Officially starting guard finally.

[duz_]

Digging that tiger stripe!

What colours did you use?

[micahwc]

Currently printing some chimera Hills and flame thrower turrets so I can convert the two chassis shown above between basilisks and hellhounds.

Also hydras and wyverns if I print off those turrets.

[micahwc]

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

 

http://i.imgur.com/0SIKDnL.jpg

 

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

 

I made a hellhound and hopefully a second one will be ready when I wake up. I think it's time to talk ethics regarding 3d printing. These models are obviously based on GW intellectual property but are modified enough so that the author likely won't be sued, and as far as I am aware these are completely legal for personal use. I know I can't use them in a GW store, but I don't think my local hobby shop will care at all if I use a bunch of 3d printed stuff.

 

Right now the biggest limitation is quality/time. This hellhound was two seperate prints. The first was the tracks and the chassis, the second was the hull and seperate turret. The hull was printed at my worst quality possible, the tracks were a little better. All told this represents about 5-6 hours of printing at .3 mm layer height. I can print down as low as .04 mm layer height which will result in a much nicer final result but will cause each print to take 8 hours or so. As far as cost goes, the printer was $200 and a 1 kilo spoil of filiment was $20. At GW American retail prices I can make my investment back in a few days printing some tanks.

 

I think as home 3d printer quality increases and price decreases miniature war gaming companies are going to have to move towards a model where the sell the file and you print your own models.

[Halfpint100]

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

 

http://i.imgur.com/0SIKDnL.jpg

 

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

 

I made a hellhound and hopefully a second one will be ready when I wake up. I think it's time to talk ethics regarding 3d printing. These models are obviously based on GW intellectual property but are modified enough so that the author likely won't be sued, and as far as I am aware these are completely legal for personal use. I know I can't use them in a GW store, but I don't think my local hobby shop will care at all if I use a bunch of 3d printed stuff.

 

Right now the biggest limitation is quality/time. This hellhound was two seperate prints. The first was the tracks and the chassis, the second was the hull and seperate turret. The hull was printed at my worst quality possible, the tracks were a little better. All told this represents about 5-6 hours of printing at .3 mm layer height. I can print down as low as .04 mm layer height which will result in a much nicer final result but will cause each print to take 8 hours or so. As far as cost goes, the printer was $200 and a 1 kilo spoil of filiment was $20. At GW American retail prices I can make my investment back in a few days printing some tanks.

 

I think as home 3d printer quality increases and price decreases miniature war gaming companies are going to have to move towards a model where the sell the file and you print your own models.

 

I doubt that, how would they make as much money? you could buy it once and print loads of them. 

[Major_Gilbear]

I think it's time to talk ethics regarding 3d printing.

 

I think this is a slippery slope best avoided. Discussions on this *never* end well.

 

As for the quality... I think doing these models in parts that are aligned to the print face to minimise the print lines would be a huge quality improvement. Yes, it means some assembly afterwards, but you can print several parts on the bed at a time, and you'll have much less clean-up work too.

[micahwc]

Part of the bad print quality was the alignment. I printed it at an angle to minimize the supporting structure underneath. Last night I printed one vertically but I haven't removed the supports yet to see how it turned out.

[micahwc]

Getting ready for a game tonight

 

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

 

2000 points.

 

Brigade

2 tank commander punishers sans sponsons

2 company commanders

6 infantry squads with plasma

3 platoon commanders

2 hellhounds

3 sentinels

3 heavy weapon missile squads

 

Supreme command detachment

Yarrick

2 Lord Commisars

 

Battalion

2 tempestor Primes

2x5 scions with 2 plasma each

1x5 scions with melta

 

19 command points.

[duz_]

Sounds like a tough list!

We expect a full batrep with pics to follow! :D

[micahwc]

Batrep will follow when I'm on a computer to type. I called the game on turn 4 with 4 victory points to 12. He drew a lot of objectives that he already controlled and I drew a lot that were on the far side of the board.

