Sin City Dispatch #8: the Birth of the 'Stealer Cult

Hey everyone, welcome to the eighth issue of the Dispatch!

For this issue we will be staying close to the Workbench as we look creating a themed army, from units all the way up to the scenery itself. In this case we will be taking a step away from Waaagh Dakagrub and instead focusing on an oldie but a goodie, the Genestealer cult army list. Since there is no official 'stealer cult list, this one took some creative thinking on my part but so far I am really liking how it is coming together, so sit down and strap in because we are about to hit the ground running!

From the Workbench
The Birth of a Genestealer Cult

After playing a few games with the 'nids, I couldn't help but start thinking about Genestealer cults of old. First introduced back in White Dwarf #114, the 'stealer cult combined 'stealers, hybrids, and their human minions into one army. I used to have a copy of this magazine floating around but I have unfortunately long since gotten rid of it. Even so, I remember how cool the list looked with its blend of human cultists fighting alongside their 'stealer lords. The question is how to create this using the current 'nid list. The 'stealers and the patriach are easy enough but how could I field the cultists that the list would need?

I decided to start by comparing the Imperial Guard list to the Tyranid list to see if there were any similarities. As I wasn't really interested in fielding most of the units on the Guard list, I was actually kind of glad nothing on there came close to the stats of the 'stealers. The 'nid list proved to be another story. Gaunts and Guardsmen have an almost identical stat line but what about their lasguns?

With a potential range of 24" the 'nids don't really have anything that compares to the lasgun. Most of the longer ranged 'nid weapons have a higher strength and blast templates which just would not work in this case. In the end, I decided to go with the spinefists to simulate the lasguns. Both of these weapons have the same strength while the reduced range of the spinefists will represent the lack of training the cultists have, and the twin-linked will represent them firing wildly as they close with their targets.

This gave me a good solid core of troops that I could use between the 'stealers and the cultists, but the list was still sorely lacking in the synapse department. At least I was until I took a look at the sanctioned psyker miniatures for the Guard. I decided that these would take the place of the Zoanthropes in my list, giving me access to more synapse creatures and really giving me some fitting leaders for the cultists. The stats notably different between these two units but I decided that the increases were the result of the psykers being direct conduits to the massive power of the hive mind. 'Thropes also have toxic miasma and greatly increased armor save which I decided would represent the intense psychic field that was surrounding them.

With the basic list picked out, it's time to start building my army from the ground up.

Just Who is What Exactly?

Some of the miniatures in the list could be very straight-forward. The Broodlord is a Broodlord while the 'stealers are just that as well. Using the Guard santioned psykers for my cult leaders meant that this portion of my list is also easy to complete, just leaving me with the cultists themselves.

There are several different options out there from other companies that would look pretty good to represent cultists (Pig Iron Productions Kolony range of minis comes to mind) but I really want to keep the minis plastic so that I can maybe do some conversions. In the end, I decided that my best bet is to get a set of Cadian Shock Troopers and a set of Catachan Jungle Fighters, mix them together, and see what I can come up with. This combination will help convey the impression that they have raided the local PDF armories and grabbed anything they could get their hands on, not to mention they will be a lot of fun to put together. There are still more minis that I will add to the army in the future as it grows from a 1000 point list to a full 1750 list, but for now this will be enough to keep me busy.

Their Own Private Idaho

In addition to the army, I am also building a new board and terrain themed to go with it. The board is not going to be anything too fancy for now, though the dimensions are slightly different than might be expected as it comes in at 3'x4'. I have a lot of experience playing on a board of this size thanks to AT-43 and I really like how it puts you right there in the action. It is also something that I can easily expand up to 6'x4' once the army has grown to its full size.

As for the terrain itself, I am going for a small rustic settlement, almost like something out of a sci-fi western. In my mind this fits with the cult theme perfectly; a small, backwater settlement that the cult has taken over and is using to slowly spread to the neighboring towns before rising up to take over the world.

The Parting Shot...

And so there you have it, at least for now anyway. In the next Dispatch, I will have pictures of the terrain that I have built along with some of the models that I will be fielding in the cult, including my scratch built Broodlord! So until next time, may all of your dice come up Dragons!

