8th Edition 40k Reveals- Week 3 Thoughts

Another week, another host of 8th edition 40k reveals from Games Workshop. Below you will find a summary of some of the information revealed in the past week, and some of my thoughts on what it could mean for the game. I'm not going to go through every release, as I simply don't have too much to say on many of them.

Stratagems
I was excited to see what we would finally get to use those Command Points on, and I wasn't disappointed.

A re-roll of any single dice may not seem like a great bonus, but this could be vital in many situations. How many games have you fluffed a low charge roll or failed to penetrate with that Meltagun? This could be a potentially game winning ability a lot of the times.

Counter-Offensive is also intriguing. Given that charging units will strike first, this could be used to seriously disrupt your opponent's plans if you get to strike with a unit first, hopefully taking out a vicious enemy unit before they get a chance to attack.

Insane Bravery is also a great bonus to use. Weaker units such as Guardsmen or Orks will greatly benefit from this I imagine, as a single turn of significant casualties could decimate the rest of the unit. Allowing you to ignore the effects of Morale could be a great boost and swing the battle in your favour.

I also like that we will apparently be getting army-specific Stratagems and mission-specific stratagems in the game.  

8th Edition 40k Reveals- Week 2 Thoughts

Another week gone, another host of 8th edition hints and reveals released by the Warhammer Community page. This post will take a look at some of the information that has been released and my thoughts on them.

The last post covered aspects of unit and weapon profiles, movement phase, psychic phase, shooting phase and charge phase.

Fight Phase
The biggest news from the fight phase is that charging units strike first. This is a big change from the current edition, where you can spend several turns charging across the board to be slaughtered before you get a chance to strike.
My Orks are particularly interested in this new development, and will hopefully become a force to be reckoned with in the new edition of the game. I will be interested to see if this rule applies to weapons that traditionally struck last, such as Power Fists.

Interestingly, in the fight phase you get to move 3" to try and engage more enemy units in combat. This seems like a way to get into multiple combats without having to suffer the overwatch fire of the enemy units. This will make careful positioning of defensive troops and attacking units quite important in the new game.

Much as was expected with the loss of the initiative value, combats will be performed by choosing alternate units to attack, much like Age of Sigmar. This adds further tactical depth to the fight phase, as players will have important decisions to make; Do you choose a weaker unit that is likely to be wiped out to attack first, hopefully taking down a few of their opponents or go for a strike with your units against an Imperial Knight to try and take it out before it crushes you? I will also be interested to see if things like Thunder Hammers and Power Fists get to strike first on the charge, will strike in normal order or will have to go last in each fight phase? I'm hoping that they get the chance to strike first, as that could potentially make Terminators awesome once more. Hitting on a 2+ in some combats is also a nice bonus for certain units in the game.

It Ain't Easy Being Green- The Evolution of Orks in 40k

Welcome to the latest in my series of articles looking at the evolution of different aspects of 40k. This time I will be looking at the evolution of the Orks from the 2nd edition codex to the current state of the army as 7th edition comes to an end. I am not planning to cover every aspect of the codex and army, but will look at general trends in how the greenskins have evolved over the course of the 6 editions to become what they are today.

The Orks have come pretty far in the many years they have been in 40k, developing their own flavour and playstyle over the course of many editions. Orks are generally regarded as one of the most "fun" armies available to play. Much of this comes from the randomness inherent in their rules over the years as well as being one of 40k's best armies when it comes to kit-bashing and conversion work, especially on their vehicles. Unlike the standardised tanks of the Space Marines and Imperial Guard, no two Ork vehicles in an army need ever look the same.

I first started with the Orks with the release of GorkaMorka (more on this to come), building up my mob and fighting with my friend's mob for many glorious battles. This gave me my first taste of kit-bashing when I decided to convert one of my wartrakks with parts from a toy car in order to give the vehicle an increased transport capacity (in GorkaMorka, how many Orks could ride in a vehicle was determined by how many Ork models would actually physically fit on the model). My first forays into using Orks in 40k came midway through 3rd edition when the same friend decided to sell off his starting Ork army and I bought it. This gave me a warboss, two large mobs of unpainted boys and a few vehicles with which to start my warband. I have been playing Orks ever since then. They have remained one of my favourite armies, and though they have fallen on hard times in more recent editions, I still have a special place for them in my 40k collection.

