Forging a Narrative: AdMech/IK Blog - IG2020

[Focslain]

or

 

Get your arse to Mars

 

So in early November, me and a few friends travel to charity tournament in Erie, PA. It's a starvation tournament, so you start at 2K then each round drop 500 pts.

 

For this year's I figured to combine it with a little narrative I've been working on.

 

So my custom house was built on the bones of salvaged frames from Taranis. After some time I have a decent main force and decided that my first in a loooong series of knight forces that work like my crusade army. IE 'I like that scheme, I'm going to paint it'

 

For this one I'm painting up a force of Taranis knights. This force plus one of my wolf knights will make up the core of my tournament list.

 

I will then take them and fight several battles in stores around my area and beyond to simulate thier journey from my house's homebase in the Ghoul Stars to Mars.

 

I have a list written for the tournament already:

++ Super-Heavy Detachment +3CP (Imperium - Imperial Knights) [58 PL, 6CP, 1,132pts] ++

+ Configuration +

Battle-forged CP [3CP]

Detachment CP [3CP]

[

b]Household Choice: Questor Mechanicus . House Taranis

 

+ Lord of War +

 

Armiger Helverins [18 PL, 314pts] . Armiger Helverin: Heavy Stubber . Armiger Helverin: Heavy Stubber

 

Armiger Warglaives [18 PL, 318pts] . Armiger Warglaive: Meltagun . Armiger Warglaive: Meltagun

 

Questoris Knight Styrix [22 PL, 500pts]: Character (Knight Lance), Graviton Crusher, Heirloom: Mark of the Omnissiah, Volkite Chieorovile, Warlord, Warlord Trait: Ion Bulwark . Hekaton Siege Claw w/ Twin Rad-Cleanser: Hekaton Siege Claw, Twin Rad-Cleanser

 

++ Super-Heavy Detachment +3CP (Imperium - Imperial Knights) [41 PL, 2CP, 778pts] ++

 

+ Configuration +

Detachment CP [3CP]

Household Choice: Questor Mechanicus . House Taranis

 

+ Stratagems +

Exalted Court [-1CP]: Exalted Court: 1 Extra Warlord Trait

Heirlooms of the Household [-1CP]: Heirlooms of the Household: 1 Extra Heirloom

 

+ Lord of War +

 

Armiger Moiraxes [8 PL, 160pts]

. Armiger Moirax: Moirax Conversion Beam Cannon, Moirax Siege Claw w/ Rad-Cleanser

 

Armiger Moiraxes [8 PL, 150pts]

. Armiger Moirax: Lightning Lock, Moirax Siege Claw w/ Rad-Cleanser

 

Knight Crusader [25 PL, 1CP, 468pts]: Character (Exalted Court), Character (Heirloom of the House), Character (Knight Lance), Heavy Stubber, Heirloom: Endless Fury, Ironstorm Missile Pod, Thermal Cannon, Warlord Trait: Cunning Commander . Avenger Gatling Cannon w/ Heavy Flamer: Avenger Gatling Cannon, Heavy Flamer

 

++ Supreme Command Detachment +1CP (Imperium - Adeptus Mechanicus) [9 PL, 1CP, 90pts] ++

 

+ Configuration +

Detachment CP [1CP]

Forge World Choice

. Forge World: <Custom>: Dogma: Staunch Defenders

 

+ HQ +

 

Tech-Priest Enginseer [3 PL, 30pts]

Tech-Priest Enginseer [3 PL, 30pts]

Tech-Priest Enginseer [3 PL, 30pts]

 

++ Total: [108 PL, 9CP, 2,000pts] ++

 

In the second round I'll drop the crusader and the SCD and fold the Moriax into the the first SHD

 

In the final round I'll drop one of each armigar, keeping the lightning lock one.

 

 

Models in the Taranis group are the crusader and three armigars. They are escorted by my wolf knight and his pack of armigars.

 

The three TPE are going to be my old TPE for my guard, the one I did from WGE and the Grombrindal one.

