Mysteries of the Pre Heresy Dreadnought

Today Forge World released the latest of their incredibly late 'Next Babab War' releases, one of which was pedestrian at best - namely the blinking Space Sharks for Nurgle's sake! - but the other i'll admit is quite interesting..
Especially when you consider this paragraph.

A Space Marine Contemptor Dreadnought is an Elites Choice in
a Codex Space Marine, Codex Dark Angels, Codex Space Wolves,
Codex Blood Angels or Codex Black Templars army. Until a
specific variant of this unit is featured in a forthcoming book, the
Contemptor as listed here may also be used in a Codex Chaos Space
Marines army.

That's right... WE FINALLY HAVE A VENERABLE DREADNOUGHT AND we have confirmation of a forthcoming book, either IA: Apoc 3 perhaps (for the Phantom) or IA 12, as afterall IA 11 is already Eldar, being a Chaos vs. Imperium book. Again. Only this time with Mareens. Of the Chaos AND Imperial variety. And yet another attempt to shoehorn Culln into being super smexy awesomeness. That's both good and bad, admittedly, at the same time, I suppose. Hope that it's Emperors Children/Thousand Sons vs. Iron Hands - three really strapped for releases armies in one go and the chance to finish off a Resin Cult Legion quartet? Sign me up.

But what is the 'Contemptor Dreadnought' as this is being called? Well, it's a mix of Defiler (AV) and Death Company DreadI guess (with the statline), but comes at the premium price of 175 pts for 2 Strength 7(10) attacks and a Heavy Bolter... And the equivilent of a Storm Shield integrated. Huh - that explains the egg shell then, eh?

The options are pretty standard for a Dreadnought - mix of Furioso and Normal I guess - but what intrigues me is the 6 blanked out parts which must be, respectively:
- Heavy X (8 or 9 letters)....................+20pts
- Twin Linked X (6 letters?)................+25pts
- Dreadnought Close Combat Weapon with Inbuilt X (5 letters?) Y (6, 7 letters?)......+20pts
- Replace Boltguns with Heavy X (5 letters?) +20pts each
- Replace Boltguns with X (Looks like Surge, 5/6 letters?) Y (6-8 letters) +30pts each
- Add X Y (can't see anything) +1/2/3-0pts
I'm no ancient body when it comes to this, but presumably these are revamped versions of 2nd edition weaponry to match the blatantly 2nd edition dreadnought.


Anyway, it's a good release, and presumably one which also fits into the Siege Company list I guess as a linebreaker. Still only 15 Dreadnoughts - 9 Troop, 3 Heavy, 3 Elite - allowed in it but... I guess that's enough until Dreadknights get canonised for all of the chapters rather than just GK to shift more units.

Design Studio: Codex Chaos Legions (v 0.792)

Latest update for Codex: Chaos Legions...

After a long hiatus, Design Studio is back. With the first update, here is an look back at Codex Chaos Legions.]
Since the previous update, the codex has doubled. While totally incomplete - with most of the fluff missing - this stuff is mostly done. I'm looking for opportunities to playtest them ASAP.

Updates:
- Added Arrax the Brazen, a new Iron Warrior character. Hate having your artillery miss their mark? Arrax will focus your fire.
- Added The High Orator and his Dark Apostles, reduxed Word Bearer characters. Very similar to the Sanguinary Priests, but not as OTT, these can buff your entire force.
- Added Calaesh, Thrall of Alakhar, a new Alpha Legion character. A cult leader exported from Codex: Lost and the Damned (a project in progress btw), the Thrall is your insane psyker, who guarantees your outflanks to destroy the foe.
- Added Talonmaster Torhren, a new Night Lords character. The only character outside of the HQ choices, in Fast Attack, prepare to screw people over in assault.
- Added Greater Daemons to the codex. With unique wargear, albeit at a large cost, these guys actually represent the true power of the gods.
- Added a bunch of unique Daemon Engines - 4 types of Engine Units, to be exact.
- Added some... decent Obliterator stuff? :O
- Added Campaign Chaos Gifts. If in a campaign - say, my Planetary Empires redux - you can use these rules to modify your champions and characters. With 80 options in the list, no character (should) be similar

SCRIBD LINK: http://www.scribd.com/doc/26225522/Warhammer-40-000-Fanmade-Chaos-Legions-5th-Ed
PAGES: 65
CONTAINS: Full Chaos Codex, Updated to 5th Edition standards. Few missing entries - for now - to be updated soon.