Welcome from Snowy Las Vegas!

Hey everyone

Something wacky is happening around here. In the past three days, it has snowed twice and I am not just talking about a couple of snowflakes falling to their doom on the scorching hot asphalt. Nope, this has been honest to goodness snow covering the ground. Now if people could just learn to drive in the stuff...

Anyway, I just wanted to let everyone know that a new Dispatch should be going up this weekend. I have been shifting gears a little bit lately, focusing a little more on actually doing some painting and terrain building. Plus, Waaagh Dakagrub is going to be taking a short break while I focus on my new spin on the Tyranid army list. What do I mean? Well, you'll just have to come back to find out more!

Until then, may all of your dice come up Dragons!

Sin City Dispatch #7

Hey everyone, welcome to the seventh issue of the Dispatch!

In this issue, we will be start out by looking over the fence as we continue with our Meet the Neighbors segment for the Cogs. This time we will be taking a look at the game mechanics side as we check out the stats for three of their officers. Then we head to the Battlezone for another Battle Report, this one again featuring Ork vs. Tyranids as the hivemind seeks revenge! Will the Orks remain victorious or will they just become more food for the brood? You'll have to read on to find out, so sit down and strap in because we are about to hit the ground running!

Meet the Neighbors
Continuing Our Closer Look at the Cogs

In the last issue, we looked at some of the fluff that had come out for the Cogs. Conveniently enough, Rackham has released more information about one of their factions, the A-Volution. This gives some interesting information but right now I want to take a look at the stats of the officers that A-Volution use to get an idea just what these bad boys will be like in game.

The three officers listed in the A-Volution preview are equipped with a mix of what look like the four most common weapons for the Cogs; quantum blades, quantum rifles, quantum machine guns, and the rocket launcher. The first thing that you can't help but notice about all of the ranged weapons is they all have extremely long range. The quantum rifle has a 50% chance of hitting out to a range of 90cm while the more powerful rocket launcher can reach out to 70cm and still has the same odds. As if this wasn't nasty enough, all of these ranged weapons roll a minimum of two dice to hit and have a re-roll making them that much more effective. Combine this with a penetration comparable to the better UNA weapons in the game and you are looking some serious firepower.

What will make this firepower even deadlier is the Cog movement rate of 18cm, putting them on par with both the Therians and the Karmans as far as the mobility of their troops. This will let the Cogs quickly take up strong fire positions early in the game and could make them very difficult to counter.

As far as armor, the three officers are all equipped as type III units and have an armor value of 11. This makes them better protected than any of the other type IIIs except for the Kolossus, but with much better ranges and movement these overall look to be a much better unit.

Even with these bits of information, there are still a lot of unknowns. How many troops compose a basic unit and how many points do they cost? How strong are the basic units compared to these officers? Even without all of this information, I think we can definitely say that the Cogs will a force to be reckoned with in the AT-43 universe.

Battle Report: Orks vs. Tyranids

This past weekend, Matt and I got together again for a re-match but this time we increased the point value from 500 up to 750 points. Still not a massive battle but 750 points just seemed that much more flexible while not being too massive for a couple of noobs to manage. Even with the change in points, I think that the biggest difference between the two games was the fact that the battlefield actually had terrain on it this time! This is what the battlefield looked like.

As can be seen, the set up for the game was a little different as far as table dimensions. We decided to just use one table at the store and set up short edge to short edge to make life a little easier. Most of the terrain just blocked line of sight though the shanty buildings on the right and left sides of the board counted as area terrain (blocked LoS and counted as difficult terrain). As far as the mission, it was a variation on Capture and Control using three objectives; one in each deployment zone and one in the center of the table (these are shown with the red circles).

On my side of the board, I was fielding a Hive Tyrant and Carnifex which were both equipped with barbed stranglers and twin-linked devoureres, two broods of nine genestealers each, and a brood of fifteen gaunts with fleshborers. On Matt's side, he had a Warboss attached to a Boyz mob (seventeen slugga boyz, two big shootas, and a Nob), another boyz mob kitted out the same(seventeen slugga boyz, two big shootas, and a Nob), an eight ork Nob mob, a six ork mob of Kommandoz, and three Dethkoptas with twin-linked big shootas.

