1st 10 Plague Marines - Check

Ok, so I can officially say that my first 10 plague marines are modeled.

after seeing Davicious Prime's models onB&C i had to go back and add some nurgle iconography to my models.

I got my inspiration from his GS work here.

Again, crappy lighting = crappy pictures. Sorry. Someday i'll be able to shoot in daylight with a lightbox...





once i paint them the GS work should stand out a bit better...

Gah! decisions!

So I thought I had my army all set, had all my units ok and chosen. then I re-read and crunched numbers and stuff on my army.

Now I'm torn...

Do i run a plague wing theme-y or do i run plague wing competitive?
do I run the Terminators with Icon of Nurgle (+1T) or Icon of Tzeentch (+1Inv)
or do i have both options depending on my opponent?

The idea crossed me that, what do you shoot at a Terminator? one does not shoot a terminator with a bolter or bolt pistol. one shoots a terminator with your best armour piercing item you have in order to negate the terminator 2+ armour save.
that means, Plasma and autokill weapons.
Plasma @ S7 will negate my armour save no matter which choice i make due to it's AP. with icon of nurgle he still needs to roll 3s to deal a wound (t5) and i get a 5+Inv for termy armour.
with icon of tzeentch he still needs to roll 3s (t4) to wound and it still idnores my armour save but instead of a 33% chance to make my invulerable save i have a 50% +(4+inv) invulnerable save. negating 16% of wounds due to plasma.

+with Lascannons (S9, AP1 or 2, i forget) instakill on Tzeentch, but they still get their 4+inv. Not instakill on Nurgle, but wound on a 2 with no armour save.
+Icon of Tzeentch is 35 points for a unit instead of 40 for Nurgle.

Those are the benefits.

Now the detriments
-it's not nurgle, which makes it not plague wing.
-it's blue :(
-it's really un-fluffy Tzeentch hopes to change his followers while Nurgle wishes to keep them the same.

Now again, I can model and paint up both units of termies and use one in more serious games and one in friendly games. I can model the Tzeentch termies as starting Nurgle corruption showing that nurgle wins, but Tzeentch is still struggling

Icon Ideas

So my termies need an icon.

I was thinking of using the Icon of Chaos Glory from the Chaos Space Marines box and modelling a triangle of greenstuff to look like hives or pustules over it. similar to the ones used here on the shoulder pad:
http://www.deathguard.org/images/luridusfront.jpg

Plague Wing Progress

The unit of Chaos Space Marines I had purchased have been modeled.
I scored cracks in their armour, drilled small holes to represent bolter shots and took out chunks of the armour around the bolter holes with my xacto.

then i learned how to work greenstuff. (albeit beginner-style) i've put at least 2 areas of festering wounds on each plague marine. and (imo) they look GOOD. pictures are forthcoming, was just too damn tired last nght.

last nights work consisted of greenstuffing the termies to make them look good 'n' Nurgly. again, came out as well as the Plague Marines

i'm out of superglue so will pick some up in the near future. when I do i will be able to use the guitar string as hoses (poking out of the helmet and armour)

again, pictures are forthcoming.

Plaguewing Update

1st off: I worked the Warlords of Miami 1500 point RTT this weekend. Had fun, checking out armies (not a fan of Blue Table's painting, waaay too $$ for way too little work).
I picked up a box o' termies to work on my plague wing. i also picked up some guitar string and sculpting tools. i will be using the guitar string on the termies to make them more "nurgly" and the sculpting tools will be used to enhance my Greenstuff skills.

2nd I'm looking at bringing my Plaguewing list up to 1500 points and i'm at a loss as to what to add:
2 more termy squads2 more plague marine squads1 plage marine squad + 1 termy squad
Termies:
+ Badass looking
+ Deep Striking
+ Reaper Autocannons
- $ Expensive (5 for $50)
- Point expensive

Plague Marines:
+ Rhinos
+ Plasma guns are less lethal
+ Feel No Pain
+ Fearless
+ $ Cheap ($35 for 10)
- Not Plaguewing

Basically if i add 2 termy squads i need to decrease the squad size of the plague marines. this would compromise one of my rules in building the list: 7 models to a unit
however, 2 plague marine units would mean i've got 4 plague marines and one unit of termies. thus i don't think i could call it a "plague wing" at that point.
one unit of each would then give me 3 plague marines (good at holding objectives) and 2 termies, good, but i think it could be done better.

