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Hi guys, a short one.

We just put up our BoLS Banner/Link page. If any of you guys like what we do, feel free to grab one of those and link back to BoLS.

We have a set of standard sized banners, with html below each you can just cut and paste into your site.

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40K SNEAK PEEK: Forgeworld Brass Scorpion

You guys have GOT to see this thing. (Click through, there are LOTS of pics of it)

Brass Scorpion

Rotating Brass Scorpion

~Its available for pre-order now, and ships out week of Feb.23rd. Me thinks Siege of Vraks Volume 3 is going to have some cool stuff in it. Keep that Dollar/Pound exchange rate in mind as well...

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40k RUMORS: IG Latest Details

Rumors brought to the community by Boot Camp's: Mkoll and DakkaDakka's: Death by Monkeys

Presenting the latest raft of Imperial Guard rumors whipping about the tubes:


- Command Squad Boxes will include all the special weapons in plastic (1 of each), 3 different officer heads, several different close combat weapons (Swords, Fists etc), various embellishments, 2 suits of officer armor, one more practical one more dressy, and 4 Cadians with a few new/special heads.
- The Stormtrooper greens with the shotguns do not imply that IG Stormtroopers will be getting shotguns, but are instead for WH Arbites-style Stormtroopers.
- Stormtroopers will not be released in the first wave, but instead may be released with an Inquisitor supplement oriented around Planetfall.
- The new Ratlings are nice, the new psykers, not so much.
- Commissars still exist in a capacity different to what they do now. They are allowed to attach to certain squads. However once a Commissar Lord is taken they have more freedom and there can be more of them. They are also cheaper(almost half of what they are now).
- IG Sniper Squads, in addition to getting infiltrate, stealth, rangefinders, and sniper rifles will also get camo cloaks.
- Vet Squads probably won’t be upgrades for platoons.
- While sentinels, chimeras, and hellhounds will be able to attach to platoons as support vehicles, demolishers will not.
- Support Squads are different now and are platoon attachments not command squad attachments.
- Basic squad loadout will be 10 Lasguns or 9 Lasguns and a Laspistol for 40 points.
- Platoon Drill will require a vox network.
- Some squads will have access to heavy flamers.
- New Catachan plastics will have scaled down arms.
- No greatcoat plastics.
- Ogryns will be T5, 4+ save, and FNP for the same price they are now.
- Ogryns have no new models. At least not yet. The newish ones are current.
- Some, but not all, tanks will be able to fire sponson weapons as Defensive weapons.
- Cadian Rough Riders will be in the 1.5 wave.
- Leman Russ boxes will include parts to make LRBT, Demolisher, Vanquisher, and Exterminator.
- Chimera boxes will have parts for 3 other variants (including Hellhound). The Chimera will have 6 variants (though some of these sound like they’re just different Chimera weapon options).
- Basilisk boxes may come with parts for Medusas and Griffons.
- While you’ll be able to field more armor, you won’t be able to field an armored company as part of the regular codex.
- And while you’ll be able to field more tanks, the true strength will be the numbers of guardsmen you can field. 110 Points for 25 Guardsmen with nothing but flashlights.
- The Valkyrie will be different from the FW version, but not any huge difference.
- A Spearhead Sentinel is one that is equipped with heavier weapons and meant to be the spearhead of an attacking force. It lacks Scout moves or the like but has slightly better front armor and several variant weapons.

~Standard Caveats on these guys as they have come third-hand though several aggregated threads. Nothing here is Earth-shattering or in direct conflict with the earlier rumors we've reported. It is probably a good indicator of general intent of the new IG codex, even if its off on some of the details. The Imperial Guard are still slated to be coming to a 40k table near you this May. I'm just hoping those Ogryn stats are true.

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Affordable Forge World

Forge World makes some truly fantastic models and most Warhammer fanatics at some point want to try a hand at a few of those amazing kits. However, once one gets past the skill and complexity issues needed for some of those resin models what often remains is the fear of spending the large sums of money required to obtain some of them. While many of us dream of huge Forge World tanks, flying machines and Titans the cost is often just too much. What is easily forgotten, however, is that Forge World makes some really great smaller kits that cost about the same as or aren't much more expensive than regular GW product. These smaller models might have a lower price tag than Titans and tanks, but they are huge in the amount of detail and unique flavor that are hallmarks of the larger Forge World kits.

