Progress - Tyranids

So today I did some more tyranid work and I'm happy with the results. I don't know the name of the hive I'm painting, but it is an official hive and I think this will be a good army to help people learn to play as a strong offensive player.

Here is a picture of the detailing I'm attempting




I also figured I'd try a new trick I saw at the mall, hot wire cutting.
Now, I do not have a hot wire cutter, so I just picked a size 6 xacto blade and put it in a candle flame. Here are the results



So just to quickly go over what I did to get this clean cut and nice connection.

1. Cut a magnet into the devourer gun arm.
2. Cut a hole in the warrior torso that matched the angle and pitch of the arm magnet.
3. Put both arms in place, test fit position.
4. Applied plastic cement and super glue to the left warrior arm on both ends, sticking it in place to the gun arm (right arm).
   
5. I let it dry for 5 minutes.
6. Lit a candle.
7. Heated my blade for 10 seconds.
8. Place it in the spot shown above and pressed gently
9. Goto 7 until blade goes through arm.

At that point, since I had position the magnet very very carefully, I was able to place the arm back in place and have a near flawless reattachment, rather than having to magnetize two different arms. I like this result a lot and will do this from now on.

Warrior painting

So it is saturday, I am doing some painting today! I mixed up some liche purple with some fluid retarder, water and soap. The first application I've used (see below) appears to dark. I'm going to thin the mixture further and see what comes of it.

Tyranids

Tyranid Battleforce

After work I went and picked up a tyranid battleforce, to fill out the 3 armies that I will be bringing back to school. I always wanted to pick up one of these boxes, tyranids offer some of the easiest conversions, since they are alien bugs, nit picking isn't common. So I bring to you my first bunch of converisons on my HQ units, tyrand warriors.


The tyranid warrior above has a (checks codex) barbed strangler, it shoots barbs that explode, making it a very good ordance launcher [AP: 5, assault 1,/large blast, pinning].

This is the head on picture. I've mounted the gun on the lower arm slots and fitted those slots with magnets. What I have done since can be seen in the next couple pictures.





Here you can see what was on the model when it was spray painted. The one on the right is another warrior I have started to put together, however I have begun customizing it. On the white guy you can see I left a nub attached to the body and the arm goes to it. The other side if magnetized (see below). I set it up this way to that I could "stick" arms in there more easily, the first time the arms got stuck and I had to break them to get them off :(





If you look closely at the white guy, you can see the magnet in the bottom arm slot, that is what the barbed strangler attaches to. I am going to mod the venom cannon the same way so I can use that when needed.


Anyway, lets get to that guy standing on that thing. The thing is the power core from a thunderhawk that crashed on maccrage. Lt. Varras was transporting geneseed at the time and well, things went bad, he got surrounded by tyranid, and the ultramarines had to save him. Since I have an ultramarine succesor chapter going (Genesis Chapter) I thought it only fitting that a tyranid warrior would be foolishly standing on a nuclear bomb. Let's hope he doesn't crush it!

Oh, and what I did was I cut the 4 segments of his leg apart and put them back together, in a way that well, when I realized what I was doing, was truely insane.












Building things backwards is a bad idea, I'm amazed nothing broke that entire time!

BATREP 1/21/09

seize ground rules
spearhead
750 points

IG go first
[picture 1]


Turn 1 IG
Rhino hit with autocannon with 2 hits, weapon destroyed, immoblizied.
1 SM killed by chimera.

Turn 1 SM
:( bad rolls prevented mass damage, chimera is shaken by the t-l lascannon.

Turn 2 IG
Heavy bolter wounds 1 sm that is with the librarian.
Lesson: do not use gate of infinity without terminators.
multimelta destroyed in assault off dreadnought.

Turn 2 SM
Killed a bunch of IG in the middle with fllamer, because angry marines are angry all the time.

Turn 3 IG
Chris tried to kill my librarian, however librarians don't die, so he lived.

