Lords of War this weekend

Saturday sees the Wellington Warlords running a 1-day 40k tournament over 5 rounds, called Lords of War.

At 750pts, with a few restrictions on what you can/can't take, its an ideal way to a) get into the game/meet new people; b) try out a new army (before you go and spend bazillions on it), and; c) just have fun rolling dice for a day.

The restrictions are:

-No allies, fortifications,  Escalation, or Stronghold Assault units

-No D weapons

-No Forgeworld or Imperial Armour units

-No dataslates

-No special/ unique/ named characters/ Lords of War (ironically)

-No flyers or flying monstrous creatures [monstrous creatures with wings may move as jump infantry only].

-Elite, fast attack, and heavy support slots limited to 2 unit selections each.

- 1 HQ unit only

So the list I am taking is:

HQ: Lord Commissar, Carapace Armour

No Force Org: Ministorum Priest, Autogun

TR: Veterans: Lasgun, Lascannon, Meltagun x3, Forward Sentries

TR: Infantry Platoon

PCS: 3x Flamer, 1x Heavy Flamer, Krak Grenades, Meltabombs (Commander), Chimera w/Multi-laser + Heavy Bolter

Squad 1: Sergeant w/Power Axe, Plasma Gun, Lascannon

Squad 2: Plasma Gun, Lascannon

HWT 1: 3x Autocannon

HWT 2: 3x Autocannon

FA: Rough Riders (5): Meltagun, Meltabombs (Sergeant)

All that is left to do is paint a laspistol and convert/paint a power axe for the sergeant. 

I must say I am looking forward to getting back into 40k, and being able to use all the gaming paraphernalia that I bought in the UK :). I must start getting all the models out and checking them for breakages... and thank my wife again for supporting my hobby!

Desperately Seeking ...some older models

I am currently building my Inquisition Warbands and using a mix of old metal models I have lying around for the, as I like to call them, ‘working’ squads e.g. my Necromunda Bounty Hunter

while I build some converted plastic models (for the ‘modelling/painting’ squads).

Having (unbelievably frustratingly) missed out on an auction for some of the Last Chancer squad models, I’d like to just ask anyone that can help that I am looking for any of the following metal models you might have lying around in your collections that you are willing to part with.

• Last Chancers (squad members only)
• Necromunda: Delaques, Cawdor, Redemptionists, Goliaths, Van Saars, Hired Guns, or Eschers
• Mordheim Cult of the Possessed Magister, Darksouls
• Mordheim Sisters of Sigmar Matriarch (the one with the hammer), SoS Sister Superiors
• Mordheim Necromancer

Any models so supplied will be painted within three months!

The SFL vs the World

Righto, here’s my report on my 5 games against very nice people.

Game 1 – vs Ryan Stuart (Daemons)
Ryan had (1000pts as per scenario):
Herald of Tzeentch, L2
25 Daemonettes of Slannesh
10 Pink Horrors
4 Beasts of Nurgle
Skullcannon

Ryan has played 40k and is making his way into the twisting turning alleys of the Olde World.

As per the scenario rules he asked me to deploy my entire army first (which would also give me first turn).

As you can see Ryan set up on quite a refused flank. Turn 1 I moved the Carnosaur and CoC forward to tempt the Beasts into a charge. It didn’t work, and in his turn the dreaded Skullcannon fired...

Turn 2 for me the Carnosaur and CoC combi-charged the Beasts, wiping them out and overrunning. The Carnosaur made it to the Skullcannon, while the CoC got forward enough to charge the Pink Horrors.

The other thing that was happening was the Skink Skirmish unit march blocking and ultimately drawing the Daemonette unit into the marsh where they suffered Dangerous Terrain tests. And then I spent the rest of the game whittling them down through weight of javelin and Beam of Chotec shots until they were all gone.

Thoughts: 
In this game everything the Bastiladon did went right. I should have taken this as an omen as the rest of the tournament because he did pretty much nothing else really in comparison! It’s reasonably good for 150pts...although it really needs Impact Hits GW! Pleeeeeease. I’ll buy a second one if you do!

20-0 to me

Game 2 vs Ben Crum (Vampire Counts)
Ben had:
L4 Necromancer, 4++
L2 Necromancer, Book of Arkhan
L1 Blender Vampire (Death), Sword of Might
20 Crypt Ghouls
5 Dire Wolves
5 Dire Wolves
20 Zombies
Spirit Host
Spirit Host
Terrorgheist

We deployed alternatively which allowed me as the attacker to go first. I deployed a two pronged advance with the intention that something would make its way off.

