Imperial guard models count

 Last week we looked at the marines and this week we are looking at the guard, all 500 plus of them! While that might not be as many as some guard collections, I don't think that's bad plus the fact that there is going to be at least another 35 added soon. I'm sure there are a few more models around somewhere so I think the collection will push the 550 mark soon, which is more than sufficient to put grow my current storage capacity! I think some more KR multicases are in order.

So what makes up this force? Well, unsurprisingly the biggest group here are the lasgun wielding guardsman, with 120 of them across the Catachans and DKoK. 

One thing that did surprise me was how many special weapons I actually own. With 17 flamers and 16 grenade launches but only 11 plasma and 10 melta guns plus just 7 snipers within the main guard. There are some additional special weapons in the Kasrkin and Scions but I'll look at them separately. I would have thought that I would have more plasma especially and I have a number of spare Catachan bodies, about 15 I think, that I may well use to build some additional plasma and melta bodies, if I can find some additional melta and plasma guns that is!

Talking about scions, I have a few more that I realised, with 106 scions in total! Also there are 20 Kasrkins backing them up. Now, I have another 12 models for the Kasrkins, enough to build one more squad and a couple of Castellans to lead them. The scions on the other hand are actually too numerous, as I have more than I can field in the bridgehead detachment without converting some across to Aquilons, which I don't want to do.

Not shown here are the vehicles, and I don't honestly have that many vehicles, only 16 in total. I will be looking at getting at least one more in the form of a Royal Down tank commander and possibly even a couple of Taurox Primes. 

I wasn't sure the best way to show all the forces I have, so I just decided to list them all below! There are a few listed in red, these are the DKoK models that are on order that haven't been built but will be added when they arrive. 

Vehicles
Leman Russ	LRBT	2
	LRD variant	1
	LRBT Variant	1
	Chimera	3
	Hellhound	1
	Sentinals	3
	Hellhammer	1
	Wyven chassis	2
	Valkyrie	2	16

Infantry
Guardsmen	lasgun	100
	Vox caster	13
	Flamer	15
	Heavy Flamer	5
	Plasma	9
	Melta	8
	Grenade Launcher	14
	Sergeants	19
	Snipers	5
	Standard	4
	Medic	4
	Officer	10	206
DKoK	lasgun	20
	Vox caster	2
	Flamer	2
	Plasma	2
	Melta	2
	Grenade Launcher	2
	Sergeants	4
	Snipers	2
	Medic	4
	Officer	3	43
	Engineers
	Command squad
HWT	Mortar	6
	Missile	10
	Heavy bolter	6
	Lascannon	6
	Autocannon	4
	FOB	2	34
Kasrkin	lasgun	8
	Vox caster	0
	Flamer	2
	Plasma	2
	Melta	0
	Grenade Launcher	2
	HS Volley Gun	2
	Sergeants	2
	Snipers	2	20
Scions	lasgun	40
	Vox caster	9
	Flamer	7
	Plasma	8
	Melta	5
	Grenade Launcher	8
	HS Volley guns	12
	Sergeants	10
	Standard	2
	Medic	3
	Officer	2	106
Characters	Commissars	6
	Psykers	4
	Tech-Priest	2
	Servitors	4
	Priests	4
	MoO / OotF	3
	Marbo	1	24
Other	Ratlings	9
	Breachers	20
	Rough Riders	10
	Inquisitors	6
	Inquisitorial troopers	15
	Rouge Trader	4
	Navy Voidsmen	6	70
			503

So there you have it, over five hundred models and growing!

Balance data slate

 So, the new balance data slate is here and there have been a few changes to guard, some big and some small. 

The main balance data slate saw just 3 changes this time around, but two of them were linked to the Bridgehead detachment and are part of an effort to nerf the detachment. Firstly, the detachment rule changed from plus one to the wound roll to plus one to the hit role. A minor change in the wording but a big change in the result. Adding one to the hit roll make the detachment significantly weaker overall. The reasoning does make sense though, as the data slate ability in the new codex is based around wound rolls. The second change is to the firing hot stratagem, which received a double nerf, with a CP hike to 2CP but also a range restriction to 12 inches. Doubling the cost to 2CP is a huge nerf, there are very few 2CP stratagems and they are rarely used. I could have agreed with the price hike alone, but adding in the range restrictions just kills it completely. Really, it should have been an either/or not both, as the stratagem is not expensive and restrictive. 

