Horus Heresy Review: Ruinstorm Daemon Behemoth

Background. 
These are the largest and most imposing monster straight out of the warp. They are enormous, living tanks and weapons, but beyond that, their forms are as variable as the masters and whims that they serve.

Strengths.
They're big. They have a massive ten wounds. Yes: ten wounds! And they are monstrous creatures. Their stat line is on par with a primarch overall except for weapon skill and ballistic skill.

They have they special rule, Unstoppable, which affects the way that instant death interacts with them (cause d3 wounds instead) and similar for anything that demands their removal from play. Sniper and Poisoned attacks are reduced to a natural 6 to hurt them too. This is very nice!

Weaknesses.
They cost three times the amount as a greater beast, but I think this extra cost is worth it considering the extra wounds and special rule that we get with the behemoth.

Builds.
Resplendent Terror Build:
Behemoth, Rift Barb, Warp-scaled Hide, Molten Blood (345 points).
Destroy a transport tank. Get in combat with whatever they were carrying. Kill them. They kill themselves when they wound the behemoth. There's little not to like thematically!

Crimson Fury Build:
Behemoth, Brass Collar, Rift Barb, Molten Blood (335 points).
A more points-efficient variation of the above build. Note also: this build is open to Resplendant terror too!

Creeping Scourge Build:
Behemoth, Miasma of Rot, Warp-Scaled Hide, Molten Blood (345 points).
This is just rude. In combat the molten blood hits at strength = user, but the miasma of rot reduces the effective toughness of the opponent by 1. Very nice for taking on deadnoughts in the early game. 

Lurid Onslaught Build:
Behemoth, Stupefying Musk, Rift Barb (325 points).
Another tank hunter really.

Maddening Swarms Build:
I honestly don't think Tzeentch players should use this due to lack of magic or psionic powers. However, if you do, refer to the resplendent terror build, above.

Mirror of Hate Build:
Take the base line Resplendent Terror build, above. 

Horus Heresy Review: Greater Ruinstorm Daemon Beast

Background. 
They are big. And that is about all that we know about the greater ruinstorm daemon beasts. They have a variety of shapes, and are described in the text as casually swatting tanks as if they were toys.

Strengths.
These things are effectively living tanks. With a base strength of 8, they can provide very effective anti-tank in the army to back up any Shrike that you've already given rift barb to. That, and they're a monstrous creature.

Weaknesses.
Not too many to be candid. They're a solid choice and need to be played as a living tank, albeit with 4 wounds each. That said, it would probably be better to invest in a behemoth if the points are available simply because they have superior survivability.

Builds.
Resplendent Terror Build:
Greater Beast, Rift Barb (115 points).
I regard this as the base build. Add on some Warp Hide for extra survivability perhaps.

Crimson Fury Build:
Greater Beast, Brass Collar, Rift Barb (130 points).
Standard Khorne build - and a very nice one it is too.

Creeping Scourge Build:
Greater Beast, Miasma of Rot, Warp-Scaled Hide (140 points).
This is now in a "distraction carnifex" style.

Lurid Onslaught Build:
Greater Beast, Stupefying Musk, Rift Barb (125 points).
Not as survivable as the Khorne version or Nurgle version (both above), but still nice.

Maddening Swarms Build:
Greater Beast, Flaming Ichor (120 points).
The inability to take any magic or psychic powers hurts Tzeentch here. I don't advise taking greater beasts if you are a Tzeentch player. I want to like this slot in the army, but can't for this build. Sorry.

Mirror of Hate Build:
Take the base line build (see resplendent terror, above).

Horus Heresy Review: Ruinstorm Daemon Shrike

Background. 
Potentially dragons breathing fire over the battlefield, or rotting vultures looking for the next snack. These daemons are the over-sized fliers of the Ruinstorm daamon army.

Strengths.
They're big, with a nice stat line, and are fundamentally flying monstrous creatures. However, they are only equipped with close combat weapons like claws and no ranged options which would have to be obtained via emanations.

