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More battle reports (and reduced pictures, click open for proper resolution)!


Having painted some new models, they of course needed to take to the field and we hit off with a bigger narrative game from Shadow and Iron, a 2500 vs. 2000 point scrap at an agri-sprawl. Astorum's player had about 2100 points worth of engines with him, so they took the defensive role of a fighting retreat under Favilla's onslaught. I hadn't actually thought about my lists beforehand, so in order to not waste time I just used an improvised custom legio off the top of my head that I will soon be refining a bit for proper effect: ability to swap a Warlord in, Vulpa's disruptors for melee goodness and elite magos for a bit of repairs. Didn't even take a fourth item, all important bits were in and normal stratagems weren't in use in this narrative scenario anyway so what the heck.


Both sides had artillery barrage representing violent storms in the area (which also gave each unit a 1/6 chance of being Quaked every turn), as well as titan hunter infantry running around. The Astorum side also had some sneaky thermal mines. In the chaos of war, both sides could put Warhounds in ambush that would then jump from the shadows second turn onwards when they wished. While the objective of the game was to smack the other at least 500 points harder, burning hatred between the leaders of the battlegroups meant double points were awarded for felling the overall commanders aboard Iram et Lumen and Memento Mori. Astorum had a strong Fortis maniple supported by two hidden Hounds, while I took two Ferrox maniples supported by two Acastii pairs (which I houseruled to lose their Blasts and not be able to aim, because no way am I using their normal rules from an already stronger position).


Deployment was agressive: the defender could put their stuff anywhere on their table half, the attacker on theirs over 8" from any enemies. Astorum deployed close to the front, which on immediate hindsight might have been quite optimistic given the amount of fists running in their general direction, but this was partly due to the fighting retreat that meant that Astorum had to be closer to their table edge from turn three onwards and any lost ground meant reduced tactical options. With that said, Favilla gleefully strode to meet the haughty Warp Runners.







Storm clouds cracked and shields sputtered as the fight began. Infantry didn't really do much in the whole game, as both sides kept sending their troops to counter the other's as Astorum command realised they didn't have time nor room to spare for any lost shields.





We have been informed by a most unrealiable narrator that good guys use blue plasma, red is for baddies. This is obviously false propaganda.







The opening maneuvers are limited, as the Warp Runners take this moment to either shuffle backwards out of charge range or throw some politely missed melta shots towards the Favilla line that starts to encircle the right flank. Ruina Superborum did get a little scratch on Cyntar Volta before its retreat, however, which it then followed next turn by running it down entirely through thermal mines that almost blew its legs off underneath. As Volta crashed down in flames, it let loose with all its guns and unfortunately singed Solem Ignem next to it.





As the first god-engine came crashing down, two Astorum Hounds leapt up from their hiding bunkers near a factory house in their backlines, letting loose on the midfield.





On the right flank Memento Mori had been denied a charge on Proudstrider, as the sandstone hill had crumbled under its weight. Frustrated, it had sated its war lust by mauling the brave Reaver with Edax Rerum and the supporting knights so badly, that it was finally brought low by a thunderbolt from the heavens above... and naturally turned around, firing blindly into Iram et Lumen as it fell.





In the middle, Iudex Ultionis sped up and charged Solem Ignem, ripping its wounded legs off in one go. As the mighty god of war stumbled backwards, tossed around like a broken doll, it let out one last cry of defiance and, nomen est omen, blew up like a raging star. With so many engines packed near, bits of armour and molten metal spattered everyone.





Wounded, but still standing, Iram et Lumen tried to bring Iudex Ultionis down but was ultimately not quite succesful before Memento Mori waded through the bedrock up on the hill behind it, power fields humming around its hand as it flexed its claws in anticipation. Though the Astorum Hounds acquitted themselves well, one blasting Ruina Superborum apart and the other finally felling Iudex on top of the burning slagheap in the canyon, they could not hope to stem the tide alone. Memento Mori stepped forward and rammed its fist through Iram, crushing its spinal superstructure and sending it toppling down through the pulverized buildings nearby, war horns blasting in triumph over the noise of the storm. As Eclipsor was subsequently taken down by longrange lasfire from the Acastus, the surviving crew of Crudelis Ortus beat a hasty retreat.





