Dawn Crusaders Chronicles

Wall of Pain

2009-06-05T19:32:00.002-05:00

Just a quick update here from my new pad in Baton Rouge while I'm doing some research. Haven't been able to do much 40k related, other than assemble some heavy weapons. Take a look.

Hopefully more to come, but I can't make many promises at the moment guys. Thanks for checking in!

Bits for Sale/Trade

2009-05-18T23:48:00.003-05:00

I was rummaging through my bits this evening, and found a few things I'd like to hock and wanted to give the FTW community the first bite at the apple, as it were. There are two lots for your consideration and details are as follows:

Lot 1: Scouts. All items must go together. You will receive:
1 partially built scout
3 legs
4 torsos
5 heads
1 heavy bolter
1 missile launcher
3 bolter arms
4 shotgun arms
5 bolt pistol arms
5 close combat weapon arms
Various accessory bits

Lot 2: Transfer Sheets. Take your pick from:
12 normal infantry transfer sheets
5 normal vehicle transfer sheets
2 Space Wolves vehicle transfer sheets
1 Space Wolves Bike Squad transfer sheet
1 Ultramarine Bike Squad transfer sheet
1 Blood Angel Bike Squad transfer sheet

Contact me at mss1087@gmail.com if you are interested in any of these items and we'll work something out, either money transaction or item trade.

Back to the front, with a laundry list in front of me

2009-05-18T21:35:00.005-05:00

After a bit of a sabbatical, I've returned to my post! I got through the semester, for which I'm very grateful, and I'm waiting to get started with my research internship next month. In the meantime, however, I have a bit of time to paint. And what a list!

Here's what I got done in the past two days:

TLLC Razorback "Corinth"
Jump Pack Chaplain "Erasmus"

Currently working on:
Attack Bike
5 Assault Marines (almost finished, the shoulder pads need to be painted then glued in place.)
Missile Launcher Marine (For flexibility. Though I'm not sure why I bother. I've currently come to hate missile launchers, due to my scatter dice deciding that they hate me!)

Still to come:
3 Tactical Squad Sergeants
5 Heavy Weapon Specialists
5 Standard Terminators
1 Tactical Squad, potentially converted into Sternguard Vets
1 Standard Bike
1 OOP Terminator Librarian
10 Assault Terminators (D is going to hate my guts...)
Bits to finish my Land Raider project

Also, there is another secret project being worked on, and I will be posting on that (potentially in its own blog) after I get "done" with my Marines. Though, quite frankly, I don't think I'll ever be done. I've come to the realization that for the hobbyist, an army is never done, only abandoned. Unless, of course, you have the patience and capital (or outside help and capital) to complete an entire Chapter of marines, and therefore have all the options you could ever dream of for developing an army. Alas, I doubt I shall ever have a complete thousand plus man chapter, but it does create such mental images...

I digress. Pictures to come soon!

Brother-Captain Turel, reporting for duty.

2009-04-29T14:39:00.003-05:00

Here's my latest work (for Space Marines, anyway.) This is a counts as Shrike model I worked up, and if I ever get more assault marines, he will see some action on the tabletop. For now, however, he is little more than a centerpiece. In any case, props to Jawaballs for his wing tutorials! I did mine far too small, but used the basic techniques to create my own wing pattern. I may have to try the wings again in the future. Anyway, here's some pics of the newest addition to the Dawn Crusaders command structure!

AstroMag Article Response

2009-04-27T11:38:00.004-05:00

After reading the excellent new issue of the AstroMag, I felt somewhat inspired and uplifted by the first article, entitled "40K in 2009: the Big Picture." The author brings out excellent points that quite frankly, as gamers in a niche market, we're complaining far too much about a company that in the grand scheme of things is pretty stinking small. They're running 3 popular miniatures games systems with a staff of 77 creative developers total. In other words, there are video game studios with a higher number of creative staff. They're doing their best, so pipe down and enjoy your hobby. That was the general idea of the article. I agree with this for the most part, but there is one statement that I take issue with, and I will quote it for you now:

"In a hobby advertised not through mass marketing but rather through word of mouth, it is imperative that our words and our corresponding actions support Games Workshop in every decision they make."

In every decision they make? No, I don't think so. For example, I don't think that dropping Imperial Guardsmen troops from 20 to 10 troops in a box is a great decision. Does it make some amount of business sense? Sure, but charging the same price for half the models is a bit extreme, in my opinion. Yeah, the world economy is in bad shape, but I think that this may push all but the most driven of potential Guard players away to an extent, minimizing the number of Guard horde armies. This leads to a generally stale set of army list composition. While I agree that we need to be positive about the game and most certainly its developers, if we ever stop questioning decisions completely and letting GW know about our concerns in an intelligent, irenic fashion they will begin to make more and more decisions without consumer feedback, which is important to any business. So ultimately, if we give our complaints the right vehicle, they do matter.

I suppose that that is the real point of the article: vent your spleen to the right person in the right venue. It does no good to complain to your buddy about a decision GW makes, let your concerns be known to GW in a civilized manner if you want to get a decent answer. The answer may not be one you like, but they are much more likely to give you a good reason if your complaint isn't along the lines of "OMG, u r teh suxxor!!!!1! Brng bak teh infnite asslts whit teh corn brzrkrs lol!" And for goodness sake, if you're trying to bring a new player into the game, don't constantly complain about GW in front of them. That's just going to scare them off, decreasing your number of potential opponents.

Overall, I definitely agree with the author of "Big Picture" for the most part, but I would say that you should never forget that if you're going to complain, there is a proper time and place to do so. Remember, words do have a great amount of power, so be careful what you say, and to whom.

1850 Potential Tourney List

2009-04-24T18:08:00.001-05:00

After a bit of brain storming and looking over what I have, I came up with the following list. I present it to you now for consideration.

HQ
Space Marine Chapter Master -- 170 pts.
--Boltgun
--Artificer Armor
--Relic Blade

Space Marine Chaplain -- 125 pts.
--Jump Pack
--Digital Weapons

Elites
Dreadnought -- 125 pts.
--Assault Cannon
--Heavy Flamer

1x5 Terminators --230
--Assault Cannon

Troops
1x10 Man Tactical Squad--205 points
--Flamer
--Multi-melta
--Rhino

1x10 Man Tactical Squad--255 points
--Plasma gun
--Missile launcher
--Razorback (TL Lascannon)

Fast Attack
1x10 Man Assault Squad -- 215
--Powerfist
--Combat Shield
--Melta Bombs

Heavy Support
Whirlwind -- 85 points

Land Raider --250 points

Predator -- 190 points
--Autocannon
--Lascannon Sponsons
--Sgt. Chronus

TOTAL: 1850

The way I see it working out is I'll have the Chapter Master joined to the Terminators inside the LR to go forth and kill what they can. The MM Tac Squad in the Rhino will go hunting, while the Razorback Tac Squad will set up as a kind of forward fire base. The Whirlwind will be set up to start smashing hordes, with the Predator tooled up for support, hopefully from behind cover. The Dreadnought will mainly be used as a hunter/distraction. The Assault marines, finally, will be paired with the Chaplain and used for interdiction. I plan to keep them behind cover/out of line of sight until they're in a good position to ruin somebody's day.

