Thrones May'14 Time of the D

So I thought I would try and breathe some life into my old blog to try and unload some of my many thoughts trapped inside my head.  Apologies in advance for lack of pictures totally forgot to take many

So I recently attended my first throne of skulls event for warhammer 40k in May’14, this was on my wish list of things to do eventually and all though I have been down to warhammer world several times I had not tried their premier event. So this year me and my mate decided to book the event and give it a go, must admit was very excited to finally get to a two day tournament.  Along with a final send off for me of 6th edition

Below is a run down of the weekend’s events and some of my thoughts

The list

+++ Throne of skulls May'14 (1500pts) +++

+++ 1500pt Necrons: Codex (2011) v65 Roster (Primary Detachment)) +++

Selections:

Necrons: Codex (2011) v65 (Primary Detachment) Selections:

+ HQ + (275pts)

    * Anrakyr the Traveller (275pts) 

        (Counter-Attack, Ever-Living, Furious Charge, Independent Character, Mind in the Machine, Pyrrhian Eternals, Reanimation Protocols)

        Tachyon Arrow, Warscythe

        * Catacomb Command Barge

            (Living Metal, Quantum Shielding, Symbiotic Repair)

            Tesla Cannon (Tesla Weapon)

        * Royal Court

            * Harbinger of Transmogrification

                (Ever-Living, Reanimation Protocols)

                Tremorstave (Quake)

+ Elites + (245pts)

    * C'tan Shard (245pts) 

        (Eternal Warrior, Fearless, Immune to Natural Law, Necrodermis)

        Gaze of Death ( Gaze of Death), Lord of Fire ( Lord of Fire)

+ Troops + (440pts)

    * Necron Warriors (180pts) 

        * Ghost Ark

            (Living Metal, Quantum Shielding, Repair Barge)

            2x Gauss Flayer Array (Gauss Weapon)

        * 5x Necron Warrior

            (Reanimation Protocols)

            5x Gauss Flayer (Gauss Weapon)

    * Necron Warriors (130pts) 

        * 10x Necron Warrior

            (Reanimation Protocols)

            10x Gauss Flayer (Gauss Weapon)

    * Necron Warriors (130pts) 

        * 10x Necron Warrior

            (Reanimation Protocols)

            10x Gauss Flayer (Gauss Weapon)

+ Fast Attack + (330pts)

    * Canoptek Scarabs (105pts) 

        7x Canoptek Scarab Base (Entropic Strike, Fearless, Swarms)

    * Canoptek Wraiths (225pts) 

        Canoptek Wraith (Fearless, Phase Attacks, Phase Shifter, Wraithflight), Canoptek Wraith (Fearless, Phase Attacks, Phase Shifter, Wraithflight), Canoptek Wraith (Fearless, Phase Attacks, Phase Shifter, Wraithflight), Canoptek Wraith (Fearless, Phase Attacks, Phase Shifter, Wraithflight)

        * Canoptek Wraith

            (Fearless, Phase Attacks, Phase Shifter, Wraithflight)

            Whip Coils (*)

        * Canoptek Wraith

            (Fearless, Phase Attacks, Phase Shifter, Wraithflight)

            Particle Caster

+ Heavy Support + (210pts)

    * Canoptek Tomb Sentinel [FW] (210pts) 

        (Fearless, Rampage, War Construct)

        Exile Cannon (Exile Blast), Phase Tunnelling (Deep Strike, Fleet, Hit & Run , Outflank), Sepulchral 

Scarabs (*)

Created with BattleScribe (http://www.battlescribe.net)

Day1: Saturday

Arrived for registration bright and early and greeted by the always friendly events team, got my number and headed for Bugman’s for a much needed nourishment (may haven enjoyed night before drinking and gaming until 1am a little too much J)

Game 1:

Opponent: John  (Space marine’s iron hands kind of)

Mission: Crusade 

Deployment: Vanguard Assault

So arriving at my table I find a war hound titan with duel turbo laser, two mortis pattern contemptors, two five man scouts and a librarian with allied inquisitor oh and a void shield generator. Let’s just say I was wandering the miniatures hall 40mins later. Only highlight was taking over my opponents war hound with the traveller and blowing the void and contemptors sky high   My opponent was a nice enough guy but this was my fear of coming to thrones and I thought if get beaten here will go down the tables to more my sort of game (more on that later)

Game 2:

Opponent: Steve (Tyranids)

Mission: Purge the Alien

Deployment: Hammer and Anvil

So after my first battering and realizing there is no Swiss system anymore at thrones, I rocked up to my next opponent. This list looked a little more engaging with 2 flying tyrants a crone a couple of exocrine and tervigon with brood oh and a couple of zonathropes.

