WIP Progress reports

Dark Barque and Matincore, Dragonet comin' along....

OK, I have been pretty lax with the progress reports. Been doing a lot of basing and building on my Dark Elf Army, when I was getting ready for NZTC. D-day preparations have taken over big-time though, (Kapiti Wargames Club having an open day 10 May 2014, and I'm refighting the Sword Beach landings) and I'm furiously working on my 20mm WW2 armies and terrain at the moment. Got side-tracked to post on WW1 though, and SA's experience at Delville Wood, effectively SA's Gallipoli.

Alternative Sisters of Slaughter are now done, converted from Dark Eldar Wyches. I'm happy with the end result. Got a few compliments at NZTC.

Did not going to run them at NZTC though. Ran the B*tch bus with two Hydras. Didn't have enough points to give them breath weapons, which, in retrospect was a mistake. Using that on trolls to negate regen or empire mounts could have been useful.

Either way, the Matincore is progressing pretty well, but I need to find a Beastmaster or Dreadlord to ride the beastie. Same for the Dragonet. Using a standard sorceress for Morathi as an alternate Pegasus. The look of the army is coming together nicely now...

Nice action shot of my Morathi bravely (or foolishly) taking on a Daemon Prince

2 x Sea-blue Hydras, Matincore and Morathi on a Dragonet, Black Dragon now also highlighted w sea-blue (hawk turquoise, or whatever it is called now days, tints/shades) Warlocks coming along nicely with washes in same livery. They did do some damage at NZTC. Poisoned attacks and that nasty Doombolt spell.

Also steadily and slowly working on the Empire, with my Parrot riders now nearing completion. I have no idea why these models seem to be such an effort to work on. Liked John Murrie's Demigriff paint job for his mate Reagan. Went up against them at NZTC.

The Forgeworld Demigryffs were such a pleasure! I have to admit that I keen getting side-tracked by Dark Elves and Daemons and WoC.

So now I have on my workbench: Scourgerunner, and the new Cauldron/Medusa kit. Liking the latter a lot. Will keep my old Altar and cauldron, and likely build this one as Medusa or possibly try and magnetise to make an interchangable multi-use model. Have also considered Altering the Dark Barque to accept the Medusa...

And then GW brings out a Dwarf book...

First pics of New Hydra Model over at Plastic Crack!

Jossy at Plastic Crack has just published some of the first pics of the New Hydra model:

Check them out on Plastic Crack, Jossy's website

(also a first look at the Core troops, which I am less enthused about.)

Copyright Jossy, used without permission, just to illustrate the link

. Not my work or picture Just placed as a service to the community that do not follow Jossy's blog 

(Anyway, you should if you are a WH fan) 

All rights belong to Jossy and GW.

Dark Elf Rules Leak

The Original Carybdis

Dark Elves Rules "Leak" Info from the latest White Dwarf magazine, via Kiwihammer and Jossy:

