Female Primarchs?

o/

We all know how much interwebz nerd rage has been typed over the (im)possibility of female Space Marines, but as always the Horus Heresy novels feed new little tidbits into the original backstory (and yes I'm sure someone somewhere is already saying that the novels aren't canon fluff as they read this).

But, having just finished reading Scars, a Legion divided (which was rather enjoyable I must say), I thought I'd share this one, stand-out Quote by Malcador the Sigilite. Spoken amidst a conversation with Valdor of the Adeptus Custodes and Rogal Dorn of the Imperial Fists and in reference to a prior conversation with the Emperor himself:

"...You brothers-such a nest of rivalries. I warned him to make you sisters, that it would make things more civilized. He thought I was joking, I wasn't."

I honestly couldn't help but chuckle at the notion! Just imagine how different the game would be...

****

All is quiet on the hobby front, aside from receiving a cool new desk chair and an ARC-170 for X-Wing gifted to me by my Beloved Wolfy, as well a dozen detail brushes of various sizes given to me by my in-laws for Christmas. Whilst I'm enjoying those gifts and many more, I'm still trying to recover from Father Nurgle's unwanted 'Christmas gift' of a damned cold.

bleh...

Arming the troops, TAKE: 2

o/

Notta lot of hobby time available this week given that its almost Christmas. However the metal replacement arms for my Hysterical Games Gnomes that I had hoped to use for Bolt Action arrived this week, and I scraped up a bit of time to see how they'll work out.

So far: its kindova wash.

The few resin arms that I managed to attach the last go round popped off easily, and I set about replacing them. The BAR gunner's arm seemed to fit well enough, but in hindsight I didn't get it properly positioned leaving a gap. But that's my fault not the mini's. Its Gorilla glued on meaning I'll likely break it if I try to fix it, so it'll stay as is. Next up I still couldn't get the infernal VB launcher and attached arms to fit to either mini and just put those two aside before I started nerd-raging again!

However after switching to the riflemen, I gave a few of those a try and they went together nice and smoothly! The SMG gunner was a bit fiddly, as the inserts into the arms are misshapen due the sprue gates (they all suffer from this actually). The SMG's gun barrel is still super tiny and bends at the slightest touch, but...unlike it's previously resin counterpart, it ought to survive use at least.

Yes, I know its a pretty crappy pic, but it'll have to do...

I'm hoping to get at least 20 functional models out of the original 24. Expecting 'em all to work out eventually seems a bit over-optimistic at this point, but I suppose it is a possibility...

Also I'd like to wish everyone a Merry Christmas! Blessed Yule! Happy Hanukkah! Or whatever else there is that I missed but will also be celebrated this coming weekend.

The Outremar are getting even MOAR DAKKA!!!

o/

Originally these were intended for different squads, hence the different should pad colors. That said I'll probably just leave em as is for the time being.

Back in October I placed an order with Hasslefree minis. They were running a sale for Halloween and as usual, I couldn't resist. Whilst these minis arrived about two weeks ago, things have been so busy I haven't had a chance to do anything with them yet.

They have the usual 2 wounds, but I usually put 3 Grymn on each base. These squads don't have Sergeants, but the team which will have the Grymn with the laptop will visually serve as such.

Imperial Auxilia fire support squads require a minimum of 5 teams, and like all 30k fire support units they all need to have the same type of weapon's fit (which makes my heavy bolter team sad). However as Rob and Screech will (probably not so fondly) remember, multiple twin-heavy stubbers, all firing at one unit are something to be feared! Think of it like this:

15, twin-linked, 36" ranged bolter shots aimed at your blob of Marines

My 2 old Quad stubbers laid some serious hurt on the nids, and space marines weren't too fond of being on the wrong end of that either! So if I park this squad behind an aegis defense line with my quad-multi-laser team back there as well and hell, my Alpha Legionaires may just sit back and watch that light show with amusement!

The demise of the Imperial Forestry Service?

o/

 I was reading the the latest update on Faeit in regards to the Inquisition, and their sudden loss of Rhinos aside from the SoB variety and thought: 'But what about my Imperial Forestry Service?' Do they require an SoB driver now? (not that that really matters much in game terms I guess).

An oldie but goodie!

This little unit has survived all of the purges unscathed, and despite not seeing the tabletop in years, its still one of my favorites. I'm really loathe to the idea of repainting their rhino, despite the (shockingly high) resale value that 30k has given the old, original rhinos.

