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Nico (and son)'s Road to Astronomi-con, Vol. 3


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I think I need to do a "proper" WIP thread, so here we go again ...

Intro/background: Astronomi-con is a "narrative event" that started as a Rogue Trader tournament in my home city of Winnipeg. It was so hugely popular that they branched out into Toronto, Vancouver, and Dallas versions in addition to Winnipeg. For many years it's been billed as "the tournament for those who hate tournaments" with a much more hobby/fun focused event, best known for it's unique scenarios that discouraged power gaming. In 2017 or 2018 they went full "narrative event". Astronomi-con has been the only tournament worth attending for me, because this is my style of play. Now, I've been "in a funk" 40K wise for about 18 months and haven't touched anything, but when I heard that they are planning a pairs/team version of Astronimi-con, me and my son broke out some long-dormant models and got to work.

The Armies: For years my son has been planning a Dark Angels successor chapter called the Dark Swords; this is the scheme he came up with, since he liked the Disciples of Caliban but wanted his own thing, we kind of combined the Disciples of Caliban with the Flesh Tearers theme and came up with this:

http://www.bolterandchainsword.com/sm.php?b62c=@haLvy_hcLAt.iakk7@@@@@@@hJ9Lc@.__iaj2Fiaj2F___________@@@@@@_@_@@___@@___@@@__@@@@@_.&

So far I'm thinking of this for the Guard portion of the army:

http://www.bolterandchainsword.com/igbeta2.php?b62c=@haLvy_hcLAt.i9aHM@@@.iaj2F@@@@@iaj2F___..hwMdUiakk7_huU1b@i8WOo&

Basically 110th Cadian scheme, but they won't be Cadians. My son still needs to name his chapter's homeward so we'll figure out a Regiment name anon. I'm also going to give them Anvil Industry heads; parade caps for the officers and sergeants, and FW Cadian helmets for the troops, with some Mad Robot Miniatures field caps mixed in here-and-there.

I'm leaning towards using Valhallan doctrine. That seems fitting for a regiment operating under the shadow of DA successors.

Here is the first test figure a veteran squad grenadier -- using dry brushing techniques of "Sonic Sledgehammer Studio" on YouTube, I banged this guy out in about 1/2 hour so once I get some assembly line going I think I could churn out decent looking guardsmen at a speed unheard of for me:

med_gallery_66537_9465_124193.jpg med_gallery_66537_9465_163154.jpg

It's really not that much lesser quality than my painstaking base --> shade --> layer --> highlight, but so much faster.

We haven't decided on how to base them yet, hence why he's not based.

I was encouraged by fellow commanders to try some variations on the theme, so the Veteran squad is going to be my Petri dish.

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This evening, I finished up a second "test model" for the Veteran squad -- using the same palette, but changed the colours up a bit:

med_gallery_66537_9465_199748.jpg med_gallery_66537_9465_29653.jpg med_gallery_66537_9465_277514.jpg

Actually, this guy looks pretty good so now I'm doubting the original choice a bit! But I'm going to try a couple other variations.

I think that this variant looks "more Guard-like", but I worry that the Caliban Green kind of gets swallowed up and he doesn't look like he'll fit that much with the DA. I don't know ... I think once I've done up 4 or so variations, I'll do 2-3 vets in the squad in each variant, get my son to paint a squad of tactical marines, and put them next to each other before final judgement.

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they both look good, it's a tough call isn't it, the Caliban may need to be redone over the top to make it pop! 

kinda like re highlighting with it to strengthen the colour back up !?..

The Caliban fatigues makes it look more jungle fighter while the other scheme looks (as you said) more guard like.. perhaps doing Caliban on the Gaiters as well will help add the colour back in..?

 

great work anyways, look forward to more! :thumbsup:

 

Cheers, Mithril

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Thanks for the compliments comrades. And yes, that is some extra rations on his belt ... hardened veterans come prepared!

 

My next text scheme (hopefully tonight) will be Caliban fatigues and Castellan armour and we’ll see how that looks.

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Interested to see how this develops. Have you guys thought much about lists yet? Or will this be an organic project?

