tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-54204601473183820212024-03-24T23:05:04.880-07:00Naked MetalMillitantGuerillaCommunistHippiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13565203522225127317noreply@blogger.comBlogger79125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5420460147318382021.post-38527441288799903762024-01-19T17:13:00.000-08:002024-01-19T18:23:35.861-08:00The New Cavalry <p> <i>We will ride into battle, and this shall be our steed...</i> </p><p><br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlLhAqs7DOjSdc6G9bxHsaWSG-q9J7VbOv-HeI9yT0aIZk4DVE4j5YJB2AgjmD2-gXxRHNk4QOIlE1Q3RTRh0o_fCYbaG7ZJUs9J2jRu3jIQuQ1P4t2VqIOhzJizWnI2TyrZJQl67no2UyYtl6j8uWhH-s8QGj-MKdzO-Zeb_WKME1_o3XHKRkXN-PAmM/s4608/FSD.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3456" data-original-width="4608" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlLhAqs7DOjSdc6G9bxHsaWSG-q9J7VbOv-HeI9yT0aIZk4DVE4j5YJB2AgjmD2-gXxRHNk4QOIlE1Q3RTRh0o_fCYbaG7ZJUs9J2jRu3jIQuQ1P4t2VqIOhzJizWnI2TyrZJQl67no2UyYtl6j8uWhH-s8QGj-MKdzO-Zeb_WKME1_o3XHKRkXN-PAmM/s16000/FSD.JPG" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">You don't have to catch it, you don't have to feed it</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p><br /></p><p>For as long as I can remember, I have always been an enormous, raging, <b><i>Jet-head</i></b>. </p><p><br /></p><p>It could be genetic - one of my grandfathers flew F4U fighter planes in the pacific during the Second World War, and I believe one of my uncles had a career in the air force. Or it could just be regular cishet boy interests at work. </p><p><br /></p><p>Whatever the reason may be, out of all the various forms of machinery that made my brain go Brrrr, the ones that made it Brrrr hardest by far were the aerospace vehicles. Planes, zeppelins, helicopters, spacecraft - if it moved under its own power without touching the ground, chances are I was into it. Like a lot of cishet boys I went through a very long phase of daydreaming about flying fighter jets, and a real fully functioning SU-34 fighter bomber was very high up in my Top 10 Crazy Things To Splurge On If I Ever Became A Billionaire until a couple of years ago when I remembered how vulnerable my eardrums were to rapid pressure changes. And even now that same list still has a fully functioning Krokodil assault gunship in the top 5 since helicopters don't fly high enough to implode my eardrums. </p><p><br /></p><p>And my heart always flutters a little when hearing the distinctive <i>Whoooooorrrrrrrrrrrraaaaaaaash</i> of a passing fighter jet. </p><p><br /></p><p>Naturally this also meant a key fixture of my childhood was the Supermarionation series <i>Thunderbirds</i>, which was all about thrilling aviation adventures and where the futuristic aerospace vehicles featured were almost more the central characters than the actual characters themselves. I was right in the middle of the 1990s <i>Thunderbirds</i> revival and oh boy did it leave an impression on me. </p><p><br /></p><p>So too of course did a whole lot of other science fiction shows featuring all kinds of spectacular flying machines. </p><p><br /></p><p>It is little wonder then, that when I ended up discovering Warhammer 40,000 I was immediately sucked into the premiere Jet-head faction of 40k bar none. Between the Hammerhead and Devilfish hover tanks, the Barracuda and Tiger Shark aircraft and the Manta Missile Destroyer, the centrepiece and crown jewel of the Tau model range has always been their awe-inspiring vehicles. </p><p><br /></p><p>And from the moment I first saw them showcased on the GW website, I knew I had to get me as many as possible. </p><p><br /></p><p>Because of this the history of vehicles in my 40k projects goes back a long way, but today we'll be focusing on the history of my Devilfishes specifically. And that starts with my first one, affectionately known today as 'Old Ginger'. </p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiU2sEsYju8N-oKg1my5qZwW8-Bxoo3V-aG9cUu3BLYf1CAFXBcNeAEgrUjS3tCtwcL5k8Zd8EyTvUiBM3MAkGWGVol-oqQZpOxt6YCJKQFVIQDIN_ZiX01_lz9Pdwx2rU7bwn_HbjKJYcP2Ck_78OWIZsRTNeA67er8Q6wWLuoiNTKsSwlzV6P6KKrrWE/s4608/DSCN1414%20-%20Copy.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3456" data-original-width="4608" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiU2sEsYju8N-oKg1my5qZwW8-Bxoo3V-aG9cUu3BLYf1CAFXBcNeAEgrUjS3tCtwcL5k8Zd8EyTvUiBM3MAkGWGVol-oqQZpOxt6YCJKQFVIQDIN_ZiX01_lz9Pdwx2rU7bwn_HbjKJYcP2Ck_78OWIZsRTNeA67er8Q6wWLuoiNTKsSwlzV6P6KKrrWE/s16000/DSCN1414%20-%20Copy.JPG" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOHPeqdpBOh0ejMEwkGh9IlzwA9vCCDTvrjD9sCIB2pZxkHGvOfn33Q0NT_QJYVuIijDJYvvu3J20FhBgTCFvYs3Xxk84yWECJ_CJNEI14FNbpQEDopM_7MCgHuCGQ8R1l23tEw-u3QTpM3QT063ulxbWAqbM1UR2JaR2K4_olqtW3HUXAMJXx6qtLiuA/s4608/DSCN1415%20-%20Copy.JPG"><img border="0" data-original-height="3456" data-original-width="4608" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOHPeqdpBOh0ejMEwkGh9IlzwA9vCCDTvrjD9sCIB2pZxkHGvOfn33Q0NT_QJYVuIijDJYvvu3J20FhBgTCFvYs3Xxk84yWECJ_CJNEI14FNbpQEDopM_7MCgHuCGQ8R1l23tEw-u3QTpM3QT063ulxbWAqbM1UR2JaR2K4_olqtW3HUXAMJXx6qtLiuA/s16000/DSCN1415%20-%20Copy.JPG" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>Old Ginger was actually the second 40k vehicle I ever got - we'll get to the first one later. I no longer remember exactly how old I was when I got it, but historical evidence would place it as a present for either my 9th or 10th birthday, as I remember I had <i>I Believe In A Thing Called Love</i> by The Darkness stuck in my head that day so it can't have been earlier than 2003. </div><div><br /></div><div>In any case, by the time I got around to painting her I had largely moved past my experimental painting stage and had settled back into a primitive facsimile of the T'au sept desert camouflage used by the GW studio army as a standard paint scheme. The major difference, as you may have spotted, being to paint the cockpit vision block green instead of red. My general vision for the scheme was 'just like the GW studio army, but with green windows on the tanks instead of red' for no other reason than that green is my favourite colour, so I wanted the red parts of the vehicles to be green instead. The panels could stay maroon, but the cockpit window had to be green, which was one of the two points of improvement I had for the GW studio scheme (the other being to ditch the bald white helmets on the team leaders). This is the ultimate origin to the green optics used on the commanders of the modernised Tau army. </div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjP59oJIuVsUyaZjY_Stf8adHGACHo6ObSuIH4_Ah2Ydu3hsESPl2M51CA1FZFP9T0J5kMGtqJ5XyaIcjaVqeCtpsx4Ip1PXfBwCPOLxrqJXM98reWv4HeQLJFlmC7U5c9IKPDm4DB0Xzc9Bk0M0d2Q4rHOayhmfHUpd318NKmfhGQu6BmHughQMaYAqIA/s4608/DSCN1416%20-%20Copy.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3456" data-original-width="4608" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjP59oJIuVsUyaZjY_Stf8adHGACHo6ObSuIH4_Ah2Ydu3hsESPl2M51CA1FZFP9T0J5kMGtqJ5XyaIcjaVqeCtpsx4Ip1PXfBwCPOLxrqJXM98reWv4HeQLJFlmC7U5c9IKPDm4DB0Xzc9Bk0M0d2Q4rHOayhmfHUpd318NKmfhGQu6BmHughQMaYAqIA/s16000/DSCN1416%20-%20Copy.JPG" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>Being an attempt to replicate the studio GW Tau scheme, Old Ginger was painted following the guide in <i>Codex: Tau</i>. Of course, being only 9 or 10 and not quite able to fully comprehend how layering and highlighting worked, the results were restricted by my own primitive painting skills, though by the standards of the time it was fairly impressive and I still have a bit of a soft spot for the old girl today. </div><div><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAdut1Lic6wKLRRM5bwmOflib78eXVLJIlWsE8TsC8Rm6nU9haogp_ktq2CYdlPvsIE5WBnGoX181dYlv_FCT876k_0AzHXu37gE5OkRn8Bz556xiCAAQ1oMHO5GtKpP_5yZTV59LJ6h-JQ4yl88xRb6jInRuvZbcGzvfiZY9lt-VQIiBgHXH5u7IDR88/s4608/DSCN1417%20-%20Copy.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3456" data-original-width="4608" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAdut1Lic6wKLRRM5bwmOflib78eXVLJIlWsE8TsC8Rm6nU9haogp_ktq2CYdlPvsIE5WBnGoX181dYlv_FCT876k_0AzHXu37gE5OkRn8Bz556xiCAAQ1oMHO5GtKpP_5yZTV59LJ6h-JQ4yl88xRb6jInRuvZbcGzvfiZY9lt-VQIiBgHXH5u7IDR88/s16000/DSCN1417%20-%20Copy.JPG" /></a></div><div><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlAX_V1yEGAhMz1m2ChuliEl0Dnsu_us_7wgKCdlrJkuH56KkPyYeC-QpxSto2F33sWHm76n_RIEoWvfVMmTzlf91z5-WHjeO3HSQ0NEyWnCO_xMWpyRJbNtNPIozXeyIGxqdTipIM9cOTC3FoXTBFeZ2e8nsvXkajhuWDPLd_18bkfKVtZ5_HvEHmcy0/s4608/DSCN1418%20-%20Copy.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3456" data-original-width="4608" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlAX_V1yEGAhMz1m2ChuliEl0Dnsu_us_7wgKCdlrJkuH56KkPyYeC-QpxSto2F33sWHm76n_RIEoWvfVMmTzlf91z5-WHjeO3HSQ0NEyWnCO_xMWpyRJbNtNPIozXeyIGxqdTipIM9cOTC3FoXTBFeZ2e8nsvXkajhuWDPLd_18bkfKVtZ5_HvEHmcy0/s16000/DSCN1418%20-%20Copy.JPG" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>Being the first transport model I ever had, this was also my first ever vehicle with an actual interior. As with the gun drones and crisis suit that were contemporaries, I tried to keep glued parts to a minimum and left the engines, top cupola, chin turret and of course the gun drones all unglued and fully articulated. The interior was again extremely crude, just being given a black undercoat and left at that. This was because by this time I had some experience with the Devilfish that was part of the store Tau collection at the local Games Workshop (which was also painted in T'au desert camouflage but naturally to much better accuracy than my own attempts), and that one just had a plain black interior. Since I had no real points of reference or bolts of inspiration, I decided that following suite was the best way to go. </div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLiHhxlc1SOEcy5kD_irrtmGScERCKZQvIrWjtHPCK0OuWFfpvB40n5Q2BNhZVyrDDOIPn3LKyXUNYnL56Ss3NH5C9K30sVhCkXjLvDFx1cUWUBnHOtiSuidbTBWExugT6D0E4XUXOXRpmZQqiAuZJs2jJB46-ijBjcHpA651JrPJ8zTbJVOP2KCuVlQE/s4608/DSCN1419%20-%20Copy.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3456" data-original-width="4608" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLiHhxlc1SOEcy5kD_irrtmGScERCKZQvIrWjtHPCK0OuWFfpvB40n5Q2BNhZVyrDDOIPn3LKyXUNYnL56Ss3NH5C9K30sVhCkXjLvDFx1cUWUBnHOtiSuidbTBWExugT6D0E4XUXOXRpmZQqiAuZJs2jJB46-ijBjcHpA651JrPJ8zTbJVOP2KCuVlQE/s16000/DSCN1419%20-%20Copy.JPG" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEis1JQi-zllmSLhfG4WweQeULrHWKwqXnmhGZp1qMcsyhW8V0BjTAeP1A4klwGGFqKgQ34oooLMQRtZqAW08oufdOtl3KD1pDB3ajAE2pvtS2CCiMddJ96reIS8qFUzrIGbijuFw7Nwe3SLrk-2zvwCLROESrGmcRDUmoC2YJrD1N7NTvCtKX0D_0Ym1ig/s4608/DSCN1422%20-%20Copy.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3456" data-original-width="4608" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEis1JQi-zllmSLhfG4WweQeULrHWKwqXnmhGZp1qMcsyhW8V0BjTAeP1A4klwGGFqKgQ34oooLMQRtZqAW08oufdOtl3KD1pDB3ajAE2pvtS2CCiMddJ96reIS8qFUzrIGbijuFw7Nwe3SLrk-2zvwCLROESrGmcRDUmoC2YJrD1N7NTvCtKX0D_0Ym1ig/s16000/DSCN1422%20-%20Copy.JPG" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><p>Being the only Devilfish I owned for some years meant Old Ginger was quickly assigned to transport my nascent Pathfinder team, a role in which she served faithfully for 20 years - including the only two times she ever fired her burst cannon in anger - and due to the timetable and priorities set by the defence ministry is expected to continue serving in that role well into the 2030s at least, albeit strictly in second-line roles among reservist units, popular mobilisation units and border guards. </p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiL4qMwlLSC6TwnfLRDBNktGk2H4UZJPO37J01YN7NRVmjjbQN9AvwQiUd3ra1NO13wYOUwEx-TCVoXqo3ErXo2Xz99LOCDK1nhAecOr5nw5O45j0R1iIo0o3_hBmR_k2YoeCrzWs7kZrhCxU2-4HFLpe1tjRcon9I48McfU8sK8zvSx3LXXeMY6ykJ7NA/s4608/DSCN1436%20-%20Copy.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3456" data-original-width="4608" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiL4qMwlLSC6TwnfLRDBNktGk2H4UZJPO37J01YN7NRVmjjbQN9AvwQiUd3ra1NO13wYOUwEx-TCVoXqo3ErXo2Xz99LOCDK1nhAecOr5nw5O45j0R1iIo0o3_hBmR_k2YoeCrzWs7kZrhCxU2-4HFLpe1tjRcon9I48McfU8sK8zvSx3LXXeMY6ykJ7NA/s16000/DSCN1436%20-%20Copy.JPG" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p>The task of transporting Fire Warrior teams was ultimately performed by my next transport, this one. </p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYOu0YOpYNhekdf-2Zg56QnmoHhF_lNrFq87nHReoKM_yunzzirMpnxu8uCoK33MqebktIF6Qu8MM78dC6yAwmjrHnFLqmpKw9rZBzktnGrB0EccvY6Vr7eRv5Q2Cv2VjnvN7TTra4j-ueyUECvfth3Na7tU1F3HvWxHnrF7U6OAGjgq5O48Nw6Il0C3E/s4608/DSCN1423%20-%20Copy.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3456" data-original-width="4608" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYOu0YOpYNhekdf-2Zg56QnmoHhF_lNrFq87nHReoKM_yunzzirMpnxu8uCoK33MqebktIF6Qu8MM78dC6yAwmjrHnFLqmpKw9rZBzktnGrB0EccvY6Vr7eRv5Q2Cv2VjnvN7TTra4j-ueyUECvfth3Na7tU1F3HvWxHnrF7U6OAGjgq5O48Nw6Il0C3E/s16000/DSCN1423%20-%20Copy.JPG" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>This Devilfish was painted when I was a teenager, it would have been around 2007. It belongs to the 2nd Generation of models from my first Tau army, in particular a family of vehicles that represented a massive step up in painting at the time. It may not look like much today, but back when I was around 13-14 just getting the colours in more or less the right places and having mostly distinct panel lines at all was a big achievement. </div><div><br /></div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhl_LD-e5kvrlJjnyw-nbujviJ3YcjVMNM6g6IT-A0aJ5BoE-Fmu91PzNTwr6N1XoBgLKDDPqC2_iVc4MklFXgVQG2_Qmt1FfU3Gx0_3zrg8iYO4_Tw17gBD4d6r0wZ8MzAzBiEws82WDolA83kQ53Q5hWWbf962BY3Fxf235weS1JBqkpTgnITuPUluYc/s4608/DSCN1424%20-%20Copy.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3456" data-original-width="4608" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhl_LD-e5kvrlJjnyw-nbujviJ3YcjVMNM6g6IT-A0aJ5BoE-Fmu91PzNTwr6N1XoBgLKDDPqC2_iVc4MklFXgVQG2_Qmt1FfU3Gx0_3zrg8iYO4_Tw17gBD4d6r0wZ8MzAzBiEws82WDolA83kQ53Q5hWWbf962BY3Fxf235weS1JBqkpTgnITuPUluYc/s16000/DSCN1424%20-%20Copy.JPG" /></a></div></div><div><br /></div><div>Also of note is my first serious attempts at jeweling on the cockpit vision block and the chin turret sensor. Of course at the time I still didn't quite get how layers worked in model painting, so it mostly just ended up being a flat coat of colour with a dot of white in the corner, because the white dot reflection was something that even at an early age I could recognise and fundamentally understand as a key part of the process. </div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7bJSPbgQkXpXZ5u6mwheQSTTXYf4xnQtpgfQUTyv2T0KPuyoA1apcSUKj7ESKBgaGstwdAwmR9cS2CEm4QDNNJSE8OVMD2ZY2saWuXFt_Ix-0yTpIFUroJtDXFXpoxqRTresZQkU2KqtYX3X2xeKDVttZ9FLKVspJ0W1zMRhE2AQURIMf7vKCh-B7VOo/s4608/DSCN1434%20-%20Copy.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3456" data-original-width="4608" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7bJSPbgQkXpXZ5u6mwheQSTTXYf4xnQtpgfQUTyv2T0KPuyoA1apcSUKj7ESKBgaGstwdAwmR9cS2CEm4QDNNJSE8OVMD2ZY2saWuXFt_Ix-0yTpIFUroJtDXFXpoxqRTresZQkU2KqtYX3X2xeKDVttZ9FLKVspJ0W1zMRhE2AQURIMf7vKCh-B7VOo/s16000/DSCN1434%20-%20Copy.JPG" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div></div><div><br /></div><div>The colour scheme itself also changed during this time period, because by this time I had gotten my first ever White Dwarf magazine, issue #313 (AU). This issue of course featured a major article on the legendary Tau army of Sebastian Stuart, and was a massive influence on me for many years. This Devilfish was an attempt to take some of my favourite features of Sebastian's colour scheme and mate them to the GW studio scheme so as to blend in with the rest of my models. Most notably the use of a white undercoat and Vermin Brown accent panels on the dorsal spine were both taken directly from Sebastian's colour scheme. On the other hand, the two-tone camouflage is gone here as by this stage I had given up on trying to recreate the iconic Crows' Feet pattern from the GW studio army. </div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLhgPVqXeQoPXI1XeL_R24l31hiFhx0mejHRL8C8eyIEycFnwROvB3Sw6TQUltN5I9jsBXrAbmO8Jv1MKKcFQe_2NIlmuuDnJpp1TGi4Q_xR9MHn5jN21Us7CfeitBj8v-XgYwANB4NnTutwMD4QbJXuSVf-_Q56pMqO-uBdazvpizGyzrjpAKHooIxy8/s4608/DSCN1433%20-%20Copy.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3456" data-original-width="4608" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLhgPVqXeQoPXI1XeL_R24l31hiFhx0mejHRL8C8eyIEycFnwROvB3Sw6TQUltN5I9jsBXrAbmO8Jv1MKKcFQe_2NIlmuuDnJpp1TGi4Q_xR9MHn5jN21Us7CfeitBj8v-XgYwANB4NnTutwMD4QbJXuSVf-_Q56pMqO-uBdazvpizGyzrjpAKHooIxy8/s16000/DSCN1433%20-%20Copy.JPG" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>Of course, Sebastian's Devilfish also featured several conversions, most notably fully articulated side doors...</div><div><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-_s9eBU1Mxg1Q_wf09ITuFPGjdOshEErHb6k3G8MsNWKu67tz050nleUuGBKQE3dCj2ehoi0HGmhpUZE7c8uiTwsuVQJyWV9FzeabftiCgPmPglVNV_et3yzGuGnlbrLBd1FwwjqKx1pVOd6Hf7POrA7VrLIQt-OHquKgBg8MFv7uzlPlyjnAtNHM9v8/s4608/DSCN1425%20-%20Copy.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3456" data-original-width="4608" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-_s9eBU1Mxg1Q_wf09ITuFPGjdOshEErHb6k3G8MsNWKu67tz050nleUuGBKQE3dCj2ehoi0HGmhpUZE7c8uiTwsuVQJyWV9FzeabftiCgPmPglVNV_et3yzGuGnlbrLBd1FwwjqKx1pVOd6Hf7POrA7VrLIQt-OHquKgBg8MFv7uzlPlyjnAtNHM9v8/s16000/DSCN1425%20-%20Copy.JPG" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>.... so naturally I HAD to incorporate that improvement into my own transports! </div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhARXhd394zSZL0ct5dPvajg9uh-6fq1pPFxso8wzIWhxVitRSPgx1XrsJV-EJPcDeBjnQmPojTIvMkUHC4ezpVs9HjXg5R8ZFRJC_VxX7mY0bZvcbvDNlqQlukpziRkXVIXs-6kNJhqHhK6Tn1nqZ0hSjIU18kZnvXghvJx1WF7iouSB3JF5FZ3vVk9Fk/s4608/DSCN1427%20-%20Copy.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3456" data-original-width="4608" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhARXhd394zSZL0ct5dPvajg9uh-6fq1pPFxso8wzIWhxVitRSPgx1XrsJV-EJPcDeBjnQmPojTIvMkUHC4ezpVs9HjXg5R8ZFRJC_VxX7mY0bZvcbvDNlqQlukpziRkXVIXs-6kNJhqHhK6Tn1nqZ0hSjIU18kZnvXghvJx1WF7iouSB3JF5FZ3vVk9Fk/s16000/DSCN1427%20-%20Copy.JPG" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>The process was fairly straightforward in itself - all it really requires is drilling out the bottom hinge joint and sticking a pin through it to turn it from a purely decorative hinge into an actually functioning one. The biggest complication at the time was that I had none of the necessary tools for doing that, so the process was carried out by my father (who did have suitable tools) under my supervision. </div><div><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3St0qJc9ZWaleUB8eIBnLTPIoRTVMUbGxoANuR1iymnT1p8k4dKmENmqc2qGyVUV8V-RD14ANPNmNx6mmjgWMV6OmrNXjERZFU4j4lHBW5KiLbsyuADN7oUaQNQ65YJwOV8s3dUulxOP959WP7riCyAot3CWEsLnaVTSjczaq8FQNCgSk565rzURytok/s4608/DSCN1429%20-%20Copy.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3456" data-original-width="4608" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3St0qJc9ZWaleUB8eIBnLTPIoRTVMUbGxoANuR1iymnT1p8k4dKmENmqc2qGyVUV8V-RD14ANPNmNx6mmjgWMV6OmrNXjERZFU4j4lHBW5KiLbsyuADN7oUaQNQ65YJwOV8s3dUulxOP959WP7riCyAot3CWEsLnaVTSjczaq8FQNCgSk565rzURytok/s16000/DSCN1429%20-%20Copy.JPG" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>This Devilfish also featured a much more elaborately decorated interior than the first, the better to show off through the now movable side doors. Again this largely followed the lead of Sebastian's transports, with the white interior being a knock-off of his bone cream interiors and some Fire Warrior accessories in imitation of the kit he had stowed inside. There were twists however, with a spare grenade pack on one of the seats substituting for the spare helmet in Seb's because the process of creating a loose Fire Warrior helmet involved sharp cutting tools and filing that was well beyond my resources and skills at the time, and a pulse carbine stowed in the gun rack instead of Seb's stowed pulse rifle because at this stage spare pulse rifle bits were in short supply for me but I had an abundance of spare loose pulse carbines. </div><div><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNyLlY2Eteu_T_IbMSlIRsYLZEZz5Jy3ozMAhMCSz9-76exKjrCBQYMz5yjMK8BxtNyfkCLgC-7xat1PLHCtEVf3jKC7SO826BHZjBn2OUTrLxJik12UWH5imsg2FyrXeFa8ssw6F-Pc_JpGVjBs1P1oEaqyIlaWoAGtiGEg8ulbe3oI8_3wBbzMWEWM0/s4608/DSCN1430%20-%20Copy.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3456" data-original-width="4608" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNyLlY2Eteu_T_IbMSlIRsYLZEZz5Jy3ozMAhMCSz9-76exKjrCBQYMz5yjMK8BxtNyfkCLgC-7xat1PLHCtEVf3jKC7SO826BHZjBn2OUTrLxJik12UWH5imsg2FyrXeFa8ssw6F-Pc_JpGVjBs1P1oEaqyIlaWoAGtiGEg8ulbe3oI8_3wBbzMWEWM0/s16000/DSCN1430%20-%20Copy.JPG" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>The seats were my own original addition, painted in the same ochre as the hull to try and introduce some colour into what would otherwise be a very monochromatic interior, and topped with Vermin Brown leather upholstery for style and comfort. </div><div><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGI9OkbUu5YjeDPB5LWMwDLErnQH9ojpsFrvlOPAFZX3VX3vgSlvgGYXh7qdDWq1qXAeiyb_C2S1CAbLWIiN4frh_-V7mlfeS3ZWJvI5cfmp3FmaBESpci7BO7CPZ0OCuIUJuQs6AtafOMvUNUNHtSnLmRgL7VYdhn7eh2ZSnDZ1vILNha73h-CPIctEI/s4608/DSCN1431%20-%20Copy.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3456" data-original-width="4608" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGI9OkbUu5YjeDPB5LWMwDLErnQH9ojpsFrvlOPAFZX3VX3vgSlvgGYXh7qdDWq1qXAeiyb_C2S1CAbLWIiN4frh_-V7mlfeS3ZWJvI5cfmp3FmaBESpci7BO7CPZ0OCuIUJuQs6AtafOMvUNUNHtSnLmRgL7VYdhn7eh2ZSnDZ1vILNha73h-CPIctEI/s16000/DSCN1431%20-%20Copy.JPG" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>Sebastian's conversion guide called for installing magnets in the side doors to keep them secured when closed, but magnetising models was largely an unknown science to me when I was 13 - 14 or so, and there were no known magnet suppliers near me at any rate, so instead I improvised and simply used wads of blue-tack to keep the doors closed, which in hindsight did not blend into the white threshold nearly as well as I thought it did at the time. </div><div><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQcvOK45DUd7X0WiffSQb1ZaVV6zmcCPbX9mxcMO4-qNHfNjFDToUqGImlUJ4q9xVRuqF_qi-zfn49QL8F9mNmS8rS89zuz_6ek8j0kzkL5ZWjtuP0imRPtDxWxMdDKAMvXwKwPm8UhRJw_GTkmlVxIdJh8ceSiG4p3czXg-ZPOQetWhEjqmLltlDYx-Y/s4608/DSCN1432%20-%20Copy.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3456" data-original-width="4608" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQcvOK45DUd7X0WiffSQb1ZaVV6zmcCPbX9mxcMO4-qNHfNjFDToUqGImlUJ4q9xVRuqF_qi-zfn49QL8F9mNmS8rS89zuz_6ek8j0kzkL5ZWjtuP0imRPtDxWxMdDKAMvXwKwPm8UhRJw_GTkmlVxIdJh8ceSiG4p3czXg-ZPOQetWhEjqmLltlDYx-Y/s16000/DSCN1432%20-%20Copy.JPG" /></a></div><br /><br />This machine too was around for the 2-3 games of 5th edition 40k that represent the only time thus far my original Tau were ever used in direct combat, assigned to one of my Fire Warrior teams where it displayed acceptable if not spectacular performance - I no longer remember if it ever did anything truly amazing in any of the games, but it certainly wasn't a complete waste of resources either. <div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9U_g3KHscJ0sDtPJhR_mI2nkkZYnshIsxd6rcY2zkXCV1uB8irGkZ4VZWwk3nzNyAENlnsWjte53jjWz9hQ86hps66TIQnmf_dvUxF-7rU4jFF88Wwma2ufSAON8wIXE5T_f7ar0uXtCzx49srdYVDqVE1o0vQXY_GTsntYP5oZopBienwBbH9yyhyphenhyphen38/s4608/DSCN1437%20-%20Copy.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3456" data-original-width="4608" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9U_g3KHscJ0sDtPJhR_mI2nkkZYnshIsxd6rcY2zkXCV1uB8irGkZ4VZWwk3nzNyAENlnsWjte53jjWz9hQ86hps66TIQnmf_dvUxF-7rU4jFF88Wwma2ufSAON8wIXE5T_f7ar0uXtCzx49srdYVDqVE1o0vQXY_GTsntYP5oZopBienwBbH9yyhyphenhyphen38/s16000/DSCN1437%20-%20Copy.JPG" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjU-sXi1AHpinobfzPXAzzVHSMydiUIjEBV3-BIAtfrJ1H5j4mOA1xHOgVn1ytyyOTWtOV_REqFiVVBJAfL3z3BF8Bxf24T-PnMb82U84w50-zOpJgoKAYQcP40c8IUX6FRByn0jKavpt5Iq1PtSHvOXUbF6a_EIOrdfD_8O1VXzxt2Qxk6bcsoTsBhiMw/s4608/DSCN1435%20-%20Copy.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3456" data-original-width="4608" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjU-sXi1AHpinobfzPXAzzVHSMydiUIjEBV3-BIAtfrJ1H5j4mOA1xHOgVn1ytyyOTWtOV_REqFiVVBJAfL3z3BF8Bxf24T-PnMb82U84w50-zOpJgoKAYQcP40c8IUX6FRByn0jKavpt5Iq1PtSHvOXUbF6a_EIOrdfD_8O1VXzxt2Qxk6bcsoTsBhiMw/s16000/DSCN1435%20-%20Copy.JPG" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><p>Now, here's where the plot starts to thicken. At around the time of my Tau army's tabletop debut in 2010, I was working on a sister ship for this Devilfish, which would have completely mechanised my Tau. This model got as far as to have its interior painted and its exterior undercoated.... </p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-tJPTc2qTf1z3xXcSHm-bcqRuE-_MAGiDsKcYqKoFsx7yP-jrsdgRqONjhQIVfFIt3V42h2lIfVAR-EZZmxHctptW9Zs1dSnWuXm2cJ1G8qPaUuhkeOYsS0LbH8bX0bvwQMUupdfXgpmHps3gRcjYrYDJeipr0e2M9JSEkqFxFriQ64QGDZrWRMcnXTM/s4608/DSCN1352.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3456" data-original-width="4608" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-tJPTc2qTf1z3xXcSHm-bcqRuE-_MAGiDsKcYqKoFsx7yP-jrsdgRqONjhQIVfFIt3V42h2lIfVAR-EZZmxHctptW9Zs1dSnWuXm2cJ1G8qPaUuhkeOYsS0LbH8bX0bvwQMUupdfXgpmHps3gRcjYrYDJeipr0e2M9JSEkqFxFriQ64QGDZrWRMcnXTM/s16000/DSCN1352.JPG" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>... and never went anywhere after that. </div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDWe6tstPnBP-lJA-72qGVhvXX4OAhgCWS6lNFVQdQJV7VBhPmfSo9_99d6BPzJoxZhi3xRrKCP92ACditDhrjojgCTamG28AiDP20tABnp6JhnpqyQlZf83CQSsQNKWCryX2rE9lF05-p-VxXpvDk_6_5S83bIFqQV0GuSDPoFQezGva5xhe6A6Db7gA/s4608/DSCN1353.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3456" data-original-width="4608" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDWe6tstPnBP-lJA-72qGVhvXX4OAhgCWS6lNFVQdQJV7VBhPmfSo9_99d6BPzJoxZhi3xRrKCP92ACditDhrjojgCTamG28AiDP20tABnp6JhnpqyQlZf83CQSsQNKWCryX2rE9lF05-p-VxXpvDk_6_5S83bIFqQV0GuSDPoFQezGva5xhe6A6Db7gA/s16000/DSCN1353.JPG" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>What happened was that I still wanted the side doors to be articulated, but I still lacked the tools and know-how necessary to pin them on my own, and I no longer wanted to bother my parents about it so I decided to just leave it until I could perform the conversion unassisted. That ended up taking about three years, and by the time I had my own pin vice capable of handling such precision drilling it was 2013 and my hobby focus was dominated by Battlefleet Gothic and Warhammer, leaving the 40k side of things to fall behind. </div><div><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiF3kiexN2V38nFXYAXYHUuXgzU9qRRuwnrg64yyhcugCIbAF1VhmX7hhjHgC2_6_xpcovSwDfvCfeQarxAtjeHlb1P22XgAgepAhg5TLnJsq1X6eGaH6Kq-1ZK39z8hJES4QYLKixex_OiAHZrtMkwS9sGt78xkEnnOTIVs2Rp2v1Skw_IvmiXhrwAU1s/s4608/DSCN1354.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3456" data-original-width="4608" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiF3kiexN2V38nFXYAXYHUuXgzU9qRRuwnrg64yyhcugCIbAF1VhmX7hhjHgC2_6_xpcovSwDfvCfeQarxAtjeHlb1P22XgAgepAhg5TLnJsq1X6eGaH6Kq-1ZK39z8hJES4QYLKixex_OiAHZrtMkwS9sGt78xkEnnOTIVs2Rp2v1Skw_IvmiXhrwAU1s/s16000/DSCN1354.JPG" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>This model is entirely unique in that it represents the first and only use of a brand new technology - airbrushing. In 2008 GW released a Citadel brand airbrush modeled in the shape of a 40k hand flamer, and while I wasn't really fully able to appreciate the shout-out I was motivated to get one because the White Dwarf showcasing it happened to use a Tau tank hull as a demonstration model and emphasised how easy it made getting a smooth colour on Tau tanks. And since smooth coverage of the skimmer hulls is the holy grail of Tau painters, I was very intrigued. </div><div><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBZ7Xxn9-7xcAhe1J0KR7RfHesPnVGgXm909uv42TNRZ-M4e5dO-X24j5ce6gRM21l6PJf198v_yk4qhllfz41DifCqYKUzl74RohHhQNF3JJYm-6ghF0TUVDFGIF7f1_WvH8LUWtz6zeShD3NHZHbxjTA3aDYxhIOOnIbDcBNQSkvhLskFi_ajiPUwKc/s4608/DSCN1356.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3456" data-original-width="4608" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBZ7Xxn9-7xcAhe1J0KR7RfHesPnVGgXm909uv42TNRZ-M4e5dO-X24j5ce6gRM21l6PJf198v_yk4qhllfz41DifCqYKUzl74RohHhQNF3JJYm-6ghF0TUVDFGIF7f1_WvH8LUWtz6zeShD3NHZHbxjTA3aDYxhIOOnIbDcBNQSkvhLskFi_ajiPUwKc/s16000/DSCN1356.JPG" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>The Citadel Airbrush I ended up getting however proved to be less reliable than advertised. I got through about two or three coats on the front of the model before its inner workings glued themselves shut forever and refused to work, and the whole experience ended up souring me on the whole concept of airbrushing to this day. Fortunately my skills at hand brushing models ended up maturing to a level that made it largely unnecessary. </div><div><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXJGvQUtqPhZwnHatUWFq69NcTvmPbhHboP4Y7TCvCrTd15cM14r4jD_vnQG-VYo2r40l1TbN0sPJNbuCZx2pIT9KUKqPSXVklRw9So-JHyjr2bshQi8pvdpVWkjcTZWAdg4h_pHMK8PDdkKOzQgHneeT2l74PZ1lj2Cg6Ny1kTWPk94WP8RqipQmbK58/s4608/DSCN1358.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3456" data-original-width="4608" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXJGvQUtqPhZwnHatUWFq69NcTvmPbhHboP4Y7TCvCrTd15cM14r4jD_vnQG-VYo2r40l1TbN0sPJNbuCZx2pIT9KUKqPSXVklRw9So-JHyjr2bshQi8pvdpVWkjcTZWAdg4h_pHMK8PDdkKOzQgHneeT2l74PZ1lj2Cg6Ny1kTWPk94WP8RqipQmbK58/s16000/DSCN1358.JPG" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilC7Hkoxa3vxB9-YQWFaK9SvTVLaR51m4K-Fye7wJQUUc6HEIz5Yjcv-0aP4CoQOkVGqOrKhtdZ5BIN94yK8TJIA5bM8eZG15OnSSZmuZL8n_Aa_d4G8DEp2F0U556P9guNmlvnR7juNE68zSL4KWVDE7c8er2p5PTh8ROZZ5i38AX2jZplwNg0YgytcI/s4608/DSCN1361.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3456" data-original-width="4608" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilC7Hkoxa3vxB9-YQWFaK9SvTVLaR51m4K-Fye7wJQUUc6HEIz5Yjcv-0aP4CoQOkVGqOrKhtdZ5BIN94yK8TJIA5bM8eZG15OnSSZmuZL8n_Aa_d4G8DEp2F0U556P9guNmlvnR7juNE68zSL4KWVDE7c8er2p5PTh8ROZZ5i38AX2jZplwNg0YgytcI/s16000/DSCN1361.JPG" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>While the model's exterior was left on hold until the side doors could be pinned, I did work on the interior in the meantime. By this time I had largely given up on trying to break up the monochrome white and settled for plain white seats - though still with the same Vermin Brown leather upholstery because I value my troops enough to make sure they get whatever small comforts I can give them. There was plans to add stowage too, but they never materialised before the whole project was mothballed. </div><div><br /></div><div>On the other hand I did end up putting in some transfers to liven the interior up a little bit. Despite having been a Tau enthusiast for almost a decade by this point, I had very little understanding of the difference between Tau letters and numbers, so at the time I assumed the transfers I was putting on were slogans and information labels like the ones featured in the Tau ship areas in <i>Firewarrior</i>. It was not until much much later that I discovered I had in fact covered the interior rather nonsensically in registration ID numbers. </div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfjobmbeCPPYRnPUCnqC3KM3JLCynT8MPUn8ZsNzZiarPneEkXOsXw1tN5NJgIvpgJddK0e9niLdgzy2T5I_z5gO-vWJuP2NbCj4hR02Ne_RF9uYHyjM34fPqJP9yTWWv9BUSg7smhXSYYZmE_VYs7y2G_yyQ-Aw7U-gFegbEsgUqjMhcoNOrcfJCPt6I/s4608/DSCN1359.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3456" data-original-width="4608" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfjobmbeCPPYRnPUCnqC3KM3JLCynT8MPUn8ZsNzZiarPneEkXOsXw1tN5NJgIvpgJddK0e9niLdgzy2T5I_z5gO-vWJuP2NbCj4hR02Ne_RF9uYHyjM34fPqJP9yTWWv9BUSg7smhXSYYZmE_VYs7y2G_yyQ-Aw7U-gFegbEsgUqjMhcoNOrcfJCPt6I/s16000/DSCN1359.JPG" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSuxJgGkHdLMAseowyVn_C44kmamIVJmzgj593Ul9VZET8HFXeWvngtHtpsQ-lVtgsFK0qvOiUwMnlSmtV55rlUSMJemS0hiOziNe8gkLOYI5M2sHQe5ermELpwU3lCYyTGIL_nAjWMhJWFMdYK_zRw8NAbZbQBOG6iluDNd5Zhly9fPUb1By5w5orTrI/s4608/DSCN1360.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3456" data-original-width="4608" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSuxJgGkHdLMAseowyVn_C44kmamIVJmzgj593Ul9VZET8HFXeWvngtHtpsQ-lVtgsFK0qvOiUwMnlSmtV55rlUSMJemS0hiOziNe8gkLOYI5M2sHQe5ermELpwU3lCYyTGIL_nAjWMhJWFMdYK_zRw8NAbZbQBOG6iluDNd5Zhly9fPUb1By5w5orTrI/s16000/DSCN1360.JPG" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>The sides of the hull were left unpainted on the outside in anticipation of the hinge brackets being drilled, but I did eventually get to painting the side doors under the reasoning that they were easy enough to manipulate while separate pieces that they could probably be painted and then drilled without too much difficulty. </div><div><br /></div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjayMG7Cu4F3m6mzDFgrmfVHFunbjhZq5v_hIeBumc5y5yjMutytQ46K-bKlwW94GCAP50LfY5MAWl3aiYXZMWpqmkJZNJut2Nz4MYKao9J0plBg9hy-LY7svEQlzMQa_VqL-FEGxOQ3ruvbpb2k1pmoa8KOhHK0OjgPL5cKgEA6VqFgQjEtrqjzMw38I4/s4608/DSCN1363.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3456" data-original-width="4608" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjayMG7Cu4F3m6mzDFgrmfVHFunbjhZq5v_hIeBumc5y5yjMutytQ46K-bKlwW94GCAP50LfY5MAWl3aiYXZMWpqmkJZNJut2Nz4MYKao9J0plBg9hy-LY7svEQlzMQa_VqL-FEGxOQ3ruvbpb2k1pmoa8KOhHK0OjgPL5cKgEA6VqFgQjEtrqjzMw38I4/s16000/DSCN1363.JPG" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilJ1oT7UEZ57nOrDlYoxHlsZ37Q8QzOcEQyP1D3DsH7olketRifwm9yajDnhaJuHcl-ASD09thHGrAeIywpjEvqVxoAh8qt_9UMT_0oyPN7i8Zm8oBTxcYqSp8_dznTxS3YqpuR0hvrNafxIP7SO-E23nMuRPzTesGa1bBVaYwFfsDETiIlsf8nnxoqCA/s4608/DSCN1364.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3456" data-original-width="4608" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilJ1oT7UEZ57nOrDlYoxHlsZ37Q8QzOcEQyP1D3DsH7olketRifwm9yajDnhaJuHcl-ASD09thHGrAeIywpjEvqVxoAh8qt_9UMT_0oyPN7i8Zm8oBTxcYqSp8_dznTxS3YqpuR0hvrNafxIP7SO-E23nMuRPzTesGa1bBVaYwFfsDETiIlsf8nnxoqCA/s16000/DSCN1364.JPG" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHxAvu5q7burAeb-ymAElCgmt5HBzauEOQJSZXNJ5LDgofyAXAiF_G38DiJKIfY0YjyMkxupjhK8leQ73nQcw-7t19NWZwBss_wvEV564S_TTICYYA2mpAnXy3bT4bz17CbG4XIqQ_NIzQD-YO4CQAmuIxlFYKYFrj7Suvh7YoJkcrYh5Yl5faWExtBxY/s4608/DSCN1365.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3456" data-original-width="4608" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHxAvu5q7burAeb-ymAElCgmt5HBzauEOQJSZXNJ5LDgofyAXAiF_G38DiJKIfY0YjyMkxupjhK8leQ73nQcw-7t19NWZwBss_wvEV564S_TTICYYA2mpAnXy3bT4bz17CbG4XIqQ_NIzQD-YO4CQAmuIxlFYKYFrj7Suvh7YoJkcrYh5Yl5faWExtBxY/s16000/DSCN1365.JPG" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><p>And that was how the Devilfish was left for over a decade, languishing in a half-forgotten cache of models, bitz and various hobby supplies while I focused on Tau starships and Wood Elves. It was not until 2018 that I remembered it was there and, seeing a perfect opportunity to give my new rebooted Tau army a 'free' transport vehicle, I resolved to turn it into the first new vehicle for my new Tau with a deep, deep, <i>deep</i> modernisation program. </p><p><br /></p><p>The refit work began last year after I had finished the command team for my rebooted Tau. I started by carefully stripping off the outer hull with Simple Green. Normally I am deeply uneasy about paint stripping, being loathe to erase a piece of history and someone else's hard work, but plain undercoat primers are an exception and this was my own painting at any rate, and trying to work with the very thick caked up undercoat my 14 year old self had applied seemed like a bridge too far. </p><p><br /></p><p>That said I did determine that the interior was worth salvaging, so I avoided stripping that while carefully taking the paint off the outside by using a system of jury-rigged scaffolding to keep the Devilfish hull suspended above the pool of Simple Green, with just one surface dipping into the liquid at a time. This was largely ineffective at keeping the Simple Green out of the interior, as the troop compartment got flooded through the flight stand hole in the floor and the cupola hole in the roof multiple times, but it was successful at preserving the interior paint job, which was left relatively intact with no serious solvent damage. Though it does even now still have a sharp citric cleaning freshener smell inside...</p><p><br /></p><p>With the white undercoat taken off, the upgrade work could begin, and this Devilfish, the missing link between my old Tau army and my new one, was <b>REBORN.</b> </p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><span style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbZT-nQdEYUtu2Yl4Gb6IdhtMTrIgVa1Q95BwY5hJT-ZGBoZCOG3aIPUAbNllhFRcpZc9aLy-nTrDVoq6FQFVOGM-lG5RlNpS1y3tVIhdSPrrNm4HdZk5QEnqyjpOa4Qm3QT4BD7Wzw5CyRNLefYF1EbsqnCi-eRbecO_uyeAYHt4sm_qaHlNuV_zuiW8/s4608/13D.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3456" data-original-width="4608" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJyiZZVfT9myvzjAl9Jz0ahOlqQfdgpW6Bictd9dU5mg9skpaW4atkN3oq5OzFDwQEPGpNjsq4jmplByMm7t-9sn7W0dpIbc-hMc3ql0PUOoKD2IQBnim-c5uoxrNGfnv1Y3xmIKo-gDk8vdLvXbpk7oh6DeGuTxC9fZKz_HPi4BU2_XZ393Y_Fxkw0y8/s16000/134D.JPG" /></a></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbZT-nQdEYUtu2Yl4Gb6IdhtMTrIgVa1Q95BwY5hJT-ZGBoZCOG3aIPUAbNllhFRcpZc9aLy-nTrDVoq6FQFVOGM-lG5RlNpS1y3tVIhdSPrrNm4HdZk5QEnqyjpOa4Qm3QT4BD7Wzw5CyRNLefYF1EbsqnCi-eRbecO_uyeAYHt4sm_qaHlNuV_zuiW8/s4608/13D.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbZT-nQdEYUtu2Yl4Gb6IdhtMTrIgVa1Q95BwY5hJT-ZGBoZCOG3aIPUAbNllhFRcpZc9aLy-nTrDVoq6FQFVOGM-lG5RlNpS1y3tVIhdSPrrNm4HdZk5QEnqyjpOa4Qm3QT4BD7Wzw5CyRNLefYF1EbsqnCi-eRbecO_uyeAYHt4sm_qaHlNuV_zuiW8/s4608/13D.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3456" data-original-width="4608" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwU2Aw68zoQv9KYPRMNH0do9X9YceAl8bgZfAK53yitcrR0m_qHzgZhNu0cZX2ee3OTDxxnTQhWjiGon7VquFUilj3ph79vKSh5Qms_9f7szZYbAxK3JfEN8ulq9r99JJplx-jXZMNguCvOu8_GV9GlRUEe-KS5zdpKW1jRXp9wAhGXSBFF-z91P0BRsQ/s16000/A34D.JPG" /></a></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbZT-nQdEYUtu2Yl4Gb6IdhtMTrIgVa1Q95BwY5hJT-ZGBoZCOG3aIPUAbNllhFRcpZc9aLy-nTrDVoq6FQFVOGM-lG5RlNpS1y3tVIhdSPrrNm4HdZk5QEnqyjpOa4Qm3QT4BD7Wzw5CyRNLefYF1EbsqnCi-eRbecO_uyeAYHt4sm_qaHlNuV_zuiW8/s4608/13D.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbZT-nQdEYUtu2Yl4Gb6IdhtMTrIgVa1Q95BwY5hJT-ZGBoZCOG3aIPUAbNllhFRcpZc9aLy-nTrDVoq6FQFVOGM-lG5RlNpS1y3tVIhdSPrrNm4HdZk5QEnqyjpOa4Qm3QT4BD7Wzw5CyRNLefYF1EbsqnCi-eRbecO_uyeAYHt4sm_qaHlNuV_zuiW8/s4608/13D.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3456" data-original-width="4608" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhilnk2LLVKJYXGMxCk_v0jC_1SNubTBAOOyFnjRXHS_si10JBifau2YRxfepEiKPa-li8yJ6kuzQcgl8gAER48mAmRHKdo_XdHH17hfpUVQeRYOIyOZofK0HRQUHItvv5hSny8HCEt1nQ8T1yEPEiWicfp0L4m9Y-Pasg_CK9ajiqFGL1-2ZhpsxbKViA/s16000/RS.JPG" /></a></span></div></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbZT-nQdEYUtu2Yl4Gb6IdhtMTrIgVa1Q95BwY5hJT-ZGBoZCOG3aIPUAbNllhFRcpZc9aLy-nTrDVoq6FQFVOGM-lG5RlNpS1y3tVIhdSPrrNm4HdZk5QEnqyjpOa4Qm3QT4BD7Wzw5CyRNLefYF1EbsqnCi-eRbecO_uyeAYHt4sm_qaHlNuV_zuiW8/s4608/13D.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br /></a><div class="separator" style="clear: both; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><span style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbZT-nQdEYUtu2Yl4Gb6IdhtMTrIgVa1Q95BwY5hJT-ZGBoZCOG3aIPUAbNllhFRcpZc9aLy-nTrDVoq6FQFVOGM-lG5RlNpS1y3tVIhdSPrrNm4HdZk5QEnqyjpOa4Qm3QT4BD7Wzw5CyRNLefYF1EbsqnCi-eRbecO_uyeAYHt4sm_qaHlNuV_zuiW8/s4608/13D.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3456" data-original-width="4608" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgg5wUbMIqyoW78dB4dxQi4-ilZG2GyUsLUjk7LzlgrKtdL3spFDVmccg_5n5RWb7lBG7deTcSTwWX8oueIaWj4EmJCBZdNJaiAU71KXe5ON6aFrsXQVB3-Sx-ddQfkWJ-mpnRGzYIIIqRval1UJdKH35iuK1P16f6KADZZqb6j4VA5tkWO7oPRoAtI6SU/s16000/RSD.JPG" /></a></span></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbZT-nQdEYUtu2Yl4Gb6IdhtMTrIgVa1Q95BwY5hJT-ZGBoZCOG3aIPUAbNllhFRcpZc9aLy-nTrDVoq6FQFVOGM-lG5RlNpS1y3tVIhdSPrrNm4HdZk5QEnqyjpOa4Qm3QT4BD7Wzw5CyRNLefYF1EbsqnCi-eRbecO_uyeAYHt4sm_qaHlNuV_zuiW8/s4608/13D.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbZT-nQdEYUtu2Yl4Gb6IdhtMTrIgVa1Q95BwY5hJT-ZGBoZCOG3aIPUAbNllhFRcpZc9aLy-nTrDVoq6FQFVOGM-lG5RlNpS1y3tVIhdSPrrNm4HdZk5QEnqyjpOa4Qm3QT4BD7Wzw5CyRNLefYF1EbsqnCi-eRbecO_uyeAYHt4sm_qaHlNuV_zuiW8/s4608/13D.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3456" data-original-width="4608" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVDBlwfrcwqhdCS99zsPNl6nC0OEo-vx9F-gfSSHOdka3gFGdGPmXBkyPesxUCdgM0w_lfIf5fdL-RmAyCoFMcYchEUNJR_gsOXyhxbDoSb-qOl8X61e09-XNvAOt_k31tvteGHXvgl7Y-Q5xUfcM-UQ3McV-TTghZOo_08ve45zkmyav_GGDxxbjr8i0/s16000/TOPD.JPG" /></a></span></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbZT-nQdEYUtu2Yl4Gb6IdhtMTrIgVa1Q95BwY5hJT-ZGBoZCOG3aIPUAbNllhFRcpZc9aLy-nTrDVoq6FQFVOGM-lG5RlNpS1y3tVIhdSPrrNm4HdZk5QEnqyjpOa4Qm3QT4BD7Wzw5CyRNLefYF1EbsqnCi-eRbecO_uyeAYHt4sm_qaHlNuV_zuiW8/s4608/13D.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbZT-nQdEYUtu2Yl4Gb6IdhtMTrIgVa1Q95BwY5hJT-ZGBoZCOG3aIPUAbNllhFRcpZc9aLy-nTrDVoq6FQFVOGM-lG5RlNpS1y3tVIhdSPrrNm4HdZk5QEnqyjpOa4Qm3QT4BD7Wzw5CyRNLefYF1EbsqnCi-eRbecO_uyeAYHt4sm_qaHlNuV_zuiW8/s4608/13D.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbZT-nQdEYUtu2Yl4Gb6IdhtMTrIgVa1Q95BwY5hJT-ZGBoZCOG3aIPUAbNllhFRcpZc9aLy-nTrDVoq6FQFVOGM-lG5RlNpS1y3tVIhdSPrrNm4HdZk5QEnqyjpOa4Qm3QT4BD7Wzw5CyRNLefYF1EbsqnCi-eRbecO_uyeAYHt4sm_qaHlNuV_zuiW8/s4608/13D.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br /></a></div></div><br /><br />I can only pray I have made Xzibit proud. </div><div><br /></div><div>This new Devilfish was unsurprisingly painted up following the exact process outlined in <i>Codex: Tau</i>, with a level of fidelity that my 10 year old self could only dream of. In particular this is the first success I've had in implementing the iconic Crows' Feet camouflage pattern featured on the GW studio tau army's vehicles. </div><div><br /></div><div>It wasn't easy of course. The size of the model meant that it was a massive slog to get painted, but crucially it was <i>noticeably much less of a slog than those damned battlesuits</i>. Much of this was due to this model being big and vehicular enough to attack with a tank brush for basecoating, and big and smooth enough to be attacked with a makeup blush brush for highlighting (another tip gleaned from Sebastian Stuart). This meant a lot of rapid progress for a lot of the larger open areas of the model that mostly bogged down around the clusters of greebles scattered over the model - the landing gear in particular were especially troublesome. </div><div><br /></div><div>The chin turret was also a major headache due to the friction caused by having such a snug fit. Ideally this piece should really have been painted separately and rigged up to be detachable for both upkeep and to model Weapon Destroyed damage results, but 14 year old me was not that smart. </div><div><br /></div><div>The largest problem by far however was clearcoating the beast. Some application of an improperly mixed varnish ended up causing huge swathes of the model's recesses to fog over with this disgusting crusty white residue, which then plagued me for many days as it just would not stay gone, returning paint touchup after paint touchup no matter what I tried. I thought I had solved the problem at last with many many touchups followed by a coat of pure varnish, but even now it seems to be starting to creep back in. It seems that this particular TX-6 is cursed to live an ignominious career as a tyrannical hangar queen. </div><div><br /></div><div><br />But then that's just how the march of technology goes sometimes. </div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgf85h9bIkwGTWKyLZzcuqw9TDEnXCPie5DJMPVAcoC4ZC1goZYj1BBSYBnybXCnePSK7jdVCj3OJo342-mUHD_G_fIYZKlXIJkjKWkbaiRMy0kdYIhoSM1q2H_FKZIuMAHz2fP-gQFZtqX8NWG_tcg6_Qu-397D8xtJBzGWtIVsMTPGWsQNRnfbu5wFZs/s4608/AFBD.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3456" data-original-width="4608" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgf85h9bIkwGTWKyLZzcuqw9TDEnXCPie5DJMPVAcoC4ZC1goZYj1BBSYBnybXCnePSK7jdVCj3OJo342-mUHD_G_fIYZKlXIJkjKWkbaiRMy0kdYIhoSM1q2H_FKZIuMAHz2fP-gQFZtqX8NWG_tcg6_Qu-397D8xtJBzGWtIVsMTPGWsQNRnfbu5wFZs/s16000/AFBD.JPG" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>The rear of the machine shows off one of the many firsts for a 40k vehicle I've painted - a full set of engine glows. These were done using the same rough colour scheme as the engine glows on my Tau ships for Battlefleet Gothic, building up from red to yellow to orange to white in the centre of the thruster. The main difference was in a more detailed range of colour shades to fit the larger scale of Warhammer 40,000 models, as well as a white undercoat to compensate for the colours being drybrushed rather than simply layered. </div><div><br /></div><div>The orange engine glows also mark the first decisive action in my WAR AGAINST BLUE GLOWS. They were fine in <i>Firewarrior</i>, and they were OK in <i>District 9</i>, but then after that every single fucking sci fi movie has just put made every glow and explosion electric blue and after 15 years of it I just can't take it anymore. ESPECIALLY with Tau since every last Tau player and artist seems to only ever give Tau stuff blue glows everywhere because of <i>Dawn Of War</i>, and it just feels so lazy and it looks so monotonous and I'm so so tired of seeing them everywhere. </div><div><br /></div><div>So in my new Tau army there's not going to be a single blue glow. Anywhere. At all. </div><div><br /></div><div>Starting with the engines on this Devilfish. </div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdKspIS8xxyCROTzDH6hVUGqUtg_5BFAFvTAZWGqRQitvl1O6LwedIcBX9fS5rNJMnrvAldyngL0j3ahWnbaCXZeyWBEfIGnu1Kg3FYCD401qoauhI6hfXE71R4ZU8zeObx0kS2xtmkOBMp8eH33oE4fodoCYJ-a4pmC0v7Fyh_sXPvhBiWOIeuDk_nUc/s4608/RVD.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3456" data-original-width="4608" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdKspIS8xxyCROTzDH6hVUGqUtg_5BFAFvTAZWGqRQitvl1O6LwedIcBX9fS5rNJMnrvAldyngL0j3ahWnbaCXZeyWBEfIGnu1Kg3FYCD401qoauhI6hfXE71R4ZU8zeObx0kS2xtmkOBMp8eH33oE4fodoCYJ-a4pmC0v7Fyh_sXPvhBiWOIeuDk_nUc/s16000/RVD.JPG" /></a></div></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div>The other notable feature on the rear of the Devilfish are the rear-facing sensor clusters at the bottom, which have been painted up in multiple colours as a throwback to the rainbow lights on my older vehicles, with a little uniformity added in - the main lenses are red and green, which is a recurring colour motif throughout the army and taken directly from <i>Codex: Tau</i> and <i>Firewarrior</i>, while the smaller lenses are asymmetrically coloured to add a splash of visual spice. </div><div><br /></div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeRWyOrjPp4_n06kP9fmqKsiiJxX_Xng_eU9cEO3lbbtSdj3dEn0wD6x7kfFiXvHLdmb19wfUtTHhdLCukO4XTE2fVkr9hhNVj0qlBc9_iathLBICQ-pjvL5qBcB-PAjXYL6KC_HqBF9wn6owTZ__YyFnfI4wFDdYt-vH_cIBD-dsyfrrj1DaCVHMOq_g/s4608/UND.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3456" data-original-width="4608" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeRWyOrjPp4_n06kP9fmqKsiiJxX_Xng_eU9cEO3lbbtSdj3dEn0wD6x7kfFiXvHLdmb19wfUtTHhdLCukO4XTE2fVkr9hhNVj0qlBc9_iathLBICQ-pjvL5qBcB-PAjXYL6KC_HqBF9wn6owTZ__YyFnfI4wFDdYt-vH_cIBD-dsyfrrj1DaCVHMOq_g/s16000/UND.JPG" /></a></div></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>The underside showcases what is perhaps the most dramatic new addition over the previous models, a massive increase in firepower from a set of magnetic hardpoints for a full payload of seeker missiles. It was always my plan to eventually equip all the Devilfish of my Tau army with the maximum number of seeker missiles they can carry. This is rooted in my longstanding doctrine of ensuring that every single unit in my armies is equipped with anti-tank capability as well as anti-personnel weaponry, to ensure they can defeat any threat they encounter. And also because as I've mentioned before I had a strict policy of no battlesuits so I needed something to cover the middle ground between pulse guns and railguns. More recently discovering the Soviet army practice of ensuring every single unit had some way of hurting tanks only vindicated this approach. Besides, it's just not a proper infantry combat vehicle without a good anti-tank missile launcher bolted on. </div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>Much consideration was made to the placement of the seeker missiles, a question that my engineers have wrestled with for decades. At one point over-wing mounts on the top of the prow were considered. So too were a cupola mount, and sticking them on the engine mounts or on the top or underside of the engines themselves. In the end, I settled on a conventional under-wing configuration on the prow, which was simple and made plenty of sense from a design point of view. But this then raised the question of how to fit four seeker missiles under the prow of the Devilfish, which was not a lot of space to fit four big honking cruise missiles. My first plan was to take some inspiration from real life Raketnosets and opt for an interleaved stack of missiles clustered around the central keel in a similar manner to the TU-95K-22 missile carriage. </div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.ausairpower.net/VVS/Tu-95K-22-Bear-G-4S.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="583" data-original-width="768" src="https://www.ausairpower.net/VVS/Tu-95K-22-Bear-G-4S.jpg" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>But then I discovered that the weapon stations on the tips of the prow wings were actually smaller than I first thought and it was possible to stick a big cruise missile right next to them without getting in the way of any gun drone docked there. This made the overlapping layout unnecessary, provided two missiles were kept right next to the central keel. </div><div><br /></div><div>The missiles themselves are taken from the Skyray, because the Hammerhead kits these days come with a Skyray sprue, and since I plan to build more Hammerheads than Skyrays I have a surplus of Skyray seeker missiles, which is great because I need a lot of seeker missiles, and each Skyray sprue gives me six of them which is five more than the lone seeker missile on the Tau vehicle accessory sprue, and Forgeworld no longer sells booster packs of seeker missiles. </div><div><br /></div><div>They have been slightly modified with the addition of missile pylons modeled on directly, which in the case of the central two is necessary to give them enough clearance over the central keel, and provides enough area for sticking down a pair of magnetic metal pins so they'll stick to the magnets embedded in the prow. There are also a number of magnetic hardpoints installed around the top of the hull so that the Devilfish can be fitted with specialised mission equipment in the future. </div><div><br /></div><div>The other notable feature on the underside is the prominent anti-gravity arrays on the prow, picked out in gold as both a shoutout to my first vehicle model and to tie in with the gold anti-gravity gyros on the infantry and battlesuits. </div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbZT-nQdEYUtu2Yl4Gb6IdhtMTrIgVa1Q95BwY5hJT-ZGBoZCOG3aIPUAbNllhFRcpZc9aLy-nTrDVoq6FQFVOGM-lG5RlNpS1y3tVIhdSPrrNm4HdZk5QEnqyjpOa4Qm3QT4BD7Wzw5CyRNLefYF1EbsqnCi-eRbecO_uyeAYHt4sm_qaHlNuV_zuiW8/s4608/13D.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3456" data-original-width="4608" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbZT-nQdEYUtu2Yl4Gb6IdhtMTrIgVa1Q95BwY5hJT-ZGBoZCOG3aIPUAbNllhFRcpZc9aLy-nTrDVoq6FQFVOGM-lG5RlNpS1y3tVIhdSPrrNm4HdZk5QEnqyjpOa4Qm3QT4BD7Wzw5CyRNLefYF1EbsqnCi-eRbecO_uyeAYHt4sm_qaHlNuV_zuiW8/s16000/13D.JPG" /></a></div></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>Like her predecessor, this new Devilfish also features fully articulated side doors, this time secured with paired sets of magnets. The hinge installation did not go smoothly, as my wonky depth perception and spatial awareness meant the shafts drilled through the hinge pieces were not completely level, making the resulting axis of movement for the door awkward. In the end I had to destroy the hinge brackets in order to save them, with the remains being assimilated into the greenstuff fairings added to accommodate the pins. </div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsIUwsXpJRoqQBgNpvUUKuwKJcU3Beghq02aq1CuOqOcPmsLRbxV4UXR0tJV46layBLYRZ3_y2ofe5CJo6GtMEEM58a2JdUeKwGnueiHZHMoHtzzr0UXppKqs9msTrnzlcycW6QMynzUmRr-EK7Ifs9vd_j5ElpquKuwz3QX8sZX7Ma0O4uyV6dOTgfD0/s4608/Rearview%201D.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3456" data-original-width="4608" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsIUwsXpJRoqQBgNpvUUKuwKJcU3Beghq02aq1CuOqOcPmsLRbxV4UXR0tJV46layBLYRZ3_y2ofe5CJo6GtMEEM58a2JdUeKwGnueiHZHMoHtzzr0UXppKqs9msTrnzlcycW6QMynzUmRr-EK7Ifs9vd_j5ElpquKuwz3QX8sZX7Ma0O4uyV6dOTgfD0/s16000/Rearview%201D.JPG" /></a></div></div><div><br /></div><div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyXQpsdT7wG3NYCpO4X5XpoIj20-3fIk-OQqLSifEzHxYWj7c6pU8TDHFOdsJN6wt1awKJk1wL_Ge63jFpnBtKhfKd1FrtfzZNOM5pd1vbv82DkRuMeJiBr6M__DzV7vfSWvJzWxGKyf07mHfehzlZBDwu1aTWAIXnCORPI2f3kD37MKFtcgpk8Pwpr_w/s4608/Interior%201D.JPG"><img border="0" data-original-height="3456" data-original-width="4608" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyXQpsdT7wG3NYCpO4X5XpoIj20-3fIk-OQqLSifEzHxYWj7c6pU8TDHFOdsJN6wt1awKJk1wL_Ge63jFpnBtKhfKd1FrtfzZNOM5pd1vbv82DkRuMeJiBr6M__DzV7vfSWvJzWxGKyf07mHfehzlZBDwu1aTWAIXnCORPI2f3kD37MKFtcgpk8Pwpr_w/s16000/Interior%201D.JPG" /></a></div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>The doors in turn open to a completely refurbished interior. </div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfu3Q7hLLFt4TlF21315WEjIra7QP96P1l2SLzck3I6-U7fVN6TC0z1ZPvHa7r72hsUxe2tlEkcBEjNz7JTgj_xE7PUL-aqBYNTaBoNPXztal_C9sOi6OpsYNTZY_SHchdQJOOi7SEM1RJAZ53KHinmWconqFo37yPyviOkvwL3mxwXFs95ulqCXlYbsU/s4608/Interior%202D.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3456" data-original-width="4608" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfu3Q7hLLFt4TlF21315WEjIra7QP96P1l2SLzck3I6-U7fVN6TC0z1ZPvHa7r72hsUxe2tlEkcBEjNz7JTgj_xE7PUL-aqBYNTaBoNPXztal_C9sOi6OpsYNTZY_SHchdQJOOi7SEM1RJAZ53KHinmWconqFo37yPyviOkvwL3mxwXFs95ulqCXlYbsU/s16000/Interior%202D.JPG" /></a></div></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>The interior itself is mostly the same configuration it was first painted in, just updated to my latest painting standards. The white areas were enhanced by using the same method I once used to improve my first ever Battlefleet Gothic spaceship, and involved something I have only ever used twice including here - ink washes. Like my first Explorer class starship, I applied a liberal wash of very watered down black paint to the whole of the passenger compartment, then went back over it with a drybrush of white. This also conveniently repaired the warping on the areas contaminated with Simple Green. </div><div><br /></div><div>From there it was mostly a matter of touching up the buttons with jeweled versions of their original colours - which was not the easiest thing to do as I had to work around several sections of hull that had already been glued in place - as well as the vision blocks, which were painted to reflect the environment beyond them, in other words the inner sides of the vision blocks were painted blue to reflect the sky outside and the outer sides were painted red, marking a return to the red vision blocks used in the GW Studio army which I am happy to settle for, and is a reflection of the red combat lighting inside the Devilfish itself. Speaking of, several casting pits and divots in the ceiling of the passenger compartment were painted up as dome lights, coloured red because they've been switched over to combat lighting. </div><div><br /></div><div>The upholstery on the seats was also enhanced with a drybrush of Skraag Brown over Doombull Brown for some extra hard-wearing, stylish and comfortable leather padding - though naturally synthetic this time to avoid needless animal cruelty. </div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgABXGbjCwkYG8NPNQ_p3bd2Wiu6YtIbIr5c_yn4WorHmkoUjhALxFciKwNc4UIt8C2EXgj_bJz5rPVAPQU0AEx6Ba0JkXLxO3FaWUgLsYKbdoDhZst5MtWCWpk1hpvO7NeRKOVyWQrk4BBDHRBSvvTlfFD9fDbZNJ2rjiddTkHyHmg7AsS4oyU3qBzEOg/s4608/Interior%203D.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3456" data-original-width="4608" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgABXGbjCwkYG8NPNQ_p3bd2Wiu6YtIbIr5c_yn4WorHmkoUjhALxFciKwNc4UIt8C2EXgj_bJz5rPVAPQU0AEx6Ba0JkXLxO3FaWUgLsYKbdoDhZst5MtWCWpk1hpvO7NeRKOVyWQrk4BBDHRBSvvTlfFD9fDbZNJ2rjiddTkHyHmg7AsS4oyU3qBzEOg/s16000/Interior%203D.JPG" /></a></div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>The interior has also at last been equipped with some stowage, this time not one, not two, but three pulse guns for a complete full gun rack. Moving forward all future transports in the army will be required by regulation to have at least one fully stocked gun rack on board at all times, because I am smart enough not to make any of The Classic Three Mistakes. This also means I will be deploying units as large as possible and avoiding any suspiciously well-paying bounty contracts for a maverick lone-wolf space outlaw with surgically-enhanced night vision. Even if issued by a planet facing imminent invasion from Newcrons. </div><div><br /></div><div>Not that the Tau Fire Caste is generally given to the business of bounty hunting in the first place anyway. </div><div><br /></div><div>The combination of two pulse rifles and a pulse carbine also indicates this Devilfish as being assigned to transport one of my tactical Fire Warrior teams. </div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimAaWxB5CXKq9nPmWdvw3BIWRS-pGewcT3Qj06oOVrcB1fY_5OLvCGJkZKSM-ltSquuoRhTqRbweAktFR_ng6a1FUQGqHOF9yEGWFouxjfHF3xMNdG7Ue6PbjW3PWzcNTMmsK0OF9zle7QTfSp1TnEVQB197LOEy1YAt-CLqZxpc1nSH9okEUCzhpFoQE/s4608/FVD.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3456" data-original-width="4608" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimAaWxB5CXKq9nPmWdvw3BIWRS-pGewcT3Qj06oOVrcB1fY_5OLvCGJkZKSM-ltSquuoRhTqRbweAktFR_ng6a1FUQGqHOF9yEGWFouxjfHF3xMNdG7Ue6PbjW3PWzcNTMmsK0OF9zle7QTfSp1TnEVQB197LOEy1YAt-CLqZxpc1nSH9okEUCzhpFoQE/s16000/FVD.JPG" /></a></div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>The new Devilfish also features for the first time a complete set of markings, faithfully applied precisely according to the guide in Codex: Tau and painstakingly copied from the GW studio models using photos from <i>Codex: Tau</i> and White Dwarf #262(US) as reference. Since many of the marking icons used did not exist on the GW Tau decal sheet I had to create my own decals using an inkjet printer. These ultimately proved ineffective on their own, as Microsoft Word's crude graphics editor could not scale down the Tau letters and graphics to a small enough size, and the final printed decals lacked pigment. Instead I ended up printing off a set of circular markings in the right size and using them as templates to freehand over with the desired graphics. The results are a little wonky, but honestly so are the freehand letters on the GW studio examples. </div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>The crew's personal roundel was chosen to be the same design used on the main GW studio Devilfish, visible in the painting example on the back of the box and <i>Codex: Tau</i> as well as the battle photo on the back cover of the codex. The slogan next to the cockpit was taken from the GW Tau decal sheet and reads "Y'eldi Shi" meaning "Winged Victory" which seemed fitting enough. There were also plans for a second slogan around the edge of one of the side doors, but the curved slogans on the decal sheet proved unable to fit there. </div><div><br /></div><div>Similarly after the number Lobba barrages my Fire Warriors have been subjected to I had also planned to freehand "PIN US NOW ASSHOLES!" in actual Tau'sia onto one of the side doors, but even after all my time spent painting tiny Elven runes onto banners my freehanding skills were not able to produce acceptably good looking painted letters to the right size. </div><div><br /></div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdiRj5fRXp6tgcXH9gF1DqFyRT7gdla6jzVUz8QLuteyBx_FqkqJ-rxIkVRzo7YAiD5GngUT0xNdO4Tu-8sauxIPMbGdMH0TTOwAFUY82pbngkPhrPptACy5SuwgHqPcpkO-Zu_FV8I2M-v1b3RR0TdnQus0VWyYunY8YvtOA9WWgCkB9b3npssMEVbzo/s4608/Fan%20Out%20D.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3456" data-original-width="4608" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdiRj5fRXp6tgcXH9gF1DqFyRT7gdla6jzVUz8QLuteyBx_FqkqJ-rxIkVRzo7YAiD5GngUT0xNdO4Tu-8sauxIPMbGdMH0TTOwAFUY82pbngkPhrPptACy5SuwgHqPcpkO-Zu_FV8I2M-v1b3RR0TdnQus0VWyYunY8YvtOA9WWgCkB9b3npssMEVbzo/s16000/Fan%20Out%20D.JPG" /></a></div><br /><br /><br />The new Devilfish, <i>Arrow 1</i>, has already seen action and performed well in her tabletop debut. It is expected that she will see much more use this year. </div><div><br /></div><div>In the meantime, I now have a modest army featuring a solid core of infantry, jump infantry, assault weapons, and now heavy weapons and vehicle support. It is time, at long last, to close out the beginning of my rebooted Tau army with the most awe-inspiring beautiful centrepiece model GW ever made in plastic...</div><div><br /><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSdKD4CtpKrHXMiXl8M4OamQj4FzvAsEHYPumRn1iAod4yEmPYt7bVLceBccZi6A4oDAXrizHLa6QmZwVLIOFxr5EVdmkfhj7g-8FHHTjodNkIk7D-6BOXyLRUWO7h7sSnoiwyZBxZnwrrprrqNqUyqlE-wl993rira_kIB4t7xWIG6bzP4ja2UNKUB70/s4608/Kopinski%20D.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3456" data-original-width="4608" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSdKD4CtpKrHXMiXl8M4OamQj4FzvAsEHYPumRn1iAod4yEmPYt7bVLceBccZi6A4oDAXrizHLa6QmZwVLIOFxr5EVdmkfhj7g-8FHHTjodNkIk7D-6BOXyLRUWO7h7sSnoiwyZBxZnwrrprrqNqUyqlE-wl993rira_kIB4t7xWIG6bzP4ja2UNKUB70/s16000/Kopinski%20D.JPG" /></a></div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><p><br /></p></div>MillitantGuerillaCommunistHippiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13565203522225127317noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5420460147318382021.post-68261395459967740372024-01-04T03:59:00.000-08:002024-01-04T03:59:12.061-08:00Into The Wild<p> It is fair to say that these days my enthusiasm for Warhammer is at a low point. While I do still nominally enjoy it, my excitement for Warhammer is on its last legs, having been suffocated by the return of the Tourneycorn Sour Prude math hegemony that did far more damage to the game than GW ever could have. Even the prospects of a few eager 6th-curious folk near me has done little to rekindle my joy or stave off the intrusive thoughts of fire and plastic. </p><p><br /></p><p>It's so bad that the 10-year anniversary of my getting into Warhammer came and went without so much as a quick acknowledgement, so drained of excitement have I become. And the press releases surrounding the fan fiction accompanying GW's TOW system have only awoken an ice-hot rage not felt in many long years. </p><p><br /></p><p>But it was not always so. Ten years ago Warhammer promised to be the dawn of an exciting new age, a revolution in my tabletop hobby. </p><p><br /></p><p>It was, most fittingly, one late summer's afternoon when I went home from university with a Wood Elf Battalion box, and it took all my strength to wait until I got home before tearing off the shrink wrap and poring over the sprues inside. And what a marvel to behold they were! Knife variants! Cloak variants! Special jeweled cloaks for the champions! Banner variants! And best of all, a huge array of beautiful fun little doodads to stick on bases. My first taste of Warhammer models was so amazing it put me right at ease and I completely forgot my crushing intimidation at painting not only beautiful Wood Elf model sculpts, but also banners and tiny elven runes for the first time. </p><p><br /></p><p>I immediately set to work preparing the infantry figures that were at the top of the box - conveniently its contents were layered top to bottom in exactly the order I wanted to tackle them in. The box contained a surplus of archer sprues - enough to make eight more than the band of 16 Glade Guard I had planned. Two of the extras were used as the test models I've shown earlier. One was reserved for a particularly special purpose - we'll get to her later. </p><p><br /></p><p>But the remaining five became my first ever Warhammer unit, the Wood Wasps. </p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhI1ANIlEfKCO3qqE05ZXTscyp0L16dumpdOGSLZRLGDGI9FPJgX6LVj5GBz5TCoxu-FioAFnBDiHMUcwP8wYgzEKdRPnvx8GOEo8Lyq9_-t36X07_MPIX_o6nlXG6MvShdoTDz2QF5e36SqRi5Yezc_7PYTzhU6O0zlDT-CU-bGn1aWcNOu_R3zpEF9vE/s4608/DSCN1372.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3456" data-original-width="4608" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhI1ANIlEfKCO3qqE05ZXTscyp0L16dumpdOGSLZRLGDGI9FPJgX6LVj5GBz5TCoxu-FioAFnBDiHMUcwP8wYgzEKdRPnvx8GOEo8Lyq9_-t36X07_MPIX_o6nlXG6MvShdoTDz2QF5e36SqRi5Yezc_7PYTzhU6O0zlDT-CU-bGn1aWcNOu_R3zpEF9vE/s16000/DSCN1372.JPG" /></a></div><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUzM1BS0dP6X7_gxLpq8HgUx0QJhbAYPcBK_SSAc_WDSy8cPqTl0BVT7NcwL6bVgZ5-WUQDTew0MvaG09STAFsfc31b0X7k_18UOJeaYzC1DFBVs8cUzVQXGbFKMZtiqzTI9W0XkzjXY-gxj_TYU-3mhnnPBmLKBkSIlY7QoM9FOBVtJOVUz5GMOPMJ3E/s4608/DSCN1373.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3456" data-original-width="4608" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUzM1BS0dP6X7_gxLpq8HgUx0QJhbAYPcBK_SSAc_WDSy8cPqTl0BVT7NcwL6bVgZ5-WUQDTew0MvaG09STAFsfc31b0X7k_18UOJeaYzC1DFBVs8cUzVQXGbFKMZtiqzTI9W0XkzjXY-gxj_TYU-3mhnnPBmLKBkSIlY7QoM9FOBVtJOVUz5GMOPMJ3E/s16000/DSCN1373.JPG" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxCDHfEXPTHGzVGlj60JRrSdCOanaCQz9xEgQi6lX4-zi8f2IjJ3kvuHn_SWivIqdeR8IcxXZw_N8i6bemP4wD4EyYCxnFo6bTsDliivEXFs4irPcEWL4O6FEG6huFhtEoLxpz5nIbPree32_sOT0o6vxDvSRH0qWbmBWffsG2Ke8l4Ur2QtYBO1ZHM3o/s4608/DSCN1376.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3456" data-original-width="4608" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxCDHfEXPTHGzVGlj60JRrSdCOanaCQz9xEgQi6lX4-zi8f2IjJ3kvuHn_SWivIqdeR8IcxXZw_N8i6bemP4wD4EyYCxnFo6bTsDliivEXFs4irPcEWL4O6FEG6huFhtEoLxpz5nIbPree32_sOT0o6vxDvSRH0qWbmBWffsG2Ke8l4Ur2QtYBO1ZHM3o/s16000/DSCN1376.JPG" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><p>This army actually marked the official start of my tradition of always starting with a unit of foot troops where appropriate - because unless it's a game of giant starships or robots infantry are usually going to be the most important cornerstone of the fighting force in question. <i>Unlike</i> later armies however, the starting infantry unit was a band of elite reconnaissance troops, because their composition as loose formation skirmishers made them closer to the Warhammer 40,000 infantry teams I was more familiar with and that made them a more natural stepping stone into Warhammer as I worked up towards ranked units. </p><p><br /></p><p>Besides, from the outset I knew I wanted a force of Scouts in the army, because I also always want the best reconnaissance and scouting capabilities I can get. Victory often goes to the side with the best eyes and ears, and being able to identify and track opposing formations and get good intimate knowledge of the local area is always a powerful advantage. In my Tau army that had always been accomplished by a team of Pathfinders, so for Warhammer it was only natural to go for a unit of the best scouting troops available to the best game faction at scouting and reconnaissance - the Wood Elf Scouts. </p><p><br /></p><p>It did not take a tactical genius to identify them as the direct Warhammer equivalent to Pathfinders, only making use of great stealth over great speed. Since gas turbine engines, satellite navigation, laser target designators and long-range surveillance space radars weren't things in this setting. successful information gathering would come down to cunning, wit, keen eyes and ears, a good elven cloak for camouflage and the stealth to closely observe the opposing army without them ever knowing it. </p><p><br /></p><p>The painting was fairly straightforward, following the step by step instructions for painting Glade Guard outlined in the Wood Elf army book. The process went surprisingly smoothly and I was very pleased with the results. Like the Glade Guard they use the hooded head variants, but the pattern is flipped - where the Glade Guard rank and file have masked hooded heads and the command group have unmasked, here it's the reverse, with the rank and file sporting no face masks to maximise their field of vision while only the champion retains a mask. </p><p><br /></p><p>This is also just about the only Warhammer unit I ever made with anything less than the full command options available to it. This was mostly because at the time some vague wording in the army book meant I was not entirely sure if Scouts could in fact take command options of any kind, only learning later that they could (and even then it was years before working out that it made them the ideal delivery vehicle for a Banner of The Zenith). But having just a Champion is enough for a tiny 5-elf scouting party so I'm not too bothered even now. </p><p><br /></p><p>It also marked the first real beginnings of the backstory behind the army. </p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><h2 style="text-align: center;">The Wood Wasps </h2><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7KCK8sLEXld3A6nD4rYYiFt1WGJQmwJAl_AmRiMSTTX_6t6rEqi-g3PyhXYRnKO76z7g6q7mt8jrXzgJ4jlDW_BbtCvlp4_gWoZdMOdx4kDwb5uncPfuVxCHCZOvc3n-S-aqCSiAVBGK9RKwJNG4MbbgPhC8V8x8VDmUhB6Gojv_MqB0cjlTAt0mMG5M/s4608/DSCN1375.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3456" data-original-width="4608" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7KCK8sLEXld3A6nD4rYYiFt1WGJQmwJAl_AmRiMSTTX_6t6rEqi-g3PyhXYRnKO76z7g6q7mt8jrXzgJ4jlDW_BbtCvlp4_gWoZdMOdx4kDwb5uncPfuVxCHCZOvc3n-S-aqCSiAVBGK9RKwJNG4MbbgPhC8V8x8VDmUhB6Gojv_MqB0cjlTAt0mMG5M/s16000/DSCN1375.JPG" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><i>The presence of the Wood Wasps is rarely seen in the Meadows Of Heaven, for they spend much of their time outside the domains of that realm. As the principle Scout kindred of the Meadows of Heaven it is the Wood Wasps who man the Outer Sentinels that guard the approaches to Athel Loren, as well as the Inner Sentinels that guard the approaches to the Meadows Of Heaven within the great forest itself. They also frequently range out into the lands beyond Athel Loren to watch, learn and gather news, reporting back to the Wishmaster when they return to keep him and his court up to date with the goings on of the wider world. </i></div><div><i><br /></i></div><div><i>The Wood Wasps were the only Scout kindred in the Meadows Of Heaven to survive Cyanathair's first invasion of the Meadows of Heaven, and remain the secret fifth major warrior kindred to form the bulk of the Meadows of Heaven's fighting force. They are comprised of the Asrai living there possessed of the greatest curiosity and wanderlust among their kind, putting their passions to good use in their role of ranging far and wide and scouting out the enemies of the Wood Elves. </i></div><div><i><br /></i></div><div><i>Each army sent from the Meadows of Heaven is always accompanied by a party of Wood Wasps to range ahead and act as the commanding elf's eyes and ears. Wood Wasps act in small bands of just five Asrai, which keeps their presence as inconspicuous as possible, and the lack of numbers is no hinderance for their main purpose is observation and surveillance rather than direct battle, though they will not hesitate to inflict what havoc they can on the enemy should the opportunity present itself. </i></div><div><i><br /></i></div><div><i>Wood Wasps fight with the Scout Bow as their principle weapon. While this design of longbow lacks the punch and stopping power of the heavier Glade Guard Longbow, it is considerably lighter and more compact, making it less encumbering when moving through dense terrain for extended periods, and it is still precise enough to strike wild game or errant goblins with equal ease. </i></div><div><i><br /></i></div><div><i>For close in fighting Wood Wasps carry the elven daggers common to all warriors of the Meadows of Heaven. Also like most warriors of the Meadows of Heaven Wood Wasps wear Lauralinae cloaks, enchanted to provide concealment amongst undergrowth, keep water out, bring warmth in winter and never wear or tear. Wood Wasps also travel with an array of messenger birds for relaying information back to their friends, including falcons for dangerous trips and owls for night-time communication, crucially important for coordinating the nighttime manoeuvres that commonly employed by the armies of the Meadows of Heaven. </i></div><div><i><br /></i></div><div><i>But the most important wargear of all for a Wood Wasp is their keen elven senses and their sharp wits. Wood Wasps spend much time studying the world, especially the plants and creatures not only within Athel Loren and the realms surrounding the great forest, but also many many other corners of the world. They keenly study matters of geography, history and culture among as many regions as possible, and this wealth of knowledge, carefully cultivated over many mortal lifetimes, allows them to understand the world such that they might better guide the Asrai of the Meadows Of Heaven with superb precision and insight. </i></div><div><i><br /></i></div><div><i><br /></i></div><div><i><br /></i></div><div>And that was my first concrete step into Warhammer. Perhaps one day I will touch up the wear and tear on these pioneers, but until then I still remain pretty happy with them. </div><div><br /></div><div>And they were in time joined by others....</div>MillitantGuerillaCommunistHippiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13565203522225127317noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5420460147318382021.post-33256070539752735752023-12-31T16:47:00.000-08:002023-12-31T16:47:31.369-08:00A Dark Horse<p> Do I start a New Army for the New Year? </p><p><br /></p><p>The answer is of course no, not at all. I already started one last year and 2024 is going to be absolutely packed with building up three existing armies already as it is even under ideal circumstances. A fourth one just is not even remotely feasible unless it just happens to fall out of the sky into my lap fully formed and painted and everything. </p><p><br /></p><p>But the new year does nonetheless bring with it an unforeseen opportunity. </p><p><br /></p><p>If you don't know, Games Workshop is releasing a new game in 2024 called The Old World that re-uses some of the models from Warhammer. Now, the TOW game itself is a total non-starter. I've already seen enough of its rules previewed to know that it will bring me no joy and trying to force myself to like it is only going to end in tears at best and literal actual real gasoline fire at worst. I tried to force myself to enjoy NuGW stuff for 16 years and it left me emotionally broken. I won't make that same mistake twice. </p><p><br /></p><p>My one big dream for The Old World was that it might drain the swamp of tourneycorns and mathletes that's currently killing 6th edition Warhammer all over again, drawing them away with the promise of actual dynamic metas for them to solve and leaving 6th edition Warhammer once again a beautiful virgin paradise to be reclaimed by roleplayers and lore based players in peace. But sadly GW couldn't even get that part right and TOW doesn't even have the good common decency to share compatible base sizes with 6th edition Warhammer, so I still have to watch my favourite fantasy tabletop game die a death all over again as the Sour Prudes continue to optimise all the fun and joy out of it. Again. Forever. </p><p><br /></p><p>But a funny thing has happened. For the second time in six years, GW has caught me off guard with a silver lining I never saw coming, which is the starter boxes for this new game they're releasing. These starter boxes appear to be built on the same model as Battlefront's, and contain what appears to be a good amount of the beautiful 2000s era sculpts that I so desperately crave. I was already eyeing up the Bretonnian one as a possible substitute for hunting down 2010 Battalion boxes online, but honestly that one is actually a rather sad let-down. The convenient 12 Knights' worth of sprue is fantastic, but... well... the thing is the box itself is comprised mostly of Peasants, except that it has an <i>idiotic</i> number of peasant models that leaves it <i style="font-weight: bold;">infuriatingly</i> just 4 models short of both Men-at-arms and Peasant Bowmen, each, and.. honestly it's Knights that I really need more of, not Peasants (I'll get more than enough of them from any 2010 Battalion boxes and 2003 Army boxes I manage to find), and frankly I'm probably going to be be better served just picking up a couple of individual Bretonnian Knight boxes instead, especially if they get repackaged as 12 models to a box. </p><p><br /></p><p>But where things get REALLY interesting is the other starter box GW is releasing, the Tomb Kings one. </p><p><br /></p><p>See like the Bretonnian starter box, the Tomb Kings one is comprised mostly of what appears to be beautiful authentic 6th edition Tomb King sculpts. But <i>unlike</i> the Bretonnian starter box, this one actually has sensible model numbers that produce nice even self-contained units. Quite a lot of them, in fact. </p><p><br /></p><p>And I have long desired a Tomb Kings army (I have of course long desired pretty much every 6th edition Warhammer army except Chaos Hordes and Ogre Kingdoms, and even then I've recently desired that first one). Like many cis-het boys I went through a somewhat prominent Ancient Egypt phase growing up, although far more important than that was the Rachel Weisz phase I went through during puberty, which irrevocably changed me forever and has left me with a weakness for nubile shy charmingly awkward brunette bookworms ever since. </p><p><br /></p><p>But most importantly of all, in 2010 I discovered this band called Nightwish, which had set my soul to music and continues to maintain a direct line to my heart of hearts to this day (well, most of the time at least). And out of all their numbers that I spent 1100 hours listening to in high school, one of the ones I played over and over most was this little banger called <i>Sahara</i>. </p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/OY8C5BcMKag" width="320" youtube-src-id="OY8C5BcMKag"></iframe></div><br /></div><br /><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p>And just like how... pretty much all of Nightwish's other tracks birthed my real interest in traditional Europeanesque fantasy worlds, this gorgeous little song triggered a huge wave of mania over hotter, dryer, palm tree.. ee..er fantasy settings. This mostly resulted in an obsession to one day have a magnificent army of Araby models for Warmaster, but the Tomb King faction for Warhammer was also able to piggy-back on the same fascination and get a sizeable boost of my attention. </p><br /><div>(And I was just in time for the Katy Perry boom, and my Katy Perry phase managed to survive my transition to melodramatic orchestral heavy metal, which didn't hurt either) </div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>Now, the thing is, my ideal prospective Tomb Kings army looks something like this: </div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><h2 style="text-align: center;">The Grand Eternal Legion of Kakapophis The Defiant, Most Glorious Eagle King of Hamnuptra </h2><div><br /></div><div><b>Colours:</b> Bone whites for Skeletons, Black Marble for Constructs, attire either in traditional studio blue and gold or that green and gold combo from the army book, or very possibly both because I kind of like the idea of this army being an alliance of two different Nehekaran city-kingdoms. </div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><i>One of the most ancient dynasties of all Nehekara, the lost kingdom of Hamnuptra was legendary for never being conquered by Settra the Imperishable. Settra is recorded to have launched no less than 13 separate campaigns to bring Hamnuptra to heel, his armies being repulsed every time, until at last the reigning king Kakapophis brought Hamnuptra into the fold amicably after Khemri finally opened diplomatic channels, and negotiated a settlement that was most favourable to Hamnuptra granting great autonomy as a partner kingdom of Khemri. </i></div><div><i><br /></i></div><div><i>The city of Hamnuptra was widely renowned for its spectacular hanging gardens, originally constructed as a gift for queen Khatiperria and said to be the most beautiful sight in all of Nehekara until they were destroyed by Nagash's sorcery. </i></div><div><i><br /></i></div><div><i><br /></i></div><h4 style="text-align: left;">Lords </h4><p style="text-align: left;">Glorious King Kakapophis The Defiant: Tomb King with light armour, Blade of Setep, Cloak of The Dunes, Shield of Ptra and Talisman of Protection - 273 pts </p><p style="text-align: left;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: left;">Loyal Liche High Priest: Liche High Priest with Serpent Staff, Neferra's Plaques of Mighty Incantations, Collar of Shapesh and Vambraces of The Sun, mounted on a Skeletal Steed - 352 pts</p><p style="text-align: left;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: left;">Wise Liche High Priest: Liche High Priest with Staff of Mastery and Blue Khepra mounted on a Skeletal Steeed - 337 pts</p><div><br /></div><h4 style="text-align: left;">Heroes </h4><p style="text-align: left;">Prince of The Stone Scorpion: Tomb Prince with shield, Scorpion Armour and Biting Blade - 152 pts</p><p style="text-align: left;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: left;">Prince Xhibt the Bold: Tomb Prince with spear, light armour and Shield, mounted on a Chariot with Golden Eye of Rah-Nutt and Chariot of Fire - 201 pts </p><p style="text-align: left;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: left;">Honourable Prince: Tomb Prince with Great Weapon, Light Armour, Shield and Amulet of Pha-Stah - 148 pts </p><p style="text-align: left;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: left;">Deadly Prince: Tomb Prince with Light Armour, Shield and The Blade of Mourning - 154 pts </p><p style="text-align: left;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: left;">Scary Prince: Tomb Prince with Flail, Light Armour, Shield and Death Mask of Kharnut - 141 pts</p><p style="text-align: left;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: left;">Faithful Icon Bearer: Icon Bearer with Standard of The Sands - 142 pts</p><p style="text-align: left;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: left;">Keeper of The Casket: Liche Priest with Golden Ankhra and Casket of Souls - 325 pts</p><p style="text-align: left;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: left;">Keeper of The Plagues: Liche Priest with Staff of Ravening, mounted on Skeletal Steed - 168 pts </p><p style="text-align: left;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: left;">Cunning Liche Priest: Liche Priest with Hieratic Jar and Brooch of The Great Desert, mounted on Skeletal Steed - 173 pts </p><p style="text-align: left;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: left;">Humble Liche Priest: Liche Priest with Staff of Sorcery, mounted on Skeletal Steed - 173 pts</p><div><br /></div><h4 style="text-align: left;">Core </h4><p style="text-align: left;">Skeleton Legion: 20 Skeleton Warriors with hand weapons, shields, light armour, Full Command and Standard of The Cursing Word - 230 pts</p><p style="text-align: left;"><br /><br />Skeleton Legion: 20 Skeleton Warriors with hand weapons, shields, light armour and Full Command - 205 pts </p><p style="text-align: left;"><br /><br />Skeleton Legion: 20 Skeleton Warriors with spears, shields, light armour and Full Command - 225 pts</p><p style="text-align: left;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: left;">Skeleton Legion: 20 Skeleton Warriors with spears, shields, light armour and Full Command - 225 pts</p><p style="text-align: left;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: left;">Skeleton Legion: 16 Skeleton Warriors with bows, light armour and Full Command - 169 pts</p><p style="text-align: left;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: left;">Skeleton Legion: 16 Skeleton Warriors with bows, light armour and Full Command - 169 pts</p><p style="text-align: left;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: left;">Skeleton Legion: 16 Skeleton Warriors with bows, light armour and Full Command - 169 pts</p><p style="text-align: left;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: left;">Skeleton Legion: 16 Skeleton Warriors with bows, light armour and Full Command - 169 pts</p><p style="text-align: left;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: left;">Skeleton Riders: 16 Skeleton Heavy Horsemen with Full Command and Banner of The Undying Legion - 316 pts</p><p style="text-align: left;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: left;">Skeleton Riders: 5 Skeleton Light Horsemen with Full Command - 105 pts</p><p style="text-align: left;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: left;">Skeleton Riders: 5 Skeleton Light Horsemen with Full Command - 105 pts</p><p style="text-align: left;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: left;">Skeleton Riders: 5 Skeleton Light Horsemen with Full Command - 105 pts </p><p style="text-align: left;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: left;">Skeleton Riders: 5 Skeleton Light Horsemen with Full Command - 105 pts </p><p style="text-align: left;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: left;">Skeleton Riders: 5 Skeleton Light Horsemen with Full Command - 105 pts</p><p style="text-align: left;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: left;">Ravening Swarms: 5 Tomb Swarm bases - 225 pts</p><p style="text-align: left;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: left;">Chariot Squadron: 6 Chariots with Full Command and Icon of The Sacred Eye - 340 pts</p><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div><br /></div><h4 style="text-align: left;">Special </h4><p style="text-align: left;">Tomb Guardians: 20 Tomb Guard with Full Command and Mirage Standard - 310 pts</p><p style="text-align: left;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: left;">Tomb Guardians: 20 Tomb Guard with Full Command and Icon of Rakaph - 310 pts</p><p style="text-align: left;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: left;">Legion of The Gods: 10 Ushabti - 650 pts</p><p style="text-align: left;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: left;">Legion of The Gods: 10 Ushabti - 650 pts</p><p style="text-align: left;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: left;">Black Vultures: 10 Carrion - 240 pts</p><p style="text-align: left;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: left;">Death on Swift Wings: 10 Carrion - 240 pts</p><p style="text-align: left;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: left;">The Keeper: Tomb Scorpion - 85 pts</p><p style="text-align: left;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: left;">The Sentinel: Tomb Scorpion - 85 pts</p><p style="text-align: left;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: left;"><br /></p><h4 style="text-align: left;">Rare</h4><p style="text-align: left;">Breaker of Cities: Screaming Skull Catapult with Skulls of The Foe - 110 pts</p><p style="text-align: left;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: left;">Breaker of Strongholds: Screaming Skull Catapult with Skulls of The Foe - 110 pts</p><p style="text-align: left;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: left;">Breaker of Legions: Bone Giant - 220 pts</p><p style="text-align: left;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: left;">The Forbidden One: Bone Giant - 220 pts</p><p style="text-align: left;"><br /></p><h4 style="text-align: left;">Spoils</h4><p style="text-align: left;">Captive Damsel: Beautiful wise Librarian with distant Nehekaran ancestry - 300 pts</p><div><br /></div><h4 style="text-align: left;">Minions </h4><p style="text-align: left;">Groveling Thief: Groveling weasley cutthroat of ill repute with talent for getting into the right place at the right time (or the wrong place at the wrong time, depending on your point of view) - 200 pts</p><div><br /></div><h4 style="text-align: left;">Defences </h4><p style="text-align: left;">Scorpion Trap: Cunningly hidden and activated secret chute that leads to pit of deadly venomous scorpions - 100 pts </p><p style="text-align: left;"><br />Snake Trap: Cunningly hidden and activated secret chute that leads to pit of deadly venomous asps (very dangerous!) - 100 pts <br /></p><p style="text-align: left;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: left;">Mirage: Uncanny trick of the light that renders a stronghold almost invisible from afar - 100 pts </p><p style="text-align: left;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: left;">Sand Trap: Cunningly hidden and activated series of chutes and resevoirs that fill entire stronghold with sand - 100 pts </p><p style="text-align: left;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: left;">Boulder Trap: Cunningly hidden and activated series of guidelines that direct massive boulder to crush intruders - 100 pts </p><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><h3 style="text-align: left;">TOTAL: 10000 pts </h3><div><br /></div><div>This does put the army at 2000 pts over the regular 8000 point game size for 6th edition Warhammer, but when the entire army can be completely hard-countered by a combination of two Dogs of War options available to everyone except Bretonnians, a few extra points seems like an acceptable handicap. </div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>Remember when I said I wanted no Skeletons at all in any Vampire Counts army I made? Well this is where all those Skeletons went. The Tomb King army is custom built for hordes of skeletons, and that's exactly what I'm leaning into here, backed up by plenty of giant statue monsters in support because the giant statue monsters are easily the coolest part of the Tomb Kings army alongside the skeleton legions. </div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>On the other hand, the army includes pretty much no chariots. This is partially because I've just never really found the chariots all that appealing, and they're one of my less favoured Warhammer units in general. But it is also because I am increasingly becoming obsessed with the idea that this particular Tomb King dynasty is in fact older than Settra's, and that they were actually around to see men domesticate horses for the first time ever, and that they did in fact witness the first ever riding and harnessing of horses for war and... </div><div><br /></div><div>... concluded that this whole chariot thing was a dead-end fad that would never catch on. </div><div><br /></div><div>And then they beat Settra's chariot forces a bunch of times without using any themselves, which seemed to confirm that chariots were in fact a dead-end and a waste of time, so they invested the resources for them into building up great libraries, beautiful hanging gardens and giant statue monsters instead. </div><div><br /></div><div>And then they all passed away of various natural causes before they could ever see themselves proven otherwise. </div><div><br /></div><div>And then they reawakened thousands of years later and were <i>utterly baffled</i> at why on earth these chariot things were suddenly everywhere in Nehekara now. And what the HELL happened to their hanging gardens! </div><div><br /></div><div>The one exception of course being the dynamic Prince Xhibt, a renowned patron of the sciences and lover of all things technological, who took Hamnuptra's experimental chariot force under his wing as a pet project. </div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>But I digress. </div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>See, that army list up there.... it's.... not that far off from two of those big Tomb King starter boxes and a few metal models. Well OK a lot of metal models, but two of those starter boxes would provide pretty much all of the core units for it, and when necessary they could even transform into a Vanilla Pumpkin Spice Latte Lahmian army if paired with the modest scattering of Vampire Counts stuff I'm slowly accumulating. </div><div><br /></div><div>Especially if I can come into a few extra Skeleton Horsemen sprues. And fleecing off the character models from the starter boxes - which I have no use or taste for - will help subsidise the costs somewhat. </div><div><br /></div><div>It would of course require me to figure out a supply of 20mm square bases for all those foot soldiers, but that's not impossible to do. </div><div><br /></div><div>And of course the whole thing would only really be an option once I've settled the not insignificant trade deficit I'm raking up. But there is a plan for that. </div><div><br /></div><div>So the question is, do I pull the trigger? </div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>Do I wanna play with magic? And if so, am I really ready for a perfect storm? </div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>Because if I do, there's no going back...</div>MillitantGuerillaCommunistHippiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13565203522225127317noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5420460147318382021.post-23067028800750681912023-11-23T00:56:00.000-08:002023-11-23T00:56:26.822-08:00Genesis<p><i><span style="font-size: x-large;">"<span style="font-family: UnifrakturMaguntia; font-weight: bold; text-decoration-line: underline;">A</span></span>nd so He called forth in a loud voice 'ARISE ALL YOU WHO WOULD CALL THYSELF MAN, FOR YOUR LORD IS AT HAND'! </i></p><p><i>And His words were as fire, and the unbearable brilliance did sear at their flesh unto bone, burning away the sin and wickedness, until they emerged from perdition anew as men of purity!</i></p><p><i>And His voice was as a glorious brazen trumpet that did sunder the heavens in its clarion blast, and the men lept to their feet anew with their souls fired by righteous purpose! </i></p><p><i>And His truth was as a great flail of gold that lashed and scoured the sin from the hearts of men, for all who beheld Him knew at once the blinding majesty of <b>Emperor</b>, and none could deny His bidding without curse of blood and leprosy, and so all the men cried out in praise that <b>Emperor</b> is Lord! </i></p><p><i>And so it was that where once walked urchins, thieves, liars, fornicators and the blind sick, there now strode a mighty host of men gold of faith and a great love and fear of <b>Emperor</b> immortal, and with great trumpeting of fanfare and singing <b>Emperor</b> is master did they march through the iron gates of Nod!" </i></p><p><i><br /></i></p><p><i>A simple passage, but one full of wisdom. For just like the pilgrims who came from the lowest of human life, so too is the tremendous might of The Emperor the birthright of all mankind, no matter the station, and it is the sprit of man that is the immortal God Emperor's gift unto every human being, no matter their birth. We too, are as wretched as the pilgrims on the road to Nod when the God Emperor met them, for even the greatest man is but fleeting and insignificant before the eternal grace of the Emperor. </i></p><p><i>And just as The Emperor called to the lost souls on the road to Nod, so too does He call to us even now! He burns within the righteous hart of every good man, imploring us all to rise up, to take a stand against the darkness, to fight humanity's blighted fate with every fiber of our very being! And so long as we fight with unyielding faith in the God Emperor and His Will in our souls, we will triumph over all and march forward in the golden light of a glorious new dawn over the galaxy that is His Emperor's kingdom for mankind! </i></p><p><i>So sayeth the holy gospel of the God Emperor of Man.</i></p><p><br /></p><p>Wonderful news everyone! I am a new man, saved from the death and torment that is the wages of sin, and delivered unto the glorious path of the God Emperor, for I am His servant and His plan is my destiny! I have been lifted up from the filth and the maggots to walk by his side in the everlasting kingdom of man! I have cast off the suffocating bands of degeneracy and wickedness and embraced the purity of the light! </p><p><br /></p><p>Take heart, for I am at long last, just in time for their 20th anniversary, starting the Witch Hunters army I always wanted.</p><p><br /></p><p>The first time I discovered the Witch Hunters was when I had just started into 40k for the first time, at age 8 going on 9. I was researching every scrap of information I could find on the Games Workshop website and so invariably turned to the Witch Hunters page and.... was horribly confused. Witches in space? Witch Hunters in space? What the hell was going on? What's with all the braziers and torches? Why is everything half-medieval in my sci-fi game? What the hell does this Inqzecution thing have to do with anything? Or this Ordos Hathfickfehichsurs? Wait their troops are mostly girls? Ew cooties!</p><p><br /></p><p>Pretty much the only thing that didn't go completely over my head was a photo and short blurb describing a type of fighting machine called a Penitent Engine, which was a kind of battle robot powered by a prisoner hard-wired into it whose desperate frantic need for mercy and forgiveness directed the robot straight into the teeth of the opposition. And even at that young age the whole concept and the model were both very creepy awesome and the ultimate illustration of the evil of the Imperium, so that very quickly earned a special place in my heart even when I could not make any kind of sense out of the rest of the model line. </p><p><br /></p><p>But the real origin of this Witch Hunter army lies almost a decade later, in 2011. By this time I had become a morbid depressed teenager and had discovered the darker joys of horror films and gloomy symphonic metal ballads about suicide. I had also learnt how to read and pronounce 'Ordo Hereticus' properly (well sort of, by habit I was still putting the accent emphasis on the second-to-last syllable for 'Ordo HereTICus' but it's a minor squibble). </p><p><br /></p><p>And in what might have been their greatest stroke of brilliance in the 2010s, GW released the entire complete Witch Hunters codex online as a free PDF. One fateful night I decided to look through it out of curiosity. And everything changed. </p><p><br /></p><p>I understood everything. </p><p><br /></p><p>I understood the Imperium. I understood what playing an Imperial army was supposed to be like. I understood space gothic aesthetics and hunting witches in space with crossbows and everything. And I understood the <i>appeal</i> of it all. Reading through that book was what finally broke me out of my bubble of Tau-powered classic science fiction. Ever since then I've wanted an army of heavy metal Witch Hunters. </p><p>And finally I'm starting to get around to it this year. Here are my first results. </p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0rF2t-wy0c4YF_GPdrIOOnhteBgLwwO1-wJuRKTG3UJxlxd0nDvTzT4OJVgOTRgAmfhWQl8dzZmpSQg5WmU8izNwoLy5q_4RNGNK7r6AYjRWgdamgp29glHBuZfrgOvY9Q5FaIUH93yvDUBvmJwUXF98vqNPctsfdBsbeouWEhxG1AbHMF6QeTTpHcLg/s4608/DSCN1382.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3456" data-original-width="4608" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0rF2t-wy0c4YF_GPdrIOOnhteBgLwwO1-wJuRKTG3UJxlxd0nDvTzT4OJVgOTRgAmfhWQl8dzZmpSQg5WmU8izNwoLy5q_4RNGNK7r6AYjRWgdamgp29glHBuZfrgOvY9Q5FaIUH93yvDUBvmJwUXF98vqNPctsfdBsbeouWEhxG1AbHMF6QeTTpHcLg/s16000/DSCN1382.JPG" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6HoWB8i_b3iXgPJiKbUrbpK87M2QkB86FdNbBbCQlexgAG1hSt9c6LpGoISU8OhiXbmAvyZqB2zBHEYanTC722DOmp4nrfiBKiIlEGCtQh1XRtiQ5oT839LishJ02vXkKNlLgNvb1sl3gQ6UwT4CsQadeMevMovwvRCGdGPObhpfiv89agtNi7Kz53eY/s4608/DSCN1384.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3456" data-original-width="4608" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6HoWB8i_b3iXgPJiKbUrbpK87M2QkB86FdNbBbCQlexgAG1hSt9c6LpGoISU8OhiXbmAvyZqB2zBHEYanTC722DOmp4nrfiBKiIlEGCtQh1XRtiQ5oT839LishJ02vXkKNlLgNvb1sl3gQ6UwT4CsQadeMevMovwvRCGdGPObhpfiv89agtNi7Kz53eY/s16000/DSCN1384.JPG" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXcSD-7-0mupYve-HcxKW3rC1mk5yIUL7gI6Q9I8ARgvwPMViEEFp8aEcMKAM5gShacFEHea_4Iep2Hewujwu2LtjtD0wI3Yj5enaQCFaw9Kcd3bpDdirkgCP58h9ihX4KSpWRH3fAiqguchb8JZ3hNvDGoOUdpeVu243_m7NJmpHU7fnslsSkc0VKHsM/s4608/DSCN1385%20-%20Copy.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3456" data-original-width="4608" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXcSD-7-0mupYve-HcxKW3rC1mk5yIUL7gI6Q9I8ARgvwPMViEEFp8aEcMKAM5gShacFEHea_4Iep2Hewujwu2LtjtD0wI3Yj5enaQCFaw9Kcd3bpDdirkgCP58h9ihX4KSpWRH3fAiqguchb8JZ3hNvDGoOUdpeVu243_m7NJmpHU7fnslsSkc0VKHsM/s16000/DSCN1385%20-%20Copy.JPG" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyoSAIRvT5mpIPI_uOkJDOtXHQdaqS0uK8O8lB-l-175hIoTDGOvBvDdXpV20vYet9JMZfB0wMXJXby1MQR0PJXdxztKJ7HJprCmNIRWh2fe5I61k1_D2mfv0uiny4ufs9D5-BjEldN9ie9eOHdmVCQL3S7wOKqY77Ko9cnobcoKnRIwaifEaVPi-g9cU/s4608/DSCN1386.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3456" data-original-width="4608" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyoSAIRvT5mpIPI_uOkJDOtXHQdaqS0uK8O8lB-l-175hIoTDGOvBvDdXpV20vYet9JMZfB0wMXJXby1MQR0PJXdxztKJ7HJprCmNIRWh2fe5I61k1_D2mfv0uiny4ufs9D5-BjEldN9ie9eOHdmVCQL3S7wOKqY77Ko9cnobcoKnRIwaifEaVPi-g9cU/s16000/DSCN1386.JPG" /></a></div><br /><p>OK, not my best work by any stretch, but hey that's what test models like these are for. </p><p><br /></p><p>In fairness they're much less flat looking in real life - an unexpected side effect of the colour scheme I've chosen is that it is apparently much less photogenic than my usual reverse-engineered GW studio schemes are. This is only compounded by the fact that the 2019 models being used are weirdly barren of details in a lot of places. The hair on them in particular is so poorly sculpted that I gave up trying to highlight it, resulting in the flat blobs of colour pictured. </p><p><br /></p><p>But for all that, it is a solid proof of concept and the basic colour scheme is turning out nicely, needing only a little further refinement before being ready for application on my precious metal Witch Hunter models. </p><p><br /></p><p>Right now the biggest question that I'm wrestling with is which variant of white to go with on the armour - grey-white (as showcased on the blond and brunette on the left of the group shot) or blue-white (as seen on the redhead and dark haired models on the right of the group shot)? The blue-white does give a nice stony gothic artwork look, but the grey-white produces a very Imperial look. A possible compromise I'm also considering is blue-white for the rank and file and grey-white for the veterans. </p><p><br /></p><p>Let me know which one you like more in the comments! Then also take some of these pamphlets and come back every Tuesday night, Thursday night and Sunday morning where we will be studying the holy word of the Emperor's Creed. </p>MillitantGuerillaCommunistHippiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13565203522225127317noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5420460147318382021.post-44433426772347427782023-11-18T01:37:00.000-08:002023-11-18T01:37:43.472-08:00Tor'Vash'Por (2) <p> Luna Samara: .... moving on to the Penros system now where Tau expeditionary forces have been struck by an unprecedented surprise attack from Ar'cea fighters in the northern temperate belt of Penros VII, where coalition forces have been evacuating heavy equipment from storage depots situated in the planet's northern tundra. The Ar'cea launched a raid on one of the derelict matter transit gates identified on the planet's surface and sized the surrounding area with extreme prejudice, our correspondent Farrier Seyburey has more now. </p><p><br /></p><p>(We see a sweeping vista of rugged temperate wilderness beneath an open sky)</p><p><br /></p><p>Farrier (VO): One step forward, two steps back. For the Tau expeditionary forces on Penros VII, still in the midst of recovering their heavy equipment abandoned in the planet's northern reaches, the last thing they needed was an unprovoked assault from Ar'cea military units. </p><p><br /></p><p>(Several explosions suddenly sound and smoke begins to rise from behind a ridgeline of the wilderness)</p><p><br /></p><p>(The tiny black shape of a lone monolithic gateway can be seen drifting past near the horizon in the distance from the roof of a speeding Devilfish)</p><p><br /></p><p>Farrier (VO cont.): Tau convoys loaded with equipment and supplies recovered from further north noticed the second of what is now two known objects on the planet's surface believed to be long distance matter transmitters. Being situated in a remote sector well away from known front-lines, the Tau dispatched a forward detachment comprising a small handful of troops and medium battlesuits to investigate further. </p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqp5Fk2X30D66bm74ZHaLHYYOj7b_q1LE_RUYUAo1tnXdob2eolsyvUxTv2Sa-2040oDwRUCa8gN7z9kEOr99iDcs6xQwyIgzBqv27KXNya5-mKRVjNC5VpLPU4p2xWVFBT2K6aufaJO_cTwnVM3rkbydEVwIIEJiY7dR3ImWCaFnt6BsxyDDYtWOMGGc/s4160/Eldar%20Fight%201.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3120" data-original-width="4160" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqp5Fk2X30D66bm74ZHaLHYYOj7b_q1LE_RUYUAo1tnXdob2eolsyvUxTv2Sa-2040oDwRUCa8gN7z9kEOr99iDcs6xQwyIgzBqv27KXNya5-mKRVjNC5VpLPU4p2xWVFBT2K6aufaJO_cTwnVM3rkbydEVwIIEJiY7dR3ImWCaFnt6BsxyDDYtWOMGGc/s16000/Eldar%20Fight%201.jpg" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p>(A band of Tau Fire Warriors takes shelter against a large rock formation as a stream of burning green-white bolts slam into it. There is a brief pause, and the Fire Warriors spring up and fire off several bursts of pulse rifle fire in response)</p><p><br /></p><p>Farrier (VO cont.): They were met with shocking force from Ar'cea believed to be affiliated with the Iyanden Craftworld. Accounts from the fighting claim a band of Ar'cea fighters including paramilitary militia and supported by large numbers of autonomous combat drones stormed the matter transmitter site and fired recklessly at the approaching Tau forces, refusing any access to the device. Two of the Ar'cea's heavy combat walkers were also deployed in support of the attack. </p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbCjWBz2itTzx563nHl1bLUaNaW3WZa1zY_x3muuzTBAJqYenHVlMyQnCk0moB40kTC5V2uVi_Og1a4criBB3tcTnFhO6pgs5udBtpre9QcTKZf6edbPD55U4Sd12FKFojPlZuevmW9KBSDdVIC3MKaJc3E913FMgvWuoLQbMEMWuNBkfMaZonYTs5j04/s4160/Eldar%20Fight%202.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3120" data-original-width="4160" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbCjWBz2itTzx563nHl1bLUaNaW3WZa1zY_x3muuzTBAJqYenHVlMyQnCk0moB40kTC5V2uVi_Og1a4criBB3tcTnFhO6pgs5udBtpre9QcTKZf6edbPD55U4Sd12FKFojPlZuevmW9KBSDdVIC3MKaJc3E913FMgvWuoLQbMEMWuNBkfMaZonYTs5j04/s16000/Eldar%20Fight%202.jpg" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p>(Tau Fire Warriors pull a number of wounded comrades from the shattered hulk of a Devilfish, smoke and flame billowing from its engines)</p><p><br /></p><p>Farrier (VO cont.): Despite the timely intervention of a team of remnants from previous actions in the north, the Tau were unable to wrest control of the site and fell back in good order after considerable equipment losses, linking up with elements already retreating from an Ar'cea mind science strike. Nonetheless Fire Caste troops were able to inflict some noteworthy losses on the Ar'cea, most notably crippling one heavy combat walker and eliminating almost the entire Ar'cea troop contingent and the Ar'cea mystic commanding the attack, something that the Tau forces on the ground are taking much solace in. </p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDeJPkbjeCgxUoEAcYqzMWR2XR9C0BuRwrxJGYEQ96FhigMpr81e3ynWSkVFCPPEAkt5-yPm0Hjb6UAhvaUhFMQ7EswmHutnn67tnI4nsX0C_KoQv6bs28AOwtjbf-SvNTRLvYkaLxB-CeEh5ZgE-nwiobsT_6df22a78ySeM_tYJ2LZld7a1Qg_QEedk/s4160/Eldar%20Fight%203.