Vinds ov Var 13

So, with Winds of War 2013 just over two weeks away and Ken now on holiday, it's down to me to make sure the late arriving army (Curse you Total Wargamer) is built and painted on time. My own force has just been completed, and Ken has done his Razorwing as a guide for me to work from.

Here's our list.

Army List 1 - Kenneth Morley

Razorwing w Flickerfield - 155
5 Warriors, Blaster. - 60
ded tran - Venom, dual splinter cannon - 65
5 warriors - 45
ded tran - Venom, dual splinter cannon - 65
5 warriors - 45
ded tran - Venom, dual splinter cannon - 65

Total - 500

Army List 2 - Ian Connolly
5 Warriors, Blaster. - 60
ded tran - Venom, dual splinter cannon - 65
5 Warriors, Blaster. - 60
ded tran - Venom, dual splinter cannon - 65
5 Warriors, Blaster. - 60
ded tran - Venom, dual splinter cannon - 65
5 Warriors, Blaster. - 60
ded tran - Venom, dual splinter cannon - 65

Total - 500

The background for our army?

Vince had been looking forward to some pillaging and drunken high spirits, with possibly some sneaking around for good measure, however a minor technicality put paid to his plans. So he climbed into his jet, and summoned his flock - vengeance was on his mind!

I think this nicely reflects our feelings about having our pirates vs ninjas idea thwarted by a minor change to the rules since last year, while also covering the basics for what we're bringing.

And the team name?

Vazorwing Vince vith his venomously vainglorious vigilantes vindictively vaging a vendetta vith vicious vectors of vice and villainy.

If nothing else, I shall have my revenge against the TO by giving him a fit trying to pronounce our team name right :-P

Just call me V...

Pirates Dead in the Water...

I am sad to report that my begging letter to the tournament organisers fell on deaf ears, and the Pirate project is simply dead in the water.

They suggested using one of the Raiders as counts as venoms, but a) I don't want to confuse opponents that one of my raiders is a raider but the other ones a venom b) venom wouldn't fit the whole squad on, making it a pointless transport and c) the upgrades had been modelled onto the model, such as grisly trophies, enhanced aethersails, dark lance... and these would not be available on the venom. It just wouldn't look the part.

Limiting my force to one raider wouldn't work either. The crew of the Dutchman just look like weird mutants without their ship, so I'd have to include the Dutchman... but the Dutchman is easily recognizable because of The Pearl, and without that it's like "What is this some sort of ghost ship?"

I am continuing to work on the models as best I can but it is somewhat gutting. My hope is to complete the project and perhaps find a combat patrol doubles tournament that HASN'T incorporated this random ruling. Alternatively, I go to Bracknell this year and make my case for the problematic rule to be taken out so that we can take Pirates vs Ninjas NEXT year...

To that end, I have gone completely against character and come up with an efficient spammy beardy list. It is completely in line with the rules they have set. The restriction of vehicles was apparently to defeat Necron Quantum Shielding spam. Now given most people complain about Cron Air, QS spam is a new one on me. There are 4 vehicles that come with Quantum Shielding. The Annihalation Barge, Command Barge, Doomsday Ark and Ghost Ark.

Annihalation Barge - it's a HS slot, so self limiting. Only max of 2 in the combined 1000 point force if BOTH players take Crons.
Command Barge - needs an HQ choice to ride it, can't have HQ choices with more than 2 wounds, therefore ineligible.
Doomsday Ark - Ordnance weapon, so ineligible
Ghost Ark - sure you could spam these... but would you want to? They support warriors, and of all the things in the Necron codex, if someone wanted to spam warriors and ghost arks I'd say LET THEM.

Anyway, in their desperation to prevent anything more than one necron vehicle in an entire 1000point combined force, they have put the same limits on everybody else. The only vehicles you can take more than one of are sentinals, venoms, vipers, killa kans, grot tanks, war walkers, land speeders and storm talons. Now from the various tournaments I've heard, there's nothing there that can be spammed to death right? Right?

