Category: warhammer 40k

Stormraven, not just for the Blood Angels

Well if this photograph of the back of the Stormraven box is real then the Blood Angels are not the only Space Marines that can use the Stormraven.

As you can see the box has a Grey Knights painted version with lascannons.
Now to be honest I have never been one to follow GW’s doctrine to the letter, if I like a model and want to use it in a particular way then I will (and usually I will ask my opponent’s permission too). If you like the model, I would say buy it and paint it in the colour of your chapter (or legion). Yes it may be “problematic” if you wanted to use it in a tournament, but for me gaming it about gaming and not competitions. Just because a rulebook says that I can’t use a model, doesn’t mean that I can’t use that model. The Warhammer 40K universe is very big and despite the Inquisition, I am sure that in some depths of the universe there are Space Marine chapters and Imperial Guard units using stuff that according to doctrine they shouldn’t. Where needs must and all that.

Actually if you go far enough back in time you can find in old copies of White Dwarf Imperial Guard units using Land Speeders and Rhinos – that was in the days when GW made very few plastic kits and there was no Forge World. So it made sense for all the forces of the Imperium to use the scarce plastic kits available. Alas today where we are awash with plastic kits, GW can now make kits for single chapters that “can’t” be used by others.

So, if you want to use the Stormraven for your Imperial Guard or your chapter of Space Marines, then go ahead and do so. You’re not going to kill the fluff if you do.

Thinking though that one of these Stormravens would make a nice Inquisitorial transport for my Inquisitor – and we know that they would have access to them…

Stormraven finally arrives…

Stormraven

Despite leaking much earlier than we can guess Games Workshop wanted, today saw the infamous Stormraven becoming available to pre-order on the Games Workshop website.

stormraven

The Stormraven Gunship is an armoured versatile craft that combines the role of dropship, armoured transport and strike craft.

This multi-part plastic kit contains 116 components including every option available for the Stormraven from heavy bolters, assault cannons and plasma cannons through to Bloodstrike Missiles and a modified magna-grapple. The kit also comes will full interior detail, which can be painted prior to assembly, and a clear plastic cockpit window through which you can see the pilot and the turret gunner.

Personally I am not a great fan of the model I think it looks a little too squat and front heavy. It’s almost a flying Land Raider, but then again I guess that’s what it is suppose to be!

What do you think, do you like it?

Space Marine Stormraven – Photo leaked

There have been lots of rumours about the Stormraven. It is looking like Games Workshop made an error and accidentally uploaded a photograph of the new model to their website.

Stormraven

Looks quite nice really. Obviously has elements of the Thunderhawk within the design. A little tall perhaps?

The Stormraven Gunship is an incredibly versatile craft, able to fulfill the roll of orbital dropship, armoured transport and strike aircraft in a way that few, or indeed any, ships could hope to match. The Stormraven ensures that the Blood Angels remain undisputed masters of the skies, as dominant in the air as their troops are on the ground. Smaller and nimbler than the more cumbersome Thunderhawk Gunships, the Stormraven’s compact hull and vectored thrusters enable it to operate at maximum efficiency in all but the densest terrain. A Stormraven can often be seen hurtling straight into the heart of the enemy forces, unleashing its considerable arsenal in a terrifying display of firepower, before disgorging a squad, Dreadnought, or even both, into the thick of the fighting.

With its potent firepower, speed and transport capacity, the uses of a Stormraven on the battlefield are myriad, but its role of choice is as an unparalleled assault vehicle. With a huge variety of weapon options, and no less than four tank-busting Bloodstrike Missiles, both enemy infantry and vehicles alike fear drawing the attention of its guns. A transport capacity of 12 combined with the ability to safely carry a Dreadnought to battle as well certainly proves the Stormraven to be a transport vehicle of the very finest quality.

Via Warseer.

Washing the Moonscape

Having drybrushed with Tauspet Ochre, I noticed that there were some areas which I had missed with the base coat. So I decided to give the craters a wash of Devlan Mud wash. However as you can see from this close up it didn’t work.

So I have decided to do some touching up to fix this. However apart from this I was quite pleased with the wash effect in toning down the drybrushing, though I am going to drybrush a little more.

Reducing the sheen

I gave the craters a base coat. Rather than use GW paints I used Daler Rowney’s Burnt Umber acrylic paint. The paint does give a slight sheen, but the process I am using should tone that down. To reduce the sheen of the acrylic paint, I sprayed the craters sparingly with a Humbrol Dark Brown spray which gave the desired effect.

GamesDay 2010 Thoughts

warhammerforge

So the big news tomorrow at the UK GamesDay will be Warhammer Forge.

Warhammer Forge unveil a veritable horde of work-in-progress resin kits as well as early layout copies of the first in a series of lavish expansion books for the very first time at Games Day UK. You’ll be able to see the staggering range of resin models that have been created over the past year.

In the way that Forge World have transformed how many people play Warhammer 40K, I suspect Games Workshop hopes that Warhammer Forge will do the same.

In the past there have been some Forge World models for Warhammer Fantasy, some scenery and big creatures, however as Forge World move into resin figures, I suspect that this will also happen with Warhammer Forge. This will become the outlet for all those races and creatures we read about, but would never be part of a huge GW release.

I would suspect that at some point we will see a Kislev book and possibly even Cathay.

Another thing we will see for the first time tomorrow is the Grot Mega Tank and Necron Tomb Stalker.

I really like the Grot Mega Tank and hopefully I will be able to pick one up.

grotmegatank

Also we will see the Dark Eldar, wonder if any of them will be for sale?