Which new army?

Image property of Games Workshop ltd.

I have spent most of the year, since last october actually, building and playing 40k. But as the season turns, and the nights are getting longer, the first green shoots are springing up, the F1 season starts (perfect painting background), change is in the air, Wrestlemania is upon us where all stories lines conclude (TNA continue to let me down), I find my tiny little mind turning to pastures new and an urge to start a new project overcomes me.

Not only do I want to start up Warhammer Fantasy again, I want to start a whole new army. I'm bored with my Averland Empire for the minute. I won't sell them, they'll just get boxed up and put in cold storage.

So I found myself stood in front of the wall of Warhammer in my local GW trying to decide what army to invest in 

Warriors of Chaos = Good Painting projects, loads of conversions potential, already have some models, Very tasty range of models. BUT .... I'm not sure if I would enjoy the style of play, I get the feeling people will just consider me a follower of fashion. X

Vampire Counts = I would quite like to do an Old Necarch themed army with loads of sewn up unfortunates (maybe new Dark eldar bits will be suitable), I like the skeleton plastics BUT .... There are probably enough Vampire Count armies in the world. I feel I would need bulky units and the boxes are only 10 at a time, seems like it could get expensive. X

Tomb Kings = They are getting a new range in the next month, My very first Warhammer Book was "Undead" (1993?) and my first warhammer model Arkhan the Black on his Manticore Chariot. I still have an old Nagash knocking about at my parents house I think. But .... The Egyptian theme isn't really inspiring me at the moment and from what i here the playing style is quite methodical, not very creative. Not many units choices that sing to me X

Lizardmen = Something I haven't painted before, sounds like they are fun to play with BUT .... None of the models really inspire me except the Slaan, the Aztec theme would interesting but like the Tomb Kings its not sparking any ideas right now. I really hate the plastic fish tank leafs people put on the bases. X

Deamons of Chaos = Loads of converting and painting potential, I'm told they are killer army BUT .... I don't want to be thought of as another bloody deamon player, They don't really float my boat as an entire army. X


Orcs and Goblins = New book, fun army, great to paint, fun models BUT .... I'm not entirely won over by every model in the range. I'd want to move away from Night Goblins, The forest goblins feathers and exotica turn me off, though the Arachnarok is a cool model. I'd want a grubbier, marshy horde. I'd call them Bog Goblins and Boggarts. X


Beastmen = I had an army in 6th edition, still got the models. BUT .... would probably want to re-do the army. Not many units in the army that I look at and think cool looking. They pig upsets me. The minotaur legs upset me. The Shaggoth vanishing upsets me the replacement monsters with no model to represent them upsets me.  X

Dark Elves = tempted, I think the models look superb. The banners would be fun to paint. BUT .... I could find them hard to master, there seem to be enough Dark Elves in the world at the moment. X

Skaven = cool models, loads of conversion potential and new paint techniques to try. sound fun. BUT .... lots of people have started skaven armies, lots of models. X

Ogre Kingdoms = old book, think i should wait for new one. X

Brettonians = old book, think i should wait for new one. X

High Elves = nice models, fun to paint BUT .... not feeling the whiter than white vibe, maybe for another time. X

Empire = already got X

Dwarfs = quite like the celtic braiding and the character models. BUT .... the core models are terrible, little pyramid people,don't want a black powder gunline army. X

Wood Elves = another old army i used to collect many many years ago. like the background, BUT .... don't like all the models in the range, little fairies and cheap looking imps clinging to stuff really annoy me, might be hard for me to master style of play, HOWEVER I fell like I will take them YES

Something sparked in my imagination with the Wood Elves I was thinking of an Owl themed army with War Hawks converted to war Owls and little owls sat on banners or characters. And maybe from the Glade of Eternal Moonlight. Black, blues and white. A couple of wizards, some dyrads, some horses, archers of course, 1 unit of eternal guard with blades glinting in the moonlight, Waywatchers, maybe dark coloured WarDancers.

Space Wolves

In preparation for a tournament at my local GW, I have started a new army. A 40k army.  Intially the tournament will be 500pts, then a 750 pt tournament and finally a 1250 pt tournament by January giving everyone the chance to collect a new army from scratch and grow along with it over the months.

