Planning for Painting
I fore-see painting these models taking a long time and being done in many stages, so I think some forward planning might be in order to keep me on track. I have laid out my plan here below for my own reference and I will probably have to up date it as practicalities rear their ugly heads. At the bottom of this post is a list of links to tutorial videos I found on painting using an airbrush.  I will be following these quite closely.  It is the colour scheme I had in mind anyway (A miss spent youth poring over books on the luftwaffe  has obviously left me hopelessly corrupt) so thart was a bonus when I came across the guides.


Assembly:
Assemble the major components:

Undercoat Coat:
Spray Can of Citadael Skull white.

The Cargo bay:
Basecoat VMA: Dark Yellow.  Spray all of the inerior and the Inside surface of the doors and the rear cargo hatch.
Mix black VGC:Black and C:Scortched brown (1:2) .  Use a sponge to dab the mix lightly to the areas of crew contact.  More on the floor less on the walls.

Pick out the buttons in white then paint a layer of green or blue or red on the buttons.
Pick out other details like the stanchions in metalics

Thin AOC: Burnt umber and wash it into the detail on the walls and floor. This adds depth to the detail as well as adding a patina of age to the interior. Once this is dry, add some MIG: European Dust weathering powder to the mix and wash it around the floor.

The Light fittings are oversprayed with thinned VMA: Yellow on the area surrounding the light fittings.  This should be very subtle.



The Exterior:
Preshading and base colour
Spray all of the panel ines with Vallajo Model Air Black (Tutorial Part 4b:  Painting Techniques: BF109 Preshading).

Apply the Basic hull colours by filling in the middle of each panel towards the outer edge.  Then a broad overspray of the same base colour to make the preshading a bit more subtle.:

Side Elevation: VMA: Light Grey
Upper surface: [VMA: Dark Grey]:[VMA: Light Grey] at 3:1

Mottling
For the mottling Use the upper surfcae colour above, but thin to 1:1 pigment to thinners

Squadron Markings Colours:
I masked the Tail aelerons and boom rings and sprayed them VMA:white.  Give the white some time to dry and spray the white sections VMA: Yellow.

Tidy Up
Landing Skids - Black and Graphite

The Decals:
Apply the Decals to the last layer of paint!  Not after its been Varnished! you muppet (Thats me, not you)!

Engine Cowling:
I am going to go for a heat blasted rust.  Start with a base coat of C:Snake Bite Leather.  On the rear ring, Paint in C:Chainmail.  Add alternate layers of CW: Asuriman Blue and CW:  Ball Red  across the whole engine cowl.  When it starts looking right, wash with thined AOC: Burnt umber and AOC: Black.

Exterior Weathering:
Thin AOC: Burnt umber and wash it into the details. This adds depth to the detail.
Spray VMA: Dark Yellow onto the areas heat damaged by the engine exaust and Laz cannon mounts.  The Dark Yellow is thinned with Model Air thinners 2:1 instead of the usual 3:1.
Spray VMA: Black onto the center of the areas heat damaged by the engine exaust.  The Black is thinned with Model Air thinners 2:1 instead of the usual 3:1.


The Cockpit Interior
Using this tutorial link as as a guide

Base Coat: Black Grey
Panel Lines/ Stains thinned Black /Brown Mix sprayed
Further Panel line definition by Oil wash of Black/brown
Detailing: Lead pencil to highlight the edges of crew contact areas with a metailic tinge
Orange  plastic control surfaces

The Crew:
The crew will be wearing a tan uniform (VMC: Khaki) and green armour plates (VMC: Luftwaffe cam green) with with a white helmet.


For all Vallejo Model Air thin all paints 3 drops colour: 1 Drop Thinner Unless otherwise specified.


Tutorial Index
From Testors Scale Workshop
Full list of Testors Tutorials

Part 1: Introduction
Part 2: Introduction: Tools
Part 3: Introduction: Aribrush
Part 4a: Introduction: Painting
Part 4b:  Painting Techniques: BF109 Preshading
Apply a Body Colour to top and sides
Apply an Upper surface Colour
Apply the lower surface Colour
Part 5: Painting Techniques: BF109 Masking
Part 6: Painting Techniques: BF109 Masking Techniques and Mottling
Part 7: Decal Tools and Techniques
Part 8: Compare to Real Thing
Part 9: Panel Line Washes

Interiors: Part 1
Interiors: Part 2

Post Shading: Part 1
Post Shading: Part 2



Chipping  and exaust stains

Applying a Flat Coat to a scale model  

Applying Future to Clear plastic Parts

Final Report

Building a Flying Stand

Key
VMA: Vallejo Model Air
VMC: Vallejo Model Colour
VGC:  Vallejo Game Colour
C: Citadael
AOC: Windsor Newton Artists Oil Colour
CW: Citadel Wash

Constructing the major components
 I have finally had some time to build the major components (Yes I fall into the 'Build Paint it as components' school of thought)  ready for painting.  After having glued the components together however I realised I should have glued the other half of the nose section to the body.  This would have allowed me to magentise the weapon mount before painitng, as it is I will have to paint the model to the point I can fit the crew module before glueing on the side panel and fitting the magnet.

