Saturday, April 16, 2011

Army Colour Schemes

I've got a lot of unpainted models which I'm going to start painting - so I'd like to decide on a colour scheme with a set of main colour elements that I can use across all of the units.

These are the two schemes I've decided I like so far, currently I'm favouring the Catchan Green & White combo.
I've done up some tester models to see what the colours look like together, let me know what you think.

Catchan Green & White
Try and ignore the unfinished parts eh?
I like this one, I'm just concerned the green will coming out too dark once it's been 'army paintered'. The only model with army painter applied is the one on the very right, with the hand weapon & shield. You can see him best in the third picture.
Warriors
Warriors
Warriors
Gore Red
I'd also use White as a primary colour like I've done with the Warriors above, I just didn't do it for the Miners - there weren't enough distinct parts on the clothes to use two separate colours and I didn't want the white parts to be too large. I find white an awkward colour to paint with consistency on the models, smaller stripes like on the warriors above are fine, I just wouldn't do a whole arm in white.

Miners
Miners

Friday, April 15, 2011

Rangers Return

...if you have a problem, if no-one else can help...and if you can find them, then maybe you can hire...the Dwarf Rangers.

I lost these guys about 3 years ago.
I've moved twice since then, and had given up on ever finding them.
As far as I know, they're the models for bugmans rangers.

The lost rangers
The last photo I had of them before their trip

They bloody well showed up didn't they! What else would you expect from a bunch of hardened rangers. 

Quarreller Rangers
The guilty party

They've finally come in from the cold as it were, except they weren't in the cold.
That building behind them? They were inside it, all wrapped cosily in bubble wrap. What's that building? It's a (and I kid you not) Dwarven Brewery.
They've been in a dwarven brewery for the last 3 years.
Sure, where else would you find a bunch of dwarves eh? I should have checked there first. 
You just couldn't make this stuff up.


Quarreller Rangers - crossbow & shield on their back
Crossbows and shields on their backs.

Quarreller Rangers
In front of the brewery

Tuesday, April 05, 2011

YATIMI8ED: Forests

When I started into 8th ed, I didn't really pay much attention to forests. I'm a Dwarf, I don't belong in them.
These points are what I took to the table *first*:
- With true line of sight in 8th edition, forests are not as effective at blocking line of sight.
- Infantry blocks do not suffer movement penalties through forests.

Which is fine, it's different from 7th. In 7th forests hindered your movement something awful. They had big 'stay away' signs on them for Dwarf blocks. Now you can trundle through forests with your infantry block.

In 7th you took it for granted forests block line of sight, in 8th they generally don't as it's true line of sight(LoS). Hooray for shooting at things through forests, it's now easier.

What? What's the point of forests now then? They don't hinder movement, they don't block LoS. Just what do they do?
Move into one and find out. Be warned 'bad things' might happen. And by bad things read: the forest might kick your ass.
This way forests are still terrain pieces you may want to avoid, and so still have a big effect on gameplay.

In most games I've played in 8th people avoid forests like the plague.
"No no, it's scary and it'll kill my unit".
I've had the same attitude, until I was forced to move into a forest.

I had two blocks just behind and to the right of the forest: Hammerers and Warriors with GWs. If I had ignored the forest and marched straight ahead, turning to face the Empire spearmen block, it would have taken too long and the SteamTank would have flanked me. I probably would have set my GW unit up for a flank charge from the spearmen while trying to avoid the forest.

Instead, I moved into the forest and reformed to face the steam tank the next turn. At the same time I sent the Hammerers after the spearmen. I was hoping that the SteamTank would have issues with difficult terrain and that the forest would not do terrible things to the GWs.


If you go down to the woods today, you're in for a big surprise...

The GW unit bravely went into the forest, and I rolled the Fungus Forest.  My unit is now stupid, but as a result is also Immune to Psychology.

Woo! All I wanted to do was stand there and wait for the steam tank anyway, and now I don't even have to roll for the terror test (SteamTanks cause terror).

Except that: a unit in a forest is never steadfast (unless it has stubborn).
Darn, it turns out we played that scenario wrong. I lasted longer than I should have against the steam tank because I was counting ranks for steadfast.

What's the worst that could have happened?
Let's check.
p119 Forests:
[paraphrasing...]
1 ordinary forest
2 Abyssal Wood - your unit causes fear
3 Blood Forest - spells by or at a unit in the forest make the unit suffer D6 S4 hits
4 Fungus Forest - unit is stupid
5 Venom Thicket - unit has poisoned attacks, but must make dangerous terrain test to move
6 Wildwood - at end of movement phase, 4+ = D6 S4 hits

2 forests are good results - ordinary & abyssal
2 are potentially good & bad - fungus & venom
2 are bad - wildwood and blood

What's the full list of forest affects:
  • cavalry, monstrous cavalry & chariots make Dangerous Terrain tests
  • soft cover against shooting
  • a unit in a forest is never steadfast (unless it has stubborn)
  • skirmishers gain stubborn

As a Dwarf player, what does all this mean to me?
I would say:
  • don't move into forests you expect to fight in, you won't have steadfast
    • you will have rank bonus
    • this might not matter as much if you're expecting to win via GWs & wounds anyway
  • don't be afraid to setup warmachines in a forest
    • no difficult terrain test as long as they don't move
    • soft cover is good (it potentially removes ranged poison attacks, if they need 7 to hit poison doesn't count)
    • they'll be afraid to come to you (difficult terrain, plus possible forest effects)
    • pretty much every forest except for the wildwood is good for you. Fungus might not be so great. Blood forest might not be, but only if the enemy wizard is targetting your warmachine in the magic phase.
  • with true line of sight in 8th edition, forests are not as effective at blocking line of sight
  • infantry blocks do not suffer movement penalties through forests

Sunday, April 03, 2011

Amazing themed Ork 40k army

Mad Morks link

Absolutely fantastic job, but all I can think of when I look at it is all of these hours put into making it real. Even if it were just the movie poster that was made I'd be impressed.
It's like death by snu snu, I'm shuddering but appreciative at the same time.

Friday, April 01, 2011

The Golem's Leg arrived

Time passed. The lichen growth had reached it's one knee, as it sat in the deep dark waiting for it's makers to return and finish their work. 
It contemplated it's lonely fate. Memories of battlefields past, pained screams, the sound of bone crunching. What it remembered most was the clouds, floating peacefully overhead.What it knows is the strength of stone, the heat of metal, and the deepest dark only illuminated by molten rock.
It would be needed again. Until then, it would wait, guarding, beneath the mountain.

That missing left leg, was delivered by Gifts for Geeks with only one email request, and one reminder. Good on them for not forcing me to chase them up and start spamming them with email every week.

This particular leg is for the Wold Watcher, which seems smaller than the other Orobos Guardians. Hopefully it'll look fine in a unit at twice the height of a dwarf.
That or it'll be the little redhead scrappy-doo of the golem bunch.

It also came with a random arm holding a shield. I have no idea why, it definitely doesn't belong on the Golem. In summary, free bits!