Merry Christmas from Kantor Base

On behalf of myself and my family, I would like to wish everyone a very Merry Christmas. May your holidays be filled with love, laughter, family and friends. Oh, and a lot of gaming stuff!

First Warmachine Model Painted

Commander Coleman Stryker was the first Warmachine model to fall victim to my mediocre painting skills. I had a difficult time with this piece. I think more because of the fact that I haven't painted anything in a while. I missed a couple of mold lines during the cleaning, but it can't be helped now. Unless I want to re-paint it - which I don't. But all in all, I gave it a decent effort and I'm on to the plastic Ironclad. The lighting sucks, but photographing models will be something I learn later. Nearly every color on the model was from GW paints because that's what I had on hand. But I want to check out some of the P3 paints in the future. I'd like to finish the Cygnar battlegroup before Christmas, but we'll see. I got this model done in one evening, while watching TV, so...who knows. Stranger things have happened.

I've spent the last couple of days reading the background and history of the Warmachine setting and I like it a lot. That mix of fantasy and military is really hitting the spot. So far, my two favorite factions are Cygnar and Khador with the Mercenary faction following a close, close third. Anyway, comments are always welcome.

Crawling Out...

On the advice of some of the followers of Kantor Base (thanks guys!), I'm making the attempt at getting out of my funk. On a very recent visit to a local Half Price Books, I came across a mint-condition copy of Warmachine: Wrath, the most recent release from Privateer Press. Taking advantage of the silence (due to the fact that my wife was home with the kids), I grabbed a large coffee from Dunkin' Donuts, found a hiding spot in the parking lot and thumbed through each page my new prize.

One thing I think Privateer Press does well is how they present their material. The art is absolutely amazing and their studio painters are every bit as skilled as GW's legendary 'Eavy Metal team (in my opinion). There are also dozens and dozens of full-color photos of their models. The material in the book motivated me to give this game a shot. This past spring, I made my first appearance at Adepticon and I picked up two Battle Group Starter Kits (plastic) at a 20% discount. As history dictated, I put the kits aside and never really touched them.

Well now I'm in a funk and I need to get out. But every time I look at Warhammer project, I am completely overwhelmed by the number of models one would have to paint to get an army on the table. I don't mind playing against anyone that uses a WIP, unpainted army, but I'm a bit of a stickler when it comes to my own. I detest putting unpainted models on the table. Along comes Warmachine - you can get started with half a dozen miniatures. So I dug into reading the MkII rules that came with the kits (yep - didn't have to buy a giant rulebook to get going). I assembled the models: Khador and Cygnar and I'm getting started.

Oh, and I actually found a place across from my favorite Irish Pub to play. A new hobby store opened up and has a steady presence in the PP Forums. Maybe it's a sign.

Lost!

I'm currently in a serious gaming/hobby funk. I've been drifting back and forth between reading WFB rules/expansions, to Warmachine, to Pathfinder RPG and their new upcoming Heroes and Monsters miniature combat game, to board games like The Adventurers and Heroscape. Then bouncing back to 40k. I even glance at the Dreadfleet boxed set which I have not finished reading. I've seen some great material on the web or in magazines, but I can't seem to get myself motivated enough to jump into anything.

I just don't know what to do anymore. Maybe it's because I'm too busy with work and family, but I can't seem to engage any project or game with any kind of zeal. Has anyone out there been faced with a similar dilemma?

It's Christmas Time Alright!

The holidays are definitely here. It took me an hour and a half to get the Christmas stuff down from the garage and another thirty minutest to get stuff into the house. That's because my darling bride of 15 years decided to go grocery shopping first and then to her mother's house. So by the time she got home, it was after three o'clock. After 45 minutes of sifting through boxes and testing lights and whatnot, we got one lighted lawn ornament done. Now that my hands are numb and my nose is running...AND it is now dark outside, I shoved everything back into the garage and called it a day.

Moral of the story: Don't start your Christmas decorations after half the day is gone on a Sunday.

A Little RPG Anyone?

I got a little nostalgic recently and started thinking about my old D&D days when I was in junior high. Now for you youngsters, that was circa 1978/1979 - ish, when Advanced D&D was taking the free world by storm. I spent many a long evenings gathered around my buddy Mike's kitchen table with the other guys on the block running through the Keep on the Borderlands scenarios (Caves of Chaos) or solving the Sinister Secret of Saltmarsh. Hell, we even delved into the dungeons of Castle Greyhawk. Those were the days when Roleplaying Games were great. As time went on, we found more time for girls and beer than we did for gaming. But I always kept up with the rules. I also picked up my copy of Dragon Magazine and also kept a watch out for any new miniatures (they were made of lead back then and I didn't have to pin them or super glue them).

Well TSR sold off D&D to these Wizards of the Coast guys and for a time, I liked what they were doing with the game. But then, 4th Edition has come along and I have to say that it is a far, far cry from what I grew up on. It's just not the same. Plastic, pre-painted minis, none of which look like the characters I'd create. Heroes and villains wielding misshapen swords. Ooh, I hated that. And seriously? Flat tokens to represent monsters and adventurers. What a complete lack of commitment on the part of WOTC. Sure the artwork got better, but the gaming aspect? It's taken a total dump.

As WOTC left the old editions of D&D behind and the OGL came onto the scene, other companies were able to publish fantasy RPGs that were basically picking up where the 3rd edition of D&D left off. Pathfinder RPG has probably been the biggest one to date and has been very successful. I love the setting and the artwork is every bit as good as the D&D stuff.