Not shown here are the wings.  I plan to magnetise the wing hard points so they remain un-assembled.

The next step will be to paint the interiors on the three hulls at the same time.  I will be undercoating the interior with citadael white.  Then using my newly aquired airbrush I will be painting the interior a tan base colour.

We played a scenario the other day that forced my army out of its ususal transports, Chimeras (Chugs) and into a Deep striking Flyer goodness mode.  I picked one Valkyrie/Vulture for the force as the Anti-Tank component, principally because I only have one Valkyrie model built.  I picked up a few forgeworld Resin models years ago, painted and assembled two of them and only one has survived the ravages of the gaming table.  So off to the table I went with one of the New Fifth Edition Vendettas in my army list.  And it Rocked!  It kicked A$$. It took names.
My Tau opposition didn't know what to fire at first, the Three twin linked Las Cannons on the Armour 12 Chassis Vendetta, Or the Three Bane Wolves bearing down on his army full of multi melta goodness!  Mmmm confusion in the enemys targeting computer, just what the doctor ordered!
So with the Banewolf's off and kicking Tau around the table top, a squadron of Vendettas seemed a good choice for the next Project.
 
Part 1: Planning
I'm gonna make me a squadron of three Valkyries.  These Valkyries will be operating with the Imperial Navy contingent on Praxedes IV.
Construction will include magnetising the hull and Wing hard points for quick swaps of weapon load outs .
To keep them stylistically the same as the Death Korps they will be painted in a Grey/Dark mottled scheme.  I'll be painitng with an airbrush and I have also found a series of painting guides for using an airbrush to paint a Messershimtt ME 109 in a very similar colour scheme to the one I have in mind, so I'll be following that series quite closely.
I hope to use the forgeworld decal sheets for detailing.


What are Valkyires?
What do we know?  as usual I'm going to start with a visit to the Librarium Lexicanum.  The Valkyrie is a heavily armed airborne armoured assault carrier with VTOL capabilities, used to ferry special forces infantry units such as Storm Trooper Squads and Drop Troop Regiments such as the Elysian Drop Troops to and from combat zones.
The craft has two door mounted Heavy Bolters for door gunners to operate. This combination of weapons allows Valkyrie pilots to stay on station once their cargo has been dropped and provide limited air-support to the troops on the ground. Valkyries carrying extra fuel are capable of carrying modified Drop Sentinel, Cyclops and Sentry Gun instead of troops. In most cases, the Valkyrie, like most of the Imperium's aircraft, is piloted and operated by the Imperial Navy, and are provided in joint operations for use to the Imperial Guard on a need basis.
The Primary modification is reinforced armor with extra armor added to that to reduce the chance of damage and force of heavy weapon impacts. This extra weight reduces the Valkyries max flight altitude and speed, but allows the crew to use it's VTOL capabilities to the maximum potential with improved survivability.

The Vendetta Heavy gunship are Valkyrie's which have been attached to Imperial Guard units and received the increased armor, and then equipped with 3 Twin-Linked Lascannons, and used as a tank hunter after dropping off any unit being transported by it. Further more, it still retains the ability to mount 2 Heavy Bolter door guns. It may also replace the 2 hardpoint mounted Twin-linked lascannons on its wings for 2 Hellfury incendiary missiles instead. 

There are ten known patterns being made by seven listed forgeworlds including Lucius, the forgeworld that produces the Number 98 pattern lasgun for the men of Krieg.  However the differences between the patterns are not known.

Some Images for reference and Ideas

• Passenger in the door
• Rear Hatch;
• A Forgeworld painted Inquisitors Valkyrie;
   
• A Masterwork.

At the Going down of the sun, and in the evening

We will remember them

11/11/1918 11:11

I was crusing through the Warp and came across the Banewolf done for the 14th Grand Company, a Chaos Traitor website.  This is an outstanding treatment of the tank, blood red with a good use of weathering, not too heavy, not too light.  What really caught my eye was the green bubble filled glass like tube. I was wondering how to do the chem nozzels on my Banewolves. Leaving metalic just seemed a bit boring.  This is most definately one answer.
At the moment the Banewolves are stored elsewhere so, this is more of an aide memior until I can get me, some paint and the Squadron in the asme place at the same time.

Cudos to the folks over at 14th Grand Comany for  a lovely BaneWolf!

I kinda sorta finished painting the Ragnarok a while ago.  I just never got around to Photographing the thing.  Mostly because I never got around to painting the stowage.  I painted it using the method described in the Forgeworld Masterclass book for the Artillery peice.
Anyhow, on friday I arrived too late for the game, so camera in hand I shot photos left right and center (But not stowage) of the Ragnarok.  So here it is, surrounded by Vostroyans from the CCCLII Firstborne:

1.0: Camo Base
Codex Grey and Battle grey in stripes

(At this point I chould have done some colour variation mapping)

2.0:  Campaign Marking Banners
Mask off the front left panel then Spray a white stripe White with Scab red pinstripe.
(I should have do new the chipping method with hairspray and sand grit.)

