Lost in the Warp

I have been lots in the Warp for some time. A series of real-life events robbed me of the time and inclination to blog.

Now I am back. Bigger, badder and smellier than ever!
I was recently honoured with the title of Chapter Master by the Emperor's Pride, which means that hobby related activities has become much more important as I am no longer only responsible for enabling my own hobby but also that of others.

I continue working on the Iron Hands and progress is steady. Here is a groupshot:

I am also working on an Iyanden Eldar army with 1 Wraithseer, 2 Wraithlords, 3 Warwalkers, 10 Rangers and lots of Wraithguard. Problem is, Wraithguards are HIDEOUSLY expensive and the one I tried to sculpt myself (for casting) turned out really ugly. So, until I find a solution, I think this army is on hold. I will post some progress pictures some time soon, though.

Finally it seems that the Necrons are getting an update! Yay! Unfortunately, I can't afford to buy any of the stuff. Oh, well. EP will get a copy of the Codex and I can use my existing army for a while, I guess.

Unceasing vigil, eternal contempt

In the words of noble Farnsworth:”Good news everybody!”

I have secured the pistons for the left leg. Yay! I haven’t actually gotten them yet but I am confident that it won’t be long.

In other, but related news:
I peeled off the front of the sarcophagus and re-built the legs. I managed to shave a few centimeters off in the hip as well so he is less gangly now.

I have put supports in place for the shoulder-armor. I decided to not use the Space-Marine-like pauldron I made and instead go for something like a hybrid between a Titan carapace and pre-Heresy Terminator shoulderpads. I haven’t built them yet but they will start at the eagle and follow the shoulder curve towards the front.

I also gave him two Hunter-killer missiles. They are mounted on support-struts with eagle-heads,

The front of the sarcophagus is rather different from the previous one but I feel this one conveys the age and power of the Dread Commander better. He is encrusted in purity-seals, Iron Hands iconography and aquilas like you won’t believe. And I am just getting started!

Finally, he has gotten some armoring for the vital waist-pivot. I haven’t gotten around to putting bling on that but hooo-boy, it’ll be sweet. A bas-relief? A ton of purity-seals? Litanies of hatred and ontempt inscribed into the adamantium? Adds for sponsors? Who knows!

Interred He serves, forever loyal

More wip pictures and stuff!

A series of mockups. Much bluetack was hurt in the production of these pictures. Also, I need bits for the second leg and the Assault-cannon arm.

Twice the height of a normal dreadnought. I may have to remove the hip-joints (black part on the middle) and only use the Defiler-waist above it..

Side/rear shot of the leg. I am rather proud of its construction but I still need a piston for the shin. I probably also could cut out a bit of the thigh, to lower him further.

Here’s a better picture of him solo.

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With the help of my Battle-Brothers from Emperor’s Pride, I have come up with some homebrew rules for the old boy. I am told they are fairly balanced but feel free to comment or suggest!

HQ: Dread Commander Tirakhal   Cost: 200 pts

WS: 6 BS: 5 St: 6/10 FA: 13 SA: 13 RA: 11 In: 4 At: 2(4)  Veh Save: 5++

Walker; Extra Armor; Hunter Killer Missile x2; Smoke Launchers; Space Marine; Walker, Venerable, Mechanicus Protectiva, Servo-Arm, Doubt is for the Weak!, Blessed by the Omnissiah
Twin Linked Assault Cannon

2 x Heavy Flamer
Dreadnought CCW                                         
Servo-Arm (Dreadnought CCW)                                         
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Blessed by the Omnissiah - as Blessing of the Omnissiah but can also be used to repair self.
Mechanicus Protectiva - Refractor field, grants 5+ Invulnerable save
Servo-Arm - Dreadnought-sized Servo-arm. Counts as an extra DCCW.
Doubt is for the Weak! - Friendly units within 6" are Stubborn.

Take cover!

A friend requested wip pictures so here they are. That is all.

Ok, so you made a custom shoulder pauldron. Great.
Oh! That’s a big one!
Oh! Venerable Dreadnought on the right, Dread Warleader Tirakhal of the Iron Hands on the left.

There, there little brother…
The Dread Warleader will get pauldrons and a custom twin-linked assault-cannon. Weapons and lower legs will be modeled after Titan designs.

The 10th Legion never forgets

Ok, so I have not posted anything in a dogs age, sorry. I haven’t been completely inactive however.

Sorry about the quality of the pictures, it was a quick edit. All of these are in various stages of progress, from freshly assembled to nearly done. I would like to have finished one squad at a time but since I had to order many of the parts online, I opted to work with what I have when I have it, rather than wait for everything to arrive.

