A Prison for Gods: Solemnum

Through the Faust Sector, even as is blazed in the fires of war, a single sphere edged its way through the endless dark.  A smallish world, lacking the warmth and comfort of a star and as cold and as ignorant to the competing factions trying to find her as they were of it, came closer to the giant star closer to Warrens End.

Slowly but surely, it would be noticed by eyes watching for it.  Augers would pick up this foreign object and report strange readings coming from its surface.  Nothing.  No Augur could so easily detect it, yet its absence on scanners depicted its location as sure as a catch of ones breath revealed that it had been held.

Probes and closer observations revealed the world to be a waste.  Frozen for aeons in deep space, her surface was a crackling ball of ice, quickly melting and exploding as it came closer to the star's blazing aura. 

On her surface, the ambient temperature was creeping upward, shelves of moisture cooked, revitalising the non existent atmosphere while igniting the heated core of the world. Soon it would be able to sustain guests for a time.

A single structure stayed unaffected as tectonic plates danced and mountain obliterating storms howled.  One city, on the whole planet, stood waiting.

***

In his play pen, Archon Ozzy's pairing of Shard Keys sang to him, a tune calling him to the planets location.  Not where it was, but where it would be when Solemnum was ready.

The Tyranid Hive Mind also heard this song, though its interest was utterly alien to rational minds, it listened and became interested.

Alone deep within an entombed throne room, an Overlord sat watching the Shard Key in his possession as the entity within sang, though to him, the tune was more familiar, more of an impotent scream of an ancient star god.

In her meditation chamber, a Seer of the Ibraesil Craftworld dreamt.  A vision of a boiling world coming to life for a moment, opening a door best left shut. A world whose very surface raged at the idea of trespassers.  Yet there would be many, fools and fiends whose actions could damn billions to the void.

The end was so close now.

R

Necron Scenery continued.

Another update with regards to the scenery purchased from ttcombat, reviewed in a recent post. The time has come to build up the bases for painting.  Firstly, I need to establish a ground build up around each bit of scenery.  Using wood filler, I've smeared the edges with a wet tea spoon as to make it more rounded.  The idea is to simulate the effect of excavation.  As in these buildings are from beneath and below, as opposed to sitting on top of everything.

Even as I slapped on the stuff, I started wondering about how easy it might be to include some abandoned mining gear... or even Adeptus Mechanicus equipment left behind by dead archaeologists or their 40k equivalent.

What do you think?

More Necrons in Spaaaace! Kitbashing the fleet part 2.

Here's a picture dump of more on my attempt to turn my bits box into a Necron BFG fleet. Unwilling and if I am honest, unable, to pay the evil bay prices... here is my attempt.

The winning formula of the Jackel class Escort proxies, by using Lych Guard shiels, gauss blaster nozels and Rods of the Covenant Pommels made me another couple.  I think I have enough to make 9!!

My... attempt to make a Tomb Ship.  Not entirely won over by the Destroyer body.  Loving the wings... but no.  Looking into alternatives.

Needed something for the smaller Escort class, Cairn?  Noticed the Rods of the Covenant I had spare are looking very promising.  Just need to decide on what I will do with the rear to make it more engine like.

Recently got some bits an bobs which may give me the scythe shape I want.

With there being plenty other things to be done, this is a nice alternative now and then.  What can you do with your bits box?

Watch this space!
R

A Prison for Gods: End of Phase 3, Turn 1!

Despite very little in the way of land exchanges (real life officially sucks), the show must go on.  And go on it shall.  Right to the very end.

Right now the sector is filled with forces from each Player.

Phase 3 has finished its first half.  Currently the scores sit as this.

As expected, Rottimus has the lead with his yet undefeated Space Marines of the Black Scorpions.  However, between the fortunes of both the Tyranids and the Dark Eldar and the rise of the Craftworlds prowess in recent battles, the distance between has narrowed.  

Remember that with the shattering of the Factions, Grand Warlord's campaign traits no longer function and because it is a Turn and not the end of the Phase, the Strategic Objectives don't add extra points.  However, the new existence of the Shard Keys means that some players gain extra points for their possession as well as their in game shenanigans. (More to be seen it seems). 