 

Right now I have the Styrix and two armigars from the wolf group done, as well as two of the TPEs. I need to get my hands on an Annihilation/Command barge to make the LL armigar.

 

 

I'm painting up the Taranis group right now then I'll do Grombrindal. The Taranis group is a general look, no special conversions like my main house of the wolf knights. Which is on purpose since they will be serving with the mother house anyway.

 

 

So hopefully I'll be able to keep a log of my work over the next few months. Including battle reports.

[Focslain]

Did two games this weekend with my lists.

 

First a 1250 Tau list vs my 1K list, this was my idea to give my opponent the extra points.

 

He had iirc:

 

Farsight Enclave
Farsight
Coldstar - 4x fusion
Enforcer - ATS, CIBx3
Commander - drone controller, MP x3
6 man firewarrior squad
2x5 man breacher teams
2 Marksmen
3 man battlesuit squad - ATS, CIBx2 (each)
4 marker drone squad
GhostKell - fusionx2, CIB plus drones
plus two shield drones per suit.

 

Mission was Lockdown

 

We flubbed the objective numbering part and went for random on all six. I lucked out in getting #1 close to me. He got first turn though. I weathered his first barrage, he kept his three man suit team in reserve so only took fire from the ghostkeel and fusionstar as he managed to drop more then half the wounds from my warglaive. My counter assualt dropped the ghostkeel, the fusionstar and a lot of drones.

 

From there it's fuzzy, but he managed to drop the warglaive then the Moriax. Once the styrix was in his line it went down hill for him. When his suit unit arrived they managed to get the helverin down to below half wounds before she dropped them in autocannon fire.

 

The styrix was slow in getting in due to holding an objective while the warglaive and moriax assaulted the center line. To thier credit they did ok, the lightning lock scoring several drone kills.

 

 

We went six rounds before he gave up, only having his marksmen and a squad of breachers left. By my count it was close, 10 - 8 with me only pulling it off due to getting all three secondaries.

 

Close-up of his Farsight Prime, this was a neat conversion.

 

 

The following day I faced an IH player, 2K to 1910 pts (I didn't include the SCD, just the knights).

 

His list iirc was:

 

Father Ferros
Chapter Master in terminator armour - relic combi-melta
liberian in power armour
Techmarine with grav pistol
5 man infiltrators team
2x 5 man scout squads - w/ sniper rifles.
Company Champion
Primaris Apothcary w/5+ FNP aura (WL trait)
Apothacary
Honour guard x2
Ironclad dread w/seismic hammer
Replusor
Repulsor Executioner
Stormraven

 

We had a quarters deployment with front line mission. So an objective in each quarter. He won the roll to be the Attacker and passed it. So I setup along my borders with the crusader over my objective. he used his infiltrators to grab one other objective, but held off on grabbing both spares. His repulsors, Ferros and the stormraven (which had his ironclad, and all the commanders) in his deployment, the executioner holding his objective.

 

So he failed to seize and the knights were off. The Moriax heading for the group holding the spare objective, the warglaives charging to the repulsors with the styrix and the helverins split, one going to the unguarded objective and the other to my home objective to releave the crusader.

 

 

I managed to pin his army down, even after the stormraven got into my deployment zone it was destroyed and then the group was crushed between the crusader and a moriax (who crushed the dreadnaught).

 

 

The warglaives were killed assaulting the repulsors, but not before killing the executioner. The stryix dropped the other repulsor and Ferros. the helverins were the MVPs by holding the objectives and just putting out a decent amount of support fire.

 

The fact that I took on forces bigger then me and won either shows that I have a decent list, or that my opponents just don't know how to deal with knights.

 

I'm going to be continuing to do games like this as I practice. Having the rad-cleansers is nice as once I describe it many run away from them.

[Bjorn Firewalker]

Congratulations on your victories! Good job on your models. Please pass on my compliments to the Tau player, for his Farsight-as-Optimus Prime model.

