Heavy Metal Love

The above photo was taken from the GW website and gives a teaser of the Heavy Metal Flesh Tearer army.  I got to say, even though this months White Dwarf had tons of cool photos of on the new Grey Knights model range, the Flesh Tearer section is by far the best part of this months magazine.  Even if you don't want to shell out the dough for the magazine just take a look at the showcased army while at a local gaming store.

Anyway, with that aside, I've been playing around with lists while I patiently wait for my Forge World order to arrive.  One thing that has captured my imagination is how can I spruce up my models with the incoming etched brass.  I've decided that if I'm going to put in the effort to add these extra details that I should spend more time on my models; rather, than painting to a 3 colour minimum.  I also think that I want to include my favorite Marine models in my list.  I have everything but the land raider upgrade kit with respect to the following list I have come up with.  I don't think it is a particularly competitive list but will look deadly painted up with Flesh Tearer colours on the table top.

HQ:
Seth
Librarian

Elite:
Sanguinary Priest

Troops:
10 man Assault squad with power sword, 2 melta-guns, land raider crusader
10 man Tac squad with melta-gun, combi-melta, missile launcher, rhino
5 man Assault squad with melta-bombs, melta-gun, HB razorback.
5 man Death Company with thunder hammer
1 Death Company Dreadnought with blood talons.

Fast:
Baal Pred with assault cannon

Heavy:
Autocannon Pred with Lascannon sponsons
Storm Raven with multi-melta, assault cannon, extra-armour.

Total: 1850 even

Seth and the priest will ride in the land raider along with the assault squad.  Not sure if the librarian will ride with them or tag along with the Death Company in the storm raven.  From what I've read the storm raven has the same size doors as on the rhino, so I plan to put the death company doors I've ordered there.  The storm raven will be painted with the death company colours and will transport the death company dread and squad.  The reasoning behind taking the tac squad is simply that I've nearly completed the squad.  I wished I had put together an assault squad instead but the tac squad will do.  The idea is that the tac squad will tag along with the land raider and try and provide some fire support to the assault squad.  The third assault squad I see grabbing objectives and camping.  Though the melta gun and bombs in the squad provide it with some flexibility should I need some more anti tank.  That leaves my two preds which are included namely because I have/like the models and wish to use them.  Plus, fast preds are good preds.  From what I've read land raiders should be run in pairs, and I'm hoping the storm raven will do.

The plan now is to start assembling the land raider and and storm raven so that I can get some games in.  Though lately I've been swamped with work and family life and I've not had any real free time for hobby's.  though I've done a little work cleaning up the forge world dred.  While I love thier models, the flashing and extra chunks of resin that need to be cleaned off them are a real pain.  I don't want to break any part of the model so I'm taking my time.  I've already managed to break my forgeworld avatar and do not want to repeat that with the dred.  As far as modeling the dred goes, I've been fooling around with different poses, trying to get a dynamic look to the model.  I really like the forgeworld arms because they give you more freedom to position the arms than the GW supplied arms.  One change though, I've got my hands on the plastic blood claws and plan to use them rather than the claws that came with the forge world model.  They just look more menacing.  So thats an update of where I'm at with the hobby right now.  Hopefully the etched brass will be arriving soon so I can start pimping out my vehicles.  Have a good one interwebs.

Kaughnor.

Etched Brass

Just put in my order for some Forge World goodness:

3 – Flesh Tearer Brass Etchings

2 – Blood Angel transfer sheets

1 – set of Death Company rhino doors.

What finally pushed me into dropping the coin on the chapter upgrades was an article in this months White Dwarf showcasing a spectacular looking Flesh Tearer list.  What really stood out was the Flesh Tearer emblams spattered throughout the army especially on the Storm Raven and Rhinos.  So... me being a fool parted with some money to try and emulate the Forge World team.  My skills are nowhere at all at that level but dare to dream. 

Upgrading the vehicles aside, I also plan to attempt to eventually use some of the etchings on the right shoulders of a squad of assault terminators.  I also bought a Forge World chaplain dreadnought last summer when I was at Warhammer World and will attempt to pimp it out with some cool buzz saw motifs and add tons of purity seals. 

