Quick Painting Update - Sci-Fi

 Yeah, I am totally NOT keeping up with the planned rate of production that would get me to the point where I will have painted more than I've painted this year... It COULD happen... but I'm not worrying about it too much. 

I'll have some better pics of most of these up tomorrow in a post explaining what they're for. The short version is; I read the rules for Five Parsecs From Home and got excited about trying a campaign and these are a few minis I knocked out to fill out my crew!

On the left of the picture is an OLD Rogue Trader era Space Ork from Citadel Miniatures, the rest are old I-Kore Void miniatures. The one on the right is not actually part of the crew... He WAS going to be, but then I decided it would be better to arm the enforcer with the Hunting Rifle, so I painted the other (both were MOSTLY painted... I just finished up a few colours and re-based them).

More on the Campaign tomorrow and I'll probably post a game report of the first action later in the week! 

Epic 40K - MORE Orks

 MORKS!?

Another batch of Orks for the Tallarn on Xoxigar to deal with.... MWA-HA-HA-Ha-Ha-ha-haaaaaaaa....

The latest batch - another 8 elements of Ork Boyz and a Warboss.

The entire Waaaaagh! (so far...) 

As I laid these out, I wondered what I'd been thinking - there weren't enough trucks for all the Orks!? Had I miss counted something?! I think what happened was I just painted up ALL the Boyz I had based and ready and, because I'd painted way too many trucks before, it didn't occur to me that I didn't have enough... Not a problem, I have PILES of trucks I can paint up! More than I'll likely EVER need - even IF I painted up ALL the Boyz I have... and I think I have several hundred... I think I figured I'd have enough for all the Boyz and enough left over that every character model I have could have their own truck to ride around in... 

Lots to play around with here. Easily two Battalion detachments and probably a Vanguard Detachment... 

On the workbench I still have a Stompa and a few ministompas (gorkanots or morkanots?) Now that I have spare Ork Boyz done... I feel the urge to base up another four and enough trucks for all and do a THIRD Battalion Detachment!? 

We shall see... I should really get going on the Warhammer Underworlds stuff!!!

Campaign on Xoxigar - 3rd Squadron - First Contact

We played the first session of the in-person Wrath & Glory campaign that I'm running this winter. The campaign focuses around the crew of  an Astra Militarum Leman Russ Battle Tank in a Tallarn Armoured Regiment (451st Tallarn Tank Regiment 3rd Squadron, #3 Troop). We made characters on September, but just kind of haven't been able to get together since to actually PLAY! 

I forgot to take any pictures DURING the game... 

The Story so Far... 

4.666.013.M43 451st Tallarn Tank Regiment is founded on Tallarn and recruitment begins.  

Fatima Zara, who will become the tank's Commander, is from minor nobility. Her family forces her into the Military to learn some respect. Fatima owns her new existence and is determined to be one of the few that returns a victorious commander who will raise her OWN regiment... 

Farah Vasquez, that will become the tanks driver, is a dock worker that is conscripted. 

Antoin "Bey-Bey" Bey is the tank's main gunner. 

013-014.M42 The better part of a Terran Standard year and a half is spent training. Beginnning with basic military training, followed by specific roles within their chosen trades 

4.016.015.M42 The entire regiment begins to embark for warp transit to some distant part of the galaxy to serve the Emperor in defending humanity from the scourge of Xenos or the corruption of Chaos

4.124.015.M42 The flotilla begins the first leg of Warp Transit

4.216.016.M42 One squadron of tanks from a Reserve Squadron is disembarked for all the other squadrons to participate in planetside maneuvers on an agriworld. Unfortunately, The timing of the warp passage was off and the flotilla arrived a month later than planned and instead of doing maneuvers on dry freshly harvested fields, they ended up tearing up, and getting utterly mired in, fresh tilled and seeded (and very, very WAT) fields.

It was a highlight of the journey for all involved - to set foot on a planet completely different than the one they's spent their entire lives on filled everyone with wonder! What would the next world be like!?

5.600.017.M42 Will all reembarked aboard their respective transports, the flotilla begins the second leg of its Warp Transit. 

6.150.018.M42 Through the “Gaulntlet” – The portion of the warp passage through the Cicatrix Maledictum begins and things get... Weird.  

5.608.018.M42 Arrive in Xoxigar System. Though only 3.5 years have passed in realspace during the regiment's warp transit, due to the vagaries of Warp Travel, the subjective time experienced by the travellers was close to FIVE years! 

Once in system, the troops finally receive information about their destination and mission. The regiment is to be deployed to Xoxigar Secondus, a Forge World in the Xoxigar System. Part of the mission will be to defend it from external threats... but also to help out with a small Ork infestation that has been troubling the planet for a few generations. 

There seems to be much confusion about specifics. At least every cycle there is a complete change in plan for where precisely they are to be deployed. At first the regiment was to be deployed en masse. They individual squadrons were to be parcelled out to different factorums across the planet... then just to different factorums in one region... 

5.713.018.M42 3rd Squadron disembarks to Xoxigar Secondus. Chaos ensued. It was almost as if the Cult Mechanicus Council ruling the planet had no idea they were even going to be here, let alone any sort of plan for where they were to stay or, perhaps. 

After a few dozen cycles of being bounced around from location to location, living in tents that provided wholly inadequate protection from the toxic wastelands that surround the factorum. to sleeping in their tanks for days, or vast empty warhouses and storage facilities. Eventually the powers that be find and assign some, at least semi-permanent, living quarters and storage for tanks and other equipment. 

