathstorm (BA Starter List)

Blood Angels v. 'Nids are coming in a new Stormclaw-esque box. The price is right, too. At $125 you are getting $129 MSRP worth of models plus Captain Karlaen. This is a great offer for a new BA player. Death Company and DC Dread are troops, and Terminators are always a fun unit on the table. Depending on your options, you are looking at around 750pts. I'd build it like this:

Captain Karlaen

Death Company x5

- Jump Packs, Power Fist, Infernius Pistol

DC Dreadnought

- Blood Talons, Magna-grapple

Terminators x5

- Heavy Flamer or Assault Cannon

Hopefully Karlaen has some cool rules (Blood Hammer, anyone?). But, the best news about this release is that the codex is coming soon! Looking forward to some relics and new warlord traits.

Until next time!

Up Next, Shield of Baal: Blooddeathstorm