Gamesday 2011 Rumour Round-up

Hi folks
unfortunately this year I was unable to attend Gamesday, though looking at the rumour mill I'm actually glad! Seems other then FW putting out some stellar models there was little in the way of news, rumours or even sneak peeks. Still FW and the odd fantasy bit to keep us happy is a good start.

As I couldn't attend here are links to some of the best collections of news I have found:

• Bell of Lost Souls Round-up
• Dakka Dakka Round-up
• Recalcitrant Daze Round-up

These were the best so far, as and if I find any more I will add them to the list, in the meantime here are, in my opinion, two of the best looking models on the FW stand, enjoy.

UPDATES:

More updates and links to round ups are here already:

• Sons of Sanguinius Round-up - inc the first pics of a FW ork copter (think chin-ork)

More to follow as they turn up - I hope but given the lack of pre-release info from GW that might be difficult!

 

Forge World Newsletter #284 - IA Apocalypse 2nd Ed & Imperial Emplacement

As always the important bits reproduced below:

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Hi there, With Games Day UK looming on the horizon, we’ve got more exclusive pre-release items to announce today. As with the other exclusive releases we’ve revealed in the last few days, these will be on sale at Games Day UK in limited numbers.

Imperial Armour Apocalypse Second Edition on sale at Games Day UK
First announced at Games Day Chicago back in July, we can now confirm that the brand new Imperial Armour Apocalypse Second Edition Expansion book will be available to buy in limited numbers at Games Day UK, priced at £26.

This book substantially updates and expands the first edition of Imperial Armour Apocalypse with 32 new entries, and is packed with over 90 Apocalypse datasheets for Legendary units such as the mighty Crassus Armoured Assault Transport to the fell Daemon Lords of Chaos. Also included are new Forge World units for Warhammer 40,000 including the Contemptor Pattern Dreadnought and its variants, and the Dark Eldar Tantalus.
This 128 page, full-colour hardback book provides comprehensive and updated descriptions and rules for using all of Forge World’s recent additions to its model range in your games of Warhammer 40,000 and Warhammer 40,000 Apocalypse. Within you’ll also find new Apocalypse battle missions to play including ‘The Lion and the Hawk’, ‘Shattered City’ and ‘Fortress Assault’, as well as lots of new options and background to enhance your games.
Imperial Armour Apocalypse Second Edition is available to pre-order now for despatch from the 30th of September.

Imperial Emplacement
Adding to our new range of hollow resin scenery is the Imperial Emplacement, designed by Blake Spence. This is a detailed free-standing terrain piece that will be on sale at Games Day UK in limited numbers, well in advance of its scheduled release date.

Designed as an emplacement for almost any size of Warhammer 40,000 vehicle, from Chimeras and Leman Russ to Macharius and Malcador-based super heavy tanks, and even the mighty Baneblade, the Imperial Emplacement features a wealth of detail such as ammunition stowage, unexploded munitions, a targeting cogitator and an observer’s position. The base of the Imperial Emplacement has been reinforced with trench plates to act as duckboards, and the scenery piece also features plenty of space for crew models as well as vehicles.
Ideal for use as both a gaming piece to fight battles over or the basis of a detailed diorama, the Imperial Emplacement will cost £22.

Forge World and Warhammer Forge Studio

The ever-popular Forge World Studio area will have even more amazing displays, artwork, concept sketches and work-in-progress projects for you to admire at this year’s Games Day - our entire design team will be on hand, split across three areas, allowing you better access to talk to our talented designers and to see some amazing, as yet unseen miniatures. The Studio team have also been hard at work creating a totally new display board for this year’s Games Day, showcasing part of the Eldar assault upon Betalis III that will be detailed in the forthcoming Imperial Armour Volume 11: The Doom of Mymeara.
On the subject of books, jaw-droppingly detailed models are only one half of the Forge World range. We also have a dedicated Book Design team who are responsible for the colour profiles, layout, artwork, photographic art, star maps, page textures – everything that makes an Imperial Armour or Warhammer Forge book the masterpiece it is. Graphic Artists Ian Strickland, Rhys Pugh, Kenton Mills and Sam Lamont will be showcasing their work and explaining exactly what goes into laying out a book, and they may even have their high-tech cogitators with them so you can see this work in action. The chance to see a piece of artwork being worked on ‘live’ cannot be missed!

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Looking at those the book is pre-ordered already and I'm very tempted by the emplacement but unless I'm doing a diorama I cant justify it till I get a table :)

Forge World Newsflash - Space Marine Games Day releases + Fantasy Book!

As always the important bits reproduced below:

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Hi there, With Games Day UK only three days away, we’ve got three more exclusive pre-release items to announce today. As with the other exclusive releases we’ve revealed in the last few days, these will be on sale at Games Day UK in limited numbers. So without further ado…

Tamurkhan: Throne of Chaos on sale at Games Day UK
The first of our exclusive Games Day UK pre-releases is the eagerly awaited Warhammer Forge expansion book, Tamurkhan: Throne of Chaos.

This book retells the brutal conquests and bloody battles of the Chaos Warlord Tamurkhan and his horde in their quest to attain the favour of the Dark Gods. In this 208 page, full-colour, hardback book you will find: the saga of Tamurkhan the Maggot Lord, lavishly illustrated and darkly detailed; an extensive bestiary section and a campaign system allowing you to fight the battles of Tamurkhan’s horde in games of Warhammer.
The book also contains The Legion of Azgorh, a fully playable Chaos Dwarf Army list, as well as rules for playing massive battles with forces drawn from all the different Chaos Army books.
Printed on high quality paper, which gives an amazing depth to the full colour artwork, each page is richly embellished with finely detailed illustrations. Full colour maps reveal never-before-seen vistas of the landscape and geography of the Warhammer world. The hardback, leather-effect binding, embossed with gold lettering, has been designed to emulate the faded binding of an arcane tome, down to the inclusion of the classic red silk-effect page marker.
Tamurkhan: Throne of Chaos will be on sale in limited numbers at Games Day UK, priced at £45. Forge World’s Book design team will be on hand throughout the day to autograph your copy, and explain how they put together this amazing book.