So, with about 6 weeks to go to the tournament, I now begin 500 points for Winds batch number 2. Ken and I have usually finished respectably mid table even though we've been playing with sub par fun whacky crazy lists. It'll be interesting to see what we can do if we realy put our minds to it...

Yarr harr fiddle de... oh f*$k...

So, there I was, storming along in my preparations for Winds of War 13 when the tournament pack finally came out, and my plan has completely come off the rails.

So yeah, I designed my army with last years restrictions on heavy vehicles in mind, meaning my two raiders plus two squads of wyches and a beastmaster with razorwing flocks was fine. Then the tournament pack has come out, and restricted the field to 2HP vehicles... So pretty much none of the transports, just light walkers and buggies.

You are allowed ONE 2+HP vehicle, provided it doesn't break the 33 armour value rule. That is, one for your combined force. So I'm still screwed.

I've emailed for clarification, because it seems a drastic change from last year. Chimera spam was annoying but you could still deal with it, and vehicles being easier to glance to death now I wouldn't have had a problem with facing them again. One of the more hated armies for small scale games would be venom spam, and that is STILL legal under this tournament pack. It doesn't make much sense.

The tournament pack was pretty clear and it didn't seem like a mistake, though it is a very drastic change from last year, which is why I've queried it. But it didn't look or feel like a misprint... it felt like a deliberate change of the way they want their combat patrol games to work. Which means that the nice little 500 point force I've been working through, am more than half finished, will be illegal. I can try to keep the stuff I've done and adapt the rest but I'm not sure how it's gonna work out...

Watch this space...

We shall need a crossbow, an hourglass, three goats, one of us must learn to play the trumpet, whilst the other one goes like this.

An update to the Pirates project...

The Pearl is ready! I never thought that a sewing kit would ever form part of my warhammer 40k painting tools, but hey ho life throws unexpected items at you sometimes. Here are a few snaps of The Pearl, ready to sail...

Hoist the Colours!

Power Through P... RUM!

This is the day you will always remember as the day you almost...

So, I have finally made a start on my Pirates project.

First up I've been working on one of the raiders, in the case The Pearl. I wanted to make a couple of conversions to this so that it was still easily recognisable as a raider, but also clearly fitting into my new theme.

The first idea I had was to change the main armament. I wanted to put a cannon on board. I had planned to represent this by using the gun option of disintegrator CANNON, but when I realised this would leave me with NO anti-tank in my force I re-thought this. I instead am sticking with a dark lance, but the lance will be a physical lance, fired from a cannon! Presumably it explodes once it's penetrated the target for those who are wondering what effect firing a sharp stick will have against a tank, but still.

Next up I wanted to change the aethersails. I wanted something more western and like a traditional pirate. I have made the mastwork I wish to use, and after I've painted the model I shall make some sails and rigging to go with it. The pictures are to the right and below.

Since these pictures were taken I've added a couple of extras - namely a skeleton as the figurehead and a barrel of rum on deck - my power through pain will be power through rum, therefore instead of grisly trophies (reroll Ld tests in range) it'll be extra rum rations for the same effect!

I also made my first squad of wyches, the crew for the pearl. I used mostly the wyches kit, but also some pieces from the Empire Militia box and the Dark Elf Corsair box.

 As for the sea turtles I mentioned the other day... when confused as to what I could do that would be piratey yet would represent a skyboard... I came up with the idea of lashing a couple of sea turtles and making them into a raft. And while so far I've only secured them with green stuff and superglue, I do intend to make the bond secure, with human hair. From my back...

Anyway, I have modelled the Beastmaster in place too...

So, as my project get's under way, I can merely hope to motivate my compatriot and team mate into starting by insulting his cause...

Ninjas are mean, as proved by the following. Pirates are too cool to do such petty things as the following...

Razorwings...

So, it was my birthday the other day...

Which meant Cake!