While researching this article, I came across another nice article on the development of the Orks from Rogue Trader to 3rd edition. This is well worth a read for anyone looking for information on the earlier years of the Orks.

40k 8th Edition Reveals- Thoughts so far

The information has been coming thick and fast from GW over on their community page. Each day, new details about 8th edition are being released and feverishly discussed online. In this post, I will do a quick round up of what we have found out so far and give you some of my thoughts on the information. 

Unit Profiles

The Community Page gave a sneak preview of some of the unit profiles that will feature in the new edition of the game. 

As was previously revealed, individual movement values make a return to 40k. I actually quite liked the old system of standard movement for units in 40k. You knew each infantry unit could move 6", a bike or assault unit moved 12", etc. Perhaps it didn't fit the background that a Guardsman was as fast as a Space Marine, which was as fast as a Tyranid, but it was a nice, simple system. I can see the appeal of giving different units different movement values, but I think it will be a bit annoying trying to remember the different movement values of all the units that you may be facing. I am glad that they appear to be keeping 6" as the standard movement for units, as I would have hated going back to the 4" standard movement of 2nd edition.

Pew Pew Pew- The Evolution of the Shooting Phase in 40k

Welcome to my ongoing series looking at the evolution of 40k. With 8th edition seemingly looming on the horizon, now looked like a good time to take a look at the evolution of the shooting phase. 

The shooting phase has always been a major component of 40k. It has seen some radical changes since the early days of second edition, with each new edition of the game seeming to increase the power of this particular phase. The most recent rumours released by Games Workshop seem to imply that some aspects of 2nd edition may be returning to the game, so it is interesting to me to look back and see where we have come from. 

Most players with agree that it is one of the most powerful phases in the game, with many games being decided in the shooting phase. 

2nd edition (1993-1998)- Modifying your Success 

The rules for the shooting phase in 2nd edition 40k are quite different to the current state of the game. All models were restricted to a front 90 degree firing arc, meaning that model placement and positioning was even more important in 2nd edition than in the current game. True Line of Sight was also used in this edition, with the effects of cover affecting the To Hit values for units. For example, soft cover (such as hedges, shrubs and most vegetation) incurred a -1 To Hit penalty, whereas hard cover (walls, buildings, craters, etc) incurred a -2 To Hit penalty. 

The actual system for determining whether a unit was hit has remained unchanged since this time. The ballistic skill value of a unit was used to determine the die roll required for the shot to be successful. For example, a Space Marine attempting to shoot an Ork behind soft cover would require a 4+ to hit (a ballistic skill of 4 requiring a 3+, with a -1 penalty for soft cover).

In 2nd edition, units had to shoot at the closest enemy unit. However, units could ignore enemy units in cover or units that were fleeing. In addition, units could choose to ignore or specifically target enemy vehicles. This meant that cheap screening units were of particular importance in 2nd edition, as these units could be used to shield more valuable units in your army from enemy fire power. Also, the target would have to be chosen without measuring the distance between the units. If the enemy unit was out of range, then the shorts were wasted. This meant that estimating the distance between your units was a very valuable skill to have in 2nd edition 40k, as poor guessing of distances resulted in more wasted shots in the shooting phase. 

Changing Up Your Hobby- Try something new

Today's editorial takes a look at some of the changes I have recently made to my hobby and gaming routine, and how it has given me a different outlook on 40k and how I play. 

Tactical Tabletop

A few months ago, I purchased the Deathwatch codex on the day of its release. I had planned to review the Codex for the blog and then re-sell it on ebay. However, after reading the codex and writing my reviews of the Deathwatch, I started the enjoy the feel of the army and decided to start my own force. 

