"First Rank - FIRE!"

1st Place Prize from Battlefoam!

2010-10-22T22:49:00.000-05:00

So one Saturday after a Cross-Country meet I am online checking results for my Sabinal Yellow Jacket Cross-Country Team. After finding my reslts I decided to check on the results of the Battlefoam design custom trays for Warhammer Fantasy armies contest. I scrolled down the page to the results an saw that I had won first place. So I call Battlefoam and asked them about claiming my prize and they were absolutely fantastics. I won the Battlefoam P.A.C.K. 1520 XL Custom Loadout with a complete loadout of 22 inches of Battlefoam trays. Romeo and his staff are great and really assisted me in getting the most of of my loadout. When my bag arrived I was amazed at the quality of the contruction of the bag and trays. The folks at Battlefoam truly make a quality product.

Thanks to all the staff at Battlefoam for such a generous prize package!

You can find their website at http://www.battlefoam.com/ .

-----Kyle

"Hobby How To" Issue Number Two - Skulls Pits to Swamps

2010-04-01T22:00:00.000-05:00

"Hobby How To" Skull Pits to Swamp PDF

Here is the .pdf for converting skull pits to swamps on your Citadel Realm of Battle Table. It is also available in the DOWNLOADS section. I did not post the full article on the blog because of the length of the article. I hope you enjoy this issue of "Hobby How To". Please leave us your thoughts on these articles so that we can improve on them.

Thanks,

Adept & The Captain

Broken Link Repaired

2010-03-08T17:18:00.000-06:00

This is to let you all know that I repaired the broken link to the first "Hobby - How To" issue in the downloads section. Sorry for any inconvenience.

The next issue is on the way. I promise.

Later,

The Captain

Table Update - Skull Pits to Swamp

2010-02-17T10:01:00.000-06:00

This is the large swamp area. The dark green flock represents the boundary of the difficult terrain created by the swamp. The trail through the middle can be designated as a ford site.

This is a picture of the smaller swamp area.

Here is the project so far. I have some more flocking to do and some more details on the cliffs.

The next step-by-step Hobby How-To! - SWAMPS should be ready next week.

Thanks,

The Captain

New "Hobby - How to!" Section

2010-02-03T20:51:00.000-06:00

Part of our goal with this blog is to share some of the techniques we have learned over the years. In the "Hobby - How to!" section you will find PDF files of our paint plans and some step-by-step instructions on how we completed some of our hobby projects.

Thanks!

Realm of Battle Table - PART 1: BASIC PAINTING

2010-01-05T22:49:00.006-06:00

I started this project almost a year ago when I used two cans of Citadel Chaos Black Primer to prime all six panels. The table has been riding around in its carrying bag since then. So right before the holidays I broke out all my supplies and focused on completing the project.

PRIMER
2 cans of black spray primer - Citadel Chaos Black Primer works well but there are less expensive options available.

BRUSHES

These are the applicators pictured above.

3" Foam Trim Roller

Small rolling pan

1" Painter's Brush

1" Flat brush (Cheap Wal-Mart type)

Citadel Large Flat Drybrush

Citadel Tank Brush

PAINTS

...And here is a list of the paints I used (pictured above).

Ceramcoat Paints (available at Michael's)

Black

Magnolia White
Rain Grey

Citadel Paints

Brown (from the Citadel Scenery Painting Pack)

Ochre (from the Citadel Scenery Painting Pack)

Scorched Earth

STEP 1 - THE BASE COAT

Take the 3" foam roller and put two even coats of the Citadel Brown on each panel. I cheated big time on this step and let my four year old nephew go to town on the panels with the roller. He did a fantastic job and we had a great time. Way to go Tuckerman!

STEP 2 - THE BASE COATING THE CLIFFS AND ROCKS

Using the 1" paintbrush paint all of the rock and cliff areas Ceramcoat Black.

