Horus Heresy Battle Report and New Game Mat!

Some of the Conscripts gathered last Thursday evening for our first in-person game in some time. For a variety of reasons we decided on a Horus Heresy game - mainly because both Conscript Greg and I (especially Greg) have painted a lot of new models that hadn't yet seen tabletop action. In addition, I wanted to try out a new game mat I bought some time ago but hadn't a chance to get out for a game. So I sent out the invitation along with a request to refrain from attending if you were feeling unwell, and to wear a mask if you were coming out. And to bring your own snacks of course :-)

How good does that mat look with the ruined buildings, eh? I'm really quite pleased with this product. It comes from the good people at urbanmatz.com in the Czech Republic, and it is fantastic, a nice neoprene mouse-pad type material that rolls up fairly easily as well. It came with its own storage bag too, for a quite reasonable cost of 57.77 euros. Unfortunately the only shipping method is FedEx, and that's where the pain comes in... but let's not talk about that. They also sell some really cool pre-painted resin buildings that Conscript Dave and I have added to our terrain collections.

A few little funky touches spread around the table. The Slurm machine is a must for the thirsty Legion Space Marine.

Of course any Heresy game has to incorporate the "God Box 2.0". What a great little piece of scatter terrain.

I'm not going to go through the battle in detail... honestly, the point of the game was less to play out a battle and more just to get together and put some figures out on a good-looking wargame table.

The battle itself pitted my own IV Legion Iron Warriors against Conscript Greg's superb VI Legion Space Wolves reinforced by some X Legion Iron Hands Space Marines.

 

One of the big draws of the game was to get Greg's and my new Storm Eagle aircraft out onto the table. They are certainly monsters in game terms!

Loyalist dreadnoughts take out an Iron Warriors dread.

Greg's new Space Wolves Vindicator also made its first appearance. Unfortunately the Iron Warriors Havoc team posted in an upper-storey window (five Marines each with a lascannon) were able to knock it out.

Speaking of the Havoc squad, here they are...

The IV Legion Medusa siege gun never quite lives up to the hype in my mind... high strength and a good gun, but I always forget that the range is only 36".

 

The Iron Hands Medusan Immortals cower take cover behind the promethium pipeline, guarding the (new) GF9 Power Generators.

A closer look at the Immortals.

IV Legion command squad advances. Apothecary is visible at left... to me the Apothecary in 30K is much like Brad Marchand. If he's on your team you love him, but if he's on the other team you hate him with the white hot intensity of a thousand suns.

Iron Warriors approach an Imperial statue, as yet untoppled by peaceful protestors or otherwise.

 

Space Wolves Terminators teleported in to ruin the Iron Warriors' day.

Iron Warriors Siege Tyrant Terminators sought to return the favour, but their missile racks didn't quite do the massive damage they have done in past games.

 

Legion Medusa blown up by Space Wolves Storm Eagle.

Like I said, in the end it wasn't necessarily about playing a game, so we won't go into how badly the Iron Warriors got hosed. But it was great to get a few of the guys together, push around some figures, and oooh and ahhh about the great models and terrain. Unfortunately we seem to be on another upswing in the pandemic so I don't anticipate any in-person get-togethers again anytime soon, but we'll keep collecting, painting, and waiting for the vaccine...

In the meantime stay safe and healthy everyone!

30K Iron Hands - Deredeo Dreadnought

Bonkers firepower to support the Loyalists of the 10th Legion!

My summer of 30k painting wrapped up over the Labour Day long weekend - the traditional "end" to summer here in Canada.  I finished - or, mostly finished - one last 30k project at my cabin during the weekend.  This is a Deredeo Class Dreadnought for my growing loyalist forces of the 10th Legion, the "Iron Hands".

A Dreadnought is "crewed" by a Space Marine, one that has already received near-mortal injuries in battle.  The Apothecaries round these poor fellows up, and then assuming they are still alive at a basic level, embed them in Dreadnought armour.  In this way, the direly wounded/nearly dead Marines can continue to serve the Emperor!

Insane auto-cannon array, pumping out tremendous firepower.

Certainly, in the wake of the events in the Istvaan system, the Iron Hands would have no shortage of nearly-dead Marine candidates in which to install into any available Dreadnoughts...

Large ammo cannisters on the rear...just imagine the brass piling up when this thing opens fire!

