+ inload: Comms-relay found +

+ Re-established communications +


+ Long time no exload, so thought I'd chime in with a quick few notes. Firstly, I've got an Epic: Legions event down in Poole coming up, so have been quietly gathering tiny models. +

+ It's been a bit of a Catch 22: I don't want to waste time painting stuff I won't take, so I want to work up a firm army list. However,  the supply and releases have been so spotty and unreliable that I can't be sure what'll be available. +

+ However, given that I've not got a huge amount of time, I'm cracking on  with painting what I've got, and I'll have to rely on the mercies of the Dice Gods to make up for gaping holes in my plan. Quite thematic really – I guess the Shattered Legions didn't have all the options they wanted at their disposal! +


+ Still to go here are:
  • Thunderhawk  This is actually the old resin from from Forgeworld. The new plastic one – on order since Christmas – hasn't made an appearance.
  • Four Dreadnoughts  These have received a spot of black since this photograph was taken.
  • Rhinos   There are 21 in various stages of completion here. I'll probably work up a batch of these in between each of the more exciting bits. The details are going to be the awkward bit here. Part of the fun of the scale is being able to do all the little tactical twiddles – but until I can finalise the list, I won't know how many to paint with what markings.
  • Bikes  These haven't been released yet, but the rules are out, and I had a little stash of Epic 40k/Armageddon-era ones. Thought they might make a fun little surprise.
  • Predators  Three of these six are pretty much ready to rock and roll; the other three are well on their way too.
  • Thunderbolt  I'm not a fan of the Space Marine fliers – which in any case are rare as rocking horse droppings at the moment – and in the absence of any other anti-air stuff, I thought this was a perfect excuse to paint up a pair of Thunderbolts that have been lurking since I received the Aeronautica Imperialis boxed game as a gift.
+... and aside from some other odds and sods, that's about it. It works out to roughly 1,200pts (of the 1,500pts limit in the event pack). +

+ The narrative of the weekend is themed around the Corsair Worlds, a region of space defended by the Legio Maximal. For that reason, I'd quite like to leave a bit of space to squeeze in a Titan of some sort – but if I manage to get 1,500pts of Salamanders done, I'll only take the Titan down for visuals. +

+++

+ The Ashes of Armageddon stirred again, this time revealing the Siege of Helsreach [+noosphericinloadlink embedded+], if you fancy a longer read. +


+++

+ War of the False Primarch +

+ And finally for this inload, a shot of two Red Fish marines I'm working on for the launch of Stage V of the long-running War of the False Primarch. You can see the Index Astartes for this interesting Chapter here: [+noosphericexloadlink embedded+] +




+ inload: Who? What? +

+ Who and what in the War of the False Primarch +

+ Who are these guys, anyway? Who are the goodies? +

 + As a storm gathers, and the War of the False Primarch enters its final phase, I'm trying to put together potted summaries of each of the principal Chapters (and in theory, any other group you fancy) as a way of re-introducing the factions for hobbyists new to the project. +

+ A key theme of the project (and where much of its appeal lies) is the grey-on-grey and murky nature of the war. However, that equivocation makes getting involved harder than it needs to be – so quick hooks are important to help people dive into the deeper lore. + 

+++

+ Spotlight: Silver Stars + 

 

Emblematic of – and indivisible from – the sole conflict in which their actions were reported, the Silver Stars were labelled ‘Pseudolegion’; the term symptomatic of the ambiguity surrounding this most enigmatic of the War’s belligerents.

Their cryptic and occluded reputation, however, belied the seemingly straightforward way in which they were said to have waged war.

+ The Silver Stars above gives an example of the sort of thing I mean – just a couple of sentences to summarise the faction's iconic identity. If you'd like to take a stab at writing one for another Chapter/faction, please pop it in the comments, and I'll try to work up a picture in the same style using what I've got. +

+ Here are some for you to start with, if you fancy a go:


+++

+ Spotlight: Wormwood Sons + 

Credit: Nick T/@k0rdhal
 
+++

+ Spotlight: Riven Lords + 

 

+++

+ Spotlight: Inheritors + 

 

+++

+ Spotlight: Iron Guard + 

 

+++

+ Spotlight: Void Barons+ 


 


+++

+ And of course, if you're unfamiliar with any of them, feel free to peruse their respective Index Astartes articles on the +Some Things Are Best Left Forgotten+ blog. +

