Update

I don't know about you all but I was hoping that with reduced hours at work, no club for the foreseeable future and spare time on my hands that I'd be able to focus on some hobby time. Mainly building and painting my space marines, AoS undead army and painting up some cars for Gaslands. Instead I'm just finding that I can't focus on that. Been that way for a couple weeks now and I can't get motivated to do anything.

I'm guessing from what I'm seeing on other blogs that everyone else is having a whale of a time focusing on the game. So, I'm throwing this out as a cry of help. Give me some suggestions for getting motivated back into the hobby side of things right now. How are you managing it?

Hope you are all safe and well though in this difficult time. Stay safe all.

Update

Unfortunately due to the Coronavirus outbreak our club has been put on hold for the time being and the venue has closed. Just as we started the league as well.

League Details - 2020

Our 40K league starts this week with each round lasting 3 weeks so that everyone has time to fit their games in. Fingers crossed this should be fun and hopefully it might bring people back into the fold.

Our armies are as follows:

Colin :       Space Marines (Rift Wardens - Imperial Fists successor).
Adam :      Thousand Sons.
Ashleigh : Astra Militarum (Regimental Doctrines)
Brian :       Ynnari.
Chris :       Chaos Space Marines (Night Lords / Iron Warriors).
Dan :         Adeptus Custodes.
David :      Astra Militarum (Regimental Doctrines / Militarum Tempestus).
Luke :       Death Guard.
Mark :       Thousand Sons.
Jon :          Necrons (Mephrit Dynasty).

My first match is on the 19th against Luke's Death Guard. We played a practice game a couple weeks ago so this will be a return revenge match as he beat me last time!

A post to get thoughts out

I have had a fair few games with my new space marine army over the last couple months. I just haven't had time nor drive to write up many battle reports. Just another case of real life getting in the way.

I started off doing really well with them and had a higher win-lose rate which was a nice change from playing Genestealer Cults. Lately I've had more losses than wins but I put that down to playing some good players and just relaxing with the game. I have fun, win or lose, and that is the point.

Lately I had a really good battle against the new Sisters of Battle codex. The way my opponent had spoken about them and the things they could do, I was expecting to get steamrolled but it turned out to be one of the better games I have had of late. We both inflicted severe casualties upon one another but I was able to score enough victory points to give me the edge.

Other recent matches against Grey Knights and Necrons have not gone so well. I've enjoyed the games but have come away a little disjointed. Were the dice not in my favour, did my opponent have more tactical skill than me, was there anything I could have done better? I dwell on things like that a little too much when I have a losing streak. My most recent game was against Tau using tactical objectives but on a table where we didn't have a lot of LOS blocking terrain which was just playing into my opponent's favour. Good game but walked away afterwards feeling rather put out. Not by my opponent. He was a good fair player and a good sport. I felt that in some way the game had cheated me. By skill alone, my opponent was someone who I should have beaten fairly easily and it didn't turn out that way.

In other news and something else that may have put me in the current gaming funk... I've been trying to organise a new 40K league. When I set the club up nearly 15 years ago we had several players and we used to run frequent leagues. Some were just play everyone. Some were map/tile control type ones with similar rules to the old Mighty Empires. The thing is everyone enjoyed them and we had a good time. Most of those players have either now given up the game, moved to other games (Horus Heresy for one) or just don't aren't all that interested anymore. The club has grown since those days and we have a host of new members. The issue is that they aren't the same people and some of them don't want to play a league for various reasons.

In 2019 I started up a narrative campaign using the Vigilus books and initially it seemed well received. After a couple months it started to go south. It seemed some didn't want to play the narrative style missions because they weren't 100% fair (bare in mind this was a fun narrative campaign with no reward for which player or faction won at the end) and gave up. Some didn't like the little narrative rules for each round. Others felt that they couldn't commit due to obvious real life issues, which is fair enough but as each round was 4 weeks long I just felt that that response was an excuse. After five months I think I had had enough and just dropped it. That was probably when I stopped posting on here as much.

Flash forward to a couple months ago and suddenly there are posters on our club Facebook page asking about a league. A discussion started and I started to become hopeful that maybe we could get the good old days of the club back up again. But then it started to go south again. Some people were interested but only if the army lists were fixed. Some don't like the idea of fixed lists because they get bored. Some didn't want to stick to the same codex because they would get bored. Straight away my hopes of getting this off the ground felt like they were being dashed.

Thankfully, the guiding light of the Astronomicon has pulled me through this and we have several of us actually going to try it out. We are going to be playing 1500 points, fixed lists including warlord trait, artefact, psychic powers, relics and pre-spent stratagems. I've got the players giving me their lists at the moment and once I have them, I'll assign an Eternal War mission to each round before I randomly assign opponents for each round. I have hopes that the players involved will stick to it and we can have a league like the good old days of the club.

