Shenanigan BS

 

"Shenanigans here, Shenanigans there, Shenanigans everywhere!"

Welcome back! Still being out of work due to Doctor's orders, I have had more opportunities to play Warhammer 40,000 lately. And in this opportunity I was able to arrange a game with Screech who I've not played a game with in a very long time! And with him moving away soon to a promising future, we had to capitalize on this opportunity to play. So we met at The Outpost and mustered our forces. 

Fresh from their tangle with the Tyranids they felt like hunting xenos of a more techno nature. Truth is, I wanted to play the Ultramarines (it was March for Macrage month after all) but I just wasn't able to get them to a playable and transportable state. So these gluttons for punishment volunteered their services. It's the same list I used against the Tyranids, but with a Librarian and a Landraider added on (ignore the Venerable Dreadnought, he was just there to offer his insight and advice). 

1300 points of Deathwatch. 

Screech produced his Necrons, who were optimized for maximum death.

In fact, here's the full roster*:

Ahrancris Patrol (1300 points)

Necrons

Strike Force (2000 points)

Awakened Dynasty

CHARACTERS

Orikan the Diviner (80 points)

  • Warlord

  • 1x Staff of Tomorrow

Plasmancer (75 points)

  • 1x Plasmic lance

  • Enhancement: Veil of Darkness

Technomancer (80 points)

  • 1x Staff of light

  • Enhancement: Nether-realm Casket

BATTLELINE

Immortals (140 points)

  • 10x Immortal

    • 10x Close combat weapon

      10x Tesla carbine

Immortals (140 points)

  • 10x Immortal

    • 10x Close combat weapon

      10x Tesla carbine

Immortals (140 points)

  • 10x Immortal

    • 10x Close combat weapon

      10x Tesla carbine

Immortals (140 points)

  • 10x Immortal

    • 10x Close combat weapon

      10x Tesla carbine

OTHER DATASHEETS

Canoptek Doomstalker (135 points)

  • 1x Doomsday blaster

    1x Doomstalker limbs

    1x Twin gauss flayer

Canoptek Doomstalker (135 points)

  • 1x Doomsday blaster

    1x Doomstalker limbs

    1x Twin gauss flayer

Canoptek Reanimator (75 points)

  • 2x Atomiser beam

    1x Reanimator’s claws

Canoptek Wraiths (110 points)

  • 3x Canoptek Wraith

    • 3x Particle caster

      3x Vicious claws

Lokhust Heavy Destroyers (50 points)

  • 1x Close combat weapon

    1x Enmitic exterminator

A force of three squads of Immortals armed with Tesla Carines (Str 5, Assault with Sustained Hits 2...nasty!) The Plasmancer was attached  to an Immortal Squad. The Technomancer was attached to a squad of Canoptek Wraiths, another squad of Immortals was led by Orikan the Diviner. 

1300 of necron mess. 

Our Primary Mission was Purge the Foe (my third time in a row playing this one), Chosen Battlefield was the Mission Rule and Hammer and Anvil was the Deployment card we pulled. 

I decided to Deep Strike in all my DW Terminators so I placed the rest of the force in a defensive posture in a corner of my Deployment Zone and on an Objective. 

Deathwatch deployment. 

Full field deployed. 

The Deathwatch won the roll-off to go first. The Deathwatch Bikers zipped out and claimed the next Objective. The Landraider opened up on one of the Doomstalkers, the Oath of Moment target for this round, putting 6 Wounds on it. 

Objective secured! 

On the Necrons Turn 1, the combined firepower of the big machines knocked about half of the Wounds off of the Landraider. While the Immortals that could target the Bikers killed half of the squad. 

Deathwatch VPs: 2

Necrons VPs: 5

Objective under fire!