Brutal! The close quarters deployment meant the Clawlords could get stuck in pretty quickly and given that in Ferrox they hit on 2+ rolling 15+d6 for armour (ie. criticals on 2+ anywhere), those charges straight up murder things. Astorum's straight frontal deployment was perhaps foolish, but such are the wagaries of war and much fun was had by all. Including bystanders, always keep an eye out for recruiting more folks into the fold


Regarding Acastii, I felt they were pretty good with these changes. Flexible, not oppressive and pretty nifty additions to an already dangerous titan group.


We also took a lighter 1500 matched game afterwards (sadly no pictures), which was interesting. He took a full Axiom maniple, I took one Ferrox (a WL, 2 R and a WH) with one Acastus with straight normal rules to see how they really perform. Both went for Engage and Destroy. I wanted to try out War Lust boosted movement for a first turn surge, which failed pretty hard since only my Warlord got Full Stride off and the rest failed their orders immediately, resulting in a less than ideal rush forwards into their waiting guns. Compounding this was a Scatter mine barrage, which resulted in a devastating hit on every single titan I had, because little explosives weren't going to stop me from blasting ahead. As he kept kiting my Warlord out of charge range and hampering my advance with more mines while I kept immediately failing my orders going forwards, things looked a bit grim but all was not lost. Running heedlessly through mines and laughing all the way to bank as only superficial damage was taken, Ruina Superborum withstood another Reaver's charge and slipped past to brutalize a Warhound behind as it was once again almost blown apart by thermal mines. On the other flank I concealed a shieldless Memento Mori with a LoS-blocking smoke pillar and maneuvered to threaten a charge in the near future. This actually realized sooner than later and one broken Warhound was kicked out of the way, though its pound of flesh was had as Iram et Lumen avenged it by smashing Memento against a hill with its own fist from behind. Funnily enough, this was around the time my luck had changed: while Ruina's charge hadn't killed the Warhound it targeted, said Warhound shot Ruina's legs off and managed to make it fall both on itself (killing it instantly) and their mostly untouched Reaver nearby. In its death throes, Ruina's fall managed to put three criticals on said Reaver and without wasting a second, it was then immediately killed by Aurora Terribilis' sniping missile launcher. All this time my one Acastus had been pumping a HORRIFIC amount of fire on the clumped opposition, regularily throwing such lines as "four hits on this guy, two on the other and one on that third" out there. This was taxing on the opposition's shields and gave me time to pump unfettered plasma and melta shots into Iram et Lumen from pointblank range, which eventually resulted in its death and the closing of the game with me a bit ahead. A good game and a surprising victory, even after Igot absolutely shafted for the first two turns by my orders and those mines.

Memento Mori looks fantastic, particularly with that little dude on his base for scale

 Sherrypie wrote:

BUT Memento Mori with double fists looks even more epic I have no idea if double fists is any good in the game, but hot damn dude.

Also a slightly smaller high five on the new batch of knights, most of my interest in AT are knight-heavy lists. Smashed in chem vat is a particularly sweet basing flourish.

Thanks Boss!

I know, right? There's just something too perfect about the idea of silly big honkin' robots roaring at the world with claws for hands. After all, we all know how useless guns were in Evangelion...

Knight households are a funny thing, they epitomise brave little glasscannon ants attacking lions very well. They just ignore most of the cool stuff in the game mechanics, which is a tad iffy in my personal opinion buuuuut I will have a functional household force done this year, too. 4 Acastii and 6 Questorii are painted, 12 Cerastii, 6 Questorii and 2 more Acastii await in the hangars to hop on the assembly line. Eventually.

