Dead Soldiers

These guys will be finding new homes via eBay.  About half of them will be missed.

Special Teams

While I certainly need a few more generic Marine with Bolter marines painted, it's more fun to paint the special guys.  The most recent bunch has rounded out my Veteran Squad and Honor Guard in Artificer armor as well as adding to the special and heavy weapon arsenal.

Veterans showing off Terminator Honors

Same veterans from the front

Honor Guard in artificer armor

Lascannon, MultiMelta, MultiMelta, Meltagun

Trooper, Sargeant, Trooper

I'm using my new iPhone4 to take the pictures and I'm really pleased. It's a lot easier to get good closeups with the phone than with my camera.  I'm not sure the quality is quite the same, but for convenience it's really working.

-Adam

http://mentorlegion40k.blogspot.com/

Two for the Road

The Ultras need some more vehicles, so we're getting that fixed. The first of three Attack Bikes is finished, as is the first of two Rhinos.

Attack Bike and Rhino

Rhino, from the front.

Attack Bike w/ magnetized weapon. Can swap MultiMelta for Heavy Bolter

Small update, but still good. I've got more Marines painted, including artificer armor and veterans which I'll post when I get a few more completed.

-Adam!!!

http://mentorlegion40k.blogspot.com/

Battle #2 Ultras vs Guard

Alex wanted to play 40k again, and I was itching to try to learn how 5th ed. Imperial Guard works.  I'm still not clear on how orders work, but I *think* I did it right.  If not, Alex was none the wiser. Also, while the game technically ended in a draw, he was clearly beating me, and he knew it.

For these first few games, the battles are set up more like a 1st edition Rogue Trader game than a modern game.  I let Alex choose the units he wanted, roughly tallied the cost (a little over 1000 pts) and I selected an IG force that was also roughly 1000pts.  I bet he had a few points on me, but I'm sure the forces will practically equal.  Easily saved a half-hour of math just guessing the points.

This is not meant to be a battle report. It's just photos I took of the battle, with captions explaining generally what the photo is displaying.

Ogryn, Chimera Transports (filled with troopers), Leman Russ  tanks leading the charge.

Land Speeder, Assault Squad, and Tac Squads hiding in the woods.

The Brothers Grimm, twin dreadnaughts.

Following a feeble attempt at Tank Shock, the dreadnaught turned around and blasted my tank with its lascannon. The terminators didn't get to assault, as there was nothing left of my tank.

Neither Chimera had any practical way to deal with a dreadnaught.

Guardsmen, DISEMBARK!!!

After wasting the Russ, the terminators and one of the brothers Grimm set their sights on a full Chimera.

At the Imperial Guard objective (an old Robot) the last Marine in his squad fights the Platoon commander. Eventually the commander would win.  

The other Chimera releases its troops (they were safer inside, it turns out.)

The Company Command Squad direct the Ogryn and the remaining troopers.

After routing the Guardsmen, the Chimera (Stunned) is next.

A Tac squad gets read to storm the hill, and eliminate that pesky Platoon Commander now alone guarding the objective.

The game ended at the end of Turn 4, with no winner.  Alex had the clear advantage as his Marines were about to storm the objective and I didn't have guardsmen anywhere near his objective.

I've already found several rules we were playing incorrectly, and I suspect I'll find more.  Alex described the battle as EPIC (which of course is a whole 'nuther thing) and I have to agree.  It was a good one.

-Adam!!!

First Battle in Years

Finally cleared off the kitchen table and played a game of 40k with Alex, my son.  Since neither of us really knows the rules, I just pulled out two essentially identical Marine armies, probably about 600 points.

We each had:

HQ: A Librarian
Troops: Tac Squad x10, 1 special and 1 heavy weapon.
Fast Attack: Assault Squad x5
Elite: Dreadnaught x1

Because the forces were so small, we agreed that any unit or character could capture an objective, except the dreadnaughts. It didn't really matter since Alex pretty much wiped me out.  The idea was to learn how to move, shoot, and assault.  That we managed no problem. It was fun!

Alex learning to measure movement.  

Mentor Legion Assault marines killing Ultra Tac marines for control of the objective (the Rapier Gun).

Alex was moving his unit. We had to adjust to keep unit coherency.

Dreadnaught vs. Dreadnaught. My Lascannon was a big advantage, but the worst I could do is immobilize his.

Close up of the Assault.  Eventually he wiped my squad out.

My Librarian secures an objective (a wounded marine) while watching the Mentor Tac squad take another in the woods not far away.

Great first game.  Because the armies were so similar, it seems like it was dice rolls that kept things close, but really, Alex's decision to attach his Librarian to the Tac squad meant while mine was eventually destroyed by his Assault squad, my Assault squad was defeated when I attacked him.  Those extra attacks from that darned Force Sword really made a difference. I'll know better next time.

-Adam!!!