So what am I getting at? Well, through all this, I've been feeling the urge to get back into RPGs, but I was looking for a simpler way to do it...and as luck would have it, Paizo Publishing answered my prayers and released the Pathfinder RPG Beginner Box. At $34.00, it is well worth it. The quality of this product far surpasses WOTC feeble attempt to come up with a Basic version of D&D through their retro Red Box set. The Pathfinder product, like the D&D set, includes a solo adventure, a Player's Handbook and GM Guide, some dice and a map. But that's where the similarities end. Pathfinder's Beginner Box takes the players up through 5th level, not 2nd or 3rd. Paizo also includes stand up pawns that represent heroes and monsters that are included in the game. Complete with plastic bases. Pathfinder RPG introduces 3 primary races: Elf, Dwarf, Human and 4 primary classes: Fighter, Cleric, Wizard and Rogue. A big plus for me is that they also included pawns for every class and race combination as well as gender. Ingenious!!! So far, it's a great, great product. I can't wait to play.

Oh and one more thing, Paizo has teamed with Wizkids, to release a set of plastic, pre-painted miniatures for the Pathfinder as well. I am cautiously optimistic about this product. But if the minis fail, Pathfinder still produces some kick-ass metal miniatures for the Pathfinder game through Reaper. I'll just have to paint some up.

Captain's Log - Unboxing Dreadfleet's Ships

I finally got around to spending some time with my copy of Dreadfleet. Up until now, I've been stealing late night moments or lunch hours to read the novel or thumb through the rules (what can I say? I'm a busy man). Anyway, I decided to pull some of the models out and take a shot at assembling some of the models. I've been hearing reports that the models are a bit brittle so I was a bit nervous and decided to start with some of the easier ones.

My first observations were that these models were as big as I was expecting, but in terms of detail: they ROCK! Great looking models. Well done, GW! I have to give credit where credit is due. So I went ahead and got to work, carefully clipping the models from the sprues and cleaning them up. I decided to press them together with no glue, so I can go back and separate certain assemblies for painting.

I assembled Grimnir's Thunder, Curse of Zandri, and the Black Kraken, perhaps the easiest ones to assemble as neither of them come with sails or masts. Each of them pressed together nicely and fit fairly flush. Will need a minimum of liquid green stuff. So far, so good. With 7 ships to go and three hungry daughters screaming for their supper, I better get back and see what else is in the box, uh...I mean get dinner started.

By the way - I stole this post's pic off of the net, so thanks to whoever snapped it.

...I Am Weak...

Okay, I admit it. I'm weak and I folded. After all that blustery bull crap I spouted a few posts back, I couldn't resist the call of the sea and I picked up a copy of Dreadfleet. BUT...I didn't lay out $115 for it. I gathered up some of my unused Warhammer model sets that I never got around to using traded them in for store credit. GW wouldn't give me cash back and I wouldn't break even on ebay and none of my friends were interested in taking them off my hands, so I figured what the hell. After all was said and done, I walked out with copy of a Dreadfleet and the novel and only shelled out $.081.

So at first glance, I'm happy with my new 'purchase'. The contents is first rate and I like what I've read so far. The back story is pretty cool - very spooky, ghosty. I'm about 1/3 of the way through the novel and I'm enjoying so far. I'll post back once I get the rules read.

Great New Sci-fi

I checked out that new science fiction show on Fox, Terra Nova. I'm hooked. So far, it's the top of my list of this year's new shows. The show centers on the Shannons, an ordinary family from 2149 when the planet is dying who are transported back 85 million years to prehistoric Earth where they join Terra Nova, a colony of humans with a second chance to build a civilization.

I love the concept and it's actually keeping my interest. I sat down to watch and work on some models at the same time and I found myself putting my work aside to focus on the show. I guess you could say the 21st century's answer to the old Land of the Lost franchise, but a lot less cheesy. Great characters, decent special effects and with Spielberg behind the scenes and Brannon Braga, involved - how can you go wrong?!

Time of the Wolf

It seems I accidentally deleted a recent post. Over the weekend, I had decided that it was time to take that 'new outlook' philosophy and apply it to a new 40k army. So I pulled out my Space Wolf codex yesterday and started reading. I've talked about doing this army in the past, but I never seemed to get it off the ground. Well, that all changes now. With Halloween coming and all, I figured why not start the wolves. So I'm starting with a Grey Hunters box and a SW Accessory sprue. I sat down tonight with my modeling tools and glue, popped in Underworld and got to work.

As of now, I've got 10 models half assembled. I'm waiting for the glue to dry before I begin attaching arms and such, but I'll get back at it tomorrow. I think I'm going to go squad by squad on this army. I'll start with Bran Redmaw's Great Company (which will be featured in the new Imperial Armour book and will also have a Bran Redmaw mini from FW - go figure). I may hunt down a Wulfen or two, but we'll see. They seem pretty expensive.

Should I or Shouldn't I??

So Games Workshop has announced it's new board game, Dreadfleet. Ship combat in the World of Warhammer on the high seas. One thing GW does well (in my opinion) is generate hype. That is until they decided to start keeping a lid on things. But at first glance, this new game certainly does reel me in, and my first instinct is to buy the game. But once again, they take the wind out of my sails by A) Making it 'Whiles Supplies Last', so now I can't plan to get the scratch together over the course of a couple of paydays to buy it, and B) Set the retail price so high, that a working dad of three can't help but become overwhelmed with guilt for spending more than $100 on a board game.

