A weapon for the heretic in all of us.

  Good evening, readers. Here is an interesting item I came across. I just had to share it. In my job, we have vendors that come through all the time trying to sell me items to make my job easier. They typically provide a flyer with the monthly specials, like the newest screwdriver or hammer. Toward the end of the flyer is usually their branded items, shirts, hoodies, baseball hat and wall signs. This month there is a particular item that no Chaos player can be without. I am barely a Chaos player, but I am considering purchasing one. Ha Ha Ha! Now, I am the sales man. Anyway, on the next to last page, there is a sword. Yes. You read it right! A sword! Not just any sword. This is the Black Legion Skull Sword. I was as shocked as you are. I am hoping my rep can provide me one to look at, but if not I am proving you with picture straight out of the flyer. I apologize in advance for the glare. I took three pictures and could get one without. 

The elves have kept me busy.....

       Hey guys. We are back at this magical time of the year. There is so much stuff going on and my mind races in so many different directions at the same time. Tonight, though, is different. I am done with all my holiday tasks. My shoulders and back are even sore from wrapping presents. Any free time I have had lately has been dedicated to painting my Eldar. I have finished a twenty man Guardian squad, which could easily be cut in half. I also started a ten man seer council (not on jetbikes). I love the idea, and the rules definitely are in favor of the jetbike but I could never settle on a model that I could really appreciate the way it looked.  Though I had a lot of drive to finish them, it just didn't happen. The allure of bigger models called to me. So as I was working on my warlocks, my four year old son picked up a wraith lord and asked me in an innocent way only a four year could, "are you ever gonna paint this big guy?" So I did and was then inspired to paint my wraith knight. When I assembled my wraith knight I took the time to magnetize everything that I could for options. I must remember to put pictures up of what I did. Hopefully it can help someone else to do it the same way. The model is turning out wonderfully. Again, pictures will be coming. Painting my wraith knight has been such a breeze with so many pieces removable. All I need to work on is the weapons. Then there will be pics.
   There is one other thing I wanted to mention tonight before I close here. I wanted to mention that if you are interested in painting models, or if you just want to see some different models painted. My brother paints custom Skylanders and Disney Infinity game pieces. You can search for remixed Skylanders on Facebook or follow this link to Remixed Custom Skylanders . I am very proud of the work he is doing. I think I'm going to see if he can come up with a skylander space marine. That would be a great blend of both our hobbies.
       Have a great night. Happy Holidays to you and all of your families.

Army list building today

      Hi guys! In the last few weeks inspiration has eluded me. Halloween in my house is a big deal. In fact, at this point, it is arguable if we have more decorations for Halloween or Christmas. My painting, playing, and even my reading dips low in October. Needless to say, I did not get the fight in for the next part of the story. It will be coming within the next few weeks. Please hang in there.  If you have more recently started following the story, it is all based off the battlefield, with some personal embellishments.
     
       Since I have not gotten to progress the story, I have been reading rules and writing army lists. Army lists are my contact to the game when I can't play. Lists are the topic tonight. I have been playing with army lists since the second edition of 40k. Most of my lists, like so many out there are theoretical. They never see the outside of the tablet. Though I must say, the faceless people of the internet make up so many lists. You could google lists for any army you would like to play and for any game you might be interested.
   
     The weakness came to me one day. I decided instead of building the list the way I normally do,  I reached for my tablet and searched for army lists. The choices I found were innumerable. I was simply looking for inspiration for my Imperial Guard, Astra Militarium, or some combination with the other models I own. For the first 20 minutes I was enthralled with the possibilities. My original thought was to keep it simple and see what worked. As always when online,  my search expanded. Easily enough, Guard with Space Marines, Dark Angels, Chaos Marines lists were sought and found. Then, it unexpectedly turned to a dark place. And suddenly I am looking at lists I would have never thought possible throughout the last few editions. I found Marine/ Chaos demon lists and Tyranid allied lists. Before this, I was having a hard time figuring out whether my army was going to be battle forged or unbound. Now the whole world opened up before me. I have now been inspired to do and find more. I am officially back "in the game." I have been list building since then. The world of 40k is reopened to me.

   Don't forget that this is your hobby. Have fun with it, and get inspired.

Fighting in the depths.

