Heroes of the Imperium and Anarchists

Greetings, welcome to another thrilling edition of Jason paints stuff. This episode; Appointment with Terror.* Some of these models have been knocking around for many yonks and a couple were converted 2 weeks ago giving them a ridiculous turn around for me. As usual some are largely useless in wargaming terms but fun all the same and may possibly be seen as bystanders in other posts. Most of these models were completed with the aid of contrast paints, and minimal effort on my part, others had a bit more time wasted on them.

The Krablokistan 47th's Regimental Standard Bearer

As my Astra Militarum army has been getting some non codex additions (dismemberers, bounty hunters)I thought they might as well get something fun that actually is in the book. Hence the regimental standard. Out came the Dremel© (well cheap Dremel knock off anyway) and a metal Catachan sergeant was butchered. The bits box was plundered and various trophys were added along with some brass rods. So the banner has it's own central image depicting the regiments nickname and most famous victory, the burning of the heathen xenos mountains of peace and tranquility and religious home of the Q'Bork race (now extinct). Other items of note are a Biel Tan banner, T'au banner from the Pur'La sept,, Tarrelian warleader's head dipped in vinegar and mounted at the crosspiece and the (so far) crowning glory ; High priestess mask of the heretic death cult of Eros XV. The current banner bearer - sergeant Busta 'squint' Trabble will attempt to be at the forefront of any large scale engagements for the 47th'

Buster 'squint' Trabble posing for a publicity shot.

Various Inhabitants of the Imperium

 Greetings. As the Irish government have effectively stopped me from going to pubs, and even playing games at my buddies houses I have managed to get some shit done! So here are the fruits of my labours;

Some TSR Ickle Dragon People

So here are the first items. Some 25+ years ago I was in Forbidden Planet in London and bought half a dozen TSR blister packs. There were Dretch and some unidentified vampire monkey things, and these. I think they were set on some weird non DnD setting whose name escapes me. A generous slap on Volpus Pink and they were virtually done. To give them a slight 40K feel I painted the shafts of their implements Athermatic Blue to give the impression they have some sort of power weapons so they might have a chance in the 41st Millenium. If you know what these things are called give me a shout in the comments below please.

"We might be little but we have stone age weaponry!".

Horrible Things You Might Find In The Commoragh

 Welcome to a new semi regular feature of my blog; Horrible things you might find in the Commoragh. to the uninitiated the Commoragh is the realm of the Dark Eldat (Druchari) who are the most horrible feckers in the galaxy. Like most of the other awful denizens of said place but more into the wanton sadism for shits and giggles rather than any ideological reason. So without further preamble here is some thing you might find in the Commoragh which are horrible;

The Durgar

The Durgar are a Druchi slave race that have been a part of Commoragh life for centuries. Originally used as fodder in the arenas, Durgar became fashionable as durable fighters whose thick skin and resilient nature made for lengthy fights that keep spectators enthralled for many bouts. A stubborn nature and a delight in the vanquishing of enemies made these alien highly entertaining for the paying masses. In appearance Durgar are grey skinned stout humanoids with grey skin and bright purple hair. Durgar are sometimes confused with Squat abhumans as they have similar physical attributes but less human colouring. Durgar have a vicious temperament and revel in bloodshed making them popular additions to any self respecting Archon's retinue.

For gaming purposes I will be using this guy as and Ur Ghul.

Ynnari Warlock

Another seldom seen denizen of the Commoragh are Ynnari Warlocks. Almost exclusively found on Craftworlds. Occasionally warlocks travel to the Dark City, sometimes with high faluting ideas about redemption and such but other times they could be agents of the Ynnari and up to something more deathy. This particular Warlock is painted in Ulthwe colours with a red helmet to represent Ynnead. This particular one has a severed Astartes arm as decoration and he probably also uses it to get into cool parties in the Commoragh. worth noting is th fact I finally found a use to Aethermatic blue contrast paint. Two coats made a reasonable effect on the Witchblade. 

A no nonsense Warlock, Jistaine the Sombre likes long walks on the beach, good food and dismembering Space Marines.

