Mandragola’s Legio Astorum (and Mortis and stuff)

[DuskRaider]

These turned out great, frater! Any plans to go back to the older models?

[Mandragola]

Yes definitely. I’ve already gone back to them and put a white basecoat on some panels, ready for fire and yellow bits. I’m going to a 1750 point event in two weeks and I need two warlords painted up for that.

 

For the bases I’ve just had a bunch of little trees delivered from an architectural supply shop. I’ll have a go at one or two of them for a warhound’s base when I get home from this trip.

[Mandragola]

Bit of an update. My little trees arrived, so I've started work on a warhound's base to test things.
 
This is how they come. They are etched brass shapes twizzled into the shape of branches. Quite low-tech but I think the effect is decent.

 

 

Here are a couple of them on the base. I've given them a rough coat of stirland mud, which has made them look a bit less machined and also less flat. They probably need some actual painting now in dryad bark or something.
 

 

I've also started panting the base. I'm not sure what colour to go with for the muddy puddles, so I'm trying loads. I'll fill in all but the ones in the colour that I like best.

 

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I've slapped on loads of ardcoat to make it shiny, because I don't have any proper water effects stuff. I should get some. This pic is after one coat but it's had three now.

 

Also, I should have already done splashes on the feet before this - now I'm going to have to mask the base when I do them. Annoying.

 

Edit: So hopefully you can actually see these pictures. Photobucket is full so I made a flickr account (after trying google, which the server hates for some reason).

Edited April 19, 2019 by Mandragola

[Chaeron]

I think the trees look brilliant Mandragola - really lovely effect! 

[Mandragola]

Thanks. I think they've come out pretty well too.

 

I've now added a load of mud to the warhound's base. I went with the light green puddles in the end. I think brown would probably be more likely, but green isn't impossible and some colour on the bases is good to have.

 

I also added some mud splatter to the legs. I used AK dry mud and then wet mud, to represent that it's been running around in the mud for long enough for some of it to have dried on.

 

I feel like it's pretty close to what I was aiming for. The only thing is that I've used two kinds of AK mud on the base itself - Dark earth and Muddy ground - and I can't tell the difference at all! Looks pretty muddy though.

 

Let me know what you think. One thing I'm a little unsure about is how deep the foot should have sunk into the mud. Not that far for now, but I could build it up a bit higher to represent softer ground.

 

 

 

[Sherrypie]

That's proper muddy and desolate, that. I'd probably add some darker washes here and there to emulate shadows and bring the shapes (cracks, crater banks, piles...) out a bit clearer, but it's already looking very good.

[DuskRaider]

Love the bases, such a great contrast to the models. I am totally in love with your scheme man. So eye catching, looks marvelous!

[Mendi Warrior]

Love it as well, brilliantly done!  Sherrypie's suggestion regarding potential addition of some darker washes here and there sounds good. The light green puddles add already some nice subtle contrast to the base, the trees are perfect.

[Mandragola]

Thanks guys, and particularly thanks to Sherrypie for the suggestion to add washes, which I've now done. I stuck some agrax earthshade round the edges of the puddles and where the feet meet the mud, and some black for shadows under the body and feet (darker under the feet. I also drybrushed gorthor brown over the raised areas. It's quite difficult to see the difference between my painted shadows and the ones from the lights, but hopefully they are visible.

 

 

 

 

 

How's this now? Getting there, I think.

[Mendi Warrior]

Very nice, seems perfect to me 

[noigrim]

Flames look great, did you use a masking tape?

[Mandragola]

Flames look great, did you use a masking tape?

Thanks. It's just painted on by hand. I draw out the flame pattern with a pencil and paint along the lines. I haven't used an airbrush on these.

[Rabenga]

Bases are fantastic! Very good job.

[Chaeron]

Simply brilliant - so good!

[Gamma310]

I like the muddy base. It really looks like a war ravaged Battlefield. Well done.

[Achinadav]

Green puddles are definitely more than possible. There’s plenty of algae & moss & whatnot on Earth, without having to invoke special space fungus. Really filthy water will have a nice green scum floating on top and can look quite green in sunlight. You tend to get algae, etc, building up on the banks around such puddles & streams and they’re generally an uneven colouration, especially if there’s an unpleasant scum or slick on the surface.

[Mandragola]

I got a game in yesterday at the warlords, vs my old foe Alex with his legio suturvora. Both of us were attempting to recover crews from warlords lost in other battles (presumably from an allied legio in my case, as I’ve never yet lost a warlord!). I failed to take many photos and the game took at least four hours to play, at 1750 points. We need to get faster!

I commanded an axiom maniple of warlord (volcano, plasma and missiles), reaver (Gatling, chainfist and Vulcan) and two warhounds (in a squadron, both with Vulcan and plasma), with a reinforcement warlord (volcano, plasma and gatlings). I took blind barrage, a score to settle and the Astorum strat to regen shields as my stratagems.

