680 Skulls

Is 680 skulls enough for one man?  Is it enough for life? The answer to both is probably not.

At the weekend I picked up two boxes of the new Games Workshop Skulls.  they contain such a nice variety that I just couldn't resist getting two packs.

I have no regrets as the Nurgle skulls make for excellent chaos guardsmen to act as more chaos cultists. Demented but strangely cute.

I also have added 3 skulls to every figure that won the tournament. It was a good day and the little guys deserved it.

Carpet Campaign 2: The Tide of Chaos

After many months the Canis Aureus have grown significantly. winning battles across space and expanding from the uncharted reaches of space into the main picture. Taking on all comers at Konor, winning a campaign against Eldar in the shadows and forcing a retreat of the Salamanders saving their new home system.  The Jackals certainly took some beatings from the tyranids, chaos and the mighty Salamanders though. 

Currently they stand at 24 wins out of 37 games of 40k since 8th Editions release.

After the crushing victories of the Konor campaign the Tau vowed to get revenge and stop the onslaught of Chaos. The intel revealed that the Chaos forces had harnessed daemons, a forgefiend, a stormfang gunship and two mysterious new leaders.  

Putting everything on the line to prevent the spread of this pressing threat, the Tau that lost a system to the Aureus fought back. Along with their Eldar allies they first scouted the enemy, only to fall victim to Eira's plans.  The mighty genetically enhanced warrior led her new daemon army and crushed the Tau opposition. Shaken by the news the Tau led their all out assault but were swiftly wiped out by the Aureus' newly salvaged forces led by the mighty High Jackal Frode.

The 3000pt game lasted 4 hours but was easily one of the best games that I have ever had. Epic and intense, the daemons prevailed. 

Shrike

I was commissioned to paint this lovely Raven Guard Shrike model in my clients custom scheme.  My iPhone camera didn't pick up the gradients properly but he was happy with the work.  

A Legend and a Heroine

These beauties came in the post today.  Abaddon and Cypher proxy models from Wargame Exclusive.  I am going to use the Abaddon model as a proxy for him in game, but paint him in my standard colour scheme and make him more wolfy.  He is going to be an ancient Jackal hero, thought dead but has now returned with more chaos renegades under the Aureus banner.

As for Cypher she is going to be Eira.  She is the folk hero who kept the few survivors alive on the Aureus home world as the tyranids turned it into a dead world. The hard labour, conflict and disease cost her the use of her legs and took a large toll on her lifespan. Using grafts from xenos, geneseed and bionic enhancements, Grendel has turned Eira into a perfect tool of destruction, now fighting for revenge and the expansion of her new homeland.

I can't wait to paint these but I have so much on the table right now that it may take a while.

The Aureus Expand: My First 40k Tournament

Eight armies gathered for the fight over one sector of Konor. The Aureus were keen to make a name for themselves and get vengeance against the Imperium. Six of these armies were Forces of the Imperium, one was Eldar and the other the Canis Aureus. 

The tournament was three games per army, the warlord with the most victory points winning the tournament. The points requirement for each force was 750 and each army had to be battleforged.

Canis Aureus
x1 Chaos Lord (Fenerus) with combi-bolter and powersword
x1 Spawn
x5 Chaos Marines
x4 Havocs with x 4 Autocannons
x9 Khorne Berserkers (Sgt with power fist)
x1 Rhino with x2 combi-bolters
x1 Hellbrute with combi-bolter, fist and multimelta

The boys without their Lord

My first game of the tournament was the one that I dreaded the most.  It was against a veteran Imperial Guard player and a rules buff at that. In my first few months of playing I faced this army in a small 500 point game as was crushed mercilessly, almost putting me out of the hobby. It sapped my fun out of the game and was just nasty.

Now, despite having vowed to never face this opponent again, it was time to try and get my revenge. A few weeks before the tournament I had told Ed about my fears of facing 50 man conscript squads in such a small game.  He advised me to go with the Berserkers in the rhino. 

The first turn of the game I managed go first and took out the heavy weapon las cannon team. I advanced my rhino up to the conscript wall. In the Guards first turn I lost my marine unit and the rhino took a beating. As turn two began I deployed the Berserkers and their two attacks made them devastating. They piled out of the rhino and managed to wipe out 38 conscripts in a round. The rhino managed to pin in the basilisk making it useless for the remainder of the game.

Come the end of turn six the guard only had two models on the battlefield, ending the game at a score of 9-3. Revenge was sweet.

My second game was against an infantry heavy Eldar list. MY good pal David got first turn and rolled pretty badly, allowing me to steam in and hit hard. The hellbrute tore through his first squad like a mallet through butter and the beserkers piled into the nearby building, wiping out another squad.

By turn three it was over, a 10-0 victory. Savage and efficient the Jackals came out on top. Quite literally as F.G. Bio (My Warlord) ascended the tower and killed the rangers hiding above.

The third game was a battle on the harshest battleground. One trench in an open wasteland.  It was against Darren who I had spent the last few weeks playing intro games against. With some skills up his sleeve and some borrowed miniatures, he had worked his way up to the final. We both had 19 victory points and the other contenders were behind us by a long shot. With a firm handshake the game began.

His Salamanders (Dragon Force) hit hard.  The mighty intercessor marines punching my marines armour and tearing the flesh beneath many of them fell in the first round.

The "Relic" in the middle of the open battlefield.

My havocs held their ground and punched back pulling down a few intercessors, while the khorne troop and the spawn tore into combat against the thick masses of tactical marines.  After a couple of successful rounds all of the tactical marines had died, but Vulcan He'stan carried on swinging. Killing most of the khorne beserkers and saving every wound with his 3 up invulnerable save.

Again my Aureus managed to win a large 9-0, enabling me to take the top spot. Sadly Darren came 3rd due to my win but claimed a prize along with David who claimed best sportsman.

My army won best painted and due to my overall win I walked away with £25 in vouchers and a certificate.  

From left to right (Front row) Darren, Me and David

More Tournament Prep

I finally made a list for the 750pt tournament. Now I just need to make sure everything is painted for it.  I decided being an actual tournament that I shouldn't use any proxy models, so I dug out my only chaos spawn and painted him up, along with the four autocannon havocs that I need for it. Now to base them!

My rhino also needed a touch up, something to make it more chaotic. I think he turned out alright.

Tournament Prep

With a 70 point tournament on the way I thought it was time to bolster my forces. Normally I cannot justify Forgeworld but having achieved some good sales on ebay and gained a few commissions under my belt, I treated myself.

As soon as they arrived today I built 8/10 auto-cannons (enough for two squads of Havocs) and the five noise marines.  

Earlier today I was also given some space wolf upgrade kits and a few rubic marines for my army. I used the shoulders and some of the heads to make all the marines I built fit in with the army.

My gifts from Jack

Hopefully I will get them painted in time...

The Daemon Invasion Begins!

Today my Raging Heroes figures came in... well 1/3rd of them. I built a few fantasy ones and this proxy I am using for the fiend of Slaanesh.  

Games Workshop Fiend vs Raging Heores

A lot of people were wigged out by the man legs when I ordered them, but I think it really represents the lust for suffering that Slaanesh worshippers have.  Also I dig the whole Divine Comedy vibe.

Securing Konor

As the campaign was on I decided that I was going to play more. With the tournament coming up I thought more practice was needed. Locally there are many more Imperium players than Chaos or Xenos that visit the local shop. 

Despite this due to my efforts, Eds and a little help from my pal Joshua, we conquered the first two weeks.

It is only a dent in the scale of things but it helps, right?