Possessed Heretic Astartes

 A random single figure rolling off the painting desk that doesn't really fit in with anything else I'll be posting any time soon... 

Possessed Heretic Astartes 

I have not come up with a name for him yet... 

Not sure when or how I will ever make use of him... 

He has a brother, Lorgag, which I finished ages ago. 

Lorgag led a small band of Chaos Space marines, back when the leader of a Generic Chaos Space Marine squad could be led by a champion sporting a Chain Axe... And, maybe Generic Chaos Space Marines still can...? But not-so-much the Emperor's Children. 

So I probably won't find much use for him in 40K... but there's always Wrath & Glory (which I've been thinking a lot about again, lately, and has no such limitations!)

Return of the Soroibus Tortus

With the new Codex: Emperor's Children, I've had to massively reorganize my old Emperor's Children force - that was organized using the rules in the previous edition's Chaos Space Marines Codexes... Really, it was a bit disappointing how much things changed. 

In previous editions, Noise Marines, if taken in a force with the Emperor's Children key words, they were considered Troops or Battleline - your basic troops that you can take as many as you want of (or six units, instead of just three, in the most recent edition) and they could be in units of five to ten... 

In the current edition Noise Marines are fielded in units of six (no more, no less - which makes sense, being the magic number of Slaanesh!) but are NOT BATTLELINE!! Meaning I can only take a MAXIMUM of THREE units of these - a grand total of eighteen Noise Marines!? 

While they weren't all painted, I already had THIRTY Noise Marines!? Then I got twelve more in the Champions of Slaanesh box set!? 

What am I to do with all these Noise Marines!?

I haven't decided ultimately what will happen to ALL of them... but for the time being, I've decided to rebase the ones I've painted (as they are now fielded on 40mm bases!?) and painted up any of the older ones I need to fill out three units of six of the older models as fast as I can and use those... 

What will I do with the dozen other old ones I have...?! I don't know.... 

What will I do with the dozen NEW ones I have...? I don't know... I could just sell them while the Noise Marines are still popular..? Or just keep them around and paint them for funsies... or paint them to replace the old ones (eventually) 

For now, however, I've painted two of the older ones to add to the Soroibus Tortus...

The two new ones... 

Soroibus Tortus Noise Marines

The unit was inspired by the American heavy metal band Twisted Sister and the costumes they wore on the cover of The Best of the Atlantic Years album... 

Sometimes when coming up with names for 40K, I just latinize them, sort of... I'm not sure how I got to Sororibus Tortas...  I'm guessing it was based on Torta (Twisted?) and Soror (Sister)...?  

I could have gone with Perversa Sorore... or Fraternitas Torta... or Fraternitas Perversa!? Alas... Sticking with the original name I came up with for them! 

I have three or four more of the older Noise Marines to finish up to complete the three units... 

When they're done, I could potentially field 740 points of stuff... 

• Daemon Prince of Slaanesh (1)  195 pts
• Lord Exultant (1) 80 pts
• Sorcerer (1) 60 pts
• Noise Marines (6) 135 pts
• Noise Marines (6) 135 pts
• Noise Marines (6) 135 pts

Here's what I've done so far.. 

That's an OLD Keeper of Secrets I'm using as my Daemon Prince of Slaanesh. the Daemon Prince of Slaanesh I now armed with an infernal cannon... Not sure I wonder if I should convert that to have something shooty like...?

Or... maybe that dangly bit I added between their legs could be the Infernal Cannon... I mean... It IS Slaanesh we're talking about here!?

The Six Sweet Sultry Saturday Seductions of Slaanesh

(try saying THAT six times, quickly!) 

I have been waiting for an Emperor's Children codex for YEARS... It was some time during 8th edition that I got it in my head that I should just play CHAOS. I hate having to play my Imperial Guard against other Imperial forces - and there are a LOT of people out there with Imperial forces (between all the marines and guard and Mechanicus and knights, etc). Playing Eldar there is always the possibility of playing against Eldar... (I was still thinking in terms of playing at tournaments at this point). Chaos seemed fun and colourful and they'll fight ANYONE - even OTHER CHAOS forces. So I started working on an Emperor's Children force using the generic Chaos Space Marines codex (only Deathguard and Thousand Sons had their own, at that point).

And I waited... and waited... and WAITED... 

You could play Emperor's Children (sort of) with the Chaos Space Marines... There were Noise Marines (or, rather, you could hunt down old metal ones on Ebay, or buy a conversion kit to convert regular Chaos Space Marines into Noise Marines...) I did a bit of both and amassed THIRTY of them!? Normally they were "elites" but if you were running Emperor's Children, they became TROOPS! 

In Ninth Edition, I THINK there were similar rules... I was playing less during ninth edition and so I didn't buy the Chaos Space Marines codex when it came out... I was REALLY hoping there'd be an Emperor's Children codex eventually... but there wasn't... (World Eaters got their own Codex during Ninth Edition!) 

