Adepticon - Team Remote Presence

Remote Presence is sponsoring one of the top teams in the 40k gamerverse. Having gathered gamers from near the D.C. Metro area, this fearsome foursome could likely prove to be this season's solid middle performers!

In the run-up to the grand weekend here are a couple of pics of Lo Pan's DKoK army:

Here is a pic of the beginnings of a hoard. The basic team with be two 1k lists each comprising a twenty-five man infantry platoon.

A close-up shot of the heavy weapons team - looks like someone brought an air-guitar to a gun fight!

This was all Tim's idea - he loves DKoK!

Primaris Psyker with Force Axe

The 40k bug has been nibbling at my toes lately. Got in a couple of games yesterday with my Inquisition with allied Guard list. First game was against a straight CSM list - the spiky marines got tabled. Next game against the Sisters of Battle - let's just say the nuns with guns got revenge for their sisters' blood spilt by the Grey Knights!

A direct repercussion of these great games is a fully painted Primaris psyker (missing highlights but done enough). Although not much of a star in these two games he does tend to anchor a twenty man guard platoon pretty effectively. This Primaris is a mix of parts from various kits: legs and torso are Cadian, arms, axe, and head from WFB Empire Militia kit, a Necromunda laspistol, and the haft from the power maul on a Dark Angels upgrade sprue.

_______ is the Best Army in 6e 40k

There are quite a few blog posts rolling around espousing the virtues of this army or that in 6e 40k - even though the majority have no firm grasp on the new rule set. Never one to miss a bandwagon opportunity, 23lines has decided to jump on board and tell everyone why all the armies are the best of the best - okay, maybe just one or two armies are the best of the best... well clearly the ones that I play are anyway.

Imperial Guard: With all blasts doing full strength against vehicles, IG clearly comes out ahead in the sheer volume of large, ordnance blasts that they can throw. Add to that the Vendetta which is, arguably, the best flyer currently in the game (AV 12, 3 TL Lascannons, and transport) and the guard come strapped with superior air power as well as ground support.

In response to those same flyers, a pure guard list has the best tools to taken down those Zooming monkeys. The hydra flak cannon and the aforementioned Vendetta are the obvious choices, but don't forget that guard orders let you easily twin link autocannon teams. With the new snap fire rules, these teams can even move and fire, hitting at the same BS required to hit a Zooming flyer anyway.

Guard also have a cheap, durable sniper team that can pick off high value targets with the new 'roll a 6, clip a sarge' special rule. 10 Ratlings at 10 points each hiding in cover are a great distraction unit that can be tough to shift. Plus if your opponent doesn't deal with them, you have a good chance of clipping a sanguinary priest or putting paid to the last wound on an independent character.

Oddly enough, the guard even have a ready-made 6e psyker. Although the Pskyer Battle Squad doesn't get a psychic boost in 6e (like they need it), the Primaris psyker get a much needed helping hand. At 70 points and some lackluster standard powers, this guy is a blank canvas upon which a general can paint using choices from something like four different psychic palettes (okay, that analogy got stretched a bit thin - apologies).

I am sure there are many, many, many good points that I am missing about why Imperial Guard are the best of the best of the best (Sir!) in 6e but you get the idea!

Coming soon... why the Tau are the best of the best of the best (Sir!) in 6e...

40k Sixth Edition - Allied Guard Cheat **DOUBLE REDACTED**

Final Edit: GW has apparently wised up to the non-HQ HQ trick. This blog entry has been rendered completely invalid now that the new IG FAQ has stated that priests and enginseers can't be taken as the mandatory HQ choice. I would argue that also applies to the HQ choice required to ally in guard to a primary list. Honestly, I am surprised that they left this loophole in the game for so long. I suppose it really only becomes relevant in the scenario outlined below because in a 'pure' guard list the other HQs are a lot more beneficial.


Oh well, I will leave this article up as a sign of my hubris and getting put in my place by 'The Man'. Also, it's still a little bit of a funny read!

So you want to bring some allied guard to the table, do ya?! Maybe you want some Vendetta action or some Hydra ground support to help swat pesky flyers out of the air. Maybe you just need some cheap melta infantry to deal with the plethora of land raiders that are soon to enter the game. But you really want that guard support without having to sacrifice a valuable HQ slot in your primary army. I mean what would Draigowing look like with Coteaz holding up the bridal gown train?! How do I max crisis suits if I only have one Shas'el in my list? Where's the love for the 2 lash princes that I need in all of my Chaos Marine lists?!

