Night Lords Tallarn Commander's Chaos (Skullfiend Completed)

[Tallarn Commander]

And now I shall finish up my tournament report from last weekend's 40K Tacoma Open.

 

 

 

Game 5 vs. Chaos Space Marines

 

My opponent for this game was awesome. I'd never played him before but I had played some of his friends at a local gaming store I sometimes visit so he had heard about my old-school Night Lords. I'm blessed with no fewer than 7 gaming stores within 30 minutes: Wizard's Keep in Kent, Laughing Dragon In Issaquah, Mox in Bellevue, Mox in Seattle, Nomad Games In Edmonds, Uncles in Redmon, and Mugu in Everett). This game was incredibly fun and, while I enjoyed playing all of my opponents, this opponent was my favorite because he too was super chill.

 

This game resulted in a loss and I was tabled. Here are some photos. My opponent was also playing Renegade Raiders. We commented on how we really liked the detachment because it fits our playstyles and has lots of fun strats.

 

The board at deployment

 

 

Lightning Monitors Enemy Advance

 

In both this game and the previous game the forces were actually fairly balanced and, had I deployed more effectively, the games probably would have been more effective. In both games I put too much on my left flank and not enough on my right flank. So poor Lightning and the Cultists that you see here are rather unsupported. If nothing else I learned a lot from this tournament. If nothing else I think it's a really good idea for me to return to including a 5-trooper Chaos Termie squad because I often tend to screw up deployment in this manner. But I can plop down a Termie Squad on Turn 2 to shore up a flank and greatly ameiliorate the effects of mis-deployment.  :)

 

 

Bat To The Bone vs. Legionaries

 

 

In this game I really saw the benefit of supporting Legionaries with characters. Three months ago I went to a tournament in Aberdeen, Washington (down by the coast). I brought along 3 characters and I found that Legionaries really like character support (especially when I remember the character's rules).

 

 

Chosen Champion Decimus Duels Fabius Bile

 

 

 

 

Game 6 vs. Night Lords!

 

This game featured a mirror match of Night Lords vs. Night Lords. It was a really fun game but he easily slaughtered my forces. He brought 3 Daemon Princes and 3 Warp Talons. 

 

I should bring Warp Talons more this edition. When I do bring them they are probably my most effective unit--they are really good right now. His did really well against me. Except for the one squad of Warp Talons, which was charged and destroyed by, of all things, lowly Chaos Raptors.

 

 

Jackals Legionaries Squad Takes Out Bikers

 

 

Chaos Lord and War Hound Eliminate Cultists

 

 

I realized after the game that Cultists do not have the "Heretic Astartes" keyword and do not benefit from the Renegade Raiders detachment +1 AP vs. enemies on objectives rule. As a result the wound my Cultists did to the lord before getting killed off should not have counted. Oops. But, to balance that out, during the whole tournament I only once remembered my Legionaries' special rules regarding wounding in melee.  :)

 

 

Lightning Misses A Point-Blank Shot Against A Carnivore

 

 

 

Havocs Hang Out In Back

I realized after the game I didn't use my Havocs during the last 2 turns of battle. They were hanging out next to my rather large pile of dead Chaos Marines and I mistakenly thought they were dead. Well, the game was not close anyway. Plus it kept the Carnivore from charging them. That's very Night Lordsy to play 'possum so that you survive the battle.

 

 

Daemon Prince vs. Possessed

My Possessed had just taken out another Daemon Prince. So this Daemon Prince got revenge and killed off the squad.

 

 

Duvalier KO'd By a Carnivore

I miss my old Night Lords Chaos Lord melee upgrade, the Claws of the Black Hunt.

 

 

Cultists vs. Carnivore

 

 

 

All in all, it was a really enjoyable tournament. I saw a bunch of folks in the community who I haven't played in awhile, I learned a lot, a lot of folks geeked out about my old-school army, and I had fun. What more can one ask from a tournament!

 

 

Here are some "after action" thoughts and unit assessments.

 

Units That Performed Above Par

* Predator Annihilators and Lascannon Havocs: easily my best 2 units. I'd be hard pressed to say one is better than the other. In a normal detachment I'd say an Annihilator is better because of its mobility, but in a Renegade Raiders detachment you can advance you Havocs around the board without hurting their ability to fire so they are quite mobile.

 

Units That Performed At Par

* Cultists: cheap action monkeys and objective cappers. Very efficient.

* Chosen and Possessed: They kill stuff in melee, 'nuff said

* Rhinos: workhorse units that delivered units upfield, protected units from fire, granted units access to some wonderful Renegade Raiders strats, and then capped objectives and harassed the enemy

 

Units That Performed Below Par

* Chaos Bikers: this is more of an issue with the matchups I chose for them rather than any inherent weakness in the unit. I found that when I was all cagey with my bikers and used them to beat up on smaller squads then they did very well. They also did great and sacrificing themselves as a mobile screen so that the Raptors and Lord could get screened. But when I charged them up against tougher stuff they died horribly. With more practice, I'll get better at using them this edition.

* Ten-Trooper Legionaries: they nicely capped objectives and chipped away at enemies, but rarely did much damage to the enemy. With a supporting character they would do better. I think I'll drop down to 5-trooper Legionaries Squads for awhile. Although I love my fluffy squads of 10 so I'm sure you'll see them again in the near future.

* Squad of 10 Raptors: they did very little damage to the enemy. And when they captured objectives it was very helpful, but a squad of 5 Raptors could have done that for 90 points less.

* Jump Pack Lord with Lightning Claws: If I had taken a powerfist he would have done better. But he can only hang out with a squad of Raptors and, boy, were my Raptors bad. I'll still use Raptor Lords from time to time, but he will no longer be the mainstay in my lists like he was in 7th through 9th. When I use a Raptor Lord I'll go with a powerfist and I'll probably use him as an "uppy-downy lord" in Dread Talon detachments. Uppy-Downy Lords are Chaos Lords with the "Warp-Fuelled Thrusters" enhancement. On the Night Lords Discord site they are regularly referred to as "Uppy-Downy Lords" and the word is that they do really well.

 

 

Thank you for taking the time to read all this!

 

 

One more thing, as noted above, I really enjoyed the Renegade Raiders detachment. It really gels well with my playstyle. I'll try out the other detachments though too.

 

 

Night Lords, "In midnight clad."

 

[Tallarn Commander]

Hello everyone,

 

I did a bit of painting last week and this week and finished up 5 Bloodletters. These are part of the ongoing pledge and I hope to finish the rest of the squad soon so my pledge can be complete.

 

All 5 completed members of Squad Voidrage

 

 

Ahab

He has a penchant for dragging the other squad members into lost causes that spell the squad's doom.

 

 

Skald

His temper knows no bounds.

 

 

Frenzy

Even among daemons he is seen as a little unhinged.

 

 

Vorgala

Her horn calls Voidrage to the hunt!

 

 

Kragor

No one has the heart to tell him is lightning claw doesn't work. Note the beastie photo-bombing the image on the right.

 

 

These Khornate daemons are painted in the same bone and red scheme as my Nurgle daemons.

 

 

Nareen, Plaguebearer Of Nurgle

 

 

And even though I now have a bazillion projects in my backlog (sigh), last week I thought it would be fun to kitbash some Space Wolf Lord Terminators and some Chaos Terminators. They will join my small World Eaters/Khornate Chaos Marine warband, the Blood Wolves. The Blood Wolves are Space Wolves who have gone all heretical and have begun worshipping Khorne.

 

Here are some photos.

 

 

Squad of 5 Blood Wolf Chaos Terminators

 

 

Heavy Flamer/Powerfist Termie

 

 

Aspiring Champion with Chainfist

 

 

Icon Bearer Termie

 

 

Dual axe Termie, counts as dual accursed weapon

 

 

And my favorite, Termie with shield and powerfist

 

 

I still need to add combi-bolters to some termies and to drill out barrels. Then I shall prime.

 

 

And, I also finished up some small upgrades in time for the big tournament earlier this month. Here are some photos.

 

 

Biker Aspiring Champion Chamorro Before and After

 

 

 

Biker Aspiring Champion Pyre Before & After

 

 

 

 

Legionary Keth Before & After

 

 

Enjoy the photos!

 

Edited July 30 by Tallarn Commander

[Tallarn Commander]

Hello everyone,

 

Last weekend I completed my Call To Arms pledge for this year, a squad of Bloodletters. Here are some photos.

 

 

Squad Voidrage from Front

 

 

Squad Voidrage from the Rear

 

 

The 5 Bloodletters I finished this weekend

 

 

And individual shots of the 5 I recently completed...

 

 

Tartora, the icon bearer. An Astartes once ripped the icon from Tartora's hands. This act filled the daemon with shame. She vowed it would never happen again so she chained himself to her icon.

