Taffeh's Blog: Thunderhawk-Hooo!!!

I've just finished posting my personal blog (see the links section.. ) and wanted to re-post it here for the wider MAWs followers being the fairly the new kid in the club still and not known to the greater community. I do really badly at updating my blog as 1) I keep updating my hobby-fanatical friends on Facebook who live in Swansea and 2) Blogspot requires me to log into my PC as the iPad support is gash!

I've had a mainly Wolfie month and a half concentrating on a few Space Wolves models - one of them being my favorite model released in the last few years:


But now onto the main event - The guys at the club have yet to see the Thunderhawk in her flesh / resin (Still need a name for the minx) and I've only teased one or two with a few pics from a while back.

First up is the Thunderhawk progress - and as you can see I've starting to get the sub-assembly pieces together. I started off working on each wing - as they are two of the heaviest parts of the Thunderhawk I decided to start by magnetising the Heavy Bolter sponsons and missile racks into the strong-points on the underside. After this I dry-fitted and pinned the engine pieces onto the front and rear of the wings and finally the flaps.

Next, removing all pieces bar the magnets I was able to use 4mm rod to pin the wings to the main hull...

The landing gear came next, so the T-Hawk could sit flat with any further work. I pinned successfully with good-old trusty paperclips...


After using epoxy resin to glue the gear in place, I used a flat sheet of foamboard and something weighty (In mother Vostroya, pad lands you!) to ensure to all 3 feet were level..

I also drilled a quite large hole ready for... well, you'll see next...



I've been experimenting with a base for the Thunderhawk, and although I'm starting to think it maybe too much for putting down in Apoc games, It'll be awesome as a show-piece. I'd also give a shout out to my bud Paul (of Armies on Parade fame - his Blood Angels army came runner up) for basically co-designing and building this who spent a few days up with me around New Years Eve where we came up with this


Using some steel threaded rod, washers and nuts (I got to learn the B&Q section for these really well just before Christmas - as I kept picking up the wrong size nuts!)


More Sand please!


At the rear of the building there is a crashed Landspeeder - I havent decided what chapter I wish to paint this yet.. White Panthers, Blood Angels, Salamanders, Fists, Howling Griffons may all be possibilities to show my appreciation for friend's Chapters.


And finally, I've come to paint to cockpit of the Thunderhawk...






Well, back to my paint-table - where, on a lazy Sunday afternoon I've got my airbrush waiting to spray both pilots and a BattleFleet Gothic Wolves Fleet....

Big Batch of 40K FAQs released!

Morning all,

For those not in the loop, there's been a big FAQ release by GW yesterday, covering pretty much every codex. There's some, like the Necron one, that are pretty intensive, but for the smaller ones, I'll try and do a summary of major changes or rules clarifications that we've debated at the club.

I'll add download links as well for you. Here goes...

5th Edition Rulebook FAQ
- DOWNLOAD
- Clarification on "Gets Hot" and re-rolls. It only happens if the result of the re-roll is a 1.
- They've changed some wording on multiple grenades to "Can a unit with multiple grenades"

Q: Can a unit with multiple grenades that have an effect
when launching an assault, or being assaulted, use one
of each of them in the same Assault phase? (p36)
A: Yes. Note that a model can still only use one type of
grenade when attacking a vehicle.

- Clarification on the hole of a blast marker regarding vehicles and half strength. If the hole is even partially over the hull of the vehicle, it's at full strength.
- Vehicles that start in Difficult Terrain still count as having moved if they fail their Dangerous Terrain test and immobilise themselves (although it doesn't specify how far they count as moving).
- Immobilised vehicles that moved at cruising speed in it's previous movement are hit automatically in the assault phase.
- Vehicles fire points cannot be used to draw line of sight for special wargear or rules by models inside.
- Transport vehicles destroyed in a movement phase where they have moved flat out, models inside are removed as casualties (clarification on this one from the last argued-to-death FAQ)
- You can't benefit from Furious Charge when using Counter Attack, but also, they can't have Defensive Grenades used against them.

Apocalypse FAQ
- DOWNLOAD
- The requirements for controlling an objective are now the same as in the 40K main rulebook. So therefore, you need troops to hold an objective.

Apocalypse Reloaded FAQ
- DOWNLOAD
- Army and stratagem specific stuff.