Again, the game looks great and I am a huge fan of their revival of Space Hulk, but will they make the game worth the investment? By that I mean will we see expansions in the future, i.e. a reason to keep playing the game after the initial excitement has fizzled?? I'm going to go out on a limb and guess 'no'. That was the one big disappointment that I had with Space Hulk. No new scenario packs, no new model kits or expansions. I've played the game a bunch of times, but now it becomes the same thing over and over. Hardly worth the $100 price tag.

I'm not sure who's steering the ship over there, but they need to take a long, hard look at their business model, before they lose that loyal customer base.

40k Book Review - Chapter's Due

So today's post will on the topic of books. Specifically, science fiction. I just got through reading The Chapter's Due by Graham McNeill.

I had trouble getting into the Uriel Ventris books, but I have to say that I really enjoyed the book. Without getting into some sophisticated ultra-analytical review, I thought it was a great, great read. It really delved into the chapter as a whole and featured a wide variety of the heroes of the chapter. The battles were great and I'm a big fan of the Iron Warriors, so that was a plus. Finally, just in general it was action all the way through. Oh and the fleet battles. There was some of that too!

Anyway, check the book out. If you're a space marine fan, you won't be disappointed.

A New Outlook...

I have recently been faced with some very serious struggles and while they are ongoing, I have chosen for myself and for the sake of my family to not let them get the best of me. I have chosen to, as my dad says, to keep my chin up. I believe, now more than ever that I can handle whatever life can throw at me. I know this because the only other solution would to be to lie down and call it quits. I'm not going to do that. So now, I will view each day as a gift and a chance to get it right.

So that said, I'm going to put more of an effort into a great many things. My job, my home, my family and friends and of course my hobbies. I've let a lot of things drag over the last year or two. Call it depression over losing my job a year ago or whatever, but I'm past that now and it's time to battle back with a new, energetic outlook. Going forward, I pledge to post more material on Warhammer, 4ok, literature, movies, RPGs, life in general - whatever comes to mind, but gone are the days of ignoring life. So here's to the first day of the rest of my life.

We Will Never Forget

To all of the victims, their families and heroes of 9/11, you are all still in my prayers. That day will forever stay etched in my memory. I remember it being a beautiful, sunny day and I was hearing the reports on the radio as I drove to work. I could feel my heart starting to race with fear. I got to work and sprinted across the parking lot to get upstairs and see what was happening. I got to the TV in the lounge just as the second plane hit the tower. I remember, I stopped breathing for several seconds. I couldn't believe what I was seeing. I remember our Help Desk being uncharacteristically silent with no phones ringing.

My boss came around and told us all to go home and be with our families. I left immediately and I can't remember ever wanting to be beside my wife and children more than on that day. My wife was terrified. I was glued to the television all day.

My parents and grandparents tell me that they remember ever minute of the day that John Kennedy was assassinated. They could remember where they were, who they were with and what they were doing. Sadly, 9/11 has had the same impact on me.

God Bless America and all of those who have sacrificed so much in the name of freedom. We owe you more than we can ever hope to repay. We Will Never Forget.

40k Book Review - Imperial Glory

Until a couple of weeks ago, I was between jobs and beginning to climb the walls. So to maintain my sanity, I got back into reading. I had a stack of books almost as tall I was, so I figured I'd work on that. About 4 days ago, I finished the newest IG book, Imperial Glory by Richard Williams and I enjoyed that one immensely. Some great firefights and running battles with a host of colorful characters. I kind of envisioned as Band of Brothers episodes as they fought their was through various battlefields...and the ending was great. Best I've read in a while. Well, now I'm nearly half way through The Chapter's Due by Graham McNeill. This one is the latest book in the Uriel Ventris series (Captain of the Ultramarines 4th Company). Up until now, I was not a huge fan of the series, having a difficult time getting into it, but this latest installment is nothing less than awesome!! I'm having a tough time putting it down and I even get cranky when someone (aka, wife and kids) forces me to put the book down.

The book needless to say has got me on an Ultramarine kick, so don't be surprised to see some Ultramarines minis pop up hear at Kantor Base. Oh, and I actually finished painting a 750 point Grey Knights army AND played my first game over the weekend. It did no go well, but I had fun playing with a painted army for a change, so I'm hoping there will be more of that.

Victory At Last!!!!

I got together with my buddy Mike and played a 1500 point game of Warhammer with the new Storm of Magic expansion. Let me preface this with the fact that I do have the new book, but haven't read a word, but I was curious to give it a whirl and Mike was willing to accommodate. I brought my High Elves and he brought his Dwarfs. Keep in mind that I HAVE NOT won a single Warhammer Fantasy game in all the years I've been playing tabletop wargames. Well, my friends, that losing streak ended this evening. My only regret was that I didn't take notes, nor did I bring my camera.

The unit of the game had to be my Sword Masters. They cut down a Chimera, a giant Doombull that had once been a Dwarf Runesmith that fell victim to a miscast. They also defeated and ran down a rather large regiment of Dwarf Warriors. All in all, I enjoyed the Storm of Magic expansion. Now I just have to go and read the rules.