With the battlefield set, we deployed our forces, followed by the Dethkoptas taking their turboboosted scout move and the Kommandoz infiltrating right onto the objective in the center of the board!

With all that done, it was time to get the game underway!

Taking the first turn, Matt moved up both of his mobz of Boyz while the Nobz, koptas, and Kommandos held their ground.

Moving into the shooting phase, the Kommandoz opened fire on the Carnifex with a skorcha, a big shoota, and a bunch of sluggas. Between the crappy Ork ballistic skill, and the high toughness and armor on the Carnifex (everything in my army had the extended carapace option to improve their armor saves...) I really wasn't that worried. At least I wasn't until I rolled snake eyes for my armor save on the two slugga shots that actually managed to hurt him. He hadn't even moved yet and he had already lost half his wounds and that was to a couple of slugga!

The Dethkoptas opened fire next and inflicted another wound, leaving him in very rough shape. On the other side of the table, one of the boyz mobz fired their big shootas at one of the broods of 'stealers but luckily they only managed to score one kill. With nothing in range of a charge, Matt's turn ended and it was time for some payback!

Moving forward everything except for the gaunts, I was able to get everything into a good position to be able to crush those Kommandos by the end of the turn!

As both of the 'stealer brood ran forward, the Carnifex opened fire on the koptas, lobbing a strangler shot long while the devourers only managed to inflict one point of damage.

The Tyrant fired next, again completely missing with his strangler while the devourers splattered harmlessly against cover. Well, so much for payback! This brought my shooting to an end and led right into the assault phase.

Charging forward, both my Carnifex and 'stealer brood smashed into the Kommandos. After a violent flurry of claws, the entire Kommando unit was decimated.

With their enemies completely crushed, I consolidated both the 'fex and the 'stealers, moving the 'fex toward the koptas while the 'stealers moved themselves into cover.

Heading into Turn 2, Matt moved remaining three mobz forward as the koptas continued their usual tactic of advancing to the rear.

Letting lose a torrent of fire in his shooting phase, this the Carnifex managed to hold its own against the massed fire of the slugga mob. The 'stealers didn't fair as well though as three of their number were gunned down.

Moving into the assault phase, the two boyz mobz charged forward, one engaging the 'fex while the other engaged the 'stealers. With their higher initiatire, the 'stealers were able to inflict some early loses, pulling down two boyz before having five of their own chopped down. The carnifex did not fair quite as well.

After dealing this massive blow to my army, the Orks used their consolidation to move closer to the objective in the middle of the board.

Bloodied but not beaten, it was now my turn. On the right side of the board, the 'stealers moved up through the shanty to get into position to assault the boyz, while the Tyrant moved up against the ruins in the center.

I also moved the Gaunts forward slightly so that I could try to get a few shots off against the mob with the Warboss though I really didn't expect too much from them.

Next, the 'stealers ran forward some more to get along side the boyz while the Tyrant fired at the other mob. The devourers managed to take down three of the boyz while the strangler... Well, let's just say that the blast template found new purpose in life right about now.

To wrap up my shooting, the only Gaunt that actually had range on the boyz mob fired and actually managed to inflict a wound on the Warboss!

Now it was time to kick some Ork butt! My 'stealers and Tyrant slammed into the mob on the right, ripping apart eight of the boyz in the process! Shocked at the ferocity of the 'stealers attack, the remaining boyz failed to do anything and decided that the it was time to call it a day.

The 'stealers didn't want to stop playing though and ran after the Orks while the Tryant moved over into the cover of the shanty.

Heading into turn three, Matt tried to rally the mob that was on the run but they really weren't interested and continued their sprint for the edge of the board. The Warboss turned his mob away from the objective and headed toward the 'stealers while the Nobz and the Koptas stayed where they were and enjoy the show. See what happens when your objective marker is a couple of barrels of fungus beer?

Da Boss, da Boyz, and da Nobz opened fire on the 'stealers, blasting apart five of them in a rain of slugga shells before da boss led da boyz forward into close combat.

