Hodge Podge (not as healthy as porridge)...

As you may have noticed my posting, whilst always haphazard, has taken a further dive in frequency. No excuses, stuff happens... Yu'know?

Anyway, todays thing is spurred on by Warpstone's question: What should be in a Sons of Malice army?

Rather than an extended comment on Wot I Did, I thought I'd do a bit here, show the space wolves version I sent to Crusade, and so on. My quick answer is whatever the hell you want! I'm turning the Sons of Malice into the Ultimate Marine Army: any configuration, any unit, any codex.

While this may rub some people on t'internet at the moment, I'm of the opinion (and agreed with by everyone I've talked to or played at The Club) that as long as it's WYSIWYG, with a bit of modelling imagination on my part, I can justify almost any army configuration with minimum application of the Fluff Crowbar. For example; my Kathal's Hunt that I took to Cut'n'Thrust's Crusade tournament at the end of January:

It's a Space Wolves codex army, led by Logan Grimnar's soul twin Kathal, the current Chapter Master of the Sons of Malice. Their recruiting grounds were a barbaric backwater planet where life is hard, and the men are a little... Canabalistic.

I say 'were' because some self important numpty decided people shouldn't eat each other, exiled the Sons of Malice and genocided the planet. As hopefully you can see, the army is adopting the buddy system, each unit having a CML terminator armoured buddy. Tactically sound for any chapter!

The guys with the trophy racks are Nori and Dori, the Doomed (it's in The Labyrinth - look it up) and are honoured guys who made it through the trial - hard enough to take anything on their Lonesome.

Also in the book, you'll find giant gribblies that are mutated (space radiation, warp, whatever) failures in the Trial, and with a little electroprod application, I'm sure you could get them to carry other Doomed into battle. With this in mind Balin and Dwalin are mounted on things that aren't Thunderwolves, but beasts that are of similar size and suitably nasty. In my opinion, thats about as ridiculous as Space Marines riding giant wolves. I mean - come on!

I've also painted 5 objectives that you probably can't see too well. Sons of Malice go around Hunting (see what I did there?) slaves for a later grizzly feast. So we've got a Kroot, Ultramarine (first and last time I'll ever paint one), Firewarrior, Ork, and random chaossy dude I had nocking around, all in chains awaiting their fate.

Unfortunatly I haven't got pictures of the Blood Angles version, but as you may have noticed, most of the marines are of the assault variety and have magnetised backpacks. Yes, thats alot of magnets! So all the marines go back to the thunderhawk (no, I'm not going to buy one) and change into their jump packs. The terminators can dump their various chainfists and cyclones, and pick up a thunderhammer and stormshield (again, magnets). Then all we need is some veterans/honourguard, so I've used raptors to represent the best of the best flying dudes.

For the Chaos version (in planning), I can use all the marines (as they're all armed with boltgun, bolt pistol and chainsword, right?), terminators and raptors. For the HQ I can go terminator lord, jump pack sorcerer (they're just the same as Librarians and Rune priests in the end), or with Princes... Now on one hand this is an idea I'm particularly proud of.

In my opinion, Sons of Malice are all about Black Vs White, Good Vs Bad, and they're sitting right in the middle, no grey, just survival. So their Princes or 'avatars' of this can be seen (by me anyway) as:

Now, the only downside as miniatures is that they're not GW! Damn you GW! But I think they're awesome mini's, and will be able to use them in friendly games at least. Oh, and I was weak.

Aaaanyway, what I'm getting at here is that I'm building a Space Marine army that with the addition of unique units (thunderwolves, veterans JPs, Deamon princes) and the liberal application of magnets, can be legally and reasonably fluffily played with.

A marine, after all, is a marine. A rhino is a rhino, and a terminator is a terminator. Until they do a Codex: Sons of Malice, I can play them as I see fit. Now I've just got to win some games!

Better late than never? BT Vs SW 1500

Apologies dude (you know who you are...), but I'm finally putting up the battle report from January, as best as I can remember it.

