Analogue Hobbies Painting Challenge 12 Submissions

 I can apparently only give attention to one blog, so throughout the painting challenge I haven't posted here. Now that the challenge is over I decided to make a super post with all my submissions from the challenge. The main theme are World Eaters Space Marine Legion for Horus Heresy rounded out with a few other odds and ends. It was nice to get a bunch of stuff painted and I'm looking forward to it next winter.

World |Eaters Tactical Squad

W.E. Rampager Squad

Deredeo Dreadnought

Callidus Assassin

Culexus Assassin

Eversor Assassin

Vindicare Assassin

W.E. Terminators

W.E. Contemptor Dreadnought

Imperial Inquisitor

Ambull Alien

Wargames Exclusive Imperial Arsonist

Grey Knight Terminators (Original Metal)

W.E. Assault Squad

Thanks for visiting.

PrairieCon XL Horus Heresy Siege of Terra Game

For PrairieCon this year I ran a Horus Heresy game set at the Siege of Terra. I had previously created two imperial wall sections to represent a breach in the wall. The legions involved were Imperial Fists and Blood Angels trying to hold the breach while Sons of Horus and World Eaters stormed through. The mission was a modified Blitz mission from the 40k 8th Edition rule book. The traitor forces earned 1 victory point for having models within the first line of defense. If they got models within the second line of defense they earned 2 points per unit. The game looked great and we got to showcase some models that we don't normally use in a game. The only downside was the game was set late in the day on Sunday (Father's Day!) and several of us had to get back to Winnipeg , so the game was cut short. Here are some pictures of the game:

The Loyalists set up everything behind fortifications. The World Eaters started on the board and got fist turn

The Sons of Horus moved on the board first turn, but were mostly mounted in transports.

The Imperial Fists scored some early kills, but the arrival of the Fellblade was an ominous sign.

This was the first game for the Cerberus. I knew its fate was sealed, but Conscript Curt valiantly commanded it to destruction!

The Cerberus has an unstable reactor rule which has a chance of exploding catastrophically! It of course exploded catastrophically during the game and killed several loyalist models.

The Sons of Horus hit the first line.

The Fellblade goes to work.

By the time the game was called, it was basically a draw. The Traitor Legions had several units in the first line, while he Loyalists had killed several Traitor units and earned victory points for each. However, the Traitors had a clear path to the second line on the right flank and would likely get into the Blood Angels lines. The Fellblade was also going to be a problem that the Loyalists didn't have a solution for. I guess that outcome is basically how the siege went down. Horus had the material to win, but he ran out of time!

Painting Challenge Theme Entry - "Armour"

Urban re-development vehicle from the XII Legion

A feature of Curt's Analogue Hobbies Painting Challenge is a series of theme entries.  Every two weeks or so the Challengers are encouraged to make a submission tied to a given theme, and you can score some extra bonus points (and even some hobby schwag from the sponsors).  The themes can be interpreted quite liberally (the "spider precedent" lives on in the minds of many Challenge veterans :) but that is very helpful when you are looking to make a theme entry line up with a project you are trying to focus on.

Some WIP photos...so...much...white

The nearly-finished stage...

My focus so far in the Painting Challenge has been 30k, and the first theme, "Armour" did not require any generous interpretations on my part to stick with this focus.  The 30k setting is full of tanks, so I painted up a tank.

My starting-to-sprawl 30k collection features troops from four different legions at this point, but since I started into this several years ago, the Sons of Horus have somehow been the only ones to get any vehicles :) So even though I have about 50 World Eaters, they have to make every effort on the table so far without any armoured assistance. I doubt the chaps in the XVI Legion really care about that, but I felt it was time to give the World Eaters some armoured assistance...

Love the bonkers shovel blade on the front of the tank

What better vehicle for the hard fighting bunch in the XII Legion than a Vindicator? Heavily armoured, armed and equipped to support fighting amid fortifications and built-up areas with a brutally massive and short-ranged cannon? Angron is more about axes-to-the-face than tanks, but I expect this tank would find favour with him. 

Decals from Forge World's sheet were very useful

The tank commander is popped out for a look-see...probably enjoys seeing the effects of the direct hits from that cannon fist-hand...

