~Your daily dose of tabletop fun! Enjoy. If you have an awesome shot you think would make a great BoLS pic of the day, email us!
Sunday, June 7, 2009
40k Pic of the Day 6-7-09
~Your daily dose of tabletop fun! Enjoy. If you have an awesome shot you think would make a great BoLS pic of the day, email us!
40K RUMORS: Odds and Ends
Hi all, here are some of the little rumblings we've been hearing over the last few weeks:
Planetary Empires
We've heard this one is going to come with a little rules pamphlet like Mighty Empires did, so don't expect a big complex campaign system with it. It is still going to be ideal for playgroups who can devise campaign systems of their own to "dress it up"
New Ork Vehicle
Little birds say there is yet another Ork kit in the pipeline. It is described as a new smaller ork truck on the way, possibly with wheels up front and tracks inthe back. Its smaller than the trukk, so perhaps a new buggy is being devised.
Vehicle Accessory Sprues
The Ork Battlewagon Deffrolla/Cannon sprue will finally see the light of day along with a Leman Russ accessory and Land Raider Crusader sprue in August.
~Have at it guys
Slaanesh Tactica - By Darkwynn
Here is the final part of the Daemon Tactica that was requested that focuses on the Dark Prince and Lord of Pleasure. I took a different route than everyone else picking Slaanesh because in my mind, it focus on speed and efficiency to win games.
Let’s break the units down.
HQ:
Keeper of Secrets:
At first he/she/it is STR 6 which is nice for a generic greater daemon but don’t go hunting characters with it because you can’t instant-kill them. One of the big things I would buy is soporific musk which allows you to hit the lines hard, stay there for your opponents phase and then hit something else again when your turn comes around. Unlike Khorne the bloodlust means you can go hunting for infantry in terrain because you have offensive and defensive grenades. You also have Initiative: 10 which means no enemy is going to be going first in combat.
When I play with my keeper of secrets I either make him support Daemonettes or go hunting for vehicles. Things can’t get away from him with fleet and he can take care of himself pretty well.
Heralds:
I think the Masque is a cool model and great for a hobby list but still very hard to play with. You can do three pavanes but he can never join a squad which kind of sucks. The Masque is an easy kill point and a very fragile unit that people can take down.
The normal heralds are great to run in either Calvary units or regular Daemonettes just because you can add more attacks and put another icon into those units. Unlike other races I wouldn’t put them on Chariots just because they will die from small arms fire.
Elites:
Fiends of Slaanesh
These units rock and personally I think they are better than the Bloodcrushers. They have 6 attacks on the charge, rending, can hit and run, and move as beasts! They are toughness 4 but with two wounds so they can hold up pretty decent unlike what most people think. I deep strike these a little farther away on a flank. People will usually misjudge the charging range and movement because the way the unit moves. With 6 inch move and fleet plus 12inch charge they are great. These guys can hunt for anything in the enemies’ army. Hit the lines and just start running amuck with hit and run. I usually run 18 in my list and people just cringe when underestimate these units.
Troops
Daemonettes of Slaanesh
They are the cheapest troop choices and they are pretty decent. They have defensive and offensive grenades. They are fast units and with rending. I usually like to run anywhere from 40-60 Daemonettes if I can. The big thing with these though is to go hunting after monstrous creatures. They will be able to rend most monstrous creatures and destroy them. The only issue with them is you have to rely on rends because otherwise they won’t kill elite or multi wound models very well. Keep them cheap with no upgrades because everything else is pretty useless for them. Save the upgrades for the Heralds if you put them in these units.
Fast Attack:
Seekers of Slaanesh
I think these units are another bread and butter unit along with fiends. They are 17 points apiece, move like cavalry and have 5 attacks on a charge with rending. I usually like to run 10 of these so I have 50 attacks on the charge which will hit with 25 of them and probably rend 4-8 times depending on luck of the dice rolls. Plus these units are fast enough that your opponent can’t run away or kite your guys.
Heavy Support:
I am not going to go so much into these since my other follow fly lords already have. You need to take Soul Grinders to deal with anti tank fire and Daemon princes serve as a general purpose "Keeper of Secrets-lite” that can clog up holes in your lines if need be.
Here is an Army list that I have liked and works great for most things.
2000 Pts - Chaos Daemons Roster - Unnamed
HQ: Keeper of Secrets
HQ: Keeper of Secrets
Elite: 6 Fiends of Slaanesh
Elite: 6 Fiends of Slaanesh
Elite: 6 Fiends of Slaanesh
Troops: 10 Daemonettes of Slaanesh
Troops: 10 Daemonettes of Slaanesh
Troops: 10 Daemonettes of Slaanesh
Troops: 10 Daemonettes of Slaanesh
Heavy Support: Soul Grinder of Chaos - Tongue
Heavy Support: Soul Grinder of Chaos - Tongue
Fast Attack: 8 Seekers of Slaanesh
Total Roster Cost: 1996
I drop the two Keeper of Secrets, two Soul Grinders, and two Fiend units down first and over load a flank. I use Soul Grinders as cover for the guys behind it and once they are on the ground hit the side units and let the Daemonettes finish whatever is left after the fiends and Keeper of Secrets start killing things. The army is pretty straight forward and goes for the throat as fast as you can and as quick as you can.
~What are you thoughts and experiences with the forces of the Dark Prince?
Saturday, June 6, 2009
The Dwarven Holds by the Numbers
Following up on Bulwark’s excellent War of the Rings Gondor article I decided to go over my own personal favorite faction, the Dwarfs. I decided to use three of Bulwark’s four categories when discussing the Dwarfs (There is no Dwarf cavalry) so with out future ado, ladies and gentleman…. The dwarfs!!!!
Infantry:
Dwarf Warrior Kinband: These guys are going to be the center of any Dwarven battle line. Though they are more expensive them most other races bread and butter units they more then make up for it their stats. With high courage and defiance along with above average fight and strength these guys are solid. While they have the option to take two handed weapons I would go with shields and leave the heavy hitting to other units.