That's One Bad A** Frost Giant

I just started reading The Plague of Shadows by Howard Andrew Jones. I'm about 50 pages into the book and I can't put it down. The story is set in the popular Pathfinder Campaign Setting by Paizo Publishing. That RPG system has stuck to the old D&D 3.5 rule set and honestly I can still see the appeal. It kind of takes me back to my old 1st and 2nd Dungeons & Dragons days. Those were some great times. Anyway, one thing led to another and I started looking at the Reaper metal miniatures...and check this out!

Now I don't like working with metal models from an army standpoint, BUT I do miss the old days when one miniature represented you on the gaming table. Hey, anyone up for Pathfinder??

BatRep - HE/Empire v. Skaven 1500pts

As I mentioned in a previous post, I got together with our gaming group and played a 2-on-2 game of WFB. Aaron and myself, playing Empire and High Elves respectively squared off against Mike and Paul, both fielding Skaven. From the get go, I could see this was going to be a tough game. Here are the highlights.

I neglected to get the army lists recorded, but keep in mind this was more or less a practice game for me as I learn my army and the game.

Skaven won roll off and opted to move first. This was a straight battle with no special rules.

Turn 1
The Skaven aggressively began moving their lines forward in order to close the distance. The Skaven magic phase dealt a crippling blow to my Archers, who I was depending on to whittle down the numbers. A Plague spell brought down 7 of my 10 Archers. Our magic phase, resulted in a successfull Flames of the Phoenix spell, killing 7 clanrats and wounding the Plague Priest. I began moving my Reavers around the Skaven left flank and was able to take out the Warpfire Thrower (one of two war machines).

Turn 2
The skaven continued to advance and I foolishly held my Spearmen and Sword Masters back, while the Empire contingent charged the Rat Ogres on our right and killed one in the ensuing combat. Magic was ineffective AND I forgot to move my Reavers around to the rear to intercept the last Skaven war machine. Bad move.

Turn 3
Another skaven Plague spell hits my forces and destroys half of my Sword Masters before they can get into combat. Not having any place to move without risking running off the table, clanrats charged my Reavers. Spearmen are charged, lose combat, flee but rally at the beginning of the next turn. Our magic phase goes well and Flames of the Phoenix accounts for 15 more dead rats. The last Rat Ogre falls and the skaven slaves are destroyed. Things appear to be looking up.

Turn 4
Skaven charge spearmen and send them running. Clanrats foolishly pursue...off the table with the Flames of Phoenix spell still in play, which ultimately finishes that unit. The Greatswords move forward and meet the clanrats charge and Empire Swordsmen along with their detachment of halberdiers also charge. Off to our right, my Reavers are finished off, doing only minimal damage to the enemy.

Turn 5
Remaining Archers are killed off as are the Empire Knights and Mortar crew. While the Greatswords cause substantial damage they and the Swordsmen are finally killed. With only the War Priest and the Mage left, we concede the battle to the Skaven.

Post Game
I think this loss was solely on the High Elves. Three major factors contributed to the result. First, losing my Archers so early in the game. That was from the result of a die roll, so I couldn't control that. Second, Forgetting to move my Reavers around to the rear in order to take out the second remaining ranged threat, and finally, I should have charged with my units when I had the chance, but did not. I allowed them to remain unengaged for an additional enemy magic phase, which decimated my forces. My partner Aaron a more cunning strategist, fared better and hung in the fight a bit longer. All in all, a fun game with a good group of people.

Sword Masters - Done!

I did something today, that I haven't done in some time. I actually finished painting a unit of models. A regiment of 10 Sword Masters of Hoeth from the Island of Blood set. I still have to base them, but that's beside the point. I'm glad to have them done.

This unit is part of my 1,000 point introductory list, as I continue to learn the army and how it works. The plan is to eventually build this out to 25 models and to magnetize a movement tray. Next up will my High Elf Mage, which also comes from the Island of Blood set. I'm hoping to finish that one tonight and get started on the Spearmen tomorrow!

Painting High Elf Mage (Island of Blood) - Part 2

My Island of Blood High Elf Mage is finished. I had decided to paint this model before assembling in order to make it easier on myself...and am I glad that I did. It took long enough to do it with easy access to every detail. I couldn't have imagined doing it after it was built. Anyway, here's a shot of the painted mini still on the sprue. Painting was nothing special. Once again, extensive use of washes rather than highlighting. I want the army to have a darker feel to it. After all, the Storm of Magic is nothing to dress up about!

The Storm Has Arrived!!

I picked up my Storm of Magic book today as well as the new Magic Cards. At first glance, just thumbing through it, I think its a nice complement to the 8th Ed. rulebook and I'm psyched about being able to incorporate monsters from other armies into my High Elves. Unfortunately, they were already sold out of the terrain when I got there, so I'll have to wait. I won't choose any monsters until I read the book - I've spent to much cash on kits that never get used.

I was disappointed with the cards, due to the fact that the website led me to believe that there was room for the other magic cards, but what they don't tell you is that you have to actually remove the Storm of Magic cards first. Thanks, GW!

The plan for tonight is to kick back in the recliner and start reading the new book, but so far - I recommend it.

