Celestial Lions Kill Team (Part 8)

Welcome to Part 8 of this series, which we could subtitle as Icon and Decal Hell. After finishing off a side project or two, I got back to the grind of trying to finish off these guys. After a few touch ups it was time to focus on those Chapter badges, which I am doing by hand and with aid of a stencil.  The first thing I do is hand paint the basic shape, then I go over that with the stencil to guide the rest of the shaping process. I continue to tighten it up until I am satisfied with results.

The Chapter Icons, halfway thru the process.

The other side is also a time consuming process even though it looks like it shouldn't be. What I do is apply the Tactical Icon decal and paint over it. However those Space Marine shoulder pads are not at all welcoming to decals, and without Micro-Set I would go mad fooling with them.

Tactical arrows applied.

Next I added the '2' icons to their left knee pads, again using Micro-Set.

'2's added to knees.

Then using Folk Art English Mustard I paint over the white Tactical arrows. I had to do this in multiple layers which unfortunately made some of these appear 'muddy' or splotchy. Hopefully this won't appear so obvious after I seal the minis.

Arrows recolored.

After a few more touch-ups and detail chasing, it was time to glue on the backpack and bolter to these two guys below. They are to the point were I feel that I can declare them as 'done'.

Done! 

The other guy with the magnet arms, I am focusing on him next. Then the Vet. Sgt. After that I will only have the Land Speeder left to complete and I will be done with this Celestial Lion project. So close, yet so far... :)

Space Wolf Scouts (Part 2)

Progress continues on my Shadow War: Armageddon Space Wolf Scout Kill Team. In the first part of this series I showed a painted example of the late Rogue Trader era Space Wolf Scout paint scheme. The iconography at this time had the scout pack markings as being red on white, colors one would not typically associate with covert operations. But then the scouts from that time were just weird (puffy shirts, moon boots, etc.).

Current basecoats. 

With these guys I just dove into base coating them in a typical scheme close to how we often see these models painted. But I keep looking back on those older minis and thinking that I like the brashness of it all; the 'in your face' fearlessness of that attire. And I ponder if maybe it would be cool to just paint them that way for the hell of it. Granted I wouldn't go all the way with it (no white gloves or green boots) as over all I think that scheme can look a bit too "rhinestone cowboy" for it's own good. Anyway, I am weighing all of this 'out loud' per se to hear if anyone has an opinion on the matter before I go crazy with this...

The Deadly Assassins (Part 3)

Choosing a new spot for sniping.

It's been about a year since I turned my attention onto my Imperial Assassins, And I decided to do so again this time on mister firepower himself the Vindicare Assassin!

Sniping Dreadnoughts.

This is the first Vindicare Temple Imperial Assassin produced by GW. He is 20-21 years old now. This model has a strange pose but it does have a virtue of being able to see and identify each wargear item. The alternate sculpt that came out a few years later is actually in a shooting pose but has one leg propped up on a skull which looks silly in hindsight.

I base coated the whole model black and using the paint guide for White Dwarf Weekly #25 (the Execution Force issue) proceeded to follow the suggested steps.

A layer of Dark Reaper. 

This was my first time using Dark Reaper as a tone on black and I thought it worked out great as it has a subtle "electric" vibe that plays with your eyes. This was highlighted with Fenrisian Grey and that is where the WD Paint Splatter article stopped but I thought the colors popped a bit too much so I toned it back a bit with Nuln Oil. That result pleases me quite a bit and I think I will use this scheme again on the rest of my Assassins.

A layer of Fenrisian Grey then a wash if Nuln Oil.

Next was the face mask and Eye Lenses. These steps again followed the WD steps. The Lenses were based using Mephiston Red, a wash of Nuln Oil, a layer of Evil Sun on the lower parts, a very thin layer of orange on the lower area of the Lenses and then topped off with a dot of White Scar in the top corners. It was a lot of steps for such a small part of the model but I liked the results. The Mask itself was easy in comparison: a medium Grey, a mid-coat of Ulthuan Grey and layer of White Scar.

The completed Face Mask steps.

Next came the straps. This model has more straps than a S&M freakshow. But I liked the palette that the WD team chose to use as it contrasts nicely with the black areas without blending in or clashing. These were painted in Khorne Red (I used Scab Red which seemed like the perfect analog), washed in Nuln Oil and thinly high lighted with Pink Horror.

Straps!

The guns were painted using Caliban Green for a basecoat layered with Kabalite Green. I decided I liked this over the WD example as this was darker and less distracting.

