[WIP] 1905th Solar Auxilia: Rust Scorpions

[Arac]

I like the "gently weathered" style you're going. Good job!

[Audemus]

Some further fluff for House Ardeo, as Lord Marshal Marcalius Audacter announces the formal alliance and places some uniquely worded orders restricting any discussion of the place of origin, history, or physical appearance outside of the Cohort.  Regardless of the inquiring Imperial Officers rank. 

 

More description information to come in the form of the Officer memo that this one notes was sent out as well.  Also, you might notice the signature line has changed, indicating the incorporation of House Ardeo into the 1905^th at the very base level...

 

http://i.imgur.com/cA1s82f.png

[Flint13]

Sweet!

 

I love these awesome little fluff snippets. 

[Audemus]

Sweet!

 

I love these awesome little fluff snippets. 

 

I'm glad, they are absolutely fun to write that's for sure.

 

So here is the NCO & Officer Cadre "further information" message that I mentioned in the post.  It goes into the background of the house and also something I totally came up with on the fly and now would love to see Forge World do (not that they will but whatever!) which I named the "Destrier" that functions like a Sky Talon for Five Imperial Knights used by the Grail Knights in defense of the planet against the Xenos race before the Mass Driver incident.  It just kinda popped out of my head while I was writing and it's just fluff, lost technology etc, but the idea of 5 Knights being flown into battle and dropped to the ground as it hovers then moving to engage an enemy plays out so damn cool in my head.  >_<

 

http://i.imgur.com/VCoTJyR.png

[depthcharge12]

I'll race you to finish my Atrapos first! :P

[Audemus]

I'll race you to finish my Atrapos first!

 

I am literally refreshing the USPS page with my Dragon Forge base so that I can tackle the Knight at full speed tonight (barring any unforeseen requirements on my time). 

 

http://i.imgur.com/yAHCRwq.png

 

Jeff at Dragon Forge really went out of his way to get this into my really large order that he was already sending me with almost no notice, so I can't complain at all his customer service is second to none, but damn if it isn't hard to wait on the base before tackling the Knight itself as it's just so reliant on the positioning required by the bases terrain.

 

Not going to race you if only because at the cost of this Knight, I want to be obsessively controlling over the process of painting it, but I would like to finish it by Saturday so I can see if @betrayer41 wants to bring his Alpha Legion down to our store for a real game of 30k rather than "lets play Formations vs No Formations!" game that I would get otherwise. 

[Frostmourne]

Dragon Forge?

[Slips]

If both you and Betrayer play a game, I'm scared that attempting to take any pictured of that would melt the Lenses of those cameras due to pure beauty :x

[Audemus]

Dragon Forge?

 

 

Yep, Dragon Forge Design, owned and run by Jeff who single-handedly makes the best resin bases out there.  The only issue is usually turn around time but that's because he makes each individual base by hand to order, which ensures the quality is always spot on.  I don't know many other retailers who respond to messages to their personal Facebook and encourage you checking on the status of things with them directly. 

 

So it does not appear that I am plugging one retailer, I must say that if you need something immediately Secret Weapon Miniatures provides some of the fastest service I've ever seen from such a specialty shop and also has a myriad of other products they provide as well.  While I don't think their bases are of the same level as Jeff's, knowing I can order 30 bases on Monday and have them before the end of the week has saved my butt with the 1905th who are 100% based on their bases.  My next 30 troops of whichever variety I pick, will be getting the Dragon Forge treatment.

 

I've got two flight bases in this order that I had entirely forgotten about that should make things interesting for the 1905th.  The choice now becomes 2 Thunderbolts or 2 Lightnings and keep in mind the Solar Auxilia versions of these fighters have numerous options that aren't available to their 40k counterparts; the Thunderbolt gets a Flareshield on the front of it as well.  The third option, which I've been mulling over, is to get 1 Thunderbolt and 1 Arvus Shuttle for my Elite Household Guard.  Trying to truck the axe wielding madmen over the battlefield to the enemy was not fun in the least bit but I could load them into the Arvus Shuttle and deep strike them in off a Nuncio Vox once a squad of Veletaris dismounts.  In the Grim Darkness of the Future, no one expects the Star Trek Lander Inquisition!  It's a thought!