After a fairly soft first turn, it was about to get, as they say, "real".  At the start of Deathwatch Turn 2, the DW Bikers rolled a 12 on their Battleshock test, totally committing to holding that Objective. Furor Tactics in play really helped get the hits but it was the Terminators, all of whom I brought in on this turn via Deep Strike, that helped turn the tide. One squad brought down one of the Doomstalkers the other opened up on a unitl of Immortals and finished them off in the Fight Phase. Over confident they consolidated closer to the Wraiths. 

The Terminators gain a foot hold. 

The third group of Terminators were not so fortunate. Despite supporting fire from the DW Bikers the big unit of Immortals on top of the big rock with an objective on it. 

At the end of my Fight phase the Plasmancer teleported his unit of Immortals away. And at the start of Necrons Turn 2 he rematerialzed on the other side of the table within gun range of the Chaplin and the Deathwatch Vets who were holding, what they thought, was the securest objective. They were promptly erased by the fire power of the Immortals and the Plasmancer. 

Then came the quote of the night: "I'm pulling some shenanigan bullshit!" As he moved his wraiths over the Terminators nearest to them. This triggers a special rules they have that hits the enemy unit moved over with Mortal Wounds. Ouch. But the Terminators weathered that and fought well against the Wraiths who they were now locked in melee with. 

Turn 2 VPs 

Deathwatch: 21

Necrons: 13

If the Deathwatch was winning at this point, it didn't feel like it.  Their assets were spread quite wide and their gains were costly. The secondary objectives achieved in that round (No Prisoners and Bring it Down) were replaced on Turn 3 with ones that would be very challenging to achieve, and I didn't have the CPs to spare to burn a card. 

The fight for the ridge top.

But I wanted that objective in my DZ back so I zipped the Landraider up (which at this point only had one Wound left!) and deployed the Librarian. To help them out I even made the Plasmancer and his Immortals the Oath of Moment target for this round. He was going to Smite the Immortals and Charge them. Maybe? Not sure as the Immortals overwatched him and, even with a 4+ Invulnerable Save, was executed before he set foot off the Landraider's Assault ramp. The Landraider raider tore into the Immortals and despite killing a few of them, was unable to assault the Immortals. 

A heroic suicide 

On the other side all of fights were now locked and engaged. The Terminators and Wraiths continued to dance in melee, while the other squad charged into the other Doomstalker but just couldn't bring it down. 

"This Doomstalker is harder to kill than the first one!"

Necrons Turn three and the only the Landraider and bikers were not locked in close combat. Despite being the sole survivor for a few Fight phases he was laid low when the Reanimator joined the fray. The Terminators and wraiths kept fighting, and with reanimation protocols restoring Wounds and model everywhere, it was quickly apparent that the Deathwatch were now out matched. 

The continues.

Meanwhile the Immortals and the Plasmancer on their turn destroyed the Landraider with ease. And claimed the objective. 

"It is ours."

Outmatched by the end of the turn it looked impossible to turn the tide. The Necrons were claiming so many Objectives now and my units were locked in fights for survival that were near none of them. I considered the Gambit cards, but after seeing the time,  I had to call it regardless. I wanted to keep going to the bitter end, but it just seemed best to stop here. Maybe if the DW Terminators had the Kill Team keyword I could've used the Teleprtarium Stratagem (made sense  to me at the time since that's what got them onto the table!) but, no, that would make sense. So they were essentially stuck.

Final VPs

Deathwatch: 25

Necrons: 33

"Umm... can we get a beam up or something?"

Had we continued the Necrons would be impossible to catch up to from a points perspective, and from an attrition perspective it wasn't looking so hot for the Deathwatch either. 

Good game Screech, thanks for schooling me on Necrons. They are a fun army, but nasty to face in this current meta**. And, the so called Xenos Hunters, prove that they're just not able to handle this foe either, at least not with the assembled units available to me. 

*Exported with App Version: v1.11.0 (39), Data Version: v352

**I accept my punishment for using this accursed word. 

March for Macrage '24 (Part 5)

 Here's the final miniature I was able to finish for the March For Macragge challenge. I completed him, well actually I painted the entire model, on March 30th. This was such an easy and satisfying miniature to paint. 