Feel free to let me know what you think!

Layout Changes and Table Construction

2009-04-23T22:06:00.003-05:00

Well, normally I refuse to do these sort of posts on principle, because they do little to actually further the content of my blog, but I made some layout changes. I felt like the widgets got far too distracting on the left side when trying to read a post, so now they're over there ----->.

In order to satisfy my own standards, let it be known that a friend and I have started working on making 2' x 4' table top sections for our games. We used the basic plans from miniwargaming.com, found in their "How to" articles section. Hopefully the tabletops will be done shortly after finals are over. They aren't the prettiest or the most professionally done, but we're not professionals, and it gives us some excuse to play wi...ehrm...get more experience with power tools.

Last, but by no means least, I am getting ready for a tournament. 1850. A list will be posted shortly for criticism/suggestions.

Thank you, and good night!

Door Hinging: how to

2009-04-20T16:21:00.003-05:00

I realize that I am making this post in an era of magnetization, in which models are almost always magnetized to maximize the number of options available to them. And this is an excellent idea! However, I have yet to see a tutorial using magnetization (please point one out to me if you have seen it!) in order to make Land Raider and Rhino/Razorback doors articulate on their hinges. With a great deal of ignorance, I tried a few things out, and surprisingly, they seem to have worked. Here is my method of hinging transport doors, for your consideration.

Materials needed:
Pin vice
Wire clippers
Staple(s)
Green-stuff
Model (duh)

Step 1: First, you have to decide that you really want to do this to your doors. Once this is done, there is no going back in terms of being able to magnetize options effectively. Once that decision has been made, get your model ready!

Step 2: Drill holes into the sides of the hatch jam with your pin vice. An example is below. However, I would suggest drilling one of those holes at a straight on 90 degree angle for ease of installation later. I put in two 45 degree angle holes to help hold the staples in, and while it worked fine for the first, the second staple was a real bugger to get in. Again, your call, but save yourself some of the hassle.

Step 3: Drill holes into the door hinges.

Step 4: Get a single staple, and carefully cut it in half with your wire clippers. The best method for doing this and still being able to find the pieces, I found, is to hold the staple with two fingers of your non-cutting hand on your work-mat, and clipping with the other hand.

Step 5: Put half of the staple into one of the door hinges, and the second in the other. Hold them both in, and clip them in the center area to get them down to size.

Step 6: Finagle your door/staple monstrosity into the holes you drilled into the frame. The fit should be pretty snug.

Step 7: On the other side of the frame, either bend the staples towards the center of the frame, or swivel them down next to the frame and trim off the excess (the latter is a lot easier.)

Step 8: Get a nice, big glob of green stuff, divide it in half, and smear each half over the exposed staple. (Example below. It's hard [maybe impossible] to see, but there is still part of an exposed staple on the left!)

Step 9: Admire the majesty of your now articulated doors! Since the fit is so tight, the staples will be held in place by a combination of pressure inside the jam and green stuff smeared on the inside of the frame.

And that's that! I hope it's inspired you to not skimp on making those doors articulate now, because it's really not that big of a deal. One word of caution, though: NEVER try to shove anything through a small hole with your pin vice. The bits WILL snap, leaving you up a creek without a paddle.

As always, questions and comments are welcome, and if you've magnetized hinges, by all means, show me! I would love to see your work!

Wednesday Work

2009-04-16T00:05:00.003-05:00

Well, I got the stupid idea of making the side doors on my new Land Raider chassis articulate. No, not meaning they will be able to recite Shakespeare (though that'd be a heck of a trick!) but rather that they're mobile. I learned a few good things after making a few distinct mistakes, which I will cover in a future tutorial when I (hopefully) make the doors on my Razorback completely articulate. Pictures will be coming, but I'm afraid Blogger's photo capabilities are failing me at the moment. (What else is new, eh?)

EDIT: Photos are up. Enjoy!

Coming down the pipes

2009-04-13T17:49:00.003-05:00

I got in another team game a few nights ago (no bat rep, unfortunately) and my team-mate and I won. Go us! 1500 points a player, Dawn of War, annihilation, we won 9 KPs to 6.

Now that the jubilation is over, I thought I'd share what's currently on my work table awaiting their fates:

1 Land Raider Chassis
1 Master of the Chapter
1 Devestator Squad
1 metal Veteran w/Lightning Claws & Jump Pack (counts as Shrike)
4 Tactical marines, final equipment fate undecided
5 Terminators
5 Assault Marines w/ Jump Packs
1 Jump Pack Chaplain to be stripped and repainted.
1 Razorback

Hopefully I'll be able to get some work done soon. I have a few days off for Easter break, but I have some other obligations to attend to first, as well as some tests coming up after we get back to school. Hopefully, once I get this stuff painted, there will be pictures to prove it.

Thanks for dropping by! Feel free to leave me a comment, if the mood strikes you.

Thoughts on: Imperial Guard

2009-04-04T20:24:00.003-05:00

Like any other 40k player with a pulse, I'm getting excited about the upcoming I.G. release. Though there's things I'm very excited about, there are a few things that I'm slightly concerned about. Not that I'm afraid of facing Guard, but rather I'm wondering what the implications will be for the 40k universe as a whole.

Excited about:
1. Valkyrie plastics. These kits are some of the most interesting and well detailed models that I've seen Games Workshop produce. I especially love the interior heavy bolter gunners.

2. Cheaper guardsmen, point-wise. Now there might be a horde army that even Orks will fear. 50 guardsmen in a squad is just friggin' nuts!

3. Some of the new independent characters, especially Sly Marbo. That guy is ridiculously powerful!

Not excited about:
1. New Cadian Battleforce set. The old ones were perfectly fine and gave you a Leman Russ. Sure, giving us a command squad in the new box is great, but no tank? Lame.

2. The psyker squads. Though they may not be terribly tough in terms of survivability, they seem to be breaking the fluff by having so many of them grouped in the same place at the same time. 10 mutant psykers acting together in the same place at the same time? I wonder if the Inquisition is aware of such tactics. And finally, have you seen their powers? They may put Librarians to shame, in some respects. They're also dirt cheap, which is great for those who are going to field them. However, this kind of power seems to be given out very, very liberally for such a cheap unit.

3. It seems like with the new Imperial Guard Codex, the Space Marines are becoming less and less the awesome clenched fist of the Emperor and more and more canned meatloaf. Heavy 20 weapons? AP 3 Hellguns? Why then would any guardsmen hold the Space Marines in any kind of respect if they could kill them reasonably easily? Don't get me wrong, I'm glad they're getting stronger in respect to 5th edition, but it seems to be at the cost of some of the fluff.

4. The loss of Gaunt from the independent characters. What's up, GW? What'd he do to fall from grace?

5. Dropping the Cadian troopers box from 20 troopers down to 10. Makes sense from a marketing perspective, but it makes all of us broke gamers cry when we realize how much extra money we would have to spend in order to get a Guard force going. (No, I'm not going to be starting guard until I get the Dawn Crusaders where I want them to be. But I can dream, can't I?)