While Forge World does a very nice "30k version" of this tank, I opted for the standard plastic "40k version" as I quite like the look of the model - particularly the huge shovel on the front, which adds a combat engineering aspect to the vehicle. Besides, while the 30k vehicles are very, very nice, there is no prohibition on models for the 30k setting.  This vehicle was relatively straightforward to put together - I only had to shave a few of the stupid skulls off where I could, and it was ready. Toss on the decals, a lot of weathering to reflect hard use in some challenging combat conditions, and this thing is good to go!

Horus for hope!

Be sure to check out the Painting Challenge site, as new submissions appear all the time, from some incredible painters around the world, but several from Winnipeg.  Byron has some awesome stuff in particular (apparently he LOVES horses), so be sure to check it out! And be sure to visit the theme entry page, and vote your favourites!

Second Challenge Submission - World Eater Terminators and Heavy Support Marines

Feel the love...more lads from the 12th Legion

My second submission to Curt's Analogue Hobbies Painting Challenge is more 30k Marines from the 12th Legion, the cute, cuddly and progressive chaps known as the "World Eaters". Whether your world is run by a deeply flawed totalitarian or exists as a fluffy, enlightened sunny-ways democracy, the World Eaters will appear in orbit and render the whole thing down to particles without pausing too long to consider "why". In this, they were ideal tools for the Emperor's so-called "Great Crusade", and even more useful to the Warmaster Horus when he launched his rebellion.

Terminator squad from the World Eaters

Wrecking everything in sight is a lot of work, even in the far future. The troops assembled here should make an important contribution to those efforts thanks to their heavy armour and/or absurdly large guns.

The unit Sergeant has a fancy sword, and the thing up top is supposed to be a grenade launcher, but perhaps is some kind of future go-pro system so Angron can have a record of any carnage these chaps are involved with

I need to find a way to make these power swords look fancier, but he'll do

The first part of this submission contains a five-man unit of Terminators, Space Marines wearing even heavier armour than their regular foot-slogging buddies.  Teleporting to the battlefield to face down and BBQ opponents which give even regular Space Marines a moment of pause, the Terminator Marines with their big guns, power fists and bulky armour enjoy choice assignments in their Legion duties.

I quite like the double-drum ammo clips on the so-called "combi bolters"  and the chap pointing looks like he means business...

If you carried a big flame-thrower like this fellow, and your job is wrecking sh!t, why you would be on top of the world, so I did this fellow up to look like he's giving a fist bump - "fire FTW!"

While the deeply flawed rules mechanics of GW's 40k rules system make these figures real losers on the table, from the collecting and fun point of view, these are great models and entertaining troops to the deploy into games.  The models are plastics figures from GW's "Betrayal at Calth" box set/game, the model set that keeps on giving...

Heavy support squad with Plasma Cannons

The other part of this submission is a five-man unit of heavy support Space Marines.  The 30k setting has a vast buffet of devastating weapons to choose from, and the Space Marine Legions are well-fed in this respect.  These particular weapons are plasma cannons, heavy energy weapons useful for obliterating any opponents that might appear. And where the Terminators are not nearly as useful on the tabletop as their back story might imply, these chaps exceed the hype, wiping out entire groups of absurd loyalists with relative ease.  Your so-called "Emperor" can't save you now...

The 30k setting is about overkill - why shoot just one big science fiction gun at something, when you could shoot five of them at something?

These models are Mark IV armoured Space Marine models from Forge World, purchased years ago.  In the spirit of the Challenge, I thought it would be good to get to a long lost projects of years past such as this bunch, at least in the early stages...

Forge World decal sheet came in handy with these models

So in all this has ten 28mm infantry models, good for another 50 points towards my overall total and my 30k side duel. Stay tuned for more 30k as the Challenge progresses...

First Challenge Submission - 30k World Eaters

Troops of the 12th Legion, ready for action in GW's Horus Heresy

The Analogue Hobbies Painting Challenge is back again! It's great to be back in the madness.  This submission was my first on to the Challenge, submitted just before Christmas.