After that patrolling began in earnest. First they were small troop patrols, shadowing the PDF to get the lay of the land around where they were based. Then longer patrols out deeper into the wastelands to get a sense of where they would need to got to find Orks

During the briefings, it was suggested that the Ork population was very small and the raids were little more than a nuisance, raiding the occasional distant, isolated outpost. Talking to some of the PDF members (the Cult Mechanicus locals wouldn't even acknowledge the Tallarn's presence, let along speak to them) it was hinted that the Ork might be a bit bigger of a problem that the Mechanicus Council led the imperial authorities to believe... but even the local PDF was unwilling to discuss specifics. 

4.860.018.M42 Squadron Fighting Patrol into the Fellbunk Wastes. 

Rolling out on their first longer patrol deep into the wasteland. I laid out Epic scale miniatures I had. The spacing is not necessarily to scale, and we did now roll for what everyone else was doing. They were set out to show the relative locations of the rest of the Squadron and give a greater sense of what was going on in the bigger picture.

The entire Squadron rolled out for this 

Leading the formation was #1 Troop, lead by Lt. Dalil. Immediately behind #1 Troop was the Squadron Commander, Captain Gilani in her Leman Russ Vanquisher. To the left of the formation was #2 Troop, commanded by Lt. Yousefi. On the right was #3 Troop, commanded by Lt. Arbab. On the extreme right of the formation was Leman Russ #333 (Alaintiqam), crewed by the player characters! 

In the middle of the formation was a Gorgon Heavy Transporter carrying an entire platoon of the 382nd Tallarn (Desert Raider) Regiment. The 382nd were mechanized infantry... but a significant number of their Chimera armoured troop carriers were lost in transit. Luckily, one of the products of this forge world, is Gorgon Heavy Transporters... so a few of the Companies have been outfitted with them. 

Taking up the rear are the tanks of the Regimenatal Sergeant Major and the Squadron Commissar (the latter being a Leman Russ Executioner armed with a Powerful Plasma Cannon (no, the model in the picture is not an actual Executioner... All I have is standard Leman Russ Battle tanks (and one or two Executioners) 

There were a handful of Sentinel walkers from the regiment's Reconnaissance Squadron ahead and to the flanks of the formation (There were more than two, but I only have two models... )

The crew spent days sitting in their tank rolling through the near featureless wasteland. After the excitement of the maneuvers on the Agriworld, it was a huge letdown to be deployed to a dismal world not all that different from their own. The sand and dust and sky were tainted a different colour. The toxic wasteland was poisoned by factorum emissions rather than persistent remnants of millennia old virus bomb residue... but it was all pretty much the same. 

All passed their Wil checks to avoid dozing off! 

After the first 12 hours, there was a sudden squawk of "CONTACT LEFT" from the Sentinel on the left flank and then the distant sound of an explosion could be heard reverberating through the hull of their Leman Russ. 

The Squadron ordered #1 and #2 Troop to turn to engage the enemy and #3 Troop was to watch the rear. 

Sounds of heavy combat soon followed... 

Shortly after a mob of horrifying, monstrous green beings loomed out of the smog shrouded dunes in the distance, accompanied by ridiculous-looking, giant walking cans festooned with weapons. The Troop commander had not issued any orders and clearly hadn't seen them, so Sgt Zara reported the contact and ordered her crew to engage! 

While making evasive maneuvers LCpl Vasquez ran the tank over a large rock she had not seen and nearly toppled the tank over, all were shaken for a moment. 

There was constant pattering of small arms fire bouncing off the hull. Occasionally a larger machine gun would trace its fire across the bow armour, which sounded like it might damage things, but didn't. Twice during the brief engagement the tank was hit by rockets with explosive warheads. Though the detonations nearly deafened all within, the hull remained unbreached (The Emperor Protects!)

It took the main gun four shots to finish off the two armoured walking cans. During that time the three Heavy Bolters in the bow and two sponsons mowed down nearly two dozen Orks that madly charged at their tank, clearly without a shred of selfpreservation and a deep, deep desire to overrun it and pull them apart with their bare hands. 

Near the end of the engagement there was near blinding flash of brilliant white light, followed by a deafening explosion that physically rocked the entire tank. 

Shortly after wards the "ALL CLEAR" was given and the infantry disembarked to finish off any wounded and drag all the Ork corpses into a pile to be burned. 

The equally long and dreadfully boring trip back the their base was, relatively uneventful 

During debriefing, they learned that most tanks of the squadron survived the engagement with only a few tanks sustaining minor damage and only a handful of crew sustaining minor injuries. So minor were these injuries and damage, that all tanks made the return journey unassisted... Except for one... 

The Squadron's Commissar had insisted having his own tank to accompany the Squadron on patrols. He had somehow procured a Leman Russ Executioner tank (with it's massive plasma cannon - that could blast apart a fleeing Leman Russ battle tank, if need be...), which are normally saved for the likes of Regimental or Squadron commanders or esxtremely elite crews... 

Near the end of the battle, the Commissars tank exploded in a great white ball of fire, instantly killing all within and utterly destroying the tank itself. 

Few were saddened by this turn of events. Some had a really hard time suppressing their jubilation at hearing the news. 

Since the 3rd Squadron was formed, FIFTEEN of their original sixty had died and been replaced. Three died in accidents. Four had died of disease (mostly during the transit through the Cicatrix Malledictum). The remaining EIGHT had been executed by the brutal Commissar Comsarius...