Army Plan: Tyrants Legion 'Babab Defense Force'

This is my intended 3 phase project.

Essentially, it goes from the unique Tyrant Legion army, to an Astral Claws force constructed with Codex: SM (well, adapted from Codex Blood Angels, for I REFUSE to pay for another codex), and finally a load of Imperial Guard 'artillery' or heavy firepower to level the foe.

The only reason I have to use the Guard for the third part of the force is because IG has the best selection of tanks, giving me a chance to drastically alter my plans with little change in the materials I need to play the force. Oh no, Hydras became more viable due to Dark Eldar? Seeing as i've not brought ANY of this, and will be buying it in sizeable chunks each month, I can change it, lol.

Anyway... Tyrant's Guard...

Organised as Unit, Wargear/Additions - Pts - Cost (£). Where 0 is indicated for the cost, i've got some decent proxies for the moment and they're not a priority.

6030pts Babab Defense Forces – Tyrant’s Guard

The Battle for the Fortress of Thorns was filled with much bloodshed, requiring constant resupply and remanoevreing to even gain a single hour’s advantage. However, with the number of troops available for the Tyrant’s use this was simple enough to work.

The Tyrant’s Guard relies on its tanks being scoring, to be honest – having 4 Tank Squadrons and 6 more Individual Tanks available for such a use, especially tanks such as the Thunderer with its Demolisher Cannon and all, makes the army quite formidable. As with the Bulwark, the Auxilia and Cohort move forward, while the next waves move and attack the enemy on contact.

Tyrants Legion Field Forces – 1805pts

Centurion – 55 – 0

Corpse Taker with 8 Servitors – 110 – 45

Corpse Taker with 8 Servitors – 110 – 45

35 Legion Auxilia – 115 - 0

35 Legion Auxilia – 115 - 0

10 Legion Cohort with 2 P Weps – 170 – 40

10 Legion Cohort with 2 P Weps – 170 – 40

3 Thunderer Siege Tanks with Camo Netting – 480 – 90

3 Thunderer Siege Tanks with Camo Netting – 480 – 90

TOTAL - £270 + £80. 4 Months Buying, AMAP per month. Already got the Auxilia assembled... aka: regular Guardsmen. Got bits for the Corpse Takers too. :)

↓

Astral Claws Fortress Guard – 1825pts

Captain Corien Sumatris – 165 – 0

10 TH/SS Assault Terminators – 400 – 0

Venerable Dreadnought with Plasma Cannon and Extra Armour – 190 – 26

Dreadnought with 2 Autocannons and Extra Armpur – 140 – 27

10 Tactical with M Launcher and Flamer – 170 – 0

10 Tactical with M Launcher and Flamer – 170 – 0

10 Tactical with M Launcher and Flamer – 170 – 0

10 Assault Marines with Sergeant (P Wep, C Shield) – 210 – 0

10 Assault Marines with Sergeant (P Wep, C Shield) – 210 – 40

TOTAL: £93 - 1 Month Buying, AMAP per Month. Note: Sumatris is already assembled and will be used as a Centurion until this part of the list is ready to be made. 