Khazad Guard Kinband: One of the hardest hitting units in the dwarf army. I would never be caught with out some of these brutal fighters. With a defense of 7 (as high as most other SHIELD armed units) and two handed weapons these guys pack a punch. In most infantry combats they will be hitting on a 4+ while their enemy needs 6s to hurt them, pretty good odds.
Iron Guard Kinband: Over all I normally skip the Iron Guard. Though their throwing weapons are nice I find them to be only nominally better then Dwarf Warriors, and more expensive.
Vault Warden Kinband: These are hands down the toughest unit in the game, with a frontal defense of 10 they will shrug off most attacks and keep on going. With a Fight of 6 and strength 5 they can also put the hurt on in close combat. One big disadvantage, without the ability to get heroes in the unit they are stuck at 5 inches a turn, very slow. These guys are best used to anchor your line and protect your shooting.
Moria Expeditionaries: Dwarf Warriors but better against Goblins and with pathfinder (mountains), whats not to love about these guys? Use them as a substitution for regular Dwarf Warriors, I would never take more then one unit of them as they are a little more pricey.
Iron Guard Ancients: I like the Ancients better then the regular Iron Guard, at 10pts more they really pack an extra punch vs. Orcs. Pathfinders and defense of 7 rounds them out to an OK unit, but I would only take these guys if I’m likely to fight Orcs, which admittedly is fairly often.
Ered Luin Rangers: Don’t let the name fool you, unlike other rangers these guys don’t sit back and shoot, they run up and hit you in the face. I find defense of 5 to be a major weakness in a dwarf army and often just give my opponent something they can shoot at and hurt. However the lack of cavalry in the Dwarf list makes the ability to ambush quite a useful way to get in your opponent’s side of the field.
Murin’s Guard: Standard Dwarf warriors with the ability to lock shields giving them defense 10. A solid unit with out being slow like Vault Wardens. They lack punch so keep them in a defensive role.
Durin’s Guard: Egad! These guys are brutal, Khazad Guard with a veritable host of special rules that just make these guys amazing. The one down side to Durin’s Guard is their high cost, making these guys impractical in smaller games. However when you are able to field them they will prove a vicious hammer to destroy your enemies with.
Archers:
Dwarf Archer Kinband: I’ve tried using these guys, I really have, but I just can’t find a place for them in my army. They are one of the worst units in the Dwarf list. Sure they have defense 6 (better then most other archers) and sure they have strength 4, but these are not really qualities I find useful in my archers. The big disadvantage is their short range coupled with the fact that they have no particular skill with bows and are not cheap. I always skip them.
Dwarf Ranger Kinband: A much better choice for ranged firepower then the regular archers; not only do these rangers have a better shoot value but they get real bows. Though its possible to equip them for close combat I see no reason to take them over Dwarf Warriors as combat troops. As arches however they are the clear choice for any dwarf army.
Infantry:
Dwarf Warrior Kinband: These guys are going to be the center of any Dwarven battle line. Though they are more expensive them most other races bread and butter units they more then make up for it their stats. With high courage and defiance along with above average fight and strength these guys are solid. While they have the option to take two handed weapons I would go with shields and leave the heavy hitting to other units.
Khazad Guard Kinband: One of the hardest hitting units in the dwarf army. I would never be caught with out some of these brutal fighters. With a defense of 7 (as high as most other SHIELD armed units) and two handed weapons these guys pack a punch. In most infantry combats they will be hitting on a 4+ while their enemy needs 6s to hurt them, pretty good odds.
Iron Guard Kinband: Over all I normally skip the Iron Guard. Though their throwing weapons are nice I find them to be only nominally better then Dwarf Warriors, and more expensive.
Vault Warden Kinband: These are hands down the toughest unit in the game, with a frontal defense of 10 they will shrug off most attacks and keep on going. With a Fight of 6 and strength 5 they can also put the hurt on in close combat. One big disadvantage, without the ability to get heroes in the unit they are stuck at 5 inches a turn, very slow. These guys are best used to anchor your line and protect your shooting.
Moria Expeditionaries: Dwarf Warriors but better against Goblins and with pathfinder (mountains), whats not to love about these guys? Use them as a substitution for regular Dwarf Warriors, I would never take more then one unit of them as they are a little more pricey.
Iron Guard Ancients: I like the Ancients better then the regular Iron Guard, at 10pts more they really pack an extra punch vs. Orcs. Pathfinders and defense of 7 rounds them out to an OK unit, but I would only take these guys if I’m likely to fight Orcs, which admittedly is fairly often.
Ered Luin Rangers: Don’t let the name fool you, unlike other rangers these guys don’t sit back and shoot, they run up and hit you in the face. I find defense of 5 to be a major weakness in a dwarf army and often just give my opponent something they can shoot at and hurt. However the lack of cavalry in the Dwarf list makes the ability to ambush quite a useful way to get in your opponent’s side of the field.
Murin’s Guard: Standard Dwarf warriors with the ability to lock shields giving them defense 10. A solid unit with out being slow like Vault Wardens. They lack punch so keep them in a defensive role.
Durin’s Guard: Egad! These guys are brutal, Khazad Guard with a veritable host of special rules that just make these guys amazing. The one down side to Durin’s Guard is their high cost, making these guys impractical in smaller games. However when you are able to field them they will prove a vicious hammer to destroy your enemies with.
Archers:
Dwarf Archer Kinband: I’ve tried using these guys, I really have, but I just can’t find a place for them in my army. They are one of the worst units in the Dwarf list. Sure they have defense 6 (better then most other archers) and sure they have strength 4, but these are not really qualities I find useful in my archers. The big disadvantage is their short range coupled with the fact that they have no particular skill with bows and are not cheap. I always skip them.