Blood Angels FAQ
- DOWNLOAD
- 10 Man combat squads coming on from reserve can choose to come on from or deep strike at different locations
- Combat squadding Scouts can infiltrate from 2 different locations, but only count as 1 deployment, not 2 units.
- Vanguard Vets can't use heroic intervention when deploying by Deep Strike from a Storm Raven.
- Blood Lance does not need to roll to hit.
- Sanguinary Novitiate in Honour Guard units can't take Honour Guard upgrades.

Chaos Daemons FAQ
- DOWNLOAD
- The Masque only rolls 1D6 for Pavane movement on ALL the units she targets.
- If there isn't space for a Chaos Spawn on the board from Boon of Mutation, move models the minimum distance required to place it.

Dark Angels FAQ
- DOWNLOAD
- Clarification on Ravenwing Combat Squads:

Page 27 – Ravenwing Combat Squads, second paragraph
Change to “Much like Combat squads, the squadron’s
Attack Bike and Land Speeder are purchased together
with the squadron and then deployed at the same time
as the squadron’s bikes, but from then on, they always
operate as completely independent units of one model.”

- Same Combat squad clarifications on normal infantry as per Blood Angels.
- Mind Worm psychic power needs to roll to hit.

Dark Eldar FAQ
- DOWNLOAD
- Wyches don't get a Dodge (4+ Inv) save from exploding vehicles in close combat.
- If you have a Djinn Blade and another Close Combat Weapon and choose not to use the Djinn Blade, you can't get the 2 extra bonus attacks.
- Djinn Blades can be combo'ed with another CCW or Pistol to get an extra 1 attack, as per usual.
- Flickerfields cannot be used against failed Dangerous Terrain tests.

Eldar FAQ
- DOWNLOAD
- Runes of Warding, Runes of Witnessing and Defend wording changes.
- Farseer and a Unit of Warlocks as a HQ form 2 separate units.
- The roll to prevent Perils of the Warp cannot be re-rolled using Fortune.
- Striking Scorpion Exarchs choosing to attack with Scorpion Claw don't get the +1 strength from the Scorpion Chainsword.
- Eldritch Storm needs to roll to hit (using the blast rules I assume)
- Mind War does NOT need to roll to hit.
- Dire Avenger Exarchs with 2 Avenger Shuriken Catapults fire 5 shots with Bladestorm.
- Chainsabres and Powerblades do not count as a pair of close combat weapons.
- Vehicles with Star Engines cannot ram or tank shock in the shooting phase.

Grey Knights FAQ
- DOWNLOAD
- Change to Servitor "Mindlock" wording.
- Combat Squad clarifications same as Blood Angels.
- Units deep striking due to "Summoning" psychic power, landing within 6" of a Mystic don't scatter.
- Turbo Penetrator Rolls add D3 per 6 rolled.
- Nemesis Force Halberds still get the +2 Initiative even if their weilders Initiative is reduced or set to a fixed value.

Imperial Guard FAQ
- DOWNLOAD 
- Change to Mindlock Wording on Servitors.
- Dozer Blades re-roll Dangerous Terrain checks.
- Infantry Platoon wording change:

Infantry Platoon, second sentence
Change to “Each Infantry Platoon is deployed in place
of a single unit in missions that limit the number units
that can be deployed. In addition when making a
reserve or outflanking roll, roll once for the whole
Infantry Platoon. Any units in reserve that are
embarked upon a non-dedicated transport are instead
rolled for separately.”

- Company Command Squads are worth 1 Kill Point.
- Techpriests can only make 1 repair roll attempt per turn.
- Techpriests can try and repair a vehicle they're embarked inside.
- Penal Custodians gain the effect from the squads special rule, however, Independent Characters don't.
- Psyker Battle Squads can now use Weaken Resolve on targets locked in Close Combat.
- If a Manticore that suffers a Weapon Destroyed result, all it's remaining Storm Eagle Rockets are destroyed (if the other player chooses that weapon of course).
- Ministorum Priests and Techpriests CAN be taken as the Mandatory HQ choice.

Necron FAQ
- DOWNLOAD
- Scarab Swarms can only be added in coherency with swarms that have not been spawned this turn.
- Same with the Ghost Ark Repair Barge rule.
- Command Barge sweep attacks can't be stopped by cover.
- Entropic Strike is as I said, roll to hit, roll for strike, roll to penetrate against the reduced armour value.
- Loads more...

Ork FAQ
- DOWNLOAD
- Trukks that suffer Kaboom result now do leave an area of difficult terrain.
- Snikrot can't use his Ambush special rule if he's embarked in a Vehicle.