Oh, and also some nice people sent me birthday money, including my fellow blogger Firewasp. Muchly appreciated, as it has allowed me to order the stuff I need to make a start on this pirate project I've been itching to get going on. I've ordered two boxes of wyches and two raiders. I already had my sea turtles, which I've started working on (I need to lash them together with human hair... from my back...) and have also got my razorwing flocks. I wasn't too keen on the GW model (the price was rather off putting, and peoples suggestion of breaking it down into several bases to get your monies worth... well, as the ducks in Open Season state, you can't flock with only two. So anyway, for the razorwing flocks I've picked up the models below from Reaper miniatures.

Sadly no more to say just yet, just gotta wait on the bloody postman now... c'mon, c'mon! :oP

Sea Turtles, matey...

The answer to any pirates riddle.

With these arrived, my bitz also, I'm just waiting on my razorwing flocks... and the cash to buy the two boxes of wyches and two raiders I need, then I can start this project. Itching to make a start on it...

Setting Sail for Winds of War 13...

Those of you who have come to read Insane Heroism having read either Ignatum or Need More Tanks will have seen in the past that Firewasp and I have attended events run by Bracknell Forest Gamers. This event was something our friends went to and reported back favourably on, and so we went along. We too enjoyed our experience, and the pleasant atmosphere combined with it being roughly halfway between where we live has made it into our most regular tournament spot for the past few years.

Now personally I like to do theme armies for Winds of War - it's combat patrol, so 500 points let's me play with things outside my usual comfort zone without committing to an entirely new army. It also lends itself well to small, themed forces. Now in one instance, my Star Wars Guard, I ended up having more theme ideas than 500 points could contain... that army currently sitting pretty at a 2k list, but for the most part 500 points is a fun thing to work with, and if you want a reminder of the crazy stuff I've done check back over this fifth edition review...

Of course, one of our best was the team effort one we did for Halohammer, in 2011. That year we picked up the much coveted Fergus Award, and had a cracking time with a fantastically themed force. Well, we want our trophy back...

Now various ideas had been passed back and forth between us, and some of these may get done in the future... from formula one race teams to classic cartoons to other popular films. But it was something someone said in passing down the local GW that finally clicked into place. They said they'd love to see Dark Eldar, being piratical raiders, converted into something more nautically themed. I was itching to get working on this, being a well known pirate fan. But could we do this for Winds? We'd need something to compliment it, and I didn't think Firewasp was particularly interested in pirates... and then the flash of inspiration occurred...

Ninjas

Ninjas and Pirates, natural enemies, thrust together on the field of battle and forced to work together! Needless to say, Firewasp saw the potential in the idea so we set to planning lists. At first we thought that Death Cult assassins would make great ninjas, but sadly there was no way to get them into the list as scoring in a combat patrol, and we couldn't think of a good way to get the Troops of Grey Knights into the list. We toyed with the idea of samurai but felt that we'd have a very small scoring unit, and no transportation for the army at all. As much as we like a theme, we'd still like it to be playable. Which is a shame as the distrsutful allies of Dark Eldar and Grey Knights would have perfectly suited the relationship between Ninjas and Pirates.

In the end we found that the best bet was a dual Dark Eldar force. We'd just use modelling and painting to define the differences, though using different transports in each list would also help. So, the army lists.

Ninjas

5 wyches (1 hydra gauntlet) inc hekatrix with Blaster Pistol and Power Weapon
ded tran Dual splinter cannon venom with night shields (sneaky ninjas)

5 wyches (1 hydra gauntlet) inc hekatrix with Blaster Pistol and Power Weapon
ded tran Dual splinter cannon venom with night shields (more sneaky ninjas)

10 mandrakes lead by nightfiend - because these guys look very manga and kinda fit the feel of the army

Pirates

10 wyches (2 with shardnets and impalers - they look so nautical!) hekatrix with agoniser
ded tran Raider Shock Prow, Enhanced Aethersails (we're pirates, we NEED sails) Grisly Trophies


10 wyches (2 with shardnets and impalers - they look so nautical!) hekatrix with agoniser
ded tran Raider Shock Prow, Enhanced Aethersails, Grisly Trophies and Torment Grenade Launcher

Beastmaster with two flocks of razorwings


I had ideas for how my army works the moment someone raised the idea of pirate dark eldar back in the workshop... my guys wouldn't use power from pain, they'd get power from RUM! Win a fight, have a drink! As they get more sozzled they feel pain less, gain drunken strength and eventually get so bladdered they feel immortal and become fearless. In my army, Grisly Trophies will be renamed Spare Rum Supplies! THere'll be rum everywhere!

