Legio Favilla walks - Ashen Gods unleashed

[Sherrypie]

Thanks @Lord_Borak, I'm pretty happy with the glow. You'll get some better pictures of it when I'll get around to setting up the DSLR. The beast is reasonably close to finished now, with mostly the banners and weathering still to go.

[Mandragola]

Excellent work, as ever. I'm interested in what you've done with the head, or lack thereof. Have you moved the princeps somewhere else or is there some other reason for their absence?

[Sherrypie]

12 hours ago, Mandragola said:

Excellent work, as ever. I'm interested in what you've done with the head, or lack thereof. Have you moved the princeps somewhere else or is there some other reason for their absence?

 

Humble thanks, Mandragola. It is still a head, the searchlight-thingy is larger than a Warhound's head and swivels in place. In this case it was purely for aesthetics and flexing, as this thing is thus far the biggest chonker in the legio and needed to look more... impersonal, perhaps? With a name like Ultimate Ruin, it isn't an individual person coming to ruin your day, it's a faceless force of nature snuffing your pitiful civilisation from the pages of galactic history forevermore.

 

Motivating the Warmaster's painting, today I wrote the scenario for our annual Mega-Titanicus. This time it's going to be on two tables, with ~12 or more expected players and plenty of fender benders in the making.

On one table, we've got an all out assault from the traitors agains a fortified siege line. On the other table, we've got a nearby island full of airfields and logistics, pumping support to the fight as it suddenly comes under attack from the other traitor force that marched under the waves to take it down. Some fun little interactivity there, we'll see how the battle shakes out as supplies and bombs fly down from the second table onto the main fight.

 

 

 

Me and my camera will be happy campers, regardless :)

[Tar Aldarion]

That sounds fun! The interaction between the boards appears nice and simple to me. The strafing runs should do quite some damage, with lots of attackers starting in linear deployment on the main table. Two artillery strikes per turn should be handy, but probably not decisive.

 

Do you have an idea of the eventual point level per side?

 

Looking forward to your report!

[Sherrypie]

7 minutes ago, Tar Aldarion said:

That sounds fun! The interaction between the boards appears nice and simple to me. The strafing runs should do quite some damage, with lots of attackers starting in linear deployment on the main table. Two artillery strikes per turn should be handy, but probably not decisive.

 

Do you have an idea of the eventual point level per side?

 

Looking forward to your report!

Yeah, it's meant to be pretty straightforward to keep the game rolling but to still give the feeling that these events are part of a greater effort together on the same theather of war.

 

My expectations are around 12 or so players, plusminus some. As everyone can bring one maniple and one support element should they so wish (knights, psi-titans, Warmasters and what not you see less on the regular tables), that puts us somewhere in the ballpark of 2000+ points per player. The scenario gives some reinforcements as well, putting some thousands of points more to the front. Thus, both sides are likely to see some 12-20000 points on the tables. We'll see when we get there :D

[Sherrypie]

COR AUT MORS!

 

Excidium Ultimum, the Ultimate Ruin, Warmaster of the Ashen Gods, marches to war engines and weapons blazing. Pretty happy with the freehanded checkers, lines and banners, hadn't done those for a long time.

 

 

She's escorted by the XIV legion, who are certainly not the bigger people in this relationship.

 

 

Some close-ups on the legs. I'm satisfied with those checkers and especially with the knee-joint NMM.

 

 

The Grav Imploder is running pretty hot.

 

 

Freehanding banners was something I haven't really done, though not that different from regular acrylic painting I did a lot of as a teenager. It was fun... and thus something I'll probably have to do more of in the future, oh dear.

 

 

Naturally there are people about on machines of this size. You can spot one in the armpit and another loading the mortars on the shoulders.

 

 

Since legio Favilla is my pretentious art project, I also tested using a 0.1 mm pen to put some latin phrases in as appropriate (works, but reaaally didn't like ti stay put when the varnish was applied. Whoops).
- On her front armour the scrolls read "Solvet saeclum in favilla / Heaven and Earth in ashes ending", part of Dies Irae that inspired the legio's name in the first place.
- The skull pile banner reads "Mors certa / Death is inevitable".
- The bleeding heart has the battle cry "Cor aut mors / Heart or death", an ultimatum to submit and obey or die. Your money or your life, but cooler.
- The burning planet with a sword in it reads "Mors tua, vita mea / Your death, my life" in reference to the legio's purpose as an ultima ratio formation that is only sent to the fray when diplomacy breaks down so badly that the opposing side needs to be erased from the galactic memory in its entirety. By the death of their enemies, Mankind asserts its perceived manifest destiny to rule the stars.

