I have purposely avoided opening up all these boxes of miniatures and putting them all together. I've taken this approach, because I don't have the room for 50+ miniatures lying around my apartment and because I don't want to dilute the excitement of cracking open a new box. I know that once I open a box of Devastators, I'll put them together, then they'll just sit there until I get around to painting them. The incentive to get them painted diminishes because they go from "box of excitement" to "pile of minis I have to paint." This approach has come to bite me on the ass.
One of the great things about the Space Marines, as an army and a line of miniatures, is that they're endlessly customizable. You can combine pretty much any component with any other component. If you like a particular armor piece, you can use it, even if it wasn't made for that particular model. For example, I like the running legs from the Assault Squad kit. I think they make for dynamic poses. So I use them for my Tactical Squad. The running legs make them look like they're charging into battle. Especially when I attach bayonettes to the front of their bolt guns.
As I said, however, I resisted opening all the boxes I purchased, and I wish I had. I used to know the contents of the boxes by heart (because I've painted a lot of Space Marines in my time), and I thought I knew what was inside each of them. So I was looking for a particular bit for my Scout Squad which I knew I could find in the Tactical Space Marine kit. It had changed. There were new pieces in there. So I got curious and opened up all the other boxes. There were tons of new pieces in those, too. By the time I got to the Devastator Squad, my heart sank. There, on the sprue, was a new piece; one that would have been perfect for my Space Marine Captain.
Only, I'd already assembled the Space Marine Captain. Because he's part of my Terminator Squad, I assembled the model with a storm bolter and power fist. But there's an even more appropriate power fist in the Devastator Squad; it's pointing (rather than punching). It looks very commanding. So now I've got to purchase and assemble another Captain.
The rule: Always bust open all the kits and look at the pieces.
20100728
20100727
Battle Doctrine: Death From Above
The battle doctrine of the Helljumpers focuses predominantly on mobility. While the other Chapters of the Legio Astartes are well-known as angels of death for their lightning strikes, the Helljumpers have perfected the use of the orbital strike. This is not the White Scars’ focus on ground mobility, or the Raven Guards’ dependence on jump-pack assault squads, nor even the Blood Angels’ reliance on tank-centered shock tactics. The Helljumpers take advantage of the ultimate high ground -- orbit -- to such a degree that some Chapters find unreasonable and unsettling. Theirs is orbital mobility. It is for this reason the Helljumper’s adopted the motto “Strike From Space.”
A battle barge emerges from the Warp as close to the target planetary body as possible, and as close as their astropaths can allow. These psychic navigators train religiously in the task, and are considered the best in the Emperor’s armies. This ensures that the fleet either circumvents any orbital defense systems, or surprises them before they can react. Burning off speed by entering orbit at near zero lateral vector, targeting computers rapidly commence orbital bombardment. Large population centers and military targets take priority in order to crush the opposition. The pilot places the battle barge in a “ball of yarn” orbit over the planet in order to ensure no target escapes the Emperor‘s righteous fury. A good pilot can place the ship in a position to glass every surface target within the span of thirty minutes standard.
Battle brothers only deploy in order to crush any remaining resistance. These are typically targets too small, or too vital, to warrant orbital bombardment by the ship’s mass drivers. The goal is to demoralize and destroy, and the Helljumpers typically target the strongest point in an enemy’s ground resistance. Destroy the center, Helljumper doctrine teaches, and you demoralize any opposition that remains.
Scout squads deploy via Thunderhawk gunships, their primary mission to work their way into a forward position and identify the main body of opposition. Once the Master of the Ship and Master of the Drop confirms the location via orbital imaging, the drop begins. The ship’s mass drivers switch from firing solid, deuterium core slugs to launching ceramite-armored drop pods loaded with Space Marines. Inertial guidance systems, maintained through prayer and unguents by the chapter’s Techmarines, ensure the drop pods scatter as little as possible and hammer onto the battlefield with pinpoint precision. They employ teleport homers and locator beacons at every opportunity to ensure accuracy.
Witnessing a drop pod assault would be an awesome sight, were it not terrible in its wrath. Few who behold one live to tell the tale. They are the ultimate weapon of terror and surprise. Their red-hot hulls blaze across the sky with the fury of re-entry. Impact kicks up a wave of debris and heat that levels everything in its path. Then, their hatches blow, like some horrible flower blooming, to disgorge a squad of Tactical Space Marines fuelled with righteous fury. Often, they sing hymns to the emperor as they dispense his vengeance upon the wicked.
In this way, the Helljumpers seize the initiative, and define the course of the battle. Tactical Squads can quickly establish a perimeter on the flanks on an enemy force. Or reinforce a single flank and roll up along the enemy’s lines of battle. Or use the drop pods themselves to smash into an opponent’s skirmish lines and simply mill around in an amongst the enemy. They can open up a new front, in order to confuse the enemy. Or, in the case of particularly strong opposition, can reinforce a stalled advance. In short, Helljumpers can be anywhere, or everywhere.
For many a foe, a Helljumper orbital assault is the last thing they will ever see. Good that it is a thing of terrible beauty, proof of the Emperor’s divine light and divine justice.
A battle barge emerges from the Warp as close to the target planetary body as possible, and as close as their astropaths can allow. These psychic navigators train religiously in the task, and are considered the best in the Emperor’s armies. This ensures that the fleet either circumvents any orbital defense systems, or surprises them before they can react. Burning off speed by entering orbit at near zero lateral vector, targeting computers rapidly commence orbital bombardment. Large population centers and military targets take priority in order to crush the opposition. The pilot places the battle barge in a “ball of yarn” orbit over the planet in order to ensure no target escapes the Emperor‘s righteous fury. A good pilot can place the ship in a position to glass every surface target within the span of thirty minutes standard.
Battle brothers only deploy in order to crush any remaining resistance. These are typically targets too small, or too vital, to warrant orbital bombardment by the ship’s mass drivers. The goal is to demoralize and destroy, and the Helljumpers typically target the strongest point in an enemy’s ground resistance. Destroy the center, Helljumper doctrine teaches, and you demoralize any opposition that remains.
Scout squads deploy via Thunderhawk gunships, their primary mission to work their way into a forward position and identify the main body of opposition. Once the Master of the Ship and Master of the Drop confirms the location via orbital imaging, the drop begins. The ship’s mass drivers switch from firing solid, deuterium core slugs to launching ceramite-armored drop pods loaded with Space Marines. Inertial guidance systems, maintained through prayer and unguents by the chapter’s Techmarines, ensure the drop pods scatter as little as possible and hammer onto the battlefield with pinpoint precision. They employ teleport homers and locator beacons at every opportunity to ensure accuracy.
