+ inload: Painting the Iron Circle WIP +

+ By Your Command +

+ The Iron Circle +

+ I reviewed the Domitar-Ferrum battle automata – better known as the Iron Circle – in an earlier inload [+noosphericinloadlink embedded+], in which I sang the praises of these characterful beasties. I find large models both technically more difficult to paint (my style doesn't lend itself to large flat areas), and more time-consuming. On top of that, as they were a gift, I wanted to do them justice – in truth, I found 'em, a bit intimidating! +

+ In the absence of am alternative strong idea for painting, I decided that consistency with the rest of the army was the best route, so used the same approach as I take for my Iron Warriors Infantry [+noosphericinloadlink embedded+]. Background-wise, I thought this fit well; as it nicely ties in with the Legion's primarch, Perturabo's, unsentimental view that both Astartes and Automata were equally tools to be used. Aesthetically, the stylistic differences between the Automata and my Astartes are smoothed by the use of a common scheme. +

+ These WIP pictures show one of the Circle at the end of a single painting session – roughly three hours. I was going to call them done, but as so often happens, stepping away suddenly reignites my interest, and there's a few tweaks I want to make; some of which were suggested by the PCRC (thanks chaps!) +

+ Primarily, I think the model lacks a strong focal point. Despite working up the tone on the faceplate further than the rest of the metal, the black eyes – a detail I included to give a soulless, dead feel – just don't quite work, so I’m try blue. +

+ Similarly, Lucifer216 though the hammer could do with a bit more emphasis. I usually err from going over-the-top on glowing details as I prefer a grounded, realistic approach (well, insofar as giant robots are realistic), but in this case he's absolutely right. In truth, the hammer was a rush-job, and a few more minutes on it will go a long way to balancing the eye-catching impact of the yellow stripe on the shoulder pad. +

+ Theorectical +

+ Grimy, murky, threatening metal. I'm happy with the underlying steel/iron, but the gold need considerable work to add depth. +

+ The big flat plates of the shield scream out for freehand and detail, but I'm always wary about adding such detail to places like this. Not only is it a functional piece of equipment, rather than a decorative banner, but any strong detail here could easily draw attention away from the robot itself. This wouldn't be a big problem on this example, but if I add another member to the Circle with his shield to the fore, it could easily become distracting. +

+ With that said, leaving the area completely undecorated would be very boring. I've compromised by adding a relatively small Legion symbol in the centre (a flat transfer), and freehanding some hazard stripes on the bottom. This flash of colour is enough to add interest without going over-the-top. It was also an enjoyable break from all the metal! +

+ Being a special case, I spent more time on the metal than on a typical model in the army, and I am pleased with the discoloured, varied and naturalistic feel of it. However, spending so much time on the familiar steel was essentially procrastinating, and other areas of the model suffered for it. +

+ Practical +

+ The following areas need addressing:

• Develop the eyes; perhaps paint them blue (to match), red (to contrast), or green (to complement) the rest of the army.
• Work up the energy effect on the grav-hammer, and generally spend more time and thought on the weapon.
• Build up the tonal contrast in the gold.

+++

+ 8th Path Gaming +

+ If you're interested in using the Iron Circle in 8th edition, I've worked up a playtestable datasheet for them as part of my The Eightfold Path conversion [+noosphericinloadlink embedded+]:

+ Initital price (for two) is 15 power; I'd welcome any feedback or suggestions on points cost. +

+ Designer's notes +

+ The underlying principle here was to sensitively adapt the Kastelan – the only 8th ed. robot – datasheet to fit the Iron Circle. Effectively, to look at how the 8th ed. Castellax compares with both the 7th edition Castellax and the 7th ed. Kastelan (both coming from the same inspiration); then see how the 7th ed. Castellax compares with the 7th ed. Iron Circle and Domitar. +

Iron Circle 8th
M 8" (equal to Kastelan)
WS 3+ (based on higher WS in 7th)
BS 4+ (equal in 7th)
S 7 (based on higher S in 7th)
T 7 (equal in 7th)
W 6 (equal in 7th)
A 3 (equal in 7th)
LD 10 (higher in 7th; but a bit academic)
Sv 3+ (equal in 7th)

Graviton Maul
Range: melee Type: melee S: x2 AP:-3 D:3 Abilities: Crushing blow: on a to hit roll of a 6, make an additional attack with this weapon. This cannot produce a further additional attack.

