Exodites

o/

Happy new year folks! (is that getting old yet? If so deal with it, every blogger has to say it, it's written down somewhere as a rule I'm sure...)

Anyways, this past weekend was spent relaxing at my grandparent's house, which means that there was a lot of time to paint. I brought my little band of Exodites just to paint something different. First off is my Autarch on his (counts as) jet bike:


I've been drooling over the Island of Blood Elf on a griffin since it was first spotted, BUT I can't stand the High Elves, so couldn't justify getting one. Then I had an idea (what you see above) and bit-ordered it on ebay for a mere $17. That's equal if not better than the average IC blister! He's equipped with a jet bike with twin shuriken catapults, power weapon & mandi-blasters (represented by the griffin's big fucking claws!) and has the option of a laser lance. I've no idea what that would cost point wise as I have no Eldar codex. Then again, I don't have a viable army either so the point is moot.

I've looked around online, googling Exodite images and whatnot, and I haven't seen anyone take this approach for an Exodite jet bike. I find it hard to believe that I thought of this first. I presume Exodite fans are hung up on the name 'Dragon Knights' (and before the 'Fluff Nazis' start screaming, I have an idea for Dragon Knights, just not as jet bikes). I've always wondered how cold ones could work as jet bikes as they don't fly. In the end there will be so many 'counts as' models, that your opponent has to agree too that in the end the point is probably moot.

After finishing the Autarch I moved onto my squad of Guardians.

My original 'bitz' mini is in front, and blends in nicely I think.

I painted them more or less assembly line style in batches of four. There's a bit of variation, but nothing major. I decided after some debate to just paint the missile platform to match. As Exodites, their manufacturing base is minimal but I'm sure that they trade with their craftworld cousins. I was tempted to paint it in Biel-Tan colors for fluff reasons, then Ulthwe as our local Eldar army is from that faction, but I figured that as soon as the Spinifex (my Exodite clan) got a hold of it, they would have re-colored (do Eldar use paint?) it to match.

I know I started these guys under the pretense of a Kill-Zone warband, but no offense to Big Jim & b.smoove (among so many others) there is no interest in that variation of 40k locally and truth be told its not too high on my list either. Kill Team is also ignored locally as is combat patrol. As stated in previous posts and only excepting two opponents, everyone else whines when having to play 'only' 1500 points ('can't you add something else in? you need to borrow something?' etc., etc...). So that means this will probably end up as an army way, waaaay down the road.

The problem with that is that it would result in me making another 'Foot-Dar' army without vehicles & as a result, a limited amount of anti-tank (I just can't see Exodite Dark Reapers). I've had those armies before and have never fared well with them and that was well before the prevalence of the 'stationary mech IG' (and with that pot shot out of the way...). Whereas vs. the static gun line IG, or marines in general (much less the newer over the top varieties) I've fared no better. Indeed, they really ARE a dying race... The Eldar require finesse and I don't have that. Period. So the best solution (I think) is a hybrid list of Craftworld (probably Biel-Tan) and Exodites. Of course all of that will take months to build (I'm not the type to buy an army on a whim like some people do, mainly do due financial reasons) and that's also assuming my enthusiasm for the project doesn't die off prior to being able to actually field an army like it did with the last incarnation of the Tau, or the Aurora scout/tank company, etc.