Witnessing a drop pod assault would be an awesome sight, were it not terrible in its wrath. Few who behold one live to tell the tale. They are the ultimate weapon of terror and surprise. Their red-hot hulls blaze across the sky with the fury of re-entry. Impact kicks up a wave of debris and heat that levels everything in its path. Then, their hatches blow, like some horrible flower blooming, to disgorge a squad of Tactical Space Marines fuelled with righteous fury. Often, they sing hymns to the emperor as they dispense his vengeance upon the wicked.
In this way, the Helljumpers seize the initiative, and define the course of the battle. Tactical Squads can quickly establish a perimeter on the flanks on an enemy force. Or reinforce a single flank and roll up along the enemy’s lines of battle. Or use the drop pods themselves to smash into an opponent’s skirmish lines and simply mill around in an amongst the enemy. They can open up a new front, in order to confuse the enemy. Or, in the case of particularly strong opposition, can reinforce a stalled advance. In short, Helljumpers can be anywhere, or everywhere.
For many a foe, a Helljumper orbital assault is the last thing they will ever see. Good that it is a thing of terrible beauty, proof of the Emperor’s divine light and divine justice.
20100719
My Terrible, Wonderful Idea
Finishing these space marine scouts is taking longer than I anticipated. First, I decided that I may as well put together the second squad and paint them all together. Second, I still have to drill out the barrels on the guns. Third, I want to add all those little fiddly bit that come with the kit (packs, grenades, etc.) because they hide the awkward seam between the torso and legs. So rather than an update on my project, I thought I'd share with you an idea I had late last night.
I live in NYC, in an apartment I share with my roommate. I took the bedroom, and he's converted the living room into his bedroom. We share the kitchen and bathroom. What this means is that I have no place to play Warhammer 40K. For those of you who have no idea what this means (which I find highly unlikely since this is a site dedicated to the game), playing requires a large table. I mean HUGE. Six feet by three feet, at least. Then there's all the attendant terrain -- the buildings, forests, hills, and whatnot that you put on the table to provide cover. If you know me, I don't just build my own terrain; I construct my own modular table with different terrain themes (urban, refinery complex, forward operating base, desert, forest...). My current dream is to recreate, in 28mm, the location of the last battle in Saving Private Ryan.
I simply don't have the room for all of this. The living room would be perfect, since I've packed all my other activities into the bedroom already (TV, bookcases, desk, etc.). As I mentioned, however, that room is already occupied by my roommate. I could eliminate him (read that however you like), but then I'd have to pay my $1000/mo. rent by myself. I'm certain I'm not the only one in NYC with this predicament, however. And that's where my terrible idea comes from.
See, I live in Brooklyn. Specifically Bay Ridge. Bay Ridge is a traditionally Italian neighborhood. In my youth, if you were of a certain racial distinction, you did not come to Bay Ridge lest you wanted to be chased, Warriors-like, by kids with bats and golf clubs. The neighborhood is riddled with that old Italian standby and mobster-movie cliche: the social club. I kid you not. There are five of them within a few blocks of my home. These old, Italian men rent a storefront and convert it into a clubhouse. I've looked inside a few of them (not too closely, mind you), and they all have a few card tables, a couch, a TV, and a refrigerator. They sit around all day playing poker, watching the horseraces on TV, and presumably not collecting the vig at 32 percent (or else). Why can't I do the same thing?
The plan is to get a bunch of fellow gamers with too tiny apartments together. We create a club, with dues, and a charter and all that. We fill this space with giant tables for gaming. I could line one wall with shelves for terrain pieces. Put in a couch or two. And a TV so we could all watch the kinds of movies that appeal to gamers. A refrigerator for all the Code Red Mountain Dew and Chinese takeout. There would be a place for people to paint their miniatures. Then, I'd basically sell memberships to the club (to cover expenses). It would be, for all intents and purposes, an Italian social club. Only without all the leg-breaking.
Initial problems come to mind. I would have to be there 24-7, just to make sure everything was okay. Which means I'd have to give up my day job (err, night job). So the club would have to also generate some income for Ross. Gamers are a fickle lot; I'd get 100 people to sign up for May, but none for the month of June. I could compensate by selling Games Workshop and other hobby-related products. But I'd likely have to give a discount to club members (cutting into the margins). I might be able to offset this by selling other games, like Magic: the Gathering and YuGiOh. But that leads to the slippery slope of actually opening up a game store. I don't want to own and operate a game store. I want a clubhouse where I can lay down some smack in the form of 28mm miniatures. Finally, this club would have to be located in Brooklyn, because the rents are cheaper; who in the hell will travel all the way out to Bay Ridge just to play Warhammer?
I don't know how they make the Italian social club a viable, on-going concern. Well, I do, but I don't (if you know what I mean). I've thought about asking them about it, but it would be too hard to explain to a bunch of goombas more inclined to stick an ice pick in my ear. So I have no idea how to make my terrible, wonderful idea come to life.
I live in NYC, in an apartment I share with my roommate. I took the bedroom, and he's converted the living room into his bedroom. We share the kitchen and bathroom. What this means is that I have no place to play Warhammer 40K. For those of you who have no idea what this means (which I find highly unlikely since this is a site dedicated to the game), playing requires a large table. I mean HUGE. Six feet by three feet, at least. Then there's all the attendant terrain -- the buildings, forests, hills, and whatnot that you put on the table to provide cover. If you know me, I don't just build my own terrain; I construct my own modular table with different terrain themes (urban, refinery complex, forward operating base, desert, forest...). My current dream is to recreate, in 28mm, the location of the last battle in Saving Private Ryan.
I simply don't have the room for all of this. The living room would be perfect, since I've packed all my other activities into the bedroom already (TV, bookcases, desk, etc.). As I mentioned, however, that room is already occupied by my roommate. I could eliminate him (read that however you like), but then I'd have to pay my $1000/mo. rent by myself. I'm certain I'm not the only one in NYC with this predicament, however. And that's where my terrible idea comes from.
