Adeptus Titanicus – Titans in Manufactorum – Yellows

Afternoon #warmongers and I am #paintingwarhammer #AdeptusTitanicus. |These are on of a plethora of projects that I’d been working on simultaneously alongside my Deathwing Knights. With the Knights being so challenging I needed many different things on my palette to keep my mojo ticking along. I’ve done all the metallic highlights and got to a point where I wanted the armour panels on. Typically I’m not sure if that’s premature and I’ll suffer for adding them too soon.

I think previously there were orange panels, I’ve added a thinned Iyanden Dark Sun to begin the Legio Gryphonicus yellow panels.

Added some sepia on all the trim and it also helped blend the yellow with the orange base.

I’ll be looking to stipple on more yellow in a diffuse mottled effect akin to the original War Griffons colour scheme.

There’s so much here that I had achieved in the preparation of these Titans I know I’m going to end up covering, it’s infuriating I can’t just leave things as they are.

An additional frustration is that I had intended to follow Duncan’s guide to painting War Griffons on Warhammer TV but typically I’ve just gone with how I would paint these things myself.

It would have been so good to just follow each step, come out with something new, with new skills and knowledge and no need to make decisions, which I fear I’m going to end up doing as I make my own way.

Here you can see mottling effect with further spots of Iyanden Dark Sun and then Valejo Game Color Sunburst Yellow.

It’s not entirely what I was after but I still have some battle damage and some line highlights to add which will help define the shapes and give the impression of more detail which will then change the perception of what the mottling is.

I think I have to shade the entire grey pieces with black. The grey primer is very different to Stonewall Greyand as such I can’t use it as it looks odd.

The primer is a cool grey, while Stonewall is a warm grey.

I also picked out the blue shield, still have to done the bone scrollwork.

The shoulders have come out OK, like I say, the damage should help tie everything together.

I mean these are great and everything but once they’re done I’ve all the weapons to do! 😳 Anyway, I’ll keep chipping away at these, literally and figuratively for now.

Adeptus Titanicus – Titans in Manufactorum – Base colours

Afternoon #warmongers and I am #paintingwarhammer #AdeptusTitanicus. I’ve done all the metallic highlights and got to a point where I wanted the armour panels on. Typically I’m not sure if that’s premature and I’ll suffer for adding them too soon.

Washes needed to be added to the metals, but the edging on the armour panels need a bit of highlighting too before that gets to be done.

Now as Legio Gryphonnicus I should be doing these yellow and grey but I do always start with orange. This is the Instar paints IV-17 – a replica of the Macharius Solar Orange Foundation paint. Now the colour matching is looks bob on, it is a great comparison to my original. 

However, straight out of the pot the coverage is nowhere near the same, but that might be because it’s not quite mixed thoroughly. I really need to get a stirrer in there to see if there is thicker paint at the bottom. I bought a 50ml pot which was a little extreme, I should have gone with 20ml and got a load of other sample pots to try the range – experience for next time.

The Reaver has not had it’s armour plates glued on just yet but it’s progressed at the same pace. On the one hand this is going to be a huge success at the end but right now it’s a little overwhelming. I’d focused on the Titans for a while but thankfully it helped me return to my Deathwing Knights.

With all the highlights to do on the Terminators I’d been put off and switched to these, now it’s time to switch back.

But, when the Deathwing are done I need to get all these metals up to scratch, then shaded so I can focus on the fun of the armour plates… oh and all the weapons. It’s weird because with so few figures in a Titan army I was deluding myself into seeing this project like a Warhammer Underworlds Warband, but with 2 Warhounds, Reaver, Knight AND all the weapon options I should have seen it more like painting a 40k Imperial Titan. Or at least it’s been as big as doing both my Armigers! Mistakes about the task at hand were made, still we’ll get them done in the end.

Adeptus Titanicus – Titans in Manufactorum – Big Build – Prime and Base TO DONE!

As much as I wasn’t feeling the hobby there are always some things I feel comfortable doing and priming is one of them, because as sure as eggs is eggs I’ll get my mojo back eventually and if I’ve got stuff ready to go then I can speed things along immeasurably.

So on top of the priming and basing I did a quick pass of vermilion. The Warplock Bronze is going to be a nightmare but still more progress than I planned.