Space Marine FAQ
- DOWNLOAD
- Mindlock servitor clarification again.
- Clarification on Calgar's God of War rule.
- Same clarification on Combat Squads as Blood Angels.

Space Wolves FAQ
- DOWNLOAD
- Thunderclap does not scatter.
- You don't need to roll to hit with Jaws.

Tyranids FAQ
- DOWNLOAD
- Shadow in the Warp, Synapse Creature, Instictive Behaviour and Shield Wall wording change.
- Lictor Broods have to be placed in coherency with each other when they deploy.
- Every non-vehicle model in a unit that assaults a Venomthrope has to take a Dangerous Terrain test (I'm guessing people were arguing it's only the ones that make the assault move, or are in B2B)
- Enemy Models initiative is not reduced to 1 for assaulting through the Spore Cloud
- Tyrant Guard with a Hive Tyrant = 1 Kill Point.
- Units cannot take any cover saves, aside from being inside Area Terrain, from a Hive Guard impaler cannon
- Tervigon clarification about when the bonuses and range applies from Brood Progenitor.
- Spore Mines that arrive via deep strike, enemies must keep 1" away.
- Independent Characters can join a unit of Termagants and benefit from the Brood Progenitor rule, but if the Tervigon is killed, the Independent Character takes the damage also.
- Lash Whips Clarification for Force Halberds.
- Walkers and Acid Blood clarification.

Phew... That took a while to get through. Enjoy and feel free to rejoice, complain and debate!

Cheers,
SB

Badger's Log - Blood Bowl Goings On

Morning folks,

I've been meaning to post this for a few days now, but I've had other stuff be getting in the way... Over the last few weeks I've been talking a lot about playing and getting involved more with Blood Bowl. So before Xmas, I'd planned a game with Col. Straken to get back used to the rules of Blood Bowl, so I could use this as a refresher to help other people start to play.

Then, I remembered on Sunday night that I was supposed to be playing and then took a look at my Blood Bowl stuff. It was painted before I'd actually ever painted any Orks, so they were my first attempt at Greenskins. I also looked at my Human team, who had white clothing and kinda thought "How did I live without Black Wash?!".

So I washed both teams, and then set about numbering my Orc squad with squad numbers on their backs:

Then I remembered, that I had a Troll I bought when Skull Pass was released, to use in the team and hadn't bothered to paint him since it showed up from eBay. He was already undercoated, so I thought since Sunday night was a bit slow, I could get him painted up

I went for a blue scheme on him, to set him apart from the other Greenskins on the table, and since I didn't fancy going for the more grey LOTR style troll. I think he looks pretty decent for an hour's work, and makes the overall team look much better on the table.

So then, I took my newly numbered team and freshly painted Troll down to the club, to actually do some bone-breaking, knee-smashing, head-bashing and maybe, just maybe, actually attempt to score a touchdown. So Col. Straken's Nurgle Rotters took on my Orc Motley Krew.

Unfortunately for Col. Straken, the dice Gods failed him completely. One of his first attacks was a Blitz on a lineman of mine, to which he rolled Attacker Down (on 2 dice, I think), I then proceeded to beat his armour and Kill the model outright. From then on, I was rolling well on armour rolls and injury rolls and Straken couldn't manage to beat the armour of the Orcs (Got to love AV9 all round!).

The game ended 2-0 to the Orcs, with a touchdown in both halves, one scored by my Thrower (thanks to the Sure Hands rule) picking up the ball and legging it into the End zone. And the other, with a thrown assist from my Thrower, to a Blitzer who then shrugged off the incoming attack of a Pestigor, who bounced off the Blitzer's armour as he ran to the end zone.

There could have been a late game touchdown from the Nurgle team, however, the Rotter who got the ball from a scattered kick off, fell down a few times and constantly failed to pick up and drop the ball repeatedly over several turns.

Overall, I really enjoyed playing the game again, although I got very lucky with my armour and injury rolls. Plus, any more reason to get more Orcs on the table!

Cheers,
SB

holiday achievements

Hi All,

Angryman here with my 1st post of 2012.

How many of you achieved your holiday gaming objectives?

Mine were

1. Build Stompa - achieved
2. Build Baneblade - achieved
3. Fix terrain - achieved
4. Sort in table boxes of terrain - achieved
5. Build Orks - failed
6. Build daemons - failed

4 out of 6 isn't bad, considering I hammered the PS3 over Christmas and drank A LOT.

So what were your objectives and did you achieve them?

All comments welcome.