Game started off well with me grounding the crone and destroying with wraiths in assault and knocking warlord hive tyrant to 2 wounds. Then the pain started as I realize I did not have enough firepower to knock out all the monstrous creatures and was rolled off the table by turn 5. Highlight this game was the traveller reanimating 4 times during the game.

This game I admit I played wrong and making my assault Necron’s list was always going to be a uphill battle but I got over eager and should of stayed back and used the deployment type to my advantage.

Game 3:

Opponent: Jon (sisters of battle with imperial guard allies)

Mission: Emperors will

Deployment: Dawn of War

So feeling a little deflated by my progress so far I move to my final game for day 1 and look across in horror at the list. 2 sister of battle squad’s min max special weapon, demolisher tank, vanquisher tank with IA1 special character? not too bad eh? Well add on a vulture gunship a avenger fighter and Valkyrie ok some flyers no anti air in my army but not ground shattering, then the la peste resistance a marauder bomber.

So scattering my forces across board as much as I could to claim objectives I began a 4 turn strafing run game which ended baldly for me with another tabling. Highlight stripping 4 hull points off bomber with gauss weapons before being hit 64 time with bombs.

 

After this last battering it was time to drown my sorrows into a pint and enjoy the Bugman’s quiz which I, must say was the highlight of my trip.  We did ok with the general 40k knowledge questions but was nice escape from the table dramas.

Overview day one:  the apparent escalation, strong point and allies concerns didn’t hit me until this tournament. I don’t mind losing as seem to become an infamous for it and doesn’t spoil my enjoyment but being tabled 3 times without much interaction in the game got to me I am ashamed to say.

So with a thankful later start time and some pancakes and blue berries I was set for day two.  

Game 4:

Opponent: Michael(Eldar)

Mission: scouring

Deployment: Dawn of War

So day two saw me facing the dreaded Eldar, opponents list contain void shield, wraith knight (warlord), wraith guard 2 units of 5 in serpents with spirit seer and a lynx super heavy rocking the D.  So this list performed similarly to the first war hound list in game one, and I had learnt a few tricks since this game. So spreading out over length of board to minimize the D and turbo boosting all my fast units into his void shields over two turns allowed me to have a game until turn 4 when his guns finally took down all my units. Must say I enjoyed this game more than game 1 even though opponent was maybe a little over the top making sure I was tabled and all objectives were his even when I had four warriors left and only win, loss, draw results, but each to their own I suppose. Highlight again was the traveller taking over another super heavy and destroying a wave serpent which was satisfying

Game 5:

Opponent: James(Tyranids)

Mission: Relic

Deployment: Hammer and Anvil

 

So my final game and after some confusion on tables. (Apparently last game could be grudge match, which don’t agree with first definitely) I found my opponent to be another nid player but this time playing a datasheet army of all lictors and genestealers. I basically castle in the corner around a derelict bastion awaiting the full infiltrating army to deploy 6” away from my lines gulp. This looked to be my type of game with a wacky army versus a wacky army.  Using my scarab bases as speed bumps and AV13 vehicles I held my own Game turn out to be a great laugh with ambushes and broadside ghost arks and actually gave me some hope for 40k gaming events in my future.  The traveller was a boss once again felling 5 Lictors with multiple charges on a chariot and reanimation. But the mission as always came down to the relic which I just couldn’t kill enough genestealers to make them drop the relic.

So with the event closing and the awards ceremony announce winners the event was over. I had very mixed feelings about this event as on the plus side got to get 5 games (6 if include Friday night) in a great backdrop. This isn’t my first or last event at warhammer world but I think my expectations of what thrones were going to be like were very different. As I have always said I have no problem with losing as if I did would have quit long ago, but not getting to interact in a game was a killer for me. I don’t want to come across to negative as still had an enjoyable time just weirdly not when I was gaming for the most part.

On reflection I think I would like to see the following in the future if could change things at all

1.       Bring back the Swiss system and let the top players play the top level, and leave poor old me out of it lol

2.       D weapons and void shields are brutal and I think 25% limit on lords of war or fortification would solve this problem, I mean one table had a 999 point greater lord of change L

Back into the Command Barge!