I suppose the problem is that I feel our club has become somewhat stagnant. We have some great people who I am pleased to call good friends. We just don't get much in the way of fresh blood and if we do, they don't seem to last long. We don't just play 40K. There is some small interest in Age of Sigmar. We have a fair bit of interest in Necromunda, and a few of the guys enjoy Horus Heresy and Adeptus Titanicus. In the past Bolt Action was popular among a few. I sometimes feel that these games get in the way of 40K which was our original focal point but obviously as long as people are playing I'm happy. That's the point.


I want to feel empowered again by this hobby that I love but lately, this past year or so, I'm just not feeling it. I'm sure it isn't just the club or the games, but it feels like it. I think once I set this new league in motion (I am playing in it too) than I'll step back a bit and see if I can't try and find my niche in things again.

Thanks for reading if you made it this far. :)

Battle Report - Space Marines vs Necrons

Rift Wardens (Imperial Fists) vs Necrons (Sautekh).
Points: 1500-ish
Mission: Crusade.
Deployment: Hammer and Anvil.

First game of 2020 and I challenged Marko to a game against his Necrons. Wanting to try out the new Chapter Approved 2019 missions I picked Crusade as it was the first basic mission in the book. We rolled Hammer and Anvil deployment, and I rolled myself as the Attacker. Mark tried to seize the initiative and failed.

I started the game holding two objectives and should have been in advance range of two more. Unfortunately my dice were not great on this and neither of the advance units reached range to control the central objectives. I did walk my Redemptor dreadnought forward and for the first shooting phase of the game, it gunned down and entire unit of 15 necron warriors. Marko only had three warrior squads so this was a good round for me. I also attempted lascannon fire upon one of his annihilation barges but due to their infuriating shielding I failed to do anything to it.

His turn one and he started marching forward. He did kill a couple marines but this night his dice were quite bad. He could have done better had they rolled in his favour more through the night. I think Marko was a little concerned as I play more aggressive with my Rift Wardens than I have previous ones. He isn't used to me pushing forwards and wasn't sure quite what to do.

Turn two and I managed to reach the objectives in the centre. I was able to pour a lot of bolt and plasma fire into his units but didn't manage to bring down as many as I wanted. In return Marko managed to restore some slain warriors and in his shooting phase was able to give back as good as I had dealt him in my first turn. I lost quite a few inceptors during that shooting.

Over the next two turns the game turned in Marko's favour. While I was gunning down a few warriors at a time, and my interceptors did attempt to bring down his warlord, his shooting was more then adequate to reduce my numbers right down. When he brought in his Flayed Ones and Nightbringer in turn 3 that didn't help me either. He had enough of them that once they charged in, they took me out in a couple rounds of combat.

Turn 5 and I conceded the battle. I had a handful of helblasters and my chapter master left while Marko had twice my victory points. I was not in a position from turn 4 on wards to fight back. It was a good game although I was disappointed that I couldn't do better considering how the game started off. At some point in the future we'll have to have a rematch.

---


++ Brigade Detachment +12CP (Imperium - Space Marines) [81 PL, -4CP, 1,509pts] ++

**Chapter Selection**: Imperial Fists, Imperial Fists Successor, Inheritors of the Primarch

+ HQ [11 PL, -2CP, 206pts] +

Chapter Master in Gravis Armor [6 PL, -2CP, 108pts]: Boltstorm gauntlet [12pts], Iron Resolve, Master-crafted power sword [6pts], Stratagem: Chapter Master [-2CP], The Burning Blade, Warlord

Primaris Librarian [5 PL, 98pts]: 2) Might of Heroes, 3) Null Zone, Force sword [8pts]

+ Troops [25 PL, -2CP, 425pts] +

Intercessor Squad [10 PL, -2CP, 170pts]: Bolt rifle, Veteran Intercessors [-2CP]
9x Intercessor [153pts]
Intercessor Sergeant [17pts]

Intercessor Squad [10 PL, 170pts]: Bolt rifle
9x Intercessor [153pts]
Intercessor Sergeant [17pts]

Intercessor Squad [5 PL, 85pts]: Bolt rifle
4x Intercessor [68pts]
Intercessor Sergeant [17pts]

+ Elites [22 PL, 425pts] +

Aggressor Squad [10 PL, 148pts]: 3x Aggressor [63pts], Aggressor Sergeant [21pts]
Auto Boltstorm Gauntlets/Fragstorm Grenade Launcher [64pts]

Dreadnought [5 PL, 120pts]: Missile launcher [20pts], Twin lascannon [40pts]