Olympia pattern boltcannon 
Range: 36in Type: heavy 5 S:5 AP:-1 D:1 Abilities: none 
(7th: 36in, S5, AP4, heavy 5 pinning)

Karceri Battle Shield
Provides a 4+ invulnerable save to itself or any character within 3in. Note that if the character uses the save, the Iron Circle robot cannot use it.

+ inload: The Eightfold Path – Emperor's Children and Imperial Fists +

+ Stratagems, the Emperor's Finest and the Men of Stone +

+ A few tweaks to the basic Line Company gives them  some solid Stratagems to spend their CPs on. If you have any suggestions for Stratagems – whether Legion-specific or more generic – please send 'em in. +

+ A general note on the Legion Stratagems – I'm aware that they're not obviously powerful, often being useful only in special circumstance. It's worth explaining that's because (unlike normal Stratagems) there's no limit on the number of times they can be used in a turn. In addition, because they're replacing the special rules, I wanted to keep them cheap so that they can be used easily. +

+ The 'negative' Stratagems – those that you grant your opponent – are a good opportunity to help create decisions in-game: do you save your points for your turn, or spend them to stymie the enemy? Some may even backfire – dragging that Emperor's Children apothecary forwards might drag him into danger... but it might end up with him tipping the combat! +

+ I also like the fact that your options sometimes depend as much on your opponent as your army, broadening the potential interactions, and thus the interest. +

+ I'm particularly interested in your thoughts on CP costs for them. +

+ The Emperor's Children +

+ For some odd reason, the image keeps turning out very thin, so apologies for legibility. +

+ The Emperor's Children are marked by their perfectionism and speed. Their Initiative-modifying behaviour doesn't really translate to 8th, so I've saved the Counter-offensive Stratagem for them, which simulates the spirit. Hopefully this demonstrates why I'm taking stuff away from other Legions – in order to save 'design space'. +

+ The Legion Stratagems proved a bit tricky here owing to the differences between 7th and 8th; and I was aware that too much speed would tread on the White Scars' (eventual) toes. For this reason, I wanted to give a combination of Legion Stratagems that encouraged the Emperor's Children to position and then work in concert, unlike the Scars, who want to move and circle as much as strike and fade. Exemplars of War thus helps the Emperor's Children position themselves with more reliability than other Legions, while Flawless Execution reflects their ability to pick the best thing to do in any circumstance – stay locked, or pull back at an opportune moment and shoot. +

+ The Imperial Fists +

+  The Fists were a lot of fun to convert; I've both played as and fought against them a lot, and have always enjoyed the background of these staunch warriors. +

+ In Age of Darkness, the Fists share To the Bitter End with the Iron Warriors, extending the game. While I like the symmetry, it reduced the options in classic Iron Warriors versus Imperial Fists grudge-games. For that reason, I've replaced it with No Retreat, No Surrender. This is an expensive Stratagem that allows the enemy to keep the Fists locked in combat, with the intention of evoking the background that the Fists sometimes stay engaged when withdrawing would be more tactically sound. +

+ This stubbornness has an up-side, however. After all, the Legion birthed the Black Templars, and I wanted to move away from all of their rules being purely defensive. Unshakeable Defence is thus a potentially game-winning Stratagem that reflects both the Fists' defensive skills – you'll have to be serious about taking objectives in their half – but also gives the Fists some ability to work more aggressively. Its expense encourages a conservative use of Command Points throughout the game, which I felt reflected the brooding nature of the Legion and its Primarch without tying them into a one-dimensional style. +

+ Disciplined Fire is a cheap, good stratagem that was simple translation from 7th. +

+ Blood and Honour is a fun one. While relatively expensive, it's a good way of making sure that your Champions can get stuck in. I like the mechanic a lot, but wonder if it's too much for the Legion Stratagems – would it be better as a Stratagem granted by the Templar Brethren special unit? +