Unit officer, equipped with power claws/back scratchers

When it comes to painting I don't do well with plans and I'm not much for focus, but I am hoping to come out on top of my 30k side duel, so that is where I am starting this year.  This is a unit of Space Marines and a Dreadnought from GW's Horus Heresy setting, known colloquially by nerds like me as "Warhammer 30k". 

 

These fellows are carrying small flame-throwers...tasty...

These troops are from the 12th Legion, known charmingly as the "World Eaters".  While the Sons of Horus have a sort of pride-of-place in my 30k collection so far, the World Eaters are there too, some of the first 30k models I painted.  I have had these models gathering dust for over a year, sitting with primer on them, waiting for brush attention.  Curt's Painting Challenge is always a good spur to tackle projects like that, so I did these guys first.  They are the first new World Eaters added to the roster since September of 2014...that doesn't seem long ago to me, but man, time flies.

 

Regular assault grunts

While the comically homicidal nature of the World Eaters does not represent the finest efforts of GW's writers, I'm not that mature and I still enjoy the Legion.  I can see the Sons of Horus hanging back while letting these guys go in first to absorb some damage before they swoop in to finish things off (and take credit for any overall success).

 

Some weathering and chips painted on to make them look a bit worn

The World Eaters are fun to paint and you can make them look a little rough and ready without spattering blood effects etc. on the models.  That is the effect I tried with this group.  White is tricky sometimes, and I had a few problems on some of the models, but they got some heavy weathering which helps the problems go away :) The Forge World decal sheet was extra handy for helping add little bits of character and customization to the models.

The infantry models are assault marines, sporting jet packs and equipped with heavy, short-range pistols and flamethrowers as well as the chainsword, the ubiquitous face-wrecking device of the grim and dark future.  

 

Rotary cannons are always the best in any sci-fi situation

The assault marine models are resin castings from Forge World - you can tell, as some of the jump packs have some appalling mold lines.  Forge World has great sculptors, but their casting quality is often indifferent at best...

 

Power unit at the back...not carbon neutral

The larger model is a Dreadnought, a heavy armoured support unit for the Space Marines.  The Dreadnoughts can be configured with a wide assortment of different weapons for different purposes.  It is armed with a Kheres assault cannon (rule: rotary cannons are always awesome) and a power fist to punch large obstructions rather directly in the face.  This is a plastic model from GW's "Betrayal at Calth" game - a bit of a disappointment in terms of how wooden it looks, not GW's best work, but certainly easier to assemble than the resin ones from Forge World.

 

Large power fist ready for large punching work

There are ten 28mm infantry models in this submission, but one of these models is a test model, painted prior to the Challenge, so the squad should be worth 45 points.  I can't remember what a Dreadnought counted for, so I'm thinking it's like an artillery piece - 10 points?  So that will be 55 points.  A small step toward my goal of 1000, and more importantly, a small step toward revenge against JamieM!

30k Battle Report - Drop Site Party on Istvaan V!

It's time for a change! The XII Legion readies to finish off the dupes of the false "emperor"

Over the past couple of months I have been painting up some Raven Guard for further 30k mayhem on the table.  It's not a very big force at this stage - about 40 figures, no vehicles or dreadnoughts.  Not quite enough for a game of 30k under the current rules, but I was really keen to get them out on the table for an initial bloodletting.  So we decided to play some old-school Rogue Trader instead!  Dallas was kind enough to host the game two weeks ago, and set up a table for us.

Sons of Horus heavy support squad - locked and loaded

XVI Legion moves into a blocking position

The scenario was set on Istvaan V - home to the infamous "drop site massacre".  So you already know up front how this was going to end for the Raven Guard...the scenario featured the small Raven Guard force - two 10-man tactical squads, a 5-man support squad with autocannons, and a Preator and some bodyguard and command figures.  They realize they have been betrayed, and as their Legion brothers are massacred around them, this group looking to break out and escape into the hills.  They were trapped by a mix of Sons of Horus and World Eaters.  The Raven Guard would start in the middle of the 6' x 4' table, and their objective was to exit as many Marines as possible off of either short table edge, representing survivors who would head off into the hills and begin the guerrilla campaign against Horus.

