Lets go take a look at Month 5 Wave 1 of the 40k 2nd Edition Challenge! This month has a sub-theme of Pop Culture which I totally forgot about, and apparently so did everyone else here in Wave 1!
| Number of models painted: | 8 | Number of points : | 277 |
| Hours spent painting: | 6 | Crisis level (1-5): | 1 |
Gargoyle Brood, 6, NA, 96
Malefactor, 1, N/A, 80
Lictor, 1, Acid Blood, 101
This month was another bonus challenge with the theme a pop culture reference, and with Tyranids there are plenty of 80’s and 90’s icons that I could have gone for, but a Lictor painted up as an Alien Xenomorph and with the acid blood biomorph was just too tempting to resist! I mean, let’s get real – these guys played a massive inspiration for this whole Tyranid range. Alongside the Lictor I was able to finish up my initial pledge with the Malefactor and a Gargoyle Brood. The Gargoyles are a massive glass cannon, but the ability to fly high and appear anywhere to disgorge their flame template weapons will give all opponents pause for thought as to how they deploy their armies!
This proved to be the case when I got the opportunity to play my remembered scenario – the Tyranid Attack mission for the first time. It always looked a lot of fun and certainly gave my opponent plenty of new tactical decisions, mainly about just how fast and far he could drive his vehicles away from the onrushing swarm! With that scenario played, I believe I am only 3 spots away from a full house on the Bingo, and on 290 points!
Wachtmeister: That is a beefy selection of old school bugs. Normally we don’t count non – WYSIWYG upgrades in the points value but in the case of the Aliens inspired Lictor we really don’t have a choice! Alex has been crushing the Race to Terra (Bingo) I have full faith he’s going to get a full house!
| Number of models painted: | 3 | Number of points : | 452pts |
| Hours spent painting: | 7 | Crisis level (1-5): | 1 |
Death Jester – 125pts
Shadow Seer – Grenade Pack, power fist, laspistol – 214pts
Solitaire – Harlequins Kiss, “Needle Pistol” – 113pts
For whatever reason, I was REALLY worried about getting this entry finished… the end of the school year push had me concerned about time, I think… so , I finished this entry the first week of June and then had a lot of time to figure out next steps. I’m excited for my July entry!
I’ve chosen to arm the solitaire with a needle pistol. I’m pretty sure it’s sculpted with a neuro disruptor, but I can’t find an entry in the Eldar codex for that… internet, if you can point me in the right direction, I’d appreciate it!
I’m also enjoying the warmer weather that’s making 3d printing easier as I start to build an Eldar Dawn of War themed terrain set!
Wachtmeister: That’s a powerful trio of Harlequin characters! I really like the purple, they all tie together nicely but still look very distinct from each other! I can’t wait to play on Deacon’s future Dawn of War table!
| Number of models painted: | 1 | Number of points : | 160 |
| Hours spent painting: | 20 | Crisis level (1-5): | 3 |
Gideon, Master of the Ravenwing with Bike, The Raven Sword, Meltagun, Bolt Pistol, Frag and Krak Grenades, Draven the Cyber Raven. 125 points + wargear.
This month I focused on my final* miniature for the challenge: Gideon, Master of the Ravenwing. For his special rules, I focused on the hit-and-run tactics the Ravenwing are so famous for. Gideon can always make a hit-and-run attack (even when driving a landspeeder!), and his Raven Sword is a little more powerful than a normal powersword, dealing D3 wounds. He is accompanied by his trusty Cyber Raven, which allows him to parry once per game.
I have also been busy on the hobby front, building some Deathwing tipis that fit nicely on a terrain piece that includes a “working” bonfire. I used The Deathwing short story as my main inspiration for this, using additional native symbols inspired by the Deathwing: Space Hulk expansion on the tents. This caused me to fall down a particularly deep rabbit hole, the result of which is a reimagining of the classic “Purge” White Dwarf scenario (WD213). Purge: Rite of the Deathwing allows players to play as the Deathwing squad that single-fistidly saved their homeworld from a genestealer infestation. A huge thanks to Martin “Tain” Taylor, who sent me a bunch of photos to help create the Genestealer standees (just in case you don’t have models to play the scenario!). I have play-tested the scenario a few times and it hits me right in the nostalgia. Be wary; it is unforgiving…
*Month 6 is going to be nuts.