The Reaver got bronzed [even though I planned on doing them silver I just couldn’t]. Those arms need doing…

Warhounds also got done. They were primed black and then I did a quick grey prime for the armour panels but it was a much lighter primer than I expected and satin too. It won’t be an issue in the end but it was a setback when it happened.

All the bases have been further highlighted since this. I am discovering I hate doing all the metallic armour edges – it fills me with no satisfaction whatsoever. I’d be even more stressed but I have now clung to that most important rule of painting.

I’m convinced I can cover all the crap bits, and everything that’s gone wrong in the end. I have to be patient which is frustrating as I actually just want to get them done. They were completely off-list but they look gorgeous and will be awesome when they’re finished – I have no doubts… although the guns I’m not so sure about 😉

Big Build Galactic Stamp of Approval for basing these puppies.

Adeptus Titanics – Titans in Manufactorum – Big Build – TO DONE!

It seems like ages ago now when I visited Liam’s to drop off his Adeptus Titanicus, we spent the evening building Titans and then I crashed my car on the way home. Here are the fruits of our labors. Liam was responsible for the Warhounds and Reavers…

I somehow only had to build the Cerastus Lancers. We’re going to be sharing painting duty so we can get them done quicker, but he was also going to be magnetising all the weapons [which eventually took an entire day].

For the Knight I would paint I tried to emulate the pose of my own Lancer.

Funnily enough the legs are oppositely position to my full scale version but the pose is indeed similar – braced for impact.

He passed on the Reaver and Warhounds before lockdown so I got the base done, using Valejo Red Oxid paste for the majority of the basing material.

Some bits of slate and granny grating added some variety.

And some pipe work and the odd bit of gravel and these babies are already for priming.

And so I get my Big Build Big Galactic Stamp of Approval – yay!

Adeptus Titanicus unboxing

As we all face Covid-19 lockdown I thought I’d just post some stuff. Here’s an unboxing of the new Adeptus Titanicus set that Liam bought.

Afternoon #warmongers there’s been a lot of love online for #AdeptusTitanicus recently and that has lit a fire under my mate Liam to get into it. I had seen the Grand Master box for £162, but in a 25% sale for him, but when I went back the following week discovered the sale had finished that weekend!

Anyway, GW brought out the new starter set and I offered to pick one up for him from Element Games [don’t forget my code: DAV910 for DOUBLE Element Crystals] as it’s only a short train ride from work in my lunch. Adeptus Titanicus was possibly the 2nd boxed Games Workshop game I bought, in fact I still have the box and most of my original figures. If you go back to the start of my blog you can relive my history with this game.

I actually think this new box is great value, mainly in-part from Element’s great discount – £72 all in. A Reaver titan is £35 on it’s own and you get two so that’s £70. For the other £2 you get two Warhounds £34, two Cerastus Knight Lancers £17, the accessory sprue £10 and the full game rules [which are more up-to-date than the Grand Master edition]. So at least £60 of savings, not including the cost of the rules and the dice etc.

Once inside you’ve got your sprues.

2 of each for the Reavers.

The Cerastus Sprue, that has all different faces to personalise your Knight. I don’t think I’ve seen any other Cerastus weaponry elsewhere but I think there might be rules for them in the box.

The Warhound sprues and the weapon sprues, which I think are the 2 Reaverr weapon sprues that make up the more expensive ‘Reaver battle titan] kit and the Warhound weaponry that gives you all the rest.

Accessory sprue. All the little cog shapes are trackers for your Titan Command Terminals. In the Grand Master edition they’re printed on 2mm cardboard with holes punched for the little nubs on the back of the cogs to fit in. In this kit the terminal is a thinner card with no holes. This keeps prices down and means they supply them as standard in the Titan boxes now. It’s a simpler solution but game-wise you may want to stick the cards to 2mm MDF or cardboard and drill/punch holes to except the marker nubs, otherwise they’ll be skittering across the table with sadistic glee.

Hooray for blast templates, nice to see they found a use for these again.

The now customary art sheet, keeping the paper rules separate from the stabby sprues that might otherwise leave marks and dents in the new paper books and materials.