So, I guess the question is (ignoring the infantry all together): would anyone balk that the idea that this is a 'camouflaged' Alpha Legion Rhino rather than a 'camouflaged' Inquisitorial one?

Delay of game...

...or rather this post is a few hours late as it was delayed by playing a game.

Kushial came over last night for a round of X-Wing and dinner (the latter being a delicious stew cooked by my Beloved Wolfy). He also brought over an old sculpt Charger that he acquired for me as I couldn't find one at a reasonable price on ebay. I traded an Ostroc to him for it. I commented that the Charger is Battletech's 2nd worst mech (well, the original variant) after the Urbie, but he made a strong case for the Flea which is hard to argue. Indeed, At least the Charger and Urbie have good versions, the Flea: not so much.

Our game of X-wing was fun, though neither one of us thought to take any photos. Typical. It was my first go with the Ghost, and I was trying some new things with it as well. Things didn't go as well as I would have liked (i.e.: I lost), but at game's end, Kushial's last fighter only had 1 hull point left so it was a close run game! I'm not sold on the rear-firing torpedos, but the Lando crew upgrade is more or less a 'must have' for the Ghost, as he frequently gives that beast much needed evade tokens.

And best for last, Christmas presents were exchanged...or rather he gave us our presents. His is still in the mail but scheduled to arrive today. Yay. Not sure if we'll see him before the holiday or if we'll just mail em as Kushial lives about an hour and a half away. Anyways: Presents! (our first of the season)

The top of that totem will be the first thing to go!

I was given the Forgeworld exclusive Ultramarine Herald! (Quote): 'I know he's a Smurf, but I figure you can Alpha Legion him up.' Indeed, I'm thinking he might make for a good Alpharius conversion as that mini is nowhere on the horizon from FW, and there isn't the usual excess of U-marine decoration on the mini aside from the totem-thing.

Dr. Strange was added to her key fob before our game was even halfway over!

Wolfy received a Dr. Strange keychain (he's always been her favorite super hero since about the age of 8), and a Groot cord clinger. Its kinda hard to type that name correctly as my own is Croot, and yes I'm tall too, what of it? lol.

So all in all, it was a good night, and again sir I apologise that your gift hadn't yet arrived.

TROLL POST!!!

lol, yes for real.

This week I painted two more Pyg Bushwhackers for my Warmahordes Trollkin Army (no, no...don't call it that, such a title might give Rob hope!) uh...no, my Trollkin collection. This gives me 4 finished with a 5th in progress, plus Gunnbjorn.

I tried painting one purple rather than the usual varying shades of blue. While it adds a nice variation or so I thought, my Beloved Wolfy commented: 'Its a nice paint job but...its kinda monochromatic.' I do believe that translates to 'meh'. No, she just informed me that that translates into: 'mud'. So no more purple trolls. I guess this poor little guy is feeling a bit under the weather and thus is looking a little flush.

Just an overhead view of the sickly one.

GHARRRRRR!!!!!

Supreme Copmmander Goob

You will respect my Athoriah!

One-time Commander-now-turned-Outcast squad leader Goob and his squad quailed within the seat harnesses of the orbital dropship. The ship bucked and bounced down through the turbulent atmosphere and wildly inaccurate anti-orbital defenses. This was Goob's first combat drop without the comforting protection of a battle suit. Not that it mattered much after a lucky hit to the starboard engine array sent the ship into a terminal nosedive! Goob and his unit were part of the 'expendable first wave' which naturally consisted entirely of Outcast units. His now-doomed shuttle carried four full squads, and it seemed their contribution would be nothing more than to leave a crater upon this world's surface!

A few months prior, Ghar reconnaissance had discovered a small Feral Freeborn colony on a forgotten backwater of a planet and launched an assault to eliminate it with extreme prejudice! Whilst a low ranking squad leader such as Goob was given little-to-no information about their target, he did overhear at least this world's designation: 10-E-C. It didn't sound like much, but at least he knew the where he was going to die... 

Only a month ago he was second in command of an elite battle suit strike force which had been engaged with the accursed Boromites. His superior officer made a tactical oversight of lethal consequences that lead to both his death as well as most of the Ghar force. Defeat was total. As the senior-most surviving officer, Goob had shouldered all of the blame though the fault was not his own (an irrelevance to upper command) and was demoted to the rank of an outcast! Goob understood that his new, loathsome life of shame would be short, but as mountainous views zipped past the viewport at an impossible angle, he was horrified of just how brutally short it really would be!

-IMPACT-

I can't help but think that
it looks like he''s wearing
and armored diaper!