I like the thought of deep striking 3 units of termies, but i'm not guaranteed to get them all at once, which sucks. and piecemeal i may as well just serve them up on a plate. Not a lot of experience on the subject between my playgroup and people online, but fielding the question anyways.
Perhaps i'll add uints after the "base" plaguewing is done that aren't as "plaguewing-y" maybe obliterators and stuff.

side thought: an apocalypse game with the plague wing:
3 units of termies
3-4 units of plague marines in rhinos
1 daemon prince w/wings
1 chaos sorcerer in termy armour
1 chaos Drednaught (heavy?)
2 3 man teams of obliterators

Strategum Plague Wing

Plague Marines -
+ Make dead hard objective holders.
+ In cover with 3+ armour saves. being assaulted means striking @ I10 and the opponent loses the charging bonus attacks due to Blight Grenades.
+ T5 means MEQs wound on 5's. (33% chance to wound)
+ 3+ save means 66% chance to wound (Down to 21.78% wounds)
+ Feel No Pain means 10.89% dead Plague Marines per attack (9.1827 hits = 1 kill)
+ Keep together in order to reinforce overlapping fire lanes

Rhinos -
+ Move footslogging plague marines up the board
+ smoke makes the tin-foil armour of the rhinos a little more survivable
+ once troops unload Rhinos provide mobile cover
+ two rhinos can funnel enemy into a turkey shoot

Terminators -
+ Deep strike off of plague marines icons
+ provide close support to plague marines
+ T5 again means 33% to hit from MEQs
+ 2+ armout save means 10.89% dead termies (9.1827 hits = 1 kill)

Daemon Prince -
+ Not insta-killable
+ Strength + 2D6 armour penetration
+ Wings allow it to keep up with the rhinos
+ Psychic power - Wind of Chaos to kill masses of enemies shooting-style. May use Nurgle's Rot instead as the DP will most likely be in hand-to-hand and kill as many enemy as possible.

Basically, roll the rhinos up to an objective and "camp" it. Unload plague marines then deep strike the termies in the area. Termies provide close support and some assault punches. Daemon prince to tie up squads (squishy-squishy) who may be too much for my Plague Marines and Termies to handle. Essentially "turtling" on the objective while the enemy comes to me.

1st Squad

Almost done with my first squad. Finish modelling them last night, adding in some more holes in the armour and such.
will need to add more to the legs and backs.
also gotta get myself a sculpting tool in order to sculpt the greenstuff for boils and sores and stuff.
once that stuff is on they'll be done. i've got 10 of my 14 Plague Marines modeled.

I have:
1 Aspiring Champion w/pfist & Bolt pistol
1 with Plasma Gun
1 with Meltagun
1 with Icon of Nurgle
2 with Bolter
4 with bolt pistol and CCW

To Buy:
1 box 'o' Chaos Space Marines
2 Chaos Rhinos
1 Daemon Prince of Nurgle
2 boxes 'o' Termies

Plague Marines

Bought a box 'o' Plague Marines a week or so ago. The package says "multipart metal and plastic miniatures". When they say "plastic and metal" they mean that the base is plastic. oh, the backpack is plastic as well.

i hate metal minis. a.) they have to be pinned. b.) you have to use super glue. c.) they're fragile. d.) they're hard to convert. e.) they have gaps which need filling.

so, needless to say, i built them. some of the scuplts are okay, but they're a bitch to convert and i didn't have the patience to pin them all. so i think they'll be my paint tests.

Saturday i bought a box of chaos space marines. 10 marines. the plastic ones. i love 'em. ised my pin vise and xacto to put holes in the armour. think i'll get a sculpting tool next pay period and greenstuff some boils and sores onto them.

then to the paint shop. gonna be primed white then painted camo green. metal will be done boltgun any boils and sores should be pink or purple, skulls and horns bleached bone. then to tha dip! minwax polyshades walnut stain. this should give a good shading to the model. then perhaps a layer or two of highlights.

to do list:
finish modelling
get sculpting tool
make boils and pustules
prime white
buy camo green (2 pots?)
basecoat camo green
metal boltgun
horns/skulls bleached bone
pustules/boils pink or purple (maybe purple with a pink highlight after dipping?)
buy poppy seeds for bugs
Buy Purity Seal
Buy Testors Dulcote

i really think these will turn out well. must make sure to paint test models first.