See, I live in Brooklyn. Specifically Bay Ridge. Bay Ridge is a traditionally Italian neighborhood. In my youth, if you were of a certain racial distinction, you did not come to Bay Ridge lest you wanted to be chased, Warriors-like, by kids with bats and golf clubs. The neighborhood is riddled with that old Italian standby and mobster-movie cliche: the social club. I kid you not. There are five of them within a few blocks of my home. These old, Italian men rent a storefront and convert it into a clubhouse. I've looked inside a few of them (not too closely, mind you), and they all have a few card tables, a couch, a TV, and a refrigerator. They sit around all day playing poker, watching the horseraces on TV, and presumably not collecting the vig at 32 percent (or else). Why can't I do the same thing?
The plan is to get a bunch of fellow gamers with too tiny apartments together. We create a club, with dues, and a charter and all that. We fill this space with giant tables for gaming. I could line one wall with shelves for terrain pieces. Put in a couch or two. And a TV so we could all watch the kinds of movies that appeal to gamers. A refrigerator for all the Code Red Mountain Dew and Chinese takeout. There would be a place for people to paint their miniatures. Then, I'd basically sell memberships to the club (to cover expenses). It would be, for all intents and purposes, an Italian social club. Only without all the leg-breaking.
Initial problems come to mind. I would have to be there 24-7, just to make sure everything was okay. Which means I'd have to give up my day job (err, night job). So the club would have to also generate some income for Ross. Gamers are a fickle lot; I'd get 100 people to sign up for May, but none for the month of June. I could compensate by selling Games Workshop and other hobby-related products. But I'd likely have to give a discount to club members (cutting into the margins). I might be able to offset this by selling other games, like Magic: the Gathering and YuGiOh. But that leads to the slippery slope of actually opening up a game store. I don't want to own and operate a game store. I want a clubhouse where I can lay down some smack in the form of 28mm miniatures. Finally, this club would have to be located in Brooklyn, because the rents are cheaper; who in the hell will travel all the way out to Bay Ridge just to play Warhammer?
I don't know how they make the Italian social club a viable, on-going concern. Well, I do, but I don't (if you know what I mean). I've thought about asking them about it, but it would be too hard to explain to a bunch of goombas more inclined to stick an ice pick in my ear. So I have no idea how to make my terrible, wonderful idea come to life.
20100716
Color Scheme
Here it is, my general palette for the Helljumpers:
That'll be light grey overall, with olive drab on some of the armor plating. Terracotta, orange or yellow to denote Company, either on the shoulder pads or right knee pad (or both).
The Next Step: Primer
I've finished assembling the first squad of space marine scouts, which was a lot easier and faster once I'd realized their main limitation (see my previous post). I pretty much banged them out assembly line fashion. The biggest help, really, was the switch from super glue to plastic glue. With traditional modeling glue, you have time to make the minor adjustments you need to get the model assembled properly; moreover, it actually melts the plastic pieces a bit thus creating more of a weld. So I'm quite happy how Company 10, Squad 1 turned out. Time to move on to the next phase: Priming.
Normally, I prime my miniatures in black. I generally believe it's more forgiving as a base, because if you miss a spot it generally looks like shading and not a glaring mistake. But it's also a bitch to paint over with lighter colors like yellow and red. Games Workshop now makes something called "foundation colors" which is supposed to clear this little problem up. But I've never used them (because I got out of the hobby before their introduction) so I have no sense of how well they work. I want to expand my horizons a bit, however, and stretch myself and my painting skills, so I'm actually going to prime these miniatures in white.
The reason for this is the issue of opacity. When you paint, a little bit of the color from the previous layer shows through. That's what makes painting yellow over black so difficult, because the opacity of the yellow allows the black to show through. What it (opacity) also does is determines how bright or dark your miniature will look. So if you prime in black, you're going to get a darker or duller miniature than if you had priming in white. Since I generally paint things in darker hues, I often get figures that look indistinguished or just plain difficult to see.
With the Helljumpers, I want to go with a more traditional military look. An army in bright blue armor just never made sense to me. My palette consists of grey and olive drab, with just a bit of color to denote unit designation (1st Company, 4th Company, 10th Company). It's actually the same color scheme used for Boba Fett's costume. And since these colors are drab, I want to prime in white so that these colors really pop.
I'll be doing this on Saturday.
Normally, I prime my miniatures in black. I generally believe it's more forgiving as a base, because if you miss a spot it generally looks like shading and not a glaring mistake. But it's also a bitch to paint over with lighter colors like yellow and red. Games Workshop now makes something called "foundation colors" which is supposed to clear this little problem up. But I've never used them (because I got out of the hobby before their introduction) so I have no sense of how well they work. I want to expand my horizons a bit, however, and stretch myself and my painting skills, so I'm actually going to prime these miniatures in white.
The reason for this is the issue of opacity. When you paint, a little bit of the color from the previous layer shows through. That's what makes painting yellow over black so difficult, because the opacity of the yellow allows the black to show through. What it (opacity) also does is determines how bright or dark your miniature will look. So if you prime in black, you're going to get a darker or duller miniature than if you had priming in white. Since I generally paint things in darker hues, I often get figures that look indistinguished or just plain difficult to see.
With the Helljumpers, I want to go with a more traditional military look. An army in bright blue armor just never made sense to me. My palette consists of grey and olive drab, with just a bit of color to denote unit designation (1st Company, 4th Company, 10th Company). It's actually the same color scheme used for Boba Fett's costume. And since these colors are drab, I want to prime in white so that these colors really pop.
I'll be doing this on Saturday.
20100715
Space Marine Scouts = Fail
The past two days have seen me putting together the plastic space marine scout kits from Games Workshop. I have to say, I hate this goddamned kit.
One of the great things about the space marine tactical squad (and assault marine squad, for that matter) is that they're so poseable. You can assemble them in any pose you want -- action pose, defensive pose, running... You can combine kits to make something uniquely yours. You want a space marine sergeant with a pistol in both hands? You can do that.
No so much with the scouts. You simply must put them together in exactly, precisely the way Games Workshop wants, or they won't go together. I wanted to assemble scouts with sniper rifles without the cammo cloaks (because I didn't buy camo cloaks for my scouts); you can't do it. The non-cloak torsos don't fit on the legs that come with the scouts-with-sniper-rifle kits. You could assemble the non-cloak scouts normally, but then the arms for the snipers don't fit on the non-cloak torsos, either. I wanted to model the missile launcher scout on kneeling legs. You can't do that. I wanted my scouts to look like they were firing their weapons in an aggressive pose. Can't do that because then the torsos don't fit on the legs. And the kit comes with a chainsword for the sergeant, which is not even an option for the unit (which is odd).