Currently Chris' Dark Eldar Archon: Ozzy is in possession of the most keys, both The Neverended and The Twisted Hoof key.  While the Hivemind under Eivind has The Frozen Rage.  Sadly the Necrons successfully acquired one them selves in the form of The Mist Walker key.

For more info on these keys, take a shortcut here to the page which talks about them.

As we move into the final Turn, which will end officially Midnight on the 22nd of May, its important to note that its all to play for.  And even when it isn't the campaign has seen some seriously nice history develop between opposing and indeed allied sides. From the mischievous predations of Archon Ozzy, to the religious violence between the Chapter of the Black Scorpions and the Imperium.  The rise of the Tyranid threat and the Craftword Iybraesil's crusade for the old crone worlds.  What will become of decayed Rust?  Of the fate of Warrens End? We will be seeing future narratives developing old rivalries and more.

On the 28th May we will be ending the campaign with one final game to end it all.  The final encounter on Solemnum, the gate to the Duat, the Prison for Gods.  There, the players will have one final chance to seize victory, rewarding larger points to the final campaign score, and allowing for all manner of narrative endings based on the decisions made in game.

The Shard Keys however are important.  To have one is to have a vote.

Will the Necrons of the Court of Bones fulfil their mission to take back the things within the darkest layers of the oldest prison in the galaxy?  Or will the powers therein fall into the hands of the mad and insane?  Or will saner minds prevail, sealing the gate one final time?

Stay tuned.
R

Battlefleet Gothic Necron Kit Bash.

Just a quick blog post to show of my forray into making a super cheap Necron fleet for BFG (Battlefleet Gothic).  As many know, this great game was sadly discontinued by a suffering Games Workshop leaving its rules online and its figures ebay hotspots.

Having seen some excellent kit bashing and proxies appearing online, though mainly Dark Eldar for some reason, I decided to take a shot at seeing if I could do something.  The rule?  It could only be made from bits in my bits box.

Basically, this was made from a Necron energy shield (from that double set including Triarch Praetorians), with the energy bands cut out from the centre.  I was inspired by the Narn battle ships from Babylon 5!

I then cut to fit the barrel from a Gauss Blaster to fit down that front bit, and added a Triarch Praetorian's Rod of Covenant pommel to the back to act as a fin.

A simple conversion, counting as a Jackal Class I'd wager.  And the best bit?  Its all bits I have a few of.  Expect at least 4 of these guys soon!

Now, what about that Cairn Class...

R

Terrain for the Necrons, from ttcombat. A Review.

Now as a little aside, I've gone and spent a surprisingly low sum on acquiring some MDF laser cut terrain from a not too well known company called ttcombat.com.

Originally this was discussed on the Facebook Necrons page (hi guys!) I decided to share my findings and experience dealing with this UK based company.  Because lets be honest, there are sadly a few companies out there which waste our time or worse, steal our money.  Not many by far, but enough to check before buying.

So.  I ordered the following:

• The Cyber Bunker.
• The Cyber Tower.
• The Cyber Defence Platform.

This ironically, with international posting came to under 40 GBP.  As you can expect, I was damn happy with that price.  Especially for what I got!

What and where are these things then?

Ttcombat first came to my attention on their evilbay store, and then on their website, which appeared on the afore mentioned Facebook page.  They are a small company and began selling their products to further their primary goal of being a base for "news and reviews."

Obviously, they were a victim of their own success and having discovered a demand, went nuts. Seriously, they have some amazing ideas.

The products arrived with signed tracked deliveries within the expected 2 weeks.  Everything was well protected and even the torn cellophane on one had been packed in a box with plastic wotsits.  Someone had gone to lengths to make sure I got my stuff safely.

Their products are made in 3mm MDF (Medium Density Fibreboard) and come in the form of plates which have had key segments laser cut to a point where you can punch out components.  These components are often detailed with laser burns that cut through half way, creating a variety of patterns.

Now I've acquired these for the last battle for our local narrative campaign "A Prison For Gods" as it reaches its climax at the end of this May. How these scenery elements work for that game?  I am not telling you.  Like the players, you gonna have to wait, son!

Assembly.

Firstly, I want to talk about the little extras.  Like the old action figures of the 80's these sets come with these interesting little wall sections.  Much sturdier than card, they make for an interesting incentive to get more terrain just to have enough for an Aegis line.  They certainly arn't intricate in their design though, and the back is completely bare.

