Argh it isn't working!
Almost one month in and our lists are getting bigger!
- Bolt Action winter US army
- Bolt Action winter US HQ
- Legion Custodes Ixion Hale
- Legion Custodes Aquilon terminators
- Emperors Children Librarian
- Legion Sicaran Punisher
- Legion Deimos pattern Predator Executioner
- Legion Deredeo pattern dreadnought
After my first game of Bolt Action (grey and unfinished as it was) I fell in love with the mortar/artillery mechanics. The first shots never hit, but they add something tactical to the game. Successive barrages on a target that haven't moved are easier. Coupled with a game with such an innovative turn sequence (where even going first isn't necessarily a good thing), and weight of numbers (Handro: "bloody Soviets....grumble grumble") adding a bucket load of dice (Der H: "until they all get pinned and die....") artillery can really put pressure on an opponent.
I loved the miniatures for the small mobile artillery pieces, and have several, but I really wanted some big guns!
I came across a sorry looking Italian Autoblinda AB41, and (at that price!) couldn't say no! The wheels were metal too!
Out came the knife and away I went! I'd read in the Armies of the Soviet Union book that the MT-13 160mm breech-loading mortar was an example of the heavy mortar in the rule book - I had to figure it out!
After studying some reference pictures I set to work!
The basic parts were pretty easy to put together, but the super structure took more time.
I tried to get features like the angle from the axle to the base, the uprights and the control surfaces relatively recognisable, although no where near accurate!
The finished mortars, with jeep towing plugs!
This was a fun project, but as with many in the basement, it has taken a back seat. They currently sit unfinished, but at least they have some paint on them! This blog and this post will hopefully spur me on to finish them!
Der H
I did some more work on the Forge World Cataphractii Terminator Librarian for my IIIrd legion. We discussed on this blog (here!) and over on Youtube (here!) the issues that come with the Emperors Children and Librarians. Aside from them looking awesome (Shout out to Lil Legend Studios!) I really wanted to add some late heresy goodness to my force. A psyker who can channel the excesses of Slaanesh to the extent that he can summon a Herald of Slaanesh to the table would surely warrant Fulgrim's favour.
First off, the flames...these needed some serious cutting and re-sculpting...
The resculpting itself was relatively easy, but took time - I think the effect works but I'll no doubt find out when painting!
Next I had to sort out shoulder pads. The originals were very pointy, and fitting for Cataphractii armour and for the Night Lords/Sons of Horus, less so for the sleek lines of the IIIrd. I settled for the pads from the Primus Medicae (my own take of this is the topic for a future blog post!).
The Phoenix power spear replaced the force axe very nicely, the hand was simply swapped. Im glad FW released the Phoenix power spear upgrade set - saves a lot of eBay trawling!
The finished model is quite effective, if a little tall - I can't see this guy squeezing into ruins any time soon!
Until we reach the later stages of the heresy in the Forge World black books I doubt we'll get much in the way of traitor psychic powers. For now, and in 7th, 2 mastery levels from Telepathy would work well. The Primaris Power Psychic Shriek works well for the IIIrd, and anything from Dominate, Terrify or Hallucination would be fitting powers granted by Slaanesh.
What do you think guys? Do you like the conversion?
Der H
Another unboxing for you guys - Ixion Hale!
Lovely black character series box! It really does add to the boutique feel of some FW kits!
Blister pack style inset?
Checked by cards - seems this one was boxed a little while back now!
The packaging is very tidy - good protection with blister foam
The picture gallery above shows the key parts in nice detail - we discuss this more in our YouTube un-boxing video (link below!) but the details are slightly softened. The detail is all there, nothing is lost, but as compared with several other FW character series kits (Eidolon & the Terminator librarian as examples in my own bunker) the kit seems slightly softer. It may be that this is due to the numbers cast, simply a one off bad cast (although the details are still stunning) or perhaps this is how it is meant to be. Several videos on line (Here and here) seem to show slightly better quality - pot luck some times!
Here the details can be compared - are my standards too high?
Brother Handro and I discuss the options for this character in the video - essentially it's a build your own as a Legio Custodes Shield Captain.
In Inferno this chap is a very flexible character with a range of equipment and weapons. I'm imaging a build including a paragon spear to represent the halberd will do nicely. There are some conversions replacing the helmet holding arm with a plastic Custodes shield (like that by Marcel Kinrade found here) - this would allow the WAAC tactic inclusion of a Praesidium shield for extra -1 to hit & re-roll failed invulnerable saves. 2+/4++(re-roll) and -1 to hit is strong, but not what I'd run all the time - Magnets? Watch this space.
Overall, I like this kit. The finish is a slight disappointment, but if you haven't got him already (Brother Handro: "and like this sort of thing!") then buy him now!