At present I am waiting for power cables from Black Cat Bases, 1 Iron Hands Squad box, 2 Drop Pods, 1 Techmarine with Servitors box and a Space Marine Assault Squad.

So, a small progress report with many pictures. Or a long one with little text? You decide.

Veteran SergeantIron Hands Marine

MeltagunnerIron Hands Marine

Veteran Sergeant

Iron Hands Marine

Iron Hands Marine

Iron Hands Plasmagunner

Iron Hands Marine with Powersword

Iron Hands Marine

Iron Hands Marine

Iron Hands Razorback

Iron Hands Gunservitor

Iron Hands Devastator Sergeant with Signum

Iron Hands Devastator Sergeant with Signum

Iron Hands Terminator with Chainfist and Combi-Flamer

Iron Hands Terminator with Cyclone Missile Launcher, Powerweapon and StormbolterIron Hands Techmarine

Iron Hands Venerable Dread Commander Tirakhal

Iron within, Iron-waaitaminute…

Yes, I know that the loyal Iron Hands may superficially have apparent slight similarities with the traitorous Iron Warriors. But I assure you, there is no connection.
I have refined the Iron Hands list a bit, with the aid of the indomitable Keizer (who apparently have the ear of the deity), and have come up with a slightly more aggressive list. I will add that to the end of the post, for those interested. The reason for this is mainly that the list I had made relied on combat-squads and Codex: Space Wolves don’t allow that =/
Also, this list should be a bit more aggressive and competitive.
I have made a preliminary guess as to the cost of this army and it is a bit more steep than expected. This is because of all the conversions and 3rd party bits. Still, I am in no particular hurry. I give myself a year.
This year I hope to play my Daemons of Slaanesh at Emperor’s Chosen and perhaps next year the Iron Hands. Unless GW releases some cool new stuff. And you know they will. *cough*Grey Knights*cough*Necrons*cough*
Enough of that. Next post I expect to list some of the bits and 3rd-party retailers I plan on using.
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1600 Pts - Space Wolves Roster

HQ: Warleader Tirakhal(1#, 270 pts)
1 Bjorn the Fell-Handed (Smoke Launchers; Wolf Tail Talisman; Dreadnought CCW; Heavy Flamer; Plasma Cannon; Ward of the Primarch, Banner)

Elite: Wolf Guard Pack (5#, 255 pts) Added to various squads as “Veteran Iron Hands Marine”

Elite: Techmarine Puritus (4#, 120 pts)
1 Iron Priest @ 120 pts (Runic Armour; Servo Arm; Bolter; Thunder Hammer; 1 Servo Arm)
3 Thrall-servitors (Servo Arm x1; Plasma Cannon x2)

Troops: Tactical Squad Honour (6#, 120 pts)
5 Grey Hunters Pack @ 120 pts (Meltagun; Razorback) 1 Veteran Iron Hands Marine (Power Armour; Combi-Meltagun x1; Power Fist x1), 1 Razorback (Twin Linked Heavy Bolter)

Troops: Tactical Squad Valor (6#, 120 pts)
5 Grey Hunters Pack @ 120 pts (Meltagun; Razorback)
1 Veteran Iron Hands Marine (Combi-Plasmagun x1; Power Fist x1)  
1 Razorback (Twin Linked Heavy Bolter)

Troops: Tactical Squad Pride (9#, 165 pts)
8 Grey Hunters Pack @ 165 pts (Plasmagun; Drop Pod)
1 Veteran Iron Hands Marine (Terminator Armour; Combi-Plasmagun; Chain Fist) 1 Drop Pod (Storm Bolter)

Troops: Tactical Squad Faith (9#, 165 pts)
8 Grey Hunters Pack @ 165 pts (Flamer; Drop Pod)
1 Veteran Iron Hands Marine (Terminator Armour; Combi-Flamer; Thunder Hammer) 1 Drop Pod (Storm Bolter)

Heavy Support: Devastator Squad Hatred (6#, 140 pts)
5 Long Fangs Pack @ 140 pts (Missile Launcher x5)
1 Squad Leader, 1 Veteran Iron Hands Marine (Terminator Armour; Power Weapon; Storm Bolter; Cyclone Missile Launcher)

Heavy Support: Vindicator - Scion of Mars (1#, 125 pts)
1 Vindicator @ 125 pts (Siege Shield)

Heavy Support: Predator - Fury of Medusa (1#, 125 pts)
1 Predator @ 125 pts (Dozer Blade; Autocannon; Lascannon (each side))

