Khorne's Big Bubble of Hate

Shamelessly stolen from 1d4Chan's discussion of Chaos Daemons, though modified with some of my own thoughts, I really want to try this out as my first army list for Chaos Daemons. I own a good deal of this stuff already, but need to pick up a few more pieces. Here's the list and tactics, recorded here for posterity.

Bubble of Hate Experiment

Daemon Prince of Khorne (240pts)

                Daemonic Flight, Warp-forged Armour, Greater Reward

Herald of Khorne (185pts)

                Blood Throne, Exalted Locus of Wrath, Exalted Reward

Herald of Tzeentch (120pts)

                Disc of Tzeentch, Psyker Level 3

Herald of Tzeentch (120pts)

                Disc of Tzeentch, Psyker Level 3

18 Bloodletters of Khorne (205pts)

                Bloodreaper, Icon of Chaos, Instrument of Chaos

18 Bloodletters of Khorne (205pts)

                Bloodreaper, Icon of Chaos, Instrument of Chaos

5 Bloodcrushers of Khorne (250pts)

                Bloodhunter, Icon of Chaos, Instrument of Chaos

10 Chaos Furies of Khorne (85pts)

5 Fleshhounds of Khorne (80pts)

5 Fleshhounds of Khorne (80pts)

Skull Cannon of Khorne (125pts)

Skull Cannon of Khorne (125pts)

Soul Grinder of Khorne (180pts)

                Baleful Torrent, Warpsword

General tactics

Take the Grimoire for the Herald of Khorne. Daemonology for both Heralds of Tzeentch. The Bloodletters, a Cannon, the Grinder, Crushers, and Throne all get put in Deep Strike Reserves. Deploy Prince, Tzeentch Heralds, Furies, the second Cannon, and the Fleshhounds. Keep the backline safe and start going for easy objectives. Heralds start summoning more Daemons, particularly 10 Horrors to get the rolling Daemon machine up and running. Fleshhounds run, hugging cover and get into position for the Bubble.

Deepstrike the Crushers and use their Instrument to bring in the Throne. Herald casts Grimoire on the Crushers, hoping for a good role. Deepstrike in Bloodletter Squad #1 and use their Instrument to bring in the Cannon. Ditto the second Squad with the Grinder. Try to get everyone into the Throne’s Locus bubble and smiling pretty for the camera. Profit!

A long time away...

I've been away from this blog for a long time, though I've occasionally swung by to update this or that. Never to post. Until today. Just a brief one to get me back into the swing of things.

I've decided on a few new rules for my collecting habits, looking at the piles of unassembled miniatures I've accumulated over the last couple of years. The biggest rule: build what you have before buying more.

But it's more complicated that than - what to build will be determined by what I plan to play in the near future. Having finished building all my Grey Knights/Inquisition models, I revolved back to my Privateer Press games. A large backlog here, so I'll list them and let you all know what I'm working on...

1. Warmachine Mercenaries - I have a few models here and I want to finish them up. Currently working on my Galleon that's been sitting in the box for oh... a year or more. Almost done with him.
2. Hordes Minions - I have two models in this camp and essentially they're part of the first run above. Basically a certain Merc-Minion 'jack marshal and a Bone Swarm for Midas. No biggie!
3. Warmachine Retribution - this is a larger collection of unassembled plastic and pewter. Time to get cracking! I just want this all done and stored, ready for Mage Hunting delight! 
4. Warmachine Cygnar - this is a smaller group of some more recent models I've picked up. Nothing too burdensome, and getting them done will put the finishing touches on my PP stuff. 

And that's it for now. By the time I'm done, I'm sure we'll have rotated back to some other game. I've been kicking around the idea of Relic Knights, but honestly, the setting/anime style isn't really my bag. So who knows? I also have to get back to Kinko's (is it even called Kinko's any more?) and laminate the rest of my cards. Something to do on a quiet afternoon one day, I suppose.

Anyway, this is just a brief update - something to tell I'm still alive and kickin'! Hope all is well with everyone in blog land. Adios!