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3120" data-original-width="4160" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDeJPkbjeCgxUoEAcYqzMWR2XR9C0BuRwrxJGYEQ96FhigMpr81e3ynWSkVFCPPEAkt5-yPm0Hjb6UAhvaUhFMQ7EswmHutnn67tnI4nsX0C_KoQv6bs28AOwtjbf-SvNTRLvYkaLxB-CeEh5ZgE-nwiobsT_6df22a78ySeM_tYJ2LZld7a1Qg_QEedk/s16000/Eldar%20Fight%203.jpg" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p>(A Tau Fire Warrior talks into a microphone held from just out of sight)</p><p><br /></p><p>Tau Fire Warrior: Ar'cea Uash'O Or'es Xor'ves[The Ar'cea heavy combat walkers are tough adversaries even under ideal circumstances. They're built more densely than normal vehicles, so they take concentrated heavy weapons to bring down, and we had limited heavy weaponry after our support missiles went down with the TX-6 that was assigned to us. I'm just relieved we got most of our warriors out. Still, we did give them a pretty bloody eye by eliminating all the Ar'cea themselves, including their leader. I hate the thought of killing such sophisticated and intelligent beings, but they launched an unprovoked attack on us, so it had to be done. </p><p><br /></p><p>(Farrier walks behind a row of Devilfish parked on crisp blue-grey pavement. Turbines can be heard somewhere in the distance)</p><p><br /></p><p>Farrier: The Ar'cea attack is a dangerous new paradigm for the Tau Penros coalition, especially as they have launched their first strikes close to the evacuation corridor running from the planet's northern reaches down to the current Tau staging grounds in the equatorial zone. For weeks now under the cover of Air Caste aerospace forces the Tau have been emptying their northern storage depots while the local pirates and terror groups are preoccupied with fighting each other and disrupted with constant Tau aerospace strikes. You can see behind me here some of the heavy equipment recovered - these TX-6 troop transports are now a common site behind the front lines where they're used to rapidly shuttle supplies and troops to where they're needed and they're also now starting to reach front line forces, bolstering them with much needed fire support and tactical mobility, but there's still a lot of equipment to both move to safety further south, and to get up and running again so that coalition fighters on the ground can actually make use of it. </p><p><br /></p><p>(A massive Defender class starship drifts above the glow of the planet beneath it with a distant gleaming speck in perfect echelon formation behind it)</p><p><br /></p><p>Farrier (VO): With the sudden reckless attacks by the Ar'cea now a threat, the Penros expeditionary coalition is believed to be readjusting its long-term strategy in the system. So far no Ar'cea aerospace assets have been identified in the system, which means the Tau still command aerospace supremacy over Penros VII and naval space supremacy across the wider system, an advantage the coalition leadership is keen to maintain. </p><p><br /></p><p>(A Barracuda hangs in the air behind a refueling hose suspended from the underside of a Manta just above view)</p><p><br /></p><p>Farrier (VO, cont.): Already Air Caste forces operating over Penros VII have begun to focus their attacks on identified airbases, concentrations of aerospace craft... </p><p><br /></p><p>(Viewed from above in monochrome through a Tau gun camera, a row of Thunderbolts and Lightnings sit on the flight line of an airbase. A series of harsh white explosions ripple across the line, leaving the aircraft in flames)</p><p><br /></p><p>Farrier (VO, cont.): ... and fuel depots in order to preemptively neutralise as much of the air forces opposing them as possible before either the Gue'la Imperium invasion force receives naval reinforcements, or the Ar'cea begin to deploy aerospace craft in support of their assaults. </p><p><br /></p><p>(Aboard a Tau starship Tau, humans and various aliens move past a large set of doors emblazoned with the Water Caste logo)</p><p><br /></p><p>Farrier (VO, cont.): Meanwhile the Water Caste delegation attached to the Penros expeditionary fleet has issued a statement in direct response to the unprovoked Ar'cea attack, calling for an immediate ceasefire and diplomatic negotiations. </p><p><br /></p><p>(A Tau Por'Vre addresses an out-of-sight crowd from a gleaming podium. Several varieties of plant have been placed in the backdrop behind them)</p><p><br /></p><p>Tau Por'Vre: The senseless violence unleashed by the Ar'cea serves no purpose other than to make the pirates and terror groups in the system stronger. We understand the monumentally profound significance that Ar'cea lives have to the people of Iyanden, as well as the monumentally profound significance and rich cultural importance of the Ar'cea mystics. We greave and weep alongside the people of Iyanden for the loss of such a brilliant mind, and deeply lament that they chose a path of violence and senseless bloodshed. We have no wish to spill any more Ar'cea blood, and so we urge the people of Iyanden to show restraint, abandon their reckless attacks and meet us in peaceful negotiation towards cooperating in Penros against the pirates, against the terrorists that plague the system, and towards cooperating together to make the galaxy a better, safer place for all sentient life as is the imperative for all galactic powers as advanced and intelligent as the Ar'cea people. </p><p><br /></p><p>(In the middle of a busy Tau starport, beneath a cold grey pink orange dusk, Tau and drones hastily load grav-tanks and crates into the open cargo hatch of a landed Manta. The vast hulking shapes of landed Tau transport starships loom in the distant background)</p><p><br /></p><p>Farrier (VO): With no naval assets detected in the system the Ar'cea are believed to be using one or more of their own long range matter transmitters situated somewhere on the planet to move in fighters and equipment without running the formidable gauntlet of coalition warships currently patrolling the Penros system. Without knowing for sure the precise number and location of these matter transmitters it's not possible to determine with certainty where and when the Ar'cea will strike next, putting the Penros expeditionary coalition under increasing pressure. Already growing numbers of recovered equipment from the north is being moved into safety aboard orbiting starships, and its believed that the coalition command might soon withdraw from Penros VII entirely. </p><p><br /></p><p>(A forlorn looking band of Tau Fire Warriors wait inside the sealed interior of a Devilfish)</p><p><br /></p><p>Farrier (VO, cont.) For coalition fighters on the ground, it's now a race against time to prepare for further Ar'cea aggression as best they can. From Penros System this Farrier Seyburey, Tor'Vash'Por. </p><p><br /></p><p>Luna: Time for a quick break now on Tor'Vash'Por, coming up when we return - unlocking the secrets of one of the galaxy's most mysterious elements, Earth Caste scientists release their latest findings on the rare substance Dioxazine, that story and much more still to come when we return... </p>MillitantGuerillaCommunistHippiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13565203522225127317noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5420460147318382021.post-83509000364507260962023-10-26T04:38:00.002-07:002023-10-26T04:38:16.565-07:00Living Dead Girl<p> And so at last, on the eve of all Hallows night, the climax of International Goth Month, we come to the final scary Warhammer army I've wanted for a long time but will likely never be. And you best believe I saved the best for last, the most Halloween of armies, one that by without even trying is a near perfect fusion of ghoulish fiends and beautiful women in sexy monster outfits. </p><p><br /></p><p>What else could it be? </p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><h1 style="text-align: center;">Living Dead Girl - Millitant's Vampire Counts </h1><div><br /></div><div>Vampire Counts are another of my top 3 favourite bad guy armies in Warhammer, and jostle with Beasts of Chaos for the number 1 spot. They were indeed for a long time one of the leading frontrunners to be the first ever Warhammer army I started with, until <i>Dark Passion Play</i> and <i>Diablo III</i> happened and changed everything forever. In fact they even followed a similar trajectory to my path towards the Wood Elves. </div><div><br /></div><div>It all began by coincidence when I ended up getting, in early 2007, one of the White Dwarf issues covering the release of the new army book for The Empire in 7th edition Warhammer. In particular, this one featured a battle report showcasing some of the new Empire units and characters. Now, the Empire models were very exciting and managed to break me out of my 'Sci-fi Ride or Die' mentality and get me interested in fantasy briefly, a feat that had at that point been accomplished in Warhammer only by the Dwarfs (it was the flintlocks and clock-punk you see). </div><div><br /></div><div>But then a funny thing happened. The army being pitted against the shiny new Empire models <b>also</b> grabbed my attention. It was a collection of various classic spooky Halloween monsters all lead by some Vampires. And that concept caught my interest in a way that it never should have. See this was when I was still in the grip of my science fiction only phase. The level of coolness in these kinds of narrative concepts was directly proportional to the amount of technology they contained, and INVERSLY proportional to the amount of magic and Halloween monsters they contained. Horror films were just barely in the cool zone, and even then it was only Silence of The Lambs type ones where the monster was a serial killer or something with no supernatural elements in sight. At this point in time, those kinds of fiendish ghosts and ghouls were in my eyes the exclusive domain of lame dumb little kids stuff, the very bottom of the coolness barrel. </div><div><br /></div><div>But this Warhammer army, these so-called Vampire Counts, they somehow managed to make it work. </div><div><br /></div><div>It was likely the models that carried it, but something in the game faction's soul managed to somehow make these elements cool in a way that they never really had to me before. I was fascinated by them. Everything seemed to somehow click. And it was this discovery that not only made me reconsider supernatural themes for the first time ever, but also kept that nascent interest alive until another big milestone a few years later that, again, happened entirely by coincidence. </div><div><br /></div><div>One night, as I was looking for something to watch on TV while I painted models, I flipped over to C4 on a whim. What I beheld would stay with me for decades to come. I arrived right in the middle of a horror film, but unlike any I had seen before. It featured magic and Halloween monsters, specifically vampires, but they were very different to the caricatures I was familiar with. There were no red and black capes or white frilly bibs in sight. Instead, this vampire film was dark and brooding and violent and blood-soaked and honestly pretty metal. It had (who I learnt later was) Winona Ryder all breathy in corsets, and (who I learnt later was) Monica Bellucci naked from the waist up crawling all over a hapless guy, and I was around 16 at the time so that was a big factor too. </div><div><br /></div><div>I didn't know it yet, because I had missed the start of the film, but I was for the very first time watching <i>Bram Stoker's Dracula</i>. </div><div><br /></div><div>And I was hooked. I was hooked from the moment I first saw half-nude Monica Bellucci crawling all over some helpless guy (again, this was when I was about 16), and watched the entire rest of the film utterly enthralled. That film was a total game changer. At long last, vampires had started to become kind of cool for me, and that film paved the way for <i>Van Helsing</i> and the Old World of Darkness that were soon to follow. Needless to say this had only improved the standing of that weird Halloween monster vampire army in Warhammer, and I was now seriously considering a Halloween vampire Warhammer army of my own at some point in the future. </div><div><br /></div><div>While this string of coincidences had built my desire for a Vampire Counts army of some kind, the specifics of its nature would be shaped by my increasing contact with the goth girls at high school and another, far less fortunate game changer - the apocalyptic fallout of my first attempts at dating some of them. The full horrors of those dark times are now best left undisturbed, and certainly are not appropriate for this blog, but the important thing here is that it left the imprint of the darkly beauteous sexually confident villainess who uses her wiles as much as her weapons forever burnt into my psyche as an iconic character type. </div><div><br /></div><div>Then later on I discovered that they also happen to be a lot of fun to write. So when I (re)discovered that in Warhammer there is actually a whole vampire bloodline of just that character it was a natural first choice for what flavour of Vampire Counts are my favourite. Discovering Victoria Frances along the way helped too. </div><div><br /></div><div>And that's why if I had enough 2002 era GW Zombies and Vampire Counts metal models, the result would look something like this: </div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><h2 style="text-align: center;">The House of Favole (Lahmia Bloodline)</h2><div><b>Colours:</b> Black and red dresses on characters, natural colours for creatures (decaying flesh for zombies, dark fur for bats and wolves etc.), dark garments and corroded metals for wights. </div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><i>An off-shoot of the Lahmian dynasty that has long since assimilated into the Old World and abandoned much of their Nehekharan traditions. They are still fiercely loyal and deeply close with their fellow Lahmian sisters however and frequently cooperate with Neferata's schemes. </i></div><div><br /></div><h4 style="text-align: left;"><strike>Lords</strike> Ladies</h4><p style="text-align: left;"><i>Elize Favole:</i> Level 3 Vampire Lady with Seduction, Wristbands of Black Gold and Biting Blade, mounted on a Zombie Dragon - <b>730 pts</b> </p><p style="text-align: left;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: left;"><i>Monica</i>: Level 2 Vampire Countess with Seduction, Beguile and Tomb Blade - <b>340 pts</b> </p><p style="text-align: left;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: left;"><i>Solomon Crowley</i>: Level 4 Master Necromancer with Spell Familiar, Cursed Book and Ring of The Night - <b>315 pts </b></p><p style="text-align: left;"><br /></p><h4 style="text-align: left;"><strike>Heroes</strike> <strike>Heroines</strike> <strike>Villains</strike> Villainesses </h4><p style="text-align: left;"><i>Jeanette</i>: Vampire Thrall Battle Standard Bearer with Hell Banner - <b>170 pts</b> </p><p style="text-align: left;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: left;"><i>Darla</i>: Vampire Thrall with Beguile and Sword of Unholy Power - <b>130 pts</b> </p><p style="text-align: left;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: left;"><i>Salma</i>: Vampire Thrall with Blood Drinker - <b>130 pts</b> </p><p style="text-align: left;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: left;"><i>Delphine</i>: Vampire Thrall with Innocence Lost and Sword of Might - <b>125 pts </b></p><p style="text-align: left;"><b><br /></b></p><p style="text-align: left;"><i>Mina</i>: Vampire Thrall with Innocence Lost and Sword of Battle - <b>130 pts</b></p><p style="text-align: left;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: left;"><i>Necromancer</i>: Level 2 Necromancer with Power Familiar - <b>150 pts</b></p><p style="text-align: left;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: left;"><i>Necromancer</i>: Level 2 Necromancer with Skull Staff - <b>140 pts</b> </p><p style="text-align: left;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: left;"><i>Wraith</i>: Wraith with Obsidian Amulet, mounted on a Barded Ethereal Nightmare - <b>147 pts</b> </p><p style="text-align: left;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: left;"><i>Wight Lord</i>: Wight Lord with Heavy Armour, Sword of The Kings and Enchanted Shield - <b>99 pts</b> </p><p style="text-align: left;"><br /></p><h4 style="text-align: left;">Core </h4><p style="text-align: left;"><i>Zombie Horde</i>: 25 Zombies with Full Command - <b>165 pts</b></p><p style="text-align: left;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: left;"><i>Zombie Horde</i>: 25 Zombies with Full Command - <b>165 pts</b> </p><p style="text-align: left;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: left;"><i>Zombie Horde</i>: 25 Zombies with Full Command - <b>165 pts</b> </p><p style="text-align: left;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: left;"><i>Zombie Horde</i>: 25 Zombies with Full Command - <b>165 pts</b></p><p style="text-align: left;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: left;"><i>Ghoul Clan</i>: 10 Ghouls with Ghast - <b>90 pts</b> </p><p style="text-align: left;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: left;"><i>Ghoul Clan</i>: 10 Ghouls with Ghast - <b>90 pts</b></p><p style="text-align: left;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: left;"><i>Bat Swarm</i>: 5 Bat Swarm bases - <b>300 pts</b> </p><p style="text-align: left;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: left;"><i>Dire Wolf Pack</i>: 10 Dire Wolves with Doom Wolf - <b>110 pts</b> </p><p style="text-align: left;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: left;"><i>Dire Wolf Pack</i>: 10 Dire Wolves with Doom Wolf - <b>110 pts</b> </p><p style="text-align: left;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: left;"><i>Dire Wolf Pack</i>: 10 Dire Wolves with Doom Wolf - <b>110 pts</b> </p><p style="text-align: left;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: left;"><i>Dire Wolf Pack</i>: 10 Dire Wolves with Doom Wolf - <b>110 pts</b> </p><p style="text-align: left;"><br /></p><h4 style="text-align: left;">Special </h4><p style="text-align: left;"><i>Grave Guard Regiment</i>: 20 Grave Guard with Hand Weapons, Shields, Full Command and Banner of Doom - <b>340 pts</b></p><p style="text-align: left;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: left;"><i>Grave Guard Regiment</i>: 20 Grave Guard with Halberds, Shields, Full Command and Banner of The Dead Legion - <b>355 pts </b></p><p style="text-align: left;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: left;"><i>Grave Guard Regiment</i>: 20 Grave Guard with Halberds, Shields, Full Command and Screaming Banner - <b>370 pts</b></p><p style="text-align: left;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: left;"><i>Black Knight Regiment</i>: 10 Black Knights with Barded Nightmares, Full Command and Banner of The Barrows - <b>335 pts</b> </p><p style="text-align: left;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: left;"><i>Fell Bat Flock</i>: 10 Fell Bats - <b>200 pts</b></p><p style="text-align: left;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: left;"><i>Fell Bat Flock</i>: 10 Fell Bats - <b>200 pts </b></p><p style="text-align: left;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: left;"><i>Fell Bat Flock</i>: 10 Fell Bats - <b>200 pts</b></p><p style="text-align: left;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: left;"><i>The Oblivion</i>: 5 Spirit Host bases -<b> 325 pts</b></p><p style="text-align: left;"><br /></p><h4 style="text-align: left;">Rare</h4><p style="text-align: left;"><i>Banshee</i>: 1 Banshee - <b>90 pts</b></p><p style="text-align: left;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: left;"><i>Banshee</i>: 1 Banshee - <b>90 pts</b></p><p style="text-align: left;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: left;"><i>Banshee</i>: 1 Banshee - <b>90 pts</b></p><p style="text-align: left;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: left;"><i>Black Coach</i>: 1 Black Coach - <b>200 pts </b></p><p style="text-align: left;"><br /></p><h4 style="text-align: left;">Spoils </h4><p style="text-align: left;">Damsel Swain: Level 0 nubile doe-eyed Ingenue Damsel to-be held in the clutches of unholy temptation - <b>19 pts</b> </p><p style="text-align: left;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: left;"><b>TOTAL: 7000 pts</b></p><p style="text-align: left;"><b><br /></b></p><div style="text-align: left;">The first crucial element of this list is the Bloodline Powers. Vampires in Warhammer can take a bunch of special abilities that reflects their supernatural Vampire abilities, with each bloodline getting a unique set. The only catch is that at least one of the army book's writing team was a sour prude who hates fun so they compete for points with magic items. But right now the important thing to note is that Lahmians get access to the single best vampire power in the entire book, and easily one of the best special abilities in the entire game, Seduction, which causes opposing characters to fall so madly in love with your vampires that they <i>switch sides mid-fight</i> and do your bidding for a turn. It is glorious and worth every single one of its 55 points. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />Seduction was always going to be going on the head vampiress of the army, and for Elize Favole it is paired with some Wonder Woman-grade magic wristbands to deflect shooting attacks with style and elegance. This doesn't leave a whole lot of points left over for weapons, but there is just enough to squeeze in a magic sword. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />Which brings up another important element - with the exception of the standard bearer every single vampire in the army is carrying some kind of magic weapon, because no self-respecting Lahmian queen of the night would degrade herself by getting her hands and fingernails dirty fighting unarmed, and no Lahmian queen of the night worth her dresses would settle for any mere piece of dull metal for a weapon. The only reason the standard bearer has to go without one is because the rules won't let me take one along with a big flashy magic standard. I can only conclude that the rules for Battle Standards were written by the same fun-hating sour prude who wrote in the part where Bloodline Powers are not a separate points budget to Magic Items. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Elize is joined by a right-hand Vampire Countess who also packs Seduction, because having two characters with it doubles the chances of it happening each turn. She also has Beguile, because I want to get some of the other Lahmian manipulation powers into the army too, and the best magic sword in the Vampire Counts army book, the tomb blade which revives those mortals slain by it as mindless slaves to serve their new mistress for all eternity. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Completing the trinity of high-end characters is a master necromancer held in check by his obsessive lust over Elize herself. He gets a spell familiar because having more spells to choose from is always good, and the Cursed Book because every good wizard needs either a magic staff or a magic spellbook and the Cursed Book was the only magic book available that didn't compete with the spell familiar. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">The low-end character selection is dominated by a quintet of Vampire Thralls that comprise much of the army's fighting power. One carries the Hell Banner because the only thing better than a unit that causes <i>Fear</i> is a unit that causes <i>Terror</i>. Another has Beguile because as established I love Presence powers in Warhammer as much as I love them in Vampire The Masquerade. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Rounding the characters out are a pair of Necromancers for a little bit of magic support and to sustain larger numbers of undying minions, and a Wight Lord and Wraith to give me at least one of every available character type. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">The Core units consist of at least one of every available option except one. The key theme for this army, besides sexy vampires. is No Skeletons. At All. No units of them bought, no units of them raised or summoned, just none in the army whatsoever. Don't get me wrong, I love a good skeleton horde as much as the next fantasy nerd, but the thing is if I want a skeleton horde I can go to a whole other Warhammer game faction called the Tomb Kings just for that specifically. If I want other flavours of undead, I have no alternatives besides the Vampire Counts. So for the Vampire Counts army I'm bringing every single other variety of undead horror I can, besides Skeletons. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">This is also the key reason why I'm not using the Lahmian list and instead defaulting to the regular army book list. Giving up swains is unbearable, but being stuck with a boring troop unit is even more so. I can only hope that the fun-hating sour prude behind all these decisions gets what's coming to them. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Instead of Skeletons there are 4 nice big units of Zombies to give me a dependable source of rank bonuses for my vampires that I don't have to roll magic dice for, and plenty of Wolves and Bats for roaming the land far and wide and being my eyes and ears. There's also a couple of packs of Ghouls to tear apart any defiant mortals who displease me. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">For Special units there's a trio of Grave Guard regiments to provide a solid battle line and a unit of Black Knights to act as a mobile reserve to help push through a decisive breakthrough or plug a hole in a troubled sector. There's also a healthy-sized Sprit Host to tie down a key area and plenty of nice giant bats to both spy on my enemies and conduct general harassment of opposing armies. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Finally, every self-respecting vampire needs a magnificent Black Coach to whisk them away from danger, and the metal GW one is one of my favourite models in the Vampire range, so naturally I'm taking as many as I'm allowed. It shares the Rare section with a trio of Banshees for troubleshooting particularly tough adversaries. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">And that's what I'd do with masses and masses of 2000s Vampire Counts models. <span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14.85px;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14.85px;">If you wish to see this army on the tabletop then you are welcome to donate any NIB 2002-2004 NIB Vampire Counts models to me free of charge, especially NOS 2002-2004 Zombies. </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14.85px;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14.85px;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.85px;">Otherwise have a spooktacular sugar-fueled Halloween!</span></span></span></div>MillitantGuerillaCommunistHippiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13565203522225127317noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5420460147318382021.post-65819942866055565672023-10-18T23:35:00.000-07:002023-10-18T23:35:16.990-07:00I'm a Mouse! Duh! <p> With all this talk about 40k, it can be easy to forget that I'm also partial to Warhammer, and just like 40k I had a great many plans for Warhammer armies that will most likely never reach the table now. I desired an army of pretty much every game faction in Warhammer except maybe Ogres, and unfortunately GW stopped selling all the Warhammer models I want some time ago. </p><p><br /></p><p>But that doesn't stop me from talking about some of the most Halloween Warhammer armies I wanted as a shameless tie-in for International Goth Month. </p><p><br /></p><p>Now quite often when we talk about Halloween we talk about the old superficial things like spooky monster mashes and candy. But, there is <i>another</i> side to Halloween. A side that happens after hours just for grown-ups who are still young at heart. It tends to be less visible in the public mind, but it is always there, just below the surface in the slinkiest of outfits.... </p><p><br /></p><p>.... and it's this aspect of Halloween that is embodied by this next army list. </p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><h2 style="text-align: center;">Nymphomaniac Fantasia - Millitant's Cult of Pleasure </h2><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>Dark Elves have for some time been one of my top 3 favourite evil armies in Warhammer. I first got curious about them after seeing a White Dwarf battle report featuring a siege game between them and some Bretonnians with Wood Elf allies and thought the Hydras were pretty cool and the whole 'Tolkien Elves but bad' thing was kind of neat. While they never quite managed to break into the shortlist of frontrunners for my first Warhammer army, my interest in them did steadily simmer away in the background. </div><div><br /></div><div>Within the Dark Elves themselves I've always been drawn to the Khainite elements in particular, because I just can't pass up a horde of cocaine-fueled murder vixens and the models are ace, especially the awe inspiring Cauldron of Blood from the 6th edition release. </div><div><br /></div><div>So between that and Slaanesh being my favourite single Chaos God it's a pretty natural fit that the Dark Elf Cult of Pleasure from Storm of Chaos would be my second favourite Chaos army in Warhammer. </div><div><br /></div><div>Unfortunately it was not until recently that I was really able to cement down what I wanted the army to be like, which means its backstory and character lore is almost completely unfiormed, but if I had the models it would look something like this: </div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><h3 style="text-align: center;">The Cult of Pleasure </h3><div><b>Colours: </b>Lots of blacks on clothing with electric blue and purple accents. Standard silver-metalic weapons. Pale tones for skin. </div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><i>This Cult of Pleasure is born from the fallout of the tangled obsessive love dodecahedron between the characters in my related planned Dark Elf army. Once the Sorceresses become jilted a few too many times they break off and seek revenge with Morathi's uprising. </i></div><div><i><br /></i></div><div><i><br /></i></div><div><br /></div><h4 style="text-align: left;">Lords </h4><p style="text-align: left;"><i>High Sorceress</i>: Level 4 High Sorceress with Mark of Slaanesh, Tome of Furion, Crystal of Midnight, Crown of Black Iron and Blade of Spite, mounted on a Steed of Slaanesh - <b>420 pts</b> </p><p style="text-align: left;"><br /><i>High Sorceress:</i> Level 4 High Sorceress with Mark of Slaanesh, Soulstone, Black Amulet and Sword of Battle - <b>380 pts</b></p><p style="text-align: left;"><br /><i>High Sorceress</i>: Level 4 High Sorceress with Mark of Slaanesh, Black Staff, Heart-stone of Darkness and Crimson Death - <b>380 pts</b> </p><h4 style="text-align: left;">Heroes </h4><p style="text-align: left;"><i>Sorceress</i>: Level 2 Sorceress with Mark of Slaanesh, Darkstar Cloak and Seal of Ghrond - <b>195 pts</b></p><p style="text-align: left;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: left;"></p><p><i>Sorceress</i>: Level 2 Sorceress with Mark of Slaanesh and Wand of the Kharaidon - <b>190 pts</b> </p><p><br /></p><p></p><p><i>Sorceress</i>: Level 2 Sorceress with Mark of Slaanesh and Staff of Sorcery - <b>200 pts</b> </p><p><br /></p><p></p><p><i>Sorceress</i>: Level 2 Sorceress with Mark of Slaanesh and Rubric of Dark Dimensions - <b>200 pts</b></p><p><br /></p><p><i>Sorceress</i>: Level 2 Sorceress with Mark of Slaanesh and Ring of Darkness - <b>195 pts</b></p><p></p><h4 style="text-align: left;">Core </h4><p style="text-align: left;"><i>Devoted of Slaanesh</i>: Mistress with Speed of Slaanesh, Standard Bearer with Soul Shadows Standard, 22 Devoted of Slaanesh with Musician - <b>378 pts</b> </p><p style="text-align: left;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: left;"><i>Devoted of Slaanesh</i>: Mistress with Speed of Slaanesh, Standard Bearer with Banner of Murder, 22 Devoted of Slaanesh with Musician - <b>373 pts</b> </p><p style="text-align: left;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: left;"><i>Devoted of Slaanesh</i>: Mistress with Speed of Slaanesh, Standard Bearer with Standard of Slaughter, 22 Devoted of Slaanesh with Musician - <b>363 pts </b></p><p style="text-align: left;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: left;"><i>Devoted of Slaanesh</i>: Mistress with Speed of Slaanesh, 23 Devoted of Slaanesh with Full Command - <b>328 pts</b></p><p style="text-align: left;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: left;"><i>Devoted of Slaanesh</i>: Mistress with Speed of Slaanesh, 23 Devoted of Slaanesh with Full Command - <b>328 pts</b></p><p style="text-align: left;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: left;"><i>Devoted of Slaanesh</i>: Mistress with Speed of Slaanesh, 23 Devoted of Slaanesh with Full Command - <b>328 pts</b> </p><p style="text-align: left;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: left;"><i>Devoted of Slaanesh</i>: Mistress with Speed of Slaanesh, 23 Devoted of Slaanesh with Full Command - <b>328 pts</b></p><p style="text-align: left;"><br /></p><h4 style="text-align: left;">Special </h4><p style="text-align: left;"><i>Mounted Daemonettes</i>: 12 Mounted Daemonettes - <b>360 pts</b> </p><p style="text-align: left;"><i>Mounted Daemonettes</i>: 12 Mounted Daemonettes - <b>360 pts</b></p><h4 style="text-align: left;">Rare </h4><p style="text-align: left;"><i>Reaper Bolt Thrower Battery</i>: 2 Reaper Bolt Throwers with Mark of Slaanesh - <b>210 pts</b></p><p style="text-align: left;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: left;"><i>Reaper Bolt Thrower Battery</i>: 2 Reaper Bolt Throwers with Mark of Slaanesh - <b>210 pts</b></p><p style="text-align: left;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: left;"><i>Reaper Bolt Thrower Battery</i>: 2 Reaper Bolt Throwers with Mark of Slaanesh - <b>210 pts</b> </p><p style="text-align: left;"><br /></p><h4 style="text-align: left;">Spoils </h4><div><i>Captive Maiden Princess</i> - 1 bound captive maiden princess of exceptional beauty, charm and kindness - <b>64 pts </b></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><b>TOTAL: 6000 pts</b> </div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>This is not a subtle list. </div><div><br /></div><div>The entire army is of course centred around no less than seven full regiments of Devoted of Slaanesh, one for each mortal sin and not at all because I started aiming for 6 and then needed an extra Core unit once I broke the 5000 point threshold. Now, normally infantry units in Warhammer are at their best in units of 20 or 25 so that they can form into nice even symmetrical ranks of 5 models, but Slaanesh's sacred number is 6 so these units needed to be in multiples of that. </div><div><br /></div><div>The solution is in units of 24 with organic character support. Normally this is also something unwise since units generally need to be capable of fully independent action in order to properly function in the chaos of the battlefield, but I had enough spare points and character slots floating around to bring in some extra villainesses to lead them. </div><div><br /></div><div>Speaking of, the army is led by a trio of High Sorceresses, because when it comes to magical leadership nothing beats a good trinity of mages. If it's good enough for <i>Charmed</i> then it's good enough for me here. They are backed up by 5 regular Sorceresses with an array of powerful magic items to create what is probably the single most magic-heavy Warhammer army I will ever devise. </div><div><br /></div><div>Acting in support are two healthy units of mounted Daemonettes for a manoeuvre element and for some shooting cover six Reaper Bolt Throwers - the only mechanical compromise to the all-female all-nude murder orgy, and you <i>damn well</i> better believe they're getting some alternate crew figures to conform to the theme. Probably adapted from the Cauldron of Blood crew figures. </div><div><br /></div><div>Finally all this leaves me with just enough points left over for a captive princess to have some fun corrupting. </div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>And that's what I would do with a glut of 2000s Dark Elf and Daemonette models. <span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14.85px;">If you wish to see this army on the tabletop then you are welcome to donate any NIB 2002-2004 Witch-Elf, Mounted Daemonette, Sorceress, Steed of Slaanesh, Cauldron of Blood or Reaper Bolt Thrower models to me free of charge. </span></div><div><br /></div><div>Otherwise come back next week for the final spooky Halloween list for International Goth Month...</div>MillitantGuerillaCommunistHippiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13565203522225127317noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5420460147318382021.post-43272883845345038552023-10-13T01:50:00.002-07:002023-10-13T01:50:22.669-07:00Under Black Flags We MarchOne of the classic staples of Halloween is the slasher, the monstrous depraved serial killer that roams the night pouncing on and dismembering helpless teenagers one by one with an arsenal of sharp rusty pointy implements and whatever other potentially deadly items happen to be around. Even after they've been outwitted by a plucky heroine they return again and again in ever more death-defying comebacks. They're iconic unrepentant villains of the highest caliber. <div><br /></div><div>So naturally it would be pretty Halloween for this month's International Goth Month themed post to be... </div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>... <i style="font-weight: bold;">AN ENTIRE ARMY OF HORROR SLASHERS (AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH!)</i> </div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>But also with power armour and rocket guns. If I were to ever come into enough 2002 Chaos Space Marine sculpts, including enough 2002 metal Night Lords bitz packs, this would be the result. </div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><h2 style="text-align: center;">Under Black Flags We March - Militant's Night Lords </h2><div><br /></div><div>Chaos Space Marines, much like their loyalist cousins, were one of the 40k armies that I never quite clicked to for a long time. I appreciated them as bad guys for my Tau to save the day from (especially in <i>Firewarrior</i>), but never really had any serious desire to actually build an army of them myself. </div><div><br /></div><div>Despite this they did remain a solid army that I loved to hate, because it kind of is hard to go past them for good pure evil villains when you need a change of pace from the Imperium. And within the Chaos Space Marines there were certain Traitor Legions that stuck out to me as more interesting villains. This was driven a lot by the spectacular intro pieces for each Traitor Legion posted up on the Games Workshop website, which in hindsight appear to be condensed and paraphrased from the Index Astartes series in White Dwarf. </div><div><br /></div><div>At first I gravitated towards the Death Guard, because their colour scheme was the greenest and the delightful cancer analogy in their intro blurb was amazingly creepy. Then I started to be pulled by the World Eaters, because I was 9 years old and they were described as being the toughest deadliest fighters in all the Chaos Space Marines and they were called the WORLD EATERS and their logo was a literal earth being eaten by metal jaws. I also drifted towards the Iron Warriors for a bit because as a... well basically Calvin but in real life and with parrot toys instead of a tiger, I had rather an affinity for guns and explosions. </div><div><br /></div><div>But all throughout this there was a more or less constant fascination with this other Traitor Legion of scary bad guys with a cool blue colour scheme and awesome bat-wing helmets. A lot of the stuff about weaponised horror went over my head at this early point, but their iconic war cry of "WE'VE COME FOR YOU!" made an unforgettable impression. </div><div><br /></div><div>Things began to change some years later when I became a horribly depressed teenager. A byproduct of this (and of befriending the goth girls at high school) was acquiring a taste for heavy metal and horror films. This in turn led me to reevaluate the prospect of a Chaos Space Marine army at some point in the future - after all, my Tau will need some bad guys to fight, and having an opposing force to loan out to people for games couldn't hurt. </div><div><br /></div><div>And it was during this that the aforementioned love of horror films cemented the Night Lords as my favourite Traitor Legion. It is hard to go past an entire Traitor Legion of horror film villains after all. </div><div><br /></div><div>Discovering the awesome Night Lords Hero model - easily be best Chaos Space Marine character sculpt Games Workshop ever made - only sweetened the deal. </div><div><br /></div><div>Perhaps one day tables might quake under the dread might of this: </div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><h3 style="text-align: center;">The Fell Legions of Lord Herod </h3><div><b>Colours:</b> Traditional Night Lords colour scheme. Dark blue armour, brass/dark gold trim, red bat wing helmets. Copious gore splatter applied to key models. Dark Grey urban basing. Firefly Reaver decorations applied to vehicles. </div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><i>Little is known of the origins and mortal life of Herod. What little record survives indicates that he once belonged to the nascent Adeptus Arbites on Nostramo, where he roamed the perpetually dark streets of the planet's morbid cities at the forefront of Imperial justice. It is also known that he was among the many of Nostamo's law enforcement to gleefully embrace corruption, and abused his powers without remorse. Like many of his fellow corrupt arbitrators, Herod thrived in the cut-throat atmosphere of Nostraman society and in time was duly inducted into the Night Lords Space Marine Legion. </i></div><div><i><br /></i></div><div><i>As an Astartes Legionnaire Herod enjoyed a meteoric rise through the ranks during the Great Crusade, as much due to his astute grasp of politics and power as his tactical acumen in battle, and he soon found himself commanding a sizeable host of warriors. These Herod used to leverage power over the worlds they subjugated for humanity, directly exacting heavy bribes and tributes directly from the conquered populations for their own profit and patroning officials who were especially loyal and compliant with Herod's own interests. Soon an underground shadow empire began to take root in the sectors reclaimed by the Night Lords, with Herod himself as its ultimate ruler. </i></div><div><i><br /></i></div><div><i>Herod had always chafed under Imperial oversight, and when the Horus Heresy broke out he jumped to Horus's cause early and with relish, taking part in the Night Lords' terror campaigns across the Eastern Fringe and orchestrating savage and grotesque atrocities across the Ultima Segmentum that many worlds still have not recovered from over ten thousand years later. </i></div><div><i><br /></i></div><div><i>In the Aftermath of the Horus Heresy Herod and his warband carved out an empire of terror and corruption in the outer darkness of the galactic east, separate from but closely aligned to the main body of the legion under the monstrous Daemon Primarch Night Haunter. Herod managed to retain this empire even after Night Haunter's assassination, and to this day it remains a festering scar in the Ultima Segmentum. Dozens of systems have fallen under Herod's shadow, and those few refugees that manage to escape speak of unending horror under the merciless jackboot of their superhuman oppressors. </i></div><div><i><br /></i></div><div><i>Thus far all Imperial efforts to snuff out Herod's realm of darkness have ended in catastrophe, and while its eastward expansion has been contained by the Tau Empire, contact is lost with another world deeper into the Ultima Segmentum every passing year... </i></div><div><i><br /></i></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><h4 style="text-align: left;">DETACHMENT I - LORD HEROD'S OWN (Night Lords Legion)</h4><h4 style="text-align: left;">HQ </h4><p style="text-align: left;"><i>Lord Herod:</i> Chaos Lord with Master-crafted Power Fist, Combi-flamer, Frag Grenades, Krak Grenades, Spiky Bits, Daemonic Aura, Daemonic Rune, Furious Charge, Infiltrate, Move Through Cover, Night Vision and Stealth Adept - <b>213 pts</b> </p><p style="text-align: left;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: left;"><i>The Devil's Rejects:</i> Chosen Aspiring Champion Sorcerer with Gift of Chaos, Plasma Pistol, Warp Focus Power Weapon, Frag Grenades, Krak Grenades, Melta Bombs, Spiky Bits, Teleport Homer, Warp Talisman, Daemonic Aura, Furious Charge, Infiltrate, Move Through Cover, Night Vision and Stealth Adept </p><p style="text-align: left;">2 Chosen Aspiring Champions with Bolt Pistols, Power Weapons, Frag Grenades, Krak Grenades, Melta Bombs, Spiky Bits, Daemonic Aura, Furious Charge, Infiltrate, Move Through Cover, Night Vision and Stealth Adept </p><p style="text-align: left;"> Chosen Aspiring Champion with Plasma Pistol, Power Fist, Frag Grenades, Krak Grenades, Melta Bombs, Spiky Bits, Daemonic Aura, Furious Charge, Infiltrate, Move Through Cover, Night Vision and Stealth Adept </p><p style="text-align: left;">2 Chosen Aspiring Champions with Bolt Pistols, Power Fists, Frag Grenades, Krak Grenades, Melta Bombs, Spiky Bits, Daemonic Aura, Furious Charge, Infiltrate, Move Through Cover, Night Vision and Stealth Adept </p><p style="text-align: left;">3 Chosen Aspiring Champions with Lightning Claws, Frag Greandes, Krak Grenades, Melta Bombs, Spiky Bits, Daemonic Aura, Furious Charge, Infiltrate, Move Through Cover, Night Vision and Stealth Adept - <b>801 pts</b> </p><p style="text-align: left;"><br /></p><h4 style="text-align: left;">Elites </h4><p style="text-align: left;"><i>Black Vultures</i>: Chosen Aspiring Champion Sorcerer with bolt pistol, Warp Focus Power Weapon, Bionics, Frag Grenades, Krak Grenades, Melta Bombs, Spiky Bits, 3 Minor Psychic Powers, Warp Talisman, Infiltrate, Move Through Cover, Night Vision, Siege Specialists, Tank Hunters and Stealth Adept </p><p style="text-align: left;">1 Chosen Aspiring Champion with Combi-flamer, Bionics, Frag Grenades, Krak Grenades, Melta Bombs, Spiky Bits, Infiltrate, Move Through Cover, Night Vision, Siege Specialists, Tank Hunters and Stealth Adept</p><p style="text-align: left;">2 Chosen Aspiring Champions with Combi-flamers, Frag Grenades, Krak Grenades, Melta Bombs, Spiky Bits, Infiltrate, Move Through Cover, Night Vision, Siege Specialists, Tank Hunters and Stealth Adept </p><p style="text-align: left;">1 Chosen Aspiring Champion with Combi-melta, Bionics, Frag Grenad7es, Krak Grenades, Melta Bombs, Spiky Bits, Infiltrate, Move Through Cover, Night Vision, Siege Specialists, Tank Hunters and Stealth Adept </p><p style="text-align: left;">2 Chosen Aspiring Champions with Combi-meltas, Frag Grenades, Krak Grenades, Melta Bombs, Spiky Bits, Infiltrate, Move Through Cover, Night Vision, Siege Specialists, Tank Hunters and Stealth Adept </p><p style="text-align: left;">1 Chosen with Lascannon, Frag Grenades, Krak Grenades, Infiltrate, Move Through Cover, Night Vision, Siege Specialists, Tank Hunters and Stealth Adept </p><p style="text-align: left;">2 Chosen with Missile Launchers, Frag Grenades, Krak Grenades, Infiltrate, Move Through Cover, Night Vision, Siege Specialists, Tank Hunters and Stealth Adept - <b>654 pts</b> </p><p style="text-align: left;"><br /></p><h4 style="text-align: left;">Troops </h4><p style="text-align: left;"><i>The Craven</i>: Aspiring Champion Friedrick Kraeger with Master-crafted Lightning Claws, Frag Grenades, Krak Grenades, Melta Bombs, Spiky Bits, Daemonic Aura, Daemonic Essence, Daemonic Visage, Counter-attack, Infiltrate, Move Through Cover, Night Vision and Stealth Adept</p><p style="text-align: left;">1 Chaos Space Marine with with Flamer, Frag Grenades, Krak Grenades, Counter-attack, Infiltrate, Move Through Cover, Night Vision and Stealth Adept </p><p style="text-align: left;">1 Chaos Space Marine with Meltagun, Frag Grenades, Krak Grenades, Counter-attack, Infiltrate, Move Through Cover, Night Vision and Stealth Adept </p><p style="text-align: left;">7 Chaos Space Marines with Bolt Pistols, Close Combat Weapons, Frag Grenades, Krak Grenades, Counter-attack, Infiltrate, Move Through Cover, Night Vision and Stealth Adept - <b>351 pts</b> </p><p style="text-align: left;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: left;"><i>Chaos Space Marine Squad</i>: Aspiring Champion Jhar-sun Vhoors with Bolt Pistol, Master-crafted Power Weapon, Frag Grenades, Krak Grenades, Melta Bombs, Spiky Bits, Daemonic Aura, Daemonic Essence, Daemonic Strength, Furious Charge, Infiltrate, Move Through Cover, Night Vision and Stealth Adept </p><p style="text-align: left;">1 Chaos Space Marine with Flamer, Frag Grenades, Krak Grenades, Furious Charge, Infiltrate, Move Through Cover, Night Vision and Stealth Adept </p><p style="text-align: left;">1 Chaos Space Marine with Meltagun, Frag Grenades, Krak Grenades, Furious Charge, Infiltrate, Move Through Cover, Night Vision and Stealth Adept </p><p style="text-align: left;">7 Chaos Space Marines with Bolt Pistols, Close Combat Weapons, Frag Grenades, Krak Grenades, Furious Charge, Infiltrate, Move Through Cover, Night Vision and Stealth Adept - <b>345 pts</b></p><p style="text-align: left;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: left;"><i>Chaos Space Marine Squad</i>: Aspiring Champion Mikael M'yers with Plasma Pistol, Power Weapon, Frag Grenades, Krak Grenades, Melta Bombs, Spiky Bits, Daemonic Aura, Daemonic Essence, Daemonic Resilience, Furious Charge, Infiltrate, Move Through Cover, Night Vision and Stealth Adept </p><p style="text-align: left;">1 Chaos Space Marine with Flamer, Frag Grenades, Krak Grenades, Furious Charge, Infiltrate, Move Through Cover, Night Vision and Stealth Adept </p><p style="text-align: left;">1 Chaos Space Marine with Meltagun, Frag Grenades, Krak Grenades, Furious Charge, Infiltrate, Move Through Cover, Night Vision and Stealth Adept </p><p style="text-align: left;">7 Chaos Space Marines with Bolt Pistols, Close Combat Weapons, Frag Grenades, Krak Grenades, Furious Charge, Infiltrate, Move Through Cover, Night Vision and Stealth Adept - <b>349 pts</b> </p><p style="text-align: left;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: left;"><i>Chaos Space Marine Squad</i>: Aspiring Champion with Plasma Pistol, Power Weapon, Bionics, Frag Grenades, Krak Grenades, Melta Bombs, Spiky Bits, Infiltrate, Move Through Cover, Night Vision, Tank Hunters and Stealth Adept </p><p style="text-align: left;">1 Chaos Space Marine with Lascannon, Frag Grenades, Krak Grenades, Infiltrate, Move Through Cover, Night Vision, Tank Hunters and Stealth Adept </p><p style="text-align: left;">1 Chaos Space Marine with Flamer, Frag Grenades, Krak Grenades, Infiltrate, Move Through Cover, Night Vision, Tank Hunters and Stealth Adept </p><p style="text-align: left;">7 Chaos Space Marines with Bolters, Frag Grenades, Krak Grenades, Infiltrate, Move Through Cover, Night Vision, Tank Hunters and Stealth Adept - <b>324 pts</b> </p><p style="text-align: left;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: left;"><i>Chaos Space Marine Squad</i>: Aspiring Champion with Bolt Pistol, Power Weapon, Bionics, Frag Grenades, Krak Grenades, Melta Bombs, Spiky Bits, Infiltrate, Move Through Cover, Night Vision, Siege Specialists and Stealth Adept </p><p style="text-align: left;">1 Chaos Space Marine with Missile Launcher, Frag Grenades, Krak Grenades, Infiltrate, Move Through Cover, Night Vision, Siege Specialists and Stealth Adept </p><p style="text-align: left;">1 Chaos Space Marine with Plasma Gun, Frag Grenades, Krak Grenades, Infiltrate, Move Through Cover, Night Vision, Siege Specialists and Stealth Adept </p><p style="text-align: left;">7 Chaos Space Marines with Bolters, Frag Grenades, Krak Grenades, Infiltrate, Move Through Cover, Night Vision, Siege Specialists and Stealth Adept - <b>294 pts</b></p><p style="text-align: left;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: left;"><i>Chaos Space Marine Squad:</i> Aspiring Champion with Plasma Pistol, Power Weapon, Frag Grenades, Krak Grenades, Melta Bombs, Spiky Bits, Daemonic Visage, Counter-attack, Infiltrate, Move Through Cover, Night Vision and Stealth Adept </p><p style="text-align: left;">1 Chaos Space Marine with Heavy Bolter, Frag Grenades, Krak Grenades, Counter-attack, Infiltrate, Move Through Cover, Night Vision and Stealth Adept </p><p style="text-align: left;">1 Chaos Space Marine with Meltagun, Frag Grenades, Krak Grenades, Counter-attack, Infiltrate, Move Through Cover, Night Vision and Stealth Adept </p><p style="text-align: left;">7 Chaos Space Marines with Bolters, Frag Grenades, Krak Grenades, Counter-attack, Infiltrate, Move Through Cover, Night Vision and Stealth Adept - <b>305 pts</b> </p><p style="text-align: left;"><br /></p><h4 style="text-align: left;">Fast Attack </h4><p style="text-align: left;"><i>Black Cataphracts</i> - Chaos Biker Aspiring Champion with Master-crafted Power Weapon, 2 Chaos Hounds, Frag Grenades, Krak Grenades, Melta Bombs, Spiky Bits, Daemonic Visage, Night Vision, Skilled Riders and Tank Hunters </p><p style="text-align: left;">1 Chaos Biker with Meltagun, Close Combat Weapon, Frag Grenades, Krak Grenades, Night Vision, Skilled Riders and Tank Hunters </p><p style="text-align: left;">1 Chaos Biker with Flamer, Close Combat Weapon, Frag Grenades, Krak Grenades, Night Vision, Skilled Riders and Tank Hunters </p><p style="text-align: left;">7 Chaos Bikers with Close Combat Weapons, Frag Grenades, Krak Grenades, Night Vision, Skilled Riders and Tank Hunters - <b>510 pts</b></p><p style="text-align: left;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: left;"><i>Night Cataphracts</i> - Chaos Biker Aspiring Champion with Master-crafted Power Weapon, Bionics, 2 Chaos Hounds, Frag Grenades, Krak Grenades, Melta Bombs, Spiky Bits, Daemonic Visage, Furious Charge, Night Vision and Skilled Riders </p><p style="text-align: left;">1 Chaos Biker with Meltagun, Close Combat Weapon, Frag Grenades, Krak Grenades, Furious Charge, Night Vision and Skilled Riders </p><p style="text-align: left;">1 Chaos Biker with Flamer, Close Combat Weapon, Frag Grenades, Krak Grenades, Furious Charge, Night Vision and Skilled Riders </p><p style="text-align: left;">7 Chaos Bikers with Close Combat Weapons, Frag Grenades, Krak Grenades, Furious Charge, Night Vision and Skilled Riders - <b>515 pts</b></p><p style="text-align: left;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: left;"><i>Raptor Squad</i>: Chaos Raptor Aspiring Champion with Lightning Claws, Frag Grenades, Krak Grenades, Melta Bombs, Spiky Bits, Mark of Chaos Undivided, Furious Charge and Night Vision </p><p style="text-align: left;">Chaos Raptor Icon Bearer with Bolt Pistol, Close Combat Weapon, Frag Grenades, Krak Grenades, Mark of Chaos Undivided, Furious Charge and Night Vision </p><p style="text-align: left;">1 Chaos Raptor with Meltagun, Frag Grenades, Krak Grenades, Mark of Chaos Undivided, Furious Charge and Night Vision </p><p style="text-align: left;">1 Chaos Raptor with Plasma Gun, Frag Grenades, Krak Grenades, Mark of Chaos Undivided, Furious Charge and Night Vision </p><p style="text-align: left;">1 Chaos Raptor with Flamer, Frag Grenades, Krak Grenades, Mark of Chaos Undivided, Furious Charge and Night Vision </p><p style="text-align: left;">5 Chaos Raptors with Bolt Pistols, Close Combat Weapons, Frag Grenades, Krak Grenades, Mark of Chaos Undivided, Furious Charge and Night Vision - <b>480 pts</b> </p><p style="text-align: left;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: left;"><i>The Furies</i>: 10 Furies - <b>150 pts</b></p><p style="text-align: left;"><br /></p><h4 style="text-align: left;">Heavy Support </h4><div><i>Reaper-6 (Hell on Wheels)</i>: Chaos Land Raider with Blasphemous Rune, Dirge Caster, Dozer Blade, Extra Armour, Havoc Launcher, Pintle Combi-melta, Searchlight and Smoke Launchers - <b>329 pts</b> </div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><h4 style="text-align: left;">Global Effects </h4><p style="text-align: left;"><i>Day-for-Night</i>: An eerie blue-tinged gloom at all times - <b>10 pts</b> </p><p style="text-align: left;"><i>Mist Screen</i>: A sinister haze of misty fog at all times - <b>10 pts</b> </p><p style="text-align: left;"><br /></p><h4 style="text-align: left;">Provisions </h4><div><i>Roast Victory Feast</i>: Full post-battle feast of 26 Roast Cattle, 26 Roast Swine, 26 Roast Bantam-Fowl, 26 Roast Ducks, 26 Roast Geese, 26 Roast Turkeys, 4992 Roast Potatoes, 4992 Roast Parsnips, 4992 Roast Kūmera, 4992 Roast Pumpkins (chopped), 4992 Chopped Butter/Garlic-sautéed Carrots, 500 tons of Rosemary-oregano-sage-garlic-bacon-breadcrumb stuffing, 10,000 gallons of gravy - <b>60 pts</b> </div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><h4 style="text-align: left;">DETACHMENT II - HEROD'S HARBINGERS (Night Lords Legion)</h4><h4 style="text-align: left;">HQ</h4><p style="text-align: left;"><i>Hannibal</i>: Chaos Sorcerer with Gift of Chaos, Wind of Chaos, Warp Focus Power Weapon, Bolt Pistol, Frag Grenades, Krak Grenades, Melta Bombs, Spiky Bits, Personal Icon, Teleport Homer, Familiar, Warp Talisman, Minor Psychic Power, Daemonic Essence, Daemonic Rune, Mark of Chaos Undivided, Infiltrate and Night Vision - <b>244 pts</b> </p><p style="text-align: left;"><br /></p><h4 style="text-align: left;">Elites </h4><p style="text-align: left;"><i>The Death Hand</i>: Chosen Terminator Aspiring Champion with Combi-bolter and Master-crafted Chainfist, Spiky Bits, Daemonic Strength, Daemonic Visage, Furious Charge, Night Vision, Siege Specialists and Tank Hunters </p><p style="text-align: left;">1 Chosen Terminator with Heavy Flamer, Power Weapon, Furious Charge, Night Vision, Siege Specialists and Tank Hunters </p><p style="text-align: left;">2 Chosen Terminators with Reaper Autocannons, Power Weapons, Furious Charge, Night Vision, Siege Specialists and Tank Hunters </p><p style="text-align: left;">1 Chosen Terminator with Combi-flamer, Power Fist, Furious Charge, Night Vision, Siege Specialists and Tank Hunters </p><p style="text-align: left;">1 Chosen Terminator with Combi-flamer, Power Weapon, Furious Charge, Night Vision, Siege Specialists and Tank Hunters </p><p style="text-align: left;">1 Chosen Terminator with Combi-melta, Lightning Claw, Furious Charge, Night Vision, Siege Specialists and Tank Hunters </p><p style="text-align: left;">1 Chosen Terminator with Combi-melta, Power Weapon, Furious Charge, Night Vision, Siege Specialists and Tank Hunters </p><p style="text-align: left;">2 Chosen Terminators with Combi-bolter, Chainfist, Furious Charge, Night Vision, Siege Specialists and Tank Hunters - <b>586 pts</b> </p><p style="text-align: left;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: left;"><i>Possessed Chaos Space Marines</i>: Possessed Aspiring Champion with Daemonic Talons, Personal Icon, Spiky Bits and Mark of Chaos Undivided, 9 Possessed with Daemonic Talons and Mark of Chaos Undivided- <b>315 pts</b></p><p style="text-align: left;">Mounted in </p><p style="text-align: left;"><i>Hell Knight-1</i>: Chaos Rhino with Blasphemous Rune, Dirge Caster, Extra Armour, Havoc Launcher, Living Vehicle, Pintle Combi-melta, Searchlight and Smoke Launchers - <b>144 pts</b> </p><p style="text-align: left;"><br /></p><h4 style="text-align: left;">Troops </h4><p style="text-align: left;"><i>Chaos Space Marine Squad</i>: Aspiring Champion with Plasma Pistol, Power Fist, Bionics, Frag Grenades, Krak Grenades, Melta Bombs, Spiky Bits, Move Through Cover, Night Vision, Tank Hunters and Stealth Adept </p><p style="text-align: left;">1 Chaos Space Marine with Missile Launcher, Frag Grenades, Krak Greandes, Move Through Cover, Night Vision, Tank Hunters and Stealth Adept </p><p style="text-align: left;">1 Chaos Space Marine with Plasma Gun, Frag Grenades, Krak Grenades, Move Through Cover, Night Vision, Tank Hunters and Stealth Adept </p><p style="text-align: left;">7 Chaos Space Marines with Bolters, Frag Grenades, Krak Grenades, Move Through Cover, Night Vision, Tank Hunters and Stealth Adept - <b>298 pts</b></p><p style="text-align: left;">Mounted in: </p><p style="text-align: left;"><i>Hell Knight-2</i>: Chaos Rhino with Blasphemous Rune, Dirge Caster, Extra Armour, Havoc Launcher, Living Vehicle, Pintle Combi-melta, Searchlight and Smoke Launchers - <b>144 pts</b></p><p style="text-align: left;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: left;"><i>Chaos Space Marine Squad</i>: Aspiring Champion with Bolt Pistol, Power Fist, Frag Grenades, Krak Grenades, Melta Bombs, Spiky Bits, Daemonic Visage, Move Through Cover, Night Vision, Siege Specialists and Stealth Adept </p><p style="text-align: left;">1 Chaos Space Marine with Autocannon, Frag Grenades, Krak Grenades, Move Through Cover, Night Vision, Siege Specialists and Stealth Adept </p><p style="text-align: left;">1 Chaos Space Marine with Meltagun, Frag Grenades, Krak Grenades, Move Through Cover, Night Vision, Siege Specialists and Stealth Adept </p><p style="text-align: left;">7 Chaos Space Marines with Bolters, Frag Grenades, Krak Grenades, Move Through Cover, Night Vision, Siege Specialists and Stealth Adept - <b>266 pts</b></p><p style="text-align: left;">Mounted in: </p><p style="text-align: left;"><i>Hell Knight-3</i>: Chaos Rhino with Blasphemous Rune, Dirge Caster, Extra Armour, Havoc Launcher, Living Vehicle, Pintle Combi-melta, Searchlight and Smoke Launchers - <b>144 pts</b></p><p style="text-align: left;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: left;"><i>Chaos Space Marine Squad</i>: Aspiring Champion with Plasma Pistol, Power Fist, Frag Grenades, Krak Grenades, Melta Bombs, Spiky Bits, Daemonic Mutation, Daemonic Visage, Counter-attack, Move Through Cover, Night Vision and Stealth Adept </p><p style="text-align: left;">1 Chaos Space Marine with Heavy Bolter, Frag Grenades, Krak Grenades, Counter-attack, Move Through Cover, Night Vision and Stealth Adept </p><p style="text-align: left;">1 Chaos Space Marine with Plasma Gun, Frag Grenades, Krak Grenades, Counter-attack, Move Through Cover, Night Vision and Stealth Adept </p><p style="text-align: left;">6 Chaos Space Marines with Bolt Pistols, Close Combat Weapons, Frag Grenades, Krak Grenades, Counter-attack, Move Through Cover, Night Vision and Stealth Adept - <b>276 pts</b></p><p style="text-align: left;">Mounted in: </p><p style="text-align: left;"><i>Hell Knight-4</i>: Chaos Rhino with Blasphemous Rune, Dirge Caster, Extra Armour, Havoc Launcher, Living Vehicle, Pintle Combi-melta, Searchlight and Smoke Launchers - <b>144 pts</b></p><p style="text-align: left;"><br /></p><h4 style="text-align: left;">Fast Attack</h4><p><i>Death Cataphracts</i> - Chaos Biker Aspiring Champion with Master-crafted Power Weapon, 2 Chaos Hounds, Frag Grenades, Krak Grenades, Melta Bombs, Spiky Bits, Daemonic Visage, Night Vision, Skilled Riders and Tank Hunters </p><p>1 Chaos Biker with Meltagun, Close Combat Weapon, Frag Grenades, Krak Grenades, Night Vision, Skilled Riders and Tank Hunters </p><p>1 Chaos Biker with Flamer, Close Combat Weapon, Frag Grenades, Krak Grenades, Night Vision, Skilled Riders and Tank Hunters </p><p>7 Chaos Bikers with Close Combat Weapons, Frag Grenades, Krak Grenades, Night Vision, Skilled Riders and Tank Hunters - <b>510 pts</b></p><div><br /></div><div><p><i>Raptor Squad</i>: Chaos Raptor Aspiring Champion with Lightning Claws, Frag Grenades, Krak Grenades, Melta Bombs, Personal Icon, Spiky Bits, Mark of Chaos Undivided, Counter-attack and Night Vision </p></div><div><p>1 Chaos Raptor with Meltagun, Frag Grenades, Krak Grenades, Mark of Chaos Undivided, Counter-attack and Night Vision </p></div><div><p>1 Chaos Raptor with Plasma Gun, Frag Grenades, Krak Grenades, Mark of Chaos Undivided, Counter-attack and Night Vision </p></div><div><p>1 Chaos Raptor with Flamer, Frag Grenades, Krak Grenades, Mark of Chaos Undivided, Counter-attack and Night Vision </p></div><div><p>6 Chaos Raptors with Bolt Pistols, Close Combat Weapons, Frag Grenades, Krak Grenades, Mark of Chaos Undivided, Counter-attack and Night Vision - <b>470 pts</b> </p></div><div><p><br /></p></div><div><p><i>The Furies</i>: 10 Furies - <b>150 pts</b> </p></div><div><p><br /></p></div><div><h4 style="text-align: left;">Heavy Support </h4></div><p style="text-align: left;"><i>Chaos Havocs</i>: Aspiring Champion with Bolt Pistol, Power Weapon, Bionics, Frag Grenades, Krak Grenades, Melta Bombs, Spiky Bits, Daemon Armour, Infiltrate, Move Through Cover, Night Vision, Tank Hunters and Stealth Adept </p><p style="text-align: left;">2 Chaos Space Marines with Lascannons, Infiltrate, Move Through Cover, Night Vision, Tank Hunters and Stealth Adept </p><p style="text-align: left;">2 Chaos Space Marines with Missile Launchers, Infiltrate, Move Through Cover, Night Vision, Tank Hunters and Stealth Adept - <b>277 pts</b></p><p style="text-align: left;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: left;"><i>Wight-1</i>: Chaos Predator with Autocannon, Lascannon sponsons, Blasphemous Rune, Dirge Caster, Dozer Blade, Extra Armour, Havoc Launcher, Pintle Combi-melta, Searchlight and Smoke Launchers - <b>204 pts</b></p><p style="text-align: left;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: left;"><i>Wight-2</i>: Chaos Predator with Twin-linked Lascannon, Heavy Bolter sponsons, Blasphemous Rune, Dirge Caster, Dozer Blade, Extra Armour, Havoc Launcher, Pintle Combi-melta, Searchlight and Smoke Launchers - <b>209 pts</b> </p><p style="text-align: left;"><br /></p><h4 style="text-align: left;">Strategic Reserve </h4><p style="text-align: left;"><i>The Butcher</i>: Chaos Dreadnought with Dreadnought Close Combat Weapon (Power Scourge), Plasma Cannon, Blasphemous Rune, Mutated Hull and Smoke Launchers - <b>158 pts</b> </p><p style="text-align: left;"><br /></p><h4>Followers </h4><p><i>Forsaken Children</i>: 2 eerie forsaken small girls with jump ropes, hopscotch, archaic toy strollers and haunting giggles - <b>3 pts</b> </p><p><i>Lecherous Jock</i>: 1 Reckless athlete convinced there is no danger at all - <b>2 pts</b> </p><p><br /></p><p><b>TOTAL: 10,000 pts </b></p></blockquote><p><br /></p><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">The list is considerably less complicated than it first seems. Everyone starts with a core package of Veteran Skills consisting of Infiltrate and Move Through Cover - the better to pounce on helpless prey from nowhere in a sudden jump-cut - and the Night Lord staples Night Vision and Stealth Adept. From there, they also get one or two special Veteran Skills to reflect their history and preferred fighting styles. The exceptions are vehicles obviously, and Terminators who can't get half of those skills, and the few units with a Mark of Chaos because Marked units only get a single Veteran Skill plus any Legion freebies. This, incidentally is a major reason why most of the army has no Chaos Marks, because why settle for just 2 special bonuses when you can get 4-6 special bonuses instead? That's like twice or three times as many. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Then all the Characters and Aspiring Champions get a core wargear package of all the thrown explosives, plus Spiky Bits because there is no way in hell I am not taking such a gloriously meta upgrade at every opportunity. Some particularly battered veterans here and there have bionics on top of that, and Daemonic Visage to ensure that this army of Night Lords retains terror superiority. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Moving into the units themselves we start with Lord Herod himself and his hand-picked retinue of elite Black Vulture veterans, tooled up for maximum close combat carnage and featuring a Sorcerer with Gift of Chaos to enact the ultimate punishment on anyone who dares to double-cross Herod. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Speaking of the Black Vultures, there is also a standalone unit of Lord Herod's elite, equipped with an arsenal of combi-weapons and Spiky Bits for seizing objectives and a battery of heavy weapons for holding them. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">The stars of the Troops section are 3 aggressively-kitted Chaos Space Marine squads each led by an icon of Horror, but there are also plenty of bolter-slinging Chaos Space Marines supported by a variety of heavy and assault weapons too. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">The Cataphracts are the elite enforcers of Lord Herod's will across his domain of terror, and are ever at the forefront of his assaults. In addition to their iconic adamantium kill-sabres the Champions of this shock cavalry corps are bestowed with a pair of Chaos Hounds for sniffing out runaway slaves and hiding women and children. As bikers they also can't take Infiltrate or Stealth Adept, but they have Skilled Riders instead as befitting of expert biker troops. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">There are also a couple of Raptor bands for some variety in the Fast Attack selection, with the Mark of Chaos Undivided and corresponding icons so that I actually have somewhere to summon the Fury packs I also included for terrorising defenceless families. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">The single Heavy Support slot in the core force is filled by a Land Raider. If you're running Chaos Space marines, don't have them in any transports, and can take only one Heavy Support unit, make it a Land Raider. The ability to redeploy any unit of foot troops that will fit inside is invaluable, and the armour and guns are a juicy bonus too. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">I <b><i>WAS</i></b> going to leave everything in a nice neat little package, but it turns out that all the Chosen in an Elites Choice get lumped together in a single blob if they're not part of an HQ retinue. So out of sheer spite I took the Sorcerer and Possessed I had planned as a secondary commander and third Elites unit and spun them out into a whole other second detachment just to circumvent that and get a discrete unit of Chosen Terminators. I also took the chance to turn this detachment into an armoured manoeuvre group since I love playing with vehicles in 40k and wanted lots of Rhinos with crazy robot buzzsaw arms just like the one in the 'Eavy Metal studio Black Legion army that I've been obsessed with for 20 years now. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Then finally to really punish Pete Haines and show him that MY INEVITABLE WILL CANNOT BE DENIED I opted not to use the special Night Lords Force Organisation chart and took a few extra Heavy Support units to play with in the form of a stealthy tank-hunting band of Havocs and a pair of Chaos Predators to escort the Rhino column and spearhead its advance through treacherous areas. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">There wasn't an awful lot of points left over for feeding 206 Chaos Space Marines after all that, but I managed to squeeze in a regular post-battle feast as an extra treat to keep everyone loyal too. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">And that's what I would do with all the Chaos Space Marine models. If you wish to see this army on the tabletop then you are welcome to donate any NIB or NOS 2002-2004 Chaos Space Marine models to me free of charge. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><p>Otherwise be sure to come back throughout International Goth Month for more ghoulish and spooky army lists. </p><div><br style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14.85px;" /></div></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div>MillitantGuerillaCommunistHippiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13565203522225127317noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5420460147318382021.post-11613273373547264472023-10-05T04:15:00.002-07:002023-10-05T04:30:33.034-07:00Agent of The Swarm<p> The number of 40k armies I have always wanted is vast. There are almost no 40k game factions that I have never truly wanted at any point. Unfortunately, I am not made of money, capitalism is still ruining lives and and GW keeps discontinuing all the models I want. This means that realistically most of those model armies will never reach the tabletop. </p><p><br /></p><p>But it doesn't mean I can't write about them. </p><p><br /></p><p>Most of those army projects already exist in lore form if not as concrete models, but since list talking is apparently what makes a blog popular it seemed like it might be an idea to document them for posterity. And since we are now in International Goth Month I thought I'd start with a selection of the spookiest collections of fiends and monsters I conceived of. Starting with a swarm of everyone's favourite space monsters in 40k. </p><p><br /></p><p>Note that since these are all armies that have yet to be put into model form, a lot of their unit and character names remain under construction. </p><p><br /></p><h2 style="text-align: center;">Hive Fleet Jabberwock - Militant's Tyranids </h2><div><br /></div><div>My first contact with <i>Aliens</i> came when I was around 6 years old. I was at the local library looking over the comic books display there, and one of the titles on the shelf was a meaty looking book called <i>Aliens: Female War</i>. My 6 year old toxic masculinity programmed brain wasn't quite sure what to make of the whole 'Female War' part, but it did certainly like some good space aliens, and I was immediately drawn to the creepy insectoid head leering out of a sickly green cocoon. </div><div><br /></div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeXdFuKhkIxfaMV3Yy5xU_Tsras_VdQ38-5yYQJEUkSYQnM_RGGIAiQt3imsKTGZ4P-zULP1Uap_Ro2B9_CASbKinZwlzL7A-qhkrIuvEuLg2gnI9ApseaUbkx4f-bAXNT8_csKzBwdIbZdysVhosTn3Ke9XGe2xvwR_4-5nO_ARzQ4EZvmjYTgKGPSe8/s2000/female%20War.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2000" data-original-width="1340" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeXdFuKhkIxfaMV3Yy5xU_Tsras_VdQ38-5yYQJEUkSYQnM_RGGIAiQt3imsKTGZ4P-zULP1Uap_Ro2B9_CASbKinZwlzL7A-qhkrIuvEuLg2gnI9ApseaUbkx4f-bAXNT8_csKzBwdIbZdysVhosTn3Ke9XGe2xvwR_4-5nO_ARzQ4EZvmjYTgKGPSe8/s16000/female%20War.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The art that changed how I thought about space monsters forever</td></tr></tbody></table><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>Now, my parents of course stubbornly refused to actually <i>issue</i> the comic book for me, so for some time I only had the cover artwork to go on, but I was already running wild with the possibilities of black insectoid space monsters with big leering fang-lined maws. </div><div><br /></div><div>About a year later however one of the TV stations decided to air the director's cut (as God and James Cameron intended) of <i>Aliens</i>. This time I was somehow able to get my parents to relent, and they captured the thing on VHS, and I proceeded to watch the hell out of that video tape for many many years. Much to my parents' astonishment, the first time I watched it I slept soundly and reported the next morning that it had left me completely unfazed. Which was true save for the fact that my head was now racing with cool black insectoid space monsters and action heroes blasting them to kingdom come. </div><div><br /></div><div>A while later I was finally able to get my hands on the Female War comic and my love affair with the Alien franchise was sealed. </div><div><br /></div><div>Then when I was around 9 or so I also discovered <i>Starcraft</i> and proceeded to play the hell out of that for many many years. Oh and I also spent many Saturday mornings in between all that watching the <i>Starship Troopers</i> cartoon series. </div><div><br /></div><div>So I have a bit of a history with space bugs. </div><div><br /></div><div>This in turn meant I was gobsmacked by the Winged Hive Tyrant Forgeworld released for 3rd edition 40k, because the only thing cooler than an Alien Queen was an Alien Queen with an acid gun that <i>could fly</i>. This was my first real introduction to the Tyranids in 40k, and I have deeply loved the beautiful 2001 Tyranid model range ever since. </div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>If I were to ever come into enough of the 2001 Tyranid sculpts, however, the result would look something like this: </div><div><br /></div><h3 style="text-align: center;">Hive Fleet Jabberwock </h3><h4 style="text-align: center;">Colours:<span style="font-weight: normal;"> Charcoal greys and blacks, cold grey-white claws/teeth, vivid mustard-green ichor. Secreted resin bleeding into landscape on bases. </span></h4><div><span style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-weight: normal;"><i>Arriving in the wake of Hive Fleet Kraken, Hive Fleet Jabberwock is a particularly fiendish and horrifying swarm that specialises in perverting and corrupting the natural ecosystems of prey worlds, weaponising the very habitat of prey species against them. Extensive infiltration of local fauna and flora by vanguard spores begins long before the first Hive Ships enter the system, and natural water systems are heavily saturated with hypertrophic enzymes. Not only does this fatally undermine the defence efforts of the planet's inhabitants, it also ensures a particularly rich feast of biomass afterwards. </i></span></div><div><span style="font-weight: normal;"><i><br /></i></span></div><div><span style="font-weight: normal;"><i>Thus far Hive Fleet Jabberwock's main efforts have been halted by the Tau Empire, which scattered the main body of the Hive Fleet at the pivotal battle of Doran'cha. But not only has this scattered splinter fleets across the Eastern Fringe, observations of Tyranid activity indicate there may be additional waves of Hive Fleet Jabberwock that remain unaccounted for... </i></span></div><div><span style="font-weight: normal;"><i><br /></i></span></div><div><span style="font-weight: normal;"><i><br /></i></span></div><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><h4 style="text-align: left;">HQ </h4><div><i>Hive Tyrant:</i> Hive Tyrant with Scything Talons, Rending Claws, Flesh Hooks, Implant Attack, Catalyst and Warp Blast - <b>142 pts</b> </div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><div><i>Tyrant Guard Brood:</i> 3 Tyrant Guards with Flesh Hooks and Implant Attacks - <b>156 pts </b></div></div><div><div><br /></div></div><div><br /></div><div><i>Hive Tyrant:</i> Hive Tyrant with Venom Cannon, Scything Talons, Flesh Hooks, Implant Attack, Catalyst and Warp Field - <b>183 pts</b> </div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><i>Tyrant Guard Brood:</i> 3 Tyrant Guards with Flesh Hooks and Implant Attacks - <b>156 pts</b> </div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><h4 style="text-align: left;">Elites </h4><div><i>Hunter Slayers:</i> 3 Lictors - <b>240 pts</b></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><i>Warrior Brood:</i> 1 Tyranid Warrior with Venom Cannon, Scything Talons, Flesh Hooks and Implant Attack, 2 Tyranid Warriors with Deathspitters, Scything Talons, Flesh Hooks and Implant Attacks, 6 Tyranid Warriors with Scything Talons, Rending Claws, Flesh Hooks and Implant Attacks - <b>337 pts</b> </div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><i>Warrior Brood:</i> 1 Tyranid Warrior with Venom Cannon, Scything Talons, Implant Attack and Extended Carapace, 2 Tyranid Warriors with Deathspitters, Scything Talons, Implant Attack and Extended Carapace, 6 Tyranid Warriors with Scything Talons, Rending Claws, Implant Attacks and Extended Carapace - <b>355 pts</b></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><h4 style="text-align: left;">Troops </h4><div><i>Devouring One Species:</i> Leaping Gaunt with Adrenal Glands (Weapon Skill), Toxin Sacs, Implant Attack and Scything Talons - <b>14 pts</b> </div><div><br /></div><div><i>Shredder Swarm Species:</i> Ripper Swarm with Toxin Sacs and Adrenal Glands (Initiative) - <b>15 pts</b></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><i>Devouring One Brood:</i> 2 Devouring Ones with Acid Blood, 30 Devouring Ones - <b>468 pts</b> </div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><i>Devouring One Brood:</i> 2 Devouring Ones with Acid Blood, 30 Devouring Ones - <b>468 pts</b> </div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><i>Devouring One Brood:</i> 2 Devouring Ones with Acid Blood, 30 Devouring Ones - <b>468 pts </b></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><i>Devouring One Brood</i>: 2 Devouring Ones with Acid Blood, 30 Devouring Ones - <b>468 pts</b> </div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><i>Shredder Ripper Swarm</i>: 10 Shredder Bases - <b>150 pts </b></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><i>Shredder Ripper Swarm</i>: 10 Shredder Bases - <b>150 pts</b> </div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><h4 style="text-align: left;">Fast Attack </h4><div><i>Ravener Brood</i>: 6 Raveners with Scything Talons and Rending Claws - <b>270 pts</b> </div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><i>Ravener Brood</i>: 6 Raveners with Scything Talons and Deathspitters - <b>294 pts</b> </div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><i>Gargoyle Brood</i>: 32 Gargoyles - <b>320 pts</b> </div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><h4 style="text-align: left;">Heavy Support </h4><div><i>Torrasque Species</i>: Carnifex with Adrenal Glands (Yes), Enhanced Senses, Toxin Sacs, Extended Carapace, Implant Attack, Venom Cannon and Scything Talons - <b>161 pts</b> </div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><i>Torrasque</i>: 1 Torrasque - 161 pts </div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><i>The Three Wise Ones</i>: 1 Zoanthrope with Catalyst, 1 Zoanthrope with Warp Blast, 1 Zoanthrope with Synapse Creature - <b>142 pts</b></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><i>Biovore Brood</i>: 3 Biovores with Frag Spore Mines, Poison Spore Mines and Bio-Acid Spore Mines - <b>234 pts</b></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><h4 style="text-align: left;">Spoils</h4><div><i>Captive Girl</i>: 1 10 year old girl encased in cocoon - <b>4 pts </b></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><i>Weasely Executive</i>: 1 sleazy executive obsessed with bringing the Tyranids into civilisation - <b>8 pts</b> </div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><i>Metamorphic Chrysalis</i>: 1 Metamorphic Cocoon with a psychic loved one - <b>6 pts</b></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><i>Infested Colony</i>: 1 derelict colony infested with Tyranids - <b>20 pts</b></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><b>TOTAL: 5,200 pts</b></div></blockquote><div><b><br /></b></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><p style="text-align: left;">The list itself is fairly straightforward. It starts with two of the beautiful Alien Queen Hive Tyrants, my favourite Tyranid model. One has a set of rending claws to grasp and snatch away floor paneling and clutch at any small children that may be hiding underneath, and they're also pretty handy for ripping apart any robots that might get in their way, and can fire Warp Blasts so I have something to do in the shooting phase. The other has a venom cannon because it's just too iconic not to include one, and a Warp Field for some extra protection against the numerous heavy weapons that will probably be thrown at it. Both have Catalyst, the best psychic power the Tyranids have. </p><p style="text-align: left;"><br />Each Hive Tyrant of course has a personal brood of ultra-deadly and hyper cunning elite bodyguards to ward off harm and loom menacingly at the entrances if their charge is confronted with a fierce warrior mom with a combi-flamer. Like the other creatures in the list they also have Implant Attacks because of course all the creatures in this army have a proboscis-like tongue with a small maw on the end. </p><p style="text-align: left;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: left;">The elites start naturally with a full 3 Lictors, the coolest Tyranid unit in the game - I mean come on, they <i>turn invisible</i>! Not INVISIBLE invisible like Stealthsuits of course, but it's the closest you can get without any technology. The only other Elites options Tyranids can normally get are Tyranid Warrior Broods, so I threw in two healthy sized broods, one with Flesh Hooks to spearhead the attack and one with Extended Carapace to resist being shot while they provide Synapse coverage. Both have a smattering of support weapons, partially for tactical flexibility but also because I do like having something to do in the shooting phase. </p><p style="text-align: left;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: left;">The Troops are an interesting part. From the outset it was always going to be a sea of spiky clawed death. See, one of my most vivid memories of playing Brood War was looking out across the sprawling jungles of Aiur and beholding, through my omniscient Black Sheep Wall vantage point, a bunch of Zerglings rampaging through the western approach to the Warp Gate I was getting ready to blow up. The sight of little discrete packs of clawed space bugs splitting off to tear down various structures in their path has always stuck with me, and that is exactly the scene I want to recreate with this Tyranid army. </p><p style="text-align: left;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: left;">Originally this was going to mean lots of Hormagaunts, but then I thought I might have some fun with Genetic Modification, and immediately pounced on the chance to create Hormagaunts with venomous claws, Adrenal Glands (mandatory on Gaunts with that name) and make my Implant Attacks completely ubiquitous across the army. Thus was born the Devouring One. </p><p style="text-align: left;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: left;">Finding this whole Genetic Modification thing kind of fun, I then had a go at what I could do with Rippers and created the Shredder, an evolved Ripper with potent digestive toxins and adrenal glands to consume biological material even faster, which makes a lot of sense for a Hive Fleet that specialises in infesting planetary ecosystems, pumping them into reproductive overdrive and then feasting on the ripe juicy remains. </p><p style="text-align: left;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: left;">Fast Attack is also fairly straightforward, with two nice sized broods of Raveners, one semi-shooty and one extra-rippy, and a flock of Gargoyles for rooting out hidden resistance and burning down shelters and settlements. </p><p style="text-align: left;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: left;">Finally I went with one of everything on the Heavy Support menu, because all of the Tyranid Heavy Support units are awesome. I <i>was</i> going to use a regular Carnifex, but instead had to genetically engineer a new Carnifex species as a roundabout way of getting a regular Carnifex with an Implant Attack. </p><p style="text-align: left;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: left;">And that's about it, what I would do if I had all the Tyranid models. If you wish to see this army brought to life at some point, you are welcome to donate any NIB or NOS 2001 Tyranid models to me free of shipping charge. </p><p style="text-align: left;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: left;">Otherwise be sure to come back throughout International Goth Month for more ghoulish and spooky army lists. </p><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div>MillitantGuerillaCommunistHippiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13565203522225127317noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5420460147318382021.post-33658080696198620692023-09-28T03:13:00.004-07:002023-09-28T20:57:23.492-07:00This is - Tor'Vash'Por<p><i> Luna: ... Welcome back to Tor'Vash'Por, I'm Luna Samara joining you now at the top of the hour. We begin tonight in the Penros system where Tau expeditionary forces have managed to contain armed terror groups probing the equatorial desert belt of Penros VII. It's one of the few successes Tau forces have enjoyed in the Penros system so far and comes after a prolonged several-month aerospace campaign, our correspondent Farrier Seyburey has more now. </i></p><p><br /></p><p>(At a hot sand-strewn junction, half a dozen Tau Fire Warriors pile up against a battered stumpy plascrete wall and brace. There is a beat of silence before the world is buffeted by a distant explosion. Swarms of dust twist and coil from the ground followed by a splitting thunder-crack. The Fire Warriors spring to their hooves, round the corner and fire several bursts from their weapons) </p><p><br /></p><p><i>Farrier (VO): A rare piece of good news from a conflict that has all but been written off as a lost cause by the Ethereals. Arriving in the early morning at the small settlement of Delphi Station Tau Fire Caste forces have managed to perform a semi-successful holding action against armed Gue'la fighters believed to have ties with the Alpha Legion Gue'la terror group.. </i></p><p><br /></p><p>(Inside a cool white rectangular compartment Tau Fire Warriors pour through an open threshold into harshly lit grassland wilderness outside) </p><p><br /></p><p><i>Farrier (VO cont.): ..The Tau troops, one of the small Orca-transported detachments common throughout the conflict, managed to complete their air-landing on the outskirts of Delphi Station some hours ahead of the advancing Gue'la terrorists, and take up positions around the village's local government centre.. </i></p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBGE_bpRFh0HTovEzZTRfy9M8qJUYyAllFNaQqrvSMYvL_0NrIS3hj4kLpxhrwwhHFTbKILYELjcoABr0laT4ZN3TO32FNDbVT2_XBCtI8s4-M3uY8UVPME2nZVBjF-Jj6VlF7GqZDNalkRxzoMRWGU0cZw9T3KRFh3Gb1HXxADVT6-iCWWoiT1BMPoL8/s4000/Delphi%20Station%201.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBGE_bpRFh0HTovEzZTRfy9M8qJUYyAllFNaQqrvSMYvL_0NrIS3hj4kLpxhrwwhHFTbKILYELjcoABr0laT4ZN3TO32FNDbVT2_XBCtI8s4-M3uY8UVPME2nZVBjF-Jj6VlF7GqZDNalkRxzoMRWGU0cZw9T3KRFh3Gb1HXxADVT6-iCWWoiT1BMPoL8/s16000/Delphi%20Station%201.jpg" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p>(Outside on a dusty grassland wilderness Tau Fire Warriors fan out around a landed Orca while Crisis Battlesuits begin to slide out of the Orca's rear transport hatch. One by one they lift into the air in a puff of dust)</p><p><br /></p><p><i>Farrier (VO cont.) ..The armed group is believed to have consisted of a large number of local mutant fighters, supported by several small highly experienced and well-armed Ores'la'Gue'La terrorist cells, believed to be former Imperial Astartes shock troops based on their equipment. At least one heavy combat walker was also reported to have been identified..</i> </p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7dnUxZi5oQY5i_yWQaCJSUfdtDPJOVh7qj6vG1F0_HCDazoD7yvm98mv1-uHg9y_KAVxOQTHi_E_ykLvs7lVYUumq5GMfn0iLfVZJCGksDzHPMMIYiUQhHeBuSysm0Y4D1jPD9Kb53w3XnafGMo3jcVFBAE9_vGJ4FmPsy2kx-K3kvXzfXQss_kDa0ms/s4000/Delphi%20Station%202.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7dnUxZi5oQY5i_yWQaCJSUfdtDPJOVh7qj6vG1F0_HCDazoD7yvm98mv1-uHg9y_KAVxOQTHi_E_ykLvs7lVYUumq5GMfn0iLfVZJCGksDzHPMMIYiUQhHeBuSysm0Y4D1jPD9Kb53w3XnafGMo3jcVFBAE9_vGJ4FmPsy2kx-K3kvXzfXQss_kDa0ms/s16000/Delphi%20Station%202.jpg" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p>(Seen from above, four Crisis Battlesuits converge on a dust-strewn intersection where half a dozen figures in power armour are creeping along the front face of a battered rockcrete building. The Tau machines glide across the intersection, loosing a volley of radiant green plasma bolts as they reach the centre. The power-armoured figures vanish in a boiling maelstrom of green-white flashes and swirling dust clouds as the Crisis Battlesuits glide back into cover) </p><p><br /></p><p><i>Farrier (VO cont.): ..The settlement of Delphi Station itself remains contested, but while the Gue'la terrorists still retain control of large swathes of the settlement Tau expeditionary forces have managed to inflict heavy casualties on them, and halted their advance. It's not much, but after the string of dsimal setbacks they've encountered, the Penros Expeditionary Coalition is taking whatever small wins they can get. It's a sentiment shared by many of the troops involved.</i> </p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMM0GO7TCtI00t-CagFSLUjKV9KIgWJZSSn9xCobmUeZWDDSe_hC-2LSc6xKecytKuYdIpRzuu3WvpPyH5SJzWylzlOYkauI2mA3JCESQ8j1mfqTRomjUzbDzN2w3obthXU6LN6I5S6AODIbO3gey9d5HKB9tzLNP0y2oJ17HuokCTxfknjOJZHfuG6dk/s4000/Delphi%20Station%203.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMM0GO7TCtI00t-CagFSLUjKV9KIgWJZSSn9xCobmUeZWDDSe_hC-2LSc6xKecytKuYdIpRzuu3WvpPyH5SJzWylzlOYkauI2mA3JCESQ8j1mfqTRomjUzbDzN2w3obthXU6LN6I5S6AODIbO3gey9d5HKB9tzLNP0y2oJ17HuokCTxfknjOJZHfuG6dk/s16000/Delphi%20Station%203.jpg" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p>(A Tau Fire Warrior talks into a microphone held from just out of sight)</p><p><br /></p><p><i>Tau Fire Warrior: Mont'au'Gue'la Ores'la Kau'y[The Gue'la forces here are very strong and cunning adversaries, and we were in very serious trouble. I honestly think we were lucky more than anything, as our intelligence indicated a contingent of jump troops and heavy weapon battlesuits was expected to arrive in support of their ground troops, but fortunately for us they never arrived. Still, we fought as hard and smart as we could, and we managed to claw out a better result than many battles we've had on this world so far, and I'm proud for my own contribution to that]</i> </p><p><br /></p><p>(Farrier walks along a vast dust-swept plain)</p><p><br /></p><p><i>Farrier: What makes this battle particularly important is that it means the Gue'la terrorists have not been able to reach here.. </i></p><p><br /></p><p>(Farrier gestures at the vast empty wilderness and open sky behind him) </p><p><br /></p><p><i>Farrier (cont.): Somewhere behind me here is a corridor of empty territory and clear airspace running for thousands of Tor'kan, stretching from the equatorial grasslands here, all the way into the planet's northern polar reaches. And this stretch of emptiness is important because it provides a safe passage up to where several large caches of heavy equipment were set up by the Tau upon arrival at Penros VII, of course as we know when the Tau arrived their original mission was to simply train the local planetary security forces so much of their heavy equipment and high-powered ordnance was locked away in hidden depots while they carried out that task. Now it's believed that the Tau are looking to use this corridor to move around the major fighting among the local pirate forces in the north and link up with these depots of heavy equipment which will, with any luck, give them the additional tools they need to stabilise the situation on Penros VII properly. </i> </p><p><i><br /></i></p><p><i> </i>(An Explorer class starship hangs motionless in space, enveloped by the face of the planet on the other side of it, with a few tiny pinpricks of white light in formation around it. There is a beat, then its dorsal gun turrets fire a salvo at the planet's surface) </p><p><br /></p><p><i>Farrier (VO): The battle also marks the start of renewed hostilities towards the Penros Expeditionary Coalition following months of intensive and prolonged aerospace bombardment.. </i></p><p><i><br /></i></p><p>(Viewed from the nose of its wingmate, an SX-06 Barracuda soars through the upper atmosphere of the planet with a bundle of missiles underneath. Abruptly one of the missiles flings itself from the aerospace fighter and lances out of view at the head of a trail of fire and smoke) </p><p><br /></p><p><i>Farrier (VO cont.): .. Despite the presence of the Gue'la Imperium invasion force the Coalition's naval element has managed to command aerospace superiority throughout the system.. </i></p><p><i><br /></i></p><p>(Viewed from above, a White Shark attack bomber hurtles across a mottled steppe, missile after missile flying from its underside) </p><p><br /></p><p><i>Farrier (VO cont.): ..Tau Air Caste aerial and aerospace assets continue to relentlessly hammer pirate and Ores'la strong points across Penros VII's northern hemisphere.. </i></p><p><i><br /></i></p><p>(Viewed from above in monochrome through a Tau gun camera, an Ork soopa gun rotates slowly in the view. A small blob of light briefly races across the screen towards it, before the view is engulfed in a harsh white flash. An instant later the gun is pouring flame and smoke)<i> </i></p><p><i><br /></i></p><p><i>Farrier (VO cont.): ..Targeting strategic weapons.. </i></p><p><i><br /></i></p><p>(Viewed from above in monochrome through a Tau gun camera, an Ork settlement sprawls across a vast plain, ringed with palisades. A harsh white flash fills the screen, then the entire landscape is smothered in dust clouds)<i> </i></p><p><br /></p><p><i>Farrier (VO cont.): .. War Machine production sites.. </i></p><p><i><br /></i></p><p>(Viewed in monochrome through a Tau gun camera, harsh white explosions continuously ripple along a large highway. Burning Chimeras and Rhinos litter the roadside.) </p><p><i><br /></i></p><p><i>Farrier (VO cont.): .. Troop concentrations.. </i></p><p><i><br /></i></p><p>(Viewed from above in monochrome through a Tau gun camera, a small collection of buildings and courtyards sits nestled amongst a mountain. A tiny glob of light darts towards the compound and it is engulfed in blossoming flashes and dark clouds) </p><p><i><br /></i></p><p><i>Farrier (VO cont.): .. and identified Mont'au'Gue'la training camps. </i></p><p><i><br /></i></p><p>(Open countryside viewed from the side of a moving grav-speeder. Massive clouds of smoke can be seen looming from the horizon)</p><p><i><br /></i></p><p><i>Farrier (VO cont.): ..Though the bombing campaign has succeeded in covering the Coalition retreat and undoubtedly saved many Coalition lives, the desolation is hard to avoid.. </i></p><p><i><br /></i></p><p>(Tau and drones scurry too and fro from a pair of landed Orcas on a grassy meadow, ferrying supplies from their open cargo holds) </p><p><i><br /></i></p><p><i>Farrier (VO cont.): The northern approaches to the Coalition depots are still believed to be held by partisan bands of Tau and Auxiliary stragglers from the initial confrontations on the planet. All evidence points to these partisan groups still being active in the region, but contact with them is sporadic at best, and it's an open question as to how much longer they can hold out without further support. For the Tau on Penros VII, it's now a race against time to reach their isolated equipment caches. Whether to empty them as part of a full-scale planetary evacuation or to use the weapons there in a counter-offensive is a decision for the Coalition Ar'tol high command.. </i></p><p><br /></p><p>(A few Fire Warriors sit and relax by a battered burnt-out wall, laughing with each other and sharing Ku'Lu'Na sodas) </p><p><i><br /></i></p><p><i>Farrier (VO cont.): ..In the mean time, the Tau here can enjoy a hard-earned moment's respite. From Penros System this is </i><i>Farrier Seyburey, Tor'Vash'Por.</i></p><p><i><br /></i></p><p><i>Luna: And joining us now to shed more light on the story we have Shas'O'T'au Mont'yr'Kais'ka'Eoro, former Kir'qath Guards Cadre commander and current Shas'ar'tol advisor, on live feed, Shas'O just how tenuous is the situation in Penros? </i></p><p><i> </i></p><p><i>Mont'yr: Luna I'm not one to be indirect, the situation is a catastrophe, especially on the ground. The entire expedition has been pretty much set up to fail by the faulty intelligence informing it, and I'm sure everyone following it will be interested to see what answers the ongoing investigation into the planning process finds. </i></p><p><i><br /></i></p><p><i>Luna: So in your opinion then do you think the Coalition should abandon the system, or- or at least the planet Penros VII? </i></p><p><i><br /></i></p><p><i>Mont'yr: It is certainly an option that's making more and more sense, but I'd hesitate to write off the entire Penros VII operation just yet. As you've seen our forces still have a pretty formidable aerospace at their component, and neither the local pirates nor the Gue'la invasion force has been able to seriously challenge our aerospace superiority just yet. That is obviously not going to do much without troops on the ground to really occupy that territory, and make that planet secure, but it can certainly buy the ground forces some time to recover and regroup. </i></p><p><i><br /></i></p><p><i>Luna: But you've said yourself that the situation is very dire Shas'O, a catastrophe as you put it, surely prolonged combat operations are just going to be.. just going to be throwing these good resources after bad, surely? At what point- at what point do you need to just go 'look we can't do anything more here' and just.. just cut your losses? </i></p><p><i><br /></i></p><p><i>Mont'yr: That answer is above my paygrade Luna. It is a talk that needs having, but it is also a talk for the Coalition command in Penros and the Aun to have, not me- </i></p><p><i><br /></i></p><p><i>Luna: But you must have an opinion on what the right choice is. </i></p><p><i><br /></i></p><p><i>Mont'yr: Yes, I do. I would say that as logical as abandoning the planet might be, it is also true that wars are not won by evacuations, and there is still an important job that needs doing there for the Greater Good. There is after all a reason why this Coalition was sent in the first place. The Penros region has been a hotbed of piracy on the frontiers of the Tau Empire for many Tau'cyr now. If we hold on and keep fighting there then there is a chance - just a small chance I think - that we might be able to change that. Just a small chance. But - this is important - if we do nothing, if we just leave the system to fend for itself, then there's no chance of things getting better there. And that's an important factor I think. </i></p><p><i><br /></i></p><p><i>Luna: So then suppose the Penros Coalition decides to keep fighting on Penros VII, tell us Shas'O what would you say would be the best approach for the Coalition forces on the ground? </i></p><p><i><br /></i></p><p><i>Mont'yr: Well so far I would say that the commanders on the ground are making most of the right moves and using the assets they have to make the best of a bad situation. They've leveraged their aerospace superiority as we've seen, they seem to have a lot of these remnant forces still active behind the opposing lines that can cause headaches for the Ores'la and Gue'la supply lines, of course they're making progress towards getting their heavier ground forces back online as we've seen, and what hasn't been talked about as much is that one big asset the Coalition has right now is the divided nature of the opposing forces in Penros, and we have seen that the local Shas'O has been doing a good job of channeling those different pirate and Ores'la and terrorist groups into fighting each other and not us. </i></p><p><i><br /></i></p><p><i>Luna: So you think the Shas'O commanding Penros forces can turn the situation around then? </i></p><p><i><br /></i></p><p><i>Mont'yr: I think with enough patience and cunning they very well could yes. </i></p><p><i><br /></i></p><p><i>Luna: Alright </i><i> Shas'O'T'au Mont'yr'Kais'ka'Eoro I'm afraid we are now out of time but thank you for joining us we are very grateful to have your insight into the Penros situation. </i></p><p><i><br /></i></p><p><i>Mont'yr: Thank you Luna. </i></p><p><i><br /></i></p><p><i>Luna: Moving onto other news now and the Nova Llaplandi all-system Pilas team the Silver Sparrows have returned home after winning the Gue'vessa Federation Interstellar Championship. Star captain Zelenna Laurenič was greeted to an ecstatic reception as she and her teammates stepped off the shuttle carrying the Nova-diamond championship trophy, marking the first time the team has won in...</i></p>MillitantGuerillaCommunistHippiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13565203522225127317noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5420460147318382021.post-16589010433356904922023-04-13T04:47:00.005-07:002023-04-13T04:47:48.985-07:00Welcome Back Commander<p></p><blockquote><p><i>--XV8-Battlesuit-status: active--</i></p><p><i><br /></i></p><p><i>--Ident passcode accepted. Welcome back, Shas'O Da'Anuk--</i></p><p><i><br /></i></p><p><i>--Fusion reactor: online--</i></p><p><i><br /></i></p><p><i>--Auxiliary systems: online--</i></p><p><i><br /></i></p><p><i>--Sensors: online--</i></p><p><i><br /></i></p><p><i>--Communications: online--</i></p><p><i><br /></i></p><p><i>--Jetpack and maneuvering jets: online--</i></p><p><i><br /></i></p><p><i>--Command and control systems: online. Synching with main command data network--</i></p><p><i><br /></i></p><p><i>--Weapon - plasma rifle - input received. Status: online--</i></p><p><i><br /></i></p><p><i>--Weapon - fusion blaster - input received. Status: online--</i></p><p><i><br /></i></p><p><i>--Weapon - missile pod - input received. Status: online--</i></p><p><i><br /></i></p><p><i>--Running final systems check. All systems online and functioning optimally. Tau'va--</i> </p></blockquote><p></p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUoIKY-ksdcx37pNkxe-t44M5K6JyRih5SJMRZoAwLV6TvtVrN-CxnwTYrT40cfIRyBW6wa-v26VFGwfyGugprIKDW7vbuGBmHBBXjxVeO6tVTNn37QkSxES4jB3y9z_hlVxseoSel29VaTBBKk7yd05hZl9OMqSFMBFkTujzZLLit7RR9qczxVuPs/s4608/DSCN1393.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3456" data-original-width="4608" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUoIKY-ksdcx37pNkxe-t44M5K6JyRih5SJMRZoAwLV6TvtVrN-CxnwTYrT40cfIRyBW6wa-v26VFGwfyGugprIKDW7vbuGBmHBBXjxVeO6tVTNn37QkSxES4jB3y9z_hlVxseoSel29VaTBBKk7yd05hZl9OMqSFMBFkTujzZLLit7RR9qczxVuPs/s16000/DSCN1393.JPG" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><p>Here he is, Shas'O'T'au Kais'ka'Eoro'Da'Anuk, Commander Kakapo (or Commander Nightwing if anyone from the Imperium is asking) himself, in the flesh. </p><p><br /></p><p>For much of my time with 40k my Tau army did not really have a commander as such. Partially this was due to the HQ section being by a fair margin the least crowded and interesting part of the Tau army. In an army of giant hover tanks bristling with laser-guided cruise missiles and electromagnetic death cannons, power-armoured commandos with invisibility devices and tooled-up infantry troops with badass-looking helmets, it can be hard to get excited over.. a Crisis Suit with a better stat-line and the extraterrestrial love-child of Gandalf and Jacinda Ardern. Don't get me wrong here, the love-child of Gandalf and Jacinda Ardern is a really cool concept that I am 100% down for, but it just lacks a certain visceral cinematic oomph that the giant hover tanks and invisibility commandos possess in abundance. </p><p><br /></p><p>But mostly it was because for a very long time I just did not <i>get</i> the HQ section in Warhammer 40,000 on a fundamental level. Before getting into Tabletop games my main experience with strategy battles was from RTS computer games, especially <i>Starcraft</i> and <i>especially</i> the various games in the <i>Command & Conquer</i> franchise, all of which put me the commander as a faceless amorphous god-like presence directing the battle from an omniscient vantage point far far away from the actual fighting. Whenever games like <i>Starcraft</i> handed me a special unique character unit, I would invariably leave them safely tucked into an out-of-the-way corner of my impregnable stronghold surrounded by a sea of defensive weapon emplacements while the actual combat was carried out entirely by wave after wave of regular troops. </p><p><br /></p><p>Given that tabletop wargames like Warhammer 40,000 appeared to be equivalent to analogue RTS video games to my 8 year old self, the logical conclusion I came to was that when playing this new 40k thing I would continue to be an invisible god-like presence commanding my little metal minions from somewhere else far far away from the battlefield on the tabletop. After all, it's a sci-fi game set in the future. The future has technology. In a world with long-range real time communications technology, why would you ever put the army's commander in harm's way when they can direct everything from a nice safe reinforced underground bunker thousands of kilometres away from the dangerous fighting? </p><p><br /></p><p>Before you comment with a lecture on how real-life military command and control structures work and how the kinds of high-end commanders directing everything from a reinforced underground bunker thousands of kilometres away from the battlefield are at a higher tier of the chain of command than what most 40k HQ units are actually modeling, remember that I was 8 years old at the time. Present Day Adult Me understands the difference between a Colonel directing a battalion on the ground and a Field Marshal directing a Front from a command centre where they can see the big picture across the entire theatre. 8-year-old Me Raised On C&C did not, and it honestly would have gone straight over my head if you had tried explaining it to me. </p><p><br /></p><p>Anyway, the upshot of this is that for a very long time I just could not fully understand the point of the HQ section in 40k armies, outside of Tyranids where it made perfect sense for the Hive Tyrant as a big final boss Hive Queen monster, and as a hypothetical place for lone special forces operatives with a gun that killed infantry instantly but did nothing to vehicles and hand-placed bombs that blew up buildings instantly (<i>Command & Conquer</i> background remember). And named Hero units that sit in the corner while the rest of the army fights because I lose the level if they die. The idea that they actually represented me as a player character in the universe was a completely alien concept. </p><p><br /></p><p>This meant that for some years my Tau army just did not have an HQ unit of any kind at all. When I finally did add one it was mostly because the game rules forced me to, and I went with an Ethereal because by this point my No Battlesuits policy had become a thing. That was how it was until around 2009 or so, when I noticed that the army rules in <i>Codex: Tau Empire</i> also forced me to take a Crisis Suit Commander. That finally drove me to go out and procure this guy: </p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwX0t_7BoQw0yX-j--RtNUSEB2lZjhIWyWEf99dItlPFI_jBz-RcxkzIVFZxlpMlTOgexH-oJZ_f-tVIvd1try_Vn8-xcd_P6JatezWACTfnD6r-4Zpx4jkYZ232b_pcic6wS2llIOTlaIdAn_cG3PG54Gm-h8SpUL9qSJLGFN1tZFgtzlyU1-Tcu_/s4608/Cmdr%20Old%202.