Total Roster Cost: 1600

From dark to black in 8 seconds flat

Ok, so I listened this podcast where the hosts made an Iron Hands armylist consisting of 2 Masters of the Forge with Conversion Beamers, 6 Venerable Dreadnoughts, Rifleman pattern and some stuff. I thought this sounded like a cool and fluffy and fun list, so I started researching the Iron Hands.
Unfortunately, I found out that the list was rather un-fluffy for several reasons. First off, the Iron Hands apparently have rather few Dreadnoughts and revere what few they have, even more than the other Chapters do. Most of their Dreadnoughts and Tactical Dreadnought Armors (Terminators) were lost in the early days of the Horus Heresy and I have found no sources saying that they have been restored. Additionally, the book “Iron Hands” clearly state that the left hand on an Iron Hands Dreadnought is always a close-combat weapon with a storm-bolter. This precludes the Rifleman-pattern, which is a twin-linked Auto Cannon on either side.
Just to confound me even further, I learned that the Iron Hands very rarely deploy their Terminators as a squad. Instead they prefer to have their Terminator brothers lead the Tactical squads into battle as Sergeants do in other Chapters. Further, because they so revere their Dreadnoughts and their experience, it is no uncommon for a Dreadnought to lead Iron Hands into battle. Lastly, there is a quote in Codex: Space Marines that sets a precedent for Iron Hands preferring Razorback transports.
So. I need a Codex that allows me to field Terminators as squad-upgrades, has a Dreadnought as HQ choice and can field Razorback transports.
You should already know the answer - Codex: Space Wolves.
I am going to avoid the more Wolf-like units and abilities, like Cyberwolves, Thunderwolves, etc.
This is the list as it stand at the moment:
Unit
Counts As
HQ
Bjorn the Fell-Handed
Dreadnought Warleader. Maybe even Bannus himself! With Twin-linked Lascannon like Bannus
Elite
3 Wolf Guard in Terminator Armor
Squad-leaders for Tactical Marines. No upgrades.
Venerable Dreadnought with Twin-linked Lascannon
Iron Priest
Techmarine with 4 Servitors (2 w. Plasma Cannon)
Troops
3x10 Grey Hunters
As Tactical Marine Squad. Upgrades: 1 Powerfist (modeled as a Servoarm), Flamer, Meltagun. Transport: Razorback w. Las/Plas, Dozer Blade.
Heavy
Either:
5 Long Fangs, 4 Missile Launchers
Veteran Devastators
or
1 Vindicator

The Tactical Squads will combat-squad and deploy separately. Half in Razorbacks, half on foot with Terminators. Footsloggers get the Flamer and Razorback-squad gets Melta and Powerfist. The Dreadnoughts will be deployed together-ish with the Techmarine as backup. From then on, I havent the foggiest notion what will happen. I have not played Space Marines since Rogue Trader =)

Let me know what you think!

A musk, soft as sin…

Yay! Good news from the front. I fought a battle against fellow Emperor’s Pride member Dan and won! Woot!

He played Angels Sanguine (Blood Angels Codex) with (from memory) 2 x 10 Assault Marines in Rhinos, 1 x 10 Death Company Marines with Sanguinary Priest, in Land Raider and uh… some upgrades? Maybe Special Characters? Anyhow, I played my Slaanesh Daemons like so: Keeper of Secrets, 2 x Herald in Chariot, 1 x 6 Fiends, 2 x 12 Daemonettes, 3 x 6 Seekers and a Daemon Prince of Slaanesh. Add to that a lot of upgrades for testing purposes and that’s it. Well. My KoS mishapped and died before the game began. My Heralds popped his rhinos, Fiends thinned out the Death Company before getting killed and my cavalry killed everything the Daemonettes left standing. Oh, the Prince kept the Land Raider still while plucking its armaments off one by one.

Fun game and while we both said we had expected a different outcome, I can’t help but feel he kinda handed it to me. Maybe out of kindness or pity, either way, it was a fun and motivating game and it spurred me to go to the club today and get in about 8 hours painting =)

Without further ado, I give you…

Finished Fiends!

Colors look a little bland in this picture but in real life they look nice.

Also, I finished the Daemon Prince Aedon the Sibilant. Ok, almost, his shawl needs some highlights.

Finally, the Keeper of Secrets Clarionanoisex the Indulgent. His sword may need a highlight but he is basically done.

I am trying to write some fiction to accompany the army and it is hard to find a balance. Being Slaanesh, it needs to be over-the-top with the sensations, the depravity and the allure but it also needs to not be Sado-Twillight in Space. Hm. I am writing this one instead of typing. Here is a shot of a page. As you can see, my handwriting is not the nicest but it feels oddly fitting.