Weaknesses.
I'd like these to ideally be deployed without the need for regular daemonic deployment, but such is life. The playstyle here calls for swift action and getting in to combat or range very quickly. They are broadly worth the point, but as with many other daemons need to be used well and quickly in a given battle.

Builds.
Resplendent Terror Builds:
Shrike, Corrosive Vomit (170 points).
Its a dragon.  

Shrike, Rift Barb (170 points).
A different type of dragon (anti-tank!).

Crimson Fury Build:
Shrike, Brass Collar, Horned Crown (180 points).
Some sort of flying Khorne monster? I don't know anymore.

Creeping Scourge Build:
Shrike, Miasma of Rot, Warp-Scaled Hide (185 points).
Some grotesque decaying fright bat.

Lurid Onslaught Build:
Shrike, Stupefying musk, Lord of Sorcery (195 points).
Erm?

Maddening Swarms Build:
Shrike, 2x Lord Of Sorcery (210 points).
This one makes more sense, but I've still no idea what model to represent it with.

Mirror of Hate Build:
Shrike, Rift Barb, Lord of Sorcery (195 points).
A utility dragon?

Great Unclean One: Daemonic Sword

A painting update today on the Great Unclean One, focussing in on the weapon he's holding. The sculpt of the Great Unclean One in plastic is simply phenomenal, and laden with a slew of details; the daemonic sword that he holds is no exception to this.

Around a rusted outer edge is a core festooned and embedded with skulls. When I saw this, I wondered immediately if I could somehow bring a bit more life in to this core skull area rather than just stick with a rusted tone. Although others have attempted similar, I figured I wanted my version to stand out as noxiously Nurgle, but also unique. Therefore I opted to have the skull area painted in a contrasting, but consistently Nurgle, green toxic tone.

The painting approach here is straight forward. I undercoated the model in Corax White all over to begin with. I then set to work on the inner region of the blade by giving it a base layer of white. A generous coating of hex wraith flame ink was then applied to give it a spooky and toxic like depth. This was highlighted in a lighter green colour around the skulls and raised parts. I might go over the highlighting again later, but overall I'm happy with this part.

The thing that makes it "pop" a bit more than usual is the muted colours around the edge. I used pure black to outline the blade and base coat the rusted portions. Following this, a dappling of golds, silvers, and bronzes followed on top, laying up a very rusted feeling with a random application of these colours and blends along the entire length of the blade.

Overall, the effect is really nice and speaks volumes of a daemonic blade suitable for wielding by a Great Unclean One. I really like this approach and experiment. Onward with the main body that I'm going to try a master work blend approach on. More about that at a later date.

More Alpha Legion with Contrast Paints

A quick update to my earlier post on using the new Contrast Paints to deal with Alpha Legion power armour painting. Here, I have almost fully painted up my praetor miniature using an undercoat of lead belcher and a coating of Terradon Turquoise on top. The paint scheme follows the usual standards for the Alpha Legion with silver trimmings, and some white markings, with greens used sparingly (notably on one of the shoulder pads where the hydra icon can be seen). 

I'm particularly proud of the free hand lines I've managed on the back of the cloak. But that's not what I really wanted to point out here. Pay closer attention to the right hand shoulder pad. Notice how it not only has that metallic blue sheen to it that we've come to expect from the Alpha Legion (see the lower right leg for more of that silver blue effect!), but also the darker edges next to the silver trim. This is the action of the contrast paint alone, and not something that I've added in like a later wash or glaze. The effect is simply terrific! 

Honestly, I'm tempted to invest more in contrast paints right now -- particularly for black as I feel the cloak could have benefitted from that a lot more. And no: I'm not being paid to say that even. I'm genuinely thrilled by the effects I can get out of the contrast paints.

There's a bit more work to put in to this particular miniature yet, but as it stands, it is more than ready for the table top. 

Unclean and most assuredly Great

A "little" ...erm... "treat" following some recent sales that I've made on eBay from my older miniatures: one of the newer, plastic Great Unclean Ones!

