Topic: Tale of 6 Gamers-Cold One Dilema

[Nicholas Bies]

Every year my LGS (the only on in Hong Kong) runs  tourney, I've used Empire of the last 2 years and have come 16th and 13th. I've decided I want to get in the top 10 (I actually came 9th last year but suffered a penalty for handing in my army list late).

That's one reason I've decided to play Dark Elves- it puts me on a closer power level to Daemons and Vampires. The other is that the models are just so damn nice.

So my mates and I have decided to start a competition to build new armies for next years tourney. But more importantly to have it created in painted installments.

RULES:

500pts must be painted each month
You can play 1 game each month against another opponent
You must have a beer before, during and after any games
Each month you gain 7pts if your force is painted, 5pts for winning a game, 3 for drawing, 0 for loosing, person with the most points at the end of the collection period will recieve a $300HKD gift voucher to the store

armies:
Sal - Ogres
Cas - Warriors of Chaos
Steve - Lizardmen
Justin - Empire
Ray - Orks
Ben - Dark Elves


1st Installment:

So with 500pts I went to buy my first installment, O I played a game with Crone, 2xdeath hags, assassin, tullaris and 16 other executioners yesterday. Hit 2 units in the game a unit of 25 orc boys with BSB on boar, I ended up killing 17 orcs, the bsb in challenge with 4 overkill points and had CR 28!! I liked. I also hit a unit of 4 trolls and saw all get hacked to pieces as well- was great!

Anyway, with the beginnings of a 500pt force in mind I went to the model shelves to decided what to get. I was originally tempted to get the Battalion as it seemed to have everything I'd need for my first 1 and possibly 2 months, however they'd sold the last one that morning! *gruble not fair grumble*

So I looked at what models they did have available and decided on this:

Supreme Sorcerres in skull cloud thing
Hydra
Warriors box
Corsairs box

I actually already have 1 warrior as I have a 2000pt DE army from last edition sitting in Australia and somehow 1 crossbowman found it's way up with me.

The army list:

Sorcerress lv1- 100
10 Corsairs, full command - 125
10 crossbow elves - 100
Hydra - 175

Total = 500pts.

I'm in the process of making the Corsairs now and will hopefully have them painted by the end of the week.

I'm going to post pics of the assembeled force, and each painted regiment as it gets done and probably a battle rep each month.

Hope you guys will stick around.

[MrDWhitey]

Paint them. Before I go to bed, which is in 10-20 minutes.

[Nicholas Ironfist]

I'm going to like this thread . Just cheak and recheak your placement on the bases as they often touch another model and making them rank can be difficult.
I have 3 armies on the go at the moment, DE, HE and Empire. Empire is still my fav though.

[Nicholas Bies]

Paint them. Before I go to bed, which is in 10-20 minutes.

That may be a little difficult.

I've worked out my paint scheme for the Corsairs except for 1 part.

They're going to have dark green/black cloaks with dark red scales, the boots will be dark brown to medium brown, the cloth parts will be purple.

I'm not sure for the armour, either muted metal (so black washed looking like it's soot stained) or really shiny and if shiny silver or gold?

[MrDWhitey]

I even extended my awake time by over 10 minutes.

You have failed me for the last time. Again.

Your colour scheme sounds odd to me, I can't visualise it without thinking of Jelly the Clown (British injoke).

Metalwise, blackened silver (washed with badab black) with pieces in gold seem to be the right thing for DE (Mine anyway).

Mine are all black cloth, purple cloth, silver metal with badab black with some gold bits if they're lucky. Good old "Generic" style for me. Oh, and for some reason I keep painting those hilariously flared leather boots which go up to the corsairs/assassins groins brown. Makes them stand out more.

A hydra at 500 points is nasty (but in your group, it's fine, I know I know). I had one today rear charge a large grail knight unit with a paladin BSB in it. Took it 4 combat rounds but it ate every single man, then when the BSB was left, it broke him and ran him down. 175 points taking out over 500? Bargain. To be fair, would never have happened if he hadn't utterly hated my reaper bolt throwers, and went straight for them (one never got a shot off  )

Incidently, this is the first time since my first 7th edition DE game my lone hydra has not only killed anything, or even made back it's points, but killed double or more.

Damn my inability to pass a leadership 8 test. Ever.

[Nicholas Bies]

You've failed me before and I've never quoted a moive at you for it... you monster!


Means I need to get some Babdad black, probs cbf getting that may right the 2 tone steel as I have gunmetal and natural silvers.

[MrDWhitey]

You've failed me before and I've never quoted a moive at you for it... you monster!


Means I need to get some Babdad black, probs cbf getting that may right the 2 tone steel as I have gunmetal and natural silvers.

I am a monster.

I've also never failed you before, your small mind merely blames me for your errors!

Seriously, get badab black and devlan mud, they are utterly awesome for painting.