But first I've pledged to complete Damnatio Memoriae (Reaver) and Contemptus Mundi (Warbringer), who'll probably walk sometime next month.

Carrying on, I tried to see if I could squeeze an engine out in a day. Almost, just battle damage, stains and basing to do tomorrow but Damnatio Memoriae is soon in walking condition.

Boom!







Damnatio Memoriae is ready to walk and burn some worlds! As the name gives away, this engine is called to war when no trace of civilization is to remain, sweeping the pages of history clean with atomic fire.







I had a lot of fun incorporating this idea into its heraldry:





Also, since Fajita Fan brought up Fureans some time ago, I was inspired to try some yellow:







...Never again, yellow is just horrible to paint

Alright, Contemptus Mundi is pretty much ready to get primed. Reaver arms are a bit scrawny, but they'll do as the default hinges are just horrid.

Still in smol scale, but some Death Guard for change! Some 80+ terminators and other bits dropped in, finally found a catapracht design that looks nice on the field



Time to get cleaning.


Automatically Appended Next Post:
Started on the first batch of too many termies, ended up only using three per base as they are rather chonky. Made some support too, as the Epic30k lists have the option for some field artillery and the idea is just too cool not to.

Some paint, then. Refreshing to do things on a scale where you can get multiple things done at once

Battle damage and bases tomorrow, otherwise pretty much done.




That's less than half used, I might convert some Deathshrouds next if the printer can supply me some scythes.

Haa, and done they are! Click for proper resolution.







Epic scale is just the best scale, for me 40k is either about huge swonking armies or little groups of deranged individuals.

It's psi-titan time.

"Undecorated bar a lion on the shoulder..." what blog do you think this is? It's extra gothic time with bling all day every day.



Number one: get a grimdark head. It's a dead sea animal that looks disturbing. Check.



Number two: the Ciricrux looked tacked on and lacking in gigerian tubes. Integrate it better. Chopped an old Necron destroyer. Check.



Number three: it has a bigass gun. Make one with a chonky imperial base but an alien look as a whole. Check. Wondering about making arcing warp flames to dance on its surface.



Number four: test out some chains, those are cool. Check.

There'll be more spikes, lightning bolts and whatnots after the green stuff phase, as well as hexagrammic wards and other esoteric shenanigans when painted. Given the deviation from the unmarked default scheme, I might go more in the wolf direction rather than a lion when sculpting a roaring maw on the other shoulder. For basing there's going to be a pile of corpses, perished from the psychic horrors unleashed by this thing. Perhaps the flickering arcs of warpfire could go there?

Not entirely sure about the name yet, besides Horror Vacuii for a laugh

Chugging along, added green stuff and basing.









Put some fifteen or so corpses on the base, both psychically fried and physically crushed. I'll probably put the dancing warp flames as a ring around the left foot, licking away at the piles of the dead.

And 'ere we paint again, with the first Warbringer getting near the dreaded trim stage and overflow paint going into the psi-titan. This time we'll be stomping some Angels, it seems.

Progress, mainly details like decals and weathering left after a day of trim-slogging. Must also paint a few guys running on the gunnery deck.

Wow. Those are amazing. The infantry further up the page is stunning, but these new titans are just fantastic. I love what you have done with details like the wolf head to lion head sculpt.

Thanks youws! Details give life and personality to the figures, as well as being just fun to create

I'm a bit miffed about the lion's head, as I originally thought it would be a good idea to base it on something so I wouldn't have to sculpt the fangs myself, but it kinda grew to a point where I had to do it anyway and now the result is a bit of a mix between a wolf, a rat and a lion. Not that I don't like the current result, just turns out I could've done it from scratch with less hassle. Luckily there are always more projects to keep on testing with...

Contempt for the World walks!

The first Warbringer joins the Ashen Gods, bringing us up to ten painted engines. Put a few guys on the deck, tried out some more damages on the metals and freehanded some stripes.

