New Age 40k and The Rats of Clan Hashiji

Hello all!

It's been a while, what with a new job, 7th edition 40k, and now my newest project that I have started on - Asian Skaven!  So lets get right to it.

7th Edition Warhammer 40k

The internet is practically boiling with resentment and unease over several parts of this new edition: Daemonology, psychic phases, force org, FAQs that don't seem to fix anything....

And I really have no answers for you.  I've played a few games of it, enjoyed it numerous times with the new Mission Rules - one of my favorite parts of the game so far - and have generally just felt like it has some good fixes in it.

However, I am a basement gamer, and generally only play 40k with my friends at home or at the local stores.  I never play pick up games with people because of some left over irritations with 5th edition.  The last time I played competitively was a few months ago at a local game stores tournament.  However, our gaming group did not particularly enjoy that event, and so we have stayed in the basement since then.  So all in all, I am probably not qualified to say how the game will be competitively, but for club gamers?  This edition may be the best one yet.

Asian Skaven mk 1.1

So, as many of you know, I have planned several new fantasy projects over the past few months, but eventually talked myself out of each and every one until this current project.  I have decided that, in an effort to make my Skaven more unique and play with units that nobody seems to run in the new book, I have begun a phase to update and improve my army, and try to double its size.  I have planned for a 2500 point Skaven addition, but I need your help.

So far, I have built and converted the following units into an Asian themed force:

Grey Seer
20 Stormvermin
3 Warplock Jezzails
Warplightning Cannon

Here is the army list I plan to make.

Units marked with * are going to be carried over from my current Skaven build.

2500 Point Asian Skaven mk 1.1
----------
Queek Headtaker
*Warlock Engineer w/ lvl 2, Doom Rocket, Warp musket, Warplock Optics
Warlock Engineer w/ lvl 2, Brass Orb
Chieftain w/ BSB, Banner of the Under Empire
---
Stormvermin w/ 39, Queeks Upgrade, shields, full command, Warpfire Thrower
Nightrunners w/ 20, slings
Nightrunners w/ 20, slings
*Giant Rats w/ 15
*Giant Rats w/ 15
---
Warplock Jezzails w/ 3
*Gutter Runners w/ 8, slings, poison attacks
Poisoned Wind Globadiers w/ 10
Poisoned Wind Globadiers w/ 10
---
Doomwheel
Doomwheel
Warplightning Cannon
Warplightning Cannon

The army will function as such:

Queek and BSB will join the Stormvermin and gun it for whatever big block of troops the enemy has.  Brass Orb Engineer will travel with one of the Nightrunner units, which both of those will attempt to slow down any large blocks of units, or kill smaller units.  Giant Rats will be there to redirect charges or get flank charges into the enemy.  Gutter Runners will go warmachine hunting, or get rear charges into enemies.  Poisoned Wind Globadiers are made to go hunting for the elite infantry in the enemies army, hopefully getting flank charges in.  They will most likely be working with the Giant Rats.  Jezzails are there for sniping enemy backfield characters, or for killing any heavy cavalry that is coming; this is the one unit that I might make more models for in order to field 5 of them or so, 3 just seems like too few.  WLC will throw their shots at any blobs that are coming towards my lines, or go monster hunting.  Doomwheels are there for shot absorbing, monster hunting, and generally terrifying my opponent into shooting them instead of my actual units.

This army should have no problem dealing with squishy T3 armies, but if you throw it up against WoC or Ogres, it is going to struggle - which is why I included the PWG, Super Stormvermin, and all that Rare goodness.

This list also lets me run units that I have not run in the past: Queek, Nightrunners, Jezzails, PWG, Doomwheels, and WLC all have thus far evaded my use.

So please comment and critique this army build.  I would love to hear how you guys would change the build - however keep in mind that I am trying to avoid units that I have experience with.  As such I would prefer if this army did not include Plague Monks, Catapults, or Slaves.

Thanks in advance for any comments, and I will try and post some pictures as I get closer to completion!  Happy Wargaming!

Edit:  

I've made some progress on the Asian Skaven, so I finally have some pictures for the first time in a few months.

My Warplightning abomination, as well as a misfire marker, represented by a Dwarf slave pulling a ruined cannon away.

After a bit of airbrushing, got the primer, basecoat, and some basic gore painted onto the Warplightning abomination.