Painting High Elf Mage (Island of Blood) - Part 1

I seem to be playing Fantasy more than anything else lately, so I'm going to dive into my Island of Blood set and get those models painted, starting with the Mage. This one looks like it's going to be a pain in the butt to paint (judging by the first one that I foolishly assembled without considering how difficult it might be), so I decided to paint this one BEFORE assembling it. This model comes in three easy snap-together components. What I did was leave them on the sprue to maximize the exposure to the details. I cleaned off all of the flash, only leaving each piece attached in the areas that would provide the most support, so I can handle the model.

NEXT STEP: Priming

WFB - Doubles Game Tonight

I'm partnering up with another High Elf player tonight for a 1500 point game. Which is to say that I'm responsible for 750 points. Now, keep in mind, I haven't spoken to my partner, so I have no idea what he's bringing, but we are battling it out with the Skaven this evening. For my half, I'm fielding:

1 Mage (level 2)
15 Spearmen w/ cmd
10 Archers w/ cmd
10 Sword Masters of Hoeth w/ cmd
5 Ellyrian Reavers w/ Harbinger

On a side note, until yesterday, I only had a single model painted; the Mage. Well, I'm pleased to announce that 7 of my 10 Sword Masters are now painted. For me, that's a lot of painting in one day. Anyway, wish me luck. I hope to post pics tomorrow.

Happy 4th of July

Just wanted to wish everyone a safe and Happy 4th of July!!

Hmmm....Very Interesting.....

This new Storm of Magic expansion has grabbing my interest. Finally, some ass-kickin' monster models - in plastic. The Chaos Lord on Manticore looks bad ass! So does the Dark Elf Lord on Dragon. Hmmmm. I'm feeling the tug of WFB getting stronger and stronger....

Happy Father's Day

Just want to wish my dad a Happy Father's Day...you've always been my hero. Love you, Dad.

A happy Father's Day to all of you dads out there. It's a tough job, but it's the best job I've ever had. Enjoy the day and God Bless.

Stuff I'm Working On...

Not too long ago, I tried organizing my work area and was shocked at how many projects I had started and never completed (or in some cases, never started). So I decided to try and put some of my free time to use and get some things assembled, painted and possibly sold.

The last few days have been split between the new Grey Knights and Imperial Fists. Pardon the crappy resolution. The batteries on the camera died and my wife's iPod was close at hand. Bad idea. Anyway, the Grey Knights are part of a 1250 list that I created when the new codex was released and the Imperial Fists were out of a desire to start a codex chapter that was vanilla, but not the goody, goody boy scouts that the Ultramarines are.

I'm also jumping on my High Elves and I have my eye on a Tomb Kings project as well. More to come.

40k Book Review - Horus Heresy

In an effort to inspire my kids to read more, I spent considerable time over the last few weeks trying to catch up on the ridiculously tall stack of books that I have accumulated over the last year. I recently finished two of the Horus Heresy books: Legion by Dan Abnett and The Battle For The Abyss by Ben Counter. I was a bit disappointed in both stories, to be honest. I struggled to maintain my interest in Legion, finding the book to be somewhat dull and not nearly enough action. The story focuses on the Night Legion, one of the Traitor Legions. I was hoping for some epic battles, but it was more (to me, at least) of an uninteresting political novel.

Battle For The Abyss was a tad better, with a little more combat than the previous book, but I had some difficulty keeping some of the characters straight. I also expected to see a bit more of the Ultramarines featured in this book, but again, I was disappointed.

This series started off well, but it seems to have wavered somewhat. I will continue to read the series and finish it, because I don't like leaving books unfinished (weird, I know), but I've just picked up the new Space Marine Battles Novel, Battle of the Fang by Chris Wraight. I hear this one's pretty awesome.

High Elves - Back to Basics

As I had mentioned in my post yesterday. I almost literally got ran off the table during my game of Warhammer Fantasy. Now, before I go any further, I am not one of those players who placing winning above the fun aspect of the game. But I would like to at least master the game and get more enjoyment out of a gaming session. Keep in mind, this has nothing to do with any opponent that I've ever played. Classy players one and all. So the work has to start with me.

After some considerable thought, I think my inability to play well as less to do with lousy dice rolling that it does with the fact that I don't know my army. I need to spend more time with my army and learn what it can and cannot do. So...I'm going back to basics. I cut it down to a 1,000 point list that is an 'ideal starting army' for a new player. Which is basically what I am. The term, 'ideal starting army' comes form the High Elf army book.

Basically, I've started with GW's recommendation for a starter army on page 73 of the book. I decided to go with Dragon Princes instead of Silver Helms, because let's face it, those are stupid looking models. The new plastic Dragon Princes are great looking kits. Here is the list that I'm going to begin with:

1 Prince on Elven steed w/ Ogre Blade
10 Archers w/ full command
15 Spearmen w/ full command
10 Sword Masters of Hoeth w/ full command
5 Dragon Princes w/ full command
1 Repeater Bolt Thrower

The list does not have any magic, but I figured one step at a time. Plus, both my mages were absolutely useless yesterday. So in future posts, I'll add updates to this project and hopefully include a little fictional background as well. In the meantime, I'm re-reading the army book and payings specific attention to the unit entries that are in this starting force.

1500 High Elves...Fail

I got that game in with my buddy Jon today. He brought Chaos Warriors against my High Elves. The game started out will, I gunned down his Marauder Horseman in pretty short order, but that was the extent of my success. I won't get into the details, but by the end of the third turn, I was down to just my level 2 Mage. Nothing went right. So it's back to the drawing board, 'cause my list sucked.