 

 

 

Soulstain, he likes to beat his foes in one-on-one duels, but let them live. Then they have been secretly corrupted by Soulstain's powers and gradually succumb to Chaos.

 

 

Veil-Ripper, the Squad Champion. She ripped a power sword from her Space Wolf Astartes victim's hand. Veil-Ripper now uses the blade to rip open the fabric of reality between Realspace and the Void to allow her squad entry into Imperial holdings.

 

 

 

Ajax & Sven, Ajax once decapitated Sven, a Space Wolf Terminator, in melee. Due to the powers of the warp Sven did not die. He is now cursed to spend eternity conversing with a bloodcrazy daemon. The two have actually become somewhat tolerant of each other and Sven has more or less fallen to Chaos. Sven now regularly provides Ajax with information about Space Wolf bases and troop movements.

 

 

Maelos is the squad's seer and navigator. It Maelos he who advises Veil-Ripper on where to insert his blade into the fabric of time-space. It is Maelos who throws the bones and advises the Bloodmaster on when to begin the attack. It is Maelos who knows an Inquisitor's blade will someday end Maelos' existence.

 

 

I tried some new hobbying approaches with these 10 Bloodletters.

 

1. New Base Color

I used Mephiston Red as my basecoat instead of Khorne Red. And then I highlighted with Trollslayer Orange instead of Evil Sunz Scarlet. The end result is a squad that appears much more vibrant. I might try this again in the future on my Blood Wolves Chaos Marines.

 

2. New Shade Color For Metal

I was inspired by this forum's Trawling Cleaner to use Reikland Wash on the 2nd batch of 5 Bloodletters. I applied it over the Leadbelcher and I think I prefer Reikland to my normal Agrax Earthshade. It works better with my overall rust recipe.

 

3. Glazes

I inspired by this forum's Volgon to try, of all colors, Bloodletter Red glaze on the Bloodletters. Over the years, I have used glazes a bit in a very haphazard and sporadic manner. I have not been impressed with them. I think I have just been using them wrong, e.g. the wrong glaze color and on parts of a model that are too small. Because here glazes really help to make the shading transitions much much smoother.

 

Thank you Trawling Cleaner and Volgon for your inspiration!

 

 

Oil Paints

I've also tried another technique that is new to me: using oil paints to paint skin. Until now I've only used oil paints as washes. I really like how they flow and their appearance on larger models (such as tanks with big panels). But I've never used oils as anything other than a wash. I applied this technique to The Indentured, a squad of Blood Wolf Jakhals, and to Blood Golem, a Blood Wolf Defiler. I dabbed a shade, base, and highlight on a pallette and created a sort of arc of paint from darker to lighter. I watched various videos beforehand so I had a vague idea of what I was doing.

 

I really like the results of oil paints on the larger models. If any of you have ever used extenders or retardants for your acrylic paints, oil paints are kind of like that but on steroids. The learning curve for oils seem much steeper than for acrylics. I can see how it could take a lifetime to really master effective use of oils paints. But the result can be a very natural-looking skin tone that has much warmer, more vibrant colors than acrylic can attain.

 

But on most the rank-and-file smaller models the oils do not look too good. They just don't have enough space to get the right appearance. In the future, I'll stick to using oils on larger models with lots of exposed flesh like Possessed or Daemon Princes.

 

 

Here are some photos. Sadly the oil paints on the larger models don't look very good in the photos. They look much better in real life.

 

The oil paints and workspace

 

 

 

Sven with Oils, the photo does not catch the gradual shifts in color that oils achieved here

 

 

Freya, with some wash she will look decent, but acrylics would have achieved a nicer skin paint job

 

 

Orn, with an acrylic wash he will look about the same as he would have with acrylics

 

 

Blood Golem, sadly the photos do not catch the vibrancy, warmth, and subtle shifts from dark to light that oils achieved on the Defiler

 

 

 

I hope you enjoyed the photos!

 

 

 

Death to the False Emperor!

 

 

Edited August 6 by Tallarn Commander

[Tallarn Commander]

Hello fellow Chaos Worshippers,

 

Last weekend I got in a very fun game against a Necron opponent.

 

Here's my list

 

Spoiler

 Night Lords, House Nightfall, 2nd Battalion
Strike Force (2000 points)
Dread Talons Detachment

This list is inspired by a CSM  list I used back in the spring of 2016.


CHARACTERS
• Ironclaw, Chaos Lord with Jumppack, powerfist, plasma pistol, Warlord (90), Warp-Fueled Thrusters enhancement (20)

• Dnegrah with Command Squad, Dark Commune (65), Eater Of The Dead Enhancement (15)

• Decimus, Master of Executions (80)


BATTLELINE

• Bastards, 10 Legionaries (180)

• Harbingers, 5 Legionaries (90)

• Harbingers, 5 Legionaries (90)

• 5th Squad, Cultist Mob, 10 Cultists (50)


OTHER DATASHEETS

• 1st Claw, 5 Chosen (125)

• 3rd Claw, 5 Chosen (125)

• The Atramentar, 5 Chaos Terminators (185)

• Bats Out Of Hell, 10 Chaos Raptors (180)

• Death From Above, 5 Chaos Raptors (90)

• Warpnight, 5 Warp Talons (130)

• Bat To The Bone, 6 Chaos Bikers (140)


• Lightning, Chaos Predator Annihilator (140)

• Night Snipers, 5 Chaos Havocs (135)

TRANSPORTS
• Dragonne, Chaos Rhino=75

• Murcielago, Chaos Rhino=75


Total Points=2,000

"Ave Dominus Nox"





Night Lords Chaos Marines, House Nightfall, 2nd Battalion

Being a Night Lords Chaos Space Marine force featuring bastard bikers, rapacious Raptors, and various and sundry other horrors of the Warp

Long ago there was a noble family, the House of Nightfall. They lived in an age of peace and stability established by their world's ruler. Their ruler was Konrad Curze, the fair and just lord of the garden planet Nostramo. And then one day, a corrupt and weak emperor sent an assassin to slay the Lord Curze. The vile assassin succeeded. The emperor then destroyed the paradise that was Nostramo. House Nightfall managed to escape in their merchant families' vessels. But since that day they have never forgotten and  vengeance upon the emperor will be theirs!

House Nightfall is a mercenary and merchant house, sort of like a Chaotic Rogue Trader family. The House's Council of Eight owns and operates over a dozen star systems, a score of void ships, 3 warbands of Night Lords Chaos Marines, a free company of Chaos Knights, and 9 regiments of Traitor Guard. This particular force represents House Nightfall's 2nd Battalion of Night Lords.


CHARACTERS
☆ Lord Travor Ironclaw, Chaos Lord with jumppack, powerfist, plasma pistol (90),Warp-Fueled Thrusters enhancement (20)=110
● Special Rule: Lord of Chaos--once per round Chaos Lords can allow their unit to use a strat for free on their unit, even if that strat has already been used this turn.
● Special Rule: Cruel Hunter--this model's unit can pile in or consolidate 6" instead of 3".
● Spe I'll Rule: Warp-Fueled Thrusters--Ironclaw and his squad can leave the board and go into ongoing reserves at the end of the opponent's turn if no enemy is within engagement range.
     It is an understatement to say life in an Imperial prison is miserable. It is hell. The capricious guards, the random torture sessions from Inquisitors, and beatings at the hands of fellow inmates, and worst of all, the disgusting bland vat-grown gruel that inmates are fed. This is what Inmate Number [Redacted] real name of Travor, had to face every day.
     Travor was born and raised on the hive world of Necromunda. Like most of his peers he was a criminal in a gang running extortion rackets, smuggling contraband, and doing hits on rival gang members. One day Travor and the other members of his Orlock gang were caught up in a sweep. A small army of Arbites police officers had a quota to meet. So the Arbites entered the Underhives and arrested all suspected gingers, including Travor, regardless of whether they had committed a crime.
     The young criminal found himself on a prison ship bound for God knows where. When Travor found himself on Imperial Prison Planet 647 in the Segmentum Pacificus he felt some relief because, in the Imperium, there are some fates worse then a prison planet.
     For 32 years Travor endured a living hell. During the day he worked in the prison's mines and manufactorums. During the night he and his fellow Orlocks fought constant wars against other inmates. It was a struggle to survive.
      One day salvation arrived. It arrived in the form of a seven foot tall figure. The figure was clad in midnight armor and had red glowing eyes. It held a vicious sword of whirring chains in one hand and in the other hand it held the dripping head of the hated Chief Warden Ignatus.
     The mysterious figure told Travor and the other inmates they were from something called House Nightfall. An offer was made. The inmates could help the mysterious figure kill the remaining guards and then join House Nightfall in the stars. Or the inmates could remain in their cells and wait for the wardens and Arbites to return.
      For Travor and most of the inmates this was not a difficult choice. They rioted and killed anyone in the prison who was not an inmate. The inmates then settled old scores and killed each other in a bloodbath. In the end only a handful of inmates survived. Mostly Travor and his fellow Orlocks and their allied Eschers.
      The convicts entered a small fleet of battered shuttles and took to the stars as probationary members of House Nightfall. Travor thinks that was almost a millenia ago now. Although time is not a constant when the warp is concerned, so it could  have been only a hundred years ago.
      At any rate Travor has many memories of his life since joining House Travor. Working as a machinist in Nightfall's arms manufactourums, where even a lowly janitor is well paid and cared for thanks to the Unionist Faction. Aiding the pro-daemon faction of House Nightfall by sneaking onto Imperial planets with fellow Cultists and summoning daemons from the warp. Serving as a soldier in the ranks of one of House Nightfall's Traitor Guard Regiments, the Nostroman 9th. Travor was eventually awarded his powerfist for acts of courage and sacrifice and he changed his name to Ironclaw. Along the way he fell in love with a fellow soldier Seera, raised a family with her, and became a colonel.
      When Ironclaw witnessed a hated Adeptes of the Space Wolves crush Seera's skull he realized his life had changed. In one-on-one combat he defeated the Adeptes, who he now wears as a tabard, and was offered the opportunity of a lifetime. He was allowed to begin the Mercantile Rituals of Blood which would transform him into a Chaos Space Marine.
     Ironclaw served with honor as a Legionary, Chaos Biker, and then as Atramentar. With the aid of the Unionist and Daemon Factions within House Nightfall he was promoted to the rank of Chaos Lord. He now soars the skies upon his jetpack and commands House Nightfall's 3rd Battalion. He is still amazes that a lowly convict could attain such glories.