But what army did I want to collect? I already had Alpha Legion Chaos Space Marines, based on the books, not the version in the computer games. So another Chaos Space Marine force was out of the question. I asked what other armies had already been picked. Necrons, tick, Orks, tick, Tyranids, tick, Eldar, tick, Imperial Guard, several ticks, Tau, tick, Chaos Deamons, tick. I asked has no one taken Space Marines? No, well, John is taking Blood Angels. So I decided Space Marines had a slot free, but than just Space Marines, I thought lets have a fruity alternative Space Marine to bring more colour to the tournament.

So, I picked, as the title gives away, Space Wolves.

A legion I have never really loved and had even more cosmetic problems with in this edition.

Now, you may already know this about me, but I specialised in Vikings at Birmingham University, while doind a degree in Archaeology and Geology. I have a great fondness for the Northmen, their artefacts, and their sagas. It is a bit of a passion.

And Space Wolves have always left me cold.

There is something about that has never rung authentic to me about noble marines, drinking beer. I've always found the stories associated with codices and rule books make them thoughtless, brutish, childlike comedy stock. I couldn't take them as a serious threat to anyone. I couldn't take them seriously as a part of the Imperium. They seemed foolish.

With the latest releace it appeared even worse, with Canis Wolfborn (or wolf wolfson as I think of him) riding a Thunder Wolf with twin wolf claws that seem to make it impossible to hold any reigns so god knows how he stays on the cow shaped behemoth he sits astride. I mean its really silly. I hate it.

And yet as I have studied the book, I have come to find the parts of the Sons of Russ that I like. The Great Companys each individualised and well described. The cover art, of a truly menancing warrior storm lasheda nd knee deep in snow, in dark grey armour matching the grim future in which there is only war, with red shoulderpads decorated with gold interlaced braiding very much like the runestone grave artefacts of real Vikings.

Space Wolves Codex: the picture that defines Space Wolves for me.

I can see their place in scheme of the Imperium better now for having read the codex thoroughly. They embody the final resting place of free moral judgement in the crushing beurocracy of humanity's existence. Each is raised to be a hero, to exercise moral choice and individual courage, and live or die by that choice. And they are frequently on the wrong side of the authorities in their history. Refusing to hand over imperial world's to inquisitor's because they know the citizens will be purged. Out and out fights with loyalists when they feel they have been too cruel to poor old bog standard humans. The tale of the first armeggedon war, and the Spce Wolves nearly starting a civik war in protest at how the loyal Imperial Guard survivors were en masse sent to penal colonies so word of the deamon's od Angron would not spread. They have a healthy rebelious streak that I find appealling to say the least. And after haing read the excellent Horus Heresy book Thousand Sons they don't always get it right and they know it. The codex is full of regrets and bad choices, that the style of warrior training can only expect to have as a down-side. These aren't the literal, dogmatic, parade ground super stars of the Ultramarines. And yet they probably share closest the trait of caring for the basic citizenry and knowing the Emperer's message of what a Space Marine was for. The guardian of the real focus of the Great Crusade, the average human. Two Legions poles apart and yet converging on the same ethical ground. The ground upon which the whole 40k Universe is opposed to. The exception that proves the rule as it were. No wonder Logan Grimnar is one of the most famous and loved personalities in the Imperium. He actually cares.

Anyway, I had justified to myself why I should take Space Wolves but what should I take?

I decided on the Great Company of Sven Bloodhowl, to be a little different and because he had the next best symbol, the firebreathing wolf.

Then I had a look at what two troops I could take. Blood Claws are juvenile recruits with WS 3 and BS 3 but still in power armour and with hack'n'slash rules. They get to counter charge a charger. They get +2A when they charge themselves. With a hand weapon and pistol (+1A) that'd be 4 Attacks per model on the charge. But they have to charge if within 6" in the shooting phase. So they have lots of Attacks but not quality attacks and they could go off half cock.