I still haven't given up on the High Elves. I am convinced that there is a way to a winning army. I'm thinking of dropping my Ellyrian Reavers (2 units of 5) and going with a nice block of 10 Dragon Princes and maybe give up some finesse and sink some points into a Dragon Mage as well. Lothern Sea Guard totally crapped the bed for me, so I'm dropping those in favor of some cheaper Spearmen. Those are just some initial thoughts. My losing list today was:

Noble - no magic itmes
Level 2 Mage
Level 1 Mage
10 Archers w/ champion
20 Swordmasters w/ command and banner of sorcery
20 LSG w/ command
5 Ellyrian Reavers
5 Ellyrian Reavers
1 Bolt Thrower

40k Book Review - Victories of the Space Marines

I just finished reading Victories of the Space Marines, the latest edition in the series of short story anthologies from Black Library. I really enjoyed this third volume. Some of the tales featured a great piece about the Grey Knights and sacrifices made to battle daemons. Excellent story. Loved it. It was also good to see the Blood Angels audio drama, Heart of Rage in print. That one's my favorite Blood Angels story. Some of the chapters features were the Crimson Consuls, Warbringers, Imperial Fists and a Deathwatch Kill Team. I finished this book just in time to pick up the latest Space Marines Battle novel, Battle of the Fang. Of course, this will probably launch me back into Space Wolves (yes, I've prepared a 750-point list). With the rumors about the next Imperial Armour volume featuring the sons of Russ, I couldn't resist.

On the hobby front, I got three of my Grey Knight Strike Squad painted today. I mean completely painted. That includes basing and a couple of coats of sealer. I can't remember the last time I painted three models in a single day.

Tomorrow, I'm playing a game of Warhammer Fantasy against my buddy Jon. 1500 points of High Elves against Warriors of Chaos. I'm guessing I'll get stomped, but it'll be a fun time in any case.

GW switches to 'Resin-ish'

Looks like GW has confirmed the move to Resin-ish models. Amen. Personally, I hate metals. Below is a list of the initial product list, couresy of BOLS. I can't wait to get my hands on some of these items. The new stuff is reportedly hitting the shelves at the end of the month. But instead of a price decrease as rumored by one of the GW staffers, there seems to be a price hike, but I expected nothing less. The items in red are definitely going to be my first choices. I wonder if the sculpts will be new?