Eagerly meeting the charge, the 'stealers surged into the green tide but only managed to pull down two of the Orks before being mercilessly hacked to pieces by the Orks while the Boss once again sat back and watched the mayhem unfold.

With my 'stealers dead, my only hope was to kill as many Orks as possible so my Tyrant turned his menacing gaze on the boyz and opened fire. The devourers let loose their streams of maggots while the strangler fell short, catching the Tyrant under the template! Amazingly enough (especially considering my luck so far this game) the Tyrant escaped unscathed while both the Boss and the Nob were wounded and eight of the boyz were wiped off the board, making the large template the deadliest coaster I have ever seen.

Trying to capitalize on this momentum the Tyrant charged forward into the mob, pulling down three more of the boyz before the Warboss lunged forward and inflicted three wounds with his power klaw.

This shifted the balance of the game back in my favor but with the Tyrant so badly wounded the future was still looking bleak.

Moving in turn four, running boyz didn't even break stride while the Nobz surged forward to join the melee against the Tyrant. It lashed out and killed a Nob and a boy but in the end the Nobz were able to pull it down and strike the ending blow.

With only a small brood of Gaunts left on the board, the hivemind turned its attention elsewhere. The greenskins would have this day but in the end the hivemind would return to consume all...

Overall this was a really good game and we both agreed that it was a lot of fun. Matt and I are really getting the hang of the rules so things went a lot smoother and the addition of terrain made the whole game a lot better experience.

As for the gameplay, I realize that I need to pay more attention to what my plan is. The carnifex is the prime example of this. Even though it was only equipped with ranged weapons I charged him forward into close combat, banking on his monstrous creature status carrying him through to a victory. If I had kept him back and used him as a fire support unit like he was equipped things might have gone differently. Then again, considering how bad my template shots were it might not have mattered.

Still, the game was a lot of fun and I can't wait to get down there again for another re-match. Vengence will be mine! Mwah-ha-ha-ha-ha!!!

The Parting Shot...

Well, that brings another Dispatch to a close but there is more on the way, including a look at the latest LGS here in Las Vegas, Battlezone Comics. So until next time, may all of you dice come up Dragons!

Sin City Dispatch #6

Hey everybody, welcome to the sixth issue of the Dispatch!

In this issue, we will start out with Incoming!!! as we take a look at some of the new 40k Ork miniatures that will be coming out in January, plus we will take a look at the new annoucement released by Rackham Entertainment. Then we will head on over to the Workbench as we look at creating custom objective markers for 40k. So sit down and strap in because we are about to hit the ground running!

Incoming!!!
Upcoming Releases for AT-43 and Warhammer 40,000

New on the preorders section for 40k are the latest and greatest for the Orks! Due out in Janu-Waaagh-ry (their joke; I only stole it, I didn't write it...) all of these are really nice looking plastic sets with lots of modeling possibilities.

First up among the new releases is the often "official" model for the most scratch built piece in the game, plastic Battlewagon.

Unfortunately this one is kind of a disappointment in my opinion. It looks more like a heavily armored trukk than anything else but then again I am only going by the few pictures of it that I have seen. Even so, there are tons of bits for it so this set will be worth getting even if it is just to cannibalize for parts.

Next up are the biggest, baddest, and greenest of the Orks! That's right, we are talking about the new plastic Ork Nobz.

Packed with options (including kombi-shootas, power klaws, and big choppas just to name a few...), this set will have enough bits to let you customize all of your Nobz. This will be a great addition to range as it will let you add those personal touches that will really set your Nobz apart.

Right now the only way to field the Stormboyz is by using the regular plastic boyz and adding on the Stormboyz conversion pack, but that will all change once the new plastic Stormboyz hit the shelves.

As with all of the other sets there are bits galore so that you can create some truly unique looking models. I hadn't really been looking at adding Stormboyz to my Waaagh, but after looking at these things I am really tempted to give them a try just to give me an excuse to get these minis!

Last but not least (though most Orks would probably disagree...) is the new plastic Gretchin boxed set.