The Deredeo Class of Dreadnought armour is, as you can readily see, clearly bonkers, armed to the teeth.  Where the Contemptor Dreadnoughts have more of an "all-round" application on the battlefields of the grim future, the Deredeo is there basically to just shoot stuff, and keep shooting until the enemy is gone. Fun!  The autocannons and missiles will put out serious abuse - and if that is not enough, two heavy flamers are recessed in the front of the hull, to blowtorch/purify whatever might still be standing.  It's all very over-the-top, very 30k, and I love it.

Missiles available too, just for fun!

This particular model was acquired from a local hobbyist in Winnipeg who had built and primed it, but decided not to proceed with their 30k project after all.  I was pleased to get it, and glad to add to my growing force of loyalists.  This will be a serious boost in firepower as they seek revenge for their fallen comrades and Primarch.

Looking for some revenge...certainly equipped for the job, 30k-style.

As with many of the models painted at the cabin, this isn't yet completely finished - you can see gloss patches beneath the decals, applied to deal with silvering from the decals.  Those gloss spots will disappear after I apply a layer of Testors Dullcote after I get back home, safe from the high humidity.

Thanks for visiting - I hope everyone has been able to enjoy their Labour Day weekend and their summer!

30k Thallax Cohort

Thallax cohort in service of the Iron Hands Legion - models from Forge World.

Here are a few more 30k models - these are "Thallax", spooky killing machines from the Mechanicum faction of the Horus Heresy.  The Thallax are AI-powered - I believe the Mechanicum-speak is "Djinn Sight" or something along those lines.  While the various Mechanicum Forge Worlds would use Thallax in their own military forces, they will also "pledge" them out to various Space Marine Legions.  The three Thallax of this cohort are in service with the loyalist 10th Legion, the "Iron Hands".

Those "lightning guns" are nasty...

In the wake of Horus' rebellion, the Iron Hands faced a critical challenge - a shortage of Iron Hands. Nearly wiped out in the "Dropsite Massacre", the remnants of the 10th Legion will need to scrape together every trooper they can - these pledged Thallax will provide an important boost to low numbers as the Iron Hands fight the desperate campaigns of the Shattered Legions.

Jump-pack systems to aid in battlefield mobility.

You might think that employing Mechanicum AI infantry is a bit of a gamble, like putting militia or levies into the battle line.  Far from it - the Thallax are tough fighting machines, and their "lightning guns" hit hard.  The individual Thallaxi are larger than an individual Space Marine, so they can take a lot of battlefield abuse.  Yet they are also mobile, able to use jump-booster type systems to augment their mobility and get to where you need them most on the table. 

I wish I had purchased more of these models - with larger units you can get into some of their terrifying special weapons, from multi-meltas to "phased plasma fusils" and "photon thrusters".  In the fan-driven 8th edition of 30k, a Thallax unit can be as large as 9 models - quite a force to deal with on the gaming table...

An individual Thallax, size comparison to a Mark IV-armoured Marine from the Thousand Sons (yes, I'm painting more of those too...)

I just love the look of the Thallax models - in fact, the Forge World sculptors have generally just killed it with the whole Mechanicum range from the Horus Heresy.  Just search this blog for photos of Byron's awesome 30k Mechanicum army, it looks amazing.  Thallax units in particular have an unsettling, spooky look to them that fits perfectly into the 30k universe.  No human, even in the grim darkness of the far future, is going to see a Thallax unit arrive and think to themselves "oh, thank goodness, I feel better".

Thallax ready to move out...gloss coat under the decals can still be seen...will be addressed once the humidity subsides and it is safe to use matte sprays.

These models are not completely finished - they need a coat of matte spray to remove the gloss finish from underneath the decals on their shoulder plates, after which I will apply gloss to the creepy domes on their heads.  But that will wait until after Labour Day, when the humidity fades away.

Have a great long weekend, everyone, and thanks for visiting the Blog!

Loyalist Land Raider Encore

Another loyalist Land Raider - further reinforcements for the 10th Legion.  You can see there is already some battle damage on the tracks...pursuing revenge against Horus is rough work...

Who can imagine the diet of the Space Marine Legionnaires of the 31st millennium? When you've got a Preomnor (among so many other interesting physical enhancements) I suppose it could include just about anything.  But if you serving in the 10th Legion, one imagines your diet will be high in  iron, and, let's say, "proteus"! Here is a second Land Raider for my 30k Loyalists from the Iron Hands.  Like the one I painted earlier this summer, this is an "Armoured Proteus" variant.

