Well I am hoping I finally get to play this Saturday after a long time off. We are in-between residences and moving our stuff starting this weekend and following couple of days, so we'll be back in San Diego for a few. Hoping I can "drop-pod" in on my friends' campaign as a "raider". We (they) are playing at 2500 pts with an extra slot in the FOC (except HQ) and I want to try out my drop-pod list. Everything will drop-pod assault and/or deepstrike/teleport. This is what I worked out last night:

*HQ (everything together in Drop-pod)
-Master of the Forge
-Captain w/ pwr.sword & B.P.
-Command Sqd. w/standard & 4 plasmaguns

*Troops (all in D.P.s)
-1st Tactical Squad w/ pwr.fist, flamer & M.L.
-2nd Tac.sqd. = same as above
-3rd Tac.sqd. w/ pwr.fist, M.M. & Meltagun

*Elites
-Sternguard #1 in D.P. w/ 2 meltaguns, combi-melta, locator beacon & deathwind M.L.
-Sterngaurd #2 - same except with 2 heavy flamers
-Terminators - heavy flamer

*Fast Attack
-Land speeder with M.M. & Hvy.flamer

*Heavy Support
-Ven.Dread. w/M.M. & Hvy.flamer, D.P. w/ deathwind M.L.
*Dread w/ TL Hvy.flamer, Hvy.flamer, D.P. same

That's about 65 models, 8 drop-pods, 2 walkers, 1 speeder.

My rough plan is for the initial drop-pod assault to include the Sternguard squads, the Ven.dread & the melta tactical squad to pop tanks & transports & light up any high-value/threat targets ... and then SURVIVE the subsequent pounding and hold on for my reserves! (that's 30 SM & a Ven.dread)

It will be good to see everyone again and throw some dice. Also want to deliver some of the Ravenwing I have been working on, and maybe get my Brettonians finally!

OK, here are the Drop Pods I talked about. I am posting the link to the Hall of Honour post rather than re-posting the pict's. Click here Hall of Honour

Thanks for viewing

OK here are some picts of work I have done over the past couple of weeks/months.

First up, my friend's RW speeders. You can view the rest of the army in my ablums.

3 MM speeders. I had to make the bases for these speeders (& the rest too) as my friend ran out of the flyer bases. I used the GW building kits & I think they're better than the flyer bases ... adds character to the models.


3 Tornado speeders, squad number 8. The MM speeders are squad number 7 & squad markings are freehand. Not the best looking but OK in my book.




Here's a close-up of the controls and crew for a MM speeder:


Close-up of crew and pilot looking to his right, like "Damn, what's that?"


Coming soon ... pictures of my Ultra Drop-pods!
Another crew close-up:


MM speeder:

I have been working on my friend's Ravenwing and just finished some LSs, both a MM unit of 3 and a unit of 3 tornadoes. Came out pretty good, of course I can find flaws but I am a perfectionist and just need to have them done and delivered. Took some pict's but since I am in the middle of a move, won't be able to post them for a while.

Also took some pict's of my Drop-pods for my own 3rd Company Ultra's, plus working on 3 more pods. Working on a Command Squad Banner Bearer which I hope will be awesome (come on freehand skills!). Need to come up with a cool conversion/counts-as-Sicarius 3rd Company Captain Fabian. Thought about just using the Sicarius model but with the helmet on and holding the plasmapistol, & painting accordingly. Also thought of using the helmet on a Commander Box model for a more dynamic pose. Of course this presupposes I have the $ funds $ for this, which I don't.

Also in the conversion corner, working on 2 heavy flamer St.Guard Vets, as well as a TL HeavyFlamer Dread.

Currently working on:
-finishing my friend's Ravenwing ... bulk of which was finished in Feb. (2000 point list) ... working on two units of 3 speeders each, one is all tornadoes and the other MM, mostly done, plus the 2 tornadoes for the remaining RW attack squads. Then the bikers, then the Sammael dude on Jetbike. Just need to get them done, and off my shoulders ... then I get my load of Brettonnians!