[Focslain]

Congratulations on your victories! Good job on your models. Please pass on my compliments to the Tau player, for his Farsight-as-Optimus Prime model.

 

Thanks and will do. He had plans to paint each of the Eight like a transformer. So that will be neat to see done.

 

Only the grey knights are going to be in the final list, the purple ones are stand ins until I get the actual ones done.

 

Speaking of here are a few WIP pictures of the crusader and the armigars (legs).

 

Edited March 9, 2020 by Focslain

[Focslain]

So I have another game scheduled this weekend against orks. We're going to be playing one of the Eternal War mission in CA2019. We've done a few already and my opponent is liking them so might as well. Guy was nice enough to send me his list. So here's what I'm facing:

 

++ Battalion Detachment +5CP (Orks) [38 PL, 687pts] ++

+ Configuration +

Clan Kultur: Blood Axes

Use Beta Rules

+ HQ +

Boss Snikrot [4 PL, 70pts]

Warboss [4 PL, 90pts]: Attack Squig, Big Killa Boss, Kombi-Rokkit, Power Klaw, Warlord

+ Troops +

Boyz [4 PL, 83pts]
. Boss Nob: Power Klaw, Slugga
. 9x Ork Boy W/ Slugga & Choppa

Boyz [7 PL, 97pts]
. Boss Nob: Power Klaw, Slugga
. 11x Ork Boy W/ Slugga & Choppa

Boyz [7 PL, 97pts]
. Boss Nob: Power Klaw, Slugga
. 11x Ork Boy W/ Slugga & Choppa

+ Elites +

Kommandos [6 PL, 125pts]: 2x Tankbusta Bombs
. Boss Nob: Power Klaw
. 13x Kommando

Kommandos [6 PL, 125pts]: 2x Tankbusta Bombs
. Boss Nob: Power Klaw
. 13x Kommando

++ Spearhead Detachment +1CP (Orks) [45 PL, -1CP, 854pts] ++

+ Configuration +

Clan Kultur: Blood Axes

+ Stratagems +

Specialist Detachment [-1CP]: Blitz Brigade

+ HQ +

Big Mek W/ Kustom Force Field [4 PL, 75pts]: Kustom Force Field

+ Heavy Support +

Gunwagon [9 PL, 155pts]: Killkannon

Gunwagon [9 PL, 155pts]: Killkannon

Gunwagon [9 PL, 155pts]: Killkannon

+ Flyer +

Blitza-bommer [6 PL, 133pts]: Big Shoota, 2x Supa Shoota

Wazbom Blastajet [8 PL, 181pts]: 2x Wazbom Mega-Kannons, Kustom Force Field, Smasha Gun, 2x Supa Shoota

++ Outrider Detachment +1CP (Orks) [24 PL, 453pts] ++

+ Configuration +

Clan Kultur: Blood Axes

+ HQ +

Big Mek W/ Shokk Attack Gun [4 PL, 80pts]: Shokk Attack Gun

+ Fast Attack +

Stormboyz [14 PL, 283pts]
. Boss Nob: Power Klaw, Slugga
. 29x Stormboy

Stormboyz [3 PL, 45pts]
. 5x Stormboy

Stormboyz [3 PL, 45pts]
. 5x Stormboy

 

So lots of commandos, stormboyz and some hard hitting gunwagons as transports.

 

General plan is to have the Moriax escort the helverins as thier rad cleansers can help in thinning the groups that might surround them so that the helverins can focus on the planes. The Stryix will take the warglaives to hunt down the gunwagons with the crusader proving fire support as it does.

 

Any suggestions on different target priorities or tactics?

On the modeling front. If I get on it I might have the Taranis group done enough to field for this battle. I'll glue the models to the bases if all I need to do is the martian dust for them. I'm on the detail phase of the knights.

