+ The Jericho Crusade + Sword Brethren Cometh!

[Acebaur]

Alright cool, that gives me some ideas on how to kit these guys.  I'm probably only going to run 6-8 at a time so having a couple of extra dudes with some different options will be good. 

 

 

Also I just noticed this, not sure why but the pics from my phone look really grainy.  Even on the gray plastic which we all know is nice and smooth.  I'll be trying to get some better pics with a better camera as I start to paint them so the camera doesn't affect how my stuff looks lol. 

[greggles]

Simple fixes for that.

 

1) Make sure the camera isn't moving (tripod, or set it on some boxes). If possible, use a remote shutter so pressing down on the shutter doesn't move the camera. (This is big for mini's). If it's a cell phone, or you don't have a remote shutter, use a "delayed" shutter setting. That way the phone or camera has stopped moving by the time it snaps the photo.

 

2) Bounce the flash off a white surface (reflected light is softer), or use natural lighting with no flash. In a pinch, cover up your light sources with pieces of paper or a paper towel (temporarily, as to not burn down your house).

 

You can go all out, build a light box, etc. But generally, just using diffuse light (not directly on the model), gives you the best results.

 

Grainy photos are usually the result of a high iso setting on the camera. It basically tries to compensate for the lack of light by bumping up the iso setting.

 

Also make sure to take some photos at a distance too. Sometimes we all get a little carried away with super zoomed shots. They look good, but if you are not painting for a contest (going for tabletop quality), you don't need to zoom in so much.

[Andhil]

@greggles: those are some useful tips. I'm going to remember these!

[recon0321]

Hey ace I don't want to high jack your thread but how do you field crusader squads without neophytes?

[Acebaur]

@greggles - I am in fact using a phone camera so that is the likely culprit. I use that cause it so easy to upload to photobucket wiith the app. However my wife has a digital SLR so I will definitely make use of your tips.  I might also try and take some pics of them on the kitchen table with my phone and see if that improves them. Thanks!

 

 

 

Hey ace I don't want to high jack your thread but how do you field crusader squads without neophytes?

 

 

I'm not sure I understand the question. Are you asking me rules wise? or if I do not run Neo's in my Crusader squads?

[recon0321]

Sorry should have been more clear....meant your opinion for running crusader squads without neo's....

[Acebaur]

Sorry should have been more clear....meant your opinion for running crusader squads without neo's....

 

Ah, well I guess it depends.  Is there some reason you don't want to include them? If you are trying to fill out a squad taking a few saves you 4 points a model so if you took 3, the Sword Brother is paid for.  They are still good meat shields even with the new wound allocation. Still if I was not going to take them and was planning on taking a full squad I'd go with a tactical squad(unless I wanted CC) as you gain the benefit of combat squad. I'm actually considering running a single tac squad in a larger game for just that purpose. 

 

 

Anyways, I've been posting a lot of veterans lately and while I work on my new box set of shiny's I thought I would show you guys what's left of the Assault Squad I broke up to make the first half of my Vanguard Assault Sword Brethren.

 

http://i85.photobucket.com/albums/k48/Acebaur/40K/IMG_9718_zpse68d6d50.jpg

 

You'll notice there is only 4 of them and that's because I'm unsure how to equip the Sgt.  I plan to use them as a dual flamer small squad to come in alongside or just behind the main assault force to roast stuff after popping tanks or lay waste to large infantry squads.  So thoughts on how I should make him? Should I keep him stock and to keep the squad cheap or give him some gear to make their assault(when/if they do) a little deadlier?

 

Also, this guy has become one of my favorite models. Sadly vanguard can't take flamers, so he is relegated to assault duty. Although I may magnetize them as well in which case he could do double duty in a crusader squad

http://i85.photobucket.com/albums/k48/Acebaur/40K/IMG_9715_zpsaececfbc.jpg 

 

 

@greggles - This time we used my wife's SLR and I think the pics are looking better than my phone do you think?