For the sake of brevity I won't blather on about the painting steps unless it's something I've not chronicled elsewhere. For example the steps for painting the cloak was discussed when I revealed the Eliminators. 

Basecoats.

The sword was an interesting departure. Perhaps I was inspired by a recent game I had against Necrons. No, not the  necrons themselves but my Deathwatch Librarian. When I painted him I made his force sword all green and glowy and during that game, I kind of realized how much I like it. 

Stepping out to smite the foe! 

So of course I replicated it on this guy. I painted the tip and the  runes on the blade using Moot Green. Then lightly applied Straken Green in layers to make a sort of faded effect before then adding a glaze of Tesseract Glow. The. I finished it off with a highlight of Stormhost Silver. 

Green and glowy.

This was such a quick model to paint. Before I knew it, I was slapping down the tufts! I was, and still am a little bit, tempted to paint his eyes with a electrical blue effect, but decided against it.

The finished model.

Peaking out from the cloak you can see a hint of his chapter icon. I free-hand painted this as trying to get a decal to work right might have driven me over the edge. I am pleased with how it turned out considering how subtle it is. If hadn't I would likely have just left blue. 

Another view of the sword. 

I decided at the last minute to keep his book black. The idea of a guy running around with a "little black book" amuses me and it's kind of a nod to the WHFB Dwarves of old.

The little black book.

Here he is joined up with the unit I will most likely join him up with. It's not just because they've coordinated their wardrobe, but the mutual benefits in the current edition of the game are quite good. 

Killing with friends. 

Hopefully we can get hims, and all the rest of my #MarchForMacragge models, on to the table top soon! 

March for Macrage '24 (Part 4)

 

"Whoa, you guys aren't gonna believe this...!"

I like these models, and I just couldn't resist moving them up the painting queue to squeeze them into my March For Macrage goal for the month of March. 

I'm not going to do a full step-by-step painting guide for these guys as I have established that recipe in many posts already, but the cameoline cloak is a definite exception. I got these steps from issue 63 of Imperium Magazine.

The basecoat for the cloak is done by using Mechanicus Standard Grey. After that all of the cloak is wash with Nuln Oil.

After that Dawnstone is layer on top but leaving the recesses exposed. 

Then I draw vague geometric shapes all over it using Mechanicus Standard Grey. I noticed that my patterns were not nearly as dark as the examples in Imperium Magazine, and I found that I had to paint on two more coats over my pattern as well as an additional Nuln Oil layer to get it anywhere near dark enough for my satisfaction. After that I added another serious of geometric patterns but this time using Administratum Grey. 

⁷

I was able to finish these guys on March 29th. And I was quite happy with the results. 

The glow on the binoculars was also taken from Imperium Magazine (issue 65). I thought it look different enough to give it a go. Mephiston Red for the basecoat followed by a Nuln Oil wash them Mephiston Red again. Then the highlights were using in smaller coats starting with Evil Sunz Scarlet, Troll Slayer Orange and a final edge highlight of Yriel Yellow.

The Sergeant decal was a real pain to apply. Not sure what happened but the top of it tried to disintegrate. Thankfully, and if you build this guy also I recommend this highly, I put the decal on before I attached the cloak. It ever so slightly covers the top of the decal which mostly hides my calamitous mistake. 

All-in-all, I thinknthese guys turned out well. So much so that I think I want to revist my old Sniper Scouts and apply this same technique to them. 

Alright, that's a wrap, but before March ended I was able to squeeze out one more painted model that will perfectly accompany this squad. But I'm saving that one for it's own post also. 

March For Macrage '24 (Part 3)

 My personal March For Macragge challenge has been completed! Behold, Brother Jay the Third Company Primaris Ancient! 

The finished Ancient. 

Finishing this guy was fun, but just like Da Masta Cheef recently stated when he painted up his second version of this model, he's got a lot of decals on him! 