For example, the Nurgle Sorcerer pictured above is just $20 US when purchased at Battle Bunkers. That's about the same cost as many character model blister packs sold by Games Workshop. I purchased this model last summer and just custom based him yesterday. The detail on this model is endless and intricate and the model commanded me to make him a base worthy of Nurgle! He makes a great show piece for any Chaos Marine army without adding significant cost or construction time to it.

There are many other great kits from Forge World that can enhance your armies without breaking the bank. Dreadnoughts are some of the best looking models from Forge World and they cost about $68 US domestically if you buy Forge World arms to go with them. The Tau have several wonderfully detailed and unique Battle Suit models for between $40 and $50. Orks, Imperial Guard and other armies also have a few modest sized and more modestly priced models that are not modest on uniqueness and detail. Forge World also makes some terrific scenery pieces that are not too expensive, but will enhance the look of any game table.

As was pointed out in another recent article here on BoLS, if you're a non-UK customer and mail order your Forge World right now, the exchange rate at the moment for many currencies is more favorable compared to the pound than has been the case for quite some time. The rate for the past couple weeks for the US has been hovering around $1.40-$1.43 to the pound. This means a model that costs £10 (e.g., Nurgle Sorcerer, Land Raider doors, Rhino doors) will cost about $14 US. A Tau Battlesuit that normally costs £20 or $40 in the US will be just over $28 when mail ordered, less than the price of a regular GW Tau Battlesuit Commander box set. A Forge World resin Dreadnought and arms will be about $48 US when mail ordered at the current exchange rate. Khorne Terminator Lord Zhufor costs about $21. An £85 Arkurian Pattern Stormblade will be about $120, only $25 more than an all plastic Baneblade! Of course, the savings are even bigger when you order the extremely large kits if you're lucky enough to be able to do that.

Now the 15% shipping fee will add to the cost when mail ordering, but remember that orders of £250.00 or more get free express shipping. Combining smaller orders with a friend or friends will allow everyone involved to take advantage of the free shipping offer and your models will arrive that much faster too. Express shipping from the UK means your models will likely arrive just a couple days after they are shipped. Forge World also has advice for assembling resin models right on their website.

Edit, Feb. 6: Judging from some of the comments, there are people out there with questions about shipping time and miscast or warped parts. Here are some tips:
1) Shipping time. As was surmised in a comment below, shipping time will be affected if a model or models in your order are not in stock. Your order may be delayed while certain parts of it are being produced. During the "Titan craze" last year when Titans were being ordered about four times as often as they had been in the past, there were significant delays in filling some orders. This is an unfortunate reality with Forge World. They are a relatively small operation and delays do occur on some orders while others are shipped with great alacrity.
2) Miscasts, damaged parts, warped parts. If you have parts that are severely warped, while it is quite annoying they can be fixed by warming them up per the tips in the instructions that come with the kits. Warm water or hairdryers are two common methods for warming and then reshaping parts. If a part is defective, Forge World does have a customer service number on their website and they will take care of the problem if you contact them.

A friend and I couldn't resist this tempation ourselves and combined to order a few Forge World goodies last week. The models were far cheaper than they would have been just a few months ago, about 28% cheaper! The order was shipped express the next day and arrived two days after that. Now if only I could build and paint it all that fast. So what Forge World kits are some of you suddenly thinking of getting while the exchange rate makes them more affordable than they've been in a while? What did you already buy if anything due to the lower exchange rate over the past few weeks? The comment area is open below and if you buy something cool and paint it up nicely, be sure and share a link to some pictures with the community. Perhaps I'll do a follow-up article in the near future for people to share the fruits of their sudden Forge World forays, especially if I can get one of my own new Forge World projects painted in short order. Have fun.

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40k NEWS: Friday Odds and Ends

Hi all, a few things to take you into the weekend:



Dawn of War II Pre-Order is up.
Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War II is now ready to pre-load across Europe from THQ’s digital store. Featuring bonus in-game content including an extra multiplayer map. The E-Shop edition, sold exclusively through THQ’s European Digital Store, can be pre-loaded right now, ready for activation at 12:01am on 20th February!