[Andhil]

No Templar Sergeant Sword Brother should ever have to go to war without a Power Weapon.

[Elenmar]

If they are a suicide squad coming down in a pod I think no weapon on the sword brother is fine.  Most other cases they are probably going to assault something before they die, so I would go with a sword or a mace on your sword brother to force a couple more wounds through.

 

Liking those poses on those marines though, man I gotta get more running legs they look so awesome.

[Arthanor]

That's a neat pose on the flamer dude! I am building my sternguards and was thinking abou that very chest piece. It's nice since it's a custom templar chest, but it's really hard to show it if your model is holding a bolter.

 

That's the perfect solution: be a badass that fires one handed :) now what to do with the other hand.. Hum..

[Acebaur]

That's the perfect solution: be a badass that fires one handed now what to do with the other hand.. Hum..

Chainsword, what else? (glad you like him by the way)

 

 

 

So I began work on both the assault squad and vanguard squad's jump packs and let me tell you, they were a giant pain in the the Emperor's Throne. Well at least the regular ones were

 

 

See that white stuff?

http://i85.photobucket.com/albums/k48/Acebaur/40K/IMG_20140401_214050_054_zpsxz4hitvr.jpg

 

 

Yeah that's contour putty. EVERY SINGLE jump pack had huge gaps in where the two pieces fit together so I had to fill them all with putty and then after it dried, sand it down smooth. But I got it done and magnetized the assault squads packs as well as the five guys themselves. So now they just need alternate regular packs and they can be taken either way.  

 

I also started putting together the Vanguard's JP's and I'm happy to report that the fit is much much better. Maybe cause it's a new mold, maybe GW upped their quality, I dunno. But overall the sprues seem cleaner and more detailed which is great. 

 

Speaking of the vanguard packs I saw this

 

http://i85.photobucket.com/albums/k48/Acebaur/40K/IMG_20140401_231353_585_zps04prhbri.jpg

 

and thought  "Aquilla's? We don't need no stinking aquilla's!!"

 

 

http://i85.photobucket.com/albums/k48/Acebaur/40K/IMG_20140401_233717_545_zpsj178cfz9.jpg

Ahhhh... That's better.  

 

 

 Initially I saw the huge Aquila on the sgt's pack and thought "well not going to use that"  and then I saw the little vehicle crosses in my bitz box and a light went off in my head.  So I sanded it down some so the cross would lay flat and cut off the eagle heads under the top of the cross so they wound't look weird if you look at it with the front vents facing you and voila! 

 

 

Up next is the assault squad sgt and a power weapon wielding guy who has a really epic pose!

[Brother Christopher]

The templarified jump packs are outstanding. And you posting pics of those guys and me reading your posts is torture!! I have my own jump marines ready for painting, but I'm still 'saving them up' for ETL. Torture, I tell you :)

[greggles]

Thanks for the info on the jump packs. I was thinking of snagging a few to use on my HQ's to give them mobility when they separate from the pack. Good to know that it would be better to just buy the vanguard packs instead of the regular ones .

[Acebaur]

Glad you guys like them. Here is the sgt.  I still need to add some contour putty to the back of the seals to make them meet the shoulder pad. But otherwise he's ready to blow something up

 

http://i85.photobucket.com/albums/k48/Acebaur/40K/IMG_20140402_092743_940_zpsiforeqga.jpg

 

 

@Greggles Definitely buy the vanguard ones even with the fit issue aside they are much cooler and have cool skulls and stuff on them. 

 

 

 

So all I'm promised an epic pose for a Vanguard vet. I've put him in spoiler tags so I can properly prepare you for the awesomeness  We all know the old vanguard with the two handed grip on the  sword.  Well I was fiddling around with the new arms that are in the vanguard box and came up something that I think is not only as good, but better than that OOP vet because its much more dynamic. 

