Committing to the Plaguefather (and Tanksgiving!)

I had planned to wait on these things... until I was finished the Maggotkin and Helsmiths Spearheads... or Black Friday... which ever came LATER... 

But then I realized I'd missed the Beast Feast - which was an event held at the Warhammer Store last weekend where you committed to building and painting a (previously unassembled upainted..) warmachine or monster and brought it to throw down in a mega battle... 

There is another event coming up next month, though... TANKSGIVING... which is a 40K mega battle where you commit to building and painting a (previously unassembled upainted..) vehicle or monster... 

So... I thought... I could build and paint a GREATER DAEMON because they can be used in both Age of Sigmar AND Warhammer 40,000... but WHICH ONE!? 

I don't really have much of a Tzeentch army, so Kairos Fateweaver/Lord of Change was pretty easy to eliminate. 

Slaanesh was kind of my first Chaos army... and I do have a fair bit of stuff for it... and I've kind of wanted a Keeper of Secrets for a long time... and Shalaxi Helbane's Soulpiercer attack in 40K is BRUTAL... Six attack, hits on 2+, STRENGTH 12(!), Armour Piercing -3 and dealing D6+2 damage for each of those hits! OUCH! Buuuuuut.. I haven't really been playing or painting them for a while... and I'd want to do a good job on a Keeper of Secrets and wouldn't want to rush it... 

So it was kind of down to a Bloodthirster of Khorne or a Great Unclean One of Nurgle. The Bloodthirster is fast and even more brutal than Shalaxi Helbane... and I do have a Blades of Khorne army with over 2500 points of painted minis ready to go... It's the army I've been thinking about playing and I have the Battletome... ugggghhh... 

In the end I went with the Great Unclean One, though...  

It's arguably the worst of the Greater Daemons - at least in 40K... it is the slowest (if everything else that shows up is a tank, they could probably just drive away and shoot ny daemon to bits). It doesn't hit nearly as hard as the others - at least the Khorne and Slaanesh Daemons (best attacks are Strength 10, Armour Piercing -2m versus Strength 12-16 and Armour piercing of -3/-4 of the others...)... but... It's what I'm working on right now and interested in painting right now, so.... 

Having done that... 

I'd noticed there was a Shudderblight Cyst Battleforce box still sitting at Dragon's Den Games - one of the previous year's Battleforce Boxes... which has a lot of great units - stuff I'd have gotten to build up my Maggotkin army over the coming months... but at, like, 30% off... I was thinking of waiting until Black Friday (to make it close to 50% off!), but picking up the Great Unclean One kind of felt like COMMITTING to building a Nurgle army... and the guys at Dragon's Den Games give me really good deals all year long... and the box itself was at a significant discount over the regular price of the contents... and so I realized I'd be pretty disappointed if I went on Boxing Day and it was gone (as has happened other years)... 

So I went and got that today as well... 

So... I guess I have a full-on Nurgle army as well now... 

Now, you don't HAVE to buy something brand new to participate in Tanksgiving... you CAN bring in stuff from your pile of shame and show it to the staff when you sign up... and I COULD have done that... because... 

STILL SO MUCH GUARD STUFF TO ASSEMBLE AND PAINT!!!

(I'm SURE I had a third unassembled Leman Russ somewhere...?)

But I wanted to stay focused on Age of Sigmar stuff... and keep working on the Spearheads... And so, taking a few weeks to a month off of working on Age of Sigmar stuff to knock out some Imperial Guard tanks... well... I was concerned it could completely distract me from THE PLAN... so... Maybe next year...?

(How did I end up with so many unassembled Guard tanks...!? Well I'm pretty sure I bought all of these about a decade ago..? Maybe as 7th edition was wrapping up, or beginning of 8th Edition....? Some at a Black Friday sale... some at a Boxing Day sale... back when they were HALF the price they are selling for now!? But then before I could get around to assembling or painting any of them, I ended up buying MULTIPLE lots of used Guard armies from local guys... all of which contained multiple tanks that were already assembled and painted or partially painted... So almost all of the Guard vehicles I've painted over the years are ones that were assembled by others that I just repainted?! and then never got around to assembling the ones I'd bought new for myself! I STILL have a few more built tanks to repaint before I get to THESE! I will have an entire Tank Squadron when I'm done - plus supporting arms vehicles)

Warbands of Spitewood

 Well... this arrived... 

Warbands of Spitewood

It's the cards for all the warbands being rereleased in the four Grand Alliance boxes of four warbands from first edition. I wasn't sure about getting it... but... 

I HAVE ALL THE WARBANDS for this series... Not all of them are painted (9/16 are fully painted and ready to play!)... and, to be honest, I have not played the game once this year.... 

and... I'm not going to lie, here... sitting with this small pack of cards... I do not feel as though I'm in the presence of EIGHTY FUCKING DOLLARS worth of gaming materials... I was looking at Finspan a few weeks ago during the Anniversary Sale at Dragon's Den Games (from Stonemaier Games - same people that made Wingspan - one of our MOST PLAYED games over the last five years...) and it was only SEVENTY DOLLARS... FOR A WHOLE FUCKING GAME!? 10x the weight of this in paper, card and ink!? 