I've been playing even lass during tenth edition... 

So when they hinted at the end of 2024 that there'd be Emperor's Children in 2025, I... wasn't THAT stoked. I was happy they were finally doing that... but I hadn't played in almost a year and was VERY interested in Age of Sigmar at the moment. 

When they previewed the new minis earlier this year and started dropping hints about the codex and rules and a launch box... I waffled. I didn't really think I'd get to painting and playing with them, as I was still super focused on Age of Sigmar... I did think about MAYBE picking up the launch box...? They are usually INCREDIBLE deals... it would get me the Codex and some of the new minis... I wasn't sure if I really NEEDED any as I have QUITE A BIT of Chaos stuff... and... like THIRTY Noise Marines....

I noted at one point the Noise Marines were going to be sold (and fielded) in units of six, which wasn't a problem, because conveniently thirty is easily divisible by six! Instead of six units of five (or three units of ten). I'd have five units of six (or, presumably, two units of twelve and a unit of six...). Easy Peasy... 

I saw the announcement that it would be coming up for pre-order the following week three weeks ago, and I still wasn't sure... I saw it went up for pre-order two weeks ago and, at that point decided maybe I should pick it up! I'll get back to playing 40K at some point and if ever I think I'd want the new Noise Marine figures, maybe I should. So I contacted my local FLGS and asked if they'd set aside one of the ones they got in for me... and they said all the ones they were getting were spoken for. 

(This has never happened before... for every other game that sold out online within an hour of pre-orders going live - Blackstone Fortress, Cursed City, a few of the Kill Team boxes, etc - I always got a copy! Mind you, I usually asked about them weeks before the pre-orders go live...) 

I checked online and the Warhammer website sold out within minutes. I checked a half-dozen Canadian online retailers, and they'd all sold out as well... 

I snoozed... I losed... 

At that point I decided this was the universe telling me just to give up on it and paint my damned Aeldari if I wanted to work on 40K stuff...

So, I let it go and moved on... 

And ordered a BUNCH of World War Two miniatures... 

Somehow, even though it's been over a year, completely forgot that WE HAVE A WARHAMMER STORE in Saskatoon now and, despite the fact that the Mail Order pre-order sold out... the STORES would be getting copies... and I completely forgot about that until Friday evening... 

...when the local Warhammer Store posted this on their facebook page!!

I had a hard time getting to sleep friday night as I was so annoyed with myself for not having thought of that!? And also there was a bit of me that still kind-of wanted to go and get one... but also a large part of me wished I'd never seen that and was really happy to have moved onto Bolt Action and returned to World War Two gaming and just wanted to let it go... 

I mentioned it to Amanda in the morning and I didn't even propose the idea getting, I just mentioned that the store had some and I felt silly that I hadn't thought of that and recognized that I'd moved on and spent the money on other things.... 

And she said I should just go get one..!?  

So Saturday morning I rode out to the Warhammer Store!

And just before noon, I bought the last of the six copies they had!

I pedalled home as fast as I could and like a little kid at Xmas I  tore into that box!

So many fun things! 

Fancy cards... though... it didn't seem like there were a lot of them...?

Fancy new Special Edition Codex... started flipping through it.

There are not a LOT of Data Sheets (or whatever they're called now)... a LOT of the stuff I have is NOT in the book... Uggggghhhh.... am I STILL going to have to buy the Chaos Space Marine book to field all my things!? Where's he page that says what other chaos things I can take that are in the Chaos Space Marine book...?

(There is NOT such a page...)

My Emperor's Children force went from this... (yeah, there's still a lot that needs painting... ) 

• Chaos Lord in Terminator Armour (1) 95 pts
• Heretic Astartes Daemon Prince (1) 180 pts
• Sorcerer (1) 60 pts
• Master of Possession (1) 80 pts
• Fabius Bile (2) 85 pts
• Accursed Cultists (8) 105 pts
• Cultist Mob (10) 55 pts 
• Cultist Mob (20) 110 pts
• Dark Commune (5) 65 pts
• Fellgor Beastmen (10) 95 pts (which I forgot to include in the picture...) 
• Noise Marines (10) 170 pts
• Noise Marines (10) 170 pts
• Noise Marines (10) 170 pts
• Raptors (5)  90 pts
• Chaos Terminator Squad (10) 390 pts
• Obliterators (2) 180 pts
• Traitor Guardsmen Squad (10) 70 pts (which I forgot to include in the picture...) 
• Traitor Guardsmen Squad (10) 70 pts (which I forgot to include in the picture...) 
• Traitor Guardsmen Squad (10) 70 pts (which I forgot to include in the picture...) 
• Venomcrawler (1) 120 pts

Total: 2430 pts! 

to this... HALF the stuff I have... no longer playable as Emperors Children...