Nice job! Some great work on the titans. And what's not to love about a snarling wolfrat-lion?

Cheers, monkeytroll!

It is a bit ratty, isn't it. Some already confused the wolf bit for a skaven head

Oh damn! There's some beautiful work in here. Loving the small scale stuff, it makes me miss my old Epic collection.

Glad you like it, Insectum7, there's always more to come

Small scale seems to be the motivating stuff at the moment, there's something very satisfying about both properly large armies and huge honking engines that can be used without playing on a football field.

Though I did basecoat the last batch of 20 upscaled terminators, too, in case I run out of other things to do

 Sherrypie wrote:
I've always liked up-scaled marines, though reasonably so, and I was very inspired by Veteran Sergeant's miniatures here on this forum.

Hey! That's me! This is a great project. I especially love the stuff you did with the Epic. I have two boxes stuffed full of Epic Space Marines that I never really knew what to do with. Maybe now I do.

This is a fantastic model:

 Veteran Sergeant wrote:

 Sherrypie wrote:
I've always liked up-scaled marines, though reasonably so, and I was very inspired by Veteran Sergeant's miniatures here on this forum.

Hey! That's me! This is a great project. I especially love the stuff you did with the Epic. I have two boxes stuffed full of Epic Space Marines that I never really knew what to do with. Maybe now I do.

This is a fantastic model:

Yes, that is you indeed! Your work, alongside names like Doghouse, all those years ago sparked this project and my current "proper" modeling spree. Thanks for the inspiration, no model left unconverted

Epic is great, both from gaming and visual aspects. Do it!

Glad you like the biologist, I'm very happy with him. The glove is a great bit and it was fun to try and visually communicate his battlefield role through the miniature.

And now for something completely different.

With self-isolation and all that jazz going on, but the itch to game still burning strong, it seemed a fitting time to try out something I've been eyeing for a while. As wargames go, there are basically two broad categories: Little Wars (from Wells) with opponents clearly gaming it out between each other and good ol' Kriegspiel, where it's more about command and orders in a more lifelike situation as refereed by an umpire. But why not a bit of both, one wonders?

So, with that idea in mind I wanted to both get a better idea of how Epic Armageddon works and offer a few pals of mine a chance to hop in the boots of various bigwigs up in the command chain. I set up the field, lists and the scenario and gave the players a rundown of what their sides have and how they do in descriptive terms. The commanders would not worry about mechanics or see any of the dice rolling, they'd have to see the effects and live with what info they can glean. Naturally I'd give them clarifications on what can be achieved, what odds are in general for different situations and so on, but for the most part they sat on the edges of their command thrones and pondered what general orders they'd issue to the lines while I processed their subordinates who actually carried out... something along those lines. Both sides were in the dark about what their opposition is bringing, where they are and so forth until they came close enough to see something, used scouts, fired flares for spotters and so on. Naturally some liberties and oddities were taken with the rules corpus, as the situation was much more of a narrative simulation than a straight up battle game. Great fun was had in the cruel fog of war with secret orders, hurried phone calls to the front and all-important initiative rolls to see who actually gets to act before all is lost

On with the show!


*****
Seren II, a verdant agriplanet, had for the longest time been at peace. In the centuries long lull of solitude, generations of laxed standards had left the higher-ups in the defence forces and political powers that be to slowly slide into a silent separation into a self-dependent government beyond the oppressive Imperium's grasp. At some point the cessation of enormous food exports would be noticed in the wider Imperium and provoke action to remind the Serenites that their's was not a position of negotiation. While larger forces of imperial guard were gathering in the system for a massed planetary assault, a lightning strike from a nearby Benith flotilla of Black Templars shot through the blue skies on wings of fire.