Warp Spiders Webway Raiders

I recently read a 40K short story where Warp Spiders were valiant heroes. They warped in killed some marines and saved the day. Probably. I then thought I'd paint up some of mine. They probably act as pretty effective assassins in the Webway and have numerous kills in the Commoragh too. They were 90 % done very quickly with contrast paints then languished in a case while I procrastinated over the soulstones of all things. Fun fact; Aspect Warriors have average 15+ gemstones per model. Thank Odin for the technical paints otherwise I'd never get the bloody things finished!

Massive weapons on show!

Fire Dragon Lost Property Squad

Back in 1993 I purchased a squad Fire Dragons. Some twenty three or so years later I got hold of another five of Phil a member of our gaming group and semi-regular thorn in my side with regard to his Alpha Legion heretic Astartes. One of these models came to me sans a head, so an old wood elf beastmaster lost his so the Fire Dragons were up to full strength. In the last game I had against Phil I discovered that the missing helmet was adorning a Noise Marine. This has prompted me to finish these models so I can give battle to the Alpha Legion with their Slaaneshi mates and retrieve the helmet. Of course giving the helm a damn good wash as you just don't know where it's been recently. Anyway, this squad of Fire Dragons are sometimes found accompanying other members of my Ynnari faction doing clandestine stuff and looking for lost equipment. These models were some of the last ones started before I started using contrast paints and have both white and grey undercoats giving them two distinct looks. I'm not repainting them though.

Gilliard, second from left back row is eternally searching for his lost helmet. There is even a song about it.

                       

Triumverate of Ynnead

These last models were not painted by me but rather Aaron, another regular opponent in my gaming group. Using strange equipment such as "an airbrush" he got these done with very little effort from my part. Aaron does paint models for money so if you want to see more of his work and possibly get him to do something you can contact him through his instagram account. One thing I will say about these new plastics is they are very delicate. Both the Visarch and Yvraine have had some battlefield damage necessitating pinning. So far the Yncarne had stood up to the wear and tear of the 41st Millennium. 

I did the bases so some of it is actually my own work!

The Visarch's sword and Yvrainnes knife hat suffered breakage.

So that's you all caught up with what I'm doing and hopefully there will be some Wyches coming along soon. I actually have a lot of models in the tantalizingly close to completion area that I fall in and out of interest with. So next painting update could contain anything!

Thanks for reading. 

Sergeants Barker Punches a Primaris Marine in the face

Somewhere in the 41st Millenium;

+ + + Attention of Porfectus Von Neestleroi, Supreme Commander Hemmerdale + + +

+ + + Subject; Engagement With Asstral Spectres Debriefing + + +

+ + + Secondary Subject; Commander Lope Koodos' Disciplinary Revue + + +

Porfectus Von Neestleroi, as per fratricidal fire protocols here is my report regarding the skirmish between part of the Scargill Planetary Relief Force and sections of the Asstral Spectres Chapter. As previously documented our primary mission is to reinforce Scargill but unfortunately when our fleet exited warpspace instead of arriving close to our intended destination we were still some 60 light years away. This was when we received a distress vox from the planet Purgamentum Minor in the Spumae system. A message was received from Planetary Governor Pudendorum to send a rescue force to engage a large well armed force of void pirates who were currently occupying the inside of the Governor's Palace. As regulations stipulate formal requests for assistance carry large bonuses I sent a force down to eradicate the pirates. As we entered the ruins of the Palace it became clear that the enemy were actually Primaris Marines of the Asstral Spectres. The motivation for the Astartes besieging of the palace is unclear but as soon as they saw us they formed up into combat formation and opened fire.

As is Krablokistan custom a portrait of the relief force is captured and later presented to the Governor.