I still need to build the moriax for the wolf knight group, I do have the tesla destructor (got a cheap necron starter) and I'm looking at making the seige claw using the big pincers from the canoptek spyder (I got one to make into a kataphron). I'm not going to get building until I finish with the Taranis group to clear my work space.

[Focslain]

So the armigars are almost done, just a little detail work and maybe some decals if I'm feeling up for it.

 

The bases I need to finish the crystals and put down a coat of Martian Ironearth.

 

While not pictured the crusader is getting there as well. Just need to paint a few plates and the weapon arms need some more detail work.

[Focslain]

Well the Taranis lance is table ready.

 

Started work on the last of the wolf armigars, I lost his base in my basement so I have one on order. I need to make it first before I do his legs since I want a dynamic pose and need to make sure his balanced proper.

 

Did my game versus the ork player on saturday, so before the the lance was done.

 

For this game I swapped out the crusader's relic from endless fury to sanctuary to help her survive against powerklaw attacks. Also my opponent used the list above, but replace the shokk mek with a wierdboy warp'ead.

Mission was Front-line mission with dawn of war deployment. I got to be the attacker and deployed the crusader and mass converter moriax near my objective. The helverins and the other moriax positioned to take the mid-field objective closest to me and the Styrix and warglaives to take the mid-field objective farthest from mine and possibly the ork objective.

 

He positioned his gunwagons near his objective, the field Mek, warboss, and wierdboy in a building close to them. The planes took up a strafing position opposite of my objective and everything else in reserve.

 

He failed to seize and we began.

 

I was hoping to write a detailed report, but work has been heck tick. So here are a few highlights:

 

Planes dropped in the first round of fire, taking shots from most of the knights.

 

The warboss tried a long bomb rush to engage my crusader, the weirdboy buffing him then jumping him right nearby. He died to a thermal cannon overwatch. Four shots, two hits, one wound, box cars! He wasn't happy.

 

I managed to kill most of the boyz and heavily damage the gunwagons by turn 2.

 

We got off a cascade explosion with his gunwagons, course it took longer then I wanted and that cost me my warglaives.

 

The crusader was killing orks almost as fast as if I was playing Freeblade. Between a shooting phase and two fight phases she wiped out the 30 man stormboyz unit and at least a full commando unit. They did manage to hold my base objective at least for a turn.

 

Score was 26 to 18 and went to turn 6 before the ork player gave. he was down to half a squad commandoes, the big mek, and a stormboyz nob.

 

The turn two swarming was harrowing, but I recovered. Grabbing the mid objectives fast and first was well worth it.

 

Pictures from the battlefield

 

With my local area in lockdown due to nurgle's rot I'm not going to get a game in soon, hopefully next month.

[Bjorn Firewalker]

Excellent work on the Knights. Congratulations on your victory over the foul xenos!

[Chronotonic]

great job on the knights and the games

 

I use to have a full knight household I sold off last year or so, but I plan on expanding in to the Chaos Knight List and have my First knight done as well

 

but I like what you are doing with your knights

 

gives them character 

[Clingy]

Any reason you sold them off capitano?

 

Keep the stories and updates coming focslain :)

[Chronotonic]

Any reason you sold them off capitano?

 

Keep the stories and updates coming focslain :)

They did not lose a game

 

Unless I purposely threw the game and even then it was hard to lose a game

[Clingy]

Wow that’s impressive

 

What did you run in your list? I find imperial knights can be slightly oppressive in casual games. For tournaments people usually have the tools to drop 1-2 a turn, and they aren’t much to write home about

[Focslain]

Wow that’s impressive

 

What did you run in your list? I find imperial knights can be slightly oppressive in casual games. For tournaments people usually have the tools to drop 1-2 a turn, and they aren’t much to write home about

 

All the lists I'm going to be using for this blog are in the OP spoiler. For the last bout it was the 2K list minus the SCD since I don't have them done and for all the games I'm doing pre-tournament I'll be fighting at a bit of a point handicap. 

 

The thinking is that if I can take something bigger and win I have a good list/tactics or my opponent isn't playing hard ball. Either way it creates fun games.

