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!!!

Bragging

I love to brag, and dammit, I am getting great at painting the Ultramarine logo. Check it out.

The flash photo makes the colors all washed out, but I'm proud of those shoulder pads.

The blue-on-white one isn't perfect, but good enough for me.

Veteran Sargeant, Veteran, Veteran (Eagle), and Devatstator with Multi-Melta 

-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!!!

The Dip

I don't think anyone likes stripping paint off miniatures.  It's a dirty, tedious, process.  Now, it's not without rewards.  When you pull a mini out of the dip (I'm using Simple Green, because I've got a big jug of it handy) and a big chunk of horrid paint job slides right off the thing, revealing clean metal underneath, it's a good feeling. You're bringing a dead miniature back to life, and when it's finished being repainted, it's extra special for the journey.

Ten old-fashioned Grey Knights getting a bath. 

Tonight's dip is a little different, however.  I'm stripping minis that, at least for me, have really good paint jobs. It's just that I have no use for them painted the way they are.  A few I'm selling, and stripped Dark Angels are worth a lot more than Dark Angels painted up in bright green and white (very non-standard colors, nobody would use them like that but me.) A few are being transferred from my Mentor army, where they'll never make it on to the field again, to my Ultramarine army, where they will be go-to units for years to come.  I don't need them green and white, I need them blue.  Into the dip for all.

I was proud of those paint jobs, and for the ones that I'm keeping, I'll be even more proud of their new colors when I'm done.  For the ones that I'm saying goodbye to, their new owner will appreciate them far more than I, but I do hope they get the new paint job they deserve.

-Adam!!!

Mentor Legion 1000 pt Terminator Force

1000 Pt Army - Emperor's Hammer (985)

Army List: Ultramarine, Standard.

HQ - Librarian 'Magnus Starke'
100 - Librarian
30 - Terminator Armor w/ Storm Bolter

HQ - Chaplian 'Alexi'
100 - Chaplain
30 - Terminator Armor w/ Storm Bolter

HQ Total: 260pts

Troops: Tactical Squad 'Squad 1' 

90 SM Tac Squad

0 Chainsword

Troops: Tactical Squad 'Squad Omega' 

90 SM Tac Squad

0 Chainsword

Troops Total: 180pts 

Elite - Terminator Squad 'Squad O-1'

200 Terminator Squad

30 Assault Cannon

Elite Terminator Assault 'Squad A-1'

200 Terminator Assault Squad

Dreadnought 'Brother August'

105 Space Marine Dreadnought

10 Assault Cannon

Elite Total: 545pts

Army Total: 985