Nova Cannon Tutorial

Hey everyone, Kevin here. I decided to do a tutorial on how I build a Nova Cannon for the new Leman Russ Eradicator. Obviously since there is, at the time of writing this, no Eradicator model we have to use our imagination. My idea is a basically a slightly longer and tapered version of the demolisher.

Here we go!

First, gather all your materials:
-Leman Russ Battle Cannon Turret
-Fuel Barrels (two of the SAME halves)
-A Pen
-Hobby Knife
-Hobby File
-Glue



Take the two halves of the barrel. You will see these overlapping notches:


And cut them/file them down. They just prevent the two halves from going together.


Now glue 'em! See those gaps? We'll deal with them later!


If you look at the tops and bottoms of this barrel now, you will see this weird circle jutting out which will prevent us from gluing anything flat down onto it:


Just cut them off


Next, grab your Battle Cannon and cut as shown (I suggest gluing the two halves together first. It seems odd, but it prevent you from accidentally bending the plastic out of shape):





File that smaller piece down so it is perfectly flat. Ok, good. Now take that barrel we made earlier and glue her on the end of this piece like so:


Now take the end of the original Battle Cannon turret and cut the end right off





Then cut this piece even smaller, so we only have the two elongated air holes left:


Now glue this to the barrel (I hope you can see where this is headed by now?)


Ok...almost there...

Grab your pen. Now Kevin, you are probably asking, why the hell do I need a pen? Well what you're going to do is take everything out of it, the ink think, the ball head, everything. What you're left with is a round tube of plastic.
And guess what?


It fits into our turret!


Eye-up how big you want the end. Since it is a short range cannon (36") obviously make it rather short!



Ok, that's it for the gun, sort of. Remember those gaps on the barrel? Let's fix 'em up a bit...
Roll up two small things of greenstuff and plop them in the middle of the gap.


Then, using your sculpting tool (your finger works fine) spread it out. Remember to moisten whatever tools you're using so the greenstuff doesn't stick to them!


Assemble your turret....


And now you have a Leman Russ Eradicator, congrats!



That is just my personal take on the turret, and I really hope some more tutorials/ideas pop up as more and more people get their hands on the new Imperial Guard codex.

Hope you guys enjoyed this little tutorial!

First battle with the new Guard 'dex

Hey Everyone Alex here,

I just played my first battle with the guard codex at my local GW in Springfield, VA. it was 1000pts of seize ground (capture the flag essentially) with Dawn of war deployment.

Setup:
My opponent who also plays guard set up his death korp consisting with 40 men in a squaded-platoon accompanied by their command squad and a commissar. on the edge of his deployment zone towards the middle of the board. His auto-cannons HW teams were in a far corner of the board and his HQ command squad in was in some ruins.
I set up with my command squad cowering behind ruins and my chimera full of veterans by the tables edge...

Turn1(me): stole the initiative, moved my leam russ and two sentinels out from the boards edge and pounded away at his charging infantry horde despite the dark of night.

Turn 1 (him): On his turn out from reserves comes his valkyrie and a hell hound, they go flatout.

Turn 2 (me): I keep pounding away at his incoming infantry horde this turn killing quite a few (battle cannon, multi-laser, shotguns from chimera hatch, sentinel auto cannons, usw...). My reserves (Al'rahrem's entire platoon) cannot make it on to the board this turn.

Turn 2 (him): His infantry horde of now 20 something move up flame and rapid fire my command suqd into oblivion using their officers "First rank, Fire! Second Rank, Fire!" command. Along with this his valkyrie turbo boosts and drops off its vets and they blow up my chimera.

Turn 3 (me): My flanking platoon comes on the board from the perfect edge and then continues to decimate all but 2 of the gaurdsmen from the massive squad using "first rank, second rank": they proceed to fall back. My pinned veterans from their chimera stay still, as my leam russ pastes half of his veteran squad and my sentinel's autcannons kill another 3.

Turn 3 (him): My opponent takes his valkyrie, picks up his Vets (all three of them, bastone and two vets) and skirts them off towards his objective. his two fleeing guards men flee even further but just far enough to be rallied by their CO using the "Get back in the Fight" order. During the last turn his hellhound had gone flat out and snuck up upon me. This turn it drives up twelve inches over some terrain and engulfs 9 guardsmen in flames. His master of the ordnance drops a shell and immobilizes my leman russ. His valkyrie unloads with an incredible 3 multilaser and two rocket pod attacks. They all miss...

