Speed Freeks!

I decided to give the Guard a break and try something new - Speed Freeks. Getting the buggies, skorchas, deth koptas and fighta-bommas, I realized I had enough models to do up a list that I had seen posted online.

Unfortunately, I wasn't able to get the models painted or properly based in time for the game. This obviously affected the green guys pretty badly, because they got completely crushed by the third turn. I think need to get some red paint on them...

Big Box o' Orks

Orks as far as the eye can see...

Warbuggies roll out to meet the Wolves...

...and carnage ensues!

Waaaagh! The Orks are coming!

Nafzug's head hurt. There was an insistent pounding that would not end, no matter how hard he wished.

"Boss! Boss! Wake up, boss!"

Nafzug realized what was causing his headache - his grot assistant, Noblitt.  Noblitt was furiously beating on Nafzug's skull with his tiny fists, trying to get his master to wake up.

Nafzug swiped at the area around his headache and connected with Noblitt, knocking away the little grot and his fists. The assistant landed with a wet squelch and muffled screech. Nafzug's head still hurt, but at least the pounding had stopped. That's when Nafzug noticed the smell. The Ork opened his eyes and was hit full on with one of those beaky-boyz plasma bursts.

That's what it felt like anyway. Once Nafzug's eyes adjusted, he realized that it was midday, and the sun was directly above his prone body. Nafzug took a deep breath of fetid air and sat up slowly. He realized that there was a reason for the smell - he was in the drops.

To base or not to base, that is the question:

So I was able to piece together the mess o' tank parts shown in the previous blog post. I am missing quite a few of the hatches, but a fellow player can hook me up with replacements. Now my main sticking point is whether or not I base the vehicles.

Obviously, you base the infantry in Epic, since the models are so small. The vehicles, on the other hand, are usually of a manageable size, so basing is more of an aesthetic preference. I went out and spent a fist full of dollars on precut Litko bases and magnetic sheet, but now I am having second thoughts.

I kind of want the bases so I can more easily stage the models in a case, and the magnetic bottoms will help to keep them in place, but I really like the look of the unbased models on a table. Basing the vehicles kind of detracts from that suspension of disbelief you get when looking at a nice model on a good looking table (see the Direct Fire header photo at the top of the page.)

Sigh.

Leman Russ Vanqisher scratchbuild

I've got a full company of Epic: 40K era Leman Russ battletanks, but unfortunately, the models don't come with a Vanquisher turret option. Looks like I gotta improvise... I picked up some brass rod that was slightly thinner than the regular Leman Russ battlecannon, then used some plastic rod to make a baffle and build up the cannon. I placed the rod in my Dremel and used a file to shape the plastic parts. I'm not 100% satisfied with the way the plastic was shaped, but I was having issues with the seating of the rod in the Dremel - got some wiggle, which threw the rod out of true. I think it will look ok when painted up, though.

Artillery - Primed and Ready!

Got some more assembly and priming done this weekend. I added a few more stands of Imperial Guard to bring me up to six full Steel Legion Imperial Guard companies. With the addition of a couple more stands, I can also field eight Baran Siegemaster companies or four Death Korps of Kreig companies. I think I have enough in the way of regular troops... The next troop project will be two companies of Stormtroopers. I tend not to use Ogryns or Support Fireteams, so they will probably be back-burner projects.

I also did up some self-propelled artillery, in the form of a company of custom Armageddon-pattern Basilisks. They will be replacing my Forge World Basilisk company. I like the Forge World models, but the barrels on the cannons are very thin and fragile - I've broken a couple in transit. The new models should hold up a bit better.

And in the towed artillery category, we have some Kreig Earthshakers. I haven't glued the barrels yet, so that's why they look less than elevated in the photo.

That's it for now - I'll probably get to the Chimeras and Russes next.