 

First turn he killed 400 points of mine including all three heavy weapon teams and two lascannon sentinels. This made it hard to come back but I managed to kill a lot of stuff including 2 Baal predators, a death company squad, a sanguinary priest, the sanguinator, and a unit of sanguinary guard.

 

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

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

http://i.imgur.com/SvE4t24.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/x8DI67t.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/RFOmBF8.jpg

My FRFSRF box o dice

[Vel'Cona]

Sounds like the cards just didn't flow your way.  I'm not a huge fan of random objectives but they can lead to some interesting games from time to time.  That box of dice is pretty eclectic, though; is that a whalebone die in there somewhere?

[micahwc]

I have no idea, I had to borrow a bunch.

Flashlights killed a Baal Predator, or at least helped damaged it and then killed it off later. That box was like three squads of FRFSRF.

@Duz,

 

The camo is Vallejo Air German Gray base over black primer, with Vallejo Air USAF Dark Grey and Vallejo IDF Sinai Grey.

[micahwc]

As far as a battle report, we had deployment on the two far sides of the board, with a 24" deployment zone and a 24" space between our two deployment zones.

 

Deployment was 5 drops each into reserves, Blood Angels reserved the Sanguinor, a Sanguinary Priest, a unit of Death Company, a unit of Sanguinary Guard, and a unit of sniper scouts that we both forgot about several times because the camo cloaks were too well painted and we couldn't see them. I withheld my entire Scion battalion in reserve.

 

Heavy weapon teams took great elevated cover positions, sentinels came in on my left flank. One punisher and one hellhound took the center, other punisher and hellhound took the right flank. There were two objectives in my deployment zone so I put an infantry squad, Lord Commisar, and Company Commander on each. The other four infantry squads and supporting officers formed a front.

 

His deployment put a flamer Baal on my left side as well as his excellently painted Xiphon interceptor. Center field was Dante, his Leviathan dreadnought, a Dakka Baal Predator, and 2 rhinos full of tactical marines. Scouts took position about halfway into the board on top of some ruins.

 

Blood Angels Turn 1:

• he drew three cards for objectives and had all three by the time he ended his movement phase. He killed off 2 lascannon sentinels and all 3 heavy weapon teams. He dropped his tactical squads off before moving his rhinos forward because two of the objectives he needed where in his deployment zone, so the tacticals went back and camped the objectives. Death company had a really hard time finding somewhere to drop behind me because of my placement (completely unintentional, but worked out great), so they had to start about 10" away from anything. They failed their charge. Sanguinar, Sanguinary Guard, and Sanguinary Priest dropped 9.1" in front of my forward two infantry squads that Yarrick was with. (Yarrick was my warlord) They all charge an infantry squad, and basically the Sanguinor kills half of it himself leaving him completely exposed. Xiphon, Leviathan, and Dakka pred kill off all three heavy weapon squads, and 2 lascannon sentinels.

Astra Militarum Turn 1:

• I draw the same two objectives in my opponents backfield that he had drawn. I don't move much of anything except my right flank tanks which move to engage his Sanguinary Cult. Yarrick, a company commander, and the remaining infantry heroically withdraw. Scions drop behind his two backfield objectives that I need to take, and shoot his squads controlling them. Punisher and Hellhound open fire killing off most of the sanguinary guard and taking the sanguinor down to 1 wound remaining after a command point save re-roll. Yarrick shoots the last sanguinary guard and kills it. Second set of punisher and hellhound open fire on the death company behind me, they all die. Sentinel and 3 infantry squads put a lot of wounds on the flamer pred.

Blood Angels turn 2:

• He draws more objectives that he already controls, and also has first blood from last turn. He rolled really bad on his shooting and didn't accomplish much. The sanguinary priest heals the sanguinor up to 3 wounds and they get into combat with Yarrick's infantry squad. Xiphon and Leviathan manage to put 4 wounds on both my Punishers. His objective this time includes controlling the center of the board (where literally most of his army is already at), and killing characters. His scouts manage to kill a platoon commander for 1 victory point.