☆ Dneghra Nightfall, Renegade Commander and leader of a Dark Commune=65
• Dnegrah: Cult Demagogue with autopistol and Commune Stave
• The Horned One: Mindwitch with Warp Curse and close combat weapon
• Wirewolf: Blessed Blade with Commune Blade
• Skara: Blessed Blade with Commune Blade
• Warptouch: Iconarch with autopistol, close combat weapon, and Chaos Icon
-Special Rule: Faithful Flock--Dneghra grants her Squad a 5++ invulnerable save
-Special Rule: Dark Ritual--once per battle for the rest of the turn Dneghra and her squad can can advance and charge. And all of the squads' attacks ate at +1 to hit and +1 to wound.
     Dnegrah Nightfall has lead the Nostroman 9th Mercenary Regiment for decades. Lokemany in the Nostroman 9th she was raised on stories of the good old days when the trains ran on time and Conrad Kurzed kept the streets safe from criminals. She and her brethren are bitter atbout the Imperiums unjust assasination of Night Haunter.
     She travels the verse, selling her mercenaries' skills to any non-Imperium clients with enough coin. Dnegrah's ancestors were Nostroman nobility, the noble House of Nightfall. They feared Curze but respected his ability to establish order. They seek to avenge Curze's death at the hands of the hypocritical  Emperor.
     WarpRend is the regiment's spiritual advisor. She can call upon the warp to commit unholy acts upon the battlefield.
     Warptouch is a Revenant. An undead soul who has returned to life to exact revenge upon the Imperium. He serves as Dnegrah's chief master sergeant. He is a gruff taskmaster who inspires the Nostroman 9th to fight harder.
     Wirewolf is a Disciple of Khorne. The Blood God has somehow blessed him with a wolf's head. He serves as Dneghra's bodyguard.
     Trooper Skara's face was horribly disfigured in a battle against the Eldar. He was once quite the handsome lady's man. He now wears a mask to cover up his shamefully Ravaged face. Whenever The Nostroman 9th is hired to fight the Eldar Skara fights with a zeal born from hatred. He serves as Dneghra's bodyguard.
     Dnegrah and a squad of her Nostroman 9th troopers have been detached to 3rd Battalion to serve as light infantry.

☆ Lord Decimus, Chaos Master of Executions, Axe of Dismemberment, bolt pistol=80
● Special rule: Warp-Sighted Butcher--Decimus' unit can re-roll hits in melee against foes that are below starting strength. Decimus' unit can also re-roll wound rolls against foes that are below half strength.
● Special rule: Trophy Taker--Decimus' Army gains 1 CP whenever he kills an enemy character.
     Decimus is not actually a member of House Nightfall. He is a diplomatic envoy from a large coalition of Night Lords warbands. He is trying to return the Night Lords into a unified force by uniting them under one banner. He has asked House Nightfall to join this coalition.
     House Nightfall is considering his offer. Until then Decimus has agreed to fight at House Nightfall's side and to temporarily aid the 3rd Battalion.

BATTLE LINE
● Rosas' Reavers, 10 Legionaries, 10 bolt pistols, 6 chainswords, 10 close combat weapons, 2 heavy melee weapons, plasma pistol, lascannon, missile launcher, icon=180
● Hatred's Harbingers, 5 Legionaries, 4 bolt pistols, 2 chainswords, 5 close combat weapons, 2 heavy melee weapons, plasma pistol, Havoc Autocannon, icon=90
● Jarvak's Jackals, 5 Legionaries, 4 bolt pistols, 2 chainswords, 5 close combat weapons, 2 heavy melee weapons, plasma pistol, Havoc Autocannon, icon=90
● Special Rule: Veterans of the Long War--Legionaries re-roll wound rolls of 1 in melee. If the enemy is on an objective, Legionaries can re-roll all wound rolls in melee.
● Icon: Unit can re-roll Dark Pact tests
House Nightfall's Chaos Legionaries are a motley collection of mercenaries, murderers, and maniacs. They have long furthered the interests of House Nightfall and are well paid in slaves, armor, and weaponry. During combat they skulk around the battlefield, avoiding a fair fight. They grab objectives, pepper the enemy with bolt shots, and then pounce where they are least expected, flaying the enemy alive with chainswords. They excel in terror tactics, slipping behind enemy lines to slit throats and terrorize the foe.

● Champion Sevatar's 1st Squad, 20 Cultists, 20 autopistols, 20 brutal assault weapons=100
● Special Rule: ForThe Dark Gods!--Cultists can make their objective "sticky" during the command phase
The Cultists are detached from the Nostroman 9th, a House Nightfall Traitor Guard Regiment. The Nostroman 9th are a diverse lot. Some fight for coin, some for Chaos, some fight against the fascist Imperium, and some fight for the sake of fighting. These combat veterans are willing to put their lives on the line as long as they receive their due from the Regiment's Paymaster.


OTHER DATASHEETS
♤ Ravenblade's 1st Claw, 5 Chaos Chosen, 4 Accursed Weapons, powerfists, 5 bolt pistols, 5 bolters, Chaos Icon=125
● Special Rule: Chosen Marauders--Chosen can fall back and then shoot and charge
●Special Rule: Chosen Marauders--Chosen can advance and charge
● Icon: Unit can re-roll Dark Pact tests
In a legion consisting of murderous criminals, the Chosen are seen as particularly heinous scalawags. Over the years they have scrounged up rare armor and melee weapons. Some are equipped with boarding shields to ward off blows and powerful chainglaives that can easily cut a dreadnought's leg in half.
Champion Ravenblade maintains House Nightfall's Aviary of Doom. It is he who maintains the House's murder of Rooks, Ravens, and Crows. The birds specialize in flaying the skin from a torture victims over the course of many days. Starting, of course, by slowly pecking out the victim's eyes. Eyes are a delicacy for most birds.
While he is quite vain, Mournsong is a brilliant duelist. He is also a gifted composer. He is currently crafting his magnum opus. His torture victims musical instruments--their cries of pain as Moursong flats them alive bring tears to his House Nightfall audiences during his grand performances.

♤ The Atramentar, 5 Chaos Terminators, 2 combi-bolters, 4 combi-weapons, heavy flamer, 3 powerfists, chainfist, accursed weapon=195
● Special Rule: Despoilers--Whenever The Atramentar make a Dark Pact, they can re-roll their hit rolls.
The Atramentar are the warband's internal security. They enforce the will of House Nightfall and irs ruling council. Their job is to keep an eye on all within House Nightfall be they Possesed Marine, visiting envoy, or lowly Chaos Cultist. The Atramentar ensure all act in the best interests of House Nightfall's Council of Thirteen.
Within 2nd Battalion they are especially interested in keeping tabs on Aspiring Champion Chamorro, a rising leader of the Chaos Bikers, lest she fall under Tzeench's sway again. The Atramentar wear ancient suits of Tactical Dreadnought Armor that can teleport the wearer over great distances.