[Mandragola]

That's a fantastic looking titan. Well done.

 

You make me want an Iconoclast. I should not buy one - I have a Warmaster about 2/3 done and no intention of ever fielding either of them. They're such great models though!

[Sherrypie]

Thanks @Mandragola. Hey, it's just another Warmaster ready for the eventual day ten years in the future when we'll see a maniple made fully of them so you better prepare at least three :D

 

It's a funny kit to play around with, personally not quite as pleasing as the Warlord due to the thigh-works but pretty up there. It'll be fun to crack the next one in maybe a year or so, this thing clogged the painting table pretty thoroughly for a time.

[Sherrypie]

Mega-Titanicus, ahoy!

 

As previously mentioned, this time the annual big god-machine brawl at the club would happen on two tables (scenarios shown in this thread above): one main assault on an Imperial fortress supported by a nearby island's airfields. In total, we had 14 players each commanding their own maniples, 8 on the walls and 6 on the island. 67 titans and three plucky knights participated in the mayhem, some of them also cycling in again as reserves. I tried to remember taking pictures every now and then, but playing and being the main rules guy to ask certainly make that task harder when intensity racks up and people are trying to wrap things up by the end. Thus, pictures are mostly from the first half of the game.

 

Twilight at the Gates of Unity.

 

"The traitors are closing in by the hour, the fools. Our hearts and walls shall hold fast against their rage, imposing as that might still seem. Let them come! Let them smash themselves against our lines, let them bleed themselves dry if they so eagerly wish to die this day!"

 

 

Three maniples of legio Favilla's engines, bolstered by one of legio Defensor, stood ready to break the traitors' storm. Lighter Warhounds and Reavers ranged on the flanks while the super-heavy Extermigus force was warming up its engines at the main gates.

 

 

Arraying against them, god-engines of legios Fureans, Damicum and Krytos were stomping forwards through the desert heat. As rockets and aerial bombs started to fall like raindrops from the darkening skies, the battle was joined.

 

 

In scant moments, the first defensive line before the city was overwhelmed and despite their hard resistance, the armoured elements of the XIV Astartes legion were taking a pounding. Not willing to concede more ground, the defenders sallied forth to keep the attackers at bay further down the field.

 

 

On the attackers' right flank, the ever-destructive Krytos took to razing the local infrastructure. With one accurate shot of its quake cannon, a Warbringer of the God Breakers blew up years worth of aerospace logistics efforts.

 

 

Meanwhile, on a nearby island the XIV's artillery and airfields were busy providing support to the distant fight. Little did they know that there were hidden forces encroaching on their position by the sea-floor, as two maniples of legio Magna and one utterly corrupted group of legio Omina's monstrous creations soon broke above the waves. However, the attackers would soon find themselves surprised as well but the amount of defending titans on the supposedly lightly manned island. With a pull of the trigger, the air soon filled with projectiles and a bitter firefight erupted.

 

 

Some headway is made onto the beach under heavy fire, hijacking the goods being delivered to the traitors' cause. On the western end, the Astorum bring the pain as Magna's lead units bite and hold onto their targets. In the middle, Xestobiax' line holds the traitors' advances. In the east, Omina's daemonic Warhounds spit otherworldly fire and slag Solaria's leading Reaver while pouncing to take one of the airfields under their control.

 

 

At the gates, Damicum's Regia maniple advances under their shared shields, with the Warlords protecting their Warhound batteries hiding nearby behind their wide frames. While such a concentration of voids is impressive, it is not so impressive as to withstand a sustained broadside of Favilla's Extermigus and in short order their shields are violently popped one after the other. Damicum leaders order a full spectrum screen to be fired before them, giving them a second to breathe as the Ashen Gods are left scrambling for visibility. With two claw-equipped Warlords and one Warmaster eyeing each other at danger close distances, there is a careful and calm dance of death taking place in the middle of the exploding warzone.