Now, I already have two Marine armies (the Dark Angels and White Scars, for those of you keeping score at home), but these are both primarily Bike-centric forces that use speed and mobility to achieve their goals in a game. I also have two horde armies, with my Astra Militarum and Ork forces, using massed firepower or combat attacks to defeat the enemy. 

For me, the Deathwatch seemed like a new type of playstyle; a smaller elite force, with some potent firepower, but most likely to be outnumbered by the enemy army and requiring surgical precision to use correctly. I was keen to see how a Marine army would play that was not overly reliant on Grav weaponry and durable bikes, or fantastic re-rollable cover saves in order to win games. 

Thoughts on Blogging- One Year In

As the blog turned one year old recently, it was suggested that I write about some of my experiences with starting and growing a blog over the 12 months it has been going. Hopefully you will find some of the information and advice useful if you are thinking of getting into wargame blogging, or those of you more experienced than I am will get a kick from reminiscing about your own starts into the world of blogging.

This will be some general advice on what my motivations and thoughts were when I decided to start blogging about 40k and what I have learnt over the course of the year. I like to think that St Andrews Wargaming has come a long way in the last 12 months. I have a decent regular following who comment and contribute and get a decent number of hits each month on many of my articles. There are obviously many blogs out there that are a lot more successful than mine (many of which will be mentioned below as they helped with my inspiration) and this is not the only way to blog, it's just what I have found works for me. I certainly don't want this to come across as an egotistical "This is how to Blog!!!!", as I have been doing this for a relatively short period of time.

The Burning Eye posted a nice article back in February on "Getting into Blogging" and I would recommend reading that, as it contains a lot of valuable information, some of which will be similar to the information here.

Before I start, I want to give a big thanks and shout out to Dave from "Confessions of a 40k addict" and Alex at "From the Fang". They were kind enough to give me advice on blogging when I was thinking about starting, and much of the evolution of St Andrews Wargaming is based on that initial advice. If you are thinking of starting your own 40k blog, you could do a lot worse than looking to these two highly successful blogs for inspiration.

To start off, the best advice I could give to anyone thinking of starting a 40k blog (or other such gaming blog) is this- DO IT! If you have a passion for the hobby and want to share it, go ahead. Your opinion is as valid as anyone else's (unless of course you play Tau or Eldar, in which case, shame on you!). I am always on the look out for new takes on 40k and new blogs to read.

Now that you have decided to get into the world of 40k blogging, hopefully you will find some useful advice in my subsequent ramblings.

random picture!

What's in a name?
There is a serious affliction that can affect a lot of 40k bloggers. There you are, all excited and ready to get started, then suddenly it's all over and you are left with a feeling of trepidation, dread and fear. I speak of course about premature appellation- naming your blog too early. As Nick has mentioned in his post, choosing the right name is key for your blog. To repeat his advice (seriously, go read it), pick something simple and hobby related that people may reasonably be searching for.

Psyched Out!- The Evolution of the Psychic Phase in 40k

Welcome to my ongoing series looking at the evolution of various aspects of 40k over the years. This time round, I look at the evolution of the psychic phase. For the rest of the series of articles, check out the Evolution of 40k tab above.

The Warp, the parallel dimension that is a swirling maelstrom of energy, has been an integral part of the 40k lore for a long time now. It provides the basis of interstellar travel for many of the races of the 40k universe, and it is often said that without the Warp's ability to travel vast distances in (relative) safety, the Imperium of Mankind would crumble in no time. This chaotic dimension also provides energy to the psykers of the 40k universe, imbuing them with vast power to unleash their arts on the enemy.

Mondays, am I right?

The psychic phase has seen substantial changes over the various editions of 40k. Indeed, for several editions of the game, no such phase existed in the turn sequence. I don't tend to run psychic heavy armies, the reasons for which I will get to as the article proceeds, but there is no doubt that the addition of psykers to the 40k tabletop can have a dramatic effect on the course of the battle.

Second Edition (1993-1998)- Pick a Card, Any Card......

As with much of the game, the psychic phase was a very different beast in second edition.

The Main Book
A version of the rules for the psychic phase was included in the main rulebook for 2nd edition 40k- the Psionics section.