Hello All, 

Thought I would restart my blog again and track my life in the hobby once more 

Been on abit of a hiatus for the last year due to work commitments, but with a change of job and location I have much work life balance allowing me to fit in some hobby time :) 

So abit about me:

I have been in the hobby from about 3rd edition 40k on and off but always kept my toes in so to speak, I champion the forging the narrative side of gaming alot more and play mostly campaigns and events based around this 

I have setup an ran two successful clubs in the UK, which I am proud are still running strong now I have moved on :)

I am moving from the Durham County area to East Yorkshire area just outside of York for work and looking into getting back into a club and getting some games in the near future

Participating in the HCC challenge this year and excited at the prospect of finishing an army for which plan to take to Warhammer world campaign weekend

Current armies are:

Salamanders 2nd company: Aiming for company size force about half way there

Necrons Dynasty: made up own section in the galaxy where this dynasty calls home, basically a mixture of criminals, mercenary and prison worlds for "malfunctioning" necrons

Lamenters 8th Company: at the time of the badab war, though thinking of changing this to Hive Fleet battles

Harakonia Drop Troops: Drop Troop army currently at 3k

Armoured Company: insert name here, basically got an armoured company and super heavy company in boxes.....yes I horde lol Hoping people could help me push these forward with ideas etc

Think that's enough of my waffling 

Below is the background for my latest project:

Dynasty Background:

Necrons Dynasty The Custos of Poena:

The Necrons Dynasty The Custos of Poena controls a small cluster of fringe worlds on the edges of the galactic eastern rim. Also known as the Condemned Host, this small dynasty is both feared and distrusted by most of the Necrons race.

The dark and rich history of this dynasty starts during the great wars between the old ones and the C’tan. Not all necron people were willing to give there humanity and souls to the C’tans cause and many a rebellion was raised and quashed by the overlords of each dynasty. Even after these opponents were defeated and lobotomized, quirks and faults were common in these new warriors, some “malfunctioned” and attacked own forces other commands did not register. The fallout from these rebellions and aparentent faulty warriors was dealt with by the silent king. They would be sent to the outer edge of necrons vast realm and be the first to be tested for what later become known as the great sleep. Also many a experiment was conducted by the Cryptek to try and fix and improve the faulty units, the realm of Custos of Poena soon became a place of dread and legend for any overlord or Nemessor that overstepped their mark and be sent there for “atonement” and “reconditioning”

Tasked with overseeing this undertaking were a number of Triarch Praetorians, known as the wardens of the condemned. As the eons past the wardens waited for their kings commands, none came. Soon Necrons mercenarily groups and outcasts flocked to this seeming forgotten space of the galaxy, the wardens given no other command than to fix the faulty units did nothing to discourage this. It is rumoured even some of the Technoites hunted by the Silent King, fled to this realm and even now plot and scheme there revenge. 

Over the millennia many an intruder and explorer has attempted to claim the lands from the wardens and outcasts but all have been cast out and utterly annihilated to prevent information of its location being discovered.

In M37 the silent king returned and with him knowledge of a new threat to his people, the Tyranid race. The realm of Custos of Poena was one of the first he reach being on the outer edges of the known galaxy. His new instructions were the wardens prepare the armies of the condemned and fortify the realm ready for the coming swarm…

plan to add more in the future for the dark harvest list I am writing at the moment for the Independent characters Hobby Progress Challenge

the independent characters is a great podcast and I would recommend anyone in the hobby check them out

http://theindependentcharacters.com/blog/

The Cogs are still turning!

Hello all so post 3 and though not too much to report I am still aiming to keep this going. I have decided to take a leaf from inquisitor Steve’s book and layout my blog in a set fashion



Inbox: latest purchases and plans

Workbench: current Projects

Outbox: completed items

Reports from the Front lines: battle reports

Community Update: Club goings on



So on to the new format:



Inbox:

So I recently received the following items:

 Magnets for completing my ghost/doom arks

 Bits to make my command squad



Workbench:



 Club terrain: completed the base coats and dry brushing on both my ork and chaos shrine/idol just require basing and detail, with finally coat of weathering

 Started to build command squad and also

 Harath Shen apothecary special character



Outbox: nothing to report and feel ashamed…



Reports from the front line: got a game organised for Thursday at my local GW looking forward to taking the necrons for a spin for the first time since purchase in January



Community Update: club now has a website! www.droclub.webs.com . This as well as the face book page will allow the club to communicate outside of hours and to advertise to new members. There is a forum that requires approval to join so bare with me with responses and also profiles must be created to post items. Also had a number of enquires about the club now from outside my usual circles which is great that the word is slowly getting out there. The club can take 12 members at a one time at current plan with 4 boards and painting facilities. I hope that this is enough, but don’t want to over reach on my first attempt. Be nice if 6-8 people turned up but any would be great lol. Also the club is asking for support with terrain and boards in the future to help make it a great experience for all.