As with anything, time and experience will tell how effective these changes are, and my perspectives will likely change. But I am noticing the trend that each new Codex is more about being the biggest and the baddest because it's the newest, as opposed to trying to keep a closer line with what the established fluff is. That's fine, and depending on how the I.G. perform, I may be entirely wrong about the fluff issue. But I hope that GW doesn't sacrifice a faction's character on the altar of sales figures.

Please feel free to leave me your thoughts on the Imperial Guard.

Of 40k Playlists and Other Matters

2009-04-04T00:12:00.005-05:00

Music is one of those things that speaks to people on a very elemental level, and can enrich any experience, including miniature war gaming. I've become keen recently on adding music to my board gaming experiences, and I was wondering if anyone else had done this? I know that the d6 Generation has started doing this, as they have a segment of their show called "The Score" that gives some excellent music suggestions for gaming, but I'm trying to gauge how popular this is with the general gaming public. My current 40k list is as follows:

"Dawn of War" Soundtrack
"Star Wars: Republic Commando" Soundtrack
"Gladiator" Soundtrack
"Orion" by Metallica
"The Dark Side of Phobos" Soundtrack (pieces of it, anyway.)

I've noticed that the best tracks are usually all instrumental, because lyrics tend to distract you from clear thinking or otherwise take you out of the experience.

So, on to other things. These will be a bit random, but still relate to 40k as a whole. They are also my thoughts as a relative noob, and will be old hat to veterans in all likelihood.

I think that it's very important to have a printed army list with every point accounted for, and to have it ready to go when you get to the table. It shows a general respect for your opponent's time, because even in a friendly game, you've showed up to punch in and play, not wait on a guy while he's getting his stuff together. It doesn't even necessarily have to be printed, it just has to be done beforehand and be reasonably legible. (Note: this is not a complaint directed at anyone in particular, it's just me ruminating over what might be called "gamer courtesy.")It greatly smooths things along, and will earn you gamer cred.

Another reasonably important courtesy note is to not behave badly when playing someone you don't know. (I'm thinking trash-talking here.) Sure, some good natured ribbing is ok, but basically saying to someone you've never met that you're going to essentially violate their army and make them never want to play the game again is just bad form. This may not be a big deal for some people, but considering how small my gaming group actually is (4 people, myself included) we really can't have a "that guy." And mercifully, as far as I can tell, nobody in our group is. But just consider that next time you play someone completely new. If you bust their chops too much you're setting yourself up to not only look bad, but potentially drive away another competitor to sharpen your skills with. Another thing you want to avoid is making a personal attack on a player just because they're doing better than you during a game. You can have the best list in the world, but if the dice aren't with you that day, it probably won't matter too much. That's not a bad segue for my next topic.

When it comes to dice, some are definitely cursed, others strangely blessed. Then again, there are also players like that, to where no matter what dice they pick up, they will get an inordinate number of necessary results. For those cursed by the dice gods, however, consider asking your opponent to let you use a dice tower if it's a friendly game. Sure, they may not be tournament legal everywhere, but unless you're practicing for a tournament, there shouldn't be a huge problem with it.

A rambling post, admittedly, but sometimes you just need to get a few things off your chest. Next post, I'll be covering some of my thoughts about the upcoming Imperial Guard. (As if my pocketbook weren't flogged enough...)

Ironing things out

2009-03-16T16:51:00.007-05:00

My gaming group got together a few weekends back because we had no major tests on the horizon (or just chose to ignore them if we did) and we played another round of a team game. This time, I was allied up with my Orky friend against Chaos and Tau. We decided to go for broke, and I took Kor'Sarro Khan in order to let everything I had infiltrate. This led to very mixed results. Read on.

My list:

Kor'Sarro Khan (on foot)

1 Tactical Squad (10) -- all bolters except for one trooper with a plasma gun.

1 Combat Squad (5)

1 Whirlwind

1 Predator Autocannon w/ Lascannon sponsons

1 Land Raider

Ork List

Warboss w/ Powerklaw

Big Mek w/ Force shield

1 Boyz Squad (30) -- sluggas

1 Loota squad (10)

1 Deff Copta squad (2)

Chaos List

1 Daemonprince

1 Abbadon the Despoiler

2 Khorne Berserker squads (8 men each) -- 1 Rhino per squad

2 Obliterators

Tau List

1 Battlesuit Commander w/ Battlesuit retinue

1 Pathfinder Squad

1 Devilfish

1 Hammerhead

2 Firewarrior squads (10 each)

1 Broadside Battlesuit

We rolled up mission type and deployment style after determining that the vile forces of Chaos and Tau would go first. Mission: Capture and Control. Deployment: Dawn of War, which we screwed up. Hey, we’re still working the kinks out! Anyway, check out the deployment below:

Not shown are the Daemon Prince (hiding behind the Orky shed in the top Left and most of my forces, because I took them as Infiltrating reserves. Now, down to business.

Turn 1:

The forces of Chaos went first. The Daemon Prince transformed into a greater daemon with a howl, and then flew directly forward 24”. The two rhinos, filled with gibbering berserkers of Khorne in squads of 8, rolled forward 12” to challenge the Warboss and his mob. No shooting occurred, but the Daemon assaulted the two Deffcoptas hanging out around our objective. He caused two wounds (1 on each copta) and took none. Ballocks.

The Tau quickly mobilized, their Broadside moving 5” out from behind the Ork shed, the Hammerhead forward 6” to where it could fire, the devilfish 6” southeast behind the downed wing, and the Kroot 6” towards the poor Ork’s Loota squad. The Crisis Commander and Squad also moved forward 6”.

In shooting, the Pathfinders marked the MekBoy’z mob with 5 markerlights, and the Ork’z countenances fell. Using up one marker, the Devilfish killed 3 Boyz from said mob. The northeast Firewarrior squad also used some markers and killed 4 more Boyz, and an opening salvo from the Hammerhead killed another 5. On the other side of the battlefield, the Commander and his retinue opened fire on the Warboss’ mob with flachette, burst cannon, and plasma rifle. Only the burst cannon caused any wounds, and miraculously it was saved. Alien curses followed this bleak performance, and the suits ran diagnostics to adjust their weapons calibration.

For assaulting, the Kroot ran into the Loota squad with their weapons swinging. 5 Orks were killed, but 7 Kroot died in the assault. The Shaper, left to himself, promptly panicked, ran, and was cut down in his attempt to flee.

The Ork retribution was swift, albeit milquetoast. The Boss and his mob moved towards the Chaos Rhinos, as well as his Mekboy squad. The Mech squad shot at the Pathfinders and killed three, causing them to fall back. The Lootas then opened fire upon the devilfish, but to no avail. The Warboss attempted to rip open one of the passing Rhinos, but failed miserably. Finally, in close combat, the two Deffcoptas were swatted aside by the Daemon Lord Proxius, who would later go on to find other fights.

The Space Marines were able to do little in order to help their allies. Fearing a regrouping upon the next turn, the lone Whirlwind shot at the fleeing Pathfinders, killing two more. The lone remaining pathfinder fled off of the board edge. More alien curses were heard across the Vox-net.

Turn 2:

Ecstatic over the opportunity to spill more blood for their god, the Khorne berserkers piled out of their Rhinos to face the Ork threat. Meanwhile, Abbadon deep struck onto the board with two Obliterators, cutting off the Ork’s right flank. The Berserker squad furthest north moved towards the Orks 6”.