This made me sad...

The construction is robust, as mentioned before, layering up the core of the build to double thickness while using the opportunity to create depth on the figure.  The sides slot on like jigsaw pieces and the whole construciton can be glued together with PVA (Woodglue, recommended adhesive) in a matter of minutes.  Note these things do not come with bases.  Not that they would need them, I'm just a bit OCD about my bases is all...

Now I didn't do these walls first, something I should have done in hindsight as to get use to the process of handling MDF, luckily this isn't my first rodeo, but for anyone unused to assembling laser cut MDF, mess around with things like these first and work out those oversights and mistakes. 

The Cyber Bunker.

Straight in with the big one.  This central piece was based around a standard criss crossed structure which slots together without need for trimming.  Intrestingly enough I was expecting to need to cut out the bits from the sprue with a scalpal but they just popped out and required next to no cutting bar a tiny 1mm connecting point here and there.  Which to be fair, didnt need to be tidied up.  You can really be lazy with this kit.  And I can be damn lazy. 

Now I began to worry at this point that the main roof section might be a bit, fiddly to place correctly, but huzzaa!  the ttcombat team thought ahead.  The criss crossing bits came with a lip, designed to help the roof settle in place and creating a very solid structure to work from.  Such a simple design addition allowed me to thankfully avoid the danse of drying PVA glue while I tried to make sure everything was flush and perfect!

Seriously.  Yes!

Consulting the instructions, I ploughed ahead (total assembly time so far: 20 mins), assembling the sides, which come in to doubles, one pair possessing a couple of mm extra to overlap on the corners.  They essentially sit on the slopping struts without much ceremony. Thanks to the stable base, went on near completely flush. 

Now the base was complete, with all that burned in detail it really was taking shape, but it seriously lacked detail that popped. Thankfully, and apologies for the lack of photo at this stage, each level has a number of "fins" that slot straight into the hole pictured above, really echoing the older Necron Monolith design.

The second level had the same construction as the first, criss crossing struts and the detailed fins along the sides. This time however the roof contained slots for the addition of four hooked details that again was very reminiscent of the Monolith and the more recent Ghost Arks prow. These details were doubled up to 6mm in width and I doubt could easily be snapped! Though it did sacrifice the more angled finish of the plastic.  

It was at this point I dove into doing the steps.  You get four sets in total, although the website only shows two.  This gives some interesting options.  For me, I planned on two on either end, allowing for some excellent king of the hill like opportunities. The steps were simple affairs, four steps slotting in without room for confusion.  Sadly, the pieces are without decoration, but are very tough. 

Both levels, have one of these details, constructed from a circle and four "petals" forming a slot which, you will never guess, fits the Monolith Crystal almost perfectly. This indicates to me though that the designers wanted to allow us to vary the construciton somewhat, having the first level and the second level seperate buildings whenever we felt like.  For me though, I wanted a tough piece of terrain, so I would be gluing on the second level.

Adding the steps and them slapping the lot onto a base, voila.  Total construction time, 30 minutes, mostly waiting for the glue to dry.  This set is perfect for emergency builds. Not too sure on the painting yet, but I plan on building up the sides with wood or wall filler to show it being partly emerging from the earth, old school necron style!

The Cyber Tower

The next kit was much smaller, and I was interested to find out how ttcombat would go about a detailed box build. Usually, attaching the top layers can be a nightmare of symmatry and basically getting stuff in the right place.  

As before, the sprue was well cut, pieces could be popped out with no risk of damage.  I neatened the little tab that remained just in case with a sharp scalpel.  Actually managed to NOT cut the crap out of my thumb this time... 

The initial box was a jigsaw build, as you can tell it was very sturdy and everything slotted on during the dry build without errors or issues.

Now the interesting part.  The outer layers were attached on the edges: two matching jigsaw parths that when aligned against the corner ensured correct and symmetrical placement. I had a bit of an accident with one piece that was troublesome, but nothing worth going into.

Total build time: 15 minutes. 

Though the final touch was the centre circle component, which had to be set in by eye.  I thought I'd done a good job but the next morning I noted that one had drooped during the night.  Damn.  Still, lesson learned.  Patience and letting it dry on its side would have helped there.