You cannot combine kits in any way, either. No, you cannot model your scouts with grenades in their hands. No, you can't give them "running" legs. Conversion oppportunities are severely limited. There is a reason you see the same five poses for space marine scouts. That's how Games Workshop wants it.
I've already ruined two scout models; they are completely incapable of being assembled due to my attempts at modelling what I want for the squad. (Oh, and even though I was able to assemble the sergeant in the way I wanted -- bolt rifle in one hand, the other hand pointing -- the best I could get was a model that looks startled rather than looking commanding.) Really, in the end, GW should have just kept the models as metal.
One of the great things about the space marine tactical squad (and assault marine squad, for that matter) is that they're so poseable. You can assemble them in any pose you want -- action pose, defensive pose, running... You can combine kits to make something uniquely yours. You want a space marine sergeant with a pistol in both hands? You can do that.
No so much with the scouts. You simply must put them together in exactly, precisely the way Games Workshop wants, or they won't go together. I wanted to assemble scouts with sniper rifles without the cammo cloaks (because I didn't buy camo cloaks for my scouts); you can't do it. The non-cloak torsos don't fit on the legs that come with the scouts-with-sniper-rifle kits. You could assemble the non-cloak scouts normally, but then the arms for the snipers don't fit on the non-cloak torsos, either. I wanted to model the missile launcher scout on kneeling legs. You can't do that. I wanted my scouts to look like they were firing their weapons in an aggressive pose. Can't do that because then the torsos don't fit on the legs. And the kit comes with a chainsword for the sergeant, which is not even an option for the unit (which is odd).
You cannot combine kits in any way, either. No, you cannot model your scouts with grenades in their hands. No, you can't give them "running" legs. Conversion oppportunities are severely limited. There is a reason you see the same five poses for space marine scouts. That's how Games Workshop wants it.
I've already ruined two scout models; they are completely incapable of being assembled due to my attempts at modelling what I want for the squad. (Oh, and even though I was able to assemble the sergeant in the way I wanted -- bolt rifle in one hand, the other hand pointing -- the best I could get was a model that looks startled rather than looking commanding.) Really, in the end, GW should have just kept the models as metal.
20100710
The Helljumpers Have Landed!
I successfully negotiated a Greyhound bus and the NYC transit system to get my giant pile of miniatures home. What was amusing about the trip were the children on the subway, who could see what it was I had in my shopping bag (there were a lot of boxes). I don't believe they knew what they were, instead simply associating them with toys. There were craning necks, hushed questions to parents, and one bewildered stare. Kids are funny (maybe I should do a piece on them on my other blog).
With the boxes home, it was time to dig out all my old hobby tools. It's been awhile since I tried my hand at mini painting (some four years, I believe), so I had to root around the old closet looking for boxes. I found my Games Workshop painting station; it's a little tray with handles and spaces for brushes, paints, and tools. I find it invaluable for keeping everyting organized. I was pleasantly surprised to find that I indeed had a set of modeling files, a pin vise, and mitre box. I was thinking of buying those at Zombie Planet (http://www.zombie-planet.com/), but dimly remembered already owning them.
I tend to do a lot of conversion work on my minis. I happily saw off heads and arms, and reposition them on other figures. I can do some pretty sophisticated stuff. Sadly, I lost my small bench vise a long time ago (it was put out by Restoration Hardware, and was an actual bench vise suitable for hobbiests); I could plop a mini in it and do some extensive conversions. *Sigh*. I wasn't planning on doing any conversion work on this army, mostly in order to get the army fielded quickly, partly because this isn't as necessary with plastic kits. But now I'm thinking about arm swaps on the scouts, and that's going to involve some cutting.
I also found my paints. This was bittersweet, as they'd been lying in a box for the better part of four years. They were clearly dried out. A cursory examination -- involving me sticking my finger in the pot -- showed that it was still tacky. I should be able to recover them with patience and a little water. I have almost my entire palette, too. All I'll need to buy is the primer and fill a few holes in my color selection.
So my painting area is set up. I even gave it a go this morning by beginning to cut the pieces for the scouts off their sprues. It looks like this'll work.
With the boxes home, it was time to dig out all my old hobby tools. It's been awhile since I tried my hand at mini painting (some four years, I believe), so I had to root around the old closet looking for boxes. I found my Games Workshop painting station; it's a little tray with handles and spaces for brushes, paints, and tools. I find it invaluable for keeping everyting organized. I was pleasantly surprised to find that I indeed had a set of modeling files, a pin vise, and mitre box. I was thinking of buying those at Zombie Planet (http://www.zombie-planet.com/), but dimly remembered already owning them.
I tend to do a lot of conversion work on my minis. I happily saw off heads and arms, and reposition them on other figures. I can do some pretty sophisticated stuff. Sadly, I lost my small bench vise a long time ago (it was put out by Restoration Hardware, and was an actual bench vise suitable for hobbiests); I could plop a mini in it and do some extensive conversions. *Sigh*. I wasn't planning on doing any conversion work on this army, mostly in order to get the army fielded quickly, partly because this isn't as necessary with plastic kits. But now I'm thinking about arm swaps on the scouts, and that's going to involve some cutting.
I also found my paints. This was bittersweet, as they'd been lying in a box for the better part of four years. They were clearly dried out. A cursory examination -- involving me sticking my finger in the pot -- showed that it was still tacky. I should be able to recover them with patience and a little water. I have almost my entire palette, too. All I'll need to buy is the primer and fill a few holes in my color selection.
So my painting area is set up. I even gave it a go this morning by beginning to cut the pieces for the scouts off their sprues. It looks like this'll work.
20100709
Ok. I Lied
Okay. I lied. I know in my last post, I said I wasn't going to bust open a lot of boxes and start going to town assembling them and painting them. I totally lied. On the plus side, because I'm still here in Albany (http://www.zombie-planet.com/. You should come.), I can't put everything together. But I can still bust open those boxes. Some initial impressions:
I started with the scouts. Because the last time I played this game, scouts only came in metal miniatures, and I was curious to see what they did with the new plastics. Overall, I'm happy with the set, but I'm disappointed in a few things. First of all, the heads look funny. You would think Games Workshop would get the scale down. I was thinking of head swaps between my space marines and scouts, but now I think that may look comical. Also, they molded camo cloaks on the scouts with sniper rifles. I don't want the cloaks. I hate to paint cloaks, nor did I equip my army with them. They could have modeled the damn cloaks separately. I had to buy another box of scouts for conversions (though now that I look at the models, this looks like it'll be a bitch).