Some simple decals, rulebook, cards, terminals, stratagems and bases.

I’ll be delivering the box to him, we’re going to have a bit of a build session and much like Blackstone Fortress I’ll be helping with the painting so we can get playing. A lot of this feels like we’re entering into another game system but I think that’s in part because 40k feels so complex and convoluted now. I think we’re all after something a little simpler, with less rules upon rules. Although I see there a re ‘detachment style’ benefits to certain maniples of titan hopefully it’s a stabler set of rules that aren;t ripe for abuse.

Knights in Manufactorum – Renegade Knight banner

I had long felt that the base of my Imperial Knight Crusader – Lady Pettorini was missing something. There was a significant amount of empty space and I concluded a tattered Renegade Knight banner might break up the expanse of Red Planet BASE without adding any height [which I didn’t want]. The initial plan was to get my mate Liam to paint it – he has Chaos/Renegade Knights and also a Nurgle Chaos army. I desperately wanted Lady Pettorini smashing the face off some filthy pox-ridden servant of disease -it would be poetically just. However, I eventually came to the conclusion it was something I had to do for myself. I wanted the banner itself to be a stained cream colour, so I could play around with washes to make it grimy. That meant the skull had to be black to stand out and the Nurgle symbol for my son’s tumour could sit right in the middle where she could stamp right down on it. I also added the PXA acronym for the type astrocytoma [although actually it’s an APXA]. Surprisingly I haven’t looked too much into it – the fact we were told it was not as bad as they first thought meant we were just relieved and got him through the treatment. It’s only know we’re in a frame of mind where we have questions that require answers.

As freehands go it went OK, the skull isn’t quite as defined as I’d like but it’ll do. It was subsequently glued to Lady Pettorini’s base, I added some back around it as it was spreading disease corruption and also some Anita’s 3D Dimensional Glossy Black paint for thick black corruption bleeding fromthe cursed banner.

Now it’s done it might be a little over-powering on the base than I’d originally intended. But a foul diseased banner, by its very natures, was always an imperfect thing so the fact the base is not perfect is inevitable. Ultimately it had to be done, it was cathartic and this post is cathartic. We are still a long way from relaxing about this situation, more than 4.5 years still to go and it’s small displays of defiance like this that help me through it.

I’ve potentially got another hobby related protest against this filthy disease lined up, which could be different to my usual stuff. Just have to wait and see if it pans out. Anyway, this got entered in the monthly Warhammer Manchester Battle of the Brush monthly challenge for ‘large models’ and I should actually take it’s gallery pics too at some point…

1750pts battle report – Imperial Knights & Blood Angels v Imperial Knights & Nurgle Death Guard – game 3

Double Trouble 4 and Alex From the Fang’s doubles tournament replacing Blog Wars. 875pts with random pairings but all match-ups are Battle Brothers. Once again my recollection is pretty hazy so for the most part enjoy the pictures, the commentary will be secondary 😉 

My first Blog Wars was Blog Wars 6 in June 2013, in that time I don’t think Alex and I have ever faced or paired with each other. We’ve been on adjoining tables but with this our last chance to dance Alex twisted the strands of fate to put us both on the same table – Knight on Knight! I’m paired with Tom Capper again [paired with for DT3 and opposite for Never Mind the Blog Wars] he had his Blood Angels, Mephiston, possibly Astorath some Assault Terminators and Sanguinary Guard. Alex had his two Helverins and a Knight Warden and was partnered with Jonathan Lyness [regular attendee both at Alex’s events and my own Birthday Bash] he had Nurgle and Death Guard – a Damon Prince, big blob of cultists, 2 Bloat Drones, unit of Plague Marines and I’m not sure what else.

Once again the Knights hold the line but I have some Sanguinary Guard in the ruins with Mephiston. Opposite we have Death Guard and Bloat Drones on the left, a Helverin with the Cultists blocking out the centre, backed up by the Daemon Prince. The Warden is way back behind the ruins with the 2nd Helverin behind the abandoned Bastion.

We win first turn and keep the initiative. We surge forwards, Mephiston swooping over the cultists to get to the Prince but couldn’t kill it. The Sanguinary Guard got into the Cultists while my Warglaives caught them in a pincer. I think they were wiped out this turn after morale.