Grey Hunters are tactical marines with benefits and the second option for a Troop choice. They too can counter attack and also have WS 4, BS 4 plus the holy boltgun as standard compred to Blood Claws. They get the same upgrade options (no heavy weapon), plus a once-per-game re-roll in the assault phase for an extra 10 points, or a model with D6+1 Attacks and rending close combat special rule for 15 points. The upgrades are assault orientated as you can see. The codex makes demands that you get up close to your opponent.

I took 8 Blood Claws gave one a power fist, for boxing vehicles, and one a meltagun, again for dealing with big stuff. And I put them in a Drop Pod so they could get a charge as they arrived, or disrupt my opponent if they were bossing the game.

None of my Blood Claws wears a helmet and I have chosen the most ferocious faces I could find to better convey their special rules.

To help boost their accuracy at hitting with all those attacks I gave them the HQ choice as a leader. A Chaplain come Apothecary, the Wolf Priest. He has a cruzius to hit with, he has a rosary (wolf amulet) for the invulnerable save, and he gives his squad "prefered enemy" allowing them a better chance of hitting. Just what the doctor ordred. To keep within the points I gave the Wolf Priest runic armour (an extra pip of save and an invulnerable against psychic attacks) and a combi-melta so i had another melta-gun if I needed it. I would have liked to give him melta bombs or a Saga, or a wolftooth necklace. but points are precious at the moment.

My converted Wolf Priest, awaiting a coat of paint.

Finally I took a squad of 10 Grey Hunters, one with a free flamer the other upgrade being another flamer. Just to really make the most of the templates. I may have made a foolish pick, and revert to Meltaguns but the flamer option was free and potentiall hits a lot of models. A lot of dice rolling, even with a poor AP I'm bound to kill one or two on percentages. Quantity of dice over quality of dice here. I put this squad in a Rhino to give them some protection in the first turn, and manouevrability if i don't need the protection.

The way I see tjhe force working is the Grey Hunters are out in the Rhino APC surveying and hunting out enemy contacts. When they make on they go into a defensive mode and call in the wolf pack that cmes howling into the atmosphere in the Drop Pod. With the Blood Claws and Wolf Priest laying in to all around the Grey Hunters close in like a disciplined predator, laying down withering fire and then closing in for a superior hack'n'slash to kill all survivors. It works in my mind, just got to try it on the tabletop. I will keep you informed.

Warhammer Terrain

Some bits and bobs I'm working on. Next is three sections of Flaming Fence. Then a Vin yard, with removable vins, so you can march through it.

These are three sections of spooky "Ghost Fence" one of the new terrain you could have on the table with the 8th Edition Warhammer Rulebook.

And this is the Sorcerous Portal which if you get in 6" could cast something good or bad on you ever turn. I wanted more candles to be honest. But I may green stuff a few more of them.

A World of Chaos. A Time of Heroes. An Age of War. A Summary of Warhammer 8th.

My Empire General, "Mad" Marius Lietdorf, is back in the saddle

Well I recieved my Rulebook many weeks ago now on the 8th of July and have had chance to let it all sink in. After the hype and the flood of opinions what do I make of the new edition. And given my earlier article on the release questioning the timing of the rulebook it deserves an answer.

As I pointed out a few months ago, it seemed that five years was a bit soon for a new release of the core rulebook, something that every warhammer gamer would need to buy to continue in the hobby realistically. It is one of the few things in Games Workshops repertoire that can command such a high amount of sales. That they wanted, or needed, to use this ace card for the second time in five years, and the third time in ten years, was as I pointed out in April, a bit suspect. I won't repeat the fiscal and sentimental investigation I made then here, you should read that post yourself below.

The new rules have been met in most places with very positive reviews. I myself find I strongly agree with the thorough review given by BadDice Podcast and recommend everyone listen to it. In terms of pure game mechanics it should be celebrated forbeing clear in its language and tidying up many of the legal loopholes that cheesed us off. Good, simple, clear english in the rules with full colour diagrams. I found that even I was exploiting a legal loophole now that friendly units can never be closer than 1" inch to each other and have had to budge my Outriders and Detachments judicously apart. Quite right too.

But more than the game mechanics has been the book itself. Heaving like an Ogre's gut with extra material on the hobby, on cool miniatures, on the background, on giant pictures, on heroic last stands, on Thunderbarge's, on creating your own scenarios, on Ostland under siege, on web vidoe commentaries by the designers. This has been a great meal fully garnished. And I have relished it all. For this Games Workshop does deserve fulsome praise, you have filled my month with childlike wonder and magic again.

