Fresh from GW, here is a faq for the new Codex Space Marines.
Saturday, January 31, 2009
Update: Some reinforcements
Picked up some small reinforcements in the form of a Helblaster/Helstorm. Parts will be going for Dogs of War conversion while the gun will go towards parts of an Empire army. I'm going to see if its possible to magentize the weapons so that I can switch between either version depending on the opponent :)
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
Games Workshop Interim 6 Month Report
http://investor.games-workshop.com/latest_results/Results2009/Interims/default.aspx
A pretty informative read - worth checking out. Seems they've cut their operating costs and have started turning a good profit again. Forgeworld saw 29% growth! - Wow!
A pretty informative read - worth checking out. Seems they've cut their operating costs and have started turning a good profit again. Forgeworld saw 29% growth! - Wow!
Saturday, January 24, 2009
News: British Pound Dropping in Value
Unless you're living under a rock, you've heard about the international financial crisis. Well it has hit the UK too with the British pound coming down in price quite a bit. Not too long ago it was at 2:1 to the US $. Now its down to around 1.37 : 1. So if you ever wanted to order from Forgeworld the time is NOW!!!
IMPERIAL ARMOUR APOCALYPSE: $27.40
REAVER TITAN: $737.40 --- not too long ago it was well over $1,000!
ELDAR REVENANT TITAN: $214.50
TYRANID HIEROPHANT BIO TITAN: $261.40
WARHOUND TITAN: $395.50 --- used to be close to $600
THUNDERHAWK GUNSHIP: $502.70 --- used to be almost $800!
Go check out the entire Forgeworld range to see what savings are to be had! I know I will be placing an order with them soon.
IMPERIAL ARMOUR APOCALYPSE: $27.40
REAVER TITAN: $737.40 --- not too long ago it was well over $1,000!
ELDAR REVENANT TITAN: $214.50
TYRANID HIEROPHANT BIO TITAN: $261.40
WARHOUND TITAN: $395.50 --- used to be close to $600
THUNDERHAWK GUNSHIP: $502.70 --- used to be almost $800!
Go check out the entire Forgeworld range to see what savings are to be had! I know I will be placing an order with them soon.
Hobby Tip: How to use the Citadel Spray Gun
YouTube Video demonstrating the use of the Citdael Spray Gun - really helpful!
Stormlord/Shadowsword Video on Youtube
GW has a short video up on YouTube previewing the new tanks from every angle!
Update: WIP Imperial Guard
Some time since there was an update for the Guard. I've managed to finish one of my lascannon weapon teams. This thing took about as much work as 5 regular guys. There are all kinds of small details to do on these. I'm pretty happy with the way the crew turned out, although they do need some small tweaks still. The gun itself was also pretty good and I'm going to add a few more details in places and clean it up. I'm thinking the basing needs to have more 'scenic' feel to it so I'm going to rummage the bitz box I bit to make them look a little more entrenched before finishing everything up. That leaves two more lascannon teams to do. Eventually I'll have to get a whole lot more to compelte the guard army - that will wait until the new codex comes out in May. By then I want to have all of the current guard stuff painted. Questions and comments always welcome!
Update: WIP Tactical Squad
Now that the lightning claw terminators are done, I can give this squad some attention. The sergeant in particular is getting a lot of details added and will be cleaned up quite a bit from what he is now. Compare where he is at now to early wip pics of him. I'm still amazed at how much detailed they managed to add to the Black Reach minis. Giving him some personal heraldry such as the shoulder marking and both kneepads as well as his sword, and gold backpack to distinguish him as a veteran. Its kind of tough to see, but his right knee (model's pov) has the Blood Angels teardrop while the left knee has the blue/white striping seen on his shoulder pad, a yellow quarter to which I'll add something later, and the bottom left quarter in black has a numeral III for his company marking. The cloth across his torso will also be detailed later.
Update: WIP Lightning Claw Terminators
Some WIP pics of the lightning claw terminators. They're basically finished except for some fine detail (lightning claws) and touchup work. Only another 9,000 or so pts left to paint for the Blood Angels :)
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
Forgeworld Newsletter 208
Just received Forgeworld Newsletter 208. Looks like Red Scorpions fans get some more stuff.