Dwarf Ranger Kinband: A much better choice for ranged firepower then the regular archers; not only do these rangers have a better shoot value but they get real bows. Though its possible to equip them for close combat I see no reason to take them over Dwarf Warriors as combat troops. As arches however they are the clear choice for any dwarf army.
Dwarf Ballista: Long ranged and packing a punch; the ballista is the weapon of choice for Dwarf generals wishing to engage at long range. The range and heavy striking power of the Ballista helps make up for the dwarf’s lack of cavalry, allowing them to influence the battle from range rather then being forced to close with the enemy. The better range and higher straight then the Gondor bolt thrower, the Ballista is a good choice for non-dwarfs to take as an ally. The Ballista is particularly good at shooting up those flying monsters and fast cavalry units that the dwarfs have such a hard time coming to grips with. They have also been known to down a mumak or two.
Drar’s Hunters: These are pretty much just Dwarf Rangers with the ability to spend might in order to improve their shoot value. If you where going to take Rangers with a captain, for just 10 more points you should take these guys. Outside of that these guys are nothing special.
Heroes:
King’s Champion: While not strictly a hero the King’s Champion best falls under that category, for what else would you call a lone dwarf so awesome that he counts as a monster? Along with being an absolute beast in combat the Champion also passes his courage of 6 around to all the nearby units making him a good unit to base your battle line around.
Floi Stonehand: Floi is not a combat character, oh no he is not, however he more then makes up for that with his two special rules. Loremaster allows him to remove enemy special rules is key to winning a battle. In particular I have found the ability to remove prowler and spirit grasp to be instrumental in surviving enemy attacks. He can also use his epic renewal combined with another hero’s counsellor ability (Dain has this) to effectively create new might and spread it around, priceless.
Balin, Lord of Moria: Balin is a good cheap choice for a dwarf character. He combines some useful special rules with the all important ability to epic strike to make a well rounded hero.
Dain Ironfoot, King Under the Mountain: Tough and rather pricey at 200 points, Dain is one of the best heroes in the game. Along with a high base fight and a good might reserve, he has an amazingly high resistance, making him almost invincible in a duel. Epic strike is a all important ability, and epic rampage is absolutely amazing allowing his unit to wreak untold havoc. To round him off he has more banes then anyone else, and the counselor ability, which allows him to pass might around, and even create new might, take him with Floi for best effect.
Gimli, son of Gloin: Though Gimli’s stats are slightly less then Dain’s he is perhaps the most potent of the dwarf characters. Put Gimli in with a unit of Khazad Guard and these guys will end up hitting most enemies on a 2+, add in his epic rage (for every successful hit make another attack) for almost limitless destruction. Good special rules round him off. To top it all Gimli can use Baruk Khazed (my favorite rule in the game) in which his unit throws him at the enemy like a missile (never toss a dwarf!!).
Well that rounds off the Dwarfs, I would love to hear what you guys are using and what nasty combination you’ve come up with. Iamaddj signing off!
Drar’s Hunters: These are pretty much just Dwarf Rangers with the ability to spend might in order to improve their shoot value. If you where going to take Rangers with a captain, for just 10 more points you should take these guys. Outside of that these guys are nothing special.
Heroes:
King’s Champion: While not strictly a hero the King’s Champion best falls under that category, for what else would you call a lone dwarf so awesome that he counts as a monster? Along with being an absolute beast in combat the Champion also passes his courage of 6 around to all the nearby units making him a good unit to base your battle line around.
Floi Stonehand: Floi is not a combat character, oh no he is not, however he more then makes up for that with his two special rules. Loremaster allows him to remove enemy special rules is key to winning a battle. In particular I have found the ability to remove prowler and spirit grasp to be instrumental in surviving enemy attacks. He can also use his epic renewal combined with another hero’s counsellor ability (Dain has this) to effectively create new might and spread it around, priceless.
Balin, Lord of Moria: Balin is a good cheap choice for a dwarf character. He combines some useful special rules with the all important ability to epic strike to make a well rounded hero.
Dain Ironfoot, King Under the Mountain: Tough and rather pricey at 200 points, Dain is one of the best heroes in the game. Along with a high base fight and a good might reserve, he has an amazingly high resistance, making him almost invincible in a duel. Epic strike is a all important ability, and epic rampage is absolutely amazing allowing his unit to wreak untold havoc. To round him off he has more banes then anyone else, and the counselor ability, which allows him to pass might around, and even create new might, take him with Floi for best effect.
Gimli, son of Gloin: Though Gimli’s stats are slightly less then Dain’s he is perhaps the most potent of the dwarf characters. Put Gimli in with a unit of Khazad Guard and these guys will end up hitting most enemies on a 2+, add in his epic rage (for every successful hit make another attack) for almost limitless destruction. Good special rules round him off. To top it all Gimli can use Baruk Khazed (my favorite rule in the game) in which his unit throws him at the enemy like a missile (never toss a dwarf!!).
Well that rounds off the Dwarfs, I would love to hear what you guys are using and what nasty combination you’ve come up with. Iamaddj signing off!
WFB: Best Battle Report Ever
Last month a competition was held on a Warhammer forum for the best battle report and Bulwark pulled out the prize with this comedy gem. It made me smile so much I just had to share:
"So, like, we put some guys out on the table, and like rolled the dice and I moved some dudes towards his dudes, and, like, they fought and stuff, then his big dude turned to my big dude and did some magic stuff and killed my big dude, and I was like " no way!" and he was all like "way" and then his other big dude charged my little dudes and the big dude totally killed a bunch of my little dudes, so the rest of my little dudes went to their houses and stuff and were all like "we are hiding and stuff." and his dudes were like, "you wuss, come out here and fight." and my dudes were like "no way, you come in here and fight." and I was like all ready to fight, but his big dudes just kept shooting magic and stuff at my little dudes and I was all totally bummed, but then my dudes were all like, "there is only one turn left and you can't kill us all." and then he was all bummed and stuff and then I won."
