Running out of time!

Well, I started to make a thing to take photos on, but I'm running out of time! I wanted to document the painting as I finished, but need to get these done before Alamo. Our flight leaves on Nov 2, I've got less than 2 weeks! Things aren't hopeless, though... I need to finish up the BSB Chariot...that's 2 evenings work. Skulltaker on the Jugger is about 1/3 done (base coat done on jugger). And I need to do 3 Screamers (maybe I can get something done quick with these new cool washes!) But then I need to base everything! I want to do a quick & easy "ashen waste" look, with sand painted black, with dargrey, light grey, and white successively lighter highlights. Hopefully I can get my son to help do the basing to make things move a bit faster! Sorry for lack of pictures...but sadly they'll have to wait until after the big event!

Tzeentch Chariots

I've been working for ages now and what I'm going to use as my two Tzeentch Chariots.

The first is just a Tzeentch Lord on Disc stuck on a Chariot Base with two Screamers in front of him. My intent is to use some gold jewelry chain so the disk is being pulled by the screamers. Here's some poor quality images...hopefully my picture taking ability will improve with my modeling skills. :)

You can see in the shot below I'm having a hard time keeping his Halberd blade attached. It was 'bent' went I got the model, broke off when trying to straighten it, and hasn't stayed attached threw a game since then. I'll have to pin it, but it's such a tiny shaft pinning will be hard!

My BSB is a regular horror with a banner put in his hand with a wad of greenstuff. It's a Bloodletter banner with the Khorne symbol cut off making the top look irregular and unfinished. It's hard to see in these shots, but the yellow on the banner is not coming out well, it's very streaked and blotchy. I've put on about 6 coats so far, and it's slowly improving, but I want something bright yellow! I've got some red Tzeentchy decals to put on after the yellow satisfies me.

The Disc is an old (lead, I think) Tzeentch Champion's disc. To give it the spikey parts, I used some really thin cardboard (it's somewhere between cardboard and cardstock) and a sharp knife to mimic the pointy bits on the Lord on Disc model. I used the same color sceme on his disk, trying to mimic what I'd done with fading by drybrushing on the Lord with washes. The tentacles dangling off the back will be Green. (In fact, as you'll see...if my camerawork improves...everything in the army has green tentacles, tongue, warts, veins...something is green on everybody!) Like the Lord on Disc chariot, this one will have gold chain to be the 'pully-things'.

Bases on the whole army will be a simply Ashen Waste look...fine sand, paint black, then successively lighter drybrushes of dark grey, light grey, and finally white.

Brettonia Overrun By Daemons! Lady of the Lake Missing; Feared Slain! (a battle report)