I had a lot of fun. I got to use all the Epic 40K stuff I've been painting up - not that I was keeping track of what ALL the tanks were doing - playing out the ENTIRE squadrons battle, but it was a helpful visual aid to set them all out in the formation of advance and explain what was going on around them. 

Using the Wrath & Glory system (including the vehicle rules from Church of Steel and a few tweaks I came up with myself - including a few new actions for various crew to take, beyond the standard DRIVE and SHOOT presented in the published rules), we resolved the combat between the Leman Russ tank and Two mobs of 10 Ork Boyz and two Killa Kanz. Orion and Nic seemed like they were having fun too...? Hopefully we'll get in another game sometime in December!? 

This is one of TWO, casual (once-a-month) games of Wrath & Glory going I've tried to organize this fall. To save on preparation, both were to involve tank crew of a Tallarn Armoured Regiment deployed to the Xoxigar System. The plan was to run, more or less, the same campaign for both groups - one, members of 1st Squadron, was to be run online with friends who do not live in Saskatoon, the other, members of 3rd Squadron run in-person for friends that do live in Saskatoon... Initially, both groups had four players. 

There was a bit of enthusiasm in August/September. Characters were made For the first group in August. The first game was planned for a time when everyone was available in September... two showed up... 

The second group got their characters made in the third week of September and we even planned to start playing the next weekend... that one had to be cancelled (because I was sick, so that one was on me...). 

No games got played in October... Just could not seem find a day where anyone seemed to be available - for BOTH groups!? At least, among those that responded to messages...!? it was all pretty discouraging. 

Honestly, if it weren't for the 40 Days of 40K Drawing Challenge I probably would have lost all interest. 

As November drew nearer, i reached out to see if anyone was available to play in either group. 

Group One (1st Squadron, Online), two people responded and both were available one day in November... and it wasn't the same day... After a bit of discussion, another player chimed in and it was decided to try on the second Saturday. Never heard from the fourth. 

The other group two responded and were available the second Sunday, one of the players later admitted they were just too busy with other stuff this fall and weren't going to be able to play and officially dropped out. Never heard from the fourth..

Mid way through the second week of November I checked in to see if things were still a go. One person responded from Group One with an enthusiastic "YES!" No one else responded. This is all done through facebook messenger, so I can see who has SEEN the message (everyone!?)... Checking in on Friday... still no response, so I cancelled that game Saturday morning. Aye-yi-yi!

Sunday rolled around... Orion and Nic actually showed up and we played this game! Yay! Enthusiasm restored!

It was pretty much the same adventure I ran for the two players from the other group that showed up in September. Establishing the setting a bit more and setting the stage for some future DRAMA and then ran then through a patrol and their first contact with the Orks infesting the wastelands of the Forge World they've been tasked with defending - mostly to test out the vehicle combat system. 

We might look for another player for this in person game... I'm not sure if I should give up on the online players or give it one more chance in December...?

Epic 40K - MOAR Stuff

I've had a PILE of old "Epic" scale 40K miniatures on and around my workbench for the last month, and, occasionally, I've painted a few things, here and there... 

The main impetus was originally to have markers to show were units were in a Wrath & Glory Role-Playing campaign I was planning to run this fall - where all the players are members of an Astra Militarum Leman Russ tank crew... Unfortunately, we haven't really gotten past character creation, as I ended up being sick the one weekend we did have planned at the end of September... and then there were no days that would work in October... Maybe this month. Next weekend is looking like a possibility...?

Anyway, once I started working on Astra Miliatarun stuff and some opposing Orks... and I found out how quickly I could knock some of these things off... I just started digging out more and more of the stuff - with megalomaniac dreams of MASSIVE APOCALYPSE LEVEL conflicts!?

This is what I've finished up since I last posted about these in September... 

The new stuff... 

Or stuff that was on the workbench and was finished up. Technically, some of it isn't NEWly painted, I was just rebasing things to jive more with the numbers that are allowed in units in the most recent Apocalypse rules... 

Astra Militarum

Leviathan Command Vehicle

This is the only Astra Militarun stuff I finished up. I'm not entirely sure if I'll pretend the Leviathan is something that exists (perhaps a Stormlord...? With extra sponsons...? And pretend that giant gun just fires case shot and effectively works like a vulcan mega-bolter...?) or just make up some rules for it...?

I do have a second company of Leman Russ tanks on the workbench - along with a few support vehicles (self-propelled artillery, mostly) 

Here are all the Astra Militarum items I have painted so far. 

In addition to the aforementioned partly finished second company of Leman Russ tanks and assorted support vehicles.... I also have about two more platoons of Infantry (to finish up a company) and a Mortar Squad and a couple of Special Weapons Squads (Snipers) 

CHAOS

More new things - a few Khorne Chaos things... A Skullmaster, Herald of Khorne on Juggernaut to lead the small contingent and a pair of Khorne Daemon Engines. The one in the back ins a Brass Scorpion. Not sure what to call the one on the left...? 

I have one more Daemon Engine to finish up and a few more of the Khorne Marines mounted on Juggernauts (Which I'll just call Khorne Bloodcrushers) 

Also for a burgeoning Chaos force - a Chaos Sorcerer and a few Chaos Landraiders. 