Special disappointment is reserved for the decal sheet. I'm not good with painting logos and insignias. I don't have a steady hand. So I rely on the decals. I think that in the 20 years I've been involved in this hobby, GW has never changed the damned decal sheet. I want to use the variant squad markings, but they're red and won't look good with my color scheme. I would prefer them to be in white or black. No. Not an option. Same with the squad numbers. I've always been a fan of the arabic numerals on the sheet, but I don't want them in white. Also, could we have numbers besides 2, 3, 6, and 7?! I would like a 4 and 5, please. (Yes, I know I could apply the decals, then paint over them, using them as a guide. Go back up to the part where I said I don't have a steady hand). Really, GW it would be nice if you updated your decal sheet and provided some more options. I know you can do it because every other army you put out gets a new goddamned decal sheet.
Then I looked at the captain, because, again, I'm used to those being metal. Wow! Mad cool! You get a half dozen shoulder pads, each one different. Three heads (though it appears GW has mold issues, because there's a lot of flash. Same problem with scouts), each really cool. Again, they modeled the damn cape to the miniature, but that's less of a problem here. I can just use the body from a regular space marine. I'll have a lot of them considering the number of tactical squads I bought for conversions. Finally, I like the selection of weapons in the box; I can easily make the captain I want.
Finally, I popped the cherry on the box of terminators. There is a whole lotta love in that box. It looks like the models assemble in a ball-and-joint fashion, meaning I should be able to place them in the poses I want. The details are really cool, too; the shoulder pads, powerfists, and other fiddly bits just make this look like it'll be a whole lot of fun to assemble and paint. I can't wait.
I started with the scouts. Because the last time I played this game, scouts only came in metal miniatures, and I was curious to see what they did with the new plastics. Overall, I'm happy with the set, but I'm disappointed in a few things. First of all, the heads look funny. You would think Games Workshop would get the scale down. I was thinking of head swaps between my space marines and scouts, but now I think that may look comical. Also, they molded camo cloaks on the scouts with sniper rifles. I don't want the cloaks. I hate to paint cloaks, nor did I equip my army with them. They could have modeled the damn cloaks separately. I had to buy another box of scouts for conversions (though now that I look at the models, this looks like it'll be a bitch).
Special disappointment is reserved for the decal sheet. I'm not good with painting logos and insignias. I don't have a steady hand. So I rely on the decals. I think that in the 20 years I've been involved in this hobby, GW has never changed the damned decal sheet. I want to use the variant squad markings, but they're red and won't look good with my color scheme. I would prefer them to be in white or black. No. Not an option. Same with the squad numbers. I've always been a fan of the arabic numerals on the sheet, but I don't want them in white. Also, could we have numbers besides 2, 3, 6, and 7?! I would like a 4 and 5, please. (Yes, I know I could apply the decals, then paint over them, using them as a guide. Go back up to the part where I said I don't have a steady hand). Really, GW it would be nice if you updated your decal sheet and provided some more options. I know you can do it because every other army you put out gets a new goddamned decal sheet.
Then I looked at the captain, because, again, I'm used to those being metal. Wow! Mad cool! You get a half dozen shoulder pads, each one different. Three heads (though it appears GW has mold issues, because there's a lot of flash. Same problem with scouts), each really cool. Again, they modeled the damn cape to the miniature, but that's less of a problem here. I can just use the body from a regular space marine. I'll have a lot of them considering the number of tactical squads I bought for conversions. Finally, I like the selection of weapons in the box; I can easily make the captain I want.
Finally, I popped the cherry on the box of terminators. There is a whole lotta love in that box. It looks like the models assemble in a ball-and-joint fashion, meaning I should be able to place them in the poses I want. The details are really cool, too; the shoulder pads, powerfists, and other fiddly bits just make this look like it'll be a whole lot of fun to assemble and paint. I can't wait.
20100708
Dilemma
Now that I actually have my army, I have a dilemma. Actually, several of them. And that in addition to trying to figure out how to transport a metric buttload of miniatures back home to Brooklyn.
See, usually I rip open all the boxes and put everything together first. It's like I never got over the Christmas Morning effect. I like to look at my desk and see an entire army waiting for my attention. However, I sipmly don't have the space for this approach in my tiny, NYC apartment. So I'll have to resist the urge.
Which brings me to a different problem. Generally, I assemble my army based on it's position in the force organization chart. I start with troops choices, then move to command, because I can't actually play the game without them. Neither do I like to play with my army until it's all painted. This generally keeps me painting. But this time, I want to paint on the sprue.
Normally, you assemble the minis, prime them, then paint. Yet I've always been intrigued by Games Workshop's technique of painting everything while it's still attached to the sprues, then putting everything together. I've wanted to try it because it allows you to get at hard-to-reach spots, and it seems like the painting process would go faster.
So my problem, in a nutshell, is that I want to bust open and assemble all these miniatures, but really can't. It's like putting heroin in front of an addict and not letting him cop a fix.
See, usually I rip open all the boxes and put everything together first. It's like I never got over the Christmas Morning effect. I like to look at my desk and see an entire army waiting for my attention. However, I sipmly don't have the space for this approach in my tiny, NYC apartment. So I'll have to resist the urge.
Which brings me to a different problem. Generally, I assemble my army based on it's position in the force organization chart. I start with troops choices, then move to command, because I can't actually play the game without them. Neither do I like to play with my army until it's all painted. This generally keeps me painting. But this time, I want to paint on the sprue.
Normally, you assemble the minis, prime them, then paint. Yet I've always been intrigued by Games Workshop's technique of painting everything while it's still attached to the sprues, then putting everything together. I've wanted to try it because it allows you to get at hard-to-reach spots, and it seems like the painting process would go faster.
So my problem, in a nutshell, is that I want to bust open and assemble all these miniatures, but really can't. It's like putting heroin in front of an addict and not letting him cop a fix.
40K Woes
One of the things that bugs me about Games Workshop is their uneven support for their product lines. Or, more concisely, their even uneven support for their games. With the release of the 8th edition of Warhammer, their fantasy wargame, we can expect their support of 40K to fall to nil. All GW resources will be devoted to pumping out new armies for the fantasy line, with only token releases for the science fiction line. This is to be expected, which is why I say their uneven support (between the two lines) is, in fact, even (as in predictable).