While I wait for the shipment to arrive I want to finish up my tactical and assault squads.  As it stands I pretty much have my 1k list planned out.  Though it’s still a tossup between using Death Company or a Honour Squad as my counter assault unit.  I plan to include both units once I start building past a 1000 points so I suppose which one I finish first does not matter.

As an aside, I plan to paint my  Death Company using the following paint scheme:

I remember when I first read this article years and years ago and was drawn to this paint scheme.  Now that I’m in the middle of building a Flesh Tearer army I think it fitting that I pay my proper respects to the original scheme.  Also, I think it would really make the Death Company stick out painting the yellow stripe along with the rest of the Death Company regalia.

Of course Seth will be my second HQ choice likely riding in a Storm Raven.  I would like to include another dreadnought and perhaps a chaplain as I approach 2k though nothing is set in stone at this point.

Anyway just wanted to share my excitement with respect to my Forge World order, have a good one all. 

Meta Game

After listening to the 11^th Company pod cast this week I got to wondering: has the meta game shifted to favour the Eldar.  I think it’s common knowledge that the recent FAQ’s respecting the Dark Angels and Black Templars has breathed new life into those old codex’s.  In fact it appears that a Belial led Deathwing list has become very competitive with the advent of the FAQ’s as showcased by recent tournament results.  I would suggest that another direct result of the FAQ update will be a shift of the current meta game (mechanized msu et al.).  With the rise of Deathwing and the dawn of a new era of Grey Knights, I suspect that the current top three contenders for competitive armies will now have to adjust for the upstart terminators. 

The question then is will any adjustments made to these top three armies (Guard, Wolves and Blood Angels) to compete with Deathwing and the soon to be released Grey Knights benefit the Eldar.  Off the tip of my brain I think you will start seeing a lot more plasma thrown around to deal with all the 2+ saves on the table.  I also suspect that s.8 fire power might take a dip to compensate for the rise of plasma.  If this happens I believe it could result in taking some pressure off the dated Eldar codex.  I would much rather deal with plasma spam than missile spam against my wave serpents.  What else though? 

As far as the Eldar are concerned, I think they match up fairly well against Deathwing and Grey Knights.  The Farseer Runes of Warding will be sure to send plenty of Grey Knights into the warp and the gobs of s.6 fire power available to the Eldar is a competitive answer to Deathwing terminators.  But how will the top teir armies respond?  Just as important, how will the readjustment affect other xenos books such as Nids or Dark Eldar.  For example, shadows of the warp will have a dramatic effect on how the Grey Knights build a competitive list, which in turn will affect how top tier armies will build lists to deal with the new competition.  Taken further, can the Eldar take advantage of all these changes?

I’m not sure if the Eldar might inadvertently have gained a competitive boost but I am certain the meta game has shifted.  It is spring time and with the spring comes along a new season of big tournaments.  As such, I believe there will be some upset lists that will surprise a lot of players.  I certainly hope that is the case in any event.  And I most certainly hope that my pointy eared toy soldiers might have gained a little bit of a competitive edge.

Eldar Wasp

Now this would be a fun troop choice to build an army with.  I was taking a look at the new Eldar Forgeworld models and really dig the Eldar Wasp.  The experimental rules are here.  3 Wasps with shuriken cannons cost 165 points.  I play mostly fun games where I think using the experimental rules would be ok.  I'm seriously tempted to pick some of these models up.  They would fit the Alaitoc ranger theme perfectly.  I might play test them with my Warwalker models in a thousand point list.  Something like this.

HQ:

Autarch - Spider Pack, Fusion gun, Mandiblaster, Power Sword - 125

Elite:

Scorpions - Exarch, Powerclaw, Move Through Cover, Infiltrate - 212

Troops:

5 Pathfinders - 120

5 Pathfinders - 120

2 Wasp's - EML's - 170

Fast:

5 Warp Spiders - 110

2 Hornets - Shuriken Cannons - 130

Not sure what to do with the remaining 13 points.  I would most likely out flank the scorpions and hornets.  Then deep strike the wasps, autarch and spiders to what ever side of the board the scorpions come out.  Hopefully the pathfinders can withstand a turn of focused fire.  I see this list as fun to play as it could force the other player to react to your moves rather than being able to control the pace of the game themselves.