A Tale of Three Gamers - The Introduction

Hi Folks,

well now its time for a new feature of the blog and hopefully some more action!

After a very dry (blogging not the weather unfortunately) and depressing few weeks slogging at work I've got together with a couple of my colleagues and we have decided to start our very own painting challenge.

so welcome one and all to the greatest show on this blog:

(Drum roll please)

THE TALE OF THREE GAMERS

(Applause or general heckling!)

That right after months of promises, random pictures, link collections and the odd conversion or test model I have teamed up with two good friends and colleagues to create something meaningful and produce the results and pictures you've all been waiting for!

First up some brief introductions to each of the three gamers and our force selections:

Millest:
General well loved Bloggister and all round man in charge (well the blog anyway) and for this challenge creating an Imperial Guard Force.

Chris:
All round odd ideas person and voice of costing us money, who for this Challenge will be creating a Tau Empire Force.

Jono:
Some say he once saw the true face of the Stig whilst in a male toilets, all we know is he will be creating a Tyranid Force for the challenge.

So say hi to the three Amigos:

So there you have the bare bones of who we are and what we plan on creating in the challenge. I was planning on getting them to write their own submissions/excuses with their pictures but lets see how that pans out shall we!


Right so on to the challenge:

Firstly timescales, this Challenge will run from the first Tuesday in March - conveniently the 1st of march through to the last Tuesday in May, with Final complete Force pictures and information submitted for posting on the 31st may, conveniently another Tuesday! anyone would think i planned that. "Wow that's a long time for a 500pt challenge" i hear you cry, well yes it is but unfortunately some of use work funny shifts that mean large portions of our time is eaten up, not to mention holidays and the fact life is bound to get in the way. In addition there are some additional challenge activities in the rules and we're all bound to faff about with other projects.

So finally after the overview here are the rules for the challenge:

• Submit a 500pt lists (with fluff for the force if possible), this list is the force you will collect for the challenge - if you do decide to deviate and work on a new list then you can resubmit the list for checking and uploading.
• Basic force organisation criteria are required, i.e. 1 HQ and 2 Troops are required.
• No special characters are permitted.
• Any forgeworld models are to be treated as codex options, unless otherwise agreed in advance by the other players.
• Set a deadline for the end of may, giving us three months.
  Weekly submissions from individuals required by Monday evening so they can edit up and post on Tuesday. This must be at least 1 picture with information on the work carried out both in general and in the picture.
• Any weeks missed with no submission or repeat pictures (where people try to be sneaky) mean you have to convert one of your models as dead for terrain use or a small objective for your force.
• Pictures of conversions without paint are acceptable but must be noticeable conversions.
• The contributors will also work towards painting and modelling £20(ish) worth of terrain each for your force/forces as part of the challenge.
• Pictures and work on other models outside of the list can be submitted but do not count as your weekly submission for the challenge, and they can be included in future lists.
• There will be a monthly vote on the favourite model of the past month with a possible prize to be decided later by the contributors. This will be in the form of comments on the monthly update.
• The challenge will culminate in the end with a final vote on the best force and a small prize to be given – maybe!

As you can see we will also be working on terrain as well as the side project of creating some gaming boards once the weather improves. So any thoughts on the challenge or input on how things could go smoother?

I think most if not all three of us are looking at creating a core 500pt list, but then on top of that creating and modelling some variations on the theme. I for one know I have two other lists I would like to work on in conjunction with this challenge.

Eventually once the 500pt is complete we will then have a reported three way battle that will be published on the blog for all to see. There will also be a vote on the best force and then the winner gets not only the kudos and bragging rights but may get a small prize and most importantly gets to pick the sub-challenge for the 1000pt leg of the on going painting challenge.

Well folks there you have it, MMM might finally get some finished models on it and hopefully some of it will be inspirational so stay tuned and enjoy.

Friday 5 Finds - 25.02.11

heres this weeks 5 find, sorry for not posting these for a week or two hopefully this lot will make up for it:

1. Independent Painters have a very sweet NMM Blood Angels Standard bearer up this week, one of the best NMMs for a while.
2. Mordian 7th has an Awesome inquistional Storm raven posted up, looks neat with some very simple but effective conversions.
3. Musings of a metal mind has a great Space Marine commission force up, the Angels of flame.
4. Jawaballs over at The Blood Angels blog has some neat little objective or as he refers to them loot markers posted up.
5. Over on Sanguine sons we have a neat little guide on how to paint hair. Looks good and will certainly come in useful for me.