A really simple kit which on thinking about it, would have looked nice ontop of the Cyber Bunker!  Very reminicient of the Dawn of War Necron buildings.

The Cyber Defence Platform.

Then came the one which everyone seemed interested in.  The Cyber Defence Platform.  This one promised to be more complecated then the other two by virtue of being more detailed.  

As usual, I popped out the bits, which were mainly repeating braces for the feet sections and the big cresent arm making up the gun.

The instructions for this degraded in clarity as I went along, sadly by the end I was comparing before and after pics to figure out what had gone where in each picture. At this point though, it was hitting midnight and my light was getting worse.  Sadly my Samsung Core didnt really have the pull to do the figure justice.



The model was made up mostly of the layered up feet and carriage which thanks to interweaving braces proved to be very tough.  The carriage itself was one layer 3mm thick and does bend when pressed on.

The carriage had an interesting circle swivel join which in the instructions said "don't glue", however I couldn't figure out how this benefited the model at that time.  In hindsight, I think the plate which sits on top of the carriage wasn't meant to me glued with, so the weapon could feasibly turn in place.  Again, the instructions could do with a slight go over to make this clearer.

Despite this, the kit was easily to assemble and I had it up in around 30 minutes.  The weapon comes with two forms of vanes but to be honest the alternative set just couldn't compete.

Mini Cthulu for Scale purposes only.

I mentioned briefly before the issues with the instructions for this piece, this was especially true of the weapon barrel, which turned out to be far more complicated than expected.  It felt poorly explained, measured and in the end I gave up in favour of something more appealing from my bits box: A Necron Doomsday gun!!  Just needed a touch of bits to fill in holes and boom.

My penchant for bases demand I cut some up and glue it down, but I decided to keep the gun itself loose as to pack it away easiler.  Currently looking into magnets as an option but basically the whole thing is practically snap fit.

Use in games?

The Cyber Bunker is essentially a hill. Great for blocking line of sight.  In more narrative games, this could include non deep-striking rules for the top, maybe something borrowing the Monoliths Eternity Gate? Or even using the Forgeworld Tomb rules?  For me, I'm happy with it being a simple hill for objectives to be fought over.

The Cyber Tower is more of an aesthitic piece. Its height is great and it looks fantastic, but its lack of width means it really only affects so much in terms of LOS.  Would make an excellent objective or with some extras on top a very Dawn of War: Dark Crusade inspired turret.  Count as Vengeance weapons platform?

Now the Cyber Defence Platform, the big questions is: Necron Pylon?  Or Necron Sentry Pylon?

Sadly, its somewhere between the two.

To give you an idea, the MDF Cyber Defence Platform is 22cm tall. Accoring to Dinodeampostcat on Librariumonline, the FW Pylon is a wopping 29 cm from base to top.  The Sentry Pylon is 15cm high. Meaning the Cyber Platform sits almost in between.  So whats to do?

After chatting with some in the group, it can be argued to be used as a traditional Pylon.  After all, with true LOS, this means if I can see you, you can see me.  And the reduction in height also makes it easier for incoming fliers (the unit it excels at ending) to find a spot to hide behind.

But the decision is yours, and your groups.  At a little of 7 quid, what do you think?

Thanks for reading!
R

A Prison for Gods: The Shard Keys discovered.

The End, is suddenly in sight...

As the sudden strike from the Necrons occurred, many pondered on their motivations.  It was known now that the Overlord Hautsi the "Unbidden" had become impatient, that he had initiated the attacks because those in his employ had fallen to their own agendas.  But not the reasons for the locations of those attacks.

On Tresium, the Adeptus Arbiters precinct were silenced as the air filled with pale coloured scythes.  Invasion rays penetrated the fortress within minutes and the stoic defenders of justice, having endured months of siege by locals were slaughtered.
On Rust, Sordid and even bleak Wake, old allies and foes alike found themselves targeted by the ancient xenos.  On Rust and Wake, the Dark Eldar found themselves quickly surrounded, the Tyranids on Sordid meanwhile, reacted to the presence of the Necrons recon parties.

The importance of the artefacts would quickly become known, firstly their importance was paramount to the Necrons.  This was telling. Their powers, given to those who bore then would be known next.  And finally, their relevance to the rogue world Solemnum and the Prison.