In shooting, the Obliterators shot at the now relatively open Whirlwind, immobilizing it. The crew simply shrugged their shoulders, as they hadn’t planned on moving during the battle anyway. Abbadon shot his twin linked bolter at the Mekboy’s mob, failing to kill anything.

In assault, the closest Khorne Berserker squad caused two unsaved wounds on the Warboss and 8 killed Boyz. In retaliation, the Boss and his Boyz killed 4 berserkers. The flanking K.B.s decided that they didn’t want to be outdone by their cursed bretheren, and so assaulted the Mekboyz’s mob. They killed 8 Orks, but the Orks managed to wound an Obliterator who had charged them and kill 2 berserkers outright. Having failed the combat miserably, the Orks fell back and were destroyed.

Their psychotic allies on the assault, the Tau found themselves in need of repositioning. The Hammerhead moved 12” to the West, while the Devilfish moved 12” to the Southeast. The west firewarrior squad moved 6” through difficult terrain, while the east firewarrior squad moved into the East building ruins, which for simplicity’s sake we were counting as area terrain.

Now in sight of some targets, the Hammerhead commander opened fire upon the Lootas. The smart missile systems did not manage to kill anything, but the main cannon killed 7 lootas. The Orks fell back two inches.

The Lootas again fell back two inches, dangerously close to falling off the edge of the board. With no other recourse, the Warboss continued to fight against the Berserkers. Though 3 Orks were killed, 4 more Berserkers fell to the might of da Green Tide. They were now disengaged from combat.

Kor’Sarro Khan observed the slaughter of his temporary allies, and ordered an advance. He and his squad looked on the Land Raider’s viewing screens as they rolled in from the Eastern flank, accompanied by a Predator on their left, sporting an Autocannon and two lascannons. Sgt. Chronus gave an uneasy thumbs up from his perch in the predator, as it opened fire with its lascannons and destroyed the Devilfish. The Landraider then turned and vented its full fury upon the Hammerhead, destroying it utterly. Inspired by the arrival of reinforcements, the Whirlwind opened fire upon the Firewarriors hiding in the eastern ruin. Unfortunately, there was no effect, as the squad was able to find cover.

Turn 3:

Calling out curses to the warp, the Daemon Lord moved towards the Warboss’s mob, as Abbadon and the fully victorious eastern K.B. squad moved towards the immobilized Whirlwind. One of the rhinos moved in front of Abbadon, blocking him slightly from the view of the Predator’s and Land Raider’s hungry lascannons. The second rhino remained stationary and shot its stormbolter at the Boss, and killed one boy. The Obliterators, determined to take out some armor, shot again at the Whirlwind, but only managed to shake and stun the artillery piece. The Khornberserkers ran towards the whirlwind as Abbadon juked to make sure the Rhino blocked him completely. In range and enraged, the Daemon lumbered forward into the Warboss’ mob, killing one Ork, while the battle-frenzied greenskins scored three unsaved hits against the beast.

The Tau realized that no one was guarding the objective, and so the western Firewarriors moved 6” towards it as the eastern Firewarriors clambered out of the building to move towards the same. Meanwhile, the Commander and his retinue moved 6” East, and the Broadside moved 6” Southeast. The Broadside then shot and destroyed the Predator, and Sgt. Chronus died in a burst of flame. All this was happening as the Firewarriors and Command squad sprinted for the objective.

In deep trouble, the Orks decided to rally their Lootas (something that we found in retrospect he shouldn’t have been able to do, but that’s hindsight: 20/20.) Anyway, the Lootas fired on the Berserkers to no effect. In assault, 5 more Orks (including the Warboss) lost their lives, but the Daemon was slain!

Muttering battle prayers to the Emperor, the 5 man tactical squad arrived on the West side of the board, and promptly moved behind the safety of cover and in range of their objective. The Land Raider moved 6” to get into better firing position, allowing the Khan and his squad to disembark. One lascannon shot at the Obliterators, failing to kill them. However, the combined might of 10 bolters and a plasma gun reduced the Obliterators to smoking protoplasm!

Turn 4:

The Berserkers moved towards the two remaining Lootas, murder in their hearts. The Rhino that had been blocking Abbadon decided to tank shock and ram the Land Raider. As the Khan and the rest of his brothers dove out of the way, it was lowly Brother Dolan that stood in front of the Rhino’s charging mass, jumping on the front of it at the right time and dropping an activated Krak grenade down it’s exhaust, immobilizing the steel beast. Meanwhile, the other Rhino was busy shooting at the remnants of the Boss’ mob, killing another Ork. After that, the Berserkers assaulted and promptly slew the two remaining Lootas.

The Tau Battlesuits moved further towards their objective to ensure its safety, and the Broadside moved 3” to the west. The eastern Firewarrior squad moved up to meet their brethren at their objective. In shooting, the Commander’s frag attack killed 6 more Ork boyz. The other battlesuits failed to kill the last one, but the western Firwarrior team finished them off. That was the last of it for the Orks! They had been totally defeated.

Noting the terrible danger they were in with Abbadon still hiding close by and the Broadside sitting in a good firing lane, the Khan and his men decided to pile into the Land Raider, which then moved 12” behind the eastern ruin. The Whirlwind, now over its negative effects, shot Vengeance missiles at the east Firewarrior squad, killing 7 of them.

Turn 5:

Abbadon, thoroughly steamed that he had been unable to get into assault, moved back towards the center objective as his berserkers moved closer to the whirlwind. In the subsequent assault, the Whirlwind was destroyed.

The Tau commander ordered his remaining Firewarriors to get into cover as he and his battlesuit compatriots attempted to fire on the Rhino, but all of their shots went awry. The Broadside took a pot-shot at the Land Raider, and destroyed the heavy bolter.

The Space Marines failed to do anything of note, and the game ended in a tactical draw because it was ~3 a.m. and we were all dead tired. :P

Hope you enjoyed it, there will be another b.p. soon!

Weekend Madness

2009-03-02T18:03:00.005-06:00

My friends and I got in a team game on Saturday night. 750 pts. per player, deployment quarters, Capture and Control. I was playing with a guy who just got Daemonhunters against an Ork and Chaos team. They won the first turn. When I saw the Ork player setting up opposite to my ally's Inquisitor, I knew we were in trouble. The lists are as follows, minus the other guy's wargear because I don't remember it off the top of my head.

I took a new list:
1 Captain -- Artificer Armour, Digital Weapons, Melta-bombs
1 Tac Squad (10) -- Standard "freebie" loadout
1 Scout Sniper Squad (6) -- Camo cloaks, Heavy Bolter
1 Land Raider
1 Whirlwind

My ally's list:
1 Inquisitor Coteaz w/ Retinue -- 1 Gun servitor, 2 familiars, 1 Acolyte
1 Dreadnaught -- standard
2 Grey Knight Squads (5) -- Incinerator
1 Grey Knight Terminator Squad (4)

Ork Player's list:
1 Weird Boy
1 Warboss
2 Boyz Mobs (30)
1 Loota Squad (12)

CSM Player's List:
1 Chaos Lord (who would later transform into something...else.)
1 Abaddon the Despoiler
2 Khorne Berserker Squads (8)

The actual report may not be accurate in the number of turns that it took, but this is what I remember happening.