I have about 10 Elements of Chaos space Marines (which, technically, would probably fit in these five landraiders!? but there'd be no room for the Sorcerer or anyone else). They will all be Emperor's Children - like my regular scale Chaos forces... I could probably use some of the spare marines I have and paint them as Heresy era Emperor's Children. 

I also have an assortment of other Epic chaos stuff... The old Epic Chaos forces had some really weird stuff, tho...  Marines (that look like Thousand Sons) mounted on Steeds of Slaanesh (which I'll just call "seekers") ?! Marines riding on Screamers of Tzeentch?! the Khorne Bloodletters look like HUGE ogres... Piles of Chaos Dwarves (Maybe I'll just use those as more Chaos Space Marines?). Beastmen (which I could use as "cultists", if there aren't apocalypse stats for the Beastmen that came with Blackstone Fortress) 

Adeptus Astartes

These rolled off the workbench, but they are definitely just rebased. I originally had four bases of three... which I changed to two bases of five terminators, plus two captains in Terminator armour. 

The Marines so far... 

Still have another five Rhinos and another 10-15 elements of Marines based and ready to go. Probably another 15 elements worth of marines that could be based and painted (those might become Emperor's Children, though...) I also have a handful of bikes and speeders and drop pods and commanders to do, but that's about it for Marines. 

Orks

New Orks - mostly. I'm pretty sure the Killa Kans were painted before and I rebased them from two elements of two, to one element of three and one element of one... to match the unit sizes allowed in Apocalypse. Also, two Warbosses (the one on the larger base would be used as the forces Warmaster), and a Big Mek with Shock Attack Gun, and Nob with Waaagh Banner. 

The Orks so far

I have 8 units of orks on the workbench - to fill up those trucks! 

In additnion to these, I have another 19 original ork sprues (each with 3 Trucks and 20 Orks) which could make 38 MORE units of Orks... and... well... way more Trucks that I could ever hope to use (adding in the few loose ones I have, there are over SISTY!)!? I also have two of the newer sprues, which have more of the Bosses and Nobs, a few gretchin and bikes and buggies and guns... 

I also have a MEGA GARGANT and a Stompa and some more Morkanot/Gorkanot type walkers... 

And then there are all the Eldar... 

And Squats.... 

And Titans.... 

All of which I haven't really even been thinking about, lately... but probably should!

Will there be MORE of this in the near future...? I don't know. I will probably finish up the Leman Russ tanks and 8 elements of Orks, but for the rest of the year I'm really trying to finish up some Warhammer Underworlds warbands - as that's a game I'm likely to actually PLAY!!!

IF we actually get the Role-Playing Game going... AND the epic minis DO come in useful, I might get motivated to paint some more... 

IF somehow I got playing Epic Apocalypse and was having fun with that, I might also get motivated to paint more...

We shall see.... 

40 Days of 40K - Part Four

 A few more illustrations from the 40 Days of 40K Challenge. 

Day 16 - Grot Tank Commander

Day 17 - Custodes

Not going to lie, I kind of prefer the old school, Rogue Trader era Adeptus Custodes. You know, the ones that guarded the Emperor on his Golden Throne and never, EVER LEFT HOLY TERRA and stalked around the throne room in leather pants, black capes, bare chests, and conical helmets, like some weird BDSM enthusiasts with an Eldar kink…?

Does he look a little like he’s LARPing 300 (the movie)...?

Day 18 - Death Corps of Krieg

Day 19 - Chaos Cultist

This particular one is a devotee of Slaanesh, the dark god of indulgence and excess.

Day 20 - Kroot 

That's all for now. 

I'll have another batch in a few days. 

If you want to keep up with the (almost) daily drawings as they are done, I'm posting them... 

on my Art Blog: artgeekbrown.blogspot.com

on Instagram: instagram.com/tim.in.saskatoon

on Twitter: twitter.com/timinsaskatoon

on Tumblr: www.tumblr.com/timinsaskatoon

40 Days of 40K

 While I haven't been painting a lot of MINIATURES this year, I have been doing a LOT more drawing and painting - you can see all the stuff I've been working on over at my art blog: Tim's Art Blog.

This month I'm working through some stuff that I thought I'd share here as well, though - a 40 Days of 40K Drawing Challenge!

I came across the list posted on Twitter on Tom Boyle Illustration's profile (@PandaFunkTeam).

I probably won't post stuff here every day. Perhaps every few days... If you want to see them as they're being done, you'll have to check in on the Art Blog or my Instagram or Twitter or Tumblr accounts! 

Here's what I've done so far... 

Day One - Space Marine

This is a Marine of the Tangermarine Chapter - It's the homebrew chapter I've used for a few of my Marine models. The very first plastic Space Marines models I had from Games Workshop, WAAAAAAAAAY back in 1989...? I painted orange. I still love that colour for Marines. It kind of says; "We know you know where we are and we WANT you to know we know and that we DON'T CARE that you know, because we're just THAT badass... Go ahead and shoot first, we'll be the ones shooting last" 

Those first ones I did with a simple stylized jesters head and called them The Emperor's Jesters. I may have worked some purple into their livery as well...? But so many others have called their chapters Emperor's Jesters, I had to come up with something new. So... Tangermarines. It's kind of silly and stupid... But man, I just can't take little space men wargames all that serious. There was a real tongue-in-cheek-ness to so much of the original 40K Rogue Trader stuff that's kind of stuck with me all these years. 

Day Two - Chaos Space Marine

I was kind of going for the older Renegade Space Marine look, but keeping with the purple-ish hues of the Emperor's Children. I had thought of doing a Noise Marine, but that's got it's OWN spot on the list at Day 30! 