The Lancer went Flank Speed and crossed the entire board to get to the Helverin which couldn’t withstand it’s charge and was destroyed. It was a brutal first turn and I must confess I didn’t feel too pleased with myself in the success of our Alpha Strike, given the spirit of the event.

But Alex and Jonathan were not done yet – the Helverin and Drones repositioned to fire at the Warglaive but didn’t do a huge amount of damage.

The Warden was significantly more successful, withdrawing from the Lancer while laying down plenty of wounds taking me to the second tier at least. The Bloat Drones charged the Warlgaive

In our turn 2 the Sanguinary Guard look to have targeted the Helverin, it’s down to 8 wounds. My second Warglaive slammed into a Drone.

My Lancer headed for the Warden, but it’s mobility was severely hampered by damage, only getting 2″ on its 2D6 Flank Speed advance! Terminators arrived from deep strike.

And made their charge into the Plague Marines. That may have required a re-roll though which meant the Lancer was at risk making his on the Warden…

I’m not sure if he was killed in overwatch or Alex’s next turn but we never found out what it would be like in close combat. I felt a little less guilty about that Alpha Strike at this point.

I’ve no idea what damage was made here but I think the Drones survived.

Then fell back to secure the objective in the ruins

This allowed the Warglaives to move up. A Nurgle dude holding the objective in the corner of the ruins was killed somehow, allowing my Warglaive to secure it. The Terminators wiped out the Plague Marines with the help of Astorath.

The Sanguinary Guard took the fight to the Drones, while the last Helverin doesn’t feature in anymore pics so might have been destroyed at this point?

The Sanguinary Guard took casualties in overwatch but I think they killed one of the Drones.

The Warden blew up both Warglaives and some of the Terminators.

But was assaulted by the remains of the squad and Astorath. The last Drone fell back to hold the objective but the Sanguinary Guard was still there so it may have been contested.

Astorath was the lone survivor against the Warden, I’m not sure how much damage it had been dealt, not half I don’t think.

Fall back and retreat again, still no end to the deadlock.

With honour at stake the Standard Bearer left the objective it had been holding to charge the Knight in an attempt to bring it past half points but he could not make the charge.

The Bloat Drone must have perished leaving the Sanguinary Guard to hold our objective again. They may have been killed in Alex’s turn – he had enough firepower to do it!

The final score was 7VPs to 6VPs in our favour at turn 5, which was the last turn. We’d scored 1169pts but been almost [if not completely] wiped out. I honestly don’t remember much of what happened. It feels like quite a tactical game but like I say after our turn one I felt really bad but it would appear that a sacrifice of a unit of Cultists and a Helverin was a small price to lure in my Lancer and scalp it so early.

Tom Capper, Myself, Alex From the Fang, Jonathan Lyness

But another great game, regardless of the fact that my Lancer failed to survive a single match – so no honour badges to add 😦 It was a great way to finish the event off, nice to be picked by Alex and be with Jonathan and Tom again. That’s the best part of these events as it’s almost like a reunion each time. Hopefully someone will step forward to continue it on. Obviously I could ‘put my money where my mouth is’ and take up the baton but I think Alex has said someone has already offered.

Here’s my final scorecard, not that it matters. I honestly felt I had a pretty tough army this time, but clearly it was more fragile than I thought. Definitely the Lancer is far from OP, and I think over-costed too. 440pts seems like a better price to me, maybe it would be different in a full Knightly Household. Anyway, I’ve a wrap up post and painting comp to do but this is the last Double Trouble report – So Long and Thanks for All the Dice!

If you’re interested in any more of my Battle Reports, point your cogitators here: www.40kaddict.uk/p/battle-reports.html

1750pts battle report – Imperial Knights & Blood Angels v Astra Militarum & Tyranids – game 2

Double Trouble 4 and Alex From the Fang’s doubles tournament replacing Blog Wars. 875pts with random pairings but all match-ups are Battle Brothers. Once again my recollection is pretty hazy so for the most part enjoy the pictures, the commentary will be secondary 😉

Game 2 and I’m partnered with Matt Longmore again [I’d been paired with him at DT2 and he was my opponent in DT3]. He’d brought his Blood Angels with ‘Captain Slam’, some Veterans, Death Company, a squad of Helblasters and some other units [THSS Terminators] that would benefit from reserve deployment. We were up against Andy Peat and his Tyranids [5 Carnifex, Old One Eye, a Neurothrope and a Biovore] and Lucas Rooney and his Astra Miliarum [2 Leman Russ, 2 Basilisks, a small unit of Bulgryns, a ‘Command Point Farm’ and mortars.