Der H
Thought for the day:"Do not question the Will of the Emperor!"
Enjoy the videos and music you love, upload original content, and share it all with friends, family, and the world on YouTube.
A two part review today guys!
First off we have the Bolt Action US Winter infantry.
A slightly old kit than the others reviewed so far - 2015 it seems! A nice box of miniatures indeed!
I have these guys to mix in with my plastic airborne to make an early Battle of the Bulge force with poor supply of winter gear.
Rather than bombard you with photographs, check out our video!
The second part I did not film, this is the Winter army HQ set.
This set comes with an HQ, a medic/stretcher beared, a radio man and trooper carrying said radio, and an additional trooper.
Carrying a stretcher!
These are nice casts with a good amount of detail. The single separate head will be helpful - I hope to use a plastic head on him, and use the metal head elsewhere to add to the feeling that this platoon has grabbed what little gear they can before marching into Bastogne.
Hopefully you'll enjoy the video - we have a different style lined up for a few more unboxings this week!
Der H
Today I'm going to jump on the un-boxing band wagon and show you the parts for the new Custodes Aquilon Terminators with Infernus Firepikes
As with many Forge World products, these beauties come in a free box! Huzzah!
This is the first Forge World kit I've bought with instructions and a leaflet explaining the models.
There is a brief guide to working with resin and a label for the parts and how they go together!
Lets look at the parts eh!
My first thought was "wow, these guys are big!" Brother Handro and I regularly complain that the models look so small at Warhammer World, but these actually feel bulky. The pads are several leagues larger than Terminator pads!
This picture, odd as it is, shows the hoods. I've included it for a) completeness b) a demonstration of the quality of the kit and the reliability of casting. The eagle claws! Look at how perfect they are!
The pikes themselves are beautiful!
It wouldn't be a Forge World kit if the claws/blades weren't bent! This has already been fixed under a hot tap - if this is all I can complain about then....we'll, then I guess it's quite good....(Der H: "I've never been one for words...")
Torso parts, leg guards and daggers - the story behind the dagger means every Custodes must have one!
Three helmets and one bare head - descisions desicisons....probably all helmets! These chaps will be Ixion Hale's bodyguard and so they need to be faceless!
Look! They can be painted! The proof is here!
So in summary I am very pleased with this kit! It is crisp, well checked and well boxed. I suppose my only criticism will be revealed in the summary of my discussion with Will Hayes - stay tuned for that later this week!
Der H
Yet another (but not the last!) terrain project I have on the go. Brother Handro and I have a narrative campaign on the go called "The Battle for Grandia" . It is the invasion of the Grandia system and more specifically Grandia Viridis by the forces of the IIIrd legion. Loyalty and allegiances are complex, and there may even be a rift in the IIIrd legion forces...but more of that to follow...
Grandia Viridis is an agri world, and most of our games are played across fields and farm machinery, but I wanted to make some game boards to represent the more 'dug in' areas of the campaign - region spanning dug in fronts where the imperial militia/Grandia defence forces could wage longer wars of attrition, cities defended by trench works, the usual.
The boards are all 2"x2" and each have a road on one edge. This can be a central highway, smaller access roads and can be arranged in a variety of ways quite easily. It's all mounted on regular (and cheap!) polystyrene, with trenches cut into the board. The trenches are deep, marines heads stand proud but most guard/human scale models are well hidden so trench steps will be a feature in due course.
Metal trench walls, sandbags and mud is the main theme and, if I say so myself, it works quite well!!
The fields are made from a large coir doormat, but here in lies the problem - there are some big areas of mud in between full fields but no debris/detritus!
Now clearly the trench boards need finishing, there needs to be some scatter flock to represent some of the greener expected. I'm even likely to cover the road in grit and re-paint it to add an asphalt texture
My dilemma is this...should I shred some coir mat/natural fibre plant liner and make crushed broken crops in all of the flat muddy areas?
It would let me put in tracks of vehicles to show that it was all fields and not just bizarre planting methods.
It would allow me to bury some plastic humans/drums/barrels/czech hedgehogs and wire as casualties/detritus of war.
What do you guys think?
How are you finding the blog?
Comments welcomed!!
Der H
Thought of the day: " How can a man understand and appreciate the time of peace when he has never been in the trenches of life."
This weekend saw some more progress on my Bolt Action/Winter terrain set.
Brown paint flock and some other tidying took a lot of Saturday evening
The White edges around the ploughed fields are filler - this might need painting prior to application of snow but I might be able to take a short cut.
The white discolouration in the mounds/foxholes is PVA drying. They've been re-sealed and hopefully once dry I can crack on with snow and snow flock. After that It's time for winter tufts and then we are (dare I say it...done!)
What do you think? Comments accepted and encouraged!
Der H