Day Three - Eldar

That first box set of plastic Space Marines was my first experience of Games Workshop/Citadel Miniatures WArhammer 40,000. I'm not sure we even had the Rogue Trader BOOK in at the Wizard's Corner in Saskatoon. I think I also picked up a pair of gretchin and squats - that were briefly produced under licence by Rafm, I think...? 

As actual metal Citadel 40K miniatures trickled across the ocean and into Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada in the late 80s, it was the Eldar that were my first true love... and my first true force. They were PIRATES back then - much like the recent Corsairs. And the following first of their Shuriken Catapults was BRUTAL. 

I probably only had about 20-30 of them, plus a las cannon on a tripod, and a dreadnaught (Wraithlord)... and a handful of Harlequins - that I STILL have! But it was a force to be reckoned with! 

Day Four - Tyranid

Tyranid Warrior and Genestealer (and Genestealer Cultist) all show up later in the prompt list, so I wanted to stay away from those.... So I chose a Carnifex. Apparently this Carnifex's mom didn't teach baby Carnifex not to play with it's food. Little does that poor Carnifex know, that the tricksy Commissar has already set her plasma pistol to overload and in a few short moments they will both be vapourized in a ball of gas that will flash bright as the sun for the briefest of moments...

The Commissar is not afraid. She is only sad. Sad that in this moment of sacrifice her duty to her beloved Emperor on Terra ends.

The Commissar is serving with the 222nd Guaiacan Commando Regiment on Brynd's World, where the regiment encountered elements of Hive Fleet Haemorrhoid!

Day Five - Ork

I was imagining this as the REd Sunz Warboss leading troops on Xoxigar Secondus. I'd think up some more fluff for them if I wasn't so damed tired... 

Not doing a lot of miniature painting done while working on these, though... 

Epic 40K - Orks Preview

 At the same time I was painting up the Imperial Guard Armoured Task Group, I also got a bunch of Orks done as well. I haven't really organized them into Detachments yet. Or, rather, my initial plans have changed and I'm in the middle of painting MOAR ORKS, so this is really just a preview of what I've done so far and when I finish up a few more things, I'll post pictures of the entire force (so far... because I have piles and PILES of Orks that I'm just not going to get to soon!) 

The Orks, so far... 

• 4x Morkanaut (or maybe Gorkanaut?)
• 10x Trucks
• 80x Ork boys (on four stands - one of those I painted previously) 
• 4x Warbikers
• 1x Killa Can
• 4x Warbuggy (not sure what to classify that as now...? Maybe the Kustom Boosta-blasta?) 

I have some more Ork Boyz and Trucks and a couple of Nobs and a few more Morkanaut (or maybe Gorkanauts?) and a stompa that I'll need to figure out how to put all together in to Detachments. Seems like two Battalion Detachments, a Spearhead Detachment, and an Auxilliary Super Heavy Detachment...? We shall see... 

The Workbench - as you can see, Epic stuff had kind of taken over... I have a second Imperial Guard tank squadron on there (I figured the first one went quick enough, I might as well knock off this second one while I'm at it...). There are a few other things I have that will join these... when there is some space on the workbench!? MOAR ORK walkers and stuff - I might even assemble the Gargant! (Don't tell my player characters!! Most of this is for the Wrath & Glory role-playing games I am running this fall/winter)

ORK-tober!?

 The last couple days I've been assembling and priming the Orks from the new Kill Team: Octarius box, because I got it in my head that, y'know, ORKTOBER is a thing and maybe I could get THOSE done. Then, closet-megalomaniacal-brain decided I CAN PAINT AN ORK EVERY DAY IN ORKTOBER!? and decided to fine THIRTY ONE Orks that I could paint.... 

Thirty-One Orks... that I may or may not paint this month. 

Ten are Ork Kommandos from the Octarius box (plus a Commando Grot and a Bomb Squig - for twelve) 

Ten are BurnaBoyz that I got from a friend that was getting rid of stuff. 

Two are just Boyz cobbled together out of spare bitx. 

Seven are are older metal Orks - most of which are the size of modern Grots! I thought if I kept them in a unit together - or as a Kill Team operating on it's own - far away from the modern, hulking plastic brutes, know one would know... One of them is a MegaBoss, which I already painted, but I'm re-basing and partially repainting to add some colour (it is mostly painted as steely metal armour/weapons) 

I also fretted about what size of base to out the older Space Ork Raiders on... a few wouldn't look bad on the 32mm bases (that Orks are now on) for most it just accentuated how tiny they are compared to the newer models. The MegaBoss went on a 40mm base. One larger one went on a 32mm base - he'll be the Nob or BossNob and the rest went on 25mm bases. I have a PILE more of the metal ones - but I ran out of the fancy Necromunda/Sector Imperialis bases.... but I had just enough to make it to 31. 

While it seems like a really FUN idea to post a new Ork every day of the month... I'm not sure that's going to work out... Batch painting is just so much more efficient. And I need to be efficient these days, as I find so little time to paint miniatures. 

It's entirely possible that I may just ditch half of these and concentrate on the Ork Kommandos and all the Ork Scrap Fort and Junk Piles from the Octarius box. 

(This is still very much a plan in development that probably SHOULD have been sorted out BEFORE the first of October... but that's how I roll: Last Minute Decisions to Embark on OVERWHELMINGLY Large Projects! Yay!) 