Wachtmeister: After almost seven challenges this has to be my favorite entry from m4cr0Dutch. Gideon looks terrific, as do the Deathwing, but the hommage to the classic Deathwing story is just incredible. It’s a shame Games Workshop has gone away from that and went with the less original knights theme for the Dark Angels but this version will always be what I think of when I think of the Deathwing!
| Number of models painted: | 5 | Number of points : | 205pts |
| Hours spent painting: | 15ish | Crisis level (1-5): | 2 |
Assault combat squad. 5 models. Jump packs, chainswords, power fist, flamer, plasma pistol. 205pts.
This month I’ve completed the assault squad, these were meant to be a bonus last month but it wasn’t to be.
I’d planned to finish the terminator squad as well, I got over half way with them so that’ll be for next month. Anyway, love these beakie marines and I think they’re perfectly suited to assault with the super stealth beaks.
The sergeant is one gnarly dude and fits well with the others.
The jump packs are 3d printed ,£20 a go for originals is too far for me, the chainsword arms are also 3d printed as they didn’t have the option then and the later ones are too bulky. These were based off the rt medics arm and work a treat!
Hopefully a big month next month, I plan an objective marker, make some more space cacti and finish the terminators. And very hopefully move away from painting dark green and paint some death wing.
Wachtmeister: Red and white checks were apparently not enough of a painting challenge so Justin added hazard stripes as well! These guys look terrific like the rest of his army and I’m looking forward to seeing his take on the Deathwing!
| Number of models painted: | 17 | Number of points : | 578 |
| Hours spent painting: | 30 | Crisis level (1-5): | 2 |
The Carnophage: 225pts
Lictor: 96pts
6 Termagants w. Fleshborers: 36pts
Brother Dazza, the Standard Bearer w. boltgun: 58pts
Combat Squad Damo, led by Brother Damo who wields a bolt pistol and chainsword. One absolute legend has a flamer. 163pts
3 gigarachnids
Welcome back fellow mutated abominations! How’s the parasitic weapon settling in? I’d probably get some Savlon on that if I were you…
Well, this was definitely a fun month! While I may be typing this submission with just over an hour to go before the cutoff, I actually had so much fun fleshing out my collection with my own interpretation of a new Tyranid creature, the Carnophage (think of it as a more shooty, less fighty Carnifex). Check out the rules and have a go yourself – I’d love to see other people’s “homemade” Tyranid monstrosities!
There has also been a small squad of Death Emus arrive on Uluru, with Brother Dazza the ripper legend company standard bearer and Combat Squad Damo, who are also dead set champions. There are even a handful of gigarachnids that got caught up in everything!
Well then, one month to go and am going to be going for some more of the hobby bingo spaces next month, but just like this hive fleet, the world is my oyster!
Till next time,
Tain
Wachtmeister: Martin really brought his A game this month. We had a lot of fun discussing ideas for his special character in our group chat, I can’t wait to hear how it does on the battlefield! I’m also thrilled to see some Death Emu Space Marines from the Uluru campaign booklet. I’m tempted to paint a squad myself in the final month, but my mono pose marines may just end up as Dark Angels. Time (and not much of it) shall tell!
| Number of models painted: | 6 | Number of points : | 338 |
| Hours spent painting: | 20 | Crisis level (1-5): | 2 |
Fuegan The Burning Lance: Fast Shot, Mighty Strike, Turn Aside Blow, The Fire Axe, The Firepike [176 pts]
Exarch Dire Avenger: Laspistol, Power Sword, Shuriken Pistol, Battle Fortune, Disarm [74 pts]
Dire Avenger Squad: 4x Dire Avenger(Laspistol, Shuriken Catapult) [88 pts]
This month was the worst. Too many things outside of painting to stay focus on the painting desk. I got good intention but only ended up painting half of what was planned. At least I got a good start for next month!