With a few other details finished this guy was done. Added some grass tufts to the base and the model was truly done.

And done!

On the backside of the model you can see a cable the runs up to his mask. I painted this using Averland Sunset and hand painted the black stripes over it in even bars.

The backside.

And that is a wrap! I look forward to seeing him on a tabletop again striking fear into my opponents with his nasty shots.

...is it too late to add Dreadnought bits?

The Enveloping Situation

It felt like ages since our last Bolt Action game. About 2 seasons ago. Enough for us to forget a lot of the rules. But that wasn't gonna stop The Bob and I from having some WW2 fun!

See? -FUN!!!

We rolled up quite a fun mission: Double Envelopment. In this scenario we are both trying to get units across the table and through the enemy's deployment zone. If a unit leaves off of the enemy deployment zone that result is worth 3 VPs! If the game ends and you got a unit in the enemy deployment zone, that is worth 2 VPs. If you wipe out an enemy unit that is only worth 1 VP. This mission is more challenging than it sounds.

For some reason we have to put half of our forces into reserve and run them all in on Turn One. The other half is deployed by randomly die pulls.

British deployment force

British reserve force.

German Deployment force.

German reserve force.

 Like that the game was off. Much of the first turn was maneuvering and moving. My Artillery Foward Observer called a strike on one of the German Units and the Firefly killed a few men from the opposing infantry unit nearby, which seemed like an unnecessary waste of it's potential.  But that is about it.

It was a stinming shot.

End of Turn One.

Turn 2 and my artillery barage scatters in such a way as to catch my unit in cover behind the house, killing a few models and loading them down with pin markers. The German squad took no casualties. To make things more worrisome, that unit of mine that I just barraged also had an airstrike called upon it (that is what the larger flame counter is for) so anticipating the outcome of that was definitely worrisome.

Shelling our own troops! 

On Turn 2 the Panzer had moved into a position in which the Firefly could artempt to deal with it. I scored a perfect shot on it but managed to only stun it. Still, that would by me a round in which I wouldn't have to worry about it.

CLANG! Firefly stuns Panzer.

Turn 2 ended with a few more Pin Markers accumulated here and there, with my unit on the left behind the house taking the most abuse. My Forward Air Observer called a strike on the unit opposite the beleaguered blokes behind the house, while they remained Down and wondering when the German bomb will hit them! On the right flank the infantry unit waa making a push into my deployment zone and I sent the Firefly over to deal with them, but that was proving difficult to pull off. And in the middle my Leader in the Bren Carrier was making a push as well and was trading fire with a machince gun nest in the nearby brush.

End of Turn 2

The air strike hits the Brits behind the house, who are very close to being pinned to death at this point. The Bren Carrier kills the Machine Gun nest, and the Firefly survives a tank shell while also attempting to stop the German infantry from achieving their objective.

End of Turn 3 

The Germans close on the farmhouse, ignoring the incoming plane...

Turn 4 and the damned rookie pilot comes staffing in and blasts my own men doing considerable damage to my troops in the center of the table! All of my units there are now weighed down with Pin Markers! Ignoring the PIAT team, the Germans round the house and continue to harass the Downed British Infantry unit. The PIAT Team, bewildered to be alive, fire a shaped charge into the German Squad and actually manage to kill a guy!

Encounter at the farmhouse.

The Bren Carrier tried to stop the German unit that was making a push against my middle forces, but this proved to be a tactical error (I should have gunned it deeper into their Deployment Zone and towards the table edge!).

End of Turn 4

Turn 5 begins and I have a decision to make about my center units. All of which are loaded down with Pin Markers but each had the potential to make it into the enemy deployment zone. But the early die pulls favor the Germans..

The Panzer annihilates the Bren Carrier. The pinned and batter Commander bail out only to be gunned down by the German unit before them. Seeing their chance my middle Infantry Unit runs for the enemy line and makes it into their zone. The medic was about to do likewise but he was gunned down.

"What's banzi in german?"

Done with messing with the infantry unit behind the building, they decided to go for the easy kill (and avenge their friend) and engage the PIAT team in close quarters. It was a quick and brutile demise for the PIAT Team.

End of Turn 5.

With the German Infantry team making it off of the board on my far right flank, Bob was able to secure another 3 VPs making his tally, along with his three kills (Bren Carrier, Command Section. Medic and PIAT Team) a total of 7 VPs to my 3 VP (Machine Gunners, 2 VP for the one unit in his DZ).