Decals from Forge World, very useful.

I tried to chip up the tank a fair bit...I imagine service with one of the "shattered Legions" would be pretty rough.

These models are difficult at times to assemble, and they are usually too tricky for me to do it properly.  I just don't have those skills. So this tank was also assembled by Steve B, and I'm grateful for his assistance! A close inspection of the photo will reveal a lot of damage to different track sections.  Given what a vehicle in the service of the 10th Legion will have endured during the Horus Heresy, the look doesn't bother me too much, but from a model-assembly standpoint, wow, this would be a pain in the @ss.  Steve B is a whiz at this stuff, however, and his skills overcame this challenge, no problem - which is great news for me! Thanks Steve!

You can see more damage on the tracks, and also get a look at the definitely non-carbon-neutral engine system on the vehicle.

You will see in the photos that there is still some gloss finish under the decals.  I haven't yet applied a matte spray over the model, as I'm out at the lake, and the humidity out here makes spraying models a risky prospect.  I'll apply the matte spray when I return home.

Ready to roll out...once it gets back from the lake.

With this addition to the loyalist arsenal, my Iron Hands forces are starting to get serious enough to stand on their own during a 30k game.  We have an Iron Father, a veteran tactical squad, two squads of Medusan Immortals, a Contemptor Dreadnought, and now two Land Raiders that will provide transport and heavy armoured fire support. This should make for some fun 30k mayhem this fall!

Iron Hands Land Raider

Ready roll out in defence of The Emperor (pointlessly, of course).

The summer of 2019 continues to see brushes bending to the Loyalist cause in the 30k setting - this time some serious armoured firepower in the form of an Armoured Proteus Land Raider for the 10th Legion, the "Iron Hands".  It can carry a squad of Medusan Immortals to battle, and provide them with heavy fire support from its batteries of twin-lascannon on either sponson and the twin-heavy bolter mounted on the front of the hull.

WIP photo from the painting table out at the lake.

The "Armoured Proteus" is a Forge World kit, a variant on the classic "Land Raider Proteus" design from the Rogue Trader era of 40k.  The Land Raider is an iconic piece of Space Marine kit. Going back to the time of the first "Space Marine" game, which followed the original "Adeptus Titanicus" and brought in Epic and gaming the Horus Heresy alive, I remembered you got a whole bunch of plastic Land Raiders with the game. I loved the original "Space Marine" game and associate Horus Heresy battlefields with the image of Land Raiders zapping each other on the table in no small part because of it.

"Gaarsak" - a name only a Medusan could love, I suppose? It was on the FW decal sheet...

The GW designers have expanded the collection of 30k vehicles to an incredible extent - adding many variants on the Land Raider, Predator and Rhino chassis, new vehicles like the Sicaran tanks, and even super-heavy tanks like the Fellblade and its friends, not to mention assorted bikes, jet bikes, speeders, flyers and landers.  Your 30k Legion forces have a lot to choose from!

Twin lascannons in a heavily armoured mount.

The classic Land Raider Proteus is a favourite, of course, but the Armoured Proteus always looked super cool - even better in person after Dallas painted one for his Howling Griffons back in 2012.  The Armoured Proteus has the unique, bonkers, classic look of the Land Raider, but with features that resemble a bunker on the Atlantic Wall. For many years I hoped to add one to my 30k collection.

Another view of the top - and the definitely-not-carbon-neutral exhaust system.

Of course, I do not do well modelling these resin vehicle kits.  With Land Raiders, the challenge is always the tracks, getting them lined up, hoping they fit etc.  Well, once again, Steve B here in Winnipeg was willing and able to assist with the assembly for me.  He did fantastic work getting the kit built for me. Thanks very much Steve!! 

Another view of the front.

Chipping on the armour here and there, amid the FW 10th Legion decals.

I started collecting 28mm 30k stuff back in 2014.  As you can tell from a scan of the blog, I sure love the setting and really enjoy the painting, collecting and gaming.  But over more than five years of painting 30k in this scale, my bias has become pretty clear - I have more than 120 infantry, six or seven tanks and APCs painted for my Sons of Horus alone.  But the other side of the conflict is not so well-represented on my shelves - I have collected and painted loyalists in small groups, and this is the first tank I have ever painted for the loyalist side!