Rightio, random pick up game, 1500 vs Black Templars, and this was supposed to be a practise game (for me anyway) for the painful experience of the Crusade tournament. Less said about that the better...

Right, he had something like:

Emperors Champ
Dread
Venerable Dread
3 biggish crusader squads
1 smaller crusader squad in a 'tactical' formation.

I had a stripped down version of my tournement army:

Logan
Rune Priest
2 Termy lone wolves
2 TWC with PF SS
1 Long fang squad with 4 ML
10 wolfguard inc 2 Cyclone termys
2 x 5 wolfguard inc cyclone termy

Deployment (smile, you're on camera!)



Since I can't remember the turns at this point, we'll go for the less organised story format I'm famous for (in my own head)!

Ok, end of the first turn, everyone more of less charges in an unorganised mess on my side, and he shifts his Dreads and hitty squads to meet me in the centre - he takes pot shots with his squad on the hill (heavy bolter I think) and dreads.



His shooting manages to knock a couple of wounds off the TWC in the centre- I thought 3++ was good?! Logan and his big squad is moving straight down the centre. Rune Priest and his 5 men are taking the long way round and heading for the dread lurking behind the woods on the left.
I stupdily charge the remaining TWC into the full crusader squad - preferred enemy hurts! Logan and squad follow - this turns into 10 of mine versus 20 of his... Guess who wins when the templars reroll to hit?!



The long fangs sit in their corner taking pot shots and successfully not being a threat... Big combat in the centre draws in everyone within reach. By the way, you probably didn't notice them, but there's a 5 man squad in the far right taking whatever shots they can... in the end my saviours!



Behind the jungle in the left third, the dreadnought keeps being shaken into submission, behind the rocks in the right third, the second dread is mostly 'armless, but feeling left out.

The keen eyed my notice an ommision in the next picture. I killed on of the guys in the rocks near his board edge, he failed his test and they ran! One of the disadvantages of BT (pass and they run forward after 1 wound, fail and they run backwards!).



They combat in the middle is drawing to a close - I move the remaining lone wolf to the left to try and do something about that damned dread behind the jungle.



With the Templars finally wiping out the wolves in the middle, their survivers make a beeline for the squad on the right. My rune squad decide to chill behind the jungle on the left.



The survivers charge into the healthy rested wolfguard squad on the right
and blood insues! Note the mostly 'armless dread sneeking around behind the rocks.
Note the dread sitting behind the jungle on the left behind repeatedly hit by a grumpy lonely guy with a chainfist... Failing to do anything repeatedly.



If I remember rightly, I had two guys left on the right who consolidated back to claim the objective they'd been loitering by all game.

Close of play - his crusader squad claims the objective in his left corner, I claim the objective in the jungle (dread was a touch out of contest range), and his sneeky 'armless dread is no more than an eight of an inch outside of contest range behind the rocks on the far right.

I forgot so many special rules, it's not funny, but it was a pleasure to play, and I have to say that trying to kill lots of marinez is not easy!

Sons of Malice Book of Grudges

I was looking for a picture of the Book of Grduges, and all I found was this baby oposum... Such is life!

I've added the new section to the left, to detail my win/loss/draw record for these gents in black and white, as I think this is the army I'll be rolling with for a while, and probably taking to any tournaments.

Anyway, last Thursday I had another 1750pt practise game against Jason of the Ravenguard... Who was using Imperial Guard. Hang on...?!

As soon as we rolled the mission, the likelyhood was a draw - 2 objectives and quarters deployment. He didn't move a great deal, and I couldn't get through all the armour and bullets/rockets/las/plas/melta.

CCS

Primaris Psyker + Psyker battle squad, chimera (Really annoying hiding at the back!)

Infantry platoon with 3 lascannons blobbed up good. I made him take 3 leadership tests in 3 turns, and they held 3 times. Dammit.

