Wednesday 29 April 2009

Expensive Expansive!

okedokey, now the price of 40k rears its ugly head and steals large amounts of money from my (higly in the negative) bank account.

shopping list included:
  • 40 WWII heads, tin helmets with gasmasks... (conscripts ahoy!!)
  • 2 Valkyries
  • 1 battleforce (20 conscripts :D, 1 armoured plasma sentinal, 5 men for the borlina military command squad)
  • Box of kasrkin (2nd stormtrooper squad for my 2 valkyries)
  • large gw carry case (believe me i'll need it, it took me long enough to squeeze the stuff i already have into a small gw carry case, a shoe box, and a tool carry case)

all i need now is to grab a commissar lord for a creed conversion i have planned, and an advisors box for the fleet commander and master of ordinance (although i'm considering scratchbuilding these 2 as i dont really want an astropath)

i think i may be failing this uni year a second time if i get distracted by all this ig stuff lol

Sunday 26 April 2009

Army list. Army list. Does whatever an army list does. Can it swing, from a web? No it can't, cos its an army list. Look out! Here comes an army list.

Well i figured seeing i have the new Codex, and spent a day converting my army roster to fit, id post it up here as its probably the only tangeable thing i have for this army... apart from the endless supply of unfinished models...

entries in blue i still have yet to buy... [Edit, ive updated this list to include all the things ive recently purchased, hopefully soon i'll find a way to post my nicely written up roster on here, unfortunately its in WORD format and i don't really know how to get it hosted online, and i won't get it changed into PDF format untill its utterly complete.]

HQ

Borlina Military Command
Command Squad: Plasmagun, Medi-pack, Vox Caster, Carapace, Regimental Standard officer of the Fleet, 2 Bodyguards
-Tsar Ivan (Creed)
290 points

Command Squad: Meltagun, Medi-pack, Vox Caster, Frag&Krak Grenades
-Colonel Commissar Winters (Company Commander): Power Sword, PlasmaPistol, Refractor Field, Frag&Krak Grenades
135 points


Lord Commissar Spears: Power Sword, Plasma Pistol, Refractor field, Frag&Krak Grenades
90 points


ELITES
Borlina Air Service (Storm Trooper Squad): Grenade Launcher, Flamer, Frag&Krak Grenades
-Veteran Sergeant: Power Sword
185 points

ELITES
Borlina Air Service (Storm Trooper Squad): Grenade Launcher, Flamer, Frag&Krak Grenades
-Veteran Sergeant: Power Sword
185 points


TROOPS
Platoon Command Squad: Grenade Launcher, Missile Launcher Team, Medi-pack, Vox, Frag&Krak Grenades
-Junior Commissar (Platoon Commander): Close Combat Weapon, Bolt Pistol
-Commissar Advisor: Power Sword, Plasma Pistol
137 points


Platoon Command Squad: Grenade Launcher, Mortar Team, Medi-pack, Vox, Frag&Krak Grenades
-Junior Commissar (Platoon Commander): Close Combat Weapon, Bolt Pistol
-Commissar Advisor: Close Combat Weapon, Power Fist
132 points



Infantry Squad: Grenade Launcher, Missile Launcher Team, Vox, Frag Grenades
75 points



Infantry Squad: Grenade Launcher, Missile Launcher Team, Vox, Frag Grenades
75 points

Infantry Squad: Flamer, Missile Launcher Team, Vox, Frag Grenades
75 points

Infantry Squad: Flamer, Missile Launcher Team, Vox, Frag Grenades
75 points

88th Spear (Infantry Squad): Grenade Launcher, Autocannon Team, Vox, Frag&Krak Grenades
-Chimera: Autocannon (not in codex, but added for 15 points until forgeworld do a F.A.Q, if opponent is unhappy i'll swap it for a multilaser at -15points) Heavy bolter
150 points

Heavy Weapon Squad: 3 Autocannon Teams
75 points

Heavy Weapon Squad: 3 Autocannon Teams
75 points

Heavy Weapon Squad: 3 Heavy Bolter Teams
75 points

Heavy Weapon Squad: 3 Lascannon Teams
105 points

Special Weapons Squad: 2 Grenade Launchers, 1 Demo Charge
65 points

Conscript Squad: 20 men
80 points

Veterans: 2 Grenade Launchers, Flamer, Autocannon Team, Vox, Frag&Krak Grenades
-Veteran Sergeant: Plasma Pistol, Power Sword
120 points

Veterans: Grenade Launchers, Flamer, Heavy Flamer Team, Vox, Frag&Krak Grenades
-Gunnery Sergeant (Harker): Heavy Bolter
160 points