Here I have the first half of my Stormvermin block base coated.  I've since painted the red onto the armor and added a few red details.  Still a long way to go.  The second half of the unit is quietly sitting in it's box to be built until I receive some Katanas and Halberds I purchased recently from Puppets-War.

As an added bonus, here is a photo taken during my first game of 7th Ed.  As you can see, my opponent (and myself for that matter) demonstrate a clear air of professionalism and understanding of the new rules set.

Update

Hello my dear readers, it's been too long.

Unfortunately, I believe it is still going to continue on this long dry spell.  What little news I have is that, since I have returned home for the summer from College, wargaming is probably going to slow down to a snail's pace.  

My few projects that I have are to begin work on Tyrant's Legion Space Marines and Auxilia, as well as begin converting some Skaven into an Asiatic theme - probably Japanese - to make sure that I don't lose flavor in the army and ensure that I continue to grow that army.  

Other than that?  I got nothin.  7th Ed comes out for 40k soon.  Looking forward to that.  Selling my Dropzone Commander Scourge Starter army and some Protectorate of Menoth stuff from Warmachine, so I can expand my rats and marines.  

Hopefully I'll be getting a few games of 40k in soon to send out 6th ed.  

Until next time, here's a funny picture to make up for the lack of content lately:

Edit:

I did buy and build this....

So that's pretty cool....

Hapless Circumstances

Hey all.

So, first off apologies for the long dearth of posts on here.  It has been a crazy few months with a lot of stuff getting in the way of tabletop gaming.

Which brings me to my second news bit.  Unfortunately, a large number of the players who were going to be involved in our Warhammer Fantasy escalation league have had to drop from the league, and Fantasy in general.  This has led me to the conclusion that it would be unwise to collect a Fan-dax at the moment, and so my Pirates of Sartosa project will be dropped.

As much as I would love to continue the project, it seems like it would be a simple waste of time and effort to make an army that I will not be able to field against anyone.

However, I have decided to continue to grow my Skaven, and to really add a lot of detail to the models and make them have a pirate theme in the place of an actual Pirates of Sartosa army.  In addition to this, I will be acquiring a large Dogs of War/Empire Army, as well as the beginnings of a Lizardmen army, plus my old High Elves.  All of the people that were going to start those various army projects have decided to back out of trades and such with me.  So, based on all of that, I will be acquiring all of those armies, hopefully to divvy out to new people who want to get into the game.

That's all I have for now friends.  Until next time.

The Lost and the Damned

As the old man awoke, he quickly checked his Cathayan pocket watch.  Hardly morning at all.  He stood and stretched, then walked over to stoke the fire.  As it roared back into life, the old man hunched down by it, the light dancing in his eyes.

He thought back to those days, long ago.  Those days where he had been aboard the mighty "Madman's Mercy" and seen the elegant shape of the "Jailer's Glory" on the horizon.  He'd been a young man then, a fighter.  He'd served his Captain through thick and thin.  Been one of those... things.  He shivered at the thought of his previous life.  Not many can say they had been a part of the crew who had changed.  Most had died or killed themselves after the ordeal.  But not he...

The light danced in his eyes for a moment more.

I am one of those that remain.  I, Hannibal "Demonbreaker" Manhire, was one of the few.

Looking about his hovel at the inn, he sat down comfortably in his chair by the fire.  There on the wall was the Lustrian Map.  In the drawer by his bedside, there sat his pistol, given to him by the mighty Chackja.  Looking at his mantel he saw the last artifact of the proud "Doc" Crawford.  It had taken months to recover in the dense jungle, but he had eventually found it.  The cleaver was stained in the blood of... who wanted to know.  The runes of warding etched into it was only just visible, after so much sharpening.  Manhire thought back to the first encounter he had ever had with "Doc", all those years ago....

....The sun shone brightly on the wharf as Manhire moved through the bustling crowds of men, dwarf, and so many others.  He kept his hand near the butt of his favorite pistol as he moved along, his eyes peered for those that were hunting him.  Stealing from the Acropolis of Luccini is usually a way to get yourself killed in Tilea.  They hadn't found him yet, and his was determined to get himself on to one of the ships bound for... well anywhere,  before they found him.