More COVID 19 Reinforcements

Greetings. In a blatant attempt to get more traffic to this blog I have put COVID 19 in the title. But I do have some content that may or may not be worth looking at! Some more Astra Militarum/ Imperial Guard or whatever you want to refer to them as. Once again I have used contrast paints. They are more recruits for the Krablokistan 47th regiment, despite a recent bout of peace as far as they are concerned, I hope to get them back on the battlefield as 9th edition is imminent. As I seem to be flying through (relatively speaking) my painting backlog it is possible all my models will get finished in this lifetime and I won't have to put a stipulation in my will for my grandchildren to do the job for me. So anyway on with the little coloured in men;

Ice Warriors Of Valhalla

First up are a Valhallan special weapons squad. I say Valhallan, but as they're part of the glorious 47th Krablokistan regiment they are dressed for cold weather Now I'm not really sure about the new fangled 9th edition 40K  that is soon going to be causing rage quitting and brand new ways to be OP, but when I decided to paint up this unit I had a very definite plan in mind. These guys were meant to skulk around and when the opportunity arose leap out and use the  order that lets them shoot into combat using the aforementioned Valhallan specific order.. With three flamers it should thin out whomever is larruping  good Emperor fearing guardsmen fighting for humanity.

"Quick Igor, Vlad and Tamsin! Burn the enemies of the Imperium!"

Catachan Jungle Fighters

So next up are some Catachan Jungle Fighters. Not really Catachans, just some troopers dressed in traditional Krablokistan combat apparel. Here we have 4 lasgun operators and Joey Meltagun. I tried to give the guardsman second from the left a horribly scarred face by cutting it up then replacing bits with green stuff. The experiment  was in my opinion pretty successful so I'm happy enough. Not sure that he was when the Dremel came out though. 

Next up are some more heavily converted troopers. Three are from heavy weapons teams but as I like to have the option of using them as part of a squad. These four have had xenos creatures put on their bases. I like the idea that Catachan troops wander through hostile terrain all the while wringing the necks, stamping on the spines and generally efficiently killing any xenos wildlife that comes near them.

From left to right trooper 1 has stamped a Kildassian Fluffbeast to death, trooper 2 has beheaded a Tarrelian dog soldier, trooper 3 has gutted a Knurf IV Firenewt and trooper 4 has cracked open a Tunneltusk.

Next along the production line is four more troopers. Only one of these has taken any sort of trophy from the local fauna. That being the trooper on the right who has removed the tail (and in doing so, probably killed) a Senitient Flamefox. Sadly that resulted in him getting part of his face burnt off.

Some models don't get butchered up as much as others. Luck of the draw really. 

The whole gang.

Below are some close ups of the slaughtered xenos that my brave lads showed the error of their alien ways.

Tarrelian Dog Soldier **.

Knurf IV Firenewt ***.

The Tunneltusk****.

Killdassian Fluffbeast *****.

 

Regimental Personalities

Following on from last updates combat instructor for the regiment, I have finished some more models that have jobs in the Krablokistan 47th. Those gamers of a certain vintage may well recognise some of these beauties. In order of importance is 2nd from right an old Sensei who will be making his battlefield debut as a company commander. Either side of him are two regimental dismemberers, it's an old Krablokistan tradition that during wartime one deserter is ritually dismembered on the parade ground. Such is the horrible spectacle that Krablokistani troops are renowned for their bravery, -or more likely terrified of their own officers. Lastly on the far left is a converted Orlock Juve who can act as the commander's batman and valet. All I need to do now is finish painting up my company standard and I have a nice fluffy veteran command squad.

The hoods are ceremonial. Either that or they're hideously disfigured from all the bone chips flying about.

Next is some more fun models. First is a Necromunda bounty hunter who might make some sort of platoon commander character who is looking to make some extra *bunse apprehending intergalactic criminals who happen to be on the battlefield. Next to him is another Necrmundan, this time a Beastmaster Wyrd, I got him off ebay with his staff hand missing so I gave him a plastic Orlock lasgun for him to hold. He can either be a really scruffy guardsman or a veteran who has gone native. Lastly is an old chaos thug who can be part of a unit of Crusaders to protect the warlord on the battlefield.

At this rate I will probably be giving all my models roles in the army #jobsfortheboys.