Redemptor Dreadnought [7 PL, 157pts]: 2x Fragstorm Grenade Launchers [8pts], Heavy flamer [14pts], Heavy Onslaught Gatling Cannon [30pts]

+ Fast Attack [7 PL, 123pts] +

Inceptor Squad [7 PL, 123pts]: Assault bolter x2 [48pts], 2x Inceptor [50pts], Inceptor Sergeant [25pts]

+ Heavy Support [16 PL, 330pts] +

Hellblaster Squad [16 PL, 330pts]: Plasma incinerator [150pts]
9x Hellblaster [162pts]
Hellblaster Sergeant [18pts]: Bolt pistol

The Rift Wardens

My Genestealer Cult is no more. It has been sold in order to take the girlfriend on weekend away next year to Nottingham (not for any personal reason I can think of...). Not that I was winning much with the Cult anyway. I had lost a lot of enjoyment from them in recent months. Probably the reason why my blog sort fizzled away.

 Instead I have purchased a sizable Primaris army for next to nothing from a friend and repainting them as my own chapter, the Rift Wardens - an Imperial Fists successor. The chapter is purely Primaris and fleet based. The Rift Wardens patrol the Imperial side of the Cicatrix Maledictum, responding to reports of incursions.

So far played three games with them under the new SM codex. Beat a combined Chaos Daemons army (you can read that battle report below this post) and a friends Aeldari Corsairs. Only army to beat me so far, and it was very close, was Hive Fleet Leviathan.

I can't paint very well. It's been thirty two years since I started 40K and it's not a skill I have nor do I have the patience for it. So, with that in mind firstly forgive me for my lack of painting skills (they are still very much works in progress too), and secondly, the lens on my camera phone is smashed so they aren't great quality pictures.

Chapter Master Aureilus, who wields the Crusader's Blade (Burning Blade relic). 

 

Reclusiarch Mordred. 

Uther, Master of Sanctity/Chief Librarian. 

The paint jobs on the infantry look better in person. My camera doesn't do them any justice at all. 

Although I am building the third company, the transfer sheets I have only have the II icon, so all my dreadnoughts must have been loaned out to the 3rd for the duration of their battles. 

I had thought about a silver and purple colour scheme for space marines when 8th edition first dropped but as I was focused on Death Guard at the time I didn't bother pursuing it. After giving Death Guard and Genestealer Cults ago - I think GSC were just a throwback one the army I had under Rogue Trader in the 80's - I have felt drawn to the space marines again. After three games I am enjoying playing them again after becoming disinterested with space marines in the early days of 7th edition.

The only problem I have now is getting 2000 points painted before the 2nd of November, when eight of us are going up to Nottingham for a weekend of gaming. And here's me with little silver paint left!! Help! Wish me luck.

Terror from the Rift

Rift Wardens (Imperial Fists) vs Daemons of Nurgle, Khorne and Tzeentch.
Points: 1500
Mission: Dominate and Destroy.
Deployment: Hammer and Anvil.

The first proper game for my new primaris space marine chapter, the Rift Wardens, pitted them against my friend Gary's chaos daemons army. He was playing a nice combination of Nurgle and Tzeentch.

After setting up the six objectives, they were quite heavily stacked to one end of the table. Thankfully we were playing Hammer and Anvil deployment and I got to choose which end I wanted. Naturally I picked the side with three easily accessible objectives. I set up as a traditional gunline so that the daemons had to come at me across the table.

I let my opponent have the first turn so that his forces had to run towards their doom and into my bolter fire. With no other choice, that is exactly what he did. Bloodletters and Flesh Hounds leading the charge while the Plaguebearers followed up slowly at the back. Gary had a couple Tzeentch chariots held back and his Horrors were still waiting in the Warp.

Over the first couple turns of the game, I was happily mowing down his Flesh Hounds and Bloodletters. Most lost enough casualties that in the morale phase the rest vanished back into the Warp. He passed one roll with a double one and managed to bring the unit back up again but they didn't last long. After the Flesh Hounds died, the right flank was in the hands of Karanak and once my Chapter Master and his Aggressor bodyguards got into combat, the mighty hound of Khorne was no more. This left Skulltaker, his warlord, as the remaining character.

Gary then found a spot in my back lines to deploy his horrors and they popped into existence, and starting pouring eldritch flame into my lines. Thankfully they didn't do well and I didn't lose many but it did mean that I had to turn one Intersessor unit to focus fire on them. In return I dropped my three man Inceptor squad into his deployment zone, where they gunned down the unit holding the objective there. They didn't last long themselves as Gary turned a Chariot around and over two rounds cut them down.