↓

Babab Armory – 2400pts

3 Leman Russ Executioners with Camo Netting – 630 – 90

3 Leman Russ Executioners with Camo Netting – 630 – 90

3 Manticore Rocket Launchers with Camo Netting – 570 – 90

3 Manticore Rocket Launchers with Camo Netting – 570 – 90

TOTAL: £360 - 3 Months Buying, 1 Tank of Each Squadron per Month

Lets Play Tyrant's Legion

Big Guns Never Tire...
That's the story of how I fell in love with the idea of doing Tyrants Legion.

Originally this post was meant to outline the list i'll be doing for this project thing, but thats gonna take some thinkin' out. What I DO know is that i've 80 Guardsmen standing around doing nothing and one of them needs shooting in the kneecaps.

*toddles off for 5 minutes*

Anyway, Tyrants Legion.

Cool story bro, apparently Huron meshed his Guard and (some) Astral Claws together in what has to be the most meh and money grabbing scheme GW has ever done.

Let me say something now - Yes, I have the Blood angels book. Yes, I have Space Wolves. Yes I have Imperial Guard. The problem I have with the book is... what if I didn't? Suddenly I become a sad sad person who wants to kill Jervis Johnson again, despite my restraining order. Why? Because theres not only no weapon summary (except from IA only units), but you also need to have Codex: SM to use the book. And believe me, i've no interest whatsoever in getting that pile of rotten sardines. ;)

Anyway, unit ideas:
- Corpse Taker: I can haz Bile? Using the Chirurgeon Backpack set on GW site to build the actual Apothecary bloke, with a dash of Flagellants + Flayed Ones + Spare Chirg arms OR Tech Servitors for £7 at FW = Vivisection Servitors. Imma thinkin' it might be good to start with the bare unit and see how it goes before I go up.
- Centurion: Thinking basic marine with Helmet Plume, Bare Chest, and as many weapons as possible. Tip for next time, FW? ALLOW ALL ASTRAL CLAW CHARACTERS IN THE TYRANT LEGION!!!!
- Retaliators: Thinking Iron Armour for them. Nuff Said
- Legion Cohort: ...
- Iron Hunters: Scythed Bikes it is!
- Marauders: Thinkin' these should be Flagellants (for Death Cult), Necromunda (for Scout guys), or Penal Legion (for anyone else). Might want to pick up a opened up Chimera for the transport...

My intention is to pretty much build one of every infantry/bike unit in the book, and then load up on metric craptons of tanks, to bring forward the Big Guns. Then, at the end of the project, it's Huron tiem.

The time has come for this corrupt land to be cleansed with redeeming fire...

Wow, Flashback tiem!

Flashbacks. Gotta love them. Especially when they remind you of some of your... duties.

I'm not a painter. I'm not a memory... guy. I'm not a hobbyist... in a way. These are all reasons why I flitter between projects... that and the flies.

Another reason? Because something is always better.

Say, for instance... BABAB WAR!

Lamenters vs. Star Phantoms was a 2 week thing. Anyway, i've found something better, thanks to this week's From The Warp own Flashback (lol it's Flashback week. Next week, it's flashdance)... here: http://fromthewarp.blogspot.com/2010/11/tuesday-top-ten-91.html

Anyway... BOOM! http://thefallenprinces.blogspot.com/2010/11/badab-project.html

Meet Babab War Awesome Group of Awesomeness Complete With A Label no Jutsu (or BWAGA CWULJ... pronounce from the depth of your throat, bwah-aga, cuh-wuljuh)... Label no Jutsu being here...

So yeah... Babab War Project!

My intention is for this to be a side project to my other side projects, which are themselves aside glances from the big side project, y'know being PURE EVIL (and afraid of puppies, but thats beside the point)

So. What chapter... No, it's not Phantoms or Lamenters.

All about teh Astral Claws! Gonna go down to WHW to pick up the stuff I need for it - namely Huron (the decent model) and some of those armor packs. Gonna be a blast.

I have GOT to the be the worst blogger ever...

I mean seriously. I revamp the site, post some stuff saying content is coming back, start, stop... return 6 months later... and put the old template back up.

Anyway, yeah. Back again for now. But what does that mean?