Certainly, this is understandable. GW has limited resources to manufacture their products, and the consumer has limited resources to, well, consume. And considering that I just purchased a space marine army in toto, I really don't have a need to purchase more. It's not like I need anything else. I accept that while the fantasy gamers will enjoy all the love over the next few months, I will receive no love at all.
Where this really bothers me is in their uneven, or rather non-existent, support for certain factions in the 40K univers. GW has no problem updating the main armies in the game -- Space Marines, Eldar, Tyranid -- while leaving the more marginal armies languishing. For example, with the new points costs for space marines, do those apply to the Black Templars? They're space marines, too. What about the Sisters of Battle? I love that army. I want to construct an army of the Sisterhood. But I'm not going to, because their points costs are out of line with more recent rules editions for the main armies.
It doesn't matter, ultimately, because as I said, I have my army. I've devoted a lot of thought and money to my Helljumpers. It sure would be nice, however, if Games Workshop spread themselves around a bit more evenly.
Certainly, this is understandable. GW has limited resources to manufacture their products, and the consumer has limited resources to, well, consume. And considering that I just purchased a space marine army in toto, I really don't have a need to purchase more. It's not like I need anything else. I accept that while the fantasy gamers will enjoy all the love over the next few months, I will receive no love at all.
Where this really bothers me is in their uneven, or rather non-existent, support for certain factions in the 40K univers. GW has no problem updating the main armies in the game -- Space Marines, Eldar, Tyranid -- while leaving the more marginal armies languishing. For example, with the new points costs for space marines, do those apply to the Black Templars? They're space marines, too. What about the Sisters of Battle? I love that army. I want to construct an army of the Sisterhood. But I'm not going to, because their points costs are out of line with more recent rules editions for the main armies.
It doesn't matter, ultimately, because as I said, I have my army. I've devoted a lot of thought and money to my Helljumpers. It sure would be nice, however, if Games Workshop spread themselves around a bit more evenly.
The Helljumper Chronicles Begin
Now this is where things swing into high gear. I'm here at Zombie Planet, the game store owned by my friend George Vasilakos. Zombie Planet is pretty much a nerd mecca, selling practially everything that would pluck a nerd's cerebral cortex. You want comics? He's got comics? You want RPGs? He's got those, too. Board games? Check. Trading card games? Action figures? You're kidding me, right? So naturally, I came up here to purchase my Warhammer 40K army.
Boy, am I glad I statted out my army in advance. When I got here, George directed me to a giant cardboard box and said "there's your order." How can I describe the emotions I felt as I opened my case of miniatures? The overwhelming rush of endorphins as pulled out all the smaller boxes? I believe I actually went "SQUEE!" It's a giant box of love. There are 18 boxes of minatures in there.
And it's all in there. Every squad. Every option. All in one giant box.
I've had to resist the urge to go even further, to engage my insanity to it's logical conclusion, and buy everything I would need to assemble and field my army. Glue, hobby tools, paints, dice, tape measure, templates.... That's one of the things I love about this hobby -- all the fiddly bits you need to accompany your habit. I'm sure Games Workshop likes that, too. But that would be completely illogical, because I'm not ready to field my army, so I don't really need dice and templates and such. Besides, buying all that stuff would be crazy.
So now that I've got my space marine army, it's time to start putting things together. I'll be posing pics of the process, and blogging about it, over the coming weeks. (Because it'll take weeks for me to put all this stuff together and paint it). Now, on to the next question: How in the hell will I get all of this stuff to NYC?
Boy, am I glad I statted out my army in advance. When I got here, George directed me to a giant cardboard box and said "there's your order." How can I describe the emotions I felt as I opened my case of miniatures? The overwhelming rush of endorphins as pulled out all the smaller boxes? I believe I actually went "SQUEE!" It's a giant box of love. There are 18 boxes of minatures in there.
And it's all in there. Every squad. Every option. All in one giant box.
I've had to resist the urge to go even further, to engage my insanity to it's logical conclusion, and buy everything I would need to assemble and field my army. Glue, hobby tools, paints, dice, tape measure, templates.... That's one of the things I love about this hobby -- all the fiddly bits you need to accompany your habit. I'm sure Games Workshop likes that, too. But that would be completely illogical, because I'm not ready to field my army, so I don't really need dice and templates and such. Besides, buying all that stuff would be crazy.
So now that I've got my space marine army, it's time to start putting things together. I'll be posing pics of the process, and blogging about it, over the coming weeks. (Because it'll take weeks for me to put all this stuff together and paint it). Now, on to the next question: How in the hell will I get all of this stuff to NYC?
20100702
Variant Army: Force Majeure
One of the things I try to do with my armies is come up with variant schemes. This way, if my core army isn't really appropriate to the battle being fought, I have something else ready to go; I won't have to scramble to come up with a new force. This is particularly important, because if you have to come up with a new force, you're likely to forget a rule or not coordinate your squads well. If you have another force organization ready, you'll be more familiar with how it plays (at least on paper).
I've long been a fan of the space marines' dreadnoughts. I love mechs, and have always wanted to field a few of them, stomping across the battlefield. Alas, I've never actually gotten to do this. The Helljumpers give me an opportunity to try my hand at fielding dreadnoughts.
One of the problems with dreadnoughts is their movement. They basically stomp across the field of battle towards their objective. Which means they're slow. But they also pack a lot of high-powered weaponry, which makes them a target. A slow moving target is not what I want. Thankfully, they can be fielded with drop pods, which is a core element of my army. So I get to have my dreadnoughts hammer onto the battlefield pretty close to where I want them.
This variant force replaces the terminators with two dreadnoughts. One comes equipped with two, twin-linked autocannons. This means four autocannon shots, each re-rollable. It's basically a walking artillery piece. The other I intend to field in the "classic" pattern of assault cannon and close combat arm with stormbolter. It's pretty much the loadout you always see with this miniature, and I thought I'd give it a try. It's roll will be to support whatever unit I drop it near.
Without the terminators, I can pretty much drop the teleport homing devices from the two scout squads (since no one's going to be teleporting). The other change is that my captain no longer has a squad of terminator-armored monsters to join, so I have to find a place for him. My current plan is to have him join the vanguard squad, so I've given him a storm bolter and powersword; this makes him more assault-friendly. Oh, and the vanguards no longer have jump packs, but instead deploy via drop pod.