+++












+ inload: Did I forget something? +

+ Did I forget something? +


+ Some things, so I'm led to understand, are best left forgotten  – but not a collaborative project that so many people contributed to and poured so much effort into. Having stepped away from it to recharge my creative juices, The War of the False Primarch returns for its conclusion in Part V. +

+ There's a preview article up on the blog [+noosphericexloadlink embedded+], and in between stuff for The Ashes of Armageddon (let's keep those plates spinning), I'll be posting the Stage V summary fairly shortly. +

+ If you've not yet heard of the project, then please do consider this your invitation into the post-Heresy, pre-M41 galaxy, when humanity is dominant – and thus promptly starts fighting itself. There is a lot of information there, both explicit and implied, so if you enjoy picking up threads and following them, then it should be a delight. +


+ If you're feeling a bit unsure where to start, look for the grey sidebar – that has an overview and summaries of each stage at the top, and popular posts underneath. +

+ This is the final stage of the long-running project. Originally planned for a few months, it rather gathered a life of its own and seemed to catch lots of wonderfully talented hobbyists' imaginations. I hope this last stage does justice to it, and gives everyone a sense of satisfaction. +

+++

+ On the desk +

+ These collaborative projects are a great chance to get involved with one or two models that catch your imagination. While a couple of hobbyists have got close – looking at you, @spacedhulk and @freelance_pesh – I'm not sure anyone has one of each Partisan and Pentarchy Chapter – certainly not me! +

+ Below are three Partisan figures I'm working on. +


+ I think it's a mark of how imaginative and varied the contributors were in creating their own Chapters that they're so distinctive from one another, despite all ostensibly simply being 'Codex Space Marines'. +


Without the benefit of a colour scheme in each case, can you guess the Chapters? +


+++

+ inload: Krootiful models +

+ 'Avast there, my krooties'

+ Blimey, don't Kroot lend themselves to bad puns? +

+ It's been rather hectic recently, but I've been working on painting up some more kroot, and thought I'd share them. Pictured here are another four that have been polished up, along with a couple of others I had on my painting table for reference. +

+ GW have been previewing some new figures, so I've been beavering away – and told myself I can't buy any more kroot 'til these are finished! +

+++


+ Coming from the Killteam Farstalker Kinband box, which is intended to create distinct archetypes, the models have lots of individual detail and unique bits, which means I've had to work on them individually or in small groups. It's been time-consuming, occasionally challenging, and quite different from the Epic models I'd been working on most recently; but a change is as good as a rest. +

+++

+ The Kill Team +

+ Dusty Harj-Wald, Pistolier +

+ Please forgive the rather poor pict-captures (evidently the natural fieldcraft skills of the Kroot extend to servoskull-borne pict-capters). Here's the pistolier, 'Dusty Harj-Wald'. +



+ Lurks-Within-Tent +

+ A notoriously work-shy Kroot Warrior, armed with a flintlock and scattergun, Lurks-Within-Tent. +


+ I've used some bright blue-pink tufts to suggest the alien jungle of Paradise XXII – the planet the PCRC campaign is set upon), which are both nice and eye-ctaching, and set off the earthy palette nicely. The risk is that they draw all the attention from the figures, so I've used some flashes of purple, pink and orange on the models themselves; such as the goggles here. +


+ Looking again, it wouldn't hurt for me to push these accents a bit further – a little bit of vivid colour never hurt anyone, right? +



+ Some very simply patterning on the cloak adds some personality and narrative, but the sculpts already have it in spades – just check out the dogtag looped round the handle of the chainsword. A trophy? A gift? Spoils of war? +


+ Krake Well-beloved +

+ Bow-hunters bear Accelerator Bows, which provide an interesting weapon that can be used in a variety of ways, from picking enemies off silently to explosive warheads. +


+ Another example of accent colours; you'll see orange, blue and pink used to sing out against the burnt orange skin. +


+ Krake has an tanned ork-skin cloak, too – mainly because I had some green on my palette. +


+ Eye-eater +

+ And finally for today, the Long-sight (or sniper), Eye-eater. +


+++

+ inload: Legions Imperial Ork Formations +

+ More on the mini-Waaagh: Formations +

+ This inload is part of a series on rules for Orks in Legions Imperialis. You can read the first here:[+noosphericinloadlink embedded+] +

Woss betta than a mob of orks? A whole shedload of orks!

