Space Hulk second edition - missions 1 & 2

 Having painted up the terminators from 2nd edition Space Hulk, it would be rude not to use them.  I found a set of rules online to simulate the genestealer’s turn, and off I went.

Mission 1 - Suicide Mission

As the introductory mission it’s not quite as hard as the name suggests.  You only get one squad of marines, but the map is small and the bad guys only get one blip per turn as reinforcements.

This first mission saw the marines having to destroy the controls for the escape pods, to avoid any contamination of the planet below.  

Despite some appalling rolls on the ‘Jam’ dice, they successfully completed the mission with only one casualty (as a result of one of those Jammed Storm Bolters), partly due to some good command point rolls early in the game that got them moving.

As a reward for success, I decided the marines would get +1 to their command point rolls next turn.

Mission 2 - Exterminate

Simple.  Hold position and kill 30 genestealers.  

This mission does somewhat favour the marines if careful with placement, and opening doors to create clear lanes of fire, so no genestealers can reach a marine in a single move.  That said, the pressure builds up as the game goes on and, once the marines start taking casualties, it can get hairy real fast.

The sergeant and flamer formed a reserve, while the other three covered the perimeter.

The Marine’s dice rolls were on fire, with very few jams this time and some excellent command point rolls (even without the bonus).

The result was a win with no losses.  I played through to the end of turn in which the marines got kill number 30, and the Terminators ended up with a final tally of 32 kills, including one very lucky close combat kill in the very last turn!

Pressure builds up on the right flank, but it’ll all work out…

The sergeant and flamer didn’t fire a shot, but Terminator of the match went to the marine on the left flank.  Who racked up a full 15 kills.

Man of the match; ‘Ace Rimmer, what a guy…’

The reward this time will be that the Terminators can use a command point once in the next mission to stop the genestealers receiving reinforcements for a single turn.

On reflection I think the rules I’m using for the genestealers are making them too cautious.  I’m going to tweak that to make them more aggressive.  I’ll put it down to them initially being sluggish from cryo.

Big, Angry Lizards

 A handful of ‘90’s vintage Saurus Warriors, to provide some proper muscle to back up their skink cousins. Just a quick ‘table ready’ paint job.

I think a skirmish scenario in the jungles of Lustria beckons.

Now, where did I hide those Amazons…

Tiny, Angry Lizards

I should be painting Griffins, but I’ve always been easily sidetracked.

A tidying the washing machine cupboard (don’t ask) unearthed a load of Foundry Conquistadors and a handful of old, unpainted lizard men, including some skinks, I picked up from somewhere on a whim.

A quick, rather than careful, paint job.  Still plenty of satisfaction in getting something table ready though.

Some Estalian explorers about to get a nasty surprise 

A few Saurus Warriors may follow.

Now, about those Griffins…

Rogue Trader Imperial Army

I’m going to be catching up on a few posts from before Christmas here and there, and this is one of them.

Going back to that conversation I had with Matt about whether I had any old Imperial Guard models (just a few, it turns out), I dug out my old first edition collection for review.

I had some I’d picked more recently that had been painted in one scheme but not based, loads in an old scheme I painted in the late 1980s, and some never touched. What else could I do but spend some time updating them, getting them consistent, and basing them!

 The first challenge was finding a match for the OOP GW Codex Grey - got there in the end, but you may notice the odd slightly lighter or darker mini here and there. I went for speed and simplicity over quality, but I’m pleased with how they look as a group.  Where faces or other parts were OK, I left as is, to get some variety in skin tone.  

Alien dinosaur bug things from outer space!!!

Or Tyranids, as they’re more commonly known.

Last week my friend Matt sent me scuttling down a rabbit hole, by innocently asking if I had any Imperial Guard models from second edition 40k.  Of course the answer would be ‘no’… mine are mostly earlier than that!

In fact, I’ve not really played 40k since Rogue Trader, despite collecting a few models here and there; I’d never even had or read the second edition.  However, the text conversation that followed led to much googling, acquisition of pdf rule books of iffy provenance, and reading. I can’t say how it compares to modern 40k, but to me it felt very familiar - Rogue Trader with the edges knocked off, and many of the suggested rules I recall reading in White Dwarf.

So I’m going to dig out some of my old guard models for a spruce up and maybe a game or two. However that means mustering the courage for a raid on the attic.  Not a task to take on lightly! In the meantime I had the bug to paint some 40k.  Hang about, isn’t there a box with all the models from Space Hulk and Advanced Space Crusade nearby? Yes there is, including a handful of Tyranid Termagants I’d gathered on a whim some years ago. These were the sort of models I wanted to get on the table, but didn’t inspire the motivation to spend ages bulk painting a unit - but perhaps there was an easier way?

Turns out there was.  I decided to try and come up with a recipe that would allow quick painting of a load of models to a decent tabletop standard. I wanted a look that harked back to the first Rogue Trader ‘nids’, which were a kind of bone colour, rather than the ultra colourful ones from the 90s or the modern purple and white - and maximised use of ‘quick’ techniques like spray undercoats, washes, drybrushing and some contrast paints.