 

 

Next to this, on the Tiger Eyes' flank the loyalists are taking a bit of a beating. Though the Ashen Gods' Hounds get some deadly support from the Extermigus at the walls, they are still out of their weight class fighting a delaying action against corrupted Warlords leading a Mandatum pack at their heels. First engine kills are sounded on both sides as Warhounds start popping under the deadly hail.

 

 

Legio Defensor takes initiative and courageously surges forth to hold the second defense line against the Krytos Extermigus. With the screen blocking visibility to the Damicum line, Favilla's heavy engines lend their aid to the Defensor's cause. Shields are shredded across the battle line and fires are starting to flare up over the engines, yet casualties are thus far fairly light.

 

 

Barely out of the gates, the Defensor Reaver has taken massive fire from the God Breakers. Finally, guns glowing hot from uninterrupted return fire, its legs buckle under the machine's weight and it slumps down, silenced but grabbing the doorframe to the last. None shall pass!

 

 

As the Nova Guard seems to be falling on hard times, Favilla positions to push forwards to relieve the pressure. With their Warmaster, Excidium Ultimum, at the second line, it isn't falling to the traitors' clutches anytime soon.

 

 

The struggle for the beachhead continues, but it is becoming apparent to the traitors this isle has been more strongly defended than they were led to believe. Never ones to give up, though, they press what momentum they have to hold onto their gains. Surely they were going to get reinforcements soon, right?

 

 

At the main gates, Krytos' Warlord Braccus Rex is under heavy bombardment. As it pushes more power to what remains of its soon dying void shields, its belligerent machine spirits lurches forwards with unexpected speed, bringing the beast close enough to pummel the Defensor Hounds with its fist. Turbolasers raking its armour, the Warlord grabs a hold of its assailant and rips the Hound's head clean off as sparks and burning fluids splash on the glassed sands.

 

 

At the defenders' left flank, there is aggressive manoeuvre warfare going on with Reavers and Warhounds jockeying for position. Pushing through the Krytos fire with melee engines is costly, but ultimately manageable. The flanking Hounds, however, are a deadly threat.

 

 

Legio Omina's Warlord, Lux Aeternis, had proven to be a particular headache for the Solaria defending the now lost airfield on the island's east end. Corrupted beyond measure, it was nearly undying even under constant barrages, yet it would not be enough. The Hounds around it would be torn down and, thus left alone, it too would succumb in time under the harrying trio of Solaria's bloodthirsty dogs.

 

 

Similarly, on other fronts it would prove to be too much for the attackers. Toppling on top of their objectives, broken but unbowed, many of the Magna's engines would meet their doom before accepting the reality of their failure. Many names would be added to the list of the lost - Baleful Edict, Ironbound Empress, Scourge of the Faithless... all lost in the cause of the Lupercal, now lying as scrap on the beaches or driven to the sea by the vengeful loyalists.

 

 

While the situation at the island was noted on the fortress as some air strikes and bombs also started landing on top of the defenders, there was no time to lose focus. Damicum's charges against Excidium Ultimum left much to be desired, ending either short or as mere scratches. The middle of the board soon descended into total mayhem: the Iconoclast sawed one Warlord in half, engines toppled on top of each other, nuclear reactors began blowing up sky high in succession as the Reaver Damnatio Memoriae began backing away from it all guns blazing. Other maniples of Favilla and Fureans poured their regards into the mix as well, plasma and volcano shots blooming their midst. Soon, the Damicum Regia would be no more and their straggling reinforcement Warhounds entering the battle would not fare much better.

 

(That's all the pictures I ended up taking, having to then keep up the game's pace.)

 

Over the second half of the battle, casualties kept racking up but the dogged defenders held their ground. With occasional reserve Warhounds making their way to the fight, the Nova Guard managed to keep their gate unconquered (though the walls were reduced to rubble and the important buildings behind them once more razed by the God Breakers) while the Iconoclast Excidium Ultimum, full of secondary systems and redundant bits as ablative armour, kept frustrating the attackers by refusing to die. The hulking engine hadn't had shields for the last three or so rounds, but kept blasting away at anyone foolish enough to come close until the very end of the fight when it was at last brought down by the Fureans Warlord who cut its legs with a macro-gatling salvo. With such setbacks and the failed capture of the support island laid against them, the traitors were ultimately repulsed and thrown from the walls. 75 % of the important infrastructure lay in ruins, walls had huge torn down sections in need of urgent repairs and the whole sub-city near the entrance was irradiated enough to make it unlivable for the next century, but hey, that's what victory smells like here.