Well, wonder no more. The guard 'dex provides a convenient little loophole in the form of priests and enginseers... those nebulous little HQ choices that don't take up a slot on the force org:

"Priests/Enginseers do not use up any Force Organization chart selections, but are otherwise treated as separate HQ units."

So far I have found nothing in the 6e rulebook that requires an allied HQ to "use up any Force Organization chart selections" only that you must take 1 HQ choice from an allied army. Priests and enginseers are "treated as separate HQ units" and thus meet the criteria. So now you can have your plasma cake and eat it too!

In fact with the new bodyguard style rule (assuming that it can be used in close combat), the ministorum priest becomes an IC to be reckoned with. Or take that enginseer to support the inevitable allying of a battery of hydra flak cannons - keep those guns blasting away all game!

Of course, GW is likely to FAQ away this little loophole as it seems to fly in the face of their intention around the ally restrictions... but given their alacrity with FAQ turn times you should be able to get a good year out of this playstyle. Enjoy!

Edit: Alright I'll take a big erase on this blog entry. From the look of things the allied force org represents an entirely additional force org to your primary:

Assuming I am reading the above chart correctly, with an allied force you can now have a total of 3 HQ choices, 4 Elites, 8 Troops, 4 Fast Attack, and 4 Heavy Support. No need to play games with the non-HQ HQ selection from the guard codex... and here I thought I was being so clever!

In fact this makes allies even crazier. Now I can field a full complement of guard heavy support AND add in some Tau Broadsides just for grins. Or three manticores AND a squad of long fangs strapped with lascannons just because I feel like it! Or how about 9 leman russ battle tanks and a teleporting dreadknight for back-up?! Ok so that last combo alone is 1550 pts. But its still workable with a guard company command squad, an inquistor, a mounted melta vet squad, a penal legion squad, and a minimum GKSS squad with psycannon at 2000 points.

Commutatus: AdMech Transport from Micro Arts

I stumbled across this the other day for the first time and I am truly impressed. As a big fan of their Iron Brotherhood line, I think MAS has knocked another one out of the park with this model. While strictly not a conversion, this falls into the commutatus line due to its non-GW nature.

It looks to be about the same footprint as a Chimera and includes a rear hatch just like the chimera's single access point. I will be ordering one of these guys shortly and will let you all know how the model turns out in person.

Question, would you be confused if I ran this as the chimera transport for my AdMech company command squad alongside GW's chimeras used to transport my regular IG troops?

Exemplum: Vostroyan Casualties

So I finally bit the bullet and plunked down cash for these guys on Ebay. Picked up the three for $23... not too terrible for OOP, limited edition models. Basically, they are the last of the Vostroyan model line that I did not own.

I based them on 40mm and added some additional scenery bits. I didn't want to go overboard and detract from the focus on the models, themselves. I still need to add some coarse ballast before priming but I like the way the decorative bases came out. These guys will ultimately serve as objectives markers for my 51st Vostroyan Firstborn.

Speaking of metal models, I read someone lamenting recently that the move to plastic has actually diminished the "gotta catch 'em all" mentality of the dyed in the wool collector. I suppose that is true now, as there really is no "complete set" of models because all of your plastic sets will be built differently from all of mine.

The Vostroyans really are GW's latest and final all metal line of models. I must admit to (obviously) liking this series precisely because they are metal. There is a range of poses across this model line that allow diversity in squads while still maintaining the detail and heft that is unique to metal models.

Commutatus: Psyker Battle Squad

I've had a box of WFB Flagellants laying around my workspace for a while just waiting to be converted into a psyker battle squad. Unfortunately (for them) I've been using some Ash Waste Nomads as perfectly legitimate stand-ins. However, I have recently had an interest in running a penal legion, so the ash wasters have been upgraded, so to speak, into former occupants of one of the many penitentiaries that are hidden under hive Nercomunda.

These wild psykers have been culled from the masses of humanity that normally exhibit little or no warp taint. They have been herded off into the dreaded black ships that ply the immaterium, relentlessly searching for their psychically attuned prey.

The few that survive the less-than-deft touch of the imperial interrogators are formed into battle squadrons, held in the most loath conditions, until such time as their unique form of warfare is required. Sanctioned by the imperium, these psykers exist only to serve the Emperor.

This servitude will last for only as long as it takes for them to die on the field of battle, killed by the enemy or their overseer for succumbing to the warp. As such, the comfort of these sad creatures is largely disregarded. They are confined to psychically sealed chambers aboard the great dreadnoughts that carry the imperial guard to their next conflict.

Commutatus: IG Manticore

I had posted a while back that the whirlwind turret fit perfectly into the older style leman russ kit. Well, here is the finished project. I have to say that it actually came out better than I thought it would.