3.0: Decals
Red small eagles onto the bannersVehicle numbers; Ammo Storage; Krieg labels

4.0: Chipping using a sponge. 
4.1 For the Battle grey stripes, Sponge on codex grey chips across the stripes concentrating on the areas where the crew comes into contact with the hull. 
4.2 Then the darker, older chips are sponged on with a mix of 2:1 Scorched brown:Chaos Black. 
4.3 Using a brush, join some of the chips
together to make a larger chip.  Use Fortress grey to put a thin line below the larger chips to highlight them.  Helps create the illusion of peeling or worn paint.

5: Seal with matt spray

(At this point I should have done some selective Filteres with Acrylics to create rain streaks.

6: Rivet filters
6.1 Using Black Oil paints, tin it down with white spirit to a wash.  touch a wet brush to the rivet
head and let the surface tension carry it around the rivet.  Don't over do it.
6.2 wait for it to dry.

7.0: Hull Rust
Flick Mars Red or Rust Red oild paints onto the hull from an old dry brush.  Spray on White spirit to soften and difuse the rust.

8.0: The Tracks
I was going for well used dusty tracks. 
8.1 Paint the Tracks a mid-brown colour
8.2 Grind some Graphite and rub it onto the tracks to highlight with metalic.
8.3 Edge highlight with mithril silver
8.4 Go over the Rubber road pads with Vallejo German Panzer grey.
8.5 Dust on 'European dust' and 'Industrial dirt' and fix it by driping on white spirit.
8.6 When it dries dust off the excess.

9.0: Charing on the battle damage
Light airgun spray Chaos black on areas of battle damage

10:0 Stowage
I hate doing stowage.  Its one of the last things I do before weathering and I hate it

10: Pipes
Principally a weathering task.  Paint with oil paints in a patchy manner with different reds.  Dust on weathering powder and fix with white spirit, touched on and allowed to spread.

11: Stubber and Melta
11.2 grind some Graphite and rub it onto the tracks to highlight with metalic. 
11.3 Edge highlight with mithril silver

(I should have done somthing more here.  perhaps the brown through black sprays for the carbon scoring
on the muzzel would have been better).

12: Lenses
Painted using layering technique.  Starting with Chaos Black; Scab red; Blood red; Sunburst yellow.  Then a dot of white in the corner furthest away from the yellow highlight.

Tau gunline holds the outer perimeter of the prison.

Using Jascs Paintshop Pro version 8.0
1 Select the Glowing Bars
Open the basic Image.  Use free hand select tool to select the rods which will glow:

I did not select the very distant bars.

Promote Selection to Layer
Once the Selection was complete I Promoted the Selection to a new Raster Layer:

Setup the Core
Rename the new Layer to 'Core'.  Set the Colour Selector to the bright colour, I use an off white towards green.

With the new colour, select the paintbrush tool.  The Necron glass bars on the 'Core' Layer should still beselected.  So Select the Core Layer and Paint the new colour into the selection.


Dupicate the Core Layer two more times and set the colour to the Eerie Green Glow.
Selecting each Layer in turn: Paint each layers selections with the new colour.

Adjust the the Gaussian Blur
For each Layer, adjust the Gausian Blur from the tool bar.  I often have to play with the values but in general the 'Core' layer is the lowest blur and the upper layers are a higher blur number.

I lost the toss and was given the attackers role. Looking at the secenario, I decided to change up my usual list:

• 5 Man Grenadier teams would use Storm Trooper rules
• All Chimeras were dropped from the list
• Leman Russ (Jagd Russ) would be replaced by a Vendetta
• Bane wolves would be un-squadroned

HQ:
As everything could deep strike I was not going to need Creed - (Kurtz), who is usually there to get the Banewolves outflanking.  So out he went to make way for Iron Hand Stracken (Colonel Stahlin).  This was going to be a short range assault, making him the obvious choice to lead the 5th Company assault.The was teamed up with a Lascannon  (Hind sight - Bad choice); Astropath; Master of the Fleet and Forward Observer (Master of Ordinance); and a body gaurd (I had 15 pts spare).

Elites:
Anything that could Deep Strike Normally was allowed to Assault out of deep strike, so out went the ususal Veteran Grenadiers, in came the Storm trooper Grenadiers.  In hindsight I probably should have kept the Veteran Grenadiers, less points per man for basically the same load out, and I didn't end up using the assault option anyway.
Also keeping with the deep strike -Assault, I used Marbo (Watchmaster Steiner).  Again being un used to the combo, he deployed by deep strike, too far away to affect anything.  Then ran about the board only getting into a combat in turn 4 whereuppon he killed 4 kroot and promptly died in the counter attacks.  Bit of a disapointment.  My bad though not the rules.

