Drones R Us

Holy crap I finally got something done!  I've spent the last 2 weeks on heavy duty spring cleaning, and that has finally slowed down so I was able to finish my new drones.

bought a bunch of bits off ebay, to build a pulse accelerator, grav inhibitor and 3 guardian drones. Cannibalized many old gun drones but that's fine. 

I had so many proxy drones last time after building a list completely ignoring what models I had and didn't have. Other than a few marker drones which I can proxy with gun drones, I have everything I need now.

Time to finish the blastajet then try to motivate myself to finish the Kommandos.

First Tau codex list - Bork'an sept.

Picked up my Codex today and pretty much liking what I see.

I think building around a Sept is the way to go, so that's what I did.  Picking Bork'An for my first attempt and putting as many heavy and rapid fire guns in as I could.  Also I love my Ghostkeels so those are going to benefit from the extra range!

Is the Riptide back??

1998 pts, 107 PL

Battalion Detachment:
HQ: Cadre Fireblade, 2x shield done
HQ: Commander, 2x plasma, EWO, Drone controller, 2x marker drone

Troop: 9 Strike Team, Markerlight, guardian drone
Troop: 9 Strike Team, Markerlight, guardian drone
Troop: 9 Strike Team, Markerlight, guardian drone

Fast: 4 Marker drone
Fast: 4 Marker done
Fast: 5 Pathfinders, grav-inhibitor drone

Vanguard detachment:
HQ: Commander, 3x plasma rifle (one replaced by Plasma accelerator), XV8-02, 2x shield drone

Elite: XV95 Ghostkeel, cyclic ion raker, burst cannons, shield generator, target lock, drones
Elite: XV95 Ghostkeel, cyclic ion raker, burst cannons, shield generator, target lock, drones
Elite: XV104 Riptide, Heavy burst cannon, SMS, advanced targeting system, target lock

Heavy: 2 XV88 Broadside, HYMP, SMS, ATS, 2 shield 2 marker
Heavy: 2 XV88 Broadside, HYMP, SMS, ATS, 2 shield 2 marker


23 total markerlights!!

Seems like a pretty obvious fire base of broadsides wrapped by firewarriors.  The buff commander is back, kinda, using command and control node stratagem when needed and the drone controller means the 14 marker drones have a better chance to hit.  The 2nd commander will manta strike to go for the kill on something important...but the extra range means he might be able to stay back a bit.  Plenty of shield drones as well to keep the broadside alive, and finally the grav drone to try and keep stuff back a bit! 

And then the ghostkeels infiltrating and being a nuisance of themselves. the extra range on the raker sound like a good way to keep them alive - with a 4++ and -2 to hit.

oh, if you're wondering why the firewarriors are 9 per unit, it's because of secondary points in ITC format tournaments.

Over a month?

Sorry after finishing all my Dark Angels stuff, the hobby drive left me again.  I have done half my Kromlech Kommandos and not much else.  More to come, I promise!!

Dark Angels projects complete (for now) - Intercessors, Vets

I have now finished all my current Dark Angels models with the completion of the Intercessors and my magnetized vets.

I should get some robed guys, but these will do for now.

I still need a unit of hellblasters and a Darkshroud.  But after that I'm not sure.

My first Dark Angels list

Since the Dark Angels codex was released I've been working on what I had.  I had 20 infantry built from before 8th when I was making a Lion's Blade.  10 tacticals, 5 assault and 5 devs with a grav cannon.

Well I changed things around, making the devs 2x lascannon instead and the Assault marines became plasma vets.

I also ended up with a couple of the easy to build intercessors, and after a DA upgrade and carving off the shoulder pads, they were built.

Lastly I got a land speeder and combined with bits from the Ravenwing Command box ended up with a talonmaster.

So now I have enough models to field a list I want to try. I do plan on adding a Darkshroud as soon as I can afford it, as well as maybe some Hellblasters.


Battalion Detachment
HQ: Azrael
HQ: Primaris Lieutenant, power sword
HQ: Sammael on Corvex

Troop: 5x Tacticals, Missile Launcher
Troop: 5x Tacticals, plasma, combi-plasma, Razorback
Troop: 5x Intercessors

Heavy: 5x Devastators, 3x Lascannon
Heavy: 5x Devastators, 3x Lascannon

Outrider Detachment
HQ: Talonmaster, Havenfall blade

Fast: 5x Black Knights
Fast: 5x Black Knights
Fast: 6x Ravenwing Bikes, 2x plasma, chainswords

Elite: Ravenwing Apothecary

1997pts, 107PL, 8 Command points

So it's pretty simple. Azrael and the Lt sits back with the devs and missile launcher, giving everyone a 4++ and re-rolls, while the ravenwing exploit speed of the raven and weapons from the dark age to kill just about anything.

I haven't won yet, but I've had a lot of fun with extreme amount of plasma damage.  I just have to be careful about where the black knights are so they aren't charged too easily.

The Ork Horde - Tournament viable?

Green Tide is a popular way to play Orks under 8th edition, and I can't disagree with the effectiveness.  Now there are a lot of pros and cons to the list.

First, let's start with what I've been playing:

Battalion Detachment 1
HQ: Warboss, Attack Squig, Headwoppa's Killchoppa
HQ: Wierdboy
HQ: Boss Snikrot

Troop: 30 slugga boyz, nob w/pk
Troop: 30 slugga boyz, nob w/pk
Troop: 30 slugga boyz, nob w/pk

Elite: Painboy

Battalion Detachment 1
HQ: Big Mek, KFF
HQ: Big Mek, KFF
HQ: Wierdboy

Troop: 30 Shoota boyz, 3x rokkit, nob w/pk
Troop: 30 Shoota boyz, 3x rokkit, nob w/pk
Troop: 10 grots

Elite: Painboy
Elite: 15 Kommandoz, 2x burna, Nob /pk
Elite: Nob w/waggh! banner

Heavy: 2 KMK
Heavy: 3 lobba

1999pts, 123 PL, 9 command points
The plan seems obvious.  Boys sit under the KFF/Painboy and then move forward with the option of jumping to back up the kommandos.  Killing that many models is a problem for most, but not all armies.

So far my toughest matchup was Mortarian, which in CC can pretty much guarantee 17-18 dead boys a turn (18 attacks, hitting and wounding on 2+, both with re-roll 1s) plus auto mortal wounds and debuffs.

The question of taking out big models.  Sure, 100+ attacks sounds good but when wounding on 6's there is a limit.  The KMK seems the best way so I might change out the lobbas for more of them.  Or drop the rokkets in the boys mobs and lobbas for a unit of tankbustas hiding in the mob. But that kind of tweaking is also a matter of personal preference.

The biggest problem with this list is the number of drops. Almost always guaranteed to go second, which in 8th is a problem.  The 2nd biggest problem only applies to ITC, where the list seems to actively try to give up points to my opponent with 7 units of 10+ models and 9 characters!

I would also like to add another unit of kommandos for mob up purposes, a unit of 25 with a snikrot buff and jumping the banner (maybe a 2nd banner?) for a lot of goodness.

Anyway, what tweaks to be made?

Ravenwing Talonmaster conversion.

One of the new units in the DA codex is the Ravenwing Talonmaster.

It gives re-rolls of 1 to wound to ravenwing units, has a power sword (and thus can get the relic) and has a ton of shooting. Not a bad unit.

I had the twin weapons from a ravenwing sprue and the rest is from the Ravenwing command box. Very easy yet rewarding conversion!

Still working on DA, will get to the Kommandos soon.