41-60 COMMANDER DANTE £10.50 53-60 LOGAN GRIMNAR £14.50
55-61 THE EMPERORS CHAMPION £9.50
48-63 SPACE MARINE CHAPLAIN WITH JUMP PACK £10.50
44-60 DARK ANGELS COMPANY MASTER £10.50
48-61 SM LIBRARIAN IN TERMINATOR ARMOUR £14.50 53-61 NJAL STORMCALLER £14.50 41-61 ASTORATH THE GRIM £12.50
43-60 ABADDON THE DESPOILER £14.50
43-61 HURON BLACKHEART £10.50
50-61 ORK WARBOSS WITH ATTACK SQUIG £14.50
50-63 ORK BIG MEK £14.50
50-65 ORK PAINBOY WITH GROT ORDERLY £10.50
46-61 ELDAR AUTARCH WITH POWER WEAPON £10.50
46-62 THE AVATAR OF KHAINE £22.50
46-63 HARLEQUIN DEATH JESTER £10.50
46-64 HARLEQUIN SHADOWSEER £10.50
47-61 COMMISSAR YARRICK £10.50
47-63 IMPERIAL GUARD LORD COMMISSAR £9.50
51-61 TYRANID ZOANTHROPE £15.50
51-63 TYRANID TYRANT GUARD £15.50
51-64 TYRANID HIVE GUARD £15.50
51-65 TYRANID BROODLORD £15.50
57-61 BROTHER CAPTAIN STERN £14.50
57-60 LORD KALDOR DRAIGO £14.50 57-62 CASTELLAN CROWE £10.50 57-63 INQUISITOR COTEAZ £10.50
45-60 DARK ELDAR ARCHON £9.50
45-64 LELITH HESPERAX £10.50
45-63 URIEN RAKARTH £10.50
45-61 DARK ELDAR SUCCUBUS £9.50
56-60 TAU ETHEREAL WITH HONOUR BLADE £9.50
83-62 CHAOS EXALTED HERO £9.50
83-63 CHAOS KHORNE EXALTED HERO £10.50
86-60 EMPIRE CAPTAIN WITH HAMMER & PISTOL £9.50
92-60 WOOD ELF HIGHBORN WITH GREAT WEAPON £9.50
84-60 DWARF LORD WITH HAMMER & SHIELD £9.50
84-61 DWARF RUNELORD WITH GREAT WEAPON £9.50
90-60 SKAVEN WARLORD £9.50
90-61 QUEEK HEADTAKER £10.50
90-62 DEATHMASTER SNIKCH £10.50
91-61 VAMPIRE LORD £9.50
89-60 GRIMGOR IRONHIDE £10.50
89-62 BLACK ORC BIG BOSS £10.50
87-60 CARADRYAN £10.50
85-61 DARK ELF ASSASSIN WITH TWO HAND WEAPONS £9.50
81-60 MALAGOR THE DARK OMEN £12.50
10-61 URUK-HAI WITH CROSSBOWS £14.00
10-62 URUK-HAI BERSERKERS £14.00
08-61 GOTHMOG (PELENNOR) £20.50
05-60 ELROND AND GIL-GALAD £15.00
10-60 SARUMAN AND GRIMA £15.00
02-60 GANDALF THE WHITE £20.50
04-60 ARAGORN (THE BLACK GATE) £20.50
04-62 THEODEN (HELM’S DEEP) £20.50
04-61 BOROMIR (ITHILIEN) £20.50
09-60 SULADAN THE SERPENT LORD £20.50
08-62 THE DARK MARSHAL (RINGWRAITH) £20.50
05-61 DAIN AND BALIN £15.00
97-60 SKULLTAKER £14.50
48-40 MARNEUS CALGAR AND HONOUR GUARD £36.00
48-41 SPACE MARINE TECHMARINE WITH SERVITORS £25.50 55-40 BLACK TEMPLARS SWORD BRETHREN SQUAD £25.50 48-42 SPACE MARINE STERNGUARD VETERAN SQUAD £25.50 48-43 SPACE MARINE VANGUARD VETERAN SQUAD £25.50 53-40 CANIS WOLFBORN £30.00
43-40 NURGLE DAEMON PRINCE £21.50
43-41 CHAOS SPACE MARINE RAPTORS £25.50
43-42 DEATH GUARD PLAGUE MARINES £25.50
50-43 BOSS ZAGSTRUK £14.50
50-40 GHAZGHKULL THRAKA £22.50
50-41 ORK TANKBUSTAS £25.50
50-42 ORK BIG MEK WITH SHOKK ATTACK GUN £23.00
46-41 ELDAR RANGERS £20.50
46-42 ELDAR DARK REAPERS £23.00
46-44 ELDAR STRIKING SCORPIONS £23.00
46-40 ELDAR FARSEER AND WARLOCKS £20.50
51-42 TYRANID LICTOR £15.50
51-40 TYRANID HIVE TYRANT £36.00
51-41 TYRANID PYROVORE £21.50
45-40 DARK ELDAR INCUBI £23.00
45-41 DARK ELDAR MANDRAKES £20.50
56-40 TAU SNIPER DRONE TEAM £23.00
83-42 ARCHAON THE EVERCHOSEN £30.00
83-43 CHAOS LORD ON DAEMONIC MOUNT £22.50
83-41 CHAOS DRAGON OGRE SHAGGOTH £36.00
86-41 LUDWIG SCHWARZHELM £22.50
86-40 KURT HELBORG £22.50
82-41 THE GREEN KNIGHT £22.50
82-40 KING LOUEN LEONCOEUR £30.00
92-42 WOOD ELVES TREE KIN £30.00
92-40 ORION KING IN THE WOODS £22.50
92-41 WOOD ELVES TREEMAN £36.00
84-40 THOREK IRONBROW £36.00
84-41 DWARF GYROCOPTER £23.00
84-42 DWARF BOLT THROWER £23.00
90-40 SKAVEN WARPLOCK JEZZAILS £30.00
91-40 VAMPIRE COUNTS VARGHULF £21.50
91-42 COUNT MANNFRED £22.50
91-41 VAMPIRE COUNTS BLOOD KNIGHTS £61.50
88-41 KROQ GAR £40.00
89-44 GOBLIN SPEAR CHUKKA £18.50
89-43 SAVAGE ORC GREAT SHAMAN ON WAR BOAR £15.50
89-41 ORC WARBOSS ON WYVERN £40.00
89-42 GOBLIN ROCK LOBBER £23.00
89-45 GORBAD IRONCLAW £30.00
89-40 AZHAG THE SLAUGHTERER £55.00
85-41 DARK ELVES REAPER BOLT THROWER £18.50
08-40 THE DARK LORD SAURON £25.50
08-42 GULAHVAR THE TERROR OF ARNOR £30.00
08-43 MORDOR TROLL CHIEFTAIN £25.50
02-40 THE FELLOWSHIP OF THE RING £37.00
97-42 FLAMERS OF TZEENTCH £15.50

Captain My Captain...first GK finished!

Brother-Captain Omarus Halcyon, commander of the 7th Brotherhood, is one of the chapter's finest warriors. He is far older than most of his comrades realize and he often eludes to past experiences that none of his men can remember. He is an accomplished warrior and brilliant tactician and he is held in high regard by the Chapter Council. It is said that Halcyon was a once a battle brother of the Red Hunters chapter of Space Marines and commanded one of that mysterious chapter's veteran squads before joining the ranks of the Grey Hunters.

I finished painting my Brother-Captain and had a pretty hard time with the sword, which I'm still not happy with, but after spending pretty much the whole afternoon on this one, I'm ready to call it a day. I just can't seem to get that wet blending technique down.

I'm only including the tabard on squad leaders and such, to help differentiate them from the rank and file. Believe it or not, there are only so many different poses that you can build. The red tabards, for purposes of my collection will signify command (Brother-Captains, Brotherhood Champions, Justicars). The white tabards will signify senior officers (Grand Masters). On the bright side, I've completed the first model for my army. Only 26 more to go.

Grey Knights - Army Update

I finished assembling, basing AND basecoating my 1250 point Grey Knights list. My next step is to, one model at a time, complete the detail painting. The goal here is to try and make each model as unique as possible. I'm also working on some background work for the collection as well.