• Lord Exultant (Old Chaos Lord) (1) 85 pts
• Daemon Prince of Slaanesh (1) 195 pts (the old Keeper of Secrets) 
• Sorceress 70 pts
• Tormentors (old Chaos Space Marines - with bolters and plasma guns) (10) 190
• Infractors (old Chaos Space Marines - with bolter pistols and close combat weapons) (5) 95 pts
• Noise Marines (6) 135 pts
• Noise Marines (6) 135 pts 
• Noise Marines (6) 135 pts 
• Chaos Terminators (5) 175 pts
• Chaos Terminators (5) 175 pts

Total: 1390 pts

(plus the stuff that came in the new box... that adds another 465 points)

Also, if I take one type of Detachment, I can add all sorts of Daemons of Slaanesh - which I have a LOT of! 

DOH!! 

(Oh, they can all still be used in 40K... just not as Emperor's Children, I'd have to pick up the Chaos Space Marine codex and field them as Black Legion or some other "generic" Chaos Space Marine force... Am I going to DO that... probably not anytime soon!)

AND THEN!

Hang on a moment... NOISE MARINES AREN'T "BATTELINE"!??!

THEY CAN ONLY BE FIELDED IN UNITS OF SIX!? 

So.... I went from being able to field units of 5-20 in Eight Edition... and as many units as I could stuff into a detachment... to units of 5-10 in ninth edition (could still do it with the thirty I had!) and could still do so at the beginning of tenth (and, presumably the current 10th Edition Chaos Space Marines Codex still allows it - though I expect an errata will change that with the release of the Emperor's Children). I never picked it up, but I assume there may have been a similar rule that if you were playing Emperor's Children, noise marines would be battleline (therefore allowing you to take up to six units of ten...) 

But now they are definitely no longer Battleline... and just have the six in each unit and cannot be reinforced (to twelve)... So in an Emperor's Children army according to this now codex, I can only field EIGHTEEN Noise Marines... 

I now have FORTY-TWO of them!? 

FML... 

I guess this falls under BE CAREFUL WHAT YOU WISH FOR!!?

Also the new Noise Marines look like they are going to be HUGE - they will dwarf the old ones... Heck, they look like they're going to dwarf my old Terminator!? 

Do I keep the old ones and just play with those (and put them on the bigger 40mm bases)!? Sell off the new ones? Or build and paint the new ones and retire the old ones...? Or use one unit of three of them... Hang onto the others in hopes there are Apocalypse rules at some point in the future again!?

I'll admit I was a little disappointed upon this realization, but I am not despairing.  

I am trying to stay mostly focused on finishing up forces for Bolt Action. I did assemble the Lord Exultant. 

Warhammer 40,000 - 10th Edition

 There is a new edition of Warhammer 40K in the pipe. The start box is currently in preorder, sort of... it sold out within minutes of it going up for pre-order!? If I really wanted a copy, I'm sure I could get one from my FLGS... but I don't. I may not even buy the main book - at least not straight away. 

GW has released the core rules as a free PDF along with ALL the new datasheets and point costs. Which is nice. Now that the points are out, as of today, I've been looking over my forces and seeing what I can put together. 

WHY!? Am I actually going to PLAY the damned game...? Maybe! There is a tournament coming up in July that I'm seriously considering going to. 

The tournament is Battleforce Recon. It's a smaller event with smaller forces (1000 points!). I attended in 2018 and in 2019 - and it was good fun! I signed up for it in 2020... but.. COVID happened... They ran it last year (2022), but I just wasn't ready for hanging out in crowds at that point. I'm not sure I'm all that exited about it still... but... 

This year, like in 2018, everyone will be playing with brand new forces for a brand new edition. In 2018, Warhammer 40000 - 8th Edition had just come out and none of the new codexes has been released and everyone was playing with Index armies. The armies will change as new codexes get released... but for now everyone has armies with limited abilities and special rules to keep track of. 

So I have been looking at my various forces and pondering how they are to be organized under the new rules. One thing that has really changed with 10th edition is, as far as I can tell, they have completely ditched detachments. The only requirement is that you have at least ONE Character model - to lead your force... and... that's pretty much it...? Beyond that you can take up to three of anything else that isn't a Unique unit or character, and up to six of anything that is labelled "Battleline" - those are generally your bog standard infantry soldiers... 

THIS caused be SOME anxiety as I have Many, MANY Imperial Guard Infantry Squads!? But yesterday they released the new data cards for the Astra Militarum and I'm still, theoretically, going to be able to field up to 12 squads... sort of... Astra Militarum "squads" can now be fielded in 10 or 20 model units... (yikes!).

