First Thoughts on Daemons Post-Adepticon: Welcome to Life as a Midtier Codex

Woah. It has been too long. This post will begin my coverage of the spectacle that is Adepticon. This year was my first time at Adepticon, and while some things were not as immense as expected (in my head the whole event was bigger) the weekend fully met my expectations, and I am already looking forward to the next one.

Trying to keep Alex Fennell off the relic.

The big thing for me was the fact that I essentially was fully converting and painting a full daemon army in just over a week. This included bits I ordered not getting shipped, having huge trouble matching up wings for my black mace prince, and of course the trouble of painting a list when every day there are different models in it. In the end I was able to fully convert my army and get it all to at least three colors (most was four to six). The important thing for me was that I didn’t get last place in painting, though I was surprised how low of a score I got considering 95% of the models were converted or scratch built.

As for the event there is very little I could say that would be any different than the rest of the commentators online. I really like the four day format, especially considering how with the weather (tons of roads were closed from rain and flooding) made Thursday go until after midnight. The terrain was amazing, and really made alternating placement work. I have openly advocated since the event for all tournaments to begin using this method. As for the Renegade Open GT, we don’t feel we would be able to create uniform large pieces like Adpeticon had, but we are intentionally working toward the point where we can use alternating terrain placement in our event.

New Chaos Daemon Codex List & Analysis: Part 4 (Pre-Adepticon)

This post was started prior to Adepticon. My Adepticon coverage will start tomorrow. Some of the views contained in this post do not represent those that I currently have with the daemon book, but since I wrote this, I figure it should be posted up, as the majority of my feelings on much of this is the same.

My goal with the new chaos daemon book was to have fun. That I have. I am eleven games in with the new codex and every one (well, except maybe one crushing loss) has been a very fun game. I love how aggressive I can be, and the fact that the army is so different each game (depending on rewards and psychic powers) keeps things fresh. I even have gotten in a game against the new Tau. I will use this post to show off a few of my converted models and talk about where I am headed as I go toward Adepticon next week.

Chasing Down Some Tau

Speaking of Adepticon, my army is very much not ready. I estimate that I am 44% done currently when it comes to building and painting everything (though my list for the championships changes every day), so this weekend will be key to getting things done. I have been working in the Bronx lately, so not having my models with me while out of state has slowed my progress down. A full weekend to hammer out the warhammers is something I have been looking forward to.

Here are my current list thoughts; I am very open to critiques and suggestions:

Daemon Prince (Nurgle/Armor/Wings/Level 3 Psyker/2 Greater Rewards)

Herald of Slaanesh (Steed/Exalted Loci/Greater Reward)

Herald of Khorne (Juggernaut/Exalted Reward/Greater Reward)

10 Horrors of Tzeentch

10 Plaguebearers of Nurgle

20 Seekers of Slaanesh

10 Flesh Hounds of Khorne

Daemon Prince (Tzeentch/Armor/Wings/Level 3 Psyker/Spell Familiar/Black Mace)

10 Cultists (Pistol/CCW)

Heldrake (Baleflamer)

Aegis Line (Quad Gun)

Hobby Progress (Heldrake, Daemons, and More) and Life Update

I'm not dead! It has been a few weeks, and I have not played many games, though I did play in a tournament with 90 minute rounds at 1850 points that will have a blog coming soonish. My life has been filled by my last semester in college and getting hired for a position post graduation. This is good news because I am excited for it and  know it is what I am meant to be doing, but bad because it is requiring a lot of time prior to prepare and train as well as meaning I will have to take a year of from wargaming. More on that position later, right now I am going to show you what I have been working on (for my chaos army...since I doubt you all care about econometric calculations).

I knew I needed to get this up when I read Goatboy's weekly post on BoLS this week, the guy said he was going to make a Storm Talon Heldrake. I can't let the Great Goat get credit for the idea, I needed photo evidence! In all actuality he will do a much better job than me, but here is my progress on it so far. I need to do more green stuffing, especially tentacles and other Slaaneshi things. The big issue here is the wings, as this is smaller than a real Heldrake. My take on it is that between the fact that it is a flyer and has a 5++ size doesn't really matter in regards to cover and in a pinch I will just rule in favor of my opponent for size, but a few people have mentioned I should find a way to extend the wings.

Hobby: Typhus Conversion

Internet...meet Typhus.

January is my easiest month work wise, which means I have gotten a lot done. The flamers just need a few minutes of touch up, I finished my horrors last night, and both heldrakes are in the final stages of green stuff. The most important completion of late though is my warlord Typhus.

My goal with Typhus is to make him imposing, not a character who kicks ass in assault, but rather a model that is so commanding and powerful that you fear the idea of getting into assault with him. I knew I needed him raised up in order to create that sort or presence. I chose to do this with a rock rather than bark or foam as this would weigh his base down, preventing him from falling like other top heavy models. His legs and powerfist are from the CSM Terminator box, and his torso, head and shoulder pads are from the Forgeworld Death Guard Terminator kit (I believe; I got these bits as part of a bigger trade). His other arm is a cut up combi-bolter arm. The wires come from a CSM Terminator power mace, and the handle above the hand is from a terminator power axe. The scythe head is from the empire wizard box. I need to do a bit more work on the greenstuff, adding more vines to cover the joint. The arms under him and behind the cloak are from the fantasy ghouls box. I believe the tabardesque chains are from the CSM Terminator kit. I will need to hunt down my flagellent chains so as to connect his cape to the front tabard.

Overall I am very happy with him, as I am with all of the conversions thus far. Now that challenge is to find a build for the screamers that I like before an RTT on Saturday. I already have their bases weighted and magnetized, I just need a model to rock on top.

Hobby: Kitbashed 'The Masque' and Screamer Progress

It is no secret that the only thing I am good at on the hobby side of 40K is procrastinating. Now though, for a few weeks until things get crazy again, I will have more time, and far less excuses to avoid getting my Chaos Space Marines and Daemons done. Over the last two days I have been busy sorting bits, making orderss online for pieces I want to include, ripping parts off old unfinished conversions (with my converted Dark Eldar Wracks being non-identifiable now), and specifically building The Masque and starting to kitbash my Screamers of Tzeentch out of Deffkoptas.

 This is The Masque. There were two things I knew this model needed, A) a breasted and revealing torso, and B) bare legs with clawed feet. This is not misogyny, this is the bare standard to make the model identifiable. After finding the desired torso on a wych model I decided on a Dark Elf Corsair cape to spruce her up. After filing and greenstuffing the two together I took parts from two Dark Eldar shoulder pads to make hers. I also settled on a wych head. While a corsair head would have been too dynamic, I don't think I could find any which were feminine enough. Her neck line might need some liquid greenstuff which I have never used before, but am going to pick up this afternoon.

Adepticon Registration Complete

 

This year I will be making my first pilgrimage to Adepticon, the Mecca of American wargaming. Despite the fact that I was live on the radio for my weekly talk show when the webcart opened at seven, I was able to purchase my tickets. I am glad I didn't wait until after the show, because the team tournament sold out in less than an hour and the 40K championships sold out within two and a half hours.

I registered for the 40K championships, the gladiator, and the 40K team tournament. I hope I will have my CSM army ready to go by Adepticon for the championships. The team tournament will see the debut of "Minnesota Dice" (Get it? It is a play on 'Minnesota Nice'). The only event that I was hesitant about was the Gladiator. I don't have any forgeworld and have never played in an event like this. I had a friend though who offered to let me borrow their Warhound and I love a good challenge, so no reason not to try out playing with the big boys.

Fantasy GT coverage will come later this week, I have a draft of my senior thesis due Thursday that I need to tackle first!