+ With the infantry Detachments in place, I wanted to start hashing out the the Formations – the notes below are musings, and I'd very much like your input. +

+++

+ General concepts +

  • In comparison with Legions Astartes and Solar Auxilia, Ork Formations should be relatively large and unwieldy.
  • The point above should not be taken to the point that playing as Orks becomes frustrating.
  • Using the 2nd ed Epic: Space Marine (SM2) cards for inspiration is a good place to start, but don't get wedded to the specifics.
  • Formation special rules should highlight the Orky character, but not force the player into one-dimensional stereotypes for each clan.
  • The player should have the option of old-school clan theme or a more all-purpose greenskin tribe.
  • Future-proofing for other factions should be considered (i.e. don't make them too Imperial-focussed).
  • Every decision should serve the fun of the game for all players.

+ A starting point +

Let's start by looking at the Space Marine Company Cards (the equivalent of the Compulsory Detachments of a Formation in LI). Translating this into LI terms, these Company Cards for a Space Marine Battle Company and a Space Marine Tactical Company represents the Compulsory Detachments of the Legio Demi-Company fairly closely. 

   

You've got an HQ Detachment (a single stand) and three Core/Support Detachments in each, plus Transport. Each of those Detachments is six stands strong, rather than the four we have in LI – but of course we can expand those with Upgrades in LI.

The takeaway is that the Space Marine Company cards are pretty similar to LI Formations, so I think working things out in those terms is a fairly good place to start. (For later reference, an Imperial Guard Tactical Company card was 30 infantry stands and 1 HQ stands).

Turning now to orks, the Deathskull Clan are the nearest thing to a 'basic' ork clan, as they're very middle of the road in terms of their composition, and their special rules revolve around being able to use Support Cards – an SM2 mechanic similar to LI's Optional Detachments – rather than altering the composition.

Ignoring the transports, both Space Marines and Orks have nineteen infantry stands. In my initial draft, Ork mobs start at Detachment size 6 (rather than the Marines' 4) and Nobz at Detachment size 2, so the card above would equate to two Nobz Detachments and two Ork Boyz Detachments, plus a single Boyz expansion (+3 stands).

+++

+ First draft +

That sounds about right to me... but having two HQ and two Core seems odd. We could adapt the Detachments as they stand in the list. Nobz could become HQ Detachments of 4-strong; while Boyz become 5-strong Core Detachments. That would then neatly be four Compulsory Detachments: 1 HQ and 3 Core. That's neater, making Nobz into a proper HQ, and also means that Nobz don't need to take a Morale check early on. 

You'd end up with a slightly larger minimum-sized Formation than the Space Marine equivalent – 19 infantry stands for the Orks vs 13 for the Marines, but that doesn't seem particularly problematic. If anything, that leans into the general concepts listed above well.

+ Problems +

The first problem with Option 1 is that the Warboss/Warlord now doesn't fit in very neatly – although that's easily fixed by having an Optional HQ Detachment. 

The second problem is that odd numbers of Ork stands doesn't seem to work very well for transports. Battlewagons are currently Transport (3), so you'd end up with five... Is that a problem? Well, sort of.

Changing Nobz to HQ of 4 stands and Boyz to Core of 5 stands works for Deathskulls, but rolling it out to the other Clans might cause some issues. Let's see...


      

Bad Moons are nice and simple; no different to Deathskulls; and likewise Snakebites are the same, except with additional Boarboyz, which can be resolved by adding a Core Detachment for them in the clan appropriate Formation.

Goffs likewise are much the same, except having twice the amount of Nobz – neat, we can simply have two Compulsory Detachments of four Nobz in this clan Formation.

... but then we run into snags:


 

Evil Suns pose some problems. The Boyz work surprisingly well – essentially having a Transport Detachment of 5 Battlewagons added as another Compulsory, but the Nobz are a problem if the Detachment size goes up to 4.

The Blood Axes are still more awkward, as they used Rhinos (Transport 2) rather than proppa Battlewagons. This is a thorny problem – while very fitting in the previous edition, these days I'd rather Rhinos were an option, rather than compulsory. For the moment, I'll shelve this (but happy to hear any ideas!) 