Finally here is this weeks Five Finds Sneak Peek:

Army Lists- Imperial Guard 500pt votes are in!

Well everyone the votes are in and I'm pleased with the results. The leading list was thankfully the one I was leaning towards if i had voted (but didn't as don't want to skew the votes), though thankfully its versatile enough to allow me to make List 1 as well.

The winning list as I'm sure some of you saw was List 5, as seen here:

So there you have it, looks good and will certainly look the part on the table i think.
Thanks for voting and cant wait to start!

on a side note I'm looking for three specific items and need suggestions and ideas please, those items are:

• An ornate las pistol pref in the left hand but that's adjustable
• A chain sword fit for IG with no hands on it (i.e. it still has the grip - though if it has an easily removable hand that's good)
• A thunder hammer style hammer ideal for IG with the tech theme of 40k - no fantasy please

any suggestions or offer can either be emailed to me or put in comments.
thanks for any help or offers.

Mondays Mirthful Meandering - 21.02.11

Army Lists- Imperial Guard 500pt Variations!

Well folks in preparation from an upcoming project I've got round to re-jiggering some of my existing army lists as well as having a submission from Mark over at Imperius Dominatus. My problem is there are two many options to decide upon, so your mission should you choose to accept it is to help me pick a list, or if none are sufficient to the task to help me formulate a new 500point list.

Before we start at present my main opponents will be a Tau force, a Nid force and potentially a Kroot mercs force. Later on i may be facing Marines or MEQ but for now Tau and Nids are my main protagonists.

So with out further ado here are the lists (please click on them to enlarge), there will be additional notes below each list:

1 - Imperius Dominatus 500pt gun line

A nice simple 500 point AC heavy list with the option to swap the Griffon out for either a Hydra or two sentinels at a later date.

2 - Valkyrie 500pt Veteran response force

A fast response force meant to represent an inquisitional raiding party with the Psyker counting as an inquisitor. There are options available to drop some of the meltas and the door heavy bolters and either have two valks with rocket pods, one with pods and one with lascannons or two vendettas.

3 - Chimera 500pt Veteran response force Mk1

A tank mobile option with 3 tanks and a full HQ unit this time, with the option to swap the Griffon out for either a Hydra or two sentinels at a later date if desired.


4 - Chimera 500pt Veteran response force Mk2

Similar to above really but with a psyker (inquisitor) instead of the HQ, one less tank but allows for the inclusion of a sentinel and once again with the option to swap the Griffon out for either a Hydra or a further two sentinels at a later date.


5 - Static Defence 500pt force

A mixture of a static AC heavy gun line with the rapid response nature of the veterans in a Chimera with the Psyker (Inquisitor) and once again with the option to swap the Griffon out for either a Hydra or a further two sentinels at a later date.



6 - Valkyrie Static Defence 500pt force

Basically the same static AC heavy gun line with the rapid response nature of the veterans in a fully tooled up Valkyrie with rocket pods and door bolters, also the option to go for the vendetta when needed.

7 - Leman Russ Static Defence 500pt force

As above once again but with a Russ to anchor the corner, this means the vets are much less mobile though. It does mean though that at a later date the Russ could be swapped for other vehicles of a similar points cost, failing that the vest could be swapped for another platoon (minus some special weapons) and the Russ could be kept.


Well folks there you have my attempts at lists so now is your chance to tear them apart, improve them and help me create a new list or to just simply help me select a list from these, the list selected or created will then be modelled up and used.

thanks in advance

Forge World Newsletter #265 - Eldar and Ultramarine Releases!

As always the important bits reproduced below:

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Hi There, We have another new Eldar release in this week’s Newsletter, along with an addition to our range of decal sheets. We’re also opening the floor to your questions for a forthcoming designer interview for our YouTube channel, and reservation orders are now being taken for the Forge World Open Day, held at Warhammer World on Sunday the 3rd of April.
Thanks, Ead Brown

Eldar Wasp Assault Walker
Commonly found amongst the raiding forces of the Eldar Corsairs, the Eldar Wasp Assault Walker confers additional protection and manoeuvrability to the pilot. Jump jets are added to the sturdy War Walker chassis to bolster this already potent weapons platform with deceptively swift movement.

