The Empire Vs. High Elves, now with more camera failure.

My camera has failed me. As a result I have not been able to upload the BT photos. However through my kung fu grip on the English language, I shall paint for you a scene, that, while not a turn-by-turn analysis, is pretty accurate.

Dawn, the morning mists swirl away, revealing a rustic chapel, yellow painted aged brown from age, the trees rustling in the breeze. Above the gentle shaking of branches, the sermon of a Warrior-Priest is heard. Clad in a simple red robe, bearing a shield in one hand and a hammer in the other, he bellows unforgiving verses from the Canticle of the Heldenhammer. Heart-felt cries of approval emerge from the gathered crowd. Nineteen swordsmen, their black and white shields battered, their blades knicked and damaged form battle; ten Greatswords, standing proud in stained armor and leaning on their massive blades. The ten handgunners and mortar team stand away from the men, loading their arms, checking powder, shot, making sure all is in order. The wild form of the local Jade Wizard stands near a grove a trees. From the west, a call of horns is heard.

The drilled marching of feet and the gallop of hooves is heard. A glittering host of disciplined fighters emerge from the forest, resplendent in white cloth and silver mail, wielding fine spears, master crafted bows and massive seven foot long blades. Their liege lord arrives at the front of the column and bellows "Men of the Empire, your Shrine stands upon an Anvil of Voul! Remove yourselves!". Silence, followed by the single report of a rifle. The missile whizzes past the Elf Nobleman's ear. "So be it."

The rallying cries of the Warrior-Priest pierce the dawn as the Swordsmen gather around him. The mortar team lays down their venerable war-machine near the chapel. The Hangunners postion themselves opposite the Greatswords. Across the field marked only by the ruin of a single pillar of stone forms the High Elven line.

Brilliant banners rise above the silver helmed heads of rows of hardened Sea-Guard, standing next to the grim and skilled Swordmasters, their blades gleaming with a magical sharpness. A falcon soars above. The rustle of leaves, the movement of shapes in the forest. A murmured prayer here, a reassuring glance from a friend, the though of those at home.

Horns blare, the Sea-Guard march forward in perfect lines. The Nobleman observes the proceedings.

"FORWARD, SONS OF SIGAMR" Cries the Warrior-Priest, the Swordsmen rush forward, and meet Elven spears with Dwarfen shield and Imperial steel. The Elve's super-natural speed and skill lay-low two swordsmen, while the powerful strikes of the Warrior-Priest's hammer and the combined might of two ranks of Swordsmen bring three Elves to their deaths. The Nobleman jumps into the unit of Swordmasters, and moves towards the Handgunners, who reply with well aimed retorts of the armor piercing, lead-based variety, and two Swordmasters collapse under the weight of the fire. A mortar fires, slaying two Reaver horsemen, who ready thier bows and fire, slaying the Jade Wizard.

Through sheer fury, the Warrior-Priest leads his Swordsmen to victory, slaying the Sea-Guard to a Elf, and bellowing a challenge to the Reaver Champion, who engages him in single-combat. The Swordmaster charge the Handgunner's Greatsword escort, slaying all ten of the rugged veterans in a flash of steel and blood, leaping over still warm corpses and charging the Handgunners, who respond by letting loose a storm of lead, cutting down the five Swordmasters too slow to dodge the projectiles. However, four Swordmasters remain, as well the Nobleman, who chop through the Handgunners with smug ease. The Warrior priest slams blow after blow with his hammer, while the Reaver Champion parrys and ducks and weaves. A flash of Elven steel, a splash of crimson as the Champion removes the Warrior Priest's head in a moment of weakened defense.

And that its. for those who wish to know, the Elves won, due to the Victory Point system. However, I really enjoyed this game, it was really fun and a nice change of pace from all the Skaven and Tau. Ogres here tomorrow, thanks for reading.

Dose O' Hobby 10/29/10

This is a new feature I'm debating weather or not to add. Basically a tri-weekly update with what I'm working on. Lets see how everyone likes it.

Here;s a picture of what I worked on today. Finally managed to get to work on the Cadian battleforce, and painted some more BT's, as well the High Elf mage.


I wanted to make each squad of the Heavy Weapons team look different, so I added minor details on each. I also figured that a dedicated heavy weapons team would likely have some sort of sergeant, so I added the power sword/augmetic arm to the lead team, as well as a muzzle extension to their autocannon, though I left the autocannon un-glued , so that I can swap them out for Lascannons in case I face any MEQ armies.