This is a kit that I have wanted to get a hold of for a while, but couldn't quite justify the cost to myself without selling some of my older and unused miniatures. And what a kit it is. It is readily apparent how much design work has gone in to the new Great Unclean One and the superior production values compared to years ago when the metal versions were all the rage.

The size of the miniature is immense too. It has a really dominant presence on the battle field from its sheer height and bulk.

Putting together the miniature was straight forward: it is hollow on the inside, hence its a bit like making a "cup" or semi-spherical object using plastic and glue. The parts slot together really well, and the only choices are which arms and head to attach to the miniature, plus the teeth versus the spilling gut on the front.

For this one, I have opted for the teeth (largely because its a classic in my eyes), the sword in the right arm, and the Rotigus arm for the left hand as I really like the tentacles and the pose -- it looks as if a spell is being cast to my eyes. And if not, then it looks like the right hand is about to come down to chop whatever the left hand is going to grasp on to. I was struggling to choose which head though as both have their merits. I did attempt to put the viper tongue on the symmetric horned head, but a dry fit revealed how poor that worked. Hence I went for the symmetric horned head without any special work done. One nurgling on the shoulder and I was done!

I know that this arrangement is not canon for 40k or Age of Sigmar per se. However, I'm not bothered much since I will be using this primarily in 30k for a Ruinstorm army where such implementations will look excellent.

Horus Heresy Review: Ruinstorm Daemon Cavalry

Background. 
In the old Realms of Chaos books, each god had a steed. For Khorne, it was the juggernauts, for Slaanesh the steeds, Discs of Tzeentch for the god of magic and ... erm ... Nurglings for Nurgle (because they held aloft palanquins of Nurgle -- don't overthink this one).
These days, there are more variances and nuances such as Tzeentch having both discs and the Screamers. Nurgle even has the Rot Fly these days too for a bit of Plaguebearer mounted air support.
This entry in the daemons list is therefore backed up extensively in the canon background and a true and welcome addition.

Strengths.
Naturally, cavalry are treated just as the name suggests (i.e. they have the same unit type as their name!). This means that they come with both fleet and hammer of wrath as standard.

Their stat line is nothing to write home about though: the exact same as lesser daemons, but with one extra attack. This is nice, and also encourages aggressive play with them.

Weaknesses.
As with lesser daemons, they share the same general vulnerabilities. Worse, they cost double the points of lesser daemons. Therefore: don't hold these daemons back - go for the kill.

Builds. 
Resplendent Terror Build:

5 Cavalry, Horned Crown (140 points).

Why bother with Horned Crown when they already have hammer of wrath? Because they will now have 1d3 hammer of wrath attacks instead of one!  Add ephemeral terror to taste?

Crimson Fury Build:

10 Cavalry, Brass Collars, Horned Crown (330 points).
Hard hitting, and a large unit with a good save. This is very decent overall!

Creeping Scourge Build:

5 Cavalry, Miasma of Rot, Warp-Scaled Hide (165 points).

Essentially a good tar-pit and death through attrition unit. 

Lurid Onslaught Build:

5 Cavalry, Stupefying Musk, Crushing Claws (165 points).

A moderate attempt to build steeds of Slaanesh.

Maddening Swarms Build:

10 Cavalry, Warp Scions, Bone Shard Harpoons (310 points).

Screamers, but with magic, and shooting weapons. Okay, they're not screamers any longer. But they are a reasonable Tzeentch build. 

Mirror of Hate Build:

10 Cavalry, Horned Crown, Molten Blood (310 points).

I lost the plot here a bit. The molten blood kills others if they suffer wounds, which feels kind of like it should play out here perhaps?

Horus Heresy Review: Ruinstorm Possessed

Background. 
The background text makes clear the differentiation between the possessed, as described here, and the Gal Vorbak. Whereas the latter is a fusion of two willing partners in crime, these possessed are created from the shells of men who can barely hold weapons, and the weak willed. They are wholly controlled by chaos entities and not in any kind of symbiotic relationship with a warp entity.

Strengths.
The possessed come in two different "flavours": one for legionaries, and one for auxiliary (i.e. base line human / Imperial Guard stat line).