 

Loyalist victory!

 

On the whole, the event ran pretty smoothly at roughly an hour per round pace with the two tables mostly in sync (the smaller island being a bit ahead, unsurprisingly). Scoring was given for destroyed engines and held ground, ending up as a 760-550 victory for the defenders. From a scenario writer's perspective, this is fine as the three defence lines were all worth 50 points every turn and basically one or two stronger turns for the attackers could have flipped the game considering in this particular instance the attackers had a bit of a harder time than they ought to because of the situation at the island.

 

While the battle at the gates felt pretty equally matched, I regret not having the time to look at the forces arrayed on the island table more carefully before things swept onwards. Such is life sometimes, when you're busy setting up the stuff, preparing to play yourself and answering everyone's questions. While careful balancing isn't exactly the main concern for big multiplayer games that are swingy to begin with, it turns out that the attackers on the island were about 1500 points short and as any military can tell you, attacking against superior numbers usually isn't the best of times. This meant that while the island situation was meant to begin with a loyalist edge and turn into a traitor asset as they take ground and get more reinforcements than the defenders, in this particular game it didn't go that way. The traitors got in, but were outgunned and subsequently rolled very badly for their reinforcements, turning the situation into a bit of a massacre. From what the players told me, it was still a fun massacre, but something that was still mechanically somewhat doomed from the early game onwards. Amusingly enough, the people at the table realised this like two turns in instead of checking after the initial player allotment, but I do still take some of the blame for that for it would have been easy to throw a couple of dozen extra knights I had with me at the traitors' disposal as well if I'd realised what was going on. But eh, at the end of the day it's a mega-battle full of moving parts anyway.

 

Personally, boy the Warmaster is a beast! Excidium Ultimum got a nice outing for its first game, crumped the Damicum Warlords, survived two armies worth of violence until the very last round and looked wicked striding on the field. Sure it's too costly and slow and stupid to use very often, but I like it in these over the top contexts. Next year, though, I need to make a fourth Warlord so I can finally run a full Extermigus without any Reaver-swap shenanigans...

 

[Ulfast]

Amazing armies. So good looking :)

[Sherrypie]

50 minutes ago, Ulfast said:

Amazing armies. So good looking :)

 

Thanks Ulfast, so they are. It's a great aspect of Titanicus that each model readily invites the hobbyists to try and up their game a bit :)

[Tar Aldarion]

If fun was had, your preparations have worked. And it absolutely looks like that's the case!

 

The point difference on the Island may have been avoidable, but as much by you as by the players themselves, I'd say. After all, Favilla seems to have stood in the very midst of it - and their ground they stood! 

 

Cudos also for the pictfeed-postproduction!

[Sherrypie]

Last hours of 2022 draw near and while my hope for this year to be better than the last bastard didn't exactly pan out as intended all over the world, at least 2023 has plenty of room to improve on it  :P

 

Hobbywise, this year had plenty of gaming and other events to attend again which took its toll on actually completing any projects but hey ho. I paint my stuff for playing, mostly, so I guess that's a positive problem alongside real life things like finally getting accepted on a PhD program :D So what've we got?

 

Hobby log 2022:

 

Built but unpainted:

- 12 redneck tech-cannibals (KT)
- 7 Talons of the Emperor (KT)
- 16 XIV tacticals (30k/40k)

 

Finished stuff:

 

- 8 quantum evangelists of the Dancing Circuit (KT)
- 3 Mechanicum Triarii (Epic)
- Scorpius (30k/40k)
- 14 bully-guards of a no-name small fry (KT)
- 2 tables worth of Kill Team terrain
- 5 XIV tacticals (30k/40k)
- XIV Moritat (30k)
- 2 Warhound titans (AT)
- Warmaster titan (AT)

 

 

So a bit under 40 models and two small tables' worth of terrain, granted some of those things were larger projects like the Warmaster but still. However, multiple cons, megabattles, demo games, friendly campaigns, kickstarting other people into project mode in AT and KT and so on were all great fun. Also won a casual painting competition at the club with Excidium Ultimum (by being the only large model in the category :D.) May the fun continue soon, I have plenty of ideas bubbling in the cauldron when I get the responsible adult stuff in order.