Edited March 19, 2020 by Focslain

[Focslain]

So slightly forgot about this due to recent happenings and my attention being driven elsewhere.

 

So I have the last of the TPE done and had to buy a box of warglaives to replace the base for my custom moriax. Don't worry I have plans for the warglaives already.

 

TPE

 

Moriax w/ claw/rad-cleasner and lightning lock

[Chronotonic]

So slightly forgot about this due to recent happenings and my attention being driven elsewhere.

 

So I have the last of the TPE done and had to buy a box of warglaives to replace the base for my custom moriax. Don't worry I have plans for the warglaives already.

 

TPE

 

 

Moriax w/ claw/rad-cleasner and lightning lock

 

 

home made Moriax or a a forgeworld one

 

either way well done

[Focslain]

Thanks and it's homemade. Claw is from the spyder and the lightning lock is a tesla destructor.

[Focslain]

So while not a knight I'll be using for the tournament, I'm a little proud of getting this one worked on.

 

It's a gallant that will be attached to one of my wolf armies.

 

 

I'm still on the fence what to place in the cave, height is big enough to fit a kneeling human.

[Focslain]

Just combining this and the IG2020 thread into one for ease and making it my main admech/IK blog

 

So as part of the Iron Gauntlet challenge we have to paint up models from our organization. Since I have already completed 1 Dominus, 3 Questoris and 6 armigars in the house colours I wanted to work on other schemes.

 

I already had a plan for this, since my Knight house is based on a school to train pilots and support personal, why not do other knights piloted by graduates that went on their own.

Kind of like freeblades, but still supported by the main house. Thieu main goal to protect the planet they are assigned to after graduation.

 

I already have a few ideas for these garrison lances. Most anime based and will not see the table for years down the line, but that's how I do these things. Go big or go home as they say. Let's not even touch how big the house army will be.

 

The first one here is a green/ghost knight group.

 

I'm doing a test pattern on a armigar before I commit to the larger paladin knight.

 

 

I do have a wip on the lance leader. A paladin class that I'm going to have the CCW magged to either the lance (shown) or a mace. They will count as a reaper chainsword and thunderfist gauntlet respectively.

 

 

Bases will have lots of foliage, I'm even looking at a small tree on the base of the helverin planned for the force.

 

Along side this I'll be painting a moriax armigar for my wolf knight lance. Pilots for the armigars are grads of the JKA and the pilot of the styrix is a founding member.

 

 

Added plans
If this lockdown thing ends before the painting phase of the challenge is over I have funds set aside for getting some moriaxes which will be in the house colours. I planned to have at least two squads with magged weapons.

 

If curious at other lances planned:

"Gallant Ones" lance - 3 gallants and a Valiant.

Gallants holding the tools used by the Hikeshi, japanese firefighters of the Edo period. Their demo technic of fire fighting also adds to the valiant being included. The inspiration for this being the song Gallant Ones from the Promare movie.

 

IBO lance - Lancer and a squad of dual wielding moriaxes and/or helverins.

So while watching Iron-blooded Orphans the thought came to me to try and make the lead mecha Barbatos from a Lancer. Have this supported by ranged focused armigars to represent the mobile workers. I'd also have to make the armigars tracked which might be a challenge in finding/making the proper sized ones. If done right it would represent the force from the anime nicely.

Edited May 6, 2020 by Focslain

[Focslain]

Slowly working on the armigar. This needing 4+ coats of nihilakh oxide to get the green I want is sloooow going.

 

 

Also once I get my hands on some foliage I'll glue it to the brown cork board.

Next I need to build a tree.

[Focslain]

Painting has been slow.

 

Here is what I have on the custom moriax so far. Need to get another coat on the armour and some more details on the weapons.

 

 

Had to add something to the larger knight as the basic scheme on the armigar didn't translate well to the larger area.