Also, I have enough tanks to, theoretically, (once they are all painted) field and entire tank squadron! The new construction rules have kind of wrecked that plan as none of those tanks are "Battleline"!? Not even the standard Leman Russ Battle Tank... All of the variants have their own Data Card, so I can take up to three of each - three standard Battletanks, three Vanquishers (bigger gun, better at taking out vehicles), three Executioners (giant plasma cannon), three Punishers (giant gattling cannon), three... you get the idea. It will kind of force me to field way more of the special variants - I'd originally intended to have three platoons of three - each platoon having two Battle Tanks and one of the special variants... Ah well... How many times and I actually going to roll out with that full Tank Squadron. Honestly the time I finish it, there will be at least one new edition out - and it may have entirely changed by then!? 

This will make things a little EASIER for my Aeldari force, however. If you recall with the previous (9th edition) Codex - Dire Avengers, which had been "Troops" in previous editions and formed the core of my Aeldari fighting force, has become Elites and only Rangers and Guardians were allowed as Troops... which meant the corps of my figthing forces would be Rangers (who, technically, aren't even part of any particular Craftworld, they just show up to fight alongside, from time to time) and/or Guardians (who are just ordinary citizens that are pressed into service in dire circumstances)!? 

Now I no longer HAVE to include Rangers OR Guardians - I can have a force made up of entirely Aspect Warriors - the real warfighters of the Aeldari Craft worlds... 

So below is what some of the forces I have might look like - what I can field now... in some cases what I could potentially field if I got all the stuff I have painted... and what I might take to Battleforce Recon. 

Did I mention they got rid of power ratings...? Oh, they got rid of Power Ratings alright... But points have been super streamlined. Units are just; a unit of X include y troops for Z points... not points per model and points per weapon and every different option... which is kind of what they tried to do with Power Rating... but now they're doing it with points (basically the Power Rating x20 = points...) People like the bigger numbers I guess...? 2000 points sounds like a more supstatian force that one that's got a power rating of 100...?

Harlequins

Now, Harlequins have been lumped back in with the craftworlders and can be included as part of any Aeldari force... but I was looking at things and realized I could almost put together a 1000 point force of JUST HARLEQUINS... It might be tough to get them all painted in time for Battleforce Recon... but sometimes a DEADLINE is just what I NEED to do such a thing. 

The Current Troupe - Troupe of the Eternal Lament

What I have done:

• Troupe Master - 55 points
• Shadowseer - 60 points
• Solitaire - 115 Points
• Death Jester - 70 points
• Death Jester - 70 points
• Death Jester - 70 points
• Troupe (6) - 75 points 

Total: 515 points

BUT I do also have another 26 Troupe players if various states of paintedness. Originally I was going to organize them into four more units of 6 (with two spares left over) ... but that would be five Troupes... and TROUPES are NOT Battleline... No matter I can just reorganize them into THREE TROUPES. Troupes can be fielded in groups of five, six, eleven, or twelve...? (I THINK this is because the current Harlequin box comes with six miniatures... but one of those miniatures can be used to make your Troupe Master - which would leave you only five for a unit).

So I am ONE miniature shy of being able to field three Troupes of eleven. 

OR four miniatures shy of being able to field three troupes of TWELVE!? 

(I think Keiran had some spare metal Harlequins that they had picked up insome used lot... I may be able to steal/buy those from them!)

If so, I would be able to field the force as: 

• Troupe Master - 55 points
• Shadowseer - 60 points
• Solitaire - 115 Points
• Death Jester - 70 points
• Death Jester - 70 points
• Death Jester - 70 points
• Troupe (11) - 165 points 
• Troupe (11) - 165 points 
• Troupe (11) - 165 points 

Total: 935

Which would leave me 65 points... Perhaps they could be joined by a unit of rangers (55 points)

OR (If I did manage to scrounge up four more Harlequin players... 

• Troupe Master - 55 points
• Shadowseer - 60 points
• Solitaire - 115 Points
• Death Jester - 70 points
• Death Jester - 70 points
• Death Jester - 70 points
• Troupe (12) - 180 points 
• Troupe (12) - 180 points 
• Troupe (12) - 180 points 

Total: 980 points - I could make the Shadowseer a Reader of Runes for +20 points and that would be 1000 points even... 

OR maybe I could field two Troupes of 12 and one Troupe of six and add in an Aeldari War Walker - that I could paint up in all sorts of fun Harlequinesque colours!?  

Aeldari

This is the rest of the Aeldari that I have currently painted. I have loads more in various states of completion - including a few units that are VERY CLOSE to being complete... but this is what is DONE and ready to play right now! 

• Farseer Thymiltelyir (1) - 65 points
• Warlock Conclave (2 -Adryllewi and Broelwyn) - 60 points
• Rangers (5) - 55 points
• Rangers (5) - 55 points
• Rangers (5) - 55 points
• Shrine of the Fading Night Dire Avengers (10) - 140 points
• Shrine of the to-be-named-shrine Dire Avengers (10) - 140 points
• Warp Spiders of the Shrine of the Mean Red Spiders (10) - 200 points
• Wraithlord Kloethades (1) - 160 points
• Wraithlord Phinyndros (1) - 160 points
• Wraithlord Melynaearian (1) - 160 points

Total: 1150 points

Boom! That right there is a force big enough for Battleforce Recon, right there! I just have to drop one of the Wraithlords and I've got 990 points! 