"Hello There,
First off, I`d like to say a Happy New Year from all here at Forge World and bid you welcome to the first newsletter of 2009. We`ve a lot of great new models and releases planned for this coming year, and we thought we would start the ball rolling with something monstrous for the Renegades of Vraks, and some Red Scorpion’s accessories that we`ve had a lot of demand for from Space Marine players.
ThanksAlan Bligh
Hounds of Xaphan with Khornate Ogryn HandlerNew for the treacherous and Chaos-tainted Renegades of Vraks are the Hounds of Xaphan with Khornate Ogryn Handler, available for pre order now for release the week commencing the 26th of January. Designed by Daniel Cockersell and Mark Bedford, the set comprises a special Ogryn Handler marked by the symbols of the Blood God, and three bestial and mutated hounds, as well as a length of brass chain, which can be used to join the models together. The rules for this savage unit can be found in Imperial Armour Volume 6, The Siege of Vraks Part 2 as part of the Servants of Slaughter army list.
You can see more pictures of the Ogryn and Hounds Here.
Red Scorpions Land Raider and Rhino DoorsAvailable for pre-order now for release the week commencing the 26th of January, we also have some cool new Red Scorpions Land Raider Doors and Red Scorpion Rhino Doors sets. Designed for use with Games Workshop standard plastic tank kits for the Rhino and Land Raider, they can also be used with other tank models such as the Whirlwind that use these models as a base. These highly detailed doors featuring lavish iconography specific to the Red Scorpions Space Marines Chapter have been designed by Simon Egan and are great for personalising tanks and adding an extra level of detail to your armies and modelling projects.
You can see pictures of these doors sets Here."
"Hello There,
First off, I`d like to say a Happy New Year from all here at Forge World and bid you welcome to the first newsletter of 2009. We`ve a lot of great new models and releases planned for this coming year, and we thought we would start the ball rolling with something monstrous for the Renegades of Vraks, and some Red Scorpion’s accessories that we`ve had a lot of demand for from Space Marine players.
ThanksAlan Bligh
Hounds of Xaphan with Khornate Ogryn HandlerNew for the treacherous and Chaos-tainted Renegades of Vraks are the Hounds of Xaphan with Khornate Ogryn Handler, available for pre order now for release the week commencing the 26th of January. Designed by Daniel Cockersell and Mark Bedford, the set comprises a special Ogryn Handler marked by the symbols of the Blood God, and three bestial and mutated hounds, as well as a length of brass chain, which can be used to join the models together. The rules for this savage unit can be found in Imperial Armour Volume 6, The Siege of Vraks Part 2 as part of the Servants of Slaughter army list.
You can see more pictures of the Ogryn and Hounds Here.
Red Scorpions Land Raider and Rhino DoorsAvailable for pre-order now for release the week commencing the 26th of January, we also have some cool new Red Scorpions Land Raider Doors and Red Scorpion Rhino Doors sets. Designed for use with Games Workshop standard plastic tank kits for the Rhino and Land Raider, they can also be used with other tank models such as the Whirlwind that use these models as a base. These highly detailed doors featuring lavish iconography specific to the Red Scorpions Space Marines Chapter have been designed by Simon Egan and are great for personalising tanks and adding an extra level of detail to your armies and modelling projects.
You can see pictures of these doors sets Here."
Saturday, January 17, 2009
Tactica: Pikemen Regiments of Renown
Aside from regular core choice pikemen, a mercenary general has four Regiment of Regnown pike choices to choose from: Pirazzo's Lost Legion, Ricco's Republican Guard, Leopold's Leopard Company, and The Alcatani Fellowship. On the surface they may appear to be just another pikemen unit, but each of these Regiments of Renown differ significantly and will require careful use on the battlefield. The same strengths and weaknesses of regular mercenary pikemen units apply to their Regiment of Renown counterparts as well. Pikemen units are strong against a frontal charge but are virtually helpless against flank and rear chargers, thus it is imperative to protect their flanks working in concert with other units.
