40k: Tournament Prep, Dave Westons Birthday Bash 40k Tournament

Hi Everyone,

Hope you are all doing well now New Year is well and truly behind us now. And with the Holiday Season behind us it's time to get back cracking and get some prep done for the coming year.

In February,  I will be attending Dave Westons Birthday Bash 40k Tournament (link), it's 1500pts, CAD only,  no formations and limited Lords of War. So basically I have to decide what I will be taking to this event so that I am ready to get any necessary painting and or repairs done before the big day.

The Options
Khorne Daemonkin
A fun army to play,  I normally go a bit mental and run across the board like a lunatic to get to grips with my opponent (mission objectives be damned),  I'm sure you'll all agree this is the right way to play KDK. Currently I don't have enough any of the Bloodthirster variants,  but there is every possibility this could change...

Dark Angels
Hit hard,  hit fast, bring lots of Dakka, or maybe lots of Terminators (not very efficient but damn they look cool. I also have,  hopefully the opportunity to bring my plasma obliterator ad part of this list (as I feel it just suits the theme of the Dark Angels more than any other army), and it looks gorgeous to boot! More painting and repair work needed here,  and a severe lack of marines and scouts for a CAD only list needs to be rectified.

Necrons
Probably the strongest of the armies I currently have, but I will have to look outside my preference of the destroyer cult here. I've got more necron warriors than I could possibly need so its a case of theming the army based on other units I have (Possibly a retro wave list of warriors,  or a mecha bug list...). Still a tough nut to crack in any situation (need to check if I can take my Tomb Stalker).

Anyways,  many thoughts and vacillating is required for any person going to an event. I'll be doing some update articles as prep continues towards the big day! I will also try to get as many photos from the event too,  I can't wait 😝!!!

Other Tournament-wise,  I am planning to go to the Double-Trouble 2 Event in June,  hosted by Alex over at fromthefang.blogspot.co.uk,  in Element Games,  gaming hall,  another really interesting event,  and I highly recommend you check it out! Hopefully I can also find a good Age of Sigmar event this year as well as I really want to jump in with two feet on this new and upcoming scene! If you have any suggestions for events in the North West of England,  drop a line in the comments,  I'd love to hear about any events you attend or run!

Until next time,
Jonathan

Narrative Battle Report: Slaughter at Yrlan's Rest Part 3 - The Lists

Hello again everyone!

Now that I've got that story rambling out of the way it's onto the precursor to the main event: Khorne Daemonkin with Renegade Knight Allies Vs The Grey Knights. This was an 1850pt Battle.

So without further ado,  let's look at the lists!

Khorne Daemonkin:
 +++ Garak Gorebiters hoard +++

++ Combined Arms Detachment (Chaos Khorne Daemonkin v2000) (976pts) ++
Rules: Ideal Mission Commander, Objective Secured (Troops)

+ HQ (160pts) +

········Chaos Lord, Axe of Khorne, Collar of Khorne, Plasma Pistol, Power Armour, Sigil of Corruption

+ Elites (140pts) +

········Blood crushers,  3x Bloodcrushers, Upgrade one Bloodcrusher to Bloodhunter

+ Troops (281pts) +

········Berserker s,   7x Bezerkers
············Bezerker Champion,  Bolt Pistol, Chainaxe

········Chaos Cultists 7x Cultists
············Cultist Champion,  Autopistol

········Chaos Cultists,  7x Cultists
············Cultist Champion, Autopistol

+ Fast Attack (170pts) +

········Heldrake,  Baleflamer

+ Heavy Support (225pts) +

········Helbrute [Multi-Melta, Powerfist]

········Skull Cannon

Created with BattleScribe (http://www.battlescribe.net)

+++ New Roster (Warhammer 40,000 7th Edition v2006) (820pts) +++

++ Allied Detachment (Chaos Renegade Knights v2000) (820pts) ++

+ Lord of War (820pts) +

········Renegade Knight (Litany of Destruction)
················Ion Shield
················Heavy Stubber
················Ironstorm Missle Pod
················Reaper Chainsword
················Thunderstrike Gauntlet

········Renegade Knight (Rote of Damnation)
················Ion Shield
················Avenger Gatling Cannon
················Heavy Flamer
················Heavy Stubber
················Thermal Cannon
················Twin Icarus Autocannon