I'm going to bed now, by morning I expect results (at least take pictures of them put together so I can laugh at you). 

[Nicholas Bies]

I expect to have my 1st Corsair test model painted by tonight.

[Nicholas Bies]

So here is my test Corsair I'm going to do the faces differently on the other models as I just made a total mess of this face- not including the horrible eyes.

I think the rest is ok except I also managed to destroy a wonderfully painted Ogre hide boot with the plastic putty when trying to flock it with snow. It was the way the snow was kept so I'll be changing that next time as well.

Eitherway I hope to have them all done by the end of this week.

[MrDWhitey]

Nice. All you need to do now is convince everyone to play on a snow covered board.

[Nicholas Bies]

True... bit of a problem as all the boards are green...

[DaCone2]

Maybe they carry snow around with them so they can pose on it.
Like the Krieg Death Korp do? 

[Siberius]

Nice.

I like the lack of vibrancy to the main colours, in keeping with the climate, and then the surprise of the blue cloak. Look forward to seeing more of this army. 

[Nicholas Bies]

Thanks, hopefully they'll look better as a unit as well.

I'm trying to decide if the Gnoblar Green or the Ogre Grey or the Sea Drake Blue becomes the army colour. I like the names personally 

[MrDWhitey]

Looking at it, my only real issue is the darker blue, it just seems to stand out a bit much.

But if it's all like that, they'll be a nice unique looking unit.

Also this video displays grey, green and blue quite well  :

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fWucPckXbIw

[Nicholas Bies]

Mr.D I'm afraid I've seen that video before, in fact it's one of my favourite youtube videos! I love it "MosCOW, MosCOW bi da blop da bla bla bla" can't stop laughing.

Yea the dark blue seems more striking and less muted, maybe I should get the middle blue and mix it wiht the dark to create a darker blue that isn't so striking. I just don't want to muck about with them too much and ruin the things.

[neverness]

Or maybe that your army is SO cold hearted and cool that they leave a frost with their passing?

Looks good! Good luck!

[Nicholas Bies]

Now that's an idea!

[Nicholas Bies]

OK here are my finished Corsairs and a WIP sorceress.

The photos aren't very good unfortunately but the models seem far better than my usual standard. I'm going for a step above table worthy (not 'eavy metal but more then - 'meh ok')














I've also finalized my 500pt list (mentioned it before) it will consist of a lv1, 10 corsairs with command, 10 crossbowmen and a Hydra. I've played a few games against my other oponents just ot get an idea of what 500pt game are like (a big change from the 2500pts we usually play). I've come to loathe my hydra, maybe because I'm proxying (but you can ask Philly and Mr.D my views on hydras) either way I'd much rather have 2 bolt throwers and no command on the corasiars.

Also funny is thatthe corsairs which is probably the weakest choices in the book for larger games has so far been my best unit running down great swords, knight errant and beating 2 units of 5 marauders (with flails) and an exalted on tit snake, naturally all 3 units passed their break test and I failed mine the next turn... BUT they did more then the Hydra.

I'm currently trying to decide if I play nice and suitable for the next 500 pts or if I have fun and play nasty. If I go suitable it means more warriors so I'll get 10 more bowmen and a block of 28 spearmen which should come in handy for fun games (if not really in my plans for a competitive list) if I go for fun it will probably be shades and Cold one Knights which owuld give the army a more competitive edge but porbably isn't as general and helpful as the warriors. What do you think?

[Siberius]

Nice painting, especially on that sorceress which I generally don't like.

The banner on the corsairs is snazzy too.

Strnagely, I've found them to be a pain for people too. They are a bit of a nothing unit, but nothing units can have their chance to prove themselves. Certainly, I like to use them on flanks because with their highish missile armour save, they hang around and can draw some fire from annoying fast cavalry.

[Nicholas Bies]

Siberius, yea I am shocked and the re-roll 1d6 on the flee distance is a great little added bonus. really increases your chance of capturing the enemy and getting full vps. Added to Lohkir Fellheart those units captured are then worth double VP. A nice little tourney unit imho and if you're worried about kills well there is always an assassin...

here are some better pics.

here are some better pics

[Merrick]

Those are all really nice! 

And they aren't finished, their bases aren't done. 

[Ken Wuyts]

Awesome! Snowbases fit them well. Most of the time they will be standing on your snow covered display board instead of a green table anyway.

Oh, what, you did not plan on making a display board? Well, you should for such nice models.

[Boldrick]

We have an ice-snow covered table (one of the new plastic GW ones) in my shop.But the shop is not GW and that makes it even better...we can share our hate for the company freely in there 

[Nicholas Bies]

Well we're thinking of making it compulsory for us all to make 1 modular terrain peice each (we currently play with flat terrain to ease movement).

Maybe a big snow display base that could work as a hill and ground below it could work.