Relic Contemptor Dreadnought
Hot from the resin mines comes Simon Egan’s latest creation, the Relic Contemptor Dreadnought.

Given the rarity of the Contemptor-pattern chassis, it is not uncommon for those Chapters blessed enough to count these ancient war machines amongst their arsenal to embellish their armoured sarcophagus with scripture, honour scrolls and additional details to commemorate the heroism and indomitable valour of the Ancient enshrined within.
Fully compatible with the rest of our Contemptor weapons, the Relic Contemptor has been sculpted with a high level of detail, making the perfect painting project and a fantastic centrepiece to any Space Marine force. On sale in limited numbers from our Sales stand, the Relic Contemptor costs £32.

MkIc Deimos Pattern Rhino
The ubiquitous Rhino Armoured Personnel Carrier is a mainstay of the Space Marine Chapters, and has been in continuous use for ten thousand years. Its true origins are more distant still, and ancient records mention the RH1-N-0 Tracked Exploration and Multi-Purpose Defence Vehicle STC accompanying explorator missions during Mankind’s Golden Age. Re-armed and re-purposed for military use, the Rhino has remained a mainstay of the Imperium’s might over the millennia since.

There are many known patterns and designs of this robust vehicle, and the MkIc Deimos Pattern Rhino is among the oldest variants, first issued en-masse to the Astartes Legions of the Great Crusade. This pattern is armed with two turret-mounted bolters, slaved to the target-logis systems of the Rhino’s machine spirit rather than the more common pintle-mounted storm bolter seen on both the earlier MkIb Mars Pattern vehicle and the later MkIIc design that became more common after the Horus Heresy.
The MkIc Deimos Pattern Rhino, designed by Daren Parrwood, is a complete resin and plastic kit, containing a standard Games Workshop Rhino kit as well as sufficient resin conversion components to construct the MkIc Deimos Pattern variant. Priced at £33, this fantastic kit will be on sale in limited quantities at Games Day UK, well in advance of its general release date.

Thanks, Ead Brown, Customer Service Manager, Forge World

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Wow is all I can say, I will definately be getting the Rhino now for my DW squad :D

Fire Strike 7/9 - Book Review

Fire Strike 7/9 by Paul Grahame and Damien Lewis
'Being a JTAC is the closest a soldier on the ground in the midst of battle can get to feeling like one of the gods - unleashing pure hellfire, death and destruction' - Duncan Falconer Meet Sergeant 'Bommer' Grahame, one of the deadliest soldiers on the battlefield. He's an elite army JTAC (Joint Terminal Attack Controller- pronounced 'jay-tack') - a specially trained warrior responsible for directing Allied air power with high-tech precision. Commanding Apache gunships, A10 tank-busters, F15s and Harrier jets, he brings down devastating fire strikes against the attacking Taliban, often danger close to his own side. Due to his specialist role, Sergeant Grahame usually operates in the thick of the action, where it's at its most fearsome and deadly. Conjuring the seemingly impossible from apparently hopeless situations, soldiers in battle rely on the skill and bravery of their JTAC to enable them to win through in the heat of the danger zone. Fire Strike 7/9 tells the story of Bommer Grahame and his five-man Fire Support Team on their tour of Afghanistan.Patrolling deep into enemy territory, they were hunted and targeted by the Taliban, shot at, blown-up, mortared and hit by rockets on numerous occasions. Under these conditions Sergeant Grahame notched up 203 confirmed enemy kills, making him the difference between life and death both for his own troops and the Taliban.

This book chronicles the experiences of Sgt “Bommer” Grahame, a member of the Light Dragoons more normally to be found conducting Formation Recce, but who for 6 months was attached to 2 MERCIAN as a member of their Fire Support Team employed as the Joint Terminal Attack Controller (JTAC) during a deployment to Op HERRICK, which I think was H6.


The book covers a pretty short time frame; some time before deploying whilst Sgt Grahame is training, the deployment (as 1WFR which became 2 MERCIAN)) and then a small amount post tour but it tries to keep the focus on the kinetic actions that took place during the main deployment and more so how he, as the JTAC, was employed. The book is written in a very easy to read style which I suspect owes a lot to Damien Lewis, as even without knowing the author I just can’t see him describing something as “peachy”.

As I’ve said the book is actually less about the deployment and its objectives, which do get mentioned, and more about the JTAC and what he brings to the party but you don’t get an in-depth description of what the JTAC does, it’s much more generalised account for clear reasons. There is no doubt that the book highlights the essential role of the FST and in particular details just how devastating, effective and clinical a JTAC can be, and how he can be employed to take the fight to the enemy whilst saving his comrades lives by keeping them out of trouble. I just found the pace a little slow and the actions repetitive. It may have just been the writing but I felt that occasionally Sgt Grahame came across as a little blasé or perhaps flippant which made we wonder more about him and his relationship with the TOC and the Junior Officers around him, more so than about the action.

Described as “a frantic page-turner with relentless accounts of enemy contacts relayed at a rapid-fire pace” and “an adrenaline-fuelled hell-ride of non-stop combat”, I was looking forward to a really engaging and gripping read but sadly I didn’t think the book lived up to those strap lines. It was nonetheless an enjoyable read if nothing particularly special.

In sum this is an easily digestible if perhaps a little superficial, account but it is nonetheless an entertaining insight into the role of the JTAC which many people should find interesting. Personally though we must give Paul Grahame top marks for having the drive and enthusiasm to write a book and make a shedload of money for charity! Still for me though its a solid three and a half stars but I will say that this book makes a great pool side read so if you pick it up you wont be disappointed.