This exclusive edition includes the ‘Artificer Wargear Set’ which features:
-One additional multiplayer map – “Legis High Stratum”
-Five pieces of Wargear for use in the singleplayer campaign
-Two Unique Purity Seals
-One Unique Space Marine Chapter – “Marauders”
-Four metallic army painter colours

The link to order is http://dawnofwar2.gamesplanet.com/dawn-of-war-2-thq.html?affilie=UKCOM



Vassal40k-Epic Edition
V40k are proud to announce their next module: Vassal40k:EPIC. Featuring full three races from the main epic rule book, Imperial Titans can finally clash with Ork Gargants whilst huge armies surround their feet.
http://www.vassal40k.com/

~Have at it guys, and I should tell you that your intrepid reporter is hot on the trail of some of those late year 2009 rumors. Some of that stuff may have not been so far fetched as it sounded at first... More as I get it.

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POLL: 40k Gladiator Smackdown Edition

Hi guys,

As we ramp up for Adepticon the Fly Lords are waist deep into the rock-paper-scissors metagame of our favorite event: the No-Holds Barred Warhammer 40k Gladiator.

Here is the short rundown:
2250pts
You must build a standard army using normal FOC and codex restrictions.
Forgeworld/Apocalypse units allowed with the following rules:
-no Apocalypse formations or strategic assets
-you may take a single superheavy/gargantuan creature as a heavy support choice.
-you may take any non superheavy/gargantuan creatures as the FOC slot listed in their rules.

Thats it! You must fight across a variety of missions that will emphasize both ass-kicking of the foe as well as control of random objectives, quarters, and other wonky stuff they throw at you.

As you can imagine, a challenge like that gets the gears turning... Several "camps" have been forming around the country as to what is the most potent combo in the game. Here are some of them:

Stompa/Nob-biker Horde
This army runs rampant and tears anything it reaches up in assault. 20-30 nob-bikers using a Stompa as a physical screen early game can do some serious damage if they can reach the foe in numbers.

Superheavy Flyer Transport
T-hawks/Orcas/Vampires loaded with nasty infantry or other supporting deepstrikers can fly about, harrassing the foe with flyer protection, then swoop onto objectives late game in a land-grab that is difficult to counter.

An'ggrath the Unbound
Possibly the single most lethal model in the game, can be supported by various CSM or Chaos Daemons loadouts and deepstrike onto the table, slaying and claiming what he will.

Reaver Titans
The new Reaver combines devastating firepower that can sweep many armies off the table in a couple of shooting phases, and offers flexible Imperial army support options.

Drop Insanity
Drop pods/Termys/Crisis Suits/Soulgrinders/Bloodcrushers/Ect... can be surrounded by entire 2250pt forces of distributed deep-strike nastiness to devastate any army they appear in, and offer numerous targets to try to dislodge in a short span of turns.

IG Flying Circus
A horde of IG in a gaggle of Valkyries can be a difficult target to engage and offers last turn objective grabbing opportunity.

Uber-horde
Orks/IG/Nids can field 200+ models and try to simply lock up opposition in endless tarpit assualts, while sitting on every objective within reach.

The goal my nefarious generals is to vote for your favorite and explain why it will prevail, or better yet offer up a new army suggestion that proves you are battlefield genius!

Poll, Right column, Attack!

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PAINTING: Layering vs Drybrushing

A guest post from Skarboy

Hi again everybody! For this article I’ll focus on the “why” more than the “how” of things. There are plenty of publications out there that have good “how-to” articles in them; I’m more interested in helping people understand the concepts behind certain techniques then to tell them for the tenth time what color to paint things (although I can do that, if you want to know, just ask, and if those are the posts you want, let me know).

For the time being, I’ll be writing to the beginning and intermediate painting crowd, mostly because I’m an intermediate-type guy myself. My aims are to promote the Warhammer hobby, help people improve their painting skills and generate discussion about the things I write about, keeping in mind quality and doing my best to be easily understood. Let me apologize for rambling, and get on to the actual content.

The Basics
Layering and drybrushing are both methods of highlighting your miniature – of emphasizing the raised areas on the model and representing the way light falls on them. Many painters will also wash the model to exaggerate the lower areas of the model to represent shadow (although that isn’t the focus of this article… maybe later). I know, figure painting 101. Bear with me, brothers and sisters.

…what about blending? Yes, blending is a third option for highlighting. For the sake of brevity, and the fact I haven’t done a great deal of it, I won’t speak of it here other than to say I’ve tried it a few times, found it very difficult to get the effects I wanted, and went back to layering. I’d welcome any comments on blending in the comments.

First, you need to consider what your miniature is going to be used for… How “good” do you want it to look and how much time do you want to spend prepping and painting it? Do you want it to be “table-top ready” in time for this weekend's Warhammer tourney, or will this be your latest Golden Demon competition piece? Do you want a “showroom fresh” look, or do you want your hero to look like he’s been knocking heads together for a while? Yes, you can have different answers for different parts of your mini.