♤ Harry, Chaos Helbrute Dreadnought, twin lascannon, Helbrute Fist, heavy flamer, Mark of Nurgle=155
-special rule: Harry buffs all Heretic Astartes units within 6 inches so that they get both Dark Pact benefits when they Dark Pact and not just one. For example, a Nurgle Predator that Dark Pacted would get Sustaining Hits on 6s to hit as well as auto-wounds on 6s to hit.
     Harry attempted to seize power from a member of House Nightfall's ruling council centuries ago. His gambit failed. He now suffers for eternity inside his adamantium sarcophagi.

◇ Champion Chamorro's Bat to the Bone, 6 Chaos Bikers, powerfist, 5 chainswords, 2 meltaguns, 4 combi-bolters, icon=140
● Special Rule: Rapid Assault--+1 strength on the charge
● Icon: Unit can re-roll Dark Pact tests
     The Chaos Bikers epitomize the Night Lords way of war. They prowl near the foe's flanks terrorizing the most vulnerable enemy units and avoiding a fair fight.
     The Bat To The Bone Biker Squad is lead by Chamorro Nightfall. Chamorro can trace her families' lineage back to before the fall of Nostramo. Her family was fortnate enough to flee the planet with its fortunes largely intact. And they were one of House Nightfall's founding families.
     Lord Chamorro was once the leader of 1st Battalion and she held a seat on House Nightfall's ruling Council of Eight. She was forced to abdicate her seat because of the infamous "Argenta Admech Incident."
One day on the planet of Argenta Prime Chamorro developed psychic abilities. She believed her sorcerous powers stemmed from a biomechanical fist she had recently ripped from a loyalist Admech techpriest. In reality the powers flowed from the Chaos God Tzeech. House Nightfall suspected Chamorro was being tricked by Tzeench and their Atramentar conducted an investigation. House Nightfall, like most Night Lords, has a deep skepticism about worshipping the Chaos gods.
     Because Chamorro's warpcraft got results and she and her family were quite powerful, the Atramentar treated her leniently. They issued "The Edict of Nantz." Chamorro lost her position as 1st Battalion Warlord and she lost her seat on the Council of Eight. But, in return, she was not executed. In exchange, Chamorro had to destroy her "magical" fist and she swore to never proselytize other warband members to follow Tzeench. So far this tenuous accord has remained in effect and all parties have honored it.
     In punishment Chamorro was demoted to a rank and file Legionary.* She has since earned her current status as the Aspiring Champion of her own Chaos Biker Squad. She is still ambitious and hopes to regain her warband and to eventually gain a seat on the ruling council.
* GW for some reason eliminated Chaos Biker Lords

◇ Champion Duvalier's Bats Out of Hell, 5 Chaos Raptors, powerfist, 2 chainswords, icon, plasma pistol, 2 meltaguns, 2 bolt pistols (180)
◇ Champion Ragnar's Death from Above, 10 Chaos Raptors, 2 meltas, fist, icon, plasma pistol (245)
● Special Rule: Fearsome--any enemy units within 6" that take a leadership or battle shock test do so at -1.
● Special Rule: Terrifying Assault--at the start of the fight phase, all enemy units in engagement range must take a battle shock test.
     The Raptors scream down from the aethers, with chainswords aglow and eager to flay the enemies' skin. Each has joined the Chaos Raptor Cult and has now merged with his or her unholy jumppack.

□ Lightning, Chaos Predator, 2 lascannons, twin lascannon, combi-weapon, Havoc Launcher, Mark of Nurgle=130
● Special Rule: Annihilator--Lightning re-rolls damage rolls on 1 when shooting enemy vehicles or monsters.
● Special Rule--Twin Linked--Lightning's main gun can re-roll rolls to wound
     The Lightning Predator and its crew have been fighting the Long War since the Horus Heresy. Lightning's Soulshatter Lascannons can pierce the toughest enemy armor at long range. In their free time the Death Bat's crew likes to craft dresses  and suits made of living human flesh.

□ Forrix's Night Snipers, 5 Chaos Havocs, accursed weapon, plasma gun, 4 lascannons=135
● Special Rule: Stabilization Talons--Havocs ignore all negative modifiers to hit when shooting.
     The Night Snipers are perpetually surrounded by a black mist. They strike from the shadows with thundering heavy weapons fire and then dissappear. They never fight fair and they sow terror upon the foe.

TRANSPORTS
○ Dragonne, Chaos Rhino, armored tracks, Havoc Launcher, combi-weapon=75
○ Murcielago, Chaos Rhino, armored tracks, Havoc Launcher, combi-weapon=75
● Special rule: Self Repair--at the start of my command phase, repair 1 wound.
     These ancient transports manuever the Night Lords around the battlefield. They deliver their deadly cargo and then provide fire support with bolter rounds and Havoc missiles.
     House Nightfall's Warpsmith Cadre suspects that Murcielago is tainted. Her walls sometimes seep blood and odd cries emanate from within during the darkest of hours. Tarot readings of Murcielago's machine spirit indicate that these are auspicious signs. Although some say the Warsmiths are not to be trusted.

 

 

 

 

I don't know Necrons very well so I cannot really good overview of my opponent's list. But it seemed to me he had a fun, balanced list.

 

 

Here are some photos from the battle.

 

 

The board at deployment. As you can see we played on some gorgeous Eldar-themed terrain!

 

 

The venue was Nomad Games. If you are ever in Edmonds, Washington here in the U.S, check them out.

 

 

Chaos Lord Travor Ironclaw and his Raptors the "Bats Out of Hell" eye an enemy Warrior Squad

 

 

Murcielago De Muerte The Chaos Rhino Charges the Ghost Keel

 

 

 

 

Reavers Charge a Ghostkeel

 

 

Harry The Helbrute Holds The Line While 1st Squad Moves Up

 

 

 

The Jackals Hold An Objective And Lay Down Autocannon Support Fire

 

 

 

And The Rumble In The Middle

 

 

This is a fight that would last much of the game. Here you see Raptors vs. Warriors.

 

 

And Master Of Executions Decimus Holds Out Against All Odds Against Warriors

 

 

Iluminor Szeras Joins the Fray

 

 

Bat To the Bone Biker Squad moves Up To Support Legionaries and Chosen

 

 

 

 

 

1st Claw Chosen Squad and Skorpekh Destroyers Beat Each Other Up

 

 

 

And 1st Squad of Cultists with Commander Dnegrah's Dark Commune Attached Shows Up To the Fight

 

 

The Surviving Biker, Legionary, and Raptors Finish Off a Necron Lord

Dark Pacting powerfists for the win!

 

 

The Warriors Eventually Give Up Fighting Decimus in Melee.

 

 

The Warriors jumped out of melee and the destroyers (or Immortals) shot him down. I really enjoy the Night Lords strat that, when an enemy jumps out of melee, let's you say "Nah" and your squad can immediately follow them and re-engage them in melee. Sadly I had used that strat elsewhere this phase so I could not use it here.

 

 

 

The Rumble In The Middle Continues

 

 

By now all of Ironclaw's Raptors are dead. And the Necrons keep getting back up!

 

 

Warptouch the Ioncarch steadies the Culists. Having a re-roll for Dark Pacts on Cultists sure is fun

 

 

It was a fun fairly close game. But by the end, my opponent pulled away in points. I'm glad that Necrons can add fallen models back to their units again. It just didn't seem the right when they could not do that.

 

 

The forces of the Night Lords shall have their revenge someday!

 

Lessons Learned

 

1. Adding a Dark Commune to a Cultist Squad really makes them into a tarpit. I felt like I was playing my 6th edition Cultist blobs again.

2. The Dread Talon detachment is fun, very fluffy for Night Lords, and has some wonderful strats, but it is a fairly weak detachment overall. GW seems to think that forcing battleshock tests is better than it really is. I'll use Dread Talons once in awhile, but it won't be a regular detachment.

3. Concentration of Force is Key against Necrons. I was most successful when I focused my melee attacks on one unit and killed it outright so it could not get back up.

4. MSU is not for me. It is very effective to combine smaller squads in Rhinos. Here I tried out a 5-trooper Legionary Squads and 5-trooper Chosen Squads in a Rhino. It was a very effective combo as it is very points efficient. But smaller squads didn't feel right to me. I think I'd rather lose with fun, full-sized squads than win with smaller meta-sized squads.  :)

 

 

I hope you enjoyed the pics!

 

 

Night Lords, "Ave Domine Nox!"

 

 

 

Edited August 8 by Tallarn Commander

[Volgon]

A few days late but happy I could provide inspiration! Glazing is a process I am still working through, so it's cool to see others on a similar journey! One piece of advice that helped me with one of my first breakthroughs is that contrast is king. Not the paints but color values. On my first two attempts at glazing, I used a color that was just slightly darker than my midtone and it was basically indistinguishable. On my latest 2 attempts I jumped quite a bit darker (using Kantor Blue) and the result was much more apparent. I am considering an even darker transition on my current project, possibly mixing some black into the Kantor to make the color jump even more stark.