Available from:
http://www.play.com/
Fire Strike 7/9 by Paul Grahame and Damien Lewis
Softback • ISBN 9780091937768

3 Commando: Helmand Assault - Book Review

3 Commando: Helmand Assault by Ewen Southby-Tailyour
When the Royal Marines Commandos returned to a chaotic Helmand in the winter of 2008, they realised that to stand any chance of success they would need to pursue an increasingly determined Taliban harder than ever before. This time they were going to hunt them down from the air. With the support of Chinooks, Apaches, Lynx, Sea Kings and Harriers, the Commandos became a deadly mobile unit, able to swoop at a moments notice into the most hostile territory. From huge operations like the gruelling Red Dagger, when 3 Commando Brigade fought in Somme-like mud to successfully clear the area around the capital of Helmand, Lashkar Gar, of encroaching enemy forces, to the daily acts of unsupported close-quarters 360-degree combat and the breath-taking, rapid helicopter night assaults behind enemy lines - this was kind of battle that brought Commando qualities to the fore. As with the "Sunday Times" bestselling "3 Commando Brigade", ex-Marine Lieutenant Colonel Ewen Southby-Tailyour brings unparalleled access to the troops, a soldier's understanding of the conflict and a visceral sense of the combat experience.This is the real war in Helmand as told to him by a hand-picked band of young fellow marines as they encounter the daily rigours of life on the ground in the world's most intense war zone.

The book opens with a dedication to those who lost their lives during Operation Herrick 9. A depressingly long list, and one that just covers this particular operation. It is a sad thought that the lists of the dead and injured from previous and subsequent forays would fill a good-sized book in themselves.

However, the account by the author of the time spent in Afghanistan by 3 Commando Brigade is a compelling and comprehensive read. The manner of writing and the “voice” adopted by the narrator drags the reader along at a fair clip, but there are breaks for catching one’s breath.

The content is by necessity mixed, with individual accounts, quotes and comments by the bootneck on the ground and with insight and anxiety in the ops tents.

The period covered, in the main, is the months between September 2008 and April 2009, the mission statement is laid out and the hopes and ambitions of the Brigade, the staff and the soldiers are all clearly identified. Right up to the point that –as we all know – everything goes wrong. It was fascinating to see the larger picture, from the point of the staff, as well as individual and small-unit snapshots and to realise that marines are very much the same as real soldiers, apart from their strange usage of language and inability to recognise that a land-based training establishment, on soil and earth is not a ship!

The courage and determination of these people is not and cannot ever be in doubt. They react in the same way that all squaddies to adversity; grumble, complain and show tremendous courage in frightening situations.

I enjoyed the book, although I have to be honest and admit that at times I found it a little slow. There is, again by necessity, a fair amount of time spent in ops tents planning the operations, and in follow up meetings to analyse how things went. It’s probably because I have a short attention span and much prefer to get onto the hardware and the action, but it was extremely illuminating to be admitted to the thoughts and actions of the planners as well as the implementation of these plans and the actions of those taking part.

The author has produced a comprehensive and very readable book, an account of a turbulent time in a turbulent place, and I have no hesitation in recommending it to anyone with even the slightest interest in what is happening in Afghanistan. A definate four stars from me on this one and a worthy follow up to the previous novel by the same author.


Available from:
http://www.play.com/
3 Commando: Helmand Assault by Ewen Southby-Tailyour

Softback • ISBN 9780091937768

War - Book Review

War by Sebastian Junger
From the author of The Perfect Storm, a gripping book about Sebastian Junger's almost fatal year with the 2nd battalion of the American Army.

For 15 months, Sebastian Junger accompanied a single platoon of thirty men from the celebrated 2nd battalion of the U.S. Army, as they fought their way through a remote valley in Eastern Afghanistan. Over the course of five trips, Junger was in more firefights than he could count, men he knew were killed or wounded, and he himself was almost killed. His relationship with these soldiers grew so close that they considered him part of the platoon, and he enjoyed an access and a candidness that few, if any, journalists ever attain.
But this is more than just a book about Afghanistan or the 'War on Terror'; it is a book about the universal truth of all men, in all wars. Junger set out to answer what he thought of as the 'hand grenade question': why would a man throw himself on a hand grenade to save other men he has probably known for only a few months? The answer is elusive but profound, and goes to the heart of what it means not just to be a soldier, but to be human.
‘War’ is a narrative about combat: the fear of dying, the trauma of killing and the love between platoon-mates who would rather die than let each other down. Gripping, honest, intense, it explores the neurological, psychological and social elements of combat, and the incredible bonds that form between these small groups of men.

War is a human story, a tale of humanity under extreme circumstance. Compelling and brutally objective, War is an account of existence at the sharpest end of contemporary warfare with Second Platoon, one of America's fiercest fighting forces, as they try to take the Korengal Valley, Afghanistan harshest, most vicious and inhospitable rebel-infested zone. The Valley broke the Russians during their attack on the region in the 80s, yet America is there, relying on Battle Squad to be their unstoppable force against what is proving to be a steadfast immovable (and deadly) enemy in the shape of the Taliban.

Sebastian Junger is also famous for his previous work with The Perfect Storm, the non-fiction work that inspired the film of the same name. Like the parents of the soldiers Junger is embedded with, the author was required to become apolitical in order to even begin to relate to what these soldiers (those parents' sons) have to do. Therefore, this book is not about whether the Americans should be there or not, it's about a sheer and brutal, almost surreal, kind of existence that is as near to organized insanity as mankind is ever likely to stray. An existence which the men are all too honest about when faced with the prospect of finishing their tour to return home to what many would consider normal life. Which can make for uncomfortable moments. But record with admirable objectivity Junger does, grinding out his days shoulder to shoulder with these soldiers as they endure close-quarter, gorilla-style warfare, where the human brain is far too slow to beat enemy bullets that hit faster than sound travels, and only instinct, good fortune, intense training and unwavering loyalty to each other keep men living from one hour to the next. The almost un-reality that these soldiers enter into is both frightening but also highly engaging, and all praise for Junger who refuses to glorify or labour events.