Chimeltavet squad

Chimplasmavet squad + Bastonne - humourously lost 2 plasmas in openning salvo. Unfortunatly also killing Thunderwolf!

Chiflamervet squad

Squadron of 2 Leman Russ BT

1 Leman Russ Exterminator - yeah, when was the last time you saw one of those?!

1 Nasty Ouchy Cheesy Horrible Manticore Rocket Launcher.

Battle report in 2 sentances... I had to take 2 shots from the manticore until the scouts came in and showed it some melta love. I don't think the infantry platoon did much but eat my frag, my 4 killer units accounted for... A chimera. No line of sight blocking terrain resulted in enough shots to take out all 4 by turn 4, and they just couldn't make it into his castle. Maybe with some better run rolls but nevermind! Everything else shot, shot and shot some more, while slowly being whittled away. End of turn 5 we didn't bother carrying on, as he'd killed everything on the way in, and he wouldn't be able to make it to my objective.

It's a shame really, as I think we'd both have been happier with a different mission/deployment, and a board with a bit more line of sight blocking terrain, ie > 0.

Hopefully I'll get in another game thursday before the Sunday tournament.

In the meantime I'll have to put up some painting/modelling progress, which there's been plenty!

Bang on!

Had the pleasure of playing Chaos space marines last night at 1750. This wasn't his usual army, and wasn't tournament optimised, and it was still a close thing:

Chaos Lord terminator, combiplasma, lightning claw
2 Chaos Dreadnoughts TL Heavy Bolters
8 CSM (with Lord in LR)
10 CSM + Rhino
10 CSM
Landraider
Vindicator
3 Oblits.

Power fists, icons and special weapons to taste, with extra armour up the wazoo. Working it out on army builder it only comes in at 1670... Either I was struggling through the second half against an undersized army, or I'm forgetting something!

Annihilation mission and Spearhead deployment. I rolled to go first and set up with the Thunderwolves and Lone Wolves at the front, long fangs on either corner, and the 3 squads in the centre.

Three sentence summary: the 4 big scary killing machines killed quite a bit before dying, and most of all did the scary thing very well! The rest of the army seemed to underperform a bit, rockets went flying, living lightning sparked, and Logan Grimnar stood scratching his... Ruff most of the game. I think if I'd been less gung ho with my two small wolf guard squads, and more aggressive with the Big Man's squad, I would have had a better result than 8 -7 to me.

After that, I felt alot more comfortable with this army - it feels like it's within my grasp to master to a sufficient level. Guess I'd better send in the army list for Crusade then!

ManFlu - it's real

I feel like crap. I've had this damned cold for 2 weeks now, and I keep getting knocked down again. Bah!

I've not been entirely negligent of my painting etc, but it's definetly slowed down a fair bit. I ended up completly building the High Elves from t'North, barring the purchase of the Island of Blood box - painting it will more likely take ages, but at least I'll have a relatively effective fantasy army...

Archmage, level 4

Noble/Prince on steed

BSB

20-30 Seaguard

20-30 Seaguard

10 Archers

5 Dragon princes

8ish Silver helms

20 total Sword masters (exact unit size/s to be determined)

5 Shadow warriors

Great Eagle

3 Reaper Bolt throwers

All this comes to around 2000 - 2750, depending on items and banners. I've put to together several versions around this basic idea, points and magic stuff will hopefully be decided through experience! I'm painting the first 5 dudes, and as soon as I'm happy, I'll throw up some pics/

I'm also slowly working my way through the Sons of Malice - I've finished the Devestator squad, chugging away on the assault squads, and I'm working on the first 3 terminators... There's more... everything on those guys, and I'm having to modify painting techniques a bit.

Proof

Just to show I have actually been doing something... Here's the Almost complete deve squad. It was going to be the fully finished, but I stupidly left by black and silver, and haven't actually completed one of the bases... Buggeritmilleniumhandandshrimp.