They lack the generic daemon ruinstorm rules though, which means that they must set up on the board as regular troops do. This in turn means that one of their strengths can be to defend warp rifts that are placed on the table. Beyond that, they really are just marines or imperial guard.

Additionally, they are not subject to the ides of the warp like the rest of the army is, hence they are much more reliable throughout the game (in terms of not going down in S and T that is).

Weaknesses. 
They are fundamentally support units, and they can never be joined by an independent character from this particular army. Equally, no victory points are ever going to be lost due to their deaths which is good.

Builds.
Unlike the rest of the army where I have given explicit suggestions according to dominion, here I'm just going to focus on the unit itself without any particular chaos god associated with it. This is because there is no particular need (or even ability) to build this unit in this way.

20 Auxilia, 4 grenade launchers (140 points).
Dirt cheap, with ranged threat (of sorts), and likely to die quickly. This is a screening unit basically. A meat shield, and little else. For more of a mobile meat shield, swap out the launchers for flamers.

10 Auxilia, 2 plasma guns (80 points).
A bit hilarious since if an enemy ignore this unit, it can really hurt most enemies thanks to the plasma. Swap out for melta if you like.

10 Legionaries, 2 melta guns, 1 with thunder hammer (150 points).
The base line possessed space marine entry. Take bolt guns or bolt pistols, as preferred.

20 Legionaries, 4 plasma guns, 1 with power fist (275 points).
This is another nice load out with plasma to cause some strong damage at mid range.

Bigmeks Workshop Tiles Resin Bases

I recently purchased a set of 32mm resin bases from a company that I've not tried out before: Bigmeks-workshop.

Naturally, the idea behind this purchase is to have a set of scenic bases that I don't have to put as much effort in to creating as my normal miniatures would otherwise demand. The design I got is the Tiles range (mark two). Their appearance is one of a ruined urban or temple area. Although in some ways the design is fairly basic, I like them from the simplicity point of view. Indeed, the simple shattered tile is much more appealing from an ease of painting view point compared to others that I've tried in the past (e.g., the more complex, but admittedly good looking back2basix range I own; or the magnificent Scibor range).

The bases come in a variety of designs, all on the same theme. I'm sure if I had the time, I could craft something similar and cast them in resin myself. But. That's also part of the reason for buying off another supplier. Fundamentally, the bases are the broken tiles sat on top of rubble. I will get these painted up soon as I'd like to use them in conjunction with some other miniatures that I have on the boil. But more on that at a later date. For now: I'm happy with the purchase and price that I've paid for them. Yes: other companies have a higher level of detail, but they do cost more. That's not an issue for me here though.

On eBay this week

Okay, I have a bunch of miniatures on offer via eBay this week that I wanted to share a few lines with my readers about.

Firstly is one of the rarest in my collection: an RT7 Rogue Trader era Imperial Dreadnought. I bought this when it was new, and also when I was very much younger, hence the rather very poor paint scheme (don't laugh too much - we were all young once!). However, it has been languishing in the bottom of my collection for years unloved. Hence I want it to find a happy new home.

Further rarities from my aging collection are a squad of ancient Daemonettes of Slaanesh, pictured below.  These are also original metal miniatures from the Rogue Trader era / Realms of Chaos. 

Also, three Khorne Berserkers (again Rogue Trader vintage), this time fractionally better painted and replete with green bases.

Other Games Workshop items of mine on eBay this week include:

Winged chaos raptor squad (conversions all round!);

A single Death Guard metal plague marine that I've never assembled;

Meanwhile in Dungeons and Dragons sales:
A copy of the very rare Rod of Seven Parts in good condition (outer lid a bit worn)

Country Sites.

I hope that many of these will find a new home. I'm selling up these old items since I want to fund new projects, coupled with the fact that I don't use them much any longer and they're just taking up storage space. Hope that some of you find these items interesting!

[Note: if you're going to bid from outside the UK, do get in contact with me before bidding for a quote as postage can be significantly more than for postage within the UK. I always used signed-for and tracked, for what I trust are obvious reasons.]