But what does all this mean to the company?

A look at the share price is as revealing and appealling as Keeley Hazell's birthday suit. I have to credit the Financial Times for all this data, and encourage you all to look for yourselfs. This three month snap shot graph of the company's share pirice shows an almost vertical spike at the start of July and consistent growth since then. Indeed they are approaching close to the highest price the company has hit in five years. I would also like to say that the flat part of the graph that can be seen in May is still a massive 77p up on what Games Workshop was trading at last year. It is all a success story. As the core product should be. You cannot repeat this every year, so Games Workshop has to be making hay during this magnificent harvest summer for them.

A really significant pointI want to make is how Games Workshop has been performing compared to the rest of the FTSE100. I should explain that the FTSE 100 is the average price of the 100 best companies in the UK. This year that avergae has fallen 7%, and had two rough years before that. Now Games Workshop had a tough 2008 and a stable 2009 but 2010 is starting to look very good. In comparison to the FTSE 100 GamesWorkshop's share performance has risen superbly and continues to pull away. Note this is only one way to measure a company. A way to measure a company by people who are not devoted fans of its product like you and I are. A happy return to health.

Wallets are going to be bitten on hard during 2011 and 2012 in th UK and Games Workshop has to work harder to attract each pound coin. Price increases have already been announced by Games Workshop in an effort to cover costs. I will warn you it cannot repeat playing this trump card of a core rulebook release. It will be interesting to see what July 2011 is like.

Sergeant Harker

So I have finished Sgt. Harker for a competition at my local Games Workshop Hobby Store. I think you'll agree its an ace face, I'm quite happy with how its come out and you have to say that is helped massively by how lovely the sculpt is. Its a beautiful miniature.

The "slabs of muscle" as described in his army entry in the Imperial Codex, are there on the model, long and broad and ready to be filled with paint. Adding extra lines to the muscle gives it a fibre and tensing look, and really brings the model to live. It is the flesh on this model that I feel proudest of.

The metallic less so. I ran out of time and got a bit rushed and thought that drybrushed metallic paint over black will do. And frankly I think its a bit of second division painting that detracts from the things I've done well. I'm a bit disappointed with it.

The base was just a standard gaming base (sand, scorched brown, dry brushed bestial, dry brushed bleached bone, pva static grass) so that I can give the model to my brother and he can get some use out of Sgt. Harker in his Imperial Guard Corps.

I will take some more shots of models I've painted shortly, updating the Sorcorer and the Defiler when I can.

Catch - Up!

Sorry for a while between posts I had a busy-time at work, due to someone getting married and going on honeymoon (many, many happy wishes go with you Kerry and Andy), and then I went on holiday to America, photo provided below. This year i didn't see a bear. Or the Motorcity Machineguns. But that has nothing to do with Warhammer so...

Things what I 'ave bin up to: 1) War of the Rings, beginner's winning streak. Putting in a superfast Elfhelm's Riders formation now. Converting a Marshall Elfhelm from Marshall of the Riddermark model. Green stuff helmet not brilliant. 2) Just 4 hours before leaving for Heathrow, I played a 2000 point game of 40k against my brother's new Imperial Guard. My Chaos Space Marine's won 7-4 on Kill Points. But in actually game terms I was pretty much dominant from start to finish after a superb 1st turn of shooting and better use of terrain. 3) Painted Kal Jericho and Scabbs for a competition trying out the white undercoat theory. it was certainly bolder. 4) bought a magnifer lamp with daylight bulb from Maplins. Now that's a hell of a difference!!! 5) painting Sgt. Harker for a competition in 5 days... photo's to come.

Thats what I have been up to, but of course many, many things have been happening in the world of Games Workshop. 10/07/10 will be the release date of Warhammer Rulebook 8th Edition, as I have mentioned before. I have put down a pre-release order fro the Collector's Edition, the normal edition, and the NEW magic card deck!