Earning that Tiger Fear

It was a challeging and hard fought battle. My FOOs FUBARed their strikes and did more damage to me than they did their targets leaving me in some very dire straights. One of the things I should have done was attempt to get the unit that was behind the building into the damned building but they spent the whole game pretty much Down (and as a result, Out).

It was torture wasting the Firefly on that infantry unit. Even though I was hurting them, it wasn't enough to eliminate them and they were able to make it through my lines. I would have been better served if I had just focused on that panzer.

Again fun, though challenging, mission and game. Thanks again Bob. Hopefully I can get some new units built before I play again. I feel that the PIAT and Light Mortar would serve the war cause better by staying in the miniature box...

The Emperor's Will

After too many slanderous remarks about the glorious Space Wolves were overheard in transmissions broadcasted by the Lions of Harlech from their recently annexed daemon world, it was time to act.

And act defiantly.

The liberation of the enslaved and cowed populace of the H'bytwn Hive City was to be at hand. The Lions had placed a cruel and vile Chaplain in charge of rounding up "volunteers" to work in the hellish conditions of the marshmellow factoriums. It was by the Will of The Emperor that this cruel despot and abuser of the Imperial Decree be shown a fitting punishment. And by the grace of the Emperor's mercy, his punishment shall be delivered quick and by way of the Vindicare Temple. It would be the Space Wolves mission to secure vital resources while luring the Lion's Chaplain into the open for the Assassin to do his work.

Hive City H'bytwn, eastern edge.

We agreed to 1500 points. My force was led by Rune Priest Jarl Blacktooth. He was kitted out in Terminator armor, Storm Bolter and a Force Axe. A unit of Wolf Guard all armed with power swords and storms bolter (with exception of the one assault cannon) would also join the fray. Two squads of Grey Hunters each with a Rhino. A Venerable Dreadnought would play support along with a Predator tank and a Vindicator. A squad of missile launcher armed Long Fangs would complete the Heavy Support. A Drop Pod was purchased for the Wolf Guard, or the Dread, to deploy from in the Lion's back field. And finally, a Vindicare Assassin.

Mustered on the edge.

My strategy for the Drop Pod had to be scratched upon arrival to the game due to me totally forgetting to bring the case that it's in. I quickly substituted the points for two Wolf Guard Leader upgrades for the Grey Hunters. The facepalm moment during deployment was that I couldn't put the squads into their Rhinos due to the Termie armor, but I managed to make the best of it.

My Warlord Trait gave the Runepriest "and his unit" Feel No Pain 5+, which I thought was rather bad ass, so he would for sure become attached to the Wolf Guard now.

Space Wolf set up.

We rolled for the game and The Emperor's Will with the diagonal table set up. Kushial got to pick his corner and set up first.

Assassin deployed. 

" I took a chaplain in terminator armor and 5 TH/SS terminators in a Land Raider Redeemer, 2 ten man scout squads with cloaks and bolters, 2 Dreadnoughts with 2 twin linked Autocannons each, 3 five man Devastator Squads with 4 missile launchers each, and that was it.  No tac squads, no Ironclads, no Drop Pods, and no Sternguard." -Kushial

Lions deployment.

Lions deployment alternate angle.

With a bang, the Lions of Harlech start the game. His 2nd squad of Scouts seize the objective in his zone while also maintaining cover. The Land Raider Redeemer full of Terminators and the Chaplain surges forward. A few hull points are picked off of a Rhino and the Predator and the Venerable Dreadnought is also shaken from enemy fire. The Lions Devestator killed 2 Long Fangs. Not quite the start the Lions had hoped for but they were able to use this turn to solidify their positions.

The Space Wolves launched forward, with the Vindicator scoring a hit on the Landraider and with some very high rolls blasted it to pieces! Stepping from the smoking ruin are the Death Star incarnate of the Chaplain Terminator and his goon squad of Thunderhammer and Stormshield wielding Terminators.

Big boom!

The Long Fangs returned fire on the Devestator squad that killed two of their brothers killing at least one guy other there.

The Vindicare, who I selected to deal with the Lion's Dreadnoughts (because usually Kushial runs a lot of Dreads, not just two) took a shot at one of the Rifleman Dreads shooting right through the thing, but sadly he only shook it.

Over on my left flank the Grey Hunters and their Rhino sought to rid themselves of the annoying scouts that were occupying the tall ruins. Those camo cloaks proved to be amazingly effective however and only a few died.

The situation ar the end of Turn One.

Turn 2
Invigorated by the affront of having their revered Land Raider blown up, the Lions clawed back. The Venerable Dreadnought was blown to hell as was the Rhino on my right flank. The predator would lose another hull point as well. The Scouts and the Grey Hunters would continue to clash with both sides taking additional casualties.