Lastly are two models that's been on the painting table for yonks but never getting much more than undercoat. First on the left is a Warhammer Quest Necromancer who can join a rather eclectic Wyrdvane Psyker unit that seems to be more like a halloween fancy dress party. The other model is a Necromundan Ratskin Shaman who will also be part of said Wyrdvane unit. He is quite the unpleasant chap as he has a couple of severed hands on his belt and a large stick for belting enemies of the Imperium. Also various skulls an animal skins show he's not particularly eco-friendly.

The skull in the hand of the Necromancer is very probably some sort of high powered laspistol, whereas the guy on the left obviously hasn't seen the Imperial directive that states Wyrdvane Psykers do not get issued lasguns as it promotes mental lazyness.

Here's the lot! All arrayed in a nice jungley scene. 

So that's all the models I've finished since the last time. Coming up fairly soon are some genestealer Brood Brothers and a Scaly to name but two. I've decided to assemble my Valkerie for my Astra Militarum to swan about in so that could feature in an update soon too!

*Krablokistan slang for extra cash.
** Tarrelian Dog Soldiers are a bit arsey because of the Imperiums attempt to wipe them out. A bit of an overreaction really, typical xenos.
*** Knurf IV Firenewts look innocent enough but they secrete a poison that infects the unwary with curiosity, earning them an Astra Militarum kill on sight order.
**** Tunneltusks are a family of subterranean species that lurk underground until they strike causing a nasty foot injury similar to that of standing on a nail in light footwear.
***** The Kildassian Fluffbeast isn't on any Astra Militarum kill lists but an unofficial order is to neutralise them before they try anything "funny". 

Anyway, thanks for reading.

WIP - Sanctus Vindicare Assassin Conversion

Hello. as the blog post title implies, I have made a start on a Sanctus Vindicare Assassin conversion.  The main body is a Vindicare with one of the Locus model's spare heads. One of the old metal genestealer familiars goes on the base to become his super cover save cancelling buddy. Anyway here he is;

As of yet not much to get impressed by but as I'm using it as an entry into a Yaktribe painting competition I thought I'd put it here as well. I actually wanted to convert the familiar to be holding the Sanctus hand but in the end it seemed it wouldn't look as good as the familiar resting his hand on the leg, giving him super special vision. Anyway that's all for this update. Next one will either have some painted up guardsmen or a bit more paint on this one.

Thanks for Reading.

Just Another COVID 19 Update

Aloha! Welcome one and all! Just a quick (that may end up long) update on my painting progress. I would say hobby progress but as there's a global pandemic going on, bugger all gaming is happening. As previous posts have alluded to 2020 was going to be this brilliant gaming fest when we played a 40K league and everyone had a great time. That's obviously on hold now so on the plus size I have managed to paint some shit up.....

Colonel Schaeffer's Last Chancers

Probably my favourite thing about the Astra Militarum fluff is Colonel Schaeffer's Last Chancers, a nod towards the Dirty Dozen movie where a group of army criminals attempt to assassinate a high ranking German officer in WWII. GW brought out a version out with their 'crimes' in a White Dwarf and a series of rules for each model to make for interesting suicide missions. They were modeled as coming from different AM regiments from across the galaxy and really showed out the diversity of the army with various uniforms and two female troops. 

The whole gang

Once again Citadel contrast paints were used. Colour-wise I used Militarum Green for the trousers (and skirt), Creed Camo for jackets, Gullimann flesh for skin tones and Goregrunta Fur for most of the webbing. A lot have Basilicanum Grey and Black Templar in there as well.

Warrior Woman, Ox, Fingers, Rocket Girl, Hero and part of er, Wheels?

Animal, Colonel Schaeffer, Shiv, Demolition Man, Brains and Scope

They all had cool sounding names and each had special rules that possibly worked well in 3rd or 4th edition 40K (I never played it much). For example Brains (second from right in the above picture) could hack and computer system on a 2+. Very thematic and useful in small skirmishes but in the Grim Darkness Of The 41st Millenium 8th edition not so useful. another rule Ox (second from left picture above this one) lost his shit if Brains died and doubled his strength and toughness for the remaider of the game. I am tempted to recreate the rules for the Last Chancers for the current edition, but with the general lethality of the game 12 models with special rules seems like effort.

