Da cunnin plan

The next date is in the diary - August the 10th - a visit from the new Iron Fists. I can't wait.

My new Ork Codex is in the post and is due today / tomorrow. In the mean time I have been reading up on some of the changes and there appears to be lots to get excited about.

Mekboyz and Painboys sound like they will find there way into new ork armies.

Tank Bustas have become much more predictable. Stormboyz rock! Buggies and Koptas are a lot cheaper. Rokkits sound like they are cheap or free. The Stompa is in the codex! New formations allow Waagh every turn!! Flash Gitz and Lootas are cheaper. New Gorkanaut / Morkanaut. Weirdoyz are better. Looted Wagons are much cheaper (white dwarf - I will need to see this). New artillery guns. And what about bikes? And sooooo much more. Oh it is all sooo exciting!! If I'm not careful I will soon start to leak and be sat here in puddle ;-)

Move 6", disembark 6", run D6", charge 2D6", plus 2" if vehicle has plank. That is 17-34" !

And so to the plan. We generally play 1500 points. Our last discussions were that this really needed to be 1750 - 2000pts to get a properly balanced set-up however I'm assuming we will start at 1500 points and build up from there. The first game with the new 7th edition rules will be slow anyway as we look things up for the first time.

And after days of planning my new cunnin plan .....

"Shoot the choppy and chop the shooty!" A winning combination :-)

Bring it on!!

The Gathering is a pace - The Boyz

In preparation for the 7th Edition Codex I have been getting the boyz out and enjoying the experience. So here is a quick fly through whats available.

Just by way of a quick history lesson (and I only learned this today) - it turns out that Orks are a genetically engineered race. They were created by the a long vanished race called the Brain Boyz to deal with the Necron menace. Apparently the snotling are the last degenerate remnant of the Brain Boys. Now isn't that just very funny.

I have three standard mobs of Boyz. The first are the the 'Grrrrz' so named for the stripes on their jackets (Tigers ... ). These are my first unit and always fielded in every battle. My plan is to increase this unit in size to approximately 30 models so that I have real choice in terms of the models I field. This is my current project so the painting table is very busy.

The second are the 'Ilanders'. They take their inspiration from the various furs that adorn their kit. Over time this has been added to and after some clashes with Space Wolves they acquired shoulder pads as trophies. All carry axes and they stand out on the battlefield. Its important that the different units have identity as they are often fighting close together and you need to be able to tell which unit they are from.

The third mob are the 'Dakka Dakka' boyz. They can really lay down a field of fire. I don't play them as much as I should.

I have always played with a force that has some 'Ard Boyz. I love them and the increased armour means that they are great for holding objectives and the like. There was a time when you could take 3 burns with them - lovely, but alas no more.

My 'Ard Boyz are just the standard boyz but all wearing helmets and plenty of shoulder pads. For effect I have given them all back poles. It just increases the size of the models and makes them really outstanding on the battle field.

Their colour scheme was inspired by the painting of George Dellapina who did some fantastic paint jobs in the White Dwarf many years ago. He had a unique style and loved to clash bright colours. Painting these guys was my first time to really get into washes and highlights. There was no going back after that.

The Tank Bustas are a really fun mob to play. I just love the idea of loading up a squig with 'busta bomz' and letting him charge off to take out a vehicle. Its a little bit like playing fetch except of course the squiq doesn't come back ;-)

They can be a real threat and get lots of attention on the battlefield. If they can get in amongst the armour they will have a field day.

In the last few games I really enjoyed fielding a unit of Storm Boyz.

Having them appear in the middle of the battle can be great fun and the models are really excellent. Lots of facial expression. I love them a lot. Their colour scheme very much follows that of the 'Ard Boyz.

Another great addition was a squad of Kommandos. Having them skulking around the back of the enemy is a god send. They do like the rear armour of vehicles so this can give the opponent some real challenges.

I have come across a Kommando conversion kit on Forge World. I may find myself purchasing one of these soon ;-)

I also took to fielding a unit of Flash Gitz which can be very humorous. Their first couple of outings were an amazing success but there after not so much. They can be a bit 'squishy' and placement is everything.