The base model has four decals. I put one on his left hip plate only when I realized it was a bit too large to fit one of the banner squares I had hoped to put it on. 

Applying the decal onto his left pauldron was a real challenge. The left side nozzle almost touches the pauldron and it looks like the gap is big enough to slide a decal between, but, not really. I was persistent though and some how got it to work. 

Ok,  now let's discuss this banner: 

I decided to paint the border and the backside of the banner red to represent the third company. I had the idea to use a really old decal, from one of my first decal sheets from way back in the Rogue Trader days of 1989. It's red and I thought it would pop out best against a white background. 

Decals.

The rest of this was fairly straightforward. I opted to use yellow on the shield  emblem on the banner as I like the way it contrasts without clashing too harshly against the rest of the colors. 

 

done without decals.

I used seven decals on this thing. The most odd was the scroll on the lower right. I cut up some of the copyright indicia fro. the bottom of one of the decal sheets from was using and scrambled up the words. I kind of wanted it to say nothing g but give the illusion of importance. Not unlike the Deathwatch shoulder pads in that sense.  

Done with decals. 

The decal for the main icon was a bit yellowed with age so I tried to cover some of that up with White Scar. I left a little bit showing  close to the icon because I think it gives off an odd optical effect, a bit like a glow. 

Once that was done I stuck the banner onto the guy. 

Over all, I think I'm fairly pleased with the results. 

I really think that beakie helm turned out great on this model. I wish I had the idea sooner, I would have put beakie helms on all of my Ultramarines . However he will have to do as a lone reminder of the past glorious days.

Speaking of which, the Tau skull and helms at his feet are an homage to Da Masta Cheef's Tau, even though my Ultramarines have yet to face them, I feel it might be inevitable. 

The same night I finished this guy, I also finished another small squad that I managed to cram into March of Macrage. I think they deserve their own post however so look for that soon. 

March for Macrage '24 (Part 2)

 

Having knocked out the first two models (Primaris Lieutenant and Titus) within the first fortnight of #MarchForMacragge, it was my intention to complete the Ancient and the Assault Intercessors in equal time. However reality and a looming art deadline kept me away from the hobby table for a good chunk of the past month. This left the remaining models stuck in basecoat limbo, although they were at least passable for 'battle ready' I suppose...

Basecoats on the Ancient. 

Until now! 

With art* completed I was able to ready dig into these guys.  However with a bit of perseverance I pushed on and got 'em done! Well, the Assault Intercessors anyway, the Ancient will be finished in Part 3

The one I feel I should discuss the most is the Sergeant. His breast shield (I feel like these things have a proper name but it escapes me at this time) has a very old decal in it. This decal came with our** first paint set and for the Ultramarines the decals we got were all red. This alone is what prompted us to choose the third company as the company for our Ultramarine models. 

1989, the year it started for me. 

And once added to the little shield, well, I think it works pretty good! The yellowing isn't too bad...maybe I should've painted the shield a bone-like color? 

Again I used a 30 year old paint on the Sergeant's helmet, the color in question being Ruby Red. 

The rest of these chaps are pretty much all the same, just posed differently. I really enjoy painting the Assault Intercessors models, I just think they're dynamic yet still leave a lot of space for a painter to play around with yet aren't too over the top with busy filigree noise like the Chaos Marines have. 

It's a bit more obvious on this next model than the previous guy's but I thought it might help me to distinguish them during a game to give this squad red left knee guards. In addition to just that color change I applied some old Roman numeral threes as a identifier of their allegiance to the third company.  

Another difference form this squad and the first squad is that I painted the gold using a technique found in Inquisitor Magazine. I think this makes the aquillas really pop for sure! 

And no, I still don't drill my barrels; live with it. 

And that's the Assault Intercessors done, now on to the Ancient! 

* Specifically art for Onward Retainer #9, which will be featured in Tales From The Smoking Wyrm #9.  

**My brother and I.