The Stuff that is closest to being finished include

• Dark Reapers (5) - 75 points
• Howling Banshees (10) - 170 points
• Autarch (1) - 65 points
• Warlocks (4) - 120 points
• Farseer (1) - 65 points
• Guardians (11) - 110

That would be another 605 points, for a total of 1755. Just need another 245 points for a 2000point force.

Of course, I could mix in the Craftworlders and Harlequins... and that would be 1665 points without having to paint a single thing... 

I have SO MANY other things I could paint up to add to the force... Like thousands of points more... But there is little point even considering those at the moment. 

Cadia

I have LOADS of Astra Militarum, but I thought I've had a quick look at what the small force of Cadians might add up to for a smaller tournament. (I'm not SUPER excited about bringing Imperial forces to a tournament, as there are SO MANY other Imperial forces... and it's always a bit lame fighting other Imperial forces... but anyway) 

• Platoon Command Squad - 60 points
• Platoon Command Squad - 60 points
• Cadian Shock Troops - 65 points
• Cadian Shock Troops - 65 points
• Cadian Shock Troops - 65 points
• Cadian Shock Troops - 65 points
• Commissar - 35 points
• Commissar - 35 points
• Regimental Preacher - 35 points
• Regimental Preacher - 35 points
• Heavy Weapon Squad - 60 points

Total: 580 points...

Not much, it seems. I'd need a lot more to bring that up to 1000!? The few things I have that I could finish up and add to the force amounts to: 

Platoon Command Squad - 60 points

CREED! (using old model in place of new one) - 55 points

Kasrkin - 120 points

Primaris Psyker - 60 points

Total: +295 points  = 875 points

A Leman Russ Battle Tank is 195 points. I could add that and remove a few of the others to make 1000 points. 

Tallarn Desert Raiders

Stuff that I currently have painted )I'd have to drop ONE of the Platoon Command Squads, above, as I can only have THREE!?): 

• Platoon Command Squad (5) - 60 points
• Platoon Command Squad (5) - 60 points
• Platoon Command Squad (5) - 60 points
• Infantry Squad (9) - 65 points
• Infantry Squad (9) - 65 points
• Infantry Squad (9) - 65 points
• Infantry Squad (18) - 130 points
• Infantry Squad (18) - 130 points
• Infantry Squad (18) - 130 points
• Commissar - 35 points
• Commissar - 35 points
• Primaris Psyker - 60 points
• Regimental Preacher - 35 points
• Heavy Weapon Squad - 60 points
• Heavy Weapon Squad - 60 points
• Heavy Weapon Squad - 60 points
• Rough Riders (5) - 80 points
• Rough Riders (5) - 80 points
• Rough Riders (5) - 80 points
• Leman Russ Battle Tank - 195 points
• Leman Russ Battle Tank - 195 points
• Leman Russ Vanquisher - 190 points
• Leman Russ Punisher - 180 points
• Leman Russ Demolisher - 220 points
• Scout Sentinel - 50 points
• Taurox - 65 points
• Shadowsword - 440 points

Total: 2885

So... lots already done... 

What would 1000 points look like? Looking at what I took to the 2018 Battleforce Recon... 

• Platoon Command Squad (5) - 60 points
• Platoon Command Squad (5) - 60 points
• Platoon Command Squad (5) - 60 points
• Infantry Squad (18) - 130 points
• Infantry Squad (18) - 130 points
• Infantry Squad (18) - 130 points
• Heavy Weapon Squad - 60 points
• Heavy Weapon Squad - 60 points
• Scout Sentinel (1) - 50 points
• Roughriders (10) - 160
• Leman Russ Punisher - 180 points

Total: 1080

Close, I'd have to shave off 80 points. I guess I could just take five Rough Riders...? That would make 1000 points, even... 

Chaos Space Marines

This was the force I've been thinking of building up to take to any tournaments... because Chaos Space Marines will fight ANYONE - including EACH OTHER!? 

I don't really have a recent picture of the entire force... this is most of them... 

But there have also been more Noise Marines added since the above picture was taken... 

Currently the full force looks like:

Heratic Astartes Daemon Prince (1) - 180 points

Chaos Lord in Terminator Armour (1) - 100 points

Sorcerer (1) - 60 points

Master of Possession (1) - 70 points

Legionaires (5) - 100 points

Noise Marines (5) - 85 points

Noise Marines (5) - 85 points

Noise Marines (5) - 85 points

Obliterators (2) - 160 points  

Traitor Guardsmen (10) - 70 points 

Traitor Guardsmen (10) - 70 points 

Cultist Mob (10) - 55 points

Venomcrawler (1) - 140 points 

Total: 1160

Again - could go with these and not have to paint a thing! I'd just need to lose 160 points from these...? Maybe lose the Master of Possession and a unit of Traitor Guard and the Cultists...? Add in some Intoxicating Elixers?