Turn 4 (me): Sensing imminent danger from the hellhound and feeling reassured now with my superior points, numbers, and armour advantage, I advance on the hellhound with everything I have. All my shooting is only effective enough to cause the hellhound to be shaken (my outfalnking autcannons only hit once out of six shots). My leman russ targets the Valkyrie completely missing with both its las-cannon and battle cannon. My mortars fire on his command squad, causeing 4 wounds, only to cry as they are all saved! (a lot of 5+'s).

Turn 4 (him): My opponent moves his valkyrie closer to my objective as his reamaing two guardsmen and the CO take cover next to his objective. He drops his vets out of the Valk and they take cover behind some ruins near my objective. His valkyrie targets my autocannon teams and elminate them all. His master of the ordnance stuns my leam russ as it scatters, his mortar from that same squad pin one of my squads, and his hellhound moves backwards retreating from my advancing horde gushing flames that immolate another 8 guarsmen...

Turn 5 (me): I move all my troops forward and my sentinels too as my mortar batteries and autocannon teams stay still on the table edge. All my shooting is completely innefective against the hell hound (two crack grenades and 2 autocannons...) and of the two guardsmen at his objective one his squished by a mortar shell and the other is pinned. My sentinels charge the hellhound, miss with 3 attacks, and fail to dent its armour... (dissapointing). The leman russ cannot shoot.

Turn 5 (him): He keeps his Valkyrie still, his veterans move onto my objective (which is currently contested by my sentinel), and his CO moves closer to his objective. His master of the ordnance kills a sentinel with a glancing hit (NO!!!!) and his Valkyrie lights up too many guardsmen to count. His hellhound immolates 10 more guardsmen.

At this point I have about 15 infantry left, my mortars, Al'rahem, my leman russ and a sentinel. He has 3 veterans contesting an objective, one gaurdsmen holding his objective, a autocannon heavy weapon team that so no action the entire game, and his command squad. The game ends as my opponent rolls a 1.

This game I learned much about the new codex.

>Keep my commander alive: his orders are really useful and necessary

>HW teams that are not mortars suck: they miss too often and cannot have Vox's. With their pitiful leadership of 7 they often fail their order test when it is needed

>Gaurdsmen are surprisingly agile with their new orders

>"First rank, fire! Second rank, fire!" is devestating

>Chimeras are cheap and useful (get many more of them!)

>Al'Rahem is only great in larger pointed games.

From my opponents playing I learned that:

>Valkyries must die: they are extremely dangerous with their multilasers and 2 large blast rocket pods

>Autocannon Squads are useless (same reasons as above)

>Bastone is useful

>Master of ordnance has his place in larger point games

>Kill hellhounds ASAP.

Thanks everyone, if you have questions or comments please leave them and I will respond!

-Alex (Dictator)

2000pt Competitive List Competition

Well a member on the Astronomican forums is holding a small little 2000pt Competitive List competition and I decided to enter it with the new Imperial Guard codex (to really see what this puppy could unleash). Well, I warn you, this isn't for the feint of heart. It is very unfluffy and cheesy beyond belief (a list I would never play unless in a really big tourney) BUT that was the whole point of the comp. If you're interested you can check out the thread here.


HQ
Ministorum Priest – 50pts
+ Eviscerator

Lord Commissar – 95pts
+Power Fist
+Carapace Armor


Company Command Squad – 175pts
+ Creed
+ Astropath
+Vox Caster

Chimera – 65pts
+Pintle-mounted Heavy Stubber

TROOPS
Platoon 1
Command Squad – 130pts
+Al’Rahem
+Medi-pack
+Las Pistols/CCWs

Squad A – 55pts
+Grenade Launcher

Squad B – 55pts
+Grenade Launcher

Squad C – 55pts
+Grenade Launcher

Squad D – 55pts
+Grenade Launcher

Squad E – 55pts
+Grenade Launcher

Conscripts x50 – 200pts

Veterans - 180pts
+Bastonne
+3 Melta Guns
+Grenadiers
----------------

Platoon 2
Command Squad – 67pts
+Boltgun
+2 Plasma Guns
+Vox-Caster

Squad A – 65pts
+Melta Gun
+Vox-Caster

Squad B – 65pts
+Melta Gun
+Vox-Caster

Squad C – 65pts
+Melta Gun
+Vox-Caster

Squad D – 70pts
+Plasma Gun
+Vox-Caster

Squad E – 70pts
+Plasma Gun
+Vox-Caster
-----------------

Platoon 3
Command Squad – 52pts
+Boltgun
+Vox-Caster
+Plasma Gun

Squad A – 55pts
+Vox-Caster

Squad B – 55pts
+Vox-Caster

Squad C – 55pts
+Vox-Caster


Fast Attack
Sentinels – 40pts
+ AutoCannon

Sentinels – 40pts
+ AutoCannon


Vendetta Gunship – 130pts

TOTAL – 1999 pts
Model count: 212 infantry, 4 tanks
KPs: (with Platoon 1 Squads A-E combined) 21