Distractions

So I made a 750 point tyranids list and I'm probably going to buy the battleset once I am given a day to turn my receipts in next week. The good part about the tyranids is that Justin already has some guys, so combined, we'd have 4 1000 point armies, which will definately lead to some awesome as hell games! That or I can have 4 way 750 point games at my house, which is what I'm gonna start with, all I need is another person to use the tyranids, hmmmmmm.

750 Point Tyranids

3 - Tyranid Warrior Brood
3x	Scything Talons
3x	Toxin Sacs
1x	Barbed Strangler
2x	Devourer
3x	Extended Carapace

7 - Tyranid Genestealer Brood
7x	Feeder Tendrils
7 - Tyranid Genestealer Brood
7x	Feeder Tendrils
9 - Termagant Brood
9x	Toxin Sacs
9x	Fleshborer
9x	With out numbers
9 - Termagant Brood
9x	Toxin Sacs
9x	Fleshborer
9x	With out numbers
8 - Hormagaunt Brood
8x	Scything Talons
8x	Extended Carapace
Carnifex
1x	Barbed Strangler
1x	Scything Talons
1x	Enhanced Senses

748 Points

Progress

My appoligies for not posting yesterday, I went to NYC on a whim yesterday and didn't paint.

Today though! I made progress. I have one complete marine, and 5 whose amices are bleached bone and awaiting bad moon yellow, here is a picture.

Daily Update

Tonight I continued finishing painting the 5 marines that I had finished for blood angel schemes, I'll post pics tomorrow. I also went to the mall and bought a space marine rhino, which now means I have everything for the bolter and chainsword librarium painting challenge.

BATREP 1/14/2009

Wednesday, January 14, 2009

Battle #2

So last night my cousin Chris and his friend Jared faced off against my space marines in a cleanse corners mission.  We started around 6pm and ended 2 battles at midnight, with a sandwich break in there too.  (Pictures will be added in later).  We started off placing terrain as usual, 5 minutes, then placing troops for 10 minutes.  Chris started the first match without Jared, but we decided upon 600 points for the battle so that his troops would be able to take 4+ armor saves rather than be instantly killed.  This was a very educational set of battles as the 3 of us learned how to use more and more rules.  The first battle probably would have ended differently if any of us remember to scatter our blast templates, mainly my bad.

Troop lists:

==Space Marines==

120 -- Captain with PW and hellfire rounds

105 -- Dreadnought with multimelta and ccw with storm bolter

205 -- Tactical squad: 10man,  1 flamer, 1 ML, 1 rhino

170 -- Tactical squad: 10man,  1 flamer, 1 ML

600

==Imperial Guard==

Command Squad: Commisar, medic, standard bearer

Platoon 1: 

       Command Squad: Junior Off, medic, meltagun

       Infantry Squad 1: Autocannon, lasguns

       Infantry Squad 2: Heavy Bolter, lasguns

Platoon 2:

Command Squad: Junior Off, others unknown

        Infantry Squad: Armored fists in a chimera

600

I rolled and won to go first.   Cover was good for me, long open corridor down the middle of the map.  I set up my hq w/ his squad in the very middle as to force back Chris.  He placed behind cover for the most part, but he left some squads on the side of the field to run up to better cover.  Rhino was placed in the middle to provide rolling cover.  Dreadnought was placed near hq unit  for concentrated firepower.

Reason for battle: 2nd founding Genesis Chapter was told by the inquisition to aid in the cleansing of enemy forces from the Librarium Schoder sector.  Being true followers of the emperor, they do not question the inquisition as they know they only wish to live so that the emperor may live.

TURN 1
me: 1 squad destroyed by concentrated fire with rapid fire and dreadnought.
chris: Dreadnought hit with str 14, immobilized on first turn, thankfully facing enough troops.

TURN 2
me: Killed command junior officer squad, killed 2 in infantry platoon, moved rhino into middle of enemy territory.
chris:Rhino gets hit with multi laser and "has a warm belly".