FAST ATTACK
Armoured Sentinal Squad:
-Armoured Sentinal: Autocannon - 60 points
-Armoured Sentinal: Autocannon - 60 points

Scout Sentinal Squad
-Scout Sentinal: Missile Launcher - 45 points

Cyclops Demo Tank + Driver - 25 points

Valkyrie Squadron
Valkyrie: Multi-Laser, 2x Multiple Rocket Pods, 2x Heavy Bolter Sponsons - 140 Points
Valkyrie: Lascannon, 2x Hellstrike missiles, 2x Heavy Bolter Sponsons - 125 Points

Gecko 4 (Salamander Scout) - 100 points (I hope they change this price in a FAQ)

Dragon Of Borlina (Hellhound) - 130 points

HEAVY SUPPORT
Urban Stalker (vanquisher): Lascannon - 160 points

Purging Fire (Executioner): Lascannon - 205 points

Salvo Of Hate (Exterminator): Heavy Bolter - 150 points (this may become a standard Leman Russ)

Cleansing Thunder (Medusa): Enclosed Crew Compartment, Bastion Breacher Shells
155 points

Eagle Eye 1 (Vulture Gunship): Heavy Bolter, Twin linked Lascannons, 2 Multiple Rocket Pods
195 points
Eagle Eye 2 (Vulture Gunship): heavy bolter, Twin linked Punisher Cannons.
unknown points

Battery 401 (Earthshaker Platform) - 75 points

SUPER HEAVIES

"Razor +" (Macharius Vulcaniun): Heavy bolter Sponsons - 415 points

"Bastion of Borlingrav" (Malcador Defender): Lascannon Sponsons - 345 points

"Reigning Fire" (Stormblade) - 450 points

"Winters' Sword" (Shadowsword) - 450 points
5424 total points
coming soon: actually putting this into terms of 2000 point games etc...

Friday 24 April 2009

Codex: Quite fun but lacking character.

Just got hold of my copy of the new Codex:Imperial guard


I've now successfully converted my Roster to 5th Edition, but theres still some things bugging me

Firstly i've had to remove my Commissar from my command squad and the closest i can get to keeping him there is by making him a Commissar Lord and attaching him to the command squad. which is fine, but it puts all my eggs in one basket. but hey, all in the name of fluff :D

Secondly

Characters, i want to choose some characters to either purchase, or scratchbuild (most likely second option) and add into the ranks of the lucky 88th. Whilst ive never really been fond of named characters outside of playing themed games (armageddon = yarrick and ghazgkull) etc

I can see the best way to add diversity into an army now is to drop in these characters like seasoning, to boost squads and platoons for specific missions.

At the moment i'm leaning towards Gunnery sergeant Harker, he adds a heavy bolter to a veterans squad, and being "catachan" he allows the veteran unit to move through cover more easily - quite befitting a cityfighting veterans squad.

as for others, i'm at a loss.

i'd like to hear others views on the new codex, plus the characters etc.

Cheers, TSINI

Tuesday 21 April 2009

PICTURES!! - Command Squad

Ok, Some pics of my command squad, I know that the inking tends to pool a bit, but I like the grubby look. Any tips would be more than welcome :D


Once I saw the forgeworld commissar models I just knew they had to be the commanders for my army. The fluff was pretty much designed around them, explaining the gas masks on only a few models and the large amount of comissars. Originally my commander was a simple upright standing guardsman with a boltgun and samurai sword sheathed on his back (he has been re-assigned to my veteran squad and will need a weapon refit to replace the boltgun, more on that later)

Onto the squad...

Colonel Commissar Winters (HSO)




Commissar Advisor Spears





Dress Sergeant (makes sure the troops look smart) note: ive recently had to remove his plasma pistol after scanning the new codex... but he does have white gloved hands to represent his job to inspect cleanliness.


Medic



Master-Vox




Melta Gun guy




To be honest after looking at these pictures, they look OK at a distance, but the close-ups do look like the ink has taken over a lot of the details. I may have to have a go at drybrusing the colours back onto these areas. (Which is pretty much what i did on the Dress Sergeant, hence why he looks cleaner than the others)
What do you think? I'd love to have some feedback from more experienced modellers/painters and from those who can paint :D
For now, I'm cracking on taking pics of the few other units I've painted and some WIP of some other things.

Another note, you may notice these models do not have army markings on the shoulder pads, its because I'm currently sourcing some printable transfer paper to use a photoshopped army symbol and squad numbers.