Ok, basic strategy behind it...
The Astropath allows for all my reserve rolls to add +1 to the roll AND (make sure you keep this in mind) lets me re-roll which table edge any squad outflanking arrives on.
Al'Rahem forces everyone in his platoon to outflank. Squads A-E in platoon 1 are combined into one mass of 50 guardsmen using the "Combined Squads" special rule. The Lord Commissar and Ministorum Priest are attached to the Conscript Squad. The basic concept here is to rush into close combat with the enemy. 50 conscripts with re-roll to hit on the charge thanks to the priest, Stubborn AND Ld10 thanks to the Commissar mean the conscripts will be quite at home in combat (statistically, that squad alone should kill 14 MEQs alone). Don't forget that I'll also be having my 50-man guard squad either firing or rushing into combat, depending on the situation, and the command squad (Al'rahem sword inflicts instant death on any opponent regardless of toughness!!!) and my Vets....

So the Veterans have two options: Assault or take out tanks. It's very situational, but they are quite apt at both.

Oh, nearly forgot! Creed and his squad will be in that Chimera zooming around the field giving orders (at the start, probably to the outflanking Al'Rahem platoon). Such orders can give a squad +2 to their cover save, an extra rapidfire shot for las guns, twin-linked weapons against tanks or monstrous creatures (great for the tank hunting Vets), allowing a squad to re-group after losing assault, even if normal terms would prevent it, rolling 3D6 for running and picking the highest, giving Fearless and Furious charge to a unit (uhh, Conscripts ). He can issue FOUR of these orders per turn and each platoon commander can issue orders as well. It will be VERY annoying for any opponent!

Now platoons 2 and 3 are fire support squads, wherever I'll need them. Deployment is entirely situational but I have adequate power to fight off pretty much anything that is thrown at me with them. Vox-Casters, btw, let you re-roll orders so that can be very important for me.

The Vendetta has 3 twin-linked las cannons. It will outflank since it has the scout special rule. Also, it will be acting as a safety net (as well as tank-hunter/high toughness killer) if the Chimera holding Creed esplodes. The Valkyrie will pick 'em up and fly 'em around the field (which is even worse for my opponent, but I want this baby in the air to contest objectives at the end of the game if needed)

The sentinels will also be outflanking.

Now the whole thought behind this list was fast and distracting. 115 guardsmen coming from their table edge, along with a vendetta and 2 sentinels, will be incredibly distracting and frustrating since they can wipe out any threats quite early. Creed issuing his orders will force people to make tough decision (deal with the cheap conscripts, Creed, the Valkyire, the vets, the 50 guardsmen or either of the Sentinels) which is a recipe for the opponent to make mistakes which is a very easy way to win battles. This tactic also protects my other 100 guardsmen on my side who are ready to shoot down anything that breaks free from the insanity on their front.

Bring the Fight to the Enemy!

The Road to Games Day Chicago

Well I have finally begun thinking about Games Day Chicago and the costs involved in going there. So far it will be Alex, Pat and I and then our friend Mike who doesn't even like Warhammer but wants to go for the hell of it (now is the time to pounce! :p) Well everyone here at the Terran Forge is jobless (stupid economy/hard to hold a job in Buffalo AND at school) BUT I figure I might as well set a budget to help both Alex and I save up for the trip. Hopefully we'll get summer jobs, but as it is now it looks doubtful (I've applied for about a dozen already with no response- WNY is a terrible place for college kids to find jobs :/)

Anyways, I just did some research looking for a hotel close to the convention center and my AAA membership gets me a single room with 2 queen beds at the Hilton Garden Inn (which is pretty much right down the street from the Stephens Convention Center) for $101/night which is about $57 per person for both nights (arriving friday leaving sunday) which does not seem that bad at all (at least to me: one who has never booked a hotel room ever).

So, if we go with this hotel (and if anyone has alternative and, more importantly, cheaper suggestions PLEASE comment!) then we are looking at about a total cost, per person, for the trip of:
$57 - hotel for 2 nights
$30 - food for roughly 2 days (pretty much just saturday since we'll probably just get cheap fast food crap)
$15 - gas. Figure about $60 to fill up for both ways and then split between four people.
$15 - Ticket for Games Day :p

TOTAL- $117

Not bad, not bad at all. I should probably factor in some "safety cash" so let's just say it will cost $150/person for the trip.