Pirazzo's Lost Legion has the second-cheapest base points cost among the four units, being only more expensive than the Alcatani Fellowship in initial cost. Like the Leopard Company and Alcatani Fellowship, they are equipped with light, so it is wise to protect them from shooting. The Lost Legion is a unique unit in that it is the only 'mixed formation' unit available. The front rank of Pirazzo's Lost Legion is always armed with crossbows. Pirazzo himself is similarly equipped and carries two hand weapons for close combat. The Lost Legion makes an excellent unit to cover the flanks of an army as their crossbows will be able to engange the more lightly armored enemy flanking units at range before engaging any survivors with a wall of deadly pikes. Thus it is often best to deploy the Lost Legion in a slighty wider formation than normal to provide a few more shots each turn while still having enough pikes to provide several close combat attacks.
Ricco's Republican Guard is the 'heavy' unit among the four Regiment of Renown pike units. They are slighly more expensive than the Lost Legion, but are also more durable as the entire unit wears heavy armor. They are also the only pikemen unit with a Weapon Skill of 4, which will allow them to score several more hits against more poorly trained units. 'Ragged Ricco' himself also wears heavy armor like the rest of his unit and carries two hand weapons for close combat.
Leopold's Leopard Company is the most expensive pikemen unit among the four Regiment of Renown pike choices. They are neither the most skilled or most heavily armored unit. They are however Immune to Psychology. The unit carries light armor, while Leopold carries heavy armor as well as a hand weapon and pistol. The pistol does allows for some limited shooting, and with his high ballistic skill, Leopold does have a good chance of hitting, especially if deciding to stand and shoot against a charge. As they are Immune to Pyschology, the Leopard Company is able absorb shooting and damaging magic spells without fear of panicing as a result of losses. They also provide a mercenary general with a unit that can be counted on to face the myriad fear and terror causing units out there where less stalwart (or religiously fervent) troops might turn tail and flee. Nevertheless, it is only an unwise general who would needlessly waste such valuable and expensive troops.
The Alcatani Fellowship is a bit of an oddity among these Regiments of Renown as they do not fight in a mixed formation, carry heavy armor, or ignore psychology. What the Alcatani Fellowship are however, is cheap. It is possible to build a sizeable unit for far fewer points than any of the aforementioned pikemen units. There are however some drawbacks to the Alcatani Fellowship which a wise general must consider when deciding to employ them. The members of the Alcatani Fellowship are a poorly trained unit at weapon skill 2, being mostly farmers who decided to follow the path of a mercenary after losing their land. Similarly, the leader of the Fellowship, Roderigo Delmonte does not quite match up to the other pikemen captains in ability, having a slightly lower weapon skill, toughness, and initiative, as well as one fewer attack.
To aid potential generals who may consider employing these pike Regiments of Renown, the follow table provides a list of which armies may hire them.
May Hire May Not Hire
Pirazzo's Lost Leg All except Vampire Counts, Bretonnia
Ricco's Republican Guard All except Bretonnia
Leopold's Leopard Company All except Bretonnia
The Alcatani Fellowship All except Bretonnia
The Dogs of War are still an army of the 6th edition of Warhammer Fantasy and most would place them on the extreme low end (if not the bottom) of the power level of the various armies available, especially those that have been updated with an armybook for 7th edition. What uses can Dogs of War, specifically pikemen offer in the current environment of the game? Which armies could benefit from employing a unit or two of pikemen? First, it is worth observing that these particular Regiments of Renown will occupy a special slot in those armies that are able to hire them. Special, just like Rare slots, are always at a premium when it comes to choosing your forces for a battle and most armies will already have several excellent special units to choose from. As in a purely Dogs of War army, pikemen are a very specialized unit, that must be used carefully to maximize their effect.
I will provide a brief overview of which armies could benefit from the use of these Regiments of Renown. Armies which typically lack shooting such as Warriors of Chaos, Beasts of Chaos, or Ogre Kingdoms could use Pirazzo's Lost Legion to provide some long range shooting while being able to handle any survivors able to charge them. The Lost Legion would work very well at anchoring a flank, where they can deal with enemy troops such as light cavalry. Alternately the long range of their crossbows can be used as effective counterfire to the enemy's missile troops. Ogre Kingdoms and Beastmen armies in particular can benefit from the hiring of any of these pikemen units as they provide these armies with sorely lacking static combat resolution in the form of ranks and numbers. A pike unit working in concert with fast moving ogres on the flanks can manouver to setup combined charges on enemy units where the sheer number of attacks from both units combined with the static combat resolution provided by the pikes can be effective against all but the most elite of units.