[Audemus]

If both you and Betrayer play a game, I'm scared that attempting to take any pictured of that would melt the Lenses of those cameras due to pure beauty :x

 

Oh there's no if about it, he hadn't realized that I played up at GW City Walk until recently and since I'm very sporadic in showing up there it's no shock that we hadn't run into each before.  The Store Manager at City Walk is awesome and will probably end up posting our pics on the store Facebook page as well, hell he used my Valkyries for a campaign tournament banner a few weeks ago.  He loves great pictures.  :D

 

He took this one with his camera phone but damn if it wasn't awesome to see how the mottled brown camo worked on the desert table.  Don't mind my Knight hiding in the corner, there's nothing to see there, please move along!

 

http://i.imgur.com/djb2Kwr.jpg

 

We just have to figure out a time when we're both able to get to the store and then the Fesitivus for the 30k-of-us will begin!

[Slips]

Who knows, maybe with him showing off legions and you Solar Aux you might get others to board this train too >:-D

[depthcharge12]

Yeah I'd also recommend Secret Weapons miniatures bases - they're super finely detailed :) I grabbed a couple of the Blasted Wetlands bases to try out.

 

What bases are you trying out?

[Audemus]

Who knows, maybe with him showing off legions and you Solar Aux you might get others to board this train too >:-D

 

Hell yeah!  Though it will be easier to do that now with the BaC box being out, before it felt like I was sitting in the store telling people to go to a website to order and subsequently depriving my local store of sales.  The last thing I want is for anything to happen to our awesome store as it's probably the most relaxed gaming environment I've ever been in.

 

Yeah I'd also recommend Secret Weapons miniatures bases - they're super finely detailed I grabbed a couple of the Blasted Wetlands bases to try out.

 

What bases are you trying out?

 

Well the existing Rust Scorpions are all on SW bases because I needed to get them up and running fast.  Apparently Jeff drop shipped my Slate Knight base to me to ensure I had it this week and then today shipped me...umm...5 pounds of Resin bases from my previous orders! hahaha   I'll take pictures of them when they arrive.

 

Yet the star of the hour right now is Slate Wasteland Knight Base, which I picked specifically because Jeff gets all crazy with the vertical aspect of the rocks giving it real depth.  I am absolutely thrilled after getting a chance to look at it in person.

 

 

Hopefully my pictures do the base some justice!

 

http://i.imgur.com/7lOKIlQ.png

[betrayer41]

I don;t know how you do this much amazing work without an airbrush, i tip my hat to you haha

[Frostmourne]

Ahh I see!! Thanks pal!!

 

How have your recent games gone?

[Audemus]

I don;t know how you do this much amazing work without an airbrush, i tip my hat to you haha

 

Man, I've been meaning to take a picture so I can reply to people who ask about my vehicle camo scheme style with it but it also applies to this statement as well...

 

So for anyone who is curious about the weird camo scheme I do on my vehicles, consider this fair warning...it comes at a cost...a cost of wood and bristle!

 

That is about 4 months of dry brushes right there.  Every two to three vehicles, I tend to murder one dry brush in the process regardless of brush soap or pink soap being used.  The process just tears the bristles apart and no matter how careful I am, paint seeps down into the ferrule, I've usually ripped most of the bristles out at that point though.

 

In contrast, the brush on the far right, is a Winsor and Netwon Series 7 Size 1 that only just died after surviving almost my entire Imperial Guard army and the existing Rust Scorpions.  I used that brush for almost everything that wasn't dry brushed on the models and I would say it earned the $15 dollar price tag that it cost me one hundred times over.  Farewell you valiant bastard, despite losing almost 50% of your kolinsky sable hairs...you still manage to present a point even when being discarded.  o7

 

http://i.imgur.com/D0n7bcA.png

 

Ahh I see!! Thanks pal!!

 

How have your recent games gone?