Bored Orks

So I think my lack of progress on my Orks is because I think I’m bored of all things Orky. I await the new ‘dex. Hopefully a little more life can be put into them. I will set aside my green tide for the time being. Including my project Trukk replacement.

I think I need to try a model-light army which is why I’m going with Chaos.

I have bought my first box of Plague Marines. I have started my PlagueWing.
I have decided that I do not like the look and options of the Plague Marines. I will be building my plague marines out of Chaos Space marines with some GreenStuff’ing of boils and such. Would like the champions to have a horn coming out of a random place.

My pin vice will be hard at work putting holes in armour. My Xacto will be dulled by putting gouges in the armour.

My Plague Marines I have will be my paint tests. I plan on dipping them. So the paint plan will be:
Spray White
Spray Green (camo-green) basecoat
Paint armour, flesh, etc.
Dip in Minwax Polyshades Walnut stain
1-2 highlight layers
Base (use poppy seeds inked black as bugs).

Final Draft - 1st Contagion PlagueWing

Ok, I think this is the final draft of my list. I have touched upon anti-tank. I have dropped the bikes. I think this should be my build list.

1st Contagion PlagueWing
HQ: Daemon Prince (Brother Funesto) - Mark of Nurgle, Wings, Wind of Chaos - 180pts
Troops: Plague Marines x7 (Squad Foedus) - Champion w/pfist, Melta x2, Personal Icon, Rhino - 261pts
Troops: Plague Marines x7 (Squad Detritus) - Champion w/pfist, Plasma x2, Personal Icon, Rhino - 271pts
Elites: Chaos Terminators x7 (Squad Pox)- Icon of Nurgle, Combi Melta x2, Reaper Autocannon - 285pts
===================================
995 points
24 models (including rhinos)
41.45 points per model
53.46% Troops28.64%
Elite18.09% HQ

When time comes to bring it up to 1500 points I believe another squad of Termies will be dropping in, along with some bikers. Basically running the Rhinos up front, deep striking off of the icons and if possible run the bikes behind the enemy and deep strike the termies behind as well causing a crossfire?
But for now, just the 1000 point list.

Revision to Plaguewing

So some holes have been punched in my previous list, but that's good! I asked for constructive criticism in order to help make a more fun and competitive list.
points of note:
1.) bikers too vulnerable. my fix for this was taking raptors @ 5 to a squad, but that would have been in the same boat after 2 kills. then the idea dawned to drop them altogether! loosening up 150 points for elsewhere. and it kept me a bit fluffier as i now wouldn't have a squad of 3 in an army made up of 7's.
2.) Lord wasn't right for the army. i looked back in the codex and read up on sorcerers and saemon princes and i think a DP will work better in the army. although more points than the lord, i think he'll be more effective as i can deep strike him if i like, he can't be instakilled, toughness 6 means it'll take a lot to kill him. also means that he can take out tanks and non-fearless units have to test to get into CC with him.
3.) Plague Marines were too vulnerable. It was suggested to give them rhinos. so i did, and they're super cheap!
3.) Not enough anti-tank. so i added some meltas and stuff.

without further adieu the revised list 10/1/07
HQ - Daemon prince - Mark of Nurgle, Wings, Wind of Chaos - 180 pts
Troops - Plague Marines x7 - Melta Guns x2, Personal Icon, Champion w/pfist, Rhino - 261 points
Troops - Plague Marines x7 - Plasma Guns x2, Personal Icon, Champion w/pfist, Rhino - 271 points
Elites - Chaos Terminators x7 - Icon of Nurgle, Combi Meltas x2, Reaper Autocannon - 285 points
======================
997 points
24 models (including rhinos)
41.54 points per model
53.36% Troops
28.58% Elite
18.05% HQ

I also thought about this today after adding in the rhinos, this is now very similar to the mech- idea i wanted in the beginning!

