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/

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!!!

The beginning. The very beginning.

I've decided I want to collect all of the 1st edition "Rogue Trader" Space Marine models and turn them into a playable modern 40k army. I'm already well on my way, with just a few holes to fill.  I just put a big dent in my missing minis list winning an auction of not just 1st edition mini's, but pre-1st edition minis. I have two of these guys already, so now i'll be able to field a full squad of 10.  YESSSSS!!!!

This is the eBay photo. I'll be stripping them and painting them Ultramarine.

I can't wait until they arrive.  I've never been happier about winning an auction, ever!

-Adam!!!

Heavy, Heavier, Heaviest

Heavy

I'm almost finished mounting my heavy weapons teams on 60mm bases. Note the three unfinished ones in the back.

Rogue Trader era heavy weapons team. The 'helper' was originally a medic.

These guys can be added to my Valhallan squad but may find themselves in a heavy weapons squad.

Same Valhallan base, just from the rear.

That heavy bolter was scavenged from an old Imperial Robot. Kinda wish I still had the robot.

These guys are part of a command squad. 

This might be my favorite.

Heavier

Heaviest

My "baby"

I've still got a Leman Russ and a Chimera on sprue, but I'm thinking I want to build something a little less vanilla with at least the Leman Russ.  I'm not sure which of the variants is coolest. I would hope none are "best".  Another plain Chimera would probably be handy, and I may put that together next.

I've got a couple more 60mm bases to transfer heavy weapons to, but I'm not sure how many I really need.  I may save the bases for some other things.  I love how the teams look on the big bases, and I'm really happy how they turned out.  I was planning on doing some fancy stuff with the big bases, but they look so nice as-is and I'd rather move on to other minis.

-Adam!!!

Tanks, but no Tanks

 Back in the Rogue Trader days, the only army that could really field tanks was the Space Marines with their Rhinos and their Land Raiders.  Imperial Guard had cheap troops, several varieties of alien and sub-human beasts, pyskers, robots, sentinels, and access to powerful characters in the form of commanders and inquisitors.  What they didn't have was tanks.  One of my favorite games of 40k ever was a 3rd edition game where my opponent's Chaos army loaded up with lascannons (and such) for an IG tank assault that never came. What he got instead, was a horde of humanity, armed with flashlights and sub-par armor.  He lost.

Eight squads of troopers (a few are missing, but not for long) - 80 lasguns can poke a lot of holes in enemy troops.

Squads 

These guys used to be Stormtroopers. I'm not sure they still rate that title

Penal Legionnaires 

HQ

My original Command Squad. May need revisions to be 5th edition legal.

More Commanders (I'm not above looting from the normal squads to round out the Command units)

He's ready to give some orders.

Never retreat! (or else!)

Psykers - A real headache

Elites

Ogryn - Grrrrr!!!! Aaargh!!!!

Ratling Snipers - Get 'em guys!



Heavy Weapons 

Heavy Weapons - It's going to take some work to get these guys re-based into weapons teams. It's my next project.

Of course, I've got a bunch of tanks as well.  Little humans with flashlights are cute, but nothing beats heavy metal thunder! More to come!

-Adam!!!