+ Solution +

Coming back to the matter in hand, I think the best move is to change the default Detachment sizes for Nobz from 2 to 3, and make them an Compulsory HQ Choice. This will resolve the Evil Sunz problem, and also neatly fits into the translation from SM2 to LI: just as the Tactical Company at the start of the discussion (remember that?) translates to a Core Detachment with an Upgrade, the same would be true for Nobz in the other Clans.

The various Clans then all work, with the outliers being resolved without recourse to special rules: Evil Suns fit into their Battlewagon; and Goffs can simply have two Compulsory HQ Detachments.

A nice side effect is that it also makes Nobz more resilient to Morale tests – currently a single stand will force a check, but at 3-strong, you'll need to wipe out more than half, and it's only one stand that will be affected. 

On the boyz, we have options:

  • Option 1:  Change the default Detachment size for Boyz from 6 to 5 and have 3 Compulsory Core Detachments in each Clan Formation. Works for everyone but Blood Axes, and has a nice round feel to it – you can imagine orks counting on their fingers! It does potentially cause some problems with transport sizes.
  • Option 2: Change the default Detachment size from 6 to 4 and have 3 Compulsory Core Detachments in each Clan Formation. Works for everyone (even Blood Axes), but again causes some awkwardness with the Transport (3) nature of the Battlewagon. Also means that there's a lot to track in terms of Morale, and feels 'Bitty'.
  • Option 3: Leave the Detachment size at 6 and have just 2 Compulsory Core Detachments in each Clan Formation. (Assume the 'spare' boyz are upgrades, as for the Space Marines above.)

I'm leaning towards option 3 for simplicity, but keen to hear your ideas.

+++

+ TL;DR – Ork clan detachments first draft for feedback +


The following are rough drafts based on the Company Cards from Epic: Space Marine 2nd edition. 

Bad Moons

  • Compulsory Detachments
    • One HQ – e.g. One Nobz Detachments (3 Models)
    • Two Core – e.g. Two Boyz Detachments (6 Models each)
  • Optional Detachments
    • Two HQ
    • Three Core
    • [TBD]
  • For this clan, Compulsory Detachments must be Nobz (HQ) and Bad Moons Boyz (Core)

Exclusive: None?

More access to: Weirdboy tower? Weirdboyz? Gretchin?


Deathskulls

  • Compulsory Detachments
    • One HQ – e.g. One Nobz Detachments (3 Models)
    • Two Core – e.g. Two Boyz Detachments (6 Models each)
  • Optional Detachments
    • Two HQ
    • Three Core
    • [TBD]
  • For this clan, Compulsory Detachments must be Nobz (HQ) and Deathskulls Boyz (Core)

N.B. Optional Detachments should include option for one other Clan-specific Detachment. Consider phrasing.

Exclusive: None?

More access to: Lootas?


Snakebites

  • Compulsory Detachments
    • One HQ – One Nobz Detachments (3 Models)
    • Two Core – Two Boyz Detachments (6 Models each)
    • One Vanguard – Snortas Mob Detachment (3 Models)
  • Optional Detachments
    • Two HQ
    • Two Core
    • [TBD]
  • For this clan, Compulsory Detachments must be Nobz (HQ) Snakebites Boyz (Core) and Snortas (Vanguard)

N.B. Exclusive: Squiggoths

More access to Snortas/Squighog; Gretchin?


Goffs

  • Compulsory Detachments
    • Two HQ – e.g. Two Nobz Detachments (3 Models each)
    • Three Core – e.g. Two Boyz Detachments (6 Models each)
  • Optional Detachments
    • Two HQ
    • Two Core
    • [TBD]
  • For this clan, Compulsory Detachments must be Nobz (HQ) and Goff Boyz (Core)

N.B. Goffs have to have more Nobz, and have the option to max out at more overall than other Clans.

Exclusive: Lungburstas? Or simply easier access?

More access to Stormboyz? Skarboyz?


Blood Axes

  • Compulsory Detachments
    • One HQ – One Nobz Detachments (3 Models)
    • Two Core – Two Boyz Detachments (6 Models each)
  • Optional Detachments
    • Two HQ
    • Two Core
    • [Looted vehicles?]
    • [TBD]
  • For this clan, Compulsory Detachments must be Nobz (HQ) and Blood Axe Boyz (Core)

(Brainstorm Transport/looted vehicles.)

Exclusive: Rhinos/ Chimeras? Imperial stuff. 

More access to Kommandos? Stormboyz? Perh. Looted wagons become generally available, but Blood Axes can have them as default?