Alex had a myrmidon maniple of two belicosa/missile warlords and a reaver with laser blaster, fist and missiles. He had two warhounds with bolters and flamers, one of which outflanked. He also brought a missile launcher asset thingy.

We had quite a bit of terrain, which caused some issues for me early on. I planned to have my reaver grab the objective but a warlord got in the way. Meanwhile both sutorvora warlords were pointed at my seniores, who was out on my right flank. However the initial shooting went well for me. I had to play the strat to regen shields for my seniores, but I got three shields back when I did it - meaning the bellicosas hit shields and not my titan. In response he took down the shields of the enemy seniores. Result! An enemy warhound also sprinted around behind cover down my left flank, but overheated and it’s shields went down.

In turn 2 I gave my out of position reaver full stride orders and had it burn over to the help out my seniores, who was about to get jumped by the outflanking warhound. This hound appeared within my seniores’ shields, sprayed fire and bolter shells all over him, and did no damage at all.

In the centre things went quite well as the enemy reaver got in the way of two warhounds and my other warlord. Unfortunately it failed a command check for the machine spirit when boosting shields, meaning it came out of cover right in front of my warlord. A few plasma annihilate shots to the head later, the first engine kill was scored.

A warhound also grabbed the downed crew, though they both lost a lot of shields to warlord fire in the process.

 

In turn three my warhound with the objective ran off towards my Seniores under the cover of a blind barrage. It survived the turn but took a couple of crits to the legs, slowing it. I did some damage to the enemy titans, but there were no engine kills. The enemy warhounds were being a niusance at this point because they'd got behind my warlords. They weren't doing much damage but my shields were suffering.

 

Turn four was good because my gatling warlord was able to take out the enemy seniores with a bit of a fluke of a shot. I fired the plasma annihilator and hit the body four times, where there was already some structural damage but no crits. I did four crits straight off! Boom! However my own titan was starting to take some damage itself. This swung the central fight way back to me. I also took out the outflanking warhound at this point, though the other one managed to grab the lost Sutorvora crew and start running for home. 

 

Sadly in turn five my warhound carrying the objective died to the missile launcher asset shooting it in the back as it ran. Its magazine exploded and it slightly damaged my nearby Seniores. Shame, as it was so nearly home. Luckily the seniores was able to move to pick up the crew after they scattered and then begin the long job of turning a warlord itan around, so it could take the crew away to safety if there was a turn 6. Meanwhile the sutorvora warhound carrying their crew suffered a catastrophic overheat (it had run a very long way) and exploded, catching my surviving warhound and one of each of our warlords in the blast. My warhound now had a leaky reactor...

 

There was a turn 6. My seniores turned 90 more degrees around so he could strafe off towards the board edge, but put his reactor in the orange to do so. Luckily he got out of this with no harm done and full-strided to the edge. At the same time my warhound managed to hit the side of the enemy warlord's head with three overcharged plasma blastgun shots, allowing my gatling warlord to carry out the coup de gras with its plasma annihilator.

 

This meant that Alex had no titans left. His missile launcher battlefleet asset not only survived, but had an engine kill to its credit. However I'd only lost one warhound and I'd managed to rescue my missing crew, meaning that pretty much all of the VPs went to me.

 

My gatling warlord was definitely the star of the show, with the killing blows on two enemy warlords and a reaver. A particularly harsh combination seems to be to hit a titan with plasma blastguns and then follow up with the warlord's annihilator at the damaged spot. If I'd had my Seniores advance enough to fire its annihilator then things would have been even better.

 

I didn't have much joy at all with the reaver. I think I need to reconsider its load out because it wasn't really able to contribute - though that's largely my fault for having other things get in its way. The good news was that I didn't really need it, as my warlords and warhounds won the day.

 

Volcano cannons continued to not impress me much. In our post-game discussion we realised that Alex's list didn't really have any guns that were good finishers. Blast weapons just aren't great for getting killing blows on things - you need to e able to target a location and hit it a bunch of times.

 

The game is fun. Nice to rack up a victory and see the enemy titans drop

 

The last Sutorvora warlord is decapitated in a storm of plasma. That's one less crew to rescue, at least!

 

 

While the crew of the fallen warlord is carried to safety by my Princeps Seniores.

 

Edited April 23, 2019 by Mandragola

[noigrim]

Great game, bases need some work tho.

Yep, blasts are only good against knights

[Mandragola]

Hmmph! I'll have you know that one of my titans is based, and another one is very nearly done!

 

Seriously though, it's the last thing I do after the model is varnished, which is why most models aren't there yet.

[Mandragola]

More guns have arrived for my warlords. Hurrah!

 

[url=https://flic.kr/p/2fFprHD]

 

Slight issue: I'm going to an event on Sunday. Can I get some of these ready in time? Worth a try!

[RipOffProductions]

More guns have arrived for my warlords. Hurrah!

 

[url=https://flic.kr/p/2fFprHD]

 

Slight issue: I'm going to an event on Sunday. Can I get some of these ready in time? Worth a try!

well, regardless of if you have them ready for the event, be sure to keep us updated on any serious good or bad aspects of the resin weapons, as I know at least I myself want more info about them as a kit.