(Guillermo and I have been playing his Brettonians vs. some aspect of my Chaos for several months now. Things went his way for the first several games, then things changed...the Daemon book came out! I wish I had done reports for all of them, but oh well...) Brettonia Overrun By Daemons! Lady of the Lake Missing; Feared Slain! Many months ago the Duke’s forces repelled a number of incursions by the mortal followers of Chaos. These were just the first waves of what has turned in to a major invasion by daemonic and mortals forces, which have run amok over the beautiful Brettonian countryside. The Duke and his sons were slain. The King is in hiding. The Lady herself mustered the Realm’s defenses, and while they repelled one assault by the Daemons, there has been no news for a fortnight of her or her army since they left to counter another Daemonic advance. Daemons have been sighted in all corners of our fair land, and all citizens are warned of the great danger to our way of life! With no word of the King or the Lady, it falls upon the local baronies and fiefdoms to look to their own defenses. Honor your vows to your local Knights, and defend your homes! The latest in a long series of battles between Chaos and Brettonia happened this weekend at my place. We played a 2500 point game (so we could have lots of fun toys! J ) on a relatively open battlefield. The terrain consisted of hills in the North-West and South-East corners (with the Daemons setting up on the South edge). There were forests on the middle-line flanks of the table, forcing the action towards the middle. There was a forest in the back middle of the Brettonian (North) side of the table, and a small marsh in the back middle of the Daemons. The Daemonic army was a mix of all but Nurgle’s forces: Led by a Herald of Tzeentch on a flying chariot with Master of Sorcery and Spell Breaker. A Khorne Herald on a Chariot held the Army Battle Standard, the Banner of Unholy Victory. Another Herald of Khorne on a Juggernaught was present, and Slaanesh sent one of his Heralds armed with a mighty Etherblade. Two units of 18 Horrors were present, alongside a unit of 16 Bloodletters with full command, and 15 Daemonettes with full command. 6 Flamers hopped alongside the army, while 6 Furies flew overhead. Two units of 5 Flesh Hounds ranged ahead of the army, seeking prey; and 2 Fiends of Slaanesh pranced about, their lithe limbs carrying them with unholy speed. Arrayed to defend her Realm and her People, the Fey Enchantress led a mighty host of noble knights. She road on her magnificent Unicorn alongside 5 Grail Knights, sworn to her defense. A high noble carried the army Battle Standard in another large unit of 8 Grail Knights. 6 Knights of the Realm rode to battle carrying their War Banner. Two units of 9 Knights Errant looked for the chance to prove their worth. Two of the Lady’s chosen Damsels road amongst the nights, protecting and guiding them. The peasantry turned out in large numbers to protect their homes: three units of 10 Bowmen were on the field, and two units of 15 Men at Arms stood ready to support their Nobles. The Lady had also seen to it that a might piece of field artillery, a Trebuchet, was on hand to help repel the Daemons. The Daemons deployed with fast light troops on their left: the Fiends, the Furies, and the Flamers set up to the west, with the forest to their front. Next came a unit of Horrors, lending magical support to this flank. To their right came the Bloodletters with the Khorne Herald amongst them. The Daemonic line was split by the marsh, but continued in a solid line beyond it…the Daemonettes formed the center, and to their right was the Battle Standard Bearer on his Chariot. To his right was a unit of Flesh Hounds, then another unit of Horrors, and the extreme right end of the line was held by the second unit of Hounds. The general on his flying chariot hovered behind the right-most Horrors. The Brettonians placed a unit of Knight Errants with a Damsel amongst them on their West flank, opposite the Fiends, Furies, and Flamers. Next to them, on a hill, was a unit of peasant bowmen behind defensive stakes, and Fat Bertha, the mighty Field Trebuchet. Next came the Lady herself and her supporting Grail Knights, a unit of men-at-arms, and the larger Grail Knight force with the other Damsel. Another unit of Peasants set up defensive stakes to hold the middle of the line. Next to them was the other Knights Errant. Then came more Men-at-Arms in support, and the unit of Knights of the Realm. On the east end of their line was a unit of peasant bowmen in loose skirmishing order. The Daemons surged in to action. The Fiends inched forward, taunting the Knight’s Errant. The Flamers marched in to the forest, while the furies followed them to the forest’s edge. The horrors moved forward to get the enemy in range of their foul magic, and the Bloodletters inched forward to support them. The Daemonettes were anxious to caress the enemy with their loving claws: they ran as fast as they could to the middle of the battlefield, but turning slightly to the east, facing the Knights Errant and Knights of the Realm. The Battle Standard Bearer’s Chariot and Flesh Hounds adjusted slightly. The east horrors moved to within magic range, while the east end of the line saw the Flesh Hounds leap forward, saliva dripping at the thought of gnawing on mortal flesh! The Fey Enchantress, scorning the power of Tzeentch’s magic, chose to not dispel the Flickering Fire cast by the Horrors at the archers on the hill, believing Tzeentch’s spell to not be able to reach. Alas for the peasants, the spell was in range, and 4 of them died. The rest, not wanting to meet the same fate, fled off the hill. The rest of the Daemonic magic was completely ineffective for the rest of the battle. The Knights Errant could not resist the urge to prove their worth, and charged at the Daemonettes. The large Grail Knight