Packed with ten grots and a runtherd, this finally gives people a cheap way to field a giant grot shield, not to mention all of the conversion possibilities that these plastic models should have. Getting all the grot minions that you can shake a bosspole at just got that much easier.

On the AT-43 front, things are actually just as interesting. In a news release from the newly formed Rackham Entertainment, the makers of AT-43 laid out their plans to match up release dates around the world over the next couple months. As of Wave 9 they are expecting to have the release dates in Europe and North America matched up which is definitely good news for the folks on the other side of the pond.

Next year will also see the release of the next two races in the AT-43 universe, the Cogs first then the Oni later in the year. And if that is not enough AT-43 goodness for you, Code White, the first of a trilogy set in the AT-43 universe should be out in the first quarter as well.

There are two other items among the other things mentioned that really stood out for me. First is a teaser for Rush N' Crush, a new game that sounds like a Car Wars style racing game set on Ava. Not much information on this one yet but the concept pictures have definitely piqued my interest. The second item is the new Rackham Model Kits. Set for release in March, this line is supposed to include kits based on the models in the AT-43 universe Ever want to really customize a Nakovalny? Sounds like this might be your chance!

Overall, the announcement sounds like a very ambitious goal that Rackham Entertainment is aiming for. Only time will tell just how well they are able to do what they say but so far things are sounding pretty promising.

From the Workbench
Creating Custom Objective Markers

With 5th Edition 40k, objectives really seem to have come into their own as two of the three scenarios are focused on controling them. I really like this in a game as it seems somewhat more realistic. If you think about it, most modern warfare is focused more on taking and holding different objectives rather then simply trying to kill everything in sight. But how do you mark these objectives in the game?

Among the possible solutions are using counters or those glass beads that almost every gamer has in their collection. GW even has their own solution in the 40k counter set by providing half a dozen neon green flags that you can set on the board. All of these are fine but I really like the idea of making something with a little more character just to keep things interesting.

The first marker that I made was "The Dead Genestealer".

Mounted on a large cirular base, it features a partially chopped up genestealer with a choppa through on of its arms. I made this by cutting up an extra genestealaer that I had laying about and then cutting a choppa from the Ork Boyz sprue.

My next one is "Alas Poor Yur-Ork".

I had to dig a little deeper in the bits box for this one but I really like how it turned out. Using some metal barrels from a scenery sprue, some boxes from some old Rhinos, and one of the plastic Ork boyz, this piece has the Ork chatting with an Ork skull. See what happens when you get into the fungus beer too early in the day?

In addition to these two, I am also going to make a marker using one of the spare Devilfish engines and some of the Hive Nodes from the Genestealer boxed set. All very simple ideas that really work to visually spice up the game. As an added plus, they are also a lot of fun to make so if you don't have any of these I definitely recommend taking some time to throw a few together.

The Parting Shot...

And that does it for this issue! A short one this time but the next issue will be longer since it will be featuring the return of the battle report! Yay!!! My Tyranids take on Matt's Orks in a bitter rematch. Last time the Orks were able to gun down the 'Nids before they could even engage. Will the green menace be triumphant again or will they just become more biomass for the Hivefleet? Check back soon to find out but until then, may all of your dice come up Dragons!

Sin City Dispatch #5

Hey everyone and welcome to issue #5 of the Dispatch!

In this issue, we have a new segment called Meet the Neighbors where I will be taking a closer look at the background for the Cogs, (aka send in the clones). Then we sill be going back to the Workbench for another look at how Waaagh Dakagrub is shaping up with their new "Tau-rrific" custom trukk. No Incoming!!! this issue since GW is currently pushing their Warhammer Fantasy releases and we are still waiting on Rackham to finish getting their ducks in a row but I do have a brief (make that very brief...) Battle Report instead! So sit down and strap in because we are about to hit the ground running!

Meet The Neighbors
Taking a Closer Look at the Background for the Cogs

The latest issue of Cry Havoc Online contained excerpts from the upcoming Cog Army Book, giving us the first glimpse at who these critters really are.

From what little fluff there is, it appears that the Cogs are a race of genetically engineered warriors who are further enhanced by various cybernetic devices. Commanded by earlier generations of clones, the rank and file troops blindly follow the orders of their leaders which sounds like they might be immune to the morale rules.