The Shard Keys?

In game terms, the Shard Keys are key pieces of wargear allowed for this campaign only.  They double up as both potent gear which can be equipped by the players Grand Warlords, and they also give boons in the campaigns too.  As explained below, each Key bestows different awards on the battlefield, but similar rewards on the campaign map.  They give points for those who possess them in the campaign map and unlock possibilities in the finale battle, where the Keys will do what they were designed to do.  Open.  Or Lock a door.

Shard's in the campaign.

• In the campaign, each Key counts as an extra 3 Territories, added as map extras at the end of each Turn or Phase. They also allow for bonuses on the final world of Solemnum, where the final battle will take place.  The player who has the Key at the end of Turns or Phases gets the bonus, not the original owner, as a Key may change hands many times.
• They are automatically attached to the players Grand Warlord, who can use their powers on the field.  

 Losing or seizing a Key in battle.

• A Key, may be taken from the Grand Warlord, if he/she/it, is slain in combat.  If the Grand Warlord is slain by an opposing character (the final wound is the one that counts) the Key is automatically transferred to the opposing player.  Note the Key's abilities cannot be used immediately.  You got to take it home and poke it a while first.
• If the Grand Warlord is slain by someone else in combat, the Key is taken on a 4+, the low level warriors may not be briefed on its importance, or care in the heat of battle.

The Shard Keys of the Duat.

Designed eons ago, by technologies long since lost, the Shard Keys are slivers of Star Gods, recycled into sentient keys for impossible locks. These artefacts are powerful, leaking out the essence of their original greatness onto those that carry them into battle. Though the sentience is bestial and confused, the presence of such a key can affect the very reality around it, not warping or corrupting like chaos, but playing with it like a true god of old. 

In an act of ironic punishment, it is send that the Ctan deemed too dangeorous to even use as Shard Weapons in or outside of Tesseract Vaults were locked away in the Duat.  The Prison of Prisons.  These keys were shaved off the essence of the prisoners there and used to forever ensure that the locks remained shut, so long as noone would be foolish or strong enough to bring them together...

Necrons Attack! The Mist Walker - Tresium

"Uhsen’Relah, the C’tan known for it’s use of the local weather patterns.  This Shard Key may affect the local moisture levels to dangerous degrees.  Look for any build up of water or odd weather."

Upon Tresium, as the Adeptus Arbites make ready for a siege against the criminals and invaders, they are surprised by an attack from another side.  Upon the fortress which lies atop the planets greatest source of water, the Necrons attack.  With no-one in the vicinity to help them, the fortress goes silent and disappears beneath the waves.  Whatever happened and happens still, remains to be discovered. But the Necrons have taken the entire area, and show no signs of leaving.

Shard Key Effect:
Uhsen'Relah was well known for condemning his victims to a blinding mist, spanning entire continents in impenetrable white.  Not being enough to simply reduce vision, these mists also confuse sensors and jam communications.  All the while, Uhsen preyed on his victims, separating them and slaying them one by one...
The Bearer of the Mists Shard Key may enforce Night Fighting in any game they play.  This Night fighting may not be countered by any means (E.g. Dark Eldar night vision).

Necrons Attack! The Never Ended - Rust

"Derth’Sanykk, a fearsome C’tan known to for its resilience.  Literally un-killable.  I have been instructed to be on the look out for any obvious extensions of life, or such “miracles” in the Faustian Sector."



Despite the sudden appearance of the Necrons, Ozzy has managed to escape their clutches and even go so far as to discover the relic's true power. With it, he will gain powers on the field and a path to the final world: Solemnum.

Shard Key Effect:
Now unlocked to its full potential, the bearer of this Shard Key becomes nigh un-killable.  Wounds re-knit before their eyes, regenerating fatal injuries and severed limbs with contemptuous ease. 
Derth'Sanykk's Death Shard Key essence gives the bearer Feel No Pain 4+ (which cannot be improved beyond 4+) as well as It Will Not Die.

Necrons Attack!  The Frozen Rage - Sordid

"Sezalak, the Frozen Rage, this being delighted on drowning entire worlds into premature ice ages.  Look for out of the ordinary low temperatures."