Aboard the strike cruiser "Fist of Dorn", marshal Taraxacum adressed the situation. Planetfall was made in the dark of the night near the rural heart of the Taranus area and the first troops under castellan Grimwald were rumbling towards the important depot complex that was key to cutting the breadbasket of the separatists in half. It must be taken and held, unharmed, until the larger forces can arrive to crush the disorganised defences. Nodding to his terminator brothers as they were preparing to escort Langbar, the visionary champion, to the teleportarium, he turned his attention to the camera feeds from below.

On the planet's surface, commander Archibald 'Blood'n'Guts' Wodestone-Callahan of the planetary defence forces was rudely woken in the night when alarms of fiery dropships were sounded. Having time to only pick up his smaller hat (boasting fewer skulls), he rushed off to kick the 157th linecompany of the 4th home army moving. The Taranus depot must not fall into the oppressor's hands nor can it be destroyed or we'll have a famine in our hands. Get to it!

******

The situation starts before dawn in the dark. Texts were in Finnish, "short" and "mid-range" for scales, "agri depot Taranus" and "bio-center Taranus Minoris". Marine forces in the lower right corner were in transports, as were most of the guard units in mechanised detachments. Infantry markers are 10 men, vehicles 1-2 per.



With the initiative on their side, the black clad Astartes slowed to combat approach and trundled onwards. Both commanders order moderately cautious advance before a contact is made to see what is happening.



The homefront sends Valkyries to drop sergeant Benetto and his storm troopers to the woods near bunker 3 but they are intercepted by the Thunderhawk Sword of Justice as it screams over the field on reconnaisance flight, forcing the air taxis to dive hard into the woods in order to avoid effective fire. Hetman Trajan and his cavalry scouts trot towards bunker 3 to see if anything moves on the flank, but are soon taken by surprise as the Templars led by sergeant Holz jump out of their still moving Rhinos and start sending missiles towards them. An explosion throws ground and stumbling horses around, but miraculously none are lost as the riders turn sharply and retreat to relay information back to HQ. The 157th take positions along the main road as artillery commander Felix and his Basilisks drop flares near the road, where castellan Grimwald and his men are approaching in their Land Raider Crusaders.



The action opens up properly when the hidden Basilisks open against Holz's men near bunker 3. Fields are ripped open as Rhinos and marines are blasted apart in the rain of death, survivors scrambling towards the bunker firing half blindly in the woods where the concealed storm troopers return scattered potshots in their general direction. Something is stuck with the Valkyries after the rough landing and they are forced to spend a while fixing their stuff, while Trajan's men take a piss at the order to charge bunker 3 and instead dismount to enjoy a bottle of local vodka. In the middle, Grimwald and the Crusaders crash through the woods before the waiting (but startled) guns of the defenders. Even though the mighty Baneblade, Freedom's Yearn, opens on them it is too far to bring effective stopping power against the veritable moving fortresses that are Land Raiders as they take the intersection and charge towards the biocenter and corporal Betson's group. One brutal clash later Betson and thirty men lie dying on the ground, rest fleeing for their lives even as commissar Len is shouting at them to grow some spine. While this is going on, corporal Huts is rushing southwards to capture bunker number two and roll out some prepared anti-air guns as the Sword of Justice rakes them from above. Even worse, something moves beond their sight at the flare's edge as the level headed brother Corvan, commander of the Predator detachment, opens up with a deadly accurate laser fusillade that skewers half of their Chimeras on the road.



