Imperial Fists Damocles Command Rhino

This beautifully painted Imperial Fists Damocles Command Rhino won the Forgeworld Best of Show prize in the 2005 UK Golden Demon awards.

The radar dish moved around and as you can see in this shot, the inside included “real” lights (made from LEDs).

It was very well painted and made good use of the Forgeworld Imperial Fists doors. Though I wasn’t too sure about the “highlighting” on the radar dish. The aerials are well done and add to the overall effectiveness of the model. Probably not too practical for a gaming model!

The weathering is very subtle and very well done, sometimes I think it can be too easy to over-weather models.

Honoured Imperium Broken Aquila

These have been in storage for a while now, it was back in 2011 that I gave the models a basecoat of Humbrol Sea Grey spray paint.

The broken Aquila was a very flat grey.

I then used a variety of greys and drybushed them on.

I was originally going to keep the whole model grey, but I am now thinking I might add more scenic and foliage and rather than have it as a recently broken Aquila, have it as one that was broken some time ago and nature has over time grown around it. The Imperium has been around for ages and so it still fits the fluff. It was seeing a ruined Imperial City in the jungle in a copy of White Dwarf a few years back that inspired me to think about going down this route.

This scenery that was also on display at GamesDay 2009 always impressed me.

Taking the Imperial Ruins, painting them stone in colour and adding overgrown jungle foliage and roots was always in my opinion an inspired move.

I am going to do something similar with my broken Aquila.

Digital Apocalypse

Games Workshop have, as it getting to be the norm now, released their most recent publication, Apocalypse as a digital book for the iPad, a snip at £44.99.

The greatest heroes of the age lead battalions of troops and tanks against the foe. Super-heavy war machines dominate the conflict like gods of battle as bombardments rain from the skies. This is war on a whole new level.
Apocalypse is a new way of playing games of Warhammer 40,000. Allowing you to field as many miniatures as you like, in any combination. There really are no limits to what you can do

FIGHTING AN APOCALYPSE BATTLE: The rules for setting up and playing games of Apocalypse; new Apocalypse missions and strategic assets; new rules such as Divine Intervention, and Sons of the Primarch; world ending Unnatural disasters; and advice on how to field all your miniatures in one gigantic collection.
APOCALYPSE FORMATIONS: Details of more than 100 devastating formations that feature the most powerful military assets of the 41st Millennium. With 11 distinct classes of formation, you can take your choice from the C’tan-powered Tesseract Vault to an entire Battle Company of Space Marines!

MINIATURES SHOWCASE: Sumptuous photographs of super-heavy vehicles, gargantuan armies and heroic commanders to inspire your own collection.
WAR ZONE: ARMAGEDDON: Details one of the most monumental campaigns of the 41st Millennium, with unique special rules, formations and missions.
Peppered throughout the book is a host of additional background information to further inspire you.

I really like the idea of digital rules and though some baulk at the price, remember when buying any book you are not paying for the physical costs of printing etc, you are paying for the effort that went into writing the thing. So digital or paper the costs are for the authors, illustrators, photographers (oh and a decent cut for the publisher).

Reflections on the Ork Big Trakk

I have been thinking about going through my Ork models and getting them finished and painted. I seem to have stalled and got distracted by Flames of War and Dystopian Wars (and Doctor Who) and haven’t really painted any Orks for ages.

One model that has only got as far as an undercoat was my Forge World Big Trakk. Looking back at the last update on this model (in 2011) it was apparent I was having undercoating problems with a fair few of my Ork models.

Eventually I hope it might look similar to this finished model that I photographed at Games Day 2009.

Ork Big Trakk with Big Lobba. — Ork Big Trakk with Big Lobba

I would like to get a dusty dirty look and I have the Forge World weathering powders somewhere in my collection of paints and inks.

And so it begins…

As was rumoured and eagerly anticipated, Games Workshop have announced (for pre-order) their new Apocalypse rules for Warhammer 40K.

Apocalypse

Apocalypse is a new way of playing games of Warhammer 40,000. Allowing you to field as many miniatures as you like, in any combination. There really are no limits to what you can do.

There are some new models and re-releases of older models (complete with corresponding price increase of course).

For Chaos there is the huge Khorne Lord of Skulls, which looks ridiculous, unless of course you are a Chaos player and like the bizarre and the weird.
For Necron there is the Tesseract Vault or Obelisk, which I do think is a really interesting and different concept. It’s not a tank or a flyer in the tradition sense, it’s something different.