Some Medusan Immortals from the 10th Legion on test maneuvers with their new ride.

My "shattered Legion" Loyalist force is coming together nicely - they now have some tough armour to back them up on the table.  But one tank alone, even a formidable Land Raider, won't last too long in many games, so watch for further reinforcements to appear at some point.    

Summer Painting Cont'd - More 30k Iron Hands

Another squad of Medusan Immortals for the 10th Legion, the "Iron Hands".

My summer painting continues - at a pretty slow pace, since the summer weather has been nice, but I am still making a bit of progress at the portable painting station after the sun goes down.  Here is a second squad of Medusan Immortals, loyalist Space Marines from the 10th Legion, the "Iron Hands". They will complement a squad of similar troops I painted earlier in the month.

I painted the right shoulder pauldrons white on this squad, just so I could tell them apart from the first squad, and to make them a little easier to keep track of on the table.

The equipment on this squad is a little different from the first one - instead of the bolt gun, universal weapon of the Space Marines, these troops are carrying volkite chargers instead. It's an upgrade option available to this unit selection, and I do love the look of the volkite weapons on the table.  With these models in particular they add nicely to the bonkers OTT look of 30k that appeals so much to me.  Together with the embossed boarding shields, embossed shoulder plates, the wide assortment of bionic bits (legs, arms and heads) and the grenades and ammo spare clips tacked on everywhere, this squad looks ready to party, 30k-style!

Vox trooper visible in the rear of the photo...not an elligible upgrade, just there to look cool.

Another view of the vox trooper, and some comrades, all sporting deadly volkite chargers.

I dropped a couple of other small modifications among the group - the sergeant's helmet is actually a command helmet from the Mark IV armour plastic set, and he is sporting a plasma pistol from the 40k range - it has a crazy over-sized scope on it, I loved the look and I thought it helped make the sergeant look a little nuttier. There is also a comms trooper, wearing a helmet and vox-unit from the Mark III command set (I think).  He is just there to look cool, as I don't think the vox-caster upgrade is something this particular squad-type is allowed to take.

Squad sergeant - helmet from a plastic Mark IV set, plasma pistol from the current 40k plastics range.

From this angle, you can see his left leg has been replaced with a bionic limb. You can also get (a bit) of a glimpse of the crazily-embossed shoulder plate.

Last, but not least, there are two special weapons supporting this squad as well - more graviton guns! Ah, the graviton gun - a Rogue Trader-era classic!

The Graviton Gun 

Remember this cool thing from Rogue Trader???

The GW folks plotting out the 28mm version of the Horus Heresy did many things very well.  One of those was to go back to the "Rogue Trader era" and pull the odd bit here and there and put it back into action for 30k gaming.  The graviton gun is one of those classics!

Graviton guns to the front!

In those original rules, the graviton gun added mass to anything it hit.  Hit something enough times with the graviton gun, it would be stuck to the ground.  This was bad news for anything walking around the table, and fatal to anything hovering or flying. My Rogue Trader-era Imperial Guardsmen once killed a stupid Eldar Avatar in this fashion, pinging it several times with graviton guns, then wandering over to stab it at their leisure! Ah, the whackiness of Rogue Trader...

Keen to zap those who betrayed their oaths to the Emperor and the Great Crusade...

The rules for the graviton gun in the 30k setting are no longer so nutty.  The weapons are meant to be somewhat rare support-type weapons.  I thought the rare-tech nature of the weapon fit well with the Medusan Immortals.  Between these things and the volkite chargers, the followers of Horus will be in for a zap or two...

20 Medusan Immortals, perhaps "relaxing" at the lake for now, but rest assured they are plotting revenge against those who betrayed their comrades in the Isstvan system...

That's two squads of Immortals now to join my scattered collection of Loyalist "Shattered Legions" for 30k gaming.  Together with the very small base elements I painted during Curt's most recent Painting Challenge, the Iron Hands can be safely upgraded from "small pests" to "minor nuisance".  It will take something a little more serious to take this small collection to the next level, however, and make them into a real force for the gaming table.  Hopefully that will be something I can share later on. But in the meantime...

A view of the setting sun from my Kayak in Whitefish Bay.

Thanks for visiting the blog, and I hope everyone is having a great summer!