I though, when I picked it up, "Maybe I'll start playing again" and "Well, I shouldn't have to do this again"... except that there were 58 warbands in first edition... They CAN do this again next year... and probably again the following year (but will have to rererelease another warband.. or maybe mixing in some second edition warbands into the boxes...) 

Sorry... just feeling a little salty today... feeling like I have not made great life decisions this afternoon. To actually play the game on the regular, I'd have probably spend another $100 to pick up the three newer decks that I don't have. 

If I was playing this regularly... and it was the ONLY thing I was really playing (other than Warhammer Quest and/or a role-playing game) - which it was, for a while - this wouldn't be such a big thing... a few hundred dollars a year for a game that I play a few times a week, every week. That's nothing... but for a game that has been side-lined and not likely to be THE GAME I'm focused on and painting stuff for and playing regularly... I think it's just gotten to be too much. 

You can see all my painted Warhammer Underworlds warbands on the gallery page:

Age of Sigmar - Warhammer Underworlds Warbands

A Few More Things

 Another small order from Fenris Workshop arrived Monday. 

The Farstriders (because I don't have them... they included all the original cards... and it was $13!?), a Lumineth Realm-Lords Scinari Cathallar (because it was the only miniature I need to finish the Lumineth Realm-Lords Spearhead force) and a bunch of resin rats (to make a MEGA-RAT-SWARM base for when the characters take on Kritza, The Rat Prince in Night Wars... because there is a gigantic rat swarm... or Tide-o-Rats that chases them around much like the Suffocating Gravetide did in the first campaign) 

Not even opened... Not that any of those cards are of any use in second edition. I haven't ENTIRELY given up on the idea of playing Warhammer Underworlds again, I guess... 

Lost Song Spirits - Regiment of Renown

I forgot to include this in the previous post about the last of the Tree-Revenants and Spite-Reveneants. The whole reason I bought the extra Spite Reveneants was to be able to build this Regiment of Renown! 

Near the end of last year, Games Workshop posted a bunch of new Regiments of Renown as part of "Grotmas"... One of those Regiments of Renown was the Lost Song Revenants.

This Regiment of Renown hails from the isle of Decrepita (in Shyish, I think...?). These Sylvaneth of the Lost-Song Forest have become deafened to the spirit-song. They can now only hear the mournful cries of wayward souls, which has driven them to cruelty and madness. Shrouded in the chilling fogs of their native land, these Outcasts follow the legions of the dead, hoping to vent their own spite and bitterness.

The Lost Song Revenants include: 

• Hero - Treelord (1) 210 - Any Sylvaneth
• Unit - Spite-Revenants (5)  80 - Infantry
• Unit - Spite-Revenants (5)  80 - Infantry

Total: 370 points

INCLUSION

This Regiment of Renown can be included in armies from the following factions:

• Flesh-eater Courts
• Ossiarch Bonereapers
• Idoneth Deepkin
• Soulblight Gravelords
• Nighthaunt

I HAVE Soulblight Gravelords and a growing force of Nighthaunts, so I could potentially include them in either of those!! 

Lost Song Revenants with Nighthaunts!

This force currently comes to a little over 1000 points... When the Scriptor Mortis and Craventhrone Guard and second unit of Myrmorn Banshees are complete, it could be about 1450 points! 

Lost Song Revenants with Soulblight Gravelords!

THIS force comes to 1950 points - using (almost) all the current Soulblight Gravelords that I have painted! (Next June a number of these move into "legends")

Last of the Sylvaneth (for now...)

 Hot on the heals of the Awakened Wyldwood... I have completed the last of the Sylvaneth I have... for now..

(Not including Skaeth’s Wild Hunt... the Warhammer Underworlds warband, which is only really playable in Warhammer Underworlds...) 

Last of the Sylvaneth... 

Tree-Revenants

Spite-Revenants

The Tree-Revenants I built last year sometime and did not make a musician or standard Bearer, so I was clearly thinking these new ones were to reinforce the existing unit of Sylvaneth. 

Technically, the Spite-Revenants can also be reinforced and COULD be fielded as a unit of ten... but I'm not sure I'm going to do that... But this is what they'd look like if I DID! 

ALL of the Sylvaneth (so far...) 