TURN 3
me: Tickles chimera, rapid fire then assault, destroys assaulted unit.
chris & jared: Shots kills 1 marine and a rhino (first time my rhino has exploded).

TURN 4
me: I shoot kill a few more infantry, leave marines in middle without assaulting.
chris & jared: Chimera turns to face space marines, infantry move up for rapid firing, shot killed 1 marine.

TURN 5
me: Shots killed last infantry squad.
chris & jared: Runs snipers behind cover of chimera. Chimera takes pot shots at dreadnought.

TURN 6
me: I Killed last few infantry that were falling back.
chris & jared: Chimera moves to shoot last few sm command squad, 3 hits, 2 wounds, 1 wound to captain.

Game results: SM 2 corners, guardsmen 0.

Win: Space Marines

BATREP 2

Oh this one sucked for me.  This time the lego castle was placed in the middle of the map and Chris won the roll, meaning he placed snipers on the roof of that castle.  I tried to counter by placing my hq squad on top of a piece of terrain high enough to shoot back.   He placed everything up to the line, I had to place around the edges and try to run to a hill placed in my opposite corner.

TURN 1
chris & jared: 1 sm killed on first turn, from missile squad 1.
me: 2 guys get killed in the castle, but don't fail the morale test :(

TURN 2
chris & jared: Everyone moves to shoot at dreadnought, but it just gets warm and laughs menacingly. Squad in back dangerous terrain'd over the wall and shot my missile squad 1 again.
me: I move and shoot with missile squad 1, assault with dreadnought, the squad falls back, leaving the dread exposed.

TURN 3
chris & jared: Dreadnought destroyed by meltagun. 1 wound on captain from snipers with rending! Missile squad 1 was all destroyed except missile launcher.
me: Fires, kills 1 infantry.

TURN 4
chris & jared: Missile squad 1 was killed outright, it was a sad sad day.
me: Gasp and horror! flamer and rapid fire shoots the command squad in the back near the terrain I was planning to run to from the beginning.

TURN 5
chris & jared: Chimera kills hq unit's captain and another bolter marine.
me: Shots taken on all enemies, failurse all around.

TURN 6
chris & jared: We learned how to tank shock and death or glory, but both failed.
me: Ended game by firing on remaining troops outside of the quarters. No charge was done as to secure victory.

Game result
space marines: 2
imperial guard (by Chris' design): 1
contested: 1

SM WIN!

SM record 2-0-1

By Chris' own admission, he wasn't planning to win that game, he just wanted to kill all of my marines.  Pictures will be added later.  It was decided that our next battle would be for 750 points.

BATREP 12/31/08

BATTLE REPORT

Players: Anthony Guarracino vs. Chris T.

Armies: Space Marines vs. Imperial Guard

Battle type: Cleanse from 3rd ed. Rulebook

Space Marines					Imperial Guard
505 points					503 points
Librarian			130		Command Squad
Terminator Armor
1x	Storm Bolter
1x	Force Weapon				Infantry Platoon
	Vortex of Doom					2 Squads
	Gate of Infinity
Tactical Squad			205
1x	Flamer				Infantry Platoon
Sergeant						Snipers
1x	Bolter					Chimera
Tactical Marines						Flamers
1x	Missle Launcher
Rhino
1x	Storm Bolter
Tactical Squad			170
1x	Flamer
Sergeant
1x	Bolter
Tactical Marines
1x	Missle Launcher

The battle lasted 2 turns before company arrived to celebrate new years eve.  This was our first battle, so there was a lot of rule checking and discovery being done.  Here is a picture of the set-up.

For terrain we used glued together sprues and lego creations.  I deployed my SMs in my corner with turn based placement.  This allowed me, after my cousin placed his command squad all the way in the back, to place my librarian in the middle of the map.  I followed by hiding my missle launches behind terrain so that they'd live until I got to shoot as my cousin was going first.