STEP 3 - THE FIRST DRYBRUSH

Flat Areas
Use the 1" Paintbrush to drybrush the rest of the board with Citadel Ochre.
Rocks
Using a 1" flat brush apply a heavy drybrush of a 1:1 Ceramcoat Black and Ceramcoat Rain Grey mixture to all of the rock areas.

STEP 4 - THE SECOND DRYBRUSH

Again, using the 1" flat brush apply a medium drybrush of Ceramcoat Rain Gray to the rock areas.

STEP 4 - THE THIRD DRYBRUSH AND EDGE SHADING

Rocks

To finish the rocks use a Citadel Large Flat Drybrush to apply a final drybrush of Ceramcoat Magnolia White to all the rock and cliff areas.

Shading

Using a Citadel Tank Brush stiple around the borders of the rocky areas using a 1:1 mixture of Citadel Brown and Ceramcoat Black.

STEP 5 - FIRST DRYBRUSH ON THE SHADED AREAS

Using Citadel Large Flat Drybrush apply apply a medium drybrush of Citadel Brown to around the borders of the rocky areas.

STEP 6 - SECOND DRYBRUSH ON THE SHADED AREAS

Repeat Step 8 above using Citadel Ochre.

THE COMPLETED TABLE

Well...There you have it the first installment on painting you very own Citadel Realm of Battle Table. In the next update I will show you how to hide all those pesky piles of bones and skulls.

COMING SOON --- Realm of Battle Table - PART 1: BASIC PAINTING in .pdf format

Thanks for your time and happy painting!

The Captain

The Realm of Battle Table for Any Scale!

2010-01-05T20:04:00.002-06:00

This update takes "First Rank - FIRE!" in a slightly different direction. I wanted to complete the Citadel Realm of Battle Table I have been carrying around for over a year now. After careful consideration Adept and I decided that we wanted the table to work for any scale. I have seen over 25 completed Realm of Battle Tables and I took what I thought were the best techniques and combined them to create multi-scale table. However, with all the skulls and bones scattered about and the pits with the skulls I knew it would take a little work to make the table work for scales ranging from 15mm to 54mm.

I broke the process up into several parts:

1. Basic Painting.
2. How do I get rid of those pesky skulls?
3. What the Flock?
4. Creating a "Swamp" to fill in the skull pits.

The first installment is almost ready to publish!

Thanks,

The Captain

Task 4 - Imperial Navy Paint Plan

2009-11-02T20:18:00.001-06:00

Adept showed how to operate the file server so here is the complete paint plan in .pdf format. I hope it is helpful and as usual any feedback is appreciated.

Task 4 - Imperial Navy Paint Plan - TEASER

2009-10-29T21:09:00.001-05:00

Here is a teaser of the paint plan for the First Security-Assault Group. The full paint plan will be uploaded as a .pdf file for your downloading enjoyment.

Task 1 - Imperial Guard - 453rd Pelean

2009-10-18T14:36:00.002-05:00

The 453rd Pelean is an amalgamated unit composed of the 53rd Pelean and the 4th Mechanized Pelean. With the 53rd lacking an upper command structure and the rank and file of the 4th having been decimated after a protracted siege at , the union of these two units seemed like a rare perfect pairing to the Munitorium. This was not the case.

Pelea is a world located in the galactic north-west of Ultima segmentum. Approximately 1.7 times larger than Terra its surface is dominated by a single vast ocean. Volcanic hotspots abound in the equatorial rim, creating island land masses that trail away as the eons pass. The islands range from newly risen expanses of molten rock to verdant tropical and subtropical rain forests. A colossal network of reefs encircle the planet. This feature is so profound that they are plainly seen from orbit. Initial surveys showed little of interest, while precious minerals exist deep within the planet, it deemed cost ineffective to gather them from the ocean depths as the islands are rather devoid of heavy elements. Nothing is known of the first settlement of Pelea other than the large stone foundations that date to a time well before the Emperors Crusade. These locations are shunned by Pelea's current inhabitants. Dark and foreboding stories are associated with the time worn stones of the old ones.