This game started well (or so I thought). Ben vanguarded his Dire Wolves out, so in my Turn 1 the Carnosaur charged, connected, wiped them out, and overran into the Terrorgheist.

Ben’s Turn 1 – Terrorgheist screams in combat, Scar Vet is dead, Carnosaur has 2 wounds left (and is now Stupid), can’t do anything back, my Turn 2 he does nothing (again) and then Ben’s Turn 2 is mercifully put out of his misery.

Where for art thou, carnosaur?

The Terrorgheist then flapped off and killed (over several turns):
BSB
Saurus Cav
1x Skrox unit (the remains of)

Vampire and Ghouls never even needed to get into combat.

Yikes.

At the end of the game I had some of a Skrox unit left (the ones that finally beat the Spirit Host with CR).

... After this photo was taken, obviously.

Thoughts:
With the benefit of hindsight I should have just smashed up one flank with everything, I wanted to force Ben to choose where the Terrorgheist went which I still think was a good idea (maybe it wasn’t) but it certainly didn’t quite execute.

2-18 to Ben

Game 3 – vs Robert Higgins (Warriors of Chaos)
Robert had:
Chaos Lord, MoN, Flail, Scaled Skin, Flaming Breath, Ironcurse Icon, Daemonic Mount
Chaos Sorceror, MoN, DS, Luckstone, Warrior Bane, Enchanted Shield, Potion of Foolhardiness, Daemonic Mount
14 Marauder Horse, MoN, Flails, LA, Shield
5 Chaos Warhounds
6 Chaos Knights, MoN, Wailing Banner

I was reasonably confident that I could deal with this army, as long as I charged... So I did against the Nurgle Knights with the Carnosaur and the CoR and just bounced. Damn -1 to hit! Luckily the Scar-Vet on the Carnosaur held but he couldn’t do anything. At all.

When the Carnosaur did eventually hit and wound the Nurgle Lord (just the once) it only did 1 wound. Eventually the Scar-Vet and the Carnosaur both died a death. And surely deserved to.

Funniest moment of the game:
The Marauder Cav bus charged a Skrox unit in Dangerous Terrain, won the combat, failed to run the Skrox down, lost a crapload of models to the terrain, failed their subsequent Ld test, and then ran off the board in the next turn. LOLs all round.

At the end of the game I controlled the two objectives that allowed me bonuses for future games. Robert controlled the Cursed Watchtower (which had penalties for the next game) and 300VP.

1-19 to Robert

Thoughts:
Stupid carnosaur

Game 4 – Peter Williamson (Tomb Kings)
Peter had:
Liche High Priest, Ruby Ring
3 Chariots
3 Chariots
17 Skellie Bows
10 Skellie Bows
Tomb Scorpion
Tomb Scorpion
3 Carrion
Necrosphinx

I had forgotten that Necrosphinxes fly. So I was initially cautious with my movement as I was petrified of that damn Necrosphinx flying in and Heroic KB’ing my Carnosaur or BSB. As it turns out he did that to the BSB

... but that allowed my Carnosaur to pull off an audacious long charge into the unit of 17 Skellie Bows, wiping them out in one glorious charge, which led to...

Funniest moment of the game:
Liche Priest IF’s Usekhp’s Incantation of Desiccation which reduced the Scar-Vet and Carnosaur’s toughness by 3pts to T2... just as they had received a charge from three chariots. This had a predictable result in the ensuing combat. The resulting Miscast though sent the Priest down a hole and allowed me to salvage a draw (at the end of the game I had the Bastiladon and the Skrox unit showing, he had a Tomb Scorpion...) from all the subsequent crumbling.

10-10 draw (I was 35VP ahead so I take it as a win! <cough>)

Thoughts:
I should have been braver and risked the T1 charge with the Carnosaur into a unit of Chariots, it was only 18”... yeah right!

Game 5 – vs Ian Dixon (Bretonnians)
I’d like to start with an apology to Ian as, with my fuddled mind after 4 games in a row, I completely forgot to take any photos of our game...

It was also just wrong that the two good guy armies were facing off against each other too.

Ian had:
Paladin, Virtue of Confidence, Lance of Artois
Paladin, BSB, Armour of Agilulf, Shrieking Blade, Potion of Foolhardiness
6 Knights Errant, Errantry Banner
5 KotR, Banner of Chalons
5 KotR, Banner of Swiftness
15 Peasant Bowmen, Braziers
15 Peasant Bowmen, Braziers
6 Mounted Yeomen, Shields
3 Pegasus Knights

In this game I used my bonus 100pt unit picked up in an earlier game, so got 7 Chameleon Skinks.