unit wanted to support their brothers, and charged the Daemonettes flank. The Knights Errant facing the Fiends were intimidated by their alluring appearance, so backed up to avoid their soft caresses. The Enchantress moved forward just a tweak to be ready to support her followers. The Men-at-Arms were urged forward by the Knights. The Lady’s magic was strong. Drinking from her Chalice, she called down a mighty Comet between the Bloodletters and the horrors. She then called upon the power of the wood to smite down three of the Furies. The Trebuchet’s crew set up their shot at the Bloodletters wrong, and instead managed to kill one of the Grail Knights engaged with the Daemonettes! The bowmen killed a Bloodletter and wounded a flesh hound on the east flank. The Knights were about to learn the power of Slaanesh’s forces. The Herald of Slaanesh cut down the noble carrying the Brettonian battle standard before any lances could be driven home. The rest of the Daemonettes managed to kill a Grail Knight and a Knight Errant. Then the lances struck, and the Daemonettes paid the price for their impetuous advance. 9 Daemonettes fell under the lances and hooves of the noble knights. But they were not deterred…the symbol of Slaanesh that they bore granted them assurance that they would be rewarded, and they stubbornly refused to give up the fight. The Daemonette’s advance had set up the flower of Brettonian nobility to take charges from the Bloodletters with the Herald of Khorne, while the Knights Errant were charged by the Khorne Chariot and the Flesh Hounds. The remaining furies flew over the trees to engage the crew of the Trebuchet. The other Flesh Hound pack charged at the skirmishing Bowmen. The Fiends inched forward a bit more, against taunting and jeering at the Knights Errant. The Flamers edged thru the woods, ready to fling Tzeentchian flames, but were unable to penetrate the combination of Brettonian armor and the protection of The Lady. The Horrors marched forward to get away from the incoming comet. The Daemonic charge on the Knights engaged with the Daemonettes was harsh. Many knights were slain outright, the rest fleeing. The Knights Errant were dragged down by the Flesh-hounds, while several of the Grail Knights escaped. The Furies and Trebuchet crew commenced a three turn display of lack of martial prowess…nobody would kill anyone, and nobody would flee. The skirmishing bowmen were annihilated by the Flesh Hounds. In the middle of the table, the pursuit of the Knights left the daemons in a horrible traffic jam, and the remaining Knights surged forward to take advantage. The Knights Errant that had been playing patty-cake with the Fiends charged the Flamers in the trees. The Lady and her Knights, along with halberd wielding Men-at-Arms, charged the flank of the Bloodletters. The Knights of the Realm charged the Horrors at the East end of the Daemonic line. The Peasants that had fled and rallied last turn moved back to the perch on the hill, but bereft of the protection of their stakes. The Grail Knights that had fled rallied and turned to face back in to the fray. Things did not go well for the Daemons. The Flamers were annihilated, and the Knights Errant continued their charge in to the flank of the West Horrors. The Men-at-Arms and Grail Knights killed many Bloodletters, and many more were lost to the warp…so many that the Knights were no longer in combat. The Knights of the Realm killed a handful of Horrors, but they maintained their hold on the mortal world. The third Daemon turn, and things were precariously balanced. The protections of the Lady had prevented Daemonic magic from having any affect, and the furious counter-charge of the Daemons had run it’s course, leaving them surrounded by vengeful knights filled with righteous fury! The General moved to east end of the Brettonian line, ready to throw the weight of his chariot where it was needed. The Flesh Hounds that had chased down the Bowmen returned to the battle, ready to fall upon the rear of the Knights. The Fiends charged the Bowmen on the hill, killing several and chasing the rest off the table. The Daemonettes, Flesh-Hounds, and Chariot tried to correct their traffic jam, with the Hounds setting up to receive the charge from the recently rallied Grail Knights, and the Chariot and Daemonettes moved to position to support them and the east Horrors fighting the Knights of the Realm. The Herald of Khorne in the remnants of the Bloodletter unit moved over to engage the men-at-arms. The protection granted him by the Juggernaut he rode protected him from harm, but he only managed to cut down a few peasants. More Bloodletters were lost to the Warp. The furies and Trebuchet crew continued to play cards together. The Knights Errant and Knights of the Realm continued to battle with Horrors, killing more of Tzeentch’s daemons and sending many back to the warp. The fate of their realm still hung in the balance as the Brettonians began their third turn. The Lady spurred the Unicorn and her Grail Knight escort back in to the Bloodletter unit, contacting again the flank of the Khorne Herald. The rallied Grail Knights charged the Flesh Hounds in front of them. The Khorne Herald let out a might challenge, and one of the Grail Knights was obliged to accept. The Grail Knight wounded the herald, but was slain thrice over for his trouble. Even with that display of martial prowess, the rest of the Bloodletters fled to the warp, leaving the herald alone. The Flesh Hounds stood their ground, losing several of their number but taking a Grail Knight with them. More Hounds were sent to the warp, but two remained locked in combat with the Grail Knights. Knights Errant and Knights of the Realm continued to grind the Horrors, but neither could overcome their foes. The fourth turn, and the Daemons saw the outcome Tzeentch had ordained. The Fiends came back to the battlefield, moving up to the