Catachan Jungle Fighters

Next up are some more Catachan Jungle fighters. Using contrast paints I knocked these up in pretty much record time. They seem to be much brighter then my previous units so I hope they can blend in without too much visual trauma. These were done at the same time as the Last Chancers so I used the same colours.

Three grunts and a meltagun guy.

A company commander and two cronies, one with a plasmagun and another with a bolter.

The two pictured above with the Commander are both plastic models I got in an eBay job-lot. The one with plasmagun is known as trooper Beard and has the distinction of killing a Screamer Killer during the Second Battle of Lernin Kerv. Trooper Boltgun has no such stirring war story. Maybe he will for the Third Battle of Lernin Kerv that hasn't occurred yet.

Genestealers

No painting update would seem right without some Genestealer Cult models sneaking in to here they are; three Hybrids that have certainly seen some action, like trooper Beard, but due to me not having ever mentioned them in a battle they will remain anonymous for now (just how they like it). Contrast colours were once again the heroes.

These Hybrids seem somewhat lost as they are not dressed for jungle combat.

Another unit sat on the nearly finished area was my Magus and his two little bug eyed friends. Familiars are fun and they can give the Magus some additional spellage at crucial times of a game plus some extra attacks to thin out some rank and file. This gets my GSC army to well over 80% painted by my guess. The main item to finish now is the Patriarch and then  its off to convert up some vehicles to finish the army off.

The familiar on the left has seen lots of action judging by the missing claws on his gnarly little paws.

More Asta Militarum Types

My final three models are a little bit more interesting I feel, if only because I have given them back stories. On the left is an Orlock Juve that's been given a shotgun to play with. Not the best weapon to shoot single handed but it's a testament to cadet Onanism's wrists that he even attempts to shoot it like a pistol. In the centre is an old confessor model. Given the same colours as the rest of the guardsmen he will, (more often than not) represent a veteran with a plasmagun who is the squad's unofficial chaplain when there are no sanctioned Preachers around. He may wend his way into the entourage of an Inquisitor as plasmaguns are a good way to teach the ungodly about The Emperor. Thirdly on the left is a model I bought several years ago from Iron Mammoth Design. Now they seem to be available by Rattrap Production but I can't see them on their website. Anyway, the model on the left is a Shaolin Monk whom I stuck to a rock as he looked all meditatey and then lost interest in painting. Then came Contrast paints and an idea for a combat instructor for new recruits in my Krablokistan army. So Master Xhuc Pan Tang was born. A monster in close combat (for a human) due to his martial arts. Carrying nothing but a staff (which in game terms has to be a blade of conquest) he will more than likely be hitting the tabletop in a batrep near you when the restrictions lift.

So that's it for now 27 more models have made the big time. Hopefully, in the not too distant I can get rolling dice for these little soldiers  and create magically theatrical batreps to enthrall and excite all and sundry. Anyway, feel free to comment below and tell how great I'm doing without much effort. Until next time (there's a very good chance there will be more Catachans) cheers for dropping by.

Thanks for reading.