Castellan Grimwald is in bloodlust and unable to see how his subordinates are utterly pinned in the crossfire at the center, under las- and autocannon skots from all directions as Freedom's Yearn rolls on their position. As it blows up one Crusader and a few men, it in turn is devastated in a huge fireball as brother Corvan's impeccable Predator team hits a critically pressurized coffee maker behind it's front plates with longrange laserfire. Before Grimwald's position is overrun from all directions, Sword of Justice comes for another pass way too low for an attack run and opens its sides as furiously screaming angels of death shoot out on fiery jump packs and crash into Huts' detachment by bunker 2. Most of their men are slain by the transhuman monsters as the rest throw down their guns and run for their lives. From the North, corporal Ramirez and his fresh reserves charge out of the woods to take the biocenter's gardens from Grimwald but are brutally beaten back by the black knights, who fight a tenacious retreat out of there, dragging their crazed commander with them as plunging fire from colonel Halliwell's group at the depot wreck another Crusader. Situation at the eastern flank gets dire, as the Valkyries finally take flight again and unleash a rocket barrage on ancient Antaberro and the other dreadnoughts, breaking them, while Benetto draws his saber and charges sergeant Holz's position at the bunker.



The air crackles as terminators appear in the northern crossroads, charging up the depot led by Emperor's Champion Langbar and take the enemy HQ by surprise. As they slaughter colonel Halliwell and his fiery orator aide, commissar Hart, hero of the revolution with scant casualties back, the rest break and scramble out of the windows and gangways to get away from the avenging horrors clad in black. Simultaneously Corvan shows again why he is an absolute boss as the Predators drive up and blow up five Chimeras on the field before they can support the right flank, driving them away just as broken as the other remnants of Halliwell's detachment. All is not gloomy for the defenders, though, as castellan Grimwald regrouped towards bunker 2 only in time to eat an artillery barrage, breaking his last men again and driving them out of there. Fritz, the leader of the bloodspattered assault marines, takes to the skies to avoid the worst of the barrage and jumps to take the fight towards the biocenter, but misjudges the situation and is torn down by massed lasfire and bayonets of the men there after decapitating the brave commissar Len in a duel. Trajan's riders, having drunk all their current alcohol reserves, finally see the order to Emperor-fokken-dammit charge out and fix explosives in their lances before rushing to bunker 3. Holz, already under fire from the commandos and exploding dreadnoughts, is crushed by the cavalry charge even as his power fist punches through one rider as a last ditch effort. Benetto's group slips into the bunker's vault just in time to avoid the wrath of the Sword of Justice as it bombards the ground above. With their charges underground, the Valkyrie squadron decides to call it a day and disengages from the airspace before actually having to deal with the Sword of Justice again. Wodestone-Callahan is livid as he hears of this cowardice.

At the break of dawn, Benetto's men would roll a back-up Baneblade, Aigal's Might, out of bunker three as a great pillar of fire flashes down from the heavens to obliterate Felix's battery near bunker one in an orbital strike from the Fist of Dorn.

Situation seems drawn and no clear winner has taken the field as reserves start pouring in. This might escalate into some sort of a campaign during the Spring...

Thanks for reading!

Progress on the psi-titan. My desk lamp died, so picture quality and length of painting sessions plummeted a bit

Base colours are getting there, trim is taking a year to do before proper washing can begin. I'm going for a deep space look with stars here and there, theming my fortress around the old sublunar / aetheric distinction where the idea is that these engines belong to worlds other than that of man. Not sure yet how to approach the runes and wards yet, glowing red or green perhaps?

Mostly trim, metals and washes today before light ran out, but progress nonetheless.

Coming together nicely - that is a lot of trim to work through...

Digging the progress! I may have missed why one of her guns is red, but I like it

Looking amazing. The otherworldly vibe is really there.

Thanks guys! Trying to finish this chonker soon.

@Boss: these psi-titans are armed with the Left Hand of Darkness in their, well, left arm, and traditionally have the Red Right Hand (of the vengeful God) as well. That harks back to Milton's classic Paradise Lost, which is just as well given the canonical Sinister titans riff with the classics of antiquity anyway with fortress names like Occidentalis and other cardinal directions of good old Terra. I'm taking the route of spheres of heaven, the division between sublunar normal world and the aether beyond it, where no laws of physics apply.

Witness the birth of fort Aetheris and horrors born in the cold cradle of stars that shine no light.

Insane work! Awesome

Will be checking in regularly