I've been toying with the idea of a Chaos 2nd army for a while now and really like the Deathwing SM army, but don't want to play SM.
I drew up a quick list of what I would need for a PlagueWing army:
1.) Termies
2.) Delivery system (Chosen, Raptors or Bikers)
3.) Nurgle on everything (it's not ChaosWing, it's PlagueWing!)
4.) Keep unit sizes at 7 (keep it somewhat fluffy, not a HARD requirement)

With those parameters I drew up the following 1,000 Point list:

HQ - Chaos Lord - Termie Armour, Mark of Nurgle, Daemon Weapon - 155pts
Troops - Plague Marines x7 - Champ w/pfist, plas gun x1 - 216pts
Troops - Plague Marines x7 - Champ w/pfist, plas gun x1 - 216pts
Elite - Chaos Terminators x7 - Icon of Nurgle, Champ - 260pts
Fast - Chaos Bikers x3 - Icon of Nurgle - 149pts ==================================================
996pts
25 models
39.84 points per model
43.37% Troops
26.10% Elite
15.56% HQ
14.95% Fast Attack

Issues raised with this list:
1.) Bikers are too vulnerable. With only 3 of them if one dies they *may* run.
2.) Not enough delivery systems. Only icon is the bikers.
3.) Basic troops not defended enough. Was suggested to bring rhinos for each Plague marine squad in order to work as mobile terrain and get them in range faster.
4.) Termies need upgrades. I know a reaper autocannon would be nice, but can't squeeze it in points-wise.

Possible fixes:
1.) drop termy squad to 4 or 5, freeing up points for upgrades of termies and rhinos.
2.) change 3 bikers (who will be testing after the first kill) to 5 raptors with an icon who will have to take 2 kills before a test is needed.
3.) specialize termies. not sure how, close combat or shooty? one would say that a CC termy would really benefit from his 2+ save, but a shooty termy would benefit from being able to move + shoot heavy weaps.

Death Guard/Plague Wing

Again, I still think a Plague Wing would be possible (if hard to play) at 1000 points. Got the new codex and will toss around numbers tonight.

I had read on one person's army blog that he had used poppy seeds as basing material as a swarm of bugs. inked black and gloss coated.

Also reading up on modelling on Dysartes.

thinking of a name...

Looking up synonyms for Death Guard
words I like for Guard: Aegis, Paladin, Custodian
words I like for Death: Putrid, Rancid, Noxious, Carrion
Both: Corpus Delicti

Thoughts on PlagueWing

Thoughts on a PlagueWing army...
Basically a unit or 2 (in big games) of bikers with homing beacons (or chosen with beacons infiltrating) which can call forth the Nurgle icon'd Terminators. There would be some Nurgle and/or plague marines as well as some sort of HQ. POSSIBLY a rhino, but most likely footsloggers, however footsloggers would not fit well into the army and wouldn’t make a lot of sense.

My question is this: would deep striking and biker Nurgle troops be SUPER cheesy? I know you said in a game we had played that they don't generally use transports or fast attack, but with the new codex would it be conceivable that while not Death Guard, they could be a Nurgle worshipping chapter who happens to use those elements?

So with that said army concepts:
1.) Fast deployment of 2+ squads of Terminators
2.) All squads are marked by Nurgle
3.) If infiltrating homing beacon, then footslogging troops
4.) If biking beacon, then transport troops (Rhino)

Infiltrating the homing beacons:
+ Cheaper, points-wise, more models on the table.
+ Slower moving (walking troops up the field)
+ Heavy weapons available close to target

Biking the homing beacons:
+ Fast
+ REALLY cool looking models
+ Low model count = lower financial commitment
+ Possible late game objective grabbers

Plaguewing?

Thought of the day:
still considering a 2nd army, even with the new orks coming out. still thinking along the lines of Chaos as I think that in small numbers they still pack a punch and aren't as mainstream as space marines.
addition to those thoughts are the idea of a Nurgle-marked army playing as Plaguewing. A unit of bikes with a homer beacon racing up the battlefield to dump a unit of Nurgle Termies in front of the enemy. The bikers getting stuck in all the while the basic nurgle troops walking up the field.

Pro's and Con's:
+Low model count
+awesome models
+T6 Bikes?!?!?!
+fun to play
-unfluffy (Plague Marines don't use bikes)
-some major conversion
+less than orks!
+i have plenty of green paint!

Chaos Neutered, Orks Living Large

So i've seen (what I hope to be) pretty reliable leaks of the Chaos and Ork codices.