This section provided some simplified rules for using psykers in games of 40k. It gave the four different mastery levels for psykers and provided 6 psychic powers that they could choose from at the start of the game.
In order to cast a psychic power, the player had to roll above the casting value on the power and were able to add the mastery level of the psyker to the die roll. Rolls of a 1 always failed when casting, but with a highest casting level of 6, level 4 psykers has a 1 in 6 chance of successfully using a psychic power each turn. Each psyker could only use one power per turn, regardless of their mastery level.

One of the example psychic powers in the rulebook was psychic shield. Cast on a 3+, this power provided the psyker with the equivalent of a 3+ invulnerable save against shooting and close combat wounds. Against psychic attacks or powers, it provided a 4+ invulnerable save. The shield remained in effect until it was used to block a psychic attack.

Much like the close combat phase, both players took part in the psychic phase. The player whose turn it was could attempt to use a psychic power from one of their psykers, then their opponent could attempt to use a power from one of their psykers. This continued until no more psykers remained.

The psionics section also included the rules for Force weapons. In 2nd edition, the psyker got to add their mastery level to the strength of their attack in combat when using a force weapon. As armour saves were modified by the strength of the attacker, this meant that a powerful psyker could cut through power armoured models with ease.
Daemons were said to be especially vulnerable to Force weapons- any attack from a force weapon that hit a Daemon in combat automatically wounded and ignored their saving throw. This made psykers a very powerful unit for taking on daemonic units in combat.

All Aboard!- The Evolution of Transport Vehicles in 40k

Welcome to part 2 of my look at the evolution of the rules for vehicles in 40k. This section will take a look at how the rules for transport vehicles has evolved from 3rd edition through to the 7th edition that is now currently on the tabletop.

Most races in the 40k universe have access to some form of transport vehicle; from the ramshackle trukks of the Orks, to the iconic Rhino of the Space Marines and the sleek and much maligned Wave Serpent of the Eldar. Transport vehicles are an important part of many armies, providing a way to protect troops while enclosed in a quick delivery system to either fire on the enemy at short range or assault your opponent's gun-line.

These vehicles have seen many changes to their rules over the past 17 years. As the balance between the shooting phase and assault phase has evolved over the various editions, these changes frequently come about through modification of the rules for transport vehicles, sometimes leaving assault troops out in the cold with harsh rules regarding these special types of vehicles.

Third Edition (1998-2004)- Rhino Rush
In third edition, the assault phase was king! Assault troops would spill out of their transports, ploughing into the enemy lines and chaining combat after combat, thanks to sweeping advance assaults. Power weapons cut through the toughest of armour while the enemy infantry looked on in dismay, never getting to fire their shiny new lasguns at the foe.

The Basics
In third edition, passengers in a vehicle could embark or disembark within 2" of any part of the vehicle. If the vehicle had already moved, the unit could not move any further in the movement phase and could still disembark if the vehicle had not moved over 12". If the vehicle had not moved before disembarking, the unit could still take its normal 6" move in the movement phase.

Troops could not embark in a vehicle if it had moved over 12", but could embark into a vehicle on their consolidation move after assault if they could all get within 2" of the vehicle.

When embarked in a vehicle, half of the unit could fire from it in the shooting phase. If the vehicle was open-topped, then every member of the unit could fire in the shooting phase. The unit counted as moving and could not fire if the vehicle moved over 12".

If a transport vehicle was destroyed, each passenger would take a wound on a 4+, with armour saves being allowed. When firing Ordnance weapons, a roll of a 6 on the Ordnance penetration table meant that the vehicle was Annihilated; the entire unit of passengers was lost without any saving throws possible.

One of the biggest bonuses of transport vehicles in third edition was that units that had disembarked could assault on the same turn.

Armoured Fury- the Evolution of Vehicles in 40k

Not too long ago, I wrote an editorial on the evolution of formations in 40k. What started as a small opinion piece quickly ballooned into a longer article that garnered some interest and a lot of comments and differing opinions. I enjoyed the experience so much, that I decided to create some more articles on the evolution of various different parts of 40k.