+ The Stone Gauntlet Detachment was a bit of a struggle. Resolve of Stone is a fairly simple translation, but Shield Charge (which grants Hammer of Wrath) in 7th, doesn't work well at all. I've ended up making it a cheap Strength upgrade, but am not particularly enamoured of it. +

+ I toyed with it forcing a successfully charged enemy to make an immediate Fall Back before the Consolidation part of the charge, as I think that'd be a great in-game visual, but was concerned that was a bit over-complex. Thoughts? +

+ inload: The Eightfold Path: Selecting an Army +

+ Choosing an army in The Eightfold Path +

+ Following on from this inload [+noospheric inloadlink embedded+], I've been cracking on with the HQs and the underlying army selection rules.  +

+ Designer's Notes +

+ The approach I've taken is to remove unit special rules in favour of making the Strategems far more important. This is to (hopefully) introduce more of a sense of personal involvement for you, the commander. +

+ It simulates fatigue and battlefield confusion – as you use your Command Points up, your troops will slowly lose their Legion-specific edge: the Emperor's Children will slow down, the Iron Warriors will begin to lose their psychological resistance to shooting, and so forth. +

+ More practically, it keeps all of the relevant rules for your army on a spread or two (including special units), with a handy reference sheet for the Strategems you have access to. This reduces cross-referencing and layering of information. +

+ This is a fairly fundamental change, as it essentially makes all the Legiones Astartes identical once the Command Points run out (barring Legion special rules). However, this is set against the Detachments and army selection rules, which reward those who choose a thematic army – viz. one with plenty of basic troops – without penalising those players who choose more specialist selections. +

+ Anyway, have a (red) butcher's and see what you think. I'd appreciate your thoughts; but please remember this is intended to give a different game experience to standard 40k. +

+ Legion specifics +

+ I've picked the Iron Warriors to start with as they're the army I play – I'll head off accusations of favouritism by holding my hands up: it's a fair cop +

+ Joking aside, I'd like to make best use of my time, and so will be prioritising Legions I use or am likely to face. In any case, the IVth are fundamentally a fairly simple Legion, and so they make a nice easy way to start. Coming up next will be the Imperial Fists, Sons of Horus, Iron Hands and Ultramarines; probably in that order. +

+ The Legion-specific detachment is a neat demonstration of how the keywords system removes the need for screeds of text and helps to keep things condensed. By simply noting that all units have to come from the Iron Warriors faction, you remove the need to make that explicit outside of the box-out. A lot of the rules that needed spelling out – the additional compulsory Troops choice, additional optional Heavy Support and so forth – are simply included as icons. +

+ I've tried to follow the spirit of the rules as well as the letter – so have made the first Heavy Support choice mandatory, and removed a Fast Attack option. Compare the Hammer of Olympia Detachment (above) with the Company Detachment (top) and note the difference in units that grant (or reduce) CPs – the grungy trench infantry-led Hammer of Olympia doesn't gain the benefit of CPs for jump-pack Assault Squads or Flyers, but does for Artillery. +

+ Hail of Fire used to be a special rule that layered on top of others; here it becomes an option for you to spend your finite CP resources upon. +

+ I was in two minds whether to include Sheathed in Steel – I think the Detachment would work without it, and I'm loath to introduce additional rules, but it does help to evoke the character of the Detachment, so I kept it in. +

+ A Legion-specific character, which converts the old Shatter Defences rule into a strategem (Pinpoint Defect). I felt this better reflects the intention of the Legion-specific officers – they bring particular expertise and alter the army's abilities. +

+ The more generic Praetor for comparison +

+ And a sample Alternative Detachment – these will replace the old Rites of War; again folding rules together to reduce duplication and make reference quicker and easier. +

+ inload: 8th Edition and the Age of Darkness: Troops +

+ The Eightfold Path +

+ Using the Legiones Astartes in 8th edition Warhammer 40,000 +

+ As a bit of fun, and stemming from this interesting discussion on the Bolter & Chainsword forum [+noospheric inloadlink embedded+] I've started working up some tide-you-over rules for using your Age of Darkness models with the new 8th edition rules. +