hill recently vacated by their prey. The Battle Standard Bearer’s Chariot charged the Grail Knights flank. The Flesh Hounds on the right charged the rear of the unengaged Men-at-Arms. The Daemonettes charged the flank of the Knights of the Realm fighting the Horrors. The General charged his chariot in to the flank of the last Bowmen unit. The remaining two Flesh Hounds and Khorne’s chariot killed all but one Grail Knight, and forgoing his vows he fled. The Tzeentch Herald’s chariot smashed through half the Bowmen, the rest fleeing and being cut down by the pursuing screamers. The Furies were finally overcome by the Trebuchet’s crew, and those two remaining men quickly looked to reload their machine. The Men-at-Arms were completely overwhelmed by the ferocity of Khorne’s Hounds attacking their rear, and were cut down as they ran. The Daemonettes and Slaanesh Herald made short work of the Knights of the Realm, leaving 9 Horrors alive after holding the Knight’s charge. The Herald of Khorne again challenged, and killed another Grail Knight, but his services were no longer required in the mortal realm, and he returned to Khorne’s side. The Knights Errant continued to grind through the Horrors, but could not finish them off. Down to a handful of troops, the Brettonians looked to score a knock-out blow. The Lady and her Grail Knights charged the rear of the Daemonettes. The remaining Men-at-Arms turned to face the two-dog Hound unit. The fleeing Grail Knight rallied (rules oversight…less than 25% he should not have been able to rally). The Trebuchet once again fired, again the shot went wide and narrowly missed killing more Brettonains! The fury of the Grail Knights was insurmountable…three of the Daemonettes were slain, and the remaining, including the Herald, were sent back to the Warp. The Knights Errant beat up the Horrors some more, leaving only three! Daemon turn 5: The Fiends charged the flank of the Knights Errant, hoping to save the remaining Horrors. The full unit of Flesh Hounds was threatened by a charge from the Grail Knights, but instead repositioned so that they could not be charged, but they could not charge either. The General on his flying chariot charged the Trebuchet crew, scattering them and wrecking the machine. The Chariot of Khorne charged the remaining Grail Knight. The two-dog unit charged the 9-strong Men-at-Arms unit. The Flesh Hounds were worn out by their mortal exertions, and killed only a single peasant, the remaining cutting down one of Khorne’s beasts, while the pull of the Warp wounded the last. The Khorne Chariot destroyed the last Grail Knight. The Fiend’s wicked claws went to work, ripping apart horse and man, proving to the Knights Errant that they did not have what it takes to be true knights…they fled and were cut down to a man by the swift Fiends. Turn five for the Brettonians, and things were looking grim but not hopeless. The Lady and her retinue repositioned for one final charge, hoping to snatch victory from defeat. The Men-at-arms cut down the last Flesh-Hound. Final turn for the Daemons, and nothing was in position to charge the Lady…but the Daemons had one last ploy to achieve total victory. The Khorne Chariot turned around and parked himself right in front of the Lady’s Grail Knights, daring them to charge him. The Flesh Hound unit turned and positioned itself right behind the Lady… The General flew to a safe position, behind the Men-at-Arms. The last of the day’s light fell on the battlefield, as the Lady looked to take a prize from Khorne and claim victory on the field. She spurred her Unicorn towards Khorne’s chariot, and her Grail Knights went with her, racing ahead…and Khorne’s Herald met their charge with a challenge! One of the Knights was bound to uphold the challenge, he was unable to wound the chariot, but the Herald and his steed did three wounds to him…and with the power of Khorne’s might Banner of Unholy Victory the Lady’s Knights lost combat by 5! The Lady’s retinue broke, and she was swept along in their retreat….right in to the waiting mouths of the Flesh Hounds. So ended the Fey Enchantress. Her skull will have a high place on Khorne’s throne. A very fun fight! I thought I had things locked up solid after the first turn, with the Daemonette trap working perfectly…but the traffic jam caused by that prevented me from exploiting that early success. The next few turns were brutal for me, with the Brettonians making Armor and Ward saves like crazy, and me being out of position to counter any of his third turn thrusts. Losing the Flamers outright without them killing a soul was depressing. The Furies couldn’t handle the puny humans manning the Trebuchet. The Bloodletter and Deamonette forces with their respective Heralds were cut down with relative easy by the Grail Knights. While the Daemonette trap was an early-game stunner for the Brettonians, the real VIP award should go to the Horrors…both units of Horrors were able to take charges from Knights (one on the flank!) and hold for MANY turns until help could arrive. Magic was disappointing for both sides….we both had a ton of points invested in wizards (or Pink Wizard-like substance), but we both had so much anti-magic that there was little gained by either side. Until the end of turn 5, I felt things delicately balanced…but the final turn really cinched the deal…I don’t think the Brettonians foresaw the Chariot rider issuing the challenge preventing him from bringing the full brunt of his charge to bear. The Fey Enchantress and the Grail Knights with her were about 800 points (~700 for the unit, 100 for general). I had Tzeentch Chariot, Khorne Chariot, Flesh Hounds, Fiends and two half-horror units left…about 1000 points. If the Lady and her Knights had stayed alive, it’s a draw. That attempt at a glorious end gave the Daemons the Massacre! Blood, Skulls, and Fire! Great Game, Guillermo! I look forward to the next one! Cheers!