 

Today, I want to look at the evolution of the rules for vehicles in the warhammer universe. Vehicles are an iconic part of the 40k setting; it would be hard to imagine the battlefield without the Leman Russ, trundling along to support the stalwart Imperial Guard or the sleek, deadly skimmers of the Eldar race. The rules for vehicles have seen a lot of changes since their first introduction in Rogue Trader many, many years ago.

Obviously, there is a ton of material to look at in the rules for vehicles and I am not going to look over the minutia of all the rules there have been. Instead, I want to look at general trends in the vehicle rules for each edition. These will focus on vehicles in the movement phase, shooting phase, the assault phase and how vehicles are damaged.

I will be focusing on tanks as one of the most common vehicle types. The rules for skimmers and other vehicles will be mentioned where appropriate, but I will not be looking at walkers as these are a very different entity. In the next article in the series, I will take an in depth look at the evolution of the rules for transport vehicles, as these have seen such big changes over the last 5 editions of the game.

Formation-ing an opinion: The Evolution of Formations in 40k

Formations seem to have become an integral part of army building in 40k these days. Whether that is a good or bad thing is for each individual to decide, today I thought I would take you through my thoughts on formations and how I feel they influence the vast universe of warhammer 40,000 these days.

Not a free transport in sight......

Right off the bat, it is only fair to let you know dear reader, that I rarely use formations in 40k. This is not due to some particular stance on the use of formations, I just like the Combined Arms Detachment (CAD) and find it the easiest way to make up an army and what I have been used to for many years. The second issue is that even with my vast collection of models for some armies, I sometimes still struggle to have the basic requirements for many of the formations that I can field, so am limited in this respect too. The one exception to this is the Ravenwing Strike Force from the 7th edition Dark Angels codex. Being a big fan of Ravenwing (and bike) armies, I have utilised this formation a lot in recent months, even taking an all Ravenwing army to the recent Blog Wars X tournament using the formation and having a measure of success with it in my games.

 

So this is where these opinions and impressions come from, a player who generally doesn't use formations, but has some experience both playing with them and against them in a competitive and casual environment.

 

Also, a note of nomenclature. I tend to use Formations and Detachments interchangeably when talking about them. I know that there are differences between the two, but to me, the comments on one could be equally applied to the other.

 

The Early Days of Formations

 

Force Organisation Chart

You could argue that one of the earliest instances of the use of formations in 40k was the introduction of the Force Organisation Chart in 3rd edition 40k (I certainly would argue this, and since this is my article, I can do what I want!).

Hasn't changed much at all.

Prior to 3rd edition, armies were constructed using the percentage system. Your army would be composed of units/models based on the percentage of the points used, for example; 25% or more core units, up to 25% characters, etc.

 

When 40k was re-launched with 3rd edition in 1998, a new mechanic for army building was introduced- the Force Organisation Chart (now known as the Combined Arms Detachment). For the first time, units in an army were separated into 5 different types; HQ, Elites, Troops, Fast Attack and Heavy Support. Players constructed armies by selecting units from "slots" in the force organisation chart and calculating their points cost for the unit until the agreed upon points limit was reached. The only compulsory choices in your army were one HQ and two troops slots. This limit still applies today in the CAD.

 

The idea was to allow players to build themed forces, more representative of typical armies your fraction would be likely to field. Your army would consist of an HQ unit to lead the army and two units of core troops to provide the backbone of the army. Additional troops units could be used to bolster your force and more powerful units could be taken from the other slots, though in lesser numbers to represent their more limited availability.

Nostalgia Trip- 40k Card Terrain Showcase

Today, I wanted to highlight some of the old 40k card buildings that I have been collecting over the past few years. I think that these are still interesting pieces that add a lot to the battlefield and give you some interesting terrain to fight over.