The flocks of razorwings are because someone suggested painting them up as parrots. I did at first struggle with the idea of getting a Beastmaster on a skyboard into the theme, but eventually I struck upon some inspiration. Hell, if the pirate ships are represented by raiders, there's no reason other modes of transport can't move with the times too.

The torment grenade launcher is to represent the terror one of the vessels will inspire in the enemy. For I will of course be going with popular culture for inspiration for my pirates, and one of my raiders will be black, the other more ghostly and rotten.

Yes, I plan to go into battle with both the Black Pearl AND the Flying Dutchman!

Anyway, I've started getting supplies from ebay and checking my bitzboxes... just waiting on some money to come through from one of several overdue directions and I'll pick up the necessary Dark Eldar boxsets and make a start.

I'll leave it to Firewasp to explain what he wants to do with his force. I imagine some ninja/pirate banter will develop over the coming months. Hey, we're working together, no one ever said these two would be friends.

But for now, just for a short while, they may not be the absolute worst of enemies. Ninjas are merely rivals to Pirates... much like Acrington Stanley are rivals to Manchester United... ;oP

A Fond Farewell To Fifth Edition

Everyone of course is rattling on about the upcoming sixth edition, and I am of course eager to see what is in store. I am hopeful that the little annoyances of fifth edition go away (cough, Grey Knights, ahem) but that we still keep a fun game system. I am also eager to see where the story advances, as I find the whole Time of Ending thing to be fascinating.

My First Crazy Project...

However, this is not to say that I have not loved fifth edition. I can barely remember third edition, so can only really compare fourth and fifth. I never liked kill points, I thought they were just dumbing down so that people wouldn't have to work out what a half strength unit of 135 points was worth. I hated those games where I would annihalate my opponent, leaving him with a solitary marine and yet somehow he'd win, as he'd picked off more minor (supposedly expendable) guardsmen squads than he had in his entire army. But on the whole I tought fifth was an improvement, and moved the game forwards. Before all the wound allocation shenanigans came in and soiled it a little I thought wound allocation was a good system. No longer would the sergeant with power fist and trooper with meltagun just coincidentally "happen" to be the last guys to die. You could still help keep them alive longer by allocating on other targets, but random chance could take a dump on that guy and there was nothing you could do but try to minimise the odds. I liked that.

So what next? Well with 3k of Orks and planning to paint more, and a stupid amount of Guard, I have no doubt I will adapt my game to whatever 6th edition throws at us. But that only works for my core stuff... there are some special projects that I doubt will ever see the light of day again. Namely, armies/forces that have been specifically designed and built with 5th in mind. Mainly, I am talking about my Winds of War projects.

I have been attending Winds of War for the past few years and have always tried to take something special. It may not be all that competitive, with fluff as the driving force behind the design, but it has been a legal combat patrol force and it has been fun.

But what will sixth bring? Will combat patrol even exist as a concept? Will it be in the same format? As codexes get updated to match 6th, the units I previously had at 500 points may now exceed it... or perhaps not meet the total... they may even move to a different FOS, rendering the army illegal.

So to bid farewell to these forces that may not see the light of day, I make this post. In it is a gallery of the forces I have taken to various Winds of War events (and an Escalation evnt to boot) The 2000 point force probably has enough in it to be able to enter 1750 point events in the future despite what 6th brings, but I doubt the combat patrols will make it off the display shelf.

Escalation Army

Marbo Fett

Halo Marines In Action

Kens Halo Army

Penal Legion - aka Captured Rebel Scum

Whatta ya hear Starbuck?

Marines, we are leaving!

Get away from her you Bitch!

Are you alive?

 Farewell fair friends. You have provided me much entertainment, and hours of talking points.