I have no end of minis I could paint up to add to this force as well... another 15 Noise Marines, 20 Chaos Space marine Legionnaires, 10 Terminators, 5 Raptors,  and so many cultists and accursed cultists and mutants and Dark Commune... 

Well... I have some options for Battleforce Recon (if I end up going)... and I have lots I could just get playing with, if the mood struck (though I'd have to get creative about where I'd play, as the game room is still out of commission!). Maybe I should stick to Kill Team and Warcry as planned... 

Epic 40K - MOAR CHAOS!

 

Just a few more Chaos items rolling off the workbench... 

First, is the Blood Reaper, the third Deamon Engine of Khorne. 

I'm still not sure what I'm going to use these as...? 

The Brass Scorpion  (up front) is still a thing, made by Forge World, so I have Apocalypse stats for it... it's a 32 Power Rating Lord of War!? Maybe I need to find some other Lords of War to say they others are "Counts As..." and field the three as a Super Heavy Detachment...? 

I wonder if the Blood Reaper (new one, on the left) could maybe be passed off as a Lord of Skulls...? The former is a tower on wheels with, effectively three weapon systems (two missile, one melee) - the twinned cannons the top of the tower, the battery of guns in the middle of the tower and the impaling ram on the front. The latter is also a towering Daemon Engine on tracks with three weapon systems (two missile, one melee) - the Great Cleaver of Khorne and an arm-mounted ranged weapon and a belly-mounted ranged weapon... (probably go with the Hades Gattling Cannon and the Ichor Cannon - based on attack numbers...) ?

I have no idea about the Doom Blaster of Khorne - four super-heavy mortars and a ram... Maybe a Hellforged Typhon Heavy Siege Tank?  It is equipped with a Dreadhammer Siege Cannon and "Infernal Hunger" (melee weapon)...? 

Next were two test stands - one of Chaos Space Marines the other of... well... it looks like Chaos Space Marines... riding Daemon Steeds of Slaanesh!? 

Pretty pleased with how the Chaos Space Marines turned out. I think I have a total of ten stands worth (so, nine more to do)? Most of which should fit into the five Chaos Land Raiders I've already painted up. 

My initial thought was to use the Marines on the Daemon Steeds of Slaanesh as seekers of Slaanesh - which are Daemonettes mounted on Daemon Steeds of Slaanesh - hence five per base. But now I'm thinking I could field them as "Counts As" Chaos Bikers!? I'd need only three per base - and then end up with WAY MORE UNITS. 

Stats-wise, they aren't all THAT different. They go about the same speed. Have the same Weapon Skill and Ballistic Skill. The melee attacks are similar in strength. The seekers have way more melee attacks, but no ranged attack. Five seekers have two wounds, 3 bikers have one, but the bikers have a way better save... 

Maybe I could do them on a double-wide base with 9 or 10 to a base and could field them as EITHER a unit of 10 Seekers or a unit of 9 Bikers, depending on my mood...? Who's going to count!? 

Epic 40K - MOAR Stuff

I've had a PILE of old "Epic" scale 40K miniatures on and around my workbench for the last month, and, occasionally, I've painted a few things, here and there... 

The main impetus was originally to have markers to show were units were in a Wrath & Glory Role-Playing campaign I was planning to run this fall - where all the players are members of an Astra Militarum Leman Russ tank crew... Unfortunately, we haven't really gotten past character creation, as I ended up being sick the one weekend we did have planned at the end of September... and then there were no days that would work in October... Maybe this month. Next weekend is looking like a possibility...?

Anyway, once I started working on Astra Miliatarun stuff and some opposing Orks... and I found out how quickly I could knock some of these things off... I just started digging out more and more of the stuff - with megalomaniac dreams of MASSIVE APOCALYPSE LEVEL conflicts!?

This is what I've finished up since I last posted about these in September... 

The new stuff... 

Or stuff that was on the workbench and was finished up. Technically, some of it isn't NEWly painted, I was just rebasing things to jive more with the numbers that are allowed in units in the most recent Apocalypse rules... 

Astra Militarum

Leviathan Command Vehicle

This is the only Astra Militarun stuff I finished up. I'm not entirely sure if I'll pretend the Leviathan is something that exists (perhaps a Stormlord...? With extra sponsons...? And pretend that giant gun just fires case shot and effectively works like a vulcan mega-bolter...?) or just make up some rules for it...?

I do have a second company of Leman Russ tanks on the workbench - along with a few support vehicles (self-propelled artillery, mostly) 

Here are all the Astra Militarum items I have painted so far. 