Turn 1
Chaos: Moved Abaddon and one squad of Berserkers forward from behind LOS blocking cover. Abbadon was by himself.
Orks: Moved both Boyz squads, one with the Warboss in it, the other with the weirdboy in it. Warboss mob ran, Weirdboy rolled for a power and got teleportation. It failed, and his mishap was that we got to place his squad anywhere on the table. The daemon prince got very confused as a large mob of Orks showed up at the back with him out of nowhere. The Lootas shot at and destroyed the DH Dreadnaught. Profanities and cries of "I'm bringing out the Tau next time!" followed.
Space Marines: Tactical squad with Captain sat inside the Land Raider, tensed for the battle. The Land Raider was not within line of sight for enemies, so waited as the assault units came to it. Shot at Khorne Berserkers with scout snipers, but failed to kill any. The Whilrwind let forth a volley at the Warboss's mob, but scattered 11", only killing 1 Ork. Much groaning ensued.
Daemonhunters: Shot with the one Grey Knight squad that was in range and with the Inquisitor. Few kills, as many 1s were rolled. More profanity.

Turn 2
Chaos: Realizing that he was about to move right in front of my Land Raider's two TL Lascannons, Abaddon decided to go back where he came from. Both squads of Berserkers moved normally, the one moved previously moved closer to me, and the other squad emerged from behind the shack to get next to the Ork Lootas. The Chaos Lord transformed into the most disturbing Daemon Prince of all, the dreaded Lord Borden Milkbottleus Proxius! Using his happy cow psyker powers, he flew over terrain and began to assault my Land Raider. He scored only the one hit, which mercifully only shook the vehicle.
Orks: The Ork squad with the Weirdboy did not do anything this turn, as it was in a good position to hold an objective. The squad with the warboss moved forward, however, and ran towards the Grey Knights. The Lootas began shooting at the Land Raider, but failed to accompish anything.
Space Marines: Thoroughly hacked off that the Borden milk bottle had scratched the paint job on his brand new Land Raider, Captain Tycho and his squad piled out of the vehicle and filled the Demon full of lead, causing three wounds. True to form, the few snipers available hit but failed to wound the massive beast. The Whilwind managed to kill more Orks from the Warboss' mob, but the scatter dice was unkind again and only 4 Orks were slain.
Daemonhunter: An orbital bombardment came in, which managed to kill a single Loota. Joy. Also, the Grey Knight Terminators showed up in time to shoot the milk bottle to death, preventing it from destroying my Land Raider next turn. The Grey Knights pumped the charging mob of green-skins with stormbolter fire before the only squad available. Disappointment was the word of the day when he realized that Lord Coteaz was 2/10ths of an inch too far away to assault the green tide. Wounds were taken on both sides, slaying more Orks and 4 Grey Knights.

Turn 3
Chaos: More movement for the Berserkers, and for Abaddon as well. One squad managed to get into close combate with the 4 GK Terminators. After the blood hit the dirt, only 2 Khorne Berserkers were left, and no Terminators.
Orks: The weirdboy cast Fizzle after moving his squad away from his psyker, and I watched in horror as 5 brave Space Marines were instantly killed around my Captain. I failed the morale test, and the Captain and his squad hit the dirt. The Orks then mopped up the lone Grey Knight they were locked in combat with after the Lootas killed one of Coteaz's familiars.
Space Marines: Twin-linked Lascannon and twin-linked heavy bolter death streaked towards Abbadon the despoiler, causing him 2 wounds. The snipers attempted to finish him off, but as per usual, even though they wounded him they failed to kill him. The Whirlwind helped thin the ranks of the Orks a little more, but not enough to save the Daemonhunter's host from assured destruction at the hands of the Warboss' Mob.
Daemonhunters: After a quick move and round of shooting from the sole remaining Grey Knight squad, Coteaz and company charged into close combat, singing praises to the Emperor as they went. Though a few Orks were killed, Coteaz and Co. were hewn down except for Coteaz himself, who was left with one wound. The Orbital Bombardment killed a few Orks.

Turn 4
Chaos: Abaddon rushed forwards and assaulted my Captain and his squad after moving both Berserker squads. The dark one killed the remaining marines outright, save for the Captain, who caused another wound against the traitor. The Captain elected to fail the morale test using "Combat Tactics," and safely got away from the I6 monster in black armor. The remaining two berserkers which had killed the terminators moved towards and then assaulted my land raider. I simply laughed as he attempted to harm it with chainaxes.
Orks: The now weirdboy-less mob moved within the requisite distance to hold an objective. The weirdboy cast Fizzle again, and took out three of my sniper scouts. The Lootas accomplished a whole lotta' nothin', but Coteaz was slain in his resolving close combat.
Space Marines: I moved the remaining three scouts to within range of my objective. Darned if I was going down without a fight! Now imagine, if you will, the look of stunned horror Abbadon must have had when realized that vehicles (sans walkers) are never considered to be locked in close combat. Imagine his revulsion and pain as it once again turned both TL lascannons and TL heavy bolter on him and deluged him with fire, killing him. My captain did not fare so well, as he shot at but failed to hit the two Berserkers who were now reconsidering the wisdom of assaulting a land raider. Finally, the Whirlwind took out a few more Orks, thinning the Warboss' mob and hoping to keep the Grey Knights viable for a little while longer.
Daemonhunters: Infurated at losing the inquisitor, after bombarding the camping Ork mob from orbit, the Grey Knights unloaded with their stormbolters and incinerator as they rushed forward to meet the Warboss, each one of them raising their halberds high and plunging them deep into the greenskin's chest, killing him. Three more men were killed in the backlash of the attack, but the Grey Knights had avenged the death of the Inquisitor.

Unfortunately, that's as best I remember. The details get fuzzy after that because it was so late, and I'm sure I've left out some details as it is. What I do know, however, is that we lost, but we had some excellent highlights.

Things I learned from this game:

* My new Whirlwind held the right flank as the Orks were getting out of close combat with the last of my ally's 5 models (he was only able to field 20 models total,) by destroying 7 of the last 9 Orks. Da boyz ran for it after that. Lesson learned: Whirlwinds are devastating against Orks, if you can roll well. 2 Whirlwinds would be preferable so if one misses you've got a decent chance of hitting with the other.

* Scout Snipers are not worth the points unless you have 10 of them and one of them is Telion (or a Telion equivalent.) The only reason I took the scouts was because I had to drop some points in order to field my Whirlwind, but I should be able to take a 5-man Tac squad with bolters for that purpose instead of getting 6 scouts that failed to kill anything during the course of the entire game!

*Land Raiders are beasts. I like them. However, even they have to be protected sometimes. Mercifully, I was able to kill everything that could have penetrated its armor. In retrospect, I should have put the scouts in the Land Raider and sat it on top of the objective to try and force a draw, but he had too many berserkers around for that to have been feesible.

I'm already excited about playing another match! The Dawn Crusaders have some honor to regain.