It is also mentioned several times that their ranged and melee weapons are among the best in the galaxy and I can see how this might not be too far off. It was the Cogs, not the Avans, who first held back the Therians. It would only make sense that they would be quite a tough opponent in the game.

Another interesting part of the excerpt was the description of the Cog vehicles. There is mention of four light walkers that are more specialized (all of which appear to be type I striders) and one support walker (aka the type III). This would make the Cogs the first race to not have any combat walkers at all. These beasties are also described as being unpiloted but then again the only time that the pilots have really come into play has been when heroes are mounted in them. Still an interesting bit of fluff in my opinion though.

All and all, the Cogs sound like they will be an interesting addition to the AT-43 world and the miniatures are looking pretty cool too now that they changed the paint scheme. Only time will tell how good they actually are in the game but regardless of that these are some pretty unique looking miniatures that could make a nice addition to any collection.

From the Workbench
And the WAAAGH!!! rolls on...

Since the last Dispatch, I have been focusing on one miniature in the Waaagh to the exclusion of everything else. What could possibly be the object of since intense scrutiny? Why my "Tau"-rrific Ork Trukk of course! In the previous issue, I had shown you this picture of my trukk, still in it's early stages of conversion from a streamlined Tau APC into a ramshackle bit of Orky know-wots.

After getting my hands on some styrene sheets of various thicknesses and a couple of empty medicine bottles (see what happens when you go off your meds?), it is now looking like this.

It is still not finished but so far I really like how it is turning out! As an added plus, I am having a great time working on it as well. Being able add my own touches is a lot of fun and being an Ork vehicle makes it very forgiving as well. No exact measurements are needed for something like this as the cobbled together appearance only helps make it more look even more "Orky". Don't get me wrong; working on something that requires more precision has many of its own rewards but something like this is great for a first project as it really lets you explore your modeling options.

On the next Workbench, there will definitely be more on the Waaagh but I have also been looking over my Tyranids to see just what I have and what I would like to be able field. Here is a look at what most of the swarm looks like right now.

Besides all of this there are still at least another couple dozen warriors, genestealers, gargoyles and gaunts floating around, giving me a very solid core to any army list I might want to try. Even so, I really want to get some more of the "specialized" 'nids that are out there, namely a few of the plastic Carnifexes. Awesome looking model and they can eat a tank for breakfast. What more could you ask for?

Battle Report: Orks vs. Tyranids
Well, kind of anyway

This past weekend I was finally able to play a small game of 40k against Matt. Huzzah!!! Since we were both really sinking our "teef" into 5th Ed. for the first time, we decided to keep things simple and only field 500 points each. As Waaagh Dakagrub is still a work in progress (and since Matt was already fielding his Orks), I decided to dust off my old Tyranid collection. With minis ranging back to their first incarnation since Rouge Trader, it was nice to be able to get them onto the table for the first time ever (Having the minis and actually using them are two totally different things in my dictionary).

With our meager armies selected, we put the "terrain" on the table. I would have taken a picture but no. I think that we have all seen enough cardboard boxes to know what they look like. Yes, that's right. We were gaming old school with random bits of cardboard on a wide open table. This ultimately worked against me in the worst possible way (aka I was slaughtered).

As for the action itself, there is not much too say really but it was a good way to get used to the rules. Hopefully we can get in another game and I will be taking pictures this time; I am going to make some terrain to stick out there and break up those wide open fire lanes. After all, what exactly is the point of having a cover save when there isn't any cover?

The Parting Shot...

Well, before I go I have a confession to make; I thought I had already posted this issue which is why it has taken me so long to get it out. I had worked on it the weekend that I went gaming and completely forgot that I didn't get it finished and posted. In the immortal words of Homer, "D'oh!"

As for the next issue, it should be interesting as we will be taking another look at the Cogs. The difference is that this time we will be looking at some stats so we can start to see just how nasty these bad boys will be. As for the rest of the it... Well, you'll just have to come back and see what I manage to dig up. Until next time, may all of your dice come up Dragons!