For the Imperial Guard we have the BaneBlade, though I do think we’ve seen that before… 😉

In addition there are some scenery packs. Though I am not sure if these are new releases or re-releases.

Update yes there is new scenery.

As you might expect, slightly disappointed that there are no releases for the Orks, but you never know what might happen next month…

Legion Glaive

I do like these retro models. Very nostalgic reminds of those early days of Warhammer 40K, which shows how old I am, because I do remember those days. I bought Rogue Trader when it came out.

The Glaive Super-heavy Special Weapons Tank is a variant of the Fellblade. Armed with a Volkite Carronade, it is designed to destroy xenos beasts and incinerate enemy light vehicles at a single sweep.

While the Glaive has been issued to all eighteen Legiones Astartes in limited quantities, the Salamanders and Dark Angels have long been noted to field Glaives as a matter of course; the XVIIIth Legion’s artifice is more than sufficient to maintain and replicate the arcane Volkite technology, while the provenance and honour of the Ist Legion means that their war matériel and weaponry are ancient indeed.

Digital Codex: Eldar

How to Paint Citadel Miniatures: Eldar

There is also the useful guide on painting your new Eldar.

The deadly skimmers, skilled Aspect Warriors and valiant Guardians of the Eldar craftworlds fight a constant battle for the survival of their very species. In this Army Workshop, the talented Studio army painters demonstrate how to paint a varied selection of Eldar miniatures using the Citadel paint range. Example miniatures featured in this extensive painting guide include the Wraithknight, a Storm Guardian, and the mighty Prince Yriel of Craftworld Iyanden.

Get How to Paint Citadel Miniatures: Eldar in the iBookstore.

Codex Eldar

Following the release of the new Eldar miniatures there are now some very nice digital Eldar books for your iPad.

Codex: Eldar is your comprehensive guide to wielding the deadly warhosts of the Craftworld Eldar upon the battlefields of the 41st Millennium. This volume details the craftworlds of the Eldar, and the different types of army they field. The Eldar embody excellence in the arts of war, from their psychic might to their deadly aircraft, and their ranks contain specialists in dealing every kind of death. This digital codex includes lavish full colour artwork, an interactive miniatures gallery, handy quick-links for special rules and weapons, and will always be up to date with the latest FAQs.

Update: Get the new version Codex: Craftworlds Enhanced Edition

Battle Missions: Death Worlds

One of the issue with playing with supplements is the sheer number you sometimes need to carry. The advantage of an iPad version is that you can have a fair few with you, but only need to carry the iPad.

So I think the idea of a digital Battle Missions: Death Worlds is a good one.

The Emperor’s realm encompasses a million worlds, each with its own potential dangers. Yet certain of these planets are so deadly that they are classified as death worlds. From man-eating flora and fauna to deadly poisonous atmospheres and many stranger things besides, on a death world it’s not just the enemy that your warriors have to worry about!

This Warhammer 40,000 supplement contains information on the deadly planets known as death worlds, as well as full rules for playing games with your collections across these unique battlefields. In addition, a comprehensive modeling and painting guide is included, full of easy to follow tricks and tips and suggestions for creating your own death world terrain.

Another advantage is that unlike a physical book you can leave it “open” at the right page, without needing to bend back the covers.

Battle Missions: Death Worlds

Pre-Order Digital Codex Grey Knights

Update: Get the new version of Codex: Grey Knights Enhanced Edition

Digital Codex Grey Knights

The next digital release from Games Workshop is Codex Grey Knights.

The Grey Knights are the most mysterious of all the Imperium’s many organisations. Few outside the upper echelons of the Inquisition hold any knowledge of the Chapter’s founding, and even these most trusted of men are denied the full truth. For ten thousand years the Grey Knights have stood between the Imperium and the Daemons of the Warp. An incorruptible army of genetically engineered warriors, they are armed and armoured with the finest wargear Mankind can supply, for no others in the Emperor’s service have so dire a task as they.

This digital codex includes interactive miniatures galleries, lavish full colour artwork, and full rules for fielding an army of Grey Knights on the battlefield.

Dueling

This Golden Demon winning Duel was on display in Warhammer World back in 2007.

It comprises a Space Marine Chaplin on a bike fighting an Eldar Exodite on a giant lizard.

The Exodites were a concept that had Eldar using giant lizards as mounts and large mounts for weapons (in a similar way to Elephants or Squiggoths). It was never taken further by Citadel, though some Epic concepts were sculptured and cast, but never went on sale. The concept proved popular with some and as a result there is an unofficial codex out on the tubes and some lovely models such as this one.