40K Fan-MadeMovie "The Lord Inquisitor"

Morning all,

I've got something to share this morning, that was brought to my attention through the Librarium Online forums. It's a fan made animation for 40K, that the bloke's been working on for the last 18 months to show off his CGi skills.

Quote below is from the LO post:

You may or may not have heard/followed the prodction of the CGI animation movie 'Lord Inquisitor', which it's creator has been working on almost alone for the past 1.5 years or so. Recently he also released a kickass trailer and for this trailer he was even contacted out of the blue by Adam Harvey, who did the sountrack for ultramarines!


here is that trailer: The Lord Inquisitor Trailer [HD] - YouTube


Anyway, of course he tried to contact GW before, but he got no response. A while back he attempted again and this time GW responded. Not only are they enthousiastic about it, but they want to give this guy some sort of 'license' if you will, for creating non-commercial warhammer animations. They can't 100% guarantee it just yet as they have to figure out if it's possible within IP laws but I'm pretty sure they'll sort that out with their regiment of lawyers.


Anyone else both excited and surprised GW actually responded.. with a positive answer? How cool is that?
here's his blogpost: The Best Start For 2012 | The Lord Inquisitor

So what do you guys think of it? There's a few choppy bits, but from what I saw of Ultramarines, it looks much better. The interesting news is that GW has responded and seems to be interesting in doing something with the project.

Cheers,
SB

Badger's Log - "Vintage" Dark Eldar Rescue

Afternoon all,

It's been a bit without a blog over the festive period, people have been busy with family, Xmas goodies and various projects. I had a moderately productive hobbying break, mostly just assembling stuff.

What I did do, whilst I had a free house for the day, was strip a load of second hand Dark Eldar that I'd gotten at the last Warboot, in a trade for some old LOTR stuff.

A few of them were in an (what I originally thought) an OK state... whereas others were pretty terrible. So, I chucked the lot - 40 warriors and 6 Wyches - into jugs of acetone free nail polish remover and by the time I checked the next day, the stripper was jet black and all sorts of nastiness floating in it.

It then took me 2 hours of scrubbing with a toothbrush, but what I ended up with, was a tub full of bits. Whoever had the models before must have used some cheap nasty glue which has dissolved away with the paint.

It wasn't until I came to assemble the models a few days later, between the rubbish glue and the thick black paint remover, that I'd lost a few bits along the way. A few arms and weapons weren't a problem to replace, I simply used some of my newer Dark Eldar spares. However, I'd lost the body of one of them... so I was down to 39 Kabalite Warriors!

Along the way, I originally thought I had 4 squads of 10, each with a Splinter Cannon. Turns out, I had about 6 or 7 Splinter cannons spread through the units... so what I decided to do then was change the squad layouts a bit... So I've ended up with:

3 x 10 Kabalite Warriors - Sybarite with a Splinter Pistol and CCW (or Venom Blade), Blaster, Splinter Cannon
8 or 9 Trueborn - Variety of different armaments... I've got some with Splinter Cannons, some with Blasters, some with Shardcarbines and a Dracon with a Blast Pistol and Power Weapon.

The plan with the Trueborn is to be able to run a few squads of them (to allow me to use all the Splinter Cannons), but for some to have a variety of uses. So maybe a 3 man squad with a Blast Pistol Dracon and 2 Splinter Cannons, a 4 man squad with 2 Cannons and 2 Shardcarbines, a 4 Blaster unit, etc. With the smaller units, I can then chuck them in Venoms.

Or keep them as 1 squad, have them led by Duke Sliscus in a Raider. Which would be nice and fun...

Finally, whilst re-assembling these guys I came across 1 fella that had a broken Splinter Rifle, snapped half way down the barrel. So rather than chuck him away, I thought I would give him an experimental Blaster conversion using some bits from my bitz box.

So there he is with his converted Blaster. I think the "Bulby" look gets the point across that it's a blaster, and it'll look better when painted. Also, the rest of the model looks absolutely terrible... not sure why, think it was just very old and the years have taken it's toll on detail.

I then chucked him into a Warrior squad as their special weapon dude, and retro-fitted these new Blasters all through the units. Unfortunately, I ran out of the Tormentor Grenade Launcher bits that come with the Ravager... so I can't make any more at the moment. But it would have cost me more money for an actual Blaster, than it did for the full squad of 10 guys....

So yeah, there you go. 30 odd Kabalite Warriors, 6 Wyches (probably be Bloodbrides) and 3 Venoms added to my Kabal, and waiting to be sanded and sprayed up for painting.

Cheers,
SB