[Elite] Dreadnoughts

Gaïus - click to enlarge

   When I had finished my two firts tactical squads, a logical choice would have been to paint a HQ choice.

But I did not.

I was too impatient to have a dreadnought under my brushes.

   I started with the same dreadnought than in Down of War: assault canon, heavy flamer. I added to the Games Workshop kit a Dark Angel symbol and a buckler to represent the reinforced armor. Some other armor pieces are using the DA kit.

   To finish the job, I painted some impacts and added a metallic vets banner on the roof top.

Ares - click to enlarge

   One month later, I started an Assault for Black Reach dreadnought. I was disappointed by the kit: the arms are hollow and with less details. But I had to have such a squat dreadnought in my army.

   The roof top was equiped with a small DA symbol. I added barbed wire and some wall parts on the base.

Gaïus - click to enlarge

   One year later, I decided to play Gaïus as an Ironclad dreadnought.

   I replaced the assault canon arm with a chainsaw combat arm. This arm is made with parts coming from both right and left arms of the Ironclad Games Workshop kit. I added two grenade lauchers on the roof top to finish the Ironclad transformation.

   All I need now is a dreadnought drop pod.

[Troops] Tactical squads

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   The first thing to paint when you start a new army is the two tactical squads you need in any army. It allows you to fix the painting scheme and some details.

   At the beginning, I wanted to have a successor chapter from the Dark Angels, founded after the Great Heresyand named the Doom Angels. This army will have colors based on the old Dark Angel codex, W40k second edition.

click to enlarge

   Their armor are painted in Orkhide Shade, with red stripes in Baal Red. To mark the difference between the Dark Angels and the Doom Angels, the sword in the DA symbol will be painted in red, so will their guns. I added a three colors tag on every left leg or knee pad. These three colors are black, red and green. The black represents the Dark Angels origin, the red the Horus Heresy and the green their chapter.

   Having Dark Angels army allows you to play with beautiful minis like the Dark Angel sergent with a bolt pistol and an energetic blade. I added him a DA banner et voilà.

   The tunic was painted in Foundation Khemri Brown, darker than the Bleach Bone from the Deathwing. I added a skull on the base to show that's a commanding mini.

click to enlarge

   The second tactical squad was created on the same philosophy: having cool minis to play with. I bought spare parts from the Iron Hands vets to convert some marines and add some  more variation.

   The last DA codex and the 5th Space Marines codex edition introduced a big modification in the tactical squads: you can split them in two. But while the sergent goes with one part, who commands the second one?

click to enlarge

   That's why I created the "half squad sergents". These minis aren't sergents, they don't wear a red  helmet and a tunic. They just have a loosy t-shirt DoA symbol on the top of their backpack.

   The second Sergent was based on another cool DA sergent mini. The banner was differently painted. I chosed to emphasize the three colors tag and added a winged skull. The chainsword is a bit damaged, because Doom Angels are a fighting army :-).

Doom Angels: who are they?

   Before playing Doom Angels, I tried Chaos Space Marines (Alpha Legion), Tau , Necron and... Dark Angels. But I wasn't satisfied with the gameplay and I deceided to play wih vanilla marines.

   Obviously, Doom Angels colors seems to be the same than the Dark Angels colors. If you take a look, you can see I choosed a red sword with white wings... where Dark Angels have the same thing in full white. It's because this army is prepared to be played as Dark Angels when I want to play a Deathwing or Ravenwing only army.

   In the nexts posts, I'll try to describe the differents units and the choices I made to paint them... and follow the End Of the World Challenge.

The end of the world challenge: are you ready?

   The Challenge is launched and we actually are… two. The others didn't send their photographs to present the armies in progress.

Tunio decided to assemble its phalange of Necron, already with 1800pts.

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While your servant will assemble his Doom Angels, currently at 1875pts.

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The end of the world challenge: FaQ

   As the date to send the first photographs of your army advances (and is't Monday 31 of January…), differents questions arose.

Should a new army be started again?

   Don't. The goal of the Challenge is to empty the wall cupboards, not to encourage us to launch us in a new project which will remain at the stage of " to finish, one day…".

I already have 3000 points, can I take part?

   Yes, and you are impressive. However, it's one crowned motivation and the proof that one can assemble an army of consequent size without losing his motivation for painting.

Why 3000pts?

   Because it's possible to play 40k and apocalypse. Playing 3000pts armies gives you the pleasure  to play big points units.

Why impose the standard diagram? 

   The Challenge's goal  is to be able to play 40k and Apocalypse. This is why Super Heavys aren't included in the 3000pts. Free with those which are inspired by the Challenge to assemble an army including a Apocalypse formation . That will make more large animals at the end of the year.

The end of the world challenge: da rules

   The project's growing, here's a post to establish some rules for this challenge.

   How does it work? The original intention of the End Of The World Challenge is to empty our  minis stocks. And that means a drastic purchases reduction to the strict minimum and motivation for painting. Moreover, it is disadvised to start a new army… unless you already have one in stock (!). For those who don't want to purchase and painting a superheavy, don't worry. The large beasts are there for  pleasure only.

   Who can take part? Who wants. Just a moral engagement to take part each month by publishing a photograph of all the painted army. For those who want to take part of this challenge and be published in this blog,  you can send me your army pictures to the following adress:  Via40k[at]Gmail.com.  Pictures have to be sended before the 1st day of the month with your nickname, army painted name and points value. Pictures will be published the first saturday of next month.

   How much points? As announced, the army must go up to 3000pts in a standard army diagram . No apocalypse formation allowed. A superheavy can be added to this army, knowing that the knights count for a half superheavy… And Reavers count double! 

   When does it start? It's already started. The participants have for the majority an army in progress which painting advances at low speed… then the Challenge is there to give a whiplash to motivation.!

   Deadline? The 3000pts army must be painted for January 1, 2012. Then, is't the joy of being able to rub with the apocalypse format.

The end of the world challenge

copyright Disney

   As we all you know, the end of the world should take place in 2012. Who says end of the world says apocalypse. Who says apocalypse in 40k says 3000pts and super heavy. The conditions are met for the Challenge of the End of the world! 

   Objective of this challenge: we get ready to paint and be able to play an apocalypse game with 3000pts in 2012.

The rules are basic:

 - A standard army in 3000pts. 

 - 1 Super heavy.

 - Rendez vous in January 2012.

   To make it true, pictures of the all armies in progress  will be published every month. All that is painted will be presented on the table, so that we'll all be able to see the armies growing bigger. The blog will give an account of progress of the various protagonists.