 

Haven't been any since the Tau game due to the holidays!  I'm hoping to get a game in this weekend but my Driver License ninja expired on me and I've been trying to get to the DMV to get it replaced, they want a ridiculous amount of things all of a sudden despite it usually just being a quick hop to a website to renew.  After being in the military nothing surprises me when it comes to governmental paperwork being overly complicated though.

[Audemus]

So, as I was working on the Cerastus Knight Atrapos, it dawned on me that this thing is *really* big.  I went and retrieved one of 40k Imperial Knights from my Guard army and found that just the lower half of the Cerastus Knight is the same height as the 40k Imperial Knight.

 

As such, I thought that I would post a picture of this revelation and also provide a progress update all in the same shot!

 

I still need to touch up the trim of the base but since my hands are all over it right now while I work on the lower half it seemed kind of silly not to wait until the end for that touch up. 

 

http://i.imgur.com/J9vL0W1.png

[Flint13]

I love the ruddy red/brown color, but I do wish you had utilized that sweet bone shade a little bit more. 

 

It looks just a tad off since the shinguards are divided but none of the other leg or groin armor panels are. 

[Audemus]

I love the ruddy red/brown color, but I do wish you had utilized that sweet bone shade a little bit more. 

 

It looks just a tad off since the shinguards are divided but none of the other leg or groin armor panels are. 

 

He would be practically checkered if you take into account how much bone is in his upper torso. 

 

Take a look, from my earlier post of the external armor:

 

So Bone/Brown, Solid Brown, Edged Bone/Brown/, Brown armor on the helmet, large amount of bone on the front part of the main hull encasement and then a bone ranking slot for decals on the left shoulder.

 

I wanted to keep the bone a definitive secondary color for decals and rank markings specifically.

 

http://i.imgur.com/fluU6QZ.png

 

 

Edit:

 

Oh and also, I guess I should put the Seneschal up before he becomes embedded inside of this monstrosity.

 

I'm going to have to magnetize the hull in order to make him even slightly viewable  as the Atrapos does not have a removable hatch to view him but it shouldn't be to big of a deal.

 

http://i.imgur.com/D4RoMgZ.png

Edited January 8, 2016 by Audemus

[Frostmourne]

Dude, I was wondering, where did your SA start, what made up your first list?

 

I'm thinking of buying a small starter force and thought you're best to ask for what's a good yardstick to start at. Thanks.

[Audemus]

Dude, I was wondering, where did your SA start, what made up your first list?

 

I'm thinking of buying a small starter force and thought you're best to ask for what's a good yardstick to start at. Thanks.

 

I started with two Veletaris squads and a self made Leman Russ Annihilator tank that I created from two lascannons and the Leman Russ in the Cadian Defense Force box.

 

If you're not hellbent on Volkite weaponry like myself, I would recommend a lasrifle section with an Aegis Defense line and a Veletaris Storm Section w/ a Dracosan.  Then pick up the Tactical Command Auxilia and weigh in from there.  When I went at this I had a very clear force concept in my head but if I were putting it together slowly I probably would have picked up some Rapiers Mortars and other smaller costs before diving into the armor as much.

 

I came up with the following Army List after brain storming a bit, if anyone else sees a reason this won't work please pipe up before Frostmourne goes and buys things!  I've only played with my guys and this contains units I don't have access to.

 

=========================

Solar Auxilia - 1000pts

 

HQ - 90pts

 

Auxilia Tactical Command Section - 90pts - Grenade Launcher, Meltagun

 

Troops - 580pts

 

Auxilia Infantry Tercio - 210pts

Aegis Defence Line - Comms Relay

Auxilia Lasrifle Section - Blast-chargers

Sergeant - Troop Master

 

Auxilia Infantry Tercio - 370pts

Dracosan Armoured Transport - Armoured Ceramite, Demolisher Cannon, Extra Armour, Flare Shield, Pintle-mounted Multi-laser or heavy flamer

Veletaris Storm Section - Nuncio-vox, Shroud Bombs

 

Elites - 180pts

 

Auxilia Rapier Battery - 180pts

Rapier Team - Quad Mortar

Rapier Team - Quad Mortar

Rapier Team - Quad Mortar

 

Fast Attack - 150pts

 

Tarantula Sentry Gun Battery- Drop Capsule, 3x Tarantula Sentry Gun - 150pts

 

=========================

 

Basic strategy would be to keep the Lasrifle section as your "Home" and fight against the enemy in a reactive manner.  You can use the Veletaris either as a mounted response or just keep them in the cover of the Dracosan while utilizing their guns on approaching enemy as they try to overwhelm the Lasrifle Section. 