Delays and an Army List

2009-02-24T11:25:00.004-06:00

Well, it's certainly been longer than I anticipated getting another post together for the blog. My apologies, ladies (if there are any that read this thing) and gents. Blogger and my computer have been having a battle over the past few months in regards to allowing pictures, so until I can get that cleared up you'll just have to be happy with text, I'm afraid.

I've been doing some painting and assembling as well as getting more people in my area to play. I have one friend playing Tau and has also started a Daemonhunter army, one friend playing Orks, and another playing Chaos. I also have started a "house army" of Necrons, but they'll take a bit of work before they resemble anything close to a viable force, unfortunately. Also, I completed my first commisioned miniature the other day: I painted the first of my Tau friend's Grey Knight Terminators.

It's time, I think, to reveal my 500 point list for review. Feel free to let me know what you think of it!

"Psyker Patrol Force"
Librarian Epistolary -- 153 points, The Gate of Infinity, Smite, Storm Bolter

10 man Tactical Squad --170 points, flamer, ML
10 man Tactical Squad -- 170 points, flamer, ML

Total: 493 points

This list is relatively weak, I know, but for 500 points the Space Marines can't bring much to the table. The way I figure, the Librarian will be able to teleport himself and his attached sqaud around the field as needed to snag objectives, and you can keep one in the back to guard an objective. In terms of kill points, however, I've noticed they have a distinct lack of punch. Any ideas on how to improve this list?

I'm not dead yet!

2008-11-27T11:46:00.002-06:00

Just a quick update to let you know that a true post will be forthcoming. School's been a bit crazy, and I've been visiting a different medschool what feels like every week for the past month. Anyway, I've finished my AoBR captain and terminators, and a Land Raider since my last post. I'll get pics up ASAP. But right now, I've got to go enjoy the gastronomic bacchanalia known as Thanksgiving.

Happy Thanksgiving, all!

Terminator and a Pimp Wagon

2008-10-26T00:04:00.003-05:00

Well, since my last update, I've had a few rounds with my buddy who I've convinced to play Tau. And now he is an addict. :) I haven't been able to paint too very much until tonight, and won't be able to do much more for a while with exams coming up soon, but here's some of my latest.

And that's that for a bit. To all of those who still keep up with this blog, thank you so much. I do still read your blogs, even if I don't leave any comments. If I don't leave comments, that's usually because I feel that I have nothing constructive to say due to my inexperience.

Cheers!

Odds, ends, and an angry Dreadnought

2008-10-08T23:24:00.002-05:00

Haven't been able to do too much lately other than clip out pieces and shave off the flashing from the Battleforce. But, as promised, here is the finished pic of my new "Meltanought," Brother Calvin. Behold!

I get a mercifully long weekend, so there should be some chapter progress (along with some grudging school work) getting done.

Hopefully something more substantive coming up. I'm thinking about modifying my chapter's background a bit, because I really used the 4e codex as a basis for some of the fluff. Now that the attributes are gone, I may have to rethink the backstory. Let me know what you think about that: good, bad, ugly, or just don't care. ;)

Oooo...shiny

2008-10-02T16:35:00.003-05:00

Waiting for me in my mailbox yesterday was a large, manilla package from Games Workshop. That's right folks, the Dawn Crusaders have received their latest Codex! Due to reasons such as copyright infringement, I can't divulge too much, other than to say that the new Codex is thicker, more fluffy, and provides for some more intriguing options. The fact that some of the wargear that otherwise nickel-and-dimed a player to death in the prvious codex now comes standard is a huge bonus, even if a few points values had to shift a little. Another thing I can say is that Scouts and Scout Bikes seem exponentially more useful now than they were in the past.

Almost finished with my AoBR Melta-naught. Pics to follow once he's done!

Two more Marines

2008-09-30T16:47:00.002-05:00

Well, here's a quick snapshot of some completed stuff I managed to drum up. I had to enlarge the photos a little, but other than that, they're unmodified. The extreme closeups are making me a little self-conscious about my painting skills, haha. Oh well, as long as they look decent on the tabletop, I'll be (mostly) happy with them. I like to call the one with the Auspex my "Wait a minute..." marine.

Paint Night after Hell Week

2008-09-30T00:28:00.002-05:00

Not much in the way of an update, other than to say one is coming, and it will have pictures. The only news lately is today I picked up the materials for a couple of home-made drop pods, and that I and two friends of mine got together and painted for about five hours this evening. It was pretty intense.

More to come, after a bit of sleep.

What got you started?

2008-09-20T09:21:00.002-05:00

In lieu of my not getting much progress done Chapter-wise due to having to study human anatomy hardcore most of the week, I think it's story time. The story: how I got involved in Warhammer 40,000.

A few years ago my two younger cousins were really big into fantasy movies and books, and both of them are artistically inclined. As it turns out, they decided to get into fantasy miniature painting because of the influence of a family friend. They kept at it, and kept at it, and got very good. Being the thoughtful cousin that I am (well, that's my excuse for looking into something cool,) I decided to try to understand their hobby better. So they showed me some of the models they were working on, and had a spare elf sitting around that they let me paint. I was hooked. I started buying models, paints, brushes, and hobby tools. At the time, I knew that there were these cool looking models from a mysterious game called Warhammer 40,000. I didn't know anything about it, other than it would probably take a lot of discretionary income (that I didn't really have) to break into. So I just shrugged and kept going, only painting models infrequently.

One year ago I was surfing the web, and I found out about a little game called Dawn of War. It was lauded for its uniqueness in the RTS world and it's sci-fi theme. I decided that I needed to learn more about it. Much more. So I jumped into the Warhammer 40k fluff head first, and was hooked. I bought the game, and played for hours on end. I decided that for Christmas, I was going to buy a squad of Space Marines, paint them, and give them as gifts to my friends. So I did, and I thought that would be the end of my experience with 40k. As a surprise move, though, I ended up receiving the Battle for Macragge box set for Christmas that year. That was all I needed: I had more minis, terrain, and the rulebook. I was instantly hooked by the mechanics, and so were my cousins that I dragged into it with me. :)

As it stands now I have not only brought my cousins in who live in a different city, but also two of my best friends, with some more looking closely at it.

So, let me know what your story is! How did you get into this hobby, and who have you brought into it?

Pictures at Freaking Last!

2008-09-16T01:30:00.003-05:00

Well, after some struggles with my photo hosting software, I finally made a swtich and was able to get some pictures up. Enjoy!

My new centerpiece, the Librarian Flavel. While not in my Chapter's standard colors, the colors are GW canon.

A quick little Orky hut I made out of cardboard, styrofoam chunks, popsicle sticks, and flock.

A very moody shot of my snipers getting into position in a small section of my new woods piece.

My first dreadnought, Knox. Though currently shown in the "Hellfire" armament, the arms were left un-glued to allow weapon interchanging.

Assault on Black Reach review

2008-09-09T11:55:00.004-05:00

Yesterday, I received that lovely new starter box set released by GW known as Assault on Black Reach. I've had enough time to look it over, so I think it's time to go over the contents in my first official review.

Background
Assault on Black Reach is the newest starter set, released by GW recently in order to get new players started playing in the Warhammer 40,000 universe. Inside the box are a boatload of push-together models, templates, dice, red measuring rods (whippy sticks,) an introductory booklet, a pocket sized rulebook, and a tiny little "What to buy next" pamphlet. All of this can be yours for ~$60, available at fine retailers everywhere.

