Forgeworld Report: I Am Returned!

Au'he'doran,

So it's been a while, but I'm back on track. A flurry of recent sucessful bidding wars has lef me with ownership of 4 Crisis battlesuits, 4 Devilfish APCs a unit of Kroot Mercenaries and 4 Firewarrior squads. Woot.

I picked up a couple of wall-mountable bitz bins from the Home Depot, that have a dozen and a half small compartments and half a dozen large compartments each. Now I just need a lable maker to designate which compartments hold what.

I also picked up the fixin's for a sweet wargaming tabletop that will socket in over my dining table. It'll have sides (to bounce dice of of and to keep your models on the table) and a record keeping area that'll double as a place to store casualties. I got the idea from the Drunk Dwarves.
They have a completely fantastic how-to setup for crafting a transportable wargaming table over on their site.

I'll try to get some pics up for the table and the models, once I get to painting and modeling (life intrudes, y'know). So much to do, so little time.

Forgeworld Report

Au'he'doran,

So I've just now won an auction for one of the XV-8 Crisis suits I need (only 2 more to go). now, if I could just get the silly bastards to quit outbidding me on everything else.

Also picked up a couple of bitz here and there, three Bonding Knives and two dozen Photon Grenades for my Fire Warrior teams, only paid a few bucks for 'em too.

Still looking to get the other 2 Crisis suits, 20 Fire Warriors and assorted odds and ends.

Can't hardly wait to start painting.

Au'he'doran

Au'he'doran,

I've just gotten into this madness called Warhammer 40K. I've been reading the Codices and the BBB for about a year or so now (picked up the BRB the other day), and I've finally decided on an army; the Tau Empire. I've made this decision for three reasons:

• I really dig the smooth lines and curved surfaces of all the gear and vehicles.
• I find the philosophy of the Tau less horrifying than that of any of the other races in the 41st millennium (not by much, but a little).
• I noticed fewer people playing Tau down at Bosco's (my local comic and games shop) during the tournaments and I figured playing an army no one's used to might give me a bit of an edge.

So I sat down yesterday and drew up a 500 point force (since I'm trying not to give the wife an aneurysm with the cost of my new found hobby). I've been fishing on E-bay for models (since I don't want an aneurysm over the cost of my new hobby either) and a few items seem to be going my way. We'll see.

So I present to you, the casual stranger (and both of you who actually read this thing out of courtesy), my army list:

HQ Section 250 Points

1x Shas'o in XV-8 "Ionstorm-5" (Twin Linked Burst Cannon, Cyclic Ion Blaster, Bonding Knife & Hard Wired Blacksun Filter, Target Lock & Multi-Tracker)

2x Shas'vre in XV-8 "Firestorm-5" (Twin Linked Burst Cannon, Missile Pod)

Troops Section 1 - 125 Points

1x Shas'ui Fire Warrior with Pulse Rifle, Photon Grenade & Bonding Knife

9 x Shas'la Fire Warrior with Pulse Rifle & Photon Grenade

Troops Section 2 - 125 Points

1x Shas'ui Fire Warrior with Pulse Rifle, Photon Grenade & Bonding Knife

9 x Shas'la Fire Warrior with Pulse Rifle & Photon Grenade

Total: 500 Points

And there you have it boys and girls, one Light Infantry Rifle Platoon (Light). As you can see, this unit is a static force intended to kill infantry, with allowances made for slightly larger prey (Land Raiders, Vultures, Terminators). This is by no means a multi-purpose unit. It is meant to take the enemy under fire, at extreme range, and through massed fire (and a cunning use of the Big Horn plan) destroy the enemy before he can get in range to do much more than cry about it.

Plans for the Future

For another 125 points I can bring it up to full strength (191 to buff all three squads to 12 members). Or for 330 points I could provide my two squads of light infantry with a pair of pimped out Devilfish (SMS, FD, DL, DP, MT, TA, SS) and turn them into a Mechanized Infantry Rifle Platoon (Light).

Hell, why not do both? For a measly 686 points I could do both! Bringing the unit point total up to... 1186 points? Damn it! I need to drop a little weight here, hmmm. Prehaps I could instead add both a third and fourth squads (250 points) and arm them with Pulse Carbines, allowing for mixed firelines that will keep the marines from assaulting, while I take them under a cross fire, and then pull a Big Horn with my HQ section.

Hmmm, I dunno. For 299 points I could add a Fast Attack section in the form of 8 pathfinders (3 with Rail Rilfles) and a well pimped out 'fish. That fould allow me to use the Pathfinders to take an objective and then hold it by marching my Fire Warriors in and using my Devilfish and the HQ section for fire support as needed. It'd be a long game, but I think it'd be possible.

With both sections of Fire warriors, all of the Pathfinders (including their ride) and the HQ section that'd be .... 38 shots (58 shots if I pin them at 12") and one large template weapon, 3 of which are pinning and 5 markerlights (1 for each unit +1 BS, 2 to reduce Ld -2 for pinning purposes).

Obviously this is an ideal situation, even given a maximum sized Space Marine tactical squad I doubt more than 45% of my shots will hit (15) of which 50% will be saved against (7) resulting in the surviving 2 Marines trying to pass a pinning test at -2 (which they just might) and then a Ld test to avoid falling back (which they probably will, but if they lost, because of the pin, hopefully, will be stck). If I get lucky and they do pin, I can soak damage next round and then do it again, which just might kack the squad. Possible, but unlikely. Best case senario, I catch them at 12" and 23 hit, saving down to 11 which should wipe them out.

God help me if they're jump infantry.

Prehaps two more sections of Rifles is the better choise. We'll see. Anyway you slice it, it'll be fun.

Misc. Pic Dump