Evil Suns

  • Compulsory Detachments
    • One HQ – e.g. One Nobz Detachments (3 Models)
    • Three Core – e.g. Two Boyz Detachments (6 Models each)
  • Optional Detachments
    • Two HQ
    • Two Core
    • Four Transport
    • [TBD]
  • For this clan, Compulsory Detachments must be Nobz (HQ) and Evil Suns Boyz (Core)

N.B. Dedicated Transport compulsory (check wording for Rhinos and rephrase here). Ensure sufficient Optional Transport Detachments to transport the number of infantry possible. 

Exclusive: Bowelburna? Gobsmasha? Spleenrippa? Or simply easier access?

More access to: Meks, Speed Freeks.

+++

+ inload: Legions Imperialis army-building notes +

+ Building an Army in Legions Imperialis +

+ Paintbrushes down and... done! The Second Company – swollen by some reservists – is all painted and ready for battle. But how do we organise the models into a game-ready force? That's what we'll look at here. + 

+ The army-building is, in the grand tradition of Epic, virtually unrecognisable from edition to edition, and Legions Imperialis (LI) is no exception. +


Salamanders 2nd Company – the Defenders of Nocturne
+++

+ Getting your head round the terms +

+ Army-building in LI is not as complex as it might appear, but it is potentially confusing if you've played other versions of Epic before, as the same old terms are used in slightly different ways. This inload is intended to help clarify things – and also an excuse to show off my shiny new models! +

Tactical Legionaries and a Dreadnought being led into the fires of battle by their courageous Captain.

+ In LI, each stand of infantry or individual tank is called a model – what would have been called a Unit or Stand in 
Epic: Armageddon (EA) or Epic: Space Marine (SM2). The term model is used consistently, so don't be thrown by the fact that there are five figures on a base – together, they are still one model.  +

+ Models are grouped into Detachments, which were called Formations in EA, or Company Cards in SM2. This was the top level of subdivision in EA/SM2, where armies were built around groups of Formations or particular Company cards. + 

+ In LI, there's another level: Detachments are formed into super-groups called Formations, and one or more of these will make up your army. +

+ While the shared terminology but be stumbling block to an old player, this system is hopefully nice and clear if you're new: you have an Army with one or more Formations, each of which is made up of Detachments, each of which is made up of Models. +

+++

+ Formations and detachments +

+ For anyone coming in from 40k, you might remember Force Organisation Charts (FOC) – a little table that gave you slots that you either had to fill, or were able to. This was an attempt to create forces consistent with the background, so an army would have to have a leader and some line infantry units alongside specialist units. +

+ Formations work in much the same way: you have Compulsory  and Optional Detachments of different types:


+ The Plasma Gun-armed Marines below are an example of a Support Detachment, while the Tactical Marines behind them are a Core Detachment. The variety and number of the Compulsory and Optional Detachments is what will give your particular army its character and individuality. +

Plasma gun-armed marines start as Support Detachments of four Models, which can be expanded.

+ In addition to a particular combination of Detachment 'slots', Formations sometimes have a special limitation or bonus. In the case of the Legion Demi-Company Formation, from which the extract above is taken, the limitation is that the Compulsory Core Detachments have to be Legionary Tactical Detachments. The bonuses that the Formation offers are a boost to infantry's ability to capture objectives, and the ability to mount infantry in Rhinos without using up a Transport Detachment slot. +

+++

+ Wait, where's...? +

A converted Space Marine Captain – he's traded his power sword with the Terminator to his left, and has a Mark II helmet taken from a spare Rhino crewman. The final touch is a bolt pistol from a spare Sergeant model. Fun and quick to convert at this scale! 

+ Thus far we only have two Formations for Space Marines, and there are a number of Detachments types that are either very limited – Transport and Core have only one option each, for example – or absent altogether. There are no current options for Space Marine Light Armour, Vanguard or or Artillery Detachments. The Solar Auxilia suffer in the same way. +

+ This can be a bit confusing when putting things together, particularly if you're trying to future-proof things or plan your purchases. Doubtless future releases will fill in some of these lacunae, but its worth being aware that some apparent options are just not there when you come to start building your Army. +

+++

+ Upgrading +

+ Like SM2's Support Cards or EA's Upgrade system, you can customise Formations a little – generally by expanding them with more of the same type of Models. The Devastators (or rather 'Legion Missile Launcher Support Detachment') below, for example, start as four Models, but have limited expansion options: either increasing the Detachment size by 2 or by 4. +