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3456" data-original-width="4608" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwX0t_7BoQw0yX-j--RtNUSEB2lZjhIWyWEf99dItlPFI_jBz-RcxkzIVFZxlpMlTOgexH-oJZ_f-tVIvd1try_Vn8-xcd_P6JatezWACTfnD6r-4Zpx4jkYZ232b_pcic6wS2llIOTlaIdAn_cG3PG54Gm-h8SpUL9qSJLGFN1tZFgtzlyU1-Tcu_/s16000/Cmdr%20Old%202.JPG" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p><br /></p><p>This was the first Shas'O to lead the army, and was the first HQ unit that I ever put real serious effort into. Having purchased him in 2009 he came as part of the shiny new Crisis Suit Commander box, which also included a blister of shiny new metal Special Issue gubbins and variant heads. The alternate head pieces never really caught on with me, for various reasons (one was too big and the other was too knobbly), but the Special Issue gear was another matter entirely. I had loved the look of the awesome metal Special Issue guns from the moment I first saw them advertised in White Dwarf, and the Special Issue support systems weren't too far behind them. So they were immediately glued into place without hesitation. There was also an element of convenience at work here - I still hadn't fully comprehended the subtleties of Battlesuit equipment combinations yet, so just loading the Commander down with all of the Special Issue guns and support systems he could carry was an excellent eliminator of choice that let me side-step the whole question of how to outfit my new Battlesuit; just pick the shiny wild fun experimental guns and call it a day. </p><p><br /></p><p>The only real question that remained was which fancy metal support system to go with, and I opted for the Command And Control Node largely because it was the only one that made sense to me. The tactics of Reserves were still too arcane for my primitive teenage brain to really grasp, and I wasn't particularly enthusiastic about a device that just sent information off the table, but an advanced AI-assisted transmission system that efficiently beamed my orders into a nice simple Leadership boost for everyone within 12" was much easier to comprehend. By the time I noticed that the Command And Control Node only affected Target Priority Tests which are not a thing in the 5th edition rules I was following at the time, it was already glued on and I did not really care too much. In the end it was a moot point anyway since there never ended up being anyone within 12" of the Commander in any of the three games I managed to play with the older army. But it was an AI-assisted communications system, and that's always going to be a handy thing for a commander to have regardless of what some stupid rulebook says. </p><p><br /></p><p>I was once asked if I ever ran a Super Prototype battlesuit with every single Special Issue wargear option piled onto the one model, but the website where it was asked burned down, so I never got to answer them in time there. But to answer the question, no I never did, but I did come close. For all the games this guy was used he was loaded down with as many extra Special Issue wargear items as I could get away with not modeling. Irridium armour was the first addon thrown in, because hey awesome a 2+ armour save like the Terminators get and the different hue of sandy ochre could comfortably pass as a new formula of armour plates (it helped that my 2+ save native Broadsides also had the same colour), but I also ended up throwing in a Stimulant Injector too because a medical healing juice dispenser seemed like the sort of small discrete thing that could easily be tucked into the interior compartment of a battlesuit without leaving any sign on the outside, and the Feel No Pain rule was nice to have too. Everything else either ate up a support system hardpoint - and I was all out of those - or required some extensive converting and/or kitbashing that I did not feel confident about, and at the time I was cautious around invisible wargear items. </p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtVzM9E56K3ObcBuDtcZrRXh0g8OHa-GssNvQVipLeozXSnzONEO7U_aVaxhVGV1m-MhKvgfdag2v3EhG0W9DRqX96r5gwlgiiSbyY9A4cNkpUEYVVCmcbGtpmAABZa_g9ZU87OiyGOuWOzNSSbwqYBbxVYr2h3LbrqtwtjiQ5yUxBj3UNecDkx7pa/s4608/Cmdr%20Old%20S2a.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3456" data-original-width="4608" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtVzM9E56K3ObcBuDtcZrRXh0g8OHa-GssNvQVipLeozXSnzONEO7U_aVaxhVGV1m-MhKvgfdag2v3EhG0W9DRqX96r5gwlgiiSbyY9A4cNkpUEYVVCmcbGtpmAABZa_g9ZU87OiyGOuWOzNSSbwqYBbxVYr2h3LbrqtwtjiQ5yUxBj3UNecDkx7pa/s16000/Cmdr%20Old%20S2a.JPG" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjznEqawCPZzLPS5SUlDo3kb4ZYeX4bB5FSKdTzs9FNU4DFJGC4DFokpjevwn6ywC8m_lAzquNbeO0JtcCo2NskxttEqJ_ja4p2QmorY9e3iYYTRc2TaGtB8BEsHOkCp__FNMhTlaxF2R6xKmHZbkh1XeT1lO14F2n9UoLAwzXV8STlXFyd9PG9wW8w/s4608/Cmdr%20S1a.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3456" data-original-width="4608" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjznEqawCPZzLPS5SUlDo3kb4ZYeX4bB5FSKdTzs9FNU4DFJGC4DFokpjevwn6ywC8m_lAzquNbeO0JtcCo2NskxttEqJ_ja4p2QmorY9e3iYYTRc2TaGtB8BEsHOkCp__FNMhTlaxF2R6xKmHZbkh1XeT1lO14F2n9UoLAwzXV8STlXFyd9PG9wW8w/s16000/Cmdr%20S1a.JPG" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><p>Aside from the weapons loadout, the first thing you might have noticed was the pose. When I was putting the model together I had the wild idea to model him literally walking off his base, a concept that I immediately thought was awesome and wild and meta and hadn't been done before and it was everything my brain had ever wanted to think about. </p><p><br /></p><p>Now, this was about a year or two before we covered the concept of a centre of gravity in school, so at no point did it ever occur to me what sort of effect putting the bulk of the model away from the base would have on the model's balance and ability to stand upright. After all, this thing was mostly plastic, and plastic is really light right? How bad could it possibly be? Again, the fact that the model had two very heavy metal guns shifted even further forward never registered once with me. What did register was that it looked so cool and meta that the model was literally stepping off its base and straight into battle. It was almost like something out of <i>Toy Story</i>! </p><p><br /></p><p>The result is evident from the pictures, and the model is incapable of standing upright on its own. There was a tactical rock - not a plastic one or anything, a real actual rock that I found outside - that was applied to the base as a counterweight and mostly solved the problem, but it was never permanently glued on and I have no idea where it went. </p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIsbcpbNUM9J-8repV93LiXXW5i6ZSxMwSmSyUA-LToBRFJ0JrhSzq_xiD8-vAlMKVvs3zS026n6Q-7hD2TfxZGuLcWPqAN7CH9_LnaK55ZnwPnHzU1yg2CNDaWi7L3t62kws5amn4vYzKRztjCw6A-sifefnE-ir2dE6Ajc9xWZTglEiSOT9isK8e/s4608/Cmdr%20Old%20Fa.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3456" data-original-width="4608" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIsbcpbNUM9J-8repV93LiXXW5i6ZSxMwSmSyUA-LToBRFJ0JrhSzq_xiD8-vAlMKVvs3zS026n6Q-7hD2TfxZGuLcWPqAN7CH9_LnaK55ZnwPnHzU1yg2CNDaWi7L3t62kws5amn4vYzKRztjCw6A-sifefnE-ir2dE6Ajc9xWZTglEiSOT9isK8e/s16000/Cmdr%20Old%20Fa.JPG" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfuFk9yWkFTMNFLx0P0icH0x6YlEaF9uZWLKf8zx9oRhCjjsaKosQ1DXwCxMQB_ffb3Rgw2rmpFut05cdUNHlX21pT9tqhQ9KkGO0VaG1fNa8DCkfLHpG6n46r8ydTzc0n5ppfGTPgjtU6udsmxagonsBx2NCXN2rsigLUDCjSREMLUvanQqLG02Mq/s4608/Cmdr%20Old%20Ra.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3456" data-original-width="4608" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfuFk9yWkFTMNFLx0P0icH0x6YlEaF9uZWLKf8zx9oRhCjjsaKosQ1DXwCxMQB_ffb3Rgw2rmpFut05cdUNHlX21pT9tqhQ9KkGO0VaG1fNa8DCkfLHpG6n46r8ydTzc0n5ppfGTPgjtU6udsmxagonsBx2NCXN2rsigLUDCjSREMLUvanQqLG02Mq/s16000/Cmdr%20Old%20Ra.JPG" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p>The other noteworthy thing about this model is that it is the first model I've documented on here that belongs to the White Period of my Tau army. In 2006 I went home from one of the local GW stores with my first ever White Dwarf magazine, Issue #313(AU) covering the release of the Dwarf army book for 6th edition Warhammer. But what it also featured was a showcase of Australian model hobbyist Sebastian Stuart's legendary Tau army, and that very quickly became the biggest influence on my own Tau project. </p><p><br /></p><p>A lot of Sebastian's modeling techniques and conversions were beyond my means and hobby skills at the time, but one innovation that I readily adopted was the white undercoat. Sebastian's main Tau army (he has two) uses a colour scheme based off the GW Studio Tau army, and features a sandy ochre tone as its primary colour. Unlike the GW Studio Tau army, Sebastian's Tau were painted with a white undercoat rather than a black one, and the smooth even tone on the models impressed me so much that I immediately adopted a white undercoat for all my future Tau models. </p><p><br /></p><p>At the time I was very pleased with the results, which produced a sandy ochre colour that was much less orange and much more sandy looking, which is what I wanted at the time, though doubtless the application of brand new Tausept Ochre Citadel Foundation paint helped there. It quickly became my new standard, which persisted all the way until 2011 when I started shifting back to black undercoats for my Battlefleet Gothic ships because it was easier to just drybrush white over black than it was to wash black over white and then drybrush white over that. After that I learnt how shading and highlighting colours actually worked, and went back to black undercoats for everything for organic shading so I could avoid using washes. This left my white undercoats in a similar place to swing-wings on aircraft - an ingenious solution to the engineering challenges of the time that worked well, but was ultimately left behind once simpler technological alternatives caught up. </p><p><br /></p><p>Of course what <i>did</i> carry on was my scheme of colour-coded battlesuit accents. I came up with the concept of colour-coding my battlesuit teams based on battlefield role not long before I got this model, and it represents the first application of the scheme. Aside from some Broadsides that arrived shortly after this guy did, it was also the <i>only</i> application of the scheme until new Battlesuits started going into production in 2020. </p><p><br /></p><p>This Commander served me well during the brushfire wars of 2010 that represent the only 3 games when my old Tau army was ever deployed in anger, and was still in command in 2013 when the identity of my Tau army finally began to take shape from participating in online forum RP threads, which gave the backstory process a much needed shot in the arm by forcing me to actually think about what kind of character the Commander I was RPing was. The RP threads in turn combined with the limited tabletop history I had (with some embellishments) and some personal life details to form the nucleus of Da'Anuk's identity as a Shas'O with a solid decent if unspectacular performance record relegated to backwater postings along with his cadre after a particularly gruesome defeat, only to end up in the right place at the right time to serve with distinction in a key victory that put him and his forces back on the map just as the 3rd Sphere kicked off, getting his cadre rebuilt with Guards status and sent into a new wave of expansion and adventure that continues to the present. </p><p><br /></p><p>It is that era that is reflected in this new model. </p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhf115TAnGopdEbqcoI03thX332zyrzOFl2Y4YiBtO1RdflZVQ1KUDmAMzsQ9kf3OGuDeH-NKae0DTih7LCPGXxO1867JufhBTNzdfiudBFeCVzXieUfgesPAM1pWAJ4tVH46GTwy8PMyfyxArClXO8kLj9epWYaIBVsT4hyBgx6UZmRtnOrH9lzAdc/s4608/Lineup%20D%203E%20Close.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3456" data-original-width="4608" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhf115TAnGopdEbqcoI03thX332zyrzOFl2Y4YiBtO1RdflZVQ1KUDmAMzsQ9kf3OGuDeH-NKae0DTih7LCPGXxO1867JufhBTNzdfiudBFeCVzXieUfgesPAM1pWAJ4tVH46GTwy8PMyfyxArClXO8kLj9epWYaIBVsT4hyBgx6UZmRtnOrH9lzAdc/s16000/Lineup%20D%203E%20Close.JPG" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8PAH6ixoB6QxNq5sHqIeoyqWyzuQYJVFYRMlT76BRV1cjnx1qJBImymMw1g1IvUJIaZdJ6O8LxmPTTFmTHzhHIIGoU0XktXQhMRmsEpGjwI_jjKdU_UuGtC6v0B5RfR_6-8grWcSFq_XB0lv1GO8AiWtEeaSa11P54s_zxNbu48j-2nhhwY4UFA5i/s4608/Lineup%20D%203E.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3456" data-original-width="4608" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8PAH6ixoB6QxNq5sHqIeoyqWyzuQYJVFYRMlT76BRV1cjnx1qJBImymMw1g1IvUJIaZdJ6O8LxmPTTFmTHzhHIIGoU0XktXQhMRmsEpGjwI_jjKdU_UuGtC6v0B5RfR_6-8grWcSFq_XB0lv1GO8AiWtEeaSa11P54s_zxNbu48j-2nhhwY4UFA5i/s16000/Lineup%20D%203E.JPG" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEip1_eaEbLi8ij2cbxFqLseXSuia3yQ9gmssybxHHHLrQPZ_UGsEWklCkMoY0visfaYIHu4lwBsSvqPdpvoBwP40SOMeSivhnkljb_GISAWj_pnJwXP8jcjxgffwDj86UxHWgsMSOnB6t1nNARsOL_U_6dCphb_SsGpbusUwox5FwKtsVcNK8S-kF8r/s4608/Lineup%20Rear.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3456" data-original-width="4608" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEip1_eaEbLi8ij2cbxFqLseXSuia3yQ9gmssybxHHHLrQPZ_UGsEWklCkMoY0visfaYIHu4lwBsSvqPdpvoBwP40SOMeSivhnkljb_GISAWj_pnJwXP8jcjxgffwDj86UxHWgsMSOnB6t1nNARsOL_U_6dCphb_SsGpbusUwox5FwKtsVcNK8S-kF8r/s16000/Lineup%20Rear.JPG" /></a></div><br /><p>There are a lot of changes that have been done for this new incarnation of Da'Anuk. Perhaps the most immediately obvious one is that he now has some friends. In the past I never really bothered with Bodyguard teams, partially because of my generally cold attitude towards battlesuits on principle but also because for a long time I was very strongly influenced by online tactica articles about 40k. Now, the thing about online tactica articles for all tabletop wargames is that apart from <a href="https://maledictionofnagash.wordpress.com/vampire-counts-tactica/">a few exceptions</a> the vast overwhelming majority of them are written by sour prudes who hate fun, which in the case of the ones for Tau in 40k meant that Bodyguard teams were usually dismissed as not worth it because of their points cost. But at the time I did not know that the tactica articles I was reading were written by fun-hating sour prudes, and points costs were something I never paid any attention to even when they were being talked about, so I tragically assumed that Bodyguard teams should be avoided because they were just not useful or interesting. </p><p><br /></p><p>This changed after 2013 or so when I began to grow more aware of just how much the online Warhammer community is systemically populated by Roald Dahl Children's Book Authority Figures, and how much those RDCBAFs colour and influence the content of a lot of online tacticas, and consequently began to filter them out and start thinking more about the stuff <i>I wanted </i>to take rather than what the internet wanted me to take. This lead me to radically reevaluate the value of a Bodyguard team, because two badass right-hand warriors watching out for danger as personal guards is awesome, and by this point I was starting to get a little envious of the colourful diverse command squads everyone else got to take for their HQ commanders and a Command Team of a Shas'O, some bodyguards and a couple of drones felt like a nice equivalent. </p><p><br /></p><p>So when the time came I gleefully put together a pair of bodyguards that would accompany my shiny new commander in the vast bulk of games going forward. Ko'Ta'Kir is the senior of the two, being Da'Anuk's right hand XO and the team leader of the bodyguard detail. It was only just last year that I actually noticed the "One bodyguard may be upgraded to a bodyguard team leader for +15 points" part of the unit entry that I can recall with Mandela Effect precision was never actually written, but I went ahead with painting one up as the team leader and XO anyway, complete with a set of green ID stripes to make it harder for marksmen to single out the real commander, and to let her act on the table as an independent Shas'El if necessary. She is also a Freebie, being built from a lone XV8 sprue I got as part of a giffle prize one year, making her an unofficial leader of the Free Company element of the army. O'ran'Nars, the other bodyguard, is just a regular Crisis Suit box I purchased the hard way, but he was also to my knowledge one of the last single Crisis Suit boxes sold. </p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTaxlqnBpF6N4HNWdqKfouOGPpYa91teRW3_mVQsziklqN-KWqimIwz_s9hGLjsfjcchPb91imEsKyCVDHwduaxKj6G31Af4fywddN07ya9ktrHbBbKgPbIEkgypQ-V7RFYW6xn-3_auQtL8sAWw21bg8HM2dRVLNrbiAsut-AJe6X_lqG9KRySyzd/s4608/BG1D%20Close.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3456" data-original-width="4608" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTaxlqnBpF6N4HNWdqKfouOGPpYa91teRW3_mVQsziklqN-KWqimIwz_s9hGLjsfjcchPb91imEsKyCVDHwduaxKj6G31Af4fywddN07ya9ktrHbBbKgPbIEkgypQ-V7RFYW6xn-3_auQtL8sAWw21bg8HM2dRVLNrbiAsut-AJe6X_lqG9KRySyzd/s16000/BG1D%20Close.JPG" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjrIHr6NJ94PN3OrUHpksG90egjtxng8ShTAEC6XPZCylpnKXbs47hdY92W02Aqbg6MZi8u0GoxRJZW17oQPDbP96vkyTTcZLBPurVCWoInFzQiN6h9gzZIwtoam30op0meHqkvzWa5sp5U1iMna78jTcMwowe9qqd7FyWAYSfpMHZObkmt9tToVwr/s4608/BG2D%20Close%202.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3456" data-original-width="4608" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjrIHr6NJ94PN3OrUHpksG90egjtxng8ShTAEC6XPZCylpnKXbs47hdY92W02Aqbg6MZi8u0GoxRJZW17oQPDbP96vkyTTcZLBPurVCWoInFzQiN6h9gzZIwtoam30op0meHqkvzWa5sp5U1iMna78jTcMwowe9qqd7FyWAYSfpMHZObkmt9tToVwr/s16000/BG2D%20Close%202.JPG" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh77zgjUk83l-mkhfsz_ZfaUyptGK4MXzakCNK_L0hXxdfgaSVLCnPwunQtNk9JyAfgFCXYFXkYBnGQrtrM85PhuWQAOZZa5cf3leeQ1C03leF16QdBB1dmI9CvbqliRr0Yj4lz6y1gB9ID-WLlUSob83JCNXDp6h0ipuI0h_3PfszRx02qhntHL4zU/s4608/BG2D%20Close.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3456" data-original-width="4608" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh77zgjUk83l-mkhfsz_ZfaUyptGK4MXzakCNK_L0hXxdfgaSVLCnPwunQtNk9JyAfgFCXYFXkYBnGQrtrM85PhuWQAOZZa5cf3leeQ1C03leF16QdBB1dmI9CvbqliRr0Yj4lz6y1gB9ID-WLlUSob83JCNXDp6h0ipuI0h_3PfszRx02qhntHL4zU/s16000/BG2D%20Close.JPG" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p>The bodyguards are shown in their planned default loadout (though like the other Crisis Suits their hardpoints are magnetised), first devised around 2014. The original plan for the weapons load was as a foil to Da'Anuk's suite of Special Issue gear. While the commander ran around with all the fancy experimental guns, his bodyguards would sport a grounded sensible package of proven reliable weaponry to take down any threats to their charge. That meant fusion blasters for knocking out tanks (and big gribblies), plasma rifles for frying power armour, and missile pods because that was the other most practical and reliable 'gun' available, and Da'Anuk's airbursting fragmentation launcher was deemed enough for dealing with swarms of light infantry so flamers were unnecessary (I was also feeling a little insecure about the level of medium range firepower at my disposal). </p><p><br /></p><p>Then I pivoted completely towards using <i>Codex: Tau</i> almost exclusively, and needed to come up with an alternative loadout for the commander that did not make use of stuff invented for <i>Codex: Tau Empire</i>. Thinking about it, the Shas'O has Ballistic Skill 5, which is very good. That meant I needed to make the most of it, which in turn meant: </p><p><br /></p><p>- I definitely wanted a missile pod. That BS 5 is just too good not to use for long-distance shooting. </p><p><br /></p><p>- I also definitely wanted a fusion blaster. That BS 5 is just too good not to use for reliably knocking out big targets. <br /><br /><br /></p><p>- But what about close-range shooting at infantry? That BS 5 is just too good not to use for reliably hitting with an AP2 plasma rifle to pick off Space Marines. </p><p><br /></p><p>So it was decided. For games using <i>Codex: Tau</i> my Commander would sport a missile pod, a fusion blaster and a plasma ri- wait a minute... </p><p><br /></p><p>As well as accidentally replicating the same weapons load as the bodyguards I also looked through <i>Imperial Armour Volume 3</i> and noticed that I had also accidentally replicated the exact same weapons load used by Crisis Teams in Epic. And that was all the sign I needed to run with it. </p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRowciIbw_tzcXoBn9NRfpfmxPrLBNNxsMjCFqqh9sAeYiSgLopeDFeX4ysgCrmkMDSv1iG9PKa3sO-YfRGGrfRL5ATG6sA3BeoMDYgSmHAR9RxlP-WnoDE9rzlwO9vvCiT8iloIdNKkIjtN0HS4_ZIPz6hs-ONZcApDHYQ_Fn2vlzHZtbaJs5eLFm/s4608/Drones%202.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3456" data-original-width="4608" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRowciIbw_tzcXoBn9NRfpfmxPrLBNNxsMjCFqqh9sAeYiSgLopeDFeX4ysgCrmkMDSv1iG9PKa3sO-YfRGGrfRL5ATG6sA3BeoMDYgSmHAR9RxlP-WnoDE9rzlwO9vvCiT8iloIdNKkIjtN0HS4_ZIPz6hs-ONZcApDHYQ_Fn2vlzHZtbaJs5eLFm/s16000/Drones%202.JPG" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuAx34xBiKxyAvDugJTjsWFnAM4DgmFmKjPqlX3buAueDJETUSEr4MVZH2sGKZG_DF6yrDoStOOq_Kn4A9aGElnQMRnKtjNHSsh3AYxV9l30i3nyo0c_RcYBllXQsohUCSvkg2uZAYWWkSz6clwggC0-LA50-fOmZRYVY7oJ34fZT6dVOY4EyPrZ45/s4608/Drones.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3456" data-original-width="4608" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuAx34xBiKxyAvDugJTjsWFnAM4DgmFmKjPqlX3buAueDJETUSEr4MVZH2sGKZG_DF6yrDoStOOq_Kn4A9aGElnQMRnKtjNHSsh3AYxV9l30i3nyo0c_RcYBllXQsohUCSvkg2uZAYWWkSz6clwggC0-LA50-fOmZRYVY7oJ34fZT6dVOY4EyPrZ45/s16000/Drones.JPG" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p>As well as a pair of bodyguards, Da'Anuk has also picked up a pair of shiny new Shield Drones, which represent the first fully metal components to appear in the army with their gloriously pointy shield generators and supersized aerials. The one on the right, 042, is also technically one of the first 40k models I ever owned, being built with the metal Shield Drone parts that came with the Stealthsuit Shas'Vre I got on my first ever GW visit when I was 8 (mated here to a stray giffle prize drone chassis). Like the commander they're assigned to, they feature advanced green optics instead of the standard red optics used by the rank and file, a feature to mark them out as specifically part of this unit along with their green ID sept markings. "You remember when I said I was going to make all this army's drones one communal pool? Aye Laihd!" </p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwgzgA12bYv-5cW5m6KFZ8MR7Qw-ueEjSUAU1cw2Qs0XGlOyADhY2Q5aWN-XyBZBxCsNG2Ojf9G_4UyknjQ4oRvtI3-Be7quXZH41814TupP0ZjXjHcvaaxL_yOr-_gOJfrgjVJMYCrz3fX-XAQXbZdXSywGB8n6PkGFh4z0uaMmKnGTDfS2aVwmy1/s4608/CmdrD%20H1%20Close.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3456" data-original-width="4608" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwgzgA12bYv-5cW5m6KFZ8MR7Qw-ueEjSUAU1cw2Qs0XGlOyADhY2Q5aWN-XyBZBxCsNG2Ojf9G_4UyknjQ4oRvtI3-Be7quXZH41814TupP0ZjXjHcvaaxL_yOr-_gOJfrgjVJMYCrz3fX-XAQXbZdXSywGB8n6PkGFh4z0uaMmKnGTDfS2aVwmy1/s16000/CmdrD%20H1%20Close.JPG" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3HfIGIMsh5to-eWRyXcgg0cjX2tEoOot_Rt4gx7gI9URJ5jblLNWXj-F1P0DKDM6ZxOjT5q0v_-AFHf9FcKCy8EnIiHfy4RNY6pIeotudoFwZqnpBazzWrvIEwFtOGfBVIlr7SNqDVlZFJLVA92tLDll6S23YcuH5rWJeglz_wn4r-r9mPD_izbMO/s4608/CmdrD%20H2%203E%20Close.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3456" data-original-width="4608" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3HfIGIMsh5to-eWRyXcgg0cjX2tEoOot_Rt4gx7gI9URJ5jblLNWXj-F1P0DKDM6ZxOjT5q0v_-AFHf9FcKCy8EnIiHfy4RNY6pIeotudoFwZqnpBazzWrvIEwFtOGfBVIlr7SNqDVlZFJLVA92tLDll6S23YcuH5rWJeglz_wn4r-r9mPD_izbMO/s16000/CmdrD%20H2%203E%20Close.JPG" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><p>Da'Anuk himself has also had a few modeling upgrades. The posing problem has been fixed, using the simple workaroud of switching from 'model walking off the base' to 'model walking onto the base', which is only slightly less cool and meta while being much more stable. The arms have also been pointed upwards to keep the model's centre of gravity as central as possible when heavy weapon components are fitted - it occurred to me that keeping them pointed downward would have probably kept the centre of gravity central and closer to the base, but I also wanted a bit more of a break from the older pose and the upwards arms look more dynamic and less simian. </p><p><br /></p><p>His Crisis Suit is also different to the rest of those in the army thus far, because it is a different make - where all the other battlesuits so far have been 2006 resculpts, this one was a 2001 original sculpt. Having decided I wanted as authentic a 3rd edition model as I could get for the Shas'O, I looked around and was fortunate enough to find a 2001 era Crisis Suit box going on eBay for a reasonable price (by eBay standards at least). The box turned out to be rather squashed, but the models within it were in great shape, and I was amazed to discover just how much of a glow-up the 2001 sculpt is over the later versions. Compared to the 2006 version, there are a few areas that are more detailed - most notably the ankles, which are less defined on the 2006 version in return for also being less fragile - and crucially the 2001 sculpt features much higher casting quality, with more seamless joins between parts and none of the 'pits' of sunken plastic that appear around the neck and jetpack hardpoints on the 2006 models and are notoriously irritating to fill in with greenstuff. </p><p><br /></p><p>But most dramatic of all is that he now has a choice of battlesuit head. Ever since I first got into the Tau I have always loved and admired the more symmetrical head antennae that the Farsight model has, even when I never really got that into Farsight the character, and for many years I longed to have a commander model with the same aerials, but without the Farsight Enclave logos, because for many years I was never fully comfortable with the asymmetry of the regular Crisis Suit head aerials. A couple of years ago I received a box of (mostly) Tau bitz as a reward for helping my friend out with a school fair stall they were running, and among the bitz contained were a set of metal Farsight model pieces including the two head aerials and the shield generator - only the Dawn Blade arm was missing. There was also a spare 2001 vintage Crisis Suit head. Since there was not enough pieces to make a complete Farsight model using a spare battlesuit kit, I decided it was a good chance to realise my childhood dream of a Tau commander with (almost) symmetrical head aerials. The catch however was that by this time the regular asymmetric aerials had grown on me and I now actually liked them a lot too, especially their mounting hubs that were more discrete than the giant earmuff-like disks the Farsight aerials sprouted from. So in classic Kakapo fashion I of course deadlocked on the decision and painted both head variants up, leaving them pinned to plug into the battlesuit body as I see fit. The Enclave logos were paved over with greenstuff and PVA glue in the process to produce a more Empire loyal look. </p><p><br /></p><p>Speaking of pins, unlike all the other Crisis Suits Da'Anuk's hardpoints are pinned rather than magnetised. This is so that they can accommodate the weight of big heavy metal components like these. </p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixUoJFDvQ1HclD24Cp-4bZ-o5NvF-B9nEnFt9eSlkKrHCzmvPv8gsBLlNDvJZ4AqTelbWlLt2G7hzhCMYKba_sf0h8q6Q_t5tq6Itp1as8F4zd8dZnGU3MKCAuai5MN6ZWo5vTxb2XXtnVCZAlStznY10B8HYcvr-u4tnEF9RiRf5_IJC8YH20PxZx/s4608/CmdrD%20H2%204E%20Close%202.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3456" data-original-width="4608" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixUoJFDvQ1HclD24Cp-4bZ-o5NvF-B9nEnFt9eSlkKrHCzmvPv8gsBLlNDvJZ4AqTelbWlLt2G7hzhCMYKba_sf0h8q6Q_t5tq6Itp1as8F4zd8dZnGU3MKCAuai5MN6ZWo5vTxb2XXtnVCZAlStznY10B8HYcvr-u4tnEF9RiRf5_IJC8YH20PxZx/s16000/CmdrD%20H2%204E%20Close%202.JPG" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSFFwBeHR2YBta1lJAz_byUCmCiY63bh05uVeV4oFBMYqCmdnKq0dc_ZRzK2WZ3107zoF1tl4OFH1XoFIZHryW-jWayjGmuvbXaPXYlFKpZDal6QmhE93KryVSRWzgwiQCtlVleQT-dIreKrkNIPWYOkLdPf7raJZXizo4wzaewPIo4kAYpHTJxmee/s4608/CmdrD%20H2%204E%20Close%203.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3456" data-original-width="4608" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSFFwBeHR2YBta1lJAz_byUCmCiY63bh05uVeV4oFBMYqCmdnKq0dc_ZRzK2WZ3107zoF1tl4OFH1XoFIZHryW-jWayjGmuvbXaPXYlFKpZDal6QmhE93KryVSRWzgwiQCtlVleQT-dIreKrkNIPWYOkLdPf7raJZXizo4wzaewPIo4kAYpHTJxmee/s16000/CmdrD%20H2%204E%20Close%203.JPG" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQyNyUcdEQRsocs2PLibIdt60Z9g_XUg2g7mFlRDmpZloTzXYvSaZrKEzdjYt-F391_jnwGOdAuglvJ7dD8qovtkU2wU3fvdLKuGsUKPkr9TO6l7TNxluPi0cwgUw4vC1BYLNyL3CD-hm7w6SnPTjkjcmOBSVnCLUy6rh0YzG1ep6bg3CTh-iOgk7r/s4608/CmdrD%20H2%204E%20Close.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3456" data-original-width="4608" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQyNyUcdEQRsocs2PLibIdt60Z9g_XUg2g7mFlRDmpZloTzXYvSaZrKEzdjYt-F391_jnwGOdAuglvJ7dD8qovtkU2wU3fvdLKuGsUKPkr9TO6l7TNxluPi0cwgUw4vC1BYLNyL3CD-hm7w6SnPTjkjcmOBSVnCLUy6rh0YzG1ep6bg3CTh-iOgk7r/s16000/CmdrD%20H2%204E%20Close.JPG" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><p>While I am largely committed to using <i>Codex: Tau</i> in games wherever humanly possible, I ended up with a few metal special issue guns in a bitz bundle I received a few years back so two of them got painted up along with some special issue support systems, at the insistence of the Old Guard generals who argued that you never quite know when you might be in need of an AI-guided cluster bomb launcher or a quick-firing particle beam and demanded that the new commander model retain full special issue wargear compatibility before they agreed to lobby for funding for it. There is also a considerable chance I may end up putting them to use in the occasional game of late 4th edition 40k, because I am aware of at least one friend who is almost as passionate about the 4th edition Tyranid codex as I am about the 3rd edition Tau one, and since I have very few serious reservations about later 4th edition I am perfectly happy to oblige any taste for games with the 4th edition Tyranid book by pairing it against its natural 4th edition Tau adversary. </p><p><br /></p><p>This also meant that the Positional Relay I got with the first commander also finally received a coat of paint, because now I am Smort enough to know how 40k Reserves work and why it is valuable to always be able to have the Reserve you want most available on a 2+. But I also painted up a spare Command And Control Node too (again, the Old Guard generals demanded it), allowing me to completely replicate the old commander loadout if I wish. </p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnU1UNI19DnVLTj_uqs8z_UTMZCoijUDo_ygre2E0xZ04YJqo666SaYkadGcz-16wcuBrdwXwpBH7AzzatoSGJbYyv1TLMDAzaCIGHn2hVqtguIJ9ViM4WA2jrKsYy4Q64OzbJs0P-MdDRLddPZPLblrndGvsPESQ5p4HxHb9qUznTr6LExm8pE33u/s4608/Cmdr%20Comp.%202.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3456" data-original-width="4608" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnU1UNI19DnVLTj_uqs8z_UTMZCoijUDo_ygre2E0xZ04YJqo666SaYkadGcz-16wcuBrdwXwpBH7AzzatoSGJbYyv1TLMDAzaCIGHn2hVqtguIJ9ViM4WA2jrKsYy4Q64OzbJs0P-MdDRLddPZPLblrndGvsPESQ5p4HxHb9qUznTr6LExm8pE33u/s16000/Cmdr%20Comp.%202.JPG" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFfZv4AOUTLg_FEL-rMADJ2XUDdOvGUtDAG7_KYZYjG1UyIvMOKTdY9uKJONydd52hvrnz94pRo9VTMRSh957v3q5c_P7-ViAw21pz_7vTLmxh6AhsSjN3FYH_y7DFMzzmMMcp74zTgtVkO9i22Z41Niom3qy2XYXiFFegL1CdfwuGmqBTquPZ94nt/s4608/Cmdr%20Comp.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3456" data-original-width="4608" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFfZv4AOUTLg_FEL-rMADJ2XUDdOvGUtDAG7_KYZYjG1UyIvMOKTdY9uKJONydd52hvrnz94pRo9VTMRSh957v3q5c_P7-ViAw21pz_7vTLmxh6AhsSjN3FYH_y7DFMzzmMMcp74zTgtVkO9i22Z41Niom3qy2XYXiFFegL1CdfwuGmqBTquPZ94nt/s16000/Cmdr%20Comp.JPG" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiY2p2EevGPndUQcvJQac67sFq98TihirXsXpUKcUgtnhc3W616Is2BjosQoVJS1E0sX0NDM5SEp_FgF0e23iY1YtRiyd8iudt09z_L5Mq1aoPJMhmXNknWHzd6vG3fo9LQEk1XCj6sNo5RvrnfW4e5wKYRdf9nRqUFkjGZSkRvM5FHjmtpFA0WZq2T/s4608/Who%20Wore%20It%20Better%202.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3456" data-original-width="4608" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiY2p2EevGPndUQcvJQac67sFq98TihirXsXpUKcUgtnhc3W616Is2BjosQoVJS1E0sX0NDM5SEp_FgF0e23iY1YtRiyd8iudt09z_L5Mq1aoPJMhmXNknWHzd6vG3fo9LQEk1XCj6sNo5RvrnfW4e5wKYRdf9nRqUFkjGZSkRvM5FHjmtpFA0WZq2T/s16000/Who%20Wore%20It%20Better%202.JPG" /></a></div><br /><br /><p><br /></p><p>Even the base has had an overhaul. From the start of this revamp I knew I wanted a nice chunk of opposing wreckage on the base, and the bitz bags I had won at GW holiday events left me 3 choices. The first was the frontal plate of a Blood Angels Dreadnought - this was very tempting, but in the end I decided to save it for later use as an objective. The second was half a Carnifex head, which very nearly ended up going on the base because Tyranids do feature quite prominently in the army's backstory where their first major victory after being rebuilt was against Tyranids in a big cityfight, but I ultimately opted against it because it was from the newer Ballfex design and I like my Tyranids to be of the more menacing 3rd edition 2001 flavour. The final option was what I believe is the face plate from an Ork walker - now this had potential! The haphazard nature of Ork stuff means that parts from later models can often pass for 2000s items without too much trouble, Orks also feature prominently in this army's backstory (not least through the Wurrshuv's Revenge campaign from Advanced Tau Tactica) and most imporantly of all my main two prospective opponents for 3rd edition 40k games both have Ork armies. Conveniently, they also both have Ork armies that feature a lot of yellow, so deciding on a colour scheme for the debris was easy too, so I dutifully painted it up in dark metal and bright yellow and then attacked it with brown, grey and black drybrushes to create a scorched burn effect that I am utterly delighted with. </p><p><br /></p><p>All in all, this leaves me in a very exciting place. The most exciting part is that I no longer have to paint any more Battlesuits! Not for a long, long, long time at least. There will be more in the future, but the infernal things are such a massive drain on my time and joy that they have now plummeted straight to the bottom of my painting que, past even horses. This is unlikely to make painting them any less of a chore, but it will ensure that I at least have a bunch of interesting stuff to play games with in the mean time. </p><p><br /></p><p>And on that note, it also leaves me with not just my first 1000 points of new Tau army, but in fact my first 1100 points. </p><p><br /></p><p><b></b></p><blockquote><p><b>HQ</b> </p><p><i>Shas'O'T'au Kais'Ka'Eoro'Da'Anuk</i>: Shas'O in XV8 Crisis Battlesuit with plasma rifle, missile pod, fusion blaster, hard-wired multi-tracker, hard-wired blacksun filter, hard-wired drone controller and 2 Shield Drones - <b>162 pts</b> </p><p><i>Green Team</i>: 2 Shas'vre Bodyguards in XV8 Crisis Battlesuits with hard-wired target lock, plasma rifle, fusion blaster and missile pod, Bonded - <b>188 pts</b> </p><p><b>Elites</b> </p><p><i>Gold Team</i>: Shas'vre in XV8 Crisis Battlesuit with hard-wired blacksun filter, plasma rifle, fusion blaster and missile pod, 2 Shas'ui in XV8 Crisis Battlesuits with flamer, plasma rifle and fusion blaster, Bonded - <b>223 pts</b> </p><p><b>Troops</b> </p><p><i>Fire Warrior Team Kais</i>: Shas'ui with pulse rifle, markerlight, hard-wired multi-tracker, photon grenades and EMP grenades, 4 Shas'la with pulse carbines, photon grenades and EMP grenades, 7 Shas'la with pulse rifles, photon grenades and EMP grenades, Bonded - <b>205 pts</b> </p><p><i>Fire Warrior Team Lar</i>: Shas'ui with pulse carbine, markerlight, hard-wired multi-tracker, photon grenades and EMP grenades, 2 Shas'la with pulse carbines, photon grenades and EMP grenades, 9 Shas'la with pulse rifles, photon grenades and EMP grenades, Bonded - <b>205 pts</b> </p><p><b>Fast Attack</b> </p><p><i>Gun Drone Squadron</i>: 8 Gun Drones - <b>96 pts</b> </p><p><b>Provisions</b> </p><p><i>Laura's Roadside Inn Breakfast Order:</i> 15 Big Kiwi Breakfasts, 15 Vegan Hash Brown Feasts, 30 Tropical Delight Smoothies - <b>10 pts</b> </p><p><i>Golden Bakery Special Order</i>: 15 Sausage Rolls, 15 Vegetable Pies, 5 Red Powerade bottles, 5 Blue Powerade bottles, 5 Mango Green G-Force bottles, 20 1.5 Litre Pump water bottles - <b>4 pts</b></p><p><i>King Coral Takeaways Special Order</i>: 2 $40 Fish and Chip specials with extra crabsticks and extra potato fritters, 1 $30 Fish and Chip special with extra crabsticks and extra potato fritters, 4 1.5 litre bottles of Vanilla Coke, 4 1.5 litre bottles of Coca-Cola, 5 1.5 litre bottles of L&P, 5 Lime Thick Boy Shakes, 5 Strawberry Thick Boy Shakes, 5 Vanilla Thick Boy Shakes - <b> 6 pts</b> </p><p><i>Lone Star Dairy Purchase</i>: 30 Large Chocolate Fish, 5 Strawberry Coconut Shakes, 5 Lime Coconut Shakes, 5 Passionfruit Coconut Shakes - <b>1 pt</b></p><p><b>TOTAL: 1,079 pts</b></p></blockquote><p><b></b></p><p><br /></p><p>It is also conveniently exactly the full transport complement of a single Orca Dropship (except for the 2 Sheild Drones, but they can be strapped down where the Ethereal normally sits). </p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPeEAPoiq7lkUQpTBHDsTTe7hNRagrbuZFZqgGVDHHRuJsBUVgP2BX-1y6UW7Lk8wWPJ4cjnND9XDqUBCckVwb5TDuIOLlrzqCGpzKoxwTivsOTGF0dK54ryI_SKbqkf-H8F99vKr5-D4JQfCdk3OByvZZDrQr9SCkkxDA7ipBETZEqp0haEmWK1Qs/s4608/Action%20Shot%20D.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3456" data-original-width="4608" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPeEAPoiq7lkUQpTBHDsTTe7hNRagrbuZFZqgGVDHHRuJsBUVgP2BX-1y6UW7Lk8wWPJ4cjnND9XDqUBCckVwb5TDuIOLlrzqCGpzKoxwTivsOTGF0dK54ryI_SKbqkf-H8F99vKr5-D4JQfCdk3OByvZZDrQr9SCkkxDA7ipBETZEqp0haEmWK1Qs/s16000/Action%20Shot%20D.JPG" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p>Having looked through the archived files of the very first photos I ever took as a kid (using the family's very first ever digital camera no less), tragically few group shots of the old army have survived to the present. I have very vivid memories of taking an earlier one, but this one here is the oldest group shot I can find. </p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCt9TdQdsNXCwnA3R5EW1t6xO-VAjQb517yp4q2BS__ebaI_perv-Pr44lDeSYFMj2vlej2rF1UjD6_V75beH3KwSIdXHbnhTUdaxk2UU_p9mqBaFzbYniRixBPjXN143afjWWhSYplmXxZJVr7WFLyj9oQBnItpmIqDcWVDEgN-KovBdGS93wf8z-/s2272/IMG_0030.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1704" data-original-width="2272" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCt9TdQdsNXCwnA3R5EW1t6xO-VAjQb517yp4q2BS__ebaI_perv-Pr44lDeSYFMj2vlej2rF1UjD6_V75beH3KwSIdXHbnhTUdaxk2UU_p9mqBaFzbYniRixBPjXN143afjWWhSYplmXxZJVr7WFLyj9oQBnItpmIqDcWVDEgN-KovBdGS93wf8z-/s16000/IMG_0030.JPG" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><p>According to the image tags, this picture was taken in early 2006, when I was 11, after I had been working on the Tau army for 4 years. </p><p><br /></p><p>And now, here are their successors, 17 years later. </p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXzFkKtGozBECeSQ2isxD1ilySfFxyiS-7DbwbpbwIeGx9JbFKk4wjzAV_FOnfoYflCU_kF0YMVsX6pW8_6tDhxxNQl74vA0QldkVBSobvDJ_zRJ5Z5-8le9fY-OpDLh1IST5VN8ACkZ0JAZw8Xa8p2JuKSB39n_dkqTGiCuntdr4YHR0kWPBpgjd_/s4608/Parade.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3456" data-original-width="4608" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXzFkKtGozBECeSQ2isxD1ilySfFxyiS-7DbwbpbwIeGx9JbFKk4wjzAV_FOnfoYflCU_kF0YMVsX6pW8_6tDhxxNQl74vA0QldkVBSobvDJ_zRJ5Z5-8le9fY-OpDLh1IST5VN8ACkZ0JAZw8Xa8p2JuKSB39n_dkqTGiCuntdr4YHR0kWPBpgjd_/s16000/Parade.JPG" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><p>Now my army has a solid core of troops, first rate leadership, and wide range of units and weapons including infantry and jump infantry. With the main command and control structure in place it is time to start requisitioning some heavy equipment and get to grips with how the vehicle rules in 40k work...</p>MillitantGuerillaCommunistHippiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13565203522225127317noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5420460147318382021.post-67332440101501537482023-04-08T23:57:00.001-07:002023-04-08T23:57:11.177-07:00I'M BACK FROM THE DEAD!!<blockquote><i>Save your prayers, </i><div><i>Don't bless my bones, </i></div><div><i>Erase my name from my headstone...</i></div></blockquote><p><br /></p><p>It is fair to say that my 2023 did not have a very good start. </p><p><br /></p><p>There was a lot that went wrong over the new year, but one of the worst parts - and the part that's most relevant here - concerns a lady who was friends with my parents. We'll call her Sarah. Growing up, Sarah was pretty much the closest thing I had to an aunt. My biological aunt lived a long way away and did not really have that much presence in my life except for the occasional visit and a couple of trips to Christchurch. But I spent a lot of time with Sarah as a kid, not only from the frequent visits my parents made to her house but also day outings where she looked after me when my parents couldn't by taking me to the zoo. Most notably, she also gave me one of my deepest, closest and longest friends, Katy The Kakapo, who kept vigil over my bed for about a decade or so. </p><p><br /></p><p>Anyway, at the end of last year I found out that Sarah now has something the doctors called Cerebral Decay. My understanding is that it is similar to if not synonymous with Alzheimer's. </p><p><br /></p><p>Visiting Sarah to check up on her was... quite an experience. Sarah was even in her later years sharp as a razor. She had multiple academic credits, read a massive range of literature, and was until very recently learning both French and Arabic. To go from talking with someone like that to talking with someone who was... not... is a feeling that there is no word in Orcish, Elvish or the language of The Ents for. </p><p><br /></p><p>Then I also learnt that my Grandparent-in-all-but-name had also had a heart attack while I was occupied elsewhere (fortunately they survived, but still). This left me spending most of the new year staring down the barrel of mortality and a world that was vanishing even more rapidly than I thought. </p><p><br /></p><p>When Forest Gump found himself facing the concept of mortality, he responded by running a marathon across the United States. It turns out when I find myself grappling with mortality I respond by burying myself in model painting. </p><p><br /></p><p>The first project of this year was the biggest model I've ever painted thus far. <a href="https://metalhobby.blogspot.com/2015/02/something-pretty-big-this-way-comes.html" target="_blank">A few years ago</a> I purchased a Castle with the aim to painting it and using it for Warhammer games in the future. Last year I resolved to paint it in the coming new year as a Summer Project. </p><p><br /></p><p>It took me over two months, six times longer than I had originally anticipated. But by god, I did it. </p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9YBnkTeZSutDW3smZKkPKG7F2qOkk1csemicNScU_qZZKvGzIDXckkWJ9wekc13VfkLnm7F0kaqgdyV08sz4RCyNFHweLPYN4hd_p2unIXZMlLRxZH07DNT8gsEl-a_HdcAhyh5FdviwRnTFSY5PN609joTSyKZfL-xG3-A6IPyIG4_YTegZsq_3Q/s4608/DSCN1410.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3456" data-original-width="4608" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9YBnkTeZSutDW3smZKkPKG7F2qOkk1csemicNScU_qZZKvGzIDXckkWJ9wekc13VfkLnm7F0kaqgdyV08sz4RCyNFHweLPYN4hd_p2unIXZMlLRxZH07DNT8gsEl-a_HdcAhyh5FdviwRnTFSY5PN609joTSyKZfL-xG3-A6IPyIG4_YTegZsq_3Q/s16000/DSCN1410.JPG" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEict_Frxfak97lSW8YwVZFKUDJiKXn6jo4S6ByudSoGB38v3kU4L_O-dsr9BfxNBn-c9nlC0qvaRBWy3pvHjWlWMro7VgwKZL1yW1h4xnhosJWkk_K4TSMqd98wkzGBW0v8gdBv6Zl-NW90Ea1gfFdDqeRk7ah5tHYiwQfnM1xTjSEK-ccOvmUfkxkM/s4608/DSCN1407.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3456" data-original-width="4608" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEict_Frxfak97lSW8YwVZFKUDJiKXn6jo4S6ByudSoGB38v3kU4L_O-dsr9BfxNBn-c9nlC0qvaRBWy3pvHjWlWMro7VgwKZL1yW1h4xnhosJWkk_K4TSMqd98wkzGBW0v8gdBv6Zl-NW90Ea1gfFdDqeRk7ah5tHYiwQfnM1xTjSEK-ccOvmUfkxkM/s16000/DSCN1407.JPG" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgowtgX_TUm524YAXeOdoRv0k3214Zqn38mRK-GbtSel6btsJvNsCFf_AEZkMTK2fUHh6V4gEby03lXIARGBna5og7dnt3G_SJllXxwTqdgmeIoKHE1vwYiIoQwG3cQKvkF_Xawiv-GfDg8xdF0tkfZ2p3Cy_6DMdXBmJO5EjIF0GcI7IsL0-laIDY9/s4608/DSCN1409.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3456" data-original-width="4608" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgowtgX_TUm524YAXeOdoRv0k3214Zqn38mRK-GbtSel6btsJvNsCFf_AEZkMTK2fUHh6V4gEby03lXIARGBna5og7dnt3G_SJllXxwTqdgmeIoKHE1vwYiIoQwG3cQKvkF_Xawiv-GfDg8xdF0tkfZ2p3Cy_6DMdXBmJO5EjIF0GcI7IsL0-laIDY9/s16000/DSCN1409.JPG" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhY9ZMmYwgQz7cEYojIN03a0kImVEOLAmEgeiDIGvkPYXcwGCG4FbkxEi6w18XRYRy9wZrOKAgbqr8qBCEe-qns2dJeyDkgawkdlxaBol3i3JXjgcV721MHn8d6Z6ne-xo-CkLIcAYodInRaNl3W6qq3DoTq4zcM9ZTK0weiigESJ6NISll_00H4T-d/s4608/DSCN1411.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3456" data-original-width="4608" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhY9ZMmYwgQz7cEYojIN03a0kImVEOLAmEgeiDIGvkPYXcwGCG4FbkxEi6w18XRYRy9wZrOKAgbqr8qBCEe-qns2dJeyDkgawkdlxaBol3i3JXjgcV721MHn8d6Z6ne-xo-CkLIcAYodInRaNl3W6qq3DoTq4zcM9ZTK0weiigESJ6NISll_00H4T-d/s16000/DSCN1411.JPG" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEim1Qo5Yk6WNbh6yN0sz9sWUQpI4OnRo3z37Nd3ON-mmaLq5sbCGRlyWm2w9b8sDek7Xdsa_g_lU8SUepFcn76gRpvdjpziNbU-nRkN7KbqZcIZPV0-6APGvj7NrXzuMB74fvhsyb9lsfEp2P-FIfWFFjx_Y3MGBD8mpMGCvjb4nDp0x2pkhtO4WkC0/s4608/DSCN1413.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3456" data-original-width="4608" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEim1Qo5Yk6WNbh6yN0sz9sWUQpI4OnRo3z37Nd3ON-mmaLq5sbCGRlyWm2w9b8sDek7Xdsa_g_lU8SUepFcn76gRpvdjpziNbU-nRkN7KbqZcIZPV0-6APGvj7NrXzuMB74fvhsyb9lsfEp2P-FIfWFFjx_Y3MGBD8mpMGCvjb4nDp0x2pkhtO4WkC0/s16000/DSCN1413.JPG" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivLMgJ55CWcR_fTNWi9Hdj7MFaUUlZTu4GbnB74UDZQD4x-b8e9llxXPp7Lxn7v3QlhjsQrwqHnT3DW7x3T8PMnXNGhR27QNOE0X_0d2TaNsHPbbusAmd08Ksd0i4EHHx4iWv5Bmx4gO0jMu3jlSjvy7dDW8VlP9VGU1eOeZvrNlhQ-6lUBiH9D4mH/s4608/DSCN1415.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3456" data-original-width="4608" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivLMgJ55CWcR_fTNWi9Hdj7MFaUUlZTu4GbnB74UDZQD4x-b8e9llxXPp7Lxn7v3QlhjsQrwqHnT3DW7x3T8PMnXNGhR27QNOE0X_0d2TaNsHPbbusAmd08Ksd0i4EHHx4iWv5Bmx4gO0jMu3jlSjvy7dDW8VlP9VGU1eOeZvrNlhQ-6lUBiH9D4mH/s16000/DSCN1415.JPG" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><p>This had been sometime coming. Ever since I first got into Warhammer I knew I wanted to have a fully painted Warhammer Fortress set for use in games. You see, I have this sick perverted disgusting fantasy of one day playing map campaigns of Warhammer using the Mighty Empires tiles, with rules for constructing castles (again using the Mighty Empires castle markers) in territories you control, and a rule where if an army attacks a tile with a Castle on it then they play out a Siege game with the Warhammer Fortress castle on the table. </p><p>But it was a revelation last year that expedited the castle's painting and assembly. See, there are a few people in the local area who are Warhammer 6th edition curious. Some even have armies built with an eye towards using them in 6th edition. This is of course excellent news, except that due to various factors most of these other armies are tiny - only around 1500 points in size, as they're still under construction. This leaves a lot of my regular 4000-5000 point Wood Elf force unable to be brought to bear in its full glory (ironically, this is the opposite situation to Warhammer 40,000, where <i>I</i> am the one desperately struggling to cobble together enough models to reach small scale skirmish size against much larger and more established model collections). </p><p><br /></p><p>However, towards the end of last year I had a realisation. You see, in 6th edition Siege games are asymmetric - the attacking army has twice as many models as the besiged army. That means that if I can get these other people playing Sieges as the defenders, I can match their 1500 point armies with 3000 points of my own and get a much larger portion of models on the table! The first step towards this is of course a Castle to besiege, so here we are. </p><p><br /></p><p></p><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiH7V7B_ZgTz99TYyl78rjV-PGX0nl19GRymWx8EC1Qj9iYd4aco0Dg8n1MX5O2UlzTTj5VlWnZg8NM39wDUIsp4wo7EwYxuefWqUI-ocFG6Rrqd1S6EVOClve10mkCgJzk1OrIlZ8Eogcfs3--XengFZj_nyIR61VnYwMjcDlPN2fLXSIp_7cpwLvZ/s4608/DSCN1412.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3456" data-original-width="4608" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiH7V7B_ZgTz99TYyl78rjV-PGX0nl19GRymWx8EC1Qj9iYd4aco0Dg8n1MX5O2UlzTTj5VlWnZg8NM39wDUIsp4wo7EwYxuefWqUI-ocFG6Rrqd1S6EVOClve10mkCgJzk1OrIlZ8Eogcfs3--XengFZj_nyIR61VnYwMjcDlPN2fLXSIp_7cpwLvZ/s16000/DSCN1412.JPG" /></a></p><br /><p></p><p>There was a cost to this though, as several planned features of the castle were sacrificed and never made it to the finished model. In particular the towers were originally going to be pinned on the upper story, allowing for metal arrow slits to be attached and interchanged with plastic door pieces to provide options for expanding the castle with extra walls and towers. As it was I was unable to source a set of GW Arrow Slit pieces, so that feature ended up being discarded to simplify the construction process and speed up actually getting the thing painted and on the table. </p><p><br /></p><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglrtGKyvhZ-AAthC8jpbs2lCaBqU1BI55HDb8v0kZRrDqMCyV0EgtcicYy3260LTYZQfcx_qwPJrRIxWwk6vetXgPTuac9VykPQcwvr2npaLxcVVDITWEJHQ23YQZjwOf1OkVbvVhz93o7kgu44KDiHWHuPuoEFl_TCumqEtP74OfWP2tI8HcOMPCK/s4608/DSCN1414.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3456" data-original-width="4608" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglrtGKyvhZ-AAthC8jpbs2lCaBqU1BI55HDb8v0kZRrDqMCyV0EgtcicYy3260LTYZQfcx_qwPJrRIxWwk6vetXgPTuac9VykPQcwvr2npaLxcVVDITWEJHQ23YQZjwOf1OkVbvVhz93o7kgu44KDiHWHuPuoEFl_TCumqEtP74OfWP2tI8HcOMPCK/s16000/DSCN1414.JPG" /></a></p><p><br /></p><p>The painting itself was a mixed experience. The actual painting work was simple enough, as the entire model is almost completely drybrushed, but the sheer <i>scale</i> of the model and volume of surface area to paint in very monotonous greys ended up dragging the process out much longer than it needed to take. The towers were particularly bad, given that they had almost twice as many faces to paint as the walls. I am very tickled by the result though, a lovely white stone effect directly based off the GW Studio castle model featured in the army book for this castle's future masters that will be moving in soon... </p><p><br /></p><p>In the mean-time it will be under the protection of whatever armies my Wood Elves will be opposing. Eventually. I'm still not quite fully ready to play Siege games yet, as I still lack siege equipment for my own army. </p><p><br /></p><p>What my own army does have though, is its first two fully painted Rare choices, a pair of Great Eagles. </p><p><br /></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-HrK4OuAWQu_h9pMBE4mbUXB5rqdFTNPG8gqeQJhGh9e8CPVvM_8S4M5LhwA9BtndlzsD9OBk5vpzAU1N5diTgywq0l3qQL8UzcPNIe3GOqFh_U2ae176CS-hLwmDsfO-fXTCPnYQ47db50oTlLILN5DcpcbEQobL1XQFGK4VJ8_R_p9mEaeEkE7B/s4608/DSCN1416.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3456" data-original-width="4608" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-HrK4OuAWQu_h9pMBE4mbUXB5rqdFTNPG8gqeQJhGh9e8CPVvM_8S4M5LhwA9BtndlzsD9OBk5vpzAU1N5diTgywq0l3qQL8UzcPNIe3GOqFh_U2ae176CS-hLwmDsfO-fXTCPnYQ47db50oTlLILN5DcpcbEQobL1XQFGK4VJ8_R_p9mEaeEkE7B/s16000/DSCN1416.JPG" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtGr7uEAvu0v1S1nTbmd7dK6d_Zm-R29dooyYWH61-Bge2UxS6KVP12woqZeygN5DSmmR7gPIC0xuZPLRj149oc2i0ADnVW-ckIvPFAosHRkC1UdDEiEQxPRf-qMAGFsfGqtOpndAOLcV56S9JBdM0P2Mw8SmF0zVNq85k9fbl2xBOYuRmy1KShnQa/s4608/DSCN1417.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3456" data-original-width="4608" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtGr7uEAvu0v1S1nTbmd7dK6d_Zm-R29dooyYWH61-Bge2UxS6KVP12woqZeygN5DSmmR7gPIC0xuZPLRj149oc2i0ADnVW-ckIvPFAosHRkC1UdDEiEQxPRf-qMAGFsfGqtOpndAOLcV56S9JBdM0P2Mw8SmF0zVNq85k9fbl2xBOYuRmy1KShnQa/s16000/DSCN1417.JPG" /></a></div><br /> <p></p><p>The Great Eagles have always been one of my favourite Warhammer units. I have always been very fond of birds of all kinds, and Raptors have held a particular place in my heart since I was a kid (not the same central place as parrots of course, but close nonetheless). So when one day I happened to be browsing the wall of blister packs at the local GW store and happened upon the Warhammer section with its distinctive red blister packs, and my eye fell upon a blister pack for a High Elf Great Eagle I was immediately intrigued, because the idea of a fantasy army with giant eagles in it did seem a lot cooler than the fantasy offerings I normally found. And the more I thought about it the more right it felt to have giant eagles as a monster for the Good Guys to have on their side against the Trolls and Giants and assorted Big Scaly Things that the Bad Guys always seemed to have. </p><p><br /></p><p>Of course, as history shows, it still wasn't enough to get me actually invested in fantasy stuff, but it was another little signpost along the way. And when I started up with Wood Elves, I was only too delighted to learn that they too could take Great Eagles as a support unit. </p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFJDzsH4Zu4h8sxAGzOdzVRJ_mTB1yU4r1rOsmCMgSjScZo07ZnIwEJ1RTjADh1_xd34WhXjTZAYXDZnibiZ8LnbUriqqMAhfpVcQzuUvZ0pZcai44jsWnGOgSZd_9BUreGQMB6sNv-dRXwlRj6m9n9gGWdvEArqQprOOFSxd6LWo-oiUnYD9_g6bY/s4608/DSCN1419.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3456" data-original-width="4608" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFJDzsH4Zu4h8sxAGzOdzVRJ_mTB1yU4r1rOsmCMgSjScZo07ZnIwEJ1RTjADh1_xd34WhXjTZAYXDZnibiZ8LnbUriqqMAhfpVcQzuUvZ0pZcai44jsWnGOgSZd_9BUreGQMB6sNv-dRXwlRj6m9n9gGWdvEArqQprOOFSxd6LWo-oiUnYD9_g6bY/s16000/DSCN1419.JPG" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p style="clear: both; text-align: left;">These guys are of course the classic 6th edition Warhammer eagle, released in 2005-2006 in glorious solid metal for the 6th edition Wood Elf release. If you were to purchase one, this is what you would have got: </p><p style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjL2hWAqN7lmuhaV_GbGUYck-ke74oTNBlrN7AWSQjNGzvpblTFL1JwT56y8bC3f_z8lB3ls-JN4MKnUayKCqsjEvzJote2dC1TYbcMmMSo3WeIwBklqT4-q3AFcC1zOiaNeASoyLFYCLLKODZBnLeFJswka2Occ9_kkYbVuACpiNrER1YIo6NZ4jkV/s4608/DSCN1347.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3456" data-original-width="4608" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjL2hWAqN7lmuhaV_GbGUYck-ke74oTNBlrN7AWSQjNGzvpblTFL1JwT56y8bC3f_z8lB3ls-JN4MKnUayKCqsjEvzJote2dC1TYbcMmMSo3WeIwBklqT4-q3AFcC1zOiaNeASoyLFYCLLKODZBnLeFJswka2Occ9_kkYbVuACpiNrER1YIo6NZ4jkV/s16000/DSCN1347.JPG" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigIycYWW28fuKXLQ7tKrqyIG84mMMnhjk12LfP7D75JNwbUUZprZaOXWxyWZRCg3fsYu_LWO2Gpm8_bKIkVtDd3KxXSfh6Qu7z7xICaVCoqRAr0BQlbOMNLEEetaehpD78gjEwnYoUko0oyR1g4QUQCgoyDExx1E29ypkdbW5A9ehJfonE7p_eBZti/s4608/DSCN1348.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3456" data-original-width="4608" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigIycYWW28fuKXLQ7tKrqyIG84mMMnhjk12LfP7D75JNwbUUZprZaOXWxyWZRCg3fsYu_LWO2Gpm8_bKIkVtDd3KxXSfh6Qu7z7xICaVCoqRAr0BQlbOMNLEEetaehpD78gjEwnYoUko0oyR1g4QUQCgoyDExx1E29ypkdbW5A9ehJfonE7p_eBZti/s16000/DSCN1348.JPG" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0BM7skGJ4lRfxVVLwwJjzx0In7O-5xrmGvtAi8NUkksFEFefi5_A62DbdopJI4Lgtsi-M-1OGAxojTsIbtInjC394YA8lBhGO4kU-8qlEfrcw7pwtL2UUTAkwi7iX5O9ItiWqXtY2THI_5cycrHHBhLMxwTB2I-INRIMzCMhJzcOuID-N5Blbb2Lm/s4608/DSCN1349.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3456" data-original-width="4608" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0BM7skGJ4lRfxVVLwwJjzx0In7O-5xrmGvtAi8NUkksFEFefi5_A62DbdopJI4Lgtsi-M-1OGAxojTsIbtInjC394YA8lBhGO4kU-8qlEfrcw7pwtL2UUTAkwi7iX5O9ItiWqXtY2THI_5cycrHHBhLMxwTB2I-INRIMzCMhJzcOuID-N5Blbb2Lm/s16000/DSCN1349.JPG" /></a></div><br /><p style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></p><p style="clear: both; text-align: left;">They were a dream to paint. The hardest part was getting the undercoat on, which took several days to get all the nooks and crannies on the sculpts covered. After that and a basecoat of Dryad Bark, it was just a series of dry brushes. The body and forewings were drybrushed with... well basically every brown in the Citadel Paint range from darkest to lightest, starting with <strike>Rhinox Hide</strike> Scorched Brown over the basecoat, followed by <strike>Doombull Brown</strike> Dark Flesh, then <strike>Mournfang Brown</strike> Bestial Brown, then S<strike>krag Brown</strike> Vermin Brown, followed by a final dusting of <strike>Steel Legion Drab</strike> Graveyard Earth to mellow out some of the more vividly bright hues. The inner wings were done with <strike>Dawnstone</strike> Codex Grey over the basecoat followed by <strike>Administratum Grey</strike> Fortress Grey, and the wingtip feathers were painted with <strike>Ungor Flesh</strike> Bronzed Flesh and <strike>Ushabti Bone</strike> Bleached Bone over the base colour. </p><p style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></p><p style="clear: both; text-align: left;">These are also notworthy for being the first Warhammer models where I've really bothered to paint the eyes. Normally for the other Warhammer models I'm content to just leave the eyes shaded in the base colour, or an occasional dot for monsters and creatures, but that just felt like a disservice for animals that are legendary for their fantastic eyesight, so after studying some reference pictures of real life Raptor eyes, I picked them out in yellow and then put a small circular dot of black at the centre of each eye for a pupil - it helps that Raptor pupils are completely perfectly circular, which is an easy shape to paint at small scales. </p><p style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></p><p style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Finally, I decided to give their bases a little something extra and populated them with some spare doodads from the Glade Guard sprue, most notably some skulls and a Spite each (Haast's is from the Glade Rider sprue). I had wanted to use the larger Gor skulls that come with the Dryad sprue, but I appear to have used up my entire supply of them elsewhere, so I had to resort to multiple Ungor Skulls from the Glade Guard kit to showcase the healthy appetites and superb hunting skills of these majestic predators. I then tried to place the Spites foward to suggest them becoming startled and scattering before the diving and swooping eagles as they make their attack. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjM_VXwvzb-E60KhN0cZCKrvcYEd5JLhemG1nApdEOlxFTiVAMpzILbtODtisl9WRjpcRUQ7q0pU7rG5lXPyztrfz_IMzI7npdYoXzPYNxPfbIR4_HUXvYa5X3qFGqWNvUKwLa79DKmYjfvKA5r7hTzBtvrTIFewEESaKtdbS-h_D_OB0Y3XuP7O8nR/s4608/DSCN1418.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3456" data-original-width="4608" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjM_VXwvzb-E60KhN0cZCKrvcYEd5JLhemG1nApdEOlxFTiVAMpzILbtODtisl9WRjpcRUQ7q0pU7rG5lXPyztrfz_IMzI7npdYoXzPYNxPfbIR4_HUXvYa5X3qFGqWNvUKwLa79DKmYjfvKA5r7hTzBtvrTIFewEESaKtdbS-h_D_OB0Y3XuP7O8nR/s16000/DSCN1418.JPG" /></a></div><br /><p>And so here they are, ready to rescue any of my Wizards that end up captured and imprisoned at the top of a very tall tower. </p><div></div>MillitantGuerillaCommunistHippiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13565203522225127317noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5420460147318382021.post-79459928779341429702023-03-31T11:00:00.001-07:002023-03-31T11:00:00.175-07:00Tactica: Chess<p> Even if you don't follow tabletop games, you've probably heard of Chess before. It is by far the biggest tabletop game, with hundreds of thousands of players across the world, and it's dominated the miniature game market for decades now. It's even started breaking into the mainstream with popular Hollywood actors opening up about how they're big fans of Chess. It's easy to see why too - Chess is a masterpiece of game design, and one of the most legendarily well-balanced games ever made. </p><p><br /></p><p>The Chess Community has grown a lot in recent years, and one of the constant questions I keep seeing on the Chess social media groups is about how newbies can play Chess better. Luckily for them, your boy here M-Daddy has got their backs, which is why I decided to put together this tactics article to help newbies improve their Chess skills so they can win more Chess tournaments or just beat their friends in pick-up Chess games. </p><p><br /></p><p>It's fair to say I know what I'm talking about here. I've been a constant player of Chess since 2nd edition Advanced Chess was first released 35 years ago, and since then I've swept up 22 Grand Chess Tournaments, and 12 Global Chess events, as well as 35 Grand Tournaments. I've also been reigning club champion at my local Chess stores across seven different towns. And just last year I participated in the St Petersburg Chess Open and came away with first place. So you can trust me when I say I know a thing or two about Chess. </p><p><br /></p><p>Now, the first thing you need to know about Chess is that it is a competitive game, just like any other sport. Maybe there are a few sad pathetic losers out there who just play Chess casually with fluffy Chess pieces in their mom's sewing circle, but they're so rare and lame that no-one cares about them and they don't matter. What does matter is competitive Chess. That's what everyone who collects Chess does it for, a contest of two men matching skill against each other in absolute carnage until one of them is able to brutally assert his superiority and dominate the other man into submission, forcing him down and marking him as the weak beta that he is with their superior Alpha Male musk spray, the same way that Dylan Boswick shoved my head into the school toilet every lunch recess in High School but I just took it like a man and sucked it up because he was doing me a favor by building my character and shaping me up into the hard top-dog well-adjusted trauma free Alpha Male that I am today. </p><p><br /></p><p>That in turn means that you need to get serious about Chess, because real Chess players are committed to the game they're so passionate about and what Ashley Lockfeldt didn't realize when she laughed at me after I asked her to the homecoming prom and then went with Dylan Boswick instead is that athletes come in all shapes and sizes and Chess players are athletes just like high school football captains. All too often I see the Chess Community being polluted by disgusting filthy casuals who come in with their poorly constructed fluff Chess lists and waste everyone's time by being checkmated on turn 2 after slowing the game down to farce because they wasted time painting their Chess pieces instead of studying the Chess meta. If you're going to be a filthy pathetic casual noob like that, then you can pack up your little toys and go play in the sandbox with the other little babies. </p><p><br /></p><p>The next thing you need to know about Chess is that Chess is a game of math. Every action and every decision in Chess can be rendered down to a mathematical formula for Chess units, and the whole point of Chess is analyzing the Chess meta to refine that mathematical formula so that you can dominate the other guy into submission beneath you by checkmating them on Turn 2. </p><p><br /></p><p>The formula for working out the best piece for capturing another piece, for example, is this: </p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><div class="MathJax_Display SCXW226235825 BCX8" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; display: block !important; margin: 0px; max-height: none; max-width: none; min-height: 0px; min-width: 0px; padding: 0px; position: relative; text-align: center; text-indent: 0px; user-select: text; white-space: pre !important; width: 316px;"><span class="MathJax SCXW226235825 BCX8" data-mathml="<math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" display="block"><mi mathvariant="normal">&#x3A7;</mi><mo>=</mo><mi>&#x1D703;</mi><mo>&#xD7;</mo><mrow><mrow><mi>sin</mi></mrow><mo>&#x2061;</mo><mrow><mo stretchy="false">&#x2211;</mo><mrow /></mrow></mrow><msup><mo>&#x2103;</mo><mi>&#x1D70B;</mi></msup><mo>&#x2206;</mo><mo>&#x2260;</mo><mfrac><mrow><mo>&#x2212;</mo><mi>b</mi><mo>&#xB1;</mo><msqrt><mrow><msup><mi>b</mi><mn>2</mn></msup><mo>&#x2212;</mo><mn>4</mn><mi>a</mi><mi>c</mi></mrow></msqrt></mrow><mrow><mn>2</mn><mi>a</mi></mrow></mfrac><mo>&#xB1;</mo><mo>!</mo><mfrac><mrow><mi>c</mi><mi>o</mi><mi>s</mi></mrow><mn>9</mn></mfrac></math>" id="MathJax-Element-1-Frame" role="presentation" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; border: 0px; direction: ltr; display: inline-table; float: none; font-size: 14.6667px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; max-height: none; max-width: none; min-height: 0px; min-width: 0px; overflow-wrap: normal; padding: 0px; position: relative; text-align: center; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; user-select: text; white-space: nowrap; word-spacing: normal;" tabindex="0"><nobr aria-hidden="true" class="SCXW226235825 BCX8" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; border: 0px; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; max-height: none; max-width: none; min-height: 0px; min-width: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; transition: none 0s ease 0s; user-select: text; vertical-align: 0px; white-space: nowrap !important;"><span class="math SCXW226235825 BCX8" id="MathJax-Span-1" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; border: 0px; box-sizing: content-box; display: inline; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; position: static; text-decoration: none; transition: none 0s ease 0s; user-select: text; vertical-align: 0px; white-space: pre !important; width: 316px;"><span class="SCXW226235825 BCX8" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; border: 0px; box-sizing: content-box; display: inline-block; font-size: 15.1067px; height: 0px; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; position: relative; text-decoration: none; transition: none 0s ease 0s; user-select: text; vertical-align: 0px; white-space: pre !important; width: 316px;"><span class="SCXW226235825 BCX8" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; border: 0px; box-sizing: content-box; clip: rect(1.277em, 1020.82em, 4.069em, -999.997em); display: inline; left: 0em; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; position: absolute; text-decoration: none; top: -3.152em; transition: none 0s ease 0s; user-select: text; vertical-align: 0px; white-space: pre !important; width: 316px;"><span class="mrow SCXW226235825 BCX8" id="MathJax-Span-2" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; border: 0px; box-sizing: content-box; display: inline; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; position: static; text-decoration: none; transition: none 0s ease 0s; user-select: text; vertical-align: 0px; white-space: pre !important;"><span class="mi SCXW226235825 BCX8" id="MathJax-Span-3" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; border: 0px; box-sizing: content-box; display: inline; font-family: MathJax_Main; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; position: static; text-decoration: none; transition: none 0s ease 0s; user-select: text; vertical-align: 0px; white-space: pre !important;">X</span><span class="mo SCXW226235825 BCX8" id="MathJax-Span-4" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; border: 0px; box-sizing: content-box; display: inline; font-family: MathJax_Main; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 0.306em; position: static; text-decoration: none; transition: none 0s ease 0s; user-select: text; vertical-align: 0px; white-space: pre !important;">=</span><span class="mi SCXW226235825 BCX8" id="MathJax-Span-5" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; border: 0px; box-sizing: content-box; display: inline; font-family: MathJax_Math-italic; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 0.306em; position: static; text-decoration: none; transition: none 0s ease 0s; user-select: text; vertical-align: 0px; white-space: pre !important;">θ</span><span class="mo SCXW226235825 BCX8" id="MathJax-Span-6" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; border: 0px; box-sizing: content-box; display: inline; font-family: MathJax_Main; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 0.246em; position: static; text-decoration: none; transition: none 0s ease 0s; user-select: text; vertical-align: 0px; white-space: pre !important;">×</span><span class="mrow SCXW226235825 BCX8" id="MathJax-Span-7" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; border: 0px; box-sizing: content-box; display: inline; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 0.246em; position: static; text-decoration: none; transition: none 0s ease 0s; user-select: text; vertical-align: 0px; white-space: pre !important;"><span class="mrow SCXW226235825 BCX8" id="MathJax-Span-8" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; border: 0px; box-sizing: content-box; display: inline; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; position: static; text-decoration: none; transition: none 0s ease 0s; user-select: text; vertical-align: 0px; white-space: pre !important;"><span class="mi SCXW226235825 BCX8" id="MathJax-Span-9" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; border: 0px; box-sizing: content-box; display: inline; font-family: MathJax_Main; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; position: static; text-decoration: none; transition: none 0s ease 0s; user-select: text; vertical-align: 0px; white-space: pre !important;">sin</span></span><span class="mo SCXW226235825 BCX8" id="MathJax-Span-10" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; border: 0px; box-sizing: content-box; display: inline; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; position: static; text-decoration: none; transition: none 0s ease 0s; user-select: text; vertical-align: 0px; white-space: pre !important;"></span><span class="mrow SCXW226235825 BCX8" id="MathJax-Span-11" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; border: 0px; box-sizing: content-box; display: inline; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 0.185em; position: static; text-decoration: none; transition: none 0s ease 0s; user-select: text; vertical-align: 0px; white-space: pre !important;"><span class="mo SCXW226235825 BCX8" id="MathJax-Span-12" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; border: 0px; box-sizing: content-box; display: inline; font-family: MathJax_Size2; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; position: static; text-decoration: none; transition: none 0s ease 0s; user-select: text; vertical-align: 0em; white-space: pre !important;">∑</span><span class="mrow SCXW226235825 BCX8" id="MathJax-Span-13" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; border: 0px; box-sizing: content-box; display: inline; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; position: static; text-decoration: none; transition: none 0s ease 0s; user-select: text; vertical-align: 0px; white-space: pre !important;"></span></span></span><span class="msup SCXW226235825 BCX8" id="MathJax-Span-14" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; border: 0px; box-sizing: content-box; display: inline; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 0.185em; position: static; text-decoration: none; transition: none 0s ease 0s; user-select: text; vertical-align: 0px; white-space: pre !important;"><span class="SCXW226235825 BCX8" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; border: 0px; box-sizing: content-box; display: inline-block; height: 0px; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; position: relative; text-decoration: none; transition: none 0s ease 0s; user-select: text; vertical-align: 0px; white-space: pre !important; width: 1.459em;"><span class="SCXW226235825 BCX8" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; border: 0px; box-sizing: content-box; clip: rect(1.217em, 1000.97em, 2.552em, -999.997em); display: inline; left: 0em; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; position: absolute; text-decoration: none; top: -2.181em; transition: none 0s ease 0s; user-select: text; vertical-align: 0px; white-space: pre !important;"><span class="mo SCXW226235825 BCX8" id="MathJax-Span-15" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; border: 0px; box-sizing: content-box; display: inline; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; position: static; text-decoration: none; transition: none 0s ease 0s; user-select: text; vertical-align: 0px; white-space: pre !important;"><span class="SCXW226235825 BCX8" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; border: 0px; box-sizing: content-box; display: inline; font-family: STIXGeneral, "Arial Unicode MS", serif; font-size: 14.6535px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; position: static; text-decoration: none; transition: none 0s ease 0s; user-select: text; vertical-align: 0px; white-space: pre !important;">℃</span></span><span class="SCXW226235825 BCX8" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; border: 0px; box-sizing: content-box; display: inline-block; height: 2.187em; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; position: static; text-decoration: none; transition: none 0s ease 0s; user-select: text; vertical-align: 0px; white-space: pre !important; width: 0px;"></span></span><span class="SCXW226235825 BCX8" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; border: 0px; box-sizing: content-box; display: inline; left: 0.974em; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; position: absolute; text-decoration: none; top: -4.427em; transition: none 0s ease 0s; user-select: text; vertical-align: 0px; white-space: pre !important;"><span class="mi SCXW226235825 BCX8" id="MathJax-Span-16" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; border: 0px; box-sizing: content-box; display: inline; font-family: MathJax_Math-italic; font-size: 10.6804px; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; position: static; text-decoration: none; transition: none 0s ease 0s; user-select: text; vertical-align: 0px; white-space: pre !important;">π<span class="SCXW226235825 BCX8" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; border: 0px; box-sizing: content-box; display: inline-block; height: 1px; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; overflow: hidden; padding: 0px; position: static; text-decoration: none; transition: none 0s ease 0s; user-select: text; vertical-align: 0px; white-space: pre !important; width: 0.003em;"></span></span><span class="SCXW226235825 BCX8" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; border: 0px; box-sizing: content-box; display: inline-block; height: 4.008em; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; position: static; text-decoration: none; transition: none 0s ease 0s; user-select: text; vertical-align: 0px; white-space: pre !important; width: 0px;"></span></span></span></span><span class="mo SCXW226235825 BCX8" id="MathJax-Span-17" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; border: 0px; box-sizing: content-box; display: inline; font-family: MathJax_Main; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; position: static; text-decoration: none; transition: none 0s ease 0s; user-select: text; vertical-align: 0px; white-space: pre !important;">Δ</span><span class="mo SCXW226235825 BCX8" id="MathJax-Span-18" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; border: 0px; box-sizing: content-box; display: inline; font-family: MathJax_Main; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 0.306em; position: static; text-decoration: none; transition: none 0s ease 0s; user-select: text; vertical-align: 0px; white-space: pre !important;">≠</span><span class="mfrac SCXW226235825 BCX8" id="MathJax-Span-19" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; border: 0px; box-sizing: content-box; display: inline; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 0.306em; position: static; text-decoration: none; transition: none 0s ease 0s; user-select: text; vertical-align: 0px; white-space: pre !important;"><span class="SCXW226235825 BCX8" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; border: 0px; box-sizing: content-box; display: inline-block; height: 0px; line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0.124em; padding: 0px; position: relative; text-decoration: none; transition: none 0s ease 0s; user-select: text; vertical-align: 0px; white-space: pre !important; width: 7.163em;"><span class="SCXW226235825 BCX8" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; border: 0px; box-sizing: content-box; clip: rect(2.855em, 1007.04em, 4.433em, -999.997em); display: inline; left: 54.0938px; line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 0px -3.516em; padding: 0px; position: absolute; text-decoration: none; top: -4.73em; transition: none 0s ease 0s; user-select: text; vertical-align: 0px; white-space: pre !important;"><span class="mrow SCXW226235825 BCX8" id="MathJax-Span-20" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; border: 0px; box-sizing: content-box; display: inline; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; position: static; text-decoration: none; transition: none 0s ease 0s; user-select: text; vertical-align: 0px; white-space: pre !important;"><span class="mo SCXW226235825 BCX8" id="MathJax-Span-21" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; border: 0px; box-sizing: content-box; display: inline; font-family: MathJax_Main; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; position: static; text-decoration: none; transition: none 0s ease 0s; user-select: text; vertical-align: 0px; white-space: pre !important;">−</span><span class="mi SCXW226235825 BCX8" id="MathJax-Span-22" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; border: 0px; box-sizing: content-box; display: inline; font-family: MathJax_Math-italic; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; position: static; text-decoration: none; transition: none 0s ease 0s; user-select: text; vertical-align: 0px; white-space: pre !important;">b</span><span class="mo SCXW226235825 BCX8" id="MathJax-Span-23" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; border: 0px; box-sizing: content-box; display: inline; font-family: MathJax_Main; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 0.246em; position: static; text-decoration: none; transition: none 0s ease 0s; user-select: text; vertical-align: 0px; white-space: pre !important;">±</span><span class="msqrt SCXW226235825 BCX8" id="MathJax-Span-24" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; border: 0px; box-sizing: content-box; display: inline; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 0.246em; position: static; text-decoration: none; transition: none 0s ease 0s; user-select: text; vertical-align: 0px; white-space: pre !important;"><span class="SCXW226235825 BCX8" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; border: 0px; box-sizing: content-box; display: inline-block; height: 0px; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; position: relative; text-decoration: none; transition: none 0s ease 0s; user-select: text; vertical-align: 0px; white-space: pre !important; width: 4.615em;"><span class="SCXW226235825 BCX8" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; border: 0px; box-sizing: content-box; clip: rect(3.037em, 1003.58em, 4.251em, -999.997em); display: inline; left: 0.974em; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; position: absolute; text-decoration: none; top: -4.002em; transition: none 0s ease 0s; user-select: text; vertical-align: 0px; white-space: pre !important;"><span class="mrow SCXW226235825 BCX8" id="MathJax-Span-25" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; border: 0px; box-sizing: content-box; display: inline; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; position: static; text-decoration: none; transition: none 0s ease 0s; user-select: text; vertical-align: 0px; white-space: pre !important;"><span class="mrow SCXW226235825 BCX8" id="MathJax-Span-26" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; border: 0px; box-sizing: content-box; display: inline; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; position: static; text-decoration: none; transition: none 0s ease 0s; user-select: text; vertical-align: 0px; white-space: pre !important;"><span class="msup SCXW226235825 BCX8" id="MathJax-Span-27" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; border: 0px; box-sizing: content-box; display: inline; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; position: static; text-decoration: none; transition: none 0s ease 0s; user-select: text; vertical-align: 0px; white-space: pre !important;"><span class="SCXW226235825 BCX8" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; border: 0px; box-sizing: content-box; display: inline-block; height: 0px; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; position: relative; text-decoration: none; transition: none 0s ease 0s; user-select: text; vertical-align: 0px; white-space: pre !important; width: 0.853em;"><span class="SCXW226235825 BCX8" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; border: 0px; box-sizing: content-box; clip: rect(3.158em, 1000.43em, 4.19em, -999.997em); display: inline; left: 0em; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; position: absolute; text-decoration: none; top: -4.002em; transition: none 0s ease 0s; user-select: text; vertical-align: 0px; white-space: pre !important;"><span class="mi SCXW226235825 BCX8" id="MathJax-Span-28" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; border: 0px; box-sizing: content-box; display: inline; font-family: MathJax_Math-italic; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; position: static; text-decoration: none; transition: none 0s ease 0s; user-select: text; vertical-align: 0px; white-space: pre !important;">b</span><span class="SCXW226235825 BCX8" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; border: 0px; box-sizing: content-box; display: inline-block; height: 4.008em; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; position: static; text-decoration: none; transition: none 0s ease 0s; user-select: text; vertical-align: 0px; white-space: pre !important; width: 0px;"></span></span><span class="SCXW226235825 BCX8" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; border: 0px; box-sizing: content-box; display: inline; left: 0.428em; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; position: absolute; text-decoration: none; top: -4.305em; transition: none 0s ease 0s; user-select: text; vertical-align: 0px; white-space: pre !important;"><span class="mn SCXW226235825 BCX8" id="MathJax-Span-29" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; border: 0px; box-sizing: content-box; display: inline; font-family: MathJax_Main; font-size: 10.6804px; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; position: static; text-decoration: none; transition: none 0s ease 0s; user-select: text; vertical-align: 0px; white-space: pre !important;">2</span><span class="SCXW226235825 BCX8" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; border: 0px; box-sizing: content-box; display: inline-block; height: 4.008em; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; position: static; text-decoration: none; transition: none 0s ease 0s; user-select: text; vertical-align: 0px; white-space: pre !important; width: 0px;"></span></span></span></span><span class="mo SCXW226235825 BCX8" id="MathJax-Span-30" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; border: 0px; box-sizing: content-box; display: inline; font-family: MathJax_Main; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 0.246em; position: static; text-decoration: none; transition: none 0s ease 0s; user-select: text; vertical-align: 0px; white-space: pre !important;">−</span><span class="mn SCXW226235825 BCX8" id="MathJax-Span-31" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; border: 0px; box-sizing: content-box; display: inline; font-family: MathJax_Main; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 0.246em; position: static; text-decoration: none; transition: none 0s ease 0s; user-select: text; vertical-align: 0px; white-space: pre !important;">4</span><span class="mi SCXW226235825 BCX8" id="MathJax-Span-32" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; border: 0px; box-sizing: content-box; display: inline; font-family: MathJax_Math-italic; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; position: static; text-decoration: none; transition: none 0s ease 0s; user-select: text; vertical-align: 0px; white-space: pre !important;">a</span><span class="mi SCXW226235825 BCX8" id="MathJax-Span-33" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; border: 0px; box-sizing: content-box; display: inline; font-family: MathJax_Math-italic; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; position: static; text-decoration: none; transition: none 0s ease 0s; user-select: text; vertical-align: 0px; white-space: pre !important;">c</span></span></span><span class="SCXW226235825 BCX8" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; border: 0px; box-sizing: content-box; display: inline-block; height: 4.008em; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; position: static; text-decoration: none; transition: none 0s ease 0s; user-select: text; vertical-align: 0px; white-space: pre !important; width: 0px;"></span></span><span class="SCXW226235825 BCX8" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; border: 0px; box-sizing: content-box; clip: rect(3.583em, 1003.52em, 3.947em, -999.997em); display: inline; left: 0.974em; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; position: absolute; text-decoration: none; top: -4.669em; transition: none 0s ease 0s; user-select: text; vertical-align: 0px; white-space: pre !important;"><span class="SCXW226235825 BCX8" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; border: 0px; box-sizing: content-box; display: inline-block; height: 0px; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; position: relative; text-decoration: none; transition: none 0s ease 0s; user-select: text; vertical-align: 0px; white-space: pre !important; width: 3.522em;"><span class="SCXW226235825 BCX8" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; border: 0px; box-sizing: content-box; display: inline; font-family: MathJax_Main; left: -0.058em; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; position: absolute; text-decoration: none; top: -4.002em; transition: none 0s ease 0s; user-select: text; vertical-align: 0px; white-space: pre !important;">−<span class="SCXW226235825 BCX8" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; border: 0px; box-sizing: content-box; display: inline-block; height: 4.008em; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; position: static; text-decoration: none; transition: none 0s ease 0s; user-select: text; vertical-align: 0px; white-space: pre !important; width: 0px;"></span></span><span class="SCXW226235825 BCX8" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; border: 0px; box-sizing: content-box; display: inline; font-family: MathJax_Main; left: 2.855em; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; position: absolute; text-decoration: none; top: -4.002em; transition: none 0s ease 0s; user-select: text; vertical-align: 0px; white-space: pre !important;">−<span class="SCXW226235825 BCX8" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; border: 0px; box-sizing: content-box; display: inline-block; height: 4.008em; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; position: static; text-decoration: none; transition: none 0s ease 0s; user-select: text; vertical-align: 0px; white-space: pre !important; width: 0px;"></span></span><span class="SCXW226235825 BCX8" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; border: 0px; box-sizing: content-box; display: inline; font-family: MathJax_Main; left: 0.428em; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; position: absolute; text-decoration: none; top: -4.002em; transition: none 0s ease 0s; user-select: text; vertical-align: 0px; white-space: pre !important;">−<span class="SCXW226235825 BCX8" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; border: 0px; box-sizing: content-box; display: inline-block; height: 4.008em; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; position: static; text-decoration: none; transition: none 0s ease 0s; user-select: text; vertical-align: 0px; white-space: pre !important; width: 0px;"></span></span><span class="SCXW226235825 BCX8" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; border: 0px; box-sizing: content-box; display: inline; font-family: MathJax_Main; left: 0.913em; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; position: absolute; text-decoration: none; top: -4.002em; transition: none 0s ease 0s; user-select: text; vertical-align: 0px; white-space: pre !important;">−<span class="SCXW226235825 BCX8" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; border: 0px; box-sizing: content-box; display: inline-block; height: 4.008em; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; position: static; text-decoration: none; transition: none 0s ease 0s; user-select: text; vertical-align: 0px; white-space: pre !important; width: 0px;"></span></span><span class="SCXW226235825 BCX8" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; border: 0px; box-sizing: content-box; display: inline; font-family: MathJax_Main; left: 1.399em; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; position: absolute; text-decoration: none; top: -4.002em; transition: none 0s ease 0s; user-select: text; vertical-align: 0px; white-space: pre !important;">−<span class="SCXW226235825 BCX8" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; border: 0px; box-sizing: content-box; display: inline-block; height: 4.008em; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; position: static; text-decoration: none; transition: none 0s ease 0s; user-select: text; vertical-align: 0px; white-space: pre !important; width: 0px;"></span></span><span class="SCXW226235825 BCX8" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; border: 0px; box-sizing: content-box; display: inline; font-family: MathJax_Main; left: 1.884em; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; position: absolute; text-decoration: none; top: -4.002em; transition: none 0s ease 0s; user-select: text; vertical-align: 0px; white-space: pre !important;">−<span class="SCXW226235825 BCX8" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; border: 0px; box-sizing: content-box; display: inline-block; height: 4.008em; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; position: static; text-decoration: none; transition: none 0s ease 0s; user-select: text; vertical-align: 0px; white-space: pre !important; width: 0px;"></span></span><span class="SCXW226235825 BCX8" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; border: 0px; box-sizing: content-box; display: inline; font-family: MathJax_Main; left: 2.43em; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; position: absolute; text-decoration: none; top: -4.002em; transition: none 0s ease 0s; user-select: text; vertical-align: 0px; white-space: pre !important;">−<span class="SCXW226235825 BCX8" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; border: 0px; box-sizing: content-box; display: inline-block; height: 4.008em; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; position: static; text-decoration: none; transition: none 0s ease 0s; user-select: text; vertical-align: 0px; white-space: pre !important; width: 0px;"></span></span></span><span class="SCXW226235825 BCX8" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; border: 0px; box-sizing: content-box; display: inline-block; height: 4.008em; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; position: static; text-decoration: none; transition: none 0s ease 0s; user-select: text; vertical-align: 0px; white-space: pre !important; width: 0px;"></span></span><span class="SCXW226235825 BCX8" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; border: 0px; box-sizing: content-box; clip: rect(2.976em, 1001.03em, 4.554em, -999.997em); display: inline; left: 0em; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; position: absolute; text-decoration: none; top: -4.123em; transition: none 0s ease 0s; user-select: text; vertical-align: 0px; white-space: pre !important;"><span class="SCXW226235825 BCX8" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; border: 0px; box-sizing: content-box; display: inline; font-family: MathJax_Size1; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; position: static; text-decoration: none; transition: none 0s ease 0s; user-select: text; vertical-align: 0px; white-space: pre !important;">√</span><span class="SCXW226235825 BCX8" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; border: 0px; box-sizing: content-box; display: inline-block; height: 4.008em; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; position: static; text-decoration: none; transition: none 0s ease 0s; user-select: text; vertical-align: 0px; white-space: pre !important; width: 0px;"></span></span></span></span></span><span class="SCXW226235825 BCX8" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; border: 0px; box-sizing: content-box; display: inline-block; height: 4.008em; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; position: static; text-decoration: none; transition: none 0s ease 0s; user-select: text; vertical-align: 0px; white-space: pre !important; width: 0px;"></span></span><span class="SCXW226235825 BCX8" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; border: 0px; box-sizing: content-box; clip: rect(3.158em, 1001.03em, 4.19em, -999.997em); display: inline; left: 54.0938px; line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 0px -0.482em; padding: 0px; position: absolute; text-decoration: none; top: -3.334em; transition: none 0s ease 0s; user-select: text; vertical-align: 0px; white-space: pre !important;"><span class="mrow SCXW226235825 BCX8" id="MathJax-Span-34" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; border: 0px; box-sizing: content-box; display: inline; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; position: static; text-decoration: none; transition: none 0s ease 0s; user-select: text; vertical-align: 0px; white-space: pre !important;"><span class="mn SCXW226235825 BCX8" id="MathJax-Span-35" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; border: 0px; box-sizing: content-box; display: inline; font-family: MathJax_Main; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; position: static; text-decoration: none; transition: none 0s ease 0s; user-select: text; vertical-align: 0px; white-space: pre !important;">2</span><span class="mi SCXW226235825 BCX8" id="MathJax-Span-36" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; border: 0px; box-sizing: content-box; display: inline; font-family: MathJax_Math-italic; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; position: static; text-decoration: none; transition: none 0s ease 0s; user-select: text; vertical-align: 0px; white-space: pre !important;">a</span></span><span class="SCXW226235825 BCX8" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; border: 0px; box-sizing: content-box; display: inline-block; height: 4.008em; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; position: static; text-decoration: none; transition: none 0s ease 0s; user-select: text; vertical-align: 0px; white-space: pre !important; width: 0px;"></span></span><span class="SCXW226235825 BCX8" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; border: 0px; box-sizing: content-box; clip: rect(0.853em, 1007.16em, 1.277em, -999.997em); display: inline; left: 0em; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; position: absolute; text-decoration: none; top: -1.332em; transition: none 0s ease 0s; user-select: text; vertical-align: 0px; white-space: pre !important;"><span class="SCXW226235825 BCX8" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; border-bottom-style: initial; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-left-style: initial; border-right-style: initial; border-top-style: solid; border-width: 1.3px 0px 0px; box-sizing: content-box; display: inline-block; height: 0px; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; overflow: hidden; padding: 0px; position: static; text-decoration: none; transition: none 0s ease 0s; user-select: text; vertical-align: 0em; white-space: pre !important; width: 7.163em;"></span><span class="SCXW226235825 BCX8" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; border: 0px; box-sizing: content-box; display: inline-block; height: 1.095em; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; position: static; text-decoration: none; transition: none 0s ease 0s; user-select: text; vertical-align: 0px; white-space: pre !important; width: 0px;"></span></span></span></span><span class="mo SCXW226235825 BCX8" id="MathJax-Span-37" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; border: 0px; box-sizing: content-box; display: inline; font-family: MathJax_Main; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; position: static; text-decoration: none; transition: none 0s ease 0s; user-select: text; vertical-align: 0px; white-space: pre !important;">±</span><span class="mo SCXW226235825 BCX8" id="MathJax-Span-38" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; border: 0px; box-sizing: content-box; display: inline; font-family: MathJax_Main; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; position: static; text-decoration: none; transition: none 0s ease 0s; user-select: text; vertical-align: 0px; white-space: pre !important;">!