On another note, I probably won't be getting in a game tonight at the club - I'm coming down with a cold quite hard, so instead I'm going to concentrate on finishing this deve squad, hopefully finish the first assault squad, and finish building the Seaguard. In theory, this is well within my ability tonight - but as you may have noticed, theory and actuallity when it comes to my spare time don't often click!

Shame

Yes, yes I know I said I'd have the full unit painted and finished with pics for you wonderful, wonderful forgiving people...

Look, I played fantasy on Thursday night, my Goblin army verses Warriors of Chaos. I knew that Gobbo's aren't competative. I knew this was likely to be an uphill struggle, if not a solid defeat. I was bitch slapped off the table in 4 turns.

The bolt throwers did bugger all.
The fanatics were relatively fantastic.
The shaman twins blocked all of his magic that mattered, and I got off a genius Gork'll fix it. 6's to 1's on his Phat unit? Booyaa!
40 archers did absolutly nothing - literally!

All his units managed to get ward saves of one sort or another (damn those shrines!) and hell did he know how to roll them.

Warriors of Chaos, even when reduced down to one active phase (no shooting, 2 level 3's shut down his magic phase) - combat, he wiped me off the board. Not good, people.

So I looked at my large collection of Stuff...

Sons of Ulthuan to the rescue! With the purchase of the Island of Blood box, I'll have a complete 2400 point army*. I've built my first unit of Seaguard, and tinkering with a colour scheme. Something... Watery.

* What?! Yes, my collection of stuff includes several 'most of an army's, bought on a whim or as a bargain. Sad, isn't it?

Stay on target, stay on target...!

One Farmer Geddon point for the movie...

Do you know, I think I'm about there! I've got to do the bases, but due to the messiness of sand and sloshing, I'll be finishing these at home sometime this weekend I think. I'll slap up final photo's as and when.

So briefly, I added boltgun metal to the raised parts of the Rocket launchers*, painted the casings of the boltgun and chainsword black, and gave the chest skull and honour ribbons a quick wash of devlin mud. Bob's your Uncle, Fannie's your aunt.

I'm trying to get this army up and running as quickly as possible, so I'm cutting some corners, skipping some details. For example, I'm just painting the chest eagles foundation red and stopping there. I'll hopefully go back and 'finish' these at a later date.**

Interestingly enough I'm due to have a game of Fantasy tonight, my gobbo's vs... I really should keep a record of the people I play and their forum names, cos I've got a sneaky feeling it's the same guy I played a month or so ago, pretty much a mirror match!

* I don't like calling them Missile launchers due to the regularity that I 'Miss'. Call it an Orky mentallity if you must, except I don't think an ork can use words like Mentallity.

**Awww, who am I kidding? I'll be way too busy on all the other crap I've got to paint!

Mr WIPpy, one two miss a few...

Heh, I'm getting good at the dodgy post titles!

Onwards with the seemingly endless how-to... While not working, moping, procastinating etc, I am actually getting on with the rest of the army. I've almost finished the first assault squad. Pics will magically arrive when I've done it.

Ok, now for the missing steps. Below is the result of the black highlighting.

What do you mean you can't tell?! I've mixed up a couple of batches of really dark grey and quite dark grey based on mixing Codex grey and black. I've got a feeling it's too subtle, but I tried highlighting with codex grey and washing it back, and I just didn't like it.

So these are what happens where you block paint Number 1 (the really dark) and line highlight the edges with Number 2 (the just dark). Then a good slosh of Badass black over it.
To be honest I'm still not convinced, but it's good for now, and if I find a better method/colour level, it'll be easy enough to add to what's already down.

Next, I'm still not decided on the weapons colour - I'm tempted by boltgun metal:

Other idea's I've played with are mid grey (kind of goes against the black OR white scheme), dark red (I want it as a really small counter point, and I'm already painting the chest details red) or black white quartered (am I mad, that'd be hell!).

What do you think?