~I don't think I have ever read a more succinct summary of our lovely little hobby than that.
"So, like, we put some guys out on the table, and like rolled the dice and I moved some dudes towards his dudes, and, like, they fought and stuff, then his big dude turned to my big dude and did some magic stuff and killed my big dude, and I was like " no way!" and he was all like "way" and then his other big dude charged my little dudes and the big dude totally killed a bunch of my little dudes, so the rest of my little dudes went to their houses and stuff and were all like "we are hiding and stuff." and his dudes were like, "you wuss, come out here and fight." and my dudes were like "no way, you come in here and fight." and I was like all ready to fight, but his big dudes just kept shooting magic and stuff at my little dudes and I was all totally bummed, but then my dudes were all like, "there is only one turn left and you can't kill us all." and then he was all bummed and stuff and then I won."
~I don't think I have ever read a more succinct summary of our lovely little hobby than that.
40k HOBBY/PAINTING: Budget Obliterators
Lets face it Warhammer 40k fans, the economy is kinda dicey right now, and Games Workshop isn't giving away Obliterators (arguably the best heavy support choice for a Chaos Marine army), on the cheap! In this article I'll present you with some tips on how to get your Obliterators built and on the table for a fraction of the normal cost, and in my opinion, with cool, individualized models.
For my oblits, I bought a box of Chaos Space Marine Terminators and combined them with some of the old Chaos Marine mutation sprues (if you can't get your hands on these anymore, then try using some of the parts from the new Chaos Possessed Marine or Spawn sprue). You'll also need a wide array of different Imperial/Chaos heavy/special weapons.
I tried to give each obliterator his own "personality" with conversions and weapons. It's very easy to model the terminators to look like lumbering masses of flesh and steel. With green stuff and a hobby knife you can easily make mutated flesh. Just slap it on and drag your knife across it in a pattern.
You can have a lot of fun with the weapons. Obliterators are supposed to have dozens of crazy weapons that they've absorbed over thousands of years, so don't be afraid to mix in exotic stuff. I added a Chaos Marine Kai Gun on one of mine (from the old metal Terminator Lord) and have another obliterator with a Lascannon/Plasma combi-weapon. Although I was a little more conservative on my weapons, there isn't any reason why some wouldn't be bristling with Tau Burst Cannons or Tyranid bio-weapons.
As for painting, the options are equally limitless. I was tired of painting blue marines after doing an entire Thousand Sons army, so for my obliterators, I went with an iron warriors paint scheme, leaving just their left shoulders in my army's standard blue with gold trim. I painted the trademark black/yellow stripes on three of their power fists, three right legs, and three left legs, making it much easier to tell the squads apart in battle.
*Sorry for the small pics. Not sure why no one is able to enlarge them. For larger versions, take this link to photo bucket: Obliterator Pics
~ Do any of you have any good ideas for obliterator conversion? If you have any pics posted somewhere on the web, post a link so we can see them!
Friday, June 5, 2009
40k Pic of the Day 6-5-09
~Your daily dose of tabletop fun! Enjoy. If you have an awesome shot you think would make a great BoLS pic of the day, email us!
40K NEWS: Land Speeder Storm and Ironclad
Busy day you Warhammer 40k Fanatics. Hot on the heels of the Shrine of the Aquila, the 2nd wave of Space Marines has arrived in the Advanced Order section:
Land Speeder Storm
Ironclad Dreadnought
~I'm digging that whole team of scouts that comes with the Storm. More for you Warhammer Fantasy Empire guys coming soon.
40k NEWS: Shrine of the Aquila and More
Hi gang,
Look what some readers dug up on Games Workshop's advance order page:
Shrine of the Aquila $33.00
Blastscape $19.75
UPDATE: IMPERIAL DEFENSE LINE $559
This set gets you the plastic game board, 5 bastions, 7 aegis defense lines, and 1 landing pad!Yet more Planetstrike releases seeing the light of day.
~No release date listed but what we hear is July 18th
40K SNEAK PEEK: THQ's Space Marine at E3
Hi guys. E3 has come and gone and we have gotten some more info on the new Space Marine game that THQ unveiled last week.
BoLS Reader Brad Wiggens reports:
"There was a private showing of Space Marine in THQ's section of E3, but it wasn’t playable and we weren’t allowed to take any videos. They warned ahead of time that it was very early still, but would try and answer some of our questions. The showing was a much longer video which contained all of the footage that appeared in the existing trailer but depicting a more cohesive chain of events. Towards the end of the video a drop pod strikes into a courtyard full of Orks and 4 space marines disembark and clear the enemies, planting a flag in the ground upon completion. They reiterated that it is an action RPG, and the video showed an equipment select screen including experience bars where the player equipped different weapons and gear on a marine such as a jump pack. Some of the most interesting new footage was of a massive battle in the distance where you can clearly make out the bodies of thousands of individual Orks, as well as an Imperial Titan fighting in the distance, and for some reason a Tyranid Carnifex in the corner of the screen (which I’m certain was a secret tease). Another interesting note is that the introduction the speaker gave ahead of time mentioned how humanity is beset from within by heretics, without by aliens, and from elsewhere by daemons. After seeing the Carnifex, I wonder if this implies we will see Chaos forces as well.
I asked if the 4 Marines signified any sort of multi-player.... They said that Relic had a history of exciting multi-player technology, but that they couldn’t comment on multi-player in Space Marine. Another attendee asked if there would be any other races featured, but they were unable to comment. I immediately asked about the Tyrranid Carnifex I saw, and one of the developers grew a huge grin and said he wasn’t able to comment on that."
~In related new, THQ is getting the game's website up and running. I would expect to see that open up in due time. What do you guys think so far?
Thursday, June 4, 2009
40k Pic of the Day 6-4-09
~Your daily dose of tabletop fun! Enjoy. If you have an awesome shot you think would make a great BoLS pic of the day, email us!