Empire armies could effectively add any of these units although they will be competing for special slots with various Empire staples such as Great Cannons, Pistoliers/Outriders, Inner Circle Knights, and Greatswords. Nevertheless, a pikemen unit can be an excellent defenisve unit for an Empire general. Pikes can also fulfill a similar role in Dwarf armies, helping to secure vulnerable flanks.
Pikemen can also be of use in a Wood Elf army. At first glance they might appear completely out of place, but they can provide some defensive staying power and static combat resolution in an army that heavily features skirmishing units. Leopold's Leopard Company could be of use in a Forest Spirit themed Wood Elf army as they are also Immune to Psychology. Working in combination with Dryads, Treekin, and Treemen, the Leopard Company can work to setup combined attacks on enemy units.
Lastly, Orcs & Goblins could also benefit from hiring these pikemen. Again, Pirazzo's Lost Legion can provide some relatively reliable long range shooting for O&G without having to worry about Animosity. Similarly the Leopard Company is well equipped to engage fear-causing units (Orcs & Goblins are not known for theier high leadership). Given the typical size of Orc & Goblin armies, the pikemen are less likely to have to worry about their flanks being exposed.
Currently, there is little reason to use pikemen in the follow armies due either to that particular army's special rules, the availability of units which perform similar roles, or a combination of the two: High Elves, Dark Elves, Skaven, Vampire Counts, and Tomb Kings.
Hopefully the above tactica has been useful in highlighting these Regiments of Renown.
Pirazzo's Lost Legion has the second-cheapest base points cost among the four units, being only more expensive than the Alcatani Fellowship in initial cost. Like the Leopard Company and Alcatani Fellowship, they are equipped with light, so it is wise to protect them from shooting. The Lost Legion is a unique unit in that it is the only 'mixed formation' unit available. The front rank of Pirazzo's Lost Legion is always armed with crossbows. Pirazzo himself is similarly equipped and carries two hand weapons for close combat. The Lost Legion makes an excellent unit to cover the flanks of an army as their crossbows will be able to engange the more lightly armored enemy flanking units at range before engaging any survivors with a wall of deadly pikes. Thus it is often best to deploy the Lost Legion in a slighty wider formation than normal to provide a few more shots each turn while still having enough pikes to provide several close combat attacks.
Ricco's Republican Guard is the 'heavy' unit among the four Regiment of Renown pike units. They are slighly more expensive than the Lost Legion, but are also more durable as the entire unit wears heavy armor. They are also the only pikemen unit with a Weapon Skill of 4, which will allow them to score several more hits against more poorly trained units. 'Ragged Ricco' himself also wears heavy armor like the rest of his unit and carries two hand weapons for close combat.
Leopold's Leopard Company is the most expensive pikemen unit among the four Regiment of Renown pike choices. They are neither the most skilled or most heavily armored unit. They are however Immune to Psychology. The unit carries light armor, while Leopold carries heavy armor as well as a hand weapon and pistol. The pistol does allows for some limited shooting, and with his high ballistic skill, Leopold does have a good chance of hitting, especially if deciding to stand and shoot against a charge. As they are Immune to Pyschology, the Leopard Company is able absorb shooting and damaging magic spells without fear of panicing as a result of losses. They also provide a mercenary general with a unit that can be counted on to face the myriad fear and terror causing units out there where less stalwart (or religiously fervent) troops might turn tail and flee. Nevertheless, it is only an unwise general who would needlessly waste such valuable and expensive troops.
The Alcatani Fellowship is a bit of an oddity among these Regiments of Renown as they do not fight in a mixed formation, carry heavy armor, or ignore psychology. What the Alcatani Fellowship are however, is cheap. It is possible to build a sizeable unit for far fewer points than any of the aforementioned pikemen units. There are however some drawbacks to the Alcatani Fellowship which a wise general must consider when deciding to employ them. The members of the Alcatani Fellowship are a poorly trained unit at weapon skill 2, being mostly farmers who decided to follow the path of a mercenary after losing their land. Similarly, the leader of the Fellowship, Roderigo Delmonte does not quite match up to the other pikemen captains in ability, having a slightly lower weapon skill, toughness, and initiative, as well as one fewer attack.