In all of his years as a man of Luccini, he had never once been to the farthest reaches of the wharfs.  Today was the day he would break that.  As he strutted towards the shadier parts of the wharf, the patrons of the various inns and taverns started to change from the fat merchants and busty serving girls to... something far more sinister.  There was a group of shifty eyed scoundrels flipping knives and throwing back tankards of Araby fire-wine.  A tavern by the name of the Broken Keel came into view, and just as Manhire walked past, a hulking ogre burst through the door, launching a rather drunk Eastern man out and over the wharf.  Manhire could hear the brute grumbling something about his mother as he walked back into the tavern.

Things continued to get stranger as he walked along the length of the docks.  Hobgoblin raiders for hire there, a bunch of silent and brooding Elves in cloaks here, and one towering creature in a cloak with a huge staff seeming to float past Manhire there.  When it passed, Manhire stopped for a moment in shock at the sudden chill he felt as the hooded figure passed him.  He spun to look at it, but found that not a soul stood there.  Hannibal moved to go, but bumped into something very solid and looked up to see his path blocked by a rather imposing man bearing the crest of the Royal Guard of Luccini.

Shit.

By order of the blah blah blah BLAM

The sergeant looked startled for a second at Manhire, then at the smoking pistol in his hand, then at the gapping hole in his chest where the blunderbuss pistol had borrowed through him.  The docks grew quiet for just a split second, broken only by the loud thud of the guard falling over on the wooden planking, and then all hell broke loose.

The Hobgoblins let their wolves loose on the thieves; the Elves launched themselves towards the Broken Keel as a group of Ogre Maneaters threw open the doors, large clubs in hand.  The hooded figure appeared again, only this time he was escorting a gorgeous woman.  Manhire was struck by her beauty and only came out of his trance with the help of a shout from the remaining Royal Guard.

Double shit.

Manhire sprinted through the melee, running from the clanking forms of the guard in their plate armor.  There were flashes of color, fur, steel, blood, magic, and all sorts of terrible and dark things.  Then the world started to spin with a loud thud.

Gods damn you!  Would you get the hell out of my way you incompetent and idiotic.... who the HELL are you?!  Manhire felt himself being dragged up by his hair, and felt cold steel press against his throat.  You best be answering me before I slit your pretty, cultured throat.  Manhire opened his eyes, but immediately wished he hadn't.  Aside from the cleaver pressed up against his throat, the view was disgusting.  There stood above him a man with teeth so bad, clothes so rank, and putrid cigar hanging loose from his mouth, and a crooked top hat - a man that was obviously in no mood to hear any excuses.  I said, WHO THE HELL ARE YOU?!  His breath was worse than he looked.

Before Manhire could say anything the guard had them surrounded.  Manhire looked over, only to be struck again by the pale beauty of the mysterious woman.  Lucrezzia Belladonna, the disgusting man spat.  The woman merely smiled.  There was a glint to her smile, like something was fundamentally... wrong.  The way she smiled was wrong.  Charon?  Will you please dispose of Mr. Crawford and his thieving friend please?  The hooded figure rose up to its full height, blocking out the sun over the pair of them.  A clawed hand emerged from the folds of the robe, and Manhire shook as he felt the heat draining out of him.  The blackness was all consuming, except for a single pinprick of light: the smoldering end of Crawford's cigar.  A deep chuckle rolled out of the man.  Not today bitch.  In a blinding flash of purple light, Crawford extended his hand and launched a stream of purple fire at the creature known as Charon.  An earth-shattering keening erupted from the creature as it flew back, and Lucrezzia spat a curse as she threw herself out of the way of the engulfing fires.  Run you prick!  Run!  And so, Manhire ran.....

... It was getting late in the day.  Manhire stood up from his place by the fire, his bones cracking as he did.  He cast one more look at the cleaver situated on the mantel, smiling wryly, and spat in the fire.  Bastard didn't hardly know or care who I was, but he saved me when only a moment before he'd tried to kill me.  An enemy of my enemy I suppose.....

With that, Hannibal Manhire walked out of the room, quietly humming.

Yo ho, yo ho, a pirate's life for me...... 

Code of Honor

The old man sat back in his chair, sipping on his grog.  

So, ye wants to hear more about that poor wretch Maximo, eh?  Well then, this is interesting....

Tilting his chair back, he turns and looks into the smoldering embers of the fire, misty eyed for the briefest of seconds.

Right then, I better tell you about Cap'n Phunn.