+ The 'photoshoot' example above, then, is not allowed. Dreadnoughts are not a valid upgrade, and you're not allowed to take individual stands. It's thus not quite as flexible as the super-flavourful Epic: 40,000 (E40k), but slightly more so than SM2. + 

+ The hard limits are not a huge problem, but you might like to bear them in mind as you build your kits. Since you get a few optional choices for sergeants and things, with some clever trimming (or simply having fewer models per base, or not minding having a few additional sergeants dotted around), you can stretch your kits a bit further should you so wish. If you do so, you might end up with some odd 'orphan' stands – so you might instead like to just save these spares minis to add some flair to a Titan base or scenery instead. +

Each sprue comes with six Assault marines including a Sergeant. For every six sprues, you can get one spare stand, if you don't mind having a non-Codex proportion of Sergeants – or, as shown above, you can easily do a bit of trimming to convert the Sergeants into regular Assault Marines.

+ Thus far, Core Detachments like the Tactical Marines (more formally the 'Legion Tactical Detachment') have slightly more flexibility built into them. As well as increasing in size with more Tactical stands, you can also bring in Plasma Gun- or Missile Launcher-armed models, and even Assault Marines or Terminators. This brings in some complexity and decision-making at the army building stage. +

+++

+ Options, options... +

+ Once you've got the terminology clear, building an army is then as straightforward as it ever has been – though it's easy to get siezed by analysis paralysis. What's the best Detachment size? How many upgrades should I take, and what sort? +


+ This, I suspect, is going to be very difficult to answer until you start playing some games and seeing what works – and to be honest, I'm rather relishing the idea of getting in early, before everything gets hyper-analysied and optimised. That way I can just enjoy playing with what I think feels right, and find things out the hard way. +

+++

+ How many points is this? +

+ Here's the rub. Pictured here is – give or take – what you get from three boxes of Legions Astartes Infantry; or to put it another way, on six sprues. There are also some old metals Dreadnoughts and new plastic Rhinos included in the picture here, which aren't in the box – but you do get two Contemptors per sprue, too, so it roughly evens out. +


+ Building these six sprues as GW intends (i.e. without stretching things), you will end up with:
  • 24 stands of Tactical Marines
  • 6 stands of Assault Marines
  • 6 stands of Devastator Marines
  • 6 stands of marines with Plasma Guns
  • 6 stands of Terminator
  • 6 Contemptor Dreadnoughts
  • 6 Command stands.
+ I've not followed that pattern, and haven't optimised the models – but as you can see, I've already ended up with a couple of extra stands, and a little pile of spare Marines (mostly command models and veterans) that I can save for future use. +

+ Still, taking that list above, you can make something like this army:

Formation 1: Legion Demi-Company

  • Compulsory Detachments
    • HQ: Legion Command Squad (1 stand)
    • Core: Legion Tactical Detachment (4 stands)
      • +2 extra stands
    • Core: Legion Tactical Detachment (4 stands)
      • +2 extra stands
    • Support: Legion Plasma Gun Detachment (4 stands)
      • +2 extra stands
  • Optional Detachments
    • Support: Legion Assault Detachment (4 stands)
      • + 2 extra stands
      Support: Legion Terminator Detachment (4 stands)
      • + 2 extra stands

Formation 2: Legion Demi-Company

  • Compulsory Detachments
    • HQ: Legion Command Squad (1 stand)
    • Core: Legion Tactical Detachment (4 stands)
      • +2 extra stands
    • Core: Legion Tactical Detachment (4 stands)
      • +2 extra stands
    • Support: Legion Missile Launcher Detachment (4 stands)
      • +2 extra stands
  • Optional Detachments
    • Support: Legion Dreadnought Detachment (4 models)
      • + 2 extra stands
+ That's everything used up except for four Command Stands – and it only comes to 550pts(!). Given that the game is explicitly intended for 3,000pts, that's a lot of painting to do – to mention nothing of the cost. Realistically, I think that an all-infantry army is not, therefore, very feasible. +

+ Happily, with tanks, Titans and flyers being relatively expensive in comparison, I think that this might be intentional – infantry are dirt cheap in this game, but apparently pivotal in actually claiming objectives. In short, unglamorous – but you'll want to take some. +

Seas of infantry are awesome, but you'll need very deep pockets. I'd suggest a mixed force is going to be both more practical, and also more fun for both you and the other players.