 

Here's to 2023!

 

[Tar Aldarion]

I think that sounds like a very rich Hobby year, and I'll be looking forward to read as much or more about your miniature endeavours in 2023.

 

However, let's cross our fingers that if there should ever be an unexpected decline in your hobby activity in the next few years, then that's because you're having as much fun with your research!

[Sherrypie]

Well this has certainly been an active year on the miniature front, hopefully not at the expense of the academic side :D

 

On the topic of this thread: with a possible teaser of a new edition of Epic out in the aether, what better time to be painting some small killer robots and tech-priests :)
20 mm bases for reference.

 

 

[Lord_Borak]

Very cute little guys you have there!! I've not really paid much attention to the releases/rumours/hints about the upcoming Epic. I'd rather they just concentrate on more titans to be honest!

[Sherrypie]

@Lord_Borak ha, we'll see where they'll go. Hopefully both in good time :)

[Sherrypie]

More gaming happened in Epic scale, as we're all waiting for the Legiones Imperialis to slowly dripfeed into our systems there's always good ol' Epic: Armageddon to smash. Or in this case, orks faces to bash with both hands as the capitol city of Miami V needed defending, twice in a row!

 

First battle saw the orks thoroughly scrunched against the hot'n'hateful steel of Mechanicum.

 

 

The second battle saw an almost unstoppable triple-mob charge pour through one flank of robots, but the day was still carried by remorseless robots marching to the ork home base through a burning channel ripped in the earth by a nova cannon shot from the backfield Ordinatus.

 

 

It was also finally a good excuse to take a family portrait of the Mechanicum painted thus far :D

 

[Lord_Borak]

The terrain and armies all look amazing.

 

 

[Sherrypie]

Cheers @Lord_Borak, good terrain makes good armies all the better

[Sword Brother Adelard]

The backdrop is such a niche, but great touch!

[Sherrypie]

On 8/6/2023 at 10:19 PM, Sword Brother Adelard said:

The backdrop is such a niche, but great touch!

 

Most wars are, after all, fought against a rising sky instead of a jumble of giant-sized rucksacks, beverages and butts :D

[Sherrypie]

While waiting for the delayed LI to drop, some 2v2 Epic: Armageddon was had yesterday, as Death Guard legion and their Mech + Guard opponents drew a bloody stalemate. Some 12k points on the board. Titans got to show up too, as the pair of Warhounds ripped apart some tacticals and their Rhinos before getting beaten back by an airborne terminator slam and harried all the way home by field artillery :D

 

[lionofjudah]

Brother… wow… just spent some time pouring through your thread and I’m excited to see what you’ve done.

My Warmaster is in the infancy of its paintjob and I’m looking forward to employing some of my ideas of the edge highlighting and focused detailing that you’ve utilized.

The bright lenses you have on your mechanicum dudes are fire

[Sherrypie]

On 9/19/2023 at 4:37 PM, lionofjudah said:

Brother… wow… just spent some time pouring through your thread and I’m excited to see what you’ve done.

My Warmaster is in the infancy of its paintjob and I’m looking forward to employing some of my ideas of the edge highlighting and focused detailing that you’ve utilized.

The bright lenses you have on your mechanicum dudes are fire

 

Well thank you lionofjudah, glad you've found something useful down here :)

 

My hobby time has recently been taken up by ambitious gamesmastering duties and research, half-painted models languishing forgotten on the painting table, but at least there's been some tabletop time in there. More gaming pictures it is, then! This time it's been a solid weekend filled with a couple of big Titanicus clashes full of nuclear fire and fender benders with our loyalist line taking the cake against a traitorous mutant horde.

 

 

 

Exidium Ultimum got to take a walk in the second game, crushing three Warlords after the scenario forced us into a very aggressive spearhead deployment :D