Created with BattleScribe (http://www.battlescribe.net)

+++ GK (1849pts) +++

++ Combined Arms Detachment (Grey Knights: Codex (2014) v2000) (1849pts) ++

+ HQ (315pts) +

········Librarian, Domina Liber Daemonica, Nemesis force halberd, Psyker [ML 3], Storm bolter

········Librarian, Bone Shard of Solor, Nemesis force halberd, Psyker [ML 3], Storm bolter

+ Troops (609pts) +

········Terminator Squad (203pts)
············3x Terminator, 3x Nemesis force halberd
············Terminator, psycannon, Nemesis force halberd,  Psycannon
············Terminator Justiciar, Nemesis Daemon hammer

········Terminator Squad (203pts)
············3x Terminator, 3x Nemesis force halberd
············Terminator,  psycannon, Nemesis force halberd, Psycannon
············Terminator Justiciar, Nemesis Daemon hammer

········Terminator Squad (203pts)
············3x Terminator,  3x Nemesis force halberd
············Terminator, psycannon, Nemesis force halberd, Psycannon
············Terminator Justiciar,  Nemesis Daemon hammer

+ Fast Attack (230pts) +

········Stormraven Gunship, Hurricane bolter s,  Twin-linked assault cannon, Twin-linked multi-melta

+ Heavy Support (450pts) +

········Nemesis Dread Knight,  Heavy Incinerator, Heavy Psycannon,  Nemesis greatsword and power fist, Personal teleporter

········Nemesis Dread Knight,  Heavy Incinerator, Heavy Psycannon, Nemesis greatsword and power fist,  Personal teleporter

+ Lord of War (245pts) +

········Kaldor Draigo (245pts)

Created with BattleScribe (http://www.battlescribe.net)

So chaos might be considered to be at a disadvantage in relation to points but with two renegade knights this should be quite the dust up! Can Draigo and the grey knights stop Garak Gorebiter from summoning his patron Bloodthirster, and sacrifice another world to Khorne?

Find out in part 4!

Jonathan

Narrative Battle Report: Slaughter at Yrlan's Rest Part 1

Hi everyone,

So I thought I'd try and start some narrative battle reports for the blog. . This will follow in 3 parts,  an intro for each army and the battle report itself. . Hope you enjoy.

*  *  *

Smoke and dust drifted lazily on the wind, aimlessly floating through the winding alleyways of the Manufactorum District. The morning suns were breaking upon the horizon,  rays of light splitting iridescently through the the tumbling particles in the air.

It could almost be serene. But it was not quiet.  Muffled moans and screams could almost be heard floating in the background,  as the unmanned machines continued to clank and churn from the shells of broken buildings.

Pain throbbed in the air. Garak Gorebiter lifted the commissar off his feet,  eye to eye with the Khorne Lord.  Hot putrid breath steamed out from the base of the Lords helmet.  The last thing the commissar saw was the helmet split vertically into a horrendous maw as it clamped onto this head. With one swift yank, Garak ripped the commissar's skull out of his skin, the white bone glistening as it cracked. Garak strode imperiously to the nearby shrine,  lifting his latest victim overhead to pour the hot viscera over the shattered emblem of the false imperium.

Reality buckled.  Sickening light poured from the floor tearing up the side of the shrine.  First to appear was the great cavalry of the Blood God, roaring past Garak. They did not stop. Splitting wider and wider a Mighty Skull Cannon of Khorne raced into the material realm,  but it was not the last to follow.  Tearing as high as the Manufactorums rising all around a God of War tore itself from the warp. Khorne had indeed blessed Garak as first pulling itself from the tear in reality came Rote of Damnation, and finally Litany of Destruction!  With a mighty blare of their War Horns the Renegade Knights strode to war upon the surface of Yrlan's Rest...

*  *  *

Part 2 arrives tomorrow,  who will the Daemonkin face...?

The Red Laughter; Or how I learned to Love messing with my gaming buddy's brain

Hello again Everyone,

Today I was thinking we should sit down and discuss something a little bit fun, a little bit crazy, and a great psychological poking stick to ram into the ribs your Gaming Buddies.

As we all know from a core perspective, not only table top wargaming, but including; computer games, console games, rpg games, board games (the list goes on and on... and let's not get into all of the real life examples of this concept...) that if you can remove enough dudez you will win by proxy.  A dead obstacles is no obstacle at all.