Beyond this most vibrant of subject matters, though, for me, Junger's main pull is his killer prose style; economic yet vivid, taut yet extremely colourful, it runs to such a brisk tempo that it sucks you in. There is something hugely enjoyable about the sheer lick of this work, trading superfluous subjection for pace when it counts most. In saying this, its fair to describe this book as more of a long-form journalistic piece that recognises lengths of concentration span, than a book; one that also works the same mechanics as the most compelling storytelling documentary movies of recent years, recognising that to engage you also need to make some concession to entertain.

Fans of The Wire or Operation Kill will warm to War as it also plunges the reader in jargon and slang conjuring a world unto itself and deepening the experience. Equally, if you enjoyed the documentary feel of The Hurt Locker, I'm prepared to bet you will simply devour Junger's War; and even if you're just a fan of taut prose, then this is for you. However, regardless of its subject matter, War is just a brilliant piece of writing that deserves to be a major hit amongst critics and readers alike. A good Solid four and a half stars for me on this one.


Available from:
http://www.play.com/
War by Sebastian Junger
Softback • ISBN 9780007337712

Forge World Newsletter #283 - Old School Landraider and Dark Eldar Goodies!

As always the important bits reproduced below but apologies it's a tad late:

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Hi there, In this week’s newsletter we can announce two more Games Day UK exclusive pre-release items that will be on sale in limited numbers, well in advance of their scheduled release date…

Dark Eldar Tantalus
First crafted, so it is said, for the Archon Surasis Grief of the Kabal of the Dark Mirror, the Dark Eldar Tantalus is an assault skimmer, somewhat larger and more complex in design than the Raider, and accordingly better armed. Its distinctive twin-hulled design houses powerful engine-reactors slaved to enhanced drives and its unique scythevane armament.

One of the largest Dark Eldar vehicles yet encountered by the Imperial war machine, the cruel reavers who crew this sleek engine of destruction take delight in mounting high-speed attacks, slicing through the hulls of enemy vehicles and rending infantry into crimson shreds, heralded by the screech of the molecular dissonance fields of its scythevanes and the rapid fire of its pulse-disintegrator armament.

The Tantelus, designed by Daren Parrwood, is a detailed full resin kit that includes a set of etched brass deck panels. Measuring nearly 11” from prow to stern, this twin-hulled vehicle is a great addition to any Dark Eldar army. With its full rules contained within the forthcoming Imperial Armour Apocalypse Second Edition, the Tantalus will be available in limited numbers from the Forge World Sales stand at Games Day UK, priced £85.

Land Raider Proteus
The Land Raider is perhaps the most iconic of all Imperial armoured vehicles. Its distinctive silhouette is recognisable to foe and ally alike, announcing the indomitable presence of the Adeptus Astartes, the heroic and super-human Space Marines. Many patterns and designs of this honoured and ancient war machine exist across the myriad worlds of the Imperium, and among the oldest of such designs is the Land Raider Proteus.

Mechanicus tech-savants believe that the Land Raider Proteus is a precursor to the Phobos pattern vehicle now found amongst the armouriums of the Adeptus Astartes. Bulkier and faster than the Phobos, ancient and forgotten data-looms describe the Proteus as a forward assault vehicle, commonly fielded in Explorator missions during the dawning days of Mankind’s fledgling galactic empire.

This full resin kit, designed by Phil Stutcinskas, is packed with some amazing details and two different hull-mounted weapon options to supplement its twin-linked sponson-mounted lascannons. Available for the first time in limited numbers at Games Day UK, the Land Raider Proteus is priced at £80.

Games Day UK Seminars and Reservations
Tony Cottrel will be hosting a couple of Seminars during the day. To get tickets for the Seminars follow the signs to the Westside restaurant and you wil find the Seminar room. The tickets are limited to one per person on a first come first served basis. The seminars are limited to 142 seats each so it is best to get there early to avoid disappointment.
Sadly we can no longer accept reservations for Games Day. Reservations this year will not be held at the Forge World sales stand but will have their own area next to the recruitment stand in the main foyer.

Games Day Italy Reservations Now Being Taken
With Games Day Italy, at the Forum Guido Monzani in Modena on 16th October, rapidly approaching, we are now accepting reservation orders for this event. This is the best way of ensuring that we will have exactly the models you’re looking for, packed up and waiting for you to pay for on the day.
To place a reservation order, please send an e-mail entitled ‘Games Day Italy Reservation’ to fwreservations@games-workshop.co.uk, making sure to provide your full name and a list of the items you’d like to reserve. You can also phone the Forge World Customer Service team on 0011 44 115 916 8177.
You can place a reservation for anything currently available from the online store, as well as our Event Only MkIII Boarding Space Marine and Chaos Dwarf Hellsmith figures and the models in this newsflash. We will provide a confirmation e-mail before the event that will contain your order number and a total cost in Euros, payable upon collection.
The cut-off date for Games Day Italy reservation orders is 3rd October, so make sure your e-mail reaches us before this date.

Games Day Australia Update
A huge selection of the Warhammer Forge and Forge World ranges will be available from the Forge World stand at Games Day Australia, which will be held on 1st October at the Australian Technology Park, Redfern, NSW. Both our 2011 Event Only MkIII Boarding Space Marine and Chaos Dwarf Hellsmith models will be on sale, and to mark the return of Games Day Australia, we’re also offering an exclusive last chance to buy some of our previous Event Only models as well.
If you have placed a reservation for Games Day Australia, you’ll soon be receiving a confirmation e-mail with your order number, details of any items we’ve been unable to reserve, and a total cost in AU$ payable on the day.
Please contact GW Australia Customer Service for full details of pricing at the event, or download a pdf copy of our updated 2011 Forge World catalogue and brand new Warhammer Forge catalogue.