Next, just because I had time, I've finished of his shouting head (Sons of Malice actually battle in silence - I'll say he's just taked a glancing shot to the cod piece) and started the seals.

So, what do you think about the weapons (bolt pistols, chainswords, missile launchers)?

Farmer Geddon's Armageddon

Last Thursday I got the second game in with the BA flavoured Sons of Malice.*


Oh, what a different game this was...





I used exactly the same list as the previous week, and I was facing a perfectly modern Crimson Fists...

Librarian

3 Min tactical squads in Las/Plas razorbacks

5 TH/SS Terminators in Landraider Redeemer

2 Vindicators

1 Landspeeder Typhoon

1 Landspeeder MM/HF

No pictures I'm afraid - it was a bit of rush getting a pick up game at all, and I hadn't had a chance to paint much, and to be honest, I'd rather not chronicle being tabled that closely!

Table quarters deployment, 2 objectives.

He went first, deployed in a loosely defensive way, knowing I was going to try a mass deepstrike.

I deployed the Devo squad in ruins quite close to his quarter (Mistake 1**).

1st turn he shot up the Devo's killing a couple of grunts - nothing too bad.

I tried shooting on the vindicators, yes, I'd need 6's to do anything meaninful, but missing 3 out of the four shotd REALLY didn't help. Good start eh?!

2nd turn, he charges the LR forward and deposits the terminators in front ready to charge. All vehicles pop smoke. Charges, wipes out the whole squad.

I drop in Honour guard, Vanguard, 1 combat squaded 10 man, and the 5 man. one of the melta combat squads deviates into terrain, sprain their ankles and start running... flashforward: This squad keeps running due to running right past half his army, rallys on turn 4, only to be shot out of cover.

The honour guard immobilise the LRR - woop dee doo, then get wiped out by the terminators.
The vanguard charge the rear of a razorback and do jack, get wiped out by subsequent shooting.

The combat squad that actually landed on their feet shake one vindicator, then twiddle their thumbs. Finally charging the other vindicator blowing it up. Woot!

The flamer squad land, then wonder what the hell they're going to do, try charging the razorback holding his objective, fail to do anything, then they're wiped out by shooting.

The Librarian's 10 man squad deem to arrive, lining up for a Blood lance shot potentially hitting 3 vehicles***. 1 blows up, one gets stunned. His librarian then gets all emo, and Avengers half the squad away. Crap!

The following combat was really the only fun to be had, my Libby killed his Libby, the rest of his squad takes me down to just the Librarian. Next turn I cast Sang Sword, he swings, he kills a dude. Following combat phase (quickly now, my Librarian is the last model on the field), roll for Sang Sword again, and blam, his head explodes from demons tickling his eyeballs or somesuch.

The games ends his turn 5, nary a black and white dude on the pitch.

Umm, I'm at a bit of a loss here. The tools I had failed me (I know, a bad craftsmen), and in some cases I justs didn't have the tools I needed. I'd even bought new dice for the occasion, and showed that rolling ones and two's is actually an innate skill I posses. Seriously!

I'm going to go look back at seeing if I can make sure that both 'thpecial' squads have at least one powerfist. Also wondering if dropping and relying on Meltaguns to can-open is really a valid idea. It probably is, it just didn't work out too well for me this time.

* I don't think I have a thing for Bruce Willis?
** I think this is was the first mistake, and as bad as the second.
*** The only other major mistake, Landing them all together in a big KILLME squad.

Last Man Standing

Last thursday my magna marines AKA Sons of Malice AKA Blood Angels got their first outing on the battlefield, 1500 points, Kill points, quarters deployment. I didn't take any photo's I'm afraid, partly due to the exitement of the first outing, partly due to the very unpainted nature of my dudes...

My oponent was Imperial Guard, and as per every other time I've faced them this edition ( i.e 3?) I was shocked just how much you can fit into 1500!