 

http://i85.photobucket.com/albums/k48/Acebaur/40K/IMG_20140401_172312_738_zpsuspvwk0s.jpg

 

http://i85.photobucket.com/albums/k48/Acebaur/40K/IMG_20140401_172438_764_zpscu0yfk5f.jpg

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I'd like to note that on the vanguard it's still in the proof of concept phase. What I mean is that he is basically tacked together with thumb tack and the smallest amount of glue to hold his parts together. So nothing is set in stone. If you guys have suggestions to make him look better I'm all for it.  I do plan to change the chest piece for a more awesome Templar one.  I thought about using one of the tabards but since I already have the wavy one on another guy I don't want to have two of a kind. I'm not sure one of the straight ones would look good so I was thinking about the one that is on the flamer dude above.  

[Metic]

Emperor be Praised that overhead axe swing is glorious.

[greggles]

Def liking that pose. Nicely done! Dang...now I think I'm going to get that box just for posing reasons!

[Marshal Mattias]

Looks awesome! Guess I need a Vanguard kit now...

[Acebaur]

Glad you guys like him! I certainly had fun putting him together.  I was thinking about him and wondering if it wouldn't be cooler to have him using the giant relic blade instead of the axe?  I could then run it as either a relic blade or a simple power sword. Only downside being that you lose an attack for the relic blade. 

[Arthanor]

This guy is going to be your sergeant? That's the only model who can take a relic blade in vanguards so, if yes, I'd say a relic blade and striking at I4 is much better than striking at I1 with the axe.

 

I like the relic blade on sergeants, the loss of one attack is more than made up by the added odds of wounding. In a challenge, you can be confident in hitting, but it is still 50% only to wound with a sword. The relic blade helps with that and ap3 should be enough for whatever vanguards are aimed at. It also works well along a couple meltabombs and krak grenades on av10 vehicles.

 

Of course, in challenges that's an expensive model to risk losing since you only have your power armor. The worth of a storm shield, which makes him very expensive sadly resides mostly in rule of cool. Another option is.. a power lance! You only lose one S on the charge, still ap3 and gain an attack! Of course, off the charge it's not so good, but your vanguards will charge, right? ;)

[Acebaur]

Oh yeah, I forgot only the Sgt can take it. Originally I wasn't planning on him being the sgt but that pose is so epic I think he has to be ;)  Since a SS wouldn't look that great on that model anyway I think I'll pass on it.

[Acebaur]

So it's been a while but I thought I would update you with some stuff I've been prepping for the ETL. As the title says I'm working on my only flyer the Storm Eagle. 

 

I've been busy magnetizing it so that it can not only have all the various options that it comes with but also be put into service as a Stormraven. Which in my 40K fluff they are the same chassis anyway much the same as the rhino and razorback are similar in function  with different loadouts. To me the actual stormraven model is so terribly stubby and ugly looking that I refuse to acknowledge it's existence  The Eagle is the way it ought to look just with a different weapon loadout and name. (like the new Fire Raptor model)  

 

So anyway, onto what I've done so far. I've got the landing gear magnetized so that while being used in a game it can have it retracted but I can also have the gear extended so that it can be used as terrain or part of a mission etc. 

 

 

Landing gear down

 

http://i85.photobucket.com/albums/k48/Acebaur/40K/20140421_000251_zpscjcrjfgw.jpg

 

 

A shot of it in the air with the extended gear

 

http://i85.photobucket.com/albums/k48/Acebaur/40K/20140421_000843_zps4vpof4l1.jpg

 

 

And retracted

 

http://i85.photobucket.com/albums/k48/Acebaur/40K/20140421_000951_zpsu1rndcjt.jpg

 

 

Not that the front skid didn't actually have to be magnetized for the retracted mode because it fits so snugly that it doesn't come out. 

 

 

 

Also I finished up the Ironclad I have and since I normally drop pod him I'm including him in this update

 

I just have the 1 pic for now, but hopefully I'll get some better shots soon. 