The Farstriders of Ghrond Project: The Crew of Raema's Pride

Leaving Ghrond to Conquer the World

Leaving her husband to manage the affairs of Tor Sír, Enlil has taken to the high seas to sow destruction and renew the coffers of House Sirfalas. To assist her, she has assembled an inner sanctum of trusted allies and family members – exercising ancient deals and agreements to recruit the forces necessary from across the Dark Elf world.

Captain of Enlil’s personal galley, (Anath) Raema’s Pride, and commander of her fleet, is her most trusted advisor, Fleetmistress Numia, She-Wolf of the Chaos Sea. Together, these powerful women guide their forces across the known world in search of glory, sowing terror, and plundering the riches of lesser races.

 The Crew of Anath Raema’s Pride and the Farstriders of Ghrond

 ·       Enlil of Sirfalas

High Lady of Tor Sír

Supreme Sorceress

·         Fleetmistress Numia

She-Wolf of the Chaos Sea

Dreadlord

·         First Mate Bellinil the Stone-hold

Sister of the She-Wolf

Master and Battle Standard Bearer

·         Mirminel the Black Rose

Death Hag

·         Iseilven of Sirfalas

Daughter of Enlil

Sorceress

·         Duvain of Sirfalas

Niece of Enlil

Sorceress

·         Nostromo the Unseen End

Assassin of the Tor Sír Covenant

  

·         The Wolf Pack & The Black Shoal

Black Arc Corsairs of Raema’s Pride

·         The Raven Heralds

Dark Riders

·         Khaine’s Roses

Witch Elves of the Tor Sír Covenant

·         Khaine’s Razors

Executioners of the Tor Sír Covenant

·         The Farstriders of Ghrond

Cold One Knights of Tor Sír

·         Militia of Tor Sír

All other units/regular army

·         Kiss of Kurnous

Kharibdyss

·         Mendrhiel the Cursed

Sister of Enlil, Mother of Duvain

Bloodwrack Medusa

Legion Begins!

Started a painting league for a Facebook group I'm a part of (Michigan Warmachine/Hordes Players) and here are my pledge models for this month, including a test Shredder.

Here's my paint scheme for posterity.

Basecoat GW Mechanicus Standard Grey
Wash GW Carroburg Crimson
Layer on GW Mechanicus Standard Grey
Layer on GW Administratum Grey
Layer on GW Dawnstone
Layer on P3 Frostbite
Black line and blend with GW Nuln Oil
Black out the armor with GW Chaos Black
Highlight armor with GW Eshin Grey
Highlight further with GW Dawnstone
Wash mouth with GW Carrburg Crimson
Pick out teeth with VBC Bonewhite
Highlight teeth with RMS Linen White
Paint base with P3 Bloodstone
Wash heavily with GW Nuln Oil
Dry brush base with P3 Bloodstone

Not sure on a basing scheme yet. Originally was going to go with a layer of snow and tufts of dead grass. Not sure yet what I'm going to do - though I'm leaning on trying the snow - maybe on a test base first.

Circle Constructs Step-by-Step (Ease of Reference)

Long time, no write. How y'all been?

I'm just dropping this all here to get organized. Look for more coming soon.

• Circle Construct Stone (simplify to Ironhull, Troll HL, Dead Flesh)
• Glowing Eyes from THIS blog entry
• Turquoise Gems (use RMS Deep Ocean instead though)
• Ocean Blues cloth
• Circle-style Spring Thaw Bases (dead wood add greys)

Missing bits:

• Wood - Dislike how my woods came out on my other constructs, so I'm using the tutorial from speed-painting the Woldwrath from No Quarter #46.

• Black cloth - either GW Eshin Grey or P3 Coal Black to make true Blackclads! This will be especially useful on Baldur's robes and Druids.

• Leathers - Look into the leather tutorials from the back of the Forces of Cygnar book. Use Army Painter Leather Brown as the base + GW Agrax Earthshade (aka Devlan Mud equivalent).

Warmachine-Hordes: 31 Flavors, pt. 2

It's been a long while since I've posted any updates. Since then, I've play tested a bunch of great armies, all at 50pts, and have begun a slightly different approach (yet again). Instead of ranking each warcaster with a yea or nay, I've paired them off in a single-elimination tournament format. The 'casters are listed just in alphabetical order, so there's no other logic to the pairings, but the decision-making process is MUCH easier this way. Here's a slick little graphic displaying where I am to date.