This gives me five drop pods in the force (two for the dreadnoughts, one of the tactical squad, one for the sternguard and one for the vanguard/captain). This makes the force ODST-rific! It also pretty much mandates that I equip at least two of the drop pods with locator beacons. This will prevent units from scattering when they arrive later in the battle.
The rules work like this. You must deploy half of your drop pods (rounding up) in the first turn. That's three drop pods in my force. As soon as the tactical squad arrives, it's locator beacon can be used. Which means I can unerringly plop down a dreadnought in support. Then, I can drop the sternguard (which also comes with a locator beacon). On later turns, I can either reinforce the tactical squad with either another dreadnought or the vanguards, or do the same for the sternguard. That's a lot of death from above.
I've long been a fan of the space marines' dreadnoughts. I love mechs, and have always wanted to field a few of them, stomping across the battlefield. Alas, I've never actually gotten to do this. The Helljumpers give me an opportunity to try my hand at fielding dreadnoughts.
One of the problems with dreadnoughts is their movement. They basically stomp across the field of battle towards their objective. Which means they're slow. But they also pack a lot of high-powered weaponry, which makes them a target. A slow moving target is not what I want. Thankfully, they can be fielded with drop pods, which is a core element of my army. So I get to have my dreadnoughts hammer onto the battlefield pretty close to where I want them.
This variant force replaces the terminators with two dreadnoughts. One comes equipped with two, twin-linked autocannons. This means four autocannon shots, each re-rollable. It's basically a walking artillery piece. The other I intend to field in the "classic" pattern of assault cannon and close combat arm with stormbolter. It's pretty much the loadout you always see with this miniature, and I thought I'd give it a try. It's roll will be to support whatever unit I drop it near.
Without the terminators, I can pretty much drop the teleport homing devices from the two scout squads (since no one's going to be teleporting). The other change is that my captain no longer has a squad of terminator-armored monsters to join, so I have to find a place for him. My current plan is to have him join the vanguard squad, so I've given him a storm bolter and powersword; this makes him more assault-friendly. Oh, and the vanguards no longer have jump packs, but instead deploy via drop pod.
This gives me five drop pods in the force (two for the dreadnoughts, one of the tactical squad, one for the sternguard and one for the vanguard/captain). This makes the force ODST-rific! It also pretty much mandates that I equip at least two of the drop pods with locator beacons. This will prevent units from scattering when they arrive later in the battle.
The rules work like this. You must deploy half of your drop pods (rounding up) in the first turn. That's three drop pods in my force. As soon as the tactical squad arrives, it's locator beacon can be used. Which means I can unerringly plop down a dreadnought in support. Then, I can drop the sternguard (which also comes with a locator beacon). On later turns, I can either reinforce the tactical squad with either another dreadnought or the vanguards, or do the same for the sternguard. That's a lot of death from above.
20100701
Force Organization
I've been playing around with the space marine force organization chart, using the aforementioned sample army from Games Workshop as a starting point. It's important that you select your forces before you start buying and painting minis, otherwise you end up wasting time and money when you realize you can't actually field what you've bought; I know this seems obvious, but I've been guilty of buying cool looking minis just to have them (then, never actually using them). I've made a few changes to the list, to suit my own style.
Captain: The leader for my army will join the terminators on the battlefield. As such, I've equipped him with both a stormbolter and powerfist (basically making him a terminator himself, but without the terminator armor). He'll be arriving via teleportation with the terminators.
Scouts: My army includes two scout squads, both with teleport homing beacons. I decided to go with two beacons instead of just one in order to add some tactical flexibility to the force. I generally think it's dangerous to have only one homer in the force, because it's possible for one squad to be eliminated pretty quickly (especially from assault or a well-placed blast template). With some redundancy, I'm assured of both survival and flexibility; the terminators have two targets they can home in on, instead of one. Also, both squads have a heavy weapon -- one heavy bolter (with hellfire shells) and one missile launcher. This way, they can take on bigger targets (like vehicles).
Tactical Squad: This is the standard tactical squad, equipped the same was as in the sample force organization chart. It's got a flamer and missile launcher (because that saves me on points), and a drop pod.
Terminators: The hammer in my toolbox. The terminators remain at a five-man unit (again, to save on points), but I've equipped them with an assault cannon rather than the heavy flamer. I generally don't like flamers. I realize that the terminators on GW's list are likely expected to hold their ground in a hand-to-hand assault, in which case the heavy flamer makes sense. But I prefer them to stand their ground when they arrive and blast everything. There's also the potential with the assault cannon to get hits on a vehicle's rear armor. The terminators (and captain) arrive via the deep strike rules, using the scout's teleport homers as targets (and thus not scattering).
Sternguard Veterans: On the orginal list, the sternguard veterans were only a five-man strong unit. Generally, I prefer to field full-sized units. As my friend Matt Colville likes to point out, if one is good, ten are better. So I took this unit up to it's maximum size of ten. They also come with a drop pod for deep striking. I intend to have them hold an entire flank on their own, and hopefully draw attention away from other units in the force. With both a heavy bolter and missile launcher assigned to the unit, they can cause a lot of havoc, and should be ignored at peril.
Vanguard Veterans: This is where I have to skimp on points. Violating my own "ten is better" rule, I kept the force at a five-man squad. They still have jump packs, which allows them to deep strike. I've given them two power swords (taking the total up to three in the squad) and two plasma pistols. My intention is to select the most dangerous non-vehicle unit in my opponent's army, and have them assault as soon as possible. With two attacks each, plus one for the close combat weapons, that's 15 attacks (and the power swords ignore armor and get a re-roll to wound). That's nasty.
Options: Believe it or not, I still have points left over to spend (77 to be exact), which gives me some options:
1) I can include two more vanguard veterans (taking the squad up to 7 total) and give both them and the sergeant meltabombs (which gives them vehicle-hunting capability).
2) I can include a landspeeder equipped with both a heavy bolter and multi-melta. But landspeeders are notoriously fragile, and it would attract a lot of attention. I'm not sure it's worth spending 70 points for a bullet magnet.
3) I can include Sgt. Tellion (a special character), which allows one model in the scout squad to use his ballistic skill 6 for shooting. The likeliest nominee would be the heavy bolter with hellfire shells, which would produce a blast template and wound on a 2+ on a to hit roll of 1+. Nasty.
4) For ten points each, I can equip both drop pods with a locator. This would allow the teminators even more options for scatter-free teleportation. They could then unerringly reinforce the tactical squad, sternguard or vanguard veterans. I would use this option with Sgt. Tellion in the army.