In addition to the aforementioned partly finished second company of Leman Russ tanks and assorted support vehicles.... I also have about two more platoons of Infantry (to finish up a company) and a Mortar Squad and a couple of Special Weapons Squads (Snipers) 

CHAOS

More new things - a few Khorne Chaos things... A Skullmaster, Herald of Khorne on Juggernaut to lead the small contingent and a pair of Khorne Daemon Engines. The one in the back ins a Brass Scorpion. Not sure what to call the one on the left...? 

I have one more Daemon Engine to finish up and a few more of the Khorne Marines mounted on Juggernauts (Which I'll just call Khorne Bloodcrushers) 

Also for a burgeoning Chaos force - a Chaos Sorcerer and a few Chaos Landraiders. 

I have about 10 Elements of Chaos space Marines (which, technically, would probably fit in these five landraiders!? but there'd be no room for the Sorcerer or anyone else). They will all be Emperor's Children - like my regular scale Chaos forces... I could probably use some of the spare marines I have and paint them as Heresy era Emperor's Children. 

I also have an assortment of other Epic chaos stuff... The old Epic Chaos forces had some really weird stuff, tho...  Marines (that look like Thousand Sons) mounted on Steeds of Slaanesh (which I'll just call "seekers") ?! Marines riding on Screamers of Tzeentch?! the Khorne Bloodletters look like HUGE ogres... Piles of Chaos Dwarves (Maybe I'll just use those as more Chaos Space Marines?). Beastmen (which I could use as "cultists", if there aren't apocalypse stats for the Beastmen that came with Blackstone Fortress) 

Adeptus Astartes

These rolled off the workbench, but they are definitely just rebased. I originally had four bases of three... which I changed to two bases of five terminators, plus two captains in Terminator armour. 

The Marines so far... 

Still have another five Rhinos and another 10-15 elements of Marines based and ready to go. Probably another 15 elements worth of marines that could be based and painted (those might become Emperor's Children, though...) I also have a handful of bikes and speeders and drop pods and commanders to do, but that's about it for Marines. 

Orks

New Orks - mostly. I'm pretty sure the Killa Kans were painted before and I rebased them from two elements of two, to one element of three and one element of one... to match the unit sizes allowed in Apocalypse. Also, two Warbosses (the one on the larger base would be used as the forces Warmaster), and a Big Mek with Shock Attack Gun, and Nob with Waaagh Banner. 

The Orks so far

I have 8 units of orks on the workbench - to fill up those trucks! 

In additnion to these, I have another 19 original ork sprues (each with 3 Trucks and 20 Orks) which could make 38 MORE units of Orks... and... well... way more Trucks that I could ever hope to use (adding in the few loose ones I have, there are over SISTY!)!? I also have two of the newer sprues, which have more of the Bosses and Nobs, a few gretchin and bikes and buggies and guns... 

I also have a MEGA GARGANT and a Stompa and some more Morkanot/Gorkanot type walkers... 

And then there are all the Eldar... 

And Squats.... 

And Titans.... 

All of which I haven't really even been thinking about, lately... but probably should!

Will there be MORE of this in the near future...? I don't know. I will probably finish up the Leman Russ tanks and 8 elements of Orks, but for the rest of the year I'm really trying to finish up some Warhammer Underworlds warbands - as that's a game I'm likely to actually PLAY!!!

IF we actually get the Role-Playing Game going... AND the epic minis DO come in useful, I might get motivated to paint some more... 

IF somehow I got playing Epic Apocalypse and was having fun with that, I might also get motivated to paint more...

We shall see.... 

40 Days of 40K - Part Five

Here are a few more of the 40K inspired drawings I'd done over the last few days. 

#21 - Terminator

The prompt was just "Terminator", so I chose to do a CHAOS Terminator of the Emperor's Children chapter. 

I meant to add a few more spikes... but forgot ... 

#22  - Grey Knight

Brother Patrick - Grey Knight Purgator with Psilencer.

Based on this miniature from my own small force of Grey Knights.

You can see the rest of them here:

Grey Knight Force 

 #23 - Crisis Suit

I was originally going to do a Crisis Suit when the T'au prompt came up a week or so ago, but then looked ahead and realized it showed up as a prompt of its own. 

This one is based somewhat on the Tau Commander I painted for Finnegan. 

Well... the colour scheme at least... I think there are a few more crisis suits that will have a similar scheme... 

...

At this point I started jumping around a bit. No one said they had to be done IN ORDER?! So I started doing the ones that matched the actual day of the month, and figured I'd just catch up with the ones I'd skipped by when I could.. 

Day 27 - Dreadnaught

Remember when these were called "Eldar Dreadnoughts"...? I do, so.... 

Wraithlord Melynaearian

Again, based on a miniature of my own...

Eldar Dreadnoughts (Wraithlords) 

....

and then I just decided to do something else entirely... 