Well, it means one certain thing - i'm going to be posting some of the stuff i've been working on for the past few months, whether its crap or not lol. I'm not one for writing long sappy stupid posts which end eventually in my continuance in doing whatever the problem i've felt and advertised in the post, so lets keep this short.

New link bar, bam. Here's why i've added these 6 particular links - and myself - to the side:
- I have about 60 RSS feeds in my browser already. To add all 60 when not all of them are blogs would be insane.
- BoLS and YTTH are what actually got me into the hobby. They are the solder which keeps me stuck here. They are the building blocks of the hobby, and are totally Yin and Yang. To have the truly pretty much all out killing spree of YTTH without the hobby content of BoLS and the community would be so much worse than it is.
- Galaxy in Flames is there because, lets face it, I love Big Jim's work. The Soul Reapers may be the reason I put as part of his Link, being that they're remarkably similar to my still ongoing Codex: Chaos Legions, but his work in another piece - called Killzone - is so incredibly awesome that even my local GW has - or will - cave into it. Big Jim is so larger than life.
- Dethtron is there because I think that even if he, unlike all of the others in the list, uses his blog as a front for a secret underground awesome band of total bitchingness, his Friday Night Internet Fights make me lol. Sooo much.
- Explained 4, so the rest of them. Hmm. King Elessar is a British dude. From the Warp is the second greatest blog network ever (first being House of Paincakes :P). I'm a sap for self advertising, and the opportunity to lock people into an endless link loop is fascinating (makes me want to make 5 more clones of his blog to really screw with people).

Well, the link bar went on longer than I expected. So, tabs at top.
Currently broken, really, at the top but DIGAF? Herald Highlights, Design Studio, and Tactica Chaotica (aka: Tactics) articles up at the top. Added a Contact feature - my email address is battlefleetchaotic@live.co.uk, as if that wasn't already obvious. Send me hate mail if you want, at least it isn't touching my other email accounts. =)

All of my Design Studio files are being updated this week. If you're wondering, since posting Codex Chaos Legions preview in 2009, we're into version 0.791. Yep, thats the Version. 15 Updates have gone into the codex - 7.8 of them are in the Lounge Blog I have at Bell of Lost Souls.
Please, DO NOT TOUCH THE LINKS ON THE OLD DESIGN STUDIO FILES, as in those pre 2010. They're all broken or totally stupid so theres no point.
I'm hosting all of my new files on http://www.scribd.com/. That's a far better site, and its easier to update them. Plus, you can download the documents as Word Docs so that you can spread the homebrew far and wide!

Anyway, good to be back. Now then, time to make the first of many Killzone articles.
~ Herald of Nurgle

PS: Currently accepting applications for writers on Battlefleet Chaotic. Likewise, i'm registering a domain name. Tiem for funnz0rs!

The Colours of Magic: The Wind of Light

Second article in a series, eh? Well, the Lore of Light is certainly worth it.
Like all of the Lores in this edition, this Lore has been massively buffed... wow, I said pretty much the same thing in the previous article, didn't I? Well, unlike Death, the Lore of Light was buffed in an entirely different way. It's focus has been sort of shifted. Now that isn't to say that its gone away from it's 'Anti Undead' image - that'd be totally incorrect - but the focus has MAJORly shifted.

Now the lore is pretty much a combat one. Why? Because of two spells:
- The Speed of Light is cast on an 8+ - fair enough - but it's got a 24" range and makes a single unit both WS and Initiative 10 until the next magic phase. It can be cast into combat. That's not it - the epic (16+) version makes every single friendly unit within 12" have the same boost for pretty much, what, 4 more power dice? Ouch!
- Birona's Timewarp is the real deal here, though, with a casting value of 12+. Sure it's got a range of 12", but not only does it double the target's Movement, give +1 Attack, AND gives Always Strikes First to the target unit, it has an epic (24+) version which gives the same buff to every unit within 12". Painful.
Combine the two together and, for the cost of pretty much all the dice in your pool, you've just made EVERYTHING WITHIN 3 MILES turn into fighting gods. Those Free Company just became MENTAL.