The only other change was to the DKoK Engineers remote mine ability. This also received multiple changes, the first of which was to alter a range restriction and adding a line of sight requirement. Both of these are reasonable and bring the ability in line with other similar abilities. The other change was to the damage output, dropping it to D3 or 3D3 for vehicles. This brings it inline with abilities like the Kasrkin melta mine, so is reasonable. However, I have a couple of issues with the changes. Mainly its still goes off on a 3+, unlike pretty much every other similar ability, which is a 2+. If it was more powerful but harder to get off, such as going off on a 3 or even a 4 plus, it would be fine, or drop it to a 2+ and make it weaker, yet again they have made it weaker and still harder to get off. I also don't see why you couldn't just drive it round a corner before exploding it, but then again, why cant you lob a mine over a wall, so I guess that's fair.

Over all these changes seem a little bit harsh, I understand why they did them, but still, I feel that they are a little harsh. Time will tell how much of an impact they will have. Unfortunately for the Bridgehead strike force they weren't the only adjustments.

There were also a number of points changes, with Scions and Scion command squads both going up in points, 5 points a piece I believe. I say I believe, as GW in all their wisdom have removed all the colour coding to the point updates, so its had to see what's gone up now. The Cadian and Catachan heavy weapons teams also went up in price, 15 points this tie though, to bring them inline with the DKoK ones. Finally, the Field Ordnance Battery went up in price, although I don't know by how much at the moment but I think it was only a few points. In addition to the unit points rises, the bridgehead -detachment received the addition price hike to the Bombast-class Vox-array, which went up by 15 points (I think!!)

Again, most of these price hikes are due to the Bridgehead strike force detachment, so in addition to the rules changes, the units used in the detachment got more expensive. So realistically, this detachment will drop from being the best guard detachment and arguably the best 40k detachment to one of the lowest performing detachments. I may be wrong about how bad it will get but I think it will drop quite a way down the list and will not be the best guard detachment going forward. 

So overall, not a great day for the guard, especially if you run bridgehead, as pretty much all the changes were aimed at pulling the detachment down a peg or two, or a dozen as GW seem to have done. 

There were some other changes to the codex, but theses were mostly just adding keywords that had been missed or weapons profiles that should have been in the units options. There is nothing there that is worth talking about. 

My personal opinion is that this wasn't great for guard, not terrible but not great. We got almost all nerfs and some of the things that needed looking at were ignored as the whole focus fell on the Bridgehead detachment. I would like to have seen some changes to other units, but it was not to be and to be honest, they probably work fine as they are. I don't have access to all the data like GW has and even if I did I don't have the time to plough through it all. None of these changes will affect how I will play or even what I will play, when I actually get a game that is! There were no changes to the Blood Angels, which are the army I'm wanting to play at the moment, so that's good.

Primaris marines count

 S, with the release of the new guard codex, I needed to get all my models out and see what I had and how to adapt my forces to the new codex and detachments. While I was doing this, I thought I would get all my marines out as well and make a full list of what I have and what I'm after.

Firstly my Eagle Knights. At present I have a number of models painted up and a number waiting to be painted. Painted I have a Repulsor Executioner, Company Heroes, six Blade Guard, ten Intercessors, ten Assault Intercessors, and lots of characters! Characters include two Captains, two Lieutenant, Apothacary, Chaplain, Judicar, Librarian and Blade Guard Ancient. I also have a half painted Drop Pod, six Sanguinary Guard, Jump Captain and Jump Chaplain. 

Eagle Knights

The Brazen Hawks up next and they currently only have two Gravis Captains, five Heavy Intercessors and five Hellblasters. I am hoping to get three Aggressors and Three Eradicators at some point to fill out the Gravis troop options. 

