A new plan???

Right, I think that I may need a new plan for KotN, not to drastic a rethink but enough of one to warrent some proper thought. At present I'm looking at a primary detachment, an allied detachment and a formation, but I'm thinking of changing the allied and formation for a second detachment.

There are several reasons for this, the first being that I'm using the allied detachment to get my Sternguard unit in using the Imperial Fists Chapter Tactics, but this is of little use as the main one, Bolter Drill, doesn't work when firing special issue ammo, which they will be doing for the majority of the time and secondly, although the formation rules are good, I think I can gain better benefits from using the Blood Angles Detachment rules. The formation looses the +1I on assault, which when combined with a priest for +1WS and FNP, will make the Vanguard better, add in a Chaplin with a full assault squad and I believe it will work out better than the formation.

In reality, my list is not going to be tailored to anything, it's more of just a collection of units and an excercise to see how many different units I can take in one army. But I'm starting to think that a rethink of the core unit is what's needed to get all the units I want with all the upgrades I want in to the list.

If I wanted to give the top place a good shot, I would be bringing my full MT force with additional melta and plasma gunners, the Vanguard Strike Force with tooled up vets and both my fliers, although I'd have to figure a way to get the Vendetta in with the smallest, cheapest IG force I could. I'd use the IG to anchor the line behind an aegis, deep strike all the rest where they could do the most damage with their ap3 HS guns and lightening claws or power swords. It could be fun, but I'm not bothered about the top spot and it would be weird having so few IG models on the table!

Last minute edit!; Just had another loom through this and major, and I mean MAJOR miscalculation! So as a result a second rethink was called for and thins time I think I've cracked it! How? Well I'm back to a primary and an allied, but placing my Knights as the primary and the Hjaltland as allies. This means that I can take all the SM units; Priest, 2 Tacs, Sternguard, Vanguard, and an Assault Squad with the IG units being; Company Command, with Priest, Psykers and Commissars (non-FoC), MT platoon, Inf Platoon, Wyvern Sqn and Vendetta. This is the beauty of the plan, using the IG structure, taking just on one choice doesn't become a problem, after all a one choice doesn't mean one vehicle! So, the MT platoon will consist of a Command Squad and two Squads, the Inf platoon consists of a platoon command and 4 squads and the wyvern squadron will contain 2 vehicles. This still gives me a large presence of IG with out taking up a large amount of FoC slots. I'm hopeful to get a game in soon and test this list out to its full potential.

Model count

Right, I've been through my models and taken an inventory of everything I own. This was for two reasons, one I didn't actually know what I owned and two I keep buying stuff for projects with out actually knowing what I've already got! Not a good situation to be in!

So what do I own? Well, I've got a lot!

Currently I have 331 guardsmen, consisting of officers, medics, vox casters, flamers, plasma gunners, grenade launchers plus lots of other models. Also within that number there are 180 lasgun armed grunts and 33 heavy weapons, 6 of each type with an extra 3 missile launchers. In addition to the standard guardsmen and officers, I also have 4 commissars, 2 psykers, 4 priests, 9 ratlings, and 35 chaos cultists, which are being converted to various units, notably psykers and priests, in addition, a number will be converted to Inquisition models.

 I also have a number of vehicles, including a Hellhound, 3 Scout sentinels, 2 Wyverns, 3 Chimeras, 3 Leman Russ tanks, one old style battle tank with fixed HB sponsons and lascannon hull mount, one new style battle tank and one new style demolisher, a Valkyrie and also a Vendetta.

Granted this is not the usual list you'll see for a Guard collector as there are relatively few vehicles, but I prefer infantry based armies and massed lasguns.

My Tempestus force is a little smaller, consisting of only an officer, 4 sgt's, a medic, 4 vox casters, 3 HS volley gunners and 12 Scions. I will be getting more models in the future in order to be able to field a decent force, and hopefully the ground assault formation at some point but for the moment this is all I have.

The size of my SM collection was surprising, I didn't realise I owned as much as I did, but I guess that I shouldn't be to surprise when I own two DV box sets to start with. Anyway, the rest of the collection consists of;

3 Librarians, 4 Captain/CM models, 15 Termies, including 2 assault cannons, 1 heavy flamer and 2 chain fists, 52 CC armed marines, with a few plasma pistols and power weapons and a couple of lighting claw armed marines but mostly its chain swords and bolt pistols, 76 bolter marines plus two plasma gunners and 2 plasma cannons. There are also 10 bikes, 2 with plasma guns, 3 dreadnoughts, a Razorback with TL lascannons and 7 Rhinos.

