Friday, November 6, 2015

Orks in the ITC

After a month of muckin' about with da fisheads' it's time to get back to da Waagghh!

Well, to be honest it's because I don't have the models to play the Tau as competitive as I would like..so ya.

Anyway I'm still trying to build up an Ork list for playing in competitive ITC tournaments.  Watching the other lists play I've started to build up my own version, and so far so good.

First, I have to admit I've been totally missing out on the amazeballs that is Tankbustas. Not for any particular reason, but just..well..dunno lol.

Sure, the first game I tried them they didn't have much to do, but that may change.  Also, I need more of them. Right now I have 1 unit of 12, and another unit being worked on. Plus 9 rokkit boys from my 3 main infantry squads.  So since I have 3 units, that's the way I'm going.  Backed up with some lootas as well.

The sad thing is really the start of any competitive Ork list must be Zhadsnark.  You must have the speed to avoid being shot off the table before you can get where you need to be.  A green tide may work, but you'll be investing so much there isn't much left to get objectives, IMO.

Bikes as ObSec troops though is nothing to laugh at..with the speed and survivability to grab those maelstrom points. A unit of 3 can be quite the thorn especially for the low low price of 54 pts..especially doing things like absorbing overwatch.

Anyway those are my thoughts, now the list:

Ork Horde Detachment:
HQ: (warlord) Zhadsnark "Da Rippa"
HQ: Painboy, warbike  *goes without saying
HQ: Warboss, warbike, Da Lucky Stikk, bosspole  *the whole unit at WS5, wee!

Troops: 15 warbikes, nob w/PK&BP
Troops: 6 warbikes, nob w/PK&BP *after the big unit goes down, gives me a little redundancy
Troops: 3 warbikes

Elite: 8 tankbustas, Trukk w/ram
Elite: 8 tankbustas, Trukk w/ram

Heavy: 15 lootas

Fortification: Aegis

Great Waggh! Detachment:
HQ: Big Mek, Warbike, Big Bosspole, KFF, PK *gets a little spendy, but having the KFF (even the normal one) could add just enough resiliency against ignore cover.  Also, fearless FTW!
HQ: Painboy *I had the points, couldn't figure out what to use them on. Giving FNP to the lootas or maybe a tankbusta unit will be nice.

Troops: 10 Grots *little cheaper with the warbikes, and they can sit with the lootas or other objective.
Troops: 3 Warbikes

Elite: 8 tankbustas, Trukk w/ram

So that's it.  A bit different then what I played last week but much better overall.   We'll see how it goes. I still have no answer for a Centstar but meh whatever.

Saturday, October 31, 2015

Tau-riffic Tau-tober! - Final thoughts

As my kids gorge on candy and October draws to a close, the Tau codex hits shelves.

- The lack of a completely new codex is very disturbing.  Points needed adjustments almost everywhere, Broadsides needed to be S10 again and maybe some D-weapons for "balance".

- The new detachments and formations look pretty good, but like most some are way better then others.

- Seems like GW is up to the old tricks of limited rules. 

http://www.games-workshop.com/en-US/Tidewall-Counterstrike-Cadre

Now I don't mind having a whole playable dataslate in a box, but the rules need to be available separately..especially when you consider they are making only 200 copies of the rules..period.

It's really 30 firewarriors, 10 pathfinders and then the fortifications, which isn't much. But what kind of benefits it gives it what matters.   It may not be a Skyhammer Annihilation force, but it may be just as bad.

- Will Tau make it back into high-level tournament play?  Probably not. The one thing Tau does better then anyone is interceptor - which kills a lot of the high level lists (including the aforementioned Skyhammer Annihilation force) but skyfire gets super expensive very quick..especially trying to fight 5+ FMC's.

What's next? I'll probably be messing around with Tau for the next month.

With allies.  Sure, I can't do Orks (Zhadsnark backed up by broadsides? FUCK YA) in ITC rules but I can do...CHAOS!!!

Tuesday, October 27, 2015

Getting back into hobby time..Bad Moonz Tankbustas

Surgery, 2 days in hospital, 2 more days in bed doped up on Oxycontin, and now finally enough energy to sorta return to normal.

Started these guys before I went under the knife, and was able to finish them over the last 2 days.  12 tankbustas which will be Bad Moonz to go along with my Bad Moonz Trukk.