Last, I have some sketches for the Slaaneshi Soulgrinder and for runes to put on the Chariots and banners. I was going for mystic/sexual/evil/odd. I doubt I will be using very much of it, thought. It is a little much, perhaps.

On the further exploration of indulgence

Quick update.

Progress has been made. Also, a setback of sorts. I worked a bit more on the soulgrinder:

Most of it is not that visible but she’s got some spiky bitz now =)

And I started a mystery project that is very related to Daemons of Slaanesh. Here is a hint: They cried for darker wine and wilder music.

It is the start of a new army.

The Scented Gardens

Whew. 8 hours of hobbying done!

Did some work on my Slaaneshi Soulgrinder. Take a look, (S)he’s a beaut!

Ok, not a classic beauty. For one, her head is still missing. I am putting it off, since it is the hardest part =/. The body is inspired by a Daemon encounter in the Inquisition War trilogy by Ian Watson, with elements of Keeper of Secrets mixed in. The skirt is very work in progress the the moment.

I managed to finish a Herald of Slaanesh! His Chariot is about 75% done but here are a couple of pictures.

The head of the Herald is a bit from MaxMini, one arm is a Daemonette weapon-arm and the other is an old elf arm from Warhammer Fantasy Battle. The body is an old-ish Champion of Slaanesh from WFB.

The chariot is made from Tomb Kings chariots with various bits from Seekers, Daemonettes and Cold One Knights.

The last Chariot still needs most of its paint.

And a gratuitous overview-shot.

Must... have... power...

Aha! Turns out, I can't handle playing Warhammer Age of Reckoning. So I unsubscribed and got to hobbying again. Yay me. Painted 6 Seekers of Slaanesh, only 18 to go =D



Also converted two Tomb Kings Skeleton Chariots for my Slaanesh heralds and finally started converting a Soulgrinder into a... Soulgrinder of Slaanesh.

I also suffered a major setback in that I realized that the paint scheme for the Seekers is much, much better than the one on the previously painted Daemonettes, Daemon Prince and Keeper of Secrets. Thankfully it is also much easier to paint but it is annoying having to strip the paint off of so many finished models.

Anyhow, pictures to follow during the week.

Three is a magic number

So, I already have 2 Daemon Princes of Nurgle. One from Ultraforge and one from Games Workshop. They work great and I love fielding them with the Forgeworld Great Unclean One and Plaguehulk. It really makes the army stand out.

I can only field 3 Monstrous Creatures under the current Army Selection system we use in Emperor's Pride. So there is absolutely no reason to buy a third Daemon Price of Nurgle, right?

Wrong. I read somewhere that Ultraforge has been sold! I panicked and bought this sucker on CoolMiniOrNot:

Fra Minis

My wife, henceforth known as ToughCookie™, is in the shop, being upgraded with some new hardware, so I will have some time to assemble and paint this sucker while she is being recalibrated and adjusted. Not that I wouldn’t have time otherwise, but this should take my mind off my wife when I am not visiting her at the hospital.

You may have noticed that he has wings. I will magnetize those so I can use him with or without, as suits my fickle and inconstant whims.

And the geek shall inherit…

Well, having a bit of cash float my way is nice. So nice, in fact, I had to celebrate. I went and bought: 4 Fiends of Slaanesh, a Keeper of Secrets, a box of Screamers of Tzeench, a Monolith and a box of Horrors. Oh, and a Chaos  Daemons Spearhead. Pfft!

The Monolith is all done. No pictures, it is at the Fortress Monastery. I am not 100% satisfied with it. I tried some OSL painting on it and it turned out ok but not completely. I will attempt some quick fixes with the airbrush and then give it a matt varnish, to see if that brings it more together. Apart from that, I am almost ready to declare my Necron army finished! The Lord got a small conversion: I put him on a Terminator base and gave him 2 wound counters in the form of scarabs. They are magnetized for easy removal.

Fra Minis

The Fiends complete the Elite part of my Slaanesh army, the Keeper completes the HQ part. All that army needs now is for the new plastics to come out, some assembly and a whole lotta’ lovin’. I assembled the Fiends and Keeper already and they are ready to be airbrushed on Wednesday. No Pics of the Slaaneshi models. I am looking forward to doing a full post on my Slaaneshi Daemons and, after that, on my Nurgle army which has been finished for quite a bit.

The Screamers are assembled, also and I have started painting them.

Fra Minis

I am closing in of 6000 points of Daemons. Yay! Some day I should make a list.