Sorry for the crappy pictures, but it in the interest of getting an update out, I just threw them on the table and took a quick shot. I'm also pretty anxious to start playing with the force and getting comfortable with the army before I expand it. I do have a ton of stuff waiting in the wings, but I don't want to get overwhelmed and bored.

High Elf Noble - Completed

As I mentioned a few weeks ago, I made my foray back into Warhammer Fantasy. I made a kick around list, just to get my feet wet. That list included a High Elf Noble. Well, I have finished painting that model and gave him a name.

Galdiril of Nagarythe was once numbered among the deadliest warriors in the ranks of the Shadow Warriors. He recently saved the life of a High Elf Prince against an Orc warband and was granted a title and given command of a small detachment.

I used standard GW paints for this model. I couldn't really decide on the colors of the base until I saw the Island of Blood demo models painted up at one of the Games Workshops nearby and decided to go with that. I want to keep this army a bit darker than the traditional 'shining silver' of the High Elves.

1,250 pt Grey Knights List

This is my first time playing Grey Knights and from what I hear, it's not your average starter army and while I've been playing 40k for some time, I don't play with any great frequency, so I still consider myself a beginner. In fact, I've lost way more games that I've won. So with that in mind, I came up with a 1,250 point list to get myself comfortable with the codex.

Keep in mind that I tend to build forces more out of a desire to fit into the 40k universe and its fiction and not to win games. This probably explains why I lose so often, but I enjoy playing, so I don't really mind.

GK Brother-Captain (1)

Nemesis force sword, m/c

stormbolter

psybolt ammunition

GK Strike Squad (10)

psycannon (x2)

Nemesis force halberd (x2)

Nemesis force sword (Justicar)

Rhino w/ psybolt ammo

GK Terminator Squad (5)

psycannon (x1)

Nemesis force halberd (x3)

Daemon hammer (Justicar)

psybolt ammunition

GK Terminator Squad (5)

Nemesis force halberd (Justicar)

Incinerator

Nemesis force swords x4

psybolt ammunition

Interceptor Squad (5)

Nemesis force swords x3

Incinerator

Daemon Hammer

psybolt ammo

Dreadnought

twin-linked lascannon

psybolt ammuntion

Boarding Action!

The MkIII Boarding Marine from Forge World arrived this week! Really nice model. Can't wait to add this one to my collection! This was the event model featured at Adepticon this year, but the line was too freakin' long, so I ordered it.

Happy Easter from Kantor Base

Just wanted to wish everyone out there a Happy Easter! I know it's a religious holiday and it may not apply to everyone, but there's the commercial aspect too. So with that in mind, May your day be filled with Marshallow Peeps and Chocolate Bunnies. Oh and Gaming. Lots and lots of gaming.

First Game....

...in three years. And it was fun. So I finally got my first game of Fantasy in over three years. We were unable to complete the game to time constraints. By that I mean GW has some real sissy hours of operation and kicked us out at 9pm. Which is BS, because many of us work for a living and can't get there until 7pm anyway. But I digress.

Anyway, I played a 1500 pt game against a new friend of mine. He ran an Orcs &Goblins list and I went with my High Elves. We were both pretty much newbies and so we didn't have much painted and we muddled our way through the rules, so there were no photos. This time.

My army consisted of a Noble, 2 Mages, 2 units of LSG, 2 units of Reavers, 5 Shadow Warriors, a Bolt Thrower and 15 Swordmasters. If memory serves, he brought along 4 characters, 10 Spider Riders, a Giant, a ton of Goblin Archers and Goblin Spearmen, a Doom Diver and block of Boyz. The game was pretty even of the two and a half turns until right before we got tossed out. My friend got ahead of me when I charged his Boyz with my Swordmasters and forgot that I get to re-roll misses because of my high initiative AND Speed of Asuryan. But that's what happens when you don't know how to play your army. Although, I did take out the Doom Diver and I shot up his Spider Riders pretty bad before losing my Shadow Warriors.

Anyway, it was fun getting out and playing and I look forward to the next battle. Nick was a great opponent.

Finally....Time for Gaming!!!

This Wednesday I will at long last have the time to pull up a stool, sit down and play some Warhammer. It's Warhammer Fantasy, but hey, I'm not complaining. It's been a long time since I've been able to play a game, but at long last the planets are aligned and the moon will be full (I think). By that I mean that the kids don't have any activity and my wife is off.

So...I'm playing a 1500 pt game of Fantasy; my High Elves against Orcs & Goblins. I never played against that army before, so it should be fun. If anyone has any tips - let me know. Anyway, I have a ton of stuff to do. I've got a 1000 point list that I need to upgrade, which will in ally likelihood involve, at the very least, building some more models.

I've got two days to get a ton of stuff done: Brush up on rules, update my list, assemble a couple of custom bases, build a unit or two, and if there's time - paint some stuff.

Grey Knight Librarian Conversion

As I had mentioned in a previous post, I'm not thrilled with the fact that the new Grey Knight codex has limited options for Librarians. By that, I mean Librarians must be in Terminator armor with no options for power armor. To me, it's a complete waste of Space Marine Librarians. With so many Grey Knight HQ choices, they should have produced a GK Commander Kit (just like the Space Marines). While I like the metal Terminator Librarian model, there aren't enough options for the rank and file Librarians. With that in mind, I sat down last night and tried coming up with my own conversion. I deliberately tried to avoid anything elaborate (that's what the metal one is for). Let me know what you think. Sorry about the bad lighting.