As you can see, Constance Blaize, Captain Caine, and Captain Haley have eliminated the competition. I'll continue winnowing these down until I get my Final Four for this faction. Each 'caster in the win column has its own unique flavor and I'm having a ton of fun. They are, from my opponents' assessments and feedback, MUCH more competitive than lists I'd been playing before this experiement. Blaize is melee-centric sword-to-mouth excitement, Caine2 has introduced me to my new love - long-ranged assassination vectors - and Haley1 has been a breath of fresh air, supporting the hell out of her army, with answers to a wide variety of problems. The Stormwall has been stellar with Haley1 and Darius, but I just enjoy Haley1 more. My Arcane Tempest Gun Mages are intense! None of my games have been bad, and all are enjoyable 'casters, but there can only be so many 'casters in my go-to stable. For the record, there will be a wild-card slot in these quarter-final rounds - my favorite 'caster from the eliminated ones will join the elimination line-up for determining the semi-final winners.

Winning lists thus far, all at 50pts:

Constance Blaize - Knights of the Prophet, Tier 4

Constance Blaize, Knights of the Prophet (-6pts)
^ Centurion (9pts)
^ Gallant (9pts)
Precursor Knights (Leader and 9 Grunts) (8pts)
^ Precursor Knight Officer & Standard (0pts)
Precursor Knights (Leader and 9 Grunts) (8pts)
^ Precursor Knight Officer & Standard (2pts)
Sword Knights (Leader and 9 Grunts) (6pts)
Sword Knights (Leader and 9 Grunts) (6pts)
Archduke Alain Runewood (3pts)
Harlan Versh (2pts)
Journeyman Warcaster (3pts)

Captain Allister Caine - Non-Tier

Captain Allister Caine (-5pts)
^ Ol' Rowdy (9pts)
^ Squire (2pts)
Arcane Tempest Gun Mages (Leader and 5 Grunts) (6pts)
^ Arcane Tempest Gun Mage Officer (2pts)
Black 13th Gun Mage Strike Team (4pts)
Greygore Boomhowler & Co. (Boomhowler and 9 Grunts) (9pts)
^ Captain Jonas Murdoch (2pts)
Lady Aiyana & Master Holt (4pts)
Rangers (5pts)
Archduke Alain Runewood (3pts)
Eiryss, Angel of Retribution (3pts)
Madelyn Corbeau, Ordic Courtesan (2pts)
Reinholdt, Gobber Speculator (1pts)
Stormsmith Stormcaller (1pts)
Stormsmith Stormcaller (1pts)
Stormsmith Stormcaller (1pts)

Captain Victoria Haley - Non-Tier

Captain Victoria Haley (-5pts)
^ Stormwall (19pts)
^ Squire (2pts)
Arcane Tempest Gun Mages (Leader and 5 Grunts) (6pts)
^ Arcane Tempest Gun Mage Officer (2pts)
Field Mechaniks (Leader and 3 Grunts) (2pts)
Precursor Knights (Leader and 9 Grunts) (8pts)
^ Precursor Knight Officer & Standard (2pts)
Sword Knights (Leader and 9 Grunts) (6pts)
Journeyman Warcaster (3pts)
Rhupert Carvolo, Piper of Ord (2pts)
Stormsmith Stormcaller (1pts)
Stormsmith Stormcaller (1pts)
Stormsmith Stormcaller (1pts)

As you can probably recognize, I've come to identify some most-beloved and go-to units and solos. I had the Storm Strider in that Haley1 list, but forgot it was in the list and left it at home during my recent play-testing. So I swap in some other stuff and really liked the results. All these lists have been beasts for my opponents thus far.

Can't wait for more!

