2k Blood Angels: Hammer and Anvil

Taking a break from work and came up with the following list:

HQ:
2 x Librarians - Epistolary, Divination, Force Axes

Troops:

30 Death Company - 3 Power Axes, 27 Bolters

5 x 10 Assault Squads - 2 melta guns

Total Points: 1995

Hardy and mobile.  The 2 librarians saddle up with the Death Company casting 4 powers a turn to make the unit beastly.  5 assault squads then to provide mobility and scoring.  While the death company does not score (which normally is a liability) it certainly can contest.  Plan of action is to drive this unit forward to absorb enemy focus fire and evaporate enemy units.  I figure the presence of the 30 man mob would really screw around with an opponents target priority.  Normally one would want to take out the scoring units but if you let the death company get to your lines your toast.  Big glaring weakness is no answer to flyers, however, there should be enough power armoured bodies on the table to weather the storm.

An alternative to the above list would be to replace a librarian with an elite chaplain and drop the epistolary upgrade on the remaining librarian.  I lose 3 powers a turn but I guarantee re-rolls to hit and wound on a turn I charge.  I could then give every sergeant in the assault squads a melta bomb.  The Death Company would then get 2 extra power axes and 5 hand flamers.  I figure this would make the unit even more undesirable to assault.

1k Lizardmen to cut my teeth on

I'm firmly back on the fantasy train and have come up with a 1k list to cut my teeth on:

Hero (General):

Skink Priest: Plaque of Tepok, Ruby Ring

Core:

24 Saurus Warriors - Spears, Standard
2 x 10 Skink Skirmishers

Special:

5 Chameleon Skinks
1 Stegadon

Rare:

2 Salamanders (separate units) extra handlers

A bit of everything to try and maximize the different rules for the Lizardmen at such a small point level.  I like the priest: though he is level 1 he will have 3 spells to choose from any given game.  In addition to drawing on three spells, fireball is guaranteed which is nice if I run across ethereal models.  The stegadon is likely a liability as I'm sure to come across cheap cannons but I love the model.  I figure having 2 salamanders will make up for any short comings of the stegadon.  Also, the 5 chameleon skinks should help alleviate any pressure the stegadon might face.

As far as modeling goes, I need to convert 5 skinks into chameleons.  There are quite a few good tutorials on Lustria Online that I will take advantage of.  Then its back to the tried and true army painter spray cans to finish up this list.

A second list I might try out would see me including a scar vet mounted on a cold one.  I would equip him with light armour, great weapon, venom of firefly frog, amulet of itzl, dragon helm.  I would have to scale down the priest and drop the chameleons along with one salamander to include him.  He would be a tough bugger though.  +1 plus armour save with a +2 ward save on the first wound taken along with 4 strength 7 poisoned/magical attacks.

If I went this rout it would mean less painting and modeling before I had a completed 1k army.  I figure the first list is better as the salamanders at this point level are gold however, I would like to have a beefy combat character to kick but with.

The Deep Freeze

Well winter has hit and it looks like I'll be snowed in for the next 5 months or so.  Time to pull out the mini's and start painting again.  Its been awhile since I last worked on the hobby but with the summer and fall firmly behind me, I can get back to work.  As you can see with the above photo, I've switched tracks back to fantasy.  Right now I'm at a bit of a loss with 6th edition 40k.  My flesh tearers are almost complete but at their heart they are a 5th edition list.  I just don't want to go and change the army dramatically so I'll use them - as is - until the Eldar are released.  I really want to build an Eldar army from the ground up utilizing as many plastic models that might be released with the new codex.  So rather than take on any new projects I've decided to get back to the lizardmen.

I'm focusing on getting a 2k army built and painted.  I've 2 lists in mind.  The first (as seen in the photo above -absent one ancient steg) is as follows:

Lord:
Slann - BsB, Dispel Scroll, Magic Banner (+1 leadership), Focus of Mystery, The Becalming Cogitation

Hero:
Scar-Vet - Shield, Armour, Venom of the Fire Fly Frog

Core:
27 Saurus Warriors - Full Command, Spears
11 Skink Skirmishers
10 Skink Skirmishers

Special:
20 Temple Guard - Musician, Standard Bearer
Stegadon

Rare
Ancient Stegadon
2 Salamanders + 1 Extra Skink

Total Points 2k

Its light on core/saurus warriors and I really should be inserting chameleon skinks or terradons to hunt war-machines   But the army is nearly built and well on the way to being painted.  The second list that I've been pondering at 2k is as follows:


Lord:
Slann - BsB, Dispel Scroll, Magic Banner (+1 leadership), Focus of Mystery, The Becalming Cogitation)

Core:
24 Saurus Warriors - Musician, Standard Bearer, Spears
10 Skink Skirmishers
10 Skink Skirmishers
10 Skink Skirmishers

Special:
20 Temple Guard - Musician, Standard Bearer
3 Terradons
Stegadon

Rare
Ancient Stegadon
2 Salamanders

Total Points 1997

I like the second list better for the variety it would bring to the table top.  A glaring problem with both lists is the inclusion of the stegadons.  I believe that including more blocks of saurus would be better; however, I just do not want to play lizardmen without including these models on the table top.  From what I've read if you are going to take one you're better off taking two.  Along the same lines of reasoning for including the stegadons, I believe that the terradons will look ascetically pleasing on the table top.  The second list will showcase a wide variety of different models from the lizardmen range which I think is an often neglected aspect of this hobby.  At any rate bring on the snow, its time to roll up my sleeves and get back to work.

p.s.