Astra Militarum turn 2:

• My infantry heroically withdraw from combat, get back into the fight, and between them, Yarrick, a punisher, and a hellhound; the sanguinor and his priest die. 3 squads of infantry and 1 remaining sentinel put a lot of wounds on a Baal flamer pred. Other punisher puts like 8 wounds on his Dakka pred. My objectives are air superiority against his Xiphon, and the two backfield objectives. Scion squad in the back right kills off everything on the objective plasma fire and moves closer to the objective. Scion team in the rear left kills half the squad on their objective and rolls a 1 for their advance so they can't make it into it. (Melta guns firing after advancing).

Blood Angels Turn 3:

• Once again he draws two objectives he basically already controls. His shooting is a lot more effective this turn and he kills one Punisher and one hellhound, wounding the other two.

Astra Militarum:

• I draw some cards I can finally obtain. My scions on the left take their objective after killing all the marines on it. My scions on the right contest an objective he holds with Dante, and because they are Objective Secured I control it. Those combined with my rear two objectives give me four of six, and I have supremecy for 1D3 points. I roll a 1. I command point it because I don't get extra points for having command points left over at the end of the game. I roll a 1.

Turn 4: He doesn't do much except that Dante kills my scions near him and he blows up my last hellhound which kills some of my infantry and damages one of his rhinos. He also takes my last tank to 10 wounds. I shoot my punisher at his dreadnought and don't do any damage. I shoot my melta scions at his dreadnought and don't do any damage. By this point the score is 12-4 in his favor and I have a punisher hitting on 5+, two infantry squads, Yarrick, and a scion melta squad left. He has an untouched leviathan dreadnought and Xiphon interceptor, as well as Dante and two rhinos left. I call the game.

[micahwc]

It was a very uphill battle because my first turn I had less than 1600 points left against 2000 points of targets, and the 400 points he removed were most of my heavier weapons. I wanted to try a game without my Earthshaker batteries because I find I bring them in just about every game as either heretics for my Alpha Legion or with Astra Militarum. 80 points for an Earthshaker is a steal, especially because in this match I could have sat them out of LOS and covered them with infantry to keep out deep strikers, and they could have bombed things with impunity all game. I don't really like having to rely on forgeworld stuff but if my opponent is bringing forgeworld stuff than I feel that I need them to compete.

 

In this match had I brought earthshakers instead of missile launchers I would have done a lot better, as they wouldn't likely have been shot off the table in the first turn. At 78 points per missile team, versus 80 points for an earthshaker with more wounds and a higher toughness, I think I will just have to put my missiles into my infantry squads if I want to bring them. This is different from my Alpha Legion who can generally have two squads of missile havoks survive for a decent amount of time between power armor, ablative wounds, and -1 to hit at 12+" range.

 

Right now I have 6 infantry squads and 9 missile teams. If I put the missile teams into infantry squads I will have enough infantry for 7 squads and the missiles will be a lot harder to get rid of. I didn't want to do that yesterday because I wanted the infantry to be able to stay mobile, but for the most part they didn't move all game other than minor positioning of individual models.

 

As far as the Vostroyan regimental trait, it was nice, but it wasn't really all that helpful against Blood Angels, as they want to get close anyway. I did do some 30" punisher shooting which was really nice. The punisher Russ commanders think Baal Dakka preds are cute. "Oh that's cute, you get 18 shots in your dakka box.", then they return fire with 54 shots.

 

Blunting charges with infantry squads is awesome. In two games so far my opponent has gotten focused on killing infantry squads in close combat, and even with officer support, by the time they are all dead my opponent has killed like 60 points worth of models using 200+ points of models. And then my punisher perforates anything out in the open.