EPIC: Marines 101
The marines of the Legiones Astartes are probably the most iconic army in the Warhammer 40,000 universe. Genetically-engineered supersoldiers who fight harder, better and longer than any foe. Yes, marines are totally badass. I'm pretty sure the Oxford dictionary has a picture of an Ultramarine instead of a definition of the word "badass"--that's how badass marines are.
The Warhammer 40,000 rules capture this badassness well--marines are usually outnumbered, but are good at pretty much everything (without being awesome at everything). They also have a decent Leadership value and the And They Shall Know No Fear special rule, which serve as abstractions of not only their general cool-headedness under fire, but also their superior strategising and tactics.
It is not until you see marines played well in Epic:Armageddon, however, with its greater provision for employing strategy and tactics, that you truly gain an appreciation for just how awesome marines really are. With the highest possible Strategy rating (5) and a standard Iniitiative value of 1+, marines can be trusted to perform the orders given to them and to get the job done (unlike the Guard who will fail to take your orders, on average, once in every six activations).
The Codex Marines army list provides a strategic and tactical flexibility that other armies can only dream about. Even so, a marine player will almost always be significantly outnumbered in your typical Epic:Armageddon game (just as they are in WH40K games, but that the effect is magnified in the 6mm scale). Particularly when playing against "horde" armies like Orks or Tyranids, the sheer number of units available to your opponent can be truly daunting.
Luckily, the marines make up for their limited numbers in both hiting power and, more importantly, projection of that power. Drop pods and air transports are the marines player's best friends. They can't do the job alone--you always need some armour on the ground--but the ability to drop a large chunk of your army anywhere you choose on the battlefield cannot be understated.
Here's the bottom line: If you try to play marines like they were the Imperial Guard, standing ground and shooting at your opponent, you will almost certainly be outmanoeuvred and lose. Similarly, if you drop your entire army, you will likely be outmanoeuvred and lose. Take a little from column A and a little from column B, though, and suddenly marines become a force to be reckoned with.
The canny marines player adopts a combined-arms approach that mixes "ground pounder" units (to take and hold ground) with airbourne units (to project power). Above all, though, a good marines player aims to play to their core strength: ASSAULTS.
Let's look at a typical marines force, and explore how you might play it.
In the Space Wolves force above, you can see the player has elected to take a varied force of "pillar" units (such as the Tactical and Devastator, Land Raider and Whirlwind detachments), rapid-response units (the Land Speeder and Bike detachments), and air-assault formations (the Thunderhawk loaded with Devastator and Assault detachments). The player has also taken a Terminator detachment, which is a very expensive formation, but brings enormous tactical flexibility (not to mention raw hitting power in the right circumstances).
With a force like this one, you would focus on claiming and trying to hold ground using the Tactical detachments and Devastator detachment in Rhinos, supporting these formations with the Land Raiders and Whirlwinds.
Meanwhile, the Land Speeders would likely range up the flank looking for opportunities to Double and shoot up an enemy formation to prepare it for an assault. Likewise, the Bike detachment would make its way up the battlefield, ducking from cover to cover if possible, in an effort to assault the enemy formation "prepped" by the Land Speeders.
The Thunderhawk and Terminators should be kept in reserve awaiting the appropriate moment to launch and support (respectively) an air assault upon either the enemy's most expensive formation (your Break Their Spirit objective) or the forces defending the enemy blitz, both of which tend to have the effect of keeping your opponent on the back foot and off his game.
This was a quick look at how you might play a marines force in Epic:Armageddon. Marines are such a flexible force that there many, many different combinations of detachments you could exploit. But so long as you don't try to play marines as a stand-and-shoot army and instead focus on preparing formations for assault, assaulting, and then more assaulting again...you should do just fine.
-The floor is open for your questions, and in case your didn't notice, I'M A FLY LORD!
40K Decision: Imperial Guard Hellhound Squadron
Attention Warhammer 40k Generals! Jwolf here, taking a break from BoLSCon preparation to give you my thoughts on configuring your Hellhound Squadrons.
Just as with the Russ Chassis, the first question with the Hellhounds is to Squadron or not to Squadron. Unlike the case of the Russes, though, the Hellhounds have extraordinarily good competition for the same slots. Valkyries and Vendettas provide Imperial Guard Commanders with a previously unheard of level of mobility for our troops, Armored Sentinels are fantastic for grabbing enemy squads and holding them in place, and that makes the Fast Attack choices more precious. So my answer to that is generally singles are best, but I can certainly see good reasons to take pairs.
I have a lot more difficulty rating the Hellhound variants than the Russ variants, as they are generally all good. Nevertheless, rating them is what I get the big bucks for, right? Lets get to it!
#1 Banewolf with Hull Multimelta – 2 weapons that ignore 3+ armor and are fearsome no matter the opponent. And with the chemical cannon being a defensive weapon, this variant moves 12” all the time and fires everything.
#2 Hellhound with Hull Multimelta – 2 good weapons and a terrible destructive force against any 4+ or worse armored troops.
#3 Devil Dog with Hull Multimelta – Vehicle killer, and the Meltacannon is frightening weapon that makes certain that Deep Striking Terminators want to run instead of shooting, always a good thing. Not as versatile as the other top builds, but also cheaper and a very purpose-driven build.
#4 Devil Dog with Hull Heavy Flamer – Good all-a-rounder, and cheap. The HHF makes this a good objective charger after the Meltacannon gets blasted off, too.
#5 Hellhound with Hull Heavy Flamer – A dedicated anti-infantry vehicle, this build sacrifices flexibility for the ability to do a massive amount of wounds. A pair of these will end a giant mob of Boyz in no time at all, and can do enough wounds to cripple almost any formation.
#6 Hellhound with Hull Heavy Bolter – Cheap stock chassis, with some ability to harass light vehicles and troops anywhere on the board. Great for moving 12” and firing the Inferno Cannon from a pair of these.