</span><span class="mfrac SCXW226235825 BCX8" id="MathJax-Span-39" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; border: 0px; box-sizing: content-box; display: inline; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; position: static; text-decoration: none; transition: none 0s ease 0s; user-select: text; vertical-align: 0px; white-space: pre !important;"><span class="SCXW226235825 BCX8" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; border: 0px; box-sizing: content-box; display: inline-block; height: 0px; line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0.124em; padding: 0px; position: relative; text-decoration: none; transition: none 0s ease 0s; user-select: text; vertical-align: 0px; white-space: pre !important; width: 1.52em;"><span class="SCXW226235825 BCX8" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; border: 0px; box-sizing: content-box; clip: rect(3.401em, 1001.34em, 4.19em, -999.997em); display: inline; left: 11.4688px; line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 0px -0.664em; padding: 0px; position: absolute; text-decoration: none; top: -4.669em; transition: none 0s ease 0s; user-select: text; vertical-align: 0px; white-space: pre !important;"><span class="mrow SCXW226235825 BCX8" id="MathJax-Span-40" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; border: 0px; box-sizing: content-box; display: inline; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; position: static; text-decoration: none; transition: none 0s ease 0s; user-select: text; vertical-align: 0px; white-space: pre !important;"><span class="mi SCXW226235825 BCX8" id="MathJax-Span-41" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; border: 0px; box-sizing: content-box; display: inline; font-family: MathJax_Math-italic; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; position: static; text-decoration: none; transition: none 0s ease 0s; user-select: text; vertical-align: 0px; white-space: pre !important;">c</span><span class="mi SCXW226235825 BCX8" id="MathJax-Span-42" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; border: 0px; box-sizing: content-box; display: inline; font-family: MathJax_Math-italic; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; position: static; text-decoration: none; transition: none 0s ease 0s; user-select: text; vertical-align: 0px; white-space: pre !important;">o</span><span class="mi SCXW226235825 BCX8" id="MathJax-Span-43" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; border: 0px; box-sizing: content-box; display: inline; font-family: MathJax_Math-italic; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; position: static; text-decoration: none; transition: none 0s ease 0s; user-select: text; vertical-align: 0px; white-space: pre !important;">s</span></span><span class="SCXW226235825 BCX8" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; border: 0px; box-sizing: content-box; display: inline-block; height: 4.008em; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; position: static; text-decoration: none; transition: none 0s ease 0s; user-select: text; vertical-align: 0px; white-space: pre !important; width: 0px;"></span></span><span class="SCXW226235825 BCX8" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; border: 0px; box-sizing: content-box; clip: rect(3.158em, 1000.49em, 4.19em, -999.997em); display: inline; left: 11.4688px; line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 0px -0.24em; padding: 0px; position: absolute; text-decoration: none; top: -3.334em; transition: none 0s ease 0s; user-select: text; vertical-align: 0px; white-space: pre !important;"><span class="mn SCXW226235825 BCX8" id="MathJax-Span-44" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; border: 0px; box-sizing: content-box; display: inline; font-family: MathJax_Main; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; position: static; text-decoration: none; transition: none 0s ease 0s; user-select: text; vertical-align: 0px; white-space: pre !important;">9</span><span class="SCXW226235825 BCX8" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; border: 0px; box-sizing: content-box; display: inline-block; height: 4.008em; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; position: static; text-decoration: none; transition: none 0s ease 0s; user-select: text; vertical-align: 0px; white-space: pre !important; width: 0px;"></span></span><span class="SCXW226235825 BCX8" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; border: 0px; box-sizing: content-box; clip: rect(0.853em, 1001.52em, 1.277em, -999.997em); display: inline; left: 0em; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; position: absolute; text-decoration: none; top: -1.332em; transition: none 0s ease 0s; user-select: text; vertical-align: 0px; white-space: pre !important;"><span class="SCXW226235825 BCX8" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; border-bottom-style: initial; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-left-style: initial; border-right-style: initial; border-top-style: solid; border-width: 1.3px 0px 0px; box-sizing: content-box; display: inline-block; height: 0px; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; overflow: hidden; padding: 0px; position: static; text-decoration: none; transition: none 0s ease 0s; user-select: text; vertical-align: 0em; white-space: pre !important; width: 1.52em;"></span><span class="SCXW226235825 BCX8" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; border: 0px; box-sizing: content-box; display: inline-block; height: 1.095em; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; position: static; text-decoration: none; transition: none 0s ease 0s; user-select: text; vertical-align: 0px; white-space: pre !important; width: 0px;"></span></span></span></span></span><span class="SCXW226235825 BCX8" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; border: 0px; box-sizing: content-box; display: inline-block; height: 3.158em; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; position: static; text-decoration: none; transition: none 0s ease 0s; user-select: text; vertical-align: 0px; white-space: pre !important; width: 0px;"></span></span></span><span class="SCXW226235825 BCX8" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; border: 0px none; box-sizing: content-box; display: inline-block; height: 2.628em; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; overflow: hidden; padding: 0px; position: static; text-decoration: none; transition: none 0s ease 0s; user-select: text; vertical-align: -0.809em; white-space: pre !important; width: 0px;"></span></span></nobr><span class="MJX_Assistive_MathML MJX_Assistive_MathML_Block SCXW226235825 BCX8" role="presentation" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; border: 0px; box-sizing: content-box; clip: rect(1px, 1px, 1px, 1px); display: inline; height: 1px !important; left: 0px; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; overflow: hidden !important; padding: 0px; position: static; text-decoration: none; top: 0px; transition: none 0s ease 0s; user-select: none; vertical-align: 0px; white-space: pre !important; width: 316px;"><math class="SCXW226235825 BCX8" display="block" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"><mi class="SCXW226235825 BCX8" mathvariant="normal"><br /></mi></math></span></span></div><p><nobr aria-hidden="true" class="SCXW45281055 BCX8" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; border: 0px; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; max-height: none; max-width: none; min-height: 0px; min-width: 0px; padding: 0px; transition: none 0s ease 0s; user-select: text; vertical-align: 0px;"><span class="math SCXW45281055 BCX8" id="MathJax-Span-45" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; border: 0px; box-sizing: content-box; display: inline; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; position: static; transition: none 0s ease 0s; user-select: text; vertical-align: 0px; white-space: pre !important; width: 316px;"><span class="SCXW45281055 BCX8" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; border: 0px; box-sizing: content-box; display: inline-block; font-size: 15.1067px; height: 0px; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; position: relative; transition: none 0s ease 0s; user-select: text; vertical-align: 0px; width: 316px;"><span class="SCXW45281055 BCX8" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; border: 0px; box-sizing: content-box; clip: rect(1.277em, 1020.82em, 4.069em, -999.997em); display: inline; left: 0em; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; position: absolute; top: -3.152em; transition: none 0s ease 0s; user-select: text; vertical-align: 0px; width: 316px;"><span class="mrow SCXW45281055 BCX8" id="MathJax-Span-46" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; border: 0px; box-sizing: content-box; display: inline; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; position: static; transition: none 0s ease 0s; user-select: text; vertical-align: 0px;"><span class="mi SCXW45281055 BCX8" id="MathJax-Span-47" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; border: 0px; box-sizing: content-box; display: inline; font-family: MathJax_Main; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; position: static; transition: none 0s ease 0s; user-select: text; vertical-align: 0px;">X</span><span class="mo SCXW45281055 BCX8" id="MathJax-Span-48" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; border: 0px; box-sizing: content-box; display: inline; font-family: MathJax_Main; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 0.306em; position: static; transition: none 0s ease 0s; user-select: text; vertical-align: 0px;">=</span><span class="mi SCXW45281055 BCX8" id="MathJax-Span-49" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; border: 0px; box-sizing: content-box; display: inline; font-family: MathJax_Math-italic; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 0.306em; position: static; transition: none 0s ease 0s; user-select: text; vertical-align: 0px;">θ</span><span class="mo SCXW45281055 BCX8" id="MathJax-Span-50" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; border: 0px; box-sizing: content-box; display: inline; font-family: MathJax_Main; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 0.246em; position: static; transition: none 0s ease 0s; user-select: text; vertical-align: 0px;">×</span><span class="mrow SCXW45281055 BCX8" id="MathJax-Span-51" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; border: 0px; box-sizing: content-box; display: inline; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 0.246em; position: static; transition: none 0s ease 0s; user-select: text; vertical-align: 0px;"><span class="mrow SCXW45281055 BCX8" id="MathJax-Span-52" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; border: 0px; box-sizing: content-box; display: inline; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; position: static; transition: none 0s ease 0s; user-select: text; vertical-align: 0px;"><span class="mi SCXW45281055 BCX8" id="MathJax-Span-53" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; border: 0px; box-sizing: content-box; display: inline; font-family: MathJax_Main; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; position: static; transition: none 0s ease 0s; user-select: text; vertical-align: 0px;">sin</span></span><span class="mo SCXW45281055 BCX8" id="MathJax-Span-54" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; border: 0px; box-sizing: content-box; display: inline; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; position: static; transition: none 0s ease 0s; user-select: text; vertical-align: 0px;"></span><span class="mrow SCXW45281055 BCX8" id="MathJax-Span-55" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; border: 0px; box-sizing: content-box; display: inline; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 0.185em; position: static; transition: none 0s ease 0s; user-select: text; vertical-align: 0px;"><span class="mo SCXW45281055 BCX8" id="MathJax-Span-56" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; border: 0px; box-sizing: content-box; display: inline; font-family: MathJax_Size2; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; position: static; transition: none 0s ease 0s; user-select: text; vertical-align: 0em;">∑</span><span class="mrow SCXW45281055 BCX8" id="MathJax-Span-57" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; border: 0px; box-sizing: content-box; display: inline; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; position: static; transition: none 0s ease 0s; user-select: text; vertical-align: 0px;"></span></span></span><span class="msup SCXW45281055 BCX8" id="MathJax-Span-58" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; border: 0px; box-sizing: content-box; display: inline; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 0.185em; position: static; transition: none 0s ease 0s; user-select: text; vertical-align: 0px;"><span class="SCXW45281055 BCX8" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; border: 0px; box-sizing: content-box; display: inline-block; height: 0px; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; position: relative; transition: none 0s ease 0s; user-select: text; vertical-align: 0px; width: 1.459em;"><span class="SCXW45281055 BCX8" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; border: 0px; box-sizing: content-box; clip: rect(1.217em, 1000.97em, 2.552em, -999.997em); display: inline; left: 0em; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; position: absolute; top: -2.181em; transition: none 0s ease 0s; user-select: text; vertical-align: 0px;"><span class="mo SCXW45281055 BCX8" id="MathJax-Span-59" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; border: 0px; box-sizing: content-box; display: inline; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; position: static; transition: none 0s ease 0s; user-select: text; vertical-align: 0px;"><span class="SCXW45281055 BCX8" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; border: 0px; box-sizing: content-box; display: inline; font-family: STIXGeneral, "Arial Unicode MS", serif; font-size: 14.6535px; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; position: static; transition: none 0s ease 0s; user-select: text; vertical-align: 0px;">℃</span></span><span class="SCXW45281055 BCX8" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; border: 0px; box-sizing: content-box; display: inline-block; height: 2.187em; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; position: static; transition: none 0s ease 0s; user-select: text; vertical-align: 0px; width: 0px;"></span></span><span class="SCXW45281055 BCX8" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; border: 0px; box-sizing: content-box; display: inline; left: 0.974em; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; position: absolute; top: -4.427em; transition: none 0s ease 0s; user-select: text; vertical-align: 0px;"><span class="mi SCXW45281055 BCX8" id="MathJax-Span-60" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; border: 0px; box-sizing: content-box; display: inline; font-family: MathJax_Math-italic; font-size: 10.6804px; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; position: static; transition: none 0s ease 0s; user-select: text; vertical-align: 0px;">π<span class="SCXW45281055 BCX8" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; border: 0px; box-sizing: content-box; display: inline-block; height: 1px; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; overflow: hidden; padding: 0px; position: static; transition: none 0s ease 0s; user-select: text; vertical-align: 0px; width: 0.003em;"></span></span><span class="SCXW45281055 BCX8" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; border: 0px; box-sizing: content-box; display: inline-block; height: 4.008em; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; position: static; transition: none 0s ease 0s; user-select: text; vertical-align: 0px; width: 0px;"></span></span></span></span><span class="mo SCXW45281055 BCX8" id="MathJax-Span-61" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; border: 0px; box-sizing: content-box; display: inline; font-family: MathJax_Main; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; position: static; transition: none 0s ease 0s; user-select: text; vertical-align: 0px;">Δ</span><span class="mo SCXW45281055 BCX8" id="MathJax-Span-62" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; border: 0px; box-sizing: content-box; display: inline; font-family: MathJax_Main; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 0.306em; position: static; transition: none 0s ease 0s; user-select: text; vertical-align: 0px;">≠</span><span class="mfrac SCXW45281055 BCX8" id="MathJax-Span-63" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; border: 0px; box-sizing: content-box; display: inline; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 0.306em; position: static; transition: none 0s ease 0s; user-select: text; vertical-align: 0px;"><span class="SCXW45281055 BCX8" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; border: 0px; box-sizing: content-box; display: inline-block; height: 0px; line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0.124em; padding: 0px; position: relative; transition: none 0s ease 0s; user-select: text; vertical-align: 0px; width: 7.163em;"><span class="SCXW45281055 BCX8" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; border: 0px; box-sizing: content-box; clip: rect(2.855em, 1007.04em, 4.433em, -999.997em); display: inline; left: 54.0938px; line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 0px -3.516em; padding: 0px; position: absolute; top: -4.73em; transition: none 0s ease 0s; user-select: text; vertical-align: 0px;"><span class="mrow SCXW45281055 BCX8" id="MathJax-Span-64" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; border: 0px; box-sizing: content-box; display: inline; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; position: static; transition: none 0s ease 0s; user-select: text; vertical-align: 0px;"><span class="mo SCXW45281055 BCX8" id="MathJax-Span-65" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; border: 0px; box-sizing: content-box; display: inline; font-family: MathJax_Main; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; position: static; transition: none 0s ease 0s; user-select: text; vertical-align: 0px;">−</span><span class="mi SCXW45281055 BCX8" id="MathJax-Span-66" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; border: 0px; box-sizing: content-box; display: inline; font-family: MathJax_Math-italic; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; position: static; transition: none 0s ease 0s; user-select: text; vertical-align: 0px;">b</span><span class="mo SCXW45281055 BCX8" id="MathJax-Span-67" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; border: 0px; box-sizing: content-box; display: inline; font-family: MathJax_Main; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 0.246em; position: static; transition: none 0s ease 0s; user-select: text; vertical-align: 0px;">±</span><span class="msqrt SCXW45281055 BCX8" id="MathJax-Span-68" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; border: 0px; box-sizing: content-box; display: inline; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 0.246em; position: static; transition: none 0s ease 0s; user-select: text; vertical-align: 0px;"><span class="SCXW45281055 BCX8" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; border: 0px; box-sizing: content-box; display: inline-block; height: 0px; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; position: relative; transition: none 0s ease 0s; user-select: text; vertical-align: 0px; width: 4.615em;"><span class="SCXW45281055 BCX8" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; border: 0px; box-sizing: content-box; clip: rect(3.037em, 1003.58em, 4.251em, -999.997em); display: inline; left: 0.974em; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; position: absolute; top: -4.002em; transition: none 0s ease 0s; user-select: text; vertical-align: 0px;"><span class="mrow SCXW45281055 BCX8" id="MathJax-Span-69" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; border: 0px; box-sizing: content-box; display: inline; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; position: static; transition: none 0s ease 0s; user-select: text; vertical-align: 0px;"><span class="mrow SCXW45281055 BCX8" id="MathJax-Span-70" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; border: 0px; box-sizing: content-box; display: inline; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; position: static; transition: none 0s ease 0s; user-select: text; vertical-align: 0px;"><span class="msup SCXW45281055 BCX8" id="MathJax-Span-71" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; border: 0px; box-sizing: content-box; display: inline; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; position: static; transition: none 0s ease 0s; user-select: text; vertical-align: 0px;"><span class="SCXW45281055 BCX8" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; border: 0px; box-sizing: content-box; display: inline-block; height: 0px; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; position: relative; transition: none 0s ease 0s; user-select: text; vertical-align: 0px; width: 0.853em;"><span class="SCXW45281055 BCX8" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; border: 0px; box-sizing: content-box; clip: rect(3.158em, 1000.43em, 4.19em, -999.997em); display: inline; left: 0em; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; position: absolute; top: -4.002em; transition: none 0s ease 0s; user-select: text; vertical-align: 0px;"><span class="mi SCXW45281055 BCX8" id="MathJax-Span-72" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; border: 0px; box-sizing: content-box; display: inline; font-family: MathJax_Math-italic; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; position: static; transition: none 0s ease 0s; user-select: text; vertical-align: 0px;">b</span><span class="SCXW45281055 BCX8" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; border: 0px; box-sizing: content-box; display: inline-block; height: 4.008em; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; position: static; transition: none 0s ease 0s; user-select: text; vertical-align: 0px; width: 0px;"></span></span><span class="SCXW45281055 BCX8" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; border: 0px; box-sizing: content-box; display: inline; left: 0.428em; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; position: absolute; top: -4.305em; transition: none 0s ease 0s; user-select: text; vertical-align: 0px;"><span class="mn SCXW45281055 BCX8" id="MathJax-Span-73" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; border: 0px; box-sizing: content-box; display: inline; font-family: MathJax_Main; font-size: 10.6804px; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; position: static; transition: none 0s ease 0s; user-select: text; vertical-align: 0px;">2</span><span class="SCXW45281055 BCX8" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; border: 0px; box-sizing: content-box; display: inline-block; height: 4.008em; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; position: static; transition: none 0s ease 0s; user-select: text; vertical-align: 0px; width: 0px;"></span></span></span></span><span class="mo SCXW45281055 BCX8" id="MathJax-Span-74" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; border: 0px; box-sizing: content-box; display: inline; font-family: MathJax_Main; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 0.246em; position: static; transition: none 0s ease 0s; user-select: text; vertical-align: 0px;">−</span><span class="mn SCXW45281055 BCX8" id="MathJax-Span-75" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; border: 0px; box-sizing: content-box; display: inline; font-family: MathJax_Main; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 0.246em; position: static; transition: none 0s ease 0s; user-select: text; vertical-align: 0px;">4</span><span class="mi SCXW45281055 BCX8" id="MathJax-Span-76" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; border: 0px; box-sizing: content-box; display: inline; font-family: MathJax_Math-italic; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; position: static; transition: none 0s ease 0s; user-select: text; vertical-align: 0px;">a</span><span class="mi SCXW45281055 BCX8" id="MathJax-Span-77" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; border: 0px; box-sizing: content-box; display: inline; font-family: MathJax_Math-italic; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; position: static; transition: none 0s ease 0s; user-select: text; vertical-align: 0px;">c</span></span></span><span class="SCXW45281055 BCX8" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; border: 0px; box-sizing: content-box; display: inline-block; height: 4.008em; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; position: static; transition: none 0s ease 0s; user-select: text; vertical-align: 0px; width: 0px;"></span></span><span class="SCXW45281055 BCX8" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; border: 0px; box-sizing: content-box; clip: rect(3.583em, 1003.52em, 3.947em, -999.997em); display: inline; left: 0.974em; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; position: absolute; top: -4.669em; transition: none 0s ease 0s; user-select: text; vertical-align: 0px;"><span class="SCXW45281055 BCX8" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; border: 0px; box-sizing: content-box; display: inline-block; height: 0px; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; position: relative; transition: none 0s ease 0s; user-select: text; vertical-align: 0px; width: 3.522em;"><span class="SCXW45281055 BCX8" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; border: 0px; box-sizing: content-box; display: inline; font-family: MathJax_Main; left: -0.058em; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; position: absolute; top: -4.002em; transition: none 0s ease 0s; user-select: text; vertical-align: 0px;">−<span class="SCXW45281055 BCX8" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; border: 0px; box-sizing: content-box; display: inline-block; height: 4.008em; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; position: static; transition: none 0s ease 0s; user-select: text; vertical-align: 0px; width: 0px;"></span></span><span class="SCXW45281055 BCX8" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; border: 0px; box-sizing: content-box; display: inline; font-family: MathJax_Main; left: 2.855em; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; position: absolute; top: -4.002em; transition: none 0s ease 0s; user-select: text; vertical-align: 0px;">−<span class="SCXW45281055 BCX8" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; border: 0px; box-sizing: content-box; display: inline-block; height: 4.008em; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; position: static; transition: none 0s ease 0s; user-select: text; vertical-align: 0px; width: 0px;"></span></span><span class="SCXW45281055 BCX8" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; border: 0px; box-sizing: content-box; display: inline; font-family: MathJax_Main; left: 0.428em; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; position: absolute; top: -4.002em; transition: none 0s ease 0s; user-select: text; vertical-align: 0px;">−<span class="SCXW45281055 BCX8" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; border: 0px; box-sizing: content-box; display: inline-block; height: 4.008em; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; position: static; transition: none 0s ease 0s; user-select: text; vertical-align: 0px; width: 0px;"></span></span><span class="SCXW45281055 BCX8" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; border: 0px; box-sizing: content-box; display: inline; font-family: MathJax_Main; left: 0.913em; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; position: absolute; top: -4.002em; transition: none 0s ease 0s; user-select: text; vertical-align: 0px;">−<span class="SCXW45281055 BCX8" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; border: 0px; box-sizing: content-box; display: inline-block; height: 4.008em; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; position: static; transition: none 0s ease 0s; user-select: text; vertical-align: 0px; width: 0px;"></span></span><span class="SCXW45281055 BCX8" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; border: 0px; box-sizing: content-box; display: inline; font-family: MathJax_Main; left: 1.399em; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; position: absolute; top: -4.002em; transition: none 0s ease 0s; user-select: text; vertical-align: 0px;">−<span class="SCXW45281055 BCX8" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; border: 0px; box-sizing: content-box; display: inline-block; height: 4.008em; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; position: static; transition: none 0s ease 0s; user-select: text; vertical-align: 0px; width: 0px;"></span></span><span class="SCXW45281055 BCX8" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; border: 0px; box-sizing: content-box; display: inline; font-family: MathJax_Main; left: 1.884em; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; position: absolute; top: -4.002em; transition: none 0s ease 0s; user-select: text; vertical-align: 0px;">−<span class="SCXW45281055 BCX8" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; border: 0px; box-sizing: content-box; display: inline-block; height: 4.008em; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; position: static; transition: none 0s ease 0s; user-select: text; vertical-align: 0px; width: 0px;"></span></span><span class="SCXW45281055 BCX8" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; border: 0px; box-sizing: content-box; display: inline; font-family: MathJax_Main; left: 2.43em; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; position: absolute; top: -4.002em; transition: none 0s ease 0s; user-select: text; vertical-align: 0px;">−<span class="SCXW45281055 BCX8" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; border: 0px; box-sizing: content-box; display: inline-block; height: 4.008em; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; position: static; transition: none 0s ease 0s; user-select: text; vertical-align: 0px; width: 0px;"></span></span></span><span class="SCXW45281055 BCX8" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; border: 0px; box-sizing: content-box; display: inline-block; height: 4.008em; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; position: static; transition: none 0s ease 0s; user-select: text; vertical-align: 0px; width: 0px;"></span></span><span class="SCXW45281055 BCX8" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; border: 0px; box-sizing: content-box; clip: rect(2.976em, 1001.03em, 4.554em, -999.997em); display: inline; left: 0em; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; position: absolute; top: -4.123em; transition: none 0s ease 0s; user-select: text; vertical-align: 0px;"><span class="SCXW45281055 BCX8" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; border: 0px; box-sizing: content-box; display: inline; font-family: MathJax_Size1; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; position: static; transition: none 0s ease 0s; user-select: text; vertical-align: 0px;">√</span><span class="SCXW45281055 BCX8" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; border: 0px; box-sizing: content-box; display: inline-block; height: 4.008em; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; position: static; transition: none 0s ease 0s; user-select: text; vertical-align: 0px; width: 0px;"></span></span></span></span></span><span class="SCXW45281055 BCX8" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; border: 0px; box-sizing: content-box; display: inline-block; height: 4.008em; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; position: static; transition: none 0s ease 0s; user-select: text; vertical-align: 0px; width: 0px;"></span></span><span class="SCXW45281055 BCX8" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; border: 0px; box-sizing: content-box; clip: rect(3.158em, 1001.03em, 4.19em, -999.997em); display: inline; left: 54.0938px; line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 0px -0.482em; padding: 0px; position: absolute; top: -3.334em; transition: none 0s ease 0s; user-select: text; vertical-align: 0px;"><span class="mrow SCXW45281055 BCX8" id="MathJax-Span-78" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; border: 0px; box-sizing: content-box; display: inline; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; position: static; transition: none 0s ease 0s; user-select: text; vertical-align: 0px;"><span class="mn SCXW45281055 BCX8" id="MathJax-Span-79" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; border: 0px; box-sizing: content-box; display: inline; font-family: MathJax_Main; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; position: static; transition: none 0s ease 0s; user-select: text; vertical-align: 0px;">2</span><span class="mi SCXW45281055 BCX8" id="MathJax-Span-80" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; border: 0px; box-sizing: content-box; display: inline; font-family: MathJax_Math-italic; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; position: static; transition: none 0s ease 0s; user-select: text; vertical-align: 0px;">a</span></span><span class="SCXW45281055 BCX8" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; border: 0px; box-sizing: content-box; display: inline-block; height: 4.008em; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; position: static; transition: none 0s ease 0s; user-select: text; vertical-align: 0px; width: 0px;"></span></span><span class="SCXW45281055 BCX8" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; border: 0px; box-sizing: content-box; clip: rect(0.853em, 1007.16em, 1.277em, -999.997em); display: inline; left: 0em; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; position: absolute; top: -1.332em; transition: none 0s ease 0s; user-select: text; vertical-align: 0px;"><span class="SCXW45281055 BCX8" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; border-bottom-style: initial; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-left-style: initial; border-right-style: initial; border-top-style: solid; border-width: 1.3px 0px 0px; box-sizing: content-box; display: inline-block; height: 0px; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; overflow: hidden; padding: 0px; position: static; transition: none 0s ease 0s; user-select: text; vertical-align: 0em; width: 7.163em;"></span><span class="SCXW45281055 BCX8" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; border: 0px; box-sizing: content-box; display: inline-block; height: 1.095em; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; position: static; transition: none 0s ease 0s; user-select: text; vertical-align: 0px; width: 0px;"></span></span></span></span><span class="mo SCXW45281055 BCX8" id="MathJax-Span-81" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; border: 0px; box-sizing: content-box; display: inline; font-family: MathJax_Main; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; position: static; transition: none 0s ease 0s; user-select: text; vertical-align: 0px;">±</span><span class="mo SCXW45281055 BCX8" id="MathJax-Span-82" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; border: 0px; box-sizing: content-box; display: inline; font-family: MathJax_Main; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; position: static; transition: none 0s ease 0s; user-select: text; vertical-align: 0px;">!</span><span class="mfrac SCXW45281055 BCX8" id="MathJax-Span-83" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; border: 0px; box-sizing: content-box; display: inline; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; position: static; transition: none 0s ease 0s; user-select: text; vertical-align: 0px;"><span class="SCXW45281055 BCX8" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; border: 0px; box-sizing: content-box; display: inline-block; height: 0px; line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0.124em; padding: 0px; position: relative; transition: none 0s ease 0s; user-select: text; vertical-align: 0px; width: 1.52em;"><span class="SCXW45281055 BCX8" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; border: 0px; box-sizing: content-box; clip: rect(3.401em, 1001.34em, 4.19em, -999.997em); display: inline; left: 11.4688px; line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 0px -0.664em; padding: 0px; position: absolute; top: -4.669em; transition: none 0s ease 0s; user-select: text; vertical-align: 0px;"><span class="mrow SCXW45281055 BCX8" id="MathJax-Span-84" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; border: 0px; box-sizing: content-box; display: inline; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; position: static; transition: none 0s ease 0s; user-select: text; vertical-align: 0px;"><span class="mi SCXW45281055 BCX8" id="MathJax-Span-85" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; border: 0px; box-sizing: content-box; display: inline; font-family: MathJax_Math-italic; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; position: static; transition: none 0s ease 0s; user-select: text; vertical-align: 0px;">c</span><span class="mi SCXW45281055 BCX8" id="MathJax-Span-86" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; border: 0px; box-sizing: content-box; display: inline; font-family: MathJax_Math-italic; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; position: static; transition: none 0s ease 0s; user-select: text; vertical-align: 0px;">o</span><span class="mi SCXW45281055 BCX8" id="MathJax-Span-87" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; border: 0px; box-sizing: content-box; display: inline; font-family: MathJax_Math-italic; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; position: static; transition: none 0s ease 0s; user-select: text; vertical-align: 0px;">s</span></span><span class="SCXW45281055 BCX8" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; border: 0px; box-sizing: content-box; display: inline-block; height: 4.008em; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; position: static; transition: none 0s ease 0s; user-select: text; vertical-align: 0px; width: 0px;"></span></span><span class="SCXW45281055 BCX8" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; border: 0px; box-sizing: content-box; clip: rect(3.158em, 1000.49em, 4.19em, -999.997em); display: inline; left: 11.4688px; line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 0px -0.24em; padding: 0px; position: absolute; top: -3.334em; transition: none 0s ease 0s; user-select: text; vertical-align: 0px;"><span class="mn SCXW45281055 BCX8" id="MathJax-Span-88" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; border: 0px; box-sizing: content-box; display: inline; font-family: MathJax_Main; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; position: static; transition: none 0s ease 0s; user-select: text; vertical-align: 0px;">9</span><span class="SCXW45281055 BCX8" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; border: 0px; box-sizing: content-box; display: inline-block; height: 4.008em; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; position: static; transition: none 0s ease 0s; user-select: text; vertical-align: 0px; width: 0px;"></span></span><span class="SCXW45281055 BCX8" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; border: 0px; box-sizing: content-box; clip: rect(0.853em, 1001.52em, 1.277em, -999.997em); display: inline; left: 0em; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; position: absolute; top: -1.332em; transition: none 0s ease 0s; user-select: text; vertical-align: 0px;"><span class="SCXW45281055 BCX8" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; border-bottom-style: initial; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-left-style: initial; border-right-style: initial; border-top-style: solid; border-width: 1.3px 0px 0px; box-sizing: content-box; display: inline-block; height: 0px; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; overflow: hidden; padding: 0px; position: static; transition: none 0s ease 0s; user-select: text; vertical-align: 0em; width: 1.52em;"></span><span class="SCXW45281055 BCX8" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; border: 0px; box-sizing: content-box; display: inline-block; height: 1.095em; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; position: static; transition: none 0s ease 0s; user-select: text; vertical-align: 0px; width: 0px;"></span></span></span></span></span><span class="SCXW45281055 BCX8" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; border: 0px; box-sizing: content-box; display: inline-block; height: 3.158em; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; position: static; transition: none 0s ease 0s; user-select: text; vertical-align: 0px; width: 0px;"></span></span><span class="SCXW45281055 BCX8" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; border: 0px; box-sizing: content-box; clip: rect(1.277em, 1020.82em, 4.069em, -999.997em); display: inline; left: 0em; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; position: absolute; top: -3.152em; transition: none 0s ease 0s; user-select: text; vertical-align: 0px; width: 316px;"><br /></span><span class="SCXW45281055 BCX8" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; border: 0px; box-sizing: content-box; clip: rect(1.277em, 1020.82em, 4.069em, -999.997em); display: inline; left: 0em; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; position: absolute; top: -3.152em; transition: none 0s ease 0s; user-select: text; vertical-align: 0px; width: 316px;"><br /></span></span><span class="SCXW45281055 BCX8" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; border: 0px none; box-sizing: content-box; display: inline-block; height: 2.628em; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; overflow: hidden; padding: 0px; position: static; transition: none 0s ease 0s; user-select: text; vertical-align: -0.809em; width: 0px;"></span></span></nobr><span class="MJX_Assistive_MathML MJX_Assistive_MathML_Block SCXW45281055 BCX8" role="presentation" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; border: 0px; box-sizing: content-box; clip: rect(1px, 1px, 1px, 1px); display: inline; height: 1px; left: 0px; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; overflow: hidden; padding: 0px; position: static; top: 0px; transition: none 0s ease 0s; user-select: none; vertical-align: 0px; white-space: pre; width: 316px;"><math class="SCXW45281055 BCX8" display="block" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"><mi class="SCXW45281055 BCX8" mathvariant="normal"><span class="MathEquationContainer BlobObject DragDrop SCXW226235825 BCX8" contenteditable="false" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; background-color: white; display: inline-block; font-family: "Segoe UI", "Segoe UI Web", Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; user-select: text; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="MathSpan SCXW226235825 BCX8" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; background-color: inherit; display: inline-block; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; user-select: text; white-space: pre !important;"></span></span><span class="TextRun EmptyTextRun SCXW226235825 BCX8" data-contrast="auto" lang="EN-US" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, Calibri_EmbeddedFont, Calibri_MSFontService, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-ligatures: none !important; line-height: 19.425px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; user-select: text; white-space: pre-wrap;" xml:lang="EN-US"></span><span class="EOP SCXW226235825 BCX8" data-ccp-props="{"201341983":0,"335559739":160,"335559740":259}" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, Calibri_EmbeddedFont, Calibri_MSFontService, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19.425px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; user-select: text; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span></mi></math></span></p><p>By putting in the stats and units of all the Chess pieces, we can work out exactly which the best ones are for capturing a given Chess piece and even the best Chess army for checkmating the other player on Turn 2. It doesn't matter how many squares are on the board, or what kind of Chess pieces the other guy has brought, as long as you follow the math, you will routinely dunk on your Chess opponents every time. </p><p><br /></p><p>Of course, the other thing about Chess is the units, since they're what you're analyzing with the math. So let's look at the Chess pieces you should be using. </p><p><br /></p><p>Now before we move on we need to take some time out to talk about faction choice, which is very important in Chess. And what you need to know is that you don't bother with White. Ever. White is fuck-off broken and stupidly overpowered, it just flat-out breaks the game. I honestly don't know what the game designers were thinking when they just flat-out made White always move first. It's an impossible advantage to beat, and doesn't make for a good game at all, which is why all Chess tournaments that are worth going to ban it. Really White doesn't even fit in with the core design philosophy of Chess in the first place, which is built around being able to guess which hand the jellybean is held in as a key skill. Without that key match of skill in guessing which hand the jellybean is in to work out who goes first, the game just turns into a random crapshoot. Seriously, playing White isn't really playing Chess at all. White just ignores so many basic rules of Chess that you just shouldn't even bother with Chess if you want to play White and go play Shogi instead. Trust me, all of the other gamers will hate you if you decide to play White, and you won't get anyone to play with you, and worst of all you won't be accepted at any of the good tournaments. So just don't even bother with White. </p><p><br /></p><p>With that out of the way, these are the units available in Chess. </p><p><br /></p><p><b>Pawns:</b> The basic Chess Piece, you're required by the rules to take at least two, but it's OK because you want more anyway. They have pretty shitty stats, but at just 1 point they're dirt cheap so you can afford loads of them in addition to your good pieces. What makes them really good however, is that when they're at the other end of the board they can be replaced with ANY other Chess piece available to Black! This is the only viable way to get Queens in the game, and getting 8 Queens instantly deployed in the enemy back row is a recipe for meatbread and PAIN. There is nothing sweeter than ROFLstomping the other Chess army with a full back row of 8 Queens that you got for just 1 point each. </p><p><br /></p><p><b>Rooks:</b> Honestly these guys are pretty mediocre. They have good movement range, and they're not as overcosted as Queens, but they're still too expensive for what they do. You can take one for using the Castle stratagem, but otherwise you're always better off spending the points on another Knight and 2 Pawns. </p><p><br /></p><p><b>Bishops:</b> Garbage. Pure absolute trash. Don't bother with them. If you even THINK about playing with these things, go punch yourself in the face immediately like Dylan Boswick made me do every morning before class in High School. The fact that they look like a pacifier should give you a clue that anyone who plays with Bishops needs to go put on a daiper, stick one in their mouth and then suck on it like the dumb baby they are while Daddy gets on and plays the game like a real man. For the same points as a Knight, you get a pile of turd that can only move on half as many squares and can't even jump over other pieces. There is NEVER any reason to use Bishops, EVER. </p><p><br /></p><p><b>Knights:</b> Now we're talking. Easily the best Chessman in the game. For just 3 points you get a Chess Piece that can cover a lot of squares each turn, which is already pretty good, but what makes them REALLY worth it is that their special ability that lets them JUMP OVER OTHER CHESS PIECES. This is crazy good, and Knights are the only unit in the game that can do this. They synergise really well with Pawns using the Outpost stratagem too. </p><p>Better still, their move is an L, but RAW the move can be <b>any</b> kind of L! Lower case l, Cyrillic <span style="font-size: medium;">л, </span>you name it! This makes Knights able to attack just about anywhere. Always take as many as you can. </p><p><br /></p><p><b>Queens</b>: Not worth it. Unlimited movement sounds nice, but they're a 0-1 choice and stupidly overcosted at that. For the same price as 1 Queen, you can get 3 whole Knights. Even 1 Knight and 6 Pawns would be more worth it than taking a Queen. Since they're 0-1 but still die to Pawns, and cost the same as 3 Knights, you should never bother taking them. If you want to use them in the game you are always better just taking more Pawns and then getting them to the other side of the board, which gives you unlimited Queens for just 1 Point each. Unless the game developers errata this game hack, Queens taken as an army choice are garbage and a waste of time. </p><p><br /></p><p><b>Kings:</b> These are a weird unit. They're basically Pawns, but they can move backwards, don't get to change into something else when they reach the board, and if one of them dies you lose the game. They're basically garbage, but they also don't cost any points to take and don't use up a Chessmen slot, and the rules force you to take one in every Chess army, so instead they're really more of a tax you pay to field the actual Chess pieces you'll be using. Use them once for the Castle stratagem and then forget about them for the game. </p><p><br /></p><p>So with those Chess pieces in mind, we can use math to construct the most optimal Chess list, which is the only one you should be bothering with. Based on the formula above, and the points costs of the different Chessmen, the list you should be using is: </p><p><br /></p><p>1 King (mandatory) </p><p>10 Pawns </p><p>1 Rook </p><p>8 Knights </p><p><br /></p><p>The math doesn't lie, and numbers don't care about your feelings. The fact is that this list is so optimal it is literally unbeatable. If you play this Chess list, you are mathematically certain to destroy your opponent's entire army and checkmate him by Turn 2 at the latest. It doesn't matter which moves you make, assuming you can correctly guess which hand the jellybean is in to get first turn, you will win every game and shame your opponents by dominating all over them. </p><p><br /></p><p>So there you have it. You are now armed with the best tactics there are to Chess, so now you too can get good and win all your games against your local opponents, and you stand a good chance at winning Chess tournaments! </p><p><br /></p><p>Come back next time when I'll be sharing all the optimal ways in Chess to seize agency from your opponent in their turn! </p><div class="MathJax_Display SCXW45281055 BCX8" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; display: block; margin: 0px; max-height: none; max-width: none; min-height: 0px; min-width: 0px; padding: 0px; position: relative; text-align: center; text-indent: 0px; user-select: text; white-space: pre; width: 316px;"></div><p><span class="MathEquationContainer BlobObject DragDrop SCXW45281055 BCX8" contenteditable="false" face=""Segoe UI", "Segoe UI Web", Arial, Verdana, sans-serif" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; background-color: white; display: inline-block; font-size: 11pt; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; user-select: text; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="MathSpan SCXW45281055 BCX8" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; background-color: inherit; display: inline-block; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; user-select: text; white-space: pre;"></span></span><span class="TextRun EmptyTextRun SCXW45281055 BCX8" data-contrast="auto" face="Calibri, Calibri_EmbeddedFont, Calibri_MSFontService, sans-serif" lang="EN-US" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; background-color: white; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-ligatures: none; line-height: 19.425px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; user-select: text; white-space: pre-wrap;" xml:lang="EN-US"></span></p>MillitantGuerillaCommunistHippiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13565203522225127317noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5420460147318382021.post-28766610959204697332022-11-27T04:10:00.002-08:002022-11-27T04:10:32.236-08:00A New Chapter<p> <i>My fellow Citizens, </i></p><p><i><br /></i></p><p><i>I come to you tonight in the midst of a truly historic moment. By now it is all too clear that we are in the grip of an unimaginable cataclysm that shows no sign of stopping. Indeed, all signs suggest that things will only get worse before they get better. Make no mistake, the storm we currently find ourselves in is here to stay, and we will not find reprieve any time soon. </i></p><p><i><br /></i></p><p><i>In such unprecedented times as these, we must be flexible and dynamic. If we are to have any chance of progress, we must adapt to the new changes and the new opportunities that present themselves. We must be prepared to adjust to a new situation, and sometimes we must be prepared to reevaluate our oldest and most foundational traditions. </i></p><p><i><br /></i></p><p><i>For over two-score millennia we have prided ourselves on defying the Space Marine hegemony compeleld on us by Games Workshop, and taken great satisfaction from our identity of independence that grew from it. We have long been a bastion against the hegemonic constructs of Games Workshop's marketing, and the crown jewel of that rebellion has been our fervent denial to ever host Space Marine models within our borders. </i></p><p><i><br /></i></p><p><i>But the Space Marines too have suffered under these arduous times just as we have, and now at last they too have found themselves betrayed by GW. They are no longer the face of GW's hegemonic power structure, and they are no longer the 40k player base's boot upon our throat. Yet even as they have found themselves cast out from power, usurped by unfathomable products of GW's CAD complex, we have stubbornly upheld our long-standing prejudices against them. </i></p><p><i><br /></i></p><p><i>Until now. </i></p><p><i><br /></i></p><p><i>My fellow Citizens, as of midnight tonight, at long last, the Non-Space Marine Player Charter of 2002 and the Space Marine Act of 2004 are to hereby be officially revoked. From this day forward, the Kakapo Empire will officially grant political asylum to any Space Marine refugees from 1998 to 2004 that seek it, and we will officially recognise their right to sanctuary and to apply for full Citizenship within the Kakapo Empire. </i></p><p><i><br /></i></p><p><i>For too long we have considered the Space Marines our adversaries. Make no mistake, we are now trapped in the same storm together, and only by putting aside our long-standing differences and uniting our efforts together can we weather this onslaught. </i></p><p><i><br /></i></p><p><i>Already the first groups of Space Marine refugees are making their way to our territory even now. I implore you, my fellow Citzens, one and all, to strive to ensure they are welcomed warmly as new friends, and made to feel comfortable in their new home. </i></p><p><i><br /></i></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhF-rtRbBJ9Fngrmah-3hYgyB259wnJ5lBnPntj4sxFQVfYvT_PyS00vAwvq5K485VtnKrb0C8fotGnjOZnAIA0_ilxlJgbLYhyIBDmI7CN3A7zVLOOCEdaKuI-4V6ivrsJkxcTwAfSvgyLy8D0MDPqO4_y1xdmi65x37HrQ-V6FE2zVD8dJ05m0zzJ/s4608/001.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3456" data-original-width="4608" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhF-rtRbBJ9Fngrmah-3hYgyB259wnJ5lBnPntj4sxFQVfYvT_PyS00vAwvq5K485VtnKrb0C8fotGnjOZnAIA0_ilxlJgbLYhyIBDmI7CN3A7zVLOOCEdaKuI-4V6ivrsJkxcTwAfSvgyLy8D0MDPqO4_y1xdmi65x37HrQ-V6FE2zVD8dJ05m0zzJ/s16000/001.JPG" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg61l3b6EzEp5TI56dd-FNhgN1tt_3WXS-Fgazi-48LcFgNlfi7-z-Zz66SBdOB1BMdF0J_Sfddqj2LgfL1r6irVi5zB9qsWO0V5QvJHjT4A0BUHT7na915XUQXbwiAs-ysOFe77WQJscYZlo1TkBNXWHM1fcL3d45mv7ceRUGz494TRYoRmSygNSrG/s4608/002.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3456" data-original-width="4608" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg61l3b6EzEp5TI56dd-FNhgN1tt_3WXS-Fgazi-48LcFgNlfi7-z-Zz66SBdOB1BMdF0J_Sfddqj2LgfL1r6irVi5zB9qsWO0V5QvJHjT4A0BUHT7na915XUQXbwiAs-ysOFe77WQJscYZlo1TkBNXWHM1fcL3d45mv7ceRUGz494TRYoRmSygNSrG/s16000/002.JPG" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOScH4nWkTUzC21GBMhxsJ2-6vehiZJx9oF4aNxIqV5QcvZsTxDw8pReRSfEEePzSf84hOcQRulqrAsPLTE5-Se1AOwJ38KUEJqRzKAvbJlo3wOOpk2hfHsNS-M3yVIXycCvHbchWNcnUkofDwTFdr99wTA6mwC3jic91RxdCp2t3Kb2TMe6jpKiA7/s4608/003.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3456" data-original-width="4608" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOScH4nWkTUzC21GBMhxsJ2-6vehiZJx9oF4aNxIqV5QcvZsTxDw8pReRSfEEePzSf84hOcQRulqrAsPLTE5-Se1AOwJ38KUEJqRzKAvbJlo3wOOpk2hfHsNS-M3yVIXycCvHbchWNcnUkofDwTFdr99wTA6mwC3jic91RxdCp2t3Kb2TMe6jpKiA7/s16000/003.JPG" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><p>Well, there it is. It's happened. After 20 years, it's finally happened. Hell has frozen over, pigs have taken flight, cats and dogs are living together in mass hysteria. </p><p><br /></p><p>I'm starting a Space Marine army. </p><p><br /></p><p>Of course I'm also starting a Dark Eldar army too, for much the same reasons, but I've never had an official militant policy of prohibition against the Dark Eldar, and have seriously entertained the idea of a Dark Eldar army for a while now. So that's not really too earthshaking. Not like the Space Marines, that I promised I would <i> never</i> collect, ever. </p><p><br /></p><p>When I said I would die a bachelor, I did not think I should live till I were married. </p><p><br /></p><p>It was always foreshadowed I suppose. The first Warhammer 40,000 model I ever saw was a Space Marine Landspeeder. When I first happened upon the big store display of Warhammer 40,000 stuff in the local Toyworld one fateful afternoon, there were no Tau boxes on display, so my attention instead wandered to the strange mysterious yellow flying APC I could see on one of the boxes. It wasn't until over a decade later that I was able to put two and two together and figured out that the mysterious flying APC I had spotted as a 7 year old was, in fact, a Landspeeder that my memory had warped - in particular, I had got it into my head that it was a hovering troop transport because I had mistaken the very conspicuous maintenance hatches on the side for doors to a troop compartment and my developing myopia had fused the entire cockpit and two crewmen together into a single enclosed bridge. </p><p><br /></p><p>And then of course later on there was the Blood Angels army I happened upon one night when my parents decided to take a shortcut to the Chinese restaurant were going out to which happened to bring us past the local Games Workshop store. </p><p><br /></p><p>But despite all that I have, for pretty much my entire hobby life, been legendary for my loathing of Space Marines and my fanatical refusal to ever start a Space Marine army. For decades I resented the publicity and central framing the Space Marines got, and the fact that the entire 40k player base seemed to lean into it, with the fury of a thousand suns, and swore I would be the only 40k player in history to never start a Space Marine army or even own a single Space Marine model, and make my name that way. As the years went on I took enormous, fierce pride in being the cool rebellious non-conformist doggedly sticking to an exclusive hobby diet of alien factions while all the sheeple around me mindlessly consumed their bland Ultramarines or whatever. </p><p><br /></p><p>Of course, deep down the truth was that as a Tau player I was being relentlessly marginalised by the wider 40k fanbase, and when you're on the fringes of the group often what you desperately want most of all is to be in the centre. Natalie Wynn is definitely onto something with her Envy-Contempt Sublimation thinking. </p><p><br /></p><p>I probably would have kept up this anti-Space Marine policy forever if it were not for GW. It is the one of the world's greatest ironies that the release of 8th edition and the NuMarines ultimately convinced me to start a Space Marine army. See, when GW released the NuMarines and re-framed <i>them</i> to be the stars of the spotlight, it meant that the Space Marines were no longer the golden poster boys they had always been. And that made them cool. That made it OK for me to like them, because now I could hypothetically collect a Space Marine army and still maintain my anti-establishment non-conformist street cred. It was the loophole I needed to reconcile the two impulses. I could collect some Space Marines, and I would be just preserving another part of Warhammer 40,000 for posterity and providing another opposing force for my Tau and Witch Hunters.. so long as I never, ever touched any of those filthy NuMarines. </p><p><br /></p><p>With my Envy-Contempt Sublimation re-targeted, I was then able to consider two factors. The first was a shocking realisation of just how little of the Space Marine range actually remains in circulation. While I had been aware for years about just how many GW model lines had been discontinued, I never really gave much thought to how that had impacted the Space Marine range, because they're the poster boys. The star prodigies. GW's flagship product. GW might discontinue other model ranges, but surely they would never shut down model lines for their flagship product. It was only as I sat down, looked through an archived copy of the Citadel Miniatures Catalogues and compared them to the GW website that I finally had the genuinely sobering revelation of just how much the Space Marine range had suffered - pretty much none of it remains available any more. And with that, I then realised just how important it was to preserve the classic Oldhammer Space Marine range from 2003 for posterity, just like all the others. </p><p><br /></p><p>The other was seeing an opportunity to do just this. See, I love Jungle Trees. Like, a lot. They are easily my favourite Warhammer 40,000 terrain kit of all time, and easily one of my top 3 GW terrain pieces of all time, and I desperately wish I had gotten more of them when they were still available from GW. In truth, a lot of my quest to collect classic Warhammer 40,000 Battleforce and army boxes is motivated entirely by the drive to acquire the Jungle Tree sprues they contain. Rick Sanchez has his Szechuan McNugget sauce, I have my Jungle Trees. And I've noticed that one of the best remaining sources of Jungle Trees (and their cousins the Ruined Buildings and Battlefield Accessories that I also crave) is in rescuing 3rd edition Warhammer 40,000 starter box sets off Ebay. And those starter box sets also happen to feature a bunch of Space Marine models in them. So if I'm going to be rescuing a bunch of Warhammer 40,000 starter boxes from Ebay, then I might as well put those Space Marine freebies to good use. </p><p><br /></p><p>This was all starting to coalesce together into a solid action plan right around December last year, when something truly crazy happened. Games Workshop re-released the starter box for Warhammer 40,000. Now, it was only the army component of the starter box, there were none of the terrain kits and no rulebook or whippy sticks, but on close inspection it appeared that the model sprues for the Space Marine and Dark Eldar sculpts featured a copyright date of 1998 on them, which meant that they were very likely complete recreations of the original sculpts, painstakingly close if not identical. This in turn meant that GW had made a conscious step towards meeting my demands of it, so I removed some of my economic trade sanctions on it and ordered a set for Boxing Day of last year as a show of good faith. </p><p><br /></p><p>Supply chain issues due to the general apocalypse going on in the world at the moment meant that it then took almost a year for the box to get shipped to me, and now here we are, with the start of a brand new Space Marine army. Of course it probably won't actually get painted any time soon, not only because there are more pressing things I'm prioritising but also because before I can paint it I have to settle on which Chapter I want to paint them as. </p><p><br /></p><p>See, for those of you not in the know, the Space Marines in Warhammer 40,000 are organised into a bunch of different groups called Chapters. Each one has a very, very, VERY distinct colour scheme, lore and identity, though most Chapters can be grouped together as 'Codex' chapters, which means they're normal Space Marine Chapters that don't really do anything unusual. Chapters are a very big deal for a Space Marine army, and there are several ones I like the colour scheme and/or concept of, which makes figuring out which one I want to do a massive headache. </p><p><br /></p><p>Right now, here is the current short-list: </p><p><br /></p><h3 style="text-align: left;">FLAME FALCONS </h3><p style="text-align: left;"><b>Pros:</b> </p><p style="text-align: left;">- The COOLEST Space Marine Chapter <i>ever</i>. </p><p style="text-align: left;">- No, seriously. </p><p style="text-align: left;">- They're Space Marines that fight ON FIRE. It doesn't get any cooler than that (for Space Marines anyway) </p><p style="text-align: left;">- The Cursed Founding is easily the best part of Space Marine lore, ever. </p><p style="text-align: left;">- Major mystique and non-conformist points for playing a Cursed Founding Chapter. </p><p style="text-align: left;">- The Cursed Founding rules for Flame Falcons in Chapter Approved are pretty neat. </p><p style="text-align: left;">- Can have fun expanding on the Chapter's recent history. </p><p style="text-align: left;">- An excellent outlet for all my fire-related puns, leaving my Witch Hunters free to focus on in-character roleplay. </p><p style="text-align: left;">- No official paint scheme means I can have fun with colours. </p><p style="text-align: left;"><b>Cons:</b> </p><p style="text-align: left;">- Models would require extensive greenstuff work, since they're all on fire. </p><p style="text-align: left;">- Sculpting greenstuff fire is a pain in the ass. </p><p style="text-align: left;">- I kind of want to preserve the 2003 Space Marine model range as it was, and covering all the Space Marines in greenstuff fire defeats that purpose. </p><p style="text-align: left;">- No official paint scheme means I run the risk of getting constantly harassed for not painting them right. </p><p style="text-align: left;">- The Cursed Founding rules restrict some of the unit options I can use, and I want to feature as many Space Marine units as possible for maximum diversity and to preserve the entire range for posterity. </p><p style="text-align: left;">- I'm really not sure I'm comfortable with covering precious irreplaceable 1998 - 2003 models with greenstuff fire. </p><p style="text-align: left;">- "You're using the normal Space Marine codex for a Cursed Founding Chapter? You have no respect for the lore or the unique character of the army! WAAC! WAAAAAAAC!!" </p><p style="text-align: left;">- No official paint scheme means I actually have to plan one myself, and still avoid it being too similar to all the other Chapter paint schemes. </p><p style="text-align: left;">- OH DEAR SWEET GOD NO IT'S THE EMPIRE PROBLEM ALL OVER AGAIN! </p><p style="text-align: left;"><br /></p><h3 style="text-align: left;">LAMENTERS </h3><p style="text-align: left;"><b>Pros:</b> </p><p style="text-align: left;">- The second coolest Space Marine Chapter ever. </p><p style="text-align: left;">- The most relatable Space Marine Chapter ever. </p><p style="text-align: left;">- Really, if I were a Space Marine I 100% would be a Lamenter given the way my life has gone. </p><p style="text-align: left;">- "Blood Angels but without the Blood Angel problems except they get horrific bad luck instead" is just a really neat concept. </p><p style="text-align: left;">- The Cursed Founding is easily the best part of Space Marine lore, ever. </p><p style="text-align: left;">- Major mystique and non-conformist points for playing a Cursed Founding Chapter. </p><p style="text-align: left;">- The Cursed Founding rules for Lamenters are pretty neat. </p><p style="text-align: left;">- All the Natural 1s and appalling game losses I ever have with the army would be completely 100% in character. </p><p style="text-align: left;">- No, really, I relate to the Lamenters on a cellular level. </p><p style="text-align: left;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: left;"><b>Cons:</b> </p><p style="text-align: left;">- Paint Scheme isn't the prettiest. </p><p style="text-align: left;">- Chapter Logo has no transfer decals. </p><p style="text-align: left;">- Chapter Logo incorporates a checkered background, which is a PAIN IN THE ASS to paint. </p><p style="text-align: left;">- Chapter Logo incorporates a black and white checkered background, which is even more of a PAIN IN THE ASS to paint. </p><p style="text-align: left;">- The fucking 2010s retcon. </p><p style="text-align: left;">- The fucking 2010s retcon took away what made them actually interesting and just made them Blood Angels but shitty. </p><p style="text-align: left;">- Fuck do I really have to engage with the fucking 2010s retcon. </p><p style="text-align: left;">- Fuck it's going to get brought up even if I refuse to engage with it isn't it. </p><p style="text-align: left;">- "Ughuuh, you know that Ackchually they have Death Company all along right? Your army isn't legal and is wrong for a Lamenters army!" </p><p style="text-align: left;">- "Ughuuh, you know there's this little thing called KANOHN that doesn't care about your feelings right? Dumb baby casual git gud" </p><p style="text-align: left;">- "You're using the normal Space Marine codex for a Cursed Founding Chapter? You have no respect for the lore or the unique character of the army! WAAC! WAAAAAAAC!!"</p><p style="text-align: left;">- "You're not using the Blood Angels codex for Lamenters? You have no respect for the lore or the unique character of the army! WAAC! WAAAAAAAC!!" </p><p style="text-align: left;"><br /></p><h3 style="text-align: left;"><b>BLOOD ANGELS </b></h3><p style="text-align: left;"><b>Pros: </b></p><p style="text-align: left;">- I have an AWESOME concept for a Blood Angels army </p><p style="text-align: left;">- Spoiler Alert: 90s Comic Book Blood Angels </p><p style="text-align: left;">- Think About it: Blood Angels themed around the 90s era of Comic Books </p><p style="text-align: left;">- It'd be so cool and so meta! </p><p style="text-align: left;">- And they could be led by Rob Liefeld as a Space Marine! </p><p style="text-align: left;">- This concept is everything my brain has ever wanted to think about </p><p style="text-align: left;">- I'm actually pretty confident about painting red. </p><p style="text-align: left;">- Baal Predator goes BPPPPPPPT! </p><p style="text-align: left;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: left;"><b>Cons</b>: </p><p style="text-align: left;">- Models would require massive amounts of additional pouches to really sell the joke home </p><p style="text-align: left;">- Space Marine model sprues contain insufficient amounts of pouches for this. More would need to be sourced. </p><p style="text-align: left;">- I kind of want to preserve the 2003 Space Marine model range as it was, and covering all the Space Marines in pouches defeats that purpose. </p><p style="text-align: left;">- The Blood Angels army is not a Codex Chapter and is has a very distinct array of unit options and fighting style. </p><p style="text-align: left;">- I kind of want to showcase a normal Codex: Space Marines army for posterity. </p><p style="text-align: left;">- Baal Predator is a Unicorn online </p><p style="text-align: left;">- I don't know I really want to lean into the whole Jump Pack thing. I'd kind of like a shootier, more footslogging Space Marien army. </p><p style="text-align: left;">- Would have to source a bunch of extra models for Death Company. </p><p style="text-align: left;">- "You're using a Blood Angels army with no Honour Guard or Veteran Assault Squads? Or Furioso Dreadnoughts? You have no respect for the lore or the unique character of the army! WAAC! WAAAAAAAC!!"</p><p style="text-align: left;"><br /></p><h3 style="text-align: left;">ULTRAMARINES </h3><p style="text-align: left;"><b>Pros: </b></p><p style="text-align: left;">- THE archetypal Space Marine army, which would be a plus given the goal is to showcase the classic Space Marine army for posterity. </p><p style="text-align: left;">- Has all the unit options I'd like to try. </p><p style="text-align: left;">- Has all the thematic justification for fighting my Tau and Witch Hunters a lot. </p><p style="text-align: left;">- Captain Motherfucking Ardias </p><p style="text-align: left;">- Captain Ardias is a stone-cold <b><i>badass</i></b> and the single coolest Space Marine character GW ever created. </p><p style="text-align: left;">- No seriously forget all the ninnies from Dawn of War. They only <i>wish</i> thy could be as awesome as Captain Ardias. </p><p style="text-align: left;">- Holy shit I could kitbash a model for Captain Ardias. </p><p style="text-align: left;">- Holy shit I could use that model of Captain Ardias alongside the models of Ui'Kais I'm going to make. </p><p style="text-align: left;">- <i style="font-weight: bold;">I HOLD YOUR DEATH IN MY HANDS!! </i> </p><p style="text-align: left;">- <i style="font-weight: bold;">Let your DARK SOUL feel the LIGHT OF THE EMPEROR!!</i> </p><p style="text-align: left;">- <b><i>FEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEELL THE IMPERIUM'S MIGHT!!</i></b> </p><p style="text-align: left;">- <i><b>THE EMPEROR ORDERS YOU TO DIIIIEEEEEEEEEEEE!!</b></i> </p><p style="text-align: left;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: left;"><b>Cons: </b></p><p style="text-align: left;">- The most boring of Space Marine Chapters </p><p style="text-align: left;">- Not the biggest fan of the colour blue</p><p style="text-align: left;">- Forever Tainted by Matt Ward </p><p style="text-align: left;">- Will attract ALL the stupid memes </p><p style="text-align: left;">- Will attract ALL the mean comments </p><p style="text-align: left;">- "Urrhurrhurrr Rawbutt Gurllymann!" </p><p style="text-align: left;">- "uLtRaSmUrRfS!" </p><p style="text-align: left;">- "OMG r u in love with Matt Ward?" </p><p style="text-align: left;">- Really need a 1990s Ultramarine army to really hammer home the Chaos Gate memes </p><p style="text-align: left;"><br /></p><h3 style="text-align: left;">IMPERIAL FISTS </h3><p style="text-align: left;"><b>Pros: </b></p><p style="text-align: left;"><b>-</b> Always liked the colour scheme </p><p style="text-align: left;">- Yellow and red is a winning combination </p><p style="text-align: left;">- Was the first Space Marine colour scheme I ever saw </p><p style="text-align: left;">- The other archetypal Space Marine chapter, which helps with the posterity mission </p><p style="text-align: left;">- Also have all the unit options I'd like to try </p><p style="text-align: left;">- Kind of like the defensive specialists/siege veteran angle </p><p style="text-align: left;">- Have a special character named Lysander, which pleases my inner Thespian </p><p style="text-align: left;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: left;"><b>Cons:</b> </p><p style="text-align: left;">- Yellow is a pain in the ass to paint </p><p style="text-align: left;">- Especially bright yellow</p><p style="text-align: left;">- Also a lightning rod for memes </p><p style="text-align: left;">- "Oh my god the pain glove amiright" </p><p style="text-align: left;">- Fuck I'll have to deal with all the Black Library Horus Heresy stuff won't I. Fuck. </p><p style="text-align: left;">- Fuck I'll get an earful of all the 30k stuff too. </p><p style="text-align: left;">- Starting to realise I don't really have a compelling hook for the backstory. </p><p style="text-align: left;">- Aren't they missing that gland implant that lets them spit acid venom? That sucks and is totally lame. </p><p style="text-align: left;"><br /></p><h3 style="text-align: left;">BLACK TEMPLARS<span style="font-weight: normal;"> </span></h3><p style="text-align: left;"><b>Pros: </b></p><p style="text-align: left;"><b>-</b> The iconic 3rd edition Space Marines </p><p style="text-align: left;">- Completely native to 3rd edition, no roots in 80shammer or 90shammer </p><p style="text-align: left;">- The mixed model squads are kind of cool </p><p style="text-align: left;">- The poster boys for the starter box AND rulebook, which is a case for the posterity mission </p><p style="text-align: left;">- Could possibly dabble in Sword Brethren with the 4th edition codex </p><p style="text-align: left;">- Land Raider Crusader goes BPPPPPPPT!</p><p style="text-align: left;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: left;"><b>Cons:</b> </p><p style="text-align: left;">- Colour scheme is black and white, which is a pain to paint </p><p style="text-align: left;">- The Black Templars army is not a Codex Chapter and is has a very distinct array of unit options and fighting style. </p><p style="text-align: left;">- I kind of want to showcase a normal Codex: Space Marines army for posterity. </p><p style="text-align: left;">- Land Raider Crusaders also seem to be a Unicorn online. </p><p style="text-align: left;">- Forever tainted by Flashgitz. </p><p style="text-align: left;">- Oh god I have to choose between assault weapons and specialist close combat options for the infantry squads? But there's only six of them! </p><p style="text-align: left;"><br /></p><h3 style="text-align: left;">MY OWN CHAPTER<span style="font-weight: normal;"> </span></h3><p style="text-align: left;"><b>Pros:</b> </p><p style="text-align: left;">- Sidesteps a lot of canon bullshit </p><p style="text-align: left;">- Can work out my own colour scheme </p><p style="text-align: left;">- Already have a few Chapters of my own invention that could work </p><p style="text-align: left;">- Can even make them a 21st Founding Chapter if I want </p><p style="text-align: left;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: left;"><b>Cons:</b> </p><p style="text-align: left;">- Would have to decide which of the Chapters I've invented to do. </p><p style="text-align: left;">- Oh sweet god this is torture. It's Sophie's Choice I tell you! </p><p style="text-align: left;">- I kind of want to preserve the 2003 Space Marine model range as it was, and giving all the Space Marines a wild new colour scheme defeats that purpose. </p><p style="text-align: left;">- "Oh so your guys are [GW Chapter that has similar colours to mine]?"</p><p style="text-align: left;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: left;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: left;">So as you can see, it's a tough call. Fortunately for me I've got time for now. </p>MillitantGuerillaCommunistHippiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13565203522225127317noreply@blogger.com17tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5420460147318382021.post-79318618994504711792022-08-24T07:13:00.001-07:002022-08-24T07:13:20.740-07:00Start Again<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div>It is one of the deepest curiosities of this blog that it does not, in fact, fully cover my main two sets of little metal figures. <p></p><p><br /></p><p>It's in the timing of course. When this blog first tore its way screaming into this universe, fresh blood dripping from its nubile form as it sucked in gaspfulls of icy air into its pulsing lungs and grasped a sword before any sustenance, it was the end of 2013. <a href="https://metalhobby.blogspot.com/2017/03/start-revolution.html">As explored before since then</a>, I had been painting models for a long time by then, and the history of Millitant's adventures in little metal worlds stretches back long past that point. But most notably, being first started at the end of 2013 means that the entire start of my main army for Warhammer was completely overlooked on here. </p><p><br /></p><p>The time has come to correct that mistake. </p><p><br /></p><p>There's something in the air now. Something set in motion that shall rule the fate of many. The board is set and the pieces are already in motion. A new concept has begun living rent free in my brain, a vision of a grand sprawling epic that might very well one day soon sweep the internet (or at least the Warhammer part of the internet) by storm. For now it is a secret that only blogs can tell, because it involves an eternity of planning, admin work and writing reams and reams of silly backstory, plus a number of technologies I do not yet possess. </p><p><br /></p><p>And the first step on that long road is to know thyself, which means making sense of my own Warhammer armies. And that in turn means that I must finally begin the long, painful, thankless task of sifting through the backstory and units of my Wood Elf army, and reforging it anew. </p><p><br /></p><p>In contrast to my Tau army in Warhammer 40,000, whose beginnings are becoming ever more steeped in legend and myth as more and more of my childhood is lost like tears in the rain, the origin of my Wood Elves is much more clearly documented, because it is much more modern. This is because for most of the first 17 years of my existence my pop cultural genre tastes were very early and very, very, very strongly rooted in science fiction over fantasy. Like a lot of cis male lads born in the 1990s, I quickly developed a strong fascination with various kinds of technological machinery at an early age. What started as an obsession with real-life cars, trucks, agricultural and construction machinery and all kinds of aerospace vehicles quickly moved on to <i>Thunderbirds</i>, <i>Beast Wars</i> and this very obscure short-lived 1990s <i>Flash Gordon</i> cartoon once I discovered television (there were many, many, many more such cartoons to follow), and then <i>Men In Black</i> and <i>Star Wars</i> once I discovered VHS tapes, with various assorted space opera artwork running throughout as I discovered books. After discovering Lego I was always much more drawn to the <i>Space</i> and <i>Aquanaut</i> ranges than I ever was the <i>Pirates</i> and <i>Castle</i> ones. Later on when I discovered video games I largely overlooked <i>Age Of Empires</i> in favour of <i>Command & Conquer</i> and later <i>Starcraft</i>. </p><p><br /></p><p>There were a few exceptions of course - <i>Deltora Quest</i> and later <i>Harry Potter</i> (because of course it did, I was born in the 1990s after all) remained very conspicuous islands of swords and dragons in a sea of lasers and spaceships, as did <i>Slizers</i> and later <i>Bionicle</i>. And every so often I would shamelessly pilfer some fantasy concept or another and work it into science fiction with Games Workshop efficiency - most of the fantasy universes I encountered in the wild invariably got elevated to 'future'-grade technology, and a lot of dragons got imported into space adventures, often receiving a cybernetic makeover in the process (seriously, why are there no cyber-dragons in 40k? Tolkien Orcs and Elves with spaceships are fine, but you draw the line at a general riding a giant fire-breathing cyborg dragon with a couple dozen laser cannons and missile launchers strapped onto it? REALLY?). But by and large, for pretty much all of my pre-adult life, the rule of thumb when it came to what kind of made-up worlds I liked was "Give me sci-fi or give me death". </p><p><br /></p><p>It was in the aesthetics you see. Science fiction, especially the space opera variety that was my favourite, was full of all these spaceships and robots and hover tanks that all zipped around quickly (or stomped around ominously) and made cool noises, as well as all these lasers and rocket launchers and machine guns and such that all made the bad guys explode, which lent science fiction visuals a certain kind of explosive oomph that a bunch of dudes poking each other with sticks (or occasionally dropping rocks on each other) could just never quite match. This mixed with the distinctive brand of savage venomous tribalism that came naturally to me back then (I blame what appears to be a long line of hyper-competitive Tools on my father's side and the cycle of hyper-competition that they fostered) to produce a particularly cringeworthy fanaticism of science fiction over fantasy that persisted for over a decade and a half. Even when I started discovering Horror Films I locked onto psychological thrillers first because oh my god only little babies are scared of ghosts and vampires and junk (yes that really is what my poor wretched misguided self thought once upon a time).</p><p><br /></p><p>(The other, even more horrifying side of this is that I also had a very unfortunate undercurrent of Toxic Masculinity imprinted on me from a young age, which left me feeling compelled to distance myself from a lot of fantasy content out of fear of it being too girly with all those princesses running around. However hard you might be cringing at reading that, I can assure you that I am cringing at least twice as hard thinking back on it. Fortunately increasing contact with girls in High School - and some key female role-models in the media I consumed - was eventually able to deprogram me of such lunacy)</p><p><br /></p><p>Throughout this period there was also something else bubbling under the surface after I discovered tabletop games. After getting my first ever White Dwarf magazine copy in early 2006 I was introduced to the Dwarfs that inhabited this strange alien undiscovered country of Warhammer that existed on the far side of the Games Workshop hobby that was by now giving me Warhammer 40,000. This was important, because these Dwarfs weren't like other fantasy civilisations. They had <i>guns</i>. They had <i>flamethrowers</i>. They had a primitive clock-punk <i>attack helicopter</i>. And THAT was enough to get my attention, in much the same way that featuring a clock-punk space shuttle in <i>The Last Hero</i> was enough to get me interested in Discworld. It wasn't nearly enough to win me over to this whole fantasy thing, but it was enough to begin bridging the gap. </p><p><br /></p><p>This was followed a little later by another White Dwarf magazine that introduced me to the Empire that inhabited this strange alien Warhammer game. Again, they had <i>guns</i>. And <i>gattling guns</i>. And <i>rocket launchers</i>. And a clock-punk <i>tank</i>. In the White Dwarf they were fighting these Vampire Count guys that had an army of zombies and wolves and ghosts and bats and things and while in the past these kinds of Halloween monsters had always felt kinda lame, these ones actually looked pretty dope. </p><p><br /></p><p>Maybe this whole Warhammer fantasy thing isn't as lame as I first thought it was. </p><p><br /></p><p>This more or less continued for a few years, before being completely swallowed up in the unprecedented upheaval that began in the 2010s. History is always a tangled chaotic mess of interlinking factors and causes and effects, and it is no different with the history of a person. But nonetheless, most historians traditionally trace the dramatic seismic shift in pop-cultural tastes that comprised the Fantasy Reformation of 2010 - 2012 to three key events. </p><p><br /></p><p>The first was the discovery of Urban Fantasy TV shows, specifically <i>Angel</i>, <i>Buffy The Vampire Slayer</i> and especially <i>Supernatural</i>. This was important because, as well as being really fun cool amazing pieces of television, they all featured a common theme of including nominally fantasy elements like monsters and magic in the nominally technological world of 20th century civilisation - <i>Supernatural</i> even had the characters fighting the demons and vampires and monsters with guns. It was just the right blend of modern and fantasy, coming in at just the right time of peak moody adolescence when I was ripe for gothic content, that these shows became the final missing link needed to bridge the gap and get me interested in fantasy... of a sort. </p><p><br /></p><p>Perhaps even more importantly for this story, these shows also primed me for what was to come for later... </p><p><br /></p><p>The next watershed moment came not long after, around the winter of 2010, when I went through what is quite possibly the only true religious experience I have ever had thus far, almost entirely by accident. By this time I had gotten into the LetsPlay videos of Youtuber Helloween45 - Helloween covered Horror video games, which seemed like the next logical step after discovering Horror films and TV shows. For one of his videos he was forced by technical problems to put together a slide-show of screenshots and ran that with some music over it. Helloween will never know just how much of a profound earthshaking event he was about to unleash when he decided to use the song he chose, on what I assume was entirely a whim. But he made that fateful choice, and I, following his videos, heard that song, and nothing would ever be the same again. </p><p><br /></p><p>The song was called Amaranth, and it was by a band called Nightwish. </p><p><br /></p><p>Words cannot convey just how profound listening to that song was. See, up until this point I had never really quite <i>gotten</i> music. Like, I could enjoy listening to it well enough, and I could follow Top 40 Pop music enough to converse with the girls at high school about it, but the idea of being as invested in it as much as I saw a lot of people was alien to me. I just wasn't really passionate about music like I was other things, and I could not give a favourite genre, artist or song to save my life (in fact, I actually failed a couple of class projects because of it). But this was different. Listening to this song, for the first time I really felt myself reflected in music. When I discovered Nightwish, I found my voice. </p><p><br /></p><p>When I discovered Nightwish, I finally found my sound. </p><p><br /></p><p>For the rest of the year, my eardrums quickly began to swim in a soup of symphonic metal as I devoured every Nightwish song I could find on Youtube as ravenously as I had devoured Warhammer 40,000 lore eight years earlier. That Christmas my best friend got me a CD of <i>Dark Passion Play</i> that remains one of my most treasured possessions, and I listened to it religiously for the next year. I would of course later discover other artists of a similar style that I loved, but Nightwish would forever remain my all-time favourite, and Amaranth my all-time favourite song. </p><p><br /></p><p>But Amaranth did more than just that. It also opened my eyes to looking at traditional fantasy in a whole new light. It's soundscape, atmosphere and accompanying music video that I watched 1100 times finally got me thinking that epic fantasy adventures could be, well, epic in their own right. And then I discovered this other little number. </p><p><br /></p><p>It was called <i>The Last Of The Wilds</i>. </p><p><br /></p><p>There are no words in The Last Of The Wilds, just 6 minutes of heart-melting instrumental beauty, and the more I listened to it the more inspired I was of faraway lands of snow-veiled mountains, deep forests of rich green pines, storm-scourged seas at midnight, silver full moons and stars, giant hawks and eagles, fearsome dragons and adventure at every turn. Now, I was finally vibing with traditional fantasy, without any technological training wheels. By now I had also been thoroughly opened up to the subgenre of dark fairy-tales, and had also gotten into <i>Once Upon A Time</i>.</p><p><br /></p><p>This too primed me for what was soon to come... </p><p><br /></p><p>By this stage my curiosity of Warhammer had crystallised into genuine deep interest and a resolution to get involved with it at some point. My starting up with Warhammer was no longer a question of 'if', but of 'when' and 'with what game faction'. The front-runners at this point were Dwarfs (still riding the initial "Oh wow they have guns" factor and piggy-backing my explosively growing obsession with all things Nordic at the time), Bretonnians (having rediscovered them after rethinking everything I had ever believed about fairytales and, as mentioned, <i>Once Upon A Time</i>) and Vampire Counts (plugging into all that Horror shtick that I had deep-dived into in the preceding years and Victoria Frances artwork. Plus I still thought the concept of an army of horror monsters was pretty dope). The Empire and High Elves were also intriguing possibilities. There were also these Beastmen and Wood Elf armies that I remained curious about, having inquired into them in the past (before the Fantasy Reformation) but was unsure of what to make of them, save that the Wood Elves had these cavalry troops that rode <i style="font-weight: bold;">GIANT HAWKS</i> which was the dopest thing ever (so much so that I had stolen the concept and given it a sci-fi twist many years earlier). </p><p><br /></p><p>Then came the third watershed moment of the Fantasy Reformation of 2010 - 2012. And my fate was sealed. </p><p><br /></p><p>In the spring of 2012, around Term 3 of my final year at high school, I began to become aware of the latest video game Blizzard was working on. I think someone might have shared the trailer with me at some point. Regardless of how I found it, this trailer showed me a window into a dark gloomy fantasy world where humans struggled to survive in the cross-fire of wars between angels and demons. In other words, the culmination of all of the things that I had been deep-diving into over the last couple of years. I knew then that I <i>had</i> to have this video game and play through it. I needed to know more</p><p><br /></p><p>The trailer was for a video game called <i>Diablo III</i>. </p><p><br /></p><p>The really important thing happened a short while later, when more information about the game became available and it turned out that one of the playable character options in this upcoming game was a person called a Demon Hunter. Demon Hunters roamed the land of the game's setting fighting Demons with crossbows and various ingenious traps and devices - just like the characters in <i>Buffy</i>, <i>Angel</i> and <i>Supernatural</i>. Demon Hunters went about their adventures clad head to toe in brooding dark cloak-and-hood getup, just like a lot of the characters in the fantasy artwork that I thought looked the most rad. And the female character model looked a lot like a lot of the singers in all the symphonic metal bands that had by now well and truly become my jam. In other words, this character class embodied the culmination of all the things I had been deep-diving into over the last couple of years. It was meant to be. I knew that when I got my hands on this <i>Diablo III</i> video game, that would be the character I would play as. </p><p><br /></p><p>I got my hands on that <i>Diablo III</i> video game for Christmas that year, and then spent the rest of the summer enjoying the simpler pleasures of shooting demons in the face with a crossbow. It was tremendous, enormous fun and I loved every second of it (except when the game said no because my wifi wasn't good enough for it). And from then on I knew exactly what I wanted my first Warhammer army to be like - I wanted an army just like the Demon Hunter I had been playing as. I would accept no substitute. In the moments when I could manage to tear myself away from <i>Diablo III</i>, I scoured the Warhammer model ranges for a game faction that would give me the army style I so craved, and began to grow increasingly dismayed when I found nothing that came even close to it... </p><p><br /></p><p>... until I remembered that Wood Elf line and gave it another look over. </p><p><br /></p><p>Yes. This was it. The Waywatcher models were enough to cue me into this line being the one that would provide me with the army of cloaked hooded bow-slinging anti-heroes that I so desired. Sure they used plain old longbows instead of the cool snappy pistol crossbows I had been enjoying in <i>Diablo III</i>, but that was a minor annoyance at most, it was still close enough. </p><p><br /></p><p>And so it was that in early 2013, I went out after my University classes had finished for the day, visited the GW store that was conveniently just a 15-minute walk away from campus at the time, and went home with a copy of the rulebook for 8th edition Warhammer. A few weeks later, I did the same thing and went home with a copy of the Wood Elf army book and a Battalion Box on which to found my brand new army for this strange new world of fantasy adventure. </p><p><br /></p><p>It is from that box that came these two: </p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghhyNKx-UUgtxGtbap1vP8lUlyoLwFbB8oDEf4Gu9yYfBhZCf-bXywFqU4vg_7diWRAZWNHOglyJH-_5Th0bEtTXZycoYDuJHDclY7CeMfHkyGanHFxZb8lJigS64CbeyA2d5lwh0ibolFRIcMmxepxzuhSsHo6DCvVGBjlfTGC5WCzI56CrD7niZQ/s4608/002D.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3456" data-original-width="4608" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghhyNKx-UUgtxGtbap1vP8lUlyoLwFbB8oDEf4Gu9yYfBhZCf-bXywFqU4vg_7diWRAZWNHOglyJH-_5Th0bEtTXZycoYDuJHDclY7CeMfHkyGanHFxZb8lJigS64CbeyA2d5lwh0ibolFRIcMmxepxzuhSsHo6DCvVGBjlfTGC5WCzI56CrD7niZQ/s16000/002D.JPG" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgn1WqJXXlKkNQhdeybXXgou1B7E84AOv5hmn2jVdNbEBshu_cxPc-hkjR2OMSQifuBB5IC-eG2G87Iud4TfzB6cFf_T7VLVtEaaA_97sb6TTNX6nNiKXqdHpCsfzOg6GZBX5YzryGWD1vRpL3Yxs20BUgrGPPb3DjZTAXTdr4HPp87OBOlAkc3Q-QI/s4608/005D.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3456" data-original-width="4608" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgn1WqJXXlKkNQhdeybXXgou1B7E84AOv5hmn2jVdNbEBshu_cxPc-hkjR2OMSQifuBB5IC-eG2G87Iud4TfzB6cFf_T7VLVtEaaA_97sb6TTNX6nNiKXqdHpCsfzOg6GZBX5YzryGWD1vRpL3Yxs20BUgrGPPb3DjZTAXTdr4HPp87OBOlAkc3Q-QI/s16000/005D.JPG" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjM5DuAZEdvWYBUjN8GFKxNzrhTKqcibP_VNhqFEMAPVm7In8JnUo_o9_PTExLQqrHjbFN08COt-FUddLyvUzOnBu0kNGPZh1XoPJ3qF_xSam7NFlvBH2mq9HgW5sbcRxkLo4CF639iUcnu4VdvVxnpCCsaQTrDI3RlnKRWSF5LE8Mz7no5BzL4rht1/s4608/007D.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3456" data-original-width="4608" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjM5DuAZEdvWYBUjN8GFKxNzrhTKqcibP_VNhqFEMAPVm7In8JnUo_o9_PTExLQqrHjbFN08COt-FUddLyvUzOnBu0kNGPZh1XoPJ3qF_xSam7NFlvBH2mq9HgW5sbcRxkLo4CF639iUcnu4VdvVxnpCCsaQTrDI3RlnKRWSF5LE8Mz7no5BzL4rht1/s16000/007D.JPG" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBFejU9Uyi1O-vo_YbnmwoeIXbcK1Xfam60kOwS-leyCNH_bFUe2e83MNnzCN4wb0a8kvf-JZnrARcPB3gCY-r4ajI0YKRyAZ4QqUEdNZ3k6ePpIBIhmB_pXiWAVNfOmIv4EG6-gpWPo4p3We3vOfIXz55ZHcR1mVLKAsNqW57mx9CYXv1UizyALSP/s4608/010D.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3456" data-original-width="4608" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBFejU9Uyi1O-vo_YbnmwoeIXbcK1Xfam60kOwS-leyCNH_bFUe2e83MNnzCN4wb0a8kvf-JZnrARcPB3gCY-r4ajI0YKRyAZ4QqUEdNZ3k6ePpIBIhmB_pXiWAVNfOmIv4EG6-gpWPo4p3We3vOfIXz55ZHcR1mVLKAsNqW57mx9CYXv1UizyALSP/s16000/010D.JPG" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuN05Fwc8bdW2FhzX1KDNUx4v0UWKjC6C_5NChcIe8j8UGzF90nqV9y3OF3u0JgGJ1Mwp2Fp_jIRZ3UTyA3CE9j_HCAMiU1eUEQtTmZikSfjZx1BcKXp_Z4nxrc9I_W7YTRC4AYVHIZGCgPzxrLQdoduXpuANXeNVMAYwmgS_VAI6cS90NVuOHMfRA/s4608/011D.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3456" data-original-width="4608" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuN05Fwc8bdW2FhzX1KDNUx4v0UWKjC6C_5NChcIe8j8UGzF90nqV9y3OF3u0JgGJ1Mwp2Fp_jIRZ3UTyA3CE9j_HCAMiU1eUEQtTmZikSfjZx1BcKXp_Z4nxrc9I_W7YTRC4AYVHIZGCgPzxrLQdoduXpuANXeNVMAYwmgS_VAI6cS90NVuOHMfRA/s16000/011D.JPG" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_q66EPIfX1Z1u5QKfcjyCUXA7hhwyY4gdmrpELbXcJRV_pD8wf9UAeRCAuNkrI6COwnCzQ5WgT9B1lWxvfspqxhZyF_qsM6eR6Q_oNdEXxZu-bQ5haW3w5NnCnv5wMAcRusjU8mJwBzUXgy_jfST4y56f1ImolAjQ7IPIp9JczLzZXyFw3odgmDEs/s4608/014D.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3456" data-original-width="4608" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_q66EPIfX1Z1u5QKfcjyCUXA7hhwyY4gdmrpELbXcJRV_pD8wf9UAeRCAuNkrI6COwnCzQ5WgT9B1lWxvfspqxhZyF_qsM6eR6Q_oNdEXxZu-bQ5haW3w5NnCnv5wMAcRusjU8mJwBzUXgy_jfST4y56f1ImolAjQ7IPIp9JczLzZXyFw3odgmDEs/s16000/014D.JPG" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7Gt3mZJ9MqPjCjyShGJe6jQsSI6JrEqxiZ4HWMLq6DGhRd_9PqiUg0RyEj9r8t3qribj21FEY4WxV6u42CPwCFIqnwShbJ04Rau1QX0mlFRvGUF_U-6iQ4KftqOwq4Fi8QaSyVtXE5mZw4Y0cOiBeIRp3JglmJ-GUgQz6ZFcign1Bp1tPA2-kZ0Pc/s4608/015D.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3456" data-original-width="4608" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7Gt3mZJ9MqPjCjyShGJe6jQsSI6JrEqxiZ4HWMLq6DGhRd_9PqiUg0RyEj9r8t3qribj21FEY4WxV6u42CPwCFIqnwShbJ04Rau1QX0mlFRvGUF_U-6iQ4KftqOwq4Fi8QaSyVtXE5mZw4Y0cOiBeIRp3JglmJ-GUgQz6ZFcign1Bp1tPA2-kZ0Pc/s16000/015D.JPG" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><p>The Wood Elf Battalion box contained a surplus of Glade Guard sprues, more than was needed for the units of 16 I had already decided I wanted. I quickly worked out that I would have enough pieces for a full unit of 16 Glade Guard, a small band of 5 Scouts, and then three Glade Guard figures left over. These could easily be made into Characters for a Wood Elf army, and indeed that's what I did with one of them - we'll get to her later. The final two I decided to build as regular archers and put to good use as test models to practice painting on. This was very important, because the Wood Elf model range is one of the most beautiful model lines ever made for Warhammer, which in turn meant that I was absolutely <i>terrified</i> of painting them, because up until then my painting had largely consisted of throwing colour at models until it was impossible to see the undercoat through it. I had almost zero confidence that I would end up doing the sculpts the justice they deserved. </p><p><br /></p><p>The only thing that kept me going and persuaded me to try was the colour hobby section in the Wood Elf book. It featured these zoomed-in insets of certain parts of the models, which was important because not only did it show me for the first time that the 'Evy Metal studio painters were not, in fact, flawless in their painting, but also through studying them intensely I finally came to understand how highlighting works in paint. </p><p><br /></p><p>When I finished these two prototypes in April 2013, they represented the very apex of my model painting at the time, and showcased the very bleeding edge in my range of painting skills. They combined my newfound comprehension of highlighting with the precision detailing I had honed on Battlefleet Gothic models in the preceding years. I followed the instructions in the painting guide of the Wood Elf book to the letter, because I loved the GW studio scheme for the Wood Elves and wanted mine to look like that. Granted the greens they were painted in were a far cry from the dark drab browns and greys of the <i>Diablo III</i> Demon Hunters that had brought me to them, but it was a happy change since green is my favourite colour. </p><p><br /></p><p>They have not exactly aged gracefully, something not helped by their use as a testbed for paint sealing and finishes. The primitive method employed here - a coat of gloss varnish followed by a coat of Lahmian Medium to remove the shine - was never entirely satisfactory and always seemed to leave an unacceptable amount of shine on them even at the best of times, and one of these days I will go back and repair the finish as best as I can with the methods and resources I now have at my disposal. But nonetheless, I was awfully proud of them at the time and they motivated me to keep going with the rest of the army, which only looked better. </p><p><br /></p><p>And that then, was the beginning of the Meadows of Heaven. </p><p><br /></p>MillitantGuerillaCommunistHippiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13565203522225127317noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5420460147318382021.post-63475535089617876242021-12-26T05:33:00.004-08:002021-12-27T00:57:48.694-08:00Evolution of The Tau - Part 2<p> My favourite TV show of all time is <i>Firefly</i>. </p><p><br /></p><p>It didn't start out that way of course. I actually discovered Firefly in reverse, getting into it at the end and working back. You see, it all started when, one fateful night, I went down to the local Video Ezy. And when I say I went there, I mean one of my parents took me because while nominally old enough to walk around to the local shops I was raised in a household Police State by parents a little too paranoid about my wellbeing for my own good. And I certainly didn't have the purchasing power to rent media anyway, let alone snacks to have with them. But I digress. </p><p><br /></p><p>So I went to the local Video Ezy and came back home with a couple of these newfangled DVD things to watch. I no longer remember what titles they were. But what I do remember, is the trailer on one of them that preceded the film. A trailer for some film that promised a slick wild ride of spaceships and anti-gravity vehicle chases and gunfights and mystery. Needless to say I immediately wanted to know where I could find this brilliant thing, but I missed the name of the picture being advertised - I was only 11 or 12 at the time. </p><p><br /></p><p>Like Warhammer 40,000 before it, I very nearly forgot about the whole thing until about a year or so later, when I returned to the local Video Ezy and happened upon a DVD whose covers and screenshots next to the blurb seemed to match that fun cool science fiction trailer I had seen before. Intrigued, I immediately put it on the top of the list of titles to get out on this trip. </p><p><br /></p><p>The DVD was called <i>Serenity</i>. </p><p><br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiznyc4gESixFmQqoQdtm5L7FwNfjsNzn3-UcvkEjdi10zTJxdLvXHpIwo8ymqxPg594CZ0_fs0NBoUmF31r2-6-uECbDgy6FbnT4qJ2vnIEbGZhxe6DihahfXpY_EPtOQhFcFBq6BiZ42fXMHoEIJ1PjGqjRPMT1EBM1wXKRBK5wQjnRah6NmaOv0a=s1482" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1482" data-original-width="1000" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiznyc4gESixFmQqoQdtm5L7FwNfjsNzn3-UcvkEjdi10zTJxdLvXHpIwo8ymqxPg594CZ0_fs0NBoUmF31r2-6-uECbDgy6FbnT4qJ2vnIEbGZhxe6DihahfXpY_EPtOQhFcFBq6BiZ42fXMHoEIJ1PjGqjRPMT1EBM1wXKRBK5wQjnRah6NmaOv0a=w432-h640" width="432" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">And on the Third Year did Firefly arise from death. Truly it is The Messiah of Television shows. </td></tr></tbody></table><br /><br /><p>My first outing with <i>Serenity</i> didn't go quite according to plan. It was during my birthday party that year, and while promising my friends were completely thrown off by its nested opening sequences. I actually was too, but I was prepared to press on. However I was distinctly in the minority, so we settled on a different DVD to watch instead. The next day however, free from the burden of democracy, I gave Serenity another watch. Once again I was somewhat baffled by the opening, but I was also just entering adolescence so I was strangely intrigued by the funny feelings I was getting from watching Summer Glau on screen (they shared a lot of similarities with the funny feelings I got from Lts. Zofia and Eva whenever I played through <i>Red Alert 2</i> at that time), and that was enough to get me through to where the film proper began. </p><p><br /></p><p>Which I am very glad of, because it was <b style="text-decoration-line: underline;">GLORIOUS</b>. </p><p><br /></p><p>It quickly rocketed to my number 1 favourite movie slot, and remained there until I discovered that there was in fact an entire TV series of these characters in this setting before it.I managed to borrow a copy of this show, called <i>Firefly</i>, from one of my parents' friends, and was hooked from the start. Now is, however, not the time to delve too deeply into the unforgettable characters and their fantastic dialogue and electric chemistry, or the moments that made me feel things in my very core, or even the profound impact it had on me as my life took a screaming nose dive into hell from which it still hasn't quite recovered, but suffice to say that <i>Firefly</i> helped me through some very hard times. Indeed, it was one of the biggest pillars keeping me going until I discovered symphonic metal and figured out how to make friends again. </p><p><br /></p><p>So earlier this year when I happened to be going through some similarly dark stuff at the same time as I was - by an astonishing coincidence - house-sitting for those same people who had kindly lent their DVD set of the show, I decided to take the opportunity to give the whole series a watch-through once more, which I hadn't been able to do in a while because many of the discs in my own box set have since lost their minds. Once again, it helped me through and reminded me that there is still beauty in the world (and in the case of a couple of episodes, that there is ugliness in the world beyond myself). Naturally one of the first things I did upon returning home was then load up my DVD of <i>Serenity</i> - which still works - and complete the story. </p><p><br /></p><p>Only, that was where the problems began. That was when the colour began to fade. </p><p><br /></p><p>Now don't get me wrong here. I can still recognise that <i>Serenity</i> is a brilliant film and great in its own right, and in all honesty is probably about the best conclusion to the show that we could have realistically got. But... it's just not quite the same as <i>Firefly</i>. Watching it again right next to the series, I couldn't help but feel like... something was missing. </p><p><br /></p><p>Sure, it was bigger than <i>Firefly</i>, glossier, with slicker production values, and the movie-scale budget meant it could pack in a few giant flashy centrepieces that would not have been possible with a 2000s TV budget. Sure, it has all of the same ingredients as <i>Firefly</i>. And yet... something felt off about it. It's darker than the TV show, both literally in its visual aesthetics as well as in its overall atmosphere. The characters were always a little dysfunctional in the show, but here they fight more often than give friendly hugs and pats on the back, and they actually fight more than the bickering they did in the show, and I just did not feel like these were the same spaceship crew that would laugh endlessly together about all kinds of silly stuff. They did that all the time on the show - often about something that got brought up off-screen - but I don't remember them doing it once in the movie. Hell, I'm not sure I even remember them laughing much at all in the movie. Even the soundtrack is darker and deeper, more theatrical and less space western for the most part. And, most of all, the movie just seems to be missing that same overall innocence, feeling of love and sense of good honest <i>FUN</i> that the show had (the exceptions of course being the first caper at the start of the film and almost every scene with Mr Universe in it. I suspect it's no coincidence that those parts also tend to stick in the public conscious most). </p><p><br /></p><p>Again, I understand that a lot of that isn't really the movie's fault. A lot of it is almost certainly just the inevitable collateral damage that comes from squeezing one or two 22 hour TV seasons' worth of content, including character and storyline development, into just one 2.5 hour feature film. There was always going to be stuff that was lost in that translation. Like I say, I'm aware that the movie is probably the best conclusion anyone could have realistically expected. But that doesn't change the difference in look and feel between the movie and the show, which only grows starker when you watch them back to back. </p><p><br /></p><p>And that, then, is where this finally relates to the Tau in Warhammer 40,000. Because it was in thinking on this and reaching these conclusions that I finally at long last understood my issues with <i>Codex: Tau Empire.</i> </p><p><br /></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEglT0BiunXfdAlc0Pb8BwdGXsfBx5fDd7X-75H7Hx0hRbyZ_JZRc2MjN4uONRH1ZJKeKCK5yacCwv9yc0E4m-s_lDw7YGltgFsc6NSq7wu7NMCWR1_HwUwfhlefIGiMgRrkr-cBfooFlHcJYHrs5BI4m7uDxuVuXn0HpKTE04zQWspZL6bvYW373TPC=s1600" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1159" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEglT0BiunXfdAlc0Pb8BwdGXsfBx5fDd7X-75H7Hx0hRbyZ_JZRc2MjN4uONRH1ZJKeKCK5yacCwv9yc0E4m-s_lDw7YGltgFsc6NSq7wu7NMCWR1_HwUwfhlefIGiMgRrkr-cBfooFlHcJYHrs5BI4m7uDxuVuXn0HpKTE04zQWspZL6bvYW373TPC=w464-h640" width="464" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">In the Grim Darkness of the Far Future, there is only BROWN!</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p></p><p><br /></p><p><i>Codex: Tau Empire</i> was originally released in April 2006, about five years after the original Tau release and two years into 4th edition in what turned out to be the mid-point of the editions period of GW support. It was in most respects a pretty conservative book, especially by later GW standards - most of the army rules were left unchanged from <i>Codex: Tau</i>, with the few things that were changed being largely small but significant. It was accompanied by a somewhat more ambitious lineup of model releases that were centred around importing two Forgeworld vehicle kits - specifically the Skyray SAM TELAR and Piranha patrol speeder - into mainstream 40k plastic form. </p><p><br /></p><p>The best feature of the book by far is the expanded armoury section. Andy Hoare and the rest of the writing team on this project took the opportunity in this codex to expand the wargear armoury lineup of <i>Codex Tau</i> - which in fairness is... spartan to say the least - especially the Battlesuit Wargear section, which affords Tau characters with a similar level of options to what armies like Witchhunters have already been enjoying. Indeed, between the new wargear options and the Battlesuit equipment system already in place, Tau characters in Crisis Suits can start to rival even 3.5 Chaos Space Marine characters in their complexity and wealth of options. And with a very generous points budget of 100 for every character, and the most expensive item being 30 points, it is possible to load down a single Crisis Suit with every single item in the entire Battlesuit Wargear list - provided, of course, you did not take Shield Drones to escort them. They'd push you just over the limit, so you'd have to give up something for them. </p><p><br /></p><p>You couldn't do it for every Tau character in a Crisis suit though, because almost all of these new Wargear items were tagged with a new rule for this codex - <i>Special Issue</i>. The Special Issue items here mark the start of the tradition of new Tau books introducing brand new cutting edge prototype technology that you could equip certain units - usually characters in Battlesuits - with, and means that any item listed as Special Issue is restricted to one for the whole army. This effectively leaves you with the choice of either piling all the Special Issue stuff onto one single <a href="https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/SuperPrototype" target="_blank">Super Prototype</a> suit, or distributing it around the various Battlesuit characters in the army like a boring person. </p><p><br /></p><p>Most of these new Special Issue items were largely fun extras, like the Ejection System or the Failsafe Detonator, while a couple - namely the 2+ Armour Save Irridium Armour and the wound-canceling Stimulant Injector - were very potent and quickly became very popular amongst Tau players. But the crowning jewels of the Special Issue addons weren't Wargear items - they were the two new Battlesuit Support System options included in this book, the Command and Control Node and the Positional Relay. </p><p><br /></p><p>Of all the things in this book, the Command and Control Node and the Positional Relay are the two things I miss most about it these days, and the two things I would most strongly consider salvaging from it. Right off the bat they have two very powerful abilities - letting nearby units use the character's leadership for Target Priority tests and getting a single Reserve unit onto the table on a 2+ dice roll regardless of what turn it is, respectively. But more than that, when put on a Shas'El or Shas'O commander they really emphasise their role as leaders and highlight their ability to, well, <i>command</i> things, making them actual command units instead of just fighters with really hardcore stats. Not only that, but they also highlight two different levels of military command - the Command and Control Node, with its effects on on-table local fire control, emphasises command and leadership at the Tactical level, while the Positional Relay with its control over key Reserve deployment reflects command and leadership at the Operational level. It's beautiful. </p><p><br /></p><p>The final Special Issue items of note are two new Battlesuit weapon options, the Cyclic Ion Blaster and the Airbursting Fragmentation Projector, both of which got modeled as metal components that are exceptionally cool looking even now. The Airbursting Fragmentation Projector in particular is the best addition from this codex next to the aforementioned support systems, and is an auto-include on my commander in every game not played using <i>Codex: Tau</i> (a rare thing, and getting rarer as time goes on), being essentially a self-guiding cluster bomb launcher that functions as a short-range Mortar on crack. </p><p><br /></p><p>In addition to all this, the codex features a new kind of alien auxiliary unit in the form of the Vespid, a new heavy weapons unit in the Sniper Drone team, some expanded options for Stealthsuit teams, a smattering of minor rules alterations here and there, and two new named Special Characters. The first of these is Aun'Va, billed as the head Ethereal that all the other Ethereals in the Tau Empire answer to. In later books his character was taken to some pretty absurd places in the name of pandering to rabid anti-Tau fans (we'll be back for them), but here he's presented how he should have always been as the sagely non-combat Leader type that's a staple of so many RTS escort missions, and while the initial seeds of the later takes are plainly there, its a refreshing image from before the GW writers went Full Putin with him. The second is Commander Shadowsun, conceived as a foil for Farsight, and is essentially a Tau version of Sarah Kerrigan from <i>Starcraft</i> - even right down to the red topknot, thanks to the 'Evy Metal team - something only reinforced by some honestly pretty badass illustration artwork of her out on a covert mission in the middle of a moonlit wilderness. Shadowsun also debuts the XV-22 Battlesuit so beloved of later Tau players, even though I still think it's one of the uglier battlesuit designs; it's the helmet that kills it for me, something that I was very grateful to the Relic team for fixing in the Tau campaign of <i>Dark Crusade</i>. </p><p><br /></p><p>Also, speaking of artwork, <i>Codex: Tau Empire</i> features some more artwork by the legendary Karl Kopinski, in whose breathtaking illustrations Warhammer 40k came of age, and who has easily done the best job of capturing the Warhammer 40,000 universe in visual form (fight me 2nd Edition grognards). Currently featured on the gallery section of Karl Kopinski's website is this spicy little collection of little page doodads. </p><p><br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhtVsAh3gqxwKlAR-zSRjTvolA5Ir1S_7fcVMtD_9vEDUsTiGaYfzq6UKlYDg05qlKaAjTX5KZlx2hUGwbrSYsozRVIiVOrq4gFLxBsYtcGc960dnTAgfqdbXGZfDLmwklyPwkiFjfO2iBebnatSfmMmw1pyCF2_-C1eCJDhEvsvJqT7My50H0SC2wh=s619" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="513" data-original-width="619" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhtVsAh3gqxwKlAR-zSRjTvolA5Ir1S_7fcVMtD_9vEDUsTiGaYfzq6UKlYDg05qlKaAjTX5KZlx2hUGwbrSYsozRVIiVOrq4gFLxBsYtcGc960dnTAgfqdbXGZfDLmwklyPwkiFjfO2iBebnatSfmMmw1pyCF2_-C1eCJDhEvsvJqT7My50H0SC2wh=s16000" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Image sourced from KarlKopinski.com. All credit for artwork goes to Karl Kopinski. Seriously, check out all his artwork, he's really good!