Thanks, Ead Brown, Customer Service Manager, Forge World

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First off I must say the DE model is nice and looks suitably big and scary, a nice addition to the DE and one I wouldn't mind facing off against just to see one.

Second, I love the pre-heresy/old school/reimagened origional Land raider. I like the way it stays faithful to the origional but how some of the side panels etc reflect the current versions. One thing I must say though is "80 frigging Quid???? FW have you lost your mind???" I like the model but for £80 I would much rather have two plastic raiders or spend £62 on the MKIIB (which whilst nice is still bloody expensive). I appreciate this is a true full resin kit but it's just way too expensive. Nice to look at and I would pick one up if I didnt have things like bills or a brain as an Inquisitors ride but i think for once they have out dafted themselves on price even for me!

any thoughts or comments on this months newsletter?

A Tale of Five Gamers - 500 Point Force Voting Results!

Hello Folks,
Back from my holiday adventures and pleased to announce that thanks to all your votes we now have a result for the voting on your Favourite 500 point force from the TOFG challenge.

The result is as follows:

As you can see and I am very pleased with is that I with my Imperial Guard Force have won the first round of the challenge. I am very pleased with this and especially pleased with the margin by which I won. So once again here if the winning force along with a link to the round up article:

The 1313th Lignum Iugo Expeditionary Force

Once again thanks for the votes, I don't know if we can organise a small prize or if its just going to be bragging rights at the moment, however I will be chasing up the other guys to finish their forces and for those that did not complete on time I will also be chasing for their Dead Model/Objective Marker penalty for not finishing the challenge.

So thanks for sticking with it and voting for my force. I hope you are all looking forward to more in the way of models, challenges and various articles coming soon.

A Tale of Five Gamers - Completed Forces Final Round-up and Voting!

Final Completed Forces Round-up and Chance to vote for your Favourite Force

Well folk's there you have it the completion (for some) of the TOFG 500 point challenge. OK, so not everyone has completed and yes it's taken a while however for the most part it's been worth it. Not only have we all got back in to the 40k hobby but we have managed to introduce another victim to it, for that alone it's been a good challenge.

So why this final round up post? well this is where you all come in, while I'm away on holiday there is a vote running at the top of the blog where you can vote for your favourite force in this leg of the challenge. To help you recap and decide who to vote for here is a rundown of all the submissions:

• Dan's Complete 500 point Space Marine Force:
  Ultramarine Recon Force Phi
• Jono's Complete 500 point Tyranid Force:
  Tyranid Hive Fleet Tenebrae
• Chris' Complete 500 point Tau Force:
  Tau Stormstrike Expansion Cadre
• Rich's Complete 500 point Chaos Space Marine Force:
  Word Bearers Chaos Space Marine Coven
• Millest's Complete 500 point Imperial Guard Force:
  Imperial Guard 1313th Lignum Iugo Expeditionary Force

As you can see varying degrees of completion but all give good viewing. So please cast your votes at the top of the blog, also please feel free to comment on this post or even direct on the posts above, to assist with that comment moderation has now been turned off as I wont be here to moderate. Not sure if there is a prize or its jut bragging rights but I will discuss this with the guys and we will announce once the results are in, but any thoughts would be great as it might persuade them to get involved.

Hope you have all enjoyed the progress and the models that have come out of the challenge, apologies it has dragged on and there has been little updating in some areas. Suffice to say however the 750 challenge will be over a much shorter period and hopefully there will be some nice completed forces from people. Not to mention I will be working on the odd side project as well on my return so who knows the hobby content might actually increase!!

So once again thanks for sticking with this and getting this far. Hope you all like what you see and hope you feel able to vote.

Thanks to all and hope to see you after my holidays.
Millest

A Tale of Five Gamers - Millest's Complete 500pt Imperial Guard Force Round-Up

Up now the final update, and possibly most complete, prior to the final vote (and most importantly my holiday) hope you all enjoy!

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The 1313th Lignum Iugo Expeditionary Force

The 1313th Lignum Iugo Expeditionary Force History

Currently Operating on the Eastern fringes the 1313th Lignum Iugo Expeditionary force was initially tasked with the exploration and eradication of Tau enclaves and inroads in to the region of space to the galactic north of Quintairn. Under the direct control of the Ordo Xenos for the duration of the campaign the 1313th were tasked with stamping the Emperors authority on worlds that were only nominally under the control of the Eagle, eradicating those worlds infested with tau and persecuting those that openly consorted with the alien.

It wasn't long however before on the outpost world of Troya Majorus that a greater threat came to light in the form of a genestealer cult.

Upon discovery the cult threw themselves at the members of the Expeditionary force with tooth, claw and more conventional weapons. This single horrific attack which resulted in the complete destruction of the capital, Hawkesfall, soon revealed an infestation covering a number of neighbouring systems and only hinted at the horrors to come. The Campaign on Troya Majorus dragged on in to the close of 881.M41 when Troya Majorus fell.

Pre-empted by the screams of Astropaths, Navigators and psykers alike the Tyranid reinforcements arrived. The invading tyranids were identified as Splinter fleet Tenebre and the full menace of the Xenos threat, both Tau and Tyranid, was revealed and all out war reigned.

Since this time more attacks have come to light and the marauding destruction of the Splinter fleet has shown to cover a vast swathe of planets on the periphery of both the Human and Tau empires. It is here that the 1313th is now engaged in an all out war on two fronts with two of the most dangerous foes the imperium faces.