The new Chaos codex really turned me off of playing chaos. Vanilla-fy's what is a really cool army.

The new Ork codex, takes some of my favorite stuff out, but puts in a bunch more. example: Orks lose Choppas. but they also are 3pts cheaper and gain Furious Assault (+1S +1A on charge). I haven't heard any rumors about a change in the ork stat line (good and bad). i had seen that grots could get their BS pushed up to 3, which would be inconsistent with fluff, orks should be better or equal BS with Grots.
hoping they don't take the ork base 2 attacks Strength 4 would be nice, but i've lived with S3 for 5 years now, so not expecting much in that.

thinking the Furious Assault adds 1 attack and strength on charge stacks with the +1 attack for assaulting and +1 for 2 CC weapons.

Ork base attacks 2
2 CC weapons +1
Charging +1
Furious Assault +1

5 Attacks per model in the Kill Zone!!!! gah!

progress, or lack thereof...

so since my last few posts i'v made absolutely nil progress. in my defense I'm getting married in a month and am kind of swamped between both jobs as well. haven't played in three weeks also.

however...

in other news, i'm still thinking a badass army of word bearers would suit me well. lower model count than my orks. and still fun to play with using a daemon bomb.

in other, other news, i'm also reconsidering a Battlefleet Gothic fleet to support my army(ies). an ork fleet would be fitting for me, but also a Chaos fleet would go well with my new army. the orks would have more bits to work with for custom ships. dunno at this point, not sure if there are any players. I've emailed Rudy and Chuck from Sunshine to see if they'd be interested but they both have issues with taking up a whole new game. i don't see the difference in taking up a whole new game (whose rule books are completely free online) vs. taking up a new army which require a purchase of more models (more models are required for a 40k army as opposed to a similar point level of BFG) and a new rulebook for the new army. a 40k army would take more time to build, convert and paint than a BFG fleet. the system is different to that of 40k, but yet it still shares quite a few similarities that someone coming from 40k to it would not be completely lost.

i don't know, i guess you can lead a horse to water.

Shattered dreams

after a few messaged passed back and forth on a couple of message boards, I think Lustwing will not be viable in the points limits the store is playing at. At 750 points, a unit of 6 terminators would take up 1/3 of my army. putting a Luitenant or Lord with them, then units of Daemons and weapons, i would be well past the 750 point mark very fast and wouldn't have the staying power necessary at that size model count. Bikers cost about the same. with the same issues.

however, I can still fall back on the Word Bearers.

+ They can still perform the Daemon bomb very effectively. (loads of troops slots)
+ They can still use bikes to get summoners to a forward position
+ Less point heavy (14 point Marine +1pt mark of Chaos Undivided vs. 14pt marine +5pt mark os Slaanesh))
+ Can be converted to ZealotWing for high point games (termies still dropping, bikes still zooming, daemons still popping in from the ether)
+ Easier to paint than the pink.
+ Can use Bloodletters
- No Sonic Weapons (although i was never sold on these or the looks of Noise Marines)
- No modifier to enemy's initiative means striking at initiative mostly.
- No bonus for summoning

So at 750 points i know I will be a lot more viable as a DaemonBomb, and i can change it up to emulate ZealWing at higher point value games.
Maybe some other time.

***memory: The Lustwing was to be named: "Emporer's Children, 3rd Consort, Lustwing"***

Lusting for Lustwing

So I've come across variants of the Emporer's Children which I think will suit my tastes well.

It's Fast: Bikers
It's Mean: Termies
It's Fun: Summoning and Deepstriking Daemons and Termies respectively
It's Cheap(ish): Higher points per model = lower model count = less to buy

It's called Lustwing. Generally Lustwing is based off of the Dark Angels Deathwing armies.I would have my Lustwing emulate both the Deathwing *and* the Ravenwing.
In Deathwing armies Terminators are Troops choices and there end up being a lot more than normal. Chaos does not have the availability in their lists to field that many termies but it can be emulated...
Ravenwing are a fast-attack army with bikes and land speeders. As chaos also does not have access to land speeders, I would be forced to leave those out as well, however this can be compensated for.

The idea of a mech-infantry army is still on the table, just changed somewhat. The idea has evolved thus:

Units of fast bikers, turbo boost up behind cover near the enemy, out of charge range. Each unit has a teleport homer and icon. 2nd turn, close in with the enemy 12", summon daemons, drop termies (if possible), charge with bikes and anything else in range.