Cap'n Phunn, the greatest fighter in the Far East.  Straight out a Cathay - or were it Nippon?  Bah, tis no matter.  The man had the strength of a whole regiment in his bare fists, and the constitution of a charging bull squig.  The man never tires it seems....  Which is why many people think 'e done sold his soul to the chaos gods....  Course the mutations don't 'elp disperse that rumor.  'E done lost 'is eyes to a mighty creature of the deep.  But that ain't the point, for ya see, the man 'as started to lose his left hand to the foul mutations of the warp.  Where there should be five fingers, there are three.  

But I digress.  The man is a mighty warrior - the best the East can sent - and he served well as the high king's personal high admiral.  Until he started to develop that there mutation.  He was exiled faster than you could 'ave blinked.  'owever, being a weasel like cur, the damnable man sailed right across to Nippon, hired himself a crew and a ship, and made sail for the west.  Not before sealing the entire navy of Cathay out to the Nipponese.  

So, the man sailed away from the war he had started between the two kingdoms, a cruel smile etched onto his face.  But alas, his troubles had yet to fully develop.  As he rounded the tip of the Southlands, he ran square into the greatest tidal wave 'e 'ad ever come across.  The great wave took his ship and dashed 'im upon the rocky coast of the grimmest part of the world.  He was subject to the burning heat of the day, and the frozen wastes at night.  His crew labored night and day to get his ship sea worthy again.  But it was not to be...  

The lot of them caught wind of a plague, and they began falling like wheat under the scythe.  They were truly doomed, until Phunn made his devilish pact...

Climbing to the top of the Blood Cliffs of the Southlands, Phunn threw his hands up and pleaded with whatever god would listen, pleading to bring his crew to safety and make them strong once more, to bring vengeance upon those that had stained his honor by exiling him to this god-forsaken wasteland.  There was one god who would take pity.  The Great Unclean One, upon his festering throne, looked down upon his new creation, and smiled a toothless, rotten smile.  Nurgle looked down and blessed Phunn with a curse:  he would allow his men to survive, and for them to be strong and wreck their vengeance - on the condition that Phunn's body would corrupt, and then his very soul would rot and wither away.  Phunn accepted these terms without hesitation, and his crew was saved at the cost of their captain's everlasting soul...

That, mate, is how to earn the unyielding and unmoving respect of your crew.  Phunn returned to them a damned man, doomed to an eternity in Nurgle's garden.  He had been given a gift from the Chaos god, as a binding seal of their contract:  The Great Sea Giant Adthoo, a daemon of Nurgle from the very abyss of the ocean.  He was both a boon, and a jailer - a constant companion and a constant reminder that their captain was a doomed man....

And with that - lad - the mighty Captain Phunn returned to the beach, and saw with great astonishment that his ship had been rebuilt....  But not by mortal hands.  Throughout the whole confrontation with Nurgle and then Adthoo, an incessant and all too familiar wailing had come from the ship.  The sounds of heartbroken and crushed widows....  The dead had risen in the mighty presence of Nurgle - commanded to aid in the quest of bringing Vengeance to those that had dishonored Phunn.  

The room was dead silent as the old man paused for another sip of grog.

You lot are a cheery bunch, eh?  'Tis nought but rampant rumor and embellishment I'm sure.  The tale of the Sea Maidens is an old one, but nevertheless still an important lesson - Hell hath no fury like a woman's soul scorned.  My weary bones grow tired of telling these tales.  Perhaps I should retire for the night.

Another man stood up and asked,

What's any of this dark tale of Eastern necromancy got to do with the Pirate Lord Maximo?

With a twinkle in his eye as he stood up, the old man responded,

Why, me matey, 'as got everything to do with the good Cap'n.  And the sorcerer lord Kavious.  Why even the standard bearer Hyakinthos and Marast of Estalia are present in the story of Maximo.  However, all good stories need a bit of background before they can actually begin.  Come back tomorrow and buy me another drink you cheap ninny, and I might be inclined to tell ye the rest of the tales.  'Til then, I wish you a very quiet and restful night, ye salty drunk pirate bastards.

With a roar of laughter, the old man quickly made his way to the stairs in the corner of the inn.  With a wave goodnight, he ascended the ladder to his abode.  He set his hat aside and pulled out an intricate pocket watch, checking the time before setting the Cathayan Brass instrument down, chuckling to himself and humming....

Yo ho, yo ho, a pirate's life for me.....