There is a lack of heavy weapons in the marines, but I have a number ready to go with a little conversion work, so no worries there. I have also lumped in all my chaos marines in to the list above as they will be de-chaos'd and put to work for the Emperor. A number of the Rhinos will also be getting up grades, mostly to Razorbacks but one will become a Baal Predator.

Lastly, I have my Inquisition force which currently stands at an inquisitor in power armour and 2 cultists converted to crusaders with power axes, which will need converting to power swords.

So that's it, a nice little force, with pretty much everything I need. With all the extra bits I own, such as the jump packs I've been buying I should have everything I need to play all the lists I want to. Now I just have to find the time to build, convert and most importantly paint them all. Simple really!

I'll try one day, if I can to get as many of the models as I can out and photo them together. I use to have a picture off all my guard models arranged in parade formation, but that seems to have been lost over the course of time.

KotN first 2000pts list

Right, this is my first draft list for the Kings of the North. I've been pondering this since Christmas, and thinking over the list for the last week or so.

So the list:

Fortification - 100
Aegis w/Quad gun

CAD

HQ - 305
Command Squad
Boltgun, MoO w/laspistol, OotF w/laspistol, Standard, Carapace

Non FoC HQ
Preist w/autogun
Primaris Psyker
Primaris Psyker
Commissar

Troops - 330
Platoon 1
PCS w/4 flamers
Squad 1 w/flamer
Squad 2 w/flamer

Platoon 2
PCS w/4 Grenade launchers
Squad 1 w/Autocannon
Squad 2 w/Autocannon

Fast - 170
Vendetta

Elite - 270
Scion Platoon
Scion Command, Vox, 3x HS Volley Guns
Squad 1 w/Vox
Squad 2 w/Vox

Heavy - 130
2x Wyvern

Allies - 305

HQ
Librarian

Troop
Tactical Squad

Elite
Sternguard w/Combi-plasma

Vanguard Veterans Formation - 415

Vanguard Veterans, Jump packs, 3x Power Weapons, 2x2 Lighting Claws

Assault Marine, 3x Flame Pistols

Assault Marines

Well, that's the list. I like it but I think there is a lack of anti armour. If I turn up against an armour heavy list, I will be a little stuffed, same as if I face a Knight. So I should probably get some melta weapons in. I'd like to give one of the Scions squads 2 meltas and also a PCS some meltas, but that going to cost a few points and I'm not sure where there going to come from, dropping one set of lighting claws would help, but I want them for my assault force. So where do I look to for the points??

Taking the plunge

Right, I've decided to go a head and get all the bits for my Eagle Knights force. It took a bit of pondering but I've decided to get on with it and buy stuff. Now, this wasn't quite the process I thought it would be, as I had a picture in my mind of what I wanted when I started out. This was detailed in an earlier post (here) but things went in a slightly different direction in the end!

My initial plan was to buy the jump packs from Maxmini, Silver wing designs and the Iron pattern jump packs. I also considered adding some Matter Displacement Pistols to the order, which, with a little conversion, could have been converted to hand flamers. I was going to purchase a pack of 10 the fusion pistols. More than I actually needed but for what I was going to spend, it would have worked out a lot more economical. From GW I was going to order a  Dark Angles Chapter Upgrade Frame, and an additional 15 jump packs. I had. Adios reasons for choosing the DA frame over the Iron Hands and Black Templars ones,  but it came down to more usable parts for less money.

However, this isn't how it all worked out, and thanks mostly due to ebay the plan went a little haywire.so, what do I actually have? Well, I have a part complete DA upgrade frame from a friend for free, it was only missing the vets bodies and a few shoulder pads plus minor things, most of the weapons and accessories are still there, and ebay has so far provided; 5 death company jump packs, 5 vanguards vet jump packs, 5 normal packs and 2 complete death company sprues both from Deathstorm. The DC sprues contain 2 infurnus pistols and 2 hand flamers each, plus 5 jump packs on each, meaning I have a total of 25 packs. This is a little short of the ultimate goal of 40 for a complete squad of vanguard vets and 3 complete assault squads, but it is more than what I need to field the Vanguards strike formation, with extras.

So, all in all, reality is nothing like the plan, but that's ok, as I saved money. The two DC sprues cost a little over half of buying them new from GW, and I saved a few quid on the original plan. This little lot wasn't cheap, even with the money saved but hopefully this will be all I will need to complete both sets of SM Chapters, although I many need a few bits for the Disciples, mostly more bolters, but I can get them from the local GW 2nd store, the great and wonderful Grahams Wuerkshoppe. If your ever in the North East of England and are in to 40K or WHFB they shop is well worth a visit!

I'll try and get some pictures up here of the conversions if I can, they won't be painted as I haven't got to the paint table yet this year and I don't know how long it will be till I do, but I shall post them anyway!