Warmachine-Hordes: 31 Flavors

Doing some quick math, I realized I have a total of 31 warcasters and warlocks spanning my four factions. With having fairly complete collections of Cygnar, Circle Orboros, and Thornfall, with my chosen select core of Highborn and Four Star Mercs, I have a LOT of stuff - too much to reasonably play, including many pieces I've either never fielded or haven't played in Mk2. So, in struggling constantly with deciding what to play, I struck upon another idea similar to my old thought on Random Casters. Instead, I'll begin with my first faction and play two games with every 'caster and then every 'lock in alphabetical order. If I like their tiers, I'll use those at least once. Otherwise, I'll play what I want with the chosen 'caster or 'lock. I've also decided that 50pts are my new standard - forget 35pts. Most importantly, I'll decide whether each 'caster or 'lock gets a green card or a red card based on these two games - green cards means they stay in longterm rotation, red card means they get shelved for the time being. Maybe I'll revisit them later, but I'm trying to identify my "go-to" armies and favorite combos to play.

I'm starting to remember how much I dislike gunlines, and how much I enjoy in-your-face assault armies. So I'll list all the 'casters I plan to use here, and then edit with results as I play them. Today, I got three games in... and lost all three, but had the most fun with Blaize. So here goes:

June 23, 2012
Major Marcus "Siege" Brisbane: The Big Guns Tier 4: Red
Major Marcus "Siege" Brisbane: Non-Tier: Red
Constance Blaize, Knight of the Prophet: Army of Light Tier 4: Green

I had fun with all three armies I played today, though the Siege lists left something to be desired. As gunlines, I played too far forward. Something to think about as I move forward. It was nice to play Trencher-heavy and run with some guns, but the axe-to-mouth nature of Blaize took the cake and ate it too! Sword Knights, Precursors, and the Centurion all performed amazingly well. This was the only game where my opponent was truly on the ropes and pulled a Hail Mary for the win. I'll continue this list as I go, until I come out with my core warcasters and warlocks that will help me make best use of the armies I have. For the record, here is my discussion on the Privateer forums on this topic.

June 30, 2012
Constance Blaize, Knight of the Prophet: Non-Tier: Green
Lieutenant Allister Caine: Non-Tier: Red - had another go-around; fun, but not amazingly so.

July 14, 2012
Lieutenant Allister Caine: Tier 4: Red - really fun, but problematic; lucky victory
Captain Allister Caine: Non-Tier: Green - total blast with lots of kill potential and answers for everything

Next Up
Captain E. Dominic Darius: Non-Tier: HERE COMES THE STORMWALL!
Captain E. Dominic Darius: Tier 4: Less bells & whistles; we'll see.
Captain Victoria Haley: Non-Tier: More Stormwall fun!

Malus' Marauders

Apparently, I'm always thinking. For those of you that know me, this should come as no surprise. The one thing I like to think about a lot is army ideas for my various factions. After talking to PG_bulldog about Warhammer Fantasy last night, I decided to give my Dark Elves some love, particularly Malus Darkblade. Typically, I feel the named characters for Dark Elves are substandard - too expensive for what they grant you - but I'm determined to have fun with this army and to hell with making things competitive. That said, I've used this as an excuse to gather a force of models I like, are non-Khainite to go with Malus' storyline, and will utilize the core build I've experimented with already. In keeping with my personal stories and fluff for House Sirfalas, I imagine Malus, on his journey to free himself of the Demon Tz'arkan, has come seeking the aid of Lady Enlil, who with the aid of her Daughter Iseilven and their Man-at-Arms, Dantalion, have taken to the field with Malus' forces in an attempt to push deeper into the Spiteful Peaks surrounding Tor Sír, seeking the mysteries of possession for Malus' freedom and the glory of the Farstriders of Ghrond.

"...so we can agree that we'd both like to avoid any... regal entanglements..." 