Brazen Hawks

The Emperor's Disciples are a bit of a different force to the rest of the marine armies, as they are lead by Marnus Calgar with Victrix Guard and have 5 Sternguard, a Lieutenant and an Ancient. I have six Blade Guard, a Lieutenant and a Captain on the paint table, plus a Land Raider to hold them all.  

Emperor's Disciples

Next are the Dark Guardians, with a Chaplain, Phobos Librarian, 5 Infiltrators, three Outriders and three Inceptors.  

Dark Guardians

The Stone Dragons are the full phobos force, with Phobos Captain, Phobos Lieutenant, Reiver Lieutenant, five Infiltrators, five Reivers, three Eliminators and three Suppressors. 

Stone Dragons

Space Marine Forces

In addition to all of these, I also have six more Infiltrators, two Eliminators and two Suppressors, which my sone got in a couple of Imperium magazines and has given to me as he doesn't need them anymore. That means I can build a squad of three Eliminators for the Dark Guardians and a squad of 5 Infiltrators to add to either the Stone Dragons or Dark Guardians plus two Suppressors that will get added to the Stone Dragons, although I will need another Suppressor at some point.

All in all a bit of a random collection of forces, spread across 5 chapters but I like having all the little collections of units. I don't honestly know when half of these units will ever hit the table but I have enjoyed collecting and painting them and for me that the main reason I do this hobby.  Next up we'll have a look at the guard.

Subductor proxies

Following on from the last post about the Station Forge models, here is the main units, the Royal Guard Templars.

The Royal Guard Templars

The templars were modelled as a sort of mixed elite troop, I'm not sure who, or even if, they are supposed to represent in the 40K universe, however, it doesn't really matter as they are being converted in to Adeptus Arbites Subductor squads for the Imperial Agents, to be attached to the Imperial Knights as household bodyguards. In order to to this, I purchased some bits off eBay, consisting of Palatine Enforcers shield, mauls and pistols. After some experimentation and attempts at making some additional mauls out of Green Stuff/Milliput mix, I gave up and purchased some Adrbites Mauls off eBay as well. I found that I couldn't get the mauls to form properly or look right, so game up after multiple failed attempts.

The shields were a little better, although there is quite a range of mouldings, with some being very good and some being very poor, most of which found alternative uses, as shown further down the post. There is also quite a range of colours as I was testing mixes to see which one worked best. There are various suggestions out there from 25% Milliput to 75% Green Stuff, through to the opposite 75/25% mix. Through some trial and error I found that a straight 50/50 mix seems to be the best mix for what I need.

The first models are basic shield and maul combination, nothing special.

Next up are some armed with pistols and shields. These are to represent the shotpistols that the Subductors are armed with. 

Next up are some models who are not armed but have various items to hand, two with icons and one with a book. This is mostly due to the fact that I only had limited mauls and pistols to use, so I had to get a little creative. Lucky the original models came with some arm options that I could use to fill the gaps

The next batch are armed with a mix of mauls and pistols but no shields. Some of the models have shields on their base, or at least a section of shields, made from parts of shields that failed to mould properly. The other arms are formed from bits from the original squad and also some from the bits box, mostly Wargames Atlantic Grognards arms. 

These two models don't actually have any use in game, as the Subductors cant take any options apart from the Aquilla on the Sergeant. However, I was not going to pass up the opportunity to model a couple of guys with big flags! These will be painted up slightly differently to show the two different squads individual colours.

Lastly we have the Sergeants, or Proctor-Subductor. Both of these have a staff, that will stand for the Aquilla. One had the only decent maul that I managed to mould and even that is not great. The other carries a pistol at a slightly awkward angle. 

Here are both squads together. This is hopefully going to provide quite a speed bump for any enemy units that want to get up close and personnel with my big knight. With there 4+ invulnerable save, even at T3, that should soak up quite a bit of damage before dying.

 Now the weather has improved, I should be able to find a day to get these primed up and start painting them. Hopefully, they will be ready to role for the next Northern Invasion, if I get to go this year.