We managed to win first turn and not lose the initiative. Matt had kept all but a unit of Veterans in the ruins above my Lancer and the Helblasters on the top floor of the ruins at the top of the board. I deployed the Lancer in the centre with one Warglaive on the left and the other on the extreme right flank to go for the Basilisks.

Turn 1 and the Lancer Flanks Speeds forwards, just 2″ away from the Carnifex, this could be awesome or very foolish. The Warglaive couldn’t quite match his pace, making it’s normal move but putting 4 or 5 wounds on the Carnifex on the left.

The other Warglaive was even more effective, melting one of the Basilisks into slag.

The Lancer smashed into the front rank of the Carnifex, killing all three in quick succession -now that was more like it! Using the full tilt stratagem earned our opponents some new CPs. We ended the turn on 1VP, for the veterans holding our centre objective.

Lucas and Andy pounced on the Lancer, sending in Carnifex and Bulgryns but not before the Neurothrope did 6 Mortal Wounds. As the dust settled Old One Eye and his buddies and brought the Lancer to just 7 wounds – karma? They scored 2VPs for objectives this turn.

Turn 2 and the Warglaive moved on the final Basilisk. Death Company arrived just out of shot and Captain Slam and the Terminators were elsewhere on the board.

The second Warglaive joined the melee in the middle, he was down to 1 wound thanks to the Leman Russes. I had considered sending it back to the ruins int he centre to hold the objective and free up the vets but figured he could get in the mix now, while the Vets where still 2 turns of movement away from making an impact. Another unit of Vets jumped over the derelict Aquila Stronghold into combat with a Carnifex. The Lancer fell back and charged again killing Old One Eye either with Shock Blast or in combat.!

Captain Slam jumped into combat with the Neurothrope.

The remaining 2 Carnifex got killed but the Neurothrope survived.

Warglaive killed the Biovore with its Meltagun and the remaining Basilisk. Veterans killed the Infantry Squad except their commander who escaped to the top of the building out of range of the objective. He would be killed by the Warglaive in the next turn. We finally had the sense to move the Helblasters down to hold the objective they’d mutely stared at turn 1. We scored 3VPs.

Not sure what Lucas and Andy did in their turn, killed some Terminators and take the Lancer down to 4 wounds. Rotating my Ion Shields helped but this gave them yet more CPs. Slam went in search of the Leman Russes.

The Lancer fell back and charged again. Unfortunately I couldn’t kill the Neurothrope – it was going to kill me next turn with Smite for sure.

The Warglaive lost its final wound leaving this melee in its closing stages.

Another turn and I’m not sure how I moved the Lancer but it was all for nought

It was destroyed just as the Death Company arrived in Support, not sure if that Neurothrope is escaping or dead, think it’s the former! The Bulgryn, nicknamed Champ survived, despite my best efforts to squish him! Anyway, final score 10VPs to us 5VPs to Lucas and Andy. We scored 1180 Blood Points

Another great game, snatching the win on VPs

Matt, myself, Andy [and his Neurothrope], Lucas [and Sergeant Champ]

One overwhelming topic of discussion throughout the game was the Astra Militarum CP farm. When you’re recouping CPs from both us and their own stratagem spend Lucas must have had around 25 CPs throughout the game, he even had some left at the end! I agreed totally with him in that ‘why wouldn’t you take it but it’s clear from BoLS that these shenanigans are a little beyond the pale.

And more recently at NOVA, the ubiquity of the CP farm has already prompted a suggestion it will be nerfed. I’m not forgetting that Tyranids can also farm, but it takes a Lictor or Genestealer to kill a character in combat, spend a CP and get D3 back. There are a lot of boxes to tick there that can still result in where you started. Perhaps Kurov’s Aquila needs a price to pay to recoup before you roll? Hopefully Chapter Approved will help balance it, GW already increased the amount of CPs you get for a Battalion, farming on top seems a little over-powered.