Well that’s me for now



IronHelmIV out

So Monday morning and my first progress update post on my blog. As talked about in the other posts I have began work on my necrons and have completed a test model complete minus basing

Overall I am very happy with the outcome and the scheme, its simple but striking enough to not get too boring. My one complaint is that the model doesn’t look beaten down enough to fit the background and I may play around with the weathering powders from forge world. Also the next major decision before batch painting can commence is the basing scheme. I think I still want to go for a red Martian sand colour to give that alien like feel. I must say overall I enjoyed the change from power armour.



Also this week is received a nice package from bits and kits store, for my before mentioned power armoured forces to help a couple of projects along I am quite excited to start, which I can now while waiting for forge world order.



Other projects ongoing currently:



Building

 Captain Pellas Mir'san, build from black reach model

 Command squad for above captain, loads of flamers and boarding shields

 Malakim Phoros chapter master of lamenters, got all the bits I need now to finally make him

Painting:

 Ork idol totem, these are for the club fantasy battle boards, will hope to post pics on site soon as well as face book page, if looks good will make more as cheap to build

 9 necron warriors to match test model



Club Stuff:



So the Durham Raiders Outpost maybe finally getting some steam and looking like being a actual club. Currently we are waiting on the venues manager to get back to us on booking or first date and trial run of the club. The face book page we are hoping to utilize a little more adding updates of terrain and boards being made and also run polls to get feedback and possible levels of interest. Also I have started to build a website to host our news and forums for the club though thinking that face book page might suffice?



So hope this new format for the blog helps





IronHelmIV out

Fortex Prime Reborn (MKII, reloaded,thre reckoning, venenge of the... yeah)

Right so my first post in 3 years……..yes well I have decided to resuscitate this old man and bring it back to life. With my many projects and current mission to create a club in my local area I think it is a good time to start back up and rant, probably to myself but hey its nice to vent.



So what will be included in this tomb of old:



• Current salamander 6th edition refurbishment/upgrade. Yep still got them and aiming to make a van guard assault siege list with Ashmantle and winterblade leading

• Necrons: my latest project, making the silent kings lost crusade

• Upgrade of Imperial guard drop troops to 6th (veterans and vulture to add)

• The current progress of the DurhamRaidersOutpost club start up and goings on

• General ramblings of the hobby and my (highly important lol) views



Anyway here to the second life

Campaign overview and thoughts

Well while I'm sitting in university waiting for my next lectures lol i thought I would share my thoughts on how my first real go at a campaign is going so far.



1.Problems encountered: this is the biggy really i must say i think that i put to much thought and demand on myself for the first campaign for very little return at the moment lol for example all the history and background for the campaign got me really excited but the lack of games that feel they are linked to this story are lacking. this mainly comes down to lack of time or maybe even poor time management from myself that is the cause of this.
also the website that i built i was proud of but now seems under used for the demand of running it as only one other player than myself occasionally looks at the blogs and news and movements of the campaign and I'm struggling to find way to fix this at the moment.

2.how to improve this?

her a couple of things i would try to do in my next installment of the campaign lol i know i don't learn:

• find more players ensuring they are reasonable committed to playing out the campaign and helping out
• have an end goal time line with grand finale game the leave people remembering
• clear and simple rules for campaign
• don't get to fancy it can't manage lol

well just typed my thoughts down don't know if anyone even looks at this lol

Keep up the pace!!!!

after visiting a fellow bloggers blog he gave me a great idea of trying to get my mins painted, by form of a day by day log of completion of a unit mmmm think ill make mine weekly though lol never be abled to post everyday.

so 30 tatical marine salammanders are my aim lol but i have started they are all preped and undercoated even got 5 painted as can be seen above.

also had another game of 40k this wek with my greyknights how suffered a massive defeat due to bad tatics and bad dice rolling lol nice to try a more forgiving force soon.