A Draw @ 1500 points :-)

Well, played against Mike and his Dark Eldar...  We played 1500 points, I brought my list with the 2 Scout squads (1 Sniper, 1 CCW/Pistol) and 2 Sternguard Squads in Drop Pods backed by 2 Thunderfire Cannons and a Whirlwind...  He brought a fully Mechanized force with Warriors/Zombies/whatever the basic guys are with the Homunculus  in Venoms (3-4?) and 2-3 of the Elite squads in Raiders with 4 Blasters/squad and 2 of the Heavys with the 1 DL/2 Disintegrators...  Oh, and a Void Bomber...

He got first turn, killed my 2 Cannon and stunned my WW...  But Techmarines survived denying him "First Blood"...  My Sternguard dropped in, DID kill one of his 2 heavy "Screw you Marines" tanks, but failed to off the second with a series of amazing 5++ saves :-)...  Running theme for me this game, my Melta simply bounced a lot...  So, First Blood to me, and that was what got me the Draw.  Game ended on Turn 6 with my single surviving Scout SGT holding one Objective, one of his Warrior Squads holding one, and a bunch of dead bodies piled around the 3rd...  Both lost Warlords, and he killed the sole surviving Sternguard in his own DZ to deny me Linebreaker...  Of course my Whirlwind failed to kill his 2 troops in the open to deny that to him :-)...  So, a VERY bloody draw.  Good game though...

Crimson Fists at 1500 points...

So, the league is finally up to 1500 points...

Been painting a bit, and testing the camera, such as it is on the Nexus 7, so here are a few of the lads:

So, fielding:

Pedro Kantor
Scout Squad (9 Snipers, 1 HB)
Scout Squad (9 CCW/Pistol, 1 HB)
Sternguard Squad (Drop Pod, HF, 9 Combi Weapons, SGT w/ LC)
Sternguard Squad (Drop Pod, HF, 9 Combi Weapons, SGT w/ Melta Bomb)
Thunderfire Cannon

And either Storm Talon Gunship and Attack Bike or...

A second Thunderfire Cannon and  Whirlwind maybe....  Just the sheer amount of shooting for the Heavy option could be bad for an Infantry based Army...  The Flier?  Maybe, have it escort one of the Scouts who flank, hope to catch enemy fliers in the flank...  So, depends on who I end up facing I guess...  2 Ruins that give me 3+ cover saves could be annoyingly powerful :-)  Guess I'll bring them both...

Stand-in for a Storm Talon

Well, I guess I will give the Escort Fighter a shot this week...  Found an old Naboo Fighter from the Star Wars series...  Might be "close enough" to be used as a Storm Talon with the spare flight base I have.  Not ideal, I think I'll find a different fighter...

But in any case, I do think I'll fly it up against the other fliers...  With the Skyhammer missiles, I'm looking at BS 4 and TL AC for the almost guaranteed 4 hits at Str 6 Rending and 3 Str 7 shots.  Hoping to go second of course so I can roll in and catch their aircraft in the air.  I will probably flank a Scout squad to give it a decent shot at catching something in the side.  Still, 155 points for a "Maybe it will get lucky and take down a flier"?  Comparing it to my IG fliers, I have to say it looks bad on paper.  But if the other side does not bring AAA or a flier, it might have a chance to actually throw a bunch of wounds out there...

So the 1500 point force is:
Pedro Kantor
Sternguard Squad (10, HF, 9 Combi Weapons, Drop Pod)
Sternguard Squad (10, HF, 9 Combi Weapons, Drop Pod)
Scouts (Camo Cloaks, Snipers, HB)
Scouts (CCW/BP, a few Shotguns, HB)
Thunderfire Cannon
Storm Talon

And 40 more points...  I do have a Lightning Claw on one of the SG squads SGT for a bit more kick with the Squad escorting the Chapter Master, could drop that I guess and...  Well, likely an attack bike to fill out the points...  But plays as a classic Hammer and Anvil with me holding a fortified ruin and bringing down 20 Sternguard to hammer whatever gets in the way.  Not much lives through THAT many Meltas dropping right on top of them...  So, guess we'll see if I can deal with fliers and hordes.  Guess my "horde" plan is really to use the "No cover Save" weapons I have and just selectively target the leaders...  2-3 IG hordes, and taking their Platoon and Company leadership tends to deal a crushing blow to them.  After the leaders are dead, mostly just cleanup.  :-)  If things go well that is...  Against other things?  Well, shoot lots, hope for the best...

Moving to 1500 points with my Crimson Fists

I think I have my 1000 point list done, looking ahead to 1500 points.  Picked up the "Imperial Blue" from Vallejo at the Gopher since my last one finally ran out...  Making more Combi Weapons for my Sternguard, and converting more of the lads over...  NEED to get off my ass and finish up my second Drop Pod.  So 2 Sternguard Squads, and 2 Scout Squads and I am liking the Tech-marine with Thunderfire Cannon...  Last game it was probably the MVP, 4 blasts at Str 6 every turn?  Can opt for the No Cover Save shots should I face one of the IG hordes...  And Scouts with the 2+ cover save?  Yes, that will work...