A long hiatus!

Well, shortly after making this blog, my work took over my life for awhile. The leaves are turning, and I feel like I've missed the whole summer! I've been painting in little spurts, and practicing with my army on Lorenz every chance I get...I'm still not very good, but practice makes perfect! My list has evolved a bit since I started. I was disappointed with the Bloodletters, and in a competitive environment I thought their command was not only a waste of points for me, but a gift of 100 points for my enemy! Similarly, while the Chariot with the d3 CR banner is incredible in a fight, able to take on ranked units (I've even had him take a charge from Grail Knights and challenge his way in to a win!), it is horribly vulnerable to missile fire...a great big Target with a flashing neon SHOOT HERE sign! So, here's what my 2250 list looks like now: 2x Heralds of Tzeentch on Chariots. Both have Master of Sorcery. One has Spell Breaker. The other has the Sundering Banner (-2 to cast spells of one lore). Yes, this pegs the cheese meter, but I think it's less cheese than the -2 to Leadership banner. 1 Herald of Khorne on a Juggernaught with Armour of Khorne (he goes in the small Bloodletter unit, allowing it to rank up a bit and giving them Hatred so they don't completely suck). I purposely did not take the Firestorm Blade so I'd have something able to damage the ubiquitous Dragon Princes. Skulltaker on a Jugger. He pegs the cheese meter too, but he's my answer to the lists with Lords on Dragons. 2x 18 Horrors. I don't know how I ended up with 18...that's just how the points and the number of models I have landed. I wanted them to be level 2 so they can sling Gift of Chaos to steal ranks from nearby combats, and also so they can cast Flickering Fire with their own dice with something like a 90% chance success rate. I've learned that even with their gimpy T3, they're able to tar pit half-way decent, and if I don't play like a chump I can have something counter-charge to good effect. With 18, they can take a few random shots from missile troops and maintain level two. 11 Bloodletters. Yeah, it borders on minimum core cheese, but with a Jugger in the unit it gets two ranks. A little bit quick, a little bit ranked, and keeps the Herald from taking a Cannonball to the face. 2x 5 Flesh Hounds. What can you say bad about these guys? I've considered buying more, just for the option to put more on the table! 5 Furies. I'd like to have more, and actually have 10 models, but haven't found anything I want to give up to get them. 5 doesn't seem to be enough to take out anything...but they attract attention and crossfire. Maybe drop the extra Horrors and go 2x 16? 6 Flamers. These things are utterly ridiculous. 2 Fiends. I love the speed and the massive number of attacks. and I've added 3 Screamers to help soften things up. A Slashing Attack is a fun way to steal a rank, and I thought these might help against Regeneration. So that's it...2250 points of Daemon Cheese. Thoughts?