The Eldar Wasp Assault Walker, designed by Will Hayes, is a complete resin and plastic kit. Full background and technical details for this unique addition to the Eldar arsenal will be printed in the forthcoming Imperial Armour Volume 11: The Doom of Mymeara, but as an advanced preview, these experimental rules are available to download.
The Eldar Wasp Assault Walker is available to pre-order now for despatch in the week commencing the 28th February, and we have lots more Eldar releases to come over the next few months so keep an eye out for future Newsletters.

Ultramarines Transfer Sheet
The latest addition to Forge World’s range of A4 decal sheets is this Ultramarines Transfer Sheet designed by Paul Rudge. Packed with over 750 individual squad designations and markings; blazons, chapter heradlry and squad numbers, as well as larger vehicle markings, and three sizes of trim suitable for use on banners or cloak hems, this transfer sheet is perfect for adding individual detail to Ultramarines miniatures.

The Ultramarines Transfer Sheet is available to pre-order now for despatch in the week commencing the 28th of February.


Designer Interviews on the Forge World Visual Feed – Eldar!
With over 10,000 views of our three-part Badab War Interview, we’re planning a series of new interviews to tie into the future release of Imperial Armour Volume 11: The Doom of Mymeara.


The first in this series will feature an interview with the model designer of our forthcoming Phantom Titan, Will Hayes, and the man behind bringing it to life with a superb paint scheme, Phil Stutcinskas.


So if you’ve ever wanted to know how our Eldar releases are taken from a concept sketch to a finished resin kit, or how the colour scheme for the new Eldar Craftworld was devised, then this is your chance to find out. Please send an e-mail entitled ‘Imperial Armour 11 Interview’ to Forgeworld@games-workshop.co.uk, enclosing your name and specifying which designer your question is for

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Some nice looking stuff their, like the transfers but the eldar whislt nice looking just makes me think of the old school abuses of the jump pack terminators and similar, bit of over kill really but nice model.
Still I'm holding out for some extremem weather cadians with melta guns, Maybe next month , eh!

Fields of Death - Book Review

Fields of Death by Simon Scarrow

From the bestselling author of THE GLADIATOR and FIRE AND SWORD comes the final volume in his epic quartet of novels about Wellington and Napoleon It's 1810, and both Viscount Wellington and Emperor Napoleon have made great names for themselves as outstanding military commanders. Wellington expands his achievements in Spain but knows his most challenging test will be to face Napoleon's mighty army. But when Wellington invades France in 1814 he gains a swift victory. He indulges in a spell of self-congratulation at Vienna -- until news comes of Napoleon's triumphant return. Napoleon, ambitious as ever, embarks on a Russian campaign which ends in disaster and is then defeated at Leipzig in the biggest battle ever fought in Europe. With Napoleon's power waning at long last, Wellington must seize the opportunity to crush the tyrant once and for all -- and so the two giants face each other for the final time, at Waterloo...

The book follows Arthur as he continues his campaign across the Peninsula, over the Pyrenees and eventually into France. Napoleon's adventures begin with battles against the Austrians, continue as he makes the ill-fated decision to invade Russia and come to an end as he is forced to abdicate at which point he is exiled to Elba. As is to be expected the book and the series reach a climax at the infamous Battle of Waterloo when Napoleon and Wellington finally have the opportunity to cross swords. The final few pages give us a glimpse of the aftermath of the Napoleonic Wars, with the re-exile of Napoleon and a brief history of the last years of the two leading lights of their age. Unfortunately though the book really comes to a swift end at Waterloo.


I have read all of Scarrow's previous books in the series, but I have to congratulate him on the way he made me feel sorry for Napoleon during his inglorious retreat from the depths of Russia when everything was going wrong and turning to ashes. I think this is the sign of a truly gifted writer, when the reader can sympathise with the chief villain. I also really like the little touches and nods to other writers that deal with this period in history, most notably the cheeky reference to Richard Sharpe when Wellington meets the unusual Major of the 95th who carried a Rifle and spoke with what appeared to be a slightly Northern accent.