I went this route mainly because I have more Russ chassis lying around than I typically use in a game and I had a whirlwind kit for a marine list that never saw the light of day.

Does anyone else find themselves chopping off a hull mounted lascannon and going with the flamer instead? After a few engagements, I am realizing that once the turret is gone, these guys make nice, little mini-hellhounds.

Commutatus: Vostroyan Rough Riders Part 2

The first two mounted Vostroyans are fully modeled and awaiting primer.

The rough rider models are a near perfect fit on these Dee Zee Cave Bears. With the addition of a green stuff saddle, the rough riders are a natural match for these models.

Exemplum: Guard Commissars

My three commissars. On the left is a conversion using Catachan legs, the coat torso from WFB Empire Militia, and the tank drivers head from the IG vehicle accessory sprue. I like the conversion except the head required me to cut off the vox mike so he looks a bit like the elephant man now.

The other two are seriously OOP with my favorite of the two being the one in the middle. He's got a big book and he's not afraid to use it!!

Commutatus: Leman Russ Turret Conversions

Just a couple of quick and dirty turret conversions. I had a couple of the old style Russ turrets lying around and, after recently being stomped by the wolves, decided to convert them to something differently useful from the traditional battlecannon. Notice I did not say 'more' useful, as I consider the LRBT to be a strong option, especially as a backup tank in a squadron. However, having thunderwolf cavalry in my lines by turn two forced me to (re)consider putting some strength 10 big guns in my list.

First up is an Executioner conversion. Although not strength 10, this bad boy adds some much needed high strength, high rate of fire. I have been using a badly converted LRBT turret already as an Executioner, so this simply replaces that model with something a bit more recognizable.

Next up is a Demolisher conversion. This is something that has been lacking in my Vossie list and will add that much desired T5 insta-gib aspect to the game. The muzzle is pvc pipe and the outer ring is the end of a pipe coupler sawed off and filed down. The mount is a standard battlecannon sawed off at the last "knuckle" and two cylindrical sprue pieces added for additional recoil support. I may add more detail to the cannon itself in the form of aquilas, skulls, etc.

Both turrets are from old style Russ tanks, with the addition of three layers of plasti-card to reinforce the bulky look of the guns. Each side of the turret has the same armor plating rather than the hatch box. I also went with inverse rivets (1/8" drill bit). These were both quick conversions that I may add more detail to before painting.

The last one is not a conversion so much as an illustration of the compatibility between older GW kits. In this case, the whirlwind turret happens to fit perfectly in the turret ring on the old-style Leman Russ. I am going to repaint the whirlwind turret to match the tank color scheme and run this as a Manticore. I will remove the lascannon and replace it with a heavy flamer to complete the conversion. That way once the missiles are gone, the tank becomes a hellhound-lite.

From a background perspective, the Vostroyans are well known for their tanks works, and have decided that the Russ chassis would make for a better platform for Storm Eagle rockets than the flimsier Chimera chassis.

Exemplum: Vostroyan Veteran Squad

Here are a few examples from one of my Vostroyan veteran squads. Consisting of three meltaguns, a sergeant with a power fist, and shotguns, these guys are obviously anti-armor focused. The power fist sarge model is straight out of the blister with no conversions. I had considered giving him a matchlock pistol to count as a shotgun, but decided that I didn't want to change the look of the model at all.

Next up is a meltagun toting vet. This was the basic flamer to meltagun conversion that has become the mainstay of any Vostroyan army.

Finally, we have a Vostroyan vet carrying a blunderbuss. The blunderbuss counts as a shotgun and was a simple (but effective) conversion. I had a number of blunderbuss arms left over from the WFB Empire Militia sprues that I used for my Necromundan 23rd. The hardest part was using a jewelry saw to gently remove the lasgun tips to leave a flush surface for mounting the blunderbuss muzzle. My wife commented that the blunderbuss actually looks more authentic given the period garb worn by the Vostroyans.

Commutatus: Vostroyan Rough Riders

Inspired by Santa Cruz Warhammer, I recently picked up a bunch of Rough Riders off ebay for cheap in order to convert them into Vostroyans. The conversion is fairly straightforward, with the hardest part being trimming off the fuzzy sombreros. I hadn't really liked the Rough Rider models, but without the hats they are actually not terrible models.

But of course they are crazy cossacks in the far flung future so normal mounts would not do. Inspired by Sonobovich over at Dakka, these Vostroyans will be riding cave bears! 'bovich used rough rider legs with Valhallan torsos on cave bears from Trent Miniatures. Unfortunately, these guys are no longer available in the US of A so I have an order for ten of these guys en route.

More to come...