The 1313th Expeditionary Force are currently on permanent detachment to the Inquisitional Enclave at Quintairn, the forces of the Lignum Iugo are proud to serve the Inquisition with distinction in campaigns across the region. Originating in the Eastern Regions of the Britarius Sector the world of Lignum Iugo is a careful balance between Industry and Cultivation providing many local systems with large quantities of food and technology. The regiments of Lignum Iugo are known for the dual specialties in Air Assault and Scouting but amongst these regiments the 1300's stand apart from the rest.

The 1300 regiments, those bearing the numbers 1300-1399, are considered by many in the sector as a guard force without peer, of particular note are the regiments of the 1313th, 1349th and 1373rd. Selected only from the best men and women of the planets many regiments and the brightest and most martial students from the planets Scholams the 1300's are some of the best in their fields.

Referred to as Expeditionary forces the 1300's are forces that are sent on either the most critical of missions or campaigns where a hard hitting strike force is required. Their most common role however is acting as a fighting force whilst assigned to Rogue Traders, Adeptus Mechanicus Exploratory forces or, given their proximity to Quintairn, as Inquisitional Troopers. The 1313th is one such regiment who by their deeds has seen the regiment seconded permanently to the Quintairn enclave. It is here where they have fought under the Insignia of numerous Inquisitors of various Ordos before the current assignment which sees them battling the dual threat of Tau and Tyranid incursions on the Eastern Fringes.

Members of the 1300s, rarely return to Lignum Iugo as the troopers they once were, scarred and decorated they often go on to lead other regiments raised from the planet. Some are requested to serve as bodyguards and retinues for inquisitors, and even other members of the imperial hierarchy should they be deemed deserving. The rarest and most sought after path is that of the honoured few who even join the ranks of the inquisition where the free thinking and autonomous nature of the 1300s shines through and prepares them for the darkness they fight. The knowledge and skills of the 1300s is without peer in the region and is one that the Inquisition is more than happy to encourage, cultivate and utilise.

Army List

The 500 point force was based off the following Army List (any Caveats or errors are explained at the end of this article) created to represent a similar force:

500 Point Challenge Images

Below are Images showing The 1313th Lignum Iugo Expeditionary Force at the outset of their expedition in to the Quintairn Sub-sector.

Complete Force

HQ

Interrogator Ratner (Counts as Psyker)

Troops

"Custos" Platoon (Troops choice 1)

Platoon HQ

Squad 1

Squad 2

"Subruo" Hardened Veterans Squad and Chimera Transport (Troops choice 2)

Fast Attack

Sentinel Unit - "Argentum Steed"

Heavy Support

Medusa (counts as Griffon) - "Semotus Mortis"

Terrain Selection

Additional Images of the units and terrain above can be found here:
Millest's Complete Force Round-up Album
please be aware these are un-editted so could well be "massive" hope there is something in here you like.

Some words from Millest

Hello Folks,
welcome to my first completed force in so, so, so, so many years! I know it isn't huge, it is only 500 points after all but after picking up a brush for the first time in years it feels great. I must say not only am I pleased with the overall results but I'm very pleased with myself for meeting every aspect of the challenge, from fluff and list to the models and the terrain. I must apologise for the pics though, at present it's very overcast and the light isn't great, dont worry though this is something I will be looking to remedy for future picture taking.
As I say I am pleased and when it comes to the 750 expansion there are somethings I'd like to add to these guys or change, chief amongst them is backpacks all round, replace flesh heads with gas masks, pick out the icons etc in white and finally see about adding some litanies and text to discreet areas of the vehicles. They aren't big adds but I think they will add to the feel and fluff more.

The overall aspect of the army really does please me. I have tried to follow the same patterns and schemes all the way through and I think the very limited palette works well, especially when used to mimic the Tank camo on things like cloaks and gun Shields. The other thing that ties the force together well is the use of the Secret Weapon Minis bases, these are great and will be getting a review later. I also found that only having a limited choice on some of the bases (mainly the 60mm ones) meant I had to be creative and convert them, something that actually was more fun then I anticipated.

Other little nods are the small conversions dotted through out, like the chimera (virtual cookie for those spotting all the work), the bits and pieces in the Veteran Squad as well as the HQ choice. There are lots of little things here and there and there is a virtual cookie for the first person to spot the one and only metal GW component used in the Infantry (the Secret Weapon Packs don't count).

So please enjoy and comment, any questions or thoughts would be great and please, please vote for me when the poll goes live!

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There you have it folks, the final Round-up of a completed force and all being well the vote will be up later today.

A Tale of Five Gamers - Rich's Complete 500pt Chaos Space Marine Force Round-Up

The fourth update in the 500 point challenge, unfortunately even more disappointing but included for completeness and to round things up a little.

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Word Bearers Coven

Word Bearers Coven History

Little is known about the latest incursion by the Word Bearers in to the realms of Ultramar but given the past history between these two founding legions the root no doubt lies in the forgotten days of the Heresy.

Army List

The 500 point force was based off the following Army List (any Caveats or errors are explained at the end of this article) created to represent a similar force:

500 Point Challenge Images

Below are Images showing The Word Bearers Coven at the outset of their expedition in to the Quintairn Sub-sector.

Some words from Millest on behalf of Rich

Hi folks, not a lot I can really say here on behalf of Rich, as a friend of a friend Rich asked to join the challenge unfortunately however little has been heard from him since his inital posts. There have been promises of updates and pictures but alas none have materialised. I and no doubt you are a little disappointed by this but I guess thats just the way these things go sometimes. Still in the 750 expansion it will give Rich time to decide on if he is or isn's going to be involved. However despite all this please enjoy and feel free to comment on the pics we have so far.

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So folks, for what its worth and to wrap this stretch up that was Chris's update, thanks for sticking with it but apologies there has been nothing fron Rich for quite some time.
please stick with it, only one more force update to go and this ones actually finished!!