By turn 4 though the Bloodletters had been decimated, one chariot was in ruins and all Gary had coming at me was a handful of Plaguebearers and Skulltaker. The Plaguebearers died a death at the cannon and fist of my Redemptor Dreadnought and in an amazing roll of the dice, my Librarian charged into Skulltaker and took his head before he could fight back.

Turn 5 and the game ended with me in a clear victory.... 20 points to Gary's 11. Probably the best outcome that I have ever had in a game of 40K. A very good game and one where I was pleased that a reasonably static gunline was still viable for marines. I definitely prefer playing Primaris over regular marines.

In the past I would have had serious difficulty with Daemons but it shows how in the right mission with the right deployment, even someone as casual as I can do well. I look forward to the rematch.

---

At the moment I only have a single static list until I get my army painted and then new options added. Here is what I presently have fielded:


++ Battalion Detachment +5CP (Imperium - Space Marines) [76 PL, -4CP, 1,483pts] ++

+ No Force Org Slot +

**Chapter Selection**: Imperial Fists, Imperial Fists Successor, Inheritors of the Primarch

+ HQ [11 PL, -2CP, 206pts] +

Chapter Master in Gravis Armor [6 PL, -2CP, 108pts]: Boltstorm gauntlet [12pts], Iron Resolve, Master-crafted power sword [6pts], Stratagem: Chapter Master [-2CP], The Burning Blade, Warlord

Primaris Librarian [5 PL, 98pts]: 2) Might of Heroes, 3) Null Zone, Force sword [8pts]

+ Troops [25 PL, -2CP, 425pts] +

Intercessor Squad [5 PL, 85pts]: Bolt rifle
4x Intercessor [68pts]
Intercessor Sergeant [17pts]

Intercessor Squad [10 PL, 170pts]: Bolt rifle
9x Intercessor [153pts]
Intercessor Sergeant [17pts]

Intercessor Squad [10 PL, -2CP, 170pts]: Bolt rifle, Veteran Intercessors [-2CP]
9x Intercessor [153pts]
Intercessor Sergeant [17pts]

+ Elites [17 PL, 394pts] +

Aggressor Squad [5 PL, 111pts]: 2x Aggressor [42pts], Aggressor Sergeant [21pts]
Auto Boltstorm Gauntlets/Fragstorm Grenade Launcher [48pts]

Dreadnought [5 PL, 120pts]: Missile launcher [20pts], Twin lascannon [40pts]

Redemptor Dreadnought [7 PL, 163pts]: 2x Fragstorm Grenade Launchers [8pts], Heavy flamer [14pts], Heavy Onslaught Gatling Cannon [30pts], Icarus Rocket Pod [6pts]

+ Fast Attack [7 PL, 123pts] +

Inceptor Squad [7 PL, 123pts]: Assault bolter x2 [48pts], 2x Inceptor [50pts], Inceptor Sergeant [25pts]

+ Heavy Support [16 PL, 335pts] +

Hellblaster Squad [16 PL, 335pts]: Plasma incinerator [150pts]
9x Hellblaster [162pts]
Hellblaster Sergeant [23pts]: Plasma pistol [5pts]

OPtv - battle report

My friends over at OPtv have a new battle report up using the new supplements for Raven Guard and White Scars. Give it a watch and if you like their content, please consider subscribing.

Drop Site Alpha - Thule Ultima Narrative Battle 2

Points: 2000.
Mission: Retrieval Mission.
Deployment: Search and Destroy.

Finally got the second game played a few weeks ago with my friend Joel. This time we picked a basic mission from the rule book and went for it with a slightly bigger point game. Joel's army was essentially the same but with a few extra marines and bikes, while I upped some squad sizes and included a couple fortifications to round out the points.

It was quite a brutal game. Where as last time Joel was learning the rules, this time he had a much better grasp of things and it showed. His army was a lot faster going forward this time and I found myself stuck in the usual defensive posture that games with my Genestealer Cult tend to devolve into. The Dark Angels swept across my opponent's side of the table throwing out a lot of firepower although I did manage to awesome shots with both leman russ tanks that eventually brought one down but the other kept flying although crippled.

The Dark Angel bike squads supported by an apothecary were the real bane of my game this time around. Every time I managed to drop one of them, he brought it back on one wound. The marines were in my lines turn 2 and there was little I could do about it. When his terminators arrived I knew I was in trouble. Where Joel was winning initially in the shooting phase he soon started crushing me in combat. Even my genestealers and patriarch were brutally pummeled.

The game ended turn 3 and I hadn't even made it out of my deployment zone really before I was utterly devastated. I had barely any models left and I had to call it. Good game but considering Joel's new arrival into these rules I expected to have a better go of it.

OPtv Battle #3