This mentally has always been around, and to visualise it in the perspective of 40k we cast our minds back to the past and the eponymous Imperial Guard leafblower list. A list purely designed; dependant on personal preference (I remember both infantry and tank varieties of the list) to be durable yet have enough attacks to sweep you're opponent off the board.  Why wait to play a whole game when you can just get it over and done with. This concept has never gone away, and I think never will go away from the hobby.  The power levels of each army change so they become the new hot flavour of the edition to capitalise on this approach.

Now I am not a very competitive player, and I won't tell you how to meta a list to beat these sort of armies (sorry), but what I am going to tell you about is my experiences with the Khorne Daemonkin; The Troll-tastic hunks of beef that will make your opponent think twice when it comes to sweeping you off the board.

As I am sure you are all aware Khorne care'th not from whence the blood flows.  And this is where I have began to start to play this army, from a fluffy mental perspective.  Your Warlord on the board is your avatar; so will you cry as your forces die in droves? Or will you send in the next wave with a gleeful grin upon your face.  Every death, gaining you favour with Khorne, and possibly new minions to fight on your behalf.  And this is where Daemonkin comes into its own.  It is never really a viable option to try to sweep the army, as new units will appear as the blood flows and you gain Khornes' favour.  For your opponent it becomes a game of half measures and risky attacks to avoid killing your units.  And ho' boy he really doesn't want to get stuck in combat, as either he kills you or you kill him.  This is exactly where the Daemonkin want to be.

Khorne Daemonkin is a brilliant fluffy army to play, more so than many other armies in my opinion, everyone can tap into that 80s villain lurking deep inside; a maniacal grin on my face begging my opponent to kill my army.  I've seen my opponents stop in horror, hesitating to drop the final blow, killing Khorne Daemonkin does them no favours...  My over the top tirades that they aren't killing me quick enough, slowly eating at their sanity.  "But... But... This isn't how it is supposed to be in 40k they cry"... My cackling continues as does their hesitation.

A hard fight to win has just become closer, objectives are secured, units are destroyed, as the other army runs away.  Khorne is pleased.  And at the end of it all, should you be tabled, it doesn't matter... Khorne is pleased... He Care'th not for where the blood flows...

And really, at the end of the day, win or lose, the Daemonkin player is always winning.  I love this army, it's fluffy, well rounded and messes with your opponent.  I have been tabled many times but never once have I not been happy at the end of a game.  I really suggest giving it a go, especially with a grin and a red laughter upon your lips...

Let us know in the comments below how you are pleasing your diety of choice when you hit the tables.

Until next time
Jonathan

JESUS BLOODY CHAOS!!!

Hello again Everyone!

It's been a bit of a wait for my return to the blog-o-sphere, unfortunately I found my self lost in the warp (...Europe...) at the whims of the fickle Chaos Gods (...my boss...).

So with my time away from family and friends, I found my mind wander to dark and foreboding places.  Places where my darkest desires might cometh to fruition.  And as many as you know the call of Chaos is strong, and many a bright shining exemplar of all that is just a true must fall...

So with all that in mind I have betrayed Great Grandfather Nurgle, (my first foray into the clutches of damnation, was a slightly teenage and sickly affair going on maybe 10years prior to now) and have joined the ranks of Khorne so that my thirst for vengeance and anger may be sated upon my foes!

Nurgle has caused me many a Dark moment of late as I have been stripping so many old models in preparation for the reconsecration to begin (BFTBG!!!!), hands slowly melting smelling of dettol...

But moving on from that what am I actually doing right now? Well come here little ones and let me tell you a story... (wait ignore that last bit...)... I've been bitten with the red paint bug and while practicing painting red with my AoS starter set (stop snickering in the back, you, yes you! I can see you...) I feel I've come up with some good results.  As you may have already seen below depending if I've done it right, you can see the Khorgoraths of Khorne I've been working on.  Though not finished yet I think they are still is coming along nicely.

Now I currently have no gaming experience of KDK but I hope to get some time in soon and let you all know. As a suggestion Blood Reavers from AoS make brilliant cultists of Khorne just be aware if you WYSIWYG they'll be toting hand weapons only unless you're whipping the hobby knife out...

Until next time
Jonathan