Deathworld Flora and Fauna Part 4 The Mantic Ogre Crab

Excerpt from the Mantic Grimoire of Dangerouse Beastes

Three adult Ogre Crabs

The Ogre Crab (turci cancer ardentum) was discovered during the colonization of the Mantic Sector,planet Nameless; a temperate D class planet with 11% landmass the remainder given over to huge oceans of sodium laced H2O. Initial explorators discovered many edible wildlife and of particular note was a small crablike creature that produced highly nutritious meat with an extremely palatable taste. They were scavengers that could eat virtually any foodstuff but seemed to thrive on human waste; non techs quickly gave them the name Turdcrabs. Six limbed with a hard exoskeleton and two powerful claws were the most noticeable feature. Six eyes that could view through the infrared spectrum and a cluster of feeder tendrils allowed them to digest most substances quickly. Approximately 14 cm in height they were thought to be a good source of protein for the ever expanding Imperium. Experiments were conducted on them and were approved as Xenos Nutrititatum and therefore sanctioned for interplanetary export. Either due to incompetence or laziness, servitors omitted a vital piece of information regarding the species growth rates and that was, they do not stop growing. The immature Turd crabs have a tendency to cluster around the coastal areas of Nameless until they reach a size where they can successfully navigate the deeper oceans and defend themselves from the enormous marine life found there. This means that specimens can reach dreadnought size and beyond. The information was hastily amended and was due to be sent to all the Imperial planets that had been sent live specimens for breeding purposes, sadly an unprovoked attack by Aeldari pirates destroyed the Astra Telepathica station before the warnings could be broadcast. Some 80 Terran years passed before contact was re-established and by then the Turd crab had been transported to hundreds of planets and were put to use in many planets sewer systems. On the planets where these creatures are kept under control they are little more than a nuisance. On planets where they are left to proliferate and grow they can become a severe threat. One example of this is the now uninhabited Bulapse Theta planet in the system of the same name. Inquisitor Shablitz Morne landed on the planet on the trail of Idolator Jobes only to find the place swamped with thousands of huge Turd crabs. After accessing the dataslates it became apparent that routine sewage patrol designed to eradicate larger specimens were cancelled due to budget cuts. Turd crabs proliferated until they reached swarm type numbers and overran the planet. Morne declared the planet unfit for human habitation until a major reconquest force is deployed. Due to the current galaxy wide conflicts that will not be in the near future. It was around this time that the name Turd crabs was changed to something more fitting for such a dangerous creature the Ogre crab was reclassified (Imprimir PÃ ¡cancer ardentem). Sadly an organization the size of the Administratum is not without faults, one of the main ones is it's immense size and how quickly it can change the millions of documents in it's archives. To this day there several xenos publications using the old entry for the Ogre crab and a consequence of this is there are still some planets exporting these creatures to new colonies. This, unsurprisingly continues to create new outbreaks of Ogre crab infestations across the Imperium of Man. It has been theorized that the attack by Aeldari on the Astra Telepathica station on Nameless was a deliberate attempt to spread this creature throughout the Imperium. The continued miscommunication between different parts of the Administratum is also believed to be a deliberate attempt to sabotage the expansion of humanity by hostile alien forces. Whatever the cause the Imperium now has to expend a sizable portion of it's resources on keeping these creatures in check.

Turdcrabs scavenging on New Berkshire

Punch Up At The Olde Shielde

The Olde Shield is a franchise of retro drinking establishments that are popular on several hundred Imperial worlds. The Olde Shield mentioned in the title is situated on a former Maiden world called Boomshanka. Legend has it that Sot, Aeldari god of wine and revelry gave his people the double edged sword of inebriation and emotional over-reaction. When the forces of two unnamed Craftworlds co-incidentally happened upon a tavern on the ruins of an ancient shrine to Sot, they decided to engage the Mon-keigh that they found there. These happened to be a force of Crimson Fists enjoying some open air mindfulness drills. This is the account of  that meeting.......

 Greetings. Today is a different type of battle report as it is a game I wasn't playing only witnessing. It was part of the C.L.A.W. 2020 League and the scenario was Scorched Earth from the 2019 Chapter Approved. The game was cool to watch but as it was part of the league, I did not offer advice, Only impartiality. Neil's army was called Prophetic Wraith Casters and can be found if you follow the link. Dylan used Strike Force Espiridion and can be found in the second link. Looking at the list I think there is a disparity in "optimalisation" one has loads of it, the other not so much. I'll let you decide which. So anyway, On with the battle.

A Crimson Fist 'castle'. They defend objective 2 with faith in the emperor and bugger all cover.

Squad 'Lucky Duck' guard objective 3. Squad 'Out in the Open' act as bullet shields for the Chaplain.

The Biel Tan deployment. Wraithblades and a Warlock in the Wave serpent on the left,  Wraithguard in the one on the right. Three squads of Rangers are lurking around til turn two (or three) to be arsey.

A big dreadnaught containing the remains of Brother  'Unpleasant Fate' stands next to Squad 'Probably Doomed'.