 

I am not familiar with the Bloodletter Red glaze paint but googling it looks to be very vibrant, similar to Mephiston Red. How is the color compared to Mephiston once painted on? I think, for your specific color scheme, Bloodletter Red would probably work best as an all over glaze to tie together your previous layers (similar to how washes can be used), but as a targeted glaze (either for shadows or for highlights) the color could be too similar to Mephiston. If you aren't opposed to mixing up your own glazes you could try adding some black and/or purple to Mephiston as a shadow color.

 

As for oils, I've only tried them twice on my very first couple of minis and couldn't get them to work like I wanted. I only used them as washes (as I suspect most minipainters do) but I think I thinned them too much because they always ended up separating and leaving noticeable particles. Between that and them tinting my undercoats more than I wanted (even after a mineral spirit reduction) I just stopped using them. Lately I have been having the itch to try them again but I think it would be on a tester project rather than something I was really invested in.

[Tallarn Commander]

Volgon, yes, the Glaze was used to make the highlights appear more gradual or, as you noted, to tie them together. I used Carroburg Crimson as a wash.

 

I like your idea of trying out a more purpley color as a shade. I could mix the purple with Lahmian Medium to achieveca more subtle purple than Druchii purple.

 

Here's the red Recipe I used:

■ Basecoat: Mephiston Red
■ Wash: Carroburg Crimson
■ 1st Highlight: Scarlet Red
■ 2nd Highlight: Trollslayer Orange
■ Glaze: Bloooodletter!

 

Yes, the Bloodletter a very similar hue to the highlights. I will definitely take up your suggestion and try using a glaze with a higher contrast. Thank you!

 

And when I first started with oils I would also get the weird particles left behind. So I practiced ratios of oil tomineral spirits on a set of basecoated and shaded plastic terrain doors and walls til I figured out the correct ratio. That way I didn't screw up my model. Granted, I only did this after horribly messing up a Chaos Rhino. :) 

 

Take care and thank you for these ideas!

[Tallarn Commander]

Hello everyone,

 

Earlier this week I assembled a new Chaos Warpsmith.

 

First, here are some photos of my old Chaos Warsmith, Hoth. Back in 8th Edition I would often run him using the Soulforged rules. I'm glad we get new Soulforged rules in our new Codex. Although I'll also run my daemon engines as "Renegade Raiders" because my favorite thing about the old 8th edition rules was giving advance and charge to 1 daemon engine a turn.

 

 

Photos of my very old Warpsmith Hoth

 

Hoth worked as a Warpsmith back when Chaos Marines were on 25 mm bases. But these days he is just too tiny. He will now leave the services of House Nightfall's Chaos Marines and join House Nighfall's Nostroman 9th, Renegades and Heretics Chaos Militia.

 

 

Now House Nightfall is happy to welcome a new Warpsmith: Lady Esmerelda Hoth

 

 

 

Lady Esmerelda Hoth is an ambassador dispatched from the Dark Mechanicum to aid House Nightfall. The two Chaos factions have enjoyed a long and fruitful alliance: the Warpsmiths provide daemonic technology and House Nightfall provides mercenary fighting prowess. Hoth has teamed her daemon engine "monster menagerie" up with House Nightfall because she received a vision from the Dark Omnissiah. In the vision she joined with the Night Lords to consecrate Imperium-held worlds in blood.
She secretly is aiding the "Black Nebula" faction within House Nightfall's Council of Thirteen. Esmerelda hopes that her efforts will destabilize House Nightfall's easternmost star systems. Systems which are coveted by Esmereda's Dark Mechanicum superiors. Although lately she is begun questioning this mission and she may even ally with House Nightfall as a double agent.

 

 

 

 

Lady Hoth from the front

 

 

From the right

 

 

From the rear

 

 

From the left

 

 

 

 

I'm also going back and working on a couple of projects in which I upgrade models that I've already painted.

 

The first project is to repair battle damage on Nostroman 9th Renegades & Heretics Chaos Militia troopers. Over the last year or so various troopers have lost arms and weapons at tournaments and pickup games.

 

 

 

Renegade Commander/Aspiring Champion Vicious Pete gets a new pistol tip and other accessories

 

 

Trooper Kraxar gets a new right arm, shoulder pad, and auspex

 

 

Corporal Wulfrik gets a new pistol and chaos star

 

 

Apocalypse, member of my Mutant Rabble Squad

Apocalypse gets a new shotgun, a pistol, a holster, shoulder pad, and a chaos star

 

 

Trooper Kalros gets a new right arm and shoulder pad

 

 

 

 

And in another project I'm going back and repairing battle damage on various Night Lords, giving some Night Lords flayed skin decorations, and giving some Night Lords nice new banners and/or bases.

 

Also, last weekend I foolishly decided to begin the process of rebasing all 180ish Night Lords from red bases to the Tallarn Sand bases that many of my other armies have. I will do this slowly over the course of the decade. Last decade I rebased my 300ish IG troopers from dark brown to Tallarn Sand and it took me most of the decade to complete that project. But the Tallarn Sand looks much nicer than the red. Plus repainting the bases gives me an excuse to dust the legs of all my Night Lords with desert-colored weathering powder.

 

I will not repaint the colors of my Nurgle daemons, Death Guard, or Nostroman 9th Traitor Guard. At least not yet anyway. They will stay red for now.

 

Here are some photos.

 

 

Raptor Nox with some nice new axes, desert base, and flayed skin

 

 

 

Chaos Renewal with a new chainsword and flayed skin. I'll repaint his banner too.

 

 

Nocht gets a new meltagun and flayed skin decoration

 

 

 

Insidious Visions gets a new meltagun and flayed skin

 

 

Damnation gets a new right arm with chainsword

 

 

Torment loses his bolter and gets a nice banner, new base, bolt pistol, and accessories

 

 

And Pale Death gets a new banner

 

 

 

WiP Raptors with new bases

 

 

 

Enjoy the photos!

 

 

Night Lords, "In midnight clad"

Edited August 15 by Tallarn Commander

[Dr_Ruminahui]

Nice - that warpsmith is absolutely bonkers, can't wait to see her painted up.

 

Where did you get those little brass chaos stars that you are adding to some of your cultists?  They are really nicely done - certainly a lot more sophisticated than my little scratchbuilt chaos stars.

[Tallarn Commander]

Thanks for the kind words!

 

I bought the Chaos Stars from Greenstuff World for around $6.00 USD.  Here is a link:

 

https://www.greenstuffworld.com/en/photo-etched-runes/1217-chaos-runes-and-symbols.html

 

Ironically, often when I glue a star onto a model I think, "Oh, I should try Dr. Ruminui's star method instead."

[Volgon]

Lady Hoth is looking insane, gonna be a painting project and a half for sure! Really creative use of so many kits.

[Tallarn Commander]

Thank you Volgon!

 

 

And hello fellow Followers of Chaos,

 

I finished up a project I've been working on since the spring: a squad of 10 World Eaters Jakhals. These troopers are part of a squad called "The Indentured." They will join my Blood Wolves World Eaters/Chaos Space Marines Army. The unit's story is that each member of the squad is a Blood Wolf warrior serf who has sworn herself or himself into indentured servitude as a Jakhal light infantry trooper. In return, Daemon Prince Azrath, the Blood Wolves' leader has promised each of them that their offspring will undergo the Butcher's Nails process and become a true warrior of Khorne, a Bezerker.

 

Here are some photos of The Indentured

 

 

Shots of all 10 Jakhals

 

 

As noted in a previous post, I tried a new hobbying technique with this squad: using oil paints to paint skin. I like the results on some models whereas others would have been better served with acrylics. Still, using oils is a fun process and I look forward to sometimes using oil paints to paint flesh in the future.

 

 

Shot of Einar, Sven, Helga, Ida, and Ulf

 

 

Shot of Orn, Freya, Bjorn, Erik, Estrid, & Einar

 

 

And now some closeups...

 

 

 

Ulf, U for the utter devastation he wields

 

 

Ida, I for the ire she feels for the foe

 

 

 

Estrid, E for the evisceration her axe inflicts

 

 

Einar, E for the end he brings

 

 

 

 

Bjorn, B for the bloody blade which he bears

 

 

 

Freya, F for the freezing veins of her enemy

 

 

Orn, O for the opening of portals between void and real

 

Erik, E for the executions he enacts

 

 

Sven, S for the souls he sends to the Warp

 

 

Helga, H for the hope in heart that her newborn daughter will one day undergo the Butcher's Nails

 

 

 

Enjoy the photos!

 

 

Blood Wolves, "Burn! Maim! Kill!"

Edited August 22 by Tallarn Commander

[Tallarn Commander]

Hello Chaosites!

 

Last week I finished upgrading a batch of 10 Night Lords Chaos Raptors. I repainted all 10 bases and gave some troopers flayed skin decorations and some new weapons. Here are some photos.