Again the models are fabulous although the shoulder mounted gun looks really odd. The new models that are just out do look the business!! The nob even has a pirate hat - a nice nod to an older model!

I have various models with Rockets, Big Shoots and Burnas and therefore I can reorganise the Boyz to form other units to suit my needs.

You just gotta love the green skins!

The Gathering

Its been a while since we have indulged in the pleasures of Warhammer 40k but with the new rules has come new models and this in turn brings temptation. I have been rummaging in the garage and rediscovering my love of Orks. So many unfinished projects, it is great and I am loving the paint table yet again.

The Dark Templar decided to build a new marine force to take on the threat posed by my Ork horde. I despair that it is the Imperial Fists he has chosen with all that bright yellow armour. It makes life really hard for my Kommandos.

Kommandos are supposed to be good at being 'cunin'. They sneak into position behind enemy lines causing chaos wherever they go. The trouble is that they lack subtlety. Here is a prime example - my Kommando Nob puffing away on a large cigar whilst a chattering gretchin plays with sticks of dynamite. No subtlety!

So why are the Imperial Fists causing such a problem well ........

Its just that my guys insist on carrying trophies and that yellow is going to make it even harder to be successfully camouflaged!! He, he.

Ork Walkers

I have paid a visit to the garage and started to unpack some of my Orks. Always a pleasure, never a chore. The beauty is that you forget some of the wonderful models that are in storage, you find unfinished projects and it gets the juices flowing.

I wanted to dig out the walkers and have a look at them. They were a joy to assemble and are packed with blades and spikes and all kinds of Orky goodness. I also needed to make sure that the paint scheme for the new Gorkanaut was tying in to the overall theme.

First out were the Killa Kans and Deff Dread. I spent quite a bit of time on them previously going with the Yellow jaw, red shoulder pads and then touches of blue. They were inspired by some fantastic painting in one of the old White Dwarf magazines. The first unit that I really spent time on was my 'Ard Boyz. The colour scheme started with them and has spread. It is loud, it is gaudy and that what makes it Ork'ish.

My Gorkanaut has been coming along nicely and was fitting in well. More red washes I think.

He has a bit more blue to him and I need to work on getting the yellow more 'dirty' and then add more defined horizontal stripes to the should pads but he is looking the part.

The Ork Stompa is still the biz though. I think I need to get some of the Goff black and white squares onto the Gorkanaut somewhere as well and maybe even a yellow panel or two.

They will look great on the battle field though. I have always been somewhat lucky with the walkers. My Deff Dread, 'Da Basha' to his friends has survived some 'hairy' situations and pulled off some amazing feats. This is his third incarnation. I still have the other two somewhere. I must see if I can drag them out and dust them down for old times sake. At the end of a battle it is good to have some bragging rights and 'Da Basha' has been the source of much 'Dark Templar' baiting over the years ;-) Long may this continue!!

Gorkanaut assembly

I have had great fun assembling the new Gorkanaut. It is a great kit with lots to do and there are plenty of options to change the look of the beast.

This is what I went for in the end. A big Klaw on the right hand side with shoot shootas and that amazing looking gun on the left. There is an ork sitting behind the gun which is a nice detail and there is Dakka running out of every orphus.

The Klaw is a great piece of work. It is suitably huge and looks really 'meaty'. I could easily see it ripping hunks out of enemy tanks and transports.

I spent a few days getting some paint on and I am really enjoying the level of detail. I have gone with my usual Red, Yellow & Blue so that it will tie in with the rest of the army.

I went to town with the washes to really dirty the whole thing up and no doubt I will spend another few evening picking out detail here and there. I thought I would include a 'Painboy' in the picture to give a better idea of scale.

A monster addition, a fun build and a treat to paint.

It will be fun to get some of the other Ork pieces out of the garage and see them all together. I feel a Waaaagghh coming on.

Waaagghh!

No no - its not my fault - you see it just kinda happened all on its own. My mouse hovered and I must have clicked and then the postman came and ...... and .........  ;-)

Its Ork time! Bring on the Gorkanaut!