I only had 3 "normal" rokkets so I had to build the rest. I used mostly the combi-rokket bits from the Meganobz kitz, along with some of the kombi-rokkets from the plastic nobs.  And built a few with pistols.

Pretty darn happy with them, I'll slowly start painting over the next few days...energy still isn't 100% and I have to get back to work.



Tuesday, October 20, 2015

From zero to Goff in nothing flat...

A little while ago I didn't have any "official" Goff units in my army. I count my Tin Bitz colored meganobz and Goff but they aren't black.  That all changed when I decided after much debate to paint my last Trukk Goff.  I really liked how it came out. I've avoided Goffs before because all black can get really boring. But mixing clans helps solve that.


While putting away my Trukk into the "these units suck" box, I dug through it and looked a full unit of 30 boys I had muckin' about at the bottom.  They needed refurbishing.  I needed some Goff boys to go with their shiny new Trukk.  So away I went with a full refurbish painting the cloth black, stripes white and a layer/highlight on the skin.
 


Now the boys are back in the bottom of the box, but if I ever decide to play trukks they might see the light of the game table.

But that's not the end of it.  I got a small bonus at work (in Amazon gift cards) and after much more indecision went with an Ork flyer. Sure I have 3 Dakkajets but I've been wanting to fly Wingnutz' Air Armada for a while now...so I needed bombers.

And here is the result: A Goff Burna-bomber. First time using pigments to "dirty" up the windows, and I think they came out pretty good. I also used pigments in the panel lines to bring them out instead of highlighting the edges of everything. I love how the bombs came out, but I broke my airbrush after finishing them. 




Ran out of the blue I used on the underside of my other planes, so I might go back over it someday, somehow.

So now in a short couple of weeks I've gone from zero Goff models in my Army to about 500pts.  When I do get the last plane for the Blitza-bomber, I'll have a whole new chance to be indecisive on clan!!

Thursday, October 15, 2015

Showcase: Goff Trukk





The last of my Trukks is now complete.  Basically I had nothing else to paint!  But I'm VERY happy with this one, after taking a while to decide on Goff.   As a consequence I am now refurbishing a unit of boys I've had collecting dust in the bottom of a box for years - all Black Reach - as Goffs with black leather and white straps.  I will probably also paint my Burna Bomber as Goff, just to add more of that clan into my army.  I count my Meganobz as Goff but they aren't black but Tin Bitz.

Tuesday, October 13, 2015

Showcase: Nurgle Rhino





Very proud of this model, love everything about it.  Now I have a cool ride for the Plaguemarines.

Wednesday, October 7, 2015

Tau-riffic Tau-tober! A "beer and pretzels" list?

Trying to make a fun list..something not too competitive. So I immediately ruled out the Buff-commander and massive markerlight support. 

CAD -2000pts
HQ: Ethereal
HQ: Cadre Fireblade; 2x shield drones

Troops: 6 Firewarriors; pulse carbines, emp grenades
Devilfish; SMS, pods
Troops: 6 Firewarriors
Devilfish; SMS, pods
Troops: 12 Firewarriors; Sash'ui, 2x shield drones

Elite: Riptide; FNP, early warning
Elite: 2x XV8; TL missile pods, early warning
Elite: 3x XV8; 6x plasma rifles

Fast: 8 Pathfinders
Fast: 2 Piranha; fusion blasters, pods
Fast: Barracuda; pods

Heavy: Hammerhead, Longstrike, sub munition, pods, SMS
Heavy: 2x XV88, missile pods
Heavy: 2x XV88, rail rifles

Aegis, quad gun

basically the Fireblade sits behind the ageis and fires the quad gun while giving  his unit extra shots.  The Ethereal can join the unit or ride in a Devilfish.

I only have 1 Riptide I went ahead and included it anyway.

A couple of interceptor missile pod suits and 6 plasma rifles to drop down somewhere.

Only 1 unit of markerlights, I figured I might as well paint a "first blood!" target on them.

Lastly, limiting the number of missile pod broadsides.

Still has a bit of firepower, and the flying battlecannon (Barracuda) is always a lot of "gets hot" rolls.

I'm going to be playing at 1500pts this month, so I will be dropping the hammerhead and riptide to get there.

Anyway, the first Tau-riffic Tau-tober! battle report soon!