Hours passed before Goob opened his eyes within his cracked helmet, dangling limp and upside down in his restraining harness. He was alive-yes, but his whole body was in pain, though more from the violence of the crash than any kind of mortal injury. Unclipping the the harness he dropped clumsily onto a mewling outcast from his squad who was trapped beneath some debris. Ignoring the wretch and moving out of the wreckage and onto the scorched ground of 10-E-C, Goob took stock of his situation. The flight crew valiantly managed to pull the ship's nose up at the last second but their efforts were for naught. The dropship had been torn asunder upon impact and pieces of smoldering hull and the pitiful, broken bodies of it's occupants were scattered all about in all directions.

'They will not come for us'  he thought. 'Not for Outcasts, Outcasts deserve nothing but death…'

Despite his pain, as far as Goob could tell, he'd suffered no permanent damage to his body, and on regaining his senses he limped back into the wreck. Picking up a lugger gun, he put those few other unfortunates who survived out of their misery. Several dazed outcasts looked as though they may have survived the crash as well as Goob had, but a few well placed lugger rounds later and he was satisfyingly alone.  

An overhead view of this grubby
little bastard's noggin and the
terrain of his new homeworld.

Moving as quickly as his pained body would allow, he gathered what supplies he could find and stockpiled them in the largest, most intact piece of wreckage left-the tail section. He had shelter (of a sort), lugger guns-nearly a dozen of them and more ammo than any one Outcast ought to have access too! Clothing, rations (both fresh meat from the dead and ration packs), lumen strips and battery packs, but no medical kit. In the latter case Goob was unsurprised, such was an Outcast's lot. However on discovering a small stream the following day which gave him access to water, Goob's life it seemed had taken a sudden turn for the better!

Following their inevitable (and quick) victory the Ghar fleet broke orbit intent to abandon the 10-E-C's solar system. The isolated world held no strategic or tactical value to the Ghar. It served only to fuel their pathological need to exterminate humanity via it's small, feral human population. The fleet never bothered to search for the downed shuttle or it's expendable cargo. Little did the departing fleet know (or care) that they left behind a survivor: 

A former commander. An outcast.

In the years following, gripped by the madness resulting from mild but lingering brain damage resulting from the crash, and his endless isolation, Goob would come to believe that the Ghar fleet had (inadvertently, but that's no matter) restored his honor. Knowing himself to be the the last, and by default the highest ranking Ghar left on the planet. He declared himself to be:

Supreme Commander Goob, Planetary Ruler of 10-E-C!

Blood Bowl, the bitter revival...

BLOOD BOWL'S BACK! EVERYONE WANTS TO PLAY BLOOD BOWL!!!

The Wurtbastards were undefeated in their 3-4 year run,
primarily as a non-digital opponent couldn't be found.

Not that the living rule book rules were invalid, or that what's been described as the greatest miniature game ever has had any lack of devoted fans ready to play...right? They've always been ready to play...

Real Life names redacted.

Sure. That's exactly what they'll tell you. However currently I'm the odd one out here locally as Blood Bowl mania sweeps thru our gaming group, as I can only bitterly recall 5 years ago when I recreated the old templates, bought and painted a team, made a custom pitch, bought dice from the NAF, and read the rulebook till I memorized it, only to find no opponents.

Period.

Where was this eternally devoted fanbase? Ah yes, playing the fucking Blood Bowl video game. It was 'just as good' and 'far easier' to play...presumably as they could play at home whilst wearing just their boxers...(((cringe))).

Three to four years after, annoyed that no one ever wanted to play, tired that all of my BB efforts had come to naught, and even more tired of shuffling around a team, templates and board for a completely dead and gone (tabletop) game, I sold it all off.

Yet now, with Blood Bowl's re-release? So-called 'die hard' fans are coming out of the wood-work. Indeed, people who haven't been to game night in years are suddenly clearing their schedules for it, and all I can think is: Where the fuck were you people 5 years ago when I was begging for anybody to play????

Oh that's right, you had a video game instead and couldn't be bothered. Technically nothing's changed but hey, why not jump on the band wagon with everyone else right? Right.

Edit: Wolfy commented and I have to agree that this sudden burst of interest in BB will probably have the same lifespan as our recent revival or GorkaMorka. Potentially less given that its the holiday season, there's already grumblings about the local 'that guy' population is showing interest as well, and one of the main proponents of starting up a league has already made mention that he probably can't make it this weekend, etc., etc....