 

EDIT: for example, is it just me or does it look like that Quake cannon on top is missing the joint that goes between the shoulder and the gun itself?

Edited April 26, 2019 by RipOffProductions

[Cybercrow]

 

 

 

 

More guns have arrived for my warlords. Hurrah!

 

https://flic.kr/p/2fFprHD]

 

Slight issue: I'm going to an event on Sunday. Can I get some of these ready in time? Worth a try!

well, regardless of if you have them ready for the event, be sure to keep us updated on any serious good or bad aspects of the resin weapons, as I know at least I myself want more info about them as a kit.

 

EDIT: for example, is it just me or does it look like that Quake cannon on top is missing the joint that goes between the shoulder and the gun itself?

The top quake cannon clearly has the joint in the blister :)

 

edit: erm maybe not clearly... darn... that would suck so badly if it isn't included.

Edited April 26, 2019 by Cybercrow

[Mandragola]

You guys scared me! But I've had a good look and all the pieces are there. The joint pieces have stood up on end in that picture of the quake cannon, but they are there. The barrels look pretty straight too - even for the gatling guns.

 

One slightly annoying thing is that the gatling gun's armour panels aren't seperate, so you can't spray them a different colour to the gun itself. But that's not a huge problem.

 

I'm vaguely considering an attempt to use the armour panels from the quake cannons to indicate a Princeps Seniores, sticking one of them onto a volcano cannon. But I might not bother. In fact I'm extremely unlikely to bother, as my quake/volcano warlord probably isn't going to be a seniores.

 

I do think I'll try to bring all three of my warlords to this tournament on Sunday. It's 1750 points, so it just works to have a Myrmidon maniple comprising three warlords and a reaver. Here's my proposed list:

 

Warlord Titan                  500

              Sunfury Plasma Annihilator        

              Belicosa Volcano Cannon           

              Apocalypse Missile Launchers   

                            

Warlord Titan                  475

              Macro-Gatling Blaster   

              Macro-Gatling Blaster   

              Paired Gatling Blasters  

                            

Warlord Titan                  475

              Belicosa Volcano Cannon           

              Mori Quake Cannon      

              Apocalypse Missile Launchers   

                            

Reaver Battle Titan         300

              Gatling Blaster 

              Laser Blaster     

              Apocalypse Missile Launcher     

 

I don't know if it's a good list - it's very low on activations - but it should be fun. I'm quite looking forward to using a quad-gatling warlord.

Edited April 26, 2019 by Mandragola

[Mandragola]

It's been a busy weekend of AT for me (plus some time doing my actual job - boo!).

 

I've done a bit more work on my warlords. Luckily my new guns came on Friday, so I painted some of them up. Flames have also been added to the warlords, along with my first attempt at a check pattern. None of this is finished but I think these guys are coming along.

 

 

 

 

I had a ticket for the Coastal Clash tournament in Brighton today. Against my better judgement, I decided that I'd take along all three warlords, plus a reaver, in a Myrmidon maniple. That's not an especially practical army, but it's a little intimidating to face off against. Here's what I took.

 

 

My first game was against Legio Mortis. They had a much more practical Axiom maniple, with a couple of outflanking lancers. And they are finished, with basing done and everything. Made me feel a bit ashamed.

 

]

 

I'd picked up Engage and Destroy for my objective (made somewhat fairer by the FAQ) while the Mortis guys were trying to hold the line. I got off to a pretty rough start as my gatling warlord suffered a heavy dose of new model syndrome, and died after only firing once, in exchange for a warhound. The outflanking knights appeared but I won initiative so I was able to have my bellicosa/quake warlord run out of charge range, turn and blow them away. My Seniores carried the day though, killing the enemy warlord, surviving being chopped at a few times with a chainsfist and sprinting across to deny my opponent any points for holding the line. I ended up with a fairly decent win at the end, including 5 bonus VPs for the "Justice for the Fallen" tertiary objective.

 

 

In the afternoon we decided that rather than carrying on the tournament we'd try a big narrative game. We went for the attack on Nyrcon City as it's a big battle with a 3:2 ration of points, and there were 5 of us. This time the loyalists were attacking though, as there were 3 loyalist players. So the engines of Legios Astorum and Gryphonicus faced off against Mortis and Volcanum.

 

 

And it was epic.

 

 

Here's the game in full flow. The beginning was very tough for the loyalists as we tried to weather the storm, mainly under full stride orders. Meanwhile our opponents had a lot of first fire, and lots of battlefield assets throweing stuff at us. Things started to go the Loyalists' way from turn 2 onwards, as our engines started to get into range and start shooting. And in the end, our firepower was too much for the outnumbered traitors. We called it in the end with the traitor forces down to a single damaged warhound on my side of the board and severely weakened on the other. There wasn't much left to oppose our advance into the city.

 

Edited April 28, 2019 by Mandragola

[Gillyfish]

Your titans look stunning and the battle looks like it was amazing.