 

 

All 10 newly upgraded members of House Nightfall's Raptor Cult

 

 

Jakr with his new meltagun

 

 

 

Chaos Renewal with his new chainsword

 

 

Here is an old photo of Chaos Renewal before the upgrades

 

 

I repainted Chaos Renewal's squad banner. He is a member of the "Bats Out Of Hell" Squad.

 

I loosely based the banner off of a rock album cover. See if you can guess which rock star.

 

 

 

And here is an old photo of Insidious Visions before the upgrades

 

 

Insidious Visions has a new meltagun, chain, and flayed human skin

 

 

Tyridal got a new spiked hand attached to his jump pack

 

 

Nocht got a new meltagun and flayed human flesh

 

 

Bad Tidings with his new desert base colors

 

 

 

Nox is now the proud owner of two new chain axes and some new flayed human flesh

 

 

Bloody Mary with new Tallarn Sand desert base

 

 

Heartrend with newly weathered desert base

 

 

Aspiring Champion/Chaos Jumppack Lord Travor Ironclaw got some new cables, skulls, and desert base

 

 

 

I hope to finish up my new Night Lords Warpsmith next week. Enjoy the photos.

 

 

Night Lords, "Avenge Curze!"

 

[Volgon]

The freehand on the new banner is really nice! I like it. Also great to see the OG metal/resin raptors. I've said it before but I think those sculpts are so much nicer than the "new" ones.

[Tallarn Commander]

Thanks Volgon! Yes, I too prefer the metal Raptors. I have 7 unpainted metal Raptors sitting around which hopefully I will paint up next year.

 

 

I finished up my Night Lords Chaos Warpsmith, Lady Esmerelda Hoth

 

 

Lady Esmerelda Hoth is an ambassador dispatched from the Dark Mechanicum to aid House Nightfall. The two Chaos factions have enjoyed a long and fruitful alliance: the Warpsmiths provide daemonic technology and House Nightfall provides mercenary fighting prowess. Hoth has teamed her daemon engine "monster menagerie" up with House Nightfall because she received a vision from the Dark Omnissiah. In the vision she joined with the Night Lords to consecrate Imperium-held worlds in blood.
She secretly is aiding the "Black Nebula" faction within House Nightfall's Council of Thirteen. Esmerelda hopes that her efforts will destabilize House Nightfall's easternmost star systems. Systems which are coveted by Esmereda's Dark Mechanicum superiors. Although lately she is begun questioning this mission and she may even ally with House Nightfall as a double agent.

 

 

Photo from the front

 

 

 

Closeup from the front

 

 

Esmerelda's victim and crow

 

 

 

Esmerelda Hoth seen from the left side

 

 

 

Seen from the rear

 

 

From the right

 

 

I painted little Admech checks on her robes. It was rather difficult and the results are not ideal. Luckily the weathering powder covers them up a bit.

The next time I'll try this I'll use really thin Tamaya masking tape. The next time I'll try it will be from my Warpborn homebrew warband. The Warpborn rebelled from the Dark Mechanicum so some of their gear would probably still have faded checks on it.

 

 

Lately I've been trying to paint flamer and meltagun "muzzle burn" using a bazillion coats of glaze.

I like the effects, but I definitely could improve somehow.

 

 

I also upgraded a few House Nightfall troopers by giving them new weapons, backpacks, banners, auspexes, etc. Here are some photos.

 

 

Esmerelda seen with some of the newly upgraded Night Lords

As you can see, I finished up 3 banners. This is part of a broader small project to re-do all of my Night Lords icons as banners. I have now finished 5 and have 7 more to go (2 Havoc Squads, 1 Raptor Squad, 1 Biker Squad, 1 Possessed Squad, 1 Termie Squad, and 1 Chosen Squad).

 

 

 

Kevark gets a new backpack.

He lost the old one at the July Tacoma Open when he took a nosedive off of a table.

 

 

 

Pale Death gets a new banner for his squad, The Harbingers, a Legionaries Squad

 

 

 

Damnation gets a new sword (the one in his right hand)

He lost the old one at a tournament at the coast back in the spring.

 

Khade gets a new banner for his squad, The Jackals, a Legionaries Squad

I learned Jackals are really really hard to free hand

 

 

Torment gets a new banner for his squad, The Reavers, a Legionaries Squad

Torment also got gets a new flayed skin decoration on his back, but you can't really see it.

 

 

 

And various members of House Nightfall's Nostroman 9th Renegades and Heretics Chaos Militia get new weapons and bitz

 

 

 

Vicious Pete gets a new autopistol tip

When I had Renegades and Heretics rules in 7th through 9th Editions, Vicious Pete was a Renegade Commander.

 

Sadly these days we no longer have a Codex. He is forced to lead 2nd Squad, a squad of Cultists. Sigh. I sure hope Traitor Guard get rules again. Between the Legends R&H stuff and the "Damned" units in the Codex, we can run a quasi-Traitor Guard. But it's nothing like the Glory Days of 7th and 8th and the Seige of Vraks Forgeworld list.

 

 

 

Kalros gets a new chainsword arm

 

 

 

 

 

 

And here you can see Simon photobombing my photo session!

 

 

 

 

 

Enjoy the photos!

 

 

Mercenary House Nightfall, "Remember Curze! Ask us about our discounts."

Edited September 4 by Tallarn Commander

[Tallarn Commander]

Hello everyone,

 

Earlier this week I finished up a Chaos Terminator for my Blood Wolves World Eater/Chaos Space Marine warband. The Blood Wolves are fallen Space Wolves.

 

 

Meet Icejay, he likes long walks on the beach and collecting skulls

 

 

 

And today I started working on the rest of the squad. They shall be called the Stormcrows.

 

 

The Stormcrows act as bodyguard for Chaos Lord Bloodgrin, one of the warband's lieutenants. The Stormcrows also have started the "Crow Cult" within the Blood Wolves. The members of the Crow cult collect and worship birds of the Corvidae family. They seek to embody the spirit of the crow and other Corvidae--fierceness, independence, wisdom, and feistiness--and, in so doing, attain a state of being that is closer to Khorne.

 

The other members of the warband are not too sure about this new cult. They don't really see a connection between Corvidae and Khorne. But the Crow Cult are not particularly zealous in recruitment and, moreover, its members have somehow become better warriors as a result of the cult. So the rest of the warband's members don't mind the cult.

 

 

And today I also finally covered up the last of the primer on Blood Golem, a Blood Wolves Defiler.

I still have a long way to go on Blood Golem. But at least I can no longer see the white primer.

 

 

And as an aside, a gaming store down here in the Vancouver, WA area (just north of Portland, OR) has a gigantic table about 4 feet by 6 feet full of about 3 inches deep of bitz by the pound!

If you're in the area, check out Mindtaker Miniatures in Vancouver. This bag cost me about $6.00 USD and it had tons of bitz that I had selected, including some wonderful Chaos bitz.

 

 

 

Blood Wolves, "Damn The Emperor!"

Edited September 8 by Tallarn Commander

[Tallarn Commander]

Hello everyone, hobbying progress is being made on 3 Chaos projects:

 

 

Project 1: Blood Golem, Blood Wolves Defiler

 

I've finished base-coating Blood Golem. The next step is to rust him up with my rust recipe. Here are some photos.

 

 

Boy, did this model sure have a lot of trim to paint (something which I'm sure all of you have said at one time or another). 

 

 

 

 

Project 2: the Stormcrows, 4 Chaos Terminators

 

I also finished base-coating my termies. Here are some photos.

 

 

Sleet Magpie, banner bearer

 

 

Aspiring Champion Snow Rook

 

 

I will give these Snow Rook and Sleet Magpie the same treatment I've given to about 34 of my Blood Wolves--I'll shade 'em, highlight 'em, and then add paint chips/weathering powder via brushes and sponges.

 

 

Frost Jackdaw with pair of Accursed Weapons

 

 

Cold Raven, heavy flamer Termie

 

 

 

Frost Jackdaw and Cold Raven will with get the AK chipping fluid method where I chip off the red paint under hot running water. I've used this technique on about 9 Blood Wolves.

 

 

 

 

Project 3: Kaya, Warpborn Dark Apostle with 2 Disciples

 

I'm adding to my small homebrew warband, The Warpborn. These models are all from Ravaged Star, a Kickstarter by those wonderful Canadians, Mini Wargaming. I also have a bunch of Possessed, Legionaries, a Maulerfiend, and some other models from this Kickstarter. I'll be getting another batch of Ravaged Star CSM minnies (including bikers!) at some point in the future.

 

Kaya

 

 

Jenen, Warpborn Dark Disciple

 

 

 

Zoica, Warpborn Dark Disciple

 

 

 

Enjoy the photos!

 

 

 

 

Blood Wolves, "Blood for the Blood God!"