The idea of this being painful is fair enough - you could be excused for saying 'wow those spells are good. they're probably the only gems in this here lore'. Well, you'd be wrong. There are the OTHER FIVE spells to worry about...
- Light of Battle is a simple spell, with a value of 9+, which means that until the caster's next magic phase, the targetted unit within 12" passes all Leadership checks and, if fleeing, immediately rallies. Fair enough. But the dealmaker is that it's epic version (18+) makes ALL UNITS within 12" have this effect. Nice.
- Pha's Protection is another gem, with a value of 6+. Until the next turn, the target essentially turns into a Follower of Nurgle with even more protection vs. Warmachines. The epic version (12+) extends this to all units within 12".

Hold it, Herald of Nurgle, didn't you say FIVE spells? Well, I did, but the last three all benefit from the Lore's Attribute ability - dealing extra hits to Undead and Daemons. Haha! Looks like armies such as Empire just got the upper hand against Sylvania!
- First, the attribute deals exactly D6 more hits. No additional strength, no extra abilities. That makes it pretty tame in comparison to the Lore of Death's bonus, but still quite annoying.
- Net of Amyntok casts on a 10+, quite cheap then (the epic one is 13+ but only increases range so meh), and snares a unit within 24". They must take a Strength Test or else take D6 Strength 4 hits whenever they try to move. The Undead and Daemons may not be broken, but they will hurt. Oh yeah, the kicker? It remains in play till dispelled, and the wizard can cast more.
- Banishment is the spell you bring to the table when you're playing a horde of Light users. With casting value 10+ (13+ epic, but only doubles range) Banishment deals 2D6 hits to the target, with a Strength of 4+X (X= Lore of Light users within 12" of initial caster). That's a potential 18 hits with Strength 7 under the previous Hero system of 3 Wizards in the force.
- Shem's Burning Gaze, the signature spell with casting value 5+, deals D6 Flaming Attacks with Strength 4 to the target. It's Epic version (15+) makes these hits a Strength of 6.

But how can you combo the Lore of Light?
The Lore of Light works well as a gun which is loaded with the bullets given by other Lores...
- In the Lore of Death, Soulblight reduces Toughness, increasing damage from actual damaging spells, and also Strength, making Net of Amyntok more likely to go off.
- The Lore of Shadow works similar to Lore of Death with The Enfeebling Foe, which reduces Strength, and The Withering.
- The Lore of Metal makes your super combat units even more deadly with Enchanted Blades of Aiban, which makes their attacks Armour Piercing, Magical, and gives them +1 to hit on Shooting and Combat.
- So does The Lore of Beasts, with the Signature Spell (Wyssan's Wildform) giving the super combat units have +1 Strength and Toughness. The Curse of Anraheir also helps in Combat as a Hex, making the foe even less likely to hit you.
- Even more so with Lore of Heavens, with Iceshard Blizzard making you nigh impossible to hit with even more -1 modifiers. Likewise your super combat unit can re-roll all 1s with Harmonic Convergence. The foes attacking your super combat will have to roll double 6s to hit you with Curse of the Midnight Ward, so that's useful too.
- The Lore of Fire has Flaming Sword of Rhuin to make your super combat unit more likely to wound and with Flaming Attacks make these wounds count.
- The Lore of Life can buff your super combat unit with Flesh to Stone, which gives +2 Toughness, and the Signature Spell Earth Blood which gives the unit 'Lesser Regeneration'.
Overall, I recommend a combination of The Lore of Heavens with the Lore of Light, ironically.

VERY VERY major lore this edition, the Lore of Light. I would be surprised to see people taking other options nowadays. If you're a High Elf, Empire, or Slann... replace your usual ones with Light for a change. It will not let you down!