Captain: The leader for my army will join the terminators on the battlefield. As such, I've equipped him with both a stormbolter and powerfist (basically making him a terminator himself, but without the terminator armor). He'll be arriving via teleportation with the terminators.
Scouts: My army includes two scout squads, both with teleport homing beacons. I decided to go with two beacons instead of just one in order to add some tactical flexibility to the force. I generally think it's dangerous to have only one homer in the force, because it's possible for one squad to be eliminated pretty quickly (especially from assault or a well-placed blast template). With some redundancy, I'm assured of both survival and flexibility; the terminators have two targets they can home in on, instead of one. Also, both squads have a heavy weapon -- one heavy bolter (with hellfire shells) and one missile launcher. This way, they can take on bigger targets (like vehicles).
Tactical Squad: This is the standard tactical squad, equipped the same was as in the sample force organization chart. It's got a flamer and missile launcher (because that saves me on points), and a drop pod.
Terminators: The hammer in my toolbox. The terminators remain at a five-man unit (again, to save on points), but I've equipped them with an assault cannon rather than the heavy flamer. I generally don't like flamers. I realize that the terminators on GW's list are likely expected to hold their ground in a hand-to-hand assault, in which case the heavy flamer makes sense. But I prefer them to stand their ground when they arrive and blast everything. There's also the potential with the assault cannon to get hits on a vehicle's rear armor. The terminators (and captain) arrive via the deep strike rules, using the scout's teleport homers as targets (and thus not scattering).
Sternguard Veterans: On the orginal list, the sternguard veterans were only a five-man strong unit. Generally, I prefer to field full-sized units. As my friend Matt Colville likes to point out, if one is good, ten are better. So I took this unit up to it's maximum size of ten. They also come with a drop pod for deep striking. I intend to have them hold an entire flank on their own, and hopefully draw attention away from other units in the force. With both a heavy bolter and missile launcher assigned to the unit, they can cause a lot of havoc, and should be ignored at peril.
Vanguard Veterans: This is where I have to skimp on points. Violating my own "ten is better" rule, I kept the force at a five-man squad. They still have jump packs, which allows them to deep strike. I've given them two power swords (taking the total up to three in the squad) and two plasma pistols. My intention is to select the most dangerous non-vehicle unit in my opponent's army, and have them assault as soon as possible. With two attacks each, plus one for the close combat weapons, that's 15 attacks (and the power swords ignore armor and get a re-roll to wound). That's nasty.
Options: Believe it or not, I still have points left over to spend (77 to be exact), which gives me some options:
1) I can include two more vanguard veterans (taking the squad up to 7 total) and give both them and the sergeant meltabombs (which gives them vehicle-hunting capability).
2) I can include a landspeeder equipped with both a heavy bolter and multi-melta. But landspeeders are notoriously fragile, and it would attract a lot of attention. I'm not sure it's worth spending 70 points for a bullet magnet.
3) I can include Sgt. Tellion (a special character), which allows one model in the scout squad to use his ballistic skill 6 for shooting. The likeliest nominee would be the heavy bolter with hellfire shells, which would produce a blast template and wound on a 2+ on a to hit roll of 1+. Nasty.
4) For ten points each, I can equip both drop pods with a locator. This would allow the teminators even more options for scatter-free teleportation. They could then unerringly reinforce the tactical squad, sternguard or vanguard veterans. I would use this option with Sgt. Tellion in the army.
My Inspiration
This is the inspiration for my force organization:
http://www.games-workshop.com/gws/content/article.jsp?categoryId=600002&pIndex=1&aId=9600027&start=2
As you can see, it is primarily based on the Space Marine's ability to deep strike, even in scenarios that don't allow for this rule to be used. Basically, the majority of my army will remain in reserve, and off the table, until it drops onto the field of battle. While this can be risky, as the army arrives piecemeal and could actually be destroyed in the process (by scattering off the table), I think it'll be fun to drop squads each turn and alter the course of battle.
As I said, however, this is just a starting point. The list has been heavily modified, as I'll detail in a later post.
http://www.games-workshop.com/gws/content/article.jsp?categoryId=600002&pIndex=1&aId=9600027&start=2
As you can see, it is primarily based on the Space Marine's ability to deep strike, even in scenarios that don't allow for this rule to be used. Basically, the majority of my army will remain in reserve, and off the table, until it drops onto the field of battle. While this can be risky, as the army arrives piecemeal and could actually be destroyed in the process (by scattering off the table), I think it'll be fun to drop squads each turn and alter the course of battle.
As I said, however, this is just a starting point. The list has been heavily modified, as I'll detail in a later post.
The Look
Whenever I start a 40K army, I spend a great deal of time obsessing about the army's look. This is a critical element, because a major part of the hobby is painting the miniatures; it's how you express your creativity. I got into wargaming for the painting. I figured, if I'm going to paint minis, I may as well use them. (I used to paint all the minis I used for D&D, too).
An army's look goes beyond the paint job, however. When it comes to Games Workshop, you can pretty much design any army you want, because they've switched primarily to plastics. I want the Helljumpers to look like an actual military force, as opposed to the current "Imperial wackiness" that seems so popular. So that means my army won't include all the fiddly bits like purity seals, tabards, and emblems that come with each boxed set. I want the minis to looks as stripped down and clean as I can possibly get them.
My current color scheme uses traditional, muted military colors. Primarily grey, with camo green accents, and unit insignias in either orange, terracotta, or yellow.
This ban on Imperial wackiness extends to many of the choices on the force organization list. So no Chaplains, Psykers, or Techmarines. I want the Helljumpers to look less like an army of individual knights assembled together, and more like a cohesive military force.
An army's look goes beyond the paint job, however. When it comes to Games Workshop, you can pretty much design any army you want, because they've switched primarily to plastics. I want the Helljumpers to look like an actual military force, as opposed to the current "Imperial wackiness" that seems so popular. So that means my army won't include all the fiddly bits like purity seals, tabards, and emblems that come with each boxed set. I want the minis to looks as stripped down and clean as I can possibly get them.
My current color scheme uses traditional, muted military colors. Primarily grey, with camo green accents, and unit insignias in either orange, terracotta, or yellow.
This ban on Imperial wackiness extends to many of the choices on the force organization list. So no Chaplains, Psykers, or Techmarines. I want the Helljumpers to look less like an army of individual knights assembled together, and more like a cohesive military force.
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