Troops:
Two units of Grenadiers Veterans remauined in the lis, they lost their ususal chimera rides and deployed by deep strike instead.  They got to keep their lascannons and in addition were given Demo charges, with woked a treat late game, murdering a Squad of fire warriors who had just tumbled out of a wrecked transport, and half a dozen kroot.

 Fast Attack:

Three single unit squadrons of Bane Wolves - These could be deployed by deep strike so I didnt need Creed (Kurtz) to out flank them.  The roster aloowed up to 6 fast attack so out went the hated squadroning and they were deployed as individual units.  Unfortunately for me two were imobilised in the inevidable face off with the broadsides (who died! muahhahahaha!) and one threw a track on a crater as it entered the board!  They were ignored the rest of the game, even though the Multimeltas kept up a punisjhing fire on the Tau vehicles.


Vendetta:  I forsee many more of these things in my fututre.  They rock pure and simple.  One soaked up most of the Taus anti tank fire for te game while destroying two tanks and purging a unit of firewarriors! Fear the Vendetta!

Heavy Support:
None!






Game Play:
The Game was great fun, it see-sawed back and forth on almost a turn by turn basis.  First turn saw the Bastion's void shield poped, then The Bastion itself was destroyed, followed by most of the Tau vehicles deployed., surely leaving rhe Imperium ascendant  Then the Bane wolves were immoblised, leaving the Tau looking in a good position.

Guardsmen started dying in droves, then Tau, then more Tau vehicles poped by Meltas and Multimeltas.
Colonel Stahlin and his HQ made it into the crater and took a charge from the Kroot.  It looked all over for the Tau with an Imperial win, but in an impressive (and throughly Wilkinson like) set of dice rolls a single Kroot was left in the crater and a dice roll ended the Game.  One more turn and theTau troop choices and HQ,s would have been exterminated or at least held out of the crated by Assaults.  Overall a Very fun game! and a Win for tyhe Tau, Leaving Billzard Wolf (Tau) in the lead on 3 VPs for the campaign with one each for Death Jester (Necrons) and CommissarHarris (291st Death Korps of Krieg).

Part 2: Super Detailing on the First Tank
Assemble the components
Start by assembling the tank from the kit. I have left the three gun nozzles unattached so I can change the tank model from a bane wolf to a hell hound etc.
Leave the turret base plate unfitted. This will make the adding the lifting hooks on the turret much easier.
Leave the pipe run, the back door and the vats out as well.

Physical scratches and chips
Once the hull and turret are complete, take a scalpel blade and carefully make nicks and scratches and gouges on the hull and turret. I pay special attention to the base of the side plates and the area at the base of the front and back of the tank These are areas that will be bounced off and scuffed by stone, brick re-enforcing trees etc. First the Turret.

Hatches with Hinges and Handles
Drill the turret hatch barrel all the way through with a 0.8mm hole. Fit the hatch into the hatch hole and drill the turret hinges. If it goes well the drill bit will find the hole in the hatch and guide it through to the other side.
Once you've got the hole, cut a length from a paperclip and push it through the hole. Trim to fit. Touch a super glue brush to the sides of the hatch hinge, capillary action will carry the super glue into the hinge.
There would be an inner handle to let the crew pull the hatch shut. I fitted this with a small bit of 0.6mm brass wire, bent as best i could with a pair of pliers.

Turret Casting Number
This Turret is casting run 2-P6. The letters are cut from a games Workshop sprue. I changed up the scalpel blade for a fresh one just for the task. Carefully slice the letter or number off the sprue, trying to take just the number and not any of the surrounding material.

Once all three letters and the dash were cut off, I puddled some plastic cement in my palette and used tweezers to pick up the letter and gently touch the letter to the puddle of cement. Then put them on the turret. I used the butt of the scalpel to push the letter onto the turret. The idea here is to stick the letters on without leaving large glue smears on the turret plastic.

Turret Lifting Hooks
There are three lifting hooks fitted to the turret, two on top at the front and one on the side at the rear.
Lengths were cut from a paper clip and bent over a the neck of a GW sculpting tool to give a small radius U shape, with one short leg and one long leg.
With an 0.8mm bit, drill a hole in the turret where the first hook will go. Push the long leg of the hook into the hole. Mark where the short leg lands, and drill the second hole. Superglue the hook in from the underside of the turret. Repeat for the other two hooks.

Pintle Mount ring
The Pintle mount is mounted on sliding rings rather than fixed to the turret hatch ring. This is made from a 1mm sheet of plasti-card cut into a strip 3mm wide, then glued carefully to the step on the turret hatch ring.
The mounting arms are from the GW tank accessories sprue. A slot is cut into the end of the arm to allow it to slot over the pintle mount ring. The Guns themselves are from the Death Korps Grenadiers special weapons kit. These have been pinned to the Pintle arm in an 'at rest' position.

