Chaos FAQ: DP’s get DP’d

By now everyone has probably heard to the Necron FAQ, which will be discussed later in a post of its own. In addition to this FAQ, GW also updated the existing FAQ’s for almost every other codex out there except Templars and Tau. Guess we know who is top on the list of 2012 releases...

And while I am generally in favor of the Necron FAQ, I can’t help but think someone had it out for the already second-tier CSM list when they cooked up this latest 'adjustment'.

Let’s look at the two biggest changes: the ones that will probably have the broadest effect for the majority of CSM players, and those which will certainly impact my Noise Marine lists directly. And not for the better.

Lash

So now it’s officially a psychic shooting power. You already had to draw LOS to use it (reasonable enough), but added to this is the fact that you now have to make a BS check for it to go off. Huge? Maybe not, but it doesn’t add a 14.66% greater chance of failure, and to a list that was already struggling I’d say the change is significant. Frankly, I’m fine with the power being a psychic shooting attack, that makes sense (it does the other way too though), but the timing on this one sucks. It not like CSM have exactly been tearing up the competitive scene, and this change is most certainly going to make CSM less competitive.

Warptime

This is the one that really gets me. Now instead of rerolling failed to hit and to wound rolls, you have to elect to reroll everything “all or nothing.” So basically, the already mediocre Warptime DPs are even less effective in CC. Talk about fixing something that wasn’t broken in the first place. Its not like Warptime DP could pull down something with a good invul save or high toughness to begin with, or that it could survive a turn in the open if it did kill something. Now they just suck more. And good luck killing things T6 or above. Oh well, I guess you’ll just have to rely on spending your game Lashing things away from you.

Yeah there’s some other stuff effecting 1000 Sons, Abaddon, and Typhus, but frankly these don’t see a lot of play in comp lists these days. One positive note, however, is that dreadnoughts have finally been ruled to have a 45 degree front arc for purposes of Fire Frenzy. This conforms to what I think has been the generally accepted interpretation of this rule, but its nice to have it confirmed in any case. Maybe now I can finish working on those Black Reach conversions that have been sitting in my closet for 2 years now.

Overall, the FAQ is not the end of the world for Chaos, but its definitely a poke in the eye to a list already sort on options.

Red Rod Necrons

Had the day off today, so I decided it was high time to get to painting my army. Thanks to Gun Grave’s advice and a bit of web crawling, I was finally able to get my airbrush back up and running, and to dust the brown undercoated models with a highlight of orange.

From there it was a hand dry brush of blazing orange, followed by boltgun metal. Both of these were used sparingly and generally in raised areas. The chest plate got hit with some cadaver flesh (similar to GW rotting flesh), and then the whole model got a Devlan Mud wash. For the base, I went with a heavy ocre drybrush followed by a light drybrush of Kamado Khaki.

Overall, they’ll do. I’m not planning on putting near the amount of time in these as I did my Noise Marines, as the goal is to knock out a foot list, playtest, and wait for 6th Edition.




Regarding the theme: My vision is to create a desert, junkyard kinda feel to the whole army, with the warriors being the most damaged and rusted and the higher up choices having more color and less wear and tear.

Airbrushing Necrons: Part One

At long last, after weeks of gathering parts and cleaning up an old airbrush I got awhile back, I was able to test it out on my Necron Warriors.




Obviously, this is still a work in progress and I have a lot of learning to do. As a first run however, I'm happy with the results. Some thoughts in no particular order:

1.) Utilize some of the "How To" vids on Youtube for directions and pointers on getting setup. I wish I had bookmarked them as I found them so I could give their sites some traffic. Alas, I forgot.

2.) Airbrushing makes batch painting 40 models (as I did) a breeze, and with just a bit of practice you can get a fairly smooth coating.

3.) If possible, start with paints designed specifically for airbrushes: Everytime I did the paint came out great. Everytime I tried to use a 'regular' mini paint with thinners added it clogged the brush. This is 100% the result of my ineptitude with mixing, but no reason to make a hard start harder.