 

Yes, we have lists planned-out as a blueprint for purchases and assembly. Keep in mind that it's a "narrative" event, so I've tried to craft a force that represents a platoon of troops with some company or even divisional assets. I'm also trying to limit my new purchases as much as possible and use what I already have, which has been sitting collecting dust for years and years. What I'm working with is:

 

HQ 

 

Company Commander - Boltgun, power sword, warlord (Laurels of Command)

Company Commander - Plasma pistol, power sword

 

TROOP

 

Infantry Squad - Sgt w/ boltgun, grenade launcher, heavy bolter

Infantry Squad - Sgt w/ boltgun, grenade launcher, heavy bolter

Infantry Squad - Sgt w/ laspistol & chainsword, flamer (in Chimera)

Scion Squad (5) - Sgt w/ bolt pistol & chainsword, 2x hotshot volley guns

 

ELITE

 

Commissar - bolt pistol

Veterans - Sgt w/ laspistol & chainsword, 1x grenade launcher, 2x meltagun, 6x shotgun (in Chimera)

 

FAST

 

Hellhound w/ hull heavy flamer

 

HEAVY

 

Basilisk

Leman Russ w/ hull lascannon, 2x sponson heavy bolters

Heavy weapons team w/ 3x lascannon

 

TRANSPORTS

 

Chimera w/ multilaser, hull heavy bolter

Chimera w/ multilaser, hull heavy bolter

 

TOTAL = 1000 points on the nose

 

I know the lascannon heavy weapon team is not very efficient or surviveable, but it just seems very fitting to me to have an antitank team added in, it just fits my vision of how this sort of force would be rounded-out. Maybe I've been playing too much Flames of War using Germans with their reliance on PaK teams.

 

As for the Dark Angels, they will be a bit more organic since we have very few models. For now, he's working on a Deathwing Squad (Sgt w/ SB/PS, 1x TH/SS, 1x 2LC, 1x AC/PF, 1x SB/CF, Watcher in the Dark)  and a Master in Terminator armour (relic blade, SB), plus we also have a 5-man sniper squad squad, and a rhino. So after those are all done, likely a 5-man tac squad for the rhino, then we'll go from there. A Darkshroud will no doubt figure in since that was the model that decided him on DA versus a different Astartes chapter plus its rules look pretty decent.

Edited by Nicodemus Doloroso
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I'd probably not use chimeras. They're not very useful and are consuming points. Hell hounds are nice, but at 1000 points, you'd be better off with fielding 2 battalions. Try to fit a tank commander too. Valhalla, which if I remember correctly is the regiment doctrine you're using, is strong with tank focus and you want to use the hammer of sunderance. Meltaguns kind of suck in 8th edition. Too many things you'd use them on have invulnerable saves. You'd be better served by making your scions and veterans into normal infantry squads with grenade launchers. Edited by HallofStovokor
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Thanks for the offer of assistance, HallofStovokor, but for a friendly/narrative event, I'm not planning on making significant changes to the list for the following reasons:

 

I'd probably not use chimeras. They're not very useful and are consuming points.

 

Well, in a way I want to consume points because I'm looking to make as few purchases as possible as I've got 3 Chimerae kicking around. Plus they're old school and I like them.

 

Hell hounds are nice, but at 1000 points, you'd be better off with fielding 2 battalions.

 

Oof ... no, I definitely don't have the time to paint that many guardsmen these days. Same reason why I want to keep the Scions and vets ... plus I love the models. I am 100% DONE with buying models because I'll be more likely to win anymore. I've played that game for way way too long, and that's why I have such a pile of unpainted plastic and partly why I think I burnt out on the hobby. It's time for me to run what's fun and what I think is cool. Plus, I actually never had great success with net lists -- really not any more than with my funky "un optimal" lists over the years and the stuff popular on the internet has usually been the stuff that let me down.

 

Try to fit a tank commander too. Valhalla, which if I remember correctly is the regiment doctrine you're using, is strong with tank focus and you want to use the hammer of sunderance.

 

Nah, this is an infantry platoon with some armoured support not a tank platoon or tank company. I really don't like how tank commanders have become so ubiquitous. If you think a different regimental doctrine than Valhallan would fit the list I'm working with I'm certainly not married to Valhallans. 

 

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Fair enough. If you're taking chimeras, steel legion might be good. With the weapons teams in your infantry squads you are going to be pretty static, so cadian might be good. Mordians are good for heavy weapons teams. Catachan, surprisingly enough, I don't think fits this army. Your not really setup for melee, so I probably wouldn't go that route. Tallarn would be good too. Your chimeras wouldn't suffer movement penalties for the heavy weapons. The tallarn ambush might be really useful to get the meltaguns into range. If you use the Emperor's blade detachment, they can leave the chimera at the end of the chimera's movement so you can get within 6" of a vehicle if you deepstrike a chimera and then dismount the full 3" away from the chimera. Additionally the chimera can essentially greater good friendly Emperor's Blade units. Edited by HallofStovokor
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Third variation ... I think we may have a winner here; both my son and I really like this one. It keeps Caliban Green more dominant with it on the fatigues, but the Castellan Green army gives more of that Imperial Guard feel and will make them look less identical to the DA while still being tied together nicely:

med_gallery_66537_9465_168835.jpg med_gallery_66537_9465_89393.jpg med_gallery_66537_9465_27298.jpg

The funny thing is, I think this is the exact scheme that my good friend Akrim used on his very first army (Catachans) from back in the day when we used to play 40K in my parents basement! If my memory is right, then I've someone come "full circle" in a way back to my earliest gaming days.