Malus' Marauders
2498/2500pts

Lords:

* Supreme Sorceress (Shadow) Level 4 (290pts)
        Seal of Ghrond
     
Heroes:

* Malus Darkblade, Scion of Hag Graef (275pts)
        Heavy Armor, Warpsword of Khaine, Spite, the Cold One

* Master (161pts)
        Battle Standard Bearer, Heavy Armor, Sea Dragon Cloak, Shield
        Sword of Might, Pendant of Khaeleth

* Sorceress (Dark Magic) Level 2 (150pts)
        Tome of Furion

Core:
* 30x Dark Elf Corsairs (350pts)
        Full CMD, Light Armor, Sea Dragon Cloak, Two Hand Weapons
        Sea Serpent Standard

* 10x Dark Elf Repeater Crossbowmen (100pts)
        Hand Weapon, Light Armor, Repeater Crossbow

* 10x Dark Elf Repeater Crossbowmen (100pts)
        Hand Weapon, Light Armor, Repeater Crossbow

* 29x Dark Elf Warriors (233pts)
        Full CMD, Light Armor, Spears, Shields
        Standard of Discipline

* 29x Dark Elf Warriors (243pts)
        Full CMD, Light Armor, Spears
        Banner of Murder

Special:
* 10x Cold One Knights (310pts)
        Full CMD, Heavy Armor, Lance, Shield

* 9x Cold One Knights (282pts)
        Musician, Standard Bearer, Heavy Armor, Lance, Shield
        Banner of Swiftness

Pretty slick lay-out. The Level 4 goes in the back with the crossbows, the Level 2 will park with the Discipline spears, the BSB with the other warrior unit, and Malus will hang with the nine-man Cold One unit. Not sure on strategies yet, but the Cold Ones can come in on the flanks, with the spears and Corsairs manipulating the middle ground. We'll see - I'll probably be WAY out numbered compared to my usual opponents Skaven or Vampire Counts. Either way, should be a blast! 

Contemplation Escalation

So, there's a local Escalation tourney in a couple of weeks. The format is pretty neat. Each round increases the pt value of the army, but your army from the prior round must be included. So once something is set in your army, it stays there. No Tiers allowed. Round One is 25pts, Round Two 35pts, Three is 50pts, and Four is 75pts. Round Five, if necessary, will be randomly determined. My only concern is timed turns, since I've never played even a single game under a clock. But we'll see if they're using them, and how much time I get, when I hear back from the TO. That said, I've been considering my Piggies for this one, since I know them best and they have a small, compact force that works in a fairly straight-forward way. I'm also considering my other factions, since there are elements of them all that I know well - except maybe Circle, since I seem to have to do WAY too much thinking when I play them. Oh, I almost forgot - the neatest part - at 75pts, you add a second warlock/warcaster and his/her battlegroup, in addition to whatever else you wanna throw in. So, here's my list and I've color-coded it with ever-increasing threat level colors (yellow for additions at 35, orange for 50, red for 75).

25-pt Core

Lord Carver (*6pts)
* Gun Boar (5pts)
* War Hog (8pts)
* War Hog (8pts)
Farrow Brigands (Leader and 5 Grunts) (5pts)
Farrow Brigands (Leader and 5 Grunts) (5pts)

35-pt Additions

* Targ (2pts)
Farrow Slaughterhousers (Leader and 5 Grunt) (6pts)
Saxon Orrik (2pts)

50-pt Additions

Farrow Slaughterhousers (Leader and 5 Grunt) (6pts)
Rorsh & Brine (9pts)

75-pt Additions

Dr. Arkadius (*6pts)
* Gun Boar (5pts)
* War Hog (8pts)
* War Hog (8pts)
Farrow Bone Grinders (Leader and 3 Grunts) (2pts)
Farrow Brigands (Leader and 5 Grunts) (5pts)
Gudrun the Wanderer (3pts)

So, that's a solid consideration and there's not much wiggle-room here when it comes to Farrow. Makes the decisions easier and I don't have to sweat the process of list building, etc. It has the added benefit of being stuff I own and having some nice paint on 15-pts of it. Haha, ok that's not a lot, but it's something. And for something completely different...