Horus Heresy Review: Ruinstorm Daemon Swarms

Background. 
Swarms have been a feature of daemons since the earliest of days when we saw Nurglings for the first time. However, for the other chaos gods, there are few analogues. Indeed, Nurglings were supposed to be the analogue of steeds -- given the tenuous associated with palanquins. These days, Tzeentch competes via screamers (with a stretch of the imagination), and via brimstone horrors perhaps as well. Khorne and Slaanesh doesn't really have anything in this category.

Strengths. 
Lots of wounds are the main strength of the daemon swarms. That's about all there is to write home about.

Weaknesses. 
They're systematically weaker than other troops across the stat line apart from Leadership and Saving throw. However, for the price, the wounds are probably worth it. They are also support units.

Sadly, they can only take one emanation of horror as well. This makes things a tough choice.

Builds.
Resplendent Terror Build:
10 Swarms, Warp-Scaled Hide (250 points).
I actually like the naked build here. Add in an armour saving throw and they're a real pest.
Possibly take miasma of rot instead to get that negative modifier in play for this army.

Crimson Fury Build:

8 Swarms, Brass Collars (200 points).

Same issues as above.

Creeping Scourge Build:

7 Swarms, Miasma of Rot (161 points).

These are Nurglings, but poorly built! Get that negative toughness modifier in play. Equally, Nurgle is not short of this ability. 

Lurid Onslaught Build:

6 Swarms, Stupefying Musk (138 points).

No idea what these are in terms of the background. 

Maddening Swarms Build:

9 Swarms, Warp Scions (207 points).

These actually work for Tzeentch. Maybe take 10 instead of 9, but regardless, you're competing further in the psychic phase which is good for this build. Perhaps represent with lots of brimstone horrors on one base and you're done. 

Mirror of Hate Build:

10 Swarms, Wings (250 points).

Flying swarms. Let's say no more about this in terms of lore. They could easily be represented by small critters with wings. I really like what wings does for them and in game. 

Horus Heresy Review: Ruinstorm Daemon Beasts

Background. 
Aping some of the forms seen in human armies, the beasts of chaos are recognisable from the earliest days of daemons in the old Realms of Chaos books. Fiends of Slaanesh. Beasts of Nurgle. Oddly though, Flamers of Tzeentch and Fleshounds of Khorne don't seem like a good fit overall, largely due to the large (40mm) bases needed. Juggernauts of Khorne might do in a pinch as well.

Strengths.
Fundamentally, the Beasts entry in the army list has one pip extra in S and T compared to lesser daemons, they're also troops, and they are classed as beasts. For this, they are double the points, but this is arguably a good investment.

Weaknesses.
They can only take two emanations of horror, rather than three (lesser daemons can take three).

Builds. 
Resplendent Terror Build:

3 Beasts, Bone Shard Harpoon, Crushing Claws (98 points). 

A basic, shooting unit, with potential in close combat. 

Crimson Fury Build:

8 Beasts, Brass Collars, Sundering Fangs (280 points).

This is actually a dangerous combat unit with good staying power combined with S=10 attacks if needed. Notice the use of 8 here -- Khorne's associated number.

Creeping Scourge Build:

7 Beasts, Miasma of Rot, Warp-scaled Hide (231 points).

Pseudo-beasts of Nurgle. They're nothing like beasts of Nurgle, but they're the best I could do given the lack of options.

Lurid Onslaught Build:

6 Beasts, Stupefying Musk, Crushing Claws (198 points).

An attempt to build Fiends of Slaanesh. This one isn't too bad overall. 

Maddening Swarms Build:

10 Beasts, Warp Scions, Flaming Ichor (310 points).

Of course, I was going to go with 9 beasts here, but the flaming ichor calls for multiples of 5. These are the Flamers of Tzeentch build, and I actually like it. 

Mirror of Hate Build:

3 Beasts, Rift Barb, Horned Crown (93 points).

The light tank killer unit. Horned Crown is to follow up against any occupants. Take multiple small units.