Turn 1 - Imp Guard

My cousin advances his position, realizing he's placed all his troops in open cover.  He runs several troops behind the green castle base in the picture above for cover.  The chimera moves up slighty, firing on my rhino, shot falls 1 inch short.

Turn 1 - SM

My goal as to use my librarian to gate of infinity around the board, giving me the upper hand in being able to rapid fire and hide.  First turn, GoI hits without scatter (yay!).  I move my rhino 12" forward, trying to get in enough terrain that I can eventually kill that rhino or tank shock those large platoons.  I pop smokes and fire a few shots with krak missles.  A few imp guard die, but not enough.  

Turn 2 - Imp Guard

Chris advances further, moving his chimera into a better location, but not deploying troops, instead choosing to fire at my rhino's side armor with most of his troops.

(yes that is a lego castle in the background) Damage is not done, I merely get crew shakenresult.

Turn 2 - SM

I GoI my librarian but he scatters right into the open /facepalm.  I move deploy my SM in the rhino, move the rhino up for cover.  Shooting phase I fire a krak missle at the chimeras front armor, blowing it up (6), and killing 4 guys inside.  I fire a frag missle into Chris's platoons again, resulting in only 1 sad kill :(

And that's how it ended.  None of my SM died, but it was a draw based on quaters controlled, as we each only had 1.

Day 1 - Genesis Chapter

Let me begin with what I have.  I have modified one of my original maccarage minis.

I have chosen Genesis Chapter of the second founding of the Space Marines.  There is little known about these marines other than they often fight allong side the UltraMarines and the UM will always help Genesis Chapter (GC) when they need help.  In time I hope to develop more fluff about them, but since they are a second founding, I will have limitations.  

I checked before I went to sleep, I have 4 tac troops unpainted, 5 tac troops primed and in progress painted, 5 tac marines who need the yellow added to their shoulder pads and [the last comma is also not needed like the two space after a period, I know, I was shocked too] a template made so I can paint their symbol.

For the Librarium I will complete a tutorial on painting GC marines, including how I got such a nice looking yellow.

Beginning

As I stated in my previous post, I would update daily when I began.  Tonight I will begin working on my submisson to the B&C.  I have 6 SM ready for paint currently, I will be putting them towards my total for 2 squads of complete SM.  If anyone feels this is cheating, I'm sorry, but I want to get them done, I really just need 2 complete squads so I can field nice looking models finally.

I will purchase the necessary rhino over the weekend and go to radio shack for the rest of what I need.  I've already planned out how my rhino will work with the one I currently have so I know exactly what I'll need.  I'm super excited.

I also learned something today, no longer are you required to put two space after sentences when typing.  I don't feel I'll ever be able to break the habbit :(

The Librarium Painting Challenge - AnthonyVG Entry

The Librarium Painting Challenge
http://www.bolterandchainsword.com/index.php?showtopic=156023

As part of the new year, I challenged my cousin to a game, my space marines against his guard. We got in two turns before everyone else arrived, but we learned that chimeras are very delicate and prone to blowing up.

Anyway, the purpose of this post is to announce my pledge on entry into the aforementioned painting challenge. Included in my entry will be:

1. daily updates
2. pictures
3. at least 1 tutorial on modifying a rhino (I don't want to give away my ideas, but if it works, it'll be the funniest/coolest thing ever, and no it's not a dancing rhino)
   

My entry is as follows,
"I, AnthonyVG, vow on the honour of my Chapter to paint and present at least [2 tactical squads w/ rhinos & 1 dreadnought] on or before the 28th of February, 2009. I promise to provide at least two WIP updates, preferably with pictures, in that time. I vow that if I should fail, I will provide the Librarium with an article and wear the Signature of Shame until my penitence period is done."


So there you have it, I am sworn into the new years resolution to actually achieve something painting wise. On a side note, I do need to purchase 1 more rhino.