Let’s look at some Space Marines. The Marine on the left was primarily layered, and the one on the right was drybrushed entirely. Aside for some minor differences (flamer vs. bolter, blue grenades instead of red), the two are essentially the same. I even used the same colors on both miniatures (including the mid-tones). The “drybrushed Marine” took me about six hours, the layered one about twenty. Yes, I work comparatively slowly. The point here is if you just need to get your army ready to game with, dry brushing the whole thing is an option; it will save you a lot of time, and gives quite a “rough and ready” look. Layering, while much more time consuming, produces “cleaner,” more exact results, but takes more time.



Reasons to Drybrush:
Drybrushing produces good, rapid highlighting effects and works best when you have plenty of texture. By texture I mean actual relief on the model – areas with lots of “high” and “low” points very close together, like furry animal hides, hair, the Imperial Eagles on Mark VII armor, or the ropes on the Space Marine commanders below (go on – it’s okay to skip ahead). On the two marines above, the black rubbery-looking pieces between armor segments were dry brushed on both figures – lots of texture there.

Alternately, drybrushing can be used to “create” texture where there is none. Here’s a shot of an Imperial Guard Chimera interior where dry brushing has generated texture on some otherwise flat and uninteresting surfaces. As another example, base coating firearms in black and dry brushing on metal tones is a time-honored practice used to create texture and a good “steel” look.



Have a look at the tabard on this Space Marine honor guard – it’s layered.



Here are a Deathwatch Brother-Captain and a Dark Angels Master. Both have cloaks that have been dry brushed. Notice how the dry brushing creates a little “pattern” on the otherwise very flat “fabric.” It’s a marked difference from the Honor Guard above, who has very pronounced highlights on the fabric but no texture. It’s all about the effect you’re trying to create. The point on this comparison is not to say one is better than the other; I’m just trying to demonstrate the different effects you can produce. It’s up to all of you to choose which one you want.



Drybrushing can also be used to create a lot of “weathering” effects – like drybrushing small patches of silver on a 40k vehicle to represent chipped or worn paint, or dry brushing browns and oranges over metal pieces to get a “rusty” or “muddy” effect. Have a look at the girder pieces in the two lads above for the rusty effects. Incidentally, if the Dark Angels Master looks a little pink, it’s because he is a little pink. I was still trying to perfect a “bone white” look, and I didn’t quite get it. Layering on the white would have been a better option, as it tends to give you a more opaque coat. These days, I think I would have gone with a very thin wash of red-brown or off-white with a little red, just in the recesses, and then layered on the white, instead of washing the whole model. Live and learn.

Tips on Drybrushing
Mix your colors slowly. Add small amounts of the lighter color to the darker color. Too much of the lighter color is an easy mistake to make, and difficult to go back from, if you put too much in there. You’re really going to have to re-mix if you get too much of the lighter color in there.

Like everything else, it takes practice. “Dry” is a relative thing – I’ve heard of a Dark Angels painter who starts with black and dry brushes his base coat (Dark Angels Green) on. He uses a lot of paint on the brush. It works for him. Anyhow, successive coats of dry brushing require either a lighter touch or less paint on the brush, or both.

Reasons for Layering
Layering tends to produce a very “clean,” just-rolled out of the Forgeworld look. Yes, this is opposite to drybrushing, which generally gives you a worn, well-weathered look. Layering also gives you precise control on where the color goes, and a lot of people like the technique because of it. It also photographs very, very well. Drybrushing does not show up so well on camera, and I suspect this is why the Citadel ‘Eavy Metal team typically goes heavy on blending and layering.

The “texture vs. clean” look: take a look at the commissar’s face below, and then the Inquisitorial Stormtrooper Sergeant’s face as well. I’ve done faces both ways, and I’ve recently started using a combination of both techniques. I was happy with the rough look the bald sergeant’s head ended up with. Sorry I can’t go with a little higher resolution with the photos; photography is a hobby for me, not a profession, and my little Sony has only got so much juice.




Tips on Layering
Mix your colors carefully and gradually. With practice, it’s possible to get your successive shades close enough to each other that you won’t notice the difference between the colors on the model itself, which produces a nice graduated or “blended” look. This is one of the reasons I don’t do a lot of blending; I haven’t quite got the hang of it, and I can get satisfactory effects with layering. If you end up with two layers that ARE significantly different, you can always mix up another tone between the two contrasting layers. If this happens to me, I’ll often mix up a little mid-tone and dry brush it around both layers, which can really help to take away the difference. Yes, it’s perfectly okay to mix the two techniques. As I’ll discuss below, I prefer a very thin mix of paint for layering.