Also, because I am a MANIAC, I decided I should also do INKtober again this year.... for THAT there should be daily updates on my Art Blog or over on my Instagram Page 

(I HAD thought of an Ork-themed inktober... but that might be a bit much!) 

Fighting on the Forge World

569.020.M42

The 382nd Tallarn (Desert Raider) Regiment has been deployed on Xoxigar Secondus for over years now. They were deployed as part of a general military build-up within the system over the past decades since the Cicatrix Maledictum sundered the galaxy, and the Xoxigar system was determined to be at a critical point in the defence of the Imerpium. The Departmento Munitorum has, thus far, deployed Five Regiments of the Astra Militarum to the System - partly for defence of the system from the Great Enemy and others that would take advantage of the general chaos caused by the warp rift, as well as deal with hostiles already in the system. 

On Xoxigar Secondus, a Forge World, the only existing hostiles were a small infestation of Orks in the equatorial desert wastes. The Orks had been there for decades, since a small invasion force arrived and was mostly destroyed by Imperial defences within the system - but chunks of the Rok made landfall on Xoxigigar Secondus and Tertium. Since then they have harried isolated settlements, outposts and mining facilities. 

When the Tallarn first arrived, they set out to eliminate the Ork threat and waged a war of extermination. The Orks largely infested extensive cave networks in the low mountain ranges that crisscrossed the desert wastes and ruins of abandoned forges and mines. This proved costly - in both lives and materiel - and turned out to be largely ineffective. After the first year or two, the sides settled down into a "live and let live" stance. The Tallarn occupied the existing isolated settlements and mining facilities to simply protect them from Ork raids and kept up patrols to try and limit the expansion of the Ork controlled areas and encroachment of. 

Recently, however, the regimental command has started increasing the number of patrols and sending them deeper into regions known to be occupied by Orks. There has been talk of a new offensive to root them out. One of the reasons it is thought this is happening is because of the rumours of an Order Xenos Inquisitor arriving in the system and the command is concerned there will be questions asked about why the Orks have not been fully dealt with...

With the arrival of Warhammer 40,000 (9th Edition) Finnegan and I have set out to try out this new Crusade Campaign System and started off with Ork and Tallarn forces, set in the Xoxigar System. 

We've both put together 50 Power Level Forces, spent a few requisition points, and selected 25 from that to play a Crusade Combat Patrol Mission. 

Perhaps I'll post pictures and more detailed descriptions of our starting Crusade Forces in another post - or perhaps separate posts for each force...? 

SCENARIO

We selected the first scenario in the Narrative Play/Crusade Campaign section: Sweep and Clear. The game is played over five rounds. There are four Objective Markers on the table 

FORCES

5th Company, 382nd Tallarn (Desert Raider) Regiment

Patrol Detachment - Cost: 2CP - Command Bonus: 2CP

Headquarters - Lt. Anwar Al'Saphira - Company Commander - PR2

Warlord Trait - Bellowing Voice

Troops - 1st Squad - Sgt. Burhan - Infantry Squad (10) - PR3

Troops - 2nd Squad - Sgt. Bashar - Infantry Squad (10) - PR3

Troops - 3rd Squad - Sgt. Hamid - Infantry Squad (10) - PR3

Elites - Command Squad (4) - PR2

Elites - 4th (Special Weapon) Squad - Special Weapon Squad (6) - PR3

Fast Attack - Elements of 3rd Troop Regimental Mounted Squadron - Sgt. Wazir - Roughriders (5) - PR3

Heavy Support - 1st Squad, Mortar Section, Company Support Platoon - Cpl. Masoud - Heavy Weapon Squad (3) - PR3

Heavy Support - 2nd Squad, Mortar Section, Company Support Platoon - Cpl. Fahir - Heavy Weapon Squad (3) - PR3

Blood Axes Clan

Patrol Detachment - Cost: 2CP - Command Bonus: 2CP

Headquarters - War Boss Azargar - War Boss - PR4

Warlord Ability - Cunnin' but Brutal

Troops - Smashaboyz - Boyz (30) - PR11

Elites - Badklaw, Krewltoof, and Skargrim - Mega Nobz -PR6

Fast Attack - Screamin Speedaz - Warbikes (3) - PR4

THE GAME

The attached file of the Regimental Mounted Squadron galloped back to Lt. Anwar Al'Saphira's position. They reported that the dust cloud ahead was indeed cased by a group of Orks, but it was unclear what they were doing out there.  Lt. Al'Saphira ordered the patrol to advance to contact and the Mounted troops to flank to the position, if they could. 

The reddish dust cloud grew larger as they approached the ruins from which it emanated. As they entered the dust they could vaguely make out the Orks in the centre. Some seemed to be running about in an area that was marked out - occasionally throwing a roundish chunk of scrap metal about, but mostly beating upon each other while others stood around the edge cheering them on!? It was almost as if they were... playing a game of sport. 

[They were, in fact, playing a crude version of Blood Bowl]

Lt. Al'Saphira ordered the Mortars set up and the rest of the Platoon to advance. Around this time the Orks took notice of the intruders and with a terrifyingly loud collective roar, they dropped what they were doing, picked up their crude weapons and charged at the Tallarn forces! 

Forces mustered and deployed - ready to go! 

The Tallarn Patrol - less the Roughriders that were busy trying to flank the Ork position. 

The Orks - angered by the interlopers interrupting their game of Blood Bowl. 

The Battlefield. 

