Iron Hands

Howdy. I dug out a small squad of Iron Hands I did several years ago. This is the basic paint scheme I have in mind. I won't use to much of the bionics from GW, but I will modify most of mine to maintain the improvements they make for themselves.

I really like the gear pattern I have all over and want to continue it as this army progresses. I am at this point, hoping they will be done and ready to go by BOLScon end of summer. This may seem like a ton of time, but I have 4 children, all of who play football year round and I coach them, so I spend a fair amount of my time on a field somewhere here in Houston.  Its all good, just takes away from toy soldier time is all.

I also have my dark eldar, which I am going to be working on little by little as well, and my Empire army and some FOW and Warmachine. And..And..And...

I know, its a lot, but since I don't really have any deadlines other than those I make for myself, it will all get done when it gets done. :)

Iron Hands

So after much consideration I have decided to do Iron Hands. Not neccessarily as GW has them modeled, which to me looks too much like an Mad Doc did the bionics. I want something more anime-ish in style without being overly gratuitous.

I will use the IH bitz I have, but some will be greatly modified, all with the goal of making my Iron Hands look more like Iron Hands and not Ork test subjects.

SO in the next few days I hope to get a couple of test models worked on and modified. I don't expect to have any painting done, but a conceptual start is what I am going for.

Dorn or Manus, Fists or Hands??

Howdy.

So I sit here debating which way to go. I am sure there are many out there who as little sense as I do when it comes to stopping the never ending build up of marines.

I love the ideas of Ferrus Manus and his approach to becoming stronger and stronger by eliminating weakness.  I love the inclusion of cybernetics. He strikes me as the guy I would want to be if I was a primarch.

Conversely, Dorn to me seems like the guy I would want to follow if I had to choose a primarch. Tacticly brilliant and always doing thebest that can be done.

I think both are a like in many ways and different in many ways. Both were utterly loyal to the Emperor, and both died for his cause. Yet, Manus hated weakness and wanted it purged, whereas Dorn was constantly trying to improve. Both were driven to succeed, in some instances at great cost.

If you had to choose, which would you choose??

Who would win?

So I was reading a thread and all the literary yada yada that goes with it. Here is your question.

Who would win in a 3 way fight

Voldemort, ala Harry Potter fame.
Sauron, deni god bad dude with a thing fro Rings for Lord of the Rings
or Darth Vader, who likes black and starlite walks on Star Destroyers.

Lets isolate them from all thier toys and helpers and place them in large area, maybe the size of the Reliant Stadium so there is plenty of room to move around but not enough to run away.

My thinking is this.

Voldemort has a wand that channels his power, without he is very limited in his power. True he has horcruxes to keep him alive, but his living physical form is tied to his body while his souls is torn in shreds and spread over the horcruxes.
he can be beaten, but not truly killed unless his horcruxes are destroyed. has a plethora of killy spells and magic and is able to bend minds to his will.

Sauron, we will go with the he has the ring and is not a floating eyeball. Cannot be destroyed unless the ring is destroyed as part of his soul, if you can call it that, is contained in the one ring. he has a massive mace and is 15 ft tall. Lots of strength and terror, but no real magical gimicks aside from some wicked mind affecting powers preying on the vanity and courage of those he is fighting.

Darth Vader has a glow in the dark sword and the force. His suit keeps him alive, but he is able to survive without his suit for short periods of time ( gotta read Shadows of the Empire for more cool Darth Vader mojo). Still, with the force he does not any other tools or spells, he's kind got it built in.  Plus the more angry he gets, the more powerful he becomes, a lot like the hulk.

So what I see here is Volde and Sauron's greatest stregnth is affecting the mind. Sorry, Darth Vader is a Sith and not really going to be intimdated with fear or lusts for power. He has been there, done that and has the T shirt to prove it. Honestly I think the whole affecting one another's mind thing would be a wash. No one is really going to get anywhere with that.

I read where Volde could just "Acio ring" away the one ring and  "Acio Lightsaber" the light saber. Sauron does'nt need the ring to beat you silly, and Darth can do a lot of beat down as well without a light saber.

What I see, honestly is Voldemort using his wand to snatch away the one ring from Sauron, maybe getting vader's lightsaber as well. Sauron beats a path to Voldemort withhis big mace in hand. Volde teleports around to keep away from Sauron ( and for the record I would run, teleport, run away some more too).

Vader uses telekinesis to lift Sauron in the air and keep him at bay.

Volde tries to cast a killy spell at Darth vader, but can't seem to get the words out of his mouth as Darth Vader force chokes the life out of him. Hmm, no air, no words, no spells.

Vader then uses the force to send Voldy's wand into Sauron's eye. It's what I would do to a 15 foot ball demigod in armor with only eye slits showing. :)

Voledmort drops dead, or at least as dead as he can.

Vader uses his Jedi pwer to crush Sauron's armor, then sends his lightsaber in to flying Ginsu mode and chop Sauron into little pieces. If he does'nt have the lightsaber, I supposse dark force electrocution would work in a pinch or just beat Sauron with his own mace.

Then we are left with Sauron in pieces, Voldemort broken and in near death, with Vader in full possession of both artifacts to destroy at his leisure.

Really, thats how I see. Vader has too many advatages with the force. Even though he does not have the ring or horcruxes to keep his life or soul separate from his physical body, he does'nt need them.

"I find your lack of faith disturbing." Nuff said.

Thoughts?

Dark Eldar

Howdy. SO the new Dark Eldar are out and everyone seems to be in love with Wracks and other such goodies.

I think I have to be out of my mind, but I just don't really find it all that appealing. I supposse it is because there are'nt any models available yet.