On the frozen ruins of Sordid's capital city, the key lay amid the ruins.  Tasked with the retrieval of the Shard Key, Nemesor Armaza was hunted and "compromised" by the legendary Deathleaper.  The retrieval team was intercepted by the Tyranids and broken but metres from their extraction point, the Nemesor meeting his end under his hunters gaze.  Disgusted by the failure, Overlord Hautsi has... delayed the Nemesor's resurrection indefinitely.
Despite redundancy planning suggesting the Tyranids wouldn't appreciate the Shard Key's importance, the secondary retrieval team found the Key to have been taken.  It seems the Hive Mind is more cunning then previously thought...

Shard Key Effect:
The bearer of this Shard Key can use the essence of Sezalak, the Ctan of the frozen rage. They are encompassed in a personal blizzard, both obscuring them from their enemies and flash freezing any foolish enough to engage them up close: slowing blood and causing frostbite as well as freezing armour and weapons.
The bearer of the Frost Key gains Shrouded and any enemies in base to base contact have their initiative reduced 1.

Necrons Attack!  The "Twisted Hoof" - Wake

"Little is known about this C’tan, though one mention describes it has bearing “no proof of tongue nor sounds rung.”



In the Valley of Fears the sadistic Dark Eldar have beaten back the tides of bone coloured automatons.  Their previous discovery called them to search the area, deeper this time, and they have located Wake's Shard Key.

Shard Key Effect:
Mysterious and nefarious in equal measure, the bearer of this Shard Key of the "Twisted Hoof" become paler, their skin showing a web work of their veins.  A fell light appears in their eyes as they kill their enemies up close, the faintest wisp of their souls seems to scream in the air before being devoured by the bearer, each blow seeming to be fatal. An eater of souls, they also display an odd shuffle as they walk, a quirk taken from the Shard Key's namesake no doubt.
The bearer of the Twisted Key, gains Instant Death to all combat attacks however they may not Sweeping Advance.

So where does this leave us!?

Well, firstly, Chris has now stumbled across not one but 2 Shard keys, making Ozzy move from comical joke of the campaign to royal pain in the ass. The Tyranids have received a boon too and it seems both Eivind and Chris are within punching distance of dismounting even Rory's Black Scorpions hold on the campaign.  Regardless, the Conquest Points rewarded in the last game may shift the balance enough to see anyone take the prize.

This campaign has however, moved much away from banal measures of success as numbers, to more narrative drives.  Wimaro's Craftworld Eldar and their conflict with Ozzy has been nothing short of brutal.  Cast from Rust in the opening blows of the campaign, they finally came back with a vengeance and secured a clear beach head on the devastated former Maiden world.

Likewise, the conflict between Rory's elite Black Scorpions and Thomas' Imperial Guard has gotten personal.  And religious. Calls of heresy against the space marines chapter have gone heard, especially since Thomas' priest has caused so much grief to Rory.  Rumours abound that Thomas has gone so far as to model his own space marines and a renegade space marine chaplain off Rory's chapter, just to get to him are most likely well founded.  What the future holds for the Black Scorpions remains to be seen, but with the Ecclesiarcy itself in hot pursuit, and the Scorpions holding firm in their beliefs of survivalism.  This will be a story in its own right.

Meanwhile Magnus' Imperial Guard regiments have had a mix of fortunes, having taken a beating recently by the Craftworld Eldar, their part in the narrative has largely been fighting with the Adeptus Astartes, no longer allies, will they focus on protecting mankinds innocence?  Or their own need for vindication?

Or will Eivinds Tyranids, responsible for the death of all life on Warrens End (although no-one believes such a simple entity could use a complex machine... blame the Necrons why don't you!!), may well surprise all by consuming the whole of the sector.  Starting with Acre.

But, speaking plainly for a second, I'm not sure.  Real life has been a pain in the ass for all of us yesterday and the effort required ot even organise the games above has been hard. Despite this, the moral of the group is solid.  The feeling is "lets finish this" and in late May, Solemnum will see her last conflict as the conclusion to the Faustian Schism plays out.

This has been an amazing campaign so far.  Seeing players develop fluff, armies, techniques, alliances and grudges alike.

Who survive or leave victorious?

Thanks for following!
R