To aid potential generals who may consider employing these pike Regiments of Renown, the follow table provides a list of which armies may hire them.
May Hire May Not Hire
Pirazzo's Lost Leg All except Vampire Counts, Bretonnia
Ricco's Republican Guard All except Bretonnia
Leopold's Leopard Company All except Bretonnia
The Alcatani Fellowship All except Bretonnia
The Dogs of War are still an army of the 6th edition of Warhammer Fantasy and most would place them on the extreme low end (if not the bottom) of the power level of the various armies available, especially those that have been updated with an armybook for 7th edition. What uses can Dogs of War, specifically pikemen offer in the current environment of the game? Which armies could benefit from employing a unit or two of pikemen? First, it is worth observing that these particular Regiments of Renown will occupy a special slot in those armies that are able to hire them. Special, just like Rare slots, are always at a premium when it comes to choosing your forces for a battle and most armies will already have several excellent special units to choose from. As in a purely Dogs of War army, pikemen are a very specialized unit, that must be used carefully to maximize their effect.
I will provide a brief overview of which armies could benefit from the use of these Regiments of Renown. Armies which typically lack shooting such as Warriors of Chaos, Beasts of Chaos, or Ogre Kingdoms could use Pirazzo's Lost Legion to provide some long range shooting while being able to handle any survivors able to charge them. The Lost Legion would work very well at anchoring a flank, where they can deal with enemy troops such as light cavalry. Alternately the long range of their crossbows can be used as effective counterfire to the enemy's missile troops. Ogre Kingdoms and Beastmen armies in particular can benefit from the hiring of any of these pikemen units as they provide these armies with sorely lacking static combat resolution in the form of ranks and numbers. A pike unit working in concert with fast moving ogres on the flanks can manouver to setup combined charges on enemy units where the sheer number of attacks from both units combined with the static combat resolution provided by the pikes can be effective against all but the most elite of units.
Empire armies could effectively add any of these units although they will be competing for special slots with various Empire staples such as Great Cannons, Pistoliers/Outriders, Inner Circle Knights, and Greatswords. Nevertheless, a pikemen unit can be an excellent defenisve unit for an Empire general. Pikes can also fulfill a similar role in Dwarf armies, helping to secure vulnerable flanks.
Pikemen can also be of use in a Wood Elf army. At first glance they might appear completely out of place, but they can provide some defensive staying power and static combat resolution in an army that heavily features skirmishing units. Leopold's Leopard Company could be of use in a Forest Spirit themed Wood Elf army as they are also Immune to Psychology. Working in combination with Dryads, Treekin, and Treemen, the Leopard Company can work to setup combined attacks on enemy units.
Lastly, Orcs & Goblins could also benefit from hiring these pikemen. Again, Pirazzo's Lost Legion can provide some relatively reliable long range shooting for O&G without having to worry about Animosity. Similarly the Leopard Company is well equipped to engage fear-causing units (Orcs & Goblins are not known for theier high leadership). Given the typical size of Orc & Goblin armies, the pikemen are less likely to have to worry about their flanks being exposed.
Currently, there is little reason to use pikemen in the follow armies due either to that particular army's special rules, the availability of units which perform similar roles, or a combination of the two: High Elves, Dark Elves, Skaven, Vampire Counts, and Tomb Kings.
Hopefully the above tactica has been useful in highlighting these Regiments of Renown.
Tactica: Bronzino's Galloper Guns
Bronzino's Galloper Guns are a unique effort to combine the firepower of artillery with the mobility of cavalry. This is an extremely specialized Regiment of Renown and will require careful deployment in order to see effective use. Most mercenary generals will pass on using Bronzino's unit in favor of regular mercenary cannons or will fill their rare choices with units such Asarnil, Truthsayers, Dark Emissaries, and Fenbeasts which are far more straightforward in their use. A regular mercenary cannon has double the range of a Galloper Gun and has a much higher strength. The major selling point of Bronzino's unit lies in their mobility. It should be noted in the beginning, that Bronzino's Galloper Guns are not for novice players or those who are bad at estimating distances.