My Daemons

I'm hoping to attend my first Warhammer Fantasy Battles Grand Tournament this November in San Antonio, TX...The Alamo GT! Since I had a good number of demon models from my Hordes of Chaos army, and since the Daemon book is the only really functional (IMO) chaos book right now, I started working on a Daemon army. I've always had a fondness for a strong magic phase, and Tzeentch daemons fit that bill nicely...but I didn't want a one-dimensional army (not to say that those Tzeentch armies with 20+ power dice are weak, but that's not for me!), rather a well-balanced force that would push my opponent in every phase of each turn. To 'win' in the movement phase, I looked for things with speed. Tzeentch Heralds on Chariots (flying!) sure seemed like a good combination...speed and magic! Chaos Furies are cheap and could be handy to pick on war machine crew, lone wizards, or for cross-fire kililng. I'm very much addicted to the Fiends of Slaanesh...M10 is incredible, and a unit of 2 is enough to win fights against Light Cav or Skirms without breaking a sweat: perfect for running down a flank! I looked at Bloodcrushers, but their cost (both points and $$) are too prohibitive. Flesh Hounds, on the other hand, fit the bill nicely, with M8 and very sexy combat stats (WS5, S5, A2, W2). For the shooting phase, I'd originally planned to take Flames of Tzeentch on my Heralds, as well as a unit of 6 Flamers. The Flamers have never done my wrong, even when I've misused them they still somehow manage to make me wish I had two units of them. Some time playing with the Flames of Tzeentch, however, made me feel the points were a bit wasted so I've dropped them. 6d6 shots from the flamers (average 21-ish) gives me a good number of shots, although at short-ish range. I sure would like to have some bolt throwers, but can't have everything! :) For the Magic Phase, I turned to mighty Tzeentch: two heralds on chariots both with mastery of sorcery. They can cast any spell I want them to, and allow for some customization depending on my opponent. I've also settled on two units of 16 Horrors. I'd like to have a few more to give them some buffer to maintain level 2, but haven't come up with the points. Level two lets them cast Gift of Chaos if they're in the area of melees, and they're able to use their two dice to cast Flickering Fire with something like a 92% success rate. For Melee, I turned to Khorne. Two units of 5 Flesh Hounds...surprising how many people underestimate these things! A Khorne Herald on Chariot carrying the Banner of Unholy Victory. He's able to break even ranked units on a charge: with impact hits and jugger & herald attacks, he'll do something like 5 wounds, plus 3 on average from the banner. Moreover he's Unit Strength 5, so a flank or rear charge will negate enemy ranks. Beautiful! Skulltaker on a Juggernaut is a recent addition, chosen because I need something to deal with enemy characters or Greater Daemons. I didn't want to leave him alone to attract every cannon-ball and bolt thrower, so got a unit of 16 Bloodletters with Full Command to be his personal escort. I'm not real pleased with the stats of the Bloodletters, but wanted to have a ranked unit. Depending on how opponent plays things, with Skulltaker in the unit they'll either be 4-ranks 5 wide, or 3-ranks 6 wide. So, that's my thoughts for the army, and here it is all laid out: 2x Herald of Tzeentch on Chariot with Master of Sorcery & Spell Breaker (one is General) Skulltaker on Juggernaut Khorne Herald BSB on Chariot, Armour of Khorne(3+AS) and Banner of Unholy Victory (extra d3 to Combat Resolution) 5 Chaos Furies (Dread Turkeys!) 16 Bloodletters with Full Command 2x 16 Horrors 2x 5 Flesh Hounds 6 Flamers 2 Fiends of Slaanesh Now to get the models made and painted by Novemeber!

Blood, Skulls, and Fire!

Welcome to my blog! I'm an avid Warhammer Fantasay and 40k gamer. Here I'll be ranting about my hobby, sharing my experiences on the table, soliciting for input about army composition, and maybe taking some pictures of things as I paint them! Thanks for reading, look for a real post soon!