New Releases

• Matt Ward authored the new book
• Largest dual kit is the Cauldron of Blood /Bloodwrack Medusa. You can also use this kit to make the special character Crone Hellebron.(Think I'll be getting this)
• The next dual kit is Witch Elves and the Sisters of Slaughter – Sisters of Slaughter are apparently the lost daughters of fallen noble houses and look great. (Will keep my old WEs, definitely make the SoS)
• The new DE Core box allows you to make your warriors with Spears, Swords and Shields or Repeater Cross-bows. (Bleh, don't-a'lika tha newa look)
• The Dual Hydra/Kharibdyss kit looks pretty good, there are pictures of the Hydra with different paint schemes that actually look a lot better than the leaked photo we’ve already seen. (Will do Kharibdyss - have 2 Hydras in my Army already. Maybe they'll look less cartoony with their lips painted differently) 
• The Special Character Shadowblade  is a single pose figure that will come in a clampack (Probably won't get - have several assassin-type figures from various brands)
• There is a Lore of Dark Magic Card set being released. (No surprises here, but the content)
• Army Special Rules/Points Cost
• Dark Elves now have the army-wide special rule of ASF (unsure if this will apply to monsters/cold ones. Should have had this all along. Elves, are n't they?)
• Dark Elves also have Hatred but presumably only in the first round (What about the eternal hatred HE rule ?)
• Black Guard have eternal hatred (Yay! - all races, I presume. DE Elites needed some sort of buff to remain competitive. What about Executioners? )
• New Rule called murderous prowess allows Dark Elves to re-roll 1′s to wound. Unsure if this will extend to shooting and magic.(DEs will need something in the world of Monstrous cavalry, as it seems they're not getting any)
• There is a new Beastmaster Lord Level Character which costs 300 points when naked on a Manticore (Good to see Beastmaster characters back, been missing their caste of DEs from the prev Ed) 
• Witch Elves are core and 11 points per model. They can also take magical banners.
• A unit of 40 Spear Elves and of 30 Xbow Elves with Full command costs 390 points. Unsure what options were used but that means the warriors were 12 points per model. If you do the maths on this it means that Spears are 9ppm and Crossbows are 12.
• A DE Sorceress Hero looks to be 80 points
• Cauldrons of Blood still come out of Hero slots and look to have increased in points. They can join units (That's new and useful ! All units or just Khiainite units? Limits on numbers of cauldrons ? More than 1 per army? ) and one of their powers allows a unit to re-roll to wound. (ASF, Hatred and reroll wounds, stacking - Ouch! Bring on the pain!) In the Batrep a unit with a Cauldron and this buff up deletes a unit of Sobunz.
• Bloodwrack Medusas are rare and have a shooting attack called Bloodwrack Stare. Not sure what it does
• Hydras can now regain wounds in a manner similar to the Slann with the regen power of the old ones. They are now 180 points, have monster+handler but have to buy their breath weapon. (Can live with that) 
• Lore of Dark Magic – The attribute is called spiteful conjuration and does extra wounds to enemies that have spells cast on them. Unsure of how the mechanic works but could be similar to Tz lore attribute? (Time will tell about the rest of the magic)
• Lore of Dark Magic – Only spell mentioned is called Word of Pain and it reduces WS/BS/I
• A Dreadlord with Heavy Armour and a Shield on a Black Dragon costs 449 points.
• Cold Ones are 30 points and have 2 Attacks, unsure if the cold ones themselves have ASF (They needed to be improved. Suppose they still suffer from stupidlty. Unlikely mounts and monsters will get ASF IMO)

More photos and a first sneak look on Jossy's blog: http://plastickrak.blogspot.co.nz/

  

Dark Elves of Slaanesh Arrive: 1st WD leaked pictures

Dark Elves of Slaanesh arrive

The long awaited first wave of DE releases are out in the Oct WD. I am a bit underwhelmed by some models, and enthused by others from what I can see. The stats may well change my opinion.

We can probably expect a second wave of more nautically themed Corsairs/Admiral of the fleet hero next, with the new Riders and Chariots...

I particularly liked the sinister look of the faceless DE's of the previous edition, so I can't say that I am rapt with the poncy faced HE look! Have the rank and file been sanitised to make them unappealing and force other purchases? Looks like the Shrine and Cauldron got all the spikes and the troops lost their spike and spite. We need SPITE in our DE Armies. These guys look kind.(Apparently getting ASF  (reward for looking like HE? ) and Murderous prowess - see below ? Just Khainite units/characters) )

Either way the Cult of Khaine is on the rise. I always thought Khaine and Khorne were more interchangable, but it appears that there is a definite Slaaneshi lean to this release:

Photos in order of "Like" as far as I am concerned:

Like e'm a lot

Love 'em lotz

Nice

ok

ok

Ho-hum - could have done sooo much with a new hydra. 

What do we get, the Friendly Lochness monster mutated... Lips don't work for me. 

Not EVIL enough. Dark elves are EVIL. Like the dynamic handlers

The pose of the creature works, then heads, not for me.

Would probably build the Karibdyss from this kit, keep my old hydras.

Bleh! Bleh!

High elves masquesrading as Dark elves. where did the EVIL go? 

Boring. No chance I'm gonna undate

Nooooo.....a step backwards

Rules Rumours (ex Warseer):

The sisters of slaughter are rares: enemies is base contact with them lose rank bonuses.

Hydras are specials can upgrade to get a strength 4 breath attack, no regeneration  but can regrow heads (recover lost wounds) just like the slann can with his discipline.

The karybdiss thing has a special ability that triggers when all 5 of its attacks hits ( gets an extra attack that inflicts additional hits) has a scaly skin save and causes terror. Enemy models in base contact must re roll successful leadership tests. Both use the monster and handler rules.

They have 2 signature spells just like high magic. One of the spells goes off on a 8+ and grants a unit +1 strength and then you gain D3 power dice but if you gain 3 power dice this way the wizard suffers a wound with no saves allowed.

The army has always strikes first.

Murderous Prowess: models with this rule re roll 1s when rolling to wound.

Wizards casting Dark Magic add plus 1 to their casting attempts.

Price Update (Ex Jossy at Plastic Crack)

Just received the price list for the Dark Elves release for New Zealand and Australia, and all us Kiwi's and Aussies will be very happy to know that the models at least are very close to what the US prices are!