4.) Don't cheap out on extras likes gloves, masks, solvents, etc. They make painting easier, maintain your expensive equipment, and let's face it: we're already collecting GW stuff.

Making Scarabs

I was combing through my unassembled Necrons and bits last night and it occurred to me that even with my 12 current scarab swarm bases I am still woefully short of the amount I’m going to need to play.

Buying tons of warrior box sets is silly, as I already have 48 warriors, and buying scarabs on eBay right now is not much better. As I have mild OCD when it comes to models matching one another, using proxies to go along with my ‘real’ scarabs is also out.

Then I thought about making a green-stuff mold ala the skull rhino technique I had some success with awhile back.


A quick Google search later, and I discovered that this guy had beat me to the punch.

Here's another version.

These look awesome, and I’m definitely going to give this technique a go.

How did people ever get ideas before the internet?

Yeah, its a C’Tan. Big whoop, wanna fight about it?

No its NOT a comp list. This is a me trying to figure out the cheapest way to make a semi-competitive list with the ton of warriors and scarabs I already have. More thoughts after the jump.





Imotekh [225]
Cryptek w/ VoD [65]
Cryptek w/ Lance [35]
Cryptek w/ Lance [35]
Cryptek w/ Lance [35]

10 Warriors [130]
10 Warriors [130]
10 Warriors [130]
10 Immortals [170]

C’Tan w/ Writhing Worldscape, Grand Illusion [260]

8 Scarabs [120]
8 Scarabs [120]
8 Scarabs [120]

2 Spyder [100]
2 Spyder [100]

TOTAL: 1775

The list lacks mobility, so its going to have to use setup shenanigans (Grand Illusion, 4+ Imotekh seize), obstruction shenanigans (Writhing Worldscape, Imotekh Lighting, Night Fight), and red herring shenanigans (Scarabs, Spyders, VoD Immortals) to disrupt my opponent and force him to leave my objective holding warriors alone.

At 2,000 pts and above this concept won’t work, as most other armies will be sporting 3x FOC choices and therefore can overcome a randomly immobilized tank or two, or a T1 Necron redeployment over to one board edge. Chances are they’ll also be able to overwhelm my gauss weapon’s glancing abilities through simple target saturation. At 1750, however, the competition is going to have less redundancy and less firepower to sweep away diversion units.

To be sure, the C’Tan is overcosted - even at this level- but his ability to redeploy the army as well as thwart enemy movement via dangerous terrain is pretty much the lynchpin to this list. My guess is he’ll be at his best hanging back near at least some kind of cover and trying to get between enemy assaulters and the Necron Warriors. Against dedicated assaulters, he’ll still likely get splattered, but better him than the ‘Crons.

The Madness that Is Warhammer Fantasy

Having not played FB in years, I don’t really have a horse in the race, but I still feel like I need to go on a GW rant.

GW is putting a lot of resources towards making some of the most breathtaking kits they’ve ever built. If you haven’t pict-browsed their line, look at the new Beastmen here, or the Orges here.

Or these totally sweet new vampire models here. All truly incredible looking stuff.

Check them out, then weep- for all the awesome kits in the world won’t change the fact that the new FBs rules still suck.

A “competitive” Skaven army at 2,500 has over 325 models. Magic is so goddamn broken that the whole thing becomes an exercise in selecting your wizard, some magic item combos, and the 200-300 ablative wounds for him. The 8th ed. rules are a hot mess, some weird attempt to synthesize fluff and competitive play that screws both mentalities over in the process.

Again, I don’t play, so the plight of FB- while lamentable- is purely academic to me. But FWIW, if the rules were good, I'd totally have about 3,000 in VCs and maybe some Skaven on my shelf right now.

However the fact that some of these same great minds are now working on 6th ed 40k, now that worries me.

Merry X-Mas!

My wife and kids rock. Happy Holidays to everyone!