Cheers for now, TSINI

Sunday 19 April 2009

Introduce myself, Inspiration - Comments

Hi people.

as i now seem to have a couple of followers, i should start posting, then i might actually start getting comments.

currently very busy with uni work, but i might get some pics of the models i've done so far, get some feedback before i get round to finishing, kind of set this up ready for when uni ends and i get some free time on my hands after work...

i'm 23, ive been collecting 40k for around 10 years now. i started with a valhallen IG army, loved it like a child, it wasn't the best painted, but it had so much character and so many stories of heroic events (a heroic senior officer taking down an ork dreadnought, and a couple of killer kans. you couldn't make it up)

i then discovered inks... and bought some space wolves (brand new at the time) and set about making a nicely painted army - but dreams of grandure, it turned out i wasn't that good, but again, plenty of character.

dissapearing off to uni, i started to collect a new imperial guard army (the codex:cityfight had been released) so i figured i'd go for a cityfighting imperial guard. The Lucky 88th were born.


my basic plan for this army is as follows
  • Cadian Troops
  • Cityfighting look - no sponsons on leman russ' (to make them thinner), close Support vehicles aplenty.
  • Cityfighting effective - needs to be ready for a Cities of Death game, hard hitting units able to hold their own.
  • Character - going with the theme and fluff i have written, i want there to be a downtrodden feel, and a feel that they used to be a royal PDF force.
  • Plenty of Commissars, all the commander models will be commissar models, painted in army colours, aided by commissars in commissar colours, to give the image of the commissariat truly having a choke hold on the army.
  • LOTS AND LOTS of forgeworld goodies. i love everything forgeworld make for 40k, as such i have already spent double the money on forgeworld than i have on gw models for this army.
  • as much ""converting"" as i can do. im not an experienced scratchbuilder, but i do enjoy kitbashing and chopping and re-positioning. i think this army will look nicer if even the basic troopers are individual/unique, as much as possible.

Please feel free to comment on anything and everything. i'd love to hear what you have to say on anything from the fluff, the modelling and painting to the game effetiveness. (although i'd like to point out that my interest for this army lies in the look and fluff, more than the effectiveness on the gaming table)

slideshow

The Lucky 88th History

The Lucky 88th

The Royal planet of Borlina is just off the Cadian gate, once a thriving hive planet with a high percentage of royal and rich descendants from Terra itself. Now a diseased, war torn hell hole, home to a twisted secret the Inquisition would rather not recount.

The Curse of Borlina

During a Chaos incursion (Blood & Bile of the Rich Invasion 960.M41) Inquisitor Payne ordered the Orbital Bombardment of the entire planet, choosing Viral Bombing as the means of execution of the foul beasts and corrupted Governors.
Unfortunately the Borlina PDFs were also sentenced to death, whilst deeply in conflict with the Chaos forces.
Under pressure from Inquisitor Rayvenn (of the Black Storm), Inquisitor Payne mercifully ordered areas with high concentrations of loyal forces to be bombed with a weaker strain of the virus. Whilst the planet was bombed with Virus 1, a highly corrosive airborne agent which subsides after 1 day. Virus 13 (a Plague like virus with no corrosive element) was deemed legal for use over loyalist troops, who were forewarned, advised to find cover and don gas equipment. Low on supplies, deep in conflict and without gas equipment the lucky 88th miraculously fought off Virus 13 as if it was a bad case of flu.

Affirmation

A nearby Commissariat fleet jumped at the opportunity to put together their own personal force and made planet fall to gather together the pockets of loyal troops into a fighting regiment. This proved quite difficult, requiring the aid of the nearby Space Marine chapters (“Dragon Marines” and “Black Storm”) to seek out loyal forces.

The largest surviving regiment had barricaded themselves in the Master Palace, which impressed the commissariat no end, for it was a disease ridden nightmare, the very palace itself was a Nurgle infested monstrocity.
Having already adopted the name “Lucky 88th” due to the large amount of survivors from the 88th regiment the troops added a Lucky Ace symbol to their armour and vehicles, much to the annoyance of the commissariat who view it as graffiti and unofficial. In return the more senior commissars keep their gas-masks on when in combat to stir anger into the men, making them fight harder for the injustice caused to them. Lower Commissars tend not to test such practises, wary of the men turning on them when cut off from high command.

Recruitment: The Virus Run

Any outsider coming into contact with any surviving member of the Borlina virus attacks must first be inoculated from the infectious version of the virus which can be fatal to weaker immune systems. New Recruits however are not so lucky. Firstly they are put through a year of heavy training wearing gas masks. Graduation into the Lucky 88th is only complete after a gruelling month fighting through the Virus Run, a heavily infected area of the former Borlingrav Palace, now a Bastion of pestilence and disease. The survivors of this infamous death zone gain the respect of the rest of the regiment, except for the veterans who hate all outsiders including the commissariat.