 

GW has long since evolved from selling printed cardboard terrain, put together with the ubiquitous, long serving plastic bulkhead. They now produce some fantastic highly-detailed plastic terrain that is easy to assemble and paint (if you have the time or the money). I love their terrain kits, the bastion is a great model and I have visions of building massive structures featuring dozens of kits, if only I had that much cash lying around. However, there is still something about the old card kits that I still love.

Every gamer should have a few of these bad boys lying around.

Homemade Zone Mortalis Board

Today I wanted to showcase one of my previous terrain projects that I have worked on, my very own Zone Mortalis board.

It all started with the most innocuous of sentences: "Have you seen the new Zone Mortalis rules from Forgeworld?" This was the question posed to me by one of the regulars at Warsoc (the St Andrews University wargames club that I attend). I told him I had no idea what he was talking about. He patiently explained to me (as one might do a child, or worse, an Eldar player) that it was a new set of rules that had been released to cover close-ranged battles in confined spaces such as a spaceship or narrow city streets, much like a 40k version of space hulk. Knowing my propensity for dabbling in terrain, they added "they've even made some boards for it too, you should check them out".

Inspirational Terrain

With a break in painting my models, I have decided to take a look at making some more terrain. I have a long list of projects that I wish to do; some are repairs to existing pieces, some are new projects that I have had in mind for a while. I got to thinking about where I go to for ideas for the projects that I plan. Below are some of the places that I look for inspiration:

 

1. White Dwarf and GW

As I have said previously, I get a lot of my inspiration for terrain and painting from old issues of White Dwarf and GW webpages. When I am thinking of new terrain projects, I frequently flick through old issues of White Dwarf to see what I can come up with.

This article gave me the idea for building some recent ruins.

Fondest memories in gaming

I was putting the finishing touches to my latest battle report (due to be posted on Thursday) and was thinking about how much I enjoyed the game, which got me thinking about all the unforgettable moments that I have had in gaming over the years. I started to reminisce about some stand out memories over my gaming years and thought I would share a few today.

 

1. Invulnerable Terminators

Many, many moons ago, my gaming was carried out at GW Braehead. I would venture there most Thursdays to do battle on their amazing boards with my Dark Angels (my only army at the time). This battle took place immediately after Terminators had just received a 5+ invulnerable save (thanks to Chapter Approved from White Dwarf) and I took my only unit of Deathwing to the table that week to try it out. We were playing on a city board, featuring a river in the middle of the table and a narrow bridge over it.

On one of my opponent's turns, my Deathwing were on the bridge, leading the charge against the enemy. My opponent's Chaos Space Marines fired every weapon in the army at the Terminators; bolters, Lascannons, Missile launchers and more. Yet my Deathwing emerged from the barrage completely unschathed. I made every armour save and invulnerable save that I had to make and the Terminators were able to turn the tide of the battle.

 

Another stand out moment for my Terminators was in a recent battle report against Ross' Orks, where my Deathwing took the brunt of a 60-strong Ork mob charge without a single terminator falling. Eighteen wounds and not a single failed save! This was one of the turning points in the game. I didn't go on to win, but it softened my loss significantly.

Battle of the Bikers- White Scars vs Ravenwing

Its time to pit the premier bike units of the 40k universe against one another. Its bike vs bike, (super)mano a mano.

With the recent release of both the Space Marine and Dark Angels codices, I thought I would take the opportunity to compare the two most pre-eminent bike-mounted units amongst the Adeptus Astartes; the Ravenwing and White Scars bikers. I will compare both units based on some random criteria I just made up in my head right now.

Proper Battlefield Maintenance- annual terrain repairs

Battle has ended for another year, the combatants shake hands and begin their slow journey back to distant lands.

The ruins are more ruined.
The trees stand bare, like autumn has hit them in one fell swoop.
Hills lie barren and exposed, those madmen ranting about not earth underneath, but instead a white, fluffy packing material have been quickly silenced by the Inquisition.
This year’s conflict has hit the battlefield hard, now begins the time to renew.