Ian’s army prayed, so I went first and forced the Yeomen to flee with the Chameleon shooting, and also sent forward the CoC and the Carnosaur to encourage the Knights Errant to charge.

This worked, and resultant carnage ensued where eventually the CoC got flank charged by the KotR with the General in it - they survived and reformed, blocking the Carnosaur from getting in amongst it (there was no other way...). The Peg Knights charged and eventually made a unit of Skrox flee after a couple of turns but wore the Carnosaur the turn after that.

2x Kroxigor made short work (eventually) of the BSB in about Turn 5.

20-0 to me

Overall results can be found here http://www.thefieldsofblood.com/2014/11/vermintide-results_17.html

I was pretty stoked to come away with Best Presented, that centrepiece model with the added distraction of the Bastiladon really paid off I think. Thanks everyone for your votes!

A big thank you to Neil for running it and the Wellington Warlords for hosting. Love these one day events!

And I am also happy my only failed prediction was 1st place. How could you do this to me Peter?? At least 2nd and 3rd were 1st and 2nd. And well done to Hugh for getting those 14 Bloodletters near a podium. That won’t happen again any time soon!

Next time? Less Carnosaur. And more Saurus Cav. And more Terradons. And play better.

Raaargheady to go

Army book and stuff? Check.
Soft list with insufficient models? Check.

Finished carnosaur? Check! Another thing down, woo hoo!

Vermintide this weekend!!

The reason I have been a bit quiet is that (apart from family 'stuff') the one-day WHFB tournament Vermintide is on this coming weekend. It's 1200pts, and 5 games on 5' x 4' tables with some unique and different scenarios. And I have been feverishly painting my Carnosaur. Normally I would have taken more of everything else, but I thought that it would be a good idea to use the tournament as a deadline to get this rather large model painted.

 

This is the soft and fluffy list I am taking:

 

Scar-Vet (General) – Light Armour, Charmed Shield, Tormentor Sword, Talisman of Protection, Carnosaur w/Loping Stride

Scar-Vet (BSB) – Light Armour, Shield, GW, Standard of Discipline, Cold One

Skink Cohort – 11 Skinks, 1 Kroxigor, Standard, Muso

Skink Cohort – 10 Skinks, 1 Kroxigor, Standard, Muso

Skink Skirmishers – Javelin& Shield

Cold One Riders – 6 COR, Spears, FC

Bastiladon – Solar Engine

 

A pretty mobile list apart from the Bastiladon, which I thought would be good to take for some* magical offence - some Terradons would have been nice but you can't have everything**

 

*Pretty much nothing

**... if you take a Carnosaur

Here are some WIPs - should be done no problems finishing for Saturday. Carnosaur just needs static grass, magnetic sheet, and a varnish. Scar Vet might get finished tonight!

RAAAAAAARRRRGGH!! <Boom> Ouch a cannonball!

My wife preferred the Old Blood while I preferred Kroq-Gar... so I mixed it up. Call me crazy!

Now onto the tournament - Games 1 and 2 are one of these unique scenarios - it pits the Defender with 1200pts against the Attacker with 1000pts. You play each role over the two games (against different opponents).

 

Deployment is per Battleline, with the defender choosing table sides. The attacker can then choose for the defender to deploy their forces first and give up first turn, or deploy alternatively and go first.

 

The attacker gets victory points for exiting units from the far table edge in the enemy’s deployment zone. The attacker receives double the original cost of the unit in victory points providing that it is still over half-strength, and the original unit cost if it is half-strength or below. Victory points are not awarded for any units using the special deployment rules (i.e. Vanguard, Ambush, Scout), or who have the Fly special rule.

 

To exit, the unit must make a normal move (not a march move – except relentless dwarfs) off the table. Alternatively it may pursue an enemy unit or overrun off the table. Once a unit has exited by way of a normal move it may not return. For a unit that exits by way of pursuit or overrun the player must declare their intent to return or not as it exits. A unit that returns does not count for bonus victory points unless it exits again.|

 

The first round draw has been completed. I am up against 1000pts of Daemons wielded by Ryan Stuart. His list is:

 

Herald of Tzeentch (General) – L2 Wizard

Daemonettes of Slaanesh – 25 Daemonettes, Musician, Standard, Standard of Swiftness

Pink Horrors of Tzeentch – 10 Horrors

Beasts of Nurgle – 4 Beasts

Skullcannon of Khorne (whatever happened to BLOODLETTERS OF KHORNE???? Oh that's right... Hugh Dixon is taking what seems to be the local supply...all 14 of them)

 

So it’s going to be a challenge – Ryan also has a lot of mobility with those Daemonettes and the Beasts and the everpresent threat of that ‘orrible Skillcannon.