Need to decide if I will Proxy in a "Storm Talon"...  I am thinking it will be dealing with a few fliers...  That or I bring out a DN and ?  Or a Librarian I guess...  Irking looking at the Storm Talon and comparing it to the Valkyrie/Vendetta or the Necron Fliers...  'Course, at least they HAVE a bloody flier unlike my Wolves/DA, etc...  Thinking I will run one of my Scout Squads as a Flanker and have the Talon escort them...  Play the Air Superiority fighter to cover for my lads...  REALLY concerned about the Helldrake of the Chaos Marines.  I simply have no real defense against that monster.  Shoot at it lots and hope for 6's is NOT going to work.  So, guess I need to bring something to engage it directly in the air...  Would rather have the Vendetta with the 3 TL Las Cannon of course :-)  But, better I think than the Aegis line with Quad Gun...  Concerned that people will have figured out how to deal with that, then I am SOL...

1000 points, Crimson Fists

So, a small army moving to 1000 points.  Will be playing:

Chapter Master Pedro Kantor
Sternguard (10, 1 HF, 4 combi plasma, 5 Combi Melta, drop pod)
Sternguard (5, 3 Combi Melta, 2 Combi Plasma, Drop Pod)
Scout Squad (5, 4 Snipers 1 HB)
Scout Squad (HB, 4 CCW/Pistol)
Thunderfire Cannon w/ Tech Marine

So a REALLY small Infantry based army, and I'll be using my Fleshtearers as the big SG squad and one of the Drop Pods...  Tactically I am not sure if I will always be using the Drop Pods, I have the option to castle up with the Techmarine, cannon and the 3+ cover save from reinforced ruin.  Looking around, it does appear that you will be getting cover saves against Vector Strikes, and the Scouts with cloaks get the 2+ cover save...  Everyone (except Pedro) will get +1 HtH attack, and we are all scoring and stubborn...  I do think I can get 2-3 Objectives with my lads clumped up a bit even without throwing my Sternguard out there to perform the suicide assault...  Though that is always an option :-), and a terrifying one for the folks who play against me...  Only a few armies that do not have a high value target there for me to

Since the Sternguard score and the army is all Stubborn, I do think this is a good army for me.  Will need more drop pods...  So working a trade or two I guess, been on Bartertown since the 90's when it was hosted out of U Kansas :-)...  Ordered some more Vallejo "Imperial Blue" and a Pedro Kantor mini from the Gopher, and repainting a bunch of ancient Tac Marines I had already stripped...  Making the combi weapons out of Green Stuff, so the process will be a while, but I think it will be ready for the 1500 rounds, or the Tournament on the outside...

Crimson Fists :-) It begins...

So, started my Crimson Fists army...  Looking like I'll field something like this:

Pedro Kantor
Sternguard Squad (10, combi weapons, etc., drop pod)
Sternguard Squad (5, weapons, drop pod)
Scout Squad (Sniper rifles, Heavy Bolter, 5)
Scout Squad (CCE/Pistol, Heavy Bolter, 5)

Then either a Librarian or Tech Marine with Thunderfire cannon...  Leaning toward the cannon :-)  Scouts with 2+ cover saves?  Yes, please...  Every Squad Scores?  Mkay, that works for me...  Light on bodies, still no real AAA, but at 1000 points I do not think I'll see too many fliers...  Yes, Joe's Hell Drake will absolutely destroy this army so spread out and hope for the best...  But played him twice so unlikely to play him again this week...  Drop pods go in either as suicide squads or empty if needed if I need to hunker down and hold something...

Painting coming along well.  Scouts base coated, starting to convert more Sternguard...  Still need to assemble a second drop pod...  We'll see if I get this done in time...

Chaos Fliers... Mkay, need to deal with that...

Well, faced the new Chaos flier last night...  All I can say is "Wow".  So, it is a Flier and hard to hit with normal units.  I had army wide "Preferred Enemy", so could re-roll 1's on the to hit...  Not sure it ever really mattered in 2 games, though I DID bring it down in one game.  'course, we both forgot the "Daemon" rule about the 5+ INV save, so I might not really have.  First game I risked a Deep Strike with a Terminator squad and hit the mishap, and naturally rolled the 1.  So, that was a really short game for me.  AP 3 flamer on the Flier made short work of my Power Armored Knights...  Str 6, so "not 1's" to wound, no armor or cover saves...  That and the Vector Strike...  Str 7 AP 3, d3 hits?  And no worries about missing or being hit back...  Mkay, so the AAA tax I think will be a standard part of my larger armies.  At 500 points, not really possible.  1000 is also going to be tough, but I have more options...

Not sure if I'll bring Vanilla Marines as Crimson Fists, Fleshtearers or stick with the Grey Knights.  For the Knights, I have my Dread Knight ready, and with the FAQ it is a real monster...  Str 10, re-roll to hit and wound/armor penetrations, uber flamer and a Heavy 12 shooting attack?  Oh, and a jump pack/teleporter... Yeah, it gets REALLY expensive, but damn...  My Fists, well that means I bring Sternguard, and they are scoring units like Troops...  Alpha Strike from hell, and I really like the Sternguard.  The Fleshtearers are similar for me...  SG, Jump Infantry and well...  It's a quick game one way or the other.  Not many locally are really prepared for this...  The GK?  Eh, lots of shooting, decent HtH, and pretty much all around decent...  Have to admit I am getting a bit tired of playing GK though...  They are good, probably still too good, but boring for me I think...  Yes, I like the Terminators as Troops, and EVERYONE has a Power Weapon of some sort to go with their Storm Bolters or Psycannons...  Just not a lot of variety....  Guess that is what bores me more than anything else...