This could all be fielded as a starter Path to Glory army

(Could add another unit of Revenants or Dryads... and still be under 1000 points) 

Treelord General’s Regiment 

• Hero - Treelord (1) 210 - Any SylvanethUnit - 
• Unit - Kurnoth Hunters with Kurnoth Greatbows (3) - 200 Kurnothi, Infantry
• Unit - Tree-Revenants (10) 180 - Infantry

Total: 590

Branchwych’s Regiment 

• Hero - Branchwych (1) 110 - Any Infantry
• Unit - Spite-Revenants (5)  80 Infantry
• Unit - Spite-Revenants (5)  80 Infantry

Total: 270

Faction Terrain: Awakened Wyldwood

ARMY TOTAL: 860

I should, at some point, pick up the Sylvaneth Endless Spells. They cost no points to include in your army in this edition, so there is not reason NOT to have them (other than it's another THING TO BUY)

I'm also seriously considering picking up the the Outcast Spitegrove - the new Sylvaneth Battleforce Box - which would add:

Drycha Hamadreth - a monsterous hero wizard

Spirit of Durthu - the model could be built as Spirit of Durthu, a Treelord or a Treelord Ancient... but I think I'd build it as Spirit of Durthu - another monstrous hero treelord with a great big sword that is particularly good at taking down other monstrous heroes! 

15x Tree-Revenants or Spite-Revenants - models can be buit of either. Part of me just wants to build more Spite-Revenants... but maybe I should wait and with both and see which are more fun (or useful?) 

20x Dryads

So, lots of fun stuff to play around with. All fairly quick and easy to paint!

NOW I need to focus and finish up those last few Nurgle things... and then move onto the Helsmith's of Hashut... and maybe some more terrain! 

Awakened Wyldwood

 I'm not entirely sure of the thought process that led me to abandoning plan to finish the Lord of Afflictions and Pusgoyle Blightlord this weekend and instead finish up the Awakened Wildwood... but here were are... 

I think it was a mash-up of a general feeling like I needed to get more terrain bits painted and an earlier discussion with Amanda about moving beyond Spearhead to play more interesting scenarios with different units. Not necessarily BIGGER battles... (Because Amanda has even less interest than I in playing 2000 point battles... even though I COULD with a few of my Age of Sigmar forces, currently!). Previous editions had scenarios for 500-750 point battles, so I'm sure they could be adapted, or the current narrative battles scaled down... 

She seems happy playing the Sylvaneth and so I thought I might try and finish up the few Sylvaneth things so they're ready when she wants to try that and finishing all the Sylvanth means finishing their FACTION TERRAIN! 

Awakened Wyldwood. 

This is the Sylvaneth faction terrain... though I suppose it could be just used as a small wood or copse or whatever. I think that's what these were originally (and Wyldwood is still listed amongst the Citadel Terrain List that can be used in Age of Sigmar Games). I'm pretty sure these were sold in batches of three I wouldn't mind getting a couple more of these. Maybe one I could paint in more fantastical colours and THAT could be the AWAKENED Wyldwood...? 

Or... maybe I'll just use this one and not bother with more... 

Awakened Wyldwood with (most) or the Sylvaneth! 

The last of the nurgle things are still on the workbench and still High Priority... but they've been joined by some other things... 

The last of the Sylvaneth are on the workbench as well...  

I am toying with the idea of picking up the Outcast Spitegrove - the new Sylvaneth Battleforce Box due to be released this fall. It would give the Sylvaneth force a bunch more options (and a bunch more Spite andor Tree Revenants) and they are relatively quick and easy to paint!! 

Estenna of Brighthall, Sloppity Bilepiper, and other Goodies.

I had a nice little ride out to the Warhammer Store this afternoon. 

It was nice and cool (I am not a fan of the heat!) but not cold! 

it's a lovely time of year to ride up and down the river valley with all the fall colours. 

I like to get out and enjoy it BEFORE IT SNOWS! 

I also stopped by campus to drop off Amanda's tea and snack, which I'd noticed she'd left on the counter. 

I rode out to see if the rest of the goodies from the Store Anniversary event had arrived, and indeed they had! I stuck around and had a nice chat with the manager, John. There may have been a bit of ranting about the new Warhammer Quest... but ultimately admitted, we'll both probably end up buying it!?

I noticed they had Squig Plush Slippers this year (to match the Squig-Mega-Hoody I bought last year!?). 

The Goodies: Metal Dice, Dice Cup, Estenna of Brighthall (who I will be painting up as an Anvil of the Heldenhammer and giving a new name!)... and a wooden box/dice tray thingie...? Apparently they were for a previous event... but there were loads extra, so they were given out as a bonus thing...

And then while I was there, I picked up a Sloppity Bilepiper... I was going to wait until the Maggotkin were DONE before I bought any more... but I was there... they had one in stock... I am almost done the Nurgle Spearhead... so... 

The inside of the dice box... I guess tokens and other things can be store in there... during play. Not sure they could be transported in there as they'd just fall into the larger section on the other half..?! Maybe a card could be placed between the two halves whild transporting - as it's held together by magnets... Not sure I'm going to trust magnets to hold it together while stuffed into a bag for transit, though... 

I guess it was for celebrating the opening of the 200th Warhammer Store in North America...? 

I am nearly done the Lord of Afflictions and Pusgoyle Blightlord. Expect pics of the finished minis by the weekend. Maybe. And then a game report of these guys fighting the Sylvaneth in Ghyran! A classic AoS match-up!!