CCS, astropath, naked chimera
2 X Vet squad, missile, 2 plasma
2 Infantry platoons, all with missile launchers, flamers, Chimera
Sludgehound (Banewolf, that I now dislike with a passion)
Vendetta
Valkery

8 Chimera chasis and 2 flyby's... This was nasty.

I took

Librarian, jump
Honour guard, 3 meltas, jump
2 X 10 man Jumpers with 2 meltas and PF serg
1 X 5 man jumpers with flamer and PW serg
5 Vanguard Vets with mixed weaponry
10 Devestators with 4 ML
2 Sang priests, one camped with the deve squad, 1 dropped with none librarian unit.

He deployed and went first, reserving flyers and banewolf. I deployed devestator squad in the open (uh oh) and sang priest. First turn he chipped a couple of ablative wounds off the deve's, I killed a chimera.
His second turn was a repeat, and in mine most of my squads come in, all combat squaded, all dropping within melta range of the rear of his Chimeras. Nothing scatters more than 2 inches (woohoo!). In fast forward... the turns get blurry...
I kill most of his chimeras, 1 is alive at the end. His flybys come in turn 2, my final squad (honour guard comes in turn 3, kills vendetta, his banewolf comes in turn 3 kills my honour guard. Ouch!

Deve's kill valk, and most of the contents on next turn. I kill myself alot due to being too close to exploding chimera's, and he kills my squads down to 2 or 3 members with pure lasgun blindingness. I think, hey, 2 marines can take on 7 or 8 guards? Surely? Bah! Major fail on all combat counts. Come to turn 5, I've got one dude, left. Just a dude. Singular. He's out in the open. He thinks its a great idea to go and bat a measly lonesome guard sergeant around the head. Fails.

We roll, turn 6 goes on! He rolls for attacks, bounce, I roll kill!

Now he's still got a bunch of guns, the nastiest of which belong to the vehicle now dubbed sludge wolf. Plus enough guns to get past marine armoour.

We roll, game ends! I win on kill points, 10 or 11 to 9. Yes its close!

...

What he should have done... His shooting was largely unfocussed, I don't think he concentrated fire enough to take out whole squads of only 5. His choice of reserves were reasonable - if he'd left the banewolf on, it would have been target number one, but if it had survived, it would have rampaged. Same with the flyboys, I think.

My mistakes... I think I failed to account for my ability to roll ones and twos for... Everything!
I should have probably kept the squads at 10 men - they wouldn't have been able to split fire, but I think they would have maintained more combat effectiveness. I also dropped the honour guard out in the middle of nowhere, basically panicing about the 3 twin linked lascannons on the vendetta. That resulted in the sludgewolf killing them in one hit. This may have been a mistake, or it may have been providence that took it out of danger range.

I've also got to study the wound allocation, deep strike, Descent of Angels and vehicle damage rules alot more closely. I think I would have more, and he would have had less... But there you go!

Nice chap, good mech army, with a bit to learn about target priority. He said himself that he was a serious fantasy player, and 40k was his 'fun'. Hopefully I'll get a whole assault squad painted for thursday, and get another battle in (with pics this time!).

Badass!

Ok, time for the next in my exclusive range of luxery painting how-to's...

As discussed, slap a second coat of skull white on the quarters; it should be fairly white at this point but by no means perfect. I'll tell you that these guys have been in action and their armour's covered in lots of small marks and scratches... I'll be thinking I'm lazy and want to get these guys on the table as soon as my honour will let me!

This lunchtime's paint session rewarded me with a layer of Badass black. For some reason the pot I've got is alot lighter and a bit browner than the first pot I bought. Great consistancy there GDubs. I think I've got the balance right - you need to slap on enough to go in every crease, crook and cranny, and then take off any puddles sitting on raised areas. I tried watering it down but then there's not enough definition. So if for some reason you're actually following this for tips - ummm... Give it a go any see what I mean?

I don't like using the flash, but it really shows you where the ink's sitting.

Black and White

As promised*, here's my slightly dodgy how to paint Sons of Malice with an even dodgyer method!