Then on to the Hull
Hatch Handles and crew access handles
I added a paperclip wire staple (a piece of wire bent into a 'C' shape) to the engine maintenance hatches on both sides of the vehicle. I also added a smaller staple to the shoulder of the vehicle just above the hatch. The theory is the crew can stand on the engine hatch handle and hold on to the hand hold on the shoulder and swing themselves up.

Fuel Cap All vehicles need em. I have fitted some after market resin fuel caps to the rear vat cover on the left hand side. The cap hinge was drilled out on one side and a length of 0.5mm rod bent into an "L" shape and pushed into the hinge as a primitive return spring to close the hatch again if a crew member leaves it open. Extra Amour?

Sand Bags?
Not today

Smoke launchers
A smoke launcher comes from the Imperial Guard vehicle Accessory sprue I cut off the ends of the some of the smoke launcher tubes and drilled out the tubes to simulate smoke rounds that have been fired and not yet replaced by the crew.
The Launcher was then fitted to the tank above the Melta cannon. Three 0.5mm have been drilled into the hull and the into the smoke launcher. Telephone exchange wire was used to show the firing wires for each smoke tubes.

Track Guards
Track guards have been fitted in various states of damage to the tanks. Thin the edges that are exposed using a Dremel and needle files. Remember these are often not much more than pressed tin mudguards, and as such are definitely way too thick for the scale of the model. Carefully thin spots along the length of the mudguards until they are translucent. You can then push holes through the translucent but to simulate the track guards having been damaged by something heavy coming off the tracks in motion.
I also sometimes take off the rivet heads on the banding and drill out where the rivet heads were. Then carefully cut back the fixing strip where it has come away from the track guard.

Battle Damage
Melta /Gauss damage
None today

Laser Damage
None today

Shell Strikes
This Bane wolf has been in action for several years and taken a few hits from High Tech Tau, solid rounds. These have been simulated thusly:

1. Take a Brass rod 1.2mm thick heat the end over the Gas hob.
2. Find a spot you would like to damage and dig it in and twirl it around a bit.
3. Heat the rod again and scratch some lines away from the point of impact.
4. Then get the scalpel and randomly cut away wedges from the 'moosh' that squidged away from the poker. You want a rough edged hole with only a little bit of 'moosh' left.
5. I also used a Dremel to add a few more gouges radiating away from the hole.

Stowage
- Unditching Gear (Shovels, Picks Blocks Tackle Chains, Tow Wire, Lumber)
- Personal Gear
- Spare Tracks

Shrapnel Damage, Embedded Shrapnel.
None today

Next time I do a tank...

Headlights
Vision Block guards
Drill out the base plate in line with the earth mover blade, and fit 6mm magnets to both the blade mountings and the hull.

Part 1: Planning
I'm gonna make me a squadron of three Bane Wolfs. These babies rock! Get them outflanking with Lord Creed, and as a fast vehicle they can move 12" and fire all their weapons! Also, armed will hull mounted Multi meltas, they are fearsome Anti Tank units.

Lets start with the What?
What is a Bane Wolf, what do we know about the Bane wolf? very little directly. There is a lot more written about the Hell hound, so a lot of this discussion will be based on the Hell hound. The Hell hound and by extension the Bane Wolf are infantry support tanks. A weapons platform designed to work in close tandem with infantry during assaults, providing self propelled, armoured heavy weapon support.
The Hell hound is a flame-thrower tank and the Bane Wolf is a chemical/bio weapons tank. Given their specialist nature they are rarely deployed in company formations, but rather spread across infantry units as independent vehicles of squadrons.

There are three known patterns of Hell hound:
Mars Pattern:

Artemia Pattern:

Graia Pattern:
And one other, the new unknown pattern:
This unknown pattern most resembles the Graia pattern in body and turret design it . So I will be basing this discussion on the specifications given for the Graia.
So from the specifications given in Imperial Armor Vol IV, there is a crew of 3: Commander; Driver; and Gunner.
As far as I can see the vehicle has two crew hatches, one on the turret for the commander; and one at the front of the vehicle for the driver, although this may really only be a vision hatch that can be opened when not in combat; there does not appear to be a third hatch, meaning the gunner must enter and exit the tank from the tank commanders hatch (Sux to be him in a firefight!). There is a possible hatch to the left of the turret. This hatch is however, blocked by the turret almost throughout the traverse, leaving it at best an escape hatch and not an entry point. Why am I banging on about the crew? this will play a big part when it comes to weathering the tank. Paint work on vehicles tends to get most damaged where the crew comes into contact with the vehicle. So knowing where they get in and out is important. Also, knowing the number of crew may affect the volumes of stowage a tank may carry.

Then we have the Why?
Why would the Death Korps use a Bane wolf? It seemed simple to me when I read the description. Its a chemical weapons thrower! What could be more perfect for the Death Korps to use! Given the Krieg preference for infantry assault, coupled with the gas masks they never take off it seemed the perfect weapon for them!