Desperate to defend my Vindicator from the revenge seeking Terminators, I moved it back and sent the Wolf Guard in to tackle them. Seeing him in the open the assassin sniped a wound away from the Terminator Chaplain. The Predator removed a Hull Point from one of the other Rifleman Dreads. Other than the continuing fire fight between the Scouts and the Grey Hunters, I don't think much else of note occured in the shooting phase.

The Wolf Guard charged the Terminators, with the Rune Priest issuing a challenge to the Chaplain. With his Runic Force Axe fully charged he struck down his foe, slaying The Subjugator of H'bytwn.

The melee of epicness.

The rest of the fight was brutal and fairly one sided with only one other Lion Terminator falling, while the Wolf Guard lost four of their pack. The Feel No Pain was totally nullified against those hammers, and I botched the invulnerable saves.

"Retreat! Retreat!!!"

Turn 3
More Scout/Grey Hunter shooting with the Scouts whittled down to just three troops, who refused to flee. Unlike my Long Fangs who took another casualty and then promptly fled the field (guess we now know why they have such a long life span). The Lion Terminators charged my surviving Wolf Guard and Runepriest, losing one of their number and killing the last Wolf Guard. The Rune Priest and termies would be locked until my Assault phase when the stormhammers would ultimately prove too overwhelming for the Runepriest.

Vengeance Lion style.

Turn 4.

The Termintors continued their march, targeting the Predator for assault. Their hammers smashed the tank into scrap metal. However the resulting explosion snuffed one of them, leaving a Space Wolf gray colored bit of scrap in place of his two hearts.

The Grey Hunters left to defend the objective (which BTW, is a freaking bomb that I had to test for at the end of all my turns) finally had a target in range, and they opened up on those two remaining Terminators, actually killing one of them!

High from his perch, the Vindicare shoots the other Lion Dread, blowing it up.

Smash and bash!

The Grey Hunters finally was able to reach the Scouts and killed them down to single man. A man that would not break!

"You will never take me filth dogs!"

Turn 5 and the Lion Terminators are now down to one man. Realizing that this lone Termie is giving kushial the Line Breaker VP, Kushial pulled him back into cover, fearful of the bolter storm that the Grey Hunters rained on his squad last round.

Defeating the lone Scout, the grey hunters moved deeper into the ruins to pursue the Devestators. They killed one, but the attention they gained from this action raised the fury of almost all of the reserve Lions...

Turn 6, the battle rages on! Those Grey Hunters making their way through the ruins definitely caught Kushial's attention, and after a few units poured their shots into them they simply ceased to be. The only thing I had left was a Rhino, which was making the futile attempt to kill the remaining Terminator (seriously, that guy swatted away a hunter killer missile like it was a gnat!), the squad of Grey Hunters behind the bunker that was holding an objective, and the Vindicare Assassin. 

The state of things, bottom of Turn 6

I did have a satisfying final shot with the Vindicare who took out the final Dreadnought with an awesome precision shot!  With that the game was over.

A quick VP tally shows that we tied, which made Kushial's slaying of that Grey Hunter unit so important as they would have earned the Wolves a Linebreaker VP which would have eeked out a win for the Wolves. Kushial is Claiming a moral victory due to the body count, and all things considered I think I can live with that. Also he seemed a bit bitter about my use of an assassin, but let's be honest, what is in the Space Wolf Codex that can come close to pasteing Dreadnoughts like that that guy can?

"Ohhhh...yeah,"

Fun game, definitely challenging!

 Had I remembered that Drop Pod it would have been completely different but there was still a good tale to tell. My positioning of the Wolf Guard made it hard to get them to the targets that they would have been more effective against. In the end, those power swords were all but useless against the Lion Terminators. If I could have brought them to bear against his regular Devestators or Scouts it would have been a blood bath.

My Venerable Dreadnought was a total disappointment. That model used to be so amazing back in 3rd edition (actually, this whole army was!) hopefully he will be restored in the upcoming 8th edition (and the wolves too!).

 Also, my Runepriest had only Witchfire powers and never had a viable LOS target in range to make use of them. The only thing he could do was charge up his force weapon.

The Vindicator had a great shot against the Landraider Redeemer, but it was the only great shot it had. Still, it earned it's points.

My one take-away from this game is that I really need to build some Thunderhammer & Stormshield Wolf Guard, they simply rock!

Thanks again Kushial, we shall clash again....