 

http://i85.photobucket.com/albums/k48/Acebaur/40K/2014-04-17%2020.12.42_zpsxamgpfde.jpg

[greggles]

Yesss! IRONCLADS!!!!! Crush your foes with the might of the emperors fury!  Just wanted to say, I actually picked up a box of vanguard vets, just due to your posts :).  Everybody gets a jetpack!  

 

Great idea on the flyer.  I should have done that with my stormraven....couldn't you have posted about that a few months ago? :)

[Marshal_Roujakis]

Have you thought about which type of flyer you'll paint for ETL?

whether it'll be the Stormraven, Stormeagle or the Stormeagle Roc pattern?

I vote for the Roc because it costs 295 points base without upgrades, but it has to have the Missile tops and the Twin-Lascannon Wings mandatory. The front weapon you could change for points. (default Heavy Bolter)

 

good going on the Eagle/Raven as well... I would have done the same thing you did but... alas I have already 2 Stormravens :p

[Acebaur]

Yesss! IRONCLADS!!!!! Crush your foes with the might of the emperors fury!  Just wanted to say, I actually picked up a box of vanguard vets, just due to your posts .  Everybody gets a jetpack!  

 

Great idea on the flyer.  I should have done that with my stormraven....couldn't you have posted about that a few months ago?

 

haha, I actually started the eagle like a year ago but never finished it. All that magnetizing had me dreading it, but the ETL was the kick in the pants I needed to get it done. Glad I could inspire you with my Vanguard Vets! Speaking of which I need to take more pics cause I finished the last 3 of them. All that's left for them now is to make 4 more jump packs but they are otherwise ready for ETL!

 

 

Have you thought about which type of flyer you'll paint for ETL?

whether it'll be the Stormraven, Stormeagle or the Stormeagle Roc pattern?

I vote for the Roc because it costs 295 points base without upgrades, but it has to have the Missile tops and the Twin-Lascannon Wings mandatory. The front weapon you could change for points. (default Heavy Bolter)

 

good going on the Eagle/Raven as well... I would have done the same thing you did but... alas I have already 2 Stormravens 

 

Whats the Roc pattern? I'm not familiar with that, is it new?

 

I was planning on running it in the ETL as an Eagle due to the larger number of points I can net from it.  If I take the most expensive weapon options I can get it to 310 as opposed to the Raven which tops out at 265. 

 

Sadly I'll probably rarely run it as an Eagle because the Raven seems like a much better deal unless I needed something specific that the eagle has

[Marshal_Roujakis]

Roc Pattern Stormeagles are found in the 'Imperial Armour Volume Two - Second Edition War Machines of the Adeptus Astartes'

 

The Stormeagle Gunship which comes as a standard has a base of 225 pts. it has the usual twin-linked Heavy Bolters, the Vengeance Missile Launcher which is a Range 48" Str 5 AP 4 Heavy 2, Large Blast. On full upgrade it goes to 326 pts. with the Typhoon Missile Launchers, the Two wing mounted Twin-Linked Lascannons, Searchlight and Extra Armour.

 

A good ship... but unless I'm going full Missile which is Four Hellstrike Missiles, Typhoon Missile Launcher and Vengeance Launcher I wouldn't field it as much....

 

The Roc Pattern Stormeagle though has a base of 295 pts. It exchanges the Vengeance Launcher for a Roc Warhead Launcher which is a Range 48" Str 8 AP 3 Heavy 4, Twin-Linked, packs Two Wing Mounted Twin-Linked Lascannons and the usual Heavy Bolter. On full upgrade the Roc Pattern goes to 336 pts. with a Typhoon Missile Launcher, Searchlight and Extra Armour.

 

10 pts. extra for 4 Twin-Linked S8 AP3 Anti-tank shots? Yes please :D

I field this guy more often than the standard pattern and equip it with Multi melta... it becomes a flying Gunship of Anti-tank doom.