+ Designer's notes +

+ I've stuck as closely as possible to the Age of Darkness rules, and have, where possible, used existing 8th edition rules – garnered from previews and leaks – as substitutes. Where rules had no equivalent, or did not make sense in 8th edition, I have gone back to the background descriptions for sparing additions. +

+ I have also applied a general rule of keeping things as simple as possible. This has generally meant that minor rules have been simply folded into unit statistics or (occasionally) discarded if they did not translate well, or made things complicated for little reward. +

+ I have aimed to avoid the Siren-call trap of fan rules – viz. the need to fiddle and needlessly add stuff! Doubtless I've failed to some extent, but I hope you will read such additions in context of the broader scope of the project and give them the benefit of the doubt before condemning them or suggesting replacements. +

+ Of particular note – and probably the most contentious decision I've made here – is using the new Primaris Marine statistics as the basis for all of the marines. The reason for this is threefold:

1. Having two wounds on each Marine opens up a lot of design space. 
• It differentiates a lot of the weaponry more than would otherwise be the case; making choice of weaponry more meaningful – important in a game that is mainly based around such similar armies. 
• Similarly, if Astartes have 2W, it makes them appropriately tougher than Solar Auxilia, Cultists etc. when (and if) I get round to converting them.
2. It makes the basic Space Marine more meaningful. Many Age of Darkness games revolve around elites and tanks, and an aim of this project is to make large units of Marines more attractive.
• On a minor note, it ameliorates the jump between 1W and 2W models in the existing Age of Darkness ruleset.
• Of particular note: certain elite Terminator units in Age of Darkness have 2W, making them more than twice as survivable as their equivalents in other Legions. Starting from a baseline of 2W allows such units to become 3W, making them only 50% more survivable.
3. I believe the Primaris Marines statistics better represent Astartes, and that the new edition has been written with them in mind; with the existing Astartes rules included for backwards-compatibility.

+ Troops +

+ An obvious starting point, here're the Legion's basic troops. You should be able to click on each image to enlarge it to a more legible size: 

+ Fury of the Legion is based on the idea of the hail of fire described in the background. Rather than adding a firing twice rule, I've effectively given an alternative fire mode. +

+ The Nuncio-vox rules has no equivalent in 8th, so I've taken a leaf from the leaked Imperial Guard orders and applied a minor benefit to encourage squads to stick with their leaders. +

+ A notable absence is the Legiones Astartes special morale rules. Falling back no longer happens, and in all honesty, I think simply having a relatively high Ld characteristic is sufficient and suitable. The Vexilla goes a long way to making the Astartes as staunch as in 7th. +

+ I toyed with Breachers having 2+ armour – effectively, being permanently in cover. However, my gaming group felt that didn't sit right, so I've given the Boarding Shield a similar rule to the Thousand Sons' All Is Dust rule. +

+ The Volkite rule is based on a reverse mechanic to that of the overheating plasma gun. I have not distinguished between Grav and Graviton weaponry, and have simply used the existing 8th edition rules for the Graviton gun. +

+ Combat shields seem pretty awesome here, but the rules are straight from 8th. Points values will probably help here, but that's a long way off! +

+ The Rotor Cannon is a salvo weapon in 7th, which has no equivalent in 8th. I toyed with making it Heavy and giving it a second firing mode when moving, but eventually plumped with the simpler option of making if Rapid Fire. Six shots at half range should make it occasionally worthwhile, too. +

+ Shroud bombs are based on Smoke Launchers from the Imperial Guard; Flanking Manoeuvres on the Rough Riders' rule of the same name, which replaces 7th ed. Outflank. Recon Armour includes the infiltrate equivalent. I could think of no elegant replacement for Acute Senses, but since it's such an minor advantage, I dropped it. +

+ Directed Fire is a new rule based loosely on the Guard's Master of Ordnance special rule, though toned-down to reflect the relative ease with which Reconnaissance marines can get into position and their resilience. This rule is an indulgent addition, but a forgiveable one, I hope – it's intended to encourage a synergistic and inter-reliant approach for the Legiones Astartes (much like the Nuncio-vox rule), which I think fits nicely into the 8th edition design philosophy. More importantly, it neatly reflects the role that the Reconnaissance Marines have – sneaking close to identify targets. +