 

MVPs for my second game with Astra Militarum where once again the Tempestus Scions, and Punisher tanks. Tanks probably could have done a little better with plasma, but the number of shots works out really well even against armored targets. Scions are great for stealing objectives and assassinating things. They are a perfect storm of price and performance, having decent armor, good mobility, good BS, and good special weapon selection. Hellhounds were great psychologically, but not really all that great in actual performance. They didn't do a lot of damage, but they are very good for deterring charges. He spent a lot of time trying to decide if he wanted his 5 death company to take overwatch from a hellhound or a punisher, and he really didn't want to charge into either.

 

Infantry squads are still great basic troops. With orders massed lasgun fire can take wounds off of hard targets. It's not ideal, but if its all you got than work with it. 3 squads of rapid fire range FRFSRF will average 5+ wounds against a predator in a turn, which is enough when combined with plasma, melta, and other things on the field to be really helpful. The Vostroyan regimental trait helped me more with lasgun fire by ensuring  more lasguns where in rapid fire than it helped anything else.

 

I'd say my worse performer were the sentinels but 2 died before they could do anything, the other did some damage with a lascannon and took overwatch from the flamer baal before the infantry charged and killed it, so meh?

 

I am most disappointed with Yarrick, as his re-rolls didn't help much, and other than bringing a powerfist hitting on 3+ he didn't contribute 130 points worth to the game. I could have put powerfists on all my officers and saved 80 points. To be fair, he was stationed with the missile teams to help them re-roll and once they where gone the only thing he was granting bonuses to where infantry in close combat with blood angels.

[micahwc]

I think I'm going to buy a shadow sword on payday, and a third Leman Russ next time I go to the game store. I'll try a Valhallan list that I'm working on. 3 tank commanders and a shadow sword in a supreme command detachment with a battalion or 2 of infantry for support.

[WarriorFish]

A Shadow Sword (or rather, all variants with the power of magnets ) will make for a solid core to build lists around. Looks like you're making good progress but don't forget to keep pushing forwards on the painting - you might find painted models perform better ;)

[micahwc]

I got all but 1 vehicle airbrushed yesterday. I plan on starting some basecoating tonight and I have tomorrow off work so I'll hopefully get a lot done.

[Tallarn Commander]

Mmicahwc, I agree with you about avoiding expensive bazooka or lascannon 78 point heavy weapons squads.

 

Ever since the 2009 codex made our heavy weapons squads multi wound (and thus very vulnerable) I've generally placed my bazookas and lascannons into infantry squads. And since 2009 whenever I'm up against an IG opponent who brings them I smile and shoot them off the board on turn 1 or 2.

 

Of course, as with most IGers this edition, I'm pleasantly surprised at how good mortar and heavy bolter heavy weapons squads are this edition.

[micahwc]

http://i.imgur.com/T42sA3g.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/ot4ZCrx.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/Xmf0atr.jpg

 

http://i.imgur.com/GKyrxt1.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/5wMXwaQ.jpg

 

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

[micahwc]

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

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

http://i.imgur.com/iXFz7ES.jpg

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

[micahwc]

On the last Russ I tried to add some subtle shading by painting the colors more transparent on the bottom and more opaque on the top. These pics are with the best indoor light I have and I tried to keep my shadow off the minis as much as possible. In the future I need to wait longer for the paint to dry before I tape it as you can see light grey spots where the tape took all the paint and primer off.

[micahwc]

All my little guys got backpacks last night

[micahwc]

Started building my next tank. The hull and each track are two parts each and will take about 5 hours each to print.

 

http://i.imgur.com/uRTHj77.jpg

[Silas7]

Cool 3d prints and good luck in the guard.

[micahwc]

I've been playing around with settings on the 3d printer and my prints are turning out better now. I have both sides of the hull done now and half of one of the track sections. Printing a fourth piece currently. I'm pretty excited as I think this will turn out really nice and be a great center piece for my army.

 

The Valhallan supreme command detachment with 3 tank commanders and a shadowsword will be a lot of fun. a fully kitted out shadowsword with 4 lascannons, 10 heavy bolters, the volcano cannon, and full bs until it's down to 6 wounds.

[duz_]

Are you designing these files yourself?