Edited September 16 by Tallarn Commander

[TrawlingCleaner]

Loving the Defiler and the Blood Wolves! Great work!

[Dr_Ruminahui]

This certainly seems the year for gorgeously wonky defiler kitbashes at B&C and yours definitely fits in!

[SirTainly]

Nice work on the DA and his lackeys, that unit must be one of the best in the CSM dex to go out and make some awesome conversions.

[Tallarn Commander]

Dr. Ruminahui, Trawling Cleaner, and Sir Tainly, thank you for the kind words!

 

 

I have managed to finish painting my squad of  Blood Wolves Chaos Terminators, the Stormcrows. I was able to complete this project in about 10 weeks. The last time I pained up a squad of Chaos Terminators it took me 16 years to finish!

 

 

Here are some photos...

 

 

As noted in a earlier post, the Stormcrows are a cult within The Blood Wolves. Squad Stormcrow venerates all Corvidae, their wisdom, their aggressive potential, their closeness to Odin Allfather (Khorne)

 

 

The Stormcrows

 

 

Aspiring Champion

 

 

Sleet Magpie, Banner Bearer

Sleet Magpie has a way of reading the eddies and flows of the Warp. Some say it was Magpie who guided the Blood Wolves Founder, Svane Vulfbad, through the Warp to safety when he was being hounded by Harald Deathwolf

 

 

Magpie's Banner

I learned I am not good at free-handing crows. So I went for a sort of French impressionist take on a crow in a storm.

 

 

Cold Raven

Cold Raven has re-engineered his heavy flamer. He has tapped into a portal into the Space Wolf homeworld of Fenris. As such, Cold Raven's weapon shoots gouts of utterly frozen ice at the foe instead of flame.

 

 

Snow Rook, Aspiring Champion

Snow Rook is the squad's Aspiring Champion. Unlike the other squads he was elected leader by the squad members, who are lead by the strongest member. The Stormcrows see Snow Rook see him as a wise and bloody father figure. He is not sure how he feels about this.

 

 

Frost Jackdaw, pair of accursed weapons

Frost Jackdaw, is the most devout of the entire Stormcrow Cult. He ripped out his eye so as to be closer to Odin and to the Corvidae way of life.

 

 

I also assembled a Blood Wolves Lord on Juggernaut last week.

 

Jarl Gahlan Surlak, Juggie Lord

Before the fall, Jarl Gahlan Surlak was a World Eater. He was one of the voices criticizing Angron. He viewed the former gladiator's ways as harming the XII Legion far more than helping it. Decimation of his brothers being the most egregious example of such harm. Of course, Gahlan sided with the rebels during the Horus Heresy. But drifted away when he viewed Angron as shifting towards mindless butchery and away from what he perceived to be the World Eaters more martial traditions.

 

Eventually Gahlan stumbled across the Blood Wolves. He perceives the fallen Space Wolves as far closer to his interpretation of Khorne's teaching. For his experience and tactical acumen, the Blood Wolves' leader, Svane Vulfbad, views the Jarl as one of the Blood Wolves' wisest lieutenants.

 

 

Hobbying is proceeding on Blood Golem. I hope to finish him soon.

 

 

And Kaya, Jenon, and Zoica, my Warpborn Dark Apostle and Dark Disciples have more paint on them

 

 

Often my World Eaters, now the Blood Wolves, have enjoyed the ranged fire support of 2 Predator Destructors borrowed from my Death Guard army, the Doooomfevers. After 6 years, the Blood Wolves will now get their own base of fire.

 

 

Loki and Ragnarok, a pair of Predator Annihilators...eventually

 

My cousin really likes the Imperial Fists. So one of these tanks, Loki, will feature a captured Imperial Fist chained to the front.

 

 

Enjoy the pics!

 

 

The Blood Wolves, "Remember Fenris"

Edited September 25 by Tallarn Commander

[Tallarn Commander]

Hello everyone,

 

I finished painted up a Defiler and a Dark Apostle with 2 Dark Disciples.

 

 

Blood Golem

Blood Golem was created by Dark Apostle Bloodgrin and Warpsmith Crowsoul from an ancient recipe with three ingredients: the Blood of a daemon, the dust of an enemy (in this case a Space Wolves Venerable Dreadnought), and the Butcher's Nails from a willing Bezerker sacrifice. Blood Golem was created to act as a bodyguard for the leaders of the Blood Wolves.
     Unfortunately, or perhaps fortunately, Blood Golem was not a good bodyguard. He had a penchant for running pell nell towards the foe to crush them with his claws. He would often leave the Chaos Lord or Daemon Prince that he was supposed to be guarding far behind in his dust. As such, Blood Golem was banished from the command retinue cadre and relegated to the Blood Wolves' daemon engine assault cadre. Now he competes with Blood Slaughterers, Maulerfiends, and other daemon engines in a competition to see who can rack up the most kills.
 

 

 

Here are some photos...

 

 

Blood Golem, Blood Wolves Defiler

 

 

Closeup of a leg

 

 

Blood Golem, seen from rear

 

 

 

Seen from the side

 

 

Closeup of the skulls

For variety's sake, each group of skulls had a slightly different paint recipe. Although I'm not sure you can really tell.

 

 

 

Da klaw

 

 

Closeup of the front, as you may recall from earlier posts, Blood Golem was my first experiment in using oils to paint skin

I like the effect on larger models. I'll use oils to paint skin on some Blood Wolves Possessed/Eightbound later this year.

 

 

The firepower

 

 

The head

Please pay no attention to the upside-down Khorne skull. I didn't notice it was upside down until Kythnos commented on this blog and told me. D'oh!

 

 

Banner

 

 

 

 

 

I also finished up a Dark Apostle and 2 Dark Disciples for my home-brew warband, the Warpborn

 

 

Kaya the Neverborn

 Kaya, like all Warpborn, is a Neverborn. She was grown in a Dark Mechanicum nutrient vat on the Kai Forgeworld within the Warp. She was a slave and like most slaves, she lead a miserable existence of toil and hardship. Kaya's job was to use her superhuman strength to repair and maintain giant logic engines. But her Dark Mechanicum overlords viewed her as a replaceable cog.
     One day she went to a secret meeting she had learned about from a fellow slave's whisper. At that meeting Talos Slaughterborn spoke. Talos was a fellow slave who was going from slave hold to slave hold trying to spark a rebellion. His message was intoxicating and his scheme worked.
     After months of preparation, Kaya did her part by sneaking into the main Binary system and disabling key systems so that the Dark Mechanicum would be left unawares. Across Kai the Slaves rose up and overthrew the Dark Mechanicum. In the ensuing bloodbath both sides were mostly destroyed. But in the end, Talos, Kaya, and a handful of other former slaves survived. And they were free.
     They seized the last intact vessel on Kai, The Forward Unto Dawn, kidnapped an unlucky navigator, and took to the stars. They now wander the verse pillaging, burning, and liberating anyone they perceive to be enslaved.

 

 

Kaya and friends

I have always admired how Kraut Scientist sometimes takes his photos in black and white.

 

 

Front and back

The Ravaged Star characters are a wee bit large for my tastes. They seem like 35mm or larger scale. But they are really nice sculpts.

 

 

Kaya front

 

 

Left

 

 

Rear

I just noticed I need to touch up the red Warpborn warband crescent moon symbol.

 

Right

Since the Warpborn liberated themselves from Dark Mechanicum slavery, I might give her a Dark Mechanicum trophy bit or two at some point in the future.

 

 

Zoica and Jenon, they are human employees hired by the Warpborn because of their psy abilities.

Since the Warpborn glorify freedom in all its forms they keep no serfs. Zoica's and Jenon's minds can reach into the Warp and somehow aid Kaya as she beseeches the Dark Gods for aid.

 

 

All 9 Warpborn painted in black and yellow livery

I have 13 other Warpborn completed. But they are painted in the old black and green color scheme. At some point I hope to repaint those 13 in the new black and yellow scheme.

 

 

And a WiP shot of Mad Martigan, a Warpborn Master of Executions

I still need to give him a back banner and some other bits.

 

 

And the Jarl, my Blood Wolf Juggie Lord, is slowly coming along.

 

 

 

 

Enjoy the pics!

 

 

Blood Wolves, "Burn, maim, kill!"

Warpborn, "Freedom for all and death to the Dark Mechanicum!"

[Volgon]

Always so productive! Anytime I check this thread out there's always so much new stuff to look at. Thanks for all the updates!

[Tallarn Commander]

Thanks Volgon! I'm not normally this productive. But a lot of family members have had health issues lately and my mom is now in hospice. So I find hobbying to be very therapeutic.

 

 

In the current World Eaters rules you can no longer take squads of 8 Bezerkers. So I thought I'd increase each of my 4 squads of Blood Wolves Bezerkers from 8 members to 10 members. Last week I assembed 10 new Bezerkers to fill out the ranks.