Aesthetics
Firstly, I would just like to say that the box art is absolutely beautiful. (In that grim, dark "I'm going to rip the head off of my enemy" kind of way.) The artwork of the battle between the Space Marines and the Orks is brilliant. As per standard fare, there are examples of different ways to paint your armies on the sides of the box top, other armies not included in the set on the sides of the box bottom, and on the back it labels the contents and tries to sell you the game. There's really not much to say about it, other than the box feels kind of flimsy. Not only does it feel kind of flimsy, but it is flimsy: mine was partially crushed during shipment. That makes me an angry gamer. Though you don't need the box after getting all of the components out of it by any stretch of the imagination, I'm one of those rare gamers that likes to keep the boxes that his models came in sort of as a badge of honor or a timeline. Ergo, it makes me a little miffed when one of those badges or pieces of the timeline looks like it's been through some serious crap, especially because I take care extra special care of all my possessions if at all possible. Again, box strength is not a very important part to the set as a whole, but if you like pristine aesthetics, either buy the set from your FLGS, or from GW directly. I got mine from an independent retailer who shall remain nameless, and I don't think they packaged it as well as GW packages their stuff.

Contents
Now, for the real meat and potatoes of this set. This set is HUGE, and each of the components will be dealt with independently.

Models
The models themselves are excellently sculpted and detailed. They push together easily (for the most part,) and I have yet to run into any horrible sculpts where something just wouldn't fit. (That was my biggest beef with the Battle for Macragge set: some of the Tyranid Termagaunt arms just didn't fit!) Not only are these models well sculpted, but there's a lot of them. Here's what you get:

Space Marines: Captain, 1 Tactical Squad (10 troopers,) 5 Terminators, and a Dreadnought. (Not just any Dreadnought, but a Melta dreadnought!)
Orks: Warboss, 5 Nobz, 20 Boyz, 3 Deffcoptas.

For those of you counting at home, that's 46 models. Not a bad haul by any stretch of the imagination! The Space Marines land in at about 585 points, and the Orks at a nice, round 450. Any way you cut that, that's a great start to a new army, or an expansion of an old one. So, all in all, the models get the thumbs up from me.

It's not all perfect, however. Unlike in the Battle of Macragge box set, there is no terrain available out of the box. That's not a total deal breaker, per se, but it was nice to get at least a few pieces of cover to play with from the start with BoM. It helped me to get drawn into the experience more, so that is one detraction from me.

Templates and other accessories
The new templates are cool. Not only are they a cool new green color, but they are much thicker than the templates that came with the Battle for Macragge set. This was an excellent move, in my opinion. There's really not much else to say though, the whippy sticks and dice have remained the same.

Books
Here is my single biggest hang-up. The Assault on Black Reach starter book is very skimpy. While they do have a good system for quickly assembling and painting the models, and they have enough background information to pull new players in, the biggest failing of the book was in the exclusion of scenarios. They have a quick, 2 page section of "Setting up Your First Battle" and another 2 page section that goes over the basic turn system, but that's really not enough. It seems like new players are really forced to read the rulebook immediately in order to play, and that may frighten some people away from it. When compared with Battle of Macragge, I believe that there should have been at least a few scenarios so that the players even know why they're fighting at Black Reach, and what the significance of Black Reach is. As it is, there's really no context to the fighting. One of Battle of Macragge's biggest boons, to my mind, was that the rules were introduced scenario by scenario, teaching players new stuff and building upon what they had already learned. Admittedly, sometimes the BoM intro book babied players a little too much for my taste, but the fact of the matter is that some players are going to have to be babied a little bit if they've never played a miniatures game before in their lives. Now, you might be wondering why I'm going on and on about that little book. The reason is because I'm going to be teaching one of my friends how to play with this set, and he'll be getting the Orks. However, I'm not always a very clear teacher when it comes to games, and I was hoping on having a set of scenarios to help me get him into the game. Since they hamstrung me in that department, this book gets a big thumbs down from me.

As to the rulebook: it's just a thin version of the excellence that is the new 5th edition hardcover book. Not nearly as cool, but it still has some good artwork, and it has the rules, which is the most important section of the game anyway. Don't get me wrong, I definitely want and love the fluff and modeling stuff, but when push comes to shove, what people really need at the table is the rules.

Closing thoughts
So, all in all, what do we have here? There's a ton of great minis, there's a thin rulebook, and there's a new set of sexy green templates. And all of that is well and good! However, Assault on Black Reach seems to have missed the biggest point: be a set for pure beginners and ease them into the rules. Throwing everyone into the deep end first off was not the best move, I believe. Definitely get this new set if you want to start either a Space Marine or Ork army, or if you want to build on those forces. It's also good for the slim rulebook and templates, and even if you don't have or aren't interested in either of the listed armies, it's a great way to get a friend started with a small 40k army. If you want to learn the rules, you can do it with this set, but not as easily as I would have liked.
Final rating: 7 out of 10.

In production

2008-09-08T20:48:00.004-05:00

Sorry about the lack of updates, we sort of had a hurricane come through and muck everything up for about a week. But, I have good news. The Dawn Crusaders have received reinforcements from the following sources:

Assault on Black Reach...and a Space Marines Battleforce.

So, I guess all in all, this brings the chapter to about 2000 points. Trouble is I don't have any tanks or other Heavy Support options yet. Maybe I went a little berserk on the troop choices getting ready for 5th. Oh well. Once the new Codex is out, I'll take another look at the chapter, and see which direction the modeling needs to go next.

A New Chapter Founded

2008-08-27T23:32:00.001-05:00

Hello, and welcome to my new blog, detailing the creation of my very own space marines chapter, the Dawn Crusaders. I am a relative noob to 40k, but I love the hobby, and I will post my thoughts on the game and upcoming products on occasion.

So, to get started, I will give you some background on the Dawn Crusaders. Get comfy, this may take a little while. ;)