Here's a photo of my back yard after the last few days snow fall.

Some photo's of my last couple of games

Nothing to report other that I'm really digging the new rule set.  Having a painted army really amps up the fun factor for 40k.  I've been meaning to write a review of the job front line gaming did.  Hopefully in the next few weeks, I will have the time to do so.  One thing that really stands out for me in 6th is the extra layer of tactical decisions one must make with individual models.  It really adds to the game.  Anyway, hope to get some games in the next few weeks, and perhaps might write up a proper battle report.  That's all for now.

6th Edition Flesh Tearers

Ah the joys that list building brings me.  I've been puzzling over how to build a list that takes into account the models I've recently had painted for my Flesh Tearers.  I think I've come up with a decent one that (bar the Death Company) uses all the models I've had painted.  I've a second list in mind that tries to include as many Death Company as possible as well.

HQ:
Librarian

Elite:
3 Priests

Troops:
2 x 10 Assault Marines - Rhino, 2 Melta Guns, Melta Bomb
10 Man Tactical Squad - Missile Launcher, Plasma Gun,  Combi Plasma, Rhino
5 man Assault Squad - Rhino, Melta Gun, Melta Bomb
2 x 5 Assault Marines - Melta Gun, Melta Bomb

Fast:
2 Baal Preds - Assault Cannons, Heavy Bolters

Heavy:
2 Storm Ravens - Plasma Cannons, Multi Melta

Total 2K

So the gist of the list is each raven holds a 5 man squad with jump packs and a priest to start in reserve.  The rest of the army starts on the table and uses their first turn to get into the center board with the fast rhinos supported by the Baal Preds.  The Librarian and remaining Priest ride with the 5 man assault squad in the rhino.  In total I have 49 feel no pain marines, between 6 and 9 scoring units, 2 fliers and 27 hull points.  One thing that I'm not sure about is whether the priest grants a feel no pain save when embarked in a transport to units outside of the transport.  If they don't then the list will have to be overhauled.  I plan to use skies of blood to drop my jump infantry into areas that need them most.  This will allow me to keep the ravens in zoom mode.  Also, when I want to take Seth along for the ride, I can swap him with the librarian and drop the heavy bolter upgrades on my preds to fit him in with relative ease.

Now, I've also had a score of Death Company painted up and changes to the list above to include them would be to drop my two jump infantry units, the heavy bolters and a single priest for 8 Death Company with 2 power weapons and a fist as well as the Death Company Dread.  This would give me 46 feel no pain infantry, 4-7 scoring units, 2 fliers and 30 hull points to play with.  In order to swap in Seth I would drop the death company fist and one power weapon.

Eldar Dark Eldar Combo #2

Have not had much time lately to sink my teeth into 6^th, in fact I’ve only played one game so far with my Blood Angels.  Between my house coming down around my ears and a busy work schedule things have been hectic to say the least.  Anyway, with my gripes aside I have been reading and listening to pod casts to see how the community at large has been absorbing 6^th.  One thing that has really grabbed my attention is the dual FOC charts at 2k.  Again looking at an Eldar /Dark Eldar combo, I was thinking of building a list that fits in as many MC’s as possible.  Without much ado this is what I came up with:

HQ’s:

Avatar

Eldrad

Farseer – Divination

Farseer – Divination

Troops:

4 x 10 Avengers

Heavy:

6 Wraithlords – Shuriken Cannons

Allies:

2 Hemoculi – Hex Rifles

2 x 3 Wracks

2 Talos Pain Engines – Haywire Blasters

All in all 9 MC’s in the list.  Eldrad doom’s a couple of targets and fortunes the Avatar.  I have one 12 inch fearless bubble, two 12 inch guide bubbles.  Potential 80 anti-infantry shots a turn and two sniper back field shots.  Finally 18 strength 6 shots on my wraithlords.   I doubt very much I would ever invest in the models to try this list out but I think it might do ok.  I figure the Eldar army would advance behind the wraithwall while the Dark Eldar stay back to hold a home base objective.  Nothing too tactical: but for maintaining my units within the bubbles of force multipliers. 

If I were to forgo the Dark Eldar as allies, I think I would then take 2 squads of 20 storm guardians with an enhance warlock to act as fearless tar pits.  The two extra warlocks would also help out with wraith sight issues that might arise.

My Flesh Tearer Army

My new army is in the mail.  Kinda wish I did not get so many rhino's painted up.  Really digging the Storm Ravens.  I think my first game will include the two ravens.  Death Company in one and Seth and assault squad in the other with a priest.  2 baal preds that I really liked in 5th and I hope are good in 6th.  I also want to try out a true rhino rush list.  The jury is still out on rhino's in my opinion.  Especially fast rhino's.  I figure for 50 points I can guarantee 10 assault marines will get up to a 24 inch boost in the first turn might be worth it.  One thing I know for sure is that I can't wait to get some games in and try out the new rule set.