+++

+ I'd love to hear your thoughts – particularly if you spot an error – and will continue to refine these rules based on emerging rules (e.g. if official rules for the lascutter emerge) and, more importantly your feedback – though please bear in mind I'm just doing this for a bit of fun, so please don't be offended if I don't make particular alterations based on your thoughts, however eloquently they're put forward! +

+ inload: Iron Circle review +

+ inload: Machina ex deo +

+ I have thoughtful and generous pals – over the weekend I received a pair of the vaunted Iron Circle from my mates in the PCRC as a birthday gift. Cheers lads! +

+ Domitar-Ferrum Battle Automata review +

+ Needless to say, I couldn't resist putting them together; and thought I'd exload a little review of the kit for interested readers. +

+ Preparation +

+ The kit comes packaged in a plastic bag, with the larger pieces loose and the smaller parts contained in a sealed blister pack. As with other large kits from Forge World, the bag contains a coloured step-by-step set of instructions – a nice easy-to-follow visual approach. New to me this time was a 'working with resin' leaflet, which contained some useful basic information for beginners. Perhaps Forge World have started including this in every kit? +

+ It may seem extraneous to experienced modellers, but I'm really glad to see Forge World include stuff like this as it gives a nice polish to the product, and makes construction more enjoyable. While the kit is largely straightforward, made up of clearly identifiable parts, it's good to have some of the smaller pieces – like the two sets of leg pistons and the optional ablative armour plate – identified. In the past I've had a couple of kits where the orientation of a small part is unclear, and essentially had to guess how to place it if the image wasn't clear online. +

+ Anyway, the quality of the kit was very high – no miscasts, little flash and only one of the smaller sprues had any misalignment. This was easily resolved by gently trimming down the length of a piston. Confession time – I was so enthused about building these that I didn't wash it beforehand. Bad practice; so remind me of it if I complain that the paint's flaking off later! Fortunately, the kits seem relatively free of mould release; there's none of the characteristic greasiness, gloss or soapiness. +

+ Some of the longer parts, like the shaft of the weapon, were a little bent, but given the design, I think this is unavoidable owing to the medium. In any case, it's easily fixed with a little hot water. +

+ Construction +

+ The design of the kit is very sensible, with parts designed with secure fits to other sections that will mostly hide the joins. Although this is less important on a mechanical figure like the Iron Circle, it's good practise and I'm glad Forge World have taken the time to think it through. Complex core parts like the torso have shims to avoid miscasts, ensuring a nice crisp result – just make sure you catch 'em all. +

+ The kit goes together well, with all the parts fitting snugly and securely. The design of the graviton maul – the enormous hammer that makes up their right hand and wrist – was my only main concern. The section is very posable, being made up of six parts. The shaft of the maul is split into two sections which both connect to a central part – this makes the +

+ The number of parts makes this the most complex part of the kit; but the instructions are poor here; the angle chosen obscuring which parts are involved and how they're placed. Fortunately, it's easily worked out with a little dry fitting – just be aware that the piston that sits on top of the wrist is what determines the angle of the hammer. This piston is connected to the sprue by the piston rod itself (rather than an extra bit of resin), so I can see much cursing if you accidentally trim the rod off by cutting too close to the piston. +

+ If this does happen, you can either replace the shaft with brass rod, or glue the resin rod in place – it would be supported at both ends, and shielded from dropping out. The image below shows the one I constructed with the full length of the piston:

+ As you can see, this results in the graviton maul being set out at its full extent – allowing for a nice sweeping effect. Compare this with the other (below), which I constructed with the piston rod trimmed back:

+ This results in a more guarded pose. Note that the nature of the hammer and wrist means that the piston rod can't retract fully, so don't trim the whole thing off! Instead, cut it at its full length, then dry fit before trimming the rod down gradually, easing the hammer into the pose you want. +

+ The potential for cool poses means that if you have multiple unit members, you can have them looking very different. However, the decision to split the hammer into three pieces was an odd one. Perhaps there's a manufacturing restriction, but it puts a lot of potential stress on the join between the shaft at either end and the hand. Forge World have give the join a lip which helps to get the pieces aligned properly, but it's too shallow to help support the maul. I'd recommend that you drill and pin the shaft of the maul at either end, just for peace of mind. +