 

Trust me to get one of the three lists with cannons first up... but I am sure it will be a fun game! 

Overall across the lists there are 2x Skullcannons (over two lists), 2x Warp Lightning cannons (in the same list!), 4x Reaper Bolt throwers (over two lists).

There's also 1 Terrorgheist, 1 Necrosphinx, 1 teeny weeny harmless Carnosaur (mine), a veritable redirect*** of eagles (in one list), some Mournfang, some Skullcrushers, an excessive**** of Wild Riders (in one list), a couple of L4's....and lots of this and that. They all look a lot scarier than my list.

*** That's what they are called in the Helf army...

**** That's what they are called in the Welf army...

Armies break down to:

37% forces of Chaos (WoC or DoC)

14% forces of the Undead (von Carstein and Tomb Kings)

21% PEG (one of each flavour)

7% Mercenaries (OK)

7% Humans (Bretonnians)

7% nasty nasty Ratties with their broken army book

7% Order of Light, fluff, and fairness (Lizards) 

So not a lot of good guys. The Bretonnians and I will fight the good fight though!

I am picking Peter Williamson to win, not because he's the TO's son (although... nah. Surely not) but because he a very good player and there's enough annoying stuff in his list like the veritable rain of arrows  :). Then it's a fight for second between Ryan Lister and his list of arrowed doom (oh and the Wild Riders) and Alan Hughes' rat swarm (and two WLC's...).

Right, I'm off to finish my Scar Vet!

A quick and general thanks...

One of the key things about this hobby is the constant need for ‘bitz’. And how to use them.

 

We all need 'bitz'. You may even notice at the bottom of the blog is a list of ‘stuff I need’ that I have attempted to articulate.

 

We’ve all got our individual creations that scream out for them. Whether it’s a particular style of backpack, a sword, a head, some models you need to flesh out a unit, or whatever – the creative flame may wax and wane and be different for all of us, but it is there nonetheless.

 

Now, I’ve been accused by someone who will remain nameless (until they out themselves by making a comment in the ‘Comments’ section) of being a bit of a magpie too.

 

Sure. I accept that. I do also ‘give back’ where I can to those people that I can help or who ask. It’s part of the roundabout circle-of-life nature of this hobby.

 

Part of the point of this blog is to actually put this collection of ‘bitz’ into good use. To try and create something physical out of all the ideas that have been bouncing around between my ears and the associated hoarding that has occurred.  

 

Over the years I have had immense assistance and input from a number of people into my hobby. This was just particularly reinforced the last week when out of the blue I received an email about the aforementioned list, and then a small parcel of ‘stuff’ arrived in the mail from Wes in Christchurch.    

 

And this random act has inspired this post – so, even if I have been thankful before for people's generosity, I would like to take another moment to acknowledge my appreciation, particularly to the following people (in no particular order) for the free offering of your advice, time, and occassionally your ‘bitz’ over the years:

• Pete Dunn
• John Tailby
• Jason Holland
• Alan Borthwick
• Wes Barclay
• Kevin O’Leary
• Jack Dunn
• Andrew Johnson
• Jason Isaac
• Chris Parkin
• Richard Dagger
• Craig Stewart
• David Eagles
• Greg Rae
• David Lewy
• Gareth Ackrill
• Geoff Cooper
• Glen Burfield
• Jason Wood
• Dave Taylor
• Mal Patel
• Mike King
• Paul Goldstone
• Warrick Craill
• Blaise St Laurent
• A number of Aussies on WargamerAU
• Probably a number of people I have missed (sorry!)

A big thanks to you all for helping feed my creativity, and to anyone I have helped out, I hope it fueled your creative flame also.

To carnosaur or not to carnosaur...

...that is the question.

Vermintide lists have to be in this weekend, and Neil the TO is allowing the 50% Lords/Heroes as per the GW FAQ.

So.

If I take a Scarvet onna carnosaur, I can take a BSB on a Cold One. And that's it, no magic defence.

Alternatively I could take 2x Scarvet (1x Gen, 1x BSB) on Cold Ones, a L1, and a Chief on a Terradon or Ripperdactyl for sorta the same points.

Taking a carnosaur means I get to paint a new model. Either way, it's going to be interesting.