Right now I am strapped on cash (but will still find a way to buy the Cadian Battleforce and new Guard codex. Shame on me.) But right now my "Chicago Fund" I'll put at $30. Only $120 for me to go!

I'll add a side bar-thingy that will be updated with our individual Chicago funds and, please, if you know of any way to help us save money we will be spending let us know! And if you're going to Chicago let us know too, we'd love to meet up with some fellow FtW bloggers!

More Space Wolves Rumors

Found these over on Warseer thanks to Shadowphrakt:

Ok folks, again I'm stating some more rumours - just becasue I feel its necessary with you guys

If drop pods are taken, the whole army must take them.

Bjorn the Fellhanded has AV14 on all sides, better stats.

There is some mad Wulfen Character, who has his own personal drop pod. Can choose who he fights in combat. like a challenge in WFB. No-one else can fight him apart from the person hes attacking, unless said model is killed, in which case his squad can then attack him.

All rules for SC have been rebuffed - all of them can take terminator armour for +50 points. All SC models are getting re-done, if not for the actual release then in subsequent releases.

Any character can take terminator for 50pts, which includes weapons.

Runic weapons I believe function as relic blades, but with something else quite snazzy.

Wolf Guard (in terminator armour) with lightning claws rack up 6 attacks on the charge each. A very broken thing to do (think this ill be omitted from the final codex) is put them with Ragnar Blackmane, who gives them Fleet of foot and rending, though dont' quote me on rending.

Individual wolf guard can replace squad leaders - all should look individual.

No model in the SW codex at all has the option to take a thunderhammer and storm shield.

Wolf Scouts won't be troops.

Wulfen are back in (old)

Thats all I found out - is due for release this year.

So what do you think? Bjorn seems pretty badass. Remember to take these with huge grains of salt as they are only but whispers on what may come...

Astro Mag Issue 4

The Astro Mag Issue 4 is finally out. Go download it!

5th edition IG codex army list

Well Alex and I got our grubby little hands on the new 'dex and I just created a simple list with what I currently own (or plan to buy: the Cadian Battleforce). Now this isn't a list I would use, but really gives me an idea of exactly what I need to buy to build my ideal fluffy Valhallan list.

Here it goes:

HQ
Company Command Squad - 172pts
- Company Commander
+ Bolt Pistol
+ Power Fist

- 4 Veterans
+ 3 Las Pistols/Close Combat weapons
+ Vox Caster
+ Heavy Flamer
+ Medi-pack
+ Carapace Armor

- Officer of the Fleet

Elites
Storm Troopers x8 - 153pts
+ Grenade Launcher
+ Plasma Gun

Troops
Platoon A = 370pts
Command - 100pts
- Commander Chenkov

- 4 Veterans
+ 4 Las Pistols/Close Combat Weapons
+ Platoon Standard
+ Vox Caster

Squad 1 - 60pts
+ Vox
+ Grenade Launcher

Squad 2 - 55pts
+ Flamer

Conscripts x20 - 155pts
+ "Send in the Next Wave"

Platoon B = 340pts
Command - 35pts
+ Vox Caster

Squad 1 - 100pts
+ Commissar
+ Vox
+ Flamer

Squad 2 - 55pts
+ Grenade Launcher

Heavy Weapon Squad 1 - 60
+ 3 Mortars

Heavy Weapon Squad 2 - 60
+ 3 Mortars

Fast Attack
Armored Sentinel - 85pts
+ Plasma Cannon

Heavy Support
Vanquisher - 205pts
+ Commander Pask

Leman Russ Squadron - 580pts
- Executioner

- Eradicator
+ Las Cannon
+ Heavy Bolter Sponsons

-Eradicator
+ Las Cannon
+ Heavy Bolter Sponsons

Total = 2005pts

95 infantry, 5 tanks

===============================================

Ok, basic logic behind choices....
My Company Command squad will be a close combat unit. The med-pack gives them Feel No Pain, making them much more resilient and you can never go wrong with Heavy Flamers! Plus, having them deeply entrenched with the enemy will help the Company Commander to dish our orders to the guardsmen who are also deeply entrenched. Officer of the Fleet, with his -1 to enemy reserve rolls, will be incredibly useful I think.

Platoon A is my human wave, basically. I will use Chenkov's command squad to aid the Conscripts who will be rushing forward and just having a grand ol' time. When the conscript squad is low on men, I'll use the "Send in the Next Wave" rule I bought for them and have a full 20-man squad of conscripts back on my table edge to take nearby objectives. Squads 1 and 2 will be made into one squad using the "Combined Squads" special rule (yeah, totally aweosme I know!) to make them a large clean-up force on the front lines.

