The battle of the greyish armies...

 o/

Ultramarines holding the line. 

I was able to get another (sort of) game in this past weekend with Mike and Screech. However, as we started late (9pm), the game ended the bottom of turn two. Three factions, variable initiative and a central objective that no one was ever able to get to (anything that got close was killed in short order). Here's how it all went down...

Mike's admech, supported by a 3D printed armiger that looks a bit large to me, though with no other knights on the board, what did it really matter?

Screech's Cadians. His most notable 'action' of the night was to utter the line 'Mine's smaller so it fits in better!' (and no, I'm going to give you any context for that statement).

I had intended to field the Tau, but couldn't (and still can't) find my tau infantry case. 50+ minis short of an army, it was the Smurfs again, this time with my small, allied IG detachment, led by an inquisitor. I'll fill in the guard's full backstory at a later date, once they're all finally painted.

I won the initiative for turn one and the marines on my left flank advanced at speed. The hellblasters fired thru the terrain scaring the hell out of Screech's IG when those assault 3 plasma guns opened up! 

The conscript platoon 'took the hill' on their way towards the objective (the smurf container in the middle). Their platoon commander issued an order, but these blithering idiots were too terrified of actual combat to bother listening. Collectively I think my shooting killed one enemy guardsman on turn 1. 

Get a good look at these five who opened fire on the Mechanicus, getting their attention and summarily getting obliterated for their efforts. 

Screech's Chimera advances towards the objective and my conscripts.

Meanwhile his Valkyrie, supported by lascannons unload on the Armiger inflicting considerable damage.

Chimera? No, no that was a proxied Hellhound. The guy's been fielding Cadians for close to a decade and is still proxying tanks. Schmuck.  As you can see, in the end that conscripts were reduced to four broken individuals. They thought about running until one was executed which did nothing to help their cause. 

The mechanicus advance and unleash hell! Hammering the Valk, killing the 'hellhound' and wiping out my combat squad of Intercessors. 

The second round's initiative started with Screech and ended with me, not good for the Smurfs and friends. Here we see Screech's guard in their turn two pivot movement phase. 

The valk continues to strafe the mechanicus lines, and it, along with his lascannons finish off the armiger. Further tank fire would thin out my hellblasters, assault intercessors and drop one of Mike's chicken walker things. 

Mike's walkers punished Screech's tanks in return, taking out the Medusa. The Kataphron finished off the Valkyrie as well as my last few conscripts. 

In my last turn, the hellblasters took a few wounds off of the other proxied hellhound. Softening it up for the assault intercessors who dinged it up a bit more. 

Bereft of their conscripted meat shields, the Imperial noble (counts as lord commissar) and platoon commander were going to sneak off, that is until they turned to see Mr. Inquisitor right behind them. Instead they advanced in futility towards the objective, firing their laspistols to little effect. Whereas the inquisitor smote the nearest of Mike's walkers, taking 2 wounds off of the machine. 

At that point, it was damned near midnight and so we called it a draw. No VPs for anybody, but we were able to roll some dice, kill some stuff and have some fun, so it was all good. 

Scouts, why does it always have to be Scouts?

o/

With Space Marines on my mind after the rant in my last post, I decided to paint a scout/recon sergeant, and partially repainted two grunts with bolters. Then I went on use them alongside my Storm Wardens in a game this past Saturday night. (on a side note, I found another stupid Aurora Scout with a sniper rifle this weekend! Most worthless unit ever!!! I sold that infernal squad years ago to somebody in Stockholm Sweden which has plenty of icy waters to drown them in, yet they still keep coming out of the wood work around here, what the hell?!?!)

...and with that outta the way, here's this week's painting:

The two with bolters were repaints of the Recon Marines I was going to use for the Emperor's Children in 30k (which is such a laughable notion considering our finances right now). Honestly, despite purple being my favorite color, I didn't like em as they were. Painting them black gives me some options on what to use them as, although the Imperial Fists are my preference. I really like the Breacher Marine minis (and their Legion specific rules requires Breachers as compulsory troops choices). Also, recon marines probably wouldn't work too well if they're wearing bright fucking yellow armor. So the black works for that legion as well.

2nd ed 40k starter box marines, vs. old Warzone starter box Imperial infantry converted into Astra Militarum (Cadian arms fit them perfectly) and fighting over The Imperial Forestry Service who were acting as objectives. Miniature-wise it was a battle of the ancients! Indeed, virtually all of the infantry in this game were as old as, if not older than my opponent!

In my game this weekend, they served as regular 'old codex' scouts.  Fielding a squad of 5, the three newly painted ones not only survived their first game, they took out a basilisk that was deep in cover as well! Easily paying for themselves (which made up for them not showing up till turn 4...). In the end the game was a close one and ended in a tie, though had it gone one more turn I probably would've been tabled.