40th Birthday

Yes, this weekend was that landmark date and I celebrated in the best way I knew, spending time with friends, playing games and drinking beer (or in the case of some people red wine or elderflower cider).

Anyway first game played was a new one I received for my present (thanks peeps) called Horus Heresy. A huge box full of cool stuff. After spending a good hour setting up all the counters we attempted to play reading through the rules. This made it a somewhat interesting game which ending up with Terra falling to Horus.

The might box of the Horus heresy board game

Another gift was the another fantasy flight 40k game, Relic the 40k version of Talisman. We gave it a quick go but tiredness finished the game early. Very good fun though. Looking forwards to playing both games properly and will put up more pictures at another time.

Other games we managed to fit into the weekend were the Fantasy Flight edition of Talisman, a game about running power station ( lists more fun than it sounds), another game with little people tiles and cities( can't remember the name of that either!) And the game of thrones board game. Over the weekend we must have spent a good 25hrs over 2 days playing with breaks only for break fast and a meal at Planet Hollywood in London.

On my actual birthday I was taken out on a mystery trip by my wife, and it was... Harry Potter Studio tour really really good fun, especially after a large latte woke me up.

Filled in passport

Harry Potter Passport

Cupboard under the stairs

Great Hall

Dumbledores office

Ministry of Magic

Magic is Might

Enjoying a butter beer

Privit drive

Dobby

Diagon Alley

They had animal actors out everywhere

Massive model of Hogwarts

And finally the birthday cake

more old pics off commissions

Dark Angels so far

I managed for the first time to get all my Dark Angels out on parade together today and took some photos. 234 marines towards my whole chapter target.

The whole army

10 squads and command of the 3rd Company

35 scouts of the 10th Company

108 Marines of the 3rd Company

Chapter Command

Librarians

Death wing, 20 so far

Ravenwing 24 marines

7th Tactical Reserve Company. 31 Marines.

Aliens

I found some old pictures of some painting I did for an Aliens collector a couple of years ago so thought I'd share them here.

Firstly a life size aliens pulse rifle made from resin.

Also I painted a box of 25mm Aliens figures

Tank Aces

At the gaming club we have been playing the tank aces campaign from the flames of war Blood, Guts, Glory book. I went for an SS panzer company many for the fewer tanks needed, for the starting 500 points I get 2 fearless veteran Panthers; my 'ace' Hauptfeldwebel Edwin Blach-Hader has racked up impressive experience and kills in the first round, only having 2 tanks stops kills being spread over other tanks.

Tank Ace and company commander in Ambush

Waiting for the enemy

Edwin Blach-Hader

The first round of the campaign is coming to a close, my ace skills are a re roll one to hit roll per turn and some ambushes. For the next 200 points I will be taking a third Panther.

SAGA

I've got the SAGA bug now, at the club its becoming quite popular and have painted up a 6 point Anglo Saxon force. I've also convinced Tom to start playing and he kindly gave me the job painting up a Norman force for him.

Today I introduced him to the rules and of course let him win is first game. The Anglo Saxons are a very defensive army and to be honest I struggled against the bow armed Normans who caused more damaged than the knights.

Anglo Saxon shield wall

Saxons take heavy casualties was they advance

Birds eye view

tryfan sector campaign

After playing the same person over and over again I decided to start a mini campaign between the two of use. Myself using Angels and Tom using Imperial Guard. The common enemy being Chaos.

The background is a planet rediscovered and two forces racing each other to seize the planets resources and hidden secrets. Loosely based on mighty empires the map is hex based with randomised resources and settlements.

Players started with 3 hexes, one of which was a town and 1000 points of troops split into two forces each lead by a character.

Dark Angels

Librarian on bike
10 marine scout sniper squad
5 marine scout sniper squad
5 marine bolter armed scout squad

Chaplain
5 marine command squad
10 marine scout sniper squad
5 marine shotgun armed scout squad


Imperial guard

Commissar Lord
3 rattling snipers
10 storm troopers
10 veterans

Company Command
platoon command
3 infantry platoons
1 heavy weapon platoon

Each turn starts with a battle fleet Gothic battle, the winner is allowed to use deep strike and has a orbital bombardment

So far we have played two turns, the first the Dark Angels fleet won a close battle in space seizing the low orbit air space to allow orbital support. On the surface all four forces ventured out to expand territory. The in occupied zones being held by chaos cultists. To the Dark Angels and Imperial Guard commanders surprise elite forces struggle against massed cultists. The Imperial Commissars force being pushed back by the chaos forces and both Dark Angel forces winning hard fought skirmishes resulting in capturing the zones but the Librarian taking a chest wound an losing toughness. The only real success was the Imperial Guard platoon that shot the cultists up with ease.

At the end of the turn the Dark Angels recruited a unit of raven wing, and the Imperial Guard choosing to store the resources.

Turn two, again the Dark Angels won the space battle, this time crushing the imperial fleet and taking no Dark Angel losses.

Dark Angels close on the Imperial heavy Cruisers

Thunderhawks speed towards the enemy or hit and run attacks

Fleet ready for close quartets action

This time both commanders were more prepared for the enemy, the Commissar Lords force destroying a cultist force, and the Infantry platoon killing off a rogue chaos lord.

The Dark angels newly recruited ravenwing quickly despatched another cultist force, and the Chaplains detachment hunted down a unit of chaos marine veterans.

Chaos lord caught in the open and alone

Raven wing taking on the cultists

Cultists charging an imperial gun line

Bike eye view

Massed cultists ready to charge into the valley of death

This turn all forces recruited new units


Dark Angels

Librarian on bike
3 raven wing bikes, flamer and melta gun
10 marine scout sniper squad
5 marine scout sniper squad
5 marine bolter armed scout squad
Whirlwind

Chaplain
3 raven wing bikers with plasma gun
5 marine command squad
10 marine scout sniper squad
5 marine shotgun armed scout squad


Imperial guard

Commissar Lord
3 rattling snipers
10 storm troopers
10 veterans

Company Command
platoon command
3 infantry platoons
1 heavy weapon platoon


Turn 3 is going to see some changes to the chaos forces, now the armies are getting bigger the enemy needs to be reinforced too.

Napoleonic British

I've had some Perry Miniatures plastic British line infantry and Victorix plastic guns sitting around half painted for a couple of years. As a war gamer I think a Napoleonic army is a must. Twenty odd years ago I used to have a huge army of mini figs and redoubt miniatures Brits and now I feel the need to relive that.

But moving off the point, half painted figures... Having just finished a job painting an army of Front Rank Austrians I have been inspired to finish off at least what I have brought already.

So here you go, the 44th East Essex Regiment of Foot. (It was the flags in the box that inspired this choice, and also the similar name and same cuff colours of Sharpe's South Essex).

The Perry Miniatures box is great value, 36 infantry including parts for Grenadier and Light companies and the options for belgic or stovepipe shakos; and also 4 riflemen.

I've Started painted the Victrix battery as well, one gun and limber painted.