The Dawn Crusaders

ORIGINS

The Dawn Crusaders are a 26th Founding Chapter, and trace their lineage back to the Destroyers. The Destroyers, like the White Scars before them, were dedicated to fast attacks. They, and especially their veteran First Company, were highly skilled at combating the vile forces of Chaos.
While the Destroyers' home fleet was orbiting Justice Rock 600 years ago, they were attacked and boarded by a contingent of the Night Lords Legion. Without their valued maneuverability, much of the Destroyers' specialized combat doctrine was useless. The battle for the fleet was bloody and fierce. Though they only lost one of their barges, the Destroyers required a great deal of time to recover from their troop losses.
One hero of the Destroyer Fleet Incident, as it came to be known, was Brother Captain Broderick, head of the 2nd Company and chief of the defense forces on the battle barge Eagle’s Malice. He and two squads of his elite tactical marines had been pushed back to the bridge of the vessel, and were fighting desperately to hold it. They viciously held their hard points, using heavy weapons and frag grenades judiciously against their seemingly endless foes. While Broderick and his men defended the bridge from the Traitors, a Chaos Champion named Maldroth appeared with his personal guard, slaughtering all in his wake. He challenged Broderick to single combat. The two dueled, each scoring hits on the other as their soldiers around them slew one another. Finally, the loyalist captain gained the upper hand, and drove his power sword up through Maldroth’s gut. With his dying breath, the Chaos warrior hissed, “This isn’t over. The Empire is waning! Soon, night will fall on mankind...forever!”
Spitting in the Champion’s face, Broderick replied, “Night may be coming, but we fight for a new dawn!” Their champion having been slain, the few remaining Night Lord forces aboard the Eagle’s Malice retreated, and the ship was secure. Upon giving his report after the battle, the chapter master commended Broderick for his efforts, and for his highly trained tactical squads. As the First Company captain had fallen in battle, Broderick was up for re-assignment.
Broderick was a key player in the Destroyers throughout the next three centuries, honing the skills of the Destroyers' tactical squads and specializing his veterans in guerilla and urban combat. A century later, the High Lords of Terra decreed that the Destroyers would be honored with a successor chapter both for their loyal service, and because the forces of Chaos seemed to be ever increasing in their attacks from the Eye of Terror. Broderick and his company were selected to establish the chapter and train the new recruits. When it came time to name his chapter, he received a vision during meditation concerning his vendetta against the Night Lords, and what he had said to the dying Maldroth. The master then named his new chapter the Dawn Crusaders.

HOMEWORLD

The Dawn Crusaders set up a stronghold on a colony world in the Genevas system, Genevas IV. The system is located in the Scarus Sector of Segmentum Obscurus. The planet is a developing agri-world, and is mostly arboreal. The long term plan is to clear most of the forests to make room for more farmland. The wildlife is plentiful and dangerous, and anyone unprepared to defend himself often becomes a meal for one of the vicious predators of this world. Such dangers have their uses to the Astartes. Scouts of this Chapter begin combat training by hunting the native wildlife in sniper teams, and with pistols and knives should they be ambushed by their quarry. After a recruit has slain enough of the wild, six legged Genovite Panthers and more rare Crematorian Hydras to prove his worth, he is allowed to enter active combat duty and travel with the chapter into whatever battles they are called to. It is not uncommon, however, for even higher officers to go hunting whenever they are not on duty to keep themselves in good sharpshooting condition.
The established society of the colony is very close-knit. The dangers faced have developed a survivalist spirit amongst the populace, and they look out for one another’s interests. This means that the people from Genevas IV are suitable for recruitment: tempered by hardship and loyal to allies.
The Dawn Crusaders method of recruitment is somewhat unorthodox. To select trainees the Dawn Crusaders send out Chaplains among the populace of Genevas IV to preach the glory of the Emperor and hatred for his foes. In order to be accepted as a chapter Chaplain, the spiritual leader must recruit ten young men each year through his oratory. This helps to facilitate a quick indoctrination of able-bodied recruits by filling them with zeal of purpose prior to entering the Crusaders’ monestary.
Relations with the citizens and Imperial Guard regiments are closer than in most chapters, though not close enough to be called friendly. The local populace is forbidden from entering their sanctuary during peace time unless they are new recruits. If the world were ever to come under siege, however, the Adeptus Astartes would open its doors for a certain number of refugees. In terms of public presence, only the Chaplains and Apothecaries are frequently seen: the Chaplains to preach, the Apothecaries to perform medical services for those gravely injured. Additionally, Broderick is considered to be something of the planet’s true lord, because Governor Belikov frequently asks him for advice, when Broderick makes time for him.

COMBAT DOCTRINE

The Dawn Crusaders differ in some ways from their Destroyer progenitors, but still stay close to the Codex Astartes. Though they use assault infantry, they have fewer numbers of them than the Destroyers, due to Broderick’s personal bias for tactical squads and his remembrance of the Destroyer Fleet Incident. They also do not use many vehicles in combat, with the exception of the Dreadnought. Theirs is a chapter dedicated heavily to infantry tactics.
Their most frequent opponents have been the traitorous Chaos legions, both defensively and offensively. This is due not only to their proximity to the Eye of Terror, but also to Broderick’s personal vendetta against the Night Lords who slaughtered so many of his men. The chapter’s most notable victory was in their defense of Scela, aiding the PDF forces in the repulsion of the hated Word Bearers. Using their extensive knowledge of urban combat, they managed to drive the Legions out of the major cities surrounding the capital, forcing their foes back meter by meter and eventually off world. The chapter has also made headway against Ork tribes found on Chinchare, driving them from one of its larger islands and establishing an easily defensible OpsCenter to monitor fleet activities at the very lid of the Eye of Terror.
The chapter is not without its defeats, however. During a crusade to liberate the colony Hope’s Landing on the moon of Veloris from the Iron Warriors, nearly the entire 6th Company was wiped out at what became known as the Jayne’s Ridge Massacre. Historically, the Dawn Crusaders’ lack of heavy vehicles has been their undoing on more open worlds, which is why they prefer staging operations in dense jungle or urban terrain. The chapter has learned its lesson well, and has since refused to fight in large, open ground situations similar to the Hope’s Landing incident if it can be avoided.

ORGANIZATION

The Dawn Crusaders are organized in a similar manner to that in the Codex Astartes, but they have more of an emphasis on the importance of Chaplains than Librarians in any army. This is due to practicality more than anything else: it wouldn’t do to have a psyker go rouge during the midst of an operation, and the Chaplains often inspire the men to greater feats of heroism for the Imperium. As such, Librarians are rarely ever fielded, and are always under careful scrutiny.

BELIEFS

The Dawn Crusaders believe that the Imperium is entering into a dark and increasingly threatening age as Maldroth said, but that a new Golden Age is coming. They also believe that they have a responsibility to preserve the life of the citizens of the Imperium if they can. If at all possible, they will aid civilians in times of war, but will not do so if it is tactically inadvisable. Additionally, if the taint of chaos has infected a population, they are willing to exterminate the source, no matter how close to home. Broderick and his chapter believe that Chaos serves as a dire warning of what mankind is truly capable of. As such, they are prepared to be as shining examples of what man should strive to be.
Like the Destroyers, since they are so near the Eye of Terror, the Dawn Crusaders believe that there are many worlds that need their aid. They will often send out three companies on crusades to aid Imperial worlds blighted by Chaos’ taint in the Scarus Sector. The Dawn Crusaders have even been known to conduct minor raids on Chaos worlds, sizing them up for future operations.

GENESEED

The geneseed of the Dawn Crusaders is derived from the Destroyers line. Their most notable divergence from standard geneseed is that the Crusaders’ third lung implants are prone to pneumothoraxes during toxic atmosphere operations, reducing their combat effectiveness on death worlds.

BATTLE CRY

Pre/Post-battle: “Viriscit vulnere virtus!” (Courage grows strong at a wound.)
In battle: Either “Invictus maneo!” (I remain unvanquished,) or “For the Dawn!”

VITAL STATISTICS

Chapter Master Broderick
Chief Librarian Vesalius

Company Captains

Tydaris
Politov
Anders
Helmut
Turalyon
Belarius
Bekenel
Validus
Ezra
Hophni

Colors: Sanguine red, yellow-orange, white, and silver.
Chapter Icon: Black double-bladed battle axe.

Ok, that's good for now. I'll post some model work soon!