The first recorded colonization occurred sometime in late M34. Colonists were settled in hopes of producing sufficient fish and other sea fauna protein for the nearby hive world of Upsilon Fortis. Terrestrial bio-stocks took hold but did not establish dominance over local species. Forming an unusual dual biotic system, crossover of chemical material only happens at the amino acid level and below. After 300 years this resulted in only enough food production to support a slow stable growth of the settlements. With no immediate expectation of export or of a near term, some would say heroic, re-engineering of the planetary biocycle by the Adeptus Mechanicus, support for the colony was abandoned. The colony grew slowly eventually rising to sufficient size to support levies of troops for the Imperial Guard. The Peleans support a tithe of one Regiment every other generation. This slow trickle of troops is more than made up for fact that Pelea has a relatively heavy gravity for a human colony. Peleans from the first colonization are a hardy lot possessing great strength and endurance. While troops from Pelea bear some resemblance to deathworlders their size is the result of relatively good nutrition and the population gene shift resultant from an HG environment. This good fortune was tempered for the munitorium by the fact that Peleus had no means of producing any armaments aside from melee weapons and bows.

Early in M39 the exploritor ship Coherent Light of Olympus and her attendant fleet arrived in the Peleas system. While it was possibly responding to the initial request for assistance from millennia past we will likely never know as the Adeptus Mechanicus loves to keep its secrets. What is known is that Mechanicus teams scoured the planet while the fleet stayed in system for nearly two decades. When they left unexpectedly, the Peleans the breathed a sigh of relief. They would retain their ocean world, it would seem, as they had known it for four millennia. Four years later the Olympus returned with a host of bulk personnel and construction carriers.
Within three years a city was built upon the largest reef of the planet. Workers were brought in the millions, industry flowered on the barren ocean. Mechanicus devices spread throughout the reef like the tentacles of the indigenous hey-ey creature. To the surprise of all the original Peleans the city was producing metal.

Today in M42 there are two cultures on Pelea stoic island dwellers clinging to ways that had once served their forebears well and citizens of the reef Hive toiling away in manufactoriums and forges producing ever increasing wealth for the subsector. Small but vicious wars have broken out time and again between the two. Leaders from the administratum and ministorium fight to retain both vital resources for the Imperium. But there is as much animosity and resentment between the two as there is water on Pelea. Meanwhile half a galaxy away an anonymous munitoruim clerk enters the code that places the 53rd under the command of the 4th.

Task 3 - Imperial Navy Test Model

2009-10-14T17:22:00.002-05:00

This is my test model of my Imperial Navy Infantryman assigned to the 1st Security-Assault Group. The paint plan for these guys will follow soon.

Task 2 - Imperial Navy 1500 point Army List

2009-10-14T17:16:00.003-05:00

Unit entries are the basic units from Codex Imperial Guard, 5th Edition. Options are noted as well as point costs.

HQ Choice

First SAG Headquarters (165pts.)

SAG Command Section 005 (165pts.)

Lieutenant Barnes: Krak Grenades, Melta Bombs, Plasma Pistol, Power Weapon

Petty Officer Gates "Unit Duelists" (Bodyguard): Krak Grenades

Squad: Krak Grenades, Medi-pack, Regimental Standard, Vox Caster, Heavy Flamer, Laspistol(x3)

Troops Choices

Assault Platoon (282pts.)

Command Squad 3-6 (125pts.)

Ensign Conrad: Krak Grenades, Melta Bombs, Bolt Pistol, Power Weapon

Squad: Krak Grenades, Medi-pack, Vox Caster, Laspistol(x1), Grenade Launcher(x1), Meltagun(x1)

Squad 144 (65pts.)

Vox Caster, Flamer(x1)

Squad 609 (65pts.)

Vox Caster, Flamer(x1)

Squad 541 (65pts.)