</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p><br /></p>Right away it's pretty easy to spot the influence of the <i>Lord Of The Rings Strategy Battle Game</i> page doodads creeping into the visual style, particularly in the shading techniques. But what I find really interesting about this collection is that not all of these made it to the final codex. Not counting the baby doodle (which judging by the very different visual tone was never seriously intended for codex publication), only half of the doodad pieces featured here were featured in the final published book. The ones that GW elected not to use are interesting, because I actually like some of them a little more than some of the final choices. Particular standouts to me include the cityscape at night and the hunk of meat with a knife plunged in it, which would have been a nice bone to throw for the Kroot aspect of the book (pun intended). <div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>But while <i>Codex: Tau Empire</i> has some fun features, it also harbours some big problems, and indeed carries the seeds of many of the later problems that would surface in GW's direction of the Tau, as well as a couple that would reflect greater problems in GW's direction of 40k itself. To start with, not all of the rules changes were good ones, with many of them being well-meaning but ultimately problematic. Take Flechette Dischargers for instance, easily one of my favourite Tau vehicle upgrade options. This book changed them from being an offensive tool, granting a bit of insurance against Death Or Glory counter-attacks when plowing the vehicle into infantry units, into a defensive tool that inflicts a bunch of moderate strength hits on infantry attacking the vehicle in close combat. Which is.. it's fine from a purely mathematical point of view, but it completely misses the point of what makes Flechette Dischargers so special and important in <i>Codex: Tau</i> - namely that by allowing Tau vehicles to (mostly) Tank Shock infantry units in safety, they provide Tau armies with an alternative to Kroot for clearing opposing troops off of objectives and important locations, which in turn makes the option of a pure Tau army with no alien auxiliaries in it more viable (while at the same time leaving Kroot a relevant option because they can still handle the counter-assault niche better and are better at digging opposing troops out of REALLY dense areas). </div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>But it goes deeper than that, because the big problem with a lot of the rules changes in <i>Codex: Tau Empire</i>, especially with the existing wargear upgrades, is that they were changed in ways that sacrificed something really fun and special in the name of supporting bog-standardised Pitched Battle Pick Up Games and Tournaments. The Battlesuit Sensor rules and Sensor Spines vehicle upgrade are both good examples of this - in <i>Codex: Tau</i> they give all Battlesuit units and any vehicle with Sensor Spines the equivalent of an Auspex/Scanner for the purposes of detecting Ambushes in Jungle scenarios and Lictor Secret Deployment. The Sensor Spines also give a bonus to navigating minefields. But in this book they give all Battlesuits the Acute Senses special rule, and vehicles the ability to make use of cover as if they weren't skimmers, respectively. </div><div><br /></div><div>Which is... again, I get that those effects are both more universally useful, and in particular more relevant to bog standardised Pitched Battle Pick Up Games and Tournaments, so it's great if you're the sort that mostly does that anyway, but it feels soulless. It misses out on something special. The fact that those fun special scenario and environment rules are so fundamentally baked into the DNA of its scenario mechanics is one of the best things about 3.5 Edition Warhammer 40,000, and even one of the very few parts of that core rule set I enjoy more than 4th Edition Warhammer 40,000, and the fact that here we are, with a whole unit special rule and standard vehicle upgrade right there making direct reference to those, that's something I really love. So I don't feel right seeing it gutted and replaced with.. a Universal Special Rule and a generic movement gimmick. </div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>(as an aside, it's also why the special Daemon World rules in White Dwarf #313(AU) are one of the best things about 4th Edition Warhammer 40,000) </div><div><br /></div><div>And of course there's the Markerlights. <i>Codex: Tau Empire</i> marked the beginning of Markerlights being Flanderised by GW writers from being a fun interesting little side quirk of the army into a crutch that's integral for the army to function at all. See, in <i>Codex: Tau</i>, Markerlights are very much a supplemental thing, a little bit of sauce on the side. They are by no means an integral must-have thing, and not only is it entirely possible and very common to build a fully viable Tau army without a single Markerlight in it, that's actually what Games Workshop writer Pete Haines did in the very first inaugural White Dwarf battle report featuring the Tau, and he won that game. Point is, Markerlights in <i>Codex: Tau</i> are a cherry on top that's there to help your assault and heavy weapons hit That One Big Threat That Has To Die Right Now. The trick here, is the magic of the Ballistic Skill 3 stat. Because Ballistic Skill 3 means always hitting on a 4+ with every gun, every shooting attack has a flat 50/50 chance of hitting, which is very easy to plan around. But on top of that, every major Tau weapon carrier has an organic way of improving those odds. Vehicles can take Targeting Arrays to make them Ballistic Skill 4, Battlesuits can take twin-linked guns (and Broadsides in particular even have their guns conveniently already twin-linked to give the player a hint about this), and everything else can effectively throw out so many shooting dice that you're guaranteed to get enough through regardless. </div><div><br /></div><div>In that context, Markerlights are not at all essential to a successful Tau army. But in <i>Codex: Tau Empire</i> that all changes. In this book, instead of just making guns hit on a flat 2+ or guiding in Seeker Missiles on a flat 2+, Markerlights provide a range of shooting related bonuses that include ignoring Night Fighting, ignoring Target Priority, improving Pinning chances and, most crucially, ignoring cover saves for the first time. On top of that, this book marks the first place where two of the most widely-used and powerful Markerlight abilities - better shooting accuracy and ignoring cover saves - are stacking modifiers that are very moderate individually, but get exponentially better the more of them are combined. This makes Markerlights enough of a force multiplier as to distinguish Tau armies into "Have Markerlights" and "Have Not Markerlights". Consequently many many more Tau players began including lots of Markerlights (helped by the introduction of a new Markerlight carrying Drone option), which in turn encouraged Games Workshop to double down on their significance in following rule sets, in a vicious cycle that continues to this day. </div><div><br /></div><div>Mere rules changes are one thing though, but altogether worse was the shifts in aesthetics and lore. There are many small examples of this scattered throughout the book, but perhaps the biggest one is what happened to the Ethereals, which is emblematic of one of the worst design decisions that GW went with for the post-2004 Tau. </div><div><br /></div><div>You see, looking at the Tau media and models ever since the release of <i>Codex: Tau Empire</i>, it is very readily apparent that at some undisclosed point between 2001 and 2006, someone at Games Workshop sat down one day, watched <i>Star Wars: The Phantom Menace</i>, and then said to themselves, "<b><i><span style="font-size: medium;">YES!</span></i></b> This, this right here, THIS is what we need for our new Tau game faction!" </div><div><br /></div><div>Because since then, with every major iteration, GW seems to be hell-bent on injecting more and more aspects and tropes of the Star Wars Prequel antagonists into the Tau game faction. And the epitome of this trend is the Ethereals, and their models in particular, which each edition seem to get more and more like the Neimoidians in the Star Wars Prequels - especially <i>The Phantom Menace</i>. And it all started with this 2006 Tau release wave, and this <i>Codex: Tau Empire</i>. The Ethereal models released for it represent the most obvious visual links between the two. I mean, just look at them next to each other: </div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi_3-nGASo9hFfzAqYS48Y83nr5N0CE0apsTlcUFwjBl8QJaq-fR3BPMWhxZN4hOrtQ2flIj_SZD-03gcun4VW6t8NXi_X6Iz7ZIgEdCxRNbLc488img_H64Zszn2xz-zdP9asUB4lJU1eeL0Yf2qKwi3RUlmsaOLk8kWDHgIivrV91Esa-bheRPIz-=s960" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="540" data-original-width="960" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi_3-nGASo9hFfzAqYS48Y83nr5N0CE0apsTlcUFwjBl8QJaq-fR3BPMWhxZN4hOrtQ2flIj_SZD-03gcun4VW6t8NXi_X6Iz7ZIgEdCxRNbLc488img_H64Zszn2xz-zdP9asUB4lJU1eeL0Yf2qKwi3RUlmsaOLk8kWDHgIivrV91Esa-bheRPIz-=w640-h360" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgDkQZRuQkUpeJokiLnqQR3AXxAU8xaI00mGgMbgEitKYdARjr46mbtvvn5XhU0ef0xYI5DDEHRd3DfSRXHrgYP_MhXvhk7JOQ7mN6mGTZJdmPfzWnFWNP40O1akjEU9H0i_RCCEYjG3gnPETJ8M2WFNCbycywbkR4Ix00_h8Gj15929QJt-S-r4oZe=s323" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="323" data-original-width="228" height="449" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgDkQZRuQkUpeJokiLnqQR3AXxAU8xaI00mGgMbgEitKYdARjr46mbtvvn5XhU0ef0xYI5DDEHRd3DfSRXHrgYP_MhXvhk7JOQ7mN6mGTZJdmPfzWnFWNP40O1akjEU9H0i_RCCEYjG3gnPETJ8M2WFNCbycywbkR4Ix00_h8Gj15929QJt-S-r4oZe=w317-h449" width="317" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Real subtle there, GW</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div><br /></div><div>I'm using the particular 4th Edition Ethereal sculpt that's closest to those exact costuming designs to illustrate a point. There are about three other variant sculpts that are a little more distinct, but not by a lot. Likewise there was a later plastic Ethereal model released in 2017 which breaks from those characters visually, but this just replaces that with 1) just being a very boring and ugly model in general and 2) only really treating the symptom and not the disease. </div><div><br /></div><div>That's because while they started to cut some of the visual ties to the Neimoidians from the Star Wars Prequels, they only doubled down on the characterisation ties. This ones a little hard to explain without lots of video clips, which is a form of techno-sorcery beyond my primitive TV writer brain, but suffice to say that a lot of the major attributes exhibited by the Neimoidian characters - being unscrupulous, greedy, devious and ultimately cowards - are all attributes that are increasingly exhibited by Ethereal characters in post-2005 Tau fiction, both from Games Workshop itself and Black Library. Which is bad not just because it's a very lazy and tired way of characterising authority figures, but also because it's Problematic for the same factors that make the coding and characterisation of the Neimoidian characters in the Star Wars prequels Problematic. A subject on which there's already been plenty of discourse elsewhere. </div><div><br /></div><div>In all deadly seriousness, what my creative writer's instincts are telling me happened was that this particular example at least is a case of Convergent Evolution. I suspect that when designing the models, and writing the fiction, the Games Workshop team went to all the same root sources of inspiration that the <i>Phantom Menace</i> production crew did for the Neimoidians, asked all the same questions they did, went through the exact same creative and workshopping processes they did, and thus inevitably came out with an extremely similar end product that has all of the same flaws. </div><div><br /></div><div>But then I look at the style of Tau buildings depicted in the themed terrain sets used in all the model shoots (sure, there was a little of the style in the 2001 Games Day board themed around a Tau city, but not with nearly as many weird slim fin-like elements everywhere), and I remember that this 2006 era of the Tau is the same era that produced Dark Crusade, a game that infamously gave Tau drones "Roger Roger" style robot voices, and I cannot help but wonder if someone in Games Workshop circa 2004-2005ish really did watch too many Star Wars prequels. </div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>But it goes even deeper than that. All throughout the book there's just this creeping darkness, and creeping murkiness, that pervades everything. The new artwork is less bold and vibrant in its shading. The graphics are more sinister. There's the first creeping appearances of the vectors with which Games Workshop will later inject Grim Darkness into the Tau game faction to appease the 1d4chan crowd. In Aun'va's lore blurb they even mention Tau on a crusade for gods sake. Tau! In a crusade! That's the kind of language you'd expect from an Imperial codex, not a Tau one. And all those beautiful 1950s Space Opera throwbacks about exploring the cosmos are thin on the ground, replaced by talk about binary join-or-die expansionism that was never really much of a thing in the earlier material and invariably painted as freak outliers when it did happen. </div><div><br /></div><div>Even the cover illustration is bleaker. Just look at the cover art for <i>Codex: Tau</i>, bursting with bold vibrant colour and life, promising a world of adventure and excitement and dynamic progress: </div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj0XhsFKzU3hkNWwFo9PNKIc46y1301ZpHQwyT69qADt1Zmy4kQZUGAqRuhCpeN3IsfgSJwOMkvXEV1gi3t1LM6iiPwmiP963Jrv4xaQUegJQ-rXN46w6jbAl9jcEGDRbx888-Xg74-JTjUohdFFSMeq_6J_e6bkjKQhA8ltkabZLAF7MAWPF-sPh2Y=s540" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="540" data-original-width="393" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj0XhsFKzU3hkNWwFo9PNKIc46y1301ZpHQwyT69qADt1Zmy4kQZUGAqRuhCpeN3IsfgSJwOMkvXEV1gi3t1LM6iiPwmiP963Jrv4xaQUegJQ-rXN46w6jbAl9jcEGDRbx888-Xg74-JTjUohdFFSMeq_6J_e6bkjKQhA8ltkabZLAF7MAWPF-sPh2Y=s16000" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Nothing says "Space Opera adventure!" quite like a desert battle beneath an aggressively blue sky</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>And then compare it to the bleak drab murky tones of the cover art for <i>Codex: Tau Empire</i>: </div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhPhNayTX3Nli_t_w0B5OUfObWg8L2gt0MoSlKi4JfrKFNiexm3Jw5zIcSKVkBQzQr42dMwi3bPUxjSxv7U6txzMzO69ILJj8xYRWsaSm4g-bOKOov_DU7e0RnXXYeq_2uPbSlASNrwkb9y9CEucncXcayhaeOnzUJ3GU-KgtS5qyy--weUzQ-6miHR=s800" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="575" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhPhNayTX3Nli_t_w0B5OUfObWg8L2gt0MoSlKi4JfrKFNiexm3Jw5zIcSKVkBQzQr42dMwi3bPUxjSxv7U6txzMzO69ILJj8xYRWsaSm4g-bOKOov_DU7e0RnXXYeq_2uPbSlASNrwkb9y9CEucncXcayhaeOnzUJ3GU-KgtS5qyy--weUzQ-6miHR=w461-h640" width="461" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">In the Grim Darkness of the far future, there is only BROWN!</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>And all in all the whole book feels pervaded by, well... a sense of innocence lost. </div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>Which brings us full circle to the conclusion I've reached, the voice I've finally been able to give to my reservations about this book. You see... </div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><i>Codex: Tau Empire</i> is to <i>Codex: Tau</i> what <i>Serenity</i> is to <i>Firefly. </i></div><div><i><br /></i></div><div><i><br /></i></div><div>Sure, it's bigger than <i>Codex: Tau</i>, and glossier, with slicker production values, and the 2006 GW budget meant it could pack in a few giant flashy centrepieces that would not have been possible with a 2001 codex budget. </div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjhcqct9oybfKndpbYgM_zaZuwuAOyC5kizAkpxYGXjXELox4qz7W5A_5ifQDfc0k7SGZiLL_mLxqRjax4WFsy_k1rgrUszny7GGGNuslrLAMymUjmY2zTW1PJg8IET4vwaBy3BNI5bEQn2O1LjJ01rYg6f60KNroNIlZIEpv6-e4jC9aUitzHm5BRa=s930" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="930" height="413" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjhcqct9oybfKndpbYgM_zaZuwuAOyC5kizAkpxYGXjXELox4qz7W5A_5ifQDfc0k7SGZiLL_mLxqRjax4WFsy_k1rgrUszny7GGGNuslrLAMymUjmY2zTW1PJg8IET4vwaBy3BNI5bEQn2O1LjJ01rYg6f60KNroNIlZIEpv6-e4jC9aUitzHm5BRa=w640-h413" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhGycMabSy6vFGXXJqySbTZWPXecqgvavgv_MheX2CgVrnNw_EO6LRyD27vaRCGe_SD_i1Bf7zU4un2HhGXKgdg3D6srU7KU9B-is1wv3Eqhc733O8g4lxuj8xGOt2miVaOSrLdyZhiY0gRVb4n2MXZCKkW7hsl4r4ews-f55o6upDCCw8B-SHMbNeg=s599" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="599" data-original-width="585" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhGycMabSy6vFGXXJqySbTZWPXecqgvavgv_MheX2CgVrnNw_EO6LRyD27vaRCGe_SD_i1Bf7zU4un2HhGXKgdg3D6srU7KU9B-is1wv3Eqhc733O8g4lxuj8xGOt2miVaOSrLdyZhiY0gRVb4n2MXZCKkW7hsl4r4ews-f55o6upDCCw8B-SHMbNeg=s16000" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>And sure, it has all of the same ingredients as <i>Codex: Tau</i>. And yet... something feels off about it. It's darker than the original codex, both literally in its visual aesthetics as well as in its overall atmosphere. The characters were always a little expansionist in the first codex, but here they fight more often than explore the wonders of the cosmos, and they actually fight wars more than the border disputes and peaceful coexistence they practiced in the original lore, and I just do not feel like this is the same love letter to Supermarionation and 1950s - 1970s Space Opera that would solve problems with intelligence more than violence. They did that all the time in the original fiction - often running rings around some hapless human diplomat from the Imperium - but I don't remember them doing it once in <i>Codex: Tau Empire</i>. Hell, I'm not sure I even remember the Imperium sending diplomats to negotiate with the Tau at all in the post-2005 material. Even the cover artwork is darker and deeper, more gritty and less space opera for the most part. And, most of all, <i>Codex: Tau Empire</i> just seems to be missing that same overall innocence, feeling of love and sense of good honest <i>FUN</i> that <i>Codex: Tau</i> has (the exceptions of course being the Wargear Armoury and Special Issue Weapons. I suspect it's no coincidence that those parts also tend to stick in the public conscious most). </div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>And I'm aware it's not the book's fault. The things that concern me in this book are almost entirely due to flawed creative processes and attempts to pander to the 1d4chan segment of the Warhammer 40,000 player base. But that doesn't change the difference in look and feel between <i>Codex: Tau Empire</i> and <i>Codex: Tau</i>, which only grows starker when you read them back to back. </div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>It's a reasonable enough book, especially from a purely mechanical point of view, but whenever I look through it I can't help but feel like there's something missing in it, something intangible but very important nonetheless. And it took my first tabletop love from me. </div><div><br /></div><div>So that then, is why I invariably give <i>Codex: Tau Empire</i> a pass these days, and use <i>Codex: Tau</i> instead whenever possible, especially in 4th Edition Warhammer 40,000, because that book brings a smile to me more in much the same way that <i>Firefly</i> warms my soul more than <i>Serenity</i> these days. </div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>GW can't take the sky from me...</div>MillitantGuerillaCommunistHippiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13565203522225127317noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5420460147318382021.post-65003121395687012342021-11-14T18:44:00.006-08:002021-11-18T17:24:00.978-08:00Evolution of The Tau - Part 1<p> Twenty years ago today something happened that changed the face of Games Workshop, and Warhammer 40,000 in particular, forever. </p><p><br /></p><p>OK, so it wasn't exactly <i>today.</i> It was actually staggered out over 3 months in 2001, beginning in October and continuing through to December, but this year does mark the 20 year anniversary of the greatest game-changer of GW history (fight me Oldhammer and 1d4channers), and certainly the greatest game-changer in the history of Warhammer 40,000 (again, Die Mad Oldhammer and 1d4channers). If nothing else, it is certainly the most <i>underrated</i> game-changer in the history of Warhammer 40,000, which is objectively provable by way that I have observed virtually no-one on the Internet seems to have even mentioned it this whole month. </p><p><br /></p><p>(Now granted, as previously established last time I do live under a rock on a cold dark planetoid orbiting a Black Hole approximately 42 billion light years away from the Earth, so if this isn't the case and there has indeed been a lot of discourse about this on Reddit or Tweet-Tok or whatever the devil it is that young people use to talk about tabletop games on the Internet these days then please do correct me on this in the comments. But my initial Google Search for 'Tau in 40k 20 Year Anniversary' produced precisely two (2) results that were relevant to the topic, so I'm going to assume it's just not being talked about as much as it should)</p><p><br /></p><p>I am, of course, talking about the introduction of the single most underrated game faction in Warhammer 40,000. </p><p><br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-20FqELymcm_vVMObIM27YXAHZJGXKdmc16Ks_bjW7RQ31dEnfv3j_GnbFkADXFQnusVSJ_iCseTJ71pFDrRxaYWefvEpOGGy3vt1M6jmWfAoscnm05rgOPxTXul6DDkWp-Wvg7M5148/s1200/Firewarrior.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="800" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-20FqELymcm_vVMObIM27YXAHZJGXKdmc16Ks_bjW7RQ31dEnfv3j_GnbFkADXFQnusVSJ_iCseTJ71pFDrRxaYWefvEpOGGy3vt1M6jmWfAoscnm05rgOPxTXul6DDkWp-Wvg7M5148/w427-h640/Firewarrior.jpg" width="427" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Image that got me into tabletop games.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p><br /></p><p>The Tau, in case you aren't aware, are one of the major game factions in the Warhammer 40,000 tabletop game. The short gist of them is that in the game universe they are a high-tech alien civilisation that controls a quickly growing empire in the eastern edge of the galaxy, which includes both Tau planets and numerous other alien civilisations that have joined the Tau peacefully and now coexist with them. In the grand scheme of things, where the various Warhammer 40,000 game factions represent different science fiction tropes, the Tau are your classic Space Opera faction. </p><p><br /></p><p>Originally the Tau were planned to be introduced to the game and its players at the end of 2001, but as the release date drew near an executive decision was made to bump them up ahead a month, so they were released on the faithful month of October instead of November. So the legend in the White Dwarf first covering them goes at any rate. </p><p><br /></p><p>Clearly someone at Games Workshop knew exactly how brilliant their new creation was. </p><p><br /></p><p>Thus it was that this time 20 years ago the world was introduced to the first Tau models ever released by GW - the Fire Warrior infantry troops, the Kroot Carnivore auxiliary troops, and the Gun Drones, along with a Battleforce box set that included all of the above and a group of Crisis battlesuits. Plus the Tau codex itself, of course. </p><p><br /></p><p>The following month, November 2001 saw the release of the Broadside battlesuit, the Devilfish and Hammerhead hover tanks, the Pathfinder reconnaissance scouts, the Kroot Hounds and Kroot shaper leaders, the Ethereal leader, and the special named characters of the codex, Aun'Shi and O'Shovah or Commander Farsight as he's more commonly known. </p><p><br /></p><p>Finally, December 2001 featured the last Tau releases, the XV15 stealth troops, the Krootox and Crisis Battlesuits as an individual item, leaving every unit in the codex with model representation. It should be noted that as well as the Crisis suits, the Broadside suits, Devilfish, Pathfinders and Krootox were all released right from the start in October as part of an army box set deal, because as BOLS points out some things never change. This army box set also included a special edition Ethereal model that was just about never released as a standalone model, which was a thing that all of the army box sets at the time did because GW in 2001 was just that awesome. </p><p><br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzlYKNeShRWu_xABDSPVKsQ0hRu_Xl_3sHG4iaTWWY8ewYlRIHYtNsbhX5GAd5C1u_XJWjN1u8v6Rux1G1QfNrSImCOcPHy-2G5UaCrcX8GZyNXP5rxyBfqEvYW4HceiRIhJvLlzfbNSs/s1434/Tau+Army+Box.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1434" height="301" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzlYKNeShRWu_xABDSPVKsQ0hRu_Xl_3sHG4iaTWWY8ewYlRIHYtNsbhX5GAd5C1u_XJWjN1u8v6Rux1G1QfNrSImCOcPHy-2G5UaCrcX8GZyNXP5rxyBfqEvYW4HceiRIhJvLlzfbNSs/w400-h301/Tau+Army+Box.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">FUCK. YEAH. (Image taken from Worthpoint)</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p><br /></p><p>The written material for the Tau was similarly staggered, with an Index Xenos lore piece and basic rules for Fire Warriors included in White Dwarf #261(US) for October 2001, and the bulk of the release content a month later in White Dwarf #262. It is here that the Designer's Notes for the Tau were first published. They are still available on the original GW website, accessible through the Wayback Machine internet archive, and are strongly recommended reading. </p><p><br /></p><p>It is in these Designer's Notes, penned by the God Emperor of 40k Andy Chambers himself, that the origins of the Tau are revealed. In the tail end of the 1990s and the dawn of the 2000s (presumably, given the average 2-year production cycle of these things), the decision was made in Games Workshop to add in a brand new game faction for the Warhammer 40,000 franchise, something fresh and unique to shake up the status quo of fantasy civilisations in space that had largely crystallised in 40k by around half-way through 2nd edition, more or less. The only trouble was, the Games Workshop designers had no idea what it should be. They had an enormous list of possible concepts to develop, and even after extensive narrowing down they became deadlocked on two options: either expanding on the Kroot, a minor alien civilisation briefly referenced in the 3rd edition 40k Rulebook, or developing a total clean sheet alien concept called the Tau. </p><p><br /></p><p>It was at this point that 40k developer Rick Priestly stepped in, and made like the girl in the Old El Paso ads. </p><p><br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_TsALSkd_PxgeNsAT-JDK9OqE0bRyG1QnFi9j0KiODG5SeBRDiMdZogQzWJfKSQGdHyZSQJwX91O3ZsdV-PIe7EFLQeqnDpeaYw_JgrbvRTh4KOH34m5aqMcB6ugPtozirMGQxFcuTIk/s260/Old+El+Paso+Meme.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="260" data-original-width="260" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_TsALSkd_PxgeNsAT-JDK9OqE0bRyG1QnFi9j0KiODG5SeBRDiMdZogQzWJfKSQGdHyZSQJwX91O3ZsdV-PIe7EFLQeqnDpeaYw_JgrbvRTh4KOH34m5aqMcB6ugPtozirMGQxFcuTIk/s16000/Old+El+Paso+Meme.png" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rick Priestly, circa 1999-2000, probably</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p>And so the two factions were developed simultaneously, with the Kroot evolving into one of the most important alien allies of the Tau, and foil for them conceptually and aesthetically - one is a bright altruistic unified force of high-tech aliens, one is a scattered species of semi-nomadic tribes and warbands of brutal but technologically limited aliens, TOGETHER! They save the universe! </p><p><br /></p><p>I'd certainly watch that show. </p><p><br /></p><p>At the heart of the Tau concept was a determination to have a clean break from the rest of the Warhammer 40,000 setting. The Tau were envisaged from Day 1 to be a direct foil to the other 40k factions, an island of good honest positivity in a sea of Grim-Dark despair and horror. In the words of Andy Chambers: </p><p><br /></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"></span></p><blockquote><span style="font-size: medium;">"In contrast to the other races, we wanted the Tau to be altruistic and idealistic, believing heartily in unification as the way forward."</span></blockquote><p></p><p><br /></p><p>And if it were up to me, that quote would be laser-etched into the cover of every Tau-related product Games Workshop ever released. It would also be burned into the front door of whatever department or writer was tasked with working on them, and perhaps tattooed onto said writer's forehead as well for good measure. </p><p><br /></p><p>For the purposes of growing the franchise and keeping it relevant, this concept was a stroke of genius, and also perfectly filled a notable thematic hole in the setting to boot. You see, up until 2001 40k had always been missing a Space Opera faction in its lineup. Not a Skulls and Candles gothiced up Space Opera faction like the Imperium, no I'm talking a <i>real</i> Space Opera faction - no skulls, no candles, no hoods or ominous latin, no religious dogma, just good old fashioned Enlightenment ideals and good honest science and technology and innovation, populated by good honest explorers and scientists and artists and intellectuals all striving to solve problems with their heads (and the occasional death ray or nuclear missile or 10) rather than a chainsaw. </p><p><br /></p><p>For the first decade or so of 40k's existence there wasn't anything like that - the Imperium and Space Marines in particular kind of skirted around the periphery of it in <i>Rogue Trader</i> but dropped any pretense of trying to appeal to it VERY quickly and the last vestiges of that were largely gone by the middle of 2nd Edition. And this is particularly painfully conspicuous because until 2001 40k had just about damn near <i>every other</i> flavour of science fiction civilisation in existence featured in some shape or form. Space Bugs? Check. Mad Max scavenger punks? Check. Crystal-powered science fantasy? Check. Cyberpunk? OK that one sort of slipped through a little as well but the Imperium still retained a lot of that long past Rogue Trader. Check. </p><p><br /></p><p>Everything except an honest normal good ol' fashioned 20th Century Space Opera civilisation. The Tau filled that niche wonderfully, completing the full spectrum of Science Fiction Trope Deathmatch that is Warhammer 40,000. </p><p><br /></p><p>"Now you see here, you no-good bleeding heart snot-nosed little Simp Cuck fake fanboi," I hear from the festering pit of hate that is the comment sections of the internet, "40k got on just fine without any of this honest wholesome Space Opera stuff for 20 odd years, and it can get on just fine without it now!" </p><p><br /></p><p>Well Mr (or Ms, but with language like the above who are we kidding here) 2nd edition worshipping Dankhammer Keyboard Warrior, that brings me to the second aspect of the genius behind the design and inclusion of the Tau. </p><p><br /></p><p>See, 40k fans like to talk about themselves as the centre of the pop culture universe, or at least the science fiction pop culture universe, but the bitter truth is even within that very specific niche of a niche we're a minority (a vocal minority at times, but a minority nonetheless). There are a lot more <i>Star Trek</i> and <i>Star Wars</i> fans than there are 40k ones, for example, and I'd wager there are probably more <i>Starcraft</i> fans than 40k ones as well. And that, in no small part, is because the bitter truth is that 40k is pretty niche even by science fiction standards. Let's be honest here, it takes a very specific mindset to fully get into the groove of a lot of 40k, to fully appreciate the concept of fantasy Orcs with guns and spaceships or gothic lovecraftian chainsaw insanity, and a lot of people just don't get it. I know this because I've learnt it the hard way in my ill-fated attempts to get people interested in the tabletop games I enjoy, where I have had a precisely 0% success rate and a precisely 100% incidence of confused but well-meaning smiles and nods and "Oh yes that's... very interesting." </p><p><br /></p><p>The bitter truth is, in the grand scheme of things most people, even most sci-fi enthusiasts, just aren't that interested in playing games as skull-encrusted medieval lunatics with chainsaws in space cathedrals. And that gets even more apparent when you step into the vast endless abyss of people who aren't major consumers of science fiction. </p><p><br /></p><p>Enter then, the Tau. A 40k faction for the normal sci-fi fan, a 40k faction for the normal tabletop gamer, nay, a 40k faction for the normal pop-culture consumer given the leaps and bounds science fiction has made in breaking through to the mainstream. By existing in the 40k setting as this nice good-natured progressive Space Opera faction, the Tau provide a gateway into the 40k franchise for a whole range of people who could be interested in science fiction tabletop games, but are put off by the other 40k game factions. And this is a very good thing for two reasons: </p><p><br /></p><p>1) It means more customers, thus growing the business and getting the game company (GW here) more money. </p><p><br /></p><p>2) It means more people playing Warhammer 40,000, thus growing the player-base and making it easier to find gaming opponents and connect with people over this tabletop thing. </p><p><br /></p><p>The technical scientific term for this situation, used by leading experts and Industry Veterans alike, is a Win-Win. </p><p><br /></p><p>And there's concrete evidence for this working. You're reading it right now. The truth is, if the Tau hadn't been created there is no question that I would have given 40k a hard pass, never gotten into it, and by extension probably never have gotten into Tabletop gaming at all. Somewhere out there is a Millitant in a parallel dimension where the Tau were never created, writing comfortably about the sad state of computer gaming from his tricked out custom PC rig created from parts purchased with all the money he never spent on tabletop games. Either that or he plays electric guitar and writes about that. Or he works on cars or motorcycles or something I guess. Point is, in that parallel dimension where the Tau were never created for Warhammer 40,000, the Millitant that inhabits it does NOT have anything to do with tabletop games. </p><p><br /></p><p>I am exactly one of those people who the Tau were aimed at, and it worked like a charm. And where there's one case of that, it's almost certain there's more. </p><p><br /></p><p>But it's not just about real world Doylist considerations. The Tau as a bright happy genuinely noble and altruistic good guy force enriches the wider Warhammer 40,000 setting enormously as well. Right off the bat they act as a moral counterweight to the rest of the setting, a kind of safety valve for avoiding burnout from Darkness-induced apathy, because even if you are into it Grimdark gets exhausting after a certain point. It is a horrible irony that all to often I see comments online about people clamouring for something lighter in 40k for a break in the grim darkness, despite the Tau being RIGHT THERE. </p><p><br /></p><p>It goes deeper than that though, because the presence of the Tau as genuine legit good guys also enhances the grim darkness of everything else. Part of this is the juxtaposition between the Tau and everyone else - after all you can't really have darkness without light to contrast it against. But it's more than that, because the very existence of the Tau as these good guys also has extremely grimdark implications for everyone else's actions. Because their presence proves that classic good guys can thrive in the Warhammer 40,000 setting, it takes everyone else's horrible actions from being born out of simple necessity to deliberate, purposeful choices driven by character flaws - in other words, classic tragedy. </p><p><br /></p><p>Think about it. how much more grimdark is it that, after uncounted thousands of years of unrelenting horror and bloodshed, when the powers of the galaxy are, at long last, finally presented with a genuine legitimate bona fide <i>way out of this nightmare</i>, their reaction is to ignore it and continue on with their unending bloodbath, possibly going so far as to try and stamp out this way out if the opportunity arises - all because they're too cowardly to take it, or too greedy, or too prideful, or too stubborn, or because it would mean they can no longer reap the benefits of the utterly broken systems that are the status quo, or even just because they're simply too institutionalised to the suffering; that after 40,000 years and countless generations of unending slaughter they're just <i>no longer capable</i> of adjusting to or even comprehending a reality that isn't drowning in horror and death. After all: </p><p><br /></p><p></p><blockquote>"It is not the Horror of War that troubles me, but the Unseen Horrors of Peace."</blockquote><p></p><p><br /></p><p>So much more Grimdark and interesting than "herp derp they have sterilisation camps after all" (We'll be back for you later). </p><p><br /></p><p>But themes and concepts alone don't comprise a tabletop faction. Being a tabletop miniatures game made by a tabletop model company, the Tau needed a strong coherent visual style to produce a range of fantastic looking models so that lots of people would buy them. The GW studio designers more than delivered, creating a range of beautiful models with a completely unique aesthetic design. Even so, all art is a process of evolution, with all artistic creations inheriting from the influences that first inspired them. The Tau are no exception, and there is one source of inspiration behind the Tau style that shines through more than any other, a source material whose fingerprints are unmistakable and clear for all to see on the design style of the models and even the thematic tone of Tau lore. </p><p>There can be only one classic pillar of science fiction to which I am referring to, a unique and easily recognisable visual art form from an Island Nation, a visual art form that is beloved across the world and renowned for its bold striking style and dynamic futurism. I am, of course, referring to... </p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><h1 style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">SUPERMARIONATION!</span></h1><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgplj5Jj7ur_22x4ngLSP1YOtKvFBuqy7QcrqLcBZKYU6T7j44bE-XY3PsmbfN7axIHy3KYH90FcAHpWAU6k0RlWjep-hNigkQpUt5SRnD6isidyoeCCwfeLkfptBIeC3MM0sPaBP88H-g/s430/Supermarionation.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="430" data-original-width="345" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgplj5Jj7ur_22x4ngLSP1YOtKvFBuqy7QcrqLcBZKYU6T7j44bE-XY3PsmbfN7axIHy3KYH90FcAHpWAU6k0RlWjep-hNigkQpUt5SRnD6isidyoeCCwfeLkfptBIeC3MM0sPaBP88H-g/s16000/Supermarionation.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The genesis of the Tau. 1960s, Colourised</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>In case you live in one of those savage backwaters where its glory was never syndicated, or if you have the misfortune of not existing until after the shows were aired, <i style="font-weight: bold;">SUPERMARIONATION</i> is a screen media format created in Slough, England by Gerry Anderson with the help of Sylvia Thamm (who he later married). It was primarily made for Television broadcast, but also produced a couple of films as well. It consisted of building the most breathtaking, jaw-dropping, awe-inspiring model scratch-builds and kitbashes ever conceived by human minds...</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>... and then <b style="font-size: x-large;">BLASTING THEM TO KINGDOM COME </b>on camera. </div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>Oh and there was usually some stuff about characters portrayed by puppets thrown in to string the model explosions together into a coherent story too. </div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>But aside from the monstrous explosions that put Michael Bay films to shame (and since these shows were made before computers were much of a thing, they were all practical too - every time you see something in these shows explode, they blew it up for real), the thing that stands out about Supermarionation is its distinct art design and visual style, a design aesthetic that has never really been seen before or since. It's a striking design language, full of dynamic futuristic architecture and vehicle designs with lots of clean Utopian future technology. </div><div><br /></div><div>Now why does that sound familiar? </div><div><br /></div><div>Even as an 8-year old kid, the Supermarionation influence on the Tau design was obvious to me from the moment I first laid eyes on the models. In fact, the first time I ever saw pictures of the Forgeworld Tau aircraft my first reaction was: </div><div><br /></div><div>"Oh my god, they're like the planes in <i>Thunderbirds</i>!" </div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>In the beginning it was the intakes that first cued me in. Those huge square intakes with their solid grating in the inside remain one of the most easily recognised parallels between the Tau and Supermarionation designs. Just look at one of the best examples of these in Supermarionation, the prow intake pods of Skyship One from the film <i>Thunderbird 6</i>. </div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwpWuDOEJBfP8saHZ882n5IZKYz8OVCkL-9HRHXCMsTQ0Oh2fszsn5TuiVFRhm1uaTBvTyv1bvSSYPH3mTmJ2EmT0wJHX4O2Q8DXpy_kIkTb_iY-NPE85Cq2h7KjoJbdt818otg7CNkzA/s1400/Skyship+1.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="608" data-original-width="1400" height="278" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwpWuDOEJBfP8saHZ882n5IZKYz8OVCkL-9HRHXCMsTQ0Oh2fszsn5TuiVFRhm1uaTBvTyv1bvSSYPH3mTmJ2EmT0wJHX4O2Q8DXpy_kIkTb_iY-NPE85Cq2h7KjoJbdt818otg7CNkzA/w640-h278/Skyship+1.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The anti-gravity zeppelin my childhood was built on</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div><br /></div><div>In case you missed what I'm talking about, here it is again with the big square intakes and their solid grills highlighted. </div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrIdBn-ebqVuskwfE3p80yrU-kTfefzYoCZ-QWoOt-Zfy74h09I62nqcPygNVny9kPnaIyYhXfuCfMoF1iB0iKuICpdkWaLHa7_38QWmJlbrH2t8JdatbYI_MdoVyZL4py4rTl-2W7dJA/s1400/Skyship+1+Annotated.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="608" data-original-width="1400" height="278" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrIdBn-ebqVuskwfE3p80yrU-kTfefzYoCZ-QWoOt-Zfy74h09I62nqcPygNVny9kPnaIyYhXfuCfMoF1iB0iKuICpdkWaLHa7_38QWmJlbrH2t8JdatbYI_MdoVyZL4py4rTl-2W7dJA/w640-h278/Skyship+1+Annotated.png" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>And here they are again on the Tau Tigershark aircraft. </div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjazc8DwyZG50iNujLeGPqLrpDr43e2p6aE27vuV9k_AEKb7RZD79fXubC5WTMvO2tgl2WeT7xUxB_wLK2wDXW9w2ju_pxic0adr9eFYVWQBqv2vhxEn-0g0uNHjd1CLz6PhJGQHtxnC4Y/s575/Tiger+Shark+1+Annotated.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="310" data-original-width="575" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjazc8DwyZG50iNujLeGPqLrpDr43e2p6aE27vuV9k_AEKb7RZD79fXubC5WTMvO2tgl2WeT7xUxB_wLK2wDXW9w2ju_pxic0adr9eFYVWQBqv2vhxEn-0g0uNHjd1CLz6PhJGQHtxnC4Y/s16000/Tiger+Shark+1+Annotated.png" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Tau aircraft diorama my Warhammer 40,000 is built on.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>Like I say, when I was looking at that thing on the Forgeworld Website (and its little brother the Barracuda), <i>Thunderbirds</i> and Skyship One was immediately the very first thing that came to mind. And the fact I watched <i>Thunderbird 6</i> on VHS a hundred times when I was in Primary School can't take full credit for that. The design cues are there. </div><div><br /></div><div>And there are certainly more of them. For a very long time I couldn't quite put my finger on them exactly, I simply had a vague gestalt awareness that these models had an obvious Supermarionation influence. But recently I've finally been able to identify what it is - a common visual design language. </div><div><br /></div><div>See, the Tau models - and by extension Tau technology itself - are built on a very simple but effective visual style at their core. At the heart of the Tau aesthetic is a body of hard solid angles, that are punctuated by a few sleek curves. This design language crops up everywhere in the Tau model range, from the Fire Warrior infantry to the battlesuits and all the way up into the vehicles that are the stars of the Tau range. </div><div><br /></div><div>And it's the same visual design language used throughout Supermarionation shows - hard, solid angles punctuated by a few sleek curves. </div><div><br /></div><div>In the case of the Tau vehicles specifically, they also share another unifying feature - a pod like control centre or cockpit, semi-inset with a raised superstructure, with a slit-like forward vision block, and normally located in the centre of the vehicle's front. This is important, because, surprise surprise, the same feature shows up in a lot of Supermarionation vehicle designs too. </div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>Just compare the Martian Space Probe transporter from <i>Thunderbirds</i>: </div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizjJ_mVxRPAu7SyfcsXlTJyrxiytI4xw1bQ_e3I4u0HFgk_LrmnBI8EBFQ2R_tnbOtv76SHhm3kYWcxE1EHL3ZJ3L1wIjZ4_3Fq2Cj400UYxQbuNJSFbTloUZA4G_LnBwx4Qr3nDqspHE/s736/Martian+Space+Probe.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="489" data-original-width="736" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizjJ_mVxRPAu7SyfcsXlTJyrxiytI4xw1bQ_e3I4u0HFgk_LrmnBI8EBFQ2R_tnbOtv76SHhm3kYWcxE1EHL3ZJ3L1wIjZ4_3Fq2Cj400UYxQbuNJSFbTloUZA4G_LnBwx4Qr3nDqspHE/w640-h426/Martian+Space+Probe.png" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgY5k2GgJ_vTvNrcD1ixiEn0rzuRKS3l2psZUZRQIu43UA3krLcwF0giIjF-cdM87IhVjkD6iwT-q_LtWjtZv0_kRrFF_DwI63GwyTxOmjmtGTmeB2udsdpX9KBKHPb2nQDRWvNklEpRVk/s736/Martian+Space+Probe+Annotated.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="489" data-original-width="736" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgY5k2GgJ_vTvNrcD1ixiEn0rzuRKS3l2psZUZRQIu43UA3krLcwF0giIjF-cdM87IhVjkD6iwT-q_LtWjtZv0_kRrFF_DwI63GwyTxOmjmtGTmeB2udsdpX9KBKHPb2nQDRWvNklEpRVk/w640-h426/Martian+Space+Probe+Annotated.png" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div>Or Thunderbird 4 itself <div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZ4fU8SsU16Tss5UMRNhFFYg_AsQ659IwK6JsdxpjE8CaM0f5vAs-OO-RrExn1v-6qQ5JiWPp3eo6IeqULORBJ5IBJl3zz1uSgUmDzT-XU56lzMt3JFV17Bkg6rLMke4hdaD_Pn02x-ns/s748/TB4.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="555" data-original-width="748" height="474" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZ4fU8SsU16Tss5UMRNhFFYg_AsQ659IwK6JsdxpjE8CaM0f5vAs-OO-RrExn1v-6qQ5JiWPp3eo6IeqULORBJ5IBJl3zz1uSgUmDzT-XU56lzMt3JFV17Bkg6rLMke4hdaD_Pn02x-ns/w640-h474/TB4.png" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div><br /><div><br /></div></div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKX75uv5jFs0KYTZIcAC8yCqBoBwzli_6GVPCt-S5V1JKOJSkZjA8M3EQYT53G_J6K_B20ZpU8SHJq2vGubCJJjQWf-ya9TE75zVocaC-QJgUOVJSv4u8s8Sf461DcNSExNEYNmPKND8M/s748/TB4+Annotated.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="555" data-original-width="748" height="474" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKX75uv5jFs0KYTZIcAC8yCqBoBwzli_6GVPCt-S5V1JKOJSkZjA8M3EQYT53G_J6K_B20ZpU8SHJq2vGubCJJjQWf-ya9TE75zVocaC-QJgUOVJSv4u8s8Sf461DcNSExNEYNmPKND8M/w640-h474/TB4+Annotated.png" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>Alongside the Tau Hammerhead Gunship: </div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOhR_vZ6rqfZPWdNyJS9cIHXtcApWRzoFQJL8es_5LJavmqFy6M2PPe2I5iiPQAU7olAlvzYD8bHBKH2rqyA0UkFHq2gca-0LK65_gBo_VQB5WTSWF_o42a16JLRtR9xyPYMfeEYKqM9k/s975/Hammerhead+Annotated+Fixed.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="707" data-original-width="975" height="464" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOhR_vZ6rqfZPWdNyJS9cIHXtcApWRzoFQJL8es_5LJavmqFy6M2PPe2I5iiPQAU7olAlvzYD8bHBKH2rqyA0UkFHq2gca-0LK65_gBo_VQB5WTSWF_o42a16JLRtR9xyPYMfeEYKqM9k/w640-h464/Hammerhead+Annotated+Fixed.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tau in 40k are GO...</td></tr></tbody></table><br /></div><br /><div><br /></div><div>Admittedly it's not quite as blatant when you can't get the angles on the example shots to match perfectly, but hey I have to work with what the Internet gives me. Point is, the visual design and style influences are clearly there to see. And of course they are, because it makes such perfect sense given how closely the Tau dovetail the themes, atmosphere and tone of Supermarionation shows, especially <i>Stingray</i> and <i>Thunderbirds</i>.</div><div><br /></div><div>Now none of the GW studio people ever explicitly mentioned Supermarionation when discussing the Tau in the Designers' Notes for them, but they don't have to because it goes without saying. I <i>know</i> that Supermarionation was a huge influence on them, because they were (mostly) British lads who grew up in the UK post-Supermarionation, and it was one of those game-changing phenomena that colour everything that comes after them. It's the same reason why it's a big influence on me and a lot of my science fiction stuff outside 40k, because there was just no escaping it in 1990s Aotearoa either. </div><div><br /></div><div>And what a legacy to incorporate! </div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>Right then, that about wraps things up for this instalment! The Tau have been a fixture of 40k for 20 years now, and it's fair to say they've earned their place as one of the key iconic factions of the setting. Next time on this blog we should be back to showcasing some painted models that I've finally at long last finished so be sure to come back for- </div><div><br /></div><div>What's that?</div><div><br /></div><div>Eh? what? </div><div><br /></div><div>What do you mean? </div><div><br /></div><div>Really? </div><div><br /></div><div>Ugh. Fine. </div><div><br /></div><div>I suppose we probably need to address that <i>other</i> artistic medium that gets brought up all the time, if we really must. </div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div>So for most of their lifetime as a game faction the Tau have been commonly labelled "The Anime faction". This mostly stems from their use of large bipedal robot walkers, which are a common staple in science fiction Anime, and some references in the Tau Designers' Notes. I mean... I can see where people can come from there, but the label has never sat right with me at all. It feels like a big disservice to the Tau in rendering them down into a single one-dimensional concept, and ultimately lies at the heart of some problematic decisions GW has taken with the model range in recent times (again, we'll come back to this later). Ultimately I can't help but feel like far too many people allow a couple of off-the-cuff throwaway lines from the Designers' Notes to do their thinking for them. <div><br /></div><div>And they ARE off-the-cuff throwaway remarks. How do I know this? Because the GW studio designers themselves downplay them in the very Designers' Notes they feature in: </div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><blockquote>"[The Tau Battlesuits] had obvious Manga influence, <i><b><u>but we tried to steer away from any one inspirational source, gleaning our ideas from a wider range</u></b></i>." </blockquote></div><div><br /></div><div>Those are Jess Goodwin's own words. It's the same with the Ashigaru influences on the Fire Warrior infantry armour - they're downplayed in the same sentence they're mentioned. </div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><blockquote>"The Fire Warrior armour was suggested by Japanese Ashigaru foot soldiers, <b><i><u>but we only wanted a subtle influence to come through.</u></i></b>"</blockquote></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>Emphasis mine in both cases. The GW studio designers who originally worked on the Tau clearly never intended them to be only a shout-out to science fiction Anime and Manga. Indeed, the message that shines through in the Designers' Notes is that what the GW studio designers DID intend for the Tau was to be a beautiful creative maelstrom of different influences and ideas coming together into an organic combination that produced something both fresh and inventive and greater than the sum of its parts. </div><div><br /></div><div><blockquote>"It had been agreed that the Tau were to be a high tech race, and, with this in mind, <b><i><u>I tapped into a wide variety of science fiction elements to come up with my first concept sketch.</u></i></b> This was the basic premise behind what was eventually to become the Battlesuit." </blockquote></div><div><br /></div><div>(So even the Battlesuits themselves were born from so much more than just Anime and Manga)</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><blockquote>"Although the initial sketches bear some resemblance to the final product, <b><i><u>the Tau were born from an amalgamation of ideas that worked off each other to produce the final range.</u></i></b>" </blockquote></div><div><br /></div><div> </div><div><blockquote>"One of the best aspects of designing the Tau force was that we were all working on pieces at the same time. <b><i><u>This resulted in a wide range of individual's ideas which all pulled together.</u></i></b>" </blockquote></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>And Jess Goodwin is right here. There is so much more to the Tau than 'Anime shoutout', and even a cursory glance over the model range reveals so many more core pillars of their premise than that - I've highlighted the obvious Supermarionation influence already, but even that doesn't even touch on the enormous obvious influence that classic 20th Century Space Opera had on the Tau, both in their visuals (many Tau models, ESPECIALLY the Kor'vattra starships, would be right at home on the pages of <i>Mechanismo</i> or <i>Terran Trade Authority</i>) and their lore, with its strong emphasis on exploring the cosmos and abundance of characters who prefer to solve problems with their words and wits over violence, as well as the very strong Enlightenment ideals that science, reason and technology can solve any problem that are baked into the Tau DNA, and the Tau operating on an overall somewhat harder level of science fiction than the rest of the 40k factions. </div><div><br /></div><div>It's the same with all of the 40k game factions. Like the Tau, each one is to a greater or lesser extent the product of a wonderful fusion of different influences and inspirations and ideas that's more than the sum of its parts, and rendering any of them down to a single root concept cheapens them. The Necrons are far more than just Undead in Space, they're just as much a love letter to the Faceless AI machine overlords in science fiction and H.P. Lovecraft. The Orks are far more than just Tolkien Orcs in space, they're just as much a love letter to Mad Max post-apocalyptic scavenger punk science fiction and Punk subculture in general. The Eldar are so much more than Tolkien Elves in space, they're a love letter to the mythic Planetary Romance Science Fantasy subgenre and classic 1900s - 1940s space opera, and even had strong Anime and Asian pop cultural influences long before the Tau arrived on the scene. </div><div><br /></div><div>So it is with the Tau, as much - if not more - a love letter to classic 1950s - 1970s space opera and Supermarionation as they are an Anime shoutout (as well as having a little bit of 1980s-1990s cyberpunk thrown in for good measure). </div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>And with that, we can at last finally come to the conclusion of this thrilling first part into a deep dive of the Tau, who have now been conquering the 41st Millennium for 20 years and with any luck will be conquering it for many more to come.</div>MillitantGuerillaCommunistHippiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13565203522225127317noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5420460147318382021.post-77190943169976448152021-08-21T08:46:00.002-07:002021-08-21T08:46:25.672-07:00Hot Take: Fear And Loathing In Battletech<p> Did... did I do the algorithm click-bait right? Is this how you click-bait algorithms? </p><p><br /></p><p>OK, so I guess we're doing this now. And just when I thought I had been doing so good at keeping positive on here. </p><p><br /></p><p>So lately there's been a lot of talk within a certain science fiction tabletop game's fanbase, who are currently very disgruntled and angry with the company that makes it (which I'm having a hard time with managing my schadenfreude about. I mean seriously people, what did you expect?). They are, it seems, proposing a mass boycott of this one science fiction tabletop game, and to migrate over to a certain other science fiction tabletop game that once was almost as popular, but has since fallen into decline (we'll get to that later, maybe. If there's time after lunch). </p><p><br /></p><p>And by 'lately' I of course mean that this whole drama seems to have largely wrapped up weeks ago, because I live under a rock on a cold dark planetoid orbiting a Black Hole approximately 42 billion light years away from the Earth, so if the electromagnetic image wave-forms of this whole debacle are only just now reaching me then I can only assume everyone involved has since largely moved on with their lives. </p><p><br /></p><p>Which naturally means this is the perfect time to cash in on the trendy thing! </p><p><br /></p><p>Except that's not really what this post is going to be about. Well, I mean it sort of is, but only in a very tangential way. See I'm doing that thing again where I talk around a thing for a little bit before cutting into the main thrust of the post. So no, what this post is really going to be about is a story, a story that has been festering and corroding for some time now, and it seems like as good a time as any to finally vent it out into the depths of the internet to be forgotten so I can get back to moving on with my life. </p><p><br /></p><p>This is the story of a sad little nocturnal parrot and his long journey to find a Tabletop home. It is largely still ongoing, for said nocturnal parrot has not really had much success anywhere. And it's also probably going to get lengthy and symbolic and maybe even a little trippy (no Tricia Helfer though, sadly - there wasn't enough in the budget to hire her), so I dunno maybe go to the bathroom or get a snack or something before strapping in. </p><p><br /></p><p>Alright then, let us begin. </p><p><br /></p><p>Once Upon A Time, a long time ago in a Living Room far far away, I had sat down like many 7-8 year olds in the Pre-Internet era to watch Saturday Morning Cartoons (historians debate whether the show in question was actually on Saturday mornings or Sunday mornings, but regardless it was a weekend morning cartoon show of some description). In late-90s/early 2000s Aotearoa these particular weekend cartoons were packaged within a larger children's show called <i>Squirt</i>, which was glorious and centred around the misadventures of a human presenter, a CGI fish and a CGI penguin as they roamed the universe in a CGI spaceship doing kid's show stuff. </p><p><br /></p><p>This was a common format for weekend kid's TV in late 90's/Early 2000s Aotearoa, and it's important here because they also included a few features around the cartoons. </p><p><br /></p><p>One morning one of these features included a review of a bundle of videogames. They all centred around a common theme of giant piloted robot walkers, so naturally as a ravenous consumer of all things science fiction and explosions (I was around 7-8 years old, remember) that got my attention. But the commentary about them went straight over my head, because what I IMMEDIATELY fixed on was the visuals - the pre-rendered trailer footage they ran the commentary over, which gave a glimpse into <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vZWxgLQZano">a world of giant heavy metal stomping machines blasting the tar out of each other</a>. </p><p><br /></p><p>Naturally this mysterious video game world rocketed up to the top of my things to obsess over in the way that children do, and hovered there for a good few weeks or so (which is a long time by 7-8 year old standards). It was a shame then, that in my excitement I completely failed to pick up on what these video games were called. It was something like Mach-fighter or Mechwarrior or something... </p><p><br /></p><p>So without any further context to go on, that world of stompy robot action eventually faded from memory... until about a year or so later. This time I was sitting in a waiting room for a Doctor's Appointment, because I got sick a lot as a kid. But we had been referred to a different Doctor from the one I usually went to. This is important, because it meant I was now sitting in a waiting room where the range of old magazines on offer was <u style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">LEGIT</u>. What was arrayed in front of me to pass the time? Was it outdated tabloids? Home decor magazines? Oh no friends, what was splayed out on the side coffee-desk of this waiting room was nothing less than an array of PC gaming magazines. </p><p><br /></p><p>Fuck. Yeah. </p><p><br /></p><p>I only got to leaf through one, but it was enough. Because nestled in there, in between the reviews of <i>Star Wars Galactic Battlegrounds</i> and pieces on <i>Tiberian Sun</i> multiplayer and <i>Mechcommander 2</i> coverage (wait what? Never mind now, we'll be back for you!), there was a computer game advert that would change everything. I no longer remember the title it was advertising, though in hindsight I can narrow it down to either <i>Mechwarrior 3</i>, <i>Mechwarrior 4</i>, or <i>Mechcommander 2</i> (or an expansion pack for one of those). But what I do remember was the centrepiece of the ad. It was an image for a giant piloted robot, but one dramatically different from any I had ever seen before. Up until now all the giant stompy robots I had seen were essentially some flavour of 'human man, but made out of metal. Add face to taste'. They looked something like this: </p><p><br /></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzUuAtDseb3_tU-IO2dPu0CEAAMBS_8u0eF4pq87KUD01gPtkjOmswWi_x73QYPnb0Z-evgl-EgdUf-PepW4ZgqHE9KJZ6m3ZW5RSh4yS2X6L9EZZn6LgjxbilUdaGi0ddOJTDfBoetJ8/s685/STRIPE.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="685" data-original-width="436" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzUuAtDseb3_tU-IO2dPu0CEAAMBS_8u0eF4pq87KUD01gPtkjOmswWi_x73QYPnb0Z-evgl-EgdUf-PepW4ZgqHE9KJZ6m3ZW5RSh4yS2X6L9EZZn6LgjxbilUdaGi0ddOJTDfBoetJ8/w408-h640/STRIPE.png" width="408" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Alas the world will never know my awesome plans for a live-action Stars and STRIPE</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br />Or this: <p></p><p><br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7pEom8IVfd3A33f5IQdAPaaJ6ZH-Ba-7QxkNL12mkjQpKn2McT7tFrTlZkaNLslDpTPPTTEkcoPuWDfi1CgPV9jsSh2v7PEPBItMosN1dZjZ_9n5xxW_sGeky-uzK2EYctYH43Dr0UNo/s1529/Robot+2.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1529" data-original-width="1256" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7pEom8IVfd3A33f5IQdAPaaJ6ZH-Ba-7QxkNL12mkjQpKn2McT7tFrTlZkaNLslDpTPPTTEkcoPuWDfi1CgPV9jsSh2v7PEPBItMosN1dZjZ_9n5xxW_sGeky-uzK2EYctYH43Dr0UNo/w526-h640/Robot+2.jpg" width="526" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Good 'Ol Mechanismo strikes again</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p>Or very occasionally this: </p><p><br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpNwHJJIXPuc8vRBnu8BVyhCKd2xPqEvfE1ZBzV_dFgLdtj9-cO6-5PsXAcpj7Rulh2pklJ-JO25Cmm6B3nm5oNrTXk5hEooVy6w0gx3ILBa1oChyphenhyphenR-cfnbETxGLiH9kY0VNuVzdIe4e0/s391/Robot+3.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="391" data-original-width="250" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpNwHJJIXPuc8vRBnu8BVyhCKd2xPqEvfE1ZBzV_dFgLdtj9-cO6-5PsXAcpj7Rulh2pklJ-JO25Cmm6B3nm5oNrTXk5hEooVy6w0gx3ILBa1oChyphenhyphenR-cfnbETxGLiH9kY0VNuVzdIe4e0/w410-h640/Robot+3.jpg" width="410" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Though we never actually got Macross or Robotech over here</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p><br /></p><p>The only exceptions to this rule were the AT-ATs and AT-STs from <i>Star Wars</i>, the aforementioned video game trailer footage, and an obscure RTS computer game called <i>Robo-Rumble</i> that was the first video game I ever played. </p><p><br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMidnrWbovA-2_VJRwozw1CaruPV6182DjL0-ysPbm1uVpOCzRSysV9xoFMIEAPaXlRFCQitaC3isvVLuE3HxOVnDVAwSUW3v0ugs6GNRlguCOfJIcHdTIIvWUKArG0zYVjtCPcR0a1Tw/s1021/Where+It+Began.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1021" data-original-width="800" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMidnrWbovA-2_VJRwozw1CaruPV6182DjL0-ysPbm1uVpOCzRSysV9xoFMIEAPaXlRFCQitaC3isvVLuE3HxOVnDVAwSUW3v0ugs6GNRlguCOfJIcHdTIIvWUKArG0zYVjtCPcR0a1Tw/w502-h640/Where+It+Began.jpg" width="502" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My fondness for reverse-joint legs and shoulder guns started early</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p><br /></p><p>But this new stompy robot that I beheld in this PC Gaming magazine ad, this one turned all that on its head. Unlike all those others there was nothing even remotely humanoid about it. Like the AT-STs it had reverse-jointed legs, ending in wicked-looking three toed feet. But where the AT-STs had this big awkward head-like box on top of their legs, this thing had a sleek cockpit with glazing like the TU-4, my favourite piston-engine bomber. There were no weird humanoid arms with silly oversized novelty hands on this thing, just a pair of out-rigger like appendages that had more in common with a Krokodil's wings than any ape's limbs, each one tipped with a gun-turret like pod holding an arsenal of energy weapons - one was firing a stream of colour in the image. And the whole thing was topped off with a pair of massive shoulder-mounted missile launchers. </p><p><br /></p><p>I didn't know it then, but I had just had my first sighting of a Timber Wolf. </p><p><br /></p><p>It's hard to properly convey just how much impact this chance event had on my formative self, but to use a historical analogy it would have been roughly equivalent to the launch of HMS Dreadnought in 1906 - sure, there had been metal boats with guns on them before, but never like this. It completely changed the entire way I thought about giant stompy robots. From then on, when I thought 'Giant Stompy Robot', my first mental image was that thing. From then on, when I scribbled out crude drawings of Giant Stompy Robots, they were in that style. </p><p><br /></p><p>After that this mysterious giant stompy robot I had spotted became something of a White Whale for my childhood self. Every time it had begun to fade from memory, I would suddenly come across another depiction of it - a screencap here, another advert over there. Yet no matter how hard I tried I could never seem to find any additional information on it - what was it, who made it, what was the story behind it? Sometimes there would be a modest blurb about the computer game it was appearing in, but those almost invariably left me with more questions rather than any answers. Thus, this giant robot next door remained an enigma to me until well into my teens. </p><p><br /></p><p>That was when I finally got <i>Mechcommander 2</i> to work. </p><p><br /></p><p>I had gotten a copy of <i>Mechcommander 2</i> for Christmas one year when I was a kid - I think I must have been around 8 or so, it was either just before or just after I had (re)discovered 40k. I was really excited about it at the time, not least because I recognised it as one of the components of that giant robot video game bundle I had seen on <i>Squirt</i> so long ago (I had since spotted the box at a video game store and inspected it), but my aspirations were quickly dashed when it turned out to be a little-bit too resource intensive for the household PC at the time, and refused to run at all on the PC that succeeded it. </p><p><br /></p><p>But when I was around 14 or so I suddenly remembered it and, on a whim, tried installing it on the trusty old hand-me-down laptop I had been given, and it worked like a charm. The game itself was great fun, and I enjoyed it for a good couple of years before the disk lost its mind and refused to run. But the really important breakthrough here was that game featured this little mini-encyclopedia bible thing as well that talked about all of the different game units. And it was there, at long last, that I finally began to learn about that awesome looking giant robot I kept seeing pop up. Granted, it wasn't a great overview - not least because they gave it the wrong name - but it was enough to start making serious google headway, and it was enough to point me to Sarna.net. </p><p><br /></p><p>It was at Sarna.net that I finally learnt the machine I had been seeing was called a Timber Wolf, and that it was a 75-ton ass-kicking machine built by some group called Clan Wolf. This Clan Wolf intrigued me and I tried to research them a little more, but following that rabbit hole again ultimately left me with more questions than answers as most of the information went over my head. It did however point me to some of the other hardware fielded by this 'Clan Wolf', most notably the Jagatai space fighter and the Mars and Huitzilopotchli tanks, and so after discovering the Iron Wind metals catalogue I decided they had enough cool looking models attached to the name to warrant a possible tabletop army project at some point in the future. </p><p><br /></p><p>But eventually the setting they were all native to reared its ugly head. It turned out that all these cool things inhabited a world where a rigid centrally-dictated metaplot ruled with an iron fist, a world filled with massive piles of in-universe quantitative information that left nothing to chance, with every last Timber Wolf being accounted for. Such structure for a tabletop universe was and remains utterly anathema to me. I guess it's not a problem for the type of Historical-style tabletop gamers that were clearly the target audience here, but <a href="https://metalhobby.blogspot.com/2016/06/swiftly-goes-swordplay.html">as discussed before such creative straight-jackets are something I just cannot accept</a>. No, the truth is I didn't really want to build a Clan Wolf tabletop army, I wanted to build a tabletop army for my own Clan, my own invention with my own backstory and identity, and one that also made liberal use of the Timber Wolf. But there was very clearly just no room for that, in either the game's background fluff or the player base, so after several years of desperately trying and failing to like any of the existing game factions I finally gave up and washed my hands of the whole thing. The fact that I was by now mired in University work was a factor too. </p><p><br /></p><p>For years afterwards the world of the Timber Wolf barely even crossed my mind, until one day just a couple of years ago. I had stopped in at the local second-hand bookstore to check for any 40k or Warhammer material that had been traded in there - I've had some pretty amazing finds there in the past. There weren't any army books or codexes or rulebooks there though. What I found instead was this: </p><p><br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglVubT6MmVYI96gIXvWURdi7AhaN4Z1NZ8XixHEWx9NLP9Y89MXe2WCnip9o0iLa-R-YkhEEdtm7bamSjaB4JhyphenhypheniT3XGoICfF0vji6e2QxMKYn2IRdJtGE4G4OTyx-sPBwlgr-e66-ddc/s2048/021.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1229" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglVubT6MmVYI96gIXvWURdi7AhaN4Z1NZ8XixHEWx9NLP9Y89MXe2WCnip9o0iLa-R-YkhEEdtm7bamSjaB4JhyphenhypheniT3XGoICfF0vji6e2QxMKYn2IRdJtGE4G4OTyx-sPBwlgr-e66-ddc/w384-h640/021.jpg" width="384" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">If ever there was a real-life Helm Memory Core, this was it</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p>That wasn't even the entire pile either - there was a bunch of RPG gamebooks there too that I ultimately passed on since I didn't think they'd prove relevant to my needs. I was initially hesitant to adopt any of them, having been burned before by that setting, but their price wasn't terribly unreasonable so I decided that if they were still there by June I'd take it as a sign from the universe to give the franchise a second chance. Sure enough they stayed there for a good couple of months, so come May I dropped a few hints to the people around me and arranged for them to come in as a birthday present that year. They were later followed by a few others I had missed in amongst the RPG books. </p><p><br /></p><p>And it was through them that I finally discovered Battletech. </p><p><br /></p><p>I immediately fell in love with the setting of Battletech, the war-torn future of 3025, where the remnants of humanity's once-great space empire now exist on the fringes of the universe following a cataclysmic civil war, the survivors having fled the pan-galactic nuclear firestorms and reorganised themselves into a civilisation of warrior Clans that feud among themselves with genetically engineered warriors commanding giant robotic fighting machines armed to the teeth, getting into adventures and fighting each other within a careful framework of limited tabletop-friendly warfare strictly regulated with a rigid code of honour. </p><p><br /></p><p>What an amazing space for a table-top game! A cool, fun pulpy science-fantasy setting with a fresh twist of not having any extraterrestrial alien game factions, just groups of human heroes and villains getting into adventures in the unknown expanses of the Kerensky Cluster for prizes and glory. With cool looking giant stompy robots and spaceships and powered armour and stuff. Sounds like a lot of fun to me. After all these decades, everything had finally clicked to me. It all made perfect sense. All of it. The history of the exodus to the Pentagon Worlds, the outsourcing of all armed conflict to a specific group of genetically engineered fighters that would never leave any grieving loved ones behind when their luck finally ran out (it helps there are a lot of times where I wish I had just been grown out of a gene-tank and sprung out into the world fully formed with abundant resources at my fingertips). The drive to use restraint and avoid collateral damage wherever possible. </p><p><br /></p><p>Even the tenets of Zellbrigen combat all added up to me. For a long time one of my favourite factions in Warhammer has been Bretonnia, the faction of honourable chivalrous knights backed up by faithful if humble retainers and supporting troops, loaded down with the best weapons and armour available, practicing a strict form of honourable fighting and getting into all kinds of exciting adventures. And now here was the chance to have Bretonnians in space, with giant stompy robots instead of horses, and laser cannons instead of swords and lances. AWESOME!!</p><p><br /></p><p>And that was even before I fully discovered the sheer amazing meta-coolness and relatability of the Jade Falcon clan, an <i>entire civilisation</i> of bitter disgruntled tabletop grognards. Just like me! Such a shame they don't really do Timber Wolves though. </p><p><br /></p><p>I was totally pumped to give this whole Battletech thing a go, building up my own Cluster to conquer the galaxy for myself - sure I might run into some problems with that stupid metaplot nonsense down the line, but it looked like the Battletech community was so fractured along era lines that I could probably just play around in this cool open-ended 3025 setting and ignore anything afterwards without anyone making too much of a fuss about it. </p><p><br /></p><p>If you're particularly familiar with the intricacies of the Battletech player-base, you may have been able to guess where this is going about a couple of paragraphs ago. It turns out that divisions of era are one thing, divisions of tech base are another altogether. </p><p><br /></p><p>There's a special kind of prejudice that I've observed in tabletop circles over the years. It includes and is deeply connected with Gatekeeping, but the two things do not entirely overlap - a lot of what goes on with this phenomenon is a kind of Gatekeeping, but not all Gatekeeping that goes on in tabletop circles is the same as this. There's plenty of the other regular toxic-fan Gatekeeping that can be found in depressing quantities throughout most nerd circles (above a given population level at least), which is directed at targets not always in alignment with what I'm describing. What separates the two, I think in part at least, is that this special kind of prejudice I'm describing is altogether far more ridiculously petty than even 'vanilla' Gatekeeping, yet - from firsthand experience at least - hurts much the same. </p><p><br /></p><p>What's particularly frustrating about this kind of prejudice is that it seems to have slipped under the radar of public discourse. This is pretty understandable, since Tabletop Games are a tiny niche within the already niche world of traditional 'nerd pursuits', and Tabletop Miniatures games moreso as they live under the shadow of D&D dominated Tabletop RPGs in the wider pop culture eye. The aforementioned pettiness doesn't exactly help either. The problem here is that this means that this particular phenomenon is actually talked about and addressed so little that it doesn't really have a specific name, when it really probably should. </p><p><br /></p><p>So for now let's call it 'The Meg Faction', so named after the character Meg in the cartoon sitcom <i>Family Guy</i>. If you are at all familiar with either American TV from the last 20 years or internet meme culture for the last 10 years, I probably shouldn't have to explain much about the concept of Meg. For everyone else out there (both of you!), Meg Griffin is a main character on the show. She was first voiced by Lacey Chabert (who is otherwise probably best known as either Eliza Thornberry or Gretchen from <i>Mean Girls</i>), but today is better known as being voiced by Mila Kunis. In the show Meg is the nominally teenage daughter of the protagonist family, and for much of the series' run she has been singled out by the showrunners as a lightning rod for all kinds of venomous vitriol. </p><p><br /></p><p>I think my favourite lowlight of this was when during one episode one of the other main characters, upon the reveal that the episode's plot was going to focus on Meg, <i>immediately halted the story</i> to address the audience with the line "Yes, that's right. This is going to be a Meg episode" before expressing his understanding if the audience wishes to leave now. Seriously? I'm interested in a Meg episode, she doesn't get a lot of screen-time normally so I want to see where this one goes. You can probably tell by now that I'm one of those people who never found this particular aspect of <i>Family Guy</i>'s humour funny. </p><p><br /></p><p>Anyway. The Meg Faction. As I was saying I've noticed this weird pattern of factional prejudice in a lot of the tabletop games I follow. In all the tabletop games I look at, there always seems to be one game faction that's singled out as a target for wildly disproportionate levels of shade from the bulk of the player-base. It becomes normalised to hurl vitriol at the faction, in much the same way that it's become normalised on <i>Family Guy</i> to hurl vitriol at Meg. </p><p><br /></p><p>In Warhammer 40,000, the Meg Faction is the Tau. We'll talk more about that in a future post. In Battletech? There are around 20 or so Meg Factions, and together they comprise the Clans. </p><p><br /></p><p>It's telling, for instance, that while each of the 20 or so Clans in Battletech is in fact a distinct faction in its own right, in my observations most Battletech fans lump them into one generic category - it's always 'The Clans' in discourse, despite it never being 'The Successor Houses' when talking about the major groups of the other part of Battletech's setting. There's a lot of these other weird double-standards around the Clans with a lot of the player-base too. </p><p><br /></p><p>Consider one of the core premises of the game: a universe where the fate of whole worlds (or similar high stakes) is often decided by one pivotal confrontation of a small handful of mechs. This is something I've seen lauded as fun and cool in the game's Succession Wars setting. Except when the Clans are doing it, they're silly and ridiculous because it makes no sense to just send in a tiny handful of mechs to decide the fate of something so high-stakes. </p><p><br /></p><p>Similarly, having regulation in-universe to mitigate collateral damage during the many armed conflicts that take place. It's a laudable and pragmatic thing to do. Except when the Clans do it, at which point it suddenly becomes a threat to a lot of peoples' suspension of disbelief. </p><p><br /></p><p>Or how about the concept of Mechwarriors themselves? Long, proud distinguished lines of skilled and cunning warriors, uniquely able to expertly pilot the setting's titular giant mechs, often ending up forming hereditary positions within the space militaries<span style="color: #3c4043; font-family: arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px;"><b> </b></span></span>they serve. I've often seen it lauded as a cool concept and fun aspect of some of the more space-feudal elements of the game universe... except when the Clans do it. </p><p><br /></p><p>There's a bunch of other examples, but this post is already turning into an epic and I'm sure you get the idea. Point is, when you get right down to the nuts and bolts of it, when you sieve it through the finest sieve, there is very little if any difference between the world of the Succession Wars and the world of the Clans, outside of semantics and cosmetic surface details. So why is it that the one is lauded as a gold standard for the game, and the other is dragged through the mud? </p><p><br /></p><p>And dragged through the mud the Clans are, by much of the player-base. I recall one post in a facebook group - now lost to the mists of time no doubt - from a (presumably) newcomer asking for recommendations on what Clan to start out with in Battletech. The wording was pretty specific that they were interested in the Clans. You would think, given the nature of the question, that the post might have received comments giving some insightful overviews on how the various Clans differ from each other in outlook and preferred combat doctrine, maybe a few notes on what their different colour schemes were like. Instead, the vast overwhelming majority of the comments consisted of various permutations of the following 3 themes: </p><p><br /></p><p>1. "Pick an Inner Sphere House instead" </p><p><br /></p><p>2. "Go Merc instead" </p><p><br /></p><p>3. "Oh no not another Furry/Nazi/Incest Freak" </p><p><br /></p><p>Yikes. Guys, the poster was clearly interested in starting with the Clans. That they were the main entry point of choice was pretty evident from how the question was worded. Yet a good nine tenths - at a conservative estimate - of the Battletech fans responding still insisted on proselytising parts of the game setting that were clearly not asked for. The rest of the social media discourse I encountered wasn't much better. Whenever the Clans did get mentioned, it was almost always as a collective, and almost always to say something mean-spirited about them. Incest allegations and Furry accusations were popular. Allegations that the players who enjoyed the Clans were either horrible people or not true Battletech fans were not far behind. The other times were largely to sling stale Tex memes at people who enjoyed the Clans. </p><p><br /></p><p>Ah yes, Tex. The star of the BlackPantsLegion Youtube channel. Recently involved in some unpleasant controversy around a certain unpleasant 40k commentator, as I am led to understand. Tex is in many ways symptomatic of a lot of the problems the Battletech fanbase has (and I should add that it is far from without its good points - there are reasonable and decent Battletech fans out there, and I was even able to observe a couple in the wild - but that does not mean that the fanbase is without its problems or above reproach). Not because of the whole ArchWarhammer debacle mind - I'll leave that whole drama for those more educated on the matter to assess. </p><p><br /></p><p>No, the thing is... Tex is just sort of, well... Basic. </p><p><br /></p><p>Don't get me wrong, the videos have their merits. There's clearly a lot of effort put in to giving them high production values, and while it seems there's very little information within them that can't be found on Sarna.net, I'm sure there are a lot of young whippersnappers out there who appreciate it being collated into a digestible video essay format, so it's providing something good that way. No, the problems stem up more in the framing. For one, there's a very visible anti-Clan bias that permeates a lot of the content - most notably the feature on the Clans themselves, which lavishes enormous amounts of run-time going over the exodus of the SLDF in meticulous detail, only to spend a fraction of the run-time glossing over the Clans in their 3025-3055 'modern' states. But more than that... in the videos I've watched the conclusions drawn to the information presented are all takes and angles that were old 10 years ago. I know that because I found them combing through archives of forgotten Battletech discourse from 10 years ago, and they had already passed into Popular Consensus even then. </p><p><br /></p><p>And this wouldn't be a problem - after all it's pretty clear that the BlackPants folks just happen to agree with those angles, and that's fine - except that they seem to be the <i style="font-weight: bold;">only</i> conclusions that circulate through most of the Battletech fanbase, and is compounded by many fans religiously pointing everyone they can to those videos for their primer. I've observed a kind of creative sterility at work among a lot of the Battletech fanbase, which seems in my eyes to be in rather dire need of some fresh new thoughts and takes on things. Heck I'd be happy enough to supply a few myself, if it weren't for the fact that I lack the resources (recording and editing equipment for youtube videos, and a large online platform otherwise) to do it, and I'm almost certain I'd get immediately buried under an avalanche of commenters relentlessly pontificating on how I'm not a true fan and don't know what I'm talking about, or how I'm a horrible person, or how I'm out to destroy the thing they love. </p><p><br /></p><p>Because the thing is, my first tentative contact with the Battletech player-base <i>wasn't</i> welcoming. I <i>didn't</i> feel accepted by them. In fact, my first tentative forays into the Battletech player-base also ended up being the first time I felt genuinely <b>AFRAID</b> of online interaction. It was the first time I felt genuinely <b>SCARED</b> to write something online. It was the first time I felt actual, real, genuine honest to god Maisie-Williams-In-Cyberbully <b>FEAR</b> when talking tabletop stuff online. Even at the nadir of my feelings around the course Warhammer and 40k have taken, even during the release around the 8th edition Wood Elf book, I'd never felt fear of posting online before. Which is why it took several months for me to finally deduce why it was that I started hesitating around clicking refresh buttons, and why I was getting a weird knot inside whenever I saw online notifications, and why my general productivity was taking a particularly noticeable downward slump despite no obvious real-life cause. </p><p><br /></p><p>Posting all this up is in part at least an attempt to face that fear. I'd be lying if I said I wasn't even now a little worried about what might become of it. </p><p><br /></p><p>"But Millitant!" you say, "So far you've only looked at the social media and youtube discourse! Obviously you're going to be in for a bad time if that's your only exposure to a fanbase, everyone knows social media and youtube are both festering pits of toxic depravity! Surely there must be better, more open discourse out there!" Well that's true. There is much more to any fanbase than the pit of Chaos that bubbles up to the surface on social media and youtube. So let's look at the official forum for this game system. </p><p><br /></p><p>There's a discussion thread on the Battletech forum titled <a href="https://bg.battletech.com/forums/general-discussion/does-anyone-else-dislike-the-clans/">Does Anyone Else Dislike The Clans</a>. It was wisely locked down by the forum Moderators a little over a year ago, but it's a fairly good microcosm of the sentiment expressed throughout a lot of forums talking about Battletech whenever the Clans come up. The first thing to note is that it's a lot more, well, civil than the social media comments - there's far less crude insults thrown around - but a lot of the underlying attitudes remain. I've been silently looking through the Battletech forum for a little over 2 or 3 years now, and the impression I've been left with is still that, as someone who enjoys the Clan side of Battletech exclusively over the other parts of its setting, I am not welcome there. That I, as an enthusiast of all things Battletech and Clan, do not belong. </p><p><br /></p><p>The rationalisations are a lot more developed though. They can be largely broken down into four categories: </p><p><br /></p><p>- The Clans do not fit the setting </p><p><br /></p><p>- The Clans are silly make no sense as a concept </p><p><br /></p><p>- The only purpose of the Clans there should ever be is faceless guilt-free NPC bad guys to beat </p><p><br /></p><p>- The Clans are overpowered in the game rules, which breaks the game </p><p><br /></p><p>Well gee Carl, maybe I think the Successor Houses are pretty silly and make no sense as a concept. I dunno Steve, maybe the only purpose the Inner Sphere should have is to be a faceless NPC to conquer that's only good for yielding Isorla and Bondsmen. Maybe I think all those gritty down-to-earth Mercenaries don't fit my larger-than-life pulpy Space Fantasy setting, Carol. What if all that BV-cheap, spammable Inner Sphere tech is overpowered and breaks down my nice fast-playing Clan games, Shannon? </p><p><br /></p><p>Yeah, I don't buy it either. I don't buy it because I see most of these same sentiments levelled at the Tau in Warhammer 40,000 too, almost word-for-word sometimes. If I had a dollar for every time I heard someone say the Tau don't belong in 40k, I'd be able to afford multiple Forgeworld 40k-scale Manta models. With change left over. This can't be a coincidence. After almost a decade of observing the patterns at play here, I'm convinced there's something deeper at work. Something very deep and dark and ugly, nestled somewhere at the heart of tabletop fandoms, perhaps even at the heart of traditional nerd circles themselves. Not unlike Derry in <i>It</i>. </p><p><br /></p><p><i>The Fanbase's not right, is it?</i> </p><p><br /></p><p>There's a website called Whitemetalgames that featured an article titled <a href="https://www.whitemetalgames.com/why-do-tau-players-get-so-much-shade-thrown-at-them/">Why Do Tau Players Get So Much Shade Thrown At Them</a>. It's a very good read, and I strongly recommend it if you're more interested about the phenomenon of Meg Factions in tabletop gaming, particularly in the context of 40k. Among the many true words spoken in the article is this little gem of a passage: </p><p><br /></p><p></p><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0 0 0 40px; padding: 0px;"><p style="text-align: left;"><i>'And when I read or hear about people deciding to wash their hands of the hobby completely… sell off the minis and the armies that they spent all that time and resource on… then it’s very much NOT okay. That’s literally toxic fandom gatekeeping others out of the community and the pastime. And without new people and new ideas, the pastime and the hobby is a doomed one. “Oh yeah. I heard of that game. Unless you play a certain faction, you get a bunch of crap. No thanks.”' </i></p></blockquote><p><br /></p><p>Well, a little under a year ago I reached the stage of washing my hands of Battletech (again). Not completely mind - I still value that pile of game-books as an academic collection, and I'll likely still paint up a Timber Wolf model or 5 just as a promise to my childhood self. But at this stage I don't see much more Battletech in my future. I've pretty much abandoned my plans to grow a scene of it in my local FLGS, and my plans to build an entire Cluster's worth of models to game with have been slashed to a token Star of Timber Wolves at most. </p><p><br /></p><p>And the truth is, I'd still like to come back one day, look over the forums and other online discussion space, and see a whole flourishing community of other Clan enthusiasts out in the sun, talking about cunning applications of Zellbrigen and the latest exciting adventures of their Novas, and whole waves of people waxing lyrical about just how awesome and iconic of Battletech the Timber Wolf is. I'd love to look over there one day and see the part of the franchise I love the most openly treated as an equal and integral component to the Inner Sphere side of things. I'd love to see just as many people enjoying 3025 Political Century games as there are enjoying Succession War settings. I'd love to see room for my cool fun ultra-violent Space Bretonnians. </p><p><br /></p><p>But I'm no longer holding my breath for it. </p><p><br /></p><p>The great tragedy of Meg Factions is that they're often a case of cutting off the nose to spite the face, because often these designated Meg Factions can be gateways that introduce the franchise to a whole new audience and thus grow the player-base quite a lot, which is a win-win for both the players themselves (more people to play games with and talk about the franchise with) and the companies producing the tabletop games (more customers buying their product). The Tau for instance, can and do introduce 40k to a whole range of people who might have otherwise given the setting and franchise a hard pass - I know this because I am one of those people. </p><p><br /></p><p>Which brings us back to the recent talk among disgruntled 40k fans about jumping ship to Battletech. See, from the point of view of capitalising on this sentiment and using it to grow the Battletech player-base, now is the perfect time to embrace the Clans and elevate them in both the franchise and the fanbase. Why? Because, from the point of view of attracting 40k fans, you could not ask for a better gateway to Battletech than the Clans. </p><p><br /></p><p>Think about it. Think about 40k - larger than life, revels in being over-the-top, hard on the Space Fantasy end of things, dripping with overdramatic pathos yet also at its heart a heavy-metal powered vehicle for power fantasies involving blasting bad guys to kingdom come with an arsenal of sci-fi death. <i>Just like the Clans!</i> </p><p><br /></p><p>Consider the Space Marines, the flagship of the 40k franchise. A force of genetically altered superhuman warriors, governed by stern codes of honour, armed to the teeth with weapons and equipment that are the bleeding edge of human technological achievement in the setting, roaming the stars getting into adventures. Consider that the archetypal 40k player probably has that as their central point of reference. When one of these 40k players comes over to your Battletech discourse, expresses interest and says that in 40k they started with and played a lot of Space Marines? You'd have to be crazy not to point them towards the Clans! It would be a slam dunk to steer them in the direction of the Clans. </p><p><br /></p><p>But hey, what do I know. I only studied Communications and Marketing at University. </p><p><br /></p><p>Which is why, a couple of days ago, I was so saddened when I came across a youtube video titled <i>40k Fans Are Coming Over To Battletech! Should We Be Worried?</i> I was a little disappointed that, over the entire 24 minutes of the video's run-time, not only were the Clans not mentioned once, but that instead the commentary specifically warned that "There's no fantasy aspect really in Battletech", and that "If you like being a non-human with like its own weird wacky culture, you're not gonna find that in Battletech", and "If you're looking for the science fantasy aspect, if you're looking for those sorts of things like the Primarchs and all this other heavy metal type of stuff then you're probably not gonna find that here", and then suggesting the closest point of reference to a 40k-style character as Victor Davion of the Federated Commonwealth. </p><p><br /></p><p>In the immortal words of housewives and mothers everywhere, <i>if I take a look and find something closer than that to 40k and its weird wacky science fantasy cultures....</i> </p><p><br /></p><p>But as disappointing as that was, it wasn't the thing that really finally drove me to write this thesis novel. No, what did that was the comment section below the video. Yes yes, I know reading youtube comment sections is like reading the mind of the talking cat in <i>Rick And Morty</i>, but look that video was 24 minutes long and my wifi is ass (I live under a rock remember), so I had to pass the time while it loaded somehow and the comment section was fairly short. Here are the ones that stuck out at me: </p><p><br /></p><p></p><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><p></p><p><span class="style-scope yt-formatted-string" dir="auto" style="background: rgb(249, 249, 249); border: 0px; color: #030303; font-family: Roboto, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; letter-spacing: 0.2px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><i>"I'm giving you a fair warning this mass Exodus will bite your community ass in the long run. The parasites and vipers that are taking down 40k will come for Battletech. How Tex's community treated him is evidence that these people already inside.</i></span></p><p></p></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><p></p><p><span class="style-scope yt-formatted-string" dir="auto" style="background: rgb(249, 249, 249); border: 0px; color: #030303; font-family: Roboto, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; letter-spacing: 0.2px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><i>
</i></span></p><p></p><p></p><p><span class="style-scope yt-formatted-string" dir="auto" style="background: rgb(249, 249, 249); border: 0px; color: #030303; font-family: Roboto, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; letter-spacing: 0.2px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><i><b><u>Gatekeep the shit out any of us 40k guys</u></b> and make sure we know and adopt battletech for battletech. Don't let any of the new people try to change your community.</i></span></p><p></p><p></p><p><span class="style-scope yt-formatted-string" dir="auto" style="background: rgb(249, 249, 249); border: 0px; color: #030303; font-family: Roboto, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; letter-spacing: 0.2px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><i>
</i></span></p><p></p><p></p><p><span class="style-scope yt-formatted-string" dir="auto" style="background: rgb(249, 249, 249); border: 0px; color: #030303; font-family: Roboto, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; letter-spacing: 0.2px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><i>Good luck to you and the wider battletech community. You people are going to need it." </i></span></p><p></p></blockquote><p><br /></p><p>As well as: </p><p><br /></p><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0 0 0 40px; padding: 0px;"><p style="text-align: left;"> "<span style="color: var(--yt-spec-text-primary); font-size: var(--ytd-user-comment_-_font-size); letter-spacing: var(--ytd-user-comment_-_letter-spacing); white-space: pre-wrap;"><i><u><b>Yes, gatekeep very very carefully</b></u><span style="font-weight: var(--ytd-user-comment_-_font-weight);"> as there are a lot of wokists that will come with them and will seek to make battletech something its not, just as they have been trying to do to 40k for years now.</span></i></span></p><ytd-expander class="style-scope ytd-comment-renderer" collapsed="" id="expander" max-number-of-lines="4" should-use-number-of-lines="" style="--ytd-expander-button-margin: 4px 0 0 0; --ytd-expander-max-lines: 4; display: block;"><div class="style-scope ytd-expander" id="content" style="-webkit-box-orient: vertical; -webkit-line-clamp: var(--ytd-expander-max-lines, 4); background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; color: var(--yt-spec-text-primary); display: -webkit-box; margin: 0px; max-height: none; min-width: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; overflow: hidden; padding: 0px;"><yt-formatted-string class="style-scope ytd-comment-renderer" id="content-text" slot="content" split-lines="" style="--yt-endpoint-color: var(--yt-spec-call-to-action); --yt-endpoint-hover-color: var(--yt-spec-call-to-action); --yt-endpoint-visited-color: var(--yt-spec-call-to-action); color: var(--yt-spec-text-primary); font-size: var(--ytd-user-comment_-_font-size); font-weight: var(--ytd-user-comment_-_font-weight); letter-spacing: var(--ytd-user-comment_-_letter-spacing); line-height: 2rem; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="style-scope yt-formatted-string" dir="auto" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; font-style: italic; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">
</span><span class="style-scope yt-formatted-string" dir="auto" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><i>Other than that be welcoming"</i> </span></yt-formatted-string></div></ytd-expander></blockquote><p><br /></p><p>And then there was: </p><p><br /></p><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0 0 0 40px; padding: 0px;"><p style="text-align: left;"><i> "<span style="color: var(--yt-spec-text-primary); font-size: var(--ytd-user-comment_-_font-size); font-weight: var(--ytd-user-comment_-_font-weight); letter-spacing: var(--ytd-user-comment_-_letter-spacing); white-space: pre-wrap;">As both a WH and a BT fan, my advice is: KEEP YOUR GUARD UP.</span></i></p><ytd-expander class="style-scope ytd-comment-renderer" collapsed="" id="expander" max-number-of-lines="4" should-use-number-of-lines="" style="--ytd-expander-button-margin: 4px 0 0 0; --ytd-expander-max-lines: 4; display: block;"><div class="style-scope ytd-expander" id="content" style="-webkit-box-orient: vertical; -webkit-line-clamp: var(--ytd-expander-max-lines, 4); background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; color: var(--yt-spec-text-primary); display: -webkit-box; margin: 0px; max-height: none; min-width: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; overflow: hidden; padding: 0px;"><yt-formatted-string class="style-scope ytd-comment-renderer" id="content-text" slot="content" split-lines="" style="--yt-endpoint-color: var(--yt-spec-call-to-action); --yt-endpoint-hover-color: var(--yt-spec-call-to-action); --yt-endpoint-visited-color: var(--yt-spec-call-to-action); color: var(--yt-spec-text-primary); font-size: var(--ytd-user-comment_-_font-size); letter-spacing: var(--ytd-user-comment_-_letter-spacing); line-height: 2rem; white-space: pre-wrap;"><i><span class="style-scope yt-formatted-string" dir="auto" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; font-weight: var(--ytd-user-comment_-_font-weight); margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">Yes, embracing the new fans is good and all, but watch out for those trying to change things to be "more inclusive".</span><span class="style-scope yt-formatted-string" dir="auto" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; font-weight: var(--ytd-user-comment_-_font-weight); margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">