Watch the Corners - 28x35.5cm (11x14) - Ink on Paper

The other day I was feeling like I needed to do something different. All the drawings for this, and the other challenge I've been working on have been in these little 8"x8" watercolour sketchbooks, which are fun... but I don't LOVE working that small.. and I needed to do something different. 

I prepared a handful of watercolour sheets, taping them down to boards a few weeks (months!?) back, so they'd be ready for any moment I felt the urge to use them...That urge struck the other night while watching RuPaul's Drag Race with Amanda. 

Still 40K inspired, but not really following any of the prompts from the 40 Days of 40K Challenge. I'm not even sure what I was thinking...? Is this a ganger in the underhive? Is it a member of a Rogue Trader's crew preparing for boarding action?! I don't know. Just a dude with a bolter and a chainsword (and his faithful servo skull companion) ready for action. 

.....

I'm probably going to slow down on these going forward. I had planned on doing a critter on a bicycle AND one of the 40K drawing prompts each day until I'd filled BOTH of the sketchbooks I've been using for these challenges - which would be around the end of November. I'm thinking now I'll do a few more Critters on Bicycles to finish off the month (and then I'll have done one of those EVERY DAY, ALL MONTH! On November, to keep the momentum going, I'm going to try and still do a drawing a day, but, like just ONE - alternating between the Critters on Bicycles and the 40K drawings... and try to get back to painting some MINIATURES and PLAYING SOME GAMES!!! 

40 Days of 40K

 While I haven't been painting a lot of MINIATURES this year, I have been doing a LOT more drawing and painting - you can see all the stuff I've been working on over at my art blog: Tim's Art Blog.

This month I'm working through some stuff that I thought I'd share here as well, though - a 40 Days of 40K Drawing Challenge!

I came across the list posted on Twitter on Tom Boyle Illustration's profile (@PandaFunkTeam).

I probably won't post stuff here every day. Perhaps every few days... If you want to see them as they're being done, you'll have to check in on the Art Blog or my Instagram or Twitter or Tumblr accounts! 

Here's what I've done so far... 

Day One - Space Marine

This is a Marine of the Tangermarine Chapter - It's the homebrew chapter I've used for a few of my Marine models. The very first plastic Space Marines models I had from Games Workshop, WAAAAAAAAAY back in 1989...? I painted orange. I still love that colour for Marines. It kind of says; "We know you know where we are and we WANT you to know we know and that we DON'T CARE that you know, because we're just THAT badass... Go ahead and shoot first, we'll be the ones shooting last" 

Those first ones I did with a simple stylized jesters head and called them The Emperor's Jesters. I may have worked some purple into their livery as well...? But so many others have called their chapters Emperor's Jesters, I had to come up with something new. So... Tangermarines. It's kind of silly and stupid... But man, I just can't take little space men wargames all that serious. There was a real tongue-in-cheek-ness to so much of the original 40K Rogue Trader stuff that's kind of stuck with me all these years. 

Day Two - Chaos Space Marine

I was kind of going for the older Renegade Space Marine look, but keeping with the purple-ish hues of the Emperor's Children. I had thought of doing a Noise Marine, but that's got it's OWN spot on the list at Day 30! 

Day Three - Eldar

That first box set of plastic Space Marines was my first experience of Games Workshop/Citadel Miniatures WArhammer 40,000. I'm not sure we even had the Rogue Trader BOOK in at the Wizard's Corner in Saskatoon. I think I also picked up a pair of gretchin and squats - that were briefly produced under licence by Rafm, I think...? 

As actual metal Citadel 40K miniatures trickled across the ocean and into Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada in the late 80s, it was the Eldar that were my first true love... and my first true force. They were PIRATES back then - much like the recent Corsairs. And the following first of their Shuriken Catapults was BRUTAL. 

I probably only had about 20-30 of them, plus a las cannon on a tripod, and a dreadnaught (Wraithlord)... and a handful of Harlequins - that I STILL have! But it was a force to be reckoned with! 

Day Four - Tyranid

Tyranid Warrior and Genestealer (and Genestealer Cultist) all show up later in the prompt list, so I wanted to stay away from those.... So I chose a Carnifex. Apparently this Carnifex's mom didn't teach baby Carnifex not to play with it's food. Little does that poor Carnifex know, that the tricksy Commissar has already set her plasma pistol to overload and in a few short moments they will both be vapourized in a ball of gas that will flash bright as the sun for the briefest of moments...

The Commissar is not afraid. She is only sad. Sad that in this moment of sacrifice her duty to her beloved Emperor on Terra ends.

The Commissar is serving with the 222nd Guaiacan Commando Regiment on Brynd's World, where the regiment encountered elements of Hive Fleet Haemorrhoid!

Day Five - Ork

I was imagining this as the REd Sunz Warboss leading troops on Xoxigar Secondus. I'd think up some more fluff for them if I wasn't so damed tired... 

Not doing a lot of miniature painting done while working on these, though...