#7 Banewolf with Hull Heavy Bolter – Gives a little range to an otherwise point-blank chassis.
#8 Devildog with Hull Heavy Bolter – The meltacannon isn’t augmented by the inclusion of the Heavy Bolter, and the Heavy Bolter doesn’t give the chassis any ability to deal with cover saves.
#9 Banewolf with Hull Heavy Flamer – The best thing about the Banewolf is it allows no saves to Marines. The Heavy Flamer allows wound allocation that can save the Veteran Sergeant and the Special Weapons, meaning you just wasted your killing power. This is an especially bad configuration for a pair, which would kill a Marine squad with a great deal of reliability otherwise.
As for the options, Smoke Launchers make good sense. Searchlights are basically useless for standard Dawn of War missions, and Camo Netting is the ultimate in stupid purchases in the Codex. Extra Armor can be worth it, especially if you use your Hellhounds to screen your lines.
I recommend using Hellhounds as screening units, engaging the enemy forward of you lines and threatening objectives in their deployment zone. Offering a Hellhound as a charge target can work out very well. A target hit only on 6s can be easily missed, and then the assaulters are nicely bunched up for the Russes to pulverize.
~I’d be happy to hear your thoughts on the use of Hellhounds, so kick me if I need it. Now back to the salt mines for me.
Wednesday, June 3, 2009
40k Pic of the Day 6-3-09
~Your daily dose of tabletop fun! Enjoy. If you have an awesome shot you think would make a great BoLS pic of the day, email us!
40K SNEAK PEEK: Planetstrike Sprues
Images brought to the community by Warseer's: Hoarmurel
Look what's floating around the tubes today:
Aegis Defense Line Sprue
Bastion Sprue
~Yet more Planetstrike stuff headed your way in July.
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Look what's floating around the tubes today:
~Yet more Planetstrike stuff headed your way in July.
Tuesday, June 2, 2009
Daemon Tactica - Nurgle
I am not the biggest fan of Daemons currently. I feel they can just get too screwed by not rolling that 3+ when you need too. But they can be very fun to play and allow you to ignore certain aspects of the game that other armies have to live by. Since I am the local Nurgle player it was my duty to write up a daemon tactica for the gross ones. So without further ado, here we go into the puss pit and what I think works better in a daemon codex. I plan on going through each option and reasons why I would take it or not take it.
HQ:
First you have the choice of two special characters and two other HQ choices. Each have their own uses and own skills that can help your army out. Lets look at the special characters.
Ku’gath – Probably one of the more annoying of the Super Greater Daemons. He has 5 wounds, Feel No Pain, a way to create more units, as well as a shooting attack that can be annoying. Personally, I find him to be too expensive to be of use in a regular army. I usually take him when I just want to goof around with a guy, since he can’t fly and has to move via difficult terrain when he is trying to get his fat butt anywhere. If you want to take him, drop him close and hope he survives all the plasma/melta that comes at him since everyone is scared of getting the super flu he emits.
Epidemius – He is a rather interesting choice, as he is more an army enabler then something that is dangerous on its own. I will sometimes run him in a dedicated nurgle army, but I find him to be a waste of overall points. It takes a bit to get him started, and you really need to have your DP’s go all the way to get him going. Plus you will have to deep strike very aggressively in order to recoup the cost of having the fat guy in a chair in your army.
Great Unclean One – The cheapest Greater Daemon and one of the better things from the codex. Drop him close, and watch as your opponent tries to kill him. I usually just give him Cloud of Flies and let two of them lead my army. If you have extra points, you can throw Unholy Might on him to help deal with vehicles. That is if he can catch them.
Herald of Nurgle – Um… no. I think that they are just not worth the points, and a GUO or two would always be a better choice to take. They just do not do enough to help out, no matter how many you take. Now if he could have a power weapon of some sort, he might be a better choice.
Elites:
Beasts of Nurgle – I do not run any personally, but they are for the most part, better then Plague bearers due to the extra attacks as well as having more wounds to try and ignore. I really hate the model and thus my desire to not own any. If you have extra points, try some out and use them as a tarpit unit to keep a shootie unit stuck for a bit. Don’t expect them to win combat too much, most likely they will just tie a lot.
Troops:
Plaguebearers – The meat and pus of your army. This is one of the more annoying units in 40k. They just never go away and can keep things stuck for a while. The worst thing for you is to have a walker get into combat with them, but sometimes it is ok if you are both contesting the objective. Two units of these with icons is a great beginning to any Daemon army. I normally run 4 10 man squads when I decided to take them out. Deep strike very aggressively with 2 squads, to ensure your other two have time to sit and take a nap on an objective.
Nurglings - Not a terrible choice, but I feel they might be worth it due to some blast weapons running around (here is looking at you Obliterators/IG tanks). But since people feel they can be so weak they might be ignored and can get into some great situations where they can cause some issues. The lack of scoring ability makes them a weaker choice versus the better Plague bearers. But they are neat and can add a certain flair to your all Nurgle force.
Fast Attack:
Um… lets move on.
Heavy:
Daemon Prince - This is where you can start having some fun with Nurgle Daemon Princes. I normally run mine with flight, iron hide, cloud of flies, and unholy might. If I have extra points I will put a shooting attack on them, but find really just those 3 things to be fine. If they can survive the initial round of shooting on them, expect them to kill a lot of stuff as they run through armies. Remember, they are one of the only DP’s that can effectively assault through cover and ensure they get to strike first.
Soul Grinder – I am steering away from them, as I feel there is just too much melta around. Especially with the new IG set as well as any marine armored foe. They are a neat model and I miss having them come down and get stuck into combat with non powerfist enemies. I just feel they give up their points too easily with well prepared opponents, which if you are playing 5th edition you should have a lot of ways to deal with mech armies.