</span><span class="style-scope yt-formatted-string" dir="auto" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-weight: var(--ytd-user-comment_-_font-weight);">I hate to admit he is right, but </span><b><u>when Arch advocated for gatekeeping, by now even i recognize he was right...</u></b><span style="font-weight: var(--ytd-user-comment_-_font-weight);">" </span></span></i></yt-formatted-string></div></ytd-expander></blockquote><p><br /></p><p>Emphasis mine. </p><p><br /></p><p>I know that youtube comments should under no circumstances be taken as representative of a given fanbase, but <b>dear god</b> I wish these ones represent a tiny impotent lunatic fringe of the 40k and Battletech fanbases. If my 24ish years of being into traditional nerd pursuits has taught me anything, it's that Gatekeeping is never the answer. It's part of the problem. It's the whole reason why a lot of people find us off-putting and why the fanbases for these things stay small. </p><p><br /></p><p>Look, I get it. There's a lot of tabletop stuff I'm really passionate about that I hold as a Sacred Cow. I was so dismayed by the 8th Edition Wood Elf book for Warhammer that I practically denounced modern GW overnight. I love Battlefleet Gothic so much that I cringe with dread every time there's mention that GW might be making a different game with that name. Even now, what I really wish I could do more than ever when it comes to tabletop games, is play some games of Early 4th edition Warhammer 40,000, with all the right codexes (that would be the 3.5 ones, for those playing at home), on a table full of cool-looking homemade terrain made from odds and ends with some Jungle Trees and Gothic Ruins scattered around and two armies of period-authentic early 2000s 40k models. </p><p><br /></p><p>But the thing is, I also have no real serious expectations that these games I play will ever return to the mainstream ubiquity they once had. I've largely resigned myself to the fact that I'm going to be left with a tiny niche of a tiny niche forever when it comes to the tabletop games I'm into. As much as I'd love to one day wake up and discover that there are hundreds of thousands of people out there who are just as passionate about Battlefleet Gothic, 3.5/Early 4th edition 40k, 6/7th edition Warhammer and all things early 2000s GW, I'm fully aware that the chances of that happening are negligible at best. </p><p><br /></p><p>Battletech though? That has a real shot at growing its fanbase. There's a real chance to gain some wider appeal and build that franchise up more. And I'm glad to see people excited about that. But you have to remember that you just can't grow any fanbase, for anything, without making at least a few compromises. Change, for better or worse, is the inevitable cost of that growth. For me, those compromises typically take the form these days of being fairly flexible about what models gaming opponents bring to my 3.5/Early 4th edition 40k outings, or my Warhammer and Battlefleet Gothic ones, and biting my tongue whenever I see online discourse around Gloriana battleships and Battlefleet Heresy and post-2008 GW fiction. I have to do these things if I want to have any chance of keeping the games I love in peoples' minds. </p><p><br /></p><p>For Battletech? Well, a good start for those compromises would be giving the Clans and their enthusiasts a bigger place in the sun. Because like it or not, the Clans are one of the better - or at least more underrated - gateways to the franchise. It's no co-incidence, for example, that the introduction of the Clans in 1991ish resulted in the apex of Battletech's popularity and success (for now at least), nor is it a co-incidence that <i>Mechwarrior 2</i> was the computer game that launched Battletech's setting into mainstream video game discourse. As much as many crusty old <i>Battledroids</i> Warhorses might be loathe to admit it, the truth is if it weren't for the Clans Battletech almost certainly would not have survived to the present day (not least because that whole Harmony Gold business would have been even more of a problem for FASA, since there'd be less of their own original robot designs populating the setting). </p><p><br /></p><p>People often talk about what killed Battletech. About why it failed to find the same success that Warhammer and especially 40k did. After my experiences with the Battletech fanbase, I can't help but wonder just how much of that maybe, just maybe, might have been a self-inflicted wound. But there's a big chance now for Battletech to grow, and that means there's a big chance to fanbase to learn from their past mistakes. And if they do that, I might just revisit those plans to build a full Cluster of my own. </p><p><br /></p><p>So that about covers it, I think. At long last we have reached the end of the tale. I wish there are some important things that can be taken away buried in my raw emotional venting. I don't really wish to scare anyone off Battletech, or to rain on the parade of these disgruntled 40k fans, merely to release my own experiences out into the ether to provide, perhaps, a different perspective on these things, a vision from the Other Side. And to explain why, for the moment at least, I probably won't be among those jumping ship. No, instead I feel more and more compelled to press on through the cold empty void of today's Tabletop Industry and continue my search for the shining lost 13th Colony of 3.5/Early 4th edition Warhammer 40,000 (even if it's without the help of Tricia Helfer in a sharp red dress). </p><p><br /></p><p>But whatever else, one thing is for certain - the Timber Wolf is one hell of a badass giant robot.</p><p><br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDRccWxi48rg5dbwc_S9f1nAEretH8iGvlhRalYsnI6lB0LE3Fhrl7VWZpnkihnl_yAHyl22cv80N2w5Cy3Bm4rXgzqoxYUrHftiHYGhkaQHhUraBAKMUCjcPRcG_DRN36tx_jMytYCt0/s1442/Timby.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1442" data-original-width="1053" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDRccWxi48rg5dbwc_S9f1nAEretH8iGvlhRalYsnI6lB0LE3Fhrl7VWZpnkihnl_yAHyl22cv80N2w5Cy3Bm4rXgzqoxYUrHftiHYGhkaQHhUraBAKMUCjcPRcG_DRN36tx_jMytYCt0/w467-h640/Timby.jpg" width="467" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">FUCK. YEAH.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p><br /></p><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0 0 0 40px; padding: 0px;"><ytd-comment-action-buttons-renderer action-buttons-style="desktop-toolbar" class="style-scope ytd-comment-renderer" id="action-buttons" style="color: var(--yt-spec-text-secondary); display: block; margin-top: 4px; min-height: 16px;"><div class="style-scope ytd-comment-action-buttons-renderer" id="toolbar" style="align-items: center; background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><div class="style-scope ytd-comment-action-buttons-renderer" id="reply-button" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"></div><ytd-toggle-button-renderer button-renderer="true" class="style-scope ytd-comment-action-buttons-renderer style-text size-default" has-no-text="" icon-size="16" id="like-button" is-icon-button="" style="--paper-button-ink-color: var(--yt-spec-icon-inactive); --yt-button-icon-size: var(--ytd-comment-thumb-dimension); --yt-button-margin: 0; --yt-button-padding-minus-border: 9px 15px; --yt-button-padding: 10px 16px; color: var(--yt-spec-icon-inactive); display: inline-block; font-size: 1.3rem; letter-spacing: 0.007px; margin-left: -8px; text-transform: uppercase; vertical-align: middle;" use-keyboard-focused=""><a class="yt-simple-endpoint style-scope ytd-toggle-button-renderer" style="border-radius: inherit; color: inherit; cursor: pointer; display: flex; flex: 1 1 auto;" tabindex="-1"><yt-icon-button class="style-scope ytd-toggle-button-renderer style-text size-default" id="button" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: var(--yt-button-color, inherit); display: inline-block; font-size: 0px; height: var(--yt-button-icon-size, var(--yt-icon-height, 40px)); line-height: 1; padding: var(--yt-button-icon-padding, 8px); position: relative; text-transform: var(--yt-button-text-transform, inherit); width: var(--yt-button-icon-size, var(--yt-icon-width, 40px));" touch-feedback=""><button aria-label="Like this comment along with 8 other people" aria-pressed="false" class="style-scope yt-icon-button" id="button" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: none; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border-color: initial; border-style: none; border-width: initial; cursor: pointer; height: 16px; line-height: 0; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; vertical-align: middle; width: 16px;"><yt-icon class="style-scope ytd-toggle-button-renderer" style="align-items: center; display: inline-flex; fill: var(--iron-icon-fill-color, currentcolor); height: var(--yt-icon-button-icon-height, 100%); justify-content: center; margin-bottom: var(--iron-icon_-_margin-bottom); margin-left: var(--iron-icon_-_margin-left); margin-right: var(--iron-icon_-_margin-right); margin-top: var(--iron-icon_-_margin-top); position: relative; stroke: var(--iron-icon-stroke-color, none); vertical-align: middle; width: var(--yt-icon-button-icon-width, 100%);"><svg class="style-scope yt-icon" focusable="false" preserveaspectratio="xMidYMid meet" style="display: block; height: 100%; pointer-events: none; width: 100%;" viewbox="0 0 24 24"><g class="style-scope yt-icon"></g></svg><i><path class="style-scope yt-icon" d="M1 21h4V9H1v12zm22-11c0-1.1-.9-2-2-2h-6.31l.95-4.57.03-.32c0-.41-.17-.79-.44-1.06L14.17 1 7.59 7.59C7.22 7.95 7 8.45 7 9v10c0 1.1.9 2 2 2h9c.83 0 1.54-.5 1.84-1.22l3.02-7.05c.09-.23.14-.47.14-.73v-1.91l-.01-.01L23 10z"></path></i></yt-icon></button><yt-interaction class="circular style-scope yt-icon-button" id="interaction" style="background-color: #f9f9f9; color: #909090; display: inline-block; font-family: Roboto, Arial, sans-serif; inset: 0px; letter-spacing: 0.007px; pointer-events: none; position: absolute;"></yt-interaction></yt-icon-button></a></ytd-toggle-button-renderer></div></ytd-comment-action-buttons-renderer></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0 0 0 40px; padding: 0px;"><ytd-expander class="style-scope ytd-comment-renderer" collapsed="" id="expander" max-number-of-lines="4" should-use-number-of-lines="" style="--ytd-expander-button-margin: 4px 0 0 0; --ytd-expander-max-lines: 4; display: block;"><div class="style-scope ytd-expander" id="content" style="-webkit-box-orient: vertical; -webkit-line-clamp: var(--ytd-expander-max-lines, 4); background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; color: var(--yt-spec-text-primary); display: -webkit-box; margin: 0px; max-height: none; min-width: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; overflow: hidden; padding: 0px;"> </div></ytd-expander></blockquote>MillitantGuerillaCommunistHippiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13565203522225127317noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5420460147318382021.post-23301316329347185932020-04-19T08:31:00.000-07:002020-04-19T08:31:50.102-07:00Crisis ContainedAnd now finally for some new models!<br />
<br />
What a journey it hass been. When I last updated this blog with some newly painted models I had expected to have the better part of a healthy 1500 points of Tau for Warhamemr 40,000 done by now. I was... very wrong.<br />
<br />
However, at long last I can finally share some very exciting news for my Tau project, having finally finished not only the first unit of multi-wound models for the army, and the first unit unit of medium-sized models for the army, and the first unit on bases larger than 25mm (flying bases don't count) for the army, but also my first battlesuit models in almost a decade.<br />
<br />
This is a groundbreaking milestone, and the latest in a long and often turbulent history. For you see, I have a dark secret. Beneath all my many layers and masks and acts upon here, at the very heart of my psyche is a hidden canker, a deep-buried heresy so heinous as to be incomprehensibly anathema to other Tau enthusiasts, a blasphemy ruthlessly suppressed and uttered only in hushed whispers. You see...<br />
<br />
... I've never really been all that fond of Tau battlesuits.<br />
<br />
If you've been following this blog from the start, you'll know that I'm a rare breed in that I was never drawn to the Tau for their battlesuits. It was always the grav-tanks and Fire Warriors that attracted me the most, and even to this day I consider battlesuits in much the same way that many might view the drone units - an important and interesting component of the Tau army and model range, but a secondary one, a side-show to the grav-tanks and Fire Warriors that are the <i>real</i> main event. The exception to this of course is the Stealthsuits, which are close enough to the Fire Warriors that I have always considered them to be separate to the XV-8 family, a kind of 'honorary infantry' if you will.<br />
<br />
The Crisis battlesuits were always hit the worst by this. As I mentioned in <a href="https://metalhobby.blogspot.com/2017/03/start-revolution.html">the first post about my big Tau 40k reboot</a>, one of the first Tau models I had my eye on was a Broadside battlesuit, which I could always appreciate because of their proportions - something about those massive shoulder-mounted guns always seemed to balance them out wonderfully in my eyes. The Crisis Suits, with their comparatively dinky weapons always seemed somewhat lesser to me in comparison. This was only further compounded by the nature of the weapons the models were armed with and my age at the time - the broadsides were very clearly carrying some kind of missile launcher, very easy to both identify and understand for an 8 year old boy with an acute fascination with all things modern military and science fiction, and while a railgun was far less comprehensible at the time, a pair of gigantic intimidating looking cannons was certainly not. The Crisis Suits, on the other hand... well my 8 year old brain just couldn't wrap itself around what a fusion blaster or plasma rifle was supposed to do (it took my 9-10 year old brain to start making progress on that one).<br />
<br />
This all added up to seriously stunt my battlesuit forces, until I eventually made a decision to eschew them entirely. I have always had a massive rebellious non-conformist streak, so naturally after a few years of being constantly bombarded by GW's marketing on how much I as a Tau player should love battlesuits, and exposed to how many other Tau players loved them, I decided that I would not include a single XV-8 based battlesuit in my entire Tau army. The Crisis suits I had already obtained would be kept for completeness, but from that day forward whenever my Tau were to do battle they would fight using only infantry, grav-tanks, drones and stealthsuits. "Pfft, who needs battlesuits!" I thought, "I've got pulse guns for dealing with infantry, and railguns and seeker missiles for dealing with tanks. What more could I possibly have use for?"<br />
<br />
It was around early 2010ish when that all began to change. After looking again at Crisis Suits, and having begun to get a better grasp of some of the nuances of the Warhammer 40,000 rules (not least among them being the rules for equipping Crisis Teams themselves, something that always been far too byzantine for my primitive child brain to grasp), I began to wonder if we had perhaps gotten off on the wrong foot. This was shortly followed by a growing realisation of the importance of assault weapons in Warhammer 40,000. Then the two came together when after reading more closely through the original Tau Designers' Notes by Andy Chambers I had a sudden Eureka moment and realised that the purpose of Crisis battlesuits was to act as mobile assault weapon carriers for the Fire Warriors.<br />
<br />
And perhaps the most profound factor in this change of thinking was that about a year or two earlier I had discovered this strange and wonderful website all about my favourite 40k faction called <a href="http://advancedtautactica.com/">Advanced Tau Tactica</a>, and had been steadily digesting the wealth of tactics articles hosted on there ever since.<br />
<br />
However, this growing revolution in military affairs ultimately failed to materialise any practical changes, as the nascent modernisation of my Tau army was cut short in the tail end of 2010 when all my hobby efforts were redirected towards building my Tau fleet for Battlefleet Gothic, and later a Wood Elf army in Warhammer.<br />
<br />
Nonetheless, theoretical consideration and planning continued, in anticipation for a renewed modernisation of the ground forces at some undetermined point in the future, and was only accelerated in 2013 when I was sucked into the buzz surrounding the Tau releases of the time. The profusion of utility afforded to Crisis battlesuits in the 6th edition codex accelerated the development of my battlesuit doctrine considerably, and quickly cemented an important niche for Crisis teams as the key source of essential assault weapons in my future Tau army, with the mobility to get to where they were needed in order to deal with targets that the Fire Warriors could not - just as the original designers of the Tau intended!<br />
<br />
Which at last brings us to today, with the first brand-new Crisis Team of my rebooted Tau army. But first, as is tradition, let's step back a way to see where this all began. My first ever XV-8 Crisis battlesuit was this guy.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQXpZ7sQ0LanhbJJnn6fl6JkgKGaPEx0XD-Q6N0Xzd__mUZJV02rKgvN1YaZ0XNtRiwHbcIhoYDP8CbwacsxM3vIc-fuUamokAQTbLHZLV3vSiU1Cpz21Ro3R4q84O_yHJOQyH4M_xKpk/s1600/061RD.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="961" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQXpZ7sQ0LanhbJJnn6fl6JkgKGaPEx0XD-Q6N0Xzd__mUZJV02rKgvN1YaZ0XNtRiwHbcIhoYDP8CbwacsxM3vIc-fuUamokAQTbLHZLV3vSiU1Cpz21Ro3R4q84O_yHJOQyH4M_xKpk/s320/061RD.jpg" width="192" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEie-sPxq_9oWK6SVtXaPA-uvUmyBNeAyT9Ws3zL-u7JVHVhSmBibvxuPLMmKwgeGylwv2wSYnY_5rgw9MKxjSRvTYWvjN0fXYS3v6MnlC6JbKJR3dYm2pxFE3WuPv0E4ISV1XEuTIoxtlQ/s1600/062RD.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="961" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEie-sPxq_9oWK6SVtXaPA-uvUmyBNeAyT9Ws3zL-u7JVHVhSmBibvxuPLMmKwgeGylwv2wSYnY_5rgw9MKxjSRvTYWvjN0fXYS3v6MnlC6JbKJR3dYm2pxFE3WuPv0E4ISV1XEuTIoxtlQ/s320/062RD.jpg" width="192" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRjFfvOjSbRXoIEX5HsxJh6jELY-Zi112SrpnlxVnpCsikkR4jod5S8HJSU8L3ZCilkuMFgZcbTkgZPsPhxkxFEq3RNXGWBDpY78gTmO-arKET2ackj16-RDYUPJqfKPa1CSTWodX-bVQ/s1600/063RD.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="961" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRjFfvOjSbRXoIEX5HsxJh6jELY-Zi112SrpnlxVnpCsikkR4jod5S8HJSU8L3ZCilkuMFgZcbTkgZPsPhxkxFEq3RNXGWBDpY78gTmO-arKET2ackj16-RDYUPJqfKPa1CSTWodX-bVQ/s320/063RD.jpg" width="192" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
It also has the distinction of being the second Warhammer 40,000 model I ever owned, and the first ever plastic Warhammer 40,000 model I ever owned (not counting drones). I got him during a visit to the same local GW store where I gained my faithful metal Stealthsuit Shas'vre (see <a href="https://metalhobby.blogspot.com/2017/03/start-revolution.html">this post</a>), where I was able to play my second ever game of Warhammer 40,000 - an intro game arbitrated by a staff member that saw me trying to rescue an Ethereal from a small force of Space Marines commanded by a family friend we were out shopping with at the time. Unfortunately I fared worse than in my first glorious triumph, and was unable to stop the Space Marines from carrying off the captive Aun - in no small part because of some poor reserve rolls for the Devilfish-mounted reinforcements I was promised which I had made a crucial part of my plan. But this was also my second game ever; tactical mistakes were inevitable.<br />
<br />
But I digress. After the game I was once again allowed to take home 'one small thing', this time on a slightly bigger budget that would afford a small boxed model rather than a blister pack. I still wanted that Broadside battlesuit, with its awesome looking shoulder mounted guns and arm mounted missile launchers, but it was still deemed too expensive, so I settled on the only other small Tau box there was - an XV-8 Crisis battlesuit kit (and with the fantastic box artwork found on the 3rd edition kits too no less). It was either that or this other weird looking battlesuit carrying a sword called 'Rebel Commander Farsight' or something, but I decided to go with the box that had the cool artwork on it.<br />
<br />
Now, it's important to note here that at the time I was 8 years old, and I had not yet read either the Warhammer 40,000 rulebook or the Tau codex. This is important, because they were both major factors in colouring my perception of the Crisis battlesuit kit when I got home and started inspecting it more closely. Being 8 years old, I had never encountered multi-part model kits before, save for a Chinese-made sci-fi robot toy that fired balls when assembled (in theory), which had been put together by one of my parents without my observation. The closest experience I had thus far had been the plastic model sprues in the <i>Lord of The Rings Battle Games In Middle Earth</i> part-book magazines, but they were almost entirely single-part models with a few push-fit arms and shields.<br />
<br />
You can perhaps imagine, then, my total bewilderment when I encountered the Crisis battlesuit sprue for the first time. I had assumed that the Crisis battlesuit would be something like one of the action figures I had played with for years, or perhaps at most something like the Lord of The Rings plastics, with a simple push-fit assembly. The Gun Drone that came with my Stealthsuit seemed to reinforce this idea, being mostly push-fit itself. At first the Crisis battlesuit with its snug-fitting chest piece and many ball joints seemed to meet these expectations, but it soon became apparent that this was misleading - the ball joints at the hip and on the head were deceptively loose, and were quickly found to be impossible to hold in place without glue. The arms and ankles were left unglued for a while, but in time they too were fastened in place with adhesive. I had thought I had stuck the aerials on the helmet, but archaeological analysis suggests that these were left off - presumably my 8-year-old self decided to leave them dry-fitted and they fell off, never to be seen again.<br />
<br />
The other point of confusion, which plagued me for years, was the weapon fits. Since my funding was limited, I had prioritised getting models over books and so had yet to read the Tau codex, and consequently I had not the faintest idea what the various bits of wargear included in the kit were supposed to do. My information about the Tau and the setting had thus far come from the GW website, but the Tau unit guide they had up on there at the time contained only vague mentions of "an array of deadly weaponry that can meet almost any threat and neutralise it" in regards to what Crisis battlesuits actually did or how they fought (it should be noted that this descriptive line did not help their reputation in my eyes - as an 8 year old I didn't want to <i>neutralise</i> threats, I wanted to kill, destroy and annihilate them!).<br />
<br />
In the absence of any information, I gravitated towards the burst cannon, missile launcher, flamer and shield generator as my first picks for equipment - I had seen the name 'burst cannon' used in several places on the GW and Forgeworld webpages in regards to the Gatling guns featured on Tau units, and as an 8-year old boy interested in science fiction and military hardware I was already fairly familiar with what Gatling guns and missile launchers could do, and it did not take much brainpower to deduce that the funny looking gun with a pilot light on the end and what looked like a fuel tank on top of it was a flamethrower of some kind, likewise that the device which looked like a shield was some sort of energy-shield generator. The other pieces, especially the poor maligned target lock ("Why would I want to put a tiny little extra head on this battlesuit instead of another gun?"), were largely maligned, except for the plasma rifle, which I adopted as a 'cool sci-fi energy weapon' option for the Crisis Suit (because as a keen enthusiast of science fiction computer games I knew you always had to include an energy weapon of some kind along with all the guns and rockets).<br />
<br />
At first all of these options were simply push-fit into the various hard-point slots on the battlesuit model, so that I would be able to swap them out between battles. The pieces seemed to fit well enough without glue, and I still wanted maximum variety and flexibility with my battlesuit. Eventually though as I came to favour the above choices over others they were glued in place, resulting in the loadout you see today.<br />
<br />
Being the second Warhammer 40,000 unit I ever owned, this Crisis battlesuit shares much of the same history as the metal XV15 Stealthsuit who directly preceded him, and went through much of the same changes in colour scheme, many of which can still be seen on the model in places. At first it was painted in a massively thick coating of sunburst yellow - much like the Stealthsuit, I wanted my Tau to have yellow armour just like the box artwork for <i>Firewarrior</i> that had first drawn me to Warhammer 40,000 in the first place. The exception of course was the mechanical areas, which were left black to mimic the dark gunmetal areas on the GW studio battlesuits.<br />
<br />
Then when I had my ill-fated idea to have an army of gold-plated Tau it was hastily repainted with a coat of Mithril Silver followed by a coat of Shining Gold. You can still see how this colour scheme looked on the burst cannon amongst other areas. After a short while I realised I had made a mistake and repainted all of my non-Stealthsuit Tau units at the time (both of them) to the sandy desert camouflage scheme from the GW studio army, starting with a thin (by my standards at the time) coat of Vermin brown and later adding a white helmet. I no longer remember if the white helmet came when I finally got my hands on Bleached Bone paint, or if the off-white cream colour is simply the result of Skull White over Vermin and Vomit browns in sufficient quantities.<br />
<br />
The other feature of interest is the Jerry Can glued to the base. While I quickly abandoned conventional basing in my childhood years, I still liked to add objects to my models' bases when possible. This came from seeing the Space Marine my friend at the time brought over one day when I was 8, just before I got into Warhammer 40,000 for the first time. The Space Marine model had a spare bolter glued to its base, and I thought it looked so cool I tried to emulate it myself with other objects. For a while my Stealthsuit had a spare shield drone antenna glued to its base (back when I thought they were rifles and not aerials), and later I decided to mark out my sole Crisis battlesuit by sticking down the Jerry Can piece from the Battlefield Accessories kit I had got some time earlier (which it must be said is a fantastic set of terrain and easily one of my two favourite GW terrain products alongside the Jungle Trees).<br />
<br />
Being the only Crisis battlesuit meant that for some time this guy was also the de facto commander of my Tau army for some years, before I finally got an Ethereal in to relieve him of his command duties. He then served as a Monat for a short while before being retired in place of these guys.<br />
<div>
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixVyTVJaTLtqk3bvsBa-RDUcVf1_d8p1fAYhqgqUsgV89IrleMUBLEfw9mypbxI39u2iYwbLCQ-Mily5F6SD20H82aa42WsValTKLVrxpUx_wjljoDl-nJnGj6YafK2bfV_B_Fu4vgNTo/s1600/065RD.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="961" data-original-width="1600" height="192" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixVyTVJaTLtqk3bvsBa-RDUcVf1_d8p1fAYhqgqUsgV89IrleMUBLEfw9mypbxI39u2iYwbLCQ-Mily5F6SD20H82aa42WsValTKLVrxpUx_wjljoDl-nJnGj6YafK2bfV_B_Fu4vgNTo/s320/065RD.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0r6yo-fEERg8q87752ROom0tLaGiqjLQsqOFi7VP9gzO14HWzLFOfBKGLfrhMA7lIIAtdvNb6FBoVMWJxOLH54VvOxHZNDJV5F15mnICe9U_9WUaBhjAYzeOnUzM_IbsT-2IPJox7Fag/s1600/066RD.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="961" data-original-width="1600" height="192" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0r6yo-fEERg8q87752ROom0tLaGiqjLQsqOFi7VP9gzO14HWzLFOfBKGLfrhMA7lIIAtdvNb6FBoVMWJxOLH54VvOxHZNDJV5F15mnICe9U_9WUaBhjAYzeOnUzM_IbsT-2IPJox7Fag/s320/066RD.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<div>
This was the trio of Crisis battlesuits that came with the Tau battleforce I got for Christmas when I was about 10, if memory serves. By this time I actually HAD read the Tau codex (and would get a copy of the brand new 4th edition core rulebook to read through not long afterwards), but this did little to enlighten me on the subtleties of equipping Crisis Teams and ultimately ended up raising more questions than it answered in that area. However, I had also read the new interactive flash guide on battlesuit weapons and support systems that was now on the GW website (and can still be found through the Wayback Machine archive), which was vastly more helpful for my primitive childhood brain. This was very strongly reflected in the choice of weapons loadout I gave them - you will immediately note an abundance of plasma rifles, now in vogue because the interactive flash guide suggested they were the best Crisis battlesuit weapon. Of course, like any good military my army had plenty of institutional inertia within it and so there was at least one battlesuit loaded down with burst cannons and missile pods, because you never know when you might need a Gatling gun and a missile launcher. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
The other thing you probably noticed immediately is that this Crisis Team was originally built with four weapons or support systems equipping each battlesuit rather than three. The reason for this is very simple - there are four hardpoint slots on the Crisis battlesuit model, so my 8-9 year old self decided it was only logical that they carry four weapons. I also admired - and still do - the symmetry of having two items on the shoulders and two on the arms (another reason why I always liked the Broadside battlesuits with their twin-linked weapons more). Even after reading through the codex I still thought it made sense to stick four guns and/or wargear items on them because of that - my response to seeing the rules in the codex was "What? Three? That can't be right, it doesn't make sense. They have four slots on the models! Why would they say they you can only take three items when there are four slots on the models?" </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
To this day I still cannot help but wonder if once upon a time taking four weapons/wargear items was a feature on the Mk.I-IV Crisis battlesuits that never made it past playtesting to the codex and was never mentioned by Andy Chambers in the Designers' Notes for whatever reason. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
It took me years to realise that the fourth hardpoint slot was really just there to give you some options for visual variety. By that point I had also begun to start giving some serious thought into tactical roles for Crisis Teams instead of just piling on whatever guns or wargear I thought looked cool. I had also started digesting more tactics articles on the internet (not least among them the ATT Academy articles, as mentioned earlier). At this time the classic Fireknife team configuration was in vogue, and so I constantly heard about how the Fireknife was the best Crisis team layout for general combat, especially against Space Marines. So in early 2010 when I was faced with the prospect of my first game of Warhammer 40,000 outside of a GW store against a Space Marine army I immediately concluded I needed to get some Fireknives up and running. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
The trouble was that my funding was still limited, so rather than take resources away from the Broadside battlesuit production that was going on at the time I made the decision to modify my existing Crisis battlesuits to a Fireknife loadout. This was done by the crude and brutal method of simply cutting off their existing weapons and replacing them with plasma rifles, missile pods and multi-trackers, using those already featured on the models where appropriate. Using the Swiss Army Knife I had recently gotten as a Christmas gift to cut through the plastic joins, the process was long and extremely bloody (I went for a few weeks in High School with at least one band-aid on almost all of my fingers), but eventually I succeeded in getting the extraneous weapons off, then blue-tacked the Fireknife wargear in their place as seen in the other image. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
That was how the Crisis Team was equipped for the three games that turned out to be the only time they were ever used in anger. They performed reasonably well, though did nothing particularly spectacular. The plan originally was to glue the Fireknife weapons on permanently and paint them, but I ultimately never got around to it as I put more and more hobby time into Battlefleet Gothic, then Warhammer. So it was that instead they quietly languished in one of my more out of the way storage spaces, silently guarding a collection of bitz piles and boxes while falling into a dire state of disrepair (in actual fact the damage was a result of the rigours of combat - the Crisis suit with the shield generator had its feet break off at the ankles during one game, while the one on the flying stand had its arm broken off in a related accident. They were temporarily repaired with copious amounts of blue-tack at the time, but then left in that state after the pivot towards other game systems). With their front-line duty now fulfilled however, I saw it fit to repair them fully in honour of their faithful service, and then decided to fully restore them to their historical wargear loadouts. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Of course, even at the time sticking down new weapons and painting them was only ever seen as a temporary stopgap until completely new Crisis battlesuits could be procured, as by this point they had begun to grow on me considerably. It was always planned that replacement battlesuits would inevitably arrive, and fitted with a wider selection of weaponry to handle a wider array of mission types, likely at some time in the near future. The arrival date for these new Crisis suits was pushed further and further back as Battlefleet Gothic and Warhammer became the dominant tabletop games of my hobby, meaning that it was not until 7 years later that things finally started to shift from the purely theoretical. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
But now the new Crisis suits are finally here. At long last, I can proudly present a whole new generation of XV-8 Crisis battlesuits, a total ground-up revamp that takes my battlesuit corps to the next level, a revolutionary advanced design that is every bit the bleeding edge of modern technology and design, radically different from anything that has come before. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_dZw3d34Dhwk4uNPH5KuFHUTD_EQziXpg0G5pCcxAXQqJfjdMWEdUYFCjn1PFPLrwJMd6a7Du4tWyJdQ5f6GASOUFhYWgAVPoNtfRttriBbzVDcrJ0QA-rC8VuTGtmGasjsA9F_uz_9g/s1600/051RD.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="961" data-original-width="1600" height="192" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_dZw3d34Dhwk4uNPH5KuFHUTD_EQziXpg0G5pCcxAXQqJfjdMWEdUYFCjn1PFPLrwJMd6a7Du4tWyJdQ5f6GASOUFhYWgAVPoNtfRttriBbzVDcrJ0QA-rC8VuTGtmGasjsA9F_uz_9g/s320/051RD.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2agHVQoJ_0q_Q1sPRWlEBUbzFzk4AO63mVv331nRC-nRPNLvCrGwyFpLv-LbFPWUHh5JJngjtyuVbD8mgJVCnCx1Zp8m0itaWsjIB-fiOdoDmyGCVvUWH80eyUJhw_mcBAU3eKMdPj-M/s1600/052RD.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="961" data-original-width="1600" height="192" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2agHVQoJ_0q_Q1sPRWlEBUbzFzk4AO63mVv331nRC-nRPNLvCrGwyFpLv-LbFPWUHh5JJngjtyuVbD8mgJVCnCx1Zp8m0itaWsjIB-fiOdoDmyGCVvUWH80eyUJhw_mcBAU3eKMdPj-M/s320/052RD.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhk-uzDYQjHyU_XNUafqN5bqxsNGFRFIk0pcY2k0-v8yJtdbobAU0tNqjcBVN3_VdCsZ69h980wsKlr7Y3oe3fiEb8KZJeChMmKO-9wjgZNK1wkBZhzS3RDWnq4qB75VGg2fE2U2m7U0k8/s1600/056RD.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="961" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhk-uzDYQjHyU_XNUafqN5bqxsNGFRFIk0pcY2k0-v8yJtdbobAU0tNqjcBVN3_VdCsZ69h980wsKlr7Y3oe3fiEb8KZJeChMmKO-9wjgZNK1wkBZhzS3RDWnq4qB75VGg2fE2U2m7U0k8/s320/056RD.jpg" width="192" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuEq6gd5RV5AAPN1CoXb7aRoNwzzwQYrkcAifMJoX3GETkZ_198MH0Kl9Ct9L2bmCVMhZOtVMGoy6kWecuxNt28c-XHUJCjW861rfuGb-Ci4JvYbSD6v3ZJXW8tlJ1Grj0-3o2XWsIGYk/s1600/057RD.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="961" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuEq6gd5RV5AAPN1CoXb7aRoNwzzwQYrkcAifMJoX3GETkZ_198MH0Kl9Ct9L2bmCVMhZOtVMGoy6kWecuxNt28c-XHUJCjW861rfuGb-Ci4JvYbSD6v3ZJXW8tlJ1Grj0-3o2XWsIGYk/s320/057RD.jpg" width="192" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhu-hl3VzekVZvwPKWk8p1WrNjcZ1JreLv67Da20PXvDl_SN1wOXv7tErwiQiEer2XiNZc5-3GLFJ0D9PQx6yNcwGHcAVCa8uHo83EM0OR5m-GxUb7497CSSfYplSyYtvOXyLT-nyRPbz8/s1600/058RD.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="961" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhu-hl3VzekVZvwPKWk8p1WrNjcZ1JreLv67Da20PXvDl_SN1wOXv7tErwiQiEer2XiNZc5-3GLFJ0D9PQx6yNcwGHcAVCa8uHo83EM0OR5m-GxUb7497CSSfYplSyYtvOXyLT-nyRPbz8/s320/058RD.jpg" width="192" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Surprise!</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<div>
If you've been following this blog for some time now, then the images above will have come as no surprise at all to you. Otherwise if you're very new to the Tau and 40k, these are the original XV-8 Crisis battlesuit models, which I have grown very fond of. After everything I've said about them, it should be noted that even when my fondness for battlesuits was at its lowest point I still thought the models looked phenomenal, just not as much as the Devilfish, Hammerheads and Fire Warriors that I did not think were getting their fair share of the limelight. I still think that they are by far the best Crisis battlesuit models GW has ever produced, and vastly prefer them to the 2017 versions released some years ago. Because of this I made sure to build up a healthy stockpile of the older kits as I was acquiring my new Tau army, alongside a healthy stockpile of the older Fire Warrior kits I love so much (the fact that both kits were included in the Tau battleforce box alongside what were effectively free Piranhas and Stealthsuit sprues was very convenient), enough to make all of the Crisis Teams I had originally planned on. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
I take enormous pride from the fact that there is not a single model sculpt newer than 2013 in my entire Tau army (both planned and painted!). </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Of course, that does not mean that the Crisis battlesuits were left completely untouched - they have had a whole host of modifications applied to them under the hood. The first and perhaps most important feature is the ankle joints, which have been reinforced with metal pins to prevent breakages. But more dramatic still is that these are the first Crisis battlesuits that I have magnetised. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Magnetising Crisis battlesuit hardpoints is a practice that I had been familiar with for a very long time - ever since first reading about it in the spotlight article on Sebastian Stuart's Tau army featured in the first issue of White Dwarf I ever owned - but had always dismissed as being impractical in the past. I was unaware of any magnet suppliers in my local area, and lacked the tools with which to install them on models. This began to chance in 2013 as I first gained some reasonable spending money for the first time and began to expand my collection of hobby tools as I began to get more and more invested in conversion work, but I still lacked a viable source of magnets until around 2017 or so when I finally performed a google search and found a convenient magnet supplier located within public transport distance, which then turned out to have very affordable 1mm magnets. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
The next challenge was working out how to install the magnets. Most battlesuit magnetisation I've seen has simply glued the magnets into holes drilled into the model's surface, but that approach was quickly deemed unacceptable - I really loved these older models and wanted to preserve as much of their aesthetic design as possible including every last detail I could save. At the same time, I also wanted to preserve the mounting plugs on the battlesuit weapons and support systems, because I've actually always really loved those details and the really nice utilitarian look they bring to the components. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
The solution I came up with was to not install magnets at all in the weapons and wargear pieces. Instead I drilled out the inside of the mounting plugs and inserted lengths of magnetic wire into them, before sealing them in with greenstuff. Then I installed magnets in the hardpoint slots on the battlesuits themselves. This setup preserves virtually all of the aesthetic details of the models, allows any weapon or support system to be placed on any battlesuit hardpoint, and conveniently halves the number of magnets needed to fully magnetise the entire unit. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
The magnets themselves are small 1mm x 2mm square magnets. My original plan was to simply drill out the bottom 'floor' of the hardpoint slots and slot the magnets in place, but they proved to be just a touch too big to fit. This wasn't a problem for the shoulder hardpoints, since it was a fairly simple matter to drill out the floor of the slot while the jetpack pieces were separate, then slide the magnets in before gluing the two jetpack pieces together. The arm hardpoints were considerably more challenging and ultimately required me to completely excavate the hardpoint slots before reconstructing them over the embedded magnets with greenstuff. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
The result is a Crisis Team that can be equipped with any of the weapons and support systems available, as seen below in the classic 'war machine with its entire arsenal of payload options splayed out in front of it' picture. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrftduYRy7qgdxiuDaBGlnAkGkHaUr1_btwC362Wb7zagjg1fM8yMFhPYz4_Y2TgKUq4oBppQtp0Z-KQ-43OvVu64hJvYPyy6i40shb4HZN07TBaV6iuU9UkhbQTQdtXmwIkhqqTdEGNw/s1600/059RD.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="961" data-original-width="1600" height="192" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrftduYRy7qgdxiuDaBGlnAkGkHaUr1_btwC362Wb7zagjg1fM8yMFhPYz4_Y2TgKUq4oBppQtp0Z-KQ-43OvVu64hJvYPyy6i40shb4HZN07TBaV6iuU9UkhbQTQdtXmwIkhqqTdEGNw/s320/059RD.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<div>
Although they are pictured above in what is anticipated to be their default loadout, a team configuration of my own invention. I have always been a huge proponent of versatility and multi-role capability in my units, since that way no matter what the enemy brings and no matter what the battlefield situation is they will always be able to do something useful. This philosophy mixed with my realisation that Crisis Teams are the only source of several key assault weapons in the entire Tau army to produce a flexible multi-role loadout that provides my army with all three of the core essential assault weapons - melta weapons in the form of fusion blasters, plasma weapons in the form of plasma rifles, and flamers for template weapon support. In the process it also produces a team that can deal with almost any threat on the table and handle any mission I throw at them. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
The core loadout was originally conceived during the 6th edition codex (another factor in wanting as many different assault weapons on the same team as possible, because at the time there was a very real possibility that I would only have enough Elites slots for one Crisis Team at most), where it was imagined that the organic hard-wired multi-trackers Crisis battlesuits have in the 6th edition rules would allow them to choose the best two weapons for the situation and thus still yield an enormous amount of firepower. I was somewhat concerned that it may not be viable in 3.5 and 4th edition play, until I remembered that 3 assault weapons is actually the normal amount of an elite unit and adopted the approach of "If 3 assault weapons is good enough for the Imperial Guard, Chaos Space Marines and Orks then it's good enough for me." </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
The painting was an entirely different matter to their construction, and was the reason this post was so long in coming. If <a href="https://metalhobby.blogspot.com/2015/04/spaceship-spaceship-spaceship-spaceship.html">my Custodian</a> was the painting equivalent of Trench Warfare, and <a href="https://metalhobby.blogspot.com/2016/12/att.html">the ATT Orbital</a> was the painting equivalent of Urban Combat, then this unit was the painting equivalent of <i>Afghanistan</i>. All those sharp corners (prone to paint chipping or sliding at the slightest provocation), many many panel lines to highlight, hard to access areas and my obsessive perfectionism made for a lethal combination that kept me trapped in a nightmarish quagmire for over two years and a quarter. It got so bad that I actually gave up - stripping the paintwork I had done with Simple Green and starting over from scratch (I actually ended up doing this twice). Even after I started getting paint results I was content with I still had to contend with the tedious process of carefully working over the waterslide decals with layer upon layer of Micro-Sol until they finally looked nice enough, and the additional challenge of painting up the entire supply of weapons and wargear. There was also another altogether more insidious complication, for in the journey into the Heart of Darkness in the centre of my soul that painting these things became, I also came to a sudden dark epiphany: </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
I really don't like painting battlesuits. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
It's not that I don't like the models, or the concept of the unit or the lore or anything like that - like I say I never really hated any of those parts about them to begin with, and they've only grown on me over time. No, rather I discovered that I find painting battlesuits a chore in much the same way that many appear to find painting Fire Warrior units. It seems that where others hold distaste for painting their Fire Warriors and treat themselves by painting battlesuits, I am destined to hold distaste for painting battlesuits and treat myself by painting infantry units (or possibly vehicles, depending on how that turns out...). </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Speaking of waterslide decals, this also marks the first time I have used any in my new Tau army, and indeed the first time I have touched them at all in over a decade (literally in fact - the decals used were from my old Tau army, which I was sure to restore with a coat of Microscale Liquid Decal Film before using). It is also the first time I have ever created and used custom decals of my own devising in the form of the warning markings near the jetpack exhausts, which I painted freehand onto a sheet of Testors decal paper procured from a local scale model hobby store. The only freehand markings painted directly on the battlesuits themselves were the ID numbers on the shoulders and the red unit markings on the Shas'Vre. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
The paint scheme of course is as close as possible to the colour scheme of the original GW studio Tau army scheme, with the sole exception being the helmet colouring. Back in 2010 when I was first starting to seriously explore the idea of battlesuit units in the army I came up with the bright idea of colour coding my battlesuit teams based on intended mission role. The idea stuck fast, not least because it would give me a chance to play around with some different colours while still keeping the overall army scheme intact. The practice has been applied to all my battlesuits since then, including these ones. Gold Team here is to be one of my general purpose combat units, with no particular specialisation in mind and thus they have no special helmet colour, just the base maroon markings that will be common to all my new armoured units (incidentally also their first appearance in the army). The 'Gold' designation is simply a close approximation to the main colour and sounds a lot more impressive than 'Sandy Coloured Ochre Team'. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
That said, there is by a somewhat uncanny coincidence a very poetic Full Circle with this paint scheme, as it is ultimately the direct application of the very first ever colour scheme I wanted to paint a battlesuit in. Long ago when I was getting into the Tau and Warhammer 40,000 for the first time I was enthralled by the cool desert camouflage the 'Evy Metal studio Tau were painted in (in no small part because it was what the <i>Firewarrior</i> artwork was based on), but I was somewhat baffled by the odd-looking 'bald' white headpieces that the battlesuits had been painted in, which did not really look quite right to me at the time. I instead wanted to paint mine in the same desert camouflage scheme, but with ochre coloured headpieces which would fit much better visually in my eyes. This resulted in a very interesting exchange between me the schoolyard chum who had also gotten into 40k alongside me, when one day I brought up my desire to paint the heads of my battlesuits Vomit Brown in the middle of my excited talk about my new Crisis battlesuit. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<i>"What! No, you can't do that! You have to paint it how it is on the box!" </i></div>
<div>
<i><br /></i></div>
<div>
<i>"The Games Workshop staff person said I could paint them however I wanted." </i></div>
<div>
<i><br /></i></div>
<div>
<i>"But not when there's an 'Evy Metal on the back of the box, then you have to paint it that way!" </i></div>
<div>
<i><br /></i></div>
<div>
<i>"Not if I don't want to." </i></div>
<div>
<i><br /></i></div>
<div>
<i>"Yes you do! That would be like me painting my Space Marines red!" </i></div>
<div>
<i><br /></i></div>
<div>
<i>"But there are red Space Marines. I've seen them myself." </i></div>
<div>
<i><br /></i></div>
<div>
<i>"Look, trust me, I'm trying to help you here. Do you know what's going to happen if you paint it Vomit Brown, and bring it into a Games Workshop store? They'll all go 'Eeeww, did someone vomit on your battlesuit?'!" </i></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Needless to say I felt thoroughly vindicated upon reading all the passages in the rulebooks and codexes about how you should paint your army in whatever colours you like. And before you judge that schoolyard colleague too harshly, do remember that he too was only 8 years old or so at the time and just as new to the tabletop hobby as I was. And the colour guides on the back of the model boxes did hold a lot of sway over us at the time, to the point where even I eventually caved to their guidelines and painted my battlesuit heads white, as you can see in the pictures earlier. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
After all that, I like to think I've done my 8 year old self proud with these Crisis battlesuits. But now my forces have grown so large that they now stretch the current command structure to the limits of its capacity. If I am to proceed any further I will need to significantly expand the leadership and command and control of my new Tau army. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Perhaps I can find more use for that battlesuit hangar...</div>
</div>
</div>
MillitantGuerillaCommunistHippiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13565203522225127317noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5420460147318382021.post-5915577505464797062019-07-20T03:55:00.003-07:002021-07-17T07:34:16.810-07:00Close Encounters (Battlefleet Gothic Battle Report)<h2>
Close Encounters - A Battlefleet Gothic Battle Report</h2>
<i>The room's chronometer chimed meekly from its perch near the ceiling of the reception chamber, the only sound to break the empty ambience in which Por'Ui'T'au'Mesme sat reviewing the documents arrayed before him on a steely grey desk. The Tau knew this noise marked the 5th dec he had been waiting here now, and it would only be 5 more before he was released of his duties and could escape the agonising drought of activity within the reception chamber. Mesme wondered who he could have offended to be given such a tedious posting. Still, Meseme supposed that there were far worse regions of space he could have been assigned to. Boredom was still infinitely more preferable to facing some of the less savoury inhabitants of the Eastern Fringe. </i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>The Por'Ui looked over his papers and information readouts once more, an array of data and knowledge the Tau had gleaned about the Ar'cea to whom it was his mission to conduct First Contact with. All reports suggested that these Ar'cea were an autonomous or semi-autonomous faction, although long-range image captures had shown their ships to have markings that suggested they were somehow affiliated with one of the major Ar'cea 'Craftworld' nation-states that was known to be operating near Tau space. The exact relationship was unclear, but what was known was that these Ar'cea had claimed dominion over the entire local region and attacked any shipping that passed through it at their whim. They were also in conflict with local pirate groups, most notably a sizeable Ores'la presence that they seemed to be engaged in a power struggle with. The Ar'cea had recently inflicted a string of defeats on the Ores'la which had left them seemingly unchallenged as the dominant power. </i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>All this changed when the Tau had moved in. In an ongoing effort to secure the borders of the Tau Empire Tau fleet elements had since moved into this region and begun anti-piracy operations. The Kor'vattra fleet sent in had already inflicted significant losses on the Ores'la, and had systematically destroyed several smaller local corsair bands with no sign of their progress stalling. The arrival of strong Tau military forces into the area had shattered the existing balance of power and the Ar'cea had become increasingly erratic ever since. </i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>Which was where Mesme came in. Eager to gain new allies in the region and seeing no sense in antagonising the Ar'cea if it could be avoided, the Tau were eager to open up channels of diplomacy with the enigmatic aliens. To this end they had set up the waystation Mesme was currently stationed at, placed inside the primary biosphere of an uninhabited system in what was believed to be neutral ground, where the Ar'cea could approach and communicate with the Tau in peace. The Por'Ui had been residing there now for over a Kai'rotaa now, but for the entire duration the Ar'cea had sent no-one. It was almost like Mesme's entire mission would amount to an elaborate exercise in finding new and inventive ways to do nothing. </i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>At once the Por'Ui was violently ripped from his thoughts by the sudden shrill metallic ring of the waystation's proximity alert and an announcement on the desk readouts that an unidentified spacecraft was docking. The Tau's heart skipped a beat. In the distance he could hear the sound of the airlock opening, followed by a pattern of footfalls. Mesme scrambled to organise the desk and array his thoughts in order. The footsteps were very light, if it had not been for the last few decs of near silence to train his ears Mesme might not have heard them, but they were certainly growing closer. </i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>With a hiss the door facing Mesme slid open, and through the open portal stepped two towering warriors one after the other, statuesque giants covered in sleek vividly coloured mesh plating which left no trace of flesh visible to suggest they were even organic creatures at all. Deep red and orange lenses unblinkingly gazed down at the Por'Ui from smooth teardrop-shaped helmets. Each figure held a small elegantly tapered pistol in one hand, trained unerringly at the Tau, and grasped a long slender chainblade in the other. </i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>Mesme could hear another set of footfalls coming from outside. After a moment both of the figures facing him swiftly holstered their pistols in a fluid blur of motion and stood at ease. Then a third Ar'cea entered the room. From his research Mesme deduced that this one was female, and clearly meant to be an envoy of some description. She too towered over the Tau, but instead of armour she was clad in long flowing intricately-embellished robes of deep blue and rich yellow. She wore no helmet, leaving her sunlight-coloured hair to fall down below her shoulders. Not a single mark seemed to mar her skin. </i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>"Are you alive?" she asked. </i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>Mesme was taken aback by the question. "Yes?" he replied, not quite as certain of himself as he felt he should be. </i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>An inscrutable fae smile crept across the envoy's face. "We shall see..." she said. </i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i><br /></i>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>* * * * </i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i><br /></i></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<i>Kor'O'T'au Kais'Y'eldi'Aloh looked on in silent horror at the cloud of debris which was all that remained of the waystation, lingering on the long-range imaging display projected at the front of his bridge. Though he was no stranger to the nightmarish depredations of Ar'cea raiders, he had wished that this particular faction might be one of the more civilised ones and know better than to thoughtlessly attack a civilian outpost clearly intended as a sign of peace. At the very least he thought they would have had the good sense to recognise that they would benefit from assistance against their rivals, especially the Ores'la. Kais's fleet was still many millions of Tor'kan from the debris, and with a sickening feeling in his core the Kor'O knew that it would be futile to search for survivors by the time they arrived. </i></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<i><br /></i></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<i>"Kor'O!" said one of Kais's bridge officers, "We have multiple Ar'cea power signatures on our scopes, concentrated in two groups off our flanks. They're moving to attack formation!" </i></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<i><br /></i></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<i>"Order all hands to battle stations!" Kais replied, "The Ar'cea have given us their answer..." </i></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Almost two months ago, on the anniversary of Operation OVERLORD in the Second World War, was the birthday of Cristina Scabbia, the lead singer and frontwoman for Italian gothic metal band Lacuna Coil. If that name sounds familiar and you aren't familiar with Lacuna Coil, it may be because she is also the namesake of one of the escort squadrons in my Tau fleet for Battlefleet Gothic. Cristina Scabbia is an awesome person, and an extremely capable vocalist, and you should definitely give a listen to some of her music if that's the kind of genre you're into. </div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
By a curious coincidence, Cristina Scabbia's birthday also marked the point at which a sad little nocturnal parrot dwelling in New Zealand had existed for a quarter of a century. Given that this year the date fell on the same day that the nearest FLGS also has its late-night gaming day, I decided to celebrate it the best way I could think of: with a giant space battle. After having my appetite whetted by two Raid scenarios, I was eager to start playing some bigger games to show off more of my Tau fleet and get to grips with some of the Battle scenarios. Asking around to find an opponent resulted in a surprise coup - I was able to book in a match against one of the two people that had first cued me into the existence of other Battlefleet Gothic players in the general area, and their beautifully painted Eldar fleet. </div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
The stage was set for my third Battlefleet Gothic game, a 1500 point Fleet Engagement. After spending several months avoiding the encroaching Tau forces, the Eldar have finally made themselves known by attacking and destroying a Tau waystation established as a diplomatic meeting point. Speeding towards the distress beacon, the investigation force of Kor'vattra fleet K-42 now seeks to bring the Eldar to battle in retaliation for the surprise attack. </div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
But as they say, one might as well try to catch starlight in a bottle as bring the Eldar to battle... </div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<h3 style="text-align: left;">
Fleets and Strategy</h3>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Not only was this a chance to test out my long-planned fleet doctrine as applied in the large-scale engagements it was always envisioned for, it was also a chance to test my mettle against the Eldar, generally considered one of the more challenging fleets to face. Strangely enough, fighting Eldar was something I had never really given much serious thought towards until discovering someone with an Eldar fleet at the FLGS. Instead my Tau fleet doctrine had always been constructed around the assumption that I would be facing an Imperial or Chaos fleet (the two most common forces), a Space Marine fleet (basically a more aggressive Imperial fleet) or an Ork or Tyranid fleet (which would be playing the same head-on charge game that Tau do). How it would work against ultra-mobile ships that could be expected to attack from any direction was something I never really considered until recently. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
This is all the more curious because the Corsair Eldar are one of my favourite fleets after the Tau (their ships just look so cool!), and I had long planned to start a Corsair Eldar fleet after the Tau fleet was finished. Having studied the Corsair Eldar fleet for some time I had come up with a prospective doctrine for a very aggressive playstyle, reasoning that the best approach to using Eldar ships would be to use their terrific mobility to quickly zip around the enemy fleet, get into the rear aspects of their ships and hammer them to pieces at close range with the heavy firepower Eldar ships typically carry, using that same fantastic manoeuvrability to stay in behind opposing ships where they could not return fire. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
After the possibility of fighting an Eldar fleet became a distinct reality I was curious to see how my 'plough straight through them like a freight train' Tau doctrine would work against my 'get in behind' Eldar doctrine. The result was a moment of horror that can only be described as what US Generals at the Pentagon must have felt when they discovered the existence of the SU-27 and MiG-29 fighter jets, the TU-160 strategic bomber and the R-73 air-to-air missile (amongst many, many, many other things in the 1980s). Not only would my typical Tau approach of slowly creeping up the board with all ships' prows facing the enemy run into serious problems against a flanking Eldar fleet, that approach would work against me to fatal effect - once an Eldar capital ship or escort squadron managed to get into the rear aspects they would be able to roll up the entire fleet with impunity. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Fortunately salvation was swift in coming, and it quickly dawned on me that I could rework my standard Tau doctrine to be effective against Eldar (and other highly mobile fleets, like Necrons) with only minimal modification. My new plan hinged on three key points to plan around: </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
1. Given the massive disparity in speed, there is nothing I can do to stop the Eldar from getting behind my ships. They WILL get behind my fleet. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
2. The Eldar will want to get behind my ships, as this will prevent my ships from firing back at them. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
3. Eldar movement is tied to the sun. The Eldar will always keep one side of their ships facing the sun, as this will maximise their movement distance. This will make the Eldar movement patterns predictable. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
With these three factors in mind, my new anti-Eldar strategy is a simple twist on my classic Tau Kor'vattra attack; instead of keeping the entire fleet together as one unstoppable mass, my plan is to split it into two reasonably sized strike groups, deployed on opposite sides of the board on opposing headings, such that they will travel across the length of the board, meet head-on in the middle and then fly past each other. Ideally their initial trajectories will look something like a giant 'X'. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
This may seem counter-intuitive at first - after all, it means my very lackluster broadside arcs are going to be facing the enemy deployment zone on turn one while my forward aspects, where the firepower on Tau ships is concentrated, is out of the fight. The trick, however, is that by doing so it means that the rear aspects of one strike group is always in the forward arc of the other. Students of Tau lore might recognise this strategy as a Kau'yon ploy in space, using my own rear aspects as the lure. Thus, it does not matter that I cannot stop the Eldar from getting behind me, because getting behind me will do them no good. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
This in turn means that the only place my fleet is vulnerable is in its broadside arcs. This is where the 'X' style of approach angles comes in. By deploying my fleet this way, my forward arcs will start out covering the closest broadside arcs to the enemy of each strike group. That way, if the Eldar wise up to my plan and try to go for my broadside arcs instead, all my guns are already pointing in the right direction. If the Eldar press ahead and go for the rear aspects, a simple single turn will be enough to bring my firepower to bear and spring my trap. This will of course leave my 'inside' broadside arcs dangerously exposed, but that can be compensated by screening that aspect with my plentiful ordinance, forcing the Eldar to run a gauntlet of Mantas if they want to stay there. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Thus, I have - in theory at least - ensured that the Eldar's strengths are useless, and should be able to force them to choose between several bad options. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
So, I've worked out what I want my ships to be doing, now it's time to figure out how to actually hurt the Eldar ships. As we've already discussed, the single greatest weapon the Tau fleet has is its massive, unsurpassed ordinance capability. As a secondary sidearm it can also fall back on some reasonably OK gunnery shooting. Now, one of the tricky things about fighting Eldar is that instead of normal shields their ships are equipped with Holofields which camouflage them and provide a 2+ save against every kind of attack except weapons batteries (which just suffer a negative column shift on the gunnery table instead). </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Because of this, conventional wisdom holds that the single best anti-Eldar weapon is weapons batteries (or their equivalent), which isn't the best news for me given that Tau fleets don't usually have an abundance of those. However, I have an ace up my sleeve in the form of blast markers. Every hit saved by an Eldar Holofield places a blast marker in contact with the Eldar ship, and because Eldar ships don't have conventional shields they take damage on a roll of a 6 whenever they come into contact with blast markers. This means that I can use my ample Tau ordinance capability to drown the Eldar ships in blast markers, forcing them to roll for damage at every turn - they've got to roll that 6 sooner or later. Better yet, blast markers also slow down ships contacting them, robbing the Eldar of their greatest advantage (fantastic mobility). </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Building on this, I intend to disperse my ordinance as much as possible, using multiple smaller missile salvos from escorts and launching Mantas as individual squadrons rather than waves. While it's normally logical to concentrate ordinance against specific targets when facing other fleets, against Eldar this will only serve to make my ordinance easier to dodge and more susceptible to overkill. In contrast, by splitting the ordinance up and spreading it out I can present the Eldar fleet with more threats, making it harder to avoid them all and overwhelming their powerful but numerically small fighter cover with the old 'The Bomber Will Always Get Through' trick (if the Eldar fleet only has 8 launch bays, and I send 18 Manta squadrons at them, then I'm guaranteed to get at least two past the Eldar fighters in addition to any missiles I fire). Sure, they won't roll many dice to inflict damage, and the hits they do get will probably be saved by the Holofields, but in this situation the ordinance is a suppression weapon - even if it inflicts no damage at all, if it slows the Eldar down enough for me to out-manoeuvre them then it's done its job. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Between being suppressed by my ordinance and my clever fleet deployment, with any luck I'll be able to get the Eldar right where I want them, and then my railcannon batteries can deliver the coup de grace. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
With my strategy organised, my next task is actually putting together a fleet list. Since I'll be playing a fleet that's larger than 750 points I need to take a Fleet Commander, and given their crucial importance to Tau fleets I'm pulling out all the stops with a full Kor'O accompanied by an Aun'O to give me a grand total of three command re-rolls to keep my ordinance loaded. With the commander sorted, I need to arrange for some transportation for them. This will come in the form of a Merchant class starship with a reinforced hull and two Orca gunships. Putting a Tau Fleet Commander on a Merchant is certainly not the most efficient choice - normally you want them on a carrier or Hero class to make maximum use of their guaranteed high leadership for reloading ordinance. The decision to assign the Kor'O a Merchant class is instead purely based on lore and modelling; my fleet's flagship is a Merchant class, and I wanted to show off the model for it, so that's the flagship I'm using. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
I have a flagship and an admiral, now it's time to give him some ships to command. At any points level above 750 a Tau fleet must take at least one Explorer class starship, and I'm taking two which will give me a very respectable 16 launch bays and give each of my strike groups a solid core (and a nice obvious target to distract the Eldar). After that it's only sensible to make full use of their gravitic hooks and take six Orca gunships in two squadrons of 3. One of the most manoeuvrable ships in the Tau fleet, their 90 degree turns will be invaluable in chasing down Eldar ships and intercepting threats. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
A Hero class starship will round out my capital ships. Not only will it provide more launch bays and missile strikes, it will also give me some much needed gunnery muscle and staying power. Normally I would take the standard Vash'ya configuration Hero, but against Eldar it would be foolish not to break out the T'olku configuration instead; a Firepower 12 railcannon attack will go much further against those Holofields than four ion cannons would. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
It was tempting to take a second Hero class, but instead I've chosen to field an extra squadron of Defender class starships, giving me 6 of them in two squadrons of 3. I'll need as much ordinance as possible to win the day, and Defenders yield slightly more missiles for the points. They also have the advantage of being able to fire lots of 2-missile salvos, which will be more useful for pinning Eldar ships and covering space, while more escorts will allow me to screen the flanks of my capital ships against any nasty surprises. Finally, I've been very impressed with my Defenders' performance in my previous games, so I have a good feeling about them here. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
After all that I have just enough points left over for two more escorts. I thought about boosting my Defenders to 4-ship squadrons, but instead I've decided to take two Messenger class starships instead. In larger games like this it's generally a good idea for a Tau fleet to have a couple of Tracking Systems handy (1 per 500 points is usually considered ideal), and those same Tracking Systems will probably be worth their weight in gold against the Eldar, in both enhancing my railcannon batteries against Holofields and boosting my turret performance against Eldar ordinance. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<u>Kor'vattra Fleet K-42 Relief Force</u> </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<b>Fleet Commander</b></div>
<div>
<b><br /></b></div>
<div>
<i>Kor'O'T'au Kais'Y'eldi'Aloh</i> - Kor'O (Ld 9): <b>80 pts</b></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<i>Aun'O'T'au Ret'Sav'cyr</i> - Aun'O (Two extra re-rolls): <b>75 pts</b></div>
<div>
<b><br /></b></div>
<div>
<b>Capital Ships</b> </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<i>Serenity</i> - Il'fannor Merchant class starship (Kel'shan Configuration) with reinforced hull: <b>110 pts (Flagship)</b> </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<i>National Geographic</i> - Gal'leath Explorer class starship (Vash'ya Configuration): <b>230 pts </b><br />
<b><br /></b>
<i>Galactica</i>- Gal'leath Explorer class starship (Vash'ya Configuration): <b>230 pts </b><br />
<div>
<b><br /></b></div>
<div>
<i>Sulaco</i> - Lar'shi Hero class starship (T'olku Configuration): <b>180 pts</b></div>
<div>
<b><br /></b></div>
<div>
<b>Escorts </b></div>
<div>
<b><br /></b></div>
<div>
<i>Nightwish Squadron</i> - 3 Kir'qath Defender class starships: <b>135 pts </b></div>
<div>
<b><br /></b></div>
<div>
<i>Delain Squadron</i> - 3 Kir'qath Defender class starships: <b>135 pts</b></div>
<div>
<b><br /></b></div>
<div>
<i>Sirenia Squadron</i> - 3 Kass'l Orca gunships: <b>75 pts </b></div>
<div>
<b><br /></b></div>
<div>
<i>Imperia Squadron</i> - 3 Kass'l Orca gunships: <b>75 pts</b></div>
<div>
<b><br /></b></div>
<div>
<i>Shuttle 1</i> and <i>Shuttle 2</i> - 2 Kass'l Orca gunships: <b>50 pts </b></div>
<div>
<b><br /></b></div>
<div>
<i>Nostromo</i> - Skether'qan Messenger class starship: <b>50 pts</b> </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<i>Millennium Falcon</i> - Skether'qan Messenger class starship: <b>50 pts</b> </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<b>TOTAL: 1475 pts</b></div>
<div>
<b><br /></b></div>
<div>
<b><br /></b></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHgRQgOm3wtT83fUp789t_ER0PauWVCG_4uZqgLD95-GQ7sWnu44D33ut62017iWb21jWAo-UBW6OAIQRzGIiL9Q9EIMlEfcefF6feMN8IQcEvBxzLM4aAAGdeCyj_xTiHt_0xPHv76Qg/s1600/003.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="961" data-original-width="1600" height="192" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHgRQgOm3wtT83fUp789t_ER0PauWVCG_4uZqgLD95-GQ7sWnu44D33ut62017iWb21jWAo-UBW6OAIQRzGIiL9Q9EIMlEfcefF6feMN8IQcEvBxzLM4aAAGdeCyj_xTiHt_0xPHv76Qg/s320/003.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Tau relief force</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
The Eldar fleet was comprised as follows:<br />
<br />
<u>Ar'cea Raiders</u><br />
<br />
<b>Fleet Commander</b><br />
<br />
<i>Unidentified Ar'cea Warlord</i> - Eldar Hero: <b>100 pts</b><br />
<br />
<b>Capital Ships</b><br />
<br />
<i>Unidentified Ar'cea heavy warship</i> - Void Stalker battleship: <b>380 pts</b><br />
<br />
<i>Unidentified Ar'cea warship A</i> - Eclipse class cruiser: <b>250 pts</b><br />
<br />
<i>Unidentified Ar'cea warship B</i> - Eclipse class cruiser: <b>250 pts</b><br />
<br />
<i>Unidentified Ar'cea warship C</i> - Warithship with pulsar lance and launch bays: <b>160 pts</b><br />
<br />
<b>Escorts</b><br />
<br />
<i>Unidentified Ar'cea attack squadron A</i> - 3 Hemlock class destroyers: <b>120 pts</b><br />
<br />
<i>Unidentified Ar'cea attack squadron B</i> - 3 Hemlock class destroyers: <b>120 pts</b><br />
<br />
<i>Unidentified Ar'cea attack squadron C</i> - 3 Nightshade class destroyers: <b>120 pts </b><br />
<b></b><br />
<b></b>
<b>TOTAL: 1500 pts</b><br />
<b></b><br />
<b></b>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhD4Jj5gUjpjArYFWwm-VkbIAsVjBuXy-aglLRVJZFwDq-Us3s8tdUujdl3l_uovYkvmXKylEHjY08yq3XEzrEEfMiDm77wvqGMHXXkknYcDLEBHWQ_hsgF3aQipJ2Xt_jDeGn4ZoBE6yM/s1600/002.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="961" data-original-width="1600" height="192" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhD4Jj5gUjpjArYFWwm-VkbIAsVjBuXy-aglLRVJZFwDq-Us3s8tdUujdl3l_uovYkvmXKylEHjY08yq3XEzrEEfMiDm77wvqGMHXXkknYcDLEBHWQ_hsgF3aQipJ2Xt_jDeGn4ZoBE6yM/s320/002.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One group of the nefarious Eldar raiders<span style="font-size: 12.8px;">. Note that the Shadow Class cruiser in the picture is a proxy model, and was counted as an Eclipse class for the game.</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<b></b><br />
<b></b>
With the fleets determined, it was time to determine the Leadership ratings for my ships. Between the last two games I have determined no noticeable pattern to exploit in my Leadership rolling, so I decide to just get the worst of it over and done with like a band-aid and roll for my carriers first, then the missile boats. After a few moments of agonising tension (it can't have been more than a minute or two, but it seriously felt like 20!), I end up with:<br />
<br />
- Ld 9 for the <i>Serenity</i> (automatic because my Kor'O is on it)<br />
<br />
- Ld 8 for the <i>National Geographic</i><br />
<br />
- Ld 7 for the <i>Galactica</i><br />
<br />
- Ld 6 for the <i>Sulaco</i><br />
<br />
- Ld 8 for <i>Nightwish Squadron</i><br />
<br />
- Ld 8 for <i>Delain Squadron</i><br />
<br />
- Ld 8 for the <i>Nostromo</i><br />
<br />
- Ld 7 for the <i>Millennium Falcon</i><br />
<br />
- Ld 8 for <i>Imperia Squadron</i><br />
<br />
- Ld 8 for <i>Sirenia Squadron</i><br />
<br />
- Ld 7 for <i>Shuttle 1</i> and <i>Shuttle 2</i><br />
<i></i><br />
<i></i>
<i><br /></i>
Clearly my massive emphasis on large scale fleet battles and the relentless drills toward that end have paid off. I don't think I could ask for much better than those results. Really the only unfortunate part is Ld 6 on my Hero, but with 7s and 8s on literally everything else - including all the other ordinance platforms in my fleet - and three command re-rolls it shouldn't be too difficult to work around. All things considered it's some excellent leadership results, and I could certainly have done a lot worse.<br />
<br />
Due to their bonus when rolling for Leadership, the Eldar end up with a fairly tight cluster of Leadership ratings. From memory most were Ld 8.<br />
<b><br /></b>
<br />
<h3>
Fleet Engagement - The Battle </h3>
</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<b>Celestial Phenomena, Formations and Deployment </b></div>
<div>
<b><br /></b></div>
<div>
Much like the other Battlefleet Gothic games I've played so far, the celestial phenomena was fairly sparse (which is actually pretty realistic). Some odd dice rolls ultimately meant that, despite this being a battle in the Primary Biosphere of a system, the only celestial phenomena on the table was a small asteroid field in one corner - clearly the wreckage of the Tau envoy station that the Eldar senselessly destroyed! </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
With the celestial phenomena out of the way it was time to deploy. This next step would be crucial - unlike other scenarios, the deployment zones for a Fleet Engagement aren't fixed. Instead, which deployment zones each fleet gets are determined by choosing one of three formations (Sphere, Wedge and Cross) and comparing the choices made by each player on a special table. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
There are a few variants, but broadly speaking the options can be grouped into three broad categories: Setup A, Setup B Setup C and Setup D. As an extra twist, in most cases the deployment zones are split into smaller sub-areas and you need to place at least one ship or escort squadron in each one, and all of them restrict starting facings for ships - they need to be deployed facing in a direction indicated on the setup diagrams. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div><br /></div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg235jJwlF-vZZeY1iWYoKCSEh0DIrWQITTbL-P8DYmDVTTr8_0rtnSe6ikSSOqM_1OAVTef2u9MtDMc96GI76MaYMpgYN5fGLXh9EshPuD-5Xmkx1e63nvClVqeTDyXzQlhYxVLV8k_L0/" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg235jJwlF-vZZeY1iWYoKCSEh0DIrWQITTbL-P8DYmDVTTr8_0rtnSe6ikSSOqM_1OAVTef2u9MtDMc96GI76MaYMpgYN5fGLXh9EshPuD-5Xmkx1e63nvClVqeTDyXzQlhYxVLV8k_L0/w400-h300/Fig.+1.+Agile+Eldar.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">In a Fleet Engagement all ships need to deploy facing a preset direction. But that won't be a problem for these super-manoeuvrable Eldar!<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>What this means is that choices in fleet formation will make or break me. The smaller sub-areas of the deployment zones are bad enough - if I'm forced to split my fleet up too much the Eldar will be able to pounce on it piecemeal and defeat me in detail - but what really concerns me are the fixed approach angles. In order for my plan to work I need to get my two strike groups on the right headings as soon as possible, since the slow speed of Tau ships will make it hard to quickly re-position. Come To New Heading orders can help speed this up, but they run the risk of failing command checks (and I need those re-rolls for making sure my ordinance is reloaded) and rob my ships of firepower while alerting the Eldar to my presence and giving them command check bonuses. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
This means that I'll ideally want to start them out on the right heading. Unfortunately none of the setup options let me do this - the grey side of Setup A comes the closest, but would still leave a few ships in the central deployment areas pointing the wrong way. Still, it's not the end of the world. If I can keep both groups pointing forward I should be able to get them on the right headings with just one turn. Not ideal to be sure, but I can work with it. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
The biggest threat to this will be Setup B, the bane of any Tau player's existence in a Fleet Engagement. Not only does Setup B force me to start the game with my ships running parallel to the opposing fleet, giving them free access to my weaker broadside arcs and preventing me from quickly bringing my forward firepower to bear, it also gives the Eldar a clear run at getting behind me and rolling up my entire fleet just like in my worst case doomsday scenario. Clearly I need to avoid Setup B at all costs. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
With these factors in mind, I elect to go with the <b>WEDGE</b> formation. It means I won't be able to make use of that fantastic Grey deployment area of Setup A, but that's a small price to pay for minimising the chances of ending up with the dreaded Setup B. The Eldar, rather unsurprisingly, attempt to encircle me by choosing a <b>SPHERE</b> formation. </div>
<div>
<br />
<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEho-4th7-xmJuOWisUjNxrEvReqEVhWR7ERew2lsWCJvf28r2jiRnJU68jCIfzJuAyIDtZ0U4T97zd0DLkueOs9qX2buDvs9UaR4YuPtwTheVf7fKaxCSpOe1R04-dgOo3wS-gR_HIMDzI/" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEho-4th7-xmJuOWisUjNxrEvReqEVhWR7ERew2lsWCJvf28r2jiRnJU68jCIfzJuAyIDtZ0U4T97zd0DLkueOs9qX2buDvs9UaR4YuPtwTheVf7fKaxCSpOe1R04-dgOo3wS-gR_HIMDzI/w400-h300/Fig.+2.+Tau+Wedge.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td class="tr-caption">The Tau fleet assumes a Wedge formation for mutual support.<br /><br /></td></tr></tbody></table></div></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><br /><br /></div>
<div>
Comparing formations gives us the option of either Setup A or Setup C, determined with a simple roll-off. Bonuses are given to whichever fleet has the Fleet Commander with the highest Leadership, whichever fleet has the fastest ship, and whichever fleet has the most escorts. As to be expected, the Eldar with their Mach 3 movement profiles and Ld 10 Hero commander easily clean up two of those bonuses, but in a bizarre twist of fate I end up with the third bonus, with my dirt-cheap Orcas giving me more escorts than a (mostly) Corsair Eldar fleet! Managing to out-escort a (mostly) Corsair Eldar fleet is probably an achievement in its own right. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Nonetheless the Eldar manage to win the roll-off, and elect to go with Setup C, giving them two narrow deployment zones along the short edges of the table either side of my larger deployment zone in the middle of one of the long edges. I'm actually fairly OK with this, as it still lets me set up my two strike groups, get them on their opposed headings in the first turn and conveniently puts the Eldar in a good place to be caught by my reverse pincer movement. </div>
<div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdhMxDRzsXKDi5tFOtgykxyAfRTBjyTfqOyX1H0GrpU4A7drWQtZ4ixzDnqquD0n58mMP1Pl_xUALo0sTQ5T856F5hr_1yn0tsCsPkj5RM7nFUgrbIvTix-uLeVJY8Mv1G3Uce28KD0NU/" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdhMxDRzsXKDi5tFOtgykxyAfRTBjyTfqOyX1H0GrpU4A7drWQtZ4ixzDnqquD0n58mMP1Pl_xUALo0sTQ5T856F5hr_1yn0tsCsPkj5RM7nFUgrbIvTix-uLeVJY8Mv1G3Uce28KD0NU/w400-h300/Fig.+3.+Eldar+on+two+flanks.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td class="tr-caption">The Eldar choose a setup that will put them on both flanks of the Tau.<br /><br /></td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><br /></div>
<div>
My deployment goes largely according to my initial plan. I place down one Explorer in each corner of my deployment zone to form the base of the strike groups. The Defenders are placed with one squadron ahead of each Explorer, arrayed line abreast to give a clear field of fire for their gravitic launchers. Just like in my first game, I realise at this point that I have not left enough room to put my Orca squadrons on the outside flanks of the Explorers, so instead they go on the inside flank of each Explorer in an echelon formation to quickly come about and screen the sides. Now that my two strike groups have taken shape, a Messenger is placed at the centre of each one. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
All that was left was to place my last two capital ships and my flagship's Orcas. By this point the Eldar had finished deploying, and had ended up with the Void Stalker, Wraithship, one Eclipse and the two Hemlock squadrons on my left flank and the Nightshades and remaining Eclipse on my right. In light of this, I placed down my Hero in my left-hand strike group, which would come about to face the Eldar to starboard, while the remaining Orcas went on the opposite strike group to quickly get to grips with the Eldar to starboard - my plan was to focus my heavier firepower on the smaller, weaker Eldar group to knock them out quickly and set up a nice unstable equilibrium in my favour. Finally, my flagship went with the right-hand strike group to provide a tempting distraction and throw the Eldar into doubt about my plans. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXAhnrdRLgWf7tr2fSMCuk5NptCtQdZrLwiJZcspNje1OyZf3Zoj2USQ2fA2F4PWbERtdDLGDVM0fyZfBq95A5zIMme5ggmVpLYSCABWgrzG85G2CCvqxZ4WWnmz6vNmgMenvsbB7_R0Q/s1600/004.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="961" data-original-width="1600" height="192" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXAhnrdRLgWf7tr2fSMCuk5NptCtQdZrLwiJZcspNje1OyZf3Zoj2USQ2fA2F4PWbERtdDLGDVM0fyZfBq95A5zIMme5ggmVpLYSCABWgrzG85G2CCvqxZ4WWnmz6vNmgMenvsbB7_R0Q/s320/004.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">End of Deployment.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<b>Tau Turn 1</b></div>
<div>
<b><br /></b></div>
<div>
A stroke of good fortune enabled me to secure first turn, and I intended to exploit it to the fullest. Immediately my plan went into action. The Explorers moved up and turned towards each other as soon as they were able to. The Hero and Merchant also moved up, the Merchant keeping a cautious approach to stay inside the safety of my formations while the Hero ranged out further ahead with a full move. The Defenders spread out to maximise the area covered by their missiles and the chances of catching Eldar ships, with the rightmost squadron moving further ahead - this would ensure that my missile waves wouldn't run into each other. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Only too late did I realise that this put my Hero directly ahead of one of the Defender squadrons, and thus in the path of their missiles, but it was too late to do anything about it. I would just have to pray that the missiles would be able to squeeze past it without incident. The Orcas swung about and zoomed forward a full move to screen the flanks of my strike group and attempt to intercept the Eldar ships as they came past. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXU7e6SdND8Otkin2__OHzXsBVDqwqUaqGClcE0MNWs_eSlwqqgbcQ3GzDdovWfNAOG9TUUUn-LdX0vXyFAk-WqOpP_K2Lhs-X71S_0wbQ2dAnToqFhKNsbok2wG_L4MviSkdLSxHa4q4/s1600/006.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="961" data-original-width="1600" height="192" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXU7e6SdND8Otkin2__OHzXsBVDqwqUaqGClcE0MNWs_eSlwqqgbcQ3GzDdovWfNAOG9TUUUn-LdX0vXyFAk-WqOpP_K2Lhs-X71S_0wbQ2dAnToqFhKNsbok2wG_L4MviSkdLSxHa4q4/s320/006.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">It's a trap!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
The Eldar were currently out of gunnery range, so my shooting phase consisted entirely of me launching every piece of ordinance I could. The Defenders fired a wide spread of missiles, one salvo of which just made it safely past the Hero by a whisker. The Hero itself fired off its own wave of gravitic missiles and scrambled two squadrons of Barracudas, while the Explorers launched eight squadrons of Mantas each. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
In the Ordinance phase the Barracudas headed towards the larger Eldar group, seeking to intercept any bombers from the battleship or cruisers. This would prove to be a costly mistake later on. The Mantas dispersed around the sides of the Explorers to jump any Eldar ship that tried to get into their broadside arcs. The missiles zoomed forward, but even with their maximum move they were maddeningly unable to reach the Eldar just yet. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzDxqjGYWeX_qUMasxfTr3M9E4D_cx6Ouok6KI13NMfNnMnJxmYcqJGyMRmTD3TiR0GLN9xeIE3gNQhmstUtHTRrMOKpH7hVN0hYixQSCrth-ikR_ZjEXeSZfCA3v-jxmKqyUb0Ghc3s8/s1600/007.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="961" data-original-width="1600" height="192" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzDxqjGYWeX_qUMasxfTr3M9E4D_cx6Ouok6KI13NMfNnMnJxmYcqJGyMRmTD3TiR0GLN9xeIE3gNQhmstUtHTRrMOKpH7hVN0hYixQSCrth-ikR_ZjEXeSZfCA3v-jxmKqyUb0Ghc3s8/s320/007.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">End of Tau Turn 1</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div>
<br />
<i>"Red leader to all craft, designated combat patrol zone is 12 low, spread out and watch your spacing. Remember, they'll be running alongside the sun!"<br /><br />- Kor'vre'T'au Va'yan'Ukos</i><br />
<b><br /></b></div>
<div>
<b>Eldar Turn 1</b></div>
<div>
<b><br /></b></div>
<div>
Here the Eldar did something that - to the shock of everyone - I did not see coming. Rather than aggressively plunging into the rear to blast me apart at close range, the Eldar did... exactly what their archetypal tactics entail. The Eldar approach was extremely cautious, carefully keeping just on the edge of my formation. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjh1g0JAtfc1wTRAC6-Fa_eNUn9nW0-nYjacPgtoNCMCl1CdueimJ3NavKqXEY9U44zbmGof3b1F0ZOwKNIVJPicujn_EjhzuM-oZxbgPvoKIU4tLoLwQhyKmEFMPEHrBUwazQZES27rV4/s1600/008.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="961" data-original-width="1600" height="192" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjh1g0JAtfc1wTRAC6-Fa_eNUn9nW0-nYjacPgtoNCMCl1CdueimJ3NavKqXEY9U44zbmGof3b1F0ZOwKNIVJPicujn_EjhzuM-oZxbgPvoKIU4tLoLwQhyKmEFMPEHrBUwazQZES27rV4/s320/008.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Eldar dance around the Tau flanks, always just out of range of their railcannons.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div><br />
</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7dQnZxTlaTnYfxFSNxUStmuV70Ac38LtCNC5Nadi5xAd8mEkbYPMaukUIns385LZknuqstQH7tqbpA4eTG9hc0Up73h_-BQAQBCmk9sLZGpSCufY-k-thOitJzJEh7Cw3NwYOcYFxim4/" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7dQnZxTlaTnYfxFSNxUStmuV70Ac38LtCNC5Nadi5xAd8mEkbYPMaukUIns385LZknuqstQH7tqbpA4eTG9hc0Up73h_-BQAQBCmk9sLZGpSCufY-k-thOitJzJEh7Cw3NwYOcYFxim4/w400-h300/Fig.+4.+Eldar+Sneak+Attack.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;"><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td class="tr-caption">While the main Eldar force approached from the opposite table edge, this smaller element launched a devious sneak attack from the other side!<br /><br /></td></tr></tbody></table></div></td></tr></tbody></table><br /></div><div><br /></div>
<div>
This meant they were in no real danger from my attacks (yet), but it also conveniently put the bulk of my ships outside range of their guns too. Thus, the Eldar shooting was largely limited to pot-shots at my ordinance, with some lucky dice rolls downing 1 Barracuda stand. It isn't all roses however, as the Eldar also manage to take out a Defender, cutting it apart in a hail of pulsar beams. </div>
<div><br /></div><div><br /></div>
<div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgugSvO0CFYhBxrRSUj2yWCCVoeZJze255G2-lgZQJexBb6o_XfX_RlY1Lt4Rhsx_gKCK2dA2KrxI4nU1LYLFQjjNGkR9NXCSK8vvu85_DNwWxN7594umy37aEIUXdYwyAOshyphenhyphenwi9wIKlU/" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgugSvO0CFYhBxrRSUj2yWCCVoeZJze255G2-lgZQJexBb6o_XfX_RlY1Lt4Rhsx_gKCK2dA2KrxI4nU1LYLFQjjNGkR9NXCSK8vvu85_DNwWxN7594umy37aEIUXdYwyAOshyphenhyphenwi9wIKlU/w400-h300/Fig.+5.+First+Blood.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td class="tr-caption">The Eldar draw first blood by destroying a Defender with their deadly pulsar lances.<br /><br /></td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><br /></div><div><br /></div>
<div>
The Eldar finished their shooting phase by launching ordinance. The carriers and Void Stalker all scrambled fighters, while the Nightshades fired their torpedoes. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
The Eldar ordinance phase was where I remembered that the Eldar get a second move in their own ordinance phase. They made full use of it to speed away and put as much distance between themselves and my ships as possible, and their movement infuriatingly also put them out of striking distance of my ordinance again. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Now my decision to send my fighters at the main Eldar group came back to bite me in the D'yi, as the torpedoes from the Nightshades were left with a clear uncontested run at my ships. They promptly proceeded to down two more Defenders, though mercifully nothing else was harmed. The Eldar fighters went straight for my Mantas, resulting in a grinding slug-fest that left two Mantas on my right downed in exchange for the Eldar fighters all but exhausting themselves. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
I then gave pursuit as best I could with my missiles while the surviving Mantas continued to fan out. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgh9YNy1wjLniKbIg08F2880mZgk6yjdXl1ai4AoUQ8T8rYiHa-uwErgnape41RDSnKe8oqNMG6lr6MPshh6su-aKIv2jsBiQRHuFcc6UxjUh5k1EMEauQrXbV3k8guXPAnNnG68RuUXdU/s1600/011.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="961" data-original-width="1600" height="192" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgh9YNy1wjLniKbIg08F2880mZgk6yjdXl1ai4AoUQ8T8rYiHa-uwErgnape41RDSnKe8oqNMG6lr6MPshh6su-aKIv2jsBiQRHuFcc6UxjUh5k1EMEauQrXbV3k8guXPAnNnG68RuUXdU/s320/011.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The end of Eldar Turn 1</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<b>Tau Turn 2</b> </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Time to strike back. The Eldar might have escaped harm thus far, but our inevitable inertial movement means they cannot evade me this turn. But first I needed to put my carriers and missile boats on Reload Ordinance special orders. There was a brief moment of panic when one of them failed its command check, but the inspiring presence of an Ethereal amongst the fleet motivated the ship's crew in the end and it safely passed the re-roll. They really are worth their weight in gold for a Tau fleet.<br />
<br />
The Tau movement sees my grand manoeuvre continue with the capital ships from both groups moving towards each other, finally bringing their rear aspects under the cover of their forward guns. The Hero arcs out a little further for more missile shots and to try and get some Eldar ships into railcannon range. The Orcas also range our around the sides to try and go on a little offensive.<br />
<br />
The shooting phase naturally sees me sending out another wave of ordinance. The surviving Defenders fire off more missile salvos, as does the Hero, while the <i>National Geographic</i> reinforces the Manta squadrons on the right side. It is at this point that I realise the <i>Galactica</i> has yet to loose any of its deployed attack craft and so cannot launch more this turn, but having its ordinance already reloaded will certainly come in handy later on. The Hero also launches another squadron of Barracudas.<br />
<br />
As well as ordinance however, my ships are finally entering gunnery range of the Eldar. Their positioning from last turn leaves most of them too far out for the moment, but the Hero manages to catch a squadron of Hemlocks on the edge of railcannon range. They're in the port broadside arc, which means the Hero's shooting will only be at 2/3 effectiveness even before factoring in Holofields, range and shooting at escort ships, but it still ends up being enough to shoot down one Hemlock. Not bad for a Hail Mary shot!<br />
<br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigSBQCq8O2pXn6XO8nbDSaB7EXucHOK4EShfyN1DdAR5X6uT90zJ46uUN4CF-o-v3KJ_BruOBX9qSYsTsI54YRq269ctcZNWSlQMc1BiZkDBA5pkudgBhoMLzJV7QqV1xjQuUTjSEoe14/" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigSBQCq8O2pXn6XO8nbDSaB7EXucHOK4EShfyN1DdAR5X6uT90zJ46uUN4CF-o-v3KJ_BruOBX9qSYsTsI54YRq269ctcZNWSlQMc1BiZkDBA5pkudgBhoMLzJV7QqV1xjQuUTjSEoe14/w400-h300/Fig.+6.+Missiles+inbound.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td class="tr-caption">Missiles rain down on the Eldar formation...<br /><br /></td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><br /><br />
The ordinance phase sees more retaliation as my first missile waves finally reach the Eldar. Unfortunately some bad luck with my endurance rolls means that numerous missiles have run out of fuel at this point - the Hero's salvo is at less than half strength, and some of the Defender salvos have lost a point too - but one blast marker on the Eldar ships is all I need. I end up getting just that, with blast markers placed on at least one ship in all of the Eldar escort squadrons plus the Wraithship and one of the Eclipses. Better yet, two missiles actually manage to hit their targets, destroying two more Hemlocks and giving me the first complete squadron kill of the game!<br />
<br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9QGBqTaK0hpyGN7_IAvTKXWMcIocDMBXqvgJXwLJe1XjQRPMa7_R-CPwl-XjCzjYCgAgWvpn7g7QeR3qViaEBRAcNZZl6YpLHRu9EH6cChsIih2wz8-MITnrSRHtzdwilrXpcAVZricU/" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9QGBqTaK0hpyGN7_IAvTKXWMcIocDMBXqvgJXwLJe1XjQRPMa7_R-CPwl-XjCzjYCgAgWvpn7g7QeR3qViaEBRAcNZZl6YpLHRu9EH6cChsIih2wz8-MITnrSRHtzdwilrXpcAVZricU/w300-h400/Fig.+7.+Eldar+Down.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td class="tr-caption">... and two more Eldar escorts are destroyed in the shock-waves!<br /><br /></td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><br />
Unfortunately the Void Stalker escaped harm, completely evading all of the missiles that reached it without even a blast marker. I conclude the ordinance phase by spreading out my Mantas a little more and redeploying my Barracudas to deal with the Nightshades' torpedoes.<br />
<br />
<i>"All ships be advised, Ar'cea contacts have changed course. We're now tracking them on vector 3-0-5-niner. To'Tau'va they can move!" </i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>- Kor'vre'T'au B'kaara</i><br />
<br />
<b>Eldar Turn 2</b><br />
<br />
Now the second element of my plan began to kick in. With blast markers in contact with many of their ships, the Eldar now had to start testing for damage from them. As luck would have it, my opponent ends up rolling that elusive 6 right on the first try, and by the end of it another Hemlock and a Nightshade have been ripped apart by missile shock-waves.<br />
<br />
The Eldar also ran into a welcome side-effect of blast markers that I had completely forgot about - Leadership penalties. With a -1 Leadership penalty for having blast markers in base contact, the first Eldar ship to go on special orders fumbles its command check, preventing the entire Eldar fleet from going on any special orders at all this turn!<br />
<br />
The blast markers also slow the Eldar down, as I wanted them to, but the Eldar still manage to get into position for another attack run. The sole exception is the two surviving Nightshades, which are unable to reload their torpedoes and thus wisely decide to speed away and keep their distance.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-w2dhSnz_YhAXOonpfiYp3yCTrKpmYeE5LJx15S91AgXRv2NjFXDBf1PtlRGwTLfmmRRIotg-EUyEVYEsHA2GSdgIzhc5L284_j7fGKNEl295ohst2vwEL-_W6G9jFMhjT_XVAIq4UPE/s1600/014.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="961" data-original-width="1600" height="192" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-w2dhSnz_YhAXOonpfiYp3yCTrKpmYeE5LJx15S91AgXRv2NjFXDBf1PtlRGwTLfmmRRIotg-EUyEVYEsHA2GSdgIzhc5L284_j7fGKNEl295ohst2vwEL-_W6G9jFMhjT_XVAIq4UPE/s320/014.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Eager to avenge their fallen escort crews, the Eldar swing around for another pass</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
In the shooting phase the Eldar concentrate their efforts on the Hero. The Void Stalker attacks it first with the full power of its weaponry. It misses completely with its weapons battery, but then lands 3 hits on the Hero with its pulsar lances, two of which are absorbed by the ship's gravitic shield leaving just one point of damage. The surviving Hemlocks add a further point of damage with their own pulsar lances. The Eclipse on my right flank fires at the nearest Orcas, but its pulsar shots go wide and miss them completely.<br />
<br />
In the ordinance phase the Void Stalker and Hemlocks turn and move away from the Tau. Curiously they elect to face directly towards the sun, which slows them down considerably. Perhaps I can exploit that in the next turn. The other Eldar ships instead move closer, attempting to encircle my fleet. I may just trap them in my planned kill-zones yet...<br />
<br />
Finally, the remaining Eldar fighters manage to clear out the Mantas on my left flank after some vicious and costly fighting. The remaining Eldar torpedoes sail into the <i>National Geographic</i>, which manages to shoot down all but one with its turrets (aided by a nearby Messenger's tracking system). The surviving torpedo dutifully misses the Explorer and zooms off the table.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibdPxFm7Zp8dPiteFGviZqxXyNgy_uq6C56x_iloYrerEfT0eU8DandsOZ_6IFTUpHxEs5fs0SdDGhvtOXra8hdyx0pheA0Wro2HzCVK4MkjemZS85ZE49cdxtyTBEbgz4MI9X9yy1uEM/s1600/015.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="961" data-original-width="1600" height="192" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibdPxFm7Zp8dPiteFGviZqxXyNgy_uq6C56x_iloYrerEfT0eU8DandsOZ_6IFTUpHxEs5fs0SdDGhvtOXra8hdyx0pheA0Wro2HzCVK4MkjemZS85ZE49cdxtyTBEbgz4MI9X9yy1uEM/s320/015.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The end of Turn 2</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<b>Tau Turn 3</b><br />
<br />
As always I begin my turn by reloading ordinance on everything that needs to. After that the surviving Defenders, which have since converged to form a makeshift squadron of 3, move straight forwards toward the Eldar in front of them - that stranded Void Stalker is just too good a target of opportunity to pass up! The Orcas on my right side move up to join them, as does the nearest Messenger to try and bring the escorts inside tracking system range. The <i>National Geographic</i> also moves up and comes about to face the Void Stalker, along with my flagship - a risky move to be sure, but fortune favours the bold!<br />
<br />
As this leaves two of my capital ships with exposed rear aspects, the Orcas on my left flank turn around and move to cover their sixes. I also do this with an eye towards catching that Eclipse on the left flank, as I expect it will move up to engage and feel I have a reasonably good idea of where its movement will bring it. The other Messenger moves in amongst the Orcas. Finally, the Hero moves up to try and chase down the Nightshades and maybe get another missile salvo on them when they inevitably come around for another strike.<br />
<br />
Infuriatingly it turns out that most of my attack force is just out of range of the Void Stalker. To add insult to injury the Messenger is also just out of tracking system coverage for everything. Thus, I have to console myself with shooting at the nearby Hemlocks, and the combined shooting of the Explorer, Merchant, Orcas and Messenger manages to destroy them both. The Defenders are in range of the Void Stalker however, and manage to inflict one hit on it with their railcannons. The Hero manages to catch the Nightshades just on the edge of its railcannon range, and some lucky hits see both of them wiped out.<br />
<br />
The aggressive push by the Eldar cruisers means that my Mantas are able to catch one of them in the ordinance phase, but unfortunately fail to inflict so much as a measly blast marker after some appallingly bad attack rolls. The Defenders' missiles fare similarly, completely missing the Void Stalker.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCyDbE_1qLCvOf5hcDyGb2-Ob69yQO9e-AZVpbXi6BUbYjj5rCd9lAlfeOrirxJd9k_8bmyqD_MDCZpfGwu6LMUo-RzVmbZO7tySjgXHyd54ZM500_1w-HW5nYqeFKdH4POPeJPGg1FN4/s1600/016.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="961" data-original-width="1600" height="192" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCyDbE_1qLCvOf5hcDyGb2-Ob69yQO9e-AZVpbXi6BUbYjj5rCd9lAlfeOrirxJd9k_8bmyqD_MDCZpfGwu6LMUo-RzVmbZO7tySjgXHyd54ZM500_1w-HW5nYqeFKdH4POPeJPGg1FN4/s320/016.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The end of Tau Turn 3</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<b>Eldar Turn 3</b><br />
<br />
<br />
The Eldar are starting to take serious losses, but they have plenty of fight still left in them. After special orders the Eldar capital ships begin to close in for the kill around the tightly-packed Tau defensive sphere. Like a cornered animal the Void Stalker turns around to face the Defenders nipping at its heels, while the Eldar cruisers go after my capital ships.<br />
<br />
The Eldar shooting phase is swift but brutal. The Void Stalker opens up on the Defenders, destroying two of them. The Eclipse on my right flank fires on the Orcas nearby, and shoots down one of them with pulsar lance fire. The biggest blow however comes from the Wraithship, which manages to zero in on my flagship and cripple it with pulsar lances, leaving it at just 2 hits! Thankfully there was no critical damage from the attack. The remaining Eclipse misses its shots.<br />
<br />
In the ordinance phase most of the Eldar ships attempt to move out of weapons range, but are hindered by having to move perpendicular to the sunward table edge. The Eclipse on my left flank is particularly unfortunate, being slowed to a crawl by moving against the sun. The Wraithship takes the opposite approach, and moves in towards my fleet. The Eldar fighters continue to batter themselves against my Mantas.<br /><br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfSTbKKmGVJegFbHs8cN58e78FgL-vXGYkh2CSznA7QKRymQubfxC2eMv3KxVd5iMf7PUNP-x6pnPqBsyrx9vAFuqzGZ55Ci8F1cfDwGuKVS_RfEtCeUAHev1tKPkU3UYQ0nOy7TkAFxo/" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfSTbKKmGVJegFbHs8cN58e78FgL-vXGYkh2CSznA7QKRymQubfxC2eMv3KxVd5iMf7PUNP-x6pnPqBsyrx9vAFuqzGZ55Ci8F1cfDwGuKVS_RfEtCeUAHev1tKPkU3UYQ0nOy7TkAFxo/w400-h300/Fig.+8.+Eldar+Turn+3.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td class="tr-caption">The end of Eldar Turn 3<br /><br /></td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><br /><br />
<b>Tau Turn 4 </b><br />
<b><br /></b>
Ouch. Being down to just one Defender is one thing, but having my flagship gutted is an entire other level of pain. Still, this battle is far from over. The Eldar's focus on my flagship and Hero has left my carriers unharmed, and they're starting to run out of room to manoeuvre. Indeed, the Eldar placement now has several tactical opportunities I could exploit.<br />
<br />
Having looked over the situation and predicting where ships will end up, I've used the previous Eldar turn to come up with a plan to quickly knock out several of the Eldar capital ships. The plan hinges on moving my Explorers around to bring all of the Eldar cruisers into their firing arcs - combined with my Orcas' movement, this should be able to trap the Eldar cruisers between the Explorers, my escorts, and my ordinance. The catch, of course, is that to do so I will need to break up my defensive formation. Splitting up my Explorers like this is a massive gamble, as it will briefly leave the rear aspects of my ships completely exposed for a turn or two, but if it works then the Eldar will be left with only their Void Stalker and a crippled cruiser or two. As they say, fortune favours the bold...<br />
<br />
First I'll need to put some ships on Special Orders. My plan hinges on the <i>National Geographic</i> being able to go on a <i>Come To New Heading</i> order - if it can manage that then it can come around to get the Wrathship its broadside arc this turn and then move in to support the nearby Orcas next turn (ideally the Orcas will be able to keep the Eclipse busy with blast markers and damage in the mean time). With Ld 8, and no blast markers to worry about it easily passes the command check, and duly prepares for a hard turn. As fortune would have it, it can also still launch more Mantas this turn because I had already reloaded its ordinance before when my launch capacity was full!<br />
<br />
Next the rest of my ordinance platforms reload their ordinance, while the two Orcas bearing straight down on the Wraithship go on <i>Lock On</i> orders. With that done it's time for my ships to move. To start with the lone surviving Defender moves up to chase down the Void Stalker. I don't expect it to last very long, but together with the Hero it should be able to distract the Void Stalker long enough for my other ships to deal with its friends, and with its railcannons and missiles it might just take a couple more hits off the Void Stalker before its blown out of the cosmos, or at least slow it down with a blast marker.<br />
<br />