The Aeldari win the first turn and there was much movement. Both Wave Serpents scooted round the flanks with the Farseer on the left. Two War walkers stood on the objectives in their deployment zone while the third hurdles a wall to get onto the one in the Olde Shield. Some Smiting and Executionering saw squad 'Probably Doomed' thinned out followed by some shooting. After all his dice rolling Dylan had the sergeant left. A successful morale test (after a reroll) meant Neil just about missed out on First Strike. he had put some serious damage into two of the Intercessor squads.

Lots of shooting later Squad 'Probably Doomed' is down to their sergeant. 

Over on the left the Wave Serpent and Farseer look smarmy. A War Walker grabs the objective in the centre of the table. The two objectives in Neil's deployment zone are held by War Walkers also.

In Dylan's turn the xenos felt the wrath of the Crimson Fists somewhat. No psykers meant no Smites being hurled around. there was a fair bit of shooting which left a two damaged wave Serpents and two damaged War Walkers (the one in the pub was down to one wound). No First Strike for the Astartes either then.

The Wraithguard jump out of their ride and some Rangers creep into the picture. Squad 'Lucky Duck' are somewhat depleted. The Wave Serpent goes to make a nuisance of itself next to squad 'Out in theOpen'.

Neilcam© sees all.

Turn two was where the passengers got out of their rides. Wraithblades and Warlock on the left Wraithguard on the right. The Dreadnaught got Doomed and Jinxed. It was an unpleasant combination that took a lot of wounds off it. Master Crafters on War Walkers with Doom and Jinx is very, very unpleasant. The Wraithblades then assaulted the Dread with the Autarch tagging along. Needless to say Brother 'Unpleasant Fate' got messed up again. It is unclear whether there is enough of him left to put him in another Dreadnaught. Only time, and Dylan will tell. Over on the right flank the Wraithguard and some Rangers severely shot up the Intercessor squad codename 'Lucky Duck'. The sergeant of Squad 'Probably Doomed' died to shuriken fatigue. The Wraithseer sniped the Ancient effectively neutering the Crimson Fist castle tactic. The Wave Serpent on the right assaulted squad 'Out in the Open' causing a wound. The Aeldari scored 4 VPs  for their objectives.

At the top left of the picture Brother dreadnaught 'Unpleasant Fate' is about to get on the end of some Wraithblade weaponry. Squad 'Out in the Open' is about to be dunted by the Wave Serpent. 

Brother dreadnaught 'Unpleasant Fate' is both Doomed and Jinxed. His fate is pretty much sealed.

The view from Neilcam© shows all the bodies clustered around objective 4.

Both Brother Dreadnaught 'Unpleasant Fate' and squad 'Probably Doomed' are gone.

Getting rammed by a Wave Serpent is generally not a dangerous thing to happen. In this case Brother 'Careless' gets his knee scuffed and loses a wound.

Dylan was up against it now as he held two objectives and Neil had four. But Crimson Fists being a stubborn lot, they decided this sort of uneven fight was just their cup of Astartes tea. The Inceptors arrived to the battle on the Aeldari back line. A brief summary of the action was the War Walker in the pub was Hellblastered to death. The final member of squad 'Lucky Duck' charged the Rangers whilst still keeping control of objective three. I think he killed some and routed the rest, all the while maintaining eye contact with the Wraithguard. On the other side of the table however, the Inceptors failed their charge on the War Walker. This is, I feel, important. so at the end of turn 2 Dylan gets 2 VPs leaving the game 4 - 2 to the Aeldari.

Squad 'Lucky Duck' has officially lost it's moniker. 

Same occurence slightly different view.

Having dealt with the Dreadnaught, the restless dead from Biel Tan want some more action. Luckily for Dylan they just couldn't consolidate into the Hellblasters.

Meanwhile over the other side of the table,,,,,,,

So in Neil's turn three he moved the Wraithseer to engage the Inceptors and the Wraithblades to the Hellblasters on the hill. The third unit of Rangers appeared somewhere as well. The Wraithguard took objective three and the Wraithblades assaulted the Hellblasters on the hill. I think the Intercessors avec the Chaplain killed the Wave Serpent. The Wraithseer took the Inceptors down to two models. The Primaris on the hill took a bit of a beating but not as bad as I thought they would, the captain joined in so I think he helped turn the tide somewhat.