Pirates of Sartosa Army lists

Hey all!

So, quick back story before I get into the meat and potatoes of tonights question.  My gaming group is getting ready to start a year long Fantasy endeavor - an escalation league followed by a campaign.  Campaign rules state you should have 3 armies (2500, 1500, 800 with restrictions).  I wanted to run all 3, plus the models I plan to use, by you and get an idea of what y'all think.  I also am trying to stick with a theme for each army.

2500 - Crew of the Flagship "Madman's Mercy"

Pirate Lord Maximo Sal Vittorio (221)
brace of pistols, light armor, Sloppy Cutlass, Talisman of Preservation, and potion of strength

Sorcerer Lord Kavious of Stromfel (275)
lvl 4, dispel scroll, potion of toughness, talisman of endurance

First Mate Hyakinthos the Whisp (124)
Jolly Roger BSB, light armor, AHW
---
"Bloody Cutlasses" Pirate Crew (224)
29, AHW, Full Command, Bosun

"Grog Slaughterers" Pirate Crew (224)
29, AHW, Full Command, Bosun

"Lightning Throwers" Deck Gunners (175)
15, Sharpshooter, Sea Shanty Singer, Master Gunner

"Eastern Gale" Deck Gunners (175)
15, Sharpshooter, Sea Shanty Singer, Master Gunner

Hellpit's Finest Swabbies (60)

20, press ganger

Hellpit's Finest Swabbies (60)

20, press ganger

---

"Dragon's Teeth" Cannon x2 (240)

"Mutiny Dissuaders" Dwarf Sea Dogs (318)

24, full command, AHW

"The Chosen" Sons of Stromfel (286)

6, tridents, Chosen of Stromfel

---

"The Great Houngdai" Flying Galley (120) 

In order, the models I plan to use:

Reaper Bathalian Pirate

Reaper Domnu of the Slithe

Hell Dorado Charon

Wargames Factory Orcs x2

Wargames Factory Samurai Missile Infantry x2

Skaven Beast handlers and Gnoblars x2

Dystopian Legions Japanese HMG x2

Mantic Dwarf Ironclads

Privateer Press Gatorman Posse (5 models)

Hell Dorado Ashoka

1500 - Crew of the Junk "Jailer's Glory" 

Pirate Captain Phunn (109)

Gamblers Armor, Dawnstone, great weapon

Marast of Estalia, the Sorcerer (150)

lvl 2, Talisman of protection, healing potion

---

"Fire Kings" Deck Gunners (175)

15, Sharpshooter, Sea Shanty Singer, Master Gunner

"Autumn Wind" Deck Gunners (175)

15, Sharpshooter, Sea Shanty Singer, Master Gunner

Hellpit's Finest Swabbies (60)

20, press ganger

Hellpit's Finest Swabbies (60)

20, press ganger

---

"Ronin" Wokou Raiders (205)

25, full command, oriental longsword

"Shanghai Storm" Wokou Raiders (126)

18, bows

---

"Adthoo" Sea Giant (210)

"The Maidens" Dark Maidens (225)

5, shipwreck angel

In order, the models I plan to use:

Hell Dorado Chann Lee

Anima Tactics The Colonel

*see above for Samurai Missile Infantry

*see above for Skaven

Wargames Factory Samurai 

Darklands Sea Devil

Malifaux Kirai Crew

800 - Shipwrecked

Pirate Sorcerer "Doc" (125)
lvl 2, dispel scroll
---
"The Lost" Pirate Crew (221)
19, full command, bucklers, pistols, navigator

"The Damned" Pirate Crew (221)
19, full command, bucklers, pistols, navigator

Hellpit's Finest Swabbies (80)
20, AHW
---
"The Rolling Thunder" Swivel Gunners (150)
10

Same story:

Privateer Press Doc Killingsworth

Wargames Factory Zulu
<looking for swivel gunnners>

Well, gimme a quick comment with what you think.  I am thinking about reworking some stuff in the 800 list, as well as possibly replacing the Dwarves in the 2500 list.  I will get more extensive fluff up eventually to help you understand why I chose the models I did, and why I am taking these lists.  Until next time, happy wargaming.

2000 Views!

Hey All!

Today was our lucky 2000th visit!  Whoop whoop!

Been some good times!  Heres to another 2000!

Thank you all for letting this happen!

- Patrick (a.k.a sinscaptain)