Army list – All Nurgle
HQ: GUO, Cloud of Flies, Unholy Might, Breath of Chaos – 210pts
HQ: Epidemius – 110pts
Troops: Plaguebearers (10), Icon 175 pts
Troops: Plaguebearers (10), Icon 175 pts
Troops: Plaguebearers (10), Icon 175 pts
Troops: Plaguebearers (10), Icon 175 pts
Troops: Plaguebearers (10) 150 pts
Troops: Plaguebearers (10) 150 pts
Heavy: DP, Flight, Iron Hide, MoN, Cloud of Flies, Unholy Might, Breath of Chaos – 225 pts
Heavy: DP, Flight, Iron Hide, MoN, Cloud of Flies, Unholy Might, Breath of Chaos – 225 pts
Heavy: DP, Flight, Iron Hide, MoN, Cloud of Flies, Unholy Might, Breath of Chaos – 225 pts
Total: 1995
First wave is Epidemius, 2 Troops, 1 GUO, 2 Daemon Princes. Try to drop on one side and overwhelm an opponent that way. If they are fast, drop right in their face and hope for the best with the scatter rolls. This army needs to get into assault asap and an all mech army is going to be hard for it to beat. But give it a shot and tell me what you think. Email me at mailto:goatboybols@gmail.com
And here is some new pieces I have been working on for a client. More arbites woot!
View Comments
HQ:
First you have the choice of two special characters and two other HQ choices. Each have their own uses and own skills that can help your army out. Lets look at the special characters.
Ku’gath – Probably one of the more annoying of the Super Greater Daemons. He has 5 wounds, Feel No Pain, a way to create more units, as well as a shooting attack that can be annoying. Personally, I find him to be too expensive to be of use in a regular army. I usually take him when I just want to goof around with a guy, since he can’t fly and has to move via difficult terrain when he is trying to get his fat butt anywhere. If you want to take him, drop him close and hope he survives all the plasma/melta that comes at him since everyone is scared of getting the super flu he emits.
Epidemius – He is a rather interesting choice, as he is more an army enabler then something that is dangerous on its own. I will sometimes run him in a dedicated nurgle army, but I find him to be a waste of overall points. It takes a bit to get him started, and you really need to have your DP’s go all the way to get him going. Plus you will have to deep strike very aggressively in order to recoup the cost of having the fat guy in a chair in your army.
Great Unclean One – The cheapest Greater Daemon and one of the better things from the codex. Drop him close, and watch as your opponent tries to kill him. I usually just give him Cloud of Flies and let two of them lead my army. If you have extra points, you can throw Unholy Might on him to help deal with vehicles. That is if he can catch them.
Herald of Nurgle – Um… no. I think that they are just not worth the points, and a GUO or two would always be a better choice to take. They just do not do enough to help out, no matter how many you take. Now if he could have a power weapon of some sort, he might be a better choice.
Elites:
Beasts of Nurgle – I do not run any personally, but they are for the most part, better then Plague bearers due to the extra attacks as well as having more wounds to try and ignore. I really hate the model and thus my desire to not own any. If you have extra points, try some out and use them as a tarpit unit to keep a shootie unit stuck for a bit. Don’t expect them to win combat too much, most likely they will just tie a lot.
Troops:
Plaguebearers – The meat and pus of your army. This is one of the more annoying units in 40k. They just never go away and can keep things stuck for a while. The worst thing for you is to have a walker get into combat with them, but sometimes it is ok if you are both contesting the objective. Two units of these with icons is a great beginning to any Daemon army. I normally run 4 10 man squads when I decided to take them out. Deep strike very aggressively with 2 squads, to ensure your other two have time to sit and take a nap on an objective.
Nurglings - Not a terrible choice, but I feel they might be worth it due to some blast weapons running around (here is looking at you Obliterators/IG tanks). But since people feel they can be so weak they might be ignored and can get into some great situations where they can cause some issues. The lack of scoring ability makes them a weaker choice versus the better Plague bearers. But they are neat and can add a certain flair to your all Nurgle force.
Fast Attack:
Um… lets move on.
Heavy:
Daemon Prince - This is where you can start having some fun with Nurgle Daemon Princes. I normally run mine with flight, iron hide, cloud of flies, and unholy might. If I have extra points I will put a shooting attack on them, but find really just those 3 things to be fine. If they can survive the initial round of shooting on them, expect them to kill a lot of stuff as they run through armies. Remember, they are one of the only DP’s that can effectively assault through cover and ensure they get to strike first.
Soul Grinder – I am steering away from them, as I feel there is just too much melta around. Especially with the new IG set as well as any marine armored foe. They are a neat model and I miss having them come down and get stuck into combat with non powerfist enemies. I just feel they give up their points too easily with well prepared opponents, which if you are playing 5th edition you should have a lot of ways to deal with mech armies.
Army list – All Nurgle
HQ: GUO, Cloud of Flies, Unholy Might, Breath of Chaos – 210pts
HQ: Epidemius – 110pts
Troops: Plaguebearers (10), Icon 175 pts
Troops: Plaguebearers (10), Icon 175 pts
Troops: Plaguebearers (10), Icon 175 pts
Troops: Plaguebearers (10), Icon 175 pts
Troops: Plaguebearers (10) 150 pts
Troops: Plaguebearers (10) 150 pts
Heavy: DP, Flight, Iron Hide, MoN, Cloud of Flies, Unholy Might, Breath of Chaos – 225 pts
Heavy: DP, Flight, Iron Hide, MoN, Cloud of Flies, Unholy Might, Breath of Chaos – 225 pts
Heavy: DP, Flight, Iron Hide, MoN, Cloud of Flies, Unholy Might, Breath of Chaos – 225 pts
Total: 1995
First wave is Epidemius, 2 Troops, 1 GUO, 2 Daemon Princes. Try to drop on one side and overwhelm an opponent that way. If they are fast, drop right in their face and hope for the best with the scatter rolls. This army needs to get into assault asap and an all mech army is going to be hard for it to beat. But give it a shot and tell me what you think. Email me at mailto:goatboybols@gmail.com
And here is some new pieces I have been working on for a client. More arbites woot!