Lastly the When?
291st Death Korps of Krieg arrived on Praxedes IV in the middle of the Imperial year 745.M41. At this time the regiment had 33 Bane Wolfs on the manifest in various states of repair. With three of the functioning vehicles attached to the 17th company of the regiment.
The regiment arrived with many of its vehicles still painted in the city fight livery of the Ixus V campaign. Many remained in this colour scheme, although some vehicles were repainted in a yellow tan colour for the summer campaigns in the sulphur rich environment.

More to follow....

Surfed over to Mordian 7th Regiment and found a post on a nerf gun converted to look like a Bolt pistol. This piqued my interest, I like this as an idea so I immediately jumped on Google anf found some of the Nerf community he hinted at. So I don't loose this once I get the chance to take up this as a project I have collected some links here as to what I found:
The Bolt Pistol:
Possible materials

• Nerf Maverick pistol
• Plasticard
• Brass Etched symbols

The Bolt Gun
Possible Materials

• Nerf Recon CS-6
• Plasticard
• Brass Etched symbols

Many layers of awesome here. If I ever get around to building it there will of course be a how to.

Big Shout out to the Mordian 7th for this marvelous idea!

Malvairn heights - Praxedes IV 109.747.M41

Game: Anihilation
Result: Necron Minor Victory.
Factions:
- Blizzard Wolf  H'Russ Sept Codex: Tau Empire 750pts
- DeathJester, Codex: Necrons, 1500pts
- CommissarHarris 291st Death Korps of Krieg; Codex: Imperial Guard 750pts

My signed copy of the Imperial Armour IV: The Seige of Vraks arrived in the mail today, completing my set of these books.

It comes with an attractive box to hold the set, and I have already packed the two older books away into it. I have temporarily put down my other modelling projects to read it. I do enjoy this series, but as an amature student in history, I do find the descriptions of the tactics of the Death korps mildly upsetting. As siege-masters go they are a bit rubbish. In 11 years of conflict on Vraks they continue with the early WWI tactics of massed infantry assaults in light order drill against a well dug in fixed positions with modern rapid fire weaponry.
Why are they not using the tactics of late war WWI German or British formations, using infiltration tactics; small heavily armed units trained for independent thought and movement, supported by sharp heavy bombardments or box barrages? The German Operation Michael and the British 100 Days offensive which ended the war were so successful in their own rights, not because of exhaustion nor the part of one side or the other, nor because of new wonder weapons, but because of changes in the tactics employed.
The Men of Krieg appear doomed to repeat the mistakes of the first years of the 1914-18 war, clinging to outmoded doctrines of Napoleonic Heavy infantry tactics in the face of all evidence to the contrary. Seige Masters my A$$.

Still an entertaining book and a must buy for any aspiring Gene-Master of Krieg. Its comes with some interesting army lists. The one I may try is the Nurgle incursion. I have always liked the imagery of the shambling horde of the dead, supported by a few Nurgle Space Marines, and perhaps the occasional demon engine. I built 90 odd zombies some years ago but never really had a functioning list to use them with. With blight drones and Plague Ogryns in the mix all that has changed!

Malvairn heights - Praxedes IV 109.747.M41

Game: Anihilation
Result: Imperial Guard Major Victory.
Factions:
- Nandoo Codex: Tau Empire 1500pts
- Harris 291st Death Korps of Krieg; Codex: Imperial Guard 1500pts

8 Praxedes IV days had gone past since the fall of Vidighese, 8 Days to retreat 40 odd Clicks to the next practicable defence line at the ridge known as the Malvairn heights. Locals with the regiment knew the place from their legends. It had an evil reputation as a place of monsters, where the dead walked at night and picked off the unwary. Then military expediency had never taken much account of local tall tales.
For 8 Days the Regiment had executed a text book withdrawal from the town, leap-frogging the 40 miles back to the Massifs, each Kompanie taking turns forming a rearguard while the regiment passed through the line. In the van of the column, Regimental and divisional artillery had kept up a harassing fire on their pursuers. Shoot and scoot fire missions of mixed smoke, nerve agent and White Phosphorus rained on the pursuit in order to break them up and blind their night vision. It had been a textbook withdrawal.
Now the Regiment had reached the Heights, it was time to turn, stand and face the pursuers. When time came to stand, the 17th Kompanie was in the line as blocking force.
They had stopped just outside ruins of a bombed out refinery and begun fortifying it.