EDIT: Forgot to mention, you may notice that the one shoulder pad is black. I thought that might be a good compromise to still keep some black to tie them in with the Dark Swords ... I'm thinking of doing a crusade marking of some sort on that shoulder -- with a tip of the forage cap to Judd Cotrell for the inspiration from his DKoK and their crusade markings.

Edited by Nicodemus Doloroso
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robofish, you are indeed correct on the parts used for the most recently posted veteran.

 

Tonight I think I'm going to try my hand at some camouflage on the next test veteran. Getting close to half a squad here! I should finish this squad just in time for an ETL vow or three.

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The third scheme looks to be the winner !!

I also like the Jud pad idea!,... don’t do another test model!, finish a squad in the new colour ,and as a reward then do a Camo test guy ;-)

This army’s going to look great , I super love those Cadian rebreather helms...it’s a shame they only did them in resin..

 

Good luck with the rest,

 

Oh to add to this, your marine scheme would be easily done with the new contrast paints as the base coats...

That would speed the army up massively!!

Cheers, Mithril

 

++EDIT++ just looking at your original pics at the top and what you’ve done so far...

Did you ever think to do black/grey fatigues with green armour plates and helm ?!...

Edited by WarriorFish
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The third scheme looks to be the winner !!

I also like the Jud pad idea!,... don’t do another test model!, finish a squad in the new colour ,and as a reward then do a Camo test guy ;-)

 

Not a bad idea ... I was going to say I didn't want to wait for my Anvil Industry and Mad Robot orders before doing more models (I need them to do a squad), but my weekend evaporated and it looks like that waiting will probably happen before I can do a camo guy by default!

This army’s going to look great , I super love those Cadian rebreather helms...it’s a shame they only did them in resin..

 

Thanks, and yeah, those rebreather helmets are great. Not just the rebreathers but I like how the helmets are smaller/slimmer and have a lot less "American football helmet" look like the plastics have.

 

Good luck with the rest,

 

Oh to add to this, your marine scheme would be easily done with the new contrast paints as the base coats...

That would speed the army up massively!!

 

It would also be a boon for my son, who's 12, and who is doing the marines. He's doing very well with his Deathwing, but I think he'd be glad to just paint one coat of contrast and be done. Are those things already released?

 

++EDIT++ just looking at your original pics at the top and what you’ve done so far...

Did you ever think to do black/grey fatigues with green armour plates and helm ?!...

 

Not a fan of black fatigues ... has too much of a private military contractor feel to me ...

Edited by Nicodemus Doloroso
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The Contrast paints are coming in a few weeks if the talk on the web is anything to go by :unsure.:

 

Yeah my son (turning 7) is excited by the contrast paints :sweat: i need to put some old marines together for him !! (God Know's i have enough of em ...hiding in a cupboard somewhere :ermm: )

 

look forward to more work from your armies! 

 

Cheers, Mithril

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Well, a few weeks would probably give my son time to finish his Deathwing and the Rhino he started years ago. And give me time to acquire some regular Marines.

 

I should have bough Dark Vengeance back in the day as it would be perfect for what he wants to build into his force. The prices for Dark Vengeance stuff seems unreasonably high on eBay.

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@ Nicodemus...Just confirmed,

Contrast paints are up for Pre-order on the 7th June and in store on the 14th June :biggrin.: ...im thinking of getting the Militarum green for my basic troops..

it looks the same as my Death World Forest highlighted troops...but in one coat :sweat:... might be worth a try at least as a base layer...

 

Cheers, Mithril  

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Wow, Anvil Industry really gouges the heck out of their customers on shipping. Their shipping price has almost tripled from the last time I ordered from them in 2012. I find it hard to believe that it actually costs them anywhere near £10 to mail a few heads and backpacks. Almost makes me want to not order them but ... well, I guess I like their Bitz enough that I'll suck it up this time but good grief I think they've lost me as a customer from now onwards. Its only because I came up with a specific vision utilizing their stuff that I'm going ahead with this last order, but I'm spending almost as much on shipping as on the pieces themselves.

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10£ seems to be the going rate from the UK

 

The place I use for bases charges that flat irrespective of it being 1x 25mm base or 100 of various sizes <_<

 

Anvil stuff is nice though :tu:

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