  The dark hallway slowly comes into view as Hagar claws his way back to consciousness. Suddenly he realizes where he is. His upper body inside the Fortress of the Fallen Blade. His feet visible to the rest of the world. The hydraulics are holding the blast door firmly against the greaves of his armor. Only then did he realize that his feet were bare as a cold needle was forcibly inserted into the arch of his foot.
    "Get this door off of me!" Hagar growls at the wolf priest.
   "Brynjar is on his way, " the Wolf Priest states while applying healing balms to the injured legs that he can reach through the jammed door.
   Hagar fights to release himself from the door, but the the hydraulics of the door hold tight against his powered armor plates. Only the armor keeps the door from separating him from his feet. As he twists his body to assess the situation, he sees two large jawed clamps enter through the opening and rend the door completely off the building. As the daylight washes in the hallway, he sees the tell tale signs of an Iron Priest looming over him and three smaller figures coming in around to assist Hagar with replacement leg armor.
    "Hurry!" Hagar growls. "They need to pay for my wolves."
    Brynjar subtly reminds Hagar he can't take down the whole fortress. "Ragnar needs the be sure the holding chambers have not been disturbed."
    The lone wolf grumbles incoherently about tearing the limbs off of everyone that crosses his path. As the servitor installs the last piece of the borrowed armor, Hagar runs into the building, gabbing his weapons as he goes.
   The emergency alarms flash red lights on the walls. The servitors, fighting the compulsions to answer the silent Imperial distress code that is sent out with the flashing light. Brynjar tightens the control he has on the cyborg minions that he brought with to deal with the blast doors inside the structure. They, of course, heed their master.
   The Space Wolves separate into two  teams. Brynjar takes his servitors to the control room, dispatching the two Dark Angels on the way.
     Hagar leads the others deeper in the complex. As they drop down to the next level, they are met with bolter fire. Unfortunately for the Dark Angels, they seem to be meeting the Wolves individually. The Space wolves simply over power the guardians that were left. Hagar senses something amiss, a scent of something old. He sends  a team to one of the holding cells and he follows the scent toward the other. The two Grey Hunters make it to the hallway that leads to their objective. The blast doors are sealed tightly. Attempts to blow the door fails, time and again.
    Hagar, on his way to the other, catches sight of the origin of the smell that led him further  and further in.  Then he catches sight of veterans left to dispatch the intruders. Hagar growls and charges the green armor soldiers, He quickly dispatches the first with a cleave of his frost weapon. The second puts up a fight and cuts through the armor on his right leg with his empowered claws and destroying the plates a second time today. The gravity of such an offense again infuriates the lone wolf. He picks up the marine and forcibly inserts him into the blast doors until he stops moving. Then the blast doors open.
     Brynjar makes his way to the control. One of the servitors move up and remove the door from the tracks in one clean swipe of his power fist. The cybernetic enhanced human is no match for the two veterans that wait on the other side, Brynjar watches the cyber eye pulse out as he charges into the warriors guarding the control room. His armor holds up to all the onslaught of attacks that batter at him. Then, slowly, calculatingly, he grabs both veterans with power fists from his servo harness and toss them limply into the corners of the room.
      The Iron Priest walks into the room and take control of the facility. Servitors assisting at the console. A third marine lays on the floor of the control room. His blue armor battle worn but not seriously damaged. The headset showing strange green arcs jumping from node to node and back to the librarian's skull.
    Brynjar scans the complex, opens the doors for Hagar. Then he notices two remaining Dark Angels heading toward one of the underground escape hatches. He realizes the fight here is over. He leads them to the exit and redirects his own Grey Hunters away. No one else needs to die today.
    Hagar scans the room. The holding cell is empty. The scent leads from the room. The scent is from a Space Wolf. The Lone Wolf immediately takes up the hunt for the occupant of the cell. The trail leads down some corridors and out an open hatch. Hagar is back outside.

"It was a dark and stormy night..."

        Hey guys. Yes, yes. I know I have been gone too long for some of my avid readers. For that, I, oh so humbly, apologize. I could tell you a story of too much stuff to do or how crazy my personal life has been or that seventh edition has got me in a confused on what to play or so on, blah... blah .... blah. I know that know one wants to read about that, so let's move on.

       I have been getting some painting done. First off, my pretty purple warp spiders. Deadly, fast and durable, They will make a great addition into my Eldar army. I did an awful lot of color testing on these guys. They were black, red, light green, I think they were even a burnt orange color. I just couldn't come up with colors that fit the theme and still have them correspond to the Samm-Haim theme of my Eldar army. This is what I finally came up with and I couldn't be happier. I plan to do my harlequins in similar colors, just a bit brighter.

   Then came the Dire Avengers. They just cried to get finished. I think these minis have been blue in my Eldar drawer for more years than I can remember. I'm still not thrilled with the shuriken catapults, which is the big reason I haven't painted them or the forty-some guardians I own. I decided to go with a dark blue and then just edge  the guns to make the lines look more sharp. Instead they came out a little weathered looking, which isn't bad either. The red in the plumes and hoses bring them back to the craft world. My Eldar drawer still has ten of these to cheer up from their blue state.

   The next part to the story will be coming soon. I have been putting some work into this part because it is a major turning point in how the story progresses from here. So, please stay tuned for the next segment.

    The last thing I wanted to mention is my good friend, Steve, has his store back to full working order, if that's possible for a hobby store. And I got to say he is actually my local neighborhood game store. The store is only a few blocks from where I am currently writing. Anybody in the Allentown, Pa area that needs a place to rolls some dice or get your hobby supplies come over and check it out and tell him I sent you.
 Dragonhead Hobby and Games
2905 W Emaus Ave Allentown, PA 18103

Plan B!