+ Why two Formations? +

+ You'll note that I've split the army across two Formations, but you could (just about) squeeze everything into one if you prefer. The reason I've gone for two is that it opens up your options for allies. You can't have more Allied Formations than the Faction you've chosen for your main army. +

+ Thus, if you want to use the Solar Auxilia and the Titans that come in the core box, you'll need at least two Astartes formations to be able to field them. +

+++

+ A few thoughts for forward planning +

+ With so few releases actually being available, you're very limited on what you can actually do with them. For example, there's currently no way to field the Legion Garrison Force Formation (at least with GW models only), as it requires a Bastion Detachment – models for which have been previewed but not released. +

Where's my fire support?

+ Because of the upgrade system, you can currently just about field one box of Marines as-is. This will allow you to play the game in a very limited way and get your head round the mechanics, but I'd suggest that a second box will give you far more fun. This is because it will allow you to have separate Detachments of all the specialists, rather than having them act as upgrades for the Tacticals. +

+ Beyond that, I'd suggest that a third box (like I've got above) will be useful going forward, but more than four might be a bit premature at this stage. +

+ Apart from anything else, the upcoming dreadnought/support weapon box is going to give you the option to field the Garrison Formation, and the previewed bikes/jetbikes box implies either a new Formation coming in the next book, or at least some Vanguard Detachment options for your existing Formations. +

+++

+ Conclusion +

+ The army building system is pleasingly straightforward if you're fresh to the game and don't overthink it. If you're coming to it from previous editions of Epic, or are trying to optimise the models you've got, then you may find the tweaks to terminology – or lack of available models – cause you some problems. +

+ In the short term, an extra box or two of infantry – if you can get hold of them – is a safe purchase, as they'll increase your options and give you something to be getting on with while we wait for more. I would, however, dissuade you from going crazy on buying huge numbers more for the moment, unless you have something very specific in mind. +


+ On a related note, I don't think the Core box on its own is a great way to kick off the game, unless you're planning to swap some of the models with someone else. It will give you a very small, very odd game-ready force, but you'll have to jump through a few hoops to do so. +

+ Likewise, and rather more annoyingly, the army list presented in the core rulebook is very limited. If you've got the game, then I suggest you concentrate simply on making and painting the models for now, rather than trying to put together a meaningful 'finished army'. Like Necromunda and Adeptus Titanicus before it, this game is cursed with DLC. It seems to be part of GW's new way of working, a model inherited from the worst bits of computer gaming and downloadable content. As noted by Kym (Warburton) in the comments on this inload [+noosphericinloadlink embedded+], the prospect of buying half a dozen books to get a full army list is a real disincentive to getting involved at all. +

+ Like those games, if you come back to it in six months' or a year's time, I think you'll end up with a more complete and more enjoyable game overall. For those early adopters, it's going to be a limited experience while GW get their releases in order, and we're effectively going to be beta-testing the game. +

+++

+ It's not all bad news. What little has been released is awesome, and because the game has inherited the models of both Aeronautica Imperialis and Adeptus Titanicus, if you're prepared to use skewed lists or step outside of the strict limits of army building, you'll be able to play some interesting scenarios. +

+ If you've got old Epic models, or are able to get third party stand-ins, there are more Detachments in the rulebook that will increase your options. While not the complete Space Marine army that you might wish for, you'll at least be able to bring in some more Dreadnoughts and Support Weapons for further flavour and interest. +

+++

+ What now? +


+ Happily, I don't have to wait for GW to get their releases out, as I can concentrate on putting together the Orks and Eldar [+noosphericinloadlink embedded+] to face this rather more limited Space Marine (and Guard) threat. +

+ GW's release model has left me with a bit of a sour taste in my mouth – though given the delays and supply side problems they're apparently facing, it seems a bit unsporting to gripe too much about it. After all, I've only just finished off the infantry I've bought, and have plenty of tanks and Solar Auxilia to get on with – so it seems only fair to give them the benefit of the doubt and save any further complaints over lack of releases until after I've run out of stuff to paint! +


+++

+ In the meantime, I hope the inload's given you some food for thought, and you've enjoyed the piccies. I'm hoping to get a test game in this week, so I'll come back with some thoughts after that. +

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