25-Core

Ashlynn d'Elyse (*6pts)

* Mangler (8pts)
Cylena Raefyll & Nyss Hunters (Cylena and 9 Grunts) (10pts)
Greygore Boomhowler & Co. (Boomhowler and 9 Grunts) (9pts)
Lady Aiyana & Master Holt (4pts)

35-pt Additions

Horgenhold Forge Guard (Leader and 9 Grunts) (8pts)
Rhupert Carvolo, Piper of Ord (2pts)

50-pt Additions

Precursor Knights (Leader and 9 Grunts) (8pts)
* Precursor Knight Officer & Standard (2pts)
Eiryss, Angel of Retribution (3pts)
Harlan Versh (2pts)

75-pt Additions

Constance Blaize, Knights of the Prophet (*6pts)

* Gallant (9pts)
* Nomad (6pts)
Arcane Tempest Gun Mages (Leader and 5 Grunts) (6pts)
* Arcane Tempest Gun Mage Officer (2pts)
* * Mule (8pts)

Thoughts? Which would you take? I'm leaning towards Pigs because there's something elegant and simple about the army and it's composition. But the Ash/Connie combo would be pretty fun and brutal. 

En Masse Orboros Constructs WIPs

So, I've pushed forward with my new scheme for my Baldur2 list. This time out, I've decided to paint all the unpainted constructs in my list at once - that's right a Woldwatcher, a Wold Guardian, Megalith, and the Fulcrum! All in one fell swoop!

Two things to point out - I'd like to thank PG_bulldog (of Muse on Minis and the Four Horsemen fame) for inspiring me to start painting my first 120mm based model. He paid me a terrific compliment when I complimented him on his painted Fulcrum. He said mine will look a lot better than his... if I just painted it. Compliment on my painting skills + shame for fielding primed models all the time = En Masse Orboros Constructs (TM)!

Second thing, I've deviated from my Wold scheme from 2008, stream-lining the process, adding in the trick my friend Ray told me about in my last post, and going for an overall brighter scheme. Here's the process I used for the stone work across all four models:

• Prime black
• Heavy dry brushing/almost wet brushing of VMC Black Grey
• Slightly drier brushing of P3 Ironhull Grey
• Even drier brushing of P3 Cryx Bane Highlight* 
• Even drier brushing, used to highlight, of Apple Barrel Country Grey**
• Wash entire model with a light layer of Badab Black***
• Touch up, zenith dry brushing with Apple Barrel Country Grey
• Final dry brushed layers for highlighting and glow with VGC Dead Flesh

*Careful readers will notice I skipped the P3 Cryx Bane Base. I felt the color variation was too subtle from the previous step and didn't add much to the process when I did it on my rock wall. 

**Yes, I used a craft paint. Sue me! I lost my P3 Trollblood Highlight somehow in my recent move. Can't find it anywhere. This craft color was purchased to match P3TH as closely as possible for terrain work. Did well!

***This layer helped reclaim any obscured detail in the runes. 

As I move forward, I'll follow the Forces of Hordes: Circle Orboros guide for painting the Fulcrum's wood and metal bits, though I'll adopt it to my own guides for painting woods on Wolds and metals on Morvahna and my Wolves of Orboros. Finally the gems and such will follow my usual color scheme of turquoise as seen on my first Woldwatcher from FOUR years ago... Wow, I'm a slacker! Incidentally, I love how much BRIGHTER these are then my old constructs. It's tempting to go and redo my old models. But no turning back; I keep pushing forward. Progress > obsessing. To me, these look charged up... glowing from within. And the turquoise gems and basing will tie them to the old models just fine.

Anyway, without further ado... some WIP pics...

Group shot! Click pics to enlarge!

The Woldwatcher. He's got the first layer done on his wood sections.

Guardian. Also with woods started; see there on the far arm! 

Meggy is defendin' that flower pot! 

First huge-based model to receive paint. I'm so proud! Also note, I had considered leaving the Druids off the Fulcrum for some time. I really wrestled back and forth with the idea, esp. since I somehow messed up the assembly and one Druid wouldn't fit on the base (the one rock spire in the right foreground in the above pic is too close to the Fulcrum to fit the Druid model - I was going to pin him on facing outward, but I like the idea that it's a self-energized model without mortal controllers - beyond my Warlock, of course). Also, seeing PG_bulldog's without the Druids sealed the deal for me. So I brown-stuffed over all the foot holes and pushed on.

So, I'll continue painting as I have time. Hopefully tonight. This represents about five hours of work, which seems pretty good to me. I'm happy with them so far, and think they'll only improve as I add more depth, detail, and color to them.

Tell me what you think!