Vox Caster, Flamer(x1)

Fire Support Platoon (457pts.)

Command Squad 4-9 (85pts.)

Ensign Wright: Krak Grenades, Melta Bombs, Bolter, Power Weapon

Squad: Krak Grenades, Medi-pack, Vox Caster, Laspistol(x1), Grenade Launcher(x1), Sniper Rifle(x1)

Squad 317 (90pts.)

Vox Caster, Flamer(x1), Missile Launcher Team(x1)

Squad 450 (90pts.)

Vox Caster, Flamer(x1), Missile Launcher Team(x1)

Mortar Section 1 (60pts.)

Mortar Team(x3)

Anti-Armor Section 1 - Lascannon (105pts.)

Lascannon Team(x3)

Anti-Armor Section 2 - Autocannon (75pts.)

Autocannon Team(x3)

Fast Attack Choices

77th Vendetta Gunship Squadron (130pts.)

Vendetta 01 "Helen Back!" (130pts.)

Twin-Linked Lascannons(x3)

812th Valkyrie Assault Carrier Squadron (465pts.)

Valkyrie 01 "Slow Ride" (155pts.)

Lascannons(x1), Multiple Rocket Pods(x2), Heavy Bolter Sponsons(x2)

Valkyrie 02 "Low Rider" (155pts.)

Lascannons(x1), Multiple Rocket Pods(x2), Heavy Bolter Sponsons(x2)

Valkyrie 03 "Barracuda" (155pts.)

Lascannons(x1), Multiple Rocket Pods(x2), Heavy Bolter Sponsons(x2)

Statistics

Points: 1499 out of 1500

Composition:

HQ: 1/2 (11%)

ELITE: 0/3 (0%)

TROOPS: 2/6 (49%)

FAST ATTACK: 2/3 (40%)

HEAVY SUPPORT 0/3 (0%)

Model Count:

INFANTRY: 73

VEHICLES: 4

Task 1 - The Imperial Navy - First Security - Assault Group (1st SAG)

2009-10-12T20:41:00.006-05:00

While transporting the 21st Mordian Air Assault Regiment near Rynn's World the orbital strike cruiser Uncommon Valor was boarded by orks . The Uncommon Valor's Security/Assault Division rallied and fought bravely to stem the green tide as it poured into the ship from their ramshackle assault boats. As orks overwhelmed the Navy crewmen the 21st Mordian moved into position to reinforce the defense of the ship. The skill and iron will of the Mordians halted the and eventually repelled the ork boarding parties. Captain Liscomb of the Uncommon Valor was so impressed with the skill, tactical proficiency and courage of the Mordians that he petitioned the Officio Munitorium to have a three companies attached to his ship as replacements for the losses the Uncommon Valor had sustained in the attack. The Munitorium approved the request and some 350 Mordians were transferred from the Imperil Guard to the Imperial Navy. Inspired by the parade dress look of the Mordians Captain Liscomb ordered them keep their blue dress jackets and had them take the white trousers and caps of Navy crewman. The Mordians kept their positions but changed to Navy Rank equivalents. (ie. Sergeants became petty officers and lieutenants became ensigns)and integrated into the Uncommon Valor's

crew. The former Mordians have proved themselves many times over in combat and embrace and excel in their new role in the Imperial Navy.

The primary role of the 1st SAG is to secure and defend forward airfields for an orbital strike cruiser's Atmospheric Combat Division. The organization of a Imperial Navy SAG is modular lends itself to an incredible amount of flexibility. It is not unusual to have one combat platoon made up of two infantry squads and all of the mortar and heavy weapons sections while the other Combat platoon consists of three infantry squads and a command squad mounted in Valkyries. Any number of tanks from the Armored Support Group or Anti-Aircraft Group may also be attached to the SAG. The 1st SAG is organized under the Assault Security Division of the strike cruises Orbital Strike Department of the Orbital Strike Cruiser Uncommon Valor.