Don’t be afraid to dilute. Layering takes lots of paint. For most projects, I would recommend going with three or four layers (base coat, intermediate(s), and final highlight). Sometimes for a little more quality (especially on commander types) I will go up to five. The Crimson Fists Space Marine (in the photo earlier) was done with five coats and a wash, but I wanted to spend a little more time on him. Don’t forget you have a primer coat under there as well. Four coats of paint can obscure a lot of detail- and painted on insignia, runes, etc. are going to be another 1-2 coats. I usually use a 3:2 or even 2:1 mix of paint to thinner to help with this. As an aside, water will work as a thinner for all acrylic paints (some better than others), but I prefer to use Vallejo thinner instead of water. The consistency is different and the paint is easier to control. I’m partial to Vallejo Game Color, so I try to use their other products (inks, thinner) as well. Not just out of brand loyalty; some brands won’t mix well with others. I discovered that the hard way.

…and remember, this is art! There’s no way to get it wrong, unless you don’t do it at all. Go forth. Have fun. Discuss. Paint.

~Bigred here. There is really a lot of depth of skill to be mastered wtih drybrushing. Once relegated to "tabletop quality models" you can really get good results out of it when used precisely and in combination with other painting methods. My Death Guard Fellblade for example was entirely drybrushed in several careful layers with final detail work being applied on top. You also need to know what type of finished look you want, which can tie into the type of army you play. I usually use drybrushing for my IG while only using layering for my Eldar for example. How do you guys paint in general and why? Comment away...

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RUMORS: 40k & Fantasy 2009 Release Schedule

Rumors brought to the community by www.cargad.com (Spanish site)

Ok guys, this one has been making the rounds today so here it is. I will spare you the horrific babelfish translations and give you the basics as well as what we are hearing.

2009 Warhammer 40k & Fantasy
-April: Imperial Guard (we hear May)
-May: Fantasy Empire 2nd Wave (Empire Steam Tank, Greatswords, "Military Altar") (we hear June, and have no indication of a "Military Altar")
-July: Planetstrike (looks like its coming at LONG last)
-September: Space Hulk (with all new modern plastic termys, genestealers...the whole 9 yards) (we have no confirmation on this)
-October: Skaven (we hear August)
-November: An unnamed marine chapter (we hear Space Wolves)

2010 Warhammer 40k & Fantasy
Fantasy Candidates: Khemri...
40k Candidates: Tyranids, Blood Angels (possibly following on the coat-tails of Space Hulk), Necrons, Tau, Dark Eldar are reported to be almost finished, but pushed off due to their low interest level.

~EXTREME CAVEATS on some of this stuff guys. I would not read anything into any of the 2010 stuff for example as that is way,way far off. Also, we have seen confirmed release dates sent to retailers that don't exactly match these dates but overall match the releases.

The things to focus on are the near term releases such as IG, Planetstrike!!!!, and Skaven. We here at BoLS seem pretty confident of the Space Wolves for late this year. Once again, the real eye opener here is mention of Space Hulk, which would be great, but I will believe it when I see it. I'm not buying the Dark Eldar pushback either.

Have at it guys!

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Goatboy’s 40k: How to Break Game Mistake Habits

Hi, Goatboy here. We’ve had a nice week of editorials haven’t we? This last week was a bit of a break from my normal walkthrough of a Warhammer tournament player’s handbook of tricks and went into some of the reasons why I enjoy this game. Yes, even though I bring a tough game, I still enjoy it. The better the game is, the more fun I have. When I am playing the game I look forward to having a good time and having an exciting game. When one side is crushed by the other you don’t get an exciting game. My 40k tactica articles are aimed at getting people to see how army lists can effect the game, as well as give ways to create lists that can compete, if you are looking for a competitive/tournament styled game. All right enough of that, lets get onto the meat of this article, breaking your habit of game mistakes.

Now we all will make mistakes when we play. It is part of human nature to forget something important. Ah crap, if I shot that unit there, then caused them to take a leadership test my guys might have not been left to get shot up. Oh no it is turn 5, I need to get objectives since the game might end. Did I put on deodorant this morning?