Wind whipped up dust devils around Major Kurtz where he crouched in the crater just beyond the walls of the ruins. Kurtz had come down to the forward positions of 17th Company to personally supervise the destruction of their pursuers. And that destruction would take place very soon, already wired auspex units, carefully laid beyond the screen of Willie Pete and smoke, had reported the Tau approach to the factory. At any moment they would clear the screen and the Auspexes would light up with targets. But Major Kurtz had not come down here to passively sit on the defence, waiting for the Tau to attack, no that was not Kurtz. When the Tau breached the smoke screen they would be met head on, the 17th Company would advance from their bunkers and destroy the Tau Vanguard.
Sensing the Moment was approaching, Kurtz Raised his hand; to his right, Kompanie commander Lande of the 17th, noted the gesture; to his left Platoon Commander Leutnant Shutze readied his men for the assault; Watchmaster Zung, Commanding the Jagd-Russ shouted into his boom mike and the great engines of the heavy tank roared in response.
With impeccable timing Kurtz dropped his hand just before the first Tau infantry broke through the smoke screen, and all hell broke loose.
Fire streaked out from the Imperial lines, bright beams briefly connecting with the dim shapes of the individual Tau fire warriors. The great vanquisher cannon of the Jagd-Russ boomed, its shell smashed into the front glacis of a Tau Tank, skipping of the sloped surface and sending the vehicle skittering of course on its grav cushion.
All along the line Firewarriors scattered, making for cover, some headed up into the ruins of the Refinery, others scattered into the dubious shelter of a rock formation just in front of the Imperial lines. For many this would be a fatal mistake. Kurtz had had his Ordinance Master pre-register the rock. Just as the scattering Firewarriors reached the safety of the rock, the first salvo slammed into their shelter. Bodies and parts of bodies flew skyward, riding the expanding globe of the shock waves. Artillery shells screamed in a stream of High Explosive pounding to rock formation and the survivors of the first rush, All the survivors could do was crawl further into the cracks in between the rock and hope for survival.




Off on the right flank Firewarriors had scattered into the ruined buildings of the refinery, taking up positions in the ruined galleries of the first and second floor. Behind the refinery, Chmeras of the Grenadiers revved their engines and leapt forwards, dashing across the open ground in between them and the ruins, turning at the last minute to flanking positions at the rear of the building. The Back wall of the building had been demolished in an earlier unknown conflict, leaving the building open to the sky. One of the Chmeras slid to a halt and popped smoke to cover the dismounting Grenadiers. The other continued on racing towards the waiting Broadside suits.
Hypersonic slugs from the waiting Tau broadsides streaked on rods of ionised air aimed towards the Chimeras. One smashed into the turret of the still moving Chimera, penetrating the armour of the turret, spraying the narrow compartment inside, killing the turret gunner outright. More importantly it passed through the auto loader mechanism as it it were cardboard, shattering it irreparably.
The Watchmasters signalled back to Leutnant Shutze they were in position as arranged. Shutze confirmed this and ordered the Grenadiers to open fire with maximum fury. The Fire warriors, who were slow to react to this new threat, were cut down by a hail of Las Rifle fire.
Survivors of the Firewarriors returned a spattering of fire at the Grenadiers wounding two and Killing one. But the damage had already been done and the Tau scattered down out of the ruins and back the way they had come.
Tau return fire began to take its toll, 1st platoon was forced to take shelter from Tau small arms fire, while hypervelocity crowbars from Rail guns streaked passed the JagdRuss.
Three battle suits arrived of the port quarter of the Jagd Russ, decending from the sky on a column of fire. Their leg shocks had barely finished recovering from the impact before they had opened up with a co-ordnated ballet of fire at point blank into the side of the Jagd Russ,Paint chips and armour fragments flew from the flanks of the great metal beast. One Fusion beam struck the barrel of the Vanquisher cannon, super heating the metal in an instant, shearing off the barrel at the base and exploding the shell in the breach. The veteran crew, reacted quickly, slewing the tank around and opening up with the hull mounted heavy bolter, point blank into the battle suits. They could hardly miss. Mass reactive bolt rounds hosed down the suits cascasing off the Tau suit armour in a great arc into the sky. One suit staggered under the weight of fire, explosive bolts findinging, then enlarging gaps in the plates before detonating in amongst the delicate machinery behind the plates. The suit poped and fizzed before toppling to one side inert and unresponsive.
From behind the suits landing site, Leutnant Shutze led his command squad in an assault on the remaining suit. Firing as they came the two melta gunners turned the ravening beams of their weapons on the cluster of suits One struck the already falling suit, the other smashed a second Tau suit onto its face as the powerplant on the back of the suit came apart under the lethal carress of the meltas beam.
Thumbing the control on his Power sword he leapt across the gap between the rocks and the tau suit. He landed hard on the remaining suits shoulder, scrabbling for purchase with his freehand, he drove the tip of the powersword down into the neck joint of the sensor array, cutting through armour, electronics and and flesh alike.
By now, all along th line the men of Krieg were advancing. The Tau Hammerhead lay burning in a heap where Grenadier meltas had cut away a nacelle and caused it to crash. The remaining firewarriors sheltering in the in the rocks had been winkled out of their refuge with the baonette, and even the Broadsides had died under the guns of a Banewolf, Hidden on the flank of the Tau advance.
With the Deaths of the Broadsides, the Tau vanguard had been smashed. Major Kurtz and the 17th Kompanie had stopped them cold, and bought the time needed by the regiment to solidify their new defensive line.