Yes indeed, it has arrived and the kit is really cool. Lots to do and great options.

One will not be enough.

Nuffle loves Dinos!

Hi there all. This weekend saw another game of Bloodbowl and a new player entering the fray. It was great fun and an interesting experience for me.

The South Coast Saurus took on the Dark Templars new Nurgle team. I was .... well the crowd, the ref, the Saurus cheerleader and helper. I think you could say that I asked some good questions and made some 3rd party suggestions.

Now what is interesting is that I have actually learned a lot as a result. Because I had less emotional attachment I was more concerned with coaching some good practice. I was more detached and what I noticed is that: -

1. We looked at the action from a risk perspective - who was free to move? what did we want to achieve? as a result movement was in the right order - all the low risk stuff first. Michael (the Saurus coach) had a calm head and was much less aggressive than I play. Note to self - this is a good thing and I need some of that calm.

2. When the turn looked finished i.e. the Saurus had achieved what they desired, we asked the calm question - what else? Is it now worth Dodging that guy out to achieve a reposition? There was no down side and maybe an upside. These are good questions. Often I stop thinking when I achieve what I want and just hand over my turn. Calm is good.

3. Beating up the opposition is not the main focus. Michael is relatively new to gaming and as such was focused on the scoreboard and not just beating people up. This is not a game of 40k and as I look back I have learned that I need to think like this too.

4. Nuffle is not to be trusted! When Nuffle is with you it is a joy but ..... there were a number of occasions in the match when the Dark Templar set a plan in motion that relied on his 'Big Man' to deliver the first blow and follow up. Nuffle took this opportunity to trip him up!! and it was at the start of a turn so this burned rerolls. I can look back and see that I fell in the same trap myself with my Orc Troll! The 'Big Men' of bloodbowl should be moved much later in the turn. 'Really Stupid' can hurt a lot. I wonder - are they really worth having? I am unsure. Amazing what you see as a third party.

5. Bloodbowl is just great fun! I have come to understand that this is truly a fantastic game. It is simple and yet complicated. You become emotionally involved, it reaches inside of you and toys with the heat strings. You live the stories. I laugh out loud and enjoy the entire game. It is not often that this happens in life - so it should be treasured. Play blood bowl - its good for you!

Anyway the Dark Templar has done a detailed write up for those interested. All good stuff.

I also took a few pictures myself.

I just love the skinks.

The scorer of the first touchdown was 'Kinky' - a truly great name.

Here he is running in a score.

The interesting thing is that Michael used the skink speed to make the score. He first advanced the ball down the right.

This drew in the Nurgle big guns, but they are slow. Michael switched the play to the left and suddenly had the advantage. It was a really cool manoeuvre.

You can see here how there are a number of the nurgle boys are thrown out of position. Movement of 4 just doesn't get them back in the game. Suddenly the skinks are on the move and finally 'Kinky' does the business.

The second score was just sooooo funny because the Dark Templar just could not pick the ball up! Lets face it, if the ball is loose then trouble is just around the corner. This is one of the problems of playing a 'vanilla' team. There are very few skills available so no individuals are good a specific things yet. Big problem.

Again the skinks came into their own and this time the 'Redsnapper' skipped in and thieved the ball before running it in for TD!

It was just great to see. I soooo loved the goblin that I played with the orcs. Now it looked like there were several running around and causing the type of chaos that I love. I am seriously thinking about making changes to my orc lineup!! Troll - emmmmmm. More goblins - well I like the thought at the moment.

I was loving it.

But just after half time I had to go. I had to wait nearly 3 months for this day and then my wife accepts an invitation to be somewhere in the afternoon. "Well it is Easter" etc etc grrrrrrr. I had to go at 2.30pm so missed the end, much to my dismay. However it was a great session of bloodbowl.

The final score was 3-1 to Michael - well done sir and thank you for hosting such an enjoyable day.

Looking forward to the next big game. It should be my pro elves v the saurus. I am living in fear if I am honest!