The Black Templars, as always, are very easy to paint, to the point where I didnt use highlights. A base coat of black, sevral thin layers of white, some scab red, and BOOM they are done. Now the mage was ,uch more difficult. It has an infuriatingly high level of detail. However, I must say I enjoyed the cape. More on that in a bit. I really wanted to keep a cool color motif, so I stuck to blues, silvers, the like. Even the cloth isn't white, i mixed a small amount of ultramarine blue into my white paint, so it is a very subtle shade of powder blue in the right light. I made the helmet gold to blend with the warm tan-yellow of his skin, and to attempt to draw the eye there.

And here is the cape:

I really enjoyed painting the cape. I started with an airbrushed layer of white paint, followed by a heavy drybrush of ultramirne blue. When that dried, I applied a lighter layer of Folkartbrand cobalt, leaving the darker ultramarine in the recesses. With that done, I used a metallic cobalt highlight along the crests of the cape's folds, and I really like hot it turned out. I'll likely be adding gold designs along the edges for some contrast.

Island Of Blood, High Elves vs. Skaven

I felt it appropriate to have the first battle teport also be the first game at the South Walton Game Club, as well as using the new starter set for the new edition. Wow, quadruple whammy. Anyways, here it is:

We played using a 2 by 3 foot surface, as we where only using the Island o' Blood minis. I'm High Elves, my buddy Will is Skaven.

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Sorry for the poor quality of the deployment pic, but I forgot to take pictures, so I improving with paint. We settled on playing the Blood and Glory mission, with a pre determined fortitude of 3.

The High elf mage has Lore of Beast, with the signature spell (Wyssan's Wildform), the Skaven Warlock( marked W)has Warp Lighting.

Turn One (Elves)
I move the Dawn Riders forward a full Nine Inches, and open fire on the Clanrat unit with the Hand weapons, 3 are killed. Callidus (the Mage) moves forward and into range of the Arcane ruins, gaining a bonus to channeling. Magic phase is uneventful, I got a total of 12 power dice, and attempted to cast Wildform on the Dawn Riders, but the Warlock Engineer Ratchitt dispelled it. No close combat this turn.

Turn 1 (Skaven) The rat ogres move 6 inches, between the table edge and Arcane Ruins, as Ratchitt skitters toward the ruins as well. Channeling bonuses for all. The Spear Rats attempt to charge, but only roll a measly 3 total, and move forward 2 inches. The second clanrat unit is more lucky, and charge into the Dawn Riders, who declare a stand and shoot reaction (this will lead to them being wiped out to a man) and kill 3 rats again. Having Always strike first, the Riders attack, but only kill 3 rats, while the rats slay 1 dawn rider, thanks to the rats musician, they gain a +1 to their combat resolution, which leads to a draw, the battle rages on. Ratchit casts warp lightning on the Prince's griffon, wounding it, and shoots it, wounding it again. ( I'm aware this is out of order, we resolved the charge combat first)



Turn 2 (Elves)

The Swordmasters move near the ruins, to attempt to engage the rat ogres later, Callidus casts Wildform on the Dawn Riders, and it succeeds. The Sea Guard open fire with their bows on Ratchitt, causing 1 wound. The Dawn Reavers strike at the Skaven, only slaying 3. The clanrats retaliate, slaying 2 Dawn Riders. The battle continues.

Turn 2 (Skaven)
Ratchitt opens fire with his pistol, wounding the Griffin once more. The Clanrats with spears slay the Dawn Riders, and surge forward. Aside form the utter destruction of the Dawn Riders, nothing else happens.

Turn 3 (Elves)
The Prince Charges the Spear Rats, who attempt to slay the griffin with their Flame Thrower, to no avail, and are Panicked, fleeing, which causes the Hand Weapons Rats to flee away to the table edge, The Prince gives choice and slams into the rear of the Spear Rats (hurr hurr hurr) Callidus miscasts on Wildform, boosting the Prince's Str and Toughness by one, but suffers magical feedback and is slain.

Turn 3 (Skaven)
The Hand Weapon Rats flee off table. Ratchitt attemps to cast Warp Lightning, rolls a miscast, and as his Warp Lightning bounces of the The Prince (5+ ward save), while he (Ratchitt) suffers a Dimensional Cascade, hurling himself into the Realm Of Chaos, as the nearby rat ogres take 1 wound, while Verminkin takes a wound. Warlord Verminkin had charged the Prince that Movement phase form the side, but lands only one hit on Him, while the Spear rats are torn to near shreds and flee (I realize that the Skaven should have lost, as a fleeing SB always dies, but this slipped my mind then.) They flee, almost leaving the table.

Turn 4 (Elves)
This is focused solely on the Prince and The Warlords epic battle. The Prince assaults Verminkin with a flurry of blows, but Verminkin blocks them all, while the Prince block all of Verminkins desperate blows. Verminkin is slain by the Prince's Griffin, who tears him apart with beak and talon.

VICTORY FOR THE ELVES!