The Town of Vidighese - Praxedes IV 071.747.M41

Game: 1000pt Capture and Control
Result: Draw (Imperials and Tau contest one victory point and the other is uncontrolled)
H'Russ Sept 1000Pts
291st Death Korps of Krieg 1000pts

For those who don't know, our group plays every Friday night (GMT). Last Friday was a painting day, where we all got together to help each other paint armies and work on terrain and modelling projects(keep an eye out for the Kroot with pink Hair!). So no game. This Friday there wasn't going to be a game either as a few of us had evening commitment in the real world. But rather unexpectedly we did manage to get a game in doing the day instead!

Four Imperial standard days later, the Tau made a move to push the Imperials further out of Vidighese. Tau H'Russ sept met 291st Krieg Patrols in the center of town.
A squad of Fire warriors had occupied the upper floors of an Imperial shrine, establishing a forward observation post overlooking an intersection close to the center of town, not far from the Imperial Front line.
The OP allowed Tau forces a clear view of an imperial strong point. It was not long before harassing fire from Tau artillery and Fire warriors became intolerable, and an Imperial response became imperative.
The forward line was reinforced with equipment and troops quietly, then on the morning of 071.747.M41, Men and machines all along the sector moved up the jump off tape awaiting the whistle to commence the attack. Unfortunately on the right flank a unit of dismounted Grenadiers were spotted by a Tau Piranha team supported by Kroot. All along the line Tau forces opened fire into the Imperial positions.
The Imperial response didn't take long to kick off. Pre-designated artillery called in by the Master of ordinance smashed into the building opposite. Las-Cannons added to the devastation carving chunks out of the masonry with bright flares of energy. then the Bane wolf opened up. The scream of superheated air could be heard across town as the multi-melta in its hull scored a hit on the Tau observation post vaporising the corner of the shine. Even the stone built shrine of the Emperor couldn't take that kind of punishment and the whole building fell in on itself carrying all of the Tau down to the ground with it.
The Tau preempting fire had not come without consequences, on the right flank, Tau Piranha's accounted for two of the Veteran Grenadiers.




Over on the Left flank a Kroot kindred that had been infiltrating into the Imperial lines looking for weak points, took the opportunity to rush the men of Krieg, hoping to destroy the heavy weapons teams wreaking such havoc on their Tau allies. They burst through the doors of the ruined hab-block as the Mortar teams finished a fire mission, smashing the Kroot kindred supporting the Piranha's. Mortar men and LasCannon crews looked up as the aliens burst through the doors behind them wielding their deadly double headed rifles.






Crewmen dropped their heavy equipment and rushed to engage the Kroot pouring through the door. Within moments, 4 Kroot bodies lay dead surrounded by 10 dead Kriegers Leutnant Kluge-G7772-9 could see the slaughter from across the ruins. Making a quick decision he leapt from his position shouting for his staff to follow him. Commissar Lord Nero had also seen the threat on the left and leapt up from where the company command had been directing artillery on the Tau OP and sprinted into the melee.
The Leutnant's squad together with the Commissar Nero struck like a lightning bolt,laying about themselves to great effect. They were too late to save the last of the heavy weapons teams , instead the wreaked bloody revenge on the Kroot kindred felling over half of them and driving them back towards the doorway of the hab.

Over on the right flank of the Krieg line, the veterans of the Death Korps Grenadiers fought out their duel with the Tau Pirannas. The nippy Tau vehicles sped around the corner of the Imperial chapel as the Imperials tumbled into the cover of the same building. Two men carrying Melta guns were left outside the lintel their squad mates had clambered through. They turned as one and sent screaming beams of energy into the side of the passing skimmer gutting it from stem to stern. The stricken machine smashed into the ground spilling parts and blood as it went. Angry drones from the Piranha's spat at the grenadiers trying in vain to exact revenge for the destruction of their ride.
Its twin sped on, cutting open the rear of the grenadiers parked chimera with plasma beams, smashing through the track guards and splintering the tracks. The shattered tracks unspooled behind the chimera immobilising it as it continued to hose down the survivors of the Tau Fire warriors in the collapsed shrine.

The Commissar Lord cut down the last of the Kroot Kindred on the on the Left flank and took a quick survey of the battle field though an up-link into his ocular implant. The Tau on the left had collapsed. on the right, they had been stalled and the Imperials retained controls of the field. In the In the Center the Tau OP had been smashed into ruins and a squad of Korpsmen had launched an assault across the road, into the ruins seeking to dominate the ground. Nero could feel the crisis of the battle was approaching. Across the piles of shattered plascrete and flak board, Hauptmann Alder remained hunched over the map board directing the progress of the battle. If the battle was to be won it would be done in the center. Nero flicked his power sword clean of Kroot blood and turned to each of his surviving colleagues holding their gaze for a moment he shouted:
"For your Emperor" and charged out of the building into the street.