 

 

Just as a minor update. My planned battle tour has pretty much been massively side tracked/canceled due to the plague. While I most likely will try for it again next year it might not end at the tournament if some corporate shenanigans happen in March of 2021. Then I'll be bringing out my Tau to do a victory lap instead.

 

Also I'm strongly thinking of dropping the SCD of tech priests for a forge shrine.

 

The TPE can be a liability against an assault heavy army as they can target the TPE for charges and wrap to engage deny the knights attacks. Plus for most of the battle tour I'm going to be fighting with just the knights. This would just be to fill the 90 pts gap with something unexpected and scenic.

[Focslain]

So finished the moriax over the weekend.

 

 

An additional quick shot of the pack while i was at it.

[Focslain]

So minor update, got my hands on some foliage from army painter. Summer greens I believe. And it doesn't look too bad, not the exact look I was hoping for but close enough.

 

 

I have to trim the bushes on my armigar and I'm hoping that the tree I plan to build this weekend.

So due to a miscalculation on GW's delay I have another questoris knight kit. To keep with the true theme of Challenge #2 I'm marking it for the Errant knight Feuergebrül for my main house. This one has been on the block since I started the Taranis lance being the crusader's brother is the pilot of the errant. Seemed a proper upgrade for a warglaive pilot.

I also finished the paladin proper.

 

 

Once I get my hands on some more modeling putty I'll get the tree for the helverin built and finish the cave for the gallant

On that one I decided that the camo-cloak was not hard enough and decided to try a thermoptic (ie stealth suit) coating instead. Basically I'll paint patches of 'forest' on the knight.

 

Figure it would be a good theme that all the knights in the Fel Knight group (those attached to my Space Wolves) have one or two examples of xenos tech on them. For the Gallant that would be in the paint job and the reaper chainsword made from ghostglaives.

 

Only knight exempt from this is my OG knight crusader that runs with my drop pod army. Because it is the oldest.

 

For the warden I want for my basic SW army (I have four) I'm going to look into the morknaunt's claw as a replacement for the thunderfist.

[Focslain]

So update on the reinforcements of my knight household.

 

First here are for more armigar frames for the cause.

 

 

While writing the index for it I realized that I should have armigars piloted by graduates and needed a way to single them in the army outside of a marking that could be missed.

 

So with that and how the emblem on the uniform changes I figured the easiest way was to have the student mechs in the imperialis armour and the grads in the mechanicus armour.

 

The helverin comes with imperialis and the warglaive with mechanicus. Getting my armigars properly armoured isn't an issue since the carapace comes off and the arms all can be swapped. Just need to paint enough for each.

 

So I'm working on a pair of each. As an additional mark of office, I'm arming all the veteran warglaives with the mini khopesh from Iron Wolf Minis.

 

I'll get pict of the near completed armigars later as I have been working on them over the weekend.

Also for the errant on the table I'm going to have to build/paint it with a standard knight head since shapeways is really expensive compared to the the makers independent site. So I'm going to wait for it to transfer over before getting a bunch. Also it's not hard to make the conversion as long as i don't glue the carapace on.

[Focslain]

Completed four more armigars for House Jenius. These are two warglaive student frames and two helverin veteran frames.

 

 

The plan overall is to have two squads of each armigar type, one student and the other veteran. Once forgeworld opens up I have the funds for the six moriaxes I need.

[Focslain]

Here's some work I did over the weekend. A helverin for one of my garrison lances and what is going to be a gallant wolf knight.

 

 

I didn't vow either of these due to the time it took to do parts of them. The tree took longer due to losing and needing to get a replacement base in and needing more GS which took over a month to get in.

 

The Gallant is kind of in the same boat as I needed to GS up the base a bit before I could start painting and even now I might have to get more basing material.

 

Looking at getting the vine set and hanging it over the lip of the ceiling rock.

 

I'm going to mag the base so I can change out what is hiding in the cave. Mostly because I was given the idea of painting up the hobbits from LotR and yeah, I have to, but I also want something more modern in there.