A Tale of Five Gamers - Chris' Complete 500pt Tau Force Round-Up

The third update in the 500 point challenge, a tad disappointing but included for completeness and to round things up a little.

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The Stormstrike Expansion Cadre

The Stormstrike Expansion Cadre History

With the third sphere expansion well under way, Commander Shadowsun has ordered her forces be split and sent in several directions to probe nearby Imperial worlds for weakness. At the vary tip of these fleets are the expansion cadres, small forces, little more than scouts and water caste bodyguards. Their role is to reconnoitre imperial worlds, assessing defences and where possible making contact with the more open minded planetary governors. Contact with enemy forces is kept to a minimum, with the cadre containing just a handful of firewarriors, pathfinders, and a contingent of crisis battlesuits. A long way from the inner Sept worlds, the forces must make do without the support of their allied races and heavy armour.


One such cadre pushed further in to Imperial space than most, and entered talks with a governor whose tithe was putting tremendous strain on his economy. Receiving intel that a neighbouring system may be negotiating with the xenos, the Inqusition despatched the fiercely loyal forces of the 29th Lignum Iugo Mechanized Regiment to eradicate the Tau and send a clear message to local systems. They struck quickly and the small Tau force made a desperate retreat, outnumbered, and outgunned by the superior force. The regiment landed a large amount of armour in the area with the intention of swiftly eliminating the Tau before they could extract.

The Shas’vre charged with the security of the force, made a risky move and led the other crisis suits back to the Orca dropships ahead of the main force, leaving them virtually defenceless. A single Orca then set course straight for the Guard detachment using the low cloud of the planet’s storms as cover. Making it directly above the force without being detected the Shas’Vre led the crisis teams in deadly vertical assault in to the heart of the enemy formation. The strike was a complete surprise and coupled with the cloud cover, the guard’s hydras didn’t even obtain a target lock before the Tau were among them. Landing atop the chimeras and battletanks, the suits ignited them with their fusion blasters whilst gun drones pinned heavy weapons teams. Using the burnt out husks of the tanks, the suits jumped from cover to cover, sewing confusion and death. Without any weapons to pierce the crisis armour, and the storm interfering with communication equipment, the 29th fell in to disarray and were slaughtered to a man. Not a single crisis suit was lost.

Earning the name Stormstrike, the Shas’vre was promoted to Commander, and has begun requisitioning further battlesuits to build a hunter cadre. Wherever Stormstrike is spotted, death from the skies is sure to follow. The extreme and deadly tactics have not gone unnoticed however, and an Ordo Xenos inquisitor has been despatched to end the threat. Requesting aid from the fearsome 1313th Lignum Iugo Expeditionary force, and with rumours of a Deathwatch kill team en-route, Commander Stormstrike will have plenty of opportunity to fight for the Greater Good.

Army List

The 500 point force was based off the following Army List (any Caveats or errors are explained at the end of this article) created to represent a similar force:

500 Point Challenge Images

Below are Images showing The Stormstrike Expansion Cadre at the outset of their expedition in to the Quintairn Sub-sector.

Some words from Millest on behalf of Chris

Hi All, unfortunately due to many unfortunate circumstances, some unavoidable and out of the control of Chris and some down to him himself, Chris hasn't been able to progress as well as he or we would have liked. Despite repeated pestering, offers of help and general rollockings Chris as you can see had issues. Still as this is the 500 point deadline I have included his work so far to demonstrate what has been accomplished. Chris assures me that the force will be finished soon (we shall see) and we will hopefully have pics of the completed force in time for our first battle report.
So once again he offers his apology as do I on his behalf. So as you can see whilst progress hasn't been amazing at least he has kept us updated!

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So folks, for what its worth and to wrap this stretch up that was Chris's update, thanks for sticking with it but apologies it wasn't finished in time.

Forge World Newsletter #282 - Space Marine boarding Parties, Techmarine & Contemptor Weapons!!

always the important bits reproduced below:

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Hi there, It’s a Space Marine-packed newsletter this week, with a new special character, upgrade set, and two more Contemptor weapon options, as well as an abundance of news about Forge World’s presence at Games Days in both the UK and Australia.

Armenneus Valthex, Astral Claws Master of the Forge with Conversion Beamer
Known as the Alchemancer, and a figure of key importance to the Astral Claws, Armenneus Valthex was both Lugft Huron’s personal armourer and the Chapter’s Master of the Forge.
One of the greatest living experts on the many techno-arcana of the Adeptus Mechanicus, Valthex’s symbol of office is an ancient device known as the Indynabula Array, to which he has added a powerful conversion-beam projector of his own construction.

Armenneus Valthex, Master of the Forge with Conversion Beamer, designed by Mark Bedford, is a finely detailed, multi-part resin model. Full rules for this forge-wright par excellence can be found in Imperial Armour Volume Nine: The Badab War Part 1. Armenneus Valthex is available to pre-order now for despatch in the week commencing 26th September.

Space Marine Boarding Assault Upgrade Set
The noble warriors of the Adeptus Astartes have access to a huge array of specialised equipment as befits their exalted status amongst the military might of the Imperium, and much of this wargear is ancient beyond measure, revered and honoured for each victory it brings them.

The Space Marine Boarding Assault Upgrade Set, designed by Stuart Williamson, is a detailed resin conversion kit that consists of two lascutters, a graviton gun, and sufficient boarding shields, weapon arms and heads to build five Boarding Space Marines, as well as additional components to build a Boarding Sergeant.
Perfect for representing several of the Boarding Assault Stratagems or a Tactical squad equipped with siege mantlets as described in Forge World’s Badab WarImperial Armour books, this upgrade set is available to pre-order now for despatch in the week commencing 26th September.

Contemptor Pattern Dreadnought Weapons
This week we can announce two new weapon options for the incredibly popular Contemptor Dreadnought:
The Contemptor Cyclone Missile Launcher, similar in design to that commonly fielded by Space Marines equipped with Terminator armour, offers a Contemptor Dreadnought tactically flexible, long-range firepower.