First of all, paint it black:

Yes, all of it. I've started getting cosy with Vallejo Game colour black. Smells really wierd, but it goes on beautifully!

Second, paint half of it skull white - it looks really nasty. Top left, bottom right white. The bottom white section carries over the belt - it just seems to balance it better with the back pack.

As a side note, the two guys on the right are over paints of a small SM army I picked up for a bargain. They form most of the Dev squad, and half of the assault marines.

Back on target... There will be a second coat of white coming tomorrow. But now, back to work!

* Now I've got four followers *waves* I've actually got to follow up on the blithely made promises!

Magna Marines - Ho!

Ok, so I've talked about my Sons of Malice, and about my willingness, ney, eagerness, to jump on the bandwagon of Space Wolves/ Blood Angels.

So, without further ado, I present the army lists, shared models (pending a magnestised weapon/backback/jumppack swap) are in italics:

Blood Angel flavoured Sons of Malice:

1000pts:

Librarian
Assault Squad, 2 meltas, PF sergeant
Assault Squad, 2 meltas, PF sergeant
Vanguard vet squad, lightning claw, 3 storm shields
Sanguinary priest, JP, meltabombs
Sanguinary priest, JP,

1500pts: add

5 Assault Squad, flamer, power weapon
Honour guard, 3 meltas, lighning claw
Full devastator Squad, 4 missile launchers
Swap 1 sang priest to walking with storm bolter,
Add lighning claws to the other sang priest.

2000pts: add

Vanguard vet squad, lightning claw, 3 storm shields
Terminater assault squad, 4 THSS, 1TLC

Space Wolf flavoured Sons of Malice:

1000pts: (not really feasable?)

Logan Grimnar
5 wolf guard, 1 in terminator armour with cyclone & chainfist
5 wolf guard, 1 in terminator armour with cyclone & PF
5 wolf guard, 1 in terminator armour with cyclone & PF
Lone wolf in terminator armour, chainfist stormshield
Lone wolf in terminator armour, chainfist stormshield
Devastator Squad, 4 missile launchers

1500pts: add

Rune Priest in terminator armour
5 wolf guard, 1 in terminator armour with cyclone & chainfist, joins another squad to make 10 man.
Thunderwolf cav, SS, PF
Thunderwolf cav, SS, PF

2000pts: add

Thunderwolf cav, SS, PF
Lone wolf in terminator armour, chainfist stormshield
Devastator Squad, 4 missile launchers
5 wolf guard, 1 in terminator armour with cyclone & PF

I would like it italisise the honour guard and vanguard, but I've had to use the 10 raptors I've got hanging around, and they don't really look right jumping around without jumppacks!

In total, the number of models is managable, the extras on both army flavours will give me some flexability either way (more assault terminators, more devestators, more melta).
And, as you've guessed, everything is magnetised, so both flavours fit into one standard GW case. All I've got to do is figure out something suitably... Morally ambiguous for the thunderwolf stand-ins. As I paint and model I'll put up pics. Black and white are supposed to be hard to paint... And damn they are! But from a distance, the couple of test dudes I've done look reasonable.

The thought process of choosing an army... GrimDark

I love the idea of doing a Night Lord army, the colours, the fluff, the gameplay... I've delved further into my 'supplies' and dug out 9 CSM raptors to either mix in as ASM or make the Vanguard squad.

I'm facing a bit of anguish though.

I know that the future is Grimdark, I know that in the 40k universe everyones a bit depressed, as are the colours. I know that I can produce (at least at current skill levels) a reasonable dirty/brooding selection of army colours.

But is another dark army the way I want to go?

Eldar: Dark reds, greys and bone

Dark Angels: Bone, rich dark green, black with reds

Tau: Dark grey and purple.

With a Sons of Malice colour scheme, I can mix and match models across Codices a bit better, chaos bits will blend in better, and it will stand out, hopefully in an impressive way rather than a sore thumb.

Any idea's readers?