The Wraithseer wanders over to the Inceptors as they had stood around like cotton-headed-ninny-muggins!

The Wave Serpent and Farseer sneak round the back. Looking at the picture part of the Wave serpent is off the table. Is it important? I'm not really sure.

In a rare moment of good fortune for Dylan, the Wraithseer only manages to inflict a single wound on the Inceptors.

The Wraithseer makes the short charge and decides to flail about with his massive weapon.

Back to shit luck, a failed charge from the Inceptors.

The Crimson Fists are just about able to hold on to objective 2. 

A second flurry of good luck for Dylan. I think these were saving throws from rather unpleasant Aeldari weaponry.

The Intercessors grab objective 1. An Autarch goes to have words with them about it.

"DIE XENOS SCUM!".

The Warlock has been given guard cube number four duty. Picture courtesy of Neilcam© again.

The xenos scum is about to feel the retribution of the blue imperial fists.

And now he's gone. But another xenos bugger has crept into view.

Another view of the creepy Farseer.

Neil even buys shorter models so they can hide behind walls!

A brief summary of the rest of the game was the Aeldari re-rolled virtually everything they needed to which really hurt the Crimson Fists. A systematic eradication of all the marines only hit a few speed bumps. Objective three was destroyed by the Aeldari and they continued to hold the rest for the remains of the game. The Autarch was killed in the pub and the Farseer just outside it. The Crimson Fist Captain and Chaplain made a heroic - if somewhat doomed to failure - assault on a Wave Serpent, Kingslayer and Linebreaker was scored by the Eldar. We got to turn 7 and the score reflects this. 

Final Score Aeldari 27 Crimson Fists 7

At the end of the game this is Neil's dead pile. All except a Wave serpent that gets stored in another receptacle. Not so much a testament to his generalship, but rather a damning indictment of taking bugger all toughness 3 models in an Aeldari army.

Post Game Punditry

That game was a bit one sided and no mistake. From the view of a bystander it was a good display of the mobility  of the Aeldari. Neil's list was pretty nasty. Only three units of toughness 3 models and none of them on the table first turn. Two units of wraith constructs and a Wraithseer. Warwalkers and Wave Serpents. All tough to get rid of and very mobile. I think when you play against such a mobile army you need to get the first turn. A couple of other factors are pertinent I feel. Neil has constructed his army to fully get the most out of the Phoenix Rising book for Psychic Awakening, he has a shit ton of rerolls for shooting, wounding and psychic powers. Dylan's list had no Librarian to even attempt to deny the many Aeldari witches on the table. If I was to be critical of Dylan's game I think he didn't concentrate his fire in the first turn as he left two damaged War Walkers on objectives, had he killed one or other of them, First Strike would have been scored and 1 less VP for Neil. This in itself would not have won the game but Neil would not have been racing away so quickly. Also in turn two when the Inceptors landed had Dylan been a bit luckier he could have stolen and objective in Neil's deployment zone, destroy it and even up the score. Sadly he didn't and the extra VPs Neil got really hurt the Astartes. I think Neil played a good game and him getting first turn was a big plus. He sniped the Chapter Ancient in turn two, with a D-Cannon! D-Cannons are wonderful weapons but I think giving a model one and then giving him the ability to snipe enemy characters is a wee bit broken. Losing a seemingly unassailable character that gives casualties a dying attack was an easy way to remove a big threat. As is often the case in these games re-rolls win prizes and I think the massive number that Neil's army had against a numerically small foe had dire consequences for Dylan. So to wrap up this report I think one list was more optimized than the other and that list got first turn.

So in terms of the league, Neil is out in front with 3 games and 3 wins, one of those was against me and it may or may not get a batrep. Phil is second and the others are arrayed in order of points. It is of note that not everyone has played the same number of games and with the onset of COVID 19 it is uncertain when any more games will be played. The league is on hold but it will return!

Thanks for reading.