+ My only other criticism of the design is the legs. The upper legs and groin are three separate parts, but the hips are fixed so that the left leg will always be striding forward and right leg trailing. It wouldn't be difficult to trim and reposition, but the weight of the model rests here, creating a point of stress. For the asking price, I'd have liked some way of altering the standard pose; either by redesigning the area or perhaps through the inclusion of an alternative set of upper legs (akin to the Contemptor dreadnought kits alternative feet etc.) +

+ One note on posing – my initial plan was to have the two in mirrored poses; with the shield and hammer swapped on the second robot. However, the shield arm has a cable that extends from the left shoulder. Posing them with the shield on the right arm would thus by restricted by the length of the cable. Not insurmountable (you could of course simply leave the cable off), but worth bearing in mind. In the end, I decided to stick with a uniform look and keep the shield on the left arm. +

+ Alternatives and addenda +

+ The nature of the highly characterful design means that there aren't any ideal alternatives – you'll get robots with hammers and shields, but they won't be identifiable as the Iron Circle. The standard Domitar [+noospheric inloadlink embedded+] is slightly cheaper if price is a consideration, but the difference is fairly negligible for the amount of effort you'd need to make to create the hammer and shield. +

+ However, if your budget extends, the standard Domitar might be a good way to add some variety to a large group. The hips suffer from the same fixed leg position, but here it's the right leg advancing and the left leg trailing. In an earlier inload, I'd built one myself – using a bit of greenstuff to sculpt the IVth Legion mask:

+ The detail on the legs differs slightly between the kits – the Iron Circle having additional armour plating compared to the standard Domitar, but I think combining the lower legs of an Iron Circle kit with the upper legs of a Domitar – and then vice versa – would give a great hybrid mix that would add some variety without breaking the overall aesthetic. +

+ If you're intending to recreate Peturabo's entire bodyguard of six, the Iron Circle kit might suit you as-is. They'd certainly look robotic and intimidating in lock-step and single pose, utterly impersonal and uniform. Depending on your interpretation of the background, however, I think mixing in some parts from the standard Domitar would be a great way to create interest and variety. As long as you show the graviton maul, shield and bolt cannon that are the fundamental visual identifiers, having some differences in the face plates, leg decor and torsos could be used to suggest the refinements and tinkering of Perturabo's pet project – the Iron Circle are his personal design, after all, so some personalisation might suit your interpretation. +

+ Shield-wise, Games Workshop's Ogryn kit [+noospheric inloadlink embedded+] comes with the option for large tower shields. While not identical, they're certainly large enough to get the impression across. You also get five in the kit, which would allow you to swap them en-masse in a large group of Iron Circle for a different appearance. The Bullgryn shields are also notable for giving the apperance of slotting together – very fitting for the Iron Circle. +

+ Other than that, I'd recommend Zinge industries' excellent flexible resin power cables and ammo feeds [+noospheric inloadlink embedded+]. As the name suggests, these are resin that has a core of wire, making them completely poseable. While the ammo and power feeds of the Iron Circle behaved alright for me, the Zinge cables would make posing much freer and easier. In addition, having a core of metal gives you an in-built pin, so with a little trimming you'll give you Iron Circle member a bit more resilience. +

+ Conclusion +

+ Minor design critique aside, I love this kit. The appearance is brutal and crisp, with the right balance between clean areas and detail. The quality of the figure itself is high, and they were a real pleasure to put together – even the ammo feeds (normally a bit of a bugbear of mine) seemed to be cooperative. +

+ Subjectively speaking, I think the models are dripping with character: full of mechanical menace and a certain dynamism while retaining a sense of weight. Even given the limitations of the hip posing, the use of ball joints at the waist and shoulders means there's a huge potential for posing. + 

+++

+ Eighth edition playtesting +

+ The Iron Circle is notable for its absence in 8th edition 40k – understandable really – but since The Eightfold Path project toddles along slowly, here's some rules you can use for playtesting, should you so wish. +

+ The basic unit (two Automata) is 15 power. +