-continuing my other friend's high elves ... ongoing. He already "paid" me with GreyKnights, Inq.models and a FW Valkyrie.

-my own stuff ... working on my 3rd Company Ultramarines, mostly for a list I plan on using in an upcoming tourney ... all drop pods! 5 pods done and looking good, assembling three more, then painting. Assembling/updating my command squad & doing some conversions. Also need to paint 3rd TAC squad, some St.Guard vets and my dreads.

Also need to post pictures (need to take them first), especially of my Strike Cruiser which was finished over a year ago for the LA Gamesday. Our event won! Candyland...BFG Style!

Well, no pictures on this one. Sorry. Last week I said I wanted to finish the Strike Cruiser by the weekend. Hah! It is a week later and I am still working on it. Countdown: less than a week until GamesDay, and I start teaching on Monday. I did however, score the Brass-Etched Ultramarine sprue from a friend of mine, so I am jazzed about that.

Strike Cruiser - focus has been on the mid section - the top of the section with the side bombardment cannons as well as the (what I think are) bridge/super-structure parts. Of course there is a lot of detail work I want to do, but I have to remember that I need to paint this thing too.

Overall feelings on this project: mixed. Maybe I am just tired. I definitely have had fun, more towards the start than now. But I also have put hours and hours into this, basically any free time I had since June went into this. I have recieved some really nice complements from people, and that is really nice. I hope people love it when they see and play with it in my local gaming event we will run on GamesDay. After that, I was thinking of pulling it out in regular games to represent the new-planet-strike-crazy-death-weapon the new SM codex is supposed to give the Master or whoever it is. That should get some oohhs and aaahhs (& probably some cries of "Cheese!" and "Broken!" from the sounds of the complaints I have read about the new codex).

Well, that's that for now. If anyone is reading, I hope you enjoyed the read and previous pictures. I'll try to post some more in a while. Peace

Damn it's Tuesday already, which means the end of my summer! Tomorrow it is back to work with all the other teachers and then Monday all the little munchkins show up. Oh well, the end of things and the start of others.

As for the Strike Cruiser, I set the goal of having it finished by the weekend. Yeah right. But I did get a lot done, plus I posted picts on my local gaming group site. I am frustrated that I can't just plough through and finish the stinkin thing. I want to work on my other minis before all time as I know it drastically shifts under the power that is called going back to school/work. Oh wait, that is tomorrow ...

Well, before time runs out on me today, here are some updates with the Strike Cruiser:

These are from last week, Thursday and Friday. Updates on the sides/mid-section.







I also put some time & effort into the bottom "wing" thing with the pointy things-that-aren't-guns-things.



sorry for the bad shot...


more detail ...








and how it attatches to the ship (without the prow):



view from the top ...



and with the prow ...



from underneath ...



and the sides ...




Enjoy. I am going to have to figure how to post on the forums and then link back here so I don't have to keep uploading the same pictures again and again. More to come, these are just the latest pictures and I still have to take shots of my more recent progress.

Worked today on the prow and the mid-section with the 4 bombardment cannons per side. Those were a pain, lots of cutting but I think it is going to work, and I think it will look great when finished.

No picts of the prow, but here are some shots of the bottom and how the stand will work:








And here is the side. One has the initial work on how the bombardment cannons will be. Just need to trim them up and then cut the tubing for the barrels.






Overall I am pleased with how this is turning out. It has been a lot of fun doing this, my first scratchbuild/kitbash project. But now I just want to get it done and painted so I can do other things with my army. Well, now back to some strike cruiser construction.

aaaaaaaarrrggggggggggghhhh

My initial 2nd post was lost to the warp! Pissed! Now I am tired and don't know how much to re-write.