Anyway, Fuegan was started the previous month and was painfully completed.
Then I started the Dire Avengers group, managed to finish the squad and the exarch. Asurmen will wait.
A mere 6 models added this month, but it’s better than nothing.
For the final month, I’ll need to complete the original pledge (missing 5 Wraithguards) and what was supposed to be done this month!
Wachtmeister: While Julien may be slightly behind schedule what he has accomplished this month is terrific. I think Fuegan looks incredible as do the Dire Avengers. I think my favorite part of this entry is the Dire Avengers Aspect pink power sword. That’s a Martin favorite for power weapons and it looks great here painted by Julian!
| Number of models painted: | 2 | Number of points : | 310 |
| Hours spent painting: | 10 | Crisis level (1-5): | 4 |
Lictor – 96
Hive Tyrant 164
Venom Cannon, 2 Boneswords 52 216
This was not an easy month for me. I have had a lot of real life happening and so have not spent much time on the challenge.
In addition – my eldest managed to drop the 6 metal, previously painted tyranid warriors while putting them in my car – shattering them into a million pieces. I have had to re-pin, reconstruct and essentially completely repaint all 6. I may an accidental, bingo: Update a model after a feat in battle. All the bonesword warriors had their lower arms replaced with 3d printed, rather more dangerous looking options (due to losing one when they were dropped) and the did see successful battle killing 2 of Martins warriors. Given the sheer amount of additional effort that I have put into these I am saying it counts.
In all. I have managed to put in my pledge, the hive tyrant, and my bonus, the lictor. I have also included the 6 warriors to show their current form.
Wachtmeister: Some battles are more physical than others, the fact that Adrian was able to pick himself up off the floor and get these guys back into action more than counts for a few points on the Race to Terra graph! I’m impressed by how seamless the new pieces look, if I were to do an upgrade like that they wouldn’t look nearly as clean!
| Number of models painted: | 13 | Number of points : | 200 |
| Hours spent painting: | 20 | Crisis level (1-5): | 5 |
Acolyte, 1 model, carapace armour, bolt pistol and power axe: 25 points
Allied Imperial Guard heavy weapons squad, 6 models (7 counting lascannon) lascannon, 2 missile launchers:
Cultists, 5 models, autoguns: 25 points
This was by far the most difficult month, not because the painting subjects were particularly challenging but because of outside factors. First, I had a trip to visit family in the US, which prevented me from painting for two weeks. Shortly after I returned, the UK suffered a heat wave that lasted for several days and made the study, where I usually paint, pretty uncomfortable during the day. I finished the last model on the afternoon of June 30. Still, I got there in the end.
It just so happened that I had almost enough Cadians to make the Imperial Guard squad: the extra Grenadier/em-4 figure helped round it out, and those models were a pretty common sight in 2nd edition Guard armies, so I feel happy about it. The lascannon, which I got second-hand, was missing its shield, so I had to improvise one out of card. I might go back and elaborate it a bit more next month. As always, the cultists are a ragtag, kitbased bunch, and the acolyte is another em-4 model. Some of these paint jobs I wouldn’t look too closely at, but they got done in the end, and perhaps I can use the bonus month to tidy a few things up and earn some hobby bingo points.
All in all, then, not a complete disaster, but by far the most stressful month, even though the actual painting load was not as great as some previous months.
Wachtmeister: The summer months tend to get dicey with vacation time and despite all that James managed to pull off a great looking entry. I didn’t even notice the lascannon shield at first glance! I think it will blend in nicely when looking at the army as a whole, in a big enough battle I don’t think people will even notice. Now that is some true 2nd Edition magic!
The next instalment will be over on Dr. The Viking’s blog the Cowabunga Journal next week!
-Wachtmeister
The Wachtmeister's Patrol 