Everything started with a spray of Khemri Dust, which was then washed with Reikland Flesh Shade.  

When that was dry it was time for a drybrush with VJ Iraqi Sand.  Weapons got successive washes of Athenian Camoshade to give them a different tone, and details picked out with red contrast paint (and a bit of Sigvald Burgundy where I wanted things to be a bit more vile). 

The carapace got a layer of Black Templar contrast.  I was originally going to try ‘Deathly Visage’ to give a purple tinge, but it had as much pigment a white coat in a bleach factory.  The black turned out better than I hoped - the tan and sand colours underneath came through and left a nice organic look.

All in all, this lot were done over two evenings, about an hour or two each time.  Leaving me feeling use achieved both my speed and appearance aims 😀.

Now I just need to find bases for a few more Warriors, and muster the Space Hulk genestealers! Oh, and stop the cat drinking from my brush water…

It’s 

Gladius

Another Heroic Fighter mostly complete (shields will be a job for the end). Four down.

Lord Aquila and Manfred

Time for an update on the Heroic Fighters set.  First up, I present Lord Aquila!

Arguably one of the weaker models of the set, the pose is quite static, but on the other hand - just look at that massive crest!  The weapon choice is unusual - it looks crude and primitive compared to the armour, almost Skaven like (they were both sculpted by Jes Goodwin after all)!  Perhaps a trophy from a defeated rat thing clan leader that he now carries around to intimidate them with.

Here’s a reminder of how he used to look.

I’d say my technique has improved at least a bit.

Second is Manfred.  He already got an updated paint job around 15 years ago, and sort of represented my breakthrough on effective shading and highlighting.  So all he has had is some chips tidied up and painted.

It’s odd how his pose is nearly identical to Lord Aquila, yet feels much more convincing.   Or is that just me?

Old Bones and Heroic Fighters

 It’s been a while since I last posted, partly as I’ve not really had time or space to paint or game - although I have spent quite a bit of time reading the new Old World rules and Army books (more on which another time).  I am trying to get a bit more done though, so here’s a quick ‘work in progress’ update.

First up: skeletons.  I’ve dug out my old skellies from the attic.  Most of these are a good 40 years old, going back to my early Warhammer days and plans, with a few eBay acquisitions over the years. Some have very poor paint jobs, many have never seen any paint all.  I did a batch a while back, but decided to have another go.  Paint jobs are quick and tabletop standard - they won’t hold up to close scrutiny, but I’m happy enough with them.

Inspiration came from the YouTuber Jordan Sorcery, who recently published his own Christmas themed Scenario pack, ‘Dead King Wenceslas’.  Maybe I’ll finally have them ready for a game next Christmas…

I’ll also admit that my mind has turned to a ‘Barrow Kings’ themed take on Tomb Kings for Warhammer.

Above is the full box, almost all originally from Grenadier Models.  There’s a funny story to this as well; just before lockdown I lost my glasses, had to get a new pair.  Those broke when my daughter sat on them, and I’ve had no glasses for about two years now. Dug this box out of the attic just after Christmas, opened it… and there were my dratted lost glasses!  At least I can see properly again.

Also about to take their place in the projects queue are the models from the Heroic Fighter of the Known World box set produced by Citadel many moons ago, which I have finally reunited from the various boxes they were stored in.  More on them another time but, for now, here are the very varied paint jobs they currently have from the old days (no giggling at the back, I was very young at the time).

Sir Brut, Manfred, and Harald the Hammer.  Manfred got an update in about the 2010s, and is still probably some of my favourite blending and highlighting work, so he will likely remain largely as is.  Sir Brut’s not bad either.  Harald was painted by my brother, so will mostly get a tidy up as well.

Ulrik Ukrikson and Gladius.  Ulrik’s already been consigned to the Dettol pot…

Vlad Krakhead, The Moon Duke (probably my favourite model of the bunch) and, last but not least, Lord Aquila - who has also taken a dive into the Dettol to remove that lovely Humbrol gold enamel paint.

Orctober wrap up

Orctober is over - what did I do with it?  Well, I didn’t take it too seriously, but did use it as motivation to get the bulk of my Orc and Goblin army tabletop ready.

Alongside the Wolf riders, bolt throwers and warlord, that mostly meant a lot of basing. Many of the models are still in old paint jobs, either my own from many moons ago, or as they were purchased secondhand, but they look coherent enough now.

Still about 20 goblins to do, plus I still have some more EM4 orca, and I need to sort some black orcs of some kind, but there is a table ‘legal’ army there now for both WFB and Fantasy Warriors.

Two bolt throwers, including a Notlob original

20 orc boys 

One of my giants (orc for scale)

The Wolf riders - will count as boars for WFB purposes

14 orc archers

Warlord and two shamans

20 more orc boys

A somewhat grisly standard

The three trolls

Another giant