1st - been away on vacation and not around any computer with internet. Saw that I got 2 comments on my 1st blog. Cool. Thanks guys.

I worked on my strike cruiser for GamesDay. Picts can be seen in my album. I need to take and post some updates. I worked on the bottom of the ship and the stand. Coming along nicely. I have set the goal of finished construction by the weekend and then painting. And what have I been doing the past couple of hours? Reading the topics here and writing this. In other words, procrastinating. So, the strike cruiser needs Ultra symbols for the front "wings" and I was thinking Forgeworld brass etching. Of course the LA Battle Bunker was out of them as they were weeks ago over the 4th of July weekend. And they will not get any more until after GamesDay, which is what I need them for.

On plans for expansion: I have a Vindi kit that is unassembled and is calling for some loving attention which I will give it when the strike cruiser is finished. I was thinking of a 3 vindi list and was wondering if it would recieve power-gaming comments. I don't like power-gaming and don't want to do it. I don't think it would be. I'll run it by the guys I play with. As for fluff, I see no problem with a 3 vindi-Ultra list as we were the ones who created them!

On another route for an entirily different army - a "Counts as" army that would "count as" a Ravenwing army with the master dude that allows for lots of speeders and bikes. I don't want to say too much - it's all still in my head, but it would be cool. I have been thinking of the figs and models I would be using and they are cool, but could involve some difficulties. Will know more when I have the actual figs in front of me (which will be a long time from now).

Ok that's it. I need to eat something and work on the strike cruiser.

Soooo.... this is my first blog ... ever. I have never blogged before. I guess it is similar to a journal or such, which I have done before, this is just for everyone to see. Uuuhhmmmm.... I guess I shouldn't assume "everyone" is going to be so interested in my blog. So it will just be for me and my thoughts, after all, "it's my blog."

OK - 1st entry.

Ideas on current Ultramarine army. The core is based on the 3rd Company - 2 full 10 man tacticals in rhinos, 2 devies (need to grow still to 10 man squads), a full assault squad & company chaplain with jump pack, and two landspeeders. The core can be supported with elements from the armoury and 1st Company - two whirlwinds, a predator, a LRC, 3 termie squads, 2 full squads of TWV, 2 full squads of regular vets (ccw oriented), a full squad of "shooty" vets (soon to be sterngaurd?). For unmentioned HQs, there is Calgar & Banner carrying Ancient, the Chapter Champion, 2 honour gaurd, termie captain, termie lib & termie chap, Cassius & Tiguirius, the 4 "chapter masters" dudes (one of which will be my 3rd Company captain/master).

Plans for expansion: 2 more tacticals in rhinos for 3rd company. One of these I envision will have the running assault legs - looks cool. Maybe another assault squad for the 3rd as well. That pretty much would give me a full battle company for the 3rd, it would just need the command squad, which is also part of the expansion plan. Can already do the Company Champion and Apothecary but need a banner bearer. Sweet. Also for the 1st Company, with the new codex, some sterngaurd and vangaurd dudes. You know what? I might be getting close to a full 1st company as well! Especially if I get the Black Reach starter box.

Other ideas: I have also thought it would be cool to create a PDF force of IG for Ultramar, since that is one of the cool unique things about the Ultramarines and Ultramar. They would be based the same with snow flock, but have a different, distinctive color scheme that would set them apart & yet tie them to Ultramar at the same time. Also I was thinking of a Inquisitorial force as well. I like the idea of IST sqauds mounted in the Forgeworld Vulture/raptor thing-can't-remember-the-right-name-right-now-flyer that would scoot around the table dropping of the IST squads. Kind of a black-ops, special forces quick reaction force in fast ropeing out of blackhawk choppers. As for GKs, I don't know. I like them, then I don't. Plus a Inquisitorial force without GKs or Sisters would be unique, & probably fail horribly on the table - oh well!

Oh yeah, as if all of that isn't enough, I was thinking of Deathwatch squads too!