Points of issue:
1.) Tanks - i would have very little tank-hunting ability unless i give my termies or bikes meltas
2.) Points - at the store I play, they lower points to 750/500. This is coming out harder to build to than with the orks.

Also, I am not sure as to the legion I want to use for this. Word Bearers would allow me to field Bloodletters (fun!) which would allow me to slice n dice through MEQ's (so I'm told). Yet Emporer's Children give my enemy -1 to their initiative allowing me to strike first in CC almost every time.
Also, unsure as to whether or not to make termies multi-role or unit specific. with the 2+ armour save and striking at an effective I5 is tempting to make them CC exclusively. However this would limit my tank hunting to my Bikers. Arming 2 bikers with Meltas and keeping them out of the fray in order to harass and destroy vehicles (with uber-mobility) would be a good job for them, perhaps a small unit or two set up for this? (3 bikes, 2 meltas, no Aspiring Champion).

Thinking now this would be my tentative Lustwing list (unsure as to point totals)
HQ - Luitenant (termie or biker, unsure, think perhaps the extra attacks in Close Combat would be a good thing to have, but will the termies be CC?) keep him cheap. (if termie, give unit of chosen termies) at higher point values would like to trick out luitenant or upgrade to lord.
Elite - Termies (close combat, Lit claws)
Troops - Daemonettes x6
Troops - Daemonettes x6 (maybe a unit or two more)
Fast - Bikers x6 (icon, aspiring champ, teleport homer)
Fast - Bikers x6 (icon, aspiring champ, teleport homer)
Fast - Bikers x3 (meltas x2)

that is all.

i've been thinking of starting Chaos as a second army. a.) lower model count as more points per model. b.) less necessary to convert models=more playing time

So i've been toying with the idea of a mechanized infantry as well. I dig the mechanized tau force jumping out and shooting the hell out of you but i've come to the conclusion that i hate the crisis suits models. so i looked around at other possibilities for mech-inf.

1.) sisters of battle - jump out of rhino, flame, lather, rinse repeat. great models, but a lot more painting than i'm prepared to do. also, the tactic with them feels a little one-dimensional
2.) tau - see above
3.) space marines - Blood angels - we already have 2 blood angels players.
4.) space marines - black templars - still a possibility, but looking really slim due to some of the conversion which i will need to do.
5.) eldar - hate the models. period.
6.) dark eldar - see above
7.) 'nids - no transport
8.) chaos - hrmmmm....
9.) IG - nope, too troop heavy and don't want an armoured company
10.) 'crons - nope, too cheezy

so i started looking into chaos tactics. the one that drew my attention is the Daemon Bomb where a unit or three get close to the enemy quickly then summan as many daemon units as possible, attack, enjoy. i thought hard about this and i see the "bomb" as being just a modified mechanized infantry tactic. the biggest difference is that there will not be moving cover and the "transport" won't be as easy to stop (in theory).

the theory to why the "transport" won't be as easy to stop:
a rhino can be popped and stopped in one shot. it would take a well placed pie plate to stop a unit of bikers or footsloggers.

so i toyed with the idea of an undivided Word Bearers legion. being able to take loads of daemons sounds great, especially for a daemon bomb. but in reality i am trying to avoid an outrageous number of models.

so now i'm thinking of a marked legion, mark of Slaanesh. the Emporer's Children
The planned list looks a little like this:

HQ: Lord on bike w/all the fixxins
HQ: Greater Daemon - Keeper of Secrets
Fast: Biker Boys x6 - icon, Aspiring champion w/daemonic chains
Fast: 2x Biker Boys x6 - icon, Aspiring champion loaded up
Troops: Daemonettes x6 (not sure how many units of these)
Elite: Chosen x6 or Obliterators x3 (i want to be able to deep strike thses guys)
Heavy: Havocs x6 - infiltrate, aspiring champion, icon, loaded for anti-tank
Heavy: Havocs x6 - infiltrate, aspiring champion, icon, loaded for anti-tank


so the tactic of this is to roll up the biker boyz as close as possible. 2nd turn pop the greater daemon and as many 'nettes as possible. swamp 'em and bob's your uncle.
bathe in your enemy's blood