We all miss out on opportunities to create advantages in the game. The biggest thing is how do we learn to not make these mistakes. There are a bunch of options and I plan on going through some of them as well as give you an idea on how to create a refreshing way to get back into the game and hopefully minimize those game losing mistakes.

First of all, the biggest thing I advocate for anyone looking to up their game, is to always discuss the game afterword with the opponent. No one can see your mistakes more than your enemy who uses those mistakes to capitalize on. If I am testing out lists and army set up, I always go through different options and different ways the game can move and what would be the best choice with my opponent afterward.

Another method of improving your game is to write battle reports for the battle. This way, you can review what happened later, and see where things went wrong for you. I find this is a great way to learn from your games, as well as give other players a chance to learn from both your mistakes and good decisions. It also is a way to see how your units work and interact within your army.

The final method I liked to use, is to play a different game. Nothing can get you out of a rut in Warhammer 40k, like bringing in something different from time to time. You will notice that your old tricks in the game, probably won’t work the same in the new one. This gets you to think in a different way, and can be a great help to refresh the game for you. This is what I did recently with the start of a …gasp… Fantasy Battle army.

Most game systems are different enough to cause you to try to think outside your normal box of game play. It might be how you look at the field, or maybe the use of trying to combo units into completing the job at hand. This break of the normal mental decisions helps you see what works and doesn’t work in a game. Fantasy has really helped me enjoy 40k more, by giving me something different to chew on. It also lets me play a game I’m not min/maxing to death due to not being nearly as familiar with it. In fact, we call the new Fantasy players group (Big Red, Jwolf, myself, and other local players) the Fantasy Losers Club, since we obviously can barely crawl through the game; hehe! This Fantasy Battles talk leads into some pictures of my current army, Chaos Mortals.









This isn’t the entire army, but here are some of the more interesting units in the list. Right now I have 2 warshrines painted, another block of 5 Khorne like Knights, another block of warriors with a Sorcerer on a palanquin as well as some other random bits. My new army list is listed below.



The Chaoslord is built off of a regular Chaos Knight with the upper body of a spawn, plus some green stuff. He is all plastic and I like how he is exploding off of the horse. The original build of the list had two warshrines based off of Chaos spawn. The visual theme of the list was that the lord had survived the mutations, but his two brothers did not come out as well so they are carried around as warshrines since the taint of Chaos is so strong. Paint time – 2 hrs on the lord 3 hours on the warshrine.

I originally had a giant, because I think the model is awesome, but through game play I find that they are not worth the points. It is very depressing to watch it go down to elf bow fire. His belly friend is called Steve, with the giant being named Bobby. Yeah, I went a little nuts with this guy. Paint time – 3 hours.

Here is my current Fantasy List:

HQ: Chaoslord, barded steed, Father of Blades, Armor of Damnation, Mark of Nurgle, shield
Hero: Exalted Champion, Mark of Nurgle, Barded Steed, BSB, Axe of Khorne, Shield, Favor of the Gods
Hero: Sorcerer, Level 2, Mark Nurgle, Dispel Scroll X 2
Hero: Sorcerer, Level 2, Mark of Nurgle, Spell Familiar, Power Stone
Troops: Marauder Horsemen (5), Flails
Troops: Marauder Horsemen (5), Flails
Troops: Chaos Warriors (15), Mark of Nurgle, Shields, Command
Special: Chaos Knights (8), Mark of Nurgle, Command, Blasted Standard
Rare: Hell Cannon
Rare: Hell Cannon

Pts: 2240 (Not sure where to put the 10 points)

You got to love cannons that run around and eat things. I went with Chosen to herd it around because a) I traded for my first Hell Cannon and he didn’t have crew b) I had traded for chosen, but were never going to use them c) They look cool. I find the list fun and I enjoy smacking stuff with big ole angry dudes. I really can’t go into strategy because well I really don’t know a whole lot. I just roll dice and cast magic missiles.

Here are two other models I painted on commission. First is a better shot of the Defiler I built out of spare parts from my local storeowner. The next is the Forgeworld Bloodthirster. Paint time – Defiler 2 ½ hours and Bloodthirster 4 hours.





Look for some more painted pieces in my next articles, as well as some hints on doing effective speed painting, utilizing color choices as well as inks to create a unique look that has a lot of depth do to the non-opaque use of paints and washes. In fact, next week will be speed painting 101, with multiple options for different skill levels, as well as examples from my own armies.