(Not if you use the Big Mac Index, we are still paying for being on the backside of the earth and GW using outdated exchange rates - ed)


Dark Elf army book: $US 49.50 $AU 83 $NZ 98
Dark Elves Battle magic: $US 6 $AU 8.5 $NZ 10Shadowblade: $US 20 $AU 22 $NZ 26Dreadspears: $US 35 $AU 45 $NZ 50Witchelves: $US 60 $AU 70 $NZ 80Hydra: $US 65 $AU 70 $NZ 85Cauldron: $US 75 $AU 80 $NZ 95So this may well be considered a price increase for the US, but here in New Zealand and Australia this is a price drop!


I can see me getting the Witchelves/Sisters of Slaughter, Karybdis build, Cauldron (Build depends on stats), and of course the book. My wallet is groaning in trepidation....

Rumour Bells Ringing Dark Elves and 9th Ed Rules?

Dark Elves, Brettonnia or Dwarfs? Rumours abound:

I would like to believe the DE Rumour (being one of my Fave armies)

4 October 2013
September 27th (pre-orders)

Condensing my net trawlings:

Dark Elves are due in October 2013, it is said be a complete new book and not just a wave
New elite infantry kit, possibly witch elves, executioners or black guards.
(If new witch elves, there will most definitely be a new Cauldron of Blood piece)

As expected Monsters and Flyers:

- New Multi-kit Hydra / Kar Karond Beast (Sea/Land/Flying Monster)  - two variations of hydra and Sea       Drake/Beast (flyer)
- Box of 10 new plastic Witch Elves
- Box 10 new plastic Executioners / Black Guard alt builds
- New Cauldron of Blood / Altar of Khaine. (Hybrid kit with old witch Elf or aura similar to EoTG called ?      Khaines blades?  a whirlwind of magic blades emitted by Khain's hatred.
- Blister Fine Cast Priestess/Crone/Hag of Khaine
- Blister Assassin  (Shadowblade)
- Blister Dark Fleet Admiral/Corsair Hero - more than Lokhir, who has become useless w make way rule.
- Executioner /Black Guard Hero Blister
- Plastic/resin  Morathi ?
- Plastic harpy kit with two options
- dual kit chariot ?

Rules:
- Dark Magic buffs up characteristics  of characters, transformation and wound recovery spells aka 5th      
  Edition.(Do we see the Black Horror spell back?)
- Sacrificial Dagger;  buffs the Cauldron of Blood in units (Skaven bell type.) ( 4 + and one per phase)
- Dark Fleet Admiral Hero buffs shooting skills  of unit
- Revamp of Assassins ? Cheaper and causing terror, better rules in keeping with their intent ?
-  Ability to use poison as an option across all Khainite Units
 - Multiple wounds and killing blow for executioners and Black Guard respectively .
-  Malekith more powerful than Teclis. (Doubtful)
-  Monster of the deep-Kar Karond (Sea Drake? ) more powerful than current Hydra

- The emphsis of the book lies around Khainite units (Kharond Kar, Hag Graef and Clar Karond

 So Monsters+Altar of Khaine+Khainite Units, Corsairs as focus.Dark Elves getting more destructive and poisoned attacks to cope w monstrous cavalry , many players' perception of the character each of the Elven races strengths in battle: DE - Offensive, HE - 
Defensive,  WE - Guerrilla warfare . 

The Elite/ heavy infantry definitely need something to help cope against the trend to Monstrous Cavalry:
Multiple wound attacks ( Execs used to do D3) and Killing Blow for Black Guard ? Thanks, that will do me just fine.

Rumours about 9th Ed?
From Tim the Thief on Faeit 212:

New Rumors for the 9th Edition of Warhammer Fantasy Release:

All Softcover Army Books will become obsolete with the new release.
The New Starter Set Boxes  will released at the same time as the Hardback Rule Book
The Set will include a Book called “Armies of Warhammer”, this Book will have simplified "beginner" Army lists for ALL available Armies. No full rule book - i.e. force you to buy a book and a starter set.

Armies of Warhammer will give Players a little view of all Armies and they Units, also it will be a transitional solution for the obsolete Army Books
Armies of Warhammer will be a part in the new Hard back Rule book
The Rule book in the Set will be a simplified “Starter or beginner " Rule book

A smaller complete Hardback Rule book will released too, called “Warhammer – The Rules”

Rules
The rule set will change again, GW has recognized the last Edition has had a hard impact on sales of Warhammer products. (read people are not buying it, and opting for the starter set instead)

The number of special rules will reduced
There will be no releases of Fantasy Supplements, the books will contain more background.
Page numbers up to 150 pages are possible!