If you’re interested in any more of my Battle Reports, point your cogitators here: www.40kaddict.uk/p/battle-reports.html

1750pts battle report – Imperial Knights & Astra Militarum v Astra Militarum & Khorne Daemonkin – game 1

Double Trouble 4 and Alex From the Fang’s doubles tournament replacing Blog Wars. 875pts with random pairings but all match-ups are Battle Brothers. Once again my recollection is pretty hazy so for the most part enjoy the pictures, the commentary will be secondary 😉 

Here we go with the last Double Trouble ever. I’ll cover my feelings in the wrap up but suffice to say the event was it’s usual fun, tinged with a hint of sadness as it has come to a fitting end. First game and I’m partnered with Matt Greenwood [Alex’s regular opponent] and his Astra Militarum [3 Leman Russ with Pask, a Psyker, some Ratling Snipers and Vets but with no Command Point farm!].

Facing us was Greg Barber, again with Astra Militarum [Baneblade, Command Point Farm, Psykers and a Bullgryn squad]. He was partnered with Duncan Gray and Khorne Daemonkin [Soul Grinder, Blood Letters, Flesh Hounds, Skull Cannon and some Forgeworld Greater Daemon].

Setup was table ends but with the pointed ends 18″ apart. That would have been beneficial for my Knights if only the apex wasn’t right in those ruins. Regardless we paid 3 points straight off to put one of my Warglaives in reserve and outflank. We finished deploying first, won first turn and then Greg stole the Initiative. Greg and Duncan move up to secure objectives [which were scored each turn]. With my Cerastus in full view he took a pounding from the Baneblade, despite rotating the Ion Shields he took 7 wounds, down to 20. Greg and Duncan scored 4VPs this turn.

The Cerastus Advanced but was nowhere near the Baneblade. The Warglaive followed along in support. Matt managed to takemost of the wounds off the Soul Grinder [down to 3 or 1?] he also dinged a Flesh Hound with Heavy Bolter fire.

The Skull Cannon fell victim to concentrated fire from the Leman Russ and my Cerastus Shock Blast. With the Lancer exposed I decided to assual the Flesh Hounds [costing 2CPs to assault after advance] then used the Shock Lance.

Only killing two but ‘safely’ remaining in combat, while the Warglaive attacked the Bullgryns killing one. We scored 2VPs of objectives and then the Daemon Prince and Bloodletters appeared in our midst!

You see the thing with being locked in combat so you then Fall Back and charge again is that your opponent can also Fall Back leaving you exposed and vulnerable! I’d somehow forgotten that and suddenly all the Baneblade’s weaponry was traind on my Knight but was killed with just the main cannon! Another ignominious performance from the Lancer.

While the Bullgryns set to work on the Warglaive, clubbing it to bits until it blew up in their midst putting mortal wound on all those around it. The chaos Forces pushed forward, the Bloodletters making a huge charge to tie up Pask and another [or both the other] Leman Russ, luckily the Daemon Prince failed his charge and they scored another 4VPs.

Things were starting to fall apart, but I had my last Warglaive arrive from reserve. I think our plan here was for it to try and help kill the Prince and Bloodletters, with the Veterans who appeared int he back field. This would free up the tanks to focus on the Baneblade. Unfortunately the the Veterans whiffed and he couldn’t manage but take some wounds off the Prince. We scored another 2 VPs

The Bloodletters took some heavy losses but were still positioned to keep the tanks locked and score our objectives. 

Meanwhile the Baneblade set to ram the Warglaive.

The Baneblade crushed the Warglaive under it’s tracks, the Blood letters continued to distract the tanks in combat.

While their Prince assaulted the Veterans, killing them with ease.

More Bloodletters died, but so did Pask as it was shot by the Baneblade having moved out of combat.

The Chaos forces added another 5 VPs to their tally.

The Daemon Prince set his sights on the remaining Leman Russ and smashed it to pieces.

All that was left at this stage was Matt’s psyker…

oh and an infantry squad in the ruins scoring us 1VP. I think they must have finally taken donw the Soul Grinder but the Psyker was not about to be bludgeoned by the Bullgryns.