 

I would have only assembled 8 models, but I can't find 2 of my 'Zerkers. I blame my cat Simon. He probably batted those 2 poor blokes under a piece of furniture. 

 

 

Here are some photos.

 

These troopers are configured to be Bezerkers if I run them as World Eaters or as Legionaries or Chosen if I run the Blood Wolves as Chaos Space Marines.

 

 

A photo of all 10 Bezerkers/Chosen/Legionaries

 

 

Closeup of 5

 

 

 

Closeup of the other 5

 

 

 

Skullfiend with Bezerker Chainblade and bolt pistol/pair of accursed weapons/Astartes Chainsword and bolt pistol, The Company of Eight

 

 

Rune with eviscerator/heavy melee weapon/powerfist, Squad Bloodflowers

 

 

Eyegouger with eviscerator/heavy melee weapon/powerfist, The Company of Eight

 

 

 

Redmaw with Bezerker Chainblade and bolt pistol/pair of accursed weapons/Astartes Chainsword and bolt pistol, The Company of Eight

 

 

 

Krassek, with eviscerator/heavy melee weapon/powerfist, The Company of Eight

 

 

Erik The Bold with Bezerker Chainblade and bolt pistol/Accursed Weapon/Astartes Chainsword and bolt pistol, The Company of Eight

 

 

Gorath with eviscerator/heavy melee weapon/powerfist, Squad Bloodflowers

 

 

Harrald with Bezerker Chainblade and bolt pistol/Accursed Weapon/Astartes Chainsword and bolt pistol, The Company of Eight

 

 

 

Bjorn Blackwolf with Bezerker Chainblade and bolt pistol/Accursed Weapon/Astartes Chainsword and bolt pistol, The Company of Eight

 

 

Torsten, with Bezerker Chainblade and bolt pistol/Accursed Weapon/Astartes Chainsword and bolt pistol, Squad Bloodtongue

 

 

 

All 10 members of The newly revised Company of Eight

 

 

 

And all 10 members of the updated Bloodflowers

As you see them here, they are kitted out to be Legionaries. But if I want to use them as Chosen or Bezerkers, I just remove Kurgan, the lascannon trooper, and I add in Voslok, a rank-and-file trooper. You can see Voslok's base at the top right of this photo.

 

 

 

All 10 members of the newly configured Bloodtongue

 

 

 

 

Squad Markings

I have shuffled various troopers around in the squads. So now a bunch of Bezerkers need new squad markings. My squad markings are:

-Bloodfrenzy: black shoulder pads. I'll probably add a decal of some sort later this fall.

-Bloodtongue: each trooper has iron bars embedded in their back

-Bloodflowers: each trooper has a green-stuff or bitz cloth cloak with the symbol of Khorne painted on

-The Company of Eight: each trooper has a shield

 

 

In addition to Bezerkers, I made some changes to my Blood Wolves characters....

 

Barnabas in his old configuration as a Dark Apostle

 

 

And since the World Eaters can no longer take Dark Apostles. I've given Barnabas the Butcher new arms and a giant axe.

The Warpborn now have a Master of Executions. Huzzah! And since the Bezerker box has tons of great bitz, Barnabas also got a nice new Khorne symbol on his back along with a new cloak.

 

 

And we can no longer take Exalted Champions. Sigh. They were quite good in 8th and 9th. So Constantine got a new shield. He already got a new plasma pistol back in the spring, Constantine has joined the Company of Eight. He will now be a Bezerker Aspiring Champion, a Chosen Champion, or a rank-and-file Legionary with plasma pistol and chainsword.

Constantine is sad about his loss of character status. He once did an insane amount of damage to a Tervigon with his Exalted Champion ability.

 

 

Earlier this summer I managed to find the old Kranon model from the 2012 Dark Vengeance set. I already have a Kranon model who is my Nurgle Death Guard armies' sorcerer. But I figured another Kranon can't hurt. Right?

 

 

Meet Svane Vulfbad, the new warlord of the Blood Wolves. He will be a Chaos Lord with daemon hammer and plasma pistol.

Sadly the World Eaters cannot use Chaos Lords on foot anymore. So Svane will have to stay at home when I use the Blood Wolves as World Eaters. The Blood Wolves' old warlord, Daemon Prince Azrath, was too busy collecting skulls to notice he had been usurped.

 

 

 

And here is a photo of the Jarl, my WiP Juggie Lord.

This week I hope to add bitz to the Zerkers and assemble a Blood Wolves Maulerfiend. Next week I hope to finish painting the Jarl.

 

 

The Blood Wolves face their biggest threat ever: Bella

 

 

I really enjoyed assembling the new plastic Bezerker kit. Between my Blood Wolves, Night Lords, Warpborn, and Nurgle Doooomfevers, I've probably assembled about 210 Chaos Space Marine models in the past 24 years. I must say this is the best kit yet. It is very dynamic and a joy to put together. As many of you all have noted, these new kits are harder to kitbash because each trooper has a unique way that their parts fit together. But, as you can see, kitbashing is still quite possible with a bit of effort.

 

 

Enjoy the photos!

 

 

 

The Blood Wolves, "We are the true Sons of Fenris!"

Edited October 9 by Tallarn Commander

[Tallarn Commander]

Greetings everyone,

 

This past week I gave some of my Blood Wolves green-stuff cloaks and I began assembling Wirewolf, my Blood Wolves Maulerfiend. Here are some photos.

 

 

Zerkers Get Their Cloaks

 

 

The Jarl's New Cloak

The Jarl was not going to get a new cloak. But his old cloak snapped off and now I cannot find it. I blame my cat.

 

 

Here is the Jarl with some more paint on him.

His chainblade almost snapped off the other day. So I secured it in place with a Chaos icon on the bottom and a Khorne icon on the top. It doesn't look as cool. But now the weapon is less likely to snap off during a game or during transit.

 

 

And I began assembling the Blood Wolves' Maulerfiend, Wirewolf.

 

 

I gave him a Juggernaut head.

 

 

Wirewolf's Icon, because you can never have enough jeweler's chain

 

 

Side shot (Blue Tac Mockup)

 

 

Rear Shot (Blue Tac Mockup)

 

 

Front Shot (Blue Tac Mockup)

 

 

I will magnetize the neck part. I recently received a bunch of LEDs, batteries, resistors, etc from Zinge Industries. I'll stick all the components in this cavity and then run the LED and wire through the neck and into the head. I've already drilled out the eyes. So, if all goes well, his eyes will glow blue. Then I can just pop the neck assembly on and off to turn the LED on and off and to swap out the battery.

 

I've never used LEDs before and I'm a bit nervous. But my cousin, who knows way more about soddering since he's an electrical engineer, has agreed to help me.

 

 

Blue Tac Mock Up with Head

 

 

 

 

And here is a photo of Wirewolf next to my other Maulerfiend, Mary

 

 

 

Enjoy the photos and take care everyone!

 

 

Blood Wolves leader Svane Vulfbad, "I murdered thousands for the Emperor and He gave me nothing except His damning silence. Now His lapdogs yap for every life I take, while the gods promise me the galaxy."

[Tallarn Commander]

Hello everyone,

 

I finished up a project, The Jarl Gahlan Surlak, my Blood Wolves Lord on Juggernaut. I'll use him in a World Eaters Juggie Lord or as a Chaos Space Marines Legends Juggie Lord.

 

 

Gahlan Surlak

  Before the fall, Gahlan Surlak was a World Eater. He was one of the voices criticizing Angron. He viewed the former gladiator's ways as harming the XII Legion far more than helping it. Decimation of his brothers being the most egregious example of such harm. Of course, Gahlan sided with the rebels during the Horus Heresy. But drifted away when he viewed Angron as shifting towards mindless butchery and away from what he perceived to be the World Eater's more martial traditions.
     Eventually Gahlan stumbled across the Blood Wolves. He perceives the fallen Space Wolves as far closer to his interpretation of Khorne's teaching. Svane Vulfbad, the Blood Wolves' leader, has come to view the Jarl as one of his wisest lieutenants. Consequently, Svane bestowed the honorific Space Wolves title of Jarl upon the former World Eater.

 

 

 

 

Here are some photos

 

 

And I'm enjoying slapping some paint on Wirewolf, my Blood Wolves Maulerfiend. Although, in retrospect I should have used sub-assemblies as some areas are a wee bit hard to get at with a paint brush. Live and learn. I would have loved to have given her a more dramatic pose by swinging one of her Maulerfield fists. But when I did that she kept toppling over. She needs both fists on the terrain piece for maximum stability. Here are some WiP photos.

 

 

Her head is magnetized so LED components can fit inside.

 

 

 

 

Enjoy the photos!

 

 

The Blood Wolves, "We Shed Blood In His Name!"

Edited October 21 by Tallarn Commander