Hi everyone, today I am here to talk to you about a yearly ritual that I have been observing for some time now. One of the strange things about attending a university gaming club (other than the fact I haven’t been a student for a long, long time) is that the club breaks for the summer. This gives me time to take stock of existing projects on the go or what I want to achieve in the next year. It also means that I get to do some spot repairs on the terrain in the club, to prepare them for the coming year of gaming.

My terrain philosophy is to produce something that is functional and looks decent on the tabletop. I don’t want to spend hours upon hours constructing intricate ruins, accounting for every brick that is out of place, only to have a terrain piece that is more hazardous to my own troops than the enemy (the dreaded wobbly model syndrome). I want terrain that is nice but that my models stand on, after all, they are the ones that get the most time and effort spent on them. It would be great (if a little unfair) to have terrain that swallowed up my units making me and the enemy forget about them until that crucial turn, but that is not what terrain is for. It takes long enough to pack up armies after a game without having to worry about scouring the ruins for an errant Ork that has been left behind (like a foul smelling and belligerent Macaulay Culkin).

Objectively Important- Objective markers in 40k

My Dark Angels have scrambled over the battlefield, searching for errant scraps of paper.
My Orks have scoured the board for wayward Gretchin.
My Guardsmen have surged forward, eager to reunite with their unpainted brethren.

My armies have fought over a large and varied number of objectives over the years. From my initial forays into 40k, where the objectives were ripped up sheets of paper with victory points written on them, to using spare models that were not involved in the game to represent points of interest on the board (this last one in particular can get tricky if you forget these models are not involved in the game and accidently try to assault the objective).

More than any other edition of the game, objectives are a big deal in 40k.

 

Now, what has this got to do with anything? you may ask. I decided it was high time to get some proper objective markers made up. This was during my Imperial Guard phase, so the objective markers were themed around my guard force and painted up to match their colour scheme, but will work for any of my armies.

I don’t know about you, but I find it much more exciting to fight over a communications array or some supplies, rather than over unpainted models or different coloured dice.

 

These objective markers were made from the spare bits and pieces that tend to go unused over the years from different boxed sets or vehicle accessory sprues. They do have a slight sheen to them though. After I applied the numbered transfers (for use in maelstrom mission), I decided to give them a coat of purity seal to help keep the transfer on and help stop damage to the paint. For some reason, this resulted in the models getting a nice, white sheen so that all my battles now appear to take place at dawn on a nice winter morn, so that all my objectives have a nice layer of frost on them. Oh well, if everything was easy…….

 

Here are all six objective markers in all their glory.

Fondly remembering White Dwarf

You’ve probably been hearing it for years and it is all over the internet; White Dwarf used to be so much better, why don’t they have proper articles?, it’s just a glorified sales magazine now......

Call it nostalgia, call it random internet complaining, but I really miss the good old days of White Dwarf. When I first started in this hobby back in high school, one of the highlights of the month was waiting for the new White Dwarf to be released. On a Friday, I would get off the school bus a few stops early to go to the newsagents and buy a copy- it was worth the extra walk home. I would then spend the whole weekend poring over my copy, carefully reading and re-reading every article, checking out the battle report(s) for tactical hints and tips, looking for terrain ideas to add to my slowly expanding collection. To a young hobby-er, just starting to get into the game, it was bliss!

My first issue was White Dwarf 210, way back in May 1997, and I had (and still have) a complete collection of issues spanning several years (maybe even a decade). I don’t know when I stopped buying it on a regular basis, but I think I kept it up for a good while despite reading very little of the content for a long run of issues towards the end.

You never forget your first Ork.......

Wargaming and Me

I first got into wargaming in high school when my friend bought a copy of 5^th edition Warhammer (the one with Bretonnians and Lizardmen). We played a few games with the contents of the starter box and were both hooked. I initially dabbled with Orcs and Goblins, buying a couple of units and a character, but that all changed when I bought White Dwarf issue 211.

Just in case you haven't memorised the cover of every issue.

 

When I saw the new studio undead army and the step by step paint guide, I knew that was the army for me. I built up a small army, a couple of units of skeleton warriors, some skeleton horsemen led by the still fantastic mounted vampire lord, some necromancers and a few chariots.

This guy.