 

The comm relay is there so you can call in your Tarantula multi-las platforms via deep striking capsules in response to enemy threats, as multi-las guns are the most general purpose and get you multiple shots.  Knowing after the first turn that they could have 3 twin-linked multi-las guns blazing away at them will make your opponent very wary about using smaller units to flank you and the 35" range on the guns should allow for you to keep them in the fight regardless.

 

If you get blitzed the Veletaris Nuncio Vox will ensure your Tarantulas come crashing to earth right in the main fight and can be used to maximum effect repelling the enemy and providing additional support fire from that point forward.

 

Meanwhile each turn you're raining mortar fire down on their heads with indirect fire and the Strategos can call in an Orbital Bombardment that makes it's 40k equivalent look like a pop gun.  It's a one off boom but the boom will leave a mark.  After that the Strategos can concentrate on boosting the Lasrifle Section with +1 BS for the entire game if he stays close to them and the banner-man will make them unable to be broken.

 

Honestly, it sounds like fun and I kind of wish I had a few Tarantulas around to shake things up a bit.  I'll have to look into getting my hands on them in the future. 

[Audemus]

Okay, I'm going to stop for the night because I've been working on this guy off and on since this morning.  The guns are both about 50% done but the rest of the Knight is completed.  Here's an arm-less teaser shot!

 

http://i.imgur.com/byViGNO.png

[Frostmourne]

Mate thanks for your reply. Brilliant start!

[Audemus]

Mate thanks for your reply. Brilliant start!

 

No worries at all!  I must say since writing that the idea of utilizing a lasrifle section to get rerolls on reserves and then bringing Tarantulas in as a reactive defense rather than an offensive factor has really got me interested. 

 

Can anyone tell me if bringing models in from reserve has an order of deployment?  Example:  If I have a Strike Squadron of Annihilator Tanks Outflanking, meaning I have to roll for their side of the table, can I take care of their deployment first before the Deep Striking Tarantulas?  Seems I could avoid the Annihilators finding themselves being overwhelmed with fire by figuring out their deployment and *then* rolling for the Tarantulas, so that they can deep strike down in support of the Annihilators.  Just a thought...

 

As to the Knight I managed to magnetize the arms today and that was nerve wracking since the big magnets I got for the task just fit inside the framework of the arm sockets.  They fit together perfectly now, though it took the better part of almost 2 hours to trim the resin etc.  The guns are being finished now, which means a quick prime on the arm joints and warplock > agrax > gun-metal mix to completion.  I should be able to show the monster tonight, barring any bizarre interruptions and I'd like to get it in the store tomorrow but we'll see!

 

Back to the grind...

[Caillum]

Can anyone tell me if bringing models in from reserve has an order of deployment?  Example:  If I have a Strike Squadron of Annihilator Tanks Outflanking, meaning I have to roll for their side of the table, can I take care of their deployment first before the Deep Striking Tarantulas?  Seems I could avoid the Annihilators finding themselves being overwhelmed with fire by figuring out their deployment and *then* rolling for the Tarantulas, so that they can deep strike down in support of the Annihilators.  Just a thought...

With Reserves, you roll for them all. Then you '...pick one of your arriving units and deploy it..." So you have to roll everything to see which come in, then you choose the order you deploy them. Shouldn't be an issue for you, I don't think?

 

If you're worried about things like Interceptor, that doesn't happen until the end of your Movement Phase, so everything will be deployed where you want it before they get to Intercept fire.

 

Having a Comms Relay will really help, as you can re-roll all Reserves rolls, even successful ones. Like, if your Leman Russ Squadron doesn't come in from Outflank (despite the re-roll) you can try to stop the Tarantulas arriving too.