Raven Guard survivors gather around a crashed shuttle, and prepare to make a break for it

XII Legion tactical troops take up a blocking position

It would not be easy. The traitors outnumbered the Loyalists almost 2-1, and featured a number of daunting weapons, including a support squad with five heavy bolters, another support squad with five multi-meltas (!) and a support squad with 10 volkite calivers! I tried to set expectations for the Loyalist players accordingly, reminding them the battle was known as the "drop site massacre", not the "drop site stalemate" or "drop site surprise win"...

Some heavy support for the World Eaters

Raven Guard heavy support lines up on some targets

Conscripts Dave and Dallas played the Raven Guard, while Indo and Mike F. took command of the enlightened followers of Horus. And as I said, we used the trusty old Rogue Trader game engine, but I did make a few adjustments - the toughness of the marines was increased to "4" from "3", and the basic save of Marine power armour was increased to "3+" from "4+".  Basically, we were just reflecting the "current" stat values of the marines in the old game.

Praetor prepares to confront XII Legion command

Covering fire! Autocannons try and buy time for the Raven Guard escape

And so the "drop site massacre" was on! The Raven Guard opted to break en-mass towards the World Eaters, wary of the heavy bolter squad from the Sons of Horus (remember, in Rogue Trader, heavy bolters are "following fire"...). Dave and Dallas used their autocannons for covering fire. Dave's Raven Guard Praetor led his command group into a direct confrontation with Indo's World Eaters Centurion and a smash-down featuring duelling veterans, standard bearers and leaders ensued.

A pitched battle, there is no mercy...

The Centurion for the World Eaters takes a lot of wounds, too many for the medic to do anything about...

Indo's multi melta vapourized a number of Raven Guard troops, and the Sons of Horus (although pleased to let Angron's clowns bear the brunt of the fighting) picked off a number of the retreating Raven Guard.  Mike F had a bit of a rough outing with the heavy bolters, so they were not as devastating as I expected them to be, but Dave and Dallas were also careful to avoid them to the extent they could...

Dallas' tactical squads make a break for it, led by the Company Champion

The Sons of Horus mop up...ouch...

The Raven Guard commander and his entire retinue fell heroically in combat, although not without killing nearly all of the World Eaters' command (the surviving standard bearer would be in for a promotion, assuming Angron wouldn't get mad at him for some random reason and kill him too).  The Raven Guard heavy support troops also fell, although not before taking several traitors with them.

The close assault between command groups grinds on...

With only one survivor when it's all over...

Dallas lost one whole tactical squad in the fighting retreat - many to Sons of Horus bolters and heavy bolters.  But his second squad managed to (mostly) skirt the ominous multi-meltas of the World Eaters and slammed into a World Eaters tactical squad blocking their escape.  Over several turns of tough close fighting (remember, you could use your pistols in close combat with Rogue Trader), the Raven Guard punched their way through...by the time we called the game, eight Raven Guard (out of a starting force of 31) escaped.  I assured Dallas this was a decent outcome, and his survivors now represented like 20% of the Legion's active combat strength...they would head for the hills, join their surviving Primarch, and wage a dark and difficult guerrilla war against their betrayers...

Crash! Dallas' tactical troops look to break through...

I just love Rogue Trader, warts and all, and it was a lot of fun.  The guys approached with the proper spirit - particularly Dallas and Dave, looking to take as many traitors down as possible.  While this game would have been a very, very small game by the current standards of the rules, in Rogue Trader this was actually a very, very big game, and we managed to get it done.  Looking back, I should have increased the movement of all of the marines to 6" from 4" just to speed things up a bit.  But overall, I loved it.  I particularly like how the close combat is generally a grind, particularly between two evenly matched opponents.  Even the more heroic figures - the Preator and the Centurion - didn't just automatically kill everything they touched.  It was a great fight.

The Raven Guard overwhelm Angron's troops to make their escape...or, some of them do, at any rate

Thanks to the guys for playing - great for the Raven Guard to get their first game in! Big thanks to Dallas for hosting - and for putting the table and terrain together! I do really need to get some more vehicles painted, but one thing at a time...