We also not-so-secretly determined our Agendas - in narrative/campaing play narratives offer opportunities for units to gain additional experience points (beyond the three basic methods). These are supposed to be selected in secret, but as this was our first game and I was explaining this all to Finnegan (as he'd not read the new rules) I went over them all and we discussed which would actually even be feasible. 

I selected Sentinel - at the beginning of my first Command Phase I was to select one unit and one Objective Markers and if, at the end of the battle, that unit is still within range of and controlling that Objective Marker, the gain an additional 4 Experience points! (which is pretty HUGE!) 

Finnegan selected Cull the Hordes. His units would gain 1 Experience Point every time they took out six enemy from a single unit in ONE PHASE. I tried to point out this might actually be pretty tough - even for Orks versus Militarum - as only four of my units even HAD six or more models, and it would mean taking out over half the unit in a single Shooting OR Fight Phase! I suggested Reaper might be a better choice as it guaranteed that ONE unit would get 2 Experience Points - the unit that took out the most units. He went with Cull the Hordes anyway... 

ROUND ONE - ORKS

WAAAAAAGH! All the Orks advanced at top speed. A few took pot-shots with assault weapons, but the shots mostly went wild. 

This move put the Mega Nobz in range of one Objective Marker. 

The Bikers roared towards the Tallarn, blazing away with their shootas! 

If the bikers had sat where they were, they would have controlled a second Objective Marker... but that is not really the Orky way... 

Instead, the bikers gunned their engines and roared straight into the enemy line!? 

GAH! It is crazy how fast they move 14" move plus 2d6 charge range (with an ability to re-roll failed charges, means first turn charges are possible over a 24" distance! Yikes! 

In the initial charge they took out four of Sgt. Bashar's 2nd Squad, and then consolidated into the Mortar Squad - which guaranteed they wouldn't be shooting on their first turn! Fighting back, the Tallarn took out one of the Bikers. The Infantry squad  failed morale and another fled (or... maybe they were just helping the injured away from the melee...?) 

ROUND ONE - ASTRA MILITARUM

First Squad advanced to the building to their front - with Fourth (Special Weapon) Squad moving up on their right. the Plasma gunners of Fourth (Special Weapon) Squad fired at the Mega Nobz advancing through the wreckage of a building. 

The 1st Mortar Squad rained bombs down on the massed Ork Boyz unit - taking out five of them! 

the 2nd Mortar Squad fell back from the Ork Bikers. 

Lt. Al'Saphira, seeing his left flank was in danger of collapsing and the mortars were under attack, moved with his Command Squad to support them. The Command Squad charged into the Melee, but Lt. Al'Saphira stumbled and wasn't able to make it into the combat this round. 

ROUND TWO - ORKS

The Orks claimed 10 Victory Points (for controlling at least one Objective Marker)

The Orks slowed their onslaught - in preparation to assault the puny 'umans - or, in the Mega Nobz case, to be able to actually SHOOT their heavy weapons. Fire from the orks took out two members of the 1st squad - a third left to drag her wounded comrades to safety (failed morale at the end the turn). Then BOTH Ork squads failed their charge rolls! Though they did now control a second objective! Though the Mega Nobz moved out of range of the Objective Marker they held at the beginning of the round, it would continue to count as under control of the Orks until any Astra Militarum units moved within range of it (because of the Secure and Sweep rule used in this mission).

The Ork Bikers wiped out the remains of 2nd Squad 

ROUND TWO - ASTRA MILITARUM

The Tallarn claimed 10 Victory Points (for controlling at least one Objective Marker).

The Roughriders arrived! 

Third Squad began to move up. 

The Roughriders fired laspistols at the Ork Boyz - and actually took out THREE!? (LASPISTOLS!?) 

The two mortar squads hammered the Boyz with devastating blows - taking out TWELVE between the two squads! 

The Special Weapon Squad overcharged their plasma guns and fired at the Mega Nobz - taking one of them out - Skargrim, the Green Mega Nob! (they initially took out one of their own, by rolling a one, but I re-rolled that one!) 

The Roughriders stalled - unsure which way to charge - run off the last of the Boyz and secure objectives, or come to the aid of the Platoon Command and the failing left flank and save the mortars! (they failed their charge roll) 

 

ROUND THREE - ORKS

The Orks claimed 20 Victory Points (10 for controlling at least one Objective Marker, and 10 for controlling MORE Objective Markers than the enemy - two, to the Astra Militarum's one). There were now at 30 Victory Points

the last three Boyz moved into the ruined building to assault the Tallarn hiding behind the other side of it. 

The Mega Nobz continued their slow grinding progression toward the enemy. 

The Boyz and the WarBoss successfully charged the remains of 1st Squad. 

The Mega Nobz did not... 

The Boyz finished off most of the unit, then the War Boss himself took down Sgt. Burhan... 

Elsewhere, the bikers finished off the rest of the Command Squad and turned their sites towards the commander! 

ROUND THREE - ASTRA MILITARUM

The Tallarn claimed 10 Victory Points (for controlling at least one Objective Marker). They are now at 20 Victory Points. 

The Platoon Commander was in a desperate situation, so the Roughriders went that way. 

The Special Weapon Squad slipped between the trundling Mega Nobz and the building to secure the objective within. Then they overcharged their Plasmas guns again and blasted apart a second Mega Nob - Krewltoof, the Red Mega Nob. 

3rd Squad secured another objective and fired at the Boyz - with little effect. It was the 1st Mortar Squad that finished off the last three! 