“Death or glory!”

And there endeth the game. We’d lost 23 VPs to 8 and scored 923 Blood Points

Another great game, the loss of the initiative had been unfortunate but the deployment  map didn’t help. However, with fewer units deploying the Lancer out of sight of the Baneblade was never an option.

Greg, myself, Matt and Duncan

Everyone was super-cool to game with, so the result was once again broadly irrelevant, on to game 2.

If you’re interested in any more of my Battle Reports, point your cogitators here: www.40kaddict.uk/p/battle-reports.html

875pts battle report – Imperial Knights v Tyranids

I managed to arrange a little game with Otty in preparation for Double Trouble 4. Never having solely used my Knights and with their new rules it was a perfect opportunity to familiarise myself with my 3 guys. The main issue with taking the Lancer is you automatically lose half your Stratagems as they invariably work with Questoris Knights, or those with specific weapons. Take away any other Knightly houses and I was left with just on page of Stratagems to choose from! I gave the Lancer Land Strider to add 2″ to his move and the Warglaives too. He also had the Sainted Ion Armour for a 2+ save!

Otty brought 2 Broods of Genestealers [one maxxed out], a Broodlord, a Neurothrope and 6 Hive Guard. Otty got first turn, moved the Neurothrope into the crater and the Hive Guard into range of the nearest Warglaive. The fired off two salvoes, taking it down to just 2 wounds

Big Brood advanced, little brood conga’d to secure objectives. No combat this turn but the next turn?

The Lancer advanced, [14″ move +2″ Land Strider + 2D6″ Advance!] so he was really up in their grill first turn. The shock lance put a couple of wounds on the Neurothrope and the charge managed to catch both it and the Hive Guard. I did a lance strike and Titanic Foot Stomp each on both units. I think I killed two Hive Guard but the Neuro remained intact.

The wounded Warglaive held an objective, it’s twin managed to kill 1 Genestealer with its Thermal Lance and hold the other.

Genestealers sought revenge for the loss of their pal.

Neurothrope smoted the other Warglaive killing it [he had an auspicious first game].

The Neurothrope was very pleased with itself! He even healed his 2 wounds back with a stratagem.

Stealers surrounded the other Warglaive

And ripped it to pieces with 80 attacks, hitting on 2s, wounding 5/6s re-rolling 1s [Gorgon]. Neither blew up either, just collapsing in on themselves.

In retaliation the Lancer fell back, shot the Neurothope 2 wounds again then stomped all over the Hive Guard! S8 on Titanic feet is awesome!

Can’t recall how the Neurothrope died, maybe the shock lance did more than the 2 damage? The Broodlord did 6 Smite wounds on the Lancer though as the small Stealer brood closed in.

I couldn’t kill the squad though, one survived to secure the objective while the Lancer was on 19 wounds.

Remaining Stealers and Broodlord arrived.

The Broodlord itself very brave to get within range of my lance, but after the massive Smite last turn took psychic feedback with double 1 perils for two wounds on itself. They could only put 4 wounds on me, keeping me within the top tier [House Hawkshroud looking pretty awesome right now]

In return I kebabed the Broodlord and stomped the lone Stealer [for Blood Points] and then stomped a couple from the big brood.

The end game, for honour and curiosity. Otty had won with objectives it was just a matter of seeing who would kill who first. With Fall Back, shooting and attack the Genestealer still managed to knock me down to the bottom tier. This made it increasingly difficult to land stomps.

But I thinned the brood, reducing their claw attacks.

But not enough as they sliced through my armour and the Lancer too fell without fanfare or explosion.

The conclusion – Land Strider is probably unnecessary in this force – they’re pretty fast anyway. +1 attacks is more useful as an extra stomp would have made all the difference against the Stealers/Hive Guard. Not much I can say about the Warglaives, perhaps learn not to ‘sell them cheaply’. Hopefully at DT my pairings will provide numbers to hold objectives instead of half my army standing around doing nothing until they were swamped!

It does show how effective a large blob of Stealers can be – they killed a Warglaive without loss and took the Lancer down nearly 600pts and they were still alive! Anyway, bring on Saturday!

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