Next weekend is a 40k hobby tournament down here in Austin and I plan on playing a Fabius Bile list. I just need to convert a model so he can be Bile or the “Father”. I plan on dropping the Defilers and running a few more Oblits (1 or 2) and some other dudes who have been infected with different strains of his upgrades (ie different marks). It should be a fun, rhino running around list. I will post about it next week, after the tournament, with some pics and thoughts.

If anyone is interested in having me paint their miniatures, ask army list questions, or draw something, shoot me an email and we can chat.

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REVIEW: Creatures Anathema (Dark Heresy)

Hi all,

Its review time, and let me welcome you to our first Dark Heresy article. Lets take a look at Fantasy Flight Games' upcoming: Creatures Anathema: A Bestiary of Aliens, Beasts, and Daemons.

First up, the basics. We have a hardcover supplement for Dark Heresy, weighing in at 144 full color pages. The book is well put together and is a lavishly illustrated with a combination of old 40k classics and all new paintings and illustrations.

What we have here is a very diferent layout and organization that your typical "monster manual". Yes we get the stats and very pretty pictures of everything from 40k classics such as the Ambull, on through to Orks, Eldar, Genestealers, and even Enslavers.

The big thing we get out of this book is a set of adventure hooks and "local knowledge". Dark Heresy is set in the Calaxis Sector, and so too are the creatures presented. For example, we don't get a generic set of Apostate Tech Adepts and a single stat line for them, but instead a fully documented set of individuals and their horrific tech-heresies and nicely written capsule hooks on exactly how to work them into your Dark Heresy campaigns.

This format is wonderful for both the GM and the players, as the background descriptions and play aids are fluffy and particular. Filled with all the detailed dark horror and dread we expect out of the 40th Millenium, they are exactly what you need to add a good amount of texture to your playgroup.

This design decision gave the writers a lot of leeway to give us gems such as haunted locations, individual Death-worlds, possessed shipwrecks, and the like that fill the halfway point between monster manual and adventure module. Its easy to see how just this one book can provide the seed for dozens of evenings of role-playing adventure. It's background writing is good enough to provide great inspiration for any fan of the 40k universe, and could easily provide the foundations for wargaming missions and campaigns as well.

Availability: February 2009
MRSP: $39.95

4 Stars (Out of 5)

As usual, comments are welcome all.

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Novamarines Logo Sheet

The Badab Series moves on... Here we have the Novamarines. These guys have a long history in the 40k universe, not only taking part in Badab, but the Damocles Gulf campaign versus the dastardly Tau, and the 13th Black Crusade versus the forces of Chaos. If you like quartered blue and bone schemes, these guys may be just your thing.

I have been noting (again) that GW does a great job of covering the major 1st Founding and select 2nd Founding chapters with their decal sheets. However, there are a number of great looking 2nd and later founding chapters who get a good amount of back-story and have great alternative uniform colors that never have had decals produced for them. In the interest of promoting diversity in the Marine community and encouraging players to branch out beyond the "big 4", I keep knocking out logo sheets for some of these other chapters who I think look great and have no GW decal support.

Here is the link to the PDF file for the decal sheet you can freely pull down and use:

Download Here

The sheet is designed for printout on Decal printer paper which is easily available online. These decals are designed for the WHITE decal paper. The procedure is as follows:

WHITE PAPER: Just cut out the decals with the blue edging and apply them to a matching blue surface. When they are fully dried, you can touch up any messed up edge detail with blue paint.

Click here for a detailed Custom Decal Tutorial

Size wise, the larger decals towards the top are best used for super heavies/terrain, and move down in size to the large array of Marine shoulderpads towards the bottom. I've included the standard Novamarines logo against a blue field, and small number of ones against a white background for those wanting something special for your elite models and/or sergeants.

In any case, enjoy and I wish you the best in using this set for your forces.

~Please feel free to leave comments if there is a special Chapter, Craftworld, or something else you would love to collect, but have no GW decal options, and I will see what I can do. The Badab series of almost over, and then I'll get back to some of the popular requests.

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Raptors Logo Sheet

The Badab Series moves on... Here we have the Raptors. These guys have changed their chapter sceme in recent days as seen in the Taros Campaign. Here is their original logo for their blue and yellow paint scheme used during the Badab War.

I have been noting (again) that GW does a great job of covering the major 1st Founding and select 2nd Founding chapters with their decal sheets. However, there are a number of great looking 2nd and later founding chapters who get a good amount of back-story and have great alternative uniform colors that never have had decals produced for them. In the interest of promoting diversity in the Marine community and encouraging players to branch out beyond the "big 4", I keep knocking out logo sheets for some of these other chapters who I think look great and have no GW decal support.