I did question the necessity of new rules for Warhammer, and having gone through a copy at my local GW Store with the ever effervescent Irish John guiding my eyes, it isn't just a tidy up around the edges. There is serious change in this book in nearly ever section of the game. And I see the effects of War of the Ring, (measure when and what you want, charge rolls, wider units (hoardes)) and 40k (even partial hits are hits under a template. scatter artillery dice -BS, troop types) but it is still its own game entirely i think. Whether it remains the Master Game, the man amongst the boys, the pinnacle of table-top tactics, remains to be seen (I'm sure it will).

For a thorough and more enjoyable preview of the new army book Bad Dice Podcast has a brilliant episode up this week. I highly recommend it.

Finally there will be new Deamon models in July/August, with some lovely sculpts representing some of the characters in the Army Book/Codex that are yet to be released. New Plastic River Trolls, and the most Dynamic Boar Boyz ever! I think the Boar Boyz should already go into that Citadel Miniatures Hall of Fame. Quite astounding. And, for the moment, they are only £15. I wish Great Sword's were as good value for money, I'd put a Hoard of them in my 8th Edition Army. Anyway. Also coming soon some Internet only Empire civilians, one with a dancing bear! I have already picked out the moustachioed, dashing gent with a chest full of medals to be a hero for my Empire Army.

Exciting Times Ahead!

The Ride of the Rohirrim

"Now for wrath, now for ruin, and a red nightfall!"

The War of the Ring is upon us, I tell you. The single book to play massed battles of Lord of the Rings Strategy Battle Games has been out for nearly 18 months now, and in May a new expansion is being released full of epic potential.

I have recently been convinced to give the Lord of the Rings tabletop game a go again after some time where I had let it slip. Mostly because I moved to a new town and it has never been my undying love, like say Warhammer Fantasy Battle, or 40k have. I did enjoy the skirmish game though. I really enjoyed it and I got beaten about 80% of the time. In 2004 I think it was the game I played most. Firstly for its ease to pick up the rules. Secondly because of the relative speed of a game and to set-up a table. One hour all said and done. But like I say I moved towns and left it all behind.

Until now.

On the eve of the new Battlehosts book, my head has been turned back to the One Ring. Previously I have had bands of warriors from Gondor, Uruk Hai, and my indomitable Dwarves. But in the old version of the game I only ever had 8 or so warriors on the table at a time. My collection is limited.

In this new version of the game 8 warriors make up a single stand, called a company. a collection of companys makes up a fighting unit called a Formation. And you have several formations in an army. However It cost about £16 to get 24 warriors so that will make pretty formidable formation relatively cheaply.

But who should I choose?

There is something that stirs my heart about an epic cavalry charge. There is something of the viking artisanship that appeals to my soul. There is something in the Anglo-Saxon names that chimes in my head. And as for their forlorn battlecries and deathwish saga's, well, it works for me.

I have decided to test my mettle on the Riddermark, sat high in the saddle like a complete novice my thighs chafed and red raw. I have my debut game tomorrow, tuesday the 27th.

So my novice army list is:

Theoden, King of Rohan  125pts      as my Compulsary Hero

4 Companys of Warriors of Rohan    80pts           as my Compulsary Common Formation

2 Companys of bowmen         40pts                   Common Formation

2 Companys of Sons of Eorl Cavalry          235pts         Rare Formation

w/ Marshall, Banner Bearer, Hornblower

Total: 480 pts  

To make it up to 500 points in the end I will add either one more company of bowmen or one more company of warriors. I will have to save up for them.

To those in the know how does list sound as an effective force? Will it cut the mustard? I think initially it is a pretty high fight value and a good charge, but pretty low defence values that could mean it melts away the longer the battle goes on. It has punch, King Theoden really improves everything around him, and the sons of eorl can terrorize most things in the world, but this army needs to hit a knockout early for risk of a glass jaw.

Anyway some more inspiring lines to finish, that would have me charging into certain death for the lost cause, for lost friends, and for lost innocence. I have a Rohan Mindset already.

"Arise! Arise, riders of Théoden! Spears shall be shaken, shields shall be splintered - a sword day, a red day, ere the sun rises! Ride now! Ride now! Ride! Ride to ruin, and the world's ending! Forth Éorlingas!"