The Hero also moves up to try and lure the Void Stalker away from the real fight about to unfold. The <i>National Geographic</i> then performs its hard turn towards the Eldar cruisers, which is a spectacular display of expert piloting but ultimately ends up proving needless, as it would have been able to get the Eldar ships into its fire arcs using just its regular turn, meaning I've just halved its firepower for no reason this turn. Oh well, at least it gave the ship's crew some practice in special orders besides reloading ordinance. The locked on Orcas move straight ahead towards the Wraithship, while the other pair of nearby Orcas from my flagship turn about and move up to support them, as does a nearby Messenger. The <i>Galactica</i> turns and moves towards the Eclipse on my right hand flank, while the remaining three Orcas on my left hand flank chase down the other Eclipse nearby. Finally, my beleaguered flagship attempts to get out of trouble as best it can.<br />
<br />
In the shooting phase my remaining Defender manages to exceed my expectations - not only does it land a hit on the Void Stalker, said hit also inflicts a <i>Mainsail Shredded</i> critical hit! With a goodly helping of luck this will stop the Void Stalker from being able to move in the ordinance phase, making it harder to reach the main fight on the other side of the board and give my Defender and Hero a fighting chance at catching it.<br />
<br />
The Orcas on my left-hand flank also do well, landing a couple of hits on the Eclipse they're targeting and also managing to blow off its mainsail. The other Orcas aren't as fortunate - they miss the Wraithship with their railcannons, but manage to land some blast markers on it with their ion cannons. The <i>National Geographic</i>, with its railcannon strength reduced from <i>Come To New Heading</i>, fails to hit anything, but the <i>Galactica</i> manages to land a hit on the Eclipse it's chasing. Alas, there is no critical damage from it.<br />
<br />
In the ordinance phase my Mantas perform a little better, with one squadron managing to land a hit on the Wraithship. The Mantas sent after the Eclipse on my right-hand flank once again fail to do anything of note against the cruiser. The Defender's missiles likewise completely miss the Void Stalker - you can't win 'em all I suppose.<br />
<br />
Speaking of the Void Stalker, it manages to promptly fix its broken mainsail in the End Phase, though the Eclipse on my left is less fortunate...<br />
<br />
<i>"Reload the gravitic launcher immediately, and set the railcannon turrets to auto-fire! All hands standby for emergency evacuation order, this ship might not last long but that doesn't mean we need to. Divert all power from the ether-drive and its reserves into the weapon systems, we won't be needing them. That D'yi up ahead is about to turn this tub of Fio'tak into stardust, but we'll take as many chunks out of it as we can first! FOR THE GREATER GOOD!" </i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>- Kor'el'T'au Lar'ka'Or'es'Shi</i><br />
<br />
<b>Eldar Turn 4</b><br />
<br />
Endgame. Running out of options, the Eldar press their attack, with all ships moving to engage the Tau. The Void Stalker takes my bait wonderfully and bears down on the Hero, while the cruisers all move in closer. The Wraithship strikes a blast marker as it does so, taking a point of damage as charged particles scour its hull.<br />
<br />
The Void Stalker may have fallen for my feint, but that's of very cold comfort to the Hero which is reduced to just 1 hull point after the Void Stalker opens up on it. The rest of the Eldar shooting fails to achieve anything else mercifully.<br />
<br />
The Eldar press forward in the ordinance phase, with the exception of the Eclipse on my left hand flank which of course can't move a second time due to its smashed mainsail.<br />
<br />
It is at this point that we are forced to end the game, as the store was closing. The total results were 360 victory points from the Tau, accounting for the entire Eldar escort force and minor damage to their capital ships, and 470 victory points for the Eldar crippling my flagship with its very expensive fleet commander (who costs almost as much as the ship itself did!) and another capital ship plus six or so escort losses, resulting in a minor victory for the Eldar.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlxsWAivfmr9f4WBvyYQsqzpzLAMD6W0ozSGdXYfXTtAHFt5nc9aKjXwwOkCHoOMDazVDM38dNt30CK6VhwSiFjwmMdg2x23Tdnms12FJ2cee6K3LI7uMgw3dJgOq1Qib8O1DqlcjJISI/s1600/020.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="961" data-original-width="1600" height="192" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlxsWAivfmr9f4WBvyYQsqzpzLAMD6W0ozSGdXYfXTtAHFt5nc9aKjXwwOkCHoOMDazVDM38dNt30CK6VhwSiFjwmMdg2x23Tdnms12FJ2cee6K3LI7uMgw3dJgOq1Qib8O1DqlcjJISI/s320/020.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The final shot of the game. Damage dice have already been cleared.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<h3>
What Militant Learnt<span style="font-weight: normal;"> </span></h3>
</div>
<div>
<span style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-weight: normal;">That might have technically been a loss for me, but man does it feel like a win. In the end it was ultimately time more than anything that determined the outcome, and I remain very confident that if I had been given another turn or two I could have turned things around and at least forced a draw if not achieve an outright Tau victory, however minor - although that said I imagine the most likely outcome would be our two fleets wiping each other out to the last ship. </span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-weight: normal;">Ultimately I think perhaps my biggest mistake of the game was making the classic blunder of assuming that my opponent would play the Eldar fleet just like I would. My strategy largely hinged around the Eldar fleet behaving as aggressively as they would under me, so when the anticipated rush to the vulnerable parts of my fleet never materialised and the Eldar instead opted for a more indirect 'bleed 'em dry' hit and run approach much of my battle plan was thrown into question. Fortunately that same approach also gave me plenty of time to think and plan anew. </span><br />
<span style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></span>
<br />
<span style="font-weight: normal;">That said, I also caused myself a lot more trouble than I needed to by being so aggressive and bloodthirsty that I forgot Brace for Impact was a thing. A timely Brace order on my flagship alone could have been the difference between a narrow loss and enough victory points saved to make a draw right then and there, to say nothing of my Hero or escorts. As it was, my tried and tested "I don't need to worry about bracing for impact if I kill them all first!" operating policy ended up being my undoing. </span><br />
<span style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-weight: normal;">On a related note, pulsar lances are deadly! Until this game I had largely dismissed pulsar lances as a principle Eldar weapon, considering them too much of a gamble over the more reliable damage output of Eldar weapons batteries. In many ways I still feel that way, as there were numerous points in the game where the Eldar pulsar lances failed to do anything, but it must be said that when they do roll well, they roll REALLY well. </span><br />
<span style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-weight: normal;">On my own side this was another instance where Tau ordinance was instrumental. Eldar holofields mean that it can't obliterate the enemy on its own like it usually can, but it goes a long way towards levelling the playing field against ultra-mobile Eldar ships. In the early stages of the game my missiles were pretty much the only thing that could really give the Eldar grief, and while my Mantas never really did much damage they did ultimately keep Eldar bombers from making an appearance, which meant that for most of the game the Eldar's only real means of inflicting damage were their pulsar lances. </span><br />
<span style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-weight: normal;">I still feel like Messengers are a must-take against Eldar for their tracking systems, but you also need to make sure they're close enough to trouble for those tracking systems to actually make a difference, which is something I struggled to do during this game - 10cm is a lot shorter than you might think! </span>While I may still struggle with eyeballing distances, I am starting to get a lot better at predicting movements and thinking a turn or two ahead which is a critical skill in Battlefleet Gothic. For most of the game I was able to keep every angle of attack covered by at least one of my ships and force the Eldar to nibble at the edges of my defensive formations until finally encountering some opportunities I could exploit. The Eldar might be fast, but the constant motion of ships in Battlefleet Gothic means that even with their double-moves they can't stay out of harm's way forever.<br />
<br />
The nature of my tactics in this game and in countering Eldar in general means that all of my fleet's accomplishments were largely a team effort and so there was no real single MVP as such, but I continue to be impressed with the performance of my Defender class starships. While they did suffer heavy casualties, their missiles were invaluable in disrupting the Eldar during the early stages of the game, and they were able to stay around in some shape or form right until the end. Indeed, I can't help but wonder if I would have been better off taking more Defenders over the Hero, whose own ordinance achieved very little that missiles from another squadron of Defenders could not. Best of all however, my Defenders ended up providing me with my favourite moment from the game, when the sole surviving Kir'qath started pursuing the Void Stalker across the table. I just love the visual image of the tiny little missile boat defiantly chasing down a giant battleship ten times its size and not flinching once.<br />
<br />
Most of all however, I now have proof of concept for my anti-Eldar tactics, which held up very well in the game all things considered. Clearly they still need some further refinement to be sure, but the core principles seem conclusively sound.<br />
<br />
So that about covers everything. The Tau have gained a newfound respect for the local Eldar pirates, and the Eldar have discovered the tenacity and destructiveness of a power they previously thought to be little more than targets for their leisure.<br />
<br />
<br />
<i>Kor'O'T'au Kais'Y'eldi'Aloh winced at the hideous tearing and grinding sounds emanating from further down the ship. Like the rest of the bridge crew he was firmly braced in anticipation of a close hit, his knuckles pale from the force with which they gripped a nearby railing, but thus far the Ar'cea weapon strikes had missed the bridge superstructure, leaving only a faint tremor running through the surfaces of the bridge and giving a horrifying sense of dissonance to the reports sounding over the ship's screaming alarms. </i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>"Structural collapse in decks 5, 7, 14 and 22, red sector!" </i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>"Stabilisers offline!" </i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>"Pressure levels dropping on decks 2, 6, 18 and 30, blue sector!" </i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>"Containment unit malfunction on number 2 and 3 reactors!" </i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>"Malfunction in the oxygen feeds on deck 4, red sector!" </i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>"Critical malfunction in drone controller 8H, blue sector!" </i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>"System failure in antenna arrays L through U!" </i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>"Juntas gravitic arrays A through J offline!" </i><br />
<br />
<i>The Tau admiral looked grimly at the tactical display of his bridge drone. The Ar'cea cruiser looked like it was about to make a run at one of the Gal'leaths, but it had twisted around at the last possible instant and slipped behind his own ship, opening fire before he could even think to give an order to brace for impact. Now the Ar'cea were unshakably on his tail and showed no signs of relaxing their onslaught. </i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>"Hull integrity at 45 percent and failing!" </i></div>
<div>
<i><br /></i></div>
<div>
<i>There was nothing else for it. If the Ar'cea continued for much longer then Kais and his crew would have no choice but to abandon ship before the vessel's plasma pile overloaded or the ether drive collapsed. Fortunately one of the Gal'leaths were close enough to receive the escape pods without any difficulty. Kais prepared to give the order for all hands to begin emergency evacuation. If anything gave him comfort, it was that at the very least the sacrifice of his ship would not be in vain. The Gal'leaths and Kass'l squadrons had managed to at last get the Ar'cea into a corner. Even now two squadrons were bearing down hard on the cruiser that had attacked his flagship. If the Ar'cea would stay focused on the flagship a little longer, Kais's forces would have them. It wouldn't be much longer now. The resounding thuds and horrific tearing noises were getting louder now, creeping towards the bridge. Kais listened as they grew and grew until... they stopped. </i></div>
<div>
<i><br /></i></div>
<div>
<i>"Kor'O! We've lost contact with the Ar'cea, they're off our scopes!" </i></div>
<div>
<i><br /></i></div>
<div>
<i>"Reacquire them now!" Kais ordered. </i></div>
<div>
<i><br /></i></div>
<div>
<i>"The Skether'qans have them in track, they're powering down combat systems and moving on evasive vectors. They're disengaging Kor'O!" </i></div>
<div>
<i><br /></i></div>
<div>
<i>Kais immediately looked over his bridge drone's tactical display to double-check the statement. Sure enough, the remaining Ar'cea sensor contacts had all aborted their attack runs, turned about and were now leaving the area at high speed, seemingly powering down everything not essential to that task. The Kor'O scrutinised the display intently, manically, trying to work out what might have caused this sudden course of action. </i></div>
<div>
<i><br /></i></div>
<div>
<i>"What!" shouted Kais's executive officer, Kor'El'T'au M'yen'Cha, "Impossible. This cannot be real." </i></div>
<div>
<i><br /></i></div>
<div>
<i>"Oh you'll find it's certainly real," came the warm, welcoming voice of Aun'O'T'au Ret'Sav'cyr as the Ethereal awkwardly lifted himself from the brace position, "We're definitely not all dead and I shouldn't think this is any kind of mind science." </i></div>
<div>
<i><br /></i></div>
<div>
<i>A wave of relief swept over Kais as he heard the words, though he was still vexed by the Ar'cea's sudden withdrawal. They certainly had enough combat power to finish his fleet off if given the chance. Then he thought back to where they had been and the positioning of his fleet... </i></div>
<div>
<i><br /></i></div>
<div>
<i>"But how?" asked M'yen'Cha, "Why? That Ar'cea ship had us dead in the cosmos. A few more salvos and they'd have destroyed the ship! Why would they abandon the fight at their moment of triumph?" </i></div>
<div>
<i><br /></i></div>
<div>
<i>"Now the answer to that," said Red'Sav'cyr, "I believe lies with our esteemed Kor'O." </i></div>
<div>
<i><br /></i></div>
<div>
<i>"Of course," said Kais, "Mutually assured destruction. If the Ar'cea cruiser had continued its attack we would have run it straight into the guns of the Kass'l. The Gal'leaths and their Manta wings were poised to shoot down the other two cruisers. If the combat had continued we would have ended up annihilating each other! The Ar'cea must have realised that too, and seen no reason to go through with it." </i></div>
<div>
<i><br /></i></div>
<div>
<i>"Well put Kais," said Ret'Sav'cyr, "I would not think that the Ar'cea would be any more interested in needless death than we are. But there is still work to be done here admiral." </i></div>
<div>
<i><br /></i></div>
<div>
<i>"Indeed," said Kais before opening a channel to the fleet, "Kor'O to all ships, Ar'cea are disengaging. Cease pursuit and begin search and rescue operations immediately. Let's get our friends back, salvage what we can and head home." </i></div>
<div>
<i><br /></i></div>
<div>
<i>Kais closed the channel, found somewhere to sit down, and began to laugh to himself. The Ar'cea would never know just how close they had come to killing the Tau admiral and his entire command staff. </i></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
MillitantGuerillaCommunistHippiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13565203522225127317noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5420460147318382021.post-44695396917089547142019-04-28T21:05:00.001-07:002021-07-17T06:55:38.238-07:00The Welcoming Party (Battlefleet Gothic Battle Report)<h2>
The Welcoming Party - A Battlefleet Gothic Battle Report</h2>
<div>
<br /></div>
<i>Kor'nel'T'au O'ran'Gal'leath grasped the hand-hold of his command drone, every molecule of his being charged with anxious tension as he floated noiselessly in the darkness of his ship's bridge. O'ran hated waiting here like this, forced to do nothing but feel the air slowly grow more stale and the heat from the ship's interior slowly bleed away. With every subsystem powered down, O'ran knew that death could find the Kir'qath at any time, even if the enemy never appeared. All it would take is one suitably sized meteorite in the wrong place at the wrong time made out of the wrong stuff... </i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>Worse still, with their systems powered down like this it also meant that the ether drives of O'ran's squadron would not be charging, so they'd be completely incapable of escaping the system in the event of a calamity. The only thing that would keep O'ran and his crew alive now would be stealth - with almost no energy signatures to detect, the Kir'qaths were indistinguishable from space debris beyond more than a few million Tor'kan. They might be killed by a fluke accident, but no sensor in the galaxy was going to pick them up. </i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>But that still didn't make O'ran any less uneasy as he waited for the Gue'la to appear. It had been several rotaa now since his squadron had arrived in the system as part of several elements of Kor'vattra fleet K-42 dispatched by Kor'O'T'au Kais'Y'eldi'Aloh in a series of raiding missions intended to disrupt the latest Gue'la attack in their sector. Deep reconnaissance had located a new Gue'la battlegroup en route to the Tau borders armed to the teeth - fleet intelligence had even identified a battleship-class vessel with nova cannon armament. Most troubling of all however was the flotilla of transport ships accompanying the battlegroup, which meant it was almost certainly an invasion force. The Tau were badly stretched out in this sector, especially as more of them were dispatched to the nearby system of M-88 to counter threats there, and a successful Gue'la assault on even one of the planets supporting Tau fleet bases could easily tip this conflict in their favour. </i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>The great weakness of the Gue'la was their logistics chain. The Tau knew that if they could stop the buildup of fuel, munitions and supplies for the Gue'la battlegroup then it would be rendered useless until more could arrive, and the attack could be ended before it began. Even a small delay in the Gue'la offensive would buy the Tau valuable time to prepare a defence. This, then, was where O'ran and his ships came in. While the bulk of K-42 was underway to M-88 to contain an imminent crisis there, a number of small strike groups would interdict Gue'la supply convoys in the region and delay their operations long enough for the fleet to return and defeat them in force. </i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>The Skether'qans had managed to succeed in tracking the convoys' movements, but even if they were still transmitting to the strike group O'ran was in the immense distances involved and the limits of communications technology meant that word would be delayed considerably, so the enemy could be expected to appear any time now. The suspense eroded O'ran from the inside out. He worried about the Tau working alongside him - this squadron was a recent command, appointed to replace recent combat losses, and most of O'ran's crews were fairly new. The Kor'nel knew that after the Damocles Crusade the greatest weapon in the Gue'la arsenal was fear, and he was concerned that his squadron crews might panic under pressure. </i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>Still, he could compensate for this with some good simple planning - he knew that only the transport ships in a convoy really mattered, the escort force was just a bluff, and all it took to down the standard Gue'la transport was a few good missile impacts. Thus, all his ships needed to do if called on was avoid any Gue'la attacks and keep firing gravitic missiles for as long as they could. If his crews could just keep the loading and firing cycles of the gravitic launchers going, then the missiles' own drone guidance mechanisms would take care of the rest. Ideally keeping well away from any Gue'la warships would be enough to reassure his crews. </i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>At once the sole functioning communications receiver on the bridge sounded a short burst of coded static. O'ran knew that it was the pre-arranged signal from the strike group's Gal'leath class starship indicating that long range probes had detected energy signatures matching Gue'la transports on approach to O'ran's position. It was almost time. </i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>The Kor'nel pressed a finger to the ship's intercom. Ship to ship links were currently powered down, but the Kor'els commanding the other vessels of O'ran's squadron had been briefed to power up their ships immediately upon detecting O'rans own spacecraft activate. </i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>"Kor'nel to all hands," O'ran said, "Gue'la convoy detected. Proceed to battle stations and prepare to power up all systems on my mark." </i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>Now would be the moment of truth...</i><br />
<br />
Following on from my last adventure in the cosmos, about a month ago I was able to play my second game of Battlefleet Gothic. Pictures from my first game generated a surprising amount of interest on the FLGS's facebook page, and through that I was able to discover another two prospective Battlefleet Gothic players with fleets nearby. After a quick bit of group-chat work, I was able to arrange a game against one of these players who was all to eager to take their shiny new Imperial fleet out for a spin.<br />
<br />
Said Imperial fleet was very impressive, including an original GW sculpt Apocalypse class battleship no less, but the most exciting thing of all was that it included a couple of Imperial transport ships. This is very important, because it meant that the player was the only one among us who actually had any transport ship models, so it was now possible to make use of the Battlefleet Gothic scenarios that feature them.<br />
<br />
Since I myself have some planetary defences in the form of Tau orbitals, I'd ideally like to stage a Planetary Assault game in the near future, but as a stepping stone to that we agreed to run a Convoy scenario and - if there was time afterwards - a 1000 point Fleet Engagement. As it transpired, a series of delays in getting to the store meant we only had enough time for the Convoy scenario, but it was still another night of tremendous fun and the happiest I've been playing tabletop wargames since my first Battlefleet Gothic game.<br />
<br />
So it is that we now join a small raiding force from Kor'vattra fleet K-42. Their mission: interdict a convoy of transports carrying supplies for a coming Imperial offensive. If they succeed, the Tau will have enough time to prepare, and millions of lives will be saved.<br />
<br />
But first they will have to deal with the power of the Imperial Navy...<br />
<br />
<br />
<h3>
Fleets and Strategy </h3>
<br />
Convoy is a weird scenario. It's easily the most asymmetric mission in Battlefleet Gothic, and it's very easy to wind up with a massive imbalance of points between the opposing fleets. This isn't necessarily a problem because of the scenario win conditions - only the transport ships actually matter for the purposes of victory conditions, so it's entirely possible for the attacking side to win without hurting a single enemy warship, and equally possible for the convoy side to win without firing a single shot.<br />
<br />
As the player without any transport ship models, I would be the attacker for this game. On the one hand this meant that my fleet list wasn't restricted by transport ship numbers, but on the other hand it also meant that the attack force at my disposal was entirely randomised. Rather than deploying my fleet normally, or perhaps having to choose elements to go into a reserve force, I instead get a randomly determined number of rolls on a special table to determine which parts of my fleet list I can actually use. The table is set up to allow a little predictability, but realistically I could end up with anything from a full contingent of capital ships to a couple of stands of attack craft.<br />
<br />
This has two direct consequences for me. First, it means that all of my carefully thought out plans and doctrines for space combat with the Tau fleet now take a screaming nosedive into hell. It also means that flexibility is going to be key to my success. Since I have no way of knowing what forces I'll actually have on the table, I will need to prepare several different contingency plans for different combinations of ships and weapons.<br />
<br />
There are however a few constants that I can plan around. As I've already mentioned, the convoy transports are what's important in this scenario - I only have to knock them out in order to win. As escort sized ships, it only takes one good hit from an ordinance attack to take them down. Thus, all of my plans will likely at their heart boil down to 'avoid the convoy escorts and mob the transports with ordinance' (of course, 'and then we mob them with ordinance' is really how any sensible strategy for Tau in Battlefleet Gothic should end. After all, when all one has is a hammer, everything starts to look suspiciously like a nail...).<br />
<br />
Likewise, while I may not get much choice in the ships I'll be using, the ships themselves still have the same weapons that I know. Because of this, I'm keeping my fingers crossed for something armed with a missile attack - with their high speed a few volleys of missiles will be perfect for picking off those transport ships, and the unique ability of Tau missiles to turn will allow them to manoeuvre around escort forces and exploit holes in the Imperial defence. Consequently if I can field something with a missile armament I can lay down a barrage of missiles early on then zip away out of danger, ideally laying waste to the transport ships without ever exposing my own forces to enemy fire.<br />
<br />
Of course, the way the Convoy Attacker table is structured it's more likely that I'll end up with just the ordinance itself rather than the ships that normally deploy it. Most of the table outcomes leave you with varying numbers of ordinance attacks, which come in a choice of either Deadfall torpedoes (normal torpedoes that can be pointed in any direction before firing) or attack craft. Knowing this I'll be going with the attack craft, and in the event of these outcomes the attack craft will consist entirely of Mantas. Going without any kind of fighter cover at all has its risks, but the transport ships I'm gunning for only have one turret apiece and since I'll only get one attack run on them I want to ensure I can inflict maximum damage when I do. If I do encounter enemy fighters, the Mantas also have a handy 4+ save against interception from their defence systems.<br />
<br />
The real trick to the attack craft however will be their manoeuvrability, allowing me to evade escorting warships and constantly stay trained on the transports, rather than only really getting one pass at them like I would with the torpedoes.<br />
<br />
Thus, my strategy roughly comprises three contingency plans:<br />
<br />
<b>Plan A - The Works</b><br />
If I can get at least one ship with missiles, it will stay as far away from the convoy escorts as possible, avoiding combat while pelting the transports with missile fire from long-range standoffs. If I get two or more such missile carriers, they will attack from different angles, forcing the Imperial fleet to split its defence across multiple aspects and maximising the chances that at least some of the missiles get through.<br />
<br />
In the event that I also get some gunboats to go along with the missile carriers, then they'll run interference on the Imperial defence ships, distracting them from both the missile carriers themselves (allowing them to keep pumping out ordinance unmolested) and the missile salvos they fire.<br />
<br />
<b>Plan B - Missiles</b><br />
As Plan A above, but with some attack craft squadrons to add to my missile attacks and no gunboats to distract the convoy escorts.<br />
<br />
<b>Plan C - Attack Craft</b><br />
I'm guaranteed to get at least two squadrons of attack craft. In the even that's all I'm left with, I'll make use of my experience playing [i]Command and Conquer: The Covert Operations[/i] and carefully manoeuvre my Mantas around any Imperial escorts to attack the transport ships.<br />
<br />
Although they're determined randomly, any capital ships and escort squadrons that end up in the attacking forces are still drawn from a fleet list, so I will need to compose one. The list I went with in the end is identical to that from my first Battlefleet Gothic game. There are two reasons for this. First, I need a list that includes a little bit of everything, just in case I roll up multiple capital ships and/or escort squadrons. Second, I am still bound to the Tau fleet list restrictions, which limit the numbers of certain ships I can field.<br />
<br />
This does unfortunately mean that I am saddled with an Explorer class starship I cannot use (the maximum points cost for an attacking capital ship in a Convoy scenario is 200 points, which is just under what an Explorer class costs), but since I have to include one in a 750 points fleet (which is what we agreed to before reading the scenario rules closer, and I figured it was OK to stick with that limit in mind since my actual forces would be randomised anyway) there's nothing I can really do about it. On the positive side it at least means I have the ability to field a squadron of 3 Orcas if I need to.<br />
<br />
<u>Kor'vattra Fleet K-42 Strike Group 88 Black</u><br />
<br />
<b>Capital Ships</b><br />
<br />
<i>National Geographic</i> - Gal'leath Explorer class starship (Vash'ya Configuration): <b>230 pts</b><br />
<br />
<i>Alice Liddell</i> - Il'fannor Merchant class starship (Dal'yth Configuration) with reinforced hull: <b>120 pts</b><br />
<br />
<i>Sulaco</i> - Lar'shi Hero class starship (Vash'ya Configuration): <b>180 pts</b><br />
<br />
<b>Escorts</b><br />
<br />
<i>Delain Squadron</i> - 3 Kir'qath Defender class starships: <b>135 pts</b><br />
<br />
<i>Sirenia Squadron</i> - 3 Kass'l Orca gunships: <b>75 pts</b><br />
<br />
<b>TOTAL: 740 pts</b><br />
<br />
The Imperial fleet facing me ended up comprising of a Dauntless class light cruiser with torpedo armament and a squadron of three Cobra class destroyers, plus two pairs of transport ships for a total of four.<br />
<br />
<h3>
Attacking Forces and Leadership</h3>
<br />
With my fleet list determined, I now needed to make my rolls on the Convoy Attackers table to see what parts of it I would be using. This should ideally be done in secret, as the attacking forces are then deployed as nondescript 'contact markers' in a similar fashion to the Hidden Setup rules in Warhammer 40,000, such that the convoy fleet will never be quite sure what's beyond the next waypoint.<br />
<br />
So, with baited breath I make an initial die roll to determine the number of rolls I'll make on the table. I end up rolling a 5, giving me 3 rolls plus an additional two for there being two pairs of transports in the convoy, for a total of five table rolls. I proceed to make them and get...<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
... two 6s, a 5, a 4 and a 2!<br />
<br />
I actually rolled <i>three</i> 6s first, but between not having enough viable capital ships to deploy and refusing to believe that any player could be so lucky I re-rolled the third one until I got a different result (which took two consecutive tries!), giving me the 2. This left me with two capital ships, a squadron of escorts worth no more than 150 points, a squadron of escorts costing less than 100 points and 2 waves of attack craft. A formidable attack force by any standard.<br />
<br />
My capital ships were the Merchant class and Hero class, while my escort ships were a trio of Defenders and Orcas respectively. The attack craft waves would be comprised entirely of Mantas.<br />
<br />
Now that my actual forces were sorted, I needed to roll up their leadership values just like any other Battlefleet Gothic scenario. As always this would be critical for me, as Tau fleets live and die by their ability to reload ordinance and my plans would require a steady flow of missile waves. Once again any poor leadership rolls would only be compounded by the absence of a fleet commander. In the last game I played my first few leadership rolls went really well, so this time I decide not to squander any chances for good rolls by determining the leadership for my most important element first, the squadron of Defenders. I manage to...<br />
<br />
... roll a 1, giving them a measly leadership of 6. Brilliant.<br />
<br />
Clearly their losses in the last game have left the squadron with an influx of green inexperienced recruits for replacements. On the other hand, that same previous game must have given my other crews some valuable combat experience, because the rest of my leadership rolls go much better with 4s and 5s for everything else, leaving me with:<br />
<br />
- Ld 8 for the <i>Sulaco</i><br />
<br />
- Ld 8 for the <i>Alice Liddell</i><br />
<br />
- Ld 8 for <i>Sirenia Squadron</i><br />
<br />
- Ld 6 for <i>Delain Squadron</i><br />
<br />
<br />
Not bad at all, all things considered. Ld 6 on the Defender squadron is of course less than ideal, but I still have Ld 8 on one of my missile carriers, and the high leadership on my two gunboat elements will certainly come in handy when getting them into position.<br />
<br />
The Imperial fleet ends up with:<br />
<br />
- Ld 7 on the Dauntless class<br />
<br />
- Ld 8 on the Cobras<br />
<br />
- Ld 6 on the transports<br />
<br /><br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbu_2apXuCiUQyPTy_EwOah79TSz_SWjXyo_M0rU5faQsEF2WkjULqfEycw0rk7T83XfS3dv4cjIfE3KDmHzNUSNR19cY5cYmO568RRCJaSetJFUUZ6z2I26h4hm05QmAuIL7uMq5Pibs/" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" data-original-height="540" data-original-width="960" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbu_2apXuCiUQyPTy_EwOah79TSz_SWjXyo_M0rU5faQsEF2WkjULqfEycw0rk7T83XfS3dv4cjIfE3KDmHzNUSNR19cY5cYmO568RRCJaSetJFUUZ6z2I26h4hm05QmAuIL7uMq5Pibs/w400-h225/Fig.+0.+Imperial+Convoy.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td class="tr-caption">The Imperial Convoy<br /><br /></td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><br />
<h3>
Convoy - The Battle</h3>
<br />
<b>Celestial Phenomena and Deployment</b><br />
<br />
After rolling for celestial phenomena we ended up with two small planetoids (one small planet and a moon), both to starboard from the convoy zone. There were also two small asteroid fields, one near the small planet (ahead of it from the convoy's entry point) and one just port of the convoy zone.<br />
<br />
With the celestial phenomena set up, it was now time for me to deploy my ambushes. I put the Defenders (or rather, the contact token for the Defenders) down first, placing them as close as possible to the corner opposite the convoy's entry point. They would remain around the convoy's escape point, staying well back from the Imperial ships while they unloaded their missiles and attacking the transports with their railcannons as a last-ditch measure should it come to that.<br />
<br />
The capital ships went down next. I placed them in the opposite corner to the Defenders, aiming to hit the transport ships with missiles from two directions to split up the Imperial defence efforts, as well as acting as a distraction from the Defender squadron. The Hero went closest to the convoy's entry point, with the Merchant behind it to cover the broadside arcs.<br />
<br />
The attack craft then went on either side of the asteroid field near the planet, as close as possible to the centre of the board, with an aim towards springing them on the transport ships as they reached the mid-way point or further distracting the convoy escorts. Finally, I placed my squadron of Orcas behind the small planet - once the convoy passed them they would spring into action and swing around the planet to get behind the transports where they could attack with impunity.<br />
<br />
<b>Imperial Turn 1</b><br />
<br />
As the convoy player, the Imperials automatically had first turn, which ended up being very uneventful with nothing yet to shoot at. The convoy transports and their escort force entered the table and moved straight ahead their full movement distance, with no ships going on special orders.<br />
<br /><br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIHzI4-9bKgNmf0aNwsqN8gkAowsagUxp-9CkbvotRCPcxo-JRHVeBkZAGP4ZJQSkYhDKZTGpWP4M7DXQCw8eCUpSmScJAKc6hDodq3RglZFHyM3TMI-uaJRI-ehBt1IGptVIe9BOGHrI/" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" data-original-height="540" data-original-width="960" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIHzI4-9bKgNmf0aNwsqN8gkAowsagUxp-9CkbvotRCPcxo-JRHVeBkZAGP4ZJQSkYhDKZTGpWP4M7DXQCw8eCUpSmScJAKc6hDodq3RglZFHyM3TMI-uaJRI-ehBt1IGptVIe9BOGHrI/w400-h225/Fig.+1.+Tau+Turn+1.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td class="tr-caption">Table at the start of the first Tau turn<br /><br /></td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><br />
<br />
<b>Tau Turn 1</b><br />
<br />
None of the Imperial ships were close enough to detect the Tau yet, and none of them were on special orders, but I could still activate one marker voluntarily to start getting some forces in play. I chose the Defender squadron, which duly appeared in line abreast and moved forward at half-speed before firing their first wave of missiles.<br />
<br /><br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2mSvSanokqEtr9JsaqmTWimhmkYRuWEDOH6w3OFR-TZX7zLoM0cPBfMT3GNeaG_21sP8Ze3FGAQyCAO0ZhV6FKe7mYj2fiCJtafxX9PKCoD0PLkPKcB0zxpqpsnLzIkHyKFM3VE5VZ30/" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" data-original-height="540" data-original-width="960" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2mSvSanokqEtr9JsaqmTWimhmkYRuWEDOH6w3OFR-TZX7zLoM0cPBfMT3GNeaG_21sP8Ze3FGAQyCAO0ZhV6FKe7mYj2fiCJtafxX9PKCoD0PLkPKcB0zxpqpsnLzIkHyKFM3VE5VZ30/w400-h225/Fig.+2.+Convoy+Sighted.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td class="tr-caption">Convoy sighted - commencing attack!<br /><br /></td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><br />
<br />
The missiles themselves proceed to move forward at maximum speed in an attempt to circle around the convoy escorts and hit the transport ships behind them.<br />
<br />
<b>Imperial Turn 2</b><br />
<br />
With hostile contacts on their scopes the Imperial crews leap into action. With some fortunate leadership rolls the entire Imperial fleet goes on All Ahead Full and rockets ahead as far as they can, activating my two attack craft waves in the process (which end up being a wave of four Manta squadrons and a wave of three Manta squadrons). No-one shoots at anything, but the Dauntless and Cobras both fire their torpedoes.<div><br /></div><div><br />
<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgB_6-d96UC0zZfTx8RAr1s8jMbVN3h6H7UpYQ0BEeON00f5xZDokMQqI-2OP60nc2zAyiMH-lW58gJpK_TgloP1xDmmQDOW29AFo8s4Yu5xdgUNK6Qfc-_NrR8vwtTdKeGSvibV7KCqJc/" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" data-original-height="540" data-original-width="960" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgB_6-d96UC0zZfTx8RAr1s8jMbVN3h6H7UpYQ0BEeON00f5xZDokMQqI-2OP60nc2zAyiMH-lW58gJpK_TgloP1xDmmQDOW29AFo8s4Yu5xdgUNK6Qfc-_NrR8vwtTdKeGSvibV7KCqJc/w400-h225/Fig.+3.+Torpedoes+Away.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td class="tr-caption">Rockets away!<br /><br /></td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><br />
<br />
In the ordinance phase, everyone's rockets move forward. The torpedoes from the Cobras travel wide of the Defenders, but the Dauntless's salvo continues on a heading that will bring it dangerously close to my capital ships. My own missiles surge forward, but a combination of relative movement and the limits of their 45 degree turning arc means that they end up hitting the Dauntless! After turret rolls they inflict two hits on the light cruiser with no critical damage, and fail to reach the transports I was aiming for. The Mantas make a beeline for the transport ships, but are too far out to reach anything this turn.<br />
<br />
<b>Tau Turn 2</b><br />
<br />
With all of the Imperial ships now on special orders, I can now activate two contact markers, and duly bring both of my capital ships into the fight. The restrictions on contact token placement during deployment meant that the two ships ended up being somewhat out of position to support one another, so the Hero moved forward at half speed while the Merchant moved forward its full distance to catch up.<br />
<br />
The Defenders inch forward at half speed, attempt to reload ordinance and predictably fail. Fortunately nothing else needs to go on special orders this turn. They do however take some long-range shots at the Cobras with their railcannons, and with some help from the Merchant's own batteries manage to shoot one down. The Hero takes a few shots at the Dauntless, but fails to inflict any damage. It also fires its missiles and launches two squadrons of Barracudas.<br />
<br />
In the Ordinance phase, my first priority is getting rid of that wave of torpedoes on an intercept course with my capital ships. One of the Barracuda squadrons makes quick work of it, while the other moves to shut down any further launches. With that crisis averted, my missile waves continue to arc around towards the oncoming transport ships.<br />
<br />
The remaining Imperial torpedo salvo zooms off harmlessly into the asteroid field. The Mantas move around the Imperial warships, but doing so leaves them just short of reaching the transport ships.<br />
<br />
<b>Imperial Turn 3</b><br />
<br />
Deciding that the best course of action is to make a quick break for it, the Imperial ships attempt to go on All Ahead Full orders again. The Cobras succeed, but a poor leadership roll on the subsequent ship leaves the Dauntless and Transports stuck making a full normal move.<br />
<br />
The Imperial ships attempt to fire at the Mantas, but miss. In the ordinance phase, the Tau missile waves swing around and begin bearing down on the transport ships.<br />
<br />
<b>Tau Turn 3</b><br />
<br />
With only one token left to activate, I spring the last component of my trap. The Orca squadron powers up and races over the planet to get close to the transport ships and behind the remaining Cobras. The rest of my ships move up their minimum half distance. The Hero passes its command check to reload ordinance, as do the Defenders.<br />
<br />
My capital ships both take some shots at the Dauntless, but again fail to do any damage to it. The Defenders likewise miss their shots at the passing Cobras. The Orcas however are much more successful. They open up on the transport ships at close range, downing one with their railcannons and another with their ion cannons.<br />
<br />
The remaining two transports do not live much longer, being downed in hail of cruise missiles in the subsequent ordinance phase.</div><div><br /></div><div>
<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitBOao4GmUzVF3ZrK0zQM57aM_ZXcePoWa_fnpL3MjwXxyUWL-41Zd0sjgLMTMip64z36Tk-_6MFj-Y0pT3Xwmwflpfu7vMOcecw3Jb8yE9fxaXdpqHbRlq304bzzWZ6OTbiw1LXXFfUQ/" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" data-original-height="540" data-original-width="960" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitBOao4GmUzVF3ZrK0zQM57aM_ZXcePoWa_fnpL3MjwXxyUWL-41Zd0sjgLMTMip64z36Tk-_6MFj-Y0pT3Xwmwflpfu7vMOcecw3Jb8yE9fxaXdpqHbRlq304bzzWZ6OTbiw1LXXFfUQ/w400-h225/Fig.+4.+Transports+Destroyed.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td class="tr-caption">The transports are destroyed and the Imperials are surrounded.<br /><br /></td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><br />
With that, all the transport ships and one Imperial escort are destroyed, for no Tau losses (though in a symbolic fourth round the Dauntless managed to take a hull point off one of the Tau capital ships), resulting in a decisive Attacker's Win for the Tau.<br />
<br />
<b>What Millitant Learnt</b><br />
<br />
As I predicted, Tau missiles are lethal in a Convoy scenario. Their ability to hit multiple targets in a single move makes them great at rapidly destroying single hull-point transport ships, while their variable speed and turning ability makes them hard to intercept. My gunnery weapons were somewhat more useful in this game, more indeed than I was expecting, but gunnery shooting is still very clearly a sidearm in the Tau fleet. My Mantas never ended up contributing much, but I remain confident that they were the wiser choice over the deadfall torpedoes. What was less wise was deploying them as single solid waves - in hindsight I can see it would have been wiser to split them up as individual stands so that they would better be able to overwhelm defence efforts and have better chances of hitting multiple transports (unlike torpedoes and missiles, attack craft only make one attack run - once it's done they're gone). Fortunately I had enough other threats flying around to cover for that oversight.<br />
<br />
My victory was certainly in no small part a result of rolling far better on the Convoy Attackers table than I had any right to, but I still feel like my planning was sound and maximised my own strengths. I'm also starting to get better at judging relative movement and planning ahead for where ships are going rather than where they are now, though I still make mistakes there. Perhaps most importantly however, this victory has left me confident in my ability to adapt to unforeseen circumstances and situations, something I was very concerned about prior to this game. For a long time I was unsure how well I'd fare if unable to employ my carefully formulated fleet doctrine with Soviet Military Science precision, but after this game I feel like I can reliably come up with a feasible Plan B if needed.<br />
<br />
In the first game I felt like my opponent was too cautious in their approach, but in this game my impression was the opposite - here I feel like my opponent was too reckless. A mad dash across the table looks good on paper in a Convoy scenario, but I can't help but think that my opponent would have been better off if they were more cautious and took the time to properly clear a path for the transports first. My very favourable attacking forces rolls meant the Imperial fleet was heavily outgunned from the start, but even so some more aggressive use of their torpedo attacks (in particular firing multiple torpedo salvos instead of powering on with All Ahead Full) could have done a lot to level the playing field - even if I evaded them all, doing so would have shut down my movement options considerably and forced me to fight more on my opponent's terms. Instead I was largely left with free reign to dictate the battle and strike where I wanted to with overwhelming force.<br />
<br />
Unlike my previous game, I can't point to any definitive MVP unit on either side here. That said, I am increasingly impressed with the performance of my Defenders, which have done well despite setbacks in each of their outings. More and more I find myself considering them an indispensable part of my fleet, and more and more I find leaving them out of a fleet list is less than an option. They certainly require different tactical thinking to other escort ships, but when played to their strengths as an economical missile platform they have satisfied me even when hamstrung with poor leadership. It's particularly telling that in all of my theoretical 1000-1500 point fleet lists I've created thus far I've prioritised more Defenders over a second Hero class starship.<br />
<br />
That covers everything I think. The success of this battle has been typical of of the convoy raids conducted by K-42 fleet elements, and their actions have delayed the Imperial invasion by several Kai'rotaa, providing the Tau ample time to prepare for it.<br />
<br />
Celebratory dumplings and Ku'Lu'Na soda all around!</div>MillitantGuerillaCommunistHippiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13565203522225127317noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5420460147318382021.post-38071522209027268682019-02-23T02:10:00.003-08:002021-07-16T21:40:31.626-07:00The Hunt for Wurrshuv - Bad Neighbourhood (Battlefleet Gothic battle report)<h2>
The Hunt For Wurrshuv - A Battlefleet Gothic Battle Report</h2>
<br />
<i>"Do we have confirmation?" </i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>Kor'O'T'au Kais'Y'eldi'Aloh stood with his core command staff around the bridge chart table of his flagship. arrayed about it were a swarm of holographic displays showcasing mission reports, intelligence data, local star charts and astronomical maps, as well as the positions and course vectors of the ships in Kais's fleet, K-42. </i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>"We do Kor'O," reported Kais's fleet intelligence officer, "Our long-range probes made the initial detection, and our closest Skether'qan is presently monitoring the group. They do not appear to be aware of our presence as of yet." </i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>Kais studied the images before him, monochrome and many-hued false colour captures depicting a cluster of high-output energy signiatures swarming around the vicinity of a blue planet. The high-res pict captures revealed them to be a small fleet of Ores'la pirates, which the Kor'O's fleet intelligence had identified as belonging to the Ores'la faction that ruled over this region of space, which Kor'vattra fleet K-42 had been tasked with clearing of pirates. Fleet intelligence had also reported that these Ores'la were currently on the back foot, having recently suffered losses to a force of Ar'cea corsairs that were encroaching into the region. It seemed that this area of space was currently in the grip of a power struggle between the various pirate bands that called it home. </i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>On it's own this would provide a golden opportunity for the Tau Empire to move in and clear the marauders out while they were distracted, further securing the empire's borders, but Kais had also been given a secondary objective by the Kor'ar'tol. A well-embedded informant for the Tau had reported that the notorious Ores'la warlord known as Wurrshuv, who had led a devastating assault on the Tau training world of M-88, had supposedly been sighted in the area and may have had dealings with the local Ores'la pirates. Although M-88 and its star system remained fiercely contested and no end to the fighting seemed in sight, Wurrshuv had abandoned the invasion along with many of his core warbands and now remained at large somewhere on the Eastern Fringe. The Ethereals had deemed his capture or elimination a top priority, and while the tip-off remained far from reliable, it was now the mission of K-42 to investigate it. </i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>"What is our closest fleet element?" Kais asked. </i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>"Strike Group 66 Red," replied Kais's second in command, "They have made the most progress in our operation so far, and their planned course will take them well within .4 parsecs of the pictured system. The group has already been vectored to the identified planet. There is, however a problem." </i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>"What is it?" </i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>"The Kor'el in charge of Strike Group 66 Red has reported a serious loading accident aboard their Gal'leath Kor'O. The vessel is apparently undamaged, but approximately 50% of its Manta compliment has been taken out of action." </i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>"How long until the Mantas are fully operational again?" </i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>"Their estimate is approximately 8 decs, Kor'O." </i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>Kais brought up the position of Strike Group 66 and the planet the Ores'la had been sighted around. If the Kor'el's estimate was accurate, then they would not be able to restore their Manta wings before they made contact. Fighting with only half of the strike group's Manta complement was extremely unwise, but if they delayed their progress the Ores'la might escape. Kais did not like it one bit, but looking at the situation there seemed no other choice. </i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>"Inform Strike Group 66 Red that they are cleared to engage Ores'la targets, but be careful out there." Kais said, "And move our own group in to lend assistance if necessary. I don't want to loose anyone I don't have to out here."</i><br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
A short while ago I discovered a pair of fellow Battlefleet Gothic players in the FLGS I have been frequenting recently. Despite some conflict on rules preference, it was a great turn of events, and this week I was able to organise a game with one of them. Thus began the long awaited combat debut of my Tau fleet that has been my pride and joy since 2011. Naturally I just had to write a battle report about it.<br />
<br />
So it was on one fateful Thursday evening that my magnificent Kor'vattra starships found themselves arrayed against a formidable fleet of Orks in a 750 point Cruiser Clash. It was easily the most fun I've ever had playing tabletop games so far, and has reminded me why I fell in love with Battlefleet Gothic 8 years ago. I eagerly look forward to the next game I can get in.<br />
<br />
In the meantime, we join the action in a mysterious crimson nebula, where the valiant Tau of Kor'vattra fleet K-42 find themselves engaged in a seemingly ordinary anti-piracy mission to safeguard the Tau Empire from marauding corsairs. Ork ships have been spotted in the area, and rumour has it that the infamous Ork warlord Dregmek Wurrshuv himself might have passed by recently.<br />
<br />
But to find out for sure the Tau will need to face their oldest enemies. The Orks are fighting in their home territory, and a nebula can be a very dangerous place for the unwary...<br />
<br />
<br />
<h3>
Fleets and Strategy</h3>
<br />
I anticipate that this is going to be a challenging game for me. 750 points is far less than I've generally planned for in the past, and does not allow for very much. Kor'vattra Tau fleets tend to work better at higher points levels where they can bring enough ships for mutual support, and I run the very serious risk of not having enough protection for my vulnerable flanks. Ork ships in particular can inflict massive damage if they get close, and their broadside firepower could easily see my starships crippled even before they initiate any boarding. Boarding actions are of course the bane of any Tau fleet, and Orks are particularly adept at them.<br />
<br />
Taking this into account, my priority with this fleet list is to have as many hulls on the table as possible. To this end I've neglected to take a fleet commander. The high leadership and fleet re-rolls could certainly be invaluable in keeping my ordinance reloaded, but given the circumstances I'd rather spend the points on more ships to ensure there's no holes in my formation that the Orks can exploit. I'll just have to trust in the base standard leadership of my fleet.<br />
<br />
Having decided on that, I need to decide what ships I'm actually going to spend those 750 points on. The Kor'vattra fleet's greatest strength lies in it's powerful ordinance capabilities, so my first choice was naturally an Explorer class in the standard Vash'ya configuration to provide maximum attack craft support. The logical follow-on to this was to take the Explorer's full grav-hook compliment in a trio of Orcas to accompany the gigantic carrier.<br />
<br />
Adding a second Explorer and some Orcas was very tempting, but it could leave me dangerously vulnerable if the fragile escorts are lost, so I decided to take a Hero class instead. With its healthy 8 hull points and tough forward Deflector this formidable heavy-hitter will be an excellent bodyguard for the Explorer, forming the spearhead of my fleet and giving the Orks something dangerous to think about instead of that slow soft-bellied Explorer. It also gives me some extra attack craft and a powerful missile salvo.<br />
<br />
My next choice was a squadron of Defender class starships. Their missile salvos will add to my ordinance strengths, and I can use multiple strength 2 missile waves to neutralise any Ork fighta-bommas that get sent my way which will free up my launch bays for more Manta waves. The Defenders are also no slouches in the gunnery department - with a Firepower 3 railcannon battery each they'll be able to provide some heavy short-range shooting to any Orks that get too close. I wanted to take a full squadron of 6, but alas I didn't have quite enough points left over for it, so I'll have to make do with a squadron of just three instead.<br />
<br />
The only remaining question is what to spend the rest of the points on. The Tau fleet restrictions mean I can't take another Hero, nor can I take any more Orcas without more gravitic hooks. The maximum number of extra Defenders I could take is two, but I'm generally hesitant about two-ship escort squadrons (three escorts is already a bit fragile for my tastes). A Messenger class starship could be useful, but more than one is generally overkill in small points games like this and I wouldn't be able to afford anything else if I did take one, which would lead to a considerable amount of wasted points.<br />
<br />
That leaves my favourite ship in Battlefleet Gothic, the Merchant class starship. I can comfortably fit one into the list with the remaining points, though nothing else. I would like to have taken another two Orcas with it, but unfortunately I didn't have the points for them, so instead I'll be running the Merchant in the Dal'yth configuration.<br />
<br />
The end result of all this is a very well-rounded balanced Tau fleet, which is good because I'm a big proponent of tactical flexibility in tabletop wargaming forces. What's really interesting however is that it is more or less a microcosm of my Tau fleet in its entirety, with a mixture of just about all the ships in the Tau fleet. This will make things particularly interesting for me, because it will allow me to test my theories on Tau naval strategy in miniature.<br />
<br />
Thus, my strategy is a smaller scale version of my much rehearsed standard Kor'vattra operating policy. The Explorer will position as far back from the Orks as I can place it, and creep forward at minimum speed in order to keep the Ork ships at a distance for as long as possible. The Hero will deploy ahead of the Explorer, guarding it from harm and providing a clear field of fire for its gravitic launcher. The Defenders will similarly deploy forwards of the Explorer, covering one flank while firing off as many missiles as they can.<br />
<br />
The Merchant will advance beside the other two capital ships to cover the vulnerable side arcs of the Hero - if any Ork ships get beside it to escape the heavy forward firepower, the Merchant can hammer them with the equivalent of a Lunar class's broadside, which should be enough to deal with them when combined with some limited broadside shooting and shotgunned ordinance from the Hero. If worst comes to worst the Explorer can also lend its railcannons, which could potentially trap the Ork threat between fire from three directions.<br />
<br />
Finally, the Orcas will be my troubleshooters, using their good mobility to intercept any unforeseen threats and their considerable armament to neutralise them before they can cause too much trouble. I anticipate using them to cover the flank my Defenders are not on, thus channelling the Orks into my front arc where my shooting is most effective.<br />
<br />
My top priority targets will be the Ork capital ships. Ork cruisers are particularly vulnerable to bomber attacks, and eliminating any Terror Ships first will allow me to secure ordinance supremacy quickly. Neutralising the capital ships first also reduces the boarding threat they pose. The Ork escorts pose less of a threat in this regard, and can be finished off with gunnery if necessary.<br />
<br />
<u>Kor'vattra Fleet K-42 Strike Group 66 Red</u><br />
<br />
<b>Capital Ships</b><br />
<br />
<i>National Geographic</i> - Gal'leath Explorer class starship (Vash'ya Configuration): <b>230 pts</b><br />
<br />
<i>Heart of Gold</i> - Il'fannor Merchant class starship (Dal'yth Configuration) with reinforced hull: <b>120 pts</b><br />
<br />
<i>Sulaco</i> - Lar'shi Hero class starship (Vash'ya Configuration): <b>180 pts</b><br />
<br />
<b>Escorts</b><br />
<br />
<i>Delain Squadron</i> - 3 Kir'qath Defender class starships: <b>135 pts</b><br />
<br />
<i>Sirenia Squadron</i> - 3 Kass'l Orca gunships: <b>75 pts</b><br />
<br />
<b>TOTAL: 740 pts</b><div><b><br /></b><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmrQ9DSThfD-DfJTGo3job0xQQ2z6z1wtFjsGHB0nFgXndhiN-vd5FhYbjhSNk72mCl12aTVGfcb-jF2I36CZuYs3BQAzbchv6AvZuomEYqYn8to0NTN07YBevC983419dall5iOJRrlA/" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img data-original-height="980" data-original-width="2016" height="195" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmrQ9DSThfD-DfJTGo3job0xQQ2z6z1wtFjsGHB0nFgXndhiN-vd5FhYbjhSNk72mCl12aTVGfcb-jF2I36CZuYs3BQAzbchv6AvZuomEYqYn8to0NTN07YBevC983419dall5iOJRrlA/w400-h195/Fig+1.+Strike+Group+66+Red.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Strike Group 66 Red</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><br />
The opposing Ork fleet was comprised of a Terror Ship, a Kill Kroozer, 3 Onslaught attack ships, 3 Savage gunships, 3 Ravager attack ships and a solitary Brute Ramship.<div><br /></div><div><br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiP-uYyWGkioxRpkEH354JwSsthdUJ7hwmWp-4E1AO2W9wk61IUWhdrcScwduBOoricZHPSxK4PUw4GKuxcMwtQ5h3EMiaQUJDOZYPWESvrk1VENtm2iAoWk-aG8EWeccUCCuldmCN517g/" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" data-original-height="996" data-original-width="2048" height="195" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiP-uYyWGkioxRpkEH354JwSsthdUJ7hwmWp-4E1AO2W9wk61IUWhdrcScwduBOoricZHPSxK4PUw4GKuxcMwtQ5h3EMiaQUJDOZYPWESvrk1VENtm2iAoWk-aG8EWeccUCCuldmCN517g/w400-h195/Fig+2.+The+Orks+of+The+Crimson+Nebula.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td class="tr-caption">The Orks of the Crimson Nebula<br /><br /></td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><h3>Cruiser Clash - The Battle</h3>
<br />
<b>Celestial Phenomena and Leadership</b><br />
<br />
After rolling to determine the scenario (it ended up being a Cruiser Clash - nice and simple), the next stage of any Battlefleet Gothic game is determining the tabletop and leadership of the ships. While several celestial phenomena were rolled up, we quickly realised that we did not actually possess enough markers for all of it, so instead we were forced to settle on a more spartan table with an average sized planet towards one end and a small asteroid field diagonally opposite it. There may have been a small moon-sized planetoid on the table as well, but my memory fails me here - in any event it never played a role in the game.<br />
<br />
Next came the rolls for leadership. This would be a crucial stage of the game for me, as Tau fleets live and die by their ability to pass command checks for Reload Ordinance special orders. Without some good leadership on my carrier and missile boats, I may very well be denied my most powerful weapon. The danger was only compounded by my decision to forgo a fleet commander and the re-rolls that came with them. With much trepidation and bated breath I made my rolls and got...<br />
<br />
- Ld 9 for the <i>Heart of Gold</i><br />
<br />
- Ld 7 for the <i>National Geographic</i><br />
<br />
- Ld 7 (again) for the <i>Sulaco</i><br />
<br />
- Ld 8 for <i>Delain Squadron</i><br />
<br />
- Ld 6 for <i>Sirenia Squadron</i><br />
<br />
Wonderful. Clearly all that time spent sitting on display tables and figure cases has had an adverse effect on training and crew readiness levels.<br />
<br />
OK, so it's not the end of the world. Ld 7, which is about the average Ld rating in Battlefleet Gothic, isn't totally awful on my carriers. It could certainly be worse, but at the same time it's far from ideal on what I plan to be my main two damage dealers in the game. Ld 8 on my other primary damage dealer is certainly better, and Ld 9 on my gunboat could have its uses. Ld 6, normally the lowest Ld rating in Battlefleet Gothic, isn't great, but fortunately it's also on a squadron of escorts I wasn't really relying on to pass special orders in the first place. All in all, they're not the leadership ratings I would have liked, but I should still be able to work with them.<br />
<br />
It was at this point that I discovered, to my horror, that I had in fact packed the wrong two bags of attack craft with me for the game. Rather than a nice even balance of Manta stands and Barracuda stands, I was in fact only left with 4 Manta squadrons to work with. I could have perhaps proxied some more stands, but in the interest of fairness and a desire to show off my fancy Forgeworld ordinance models I decided against it. 4 Mantas will just have to do.<br />
<br />
<b>Deployment</b><br />
<br />
The Orks won the roll for deployment, and my opponent went for the edge closest to them (a common choice as I have found). This put the planet on my right flank, and the asteroids to my left.<br />
<br />
My deployment plan was dictated by my strategy and a textbook execution of my Kor'vattra fleet doctrine. I placed my Explorer as far back in the corner opposite the Orks as the deployment parameters would allow, then deployed my Hero ahead of it and slightly to the right in a staggered echelon. My Merchant then went to the left of the Hero between it and the Explorer. I then placed my squadron of Defenders in base contact in a line formation alongside the Hero covering my right flank. I originally wanted to place my Orcas to cover my left flank, but I was too close to the edge of my deployment zone to do so. Instead the Orcas went behind the Defenders facing to my left flank in an echelon formation - they would use their speed to reach the left flank on my first turn, then use their 90 degree standard turn to come about and face the enemy. Taking a page from real life military science, the echelon formation would also allow them to reform into a useful force as quickly and efficiently as possible by simply changing facing.<br />
<br />
The Ork deployment was fairly straightforward. From memory the two Ork capital ships deployed towards my right, while a main force comprising the Onslaughts, Ravagers and ramship deployed in the centre and the Savages deployed in a small flanking force on my left.<br />
<br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuwOKFRtvFvbe13zEWa5O6WqY_VBaIuO7VesxYi40rd5gsR0XFmyDQo4aKgAX41mQU5SGOA3vQdr7sWHqR3TdRrALX808iRO8uf0g2MF-Jx0e5vWDyYBC74Skrb_wTKUQ4PZZho-rqnnY/" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" data-original-height="980" data-original-width="2016" height="195" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuwOKFRtvFvbe13zEWa5O6WqY_VBaIuO7VesxYi40rd5gsR0XFmyDQo4aKgAX41mQU5SGOA3vQdr7sWHqR3TdRrALX808iRO8uf0g2MF-Jx0e5vWDyYBC74Skrb_wTKUQ4PZZho-rqnnY/w400-h195/Fig+3.+Initial+Deployment.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td class="tr-caption">Initial Deployment<br /><br /></td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><br />
<b>Tau Turn 1</b><br />
<br />
The Orks might have won the roll off for deployment zones, but I managed to secure first turn, and I planned to use it to maximum effect. Like my deployment, my opening moves were largely a textbook application of my much rehearsed doctrine, with everyone creeping up their minimum move ahead half except for the Orcas which dashed over to cover my left flank and came about as I planned. So far so good.<br />
<br />
My cautious movement meant nothing was currently in gunnery range, so my first shooting phase consisted entirely of launching every piece of ordinance I could. Having gained first turn I was in a position to seize the tactical initiative with ordinance, so I went for a launch pattern that was as aggressive as I could make it. The Defenders massed their missiles into an anti-capital ship strength 6 salvo, while the Explorer launched a wave of 4 Mantas (I would have liked to have launched two waves of 4, but like I say I didn't have enough Manta stands for it) along with 4 individual Barracuda squadrons to lock down any ordinance the Orks might send at me. The Hero launched additional fighter cover in addition to its own strength 6 missile attack.<br />
<br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6cIJgUaqBKssc8oaZU19NcoUwF8NyP-pzDCh6ss920alCrXtlzr0vUAdhnkYsWY45TZhgQcLCpKRPJHdsz4yRVJxHQxKxmdOm54XErmxlLRFag-Auw3PfeYb9gk7IXTwEO3hL8TVBtoE/" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" data-original-height="996" data-original-width="2048" height="195" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6cIJgUaqBKssc8oaZU19NcoUwF8NyP-pzDCh6ss920alCrXtlzr0vUAdhnkYsWY45TZhgQcLCpKRPJHdsz4yRVJxHQxKxmdOm54XErmxlLRFag-Auw3PfeYb9gk7IXTwEO3hL8TVBtoE/w400-h195/Fig+4.+Tau+ordnance+inbound.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td class="tr-caption">The Tau unleash an onslaught of ordinance against the Orks!<br /><br /></td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><br />
<br />
Now came the ordinance phase. The Mantas oriented themselves towards the Terror Shp, but were too far out to reach it on one move. The missiles were much more successful, with the Defenders' salvo using its full 40cm move to reach the Kill Kroozer. The Ork turret shooting was ineffective, and the missiles managed to inflict 4 hits on the kroozer. Not bad for a first strike. The Hero's missiles also moved forward, but were unable to reach anything. The Barracuda squadrons raced forwards to put themselves between any Ork interceptors and the rest of my incoming ordinance.<br />
<br />
<b>Ork Turn 1</b><br />
<br />
The Orks wisely began to move as much as they could. The Ork capital ships moved forward, continuing around my right flank, while the Savages circled me on my left. The rest of the Ork escorts powered straight ahead.<br />
<br />
Despite the Orks moving forward, the shorter range of their guns also meant that they couldn't shoot at anything this turn, but they did have ordinance of their own to launch. The Terror Ship scrambled two squadrons of fighta-bommas, while the Ravagers unleashed three salvos of torpedoes at me. A curious twist of the Ork deployment meant that the Ork centre was very crowded and the torpedoes' trajectory would mean that they would end up hitting a number of their own ships! The torpedoes narrowly missed the Terror Ship, but then proceeded to move through the clustered Ork escorts in the centre group. One of them fired its own turrets at the incoming torpedoes, shooting down one, while the rest missed and hit its squadron mate. By the time the dust settled, one Ork escort was downed by friendly fire while two medium-strength torpedo salvos and one solitary torpedo were heading my way.<br />
<br />
The fighta-bommas rocketed to intercept my Mantas. Now, in Battlefleet Gothic ordinance moves in both player's turns (but the ordinance belonging to who has the current turn moves first), so if I could get around the Ork interceptors my Mantas could reach the Ork capital ships. One fighta-bomma squadron was intercepted by my Barracudas, but the other was able to reach the Manta wave, succeeding in removing one stand of Mantas. The surviving three flew straight at the Terror Ship, whose turrets failed to shoot down any of them, and after some very good attack run rolls they managed to cripple it!<br />
<br />
The second wave of missiles flew right into the central escort squadron. Sensing imminent danger, the Ork ships went on Brace for Impact orders, and the missiles that weren't shot down by turrets were all countered by some excellent Brace for Impact saves.<br />
<br />
<b>Tau Turn 2</b><br />
<br />
This turn will be decisive. If I can't stop the Orks here, they will close to gunnery range, get inside my formation and, worst of all, be able to board me. I need to inflict as much damage on them before that happens, and to do that I'll need to get another wave of ordinance on the table. This means it is absolutely imperative that I pass my command checks for Reload Ordinance special orders. Now, once a command check is failed in Battlefleet Gothic you can't make any more for that turn (except for Brace for Impact, which happens out of sequence from the other orders). Knowing this, I decided it would be best to start with the highest leadership on my ordinance carrying vessels, which would statistically be the most likely to pass and thus give me the best chance of managing to reload all of my ordinance. The highest leadership on my ordinance carrying vessels is 8, on my squadron of Defenders. They make their check and...<br />
<br />
... proceed to roll an 11, completely fumbling their orders and preventing any of my ships from going on any special orders this turn except for Brace For Impact. Perfect.<br />
<br />
On the upside, at least I am now within gunnery range, so I'll still be able to hurt the Ork ships, but it's still a major setback. Nonetheless, there's nothing that can be done about it. My movement is a repeat of last turn, with everyone moving their minimum distance in order to keep as much distance as possible between my ships and the Orks. This conveniently brings the Orcas almost within striking range of the Savages. If I can just keep them there for a turn I might be able to intercept them all with impunity, as their heavy guns have a considerably shorter range than the Orcas' weapons.</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>
<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg36rWeFT7OMTMuRq3zI7rnA1FoNHDxsPpfdEUjA9haib5skK3jCM40m-hRXfhjNSZHwtrD1op2Rw_j2PPrZGB8eWy3D4s41nPGkrdqIQpsUQZFtyA2sgq1vgoXSv8QK-zNF9caOOmFrA0/" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" data-original-height="996" data-original-width="2048" height="195" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg36rWeFT7OMTMuRq3zI7rnA1FoNHDxsPpfdEUjA9haib5skK3jCM40m-hRXfhjNSZHwtrD1op2Rw_j2PPrZGB8eWy3D4s41nPGkrdqIQpsUQZFtyA2sgq1vgoXSv8QK-zNF9caOOmFrA0/w400-h195/Fig+5.+Ork+ships+closing.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td class="tr-caption">Ork attack ships close in on the Tau<br /><br /></td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr></tbody></table><br /></div>
<br />
My shooting is largely ineffective, still being too far out to do anything beyond some token pot shots from my railcannons, which either miss or are absorbed by shields. With no second wave of ordinance, my Barracudas simply move closer to the Terror Ship to try and bottle up the attack craft from it. With that, my turn is done and I grit my teeth in anticipation of the reckoning to come.<br />
<br />
<b>Ork Turn 2</b><br />
<br />
Mercifully for me, the Ork fleet had some setbacks of its own. My missiles from earlier may not have done any damage to the escorts, but Bracing for Impact in the previous game turn meant that they were unable to go on special orders this turn, which meant no Reload Ordinance from the Ravagers and most importantly no All Ahead Full on the ramship, saving me from a potentially devastating ramming attack.<br />
<br />
The Ork capital ships continued their long flanking manoeuvre around the right, but the real decisive action was with the escorts. The centre group moved up as best they could, getting dangerously close to my formation, while the Savages made a full move and sped straight past my Orcas to dart among my capital ships. Now I was in real trouble. The escorts were now close enough to do some serious damage, while being in my side arcs meant my own gunnery would be heavily reduced against them in subsequent turns.<br />
<br />
With ships now in close range, the Ork shooting was much more effective than my own. The capital ships and centre group of escorts concentrated their fire on the Defenders, but fortunately for me a combination of range, mediocre rolls for Ork firepower and shooting at escorts (and even worse, escorts abeam in the case of the kroozer broadsides) meant that the few hits that did land were absorbed by the Defenders' shields.<br />
<br />
The Savages, however, were much more successful. Opening up at near point blank range (or as close to point blank as you can get in space) their heavy gunz left one Defender destroyed and my Merchant crippled -only a timely Brace For Impact order and being abeam of them prevented its complete destruction.</div><div><br /></div><div><br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg09uW9vTVY-7cQJjKVwlcp9fi76Sc_ScQQgF1SAjmUNhEikBmfNsR0mDATCqK5GwFYWNGNgD9bDuWKqwhfFt7rZVUfEcbnPVThhE0XHpWpWWxR6-lDLDAp0ePuFbt3iiEBnr9oYxbiMDk/" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" data-original-height="996" data-original-width="2048" height="195" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg09uW9vTVY-7cQJjKVwlcp9fi76Sc_ScQQgF1SAjmUNhEikBmfNsR0mDATCqK5GwFYWNGNgD9bDuWKqwhfFt7rZVUfEcbnPVThhE0XHpWpWWxR6-lDLDAp0ePuFbt3iiEBnr9oYxbiMDk/w400-h195/Fig+6.+Defenders+under+attack.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Defenders are caught in a storm of fire<br /><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><br /><div>
Having failed to reload ordinance on the Terror Ship, the ordinance phase was largely uneventful. My Barracudas continued their close blockade of the Terror Ship.<br />
<br />
<i>"Get us out of here! All hands prepare for All Ahead full! Concentrate the gravitic drive forward! All power to the engines on my mark! Punch it helm!" </i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>- Kor'el'T'au Shi'Y'eldi'Vash'aun'an</i><br />
<br />
<b>Tau Turn 3</b><br />
<br />
Ouch. This is not looking good for me. While I haven't taken quite as much damage as the Orks have, I now have three very dangerous Ork ships inside my formation, in positions where I can do little to stop them. And this turn it's very likely that more will join them. If that happens and their shooting is as good as the last turn, I'm as good as finished.<br />
<br />
Still, all not lost just yet. I might just be able to make it through if I can manage to turn things around on this turn. First of all, I'll need to try reloading my ordinance again. Ld 8 makes the Defenders the logical choice, but their performance last turn has left me deeply, bitterly disappointed in them and the blast markers they're now engulfed in will only make the test more difficult, so I instead try my Explorer first instead.<br />
<br />
As luck would have it, a combination of enemy ships being on special orders and a mediocre dice roll mean I succeed, if only narrowly. The Explorer's flight deck crew spring into action and a second wave of Mantas is ready for launch. Next I try the Hero, which also manages to succeed in reloading its ordinance. Now this is more like it! Even the two remaining Defenders manage to redeem themselves by passing their command check and reloading their missiles. The Orcas, on the other hand, understandably fail to go on special orders, but it makes no difference as by this point everything else that can go on special orders has.<br />
<br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjc61cuEO2ohqi_XUGxNkhr17D8yFkmS4YTB8ekKHEeIXrsar-6zHh_1R7pOYK5G7GMkFWTxuEziPC37tom8U6ITn8-03CViJBcHg80PaZieUtqTLM_gAIFU7ihRBHP46nofH85Q_Tyw50/" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" data-original-height="996" data-original-width="2048" height="195" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjc61cuEO2ohqi_XUGxNkhr17D8yFkmS4YTB8ekKHEeIXrsar-6zHh_1R7pOYK5G7GMkFWTxuEziPC37tom8U6ITn8-03CViJBcHg80PaZieUtqTLM_gAIFU7ihRBHP46nofH85Q_Tyw50/w400-h195/Fig+7.+Ordnance+reloaded.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td class="tr-caption">With their ordinance reloaded, the Tau prepare to strike back...<br /><br /></td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr></tbody></table><br />
<br />
With my missiles loaded and my attack craft cleared for takeoff, it's now time to start making some moves. The first one is to move the Defenders clear of the blast markers that have sprung up around them to restore their shields. The Hero moves up a little too, but not too far - there are Ork escort ships dead ahead! The Explorer also creeps along its minimum movement distance, while the Merchant moves forwards 10cm and begins to turn away from the Savages bearing down on it. The Orcas also turn and move to my right in an attempt to circle around and engage the Savages.<br />
<br />
Now at close range, my shooting is much more decisive. The first target is the ramship - being free to make a ramming attack and at too close a range to miss means it's got to go! My Hero and remaining Defenders open up on it, eventually managing to destroy it. The rest of my shooting accounts for two more escorts from the centre group.<br />
<br />
Naturally everything that can launch ordinance does so. A fresh wave of four Mantas escorted by four individual Barracuda squadrons takes off from the Explorer and powers towards the Kill Kroozer, the closer of the two Ork capital ships at this point, but just fails to make it by a whisker. The Defenders unleash a strength 4 missile strike which gets very close to the Terror Ship, but likewise fails to reach it. The Hero's missiles miss both of the Ork capital ships by (billions of) miles, but instead plow straight through the central group of escorts. After turrets and a couple of Brace For Impact orders, the Ravagers are vanquished and the Onslaughts are down to two ships.<br />
<br />
<i>"Red 3 your angle of attack's too low, pull up! Pull up! Red 3! Red 3 do you read? Red 3 respond! Klkn..." </i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>- Kor'vre'T'au B'Or'sha'is</i><br />
<br />
<br />
<b>Ork Turn 3</b><br />
<br />
This time the shoe was on the other hoof, with the Orks on the back foot, but the fight was far from over. The Savages were at this point largely untouchable, and could still do heavy damage to my capital ships. The surviving Onslaughts could also cause problems if they got close enough, and there were still two Ork capital ships that had almost completely outflanked me.<br />
<br />
Having reached very good firing positions the Savages now locked on. The Onslaughts attempted to swing around onto my left flank, which brought one into the asteroid field. The Ork escort promptly failed its command check to navigate the field and was smashed to bits by the asteroids, taking an unfortunate five hits from the impacts in some truly impressive overkill. Its wingman pressed on, while the Ork capital ships continued to circle my right flank.<br />
<br />
Once again the Savages concentrated on my Merchant and Defenders. The shots fired at the Merchant failed to score any hits, but the remaining volleys destroyed the last two Defenders with help from the Ork cruisers. The surviving Onslaught failed to accomplish anything of note.<br />
<br />
The Orks had succeeded in reloading ordinance on their Terror Ship, which launched a single squadron of fighta-bommas. It was swiftly intercepted by Barracudas before it could do any damage. The missiles fired from the Defenders managed to catch up with the Terror Ship, one being shot down by turret fire while the remaining three inflicted two more hits. The Mantas chased down the Kill Kroozer, crippling it with their attack runs and inflicting a Shields Collapsed critical with a lucky fusion bomb.<br />
<br />
<b>Tau Turn 4</b><br />
<br />
At this point the worst is over for me, but I'm not quite out of the woods just yet. First thing's first however, I'll need to reload my ordinance in order to ideally finish off the Ork capital ships as quickly as possible. I'll also need to get my crippled Merchant out of the fight if I want to save it.<br />
<br />
Once more I start my command checks with the Explorer, having had good results with it last turn. Once more it successfully reloads its Mantas. The Hero does likewise with its gravitic launcher. The Merchant, as to be expected from Ld 9, aces its command check and immediately goes on All Ahead Full to blast clear of the Savages. It proceeds to move well past them with its movement. The Explorer continues to plod along at half speed, while the Hero moves its full distance, turning half-way through to bring its weapons to bear on the Terror Ship. The Orcas move to keep pace with the Savages.</div><div><br /></div><div><br />
<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmQq_fE4Je8uWbFDL59Re2O6a5Vb0EMjAGb_3gxm7kAwrWT3MpVY631BCFNioVEx_4cJFXHyT4EzOmwVQUQ_cq-vzUy_XF2bPvttgV1iYQFrkogVF5KlREPFJiMsgRUSV0KkUclammUPo/" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" data-original-height="996" data-original-width="2048" height="195" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmQq_fE4Je8uWbFDL59Re2O6a5Vb0EMjAGb_3gxm7kAwrWT3MpVY631BCFNioVEx_4cJFXHyT4EzOmwVQUQ_cq-vzUy_XF2bPvttgV1iYQFrkogVF5KlREPFJiMsgRUSV0KkUclammUPo/w400-h195/Fig+8.+Ork+ships+in+the+thick+of+it.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td class="tr-caption">The Savages have reached the heart of the Tau fleet...<br /><br /></td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr></tbody></table><br />
Seemingly typical for this game, my shooting is less than stellar, succeeding only in finishing off the remaining Onslaught. My Ordinance fares much better, with the Hero's missiles catching the Terror Ship with a 40cm move and leaving it a burning hulk. The Mantas move towards the Kill Kroozer, but fail to make it.<br />
<br /><br />
<b>Ork Turn 4</b><br />
<br />
There is now little that the Orks can do. The Kill Kroozer begins to turn around towards my ships, while the Savages continue on their current heading. Presented with only abeam capital ships to target, their shooting fails to achieve anything this round despite locking on. In the ordinance phase my Mantas catch up with the Kill Kroozer, but a lackluster attack run fails to knock it out. The fusion bomb impacts to inflict a Fire! critical however.</div><div><br />
<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjESktyOD3scI1FrUXOsF8cDpYohjQFSnyhOgDmJIdfR6CcwSKicYXyXQb83Tuxg3VSlWrOFdJax9ReuXxppiIdhrVfZ6bY9yDfPjzw44Hn_3TPjXbOPKw5Gveo_vVQWV0dtNEcPL_sv_U/" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" data-original-height="996" data-original-width="2048" height="195" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjESktyOD3scI1FrUXOsF8cDpYohjQFSnyhOgDmJIdfR6CcwSKicYXyXQb83Tuxg3VSlWrOFdJax9ReuXxppiIdhrVfZ6bY9yDfPjzw44Hn_3TPjXbOPKw5Gveo_vVQWV0dtNEcPL_sv_U/w400-h195/Fig+9.+Ork+ships+surrounded.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td class="tr-caption">... but now find themselves cut off!<br /><br /></td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><br /><br />
<i>"To'Tau'va we're on a collision course! Burn retros! Burn retros! Set gravitic drive to maximum aft! Come on, come on you old Ui't, pull back..." </i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>- Kor'el'T'au Shi'Y'eldi'Vash'aun'an</i></div><div><i><br /></i></div><div><i><br /></i>
<br />
<b>Tau Turn 5</b><br />
<br />
It is at this final point that I start to feel fairly comfortable. The biggest danger I can see now is my Merchant - the All Ahead Full move last turn might have saved it from the Savages, but it has also put the ship on a collision course with the asteroids! Fortunately a passed command check and a timely Burn Retros special order allows it to come to a complete halt and turn to starboard. The other two capital ships both reload their ordinance, while the Orcas, having finally reacquired the Savages on their scopes, pass the only command check they've been able to make all game and lock on.<br />
<br />
It is only then that I am reminded that ships on Lock On special orders cannot turn, leaving the Orcas stuck alongside the Savages rather than facing them directly, preventing them from using their ion cannons. Nonetheless, with some help from the Explorer, their railcannons manage to eliminate one of the Savages. The rest of my shooting is largely wasted, as most of my remaining ships no longer have targets.<br />
<br />
The Kill Kroozer is now close enough that my Mantas can reach it in a single move, which they do and dutifully put the Kill Kroozer out of its misery with their attack runs reducing it to a drifting hulk.</div><div><br /></div><div><br />
<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTipFwk3TI7QwP-l32RIqrt-19NNoDpUWImfFxvqL3wFuyDL_-dtvPMo94iVvm_wu5HKXrq8LutlbyeLOnkHeBm00SZdPbzHtLwCZgWOChAc9FCoir7SiHGOw23gFm9vh_ZRgn8RfndwE/" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" data-original-height="996" data-original-width="2048" height="195" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTipFwk3TI7QwP-l32RIqrt-19NNoDpUWImfFxvqL3wFuyDL_-dtvPMo94iVvm_wu5HKXrq8LutlbyeLOnkHeBm00SZdPbzHtLwCZgWOChAc9FCoir7SiHGOw23gFm9vh_ZRgn8RfndwE/w400-h195/Fig+10.+Ork+last+stand.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td class="tr-caption">With heavy damage, the Orks prepare for one final gambit<br /><br /></td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><br />
<br />
<b>Ork Turn 5</b><br />
<br />
With nothing else left to loose, the surviving pair of Savages make a last-ditch bid for glory and attempt to ram me. They pass their command check, go on All Ahead Full and rocket towards my Explorer. They make contact and...<br />
<br />
<br />
... promptly dash themselves to pieces on the side of the Explorer's hull, inflicting no damage in the process.<br />
<br />
With that, the Ork fleet is completely destroyed, at the cost of three escort ships and one crippled capital ship. Certainly not inconsiderable losses, but within acceptable limits to be sure. The Tau have secured the system for the moment and made good progress in clearing the region of pirates, but the Orks are now alerted to their presence. Analysis of the wreckage and Ork prisoners reveals no sign of Wurrshuv's presence - it seems that the nefarious Ork warlord has remained one step ahead of the Tau Empire.<br />
<br />
Nonetheless, it is a solid victory for the Tau.<br />
<br />
<b>What Millitant Learnt</b><br />
<br />
This game was a great opportunity for me to put my entirely theoretical knowledge of Battlefleet Gothic tactics with the Tau to the test, and I feel confident that they have been vindicated. My plan largely worked throughout the game despite several setbacks, and I feel much better about running Kor'vattra Tau in smaller games now than I did before. Ultimately, this game has given me some definitive proof that my Kor'vattra tactics work, and work well.<br />
<br />
If I were to fault myself, I think my biggest mistake was failing to properly take movement into account at several key points. As models are in constant motion in Battlefleet Gothic, thinking one or two turns ahead is more critical than ever in order to succeed. It was my failure to properly factor in not only my own ships' movement, but also that of my opponent's, that left my Orcas largely running around like headless chickens for most of the game despite a very good initial deployment and first turn of movement.<br />
<br />
I also significantly overestimated the efficacy of shooting, especially at long range. Time and again I expected weapons battery salvoes to inflict heavy damage, both to myself and to the Orks, but a combination of range and target bearings left us both rolling comparatively few dice. The Gunnery Table is a harsh mistress indeed.<br />
<br />
On the other hand, ordinance proved just as devastating as I predicted it would be, and this is probably the first game I've played in a long while where I can definitively point to a clear MVP. That MVP, of course, would be my Explorer, which managed to inflict grievous damage on the Ork capital ships despite only being able to launch half as many Mantas as it potentially could - I shudder to think of what a full 8 squadrons of them could do!<br />
<br />
I also feel like I made the right decision in prioritising numbers over a fleet commander. The Merchant might not have inflicted that much damage, but it did make an important contribution by drawing fire away from my other more important capital ships. Had it not been there the Savage gunships would have been free to hammer at my Hero or Explorer, damaging the ordinance capability I needed to inflict damage. Numbers really do matter more in smaller games like this.<br />
<br />
Despite all that, and despite the results, this was a really close game, and for most of the duration things really could have gone either way. I genuinely was not expecting to do nearly as well as I did against the Ork fleet. In hindsight my opponent was too cautious in their approach - had they been more aggressive, especially with their capital ships, they could have easily won the game, or at the very least inflicted much more damage on me. My failure to reload any ordinance on turn 2 in particular provided a golden opportunity that an aggressive push could have exploited. As it was, keeping the cruisers far out for most of the game played right into my greatest strengths and the Orks' greatest weaknesses.<br />
<br />
While I cannot speak for my opponent, if I were to guess the Ork MVP it would almost certainly be the squadron of Savage gunships. I initially paid little attention to them, considering them just another squadron of escorts my Orcas could deal with, an error in judgement that cost me dearly. With my focus elsewhere, the Savages were able to close with my ships unscathed and inflicted massive damage once they got inside my formation. Once there they were also infuriatingly difficult to remove due to a combination of good placement and poor Tau broadside weaponry (being escorts also helped). Savage gunships aren't often regarded very highly amongst the Battlefleet Gothic community, but they are to be underestimated at your own peril.<br />
<br />
Well then, I think that about covers everything. The hunt for Wurrshuv continues...<br />
<br />
<br />
--OPENING UPLINK TO DATABASE - AUTHORIZATION CODE: ****** --<br />
--AUTHORIZATION CODE ACCEPTED. ACCESS GRANTED.--<br />
--WELCOME ADMIRAL--<br />
<br />
--TO: Kor'O'T'au Kais'Y'eldi'Aloh, Aun'O'T'au Ret'Sav'Cyr, T'au Kor'Ar'Tol, ATT Orbital Command--<br />
--SENT: T'au'Gal'leath'Kles'ro'Oi'Gal--<br />
--AUTHOR: Por'el'T'au Elan'ro'Gal'Hera--<br />
--SUBJECT: Interrogation Report--<br />
<br />
<i>Tau'fann, </i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>I have compiled this preliminary report following the conclusion of three (3) rotaa of interrogations conducted with Ores'la prisoners. The interrogations were performed under the supervision of myself, military intelligence officer Shas'el'T'au Su'Auk'nan, fleet intelligence officer Kor'el'T'au Yen'Ro'Cea and medical specialist Fio'vre'T'au M'yen'Kar'tyr after arriving aboard the Gal'leath class starship T'au'Gal'leath'Kles'ro'Oi'Gal where the Ores'la prisoners were being held. The ship had been serving as part of a strike group designated '66 Red' during a successful engagement with Ores'la pirates, and following the battle's conclusion the derelict hulk of an Ores'la 'Kill Kroozer' capital ship destroyed in the engagement was successfully secured by Shipboard Security Fire Warrior cadres, who were able to recover a number of surviving Ores'la crewmen as captives in addition to recovering a considerable amount of artefacts. </i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>Needless to say the interrogations were long and difficult, but we were eventually able to accomplish information extraction from all of the Ores'la held in captivity. The Ores'la themselves represented a broad cross-section of the capital ship's crew, including standard Ores'la, specimens from the Ores'la leadership castes (known in their parlance as 'Nobs' and 'Bosses') and even a few of the Ores'la specialist castes (our team identified three of the engineer caste known as 'Meks', two of the medical caste known as 'Doks' and one mentally-enhanced specimen referred to by the Ores'la as a 'Weirdboy'). You may rest assured that all necessary precautions were taken to secure the specimens, and that no security breaches occurred during their internment. </i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>The following data represents only a preliminary report. More detailed audio and video transcripts of the interrogations themselves are currently being processed, and will be transmitted once they are complete. In the meantime this report summarises our initial findings.</i><br />
<br />
<b>Part A: Wurrshuv</b><br />
<br />
<i>In regards to our most pressing concern, the current whereabouts of the Ores'la warlord known as 'Wurrshuv', the conclusion of my team is thus: wherever Wurrshuv may currently be, and regardless of whether or not he passed through this region following his departure from M-88, he did not have any direct interactions with this particular band of Ores'la. </i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>Indeed, the overwhelming majority of the Ores'la prisoners were largely oblivious to Wurrshuv and his activities, reacting with much confusion to our questions. Almost none had even heard his name before. Only a small handful of the Ores'la leadership captured seemed to be aware of Wurrshuv's existence, but yielded no useful information on his current location or designs. It is possible that the Ores'la warlord in command of the fleet may have had more information relevant to Wurrshuv, but our assets were unfortunately unable to recover him. Whether or not the Ores'la warlord escaped the destruction of his fleet is unknown, but it is likely that he was killed in the fighting. </i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>Despite this lack of factual data, we were nonetheless able to identify some evidence that suggests Wurrshuv may have been connected in some way with these Ores'la. Most notably, analysis of the Ores'la command ship's wreckage suggests that its shield generators had recently been upgraded, and we were able to identify certain subsystems and components that shared considerable resemblance to a number of Wurrshuv's designs captured on M-88. We were even able to identify a few items of originally Tau construction from the wreckage, which would fit with Wurrshuv's Modus Operandi. Whether this is coincidence or not, however, remains to be seen.</i><br />
<br />
<b>Part B: Local Ores'la Force Dispositions</b><br />
<br />
<i>While the interrogations yielded nothing of value regarding Wurrshuv, they proved a much more useful resource on the subject of the Ores'la dispositions through out this area. Based on our initial findings, it would seem that these Ores'la pirates we encountered were merely one small element of a much larger force of Ores'la which has laid claim to this region of space. </i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>As is typical of Ores'la civilisation, this force is comprised of innumerable warbands and pirate factions that have all pledged allegiance to a single powerful warlord who commands them from the top of their primitive and brutal hierarchy. Unfortunately we are yet to ascertain the identity of this warlord, though we can confirm that it is most certainly not Wurrshuv. We are also yet to ascertain the name of this larger force of Ores'la, only the names of the vessels and crew to whom the prisoners belonged. What we can deduce, however, is that this force of Ores'la is extremely dangerous and heavily armed. The small fleet encountered included a number of advanced Ores'la warship designs, most notably multiple capital ships, and analysis of the ships' computers we were able to recover indicates that this Ores'la force boasts many more. Data from the ships' computers even suggests that there are warships of battleship displacement and even an armed Large-scale Material Spatio-anomaly within their arsenal, in addition to numerous asteroid-based assault ships typically employed by Ores'la. </i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>Data recovered from the Ores'la hulks also confirms our own intelligence that these Ores'la are currently embroiled in a larger conflict with a corsair faction of Ar'cea for dominance over this region of space. It would seem that the Ar'cea currently have the upper hand in this struggle, having recently secured a number of victories over the Ores'la. It may be possible to negotiate further with the Ar'cea and convince them to mount a joint attack on the Ores'la, but I remain sceptical of this outcome. The local Ar'cea remain highly elusive, and I suspect that if they wished to extend their hand in peace, they would have approached us already. </i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>This concludes my team's preliminary report. It is our assessment that there is a chance Wurrshuv may have passed through this region and may have had or even still maintain connections of some kind with the local Ores'la pirates, but we currently lack sufficient information to confirm this. Regardless, the Ores'la pirates in this region are sufficiently well-armed, well-motivated and well-organised to pose a significant threat to the empire's security that should be neutralised as soon as possible.</i><br />
<br />
NOTE: <i>The subjects did not survive interrogation.</i><br />
<br />
--UPLINK CLOSED--</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div></div></div>MillitantGuerillaCommunistHippiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13565203522225127317noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5420460147318382021.post-69005371955629318812018-08-13T05:16:00.000-07:002018-08-13T05:16:19.020-07:00Wurrshuv's Revenge - Finale<h2 style="text-align: center;">
War Without End - The Conclusion to Wurrshuv's Revenge </h2>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4K-pIiSCi_DkfH13KUerIHGiIeUt3IbSSsrWcDx3qr66eefjoqQ2PSNgDsel2ph8TEVH29BfoEC9cD86935Knb4xXTtRUcb1qbgYRbVpHb2aPSkAanpEl_5aVVabL5jz5umxDR6VX10I/s1600/battaile.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="694" data-original-width="1112" height="199" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4K-pIiSCi_DkfH13KUerIHGiIeUt3IbSSsrWcDx3qr66eefjoqQ2PSNgDsel2ph8TEVH29BfoEC9cD86935Knb4xXTtRUcb1qbgYRbVpHb2aPSkAanpEl_5aVVabL5jz5umxDR6VX10I/s320/battaile.png" width="320" /></a></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<span style="font-size: x-large;">A</span>fter 14 weeks of thrilling heroics, fiendish villainy and tabletop wargaming action, the first ever Advanced Tau Tactica global campaign has come to an end. For the last three months members of the ATT online forum have been battling for their lives against the relentless onslaught of Orks commanded by Dregmek Wurrshuv, hell bent on conquering the ATT Orbital, slaughtering the Tau and looting everything that isn't nailed down (naturally in the case of things that are nailed down they'd loot the nails too). The conflict has been the largest and destructive and brutal in the history of the ATT Orbital thus far, eclipsing even the infamous daemonic incursion of 2013 in size and bloodshed. As the dust settles, the future is impossible to tell. Reinforcements from both sides have flooded in, and the fighting has spiralled out of control, spilling across the surface of M-88 with no clear winner in sight. The only thing that can be said for certain is that whatever side emerges victorious will do so only at a staggering cost.<br />
<br />
When the campaign first began all the way back in May, we honestly had no idea what was going to happen. Right up until about part-way through the first month I had lingering fears that the whole thing would be a complete disaster. Even now there are still areas that I would have liked to see improved (but of course that's just part of the learning experience). But as it transpired the ATT community did an outstanding job of engaging with the campaign, and by all accounts it seems like a good time has been had by all. And if that is true, then I've succeeded in what I set out to do.<br />
<br />
<h3 style="text-align: center;">
And the Final Result is...</h3>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
... A draw! Over 14 weeks the Tau and Orks have fought each other to a standstill, with neither side being able to completely dislodge the other. The Orks have been halted to the west of their landing site, but in turn the Tau have failed to dislodge them completely from the surface of M-88. The conflict on the planet is now doomed to grow exponentially as both sides rush reinforcements to the warzone and escalate the engagement, and the warfare is likely to rage on for years if not decades. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Some particularly prophetic seers may have seen this outcome coming some time ago, but it was never a sure thing. There were many opportunities for the Tau to secure at least a minor win, and for a while I had grave fears that the poor hapless Greenskins might be swept from the campaign too soon. Fortunately this was not to be, and instead much of the campaign saw the fate of M-88 hanging in the balance. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<h3 style="text-align: center;">
The Road So Far </h3>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
From the very outset when I first pitched the idea of what would eventually become Wurrshuv's Revenge to the Powers That Be on Advanced Tau Tactica, I had one ultimate goal in mind - to recapture some of the fund and excitement of the old Games Workshop global winter campaigns that I remembered growing up like <i>The Third War for Armageddon</i>, <i>Eye of Terror</i> and <i>The Fall of Medusa V</i>. Because of this, I had a good idea of the general style of the campaign - a map-based system where the narrative was mostly driven by player input. Instead of some iron-fisted metaplot that railroaded the participants towards a completely pre-programmed outcome, I wanted the players to be largely in charge of their own actions, deciding for themselves what their grand strategy was going to be and what part they wanted to play. After all, one of the best parts of an event like this is that the players' choices and decisions really matter, and it's important that their games and contributions have a real impact. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
At the same time, the scale of the event and the multi-player aspect of it meant that big movements and changes would need to be performed by players en mass. This tied into another aspect of the old GW campaigns that I wanted to recapture - the communication and coordination between players, the banding together and collective plotting and scheming, the back and forth banter between different factions. From the old <i>Eye of Terror</i> and <i>Medusa V</i> online discussions it always seemed like this was a big part of the fun in these campaigns, so I knew this campaign would need to facilitate that as well. Of course, given the general 'hands-off' approach I wanted to take, it would be up to the players themselves to organise themselves and coordinate on strategy.<br />
<br />
The GW campaigns were enormous affairs, with some very sophisticated mechanics for determining all these things (especially in the case of Eye of Terror). Naturally I wouldn't have anywhere near the same production budget or resources as GW at the height of its glory, so this meant I had to scale things down somewhat. Most importantly the mechanics needed to be able to be managed by just one person if necessary, as most of the ATT mods have a life outside of the site and could be occupied by other commitments. In the end I worked out a simple mechanic of shifting points around to determine territory control and who was winning the campaign - each territory would have 100 points in it, which shifted between the two sides based on game reports (a win would shift one point over to the side that won), and whichever side held the majority of the points in that territory controlled it. In turn, there were 8 Campaign Points that shifted between the two sides based on who controlled territories, with each territory being worth 1 Campaign Point except for the two 'capital territories' of Wurrshuv's Krunch and Fio Starport, which were worth 2 each. It may not have been the most advanced set of campaign rules ever devised, but it was good enough to capture the rough feel of the GW campaigns and - most crucially - was simple enough that the whole thing could be tracked by just one mathematically challenged media graduate.<br />