40k Pic of the Day 6-2-09
~Your daily dose of tabletop fun! Enjoy. If you have an awesome shot you think would make a great BoLS pic of the day, email us!
40K NEWS: Forgeworld Vulture and Flyer Kits
Hi guys,
Forgeworld has been busy jumping on the Imperial Guard release window. Lets see what they just put out:
Vulture Gunship
This new kit is a hybrid that used an all new resin engine that slots into the plastic fuselage, wings, and tail booms from the plastic Valkyrie kit.
Vendetta Conversion Kit
This gives you a set of resin weapons and extra equipment to make a Vendetta out of a standard Valk kit.
Aircraft Accessory Sets
Groups of resin weapons and euipment options to outfit your flyers with:
-Multilasers
-Fuel Tanks
-Missile Launchers
-Multiple Rocket Pods
-Heavy Bombs
-Hunter Killer Missiles
-Autocannons
-Las-cannons
-Punisher Cannons
~Those twin punisher cannons for the vulture look mighty mean folks! Oh yeah, Forgeworld is also offering the new plastic flying stand seperately and will be including it as standard in many of thier kits moving forward. All this stuff is available for pre-order now and shipps out the week of June 22nd.
Monday, June 1, 2009
40K SNEAK PEEK: New Leman Russ Demolisher
Yo Warhammer fanatics, look what's also coming to a tabletop near you!
That would be the new all-plastic kit for the Demolisher. It comes with all the parts to assemble as either:
-Demolisher
-Executioner
-Punisher
~Look for this kit alongside the new Hellhound in August. If you look closely you can see quite a few subtle changes to not only the turret but the hull as well. Perhaps the basic Russ chassis got a minor facelift to work with all the new vairants that are coming our way over the next few months.
40k Pic of the Day 6-1-09
~Your daily dose of tabletop fun! Enjoy. If you have an awesome shot you think would make a great BoLS pic of the day, email us!
NEWS: BoLScon 2009 -Newsletter #1
BoLSCon 2009
August 22-23
Doubletree Hotel, Austin, Texas
BoLScon 2009 is open for registration!
Events
War of the Ring 3000 Point Tournament – The very first War of the Ring GT event. This three game event runs on Saturday August 22. We expect to see all the monsters of Middle Earth rampaging around the field in this event.
War of the Ring 2000 Point Tournament – On Sunday August 23. That makes two days of tournaments for your War of the Ring armies, with two days of prizes!
Warhammer Fantasy 2250 Point Tournament – Two days and seven games of Fantasy battles. One of the few tournaments ever run with enough games to determine a true winner based on the Swiss System. No composition restrictions, just strategy and tactics on the field. Please note that this is not a ‘Ard Boyz event, so Sportsmanship matters – taking a maximum Power Dice Tzeentch list and being a jerk about it is not going to be a winning strategy.
Warhammer Fantasy 2250 Point Consolation Bracket – For those who have a bad day one of the Fantasy Tournament, we have a totally separate track for day two, the Consolation Tournament. And unlike many other Consolation Tournaments, ours has placings and prizes. While no one is required to move to the Consolation Bracket, we expect that this offering will be fun for all participants.
Warhammer 40K 2000 Point Tournament – Two days, seven games, maximum carnage. Come find out if you’re the best tactician in the Grim Dark Future.
Warhammer 40K 2000 Point Consolation Bracket – Just as in the Fantasy bracket, some people will have a bad first day. The Consolation Bracket lets you reset your game face and play day two for prizes and placings, putting all those 1s behind you.
Warhammer 40K 3000 Point Narrative Events – Competitive tournament events not your thing? We’ve got just the ticket for people that prefer a game with a story. Based on our own Horus Heresy, Macharian Crusade, and upcoming Badab War sourcebooks, we will have 2 days of 3000 point action for you. With prizes for accomplishing events in the storyline (and for dramatic failures, too), the Narrative Events are the perfect anti-tournament option.
Painting Contests – We have painting contests in 12 categories, with multiple placings possible. Expect to see some of the finest painting in the US on display.
REGISTER NOW!
~Come on down to beautiful, sunny Austin and enjoy a weekend of your favorite games with the Fly Lords. We'll see ya there!
40K RUMORS: Gamesday: Spain 2009
News brought to the community by Warseer's:Wolfs_Bane
News drifts over from across the pond...
The GD Spain presentation was given by Robin Cruddace, (of Codex: Imperial Guard). He laid out several products in the channel up until August, including Planetstrike and Planetary Empires. He noted that all the new kits (such as the Ironclad) are plastic and that even newer armies (such as the Eldar) will be recieving updates here and there in plastic.
Cruddace was asked about the Space Wolves, and while not giving out a launch date, he did confirm the Studio was working on not only the Wolves, but the Blood Angels and Black Templars.
He was also asked about the Dark Eldar. Jes Goodwin had still not completed work on them, so even if Games Workshop rushed the current assets into production, they would still be a year off.
Summary of Presentation Tidbits:
1. Dark Eldar. At least one year from now. Probably more.
2. Blood Angels & Black Templar: In works right now.
3. Space Wolves codex is complete, off to localization.
4. Necron and Tyranids: In the works.
5. Chaos Legion Codices: Inconclusive talks have been had and they are not on the current planning schedule.
6. Legend & Heraldry of Imperial Guard: Maybe if the new book for Imperium (Empire?) Legend & Heraldry has good acceptance.
~It would seem that GW is almost proceeding on a miniature upgrade schedule that is directly targeting and removing the hybrid plastic-metal kits as they move through the armies, followed by all-metal kits. They appear to be dead serious about knocking as much metal out of their product line as possible.
1) This is our first rumors post regarding 2010 and what may be beyond the Space Wolves!
2) I bet you could look at the existing Wolves mini range and take an educated guess as to what GW would be most keen on replacing with new plastic goodness.
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