The Roughriders CHARGED the Bikers! 

ROUND FOUR - ORKS

The Orks claimed 10 Victory Points (for controlling at least one Objective Marker - the one the Mega Nobz had cruised by in the first turn). There were now at 40 Victory Points 

War Boss Azargar tore out of the ruined building and charged 3rd Squad. 

Badklaw - the last of the Mega Nobs - FINALLY, successfully, charged the Special Weapon Squad - they figured they were done for and overcharged their Plasma Guns one more time to fire overwatch - one one of them actually HIT and knocked off two of Badklaw's three wounds!  Then Badklaw shredded two of them. 

Elsewhere the Bikers finished of the Captain (which was the third unit they'd taken out - so they gained a bonus experience point - as per the Dealers of Death rule)... but then themselves were taken out by the Roughriders... 

ROUND FOUR - ASTRA MILITARUM

The Tallarn claimed 20 Victory Points (10 for controlling at least one Objective Marker, and 10 for controlling MORE Objective Markers than the enemy - two, to the Orks's one). There were now at 40 Victory Points

The Roughriders wheeled around and charged into the Melee with the War Boss - and took him out of action! 

The Special Weapons Squad held out against the Mega Nob for one more round! Neither managing to damage the other. 

The Mortars sat silent, having no targets that weren't in melee. Perhaps in the future, I should just do more falling back and letting the damned MORTARS take care of everything! Being Strength 4, they were one of the few weapons at the Astra Militarum's disposal that actually had a chance at WOUNDING them - of course with zero armour-piercing value... the more heavily armoured ones would just shrug those wounds off! 

ROUND FIVE - ORKS

The Orks claimed 10 Victory Points (for controlling at least one Objective Marker - the one the Mega Nobz had cruised by in the first turn). There were now at 50 Victory Points 

The sole remaining Ork on the table - Badklaw - the Blue Mega Nob. 

The Mega Nob then made a consolidation move into the ruined building. 

The table halfway through the last round. 

ROUND FIVE - ASTRA MILITARUM

As the Mega Nob had taken back one of the Objective Markers, the Astra Militarum was only able to claim 10 Victory Points in this round (for controlling one or more Objective Markers - but not MORE than the enemy - both had two at this point!) 

Though the battle had clearly been fought to a standstill, the Roughriders, drunk with victory, endeavoured to try and secure a moral victory by seeing of the last of the Orks and charged the sole remaining Mega Nob - who only had ONE WOUND left... For their troubles they lost three of their own and failed to finish of the Mega Nob. 

Both sides skulked away from the battlefield dragging their wounded and dead. None claimed victory on this day. 

POST GAME

After the game there is an extensive sequence to determine what happened to those that were taken out of action and who gained how much experience... 

First, there are the Out of Action Tests - every unit that was taken out of action has to roll to see what happens - on a 2+, nothing happens and they gain their experience and carry on the next game as per usual. This seemed a bit unrealistic to me... but to have a fun campaign I can see why they did it. Outright loosing too many unit would make it nigh impossible for any to ever gather any experience and improve. 

I guess I can rationalize it as not meaning nothing happened to the unit at all - some probably did die, but were replaced. Others were wounded and either recovered well enough to return to action or were replaced until they could return at some later date. For characters we can assume they were simply wounded and received the best of care (and any necessary augmetics) to get them (quite literally) back in the game! 

In the end, all passed. 

If they'd failed they would have to choose between a Devastating Blow (losing d6 experience points) or gaining a Battle Scar (a lasting impediment to the unit). 

Next is determining Experience Points. 

Every unit that participated gets one experience. 

For every third enemy unit a unit takes out of action they gain another experience - this is tracked over the course of the campaign, not just in a single game. though the bikers actually took out three units (2nd Squad, Command Squad, Commander) and so they gained a second Experience Point. 

Each side gets to pick one unit to be Marked for Greatness, and they gain an additional THREE Experience Points. I chose the Roughriders, Finnegan chose his Mega Nobs. 

Then there are the Agendas. I had selected Mortar Squad #1 to be the Sentinel at the Objective in my own deployment zone. They were alive and still within range of the Objective at the end of the game so they gained an additional FOUR Experience Points! None of Finnegan's units had managed to take out six of any of my units in a single phase, so none of his units got any sort of bonus... 

None made it to 6 Experience Points, though. At 6 Experience Points a unit becomes "Blooded" and they gain their first Battle Honour (a permanent bonus to the unit!).

There is usually some sort of Victor Bonus for each scenario. for this one, the victor would have gotten to chose TWO units to be Marked for Greatness, rather than the usual one. AS the battle was a draw, no one got to do this... 

A totally fun game. 

It took a LOT longer than I'd anticipated - we spent a lot of time looking things up and making sure we had them right... but there was a lot of laughing and ("in character") shouting (of orders and bellowed threats and the like) and simulated war noises. 

Finnegan had SO MUCH FUN he actually spent the rest of the evening PAINTING with me (I don't think he's had his brushes out in YEARS!) 

Coming Soon to Tim's Miniature Wargaming Blog:

I have a few newly painted minis to post - and will have a few more later in the week. 

Also later in the week will be the final game of our Rise Up! Campaign and a game report shall likely follow shortly thereafter. 

As I mentioned earlier in this post, I might put up some pictures and a more detailed Order of Battle for our Crusade Forces and how they were put together - including how Requisition Points were spent.