What I find myself most intrigued by are the reavers and hellions. To me those just seem like 2 of the most awesome looking untis in the entire list.

So I find myself trying to build a playable list using these as my core.

Currently I am thinking about 1 unit of 12 reavers, with 4 dark lances. Not the best tank hunters in the game, but from a playing perspective, I don't have to fret over the short range to get the melta bonus and it still glance on a 4+. Not so bad given 4 shots.

The I am also looking at 3 units of 12 - 15 hellions. Looking atthe splinter pods, unless I am wrong, that is 24 to 30 poisoned shots per uit out to 18 inches. Its not the 24 inch range of the rifles, but with jump troops I can move around pretty quick, and assault if I need to. Seems pretty versatile to me.

Add in The Baron so hellions are troops and then lelith to join a raider mounted unit of blood brides and I have most bases covered.

I also want to add a unit of trueborn with 4 blasters for more AT killiness and then either a couple ravagers or a pair of the fighters. I think whenI added all the points that brought to somewhere around 1500 points or so just doing the number quickly in my head. Actual list still needs to be worked out, but I think it is different from the wrack-haemconolous lists that are popping up everywhere.

Nothing wrong with them, I like to play more uncoventional lists.

Go Power Ranger GO

Howdy. I did this guy up for a Bell of Lost Souls article on painting yellow. I am rather happy with how it turned out. I am thinking of building a small Imperial Fist force based on Mk 5 Power armor.

Anyhoo, something to look at.

Red is for Chaos!

Howdy.

This is a figure I entered in a contest a while back. It took Best in Show and I am very happy with how it turned out.

I know the old school chaos dwarves are either love them or hate them. I kinda like them, I think the models are very characterful and are challenging to paint. I opted to stay with the standard paint scheme and painted in pretty much as the army book describes. I just put my own touches on the figure.

Also, I have been working on some arcticles for Bell of Lost Souls. They are being well recieved I think. A bit ot fame is never a bad thing really, but I don't consider myself an expert yet. I know I can do pretty much anything I want to, but truth is I feel like there is so much more I can learn and do. Honestly I feel like I have just started to scratch the surface of things in the painting world. Which is a good thing since I am a so so player. I win more games than I lose, but not by much.

On the work bench is a Skulltaker that is near complete. I need to get it done for my buddy who has been more than patient. Part of the reason I don't take many commissions anymore is I just don't have the time to get them done in a remotely reasonable manner. Then I have a Valkiya to get done, a lord on Juggernaught and a herald of Khorne on Juggernaught.

After that I have a Kugath to finish. Plus all my BOLS articles.

I think the order I will work for the next few is Ork skin, then maybe something on blending. However, I think my blending article would be better done by video on You tube. I'll have to play around with that before I am ready to go official with it. I say a video would be best because most of the belending I do is wet blending, ie I mix the colors still wet on the model, and it is best seen as it happens, not start and finish.

Anyhoo, back to the salt mines.

A Small Divergence for a Big Gun

Howdy.

Normally I would talk about my painting projects and models I am working on. However, I feel I need to stick up for one of my most favorite toys in my gaming arsenal. That is the modest Thunderfire Cannon.

As an engineer in real life, the fact that it is manned by a techmarine is already a plus. Us geeky guys need to stick together.

While most of the game guru's will tell you that it is a piece of junk and not worth its points allow me to completely disagree.

What we have for 100 pts is an artillery piece that can fire 4 templates up to 60 inches. It has 3 types of ammunition, each of which has advantages and disadvantages.

The first type is Strength 6 and has an AP of 5. Good standard marine or anything else killer.

Second type is Strength 5 with an AP of 6 but has the added benefit of negating cover saves. Good bye bugs and IG and good riddence.

The last type is a strength 4 with no AP. However, anything hit is treated as if it was indifficult terrain in the subsequent movement phase, which can be very handy at the right time in messing up your opponents plans to manuever or to cause vehicles trouble.

All in all it is a very versatile weapon and if you look at the opportunities to capitalize you fire it can be extremely devastating. I will throw out example number 1 and my most favorite. Troops disembarking or being caught in an exploding vehicle.

Infantry bunched up together is where this gun really shines. This past weekend at at GT tourney in Austin, in almost every game a rhino or similar transport was blown up. Troops stuck in a tight formation. One in particular was a unit of Grey Hunters with Ulrik in it. Now this was far from average, but in one volley I was able to wrack up 38 hits, inflicting 34 wounds. Suffice to say, a large unit was reduced to 1 model with 1 wound.

Anyhoo, I love my Thundefire Cannon and stick firmly to the mantra if 1 is good, 2 are even better.

August 4

Howdy.
This past weekend I went to Wargames con in Austin. Great event and I had a good time.

I am working pretty hard to try and keep up with the blog, however life has a way of making a mess of things and I have been workin on a variety of things.

Up coming topics is my good friend Honda and I are going to do a tale of 2 wargamers. He is doing Krieg for ther Vraaks campaign and I am working up my FW World Eaters.

Also, I am working on my WHFB Empire army. I have to admit I started working on this several months ago, but thus far I have only 12 models completed with several others about halfway done.

I am also needing to finish up a couple of commission pieces for 2 good friends of mine. I will feature those here over the next month or so as I get them done.

Completed projects: My Silver Skull Space marines are complete at 2000 points. My Tomb Kings are almost complete at 2250 points.

My Winter theme WW2 germans are complete at close to 50 points. Yes 50. There is still a long way to go with them.

Up coming projects

Fall football and coaching my sons team

Kugath conversion and painting

Skull taker

Lord on Juggernaught

Herald of Khorne on Juggernaught

a couple of Hasselfree figures

a few Reaper figures.