Here is the link to the PDF file for the decal sheet you can freely pull down and use:

Download Here

The sheet is designed for printout on Decal printer paper which is easily available online. These decals are designed for the CLEAR decal paper. The procedure is as follows:

CLEAR PAPER: If you use the clear decals, the logos need to be applied to a light colored surface(like yellow) to be visible at all.

Click here for a detailed Custom Decal Tutorial

Size wise, the larger decals towards the top are best used for super heavies/terrain, and move down in size to the large array of Marine Shoulderpad towards the bottom. I've included the standard black Raptors logo, and small number of reversed ones for use on opposite shoulder pads or vehicles to keep the logo facing forward.

In any case, enjoy and I wish you the best in using this set for your forces.

~Please feel free to leave comments if there is a special Chapter, Craftworld, or something else you would love to collect, but have no GW decal options, and I will see what I can do. The Badab series has only one week of logos left, and then I'll get back to some of the popular requests.

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NEWS: APEPTICON 2009 2 Months Out

AdeptiCon 2009 News

We’re a little over two months from AdeptiCon 2009, the “Can’t Miss” event of the Games Workshop miniature wargaming hobby! April 3rd-5th, 2009 will bring gamers and hobbyists from across the world to Chicago for a weekend of fun and excitement.

Beginning February 1st, the AdeptiCon weekend badge will cost $30, so sign up today at http://www.adepticon.org/cart.

Wondering what you get with your AdeptiCon Weekend Badge? Well, besides the ability to register and attend all our tournaments, open games, seminars, and other events, every AdeptiCon attendee will also receive:

1 Chaos Dwarf Model from Avatar of War
A Limited Edition AdeptiCon Femme Militant/Imperial Citizen model, sculpted by Steve Saleh
2 books courtesy of Black Library - One 40K novel and One WFB Novel.
1 bitz bag from The Warstore/BWB
1 bitz bag from Armorcast
1 Sprue from Wargames Factory
And much, much more!

If a Picture’s Worth 1000 Words, What’s Video Worth?

If you’re wondering what the excitement and fun of AdeptiCon is all about, check out our video archives for footage from AdeptiCon 2008.

http://www.adepticon.org/modules.php?name=Video

Warhammer 40K INAT FAQ v. 2.1 Released!

We’ve taken in the feedback from the wider gaming community, reviewed the initial release, and finalized the INAT FAQ for this year’s Warhammer 40K events. You can download the FAQ from the link below and find out how those tricky rules will be interpreted at AdeptiCon 2009.

http://www.adepticon.org/files/INATFAQv2.1.pdf

AdeptiCon 2009 Hotel Information

Remember, AdeptiCon Attendees who want our special discounted room rate, must reserve their hotel rooms by March 11, 2009. Our special reserved block is available on a first-come, first-served basis.

The Westin Lombard Yorktown Center

70 Yorktown Center

Lombard, Illinois 60148

Phone: (630) 719-8000

Fax: (630) 719-8079

AdeptiCon Room Rate: $109.00/night

Group rate available until March 11, 2009 (Subject to availability)

Parking: Free

Reservations can be made by calling the The Westin Lombard Yorktown Center directly (1-630-719-8000) or by visiting http://www.starwoodmeeting.com/StarGroupsWeb/booking/reservation?id=0808063151&key=1184D

Full details of our new host can be found on http://www.adepticon.org/modules.php?name=Hotel

Register Early!

Pre-register online and your AdeptiCon Weekend Badge (required for entry to all AdeptiCon events) will be discounted to $25. This discounted price will be available until January 31, 2009.

On February 1st, the price for the AdeptiCon Weekend Badge will go up to $30, so don’t delay and register online today at http://www.adepticon.org/cart/

Coming Soon:

Stay tuned for more AdeptiCon 2009 news coming soon, including Seminar Spotlights, Sponsor Spotlights, and interviews with this year’s AdeptiCon Guests of Honor!

Sponsor Highlight: Armorcast

Armorcast Battlefield Scenery produces high-quality resin terrain, bases, and models suitable for a variety of gaming systems. Check out their online store at http://armorcast.com/store/index.php to see some of their amazing work for yourself.

~See you all there. BoLS is sending up 10 guys and you can expect to see some more coverage coming up soon.

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