This series has given me many hours of pleasurable reading. After finishing the book I was left pondering whether or not more books could have been written to expand the series further. I think the answer to that question is yes, without a doubt; the author could have completely changed the appearance of this series by writing a detailed account of the Napoleonic Wars. On the other hand, would a lengthy series have made for truly engrossing, page turning, historical fiction? Probably not! I think the author has managed to get the balance just right with this series. At the end I was left thinking `I wish there was more'. As a result I will be guaranteed to buy Scarrow's next book in an attempt to fill the gap.

My only complaint about the whole book was that it could have been two! Yes it may have made the series too unwieldy and yes it may have killed it but I think after the retreat from Russia the book almost seemed to speed to a close, and most certainly the battle of Waterloo could have been expanded further. Still without a doubt the best fictional nonfiction historical book I have read in a very long time, a full five stars from me!

Available from:
http://www.play.com/ or http://www.amazon.co.uk/
Fields of Death by Simon Scarrow
Paperback • ISBN 9780755324408

Forge World Newsletter #264 - Imperial Guard Galore!

As always the important bits reproduced below:

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Hi There, We have a newsletter packed with Imperial Guard releases for you this week: a brand new super heavy tank, three new detailed infantry upgrade sets and two new transfer sheets. We also have more information about our first three events of 2011, and we’re also making a few changes to the process of placing Reservation orders for the Open Day, so read on for more.
Thanks, Ead Brown


Malcador Infernus Heavy Tank

The venerable Malcador chassis, a precursor to the Leman Russ battle tank in the Imperial arsenal, is capable of mounting a wide range of devastating weaponry. The Malcador Infernus is one such variant, and is armed with a centre-line Inferno Cannon capable of engulfing the enemy in a storm of burning promethium. The Infernus is a powerful weapon deployed both against enemy fortifications and massed infantry.

This resin and plastic kit, designed by Phil Stutcinskas and Daren Parrwood, will be fully detailed in Imperial Armour Volume 11: The Doom of Mymeara, published later this year, but we have managed to secure these experimental rules that you can download now.

The Malcador Infernus is available to pre-order now for despatch in the week commencing the 28th of February

Cadian Hostile Environment Conversion Sets

Many worlds in the vast Imperium of Man boast conditions inimical to human survival, yet are critically important due to the mineral wealth they contain or their strategic worth. Imperial forces fighting in these deadly warzones rely on hostile environment equipment to enhance their body armour and survive.

The Cadian Hostile Environment Conversion Set contains 10 resin torsos, sculpted by Stuart Williamson and Mark Bedford, for use with the plastic Cadian range of kits available from Games Workshop.

Mark and Stuart have also sculpted the Cadian Hostile Environment Plasma Squad which contains enough resin torsos to build three Special Weapon teams, and again is suitable for use with the plastic Cadian range.

The Cadian Hostile Environment conversion set and Plasma squad are available to pre-order now for despatch in the week commencing the 28th of February.


Imperial Guard Transfer Sheets


Two new A4 decal sheets are also available to pre-order in this Newsletter – the Imperial Guard White Vehicle Transfer Sheet and Imperial Guard Black Vehicle Transfer Sheet. Each contain well over a thousand individual decals including regimental insignia and blazons, kill markings, vehicle names in different styles, and also feature both the Aquila and Machina Opus symbols – a plethora of different decals to truly individualise your Imperial vehicles.

Both the Imperial Guard Black Vehicle Transfer Sheet and the Imperial Guard White Vehicle Transfer Sheet are available to pre-order now for despatch in the week commencing the 28th of February.

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Some very nice stuff in this months news letter, interesting to finally have a title for IA:11. The new Guard bits do look good but its a shame their another variation on Gas Mask Cadians, rather then say great coats or cold weather gear. Now dont get me wrong I will end up getting some as its not a bad value way of getting Gas Mask plasma gunners but I dont know they could have done so much more with them!
Also the Malcador looks good but to me only seems practical in very large games. Still looks good and it is another tank to drool over!

One thing thats puzzled me and I dont know if anyone can answer it but where is the third guard conversion pack they mention? I can only assume its extreme guard with melta guns but they dont seem to have included it in the newsletter. Anyone know or heard anything?
Cheers and Enjoy!

Mondays Mirthful Meandering - 14.02.11

Mondays Mirthful Meandering - 07.02.11

Apologies for the lack of posting but real life is now officially a bitch! Still finally managed to get some models fixed up and depending on real life and the up coming decorating hope to get some paint on them soon! TTFN!

Mondays Mirthful Meandering - 31.01.11