The Guard Codex in 9th

 Over the next few weeks I have decided to take a look over the guard codex and think about what we might hope for from the new codex. We don't know when the new codex is going to be released, there has been no mention of it yet but hopefully it will be this year sometime, as we are in need of a new one. Whilst there have been a number of changes over then last few years to the core codex with the release of things like Psychic Awakening and Imperium Nihilus, there are still several issue with the codex. 

The plan is to go through all of the various parts of the codex from warlord traits and regimental doctrines through to each unit and abilities, I will only be focusing on things that I think need changing, either because they are not very good or because they are really to good and we can expect that something will change. This will not be a comprehensive list and I have not sources of information other than my own thoughts and ideas, so don't read to much in to what I'm going to say. 

There will be quite a few posts in all this but I will try to keep everything as compact as I can and not go wondering off on tangents or into fantasy land to often!

I think most people will agree that the guard codex is in need of an update, as we're are one of the weaker codices around. We are not the weakest and we do have a few good units, but there are really only one or two builds that are competitive and both involve Demolisher tank commanders and full payload manticores, both of which we can reasonably expect to receive some sort of nerf. 

There are also some obvious holes when it come to units, whether these will be fixed or not is a different matter but we can be hopeful. I've touched a few times on units I think need including to fill gaps in certain lists and options but I will go in to them again in their relevent sections.

We know that we will get a some secondary objectives, what these will be is another matter but I suspect that there will be at least one that will revolve around orders. Hopefully these secondaries will give us the ability to play to our strengths but that's not guaranteed. 

I will start this process off by looking through all the various detachment rules and options before moving on to the actual units and talking through all of them. So first up will be the basic detachment rules and standard abilities.

Eagle Knights Librarian

 The last of my Eagle Knights Elites is finished, mostly anyway. The Primaris Librarian has had his wings built and painted and I have to say, I've pretty impressed with the results. However, the wings are just not quite what I was hoping for. I had hoped for them to be a little more ethereal in colour, as they are supposed to be of psychic origin, as in the psychic power Wings of Sanguinius, but they currently look more bone like. While I do like the wings and I if I decide to leave them as they are then I will be perfectly happy, I have purchased some Aethermatic Blue contrast paint to put over the wings, although I am very nervous about ruining the whole thing. I will try it out on a spare bit before doing it for real just to check it a) works and b) looks how I want it too. 

Anyway, here are some photos of it currently. The pack is just blue tac'd on at the moment and I think I will have to magnetise it for storage reasons. 

As you can see the wings are very white with dark shading. I was working with what I had available but I really should have gone for a brighter shade than Drakenhof Nightshade. There are some details that I really like of the model, such as the orange shoulder pad, which really stands out against the blue of the armour and also the silver of the right arm and shoulder. One of the other things that I'm tempted to do is to add some shading to the sword and try and make it feel a bit more like a force sword than just a normal sword, how I do this I have no idea, however I may use the Aethermatic Blue contrast paint on it. 

I really do like this model as it is but I'm hoping that a few finishing touches can really take it to the next level. I'll let you know 8f I ever pluck up the courage to do it!

Objectives

 Just a short post today but I thought I'd show you my objective markers. There are now 8 after a quick building session to make two more. Why 8? Well because 2 of the onslaught missions require 8 objective markers. So I'm not going to play these very often, if at all, but at least I have the option to place all the markers down properly if I wanted too.

The markers are all very simple, just some spare bits and pieces placed on a 28mm base which is then placed on a larger 40mm base, or at least they will be when I find all my spare 40mm bases. The plant bits are all from the Catachan jungle fighter boxsets and the rest of the bits are just spares from various sets I've collected over the years. 

The full selection

The blue colouring of the larger base is to help the objectives stand out from the surrounding terrain. I think it strikes a nice balance between being visual enough to be easily seen but not so much that they are all you notice on the board. The main 28mm bits will get a basing of grass as well as the grey paint, I just have been waiting to do a whole load to them at the same time, after I've army painter quickshaded a whole bunch of stuff. 

A slightly better photo

The mainly "bits" based objectives

The "plant" based objectives

The full colour spectrum. The crappy photo doesn't do the colours justice

I have tried to keep.the objectives very distinct from each other, to try and make telling them apart easy but still keeping a common theme running through all of them. I will usually use 4 of the plants, adding in a couple of others as necessary. With the plants being coloured differently, orange, red, yellow, blue and purple, being able to identify which objective we are talking about should be easy, especially as objective numbers are not really a thing in most game. I may well add numbers on to the blue bases if I need to, but I don't plan on doing so at the moment. 

Hopefully these will just add another little detail to the boards and make the game just that little bit more fun to play.