<br />
With the core mechanics set down, it became a matter of taking the right steps to make everything a reality. Senior contributors on ATT (including site founder Sebastian 'Tael' Stuart himself) chipped in some fantastic artwork and graphics for the project, including an enormous campaign map to fight over. Narrative and background ideas were workshopped out. Eventually April 1st and the annual storytelling event on Advanced Tau Tactica happened, which had already been earmarked as a prologue to the campaign. Once it was finished, I spend the next few weeks relentlessly typing out page after page of campaign lore - over 37 pages in total by my last count (put some army lists and a full-colour hobby section on it and you have a full campaign codex!).<br />
<br />
At last the faithful day arrived when the campaign was scheduled to be launched. Right up until the very end I was frantically getting everything finished and ready for posting, and in the end some of the final features had to be added in post-launch. To make matters worse, a technical oversight left the campaign forum with the same problem that Salyut-1 had: no-one could access it! Nonetheless, some quick improvisation allowed everything to get underway, and a decent number of Advanced Tau Tactica members jumped at the call to arms.<br />
<br />
As the campaign began however my biggest fear quickly came to pass - there weren't enough Ork players! As I had always dreaded, too many ATT members were either unwilling or unable to join the Ork side, leaving the campaign with no real opposing force for the Tau. I tried several different methods to try and attract more players to the Ork side, but ultimately even with the ability to fight with any non-Tau army the ratio of players between the different factions was far more lop-sided than I would have liked.<br />
<br />
I had grave concerns that this would result in a very quick massacre against the Orks, but fortunately salvation came from the Tau players themselves, who obligingly made little to no effort to get organised and co-ordinate their actions for the first portion of the campaign, instead just hammering away at their own individual targets, many of them in the Tau-controlled territories rather than taking the fight into the Ork-held areas. This ultimately proved to be a major influence in the campaign's outcome, and the Tau could have secured an easy win had their players been more aggressive with their early actions. This in turn ended up being reflected in the background, with the in-universe Tau commanders bickering amongst themselves and focusing entirely on tactical engagements against attacking Ork forces while Wurrshuv took direct control of the Greenskin war effort and focused on outmanoeuvring the Tau at the Operational and Strategic levels.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7w-0xch17FmUu130ohBrl5gw_0Z5qALOQ2L7IyeMePZBIXIem7aaCppjU4cKrRPnZOaL78u_EdSagV8Rq3apeGq9J_P-KKl_BFNhC6ZmlBL75PxiLWExPPSursyfaTxLhlGzF1vSKwDk/s1600/att_april1_bgnd_2018_v2+%25281%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1047" data-original-width="1398" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7w-0xch17FmUu130ohBrl5gw_0Z5qALOQ2L7IyeMePZBIXIem7aaCppjU4cKrRPnZOaL78u_EdSagV8Rq3apeGq9J_P-KKl_BFNhC6ZmlBL75PxiLWExPPSursyfaTxLhlGzF1vSKwDk/s320/att_april1_bgnd_2018_v2+%25281%2529.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
While the turnout was certainly healthy, if one-sided, far fewer games than I initially anticipated ended up being reported in, which influenced how the campaign lore ended up evolving. Initially I had planned to let the players tell most of the story through their games, but I ended up finding myself with very little material to work with each week. This meant I had to change tactics and start inserting more pre-scripted elements into the campaign narrative to keep the action flowing and make sure things didn't get too boring. There were a number of elements that were pre-scripted from the start, most of them being larger scale things like the war in the air and special forces actions that weren't likely to crop up that much in the games of 40k that I expected were most likely to be played. Incidentally, these Strategic and Operational level developments would be slanted in favour of whichever side was currently the underdog in terms of games being reported and territory held, so naturally the Orks ended up coming out on top in most of them! After a week or two of seeing if things would pick up on their own I enacted my contingency plan and put a pre-programmed Ork offensive in motion, which would continue in any territory that didn't see anything else happen in it that week.<br />
<br />
Shortly after the first month of the campaign things started to change. After several weeks of acting largely independently the Tau players began to make attempts at getting more organised. The first such effort largely went nowhere, but after consulting with the NPC advisor for the Tau side of the campaign (there was one for the Orks too, but it never really ended up being used) the second one proved much more fruitful and resulted in the Tau immediately going on the offensive. Two Tau players in particular shifted their focus onto the Mo'Hav Plains, and after putting notable effort towards linking their games together I decided to reward them with a bit of extra input into the campaign's storyline, Thus was Operation MONSOON born, and proceeded to burn a path into Ork territory for the rest of the campaign.<br />
<br />
At the same time I had been thinking more about the planet M-88 itself and what the world was really like. This was in the middle of winter, which meant that it was pelting with rain where I live. A side effect of all this rainfall was that the fields nearby where I often walked in get these enormous puddles, big enough for waterfowl to swim around and dive in. One day when I was out for a walk I was inspired by how the landscape looked with these giant pond-like puddles. I imagined an entire continent or planet covered with a series of gigantic puddles the size of lakes, connected by rivers and streams, nestled amongst muddy fields and flooded paddies, all brought on by the rain, and armies fighting over them.<br />
<br />
I immediately wanted the campaign to be set somewhere like that, but the area of M-88 that was being fought over had already been characterised as a mostly dry realm of Savannah and dusty grassland. The solution that immediately came to mind was simple - a seasonal change in the terrain, with cooler seasonal temperatures bringing massive amounts of rainfall that would transform the landscape into a network of seasonal lakes and waterways. This would become the Lake Season that the second half of the campaign was set in. The idea turned out to be a great way of shaking things up and keeping everything interesting, offering a whole new set of tactical challenges and opportunities to the belligerents. Addressing questions on how the Lake Season worked from a scientific perspective allowed me to work out ideas for a whole ecosystem and biome based around the concept, some of which was extrapolated on in the Campaign background.<br />
<br />
Of course 40k was only ever one component of the Wurrshuv's Revenge story. Throughout much of the campaign I made sure to drop hints about the wider context of the war, from small scale special forces actions to larger-level stuff beyond even Apocalypse level 40k - more veteran readers of the Campaign lore may have noticed several references to a number of the old Ork war machines from Epic, for example. This is perhaps best illustrated in how the conflict in space played out. When the campaign started I assumed that most participants would be for whatever reason unable to participate through games of Battlefleet Gothic (or Epic, or Inquisitor, or...), so I decided to make these elements more pre-scripted to keep the action focused on the 40k level since that was the lowest common denominator and I wanted maximum accessibility. I was very pleasantly surprised when one participant did indeed submit a Battlefleet Gothic game report, and while there was little mechanical impact have - like I say I wasn't really expecting Battlefleet Gothic game reports so there were no mechanics in place for them - I readily incorporated it into the campaign narrative as best I could.<br />
<br />
In hindsight, I can't help but feel like I mismanaged the space subplot. Since the plan was for the space side of things to be secondary to the ground battle, I generally tended to give the space war less attention and left it as a largely static deadlock for most of the campaign. This certainly left the ground conflict as the centre of things, but it also left the space side of the fighting very uninteresting. The big Ork space offensive towards the end of the campaign was an attempt to rectify that as best I could after realising that I could be putting in lots of pre-programmed events like I had been with the ground narrative.<br />
<br />
Nonetheless, things continued to run smoothly, and the escalation represented by Operation MONSOON coincided nicely with the final month of the campaign. To help bring things to a fittingly apocalyptic climax I began to insert other subplots of my own devising in, acting as hooks for players to build their own narratives around. These included things like the destruction of both sides' capital defences (meaning no territory would be safe), Operation IO and the Ork civil war in the north. The aim was to help encourage and inspire players with their own storylines.<br />
<br />
In the final days of the campaign there were some very interested elements in the form of a number of mini-campaigns that some players were running. I would have very much liked to see these reach their natural conclusion, but alas they had the rotten luck of being started just as the campaign reached the end of its own operational lifespan. One of the golden rules I learnt from the very best version of the Warhammer 40,000 core rulebook is that when a campaign is set to wrap up, make sure that it does. This is a philosophy I continue to adhere to, and so after an extra week to give people a little extra time to get ready, I drew the event to a close. The way I see it, it's far better to end things on a high note and leave the players with good memories rather than leave things to fizzle out and grow stale.<br />
<br />
Which brings us to where we are now, at the end of Wurrshuv's Revenge. It's certainly been an adventure. The Tau put in a phenomenal effort, but ultimately their offensives were too little, too late, and the Orks on M-88 are now here to stay.<br />
<br />
<h3 style="text-align: center;">
What Next </h3>
</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
This doesn't mean everything has to stop now. The Wurrshuv's Revenge event may be at an end, but there's still plenty of room for games set in the aftermath of this unprecedented conflict. Both sides are now firmly entrenched on M-88, and it is likely to take years if not decades for one side to gain a decisive victory. In the absence of Wurrshuv Ork warlords struggle amongst themselves for dominance, with a number of gifted Ork leaders being top contenders for commanding the Greenskin war effort. The Tau may be more organised, but they're still on the back-foot as they struggle to contain the endless streams of Ork reinforcements that are now pouring through the tellyporta arrays constructed in Ork territory. As the conflict escalates it is also likely to spread to other areas of the planet, which in turn means combat in other warzones on M-88. Even if the Tau somehow manage to drive the Orks off the planet, the Greenskins still thoroughly infest the outer regions of the system. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
The campaign may be over, but the war has only just begun... </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
In the grim darkness of the far future, there is only WAR! </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
- Millitant </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<h2 style="text-align: center;">
Wurrshuv's Revenge - An ATT Campaign </h2>
<h3 style="text-align: center;">
Finale </h3>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsUQwlyfYsqbV4wWXZjsPyn5_cKVxRIgz8UDlRDKt-VhyphenhyphenIJr7bcPwaoL2Zk6HkYC6mKjCrvU_dMfDUUVpRxNuCYU_rt3sXFl39j43ASHP_0wubInBqPZTFFeB0IgRiJ6He2hxmrWjmmZE/s1600/Final.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1047" data-original-width="1398" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsUQwlyfYsqbV4wWXZjsPyn5_cKVxRIgz8UDlRDKt-VhyphenhyphenIJr7bcPwaoL2Zk6HkYC6mKjCrvU_dMfDUUVpRxNuCYU_rt3sXFl39j43ASHP_0wubInBqPZTFFeB0IgRiJ6He2hxmrWjmmZE/s320/Final.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<i>The world of M-88 has been plunged into unending war, the likes of which the Tau of the ATT Orbital have never seen before. Despite enormous effort by the Tau, the tellyporta arrays constructed in Ork-held sectors have been activated, and an unstoppable tide of Greenskin reinforcements, equipment and supplies now pours through them as the unimaginably vast Ork invasion forces massed in the outer reaches of the system travels through the tellyportas in earnest. Already the Ork numbers have grown enough for regions to become permamently Ork-infested, Orkoid life becoming rooted beyond what any orbital attack or weapon of mass destruction can remove. </i></div>
<div>
<i><br /></i></div>
<div>
<i>The Tau have managed to halt Ork expansion westwards, but they can claim few other victories. While Ork forces continue to batter themselves against the Tau positions, other Ork armies have begun to look elsewhere for conquest and battle, and the Ork hordes have begun spreading north, south and east beyond the theatre of operations that has been fought over for the last three months. The Tau have been quick to respond, and now both sides are engaged in a series of mutual outflanking actions that are likely to see the conflict spread across much of M-88's surface. </i></div>
<div>
<i><br /></i></div>
<div>
<i>The conflict in space continues to deteriorate for the Tau. Kor'vattra Fleet K-42 has been recalled from the theatre, reassigned to other battles where it is now more urgently needed. In its place a massive force of Tau naval reinforcements has arrived to relieve the embattled Kor'vattra Fleet and supplement Operational Group Or'res'tel'K, which has remained in the system. Despite this influx of reinforcments however Tau naval efforts have met with fewer and fewer successes. All attempts to reopen the two lost reinforcement corridors to M-88 have ended in failure, while more and more Ork warships are beginning to slip into the system's primary biosphere. Though the Tau have mercifully been able to continue intercepting all Ork Roks inbound to M-88, this has become little comfort with the activation of the tellyporta arrays on the surface. </i></div>
<div>
<i><br /></i></div>
<div>
<i>Having grown bored with the conflict, and feeling cheated at being denied his final vengeance for T'saum'Or'Sha'is, Wurrshuv himself has withdrawn to the tellyporta array at Wurrshuv's Krunch and left M-88, departing the system with many of his followers for fresh warfare in destinations yet unknown. Despite this the situation on the surface remains in the balance. While Wurrshuv may no longer be present, vast swathes of the Ork invasion remain loyal to him and continue to fight on under his instructions, unshakable in the belief that their leader will one day return with even larger Ork hordes. Any manpower that may have been lost by the departure of Wurrshuv's core warbands and chieftains has been offset by the arrival of exponentially greater numbers of Orks. Word has now spread through Greenskin civilisation about the enormous battle growing on M-88, drawing Ork warbands from thousands of light-years towards it like moths to the flame as Ork warriors and warbosses strive to get 'A piece ov da Aktion'. Massive Tau reinforcements have been sent to contain the situation, and much like the Imperial world of Armageddon there is no telling when the conflict may finally come to an end, with all analysts and commentators agreeing that the fighting will take dozens if not hundreds of Tau'cyr to resolve, if indeed such an outcome is still possible... </i></div>
<div>
<i><br /></i></div>
<div>
<b>Situation Updates - All Sectors </b></div>
<div>
<b><br /></b></div>
<div>
<b>Plunda Seaz - ORK INFESTED</b> </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBHfBxPsJ7qQzmys_GyidmDKfNlc80Xzut4fMdG0gVjwDlElDfkcEVOOtQMwbqtsrG1Li3oGFC8duNNMPbD9lSIhnCPwcs5HXt-A7AiuvPiJtOtavk2SwvDcRPo04IHhJaCCw56HlcBfY/s1600/He%2527Sho+Seas.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="288" data-original-width="336" height="274" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBHfBxPsJ7qQzmys_GyidmDKfNlc80Xzut4fMdG0gVjwDlElDfkcEVOOtQMwbqtsrG1Li3oGFC8duNNMPbD9lSIhnCPwcs5HXt-A7AiuvPiJtOtavk2SwvDcRPo04IHhJaCCw56HlcBfY/s320/He%2527Sho+Seas.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<i>The activation of the tellyporta array in the He'Sho Seas sealed the decision by Tau commanders active in the region to withdraw, now facing utterly impossible odds as the Orks infest the He'Sho Seas to the core and begin to expand outwards in all directions from it. The final evacuation was performed within days of the tellyporta array's activation and was a complete success, with the surviving Tau forces managing to defend their landing sites around FFG355Y against enormously fierce Ork counterattacks, enduring relentless bombardment by Ork artillery and air power until the remains of the Tau expeditionary force were fully evacuated along with all remaining wounded and as much materiel as possible. Those bodies of fallen Tau warriors and their allies that could be recovered were also extracted for burial and return to their respective peoples respectively, while any equipment and supplies that could not be taken back were dismantled and destroyed to prevent their capture by the Orks. </i></div>
<div>
<i><br /></i></div>
<div>
<i>The evacuation took place over several days, with the final Tau rearguards being extracted by mantas at midnight. The action has abandoned the region to the Orks, who now refer to it as the 'Plunda Seaz' for its vast mineral and energy wealth. Despite this, Tau losses during the evacuation were minimal, and the Tau have been able to salvage most of the remains of the air-landing forces sent to the region. Opinions and feelings vary among the surviving Tau air-landing troops who fought in the area. Some have been left embittered by the operation, feeling that their Enclave bretheren and Empire comrades abandoned them during the campaign and blaming the failure of other Tau forces to adequately support them for the eventual loss of the region. Others instead hold a more positive outlook, instead focusing on their tenacity during the campaign and rightly pointing out that they managed to hold the area around FFG355Y for three months straight against virtually everything the Orks could throw at them. Many observers in the wider Tau Empire and Farsight Enclaves agree that this was a herculean task and a worthy achievement to be commendable of. </i> </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<b>Ork Points:</b> 83 </div>
<div>
<b>Tau Points:</b> 17 </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<b>Mo'vn Plainz - ORK CONTROLLED</b> </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7rhsZqitQM0lZzeGksMq8ba3IIe1spUOjHcxka8SWfm6hERsuyG4-_Tk8MU9hWNXUPDS5BYQ9dov1E3nR07wnWO1IOcl_QsRgcA5SVronubCAFMxAeW30xotcXUddAju0RbDks_Q4JQE/s1600/Mo%2527Hav+Plains.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="396" data-original-width="489" height="259" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7rhsZqitQM0lZzeGksMq8ba3IIe1spUOjHcxka8SWfm6hERsuyG4-_Tk8MU9hWNXUPDS5BYQ9dov1E3nR07wnWO1IOcl_QsRgcA5SVronubCAFMxAeW30xotcXUddAju0RbDks_Q4JQE/s320/Mo%2527Hav+Plains.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<i><br /></i></div>
<div>
<i>Despite the heroic efforts of Operation MONSOON, the Tau have been unable to prevent the activation of the tellyporta arrays built int the northern and southeastern Mo'Hav Plains. The result has been, much like in the neighbouring He'Sho Seas, an overwhelming influx of Ork reinforcements funnelled into the region and a thousandfold increas in Ork presence throughout the area. Newly arriving Ork armies are also now using the region as a springboard for expanding to other areas, and massive Ork migrations have been detected heading north, south and east from the territory, now referred to by the Orks as the 'Mo'vn Plainz'. The influx of reinforcements has combined with continued Ork counterattacks by armoured forces in the south from Test Range Ekko and Gargant Mobs in the north to effectively blunt the progress of Operation MONSOON for the time being. </i></div>
<div>
<i><br /></i></div>
<div>
<i>Despite this, the Tau Coalition Command on M-88 considers Operation MONSOON to be a success. Over weeks of fierce combat the Tau offensive has managed to carve a salient comprising hundreds of square Tor'kan into the Ork-held region, now known as the Monsoon Salient, and prevented the Orks from completely infesting the Mo'Hav region. Heavy Tau reinforcements to the area have managed to thwart all Ork attempts to cut off or overrun the salient, and it has now become a bastion of Tau territory within the Ork-held sectors. Although they failed in their objective of recapturing the Mo'Hav Plains, the commanders and warriors who fought as part of Operation MONSOON have been lauded by Tau observers and media channels as Heroes of The Empire for their triumphs and honourable conduct in battle. Shas'el Kiv'rai'ka'nan, for whom the operation had been designated a Trial By Fire, has failed to achieve the rank of Shas'O, but has nonetheless gained an enormous amount of experience alongside his forces during their successful defence of Operation MONSOON's southern flank against Ork counterattacks and raids on Ork logistics and supply lines. </i></div>
<div>
<i><br /></i></div>
<div>
<b>Ork Points:</b> 72 </div>
<div>
<b>Tau Points:</b> 28 </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<b>Wurrshuv's Krunch - ORK INFESTED</b> </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwybKPwZGTM4sWO_Zjs1dFWAwwaTj4E-Mt6Rul2hOjanieV6K3srePgvoucdXBMxWc9WFcEOeKUq_ctWASN1_rcYq-r60Pw20R6SiQNSlzz80nWxmRfKo8vzds1f_MGLP7nwzv_oGxLy4/s1600/Wurrshuv%2527s+Krunch.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="254" data-original-width="314" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwybKPwZGTM4sWO_Zjs1dFWAwwaTj4E-Mt6Rul2hOjanieV6K3srePgvoucdXBMxWc9WFcEOeKUq_ctWASN1_rcYq-r60Pw20R6SiQNSlzz80nWxmRfKo8vzds1f_MGLP7nwzv_oGxLy4/s1600/Wurrshuv%2527s+Krunch.jpg" /></a></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<i>After a series of titanic battles near the border of the Krunch region, the Tau Guards Cades and their supporting forces that constituted Operation IO has managed to escape Wurrshuv's Krunch, though only at a considerable cost in lives and resources. Having avoided the border regions contaminated by Tau biological warfare, Operation IO was eventually able to succeed in fighting through the southernmost corner of Da Fang and circling back into the Saal'vesa training grounds from the northern Or'vesa region, before making their way back to Fio Starport. Ork resistance was fierce, and vast numbers of Wurrshuv's finest warriors pursued the Tau incursion at every step. Many of these pursuing forces were ultimately annihilated as the retreating Operation IO ran them into large Tau reinforcements arriving from the starport. Following their escape the Guards Cadres and their supporting elements have been evacuated off-world alongside a number of other Tau formations involved in the conflict (including the Gue'vessa training forces known as the Eastern Tigers and Beasts from The East, both of which having been trapped on the planet outside the theatre of operations for the duration of the campaign), which have since been transported out of the system by the departing Kor'vattra fleet K-42 to other assignments where they are more urgently needed. </i></div>
<div>
<i><br /></i></div>
<div>
<i>As they withdraw the forces of Operation IO have left behind them an estimated several thousand Tau prisoners in total taken from various warzones in the theatre of operations on M-88, including a large number of ORBIT captives from the earlier Ork victory near the Krunch-Saal'vesa border. These Tau prisoners of war are now condemned to toil in slave labour producing munitions and supplies for the Ork war machine, or be executed in spectacularly brutal and gruesome ways for the entertainment of the Greenskins and as part of Ork propaganda efforts. Continued influxes of massive Ork reinforcements through the tellyporta array at Wurrshuv's Krunch will make any future attempt at rescue operations for these Tau captives extremely difficult at best. </i></div>
<div>
<i><br /></i></div>
<div>
<i>Wurrshuv may have exited M-88 and its star system, but he has left behind a legacy of violence and destruction that will shadow the planet and the ATT Orbital for generations to come. Ork invaders now swarm across the planet's surface in uncontrollable numbers, while orbital surveillance and Earth Caste ecological surveys have detected growing populations of Feral Orks taking root amongst Orkoid ecosystems in many outlying areas of M-88's landmasses, seeded there from Orkoid spores washed away in the Lake Season rainfall. Despite remaining confused and dismayed at the withdrawal of Operation IO, Wurrshuv himself has taken great pride in being the first warlord to beat the forces the ATT Orbital, and now markets his creations as the weapons and equipment that bested the greatest warriors of the legendary station. Consequently he has found his services in ready demand form many Ork warbosses and warlords across the Eastern Fringe. </i></div>
<div>
<i><br /></i></div>
<div>
<b>Ork Points:</b> 100 </div>
<div>
<b>Tau Points:</b> 0 </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<b>Training Ground Saal'vesa - TAU CONTROLLED </b></div>
<div>
<b><br /></b></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRs32NcO0QRNbK0H49SlCecZezML2FO-pKAFyNX-H1zOH5_4a6k7SyW_y25AZWNSeGZMNhDzDJUp-GxqMIUCs1NdX_lCydnlYLUWCW4U707-NASzDffrEiGFUdgYI4NzYRGnOURgGNFPs/s1600/Saal%2527vesa.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="284" data-original-width="354" height="256" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRs32NcO0QRNbK0H49SlCecZezML2FO-pKAFyNX-H1zOH5_4a6k7SyW_y25AZWNSeGZMNhDzDJUp-GxqMIUCs1NdX_lCydnlYLUWCW4U707-NASzDffrEiGFUdgYI4NzYRGnOURgGNFPs/s320/Saal%2527vesa.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div>
<b><br /></b></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<i>Tau ORBIT forces have managed to successfully break through the encircling Ork cordon around their positions. Acting swiftly in the face of this grave threat, ORBIT commanders identified the weakest link in the closing Ork noose and concentrated their efforts there, targeting the lighter Gretchin Revolutionary Komittee formations to the west. The resulting battle saw the ORBIT cadres decisively smash the rebel Grotz at several key points, routing the Gretchin militias and allowing them to escape towards friendly territory. The ORBIT forces then linked up with a massive wave of Tau reinforcements landed from Fio Starport, which covered their retreat and destroyed the pursuing Ork forces. The ORBIT forces have since been withdrawn from the theatre and reassigned to the ATT Orbital. </i></div>
<div>
<i><br /></i></div>
<div>
<i>The conflict has left the Tau ORBIT forces with a checkered legacy. While their early successes in the fighting continue to be lauded by many media channels, the ORBIT cadres remain unable to escape the lingering damage suffered to their reputation from their catastrophic defeat near the Saal'vesa/Krunch border. This has been further compounded by the excessive force they have employed in the weeks and months following the defeat, up to the use of wide-scale biological warfare, leaving many to question the stability of the ORBIT commanders in the wake of such a serious loss. Ultimately, for every Tau who associates the ORBIT cadres with triumphs like Blood Ridge and images of Tau walkers standing triumphant over the remains of Ork Stompas, there is another who associates them with the defeat of the border region and images of ORBIT warriors in full retreat past burning wrecks of Tau vehicles and battlesuits, or the horrifying ecological damage wrought from the ORBIT biological warfare attacks. This has left the ORBIT forces as an extremely divisive subject amongst the wider Tau Empire, with supporters amongst the stronger Imperialist elements of the Empire's populace and equally strong critics and detractors from the Empire's Populist segments. Investigations into the actions of the ORBIT cadres have thus far found no cause for Censure, however a small but vocal number of Tau hold lingering suspicions that the ORBIT commanders have only managed to escape more serious repercussions through political connections and favour among the Tau Empire's Imperialist elite. </i></div>
<div>
<i><br /></i></div>
<div>
<i>Nonetheless, the ORBIT forces have played an important role in the defence of the Saal'vesa training grounds, and their actions have helped to contain the Ork advance westwards and prevent the Empire Sector from being completely overrun. Heavy Tau reinforcements have now secured much of the Saal'vesa region, driving large-scale organised Ork resistance out of the area save for a few isolated pockets along the region's southeastern border. </i></div>
<div>
<i><br /></i></div>
<div>
<i>Elsewhere in the Saal'vesa training grounds, the Enclave special forces unit known as Covert Ops Team 24-C has finally engaged with the Ork assassin known as Da Predata. After an extended period of observation and covert stalking of the Gue'vessa operatives, Da Predata finally launched a surprise attack on the team which resulted in a series of cat-and-mouse hunts and ambushes that have seen all involved combatants heavily wounded. The operatives of Covert Ops Team 24-C were able to be successfully extracted and are currently recovering in the ATT Orbital's infirmary wing, with a full recovery expected in the immediate future. The whereabouts of Da Preadata are unknown at present, but it is unlikely that the Ork will remain hidden for long... </i></div>
<div>
<i><br /></i></div>
<div>
<b>Ork Points:</b> 23 </div>
<div>
<b>Tau Points:</b> 77 </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<b>Training Centre Or'vesa - TAU CONTROLLED</b> </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLkE7NVieECV5BZ9gkakQCWPDnMA0Os48jWKvbSPuPbbMk6NtCdd9Tt5gk1hMX1H2yVd-VFmaloZZuxS73iurbA9yOub6jSDyFwvoWOZoGwnXC32JFl4MyBesNoCP3jPxg-_OsPaBESa4/s1600/Or%2527vesa.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="270" data-original-width="342" height="252" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLkE7NVieECV5BZ9gkakQCWPDnMA0Os48jWKvbSPuPbbMk6NtCdd9Tt5gk1hMX1H2yVd-VFmaloZZuxS73iurbA9yOub6jSDyFwvoWOZoGwnXC32JFl4MyBesNoCP3jPxg-_OsPaBESa4/s320/Or%2527vesa.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<i>The takeover of the tellyporta array by the renegade Northern Raiders has plunged Da Fang into chaos. Wurrshuv-loyalist Ork forces have stormed into the Ork settlements and citadels constructed within Da Fang with orders to crush the renegade hordes and bring the Ork salient to heel. The result has seen every settlment, outpost, villiage, fortress and stronghold constructed by the Orks in the region wracked with unimaginably vicious street-fighting between the two Ork factions. Losses on both sides have been extremely heavy, and thus far no side has been able to gain the upper hand with the Northern Raiders' advantages in motivation, force diversity, experience and knowledge of the local terrain being offset by the Wurrshuv loyalists' advantages in heavy weapons, numbers, equipment and logistics support. To strengthen their position the Northern Raiders have activated the tellyporta array within Da Fang under their own control, using it to bring in reinforcements from those Ork invaders in the outer reaches of the system who are sympathetic to the Northern Raiders' cause. </i></div>
<div>
<i><br /></i></div>
<div>
<i>The only thing the two Ork factions can both agree on is their shared hatred of and continued struggle against the Tau, and thus far all attempts made by the Tau to exploit this rift amongst the Orks has ended in failure, with both sides uniting to repel Tau offensives and incursions into Da Fang with shocking force before resuming their infighting. Thus far the fratricidal Greenskin conflict has remained confined to the northern Or'vesa region, but some Tau analysts are beginning to wonder if it will spread to other areas of the planet as the Orks continue to migrate around the Tau positions to the west. </i></div>
<div>
<i><br /></i></div>
<div>
<i>The conflict has taken a heavy toll on the Enclave Sector, and the area surrounding Training Centre Or'vesa is now littered with the wreckage of Tau and Ork vehicles and the final resting places of Tau and Ork warriors. One of the few parties who can truly claim to have prospered in this environment is the Snakebite hordes commanded by Old Smashafist, who have thrived in the warzone and consistently outfought their Enclave adversaries. Old Shmashafist has been comfortably able to boast to his peers about his forces claiming the lion's share of Tau kills amongst the Snakebite forces on M-88, and Old Smashafist has since left M-88 with his armies and departed the system for fresh conquests elsewhere. Several other Ork forces from the Northern Raiders have followed this example. </i></div>
<div>
<i><br /></i></div>
<div>
<b>Ork Points:</b> 35 </div>
<div>
<b>Tau Points:</b> 65 </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<b>Fio Starport - TAU CONTROLLED</b> </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkNQyEjkWHltWf9WnVAsMlN161HTBJtwBwB4APCjTsc6gxQpi7hQZE7u6xmeUTve2lRdAgxFBJ8W8QJg24c3_XUkvHiU0-l7-GN4bzJEyR3eWPdEQrvChN_CjAs7g9PE94CODp6gOj8Aw/s1600/Fio+Starport.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="276" data-original-width="358" height="246" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkNQyEjkWHltWf9WnVAsMlN161HTBJtwBwB4APCjTsc6gxQpi7hQZE7u6xmeUTve2lRdAgxFBJ8W8QJg24c3_XUkvHiU0-l7-GN4bzJEyR3eWPdEQrvChN_CjAs7g9PE94CODp6gOj8Aw/s320/Fio+Starport.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<i><br /></i></div>
<div>
<i>Vast armies have been landed at Fio Starport, comprising hundreds of thousands of Fire Warriors and auxiliary troops. More arrive now constantly, with exponentially growing numbers of troops and equipment being committed to the conflict as the Tau Empire struggles to contain the situation on M-88. The majority of these reinforcements consist of ground forces, and have reinforced all Tau controlled areas within the theatre of operations against continued Ork attacks, while others have been deployed outside the theatre in an attempt to check the rapidly accelerating expansion of the Ork migrations on the surface. Also included are a full complement of Tau superheavy assets comprising additional Manta squadrons, Moray flights, Tiger Shark AX-1-0s and Scorpionfish missile carriers to supplement the Lionfish heavy gunships and Stingray heavy missile gunships already deployed in numbers on the surface against the growing numbers of Ork Gargants encountered. These assets have been deployed to all sectors, and Tau Mantas and Morays duelling with Ork titans is an increasingly common sight on the front lines. </i></div>
<div>
<i><br /></i></div>
<div>
<i>These heavy reinforcements have been able to drive back the Ork incursion into the region surrounding Fio Starport, trapping the Greenskins between themselves and the incoming Guards Cadres of Operation IO. The resulting engagement saw the attacking Orks utterly annihilated before the reinforcement formations covered Operation IO's withdrawal to Fio Starport, eliminating the Ork forces in pursuit. Other newly arrived Tau forces have been assigned to seeking out and destroying the marauding bands of Spektas that still remain within the region. In the face of such overwhelming Tau forces the Spekta mobs have begun to withdraw from the region, ravaging outlying Tau outposts and infrastructure in their way in an orgy of looting and mayhem and bringing as much stolen Tau war materiel as they can carry with them as they cross back into Ork-controlled territory. </i></div>
<div>
<i><br /></i></div>
<div>
<i>In the aftermath of this latest phase of the conflict on M-88, the Tau leadership is struggling to understand the course of events in more depth. Hard questions are being asked about the management of the Tau war effort, and about what the next moves of the Tau forces on the planet should be. The ATT Orbital command staff is also beginning to plan around the developments, relocating training exercises scheduled soon to areas not threatened by Ork expansion. The possibility of using the embattled Orks to hone the fighting skills of Tau military forces assigned to study at the ATT Orbital is also being discussed.</i></div>
<div>
<i><br /></i></div>
<div>
<b>Ork Points:</b> 0 </div>
<div>
<b>Tau Points:</b> 100 </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>Final Ork Campaign Points:</b> 4 </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>Final Tau Campaign Points:</b> 4 </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>Campaign Result: Draw</b> </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLJudV3bfikjY38v1OL-tT2fkOFn1zs9JKcpO15bvx6uOMyubm-AYlChgLXdkBDp5sA4_oBj_U3RYwc-cslusdg-wxzL8HYqch7PDfyOIJTnXugg9eYropa-kZykLkV0rrByFEm46jIoU/s1600/Looting.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="504" data-original-width="583" height="276" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLJudV3bfikjY38v1OL-tT2fkOFn1zs9JKcpO15bvx6uOMyubm-AYlChgLXdkBDp5sA4_oBj_U3RYwc-cslusdg-wxzL8HYqch7PDfyOIJTnXugg9eYropa-kZykLkV0rrByFEm46jIoU/s320/Looting.png" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<h3 style="text-align: left;">
Campaign Analysis of Ork Invasion Strategy on M-88 </h3>
<div>
<i>Subsequent studies of the Ork invasion plans used by Wurrshuv indicates a surprisingly sophisticated strategy vastly more advanced than what is typically encountered amongst the Greenskins. Following the initial landing of his Rok invasion transport and the subsequent assault of the Ork Speed Freak vanguard elements (itself an excellent method of both securing the initial Ork landing site and thinning out Wurrshuv's internal rivals), Wurrshuv initially adopted a strategy of carefully massing his forces and supplies until he could confidently attack with overwhelming force. This method proved highly successful in the initial stages of the Ork invasion, allowing Wurrshuv to conquer the He'Sho Seas with relatively little difficulty. </i></div>
<div>
<i><br /></i></div>
<div>
<i>While effective, this initial approach ran counter the natural instincts of the Ork species, which quickly began to cause dissension among the ranks of Wurrshuv's forces that eventually resulted in the formation of the Northern Raiders, a rift which ultimately never fully recovered. This crisis, however, proved an excellent illustration of Wurrshuv's surprisingly capable problem solving skills. Whether by natural instinct or deliberate design, Wurrshuv allowed the dissident Orks to launch their own attack on a seperate axis from Wurrshuv's own planned route of advance, with the net result of opening a second front against the Tau forces and thus forcing the Tau to spread themselves more thinly on the ground, further enhancing one of the major advantages Wurrshuv's armies had - overwhelming numbers. </i></div>
<div>
<i><br /></i></div>
<div>
<i>When Wurrshuv's main offensive began, progress was initially slow. Ultimately the overwhelming majority of warbosses and chieftains under Wurrshuv's command were reluctant to use their own initiative when attacking. The result was a considerable window where the Orks could have lost the overall strategic initiative. Acting fast, Wurrshuv's solution was simple. He centralised all Ork command decisions and assumed direct control over the Ork offensives - if his subordinates would not attack without his explicit instructions, then he would give them all the instructions they could ever ask for! </i></div>
<div>
<i><br /></i></div>
<div>
<i>This enabled the Orks to retain the strategic initiative, an advantage that Wurrshuv ruthlessly exploited. For most of the campaign the Orks were able to force the Tau to fight on their terms, choosing when and where to attack and throwing the Tau defence into chaos. Ultimately Wurrshuv was able to become strongly entrenched within the decision-cycle of the Tau Coalition Command, which proved fatal to the Tau efforts to remove the Orks from M-88. </i></div>
<div>
<i><br /></i></div>
<div>
<i>While the Tau focused their efforts on tactical actions, Wurrshuv appears to have sought to defeat the Tau at the operational and strategic levels. It is unclear at this time how conscious Wurrshuv's reasoning was towards this decision, but whatever the case may be it appears that Wurrshuv recognised the lack of initiative in many of his subordinates as a tactical liability. However, by rigidly controlling their actions with centralised command, Wurrshuv was able to channel their efforts towards an overall victory by directing efforts in areas that would afford maximum damage, sacrificing a degree of tactical success for greater overall progress at the higher levels of warfare. </i></div>
<div>
<i><br /></i></div>
<div>
<i>Wurrshuv's offensive plans were, as is characteristic of many aspects of Orks, simple but brutally effective. After initial attacks identified the concentrations of Tau defences and their capabilities, Wurrshuv directed the Ork follow-on forces to where they would do most good, feeding lower quality formations into the more powerful Tau forces to keep them tied down while the top-rated Ork armies attacked more poorly defended areas. This enabled the Orks to circumvent and then cut off and surround the strongest Tau forces and undermine Tau defences to deadly effect. Wurrshuv also took great efforts to utilise his considerable air power and special forces capabilities to good effect, using them to mount deep strikes on the Tau rear echelons, targeting concentrations of reserves and supplies, communication nodes, power grids and other assets to further weaken Tau defensive efforts. In the later stages of the conflict these attacks were also supplemented with air and artillery scattered minefields, believed to be a relatively recent innovation for the Orks. </i></div>
<div>
<i><br /></i></div>
<div>
<i>On the tactical level Wurrshuv and his forces made excellent use of captured Tau equipment, whether turned directly against its former users or incorporated into Ork designs. Wurrshuv displayed a keen understanding of both Tau technology and Fire Caste combat doctrine, and devised a number of countermeasures to exploit it. The most dramatic example was of course the infamous Beepy Gubbinz electronic defence systems that exploited the widespread use of IFF technology in Tau weapon systems to prevent Ork units from being targeted, but other examples are also widely apparent, such as the use of Traktor-Grappla devices to neutralise the Tau's advantage in weapon range and the use of captured cloaking devices to enhance the infiltration capabilities of Kommando units. </i></div>
<div>
<i><br /></i></div>
<div>
<i>Finally, Wurrshuv also displayed a significant appreciation for the importance of logistics in an extended war of conquest. It is particularly notable that after securing his initial landing site Wurrshuv's first target was the He'Sho Seas, an area well known to be exceptonally rich in minerals, metal ores and fossil fuels. It is still widely speculated that Wurrshuv or one of his Mek acolytes may have devised some means of detecting this abundance of natural resources while on planetary approach or final descent, allowing the Orks to steer their landing towards it. Though this has still yet to be confirmed, it would fit well with Wurrshuv's affinity for advanced technology and sensor equipment. Likewise, Wurrshuv placed great emphasis on effective supply lines, putting much effort into creating an efficient road network between Ork territory and amassing an unimaginably vast fleet of supply trucks and pack animals alongside the more well-known Tanka and Krawla superheavy logistics transports. In an excellent display of incorporating multiple system redundancies, it is well known in Tau intelligence circles that over 50% of the Ork logistics fleet - including either the entire force of tankas and krawlas or the all conventional transport vehicles - could be destroyed and Wurrshuv's armies would have remained fully supplied at almost all times. </i></div>
<div>
<i><br /></i></div>
<div>
<i>In conclusion, Wurrshuv's war effort throughout the campaign displayed an exceptional talent for grand strategy and the operational art of warfare, and is a strong testament to the grave danger Wurrshuv poses for the Tau Empire. It is believed by many Tau analysts that Wurrshuv may only be the first Ork to begin adapting to prolonged exposure to the Tau, and as time goes on more Ork warlords may follow his examples. </i></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEho4cg_MGtH_df2rPFOOqzAiLq7i8sq4qO2OKI2AorjX8RtSS0ehkBojOratcPWilLCSj8w787GVQxY90CvDpXCTKatvuVekN4ZEtf10HqFLh4TwlCwAoO6ZhQcZ72DzaEB0Kc41mPvqoA/s1600/Ork_Symbol_v1.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="416" data-original-width="414" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEho4cg_MGtH_df2rPFOOqzAiLq7i8sq4qO2OKI2AorjX8RtSS0ehkBojOratcPWilLCSj8w787GVQxY90CvDpXCTKatvuVekN4ZEtf10HqFLh4TwlCwAoO6ZhQcZ72DzaEB0Kc41mPvqoA/s320/Ork_Symbol_v1.png" width="318" /></a></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<h3>
Campaign Analysis of Tau Defensive Strategy on M-88</h3>
<div>
<i>For most of the campaign the Tau defence effort was focused almost entirely at the tactical level. Even after their initial defeat at the Ork landing site and the fall of the He'Sho Seas, it appears from analysis of transcripts and communiques that the majority of Tau commanders active on M-88 continued to underestimate the Ork invaders, thinking them to be incapable of large-scale coordinated actions. This was to ultimately prove a deadly mistake. As a result of this hubris, the Tau made no real effort at planning on the operational and strategic level, believing that a simple string of tactical victories would be sufficient to break the Orks' will to continue fighting. The result was that Tau cadres often found themselves outmanoeuvred by the Orks despite never being defeated themselves in open conventional battle. </i></div>
<div>
<i><br /></i></div>
<div>
<i>These problems were only further compounded by the command and control structure adopted by the Tau for the campaign, a very confusing system that never made it clear exactly who was in command of what and whom. It appears that this command structure was a major factor in preventing the Tau from capitalising on many of their advantages and seriously inhibited attempts to form a coherent strategy. These communications breakdowns also resulted in the Tau being dangerously slow to adapt to the new technologies used by Wurrshuv's forces, most notably the Ork Beepy Gubbinz countermeasures and cloaking-field equipped Spekta commandos. </i></div>
<div>
<i><br /></i></div>
<div>
<i>These factors led to the Tau squandering most of their reserves and supply resources in local counterattacks that did little to achieve the Tau's strategic goal of driving the Orks from the surface of M-88. Worse still, the Tau failed to effectively use one of their greatest assets - a high degree of initiative amongst their leadership. Instead the Tau forces adopted an almost entirely defensive posture that effectively ceded strategic initiative over to the Orks and left the Tau reacting to Ork movements rather than making taking their own proactive actions for over half of the conflict. Some Tau commanders realised the folly of this approach early, leading to the ill-fated Tau air-landing offensive into the He'Sho Seas, but a lack of coordination left these attacks almost completely unsupported, stopping them from making much headway in their objectives. </i></div>
<div>
<i><br /></i></div>
<div>
<i>On the tactical level the Tau proved exceptionally lethal, and many Tau forces found themselves achieving extremely lopsided kill ratios in their favour. Though a number of Tau cadres suffered few or no tactical defeats, the lack of a coherent strategy prevented the Tau from turning this tactical success into operational and strategic gains. In the end, the Tau attempted to defend everywhere, and thus defended nowhere. </i></div>
<div>
<i><br /></i></div>
<div>
<i>In many ways the Tau can be seen to have acted as an obliging enemy for the invading Orks. The overemphasis the Tau placed on tactical level actions left them open to the operational and strategic level explotations required by Wurrshuv to make the most of the limited personal initiative of his subordinates, and allowed Wurrshuv to easily get inside the decision-cycle of the Tau leadership. All too often the Tau commanders on the ground succumbed to threat overload and doubled down on defensive actions when an offensive would have been more helpful to the strategic goals of the Tau. </i></div>
<div>
<i><br /></i></div>
<div>
<i>One area where the Tau consistently performed well was in space. Unlike the ground war, the Air Caste naval operations were highly coordinated, with a well-streamlined command structure. The Kor'vattra vessels of fleet K-42 in particular served with distinction, and are directly responsible for ensuring no further Ork roks ever reached the surface of M-88. Initially the Tau fleet was hamstrung by a lack of resources to cover against the twin threats of the Ork roks and Freeboota warships, with Kor'vattra fleet K-42's focus on intercepting Ork roks resulting in a number of Tau reinforcement convoys falling prey to Freeboota commerce raiders. Once additional ships arrived in the form of Operational Group Or'res'tel'K, the situation was soon rectified and the Tau were able to secure command of the system's primary biosphere for most of the campaign, their naval superiority only broken during the final concerted Ork offensive in space. </i></div>
<div>
<i><br /></i></div>
<div>
<i>After a month of little progress, Tau commanders on the ground began to make drastic changes. The cumbersome command and control structure in place since the conflict's start was replaced with a considerably more streamlined version, and after a number of high-level meetings the Tau began to make coordinated offensives into Ork territory. The results were immediate, giving rise to the success of two major Tau offensives in Operations MONSOON and IO. This ultimately proved the importance of effective coordination and a focus on operational level warfare during extended campaigns, but in the end proved too late to decisively break the solidly entrenched Orks before they could activate more tellyporta arrays, at which point Ork infestation levels in the theatre of operations on M-88 reached critical mass. </i></div>
<div>
<i><br /></i></div>
<div>
<i><br /></i></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfFTdb2bXSANr4ymEFydEcqygQxjDQoKzOIg-FKL5rpZOwKg6TWTAFx6QPc-uXJ4xo0yHGnRm4NU8MpxBr5oc-8QVDpTwPFHNYDsV0HiKPUHimUqO9BoHISieWcGgPX8hgUsXhcEC1pBM/s1600/Tau_Symbol_v1.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="377" data-original-width="377" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfFTdb2bXSANr4ymEFydEcqygQxjDQoKzOIg-FKL5rpZOwKg6TWTAFx6QPc-uXJ4xo0yHGnRm4NU8MpxBr5oc-8QVDpTwPFHNYDsV0HiKPUHimUqO9BoHISieWcGgPX8hgUsXhcEC1pBM/s320/Tau_Symbol_v1.png" width="320" /></a></div>
<div>
<br /><i><br /></i></div>
<div>
<i><br /></i></div>
<div>
<i>"In the end, victory in war does not come from winning every battle. It comes from winning the right battles." </i></div>
<div>
<i><br /></i></div>
<div>
<i>- Shas'O'T'au Kais'Ka'Eoro'Da'Anuk, Guards Cadre commander</i></div>
<div>
<i><br /></i></div>
MillitantGuerillaCommunistHippiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13565203522225127317noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5420460147318382021.post-91570546311915926672018-08-05T06:01:00.000-07:002018-08-05T06:01:35.930-07:00Wurrshuv's Revenge - Week 13<h2 style="text-align: center;">
Wurrshuv's Revenge - An ATT Campaign </h2>
<h3 style="text-align: center;">
Week 13 </h3>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOxaRhqGMBQHE7H2wh31TSjzkX_SiDi89NSGZ6PuO-O94KbBmXCP4VokHQwRDwprKX6jACxmIek-SLG48Xt2r5p7zeCnZewmVEHfG4qdwYX122cc-P6kNKNSCzDkwGhUZm63JIew9h5qI/s1600/Week+13.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1047" data-original-width="1398" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOxaRhqGMBQHE7H2wh31TSjzkX_SiDi89NSGZ6PuO-O94KbBmXCP4VokHQwRDwprKX6jACxmIek-SLG48Xt2r5p7zeCnZewmVEHfG4qdwYX122cc-P6kNKNSCzDkwGhUZm63JIew9h5qI/s320/Week+13.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<i>The end is nigh on M-88. The titanic struggle between the Tau and Orks is now in it's final blood-soaked twilight, and both sides launch their final decisive blows. Rising from the heart of the Greenskins' settlements and fortresses, the Ork tellyporta arrays are now fully functional, and the Tau now fight frantically to destroy them before they are activated. The Orks, in turn, are now confident with the knowledge that massive reinforcements are imminent, and have emptied their reserves into shattering the Tau once and for all. Millions of Greenskins have now surged from their settlements and strongholds to rampage across the surface of M-88, and the Tau have been thrown into retreat in multiple sectors. </i></div>
<div>
<i><br /></i></div>
<div>
<i>In space Ork warships continue to flood the inner system. Freeboota fleets have succeeded in shutting down one of the Empire reinforcement corridors to M-88, and continue to maintain a stranglehold on one of the two Enclave reinforcement corridors. This has effectively halved the Tau reinforcement and resupply capacity for the conflict. Tau fleet elements mount counter-attacks where they can, but there seems to be no end to the number of Ork vessels overrunning the system. Kor'vattra fleet K-42 continues to see success at intercepting further Roks. </i></div>
<div>
<i><br /></i></div>
<div>
<b>Situation Updates - All Sectors</b> </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<b>He'Sho Seas - ORK CONTROLLED</b> </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<i>With no sign of imminent relief and in the face of spiralling casualty rates, the Tau commanders in the He'Sho Seas have determined that their remaining resources are insufficient for the task set them, and have ordered a withdrawal from the region. In response surviving Tau elements in the He'Sho Seas have ceased offensive operations and begun falling back to the Tau landing sites around FFG355Y for evacuation. The result has seen a growing concentration of Tau forces around FFG355Y as Tau elements filter back to the landing sites and await evacuation. </i></div>
<div>
<i><br /></i></div>
<div>
<i>The Orks have offered no respite for the spent Tau air-landing forces, and continue to mount vice-like pressure against the Tau incursion. The Ork settlements within the He'Sho Seas have dispatched many of the reserves stationed there to reinforce the already immense Ork armies hounding the Tau, whose advance has been slowed only by a series of desperate rearguard actions by Tau troops. Although these rearguards have prevented the Orks from overrunning the Tau evacuation zones thus far, they have failed to stop the Orks from surrounding Tau positions. Ork airstrikes under Linebakka mercilessly strafe and bomb the landing sites during spells of fair weather, and Ork artillery has begun relentlessly hammering the Tau while they wait for transport to arrive. </i></div>
<div>
<i><br /></i></div>
<div>
<b>Ork Points:</b> 83 </div>
<div>
<b>Tau Points:</b> 17 </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<b>Mo'Hav Plains - ORK CONTROLLED</b> </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<i>Determined to prevent the local tellyporta arrays from ever coming online, Operation MONSOON continues to sweep through the Mo'Hav Plains with its campaign of 'Settlement hopping'. With the tellyporta arrays functional, the Tau are able to distinguish the genuine tellyportas from their replica decoys by analysing the energy signatures as the tellyporta arrays begin to power up, allowing them to concentrate all force on the devices. This has drawn the Tau into a seemingly endless cycle of blood-soaked and horrifically bitter street fighting within the Ork settlements and fortresses housing tellyporta arrays. Losses have been extremely heavy on both sides, with the Tau's growing experience in combat within the confines of an Ork settlement being offset by the defending Orks' intimate knowledge of the layout of their strongholds and a fanatical drive to defend their homes and livelihoods. The veteran core of the Gretchin Revolutionary Komittee forces fighting on M-88 have proven particularly effective here, with their experience in Orkish street-fighting on Gorkamorka giving them a decisive edge while being able to match and even defeat Tau in close quarters combat. </i></div>
<div>
<i><br /></i></div>
<div>
<i>As Operation MONSOON continues to push east, Ork counterattacks from Test Range Ekko keep its southward progress checked, allowing Greenskin forces to continue to move through the Mo'Hav Plains into Tau territory. Ork fighta-bommers flying under Linebakka continue to pummel Operation MONSOON's supply lines and rear echelons during periods of fair weather. Worst of all, however, is the events in the north, as the lead elements of the Gargant mobs deployed to the Mo'Hav Plains have finally made contact with Operation MONSOON. The initial attacks from the Ork titans have proven devastating on Operation MONSOON's northern elements, and all Tau attempts to resist them have thus far ended in failure. It is feared that the Gargants may be unstoppable... </i></div>
<div>
<i><br /></i></div>
<div>
<b>Ork Points:</b> 72 </div>
<div>
<b>Tau Points:</b> 28 </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<b>Wurrshuv's Krunch - ORK CONTROLLED</b> </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<i>Operation IO's fate has been thrown into jeopardy. Shas'O'T'au Kais'ka'Eoro'Da'Anuk has been forced to abandon his carefully laid exit strategy for his troops after their escape route into the Saal'vesa training grounds was compromised by Tau weapon strikes. The Guards Cadres were able to detect the biological weapon attacks before they could run into the contaminated areas, and have managed to avoid any exposure to the biological agents, changing their route of march to take them due west towards Fio Starport. This is expected to delay the breakout of Operation IO, but much of the original withdrawal plan has been able to be salvaged. </i></div>
<div>
<i><br /></i></div>
<div>
<i>This has been the only consolation for the Tau forces involved with Operation IO. The delay brought on by the diversion has enabled the Ork forces pursuing the Guards Cadres to overtake and encircle the Tau, and the Guards Cadres now face the very real proposition of being cut off and surrounded by Wurrshuv's most fearsome armies. Supplies are beginning to run low and casualty rates continue to rise. Nonetheless, Operation IO has succeeded in drawing away most of the Ork forces In a position to attack Operation MONSOON from the north-west, and the ATT Shas'ar'tol is considering the possibility of exploiting this vulnerability with a follow-on offensive into the Krunch region to relieve pressure on Operation IO and allow the Guards Cadres and their support to escape. </i></div>
<div>
<i><br /></i></div>
<div>
<b>Ork Points:</b> 100 </div>
<div>
<b>Tau Points:</b> 0 </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<b>Training Ground Saal'vesa - TAU CONTROLLED</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
<i>In a desperate bid to stem the unstoppable Greenskin hordes pouring into the Saal'vesa training grounds, Tau ORBIT forces have resorted to the use of weapons of mass destruction. ORBIT forces have launched biological weapon strikes along much of the border between the Saal'vesa region and Wurrshuv's Krunch, contaminating large swathes of land with 'smart-virus' agents developed under ORBIT supervision. These biological weapon attacks have been employed in conjunction with a number of heavy-duty fusion charges placed at strategic points by ORBIT engineers and detonated to restrict Ork troop movements. </i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>In response the Orks already present within the Saal'vesa region have dug in around the ORBIT positions, creating a formidable network of fortifications that has proven highly resistant to attacks. Infantry-based counterattacks by ORBIT forces have achieved a limited penetration of the Ork defence lines, but at the cost of staggering losses. This has in turn lead the ORBIT commanders to requisition superheavy units to support further offensives, and subsequent ORBIT offensives have been supported by experimental superheavy walkers deployed by the Tau. These assets have proven successful in combat, most notably engaging and destroying a number of Ork stompas in several pre-dawn engagements. The aftermath of one such engagement has been captured on film by an embedded Water Caste journalist and gained notability as part of a renewed propaganda campaign, however the ORBIT forces still retain a reputation for excessive force, with images of the desolation wrought by their biological weapon strikes and extensive demolitions sending just as strong a message amongst the more moderate elements of the Tau Empire. </i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>The Ork retaliation has been swift. Ork aircraft flying in fair weather periods have staged bombing missions on Tau support facilities in the area, destroying the Tau superheavy walkers in their bases. Ork fighta-bommers have also mounted interdiction missions on Tau superheavy walkers travelling between battles, destroying them with tankbusta rokkits. A number of Tau observers, analysts and veterans have noted a grim irony in seeing their superheavy units being countered by air attack. These air raids have been employed in conjunction with a renewed Ork ground offensive from Test Range Ekko in the south-west that has managed to flank the ORBIT positions entirely. Led by a Grotzkreig of Gretchin Revolutionary Komittee Republikan Guard armoured formations supported by thousands of Ork warbands, the offensive has managed to encircle the ORBIT forces, trapping them against the Ork defence lines. Gargant mobs also continue to roam the Saal'vesa region. It remains to be seen whether the ORBIT forces can manage a breakthrough from their isolated pocket... </i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<b>Ork Points:</b> 24<br />
<b>Tau Points:</b> 76<br />
<br />
<b>Training Centre Or'vesa - TAU CONTROLLED</b><br />
<br />
<i>Enclave forces counterattacking in the region surrounding Training Centre Or'vesa have begun to make increasing headway against the Orks. Most notable of these successes is the destruction of a number of Ork Gargants and Great Gargants, among the first Ork titans deployed to the northern Or'vesa region, </i><i>with repeated tracer missile strikes</i><i>. Enclave forces have managed to push back the recent Ork advances in several sectors, but thus far remain unable to penetrate Da Fang. </i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>The reason behind the recent Tau successes around Training Centre Or'vesa lie in internal strife amongst the Greenskins, which has now finally come to a head. Chafing under the increasingly repressive methods of Wurrshuv's Tech-Nob enforcers, disenchanted with Wurrshuv's obsession with technology and convinced by their recent success that the Big Mek has outlived his usefulness, the Northern Raiders have declared themselves independent of Wurrshuv, and established Da Fang as a Free State. Wurrshuv's Tech-Nobz have locked down as many settlements as they can, but vast swathes of Da Fang have erupted into open revolt against Wurrshuv. Countless settlements and fortresses have been engulfed in mass rioting and brawling, caused as much by Orks celebrating their new freedom as they are by clashes with those Greenskins who remain loyal to Wurrshuv. Worst of all, Northern Raider rebels have seized the tellyporta array constructed in Da Fang, and are preparing to use it to bring forth reinforcements for their cause. </i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>In response, the vast armoured formations massed on the edge of Wurrshuv's Krunch have crossed over the border into Da Fang, and Tau orbital and aerial surveillance shows vast numbers of Wurrshuv-loyal armoured forces advancing on the renegade settlements and fortresses at speed. It seems that internecine Ork confrontation in the Or'vesa region is now inevitable... </i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<b>Ork Points:</b> 35<br />
<b>Tau Points:</b> 65<br />
<br />
<b>Fio Starport - TAU CONTROLLED</b><br />
<br />
<i>Over three months since the beginning of the conflict, the scenario most feared by the Tau has finally come to pass. Acting as part of the latest and most ambitious offensive by the Orks, conventional Ork forces have launched an incursion into the region surrounding Fio Starport. This attack has exploited the lack of defences surrounding Fio Starport in the aftermath of the grav-smasha strikes on the region, as well as the efforts of marauding Spekta mobs that continue to roam the area, and is at least in part an attempt by Wurrshuv to prevent any escape for Operation IO. Like the Spektas before them, the Ork warbands mounting this offensive have taken fierce pride in having the honour of leading the first major assault on the Tau's main planetside stronghold, and morale remains high. The Tau stealth cadres deployed to the region to counter Spekta activity have been optimised for operations against special forces and are ill-equipped to face the large well-armed and highly motivated conventional forces they now find themselves confronting, and the ATT Shas'ar'tol is desperately searching for a solution to halt the Ork incursion. </i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>More positive news has come for the Tau in the air. The Earth Caste has now completed their new network of airbases, and Tau combat aircraft numbers in the theatre of operations have grown large enough for the Tau to begin combat operations in fair weather conditions. These sorties have been limited in scope so far, and the Tau remain a long way from achieving air parity in the face of the Ork advantages in numbers and pilot skill among veteran flyboyz, but the Tau have nonetheless been able to achieve a handful of aerial wins in the brief periods of fair weather while retaining the advantage in poor weather conditions. </i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<b>Ork Points:</b> 0<br />
<b>Tau Points:</b> 100<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>Ork Campaign Points:</b> 4 </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>Tau Campaign Points:</b> 4 </div>
</div>
MillitantGuerillaCommunistHippiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13565203522225127317noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5420460147318382021.post-77781696448514487972018-07-24T17:27:00.001-07:002018-07-24T17:28:30.005-07:00Wurrshuv's Revenge - Week 12<h2 style="text-align: center;">
Wurrshuv's Revenge - An ATT Campaign </h2>
<h3 style="text-align: center;">
Week 12 </h3>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwefFRQMfZ3_a-KBWCsaghVIWXIdL6-41BW-VY4D1NR-7FZr6TrZ9prgIRGF3YBeTUkh7e5H0dWuovR6TmMCuw4ktgrQmRJnYiHLfuwv81RZKQqPGXv8QUaDVPHjCIKLTfZecinz4F6so/s1600/Week+12.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1047" data-original-width="1398" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwefFRQMfZ3_a-KBWCsaghVIWXIdL6-41BW-VY4D1NR-7FZr6TrZ9prgIRGF3YBeTUkh7e5H0dWuovR6TmMCuw4ktgrQmRJnYiHLfuwv81RZKQqPGXv8QUaDVPHjCIKLTfZecinz4F6so/s320/Week+12.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<i>The titanic struggle between the Tau and Orks on M-88 has now reached its apocalyptic climax. The Ork tellyporta arrays are almost operational, and the Tau have thrown every available force they have at the Orks in a desperate bid to destroy them before they are activated. Many arrays have been lost, but more still remain intact, and even one holds the capacity to infest a region with Greenskins to the point where it will never be free. The Orks in turn have fought back with unbridled ferocity, defending their homes from Tau attacks and assaulting Tau forces with fanatical drive, sensing that their victory is now within grasp. Wurrshuv himself has taken to the field of battle aboard his personal battlefortress intent on hunting down his hated enemy. The fate of M-88 now hangs in the balance. </i></div>
<div>
<i><br /></i></div>
<div>
<i>In space the Tau fleet has found itself stretched thin once again. The Orks continue to press further into the system, using the Ork-infested outer reaches to resupply and repair their ships where the Tau cannot retaliate. Losses have been high on both sides, but the Orks have managed to close another of the Enclave reinforcement corridors to M-88, taking advantage of Tau efforts to reopen the lost Empire reinforcement corridor compromised in the previous week. The Tau can at least take solace in their fleet's successes with reopening the Empire reinforcement corridor and shielding M-88 from further Ork Rok impacts, but the numbers of Greenskin spacecraft pouring into the inner biosphere of the system seem endless. </i></div>
<div>
<i><br /></i></div>
<div>
<b>Situation Updates - All Sectors </b></div>
<div>
<b><br /></b></div>
<div>
<b>He'Sho Seas - ORK CONTROLLED</b> </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<i>The raids performed by the Tau landing forces in the He'Sho Seas have weakened the local Intacepta Rokkit network enough that the Tau, with their bolstered air power, have become confident enough to launch airstrikes into the region once again. The aircraft flying these missions have been the first Tau aircraft below Manta class to return to the He'Sho Seas in some time. The Tau still lack numbers in the air, and so these missions remain limited to operations in the poorer weather of the Lake Season when the Orks cannot bring to bear their overwhelming numerical superiority. Nonetheless, the Tau air raids have been a welcome boon to a Tau force in dire need of support, and the Air Caste assistance has allowed the Tau to fully reclaim the foothold they managed to carve around FFG355Y. </i></div>
<div>
<i><br /></i></div>
<div>
<i>This success is likely to be short lived. Endless Ork reinforcements are pouring into the He'Sho Seas, including multiple Gargant mobs and Mega-Gargants. The Ork defensive bombing campaign, Linebakka, has been expanded to include the He'Sho Seas region and swarms of Ork fighta-bommers relentlessly pummel Tau positions around FFG355Y during periods of fair weather. Bounty Hunters and Pirates under the employ of Wurrshuv continue to lurk throughout the region. With their options quickly running out, the Tau commanders in the He'Sho Seas and at Enclave Command are now debating what to do with the remaining Tau air-landing troops: leave them to inflict as much damage as possible on the Orks, or withdraw them from the region so they can live to fight another day. </i></div>
<div>
<i><br /></i></div>
<div>
<b>Ork Points:</b> 83 </div>
<div>
<b>Tau Points:</b> 17 </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<b>Mo'Hav Plains - ORK CONTROLLED</b> </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<i>The forces of Operation MONSOON have broken through the Ork counteroffensive, striking out at the weaker mechanised warbands in the east and breaking them decisively in a number of engagements on the Mo'Hav Plains. The second echelon reserves of Operation MONSOON have also been committed, reinforcing the Southern quadrant of the Tau salient against the Ork armoured counterattacks from that direction. These actions have stabilised Tau positions and allowed Operation MONSOON to continue advancing further into the Mo'Hav Plains, storming all Ork settlements encountered to destroy the tellyporta arrays under construction. The forces of Operation MONSOON are growing increasingly experienced in fighting within the confines of Ork towns and fortresses, and their tempo of combat operations is increasing. </i></div>
<div>
<i><br /></i></div>
<div>
<i>Leaving Shas'el Kiv'ra'ka'nan to handle the Tau defence against Ork counterattacks, Shas'O'Tash'var Len'li has spearheaded the drive to clear out Ork settlements, and has personally led his cadre to victory in a number of stronghold assaults, with Len'li receiving a number of commendations for his efforts and courage in the face of extremely hard and brutal combat. The Tau assaults are frequently supported by Lake Scorpion elements raiding Ork supply lines and drawing Ork reinforcements away prior to attacks. </i></div>
<div>
<i><br /></i></div>
<div>
<i>Nonetheless, fighting through the Ork counterattacks has cost Operation MONSOON valuable time. Tau intelligence indicates that the remaining tellyporta arrays are within days of being activated, and the Orks have constructed dummy tellyporta arrays at a number of decoy sites to fool Tau reconnaissance. Ork airstrikes under Linebakka continue to bombard Operation MONSOON's rear echelons during fair weather periods, and the northern Ork counterattack of Gargant mobs has resumed its course towards the Tau salient, the Sa'cea cadres no longer able to divert it further. Orbital and aerial surveillance indicates that Mega-Gargants have now joined this extremely powerful force, further adding to its firepower. It is now a race against time for Operation MONSOON as the Tau seek out the Ork tellyporta arrays and prepare to weather the coming storm. </i></div>
<div>
<i><br /></i></div>
<div>
<b>Ork Points:</b> 74 </div>
<div>
<b>Tau Points:</b> 26 </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<i><br /></i></div>
<div>
<i><br /></i></div>
<div>
<i>"It'z dem, blast 'em!" </i></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<i>- Nob Skarrgog, chief watchman during the Tau assault on Gork's Gate</i> </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<b>Wurrshuv's Krunch - ORK CONTROLLED</b> </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<i>Wurrshuv's finest warriors and personal warbands now surround the Guards Cadres of Operation IO. The Orks have adapted to the Tau deception measures and adopted new methods to counter them. Chief amongst these is the employment of the large contingent of Gretchin Revolutionary Komittee forces fighting as part of the larger Greenskin war effort. Lured to M-88 by Wurrshuv's promises of new armaments and the chance to seize advanced Tau technology for their cause, the rebel Grots have fought in all fronts of the Campaign and are now being used to picket against operation IO. Screens of GRK forces, especially the more heavily-armed Republikan Guardz formations, are deployed ahead of each of the roving clusters of sensa contacts, engaging the unidentified returns when encountered and sending word on which groups are decoys. Inevitably the Guards Cadres are able to swiftly overpower the Gretchin Revolutionary Komittee units, but the sacrifice of the GRK has slowed them down enough for more Ork forces to be massed around Operation IO. </i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>The result has been a massive increase in the amount of resistance Operation IO is facing. The Guards Cadres now find themselves forced into open battles more often than assaults on Ork defence sites, while the power of the Orks' first-rate warbands combined with their overwhelming numbers has left the Tau facing an increasingly uphill struggle. Wurrshuv's personal Stormboy Korps, the Scream'n Squighawkz and Da Green Devulz, have been recalled to the Krunch region and have proven an effective rapid-reaction force, swiftly deploying in support of the GRK formations to counterattack the Tau, and both armies have gained a formidable reputation amongst the Tau. Wurrshuv's own warbands have also engaged the Guards Cadres on numerous occasions, with the Tau only narrowly managing to escape the attacks of Wurrshuv himself. </i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>In light of climbing casualty rates and exponentially growing Ork resistance, Guards Cadre commander Shas'O'T'au Kais'ka'Eoro'Da'Anuk has determined that his forces have achieved all they can, and has initiated the final stage of Operation IO. The Guards Cadres and their supporting elements are now making their way back towards Tau territory, where they plan to break through the Ork artillery positions from the rear where they cannot be targeted by the Ork guns and run the pursuing Ork forces directly into Tau reinforcements in a large-scale Kau'yon action. Many of the Tau forces regret not being able to rescue the Tau prisoners still held within the strongholds around Wurrshuv's Krunch, but without further support there is little they can do. </i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<b>Ork Points:</b> 100<br />
<b>Tau Points:</b> 0<br />
<br />
<br />
<i>"I'z got ya now, hurr hurr hurr. Get ready Dannik, now I'z coming for ya!" </i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>- Attr. Wurrshuv</i><br />
<br />
<br />
<b>Saal'vesa Training Grounds - TAU CONTROLLED </b><br />
<br />
<i>With their production sites around Wurrshuv's Krunch left largely unmolested, the Orks have managed to construct enough Gargants to begin sending them on offensive missions outside of counter-attacks. The first of these has been a renewed Ork offensive into the Saal'vesa Training Grounds. Spearheading the attack, the Gargant Mobs have devastated the unprepared Tau forces, scattering Tau cadres before them and enabling the following Ork forces to secure territory and spread into Tau rear echelons with little resistance. The local Tau forces have not been expecting to face such large numbers of the Ork titans, and are now struggling to form a counterattack to stall the Ork advance. </i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>While their conventional defence is in crisis, Tau forces in the Saal'vesa region have seen much more success on a smaller scale. Tau special operations forces deployed to counter Ork Spekta activities have engaged and destroyed numerous Spekta mobs operating in the Empire Sector, and have managed to recover a significant amount of stolen Tau technology. The Enclave Gue'vesa operatives of Covert Ops Team 24-C have proven instrumental to these efforts after being redeployed to the Saal'vesa training grounds, The Gue'vesa operatives managed to make a key breakthrough in combating the Spektas by discovering the default spectra configuration of their looted cloaking fields, and have managed to eliminate a number of Spekta mobs by picking their members off one by one. Their efforts have not gone unnoticed however, and rumours have started to spread that Da Predata, Wurrshuv's top assassin, is now hunting them...</i><br />
<br />
<b>Ork Points:</b> 26<br />
<b>Tau Points:</b> 74<br />
<br />
<b>Training Centre Or'vesa - TAU CONTROLLED</b><br />
<br />
<i>The Farsight Enclave forces active around Training Centre Or'vesa have ralied and are now counterattacking against the Orks. Inspired by the early successes of the He'Sho Seas offensive, Enclave Command has assumed command over the remaining auxiliary forces in the north and reformed the shattered auxiliary elements into a number of new 'composite contingents' with the manpower needed to form a stable battle line the mobile Enclave cadres can pivot around. Progress remains difficult for the Tau due to surprisingly well-coordinated Ork actions. Over the course of the campaign the disparate warbands of the Northern Raiders have grown close together, and each Ork force now fights alongside others in ways that cover their respective weaknesses with a level of synergy all but unheard of amongst the Greenskins. </i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>This development has not gone unnoticed by Wurrshuv, who has rightfully come to view the Northern Raiders as a serious threat to his power. Enormous numbers of Wurrshuv-loyalist 'reinforcements' have now been massed along the border between Wurrshuv's Krunch and Da Fang, while Tech-Nob enforcers have begun to crack down on dissident chieftans with increasing brutality, instituting 'Marteeul Law' in more and more settlements. It would appear that the simmering tensions between the Ork factions are beginning to reach boiling point...</i><br />
<br />
<b>Ork Points:</b> 35<br />
<b>Tau Points:</b> 65<br />
<br />
<b>Fio Starport - TAU CONTROLLED</b><br />
<br />
<i>The Spekta mobs operating around Fio Starport are becoming increasingly bold with their attacks, and have now begun mounting raids on Fio Starport itself. These raids are limited and low-level in nature, largely based around ambushing fresh Tau troops departing to other regions, destroying supply concentrations and assassinating Tau leadership figures. Perhaps most notable among these attacks are a number of Spekta mobs making use of looted Tau air-defence missiles to shoot down Tau transports and dropships as they prepare to land at the starport. Analysis indicates that the IFF systems on the missiles and targeting equipment is tampered with to enable their use against Tau targets, and that the captured missiles are fired from static positions using a variety of simple and often improvised tripod mounts. The launch sites are used only for the duration of a given attack, after which the Spektas abandon them. </i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>These raids have inflicted no serious damage on the starport, but have begun to disrupt Tau logistics. Their chief effect, however, has been psychological. The Spekta mobs performing the raids see them as an enormous source of pride, taking great honour in being the first Orks to start attacking the main Tau stronghold from the ground. The images of Tau dropships crashing down in flames after being hit by missile fire has become a potent reminder that nowhere on M-88 is safe from Wurrshuv's wrath, and that even in the heart of their greatest fortress the Tau remain vulnerable. A number of the shoot-downs have been recorded by the Orks, and footage has been shown in all major settlements and on the front-lines via audio-visual propadanga wagons. The footage has also been leaked onto Tau frequencies where it has again disturbed many in the wider Tau populace. </i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>The latest wave of Tau reinforcements to reach M-88 has included a full complement of combat-engineering units and minesweeping equipment, in order to counter the massive number of landmines, improvised explosive devices and roadside bombs employed by the Orks. In an attempt to expand Tau airpower all reconstruction efforts have been directed to establishing more Tau airbases. The Tau airfield network around Fio Starport has now been largely restored, enabling the Tau to secure the airspace over the region, and the Earth Caste is now beginning to build new airbases in the neighbouring Saal'vesa and Or'vesa regions to expand the range of Tau air operations and accommodate more air cadres. </i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<b>Ork Points:</b> 0<br />
<b>Tau Points:</b> 100<br />
<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>Ork Campaign Points:</b> 4 </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>Tau Campaign Points:</b> 4</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
+++INCOMMING TRANSMISSION+++ </div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
+++TRANSMISSION RECEIVED+++ </div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<b>TO:</b> ATT Shas'ar'tol </div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<b>AUTHOR:</b> Por'vre'Tau'n Doran'ro'Elro </div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<b>SUBJECT:</b> Wurrshuv </div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<i>Tau'fann, </i></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<i><br /></i></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<i>With the recent combat operations near the Ores'la landing site, we have now managed to gain a glimpse of the Ores'la warlord leading this invasion, known as 'Dregmek Wurrshuv' or more commonly simply 'Wurrshuv'. In an attempt to help better combat this menace, I have compiled this report from data gained during our recent offensive into what has been named 'Wurrshuv's Krunch' and several other sources for verification. I feel a heavy burden in compiling this report, as I understand that many good souls and valiant heroes died to bring this insight. I pray that I might be able to honour their sacrifice. </i></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<i><br /></i></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<i>Previous intelligence reports have focused on Ores'la technology or tactics. In contrast, this report is to focus on one of the Ores'la themselves. It has been my assignment for the last two kai'rotaa to profile Wurrshuv so that the Tau Empire might better understand how to fight against him, and over this time I feel I have learnt much about what makes this creature tick. I am deeply disturbed by my findings to say the least. My other work in profiling this warlord have been submitted to a higher level of the overall Coalition Command, and may be accessed via appropriate channels, and instead this report will focus specifically on Wurrshuv's performance in battle, as this information is most immediately relevant to military contexts. </i></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<i><br /></i></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<i>The report will be divided into two sections, one covering the wargear and practices of Wurrshuv himself, the other covering what appears to be his preferred form of transportation in the field. I must admit that such military matters are largely outside of my area of expertise, and so I have drawn on the counsel of a number of respected analysts from among the Shas to lend assistance. Much of the following content has been shaped from their words, not mine, and so I give credit to them here. </i></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<i><br /></i></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<b>Wurrshuv </b></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<b><br /></b></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<i>There has in recent Kai'rotaa been some confusion in regards to how Wurrshuv himself appears on the battlefield. The Ores'la warlord was reported as being present during an Ores'la assault on the remnants of the ORBIT forces as they attempted to recover following a disastrous Ores'la ambush near the border of the Saal'vesa training grounds. Later analysis indicates that this Ores'la was indeed almost certainly Wurrshuv, yet the Ores'la in question was seen employing wargear that has not been attributed to Wurrshuv in any previous recorded instance I or my team could access. There are several possible explanations to this discrepancy. It is possible that Wurrshuv was travelling in disguise to avoid drawing unwanted attention from our troops or rival Ores'la chieftans. Alternatively Wurrshuv may have been taking the opportunity to field-test newly developed equipment. Perhaps both are accurate, or the truth lies somewhere in between. </i></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<i><br /></i></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<i>Regardless of what the case may be, it would appear from the latest reports and image-captures from Operation IO, our military offensive into the Ores'la-held Wurrshuv's Krunch region, that Wurrshuv has since returned to employing his preferred selection of wargear, which is consistent with several dozen accounts from a variety of sources across the Eastern Fringe, primarily of Tau and Gue'la origin. Much of this equipment is unique to Wurrshuv, or at least has not been encountered in use by other Ores'la thus far, and it is believed that Wurrshuv jealously guards the design details of each item to prevent their proliferation among his potential rivals. Such behaviour is typical of the Ores'la scientist/engineer caste known as 'Meks', to which Wurrshuv belongs, the members of which frequently keep their best creations for themselves, putting their own self-interests ahead of the common good of the whole. </i></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<i><br /></i></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<i>For personal protection Wurrshuv most commonly sports body armour of his own design, which is apparently referred to as 'Kustom 'Eavy Armour' by Wurrshuv and other Ores'la. The armour is segmented in design, being vaguely reminiscent of Fire Warrior combat armour, though it lacks the enlarged pauldron common to combat armour and is of a far cruder make. The most notable feature of this Kustom 'Eavy Armour is the material from which it is constructed. Wurrshuv himself appears to refer to the material as 'Miffrull', and considers it a 'mireekul elumant', but it will be far better known to Tau as Iridium armour plating, salvaged from advanced examples of our battlesuits. The use of Iridium plating in the armours construction gives it an enormous level of protection, allowing Wurrshuv to shrug off all but the heaviest weapon strikes with contemptuous ease, but unlike Ores'la 'Mega Armour' powered exoskeletons the Kustom 'Eavy Armour has no additional penalty in weight and allows its wearer a full range of movement. It is for these reasons that Wurrshuv appears to consider his Kustom 'Eavy Armour a superior design to Mega Armour, and will typically prioritise its use accordingly. It is likely however that he is aware of its close association to himself, and this is a possible reason why he has been observed without it on previous occasions during the conflict. </i></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<i><br /></i></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<i>The protection of Wurrshuv's Kustom 'Eavy Armour is further supplemented by a personal energy shield generator of Wurrshuv's own design, belonging to the class of Ores'la energy shields known as 'Kustom Force Fields'. The device is back-mounted, and shares a number of characteristics with other examples of these Kustom Force Fields, but a key difference is the incorporation of a number of scavenged shield generators of Tau manufacture. The most notable feature of this device is that it appears to be capable of two modes of operation. The standard setting functions in much the same way as other Kustom Force Field devices, projecting a hemispherical bubble-type energy shield over a wide area to provide moderate-level protection for nearby allies in addition to the bearer. The second mode, however, acts more like a conventional personal shield, projecting a more concentrated energy shield purely around the user themselves. Combined with the aforementioned Kustom 'Eavy Armour, this would make any attack on Wurrshuv himself an extremely difficult proposition. </i></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<i><br /></i></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<i>For offence, Wurrshuv's weapon of choice is a firearm of his own design, belonging to the broad class of Ores'la personal energy weapons known as 'Kustom Mega-blastas'. Wurrshuv's example shares much overall architecture in common with many other examples of Kustom Mega-blastas, but is exceptional in that it incorporates a large number of Tau weapon components in its construction. These components appear to primarily originate from battlesuit weapon systems, and when analysing image captures my team was able to identify components from plasma rifles, fusion blasters and flamers in the weapon's design. Wurrshuv's Kustom Mega-blasta appears to have similar performance characteristics to other examples of the weapon type, featuring excellent stopping power and armour penetration characteristics at a cost in rate of fire. The use of Tau components appears to afford the weapon greater reliability, but battlefield scans indicate that much like other examples the weapon remains dangerously unstable. </i></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<i><br /></i></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<i>The most notable feature of Wurrshuv's Kustom Mega-blasta, besides its construction, is that it incorporates a retractable close-combat attachment. As you will undoubtedly already be aware, in stark contrast to our civilisation the Ores'la relish hand to hand combat, so it would seem only natural that Wurrshuv would design a weapon with the capability to be used in close quarters as well as at range, and the ability to both shoot and fight in hand-to-hand combat is undoubtedly seen as a source of much convenience for Wurrshuv and his peers. The close-combat attachment itself is mounted towards the muzzle of the weapon, similar to a primitive bayonet, and takes the form of a large axe head with a motorised cutting blade. Examples of similar weapons have been encountered in frequent use by Mont'Gue'la raiders and more limited use with the Ores'la themselves, though it is unknown if either of these were the original source of inspiration for the feature. It appears that the motorised cutting blade includes cutting teeth formed from sharpened Iridium Armour shards, possibly leftovers from Wurrshuv's Kustom 'Eavy Armour, to enhance its cutting performance. It is theorised that the weapon may also include a disruptive energy field, but my team has thus far been unable to confirm this. </i></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<i><br /></i></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<i>In addition to these items of equipment, Wurrshuv appears to always carry the usual assortment of items common to Ores'la Meks, including an extensive array of tools for manipulating and repairing mechanical devices. Doubtless such tools could also be used to inflict considerable havoc on opposing machinery if allowed the chance. Wurrshuv has also been seen displaying an excellent grasp of hand-to-hand combat, as well as surprisingly advanced knowledge of mechanical and engineering concepts, and appears to have adopted a form of the Scientific Method. Naturally, all these factors make Wurrshuv an extremely deadly adversary on the battlefield. </i></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<i><br /></i></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<b>Wurrshuv's Battlefortress</b><br />
<br />
<i>In addition to his own wargear Whurrshuv has been observed in all recent encounters commanding a large vehicle that appears to be his own personal transportation, belonging to the superheavy Ores'la vehicle class known as 'Battlefortresses'. Like many examples of its kind, Wurrshuv's Battlefortress is of immense size, easily matching our Manta missile destroyers in mass. Indeed, analysis has indicated that Wurrshuv's Battlefortress incorporates a significant number of salvaged Manta components in its design. The most notable of these is a battery of four salvaged Manta engines at the rear of the vehicle, which it uses for propulsion. Close analysis of scans and image captures indicate that the vehicle also incorporates two salvaged Manta powerplant reactors for an energy supply. </i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>The vehicle itself is extremely large and rectangular in shape, with it's hull being somewhat reminiscent of the hull design used in Gue'la superheavy tank designs, albeit shorter and wider when viewed from above. Unlike many other Battlefortresses, Wurrshuv's example is unique in that it eschews the use of wheels or continuous treads and instead uses an anti-grav skimmer drive for movement. Despite using multiple scavenged Manta engines, the immense weight of the vehicle makes it incapable of true flight (in much the same manner as our own Scorpionfish weapons platforms), so it instead hovers a few tor'lek above the ground like one of the gunships used by the Fire Caste. The skimmer drive itself is located on the underside of the vehicle, and consists of a large number of grav-repulsor assemblies salvaged from Tau vehicles built on the TX-6-7 universal combat platform such as Devilfish, Hammerheads and Skyrays. The method in which these components has been salvaged is, typical of the Ores'la, extremely unsophisticated - it appears that the Ores'la have simply ripped out the underside of the targeted vehicles (or possibly ripped off the upper structure) and used the whole bottom assembly as it is, minus the standard chin-turret common to the TX-6-7 universal combat platform. Each of these vehicle undersides serves as a grav-repulsor plate, which crackles with a vivid corona of energy when active, and each is mounted on its own independent hydraulic articulator assembly. This in turn means that each grav-repulsor array is capable of independent 3-D vectoring, giving the vehicle a surprising amount of manoeuvrability, while the enormous number of such assemblies provides a high level of system redundancy - it is estimated by my team that Wurrshuv's Battlefortress could have up to 75% of its grav-repulsors disabled or rendered non-functional and suffer no significant loss in mobility. </i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>The primary armament of Wurrshuv's Battlefortress is a battery of three large mass-drivers mounted in a massive turret located on a slightly raised superstructure in the centre of the vehicle's top deck. The vehicle's engine intakes are located on the underside at the rear, giving the weapons turret a full 360 degree field of fire. The mass-drivers themselves are clearly constructed from components used in our own railguns and heavy railguns, but are of considerably larger size than either. They are of a 'tuning fork' design, with no connective structure between the electromagnetic rail assemblies past the base of the weapon, and crackling streams of energy run between the rail assemblies when powered up. This in turn suggests a rather unstable energy modulation scheme. Regardless, the mass drivers are employed as an electromagnetic launch system for different payloads, which are stored in a large bustle structure to the rear of the turret. </i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>The main payload typically launched by these mass-drivers is the Ores'la single-seat rotary wing attack craft known as 'Deffkoptas'. The Ores'la piloting these machines appear to find travelling at extremely high speeds utterly exhilarating, so Wurrshuv is never short on volunteers for this dangerous method of attack. The Ores'la wishing to be launched have their machines retrofitted with a pair of ferromagnetic connector pieces to enable them to complete the firing circuit, after which they are then loaded into one of the mass-driver assemblies and fired directly towards the enemy target. </i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>The immense energy discharge of the mass-drivers combined with the Deffkopta's own organic propulsion means that Deffkoptas launched in this way reach truly fantastic velocities, even when carrying a heavier than normal weapons load, and so these Deffkoptas are typically also fitted with a pair of large high-powered bombs or external rockets which they use to attack the designated target they have been fired at. Some Deffkoptas even feature an integrated motorised chain or rotary blade assembly on their prow which they can use to slash at the enemy target in high-speed passes. Such a tactic is nigh-suicidal at such speeds, but the Ores'la appear unhinged enough to relish the prospect. It is a testament to their latent piloting skills that a surprising number of Deffkopta pilots even manage to survive more than one of these passes. </i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>The Deffkoptas employed in this way continue to attack the target after their initial pass, swarming and strafing it in a manner reminiscent of a naval carrier's attack craft squadrons. The rear turret bustle of Wurrshuv's battlefortress contains a small open-topped hangar deck in which Deffkoptas may be prepared for launch, and the machines may land there vertically. </i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>Should a more direct attack be desired, the mass-drivers are also capable of firing the Ores'la rocket-propelled suicide vehicles known as 'Grot-bombs'. A supply of these crude manned missiles is also stored in the battlefortress's turret bustle. These too are modified with ferromagnetic connectors to enable them to be fired from the mass-drivers, but otherwise differ little from the typical models of Grot-bomb. The immense velocity they are fired at combined with their own explosive warhead gives them tremendous hitting power, with a volley of Grot-bombs fired from the battlefortress's mass-drivers being easily able to cripple another superheavy target. It is theorised that these Grot-bombs may feature an additional armour-piercing cap in their nose to aid in attacking hardened targets, but my team cannot confirm this. </i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>In addition to its turret-mounted armament, Wurrshuv's battlefortress features a number of secondary weapon systems mounted in or on its prow. the first of these is an array of energy weapons integrated into the prow itself. These weapon systems are all of Wurrshuv's own design, and include one enlarged version of the 'pulla-aparta' and one enlarged 'traktor-grappla'. I understand the nature of these weapon systems has been covered in a previous report, so I will not repeat it here, suffice to say that they have a long range and pose a considerable hazard to larger targets. The traktor-grappla is sandwiched between the two pulla-aparta assemblies, an innovative feature that saves on space. </i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>Perhaps of more note is the other weapon system mounted on the battlefortress's front. In keeping with the Ores'la obsession with hand-to-hand combat, Wurrshuv's Battlefortress sports an array of large powerful mechanical close combat weapons on its front. These weapons are mounted on large articulated mechanical arms attached to the underside of the vehicle's prow, and include large rotary blades, chainblade assemblies, enormous mechanical claws and pincers, industrial shears and other cutting tools. Each is controlled by an Ores'la operator, and enables the battlefortress to engage other targets in close combat. The array is particularly effective against large targets, especially enemy superheavy units, and is capable of dismantling even superheavy vehicles in very short order (the process of which is gruesome to say the least). Many of these weapons are too large and slow to effectively engage Tau-sized targets, but their numbers make contact likely, and it should not need mentioning that even one such weapon is more than capable of killing a Tau with a single blow. The effectiveness of these close-combat weapons is further enhanced by the vehicle's integrated traktor-grappla, which enables it to drag suitable targets within striking range of the close combat array. The Gue'vesa attaches of my team have nicknamed the vehicle's traktor-grappla 'The Scorpion' for this reason, though the exact reasoning behind the reference eludes me. </i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>Finally, Wurrshuv's battlefortress sports a large and wide variety of tertiary armaments located across its hull, top and undersides placed in overlapping fire arcs close defence against multiple threat types. The most notable of these is a number of multiple-barreled anti-aircraft artillery systems known to the Ores'la as 'Flakka-dakka guns' located at strategic positions which are effective against infantry and light vehicles as well as low-flying aircraft. The battlefortress also mounts an enormous number of other Ores'la heavy weapons typically encountered including 'big shoota' automatic guns, 'rokkit launcha' anti-tank weapons and 'skorcha' flamethrowers, as well as the primitive Ores'la grenade launchers known as 'stikkbomb chukkas'. Most of these heavy weapons are placed on pintle mounts on the vehicle's top decking, and are served by Ores'la gunners. Only the Flakka-dakka guns are mounted on full motorised turrets. </i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>Wurrshuv's battlefortress is extremely well protected. In addition to the immense bulk and considerable multiple system redundancies common to Ores'la vehicles of its size, the battlefortress sports armour plating of immense thickness as well as internal armoured 'bathtubs' around key internal subsystems and reinforced internal structures, making it extremely durable. It is believed that a large amount of this armour is composed of scavenged Fio'tak composites in addition to Gue'la materials such as adamantium and ceramite. We have also noticed a number of armour appliques composed of Iridium plating featured on the hull and turret of the battlefortress, further enhancing its protection level. In addition to conventional armour protection, Wurrshuv's battlefortress features a number of the Ores'la superheavy deflector shields known as 'power fields', the same technology used on the Ores'la 'Gargant' superheavy walkers. It is believed that these power fields have been constructed from scavenged Manta shield generators, but unlike our own energy shields these power fields are 2-D shields that protect the vehicle only from attacks originating at medium and long ranges - units can attack at short range within the shield perimeter to strike at the vehicle directly. The power fields also appear to have a maximum limit to the amount of energy they can absorb from incoming attacks, after which they will collapse and it appears the Ores'la are unable to raise collapsed power fields during combat conditions. It should be noted however that should Wurrshuv be aboard his battlefortress then his own Kustom Force-field will cover the battlefortress itself, providing the vehicle with energy shield protection at every possible engagement range. </i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>In addition to its weaponry, mobility and protection, Wurrshuv's battlefortress sports a number of other notable features. </i><i>The battlefortress is able to transport a considerable number of Ores'la troops, and is a rare example of an Ores'la vehicle able to transport its passengers entirely under armour. A number of cunningly-designed access hatches located across the vehicle's front and sides allow the Ores'la passengers to disembark with ease, and they can also fight from the vehicle's top decking to fight off close-assaults or assist against short-range targets. It is for this reason that my team has chosen to classify this vehicle as a battlefortress rather than the 'gunfortress' class of Ores'la superheavy vehicle. </i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>The battlefortress also mounts its own sensa array, integrated into the main weapons turret, which has an extremely long range (well past the horizon) and covers virtually every spectrum frequency. It also appears to be able to detect units using cloaking fields. The sensa array appears to perform both battlefield surveillance and fire-control functions, and enables the battlefortress to engage targets beyond visual range with its main weapon systems in addition to enhancing the crew's situational awareness. </i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>Finally, the battlefortress contains full living quarters for its crew and passengers, as well as enough supply stores for extended operations over at least a Kai'rotaa. Needless to say, Wurrshuv's battlefortress is an impressive feat of engineering and a formidable battlefield weapon. It is fortunate then that it appears to be entirely unique to Wurrshuv. We have been unable to find any record of any other examples of such a vehicle existing at any point in time, and it would seem that Wurrshuv jealously guards its design secrets from others. </i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i><br /></i>
<i>This concludes my report. Given the information gleaned I feel that Wurrshuv is an extremely dangerous force on the battlefield, and any military forces should use extreme caution when facing his forces. </i></div>
</div>
MillitantGuerillaCommunistHippiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13565203522225127317noreply@blogger.com0