First, let us take a look at what the requirements for the unit are. Bronzino's Galloper guns can be hired as a rare choice in any army except Bretonnia. The minimum unit that you must hire comes with Bronzino himself and one Galloper Gun team for a total of 165 points. Additional teams may be hired at an additional 100 points per team as well as taking up an additional rare choice. Thus, in a typical 2000 point game, you can have a maximum of two Galloper Guns. Bronzino is a captain level hero, although he is only lightly armed although he does ride a warhorse (more on this below). The Galloper Gun itself is mounted in a carriage which is attended by a crew of three.
Being smaller and lighter than even a mercernary cannon, the Galloper Guns do not pack the punch of their larger cousins, nor they have the especially long range of other, heavier cannons. A Galloper Gun has a range of 24" with a strength of 7, and causes D3 wounds. Each team may move 8 inches and can march. Brozino himself must be deployed with a team, but is otherwise free to act on his own as a separate Hero.
In games smaller than 2000 points, it would probably be better to use a regular mercenary cannon. In games of 2000 points or greater, there is more of a place for the Galloper Guns. In most cases, simply hiring the minimum unit size (Bronzino and one gun team) will be the most efficient use of points and rare choices, leaving one rare choice open for any of the aforementioned units. Bronzino and his gun team have dual purposes. Bronzino is unique among Regiments of Renown units in that he is the only named character who can leave his unit. In this way becomes much more versatile and Brozino can start earning his points back by acting as a lone mage and war machine hunter. He is also capable enough to charge lightly armed flanking units such as fast cavalry. Sending Bronzino off to engage other enemy units can buy critical time for the rest of the army, especially if fast enemy units are bearing down on the Galloper Gun. A word of caution - while Bronzino is a adequate fighter, it is unwise to expect too much from him or to needlessly send him into a combat he has no hope of winning.
The key to using a Galloper Gun effectively starts in the deployment phase. It is best to deploy the Bronzino and his team on a flank. To an extent, the placement of Bronzino will depend on what type of troops the opponent has available and knowing how fast an opponent's army can move. One must also be careful not to setup Bronzino and his team in direct line of sight from enemy war artillery. Every turn that the Galloper Gun team is moving, is a turn they are not shooting, thus you will want to get them into firing position as soon as possible. The first turn will see Bronzino and the Galloper Gun team racing up the flank using available terrain to their advantage in order to setup enfilading fire. If the enemy goes first, the team will have to be moved more cautiously to avoid putting it within an enemy unit's charge range on the second turn.
Targets for the Galloper Gun team should include enemy units such as chariots, all types of cavalary, multi-wound units such as ogres, lone characters, and large monsters. Any opportunity to get a flank shot, especially on a cavalary unit should be taken. Bronzino should be used to hunt down targets of opportunity as well, such as lone characters and small, weak units. He can also be used as an effective march blocker to slow enemy forces down while the other elements of the army get into position or to bait and redirect enemy units to expose the flanks of enemy units to your main combat units. If it is necessary, then Bronzino can sacrifice himself by charging into a tough enemy in order to buy more time. If it becomes necessary (multiple enemy units getting within charge range), than it is advisable to redeploy the Galloper Gun. With their speed, it should be possible to redeploy to a more favorable location to continue shooting in subsequent turns. If an enemy unit does charge the Galloper Gun, it is advisable to flee in almost all circumstances. The gun team is less than Unit Strength 5, thus it will not panic your other troops if it has to flee through them. In some circumstances you may have to make the choice to sacrifice your Galloper Gun in order to buy some time for the rest of the army. This should only be done when absolutely necessary, as the war machine and crew will almost certainly be slaughtered, giving up a big chunk of victory points.
Hopefully the above tactica has been helpful in demonstrating the uses of Bronzino and his Galloper guns.
First, let us take a look at what the requirements for the unit are. Bronzino's Galloper guns can be hired as a rare choice in any army except Bretonnia. The minimum unit that you must hire comes with Bronzino himself and one Galloper Gun team for a total of 165 points. Additional teams may be hired at an additional 100 points per team as well as taking up an additional rare choice. Thus, in a typical 2000 point game, you can have a maximum of two Galloper Guns. Bronzino is a captain level hero, although he is only lightly armed although he does ride a warhorse (more on this below). The Galloper Gun itself is mounted in a carriage which is attended by a crew of three.