The Heavy Conversion Beamer is an ancient relic-weapon of incredible and poorly-understood power that only the advanced systems of the Contemptor Dreadnought can hope to accurately direct and control.

Both these weapons, designed by Will Hayes, are available to pre-order now for despatch in the week commencing 26th September, and updated Experimental rules for the Contemptor Pattern Dreadnought can be downloaded from the Forge World website.

Games Day UK at the Birmingham NEC – 25th September
The biggest day in our event calendar, Games Day UK, is rapidly approaching, and here at Forge World we are preparing for an amazing show.
With both Forge World and Warhammer Forge models being finished thick and fast for both display and sale well in advance of their scheduled release dates, our Studio teams are preparing unreleased master models, finishing off work in progress and frantically painting recent releases!
Last year’s major announcement from Forge World was the unveiling of the Warhammer Forge range, and this year our Studio area will again be split into two stands, allowing both teams to showcase as much as possible.
Our Sales Stand will undergo a major transformation this year, and will be situated in the biggest GW Hobby Centre in the world. This means that it’ll be much quicker and easier to get to the stand, receive your models, and make your way to the checkout area than in previous years – hurrah!
We’ll be bringing you more news and updates on both our Games Day UK event page and on our Facebook page between now and the 25th September.

Reservation Orders for Games Day UK
We are now accepting reservation orders for Games Day UK, and as with our other UK shows this year, we’ll be taking payment in advance for these orders so that it’s much quicker and easier for you to collect them at Games Day – without a massive queue and at your leisure, at any point throughout the day.
A reservation order is the best way of ensuring that we have exactly what you want at Games Day, including our Show Only figures, so please call the Forge World Customer Service team on 0115 900 4995 to place your reservation – we’ll need your name and a contact e-mail address, and you’ll need your credit or debit card to hand as well. The cut off date for Games Day UK reservation orders is 12th September – after this we can’t guarantee that we’ll have everything available for you.

Games Day Australia Update
A huge selection of the Warhammer Forge and Forge World ranges will be available from the Forge World stand at Games Day Australia, which will be held on 1st October at the Australian Technology Park, Redfern, NSW. Both our 2011 Event Only MkIII Armoured Boarding Space Marine and Chaos Dwarf Hellsmith models will be on sale, and to mark the return of Games Day Australia, we’re also offering an exclusive last chance to buy some of our previous Event Only models as well.
We are now accepting reservation orders for Games Day Australia, and this is the best way of ensuring that we will have exactly the models you’re looking for, packed up and waiting for you to pay for on the day.
To place a reservation order, please send an e-mail entitled ‘Games Day Australia Reservation’ to fwreservations@games-workshop.co.uk, making sure to provide your full name and a list of the items you’d like to reserve. You can also phone the Forge World Customer Service team on 0011 44 115 916 8177.
You can place a reservation for anything currently available from the online store, as well as our Event Only MkIII Boarding Space Marine and Chaos Dwarf Hellsmith figures. We will provide a confirmation e-mail before the event that will contain your order number and a total cost in Australian Dollars, payable upon collection.
The cut-off date for Games Day Australia reservation orders is 12th September, so make sure your e-mail reaches us before this date.
Thanks, Ead Brown. Customer Service Manager, Forge World

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A Tale of Five Gamers - Jono's Complete 500pt Tyranid Force Round-Up

Up now folks the second update from the TOFG team. Here's Jono!!

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Hive Fleet Tenebrae

Hive Fleet Tenebrae History

During Hive Fleet Behemoth’s assault of Macragge, the Hive Mind, convinced of yet another victory, sent out splinter fleets to survey the way for the advancing swarm. In the closing hours of the battle, the Imperial Forces performed an assault on the man Hive Craft in orbit in an attempt to stop the swarms of Tyranids bringing devastation to the Planet's surface. During this lucky hit, the assaulting Tyranid force was thrown into a state of disarray which ultimately gave victory to the Imperial forces. It is believed that during this valiant assault, a 'Norn Queen' was either wounded, or killed. To this day, the Ultramarines believe that the Norn Queen is the embodiment of the Hive Mind, controlling the entire fleet with her will. Be this true, or be it that the target was merely a larger Synapse Creature further up the evolutionary chain nobody will ever know. Regardless of this, the temporary lapse of synapse that ensued caused many of the scouting splinter fleets to fall into a state of dormancy. Many of these dormant vessels and splinter fleets were either destroyed or simply wandered out of Imperium space in to the dead space between the stars. One such splinter was dubbed Hive Fleet Tenebrae.

Hive Fleet Tenebrae was brought to the attention of both the Imperium and the burgeoning Tau Empire when it re-entered the galaxy close to the Quintairn system, where it is hypothesised that its relative proximity to the Ymgarl system (The once theorised home of the Genestealer) and to core splinters of Hive fleet Behemoth resulted in the awakening of the hive ships many decades later. This is the first recorded active sighting of the Hive Fleet and I am sure that it will not be the last.

Army List

The 500 point force was based off the following Army List (any Caveats or errors are explained at the end of this article) created to represent a similar force:

500 Point Challenge Images

Below are Images showing Hive Fleet Tenebrae at the outset of their expedition in to the Quintairn Sub-sector.

Some words from Jono

Hi All, its been a while and as you can see.. progress hasn't been amazing! Alas, vote for me because despite being a bit lethergic recently, I STILL have more done than chris!


Since my last update, I have based everything that had a final coat of paint, and put a few more layers on my gaunts. Although they aren't up, I actually have about another 25 gaunts in my box, just for the Tervigon to churn out. Cannon fodder ftw! Note to self.. avoid horde armies in the future!

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Only three more updates to come before the vote.