    The sounds of battle echo from just beyond the fortress. Bolter fire and plasma crashing into steel and sounds of the wounded fills the air. This is not just a scuffle over territory from two rival clans. Something in this tussle was deeper. A grievance that runs deeper than any other in the Imperium. No two enemies have studied their foes as have these two. No greater separation of edicts come from the worlds of man than these two. The Space Wolves, with their impetuous spirit, and the stubborn and dedicated Dark Angels are equally honored in the eyes of the Emperor. Yet, this fray is not about the Emperor's graces or how many trophies sit in their great halls. This is a story that must not be seen by the Emperor's agents. Either side, or both, could be branded heretics. The blood on this battlefield is that of brothers. Ragnar knows that this chess match cannot continue. It must be finished as quickly and thoroughly as possible. The secrets contained in this vault should not be released and, definitely not in the hands of a Dark Angel.

    While the Wolf Lord leads the charge to the front gates. His loyal Wolves taking the full onslaught of what the Dark Angels can muster. The Wolf Lord noticed one thing that may sway this all in his favor, one minor flaw in the defenders. There is no sign of a company master or even a chaplain. the only commander on the field is a librarian. That little fact gives Ragnar the confidence he needs to turn the tide to his favor. For a librarian is versed in all rites of war, but they are not the diligent commanders that win wars. So as the the battle rages on, a lone wolf with a squad of Grey Hunters and his personal wolves sneak around the back door of the fortress. Their only goal is to get in that building. Unfortunately, just as they make their way of of the cover of woods, a shot is fired from the wall of the citadel, hitting a Grey Hunter square in the chest. The plasma blast melts armor and flesh. The Lone Wolf, Hagar, counts out the enemies and quickly assess target priority. Three soldiers of the ten stand out as high priority. The first is that blasted plasma gunner, next, the heavy bolter hiding behind cover, and the last is the Sergeant, only notable by his sword writhed with electricity. Hagar issues commands to each of the men and heads directly for his target, the door.

      The Space Wolves moved forward with their normal version of tactical aggression, trading shots with the defenders of the citadel. They need to eliminate those few defenders. Hagar takes advantage of the sergeant's boldness and sends his wolves to take care of the him. With one word, "Play!" the wolves charge away from their master and barrel into the sergeant, adeptly knocking his sword wide. Hagar, himself, charges at the Dark Angel raining round after round from his heavy bolter. At that same moment, another Grey Hunter falls to the deadly accuracy of a plasma gun in the hands of a Dark Angel. 

    The remaining Wolves howl as they charge the defender's line. Even as the stalwart marines fire their final rounds before receiving the charge, the plasma gun flashes back, incapacitating the firer. The field evens out again. With only half the marines that met here moments ago, things seem grim for both sides. The wolves are still pinning down the sergeant. If only he could get his weapon to bear on one of these creatures, things would be different. Just then, the opening he was looking for appeared. He brought his fist down on the first wolf and fired one bolt pistol shell into the front leg of the wolf, putting it of the fight. The other went down soon after. But it was too late. With only two other of his fellow marines on the field, he sees the only thing that means failure in his eyes. 

    

       The heavy weapon armed Dark Angel could not hold back the fury of a Lone Wolf in close combat. He is easily knocked aside and stunned long enough for Hagar to make a break for the door. As soon as he starts his sprint to enter the building, the door starts closing. Hagar throws his body into the doorway. The last thing he hears before losing consciousness is the sound of the hydraulics of the door straining to shut and the crunch of armor and bone under the intense pressure. He  is in!

A different veiw on things

        Well, there has been a lot of interesting things that have come out of Games Workshop since I put up a regular post. With Orks and psychers running amok over everyone's table top. The interesting part for me is simply the changes for 7th edition. As an old school 40k player, I love the changes that were made. I can now play with all the wonderful models that I bought and loving assembled and painted. I know for myself and many others out there, I can not count the hours I have spent on this hobby (not to mention the dollars). Thank you to the designers for the 7th edition rules set, not to mention the new books.

    Anyway.... Now that I have rambled on like a fan boy in the proverbial candy shop. I can get to the story I really wanted to write about tonight.

    I was at work the other day. For those who don't know, I am an auto technician by day. The job I was working at the time was a trailer hitch installation. Easy enough, one would think. There was one part of the job that spark my creative juices. The rear fascia needs to be cut out for the hitch to fit properly. So, like anyone in my field, I pulled out my pneumatic saw and cut out the fascia. Then, I look at it. I guess for the first time. I see this jagged line that the air saw caused. This cracked, marred piece of plastic is a representation of the best laid plans that the manufacturer thought was "good enough" for the owner of this brand new $30,000 car. Then, I looked at it through the eyes of a modeler and painter. This was unacceptable. So, I went to work as if it were one of the models I care about so much, not just following the directions given to me. I break out a Xacto knife and files and clean this rugged line to the point that no will notice that it was ever cut. Next, touch up paint turned that black plastic to the crystal white that the rest of the car was. As I was standing there looking at my work of art, at least in my eyes, I realized that when this car is on the ground and the customer is hooking up their trailer that they will probably never know what extra attention that their car received from my "artistic" hands.

     The morale of this story for me is, if I had not been a modeler and painter of little army men, I may have never looked at this cut/ mold line as something that warranted extra attention. I hope that all you modelers out there noticed the things you do different just because you are a modeler.

Thanks for reading this. I thought it warranted some space on the internet. I hope you enjoyed reading it.