Being smaller and lighter than even a mercernary cannon, the Galloper Guns do not pack the punch of their larger cousins, nor they have the especially long range of other, heavier cannons. A Galloper Gun has a range of 24" with a strength of 7, and causes D3 wounds. Each team may move 8 inches and can march. Brozino himself must be deployed with a team, but is otherwise free to act on his own as a separate Hero.
In games smaller than 2000 points, it would probably be better to use a regular mercenary cannon. In games of 2000 points or greater, there is more of a place for the Galloper Guns. In most cases, simply hiring the minimum unit size (Bronzino and one gun team) will be the most efficient use of points and rare choices, leaving one rare choice open for any of the aforementioned units. Bronzino and his gun team have dual purposes. Bronzino is unique among Regiments of Renown units in that he is the only named character who can leave his unit. In this way becomes much more versatile and Brozino can start earning his points back by acting as a lone mage and war machine hunter. He is also capable enough to charge lightly armed flanking units such as fast cavalry. Sending Bronzino off to engage other enemy units can buy critical time for the rest of the army, especially if fast enemy units are bearing down on the Galloper Gun. A word of caution - while Bronzino is a adequate fighter, it is unwise to expect too much from him or to needlessly send him into a combat he has no hope of winning.
The key to using a Galloper Gun effectively starts in the deployment phase. It is best to deploy the Bronzino and his team on a flank. To an extent, the placement of Bronzino will depend on what type of troops the opponent has available and knowing how fast an opponent's army can move. One must also be careful not to setup Bronzino and his team in direct line of sight from enemy war artillery. Every turn that the Galloper Gun team is moving, is a turn they are not shooting, thus you will want to get them into firing position as soon as possible. The first turn will see Bronzino and the Galloper Gun team racing up the flank using available terrain to their advantage in order to setup enfilading fire. If the enemy goes first, the team will have to be moved more cautiously to avoid putting it within an enemy unit's charge range on the second turn.
Targets for the Galloper Gun team should include enemy units such as chariots, all types of cavalary, multi-wound units such as ogres, lone characters, and large monsters. Any opportunity to get a flank shot, especially on a cavalary unit should be taken. Bronzino should be used to hunt down targets of opportunity as well, such as lone characters and small, weak units. He can also be used as an effective march blocker to slow enemy forces down while the other elements of the army get into position or to bait and redirect enemy units to expose the flanks of enemy units to your main combat units. If it is necessary, then Bronzino can sacrifice himself by charging into a tough enemy in order to buy more time. If it becomes necessary (multiple enemy units getting within charge range), than it is advisable to redeploy the Galloper Gun. With their speed, it should be possible to redeploy to a more favorable location to continue shooting in subsequent turns. If an enemy unit does charge the Galloper Gun, it is advisable to flee in almost all circumstances. The gun team is less than Unit Strength 5, thus it will not panic your other troops if it has to flee through them. In some circumstances you may have to make the choice to sacrifice your Galloper Gun in order to buy some time for the rest of the army. This should only be done when absolutely necessary, as the war machine and crew will almost certainly be slaughtered, giving up a big chunk of victory points.
Hopefully the above tactica has been helpful in demonstrating the uses of Bronzino and his Galloper guns.
Friday, January 16, 2009
Update: Early WIP of DOW Light Cav
Very much in the early stages of painting these guys. Working on the test model right now. Going with a checker pattern on their saddle blankets - still need to touch that part up, then I'll work on the rest of the horse. Stay tuned.
Thursday, January 15, 2009
Saw the Stompa!
Just stopped into the local GW store here in Hamburg (GER) and one of the managers was putting together the new plastic Stompa! Holy SH*T is this thing big! I counted 8 sprues, I might have missed some as there were bits and sprues all over the place. But wow that model is impressive - GW being able to do these superheavies in plastic bodes well for future releases such as the rumored Valkyrie and the often rumored (hoped for) plastic Thunderhawk! I'm not an Ork player, but if I was I know I'd be getting 2-3 of those.
Tuesday, January 13, 2009
Update: WIP Duellists Complete
Finally finished! Here are some pics of the complete unit. All the major work is finished. Still need to do some touchups, finish the cloaks, highlight/shade, and the faces.
New look for Angels Sanguine
I'll be adding a completely new and improved look to the site with improved nagivation in the near future, stay tuned!
Lizardmen Advance Orders
Something is stirring in the jungle - its the new Lizardmen adance orders! The following have gone up on GW's advance orders page.
Lizardmen Armybook
Lizardmen Battalion
Lizardmen Terradon Rider
Lizardmen Razordon Hunting Pack
Lizardmen Temple Guard
Lizardmen Kroxigors
Lizardmen Stegadon
Tiktaq'to, Master of Skies
Chakax, Eternity Warden
Lizardmen Armybook
Lizardmen Battalion
Lizardmen Terradon Rider
Lizardmen Razordon Hunting Pack
Lizardmen Temple Guard
Lizardmen Kroxigors
Lizardmen Stegadon
Tiktaq'to, Master of Skies
Chakax, Eternity Warden
Monday, January 12, 2009
New Warhammer Fantasy FAQ is out!
New FAQ for Warhammer is out - please download it and read up!
Note on page 2
"Q. If a model on foot with a mundane hand weapon is armed with a pistol as well, does the pistol count as a second hand weapon in close combat?
A. Yes, it does."
Duellists just got even better (again)!
Note on page 2
"Q. If a model on foot with a mundane hand weapon is armed with a pistol as well, does the pistol count as a second hand weapon in close combat?
A. Yes, it does."
Duellists just got even better (again)!
Saturday, January 10, 2009
Update: More WIP Duellists
Making some good progress on the duellist unit and have 7 finished with 2 more to go. They'll still need some touching up, highlighting and basing.
Questions and comments welcome!Monday, January 5, 2009
Update: WIP Imperial Guard Tank Commander
Here are some WIP pics of my Imperial Guard Tank commander on foot. This guy is commanding my Leman Russ Vanquisher and as such is a tanker ace as shown by his black uniform. Can't quite remember where I got all the bits for him, possibly some extras from the baneblade kits. Because of his pose its hard to get good shots of the detail, but I'll definitely take some pics of the finished product in better lighting conditions. For basing I'm gonna go with somethign from GW's Hero Basing Kit and I'll probably go back and customize him a bit with some bitz (get it?) He definitely needs a sidearm which might require cutting off one of his side pouches - that will require some delicate cutting to not mess up the rest of the paint job. The paint scheme is very much based on German WW2 tank uniforms. The major painting left is to highlight the black uniform a bit with some grey, only enough to accentuate the folds in the uniform without making the model itself 'gray'. Also some highlights and weather on the binoculars. Questions and comments welcome!
Surveying enemy movements!
Update: WIP Blood Angels - Teleport Homers
Decided to take a quick break from painting the usual and finished up these two teleport homers real quick. Alternately, they can be used as objective markers or strategems.
Update: WIP Blood Angels
I'm still working away on the Blood Angels albeit at a slower pace while I try to finish up the duellist unit for my DOW. Picked up some Bleached Bone and Gold here so I can work on more of the details found on the marines so these guys will be getting some more attention soon. Once the 5 Termies with Lightning Claws are finished I still have 5 more from Black Reach & the free one from White Dwarf to do. Note to self: don't glue the arms for Black Reach termies so I can swap out the arms for Thunder Hammers and Storm Shields (screwed up on this set so if I get another set of Blach Reach I'll do that --- cheaper than buying a box of termies straight up since I get another tac squad + dread, and I can sell off the Orks etc)
Update: More WIP of Duellists
Shot of the whole unit - all at various stages of completion - The front 4 are 'complete' as far as the amount of work I'm going to do on them here. Once I'm back home they'll get some final detailing and basing of course. Then they'll be ready to serve alongside the other duellist unit Streiter's
In the stripes phase
Ready for the battlefield!
Lineup of the 4 that are finished so far
4 Finished so far
Saturday, January 3, 2009
Terrain: More Trees and Barbed-Wire
Picked up both of these really cheap - there are close to 30 trees in that bag, all for about $15. Quite a steal and it'll go towards some future terrain projects :)
Also picked up this little terrain piece which lets you make two sections of barbed wire fence. Also very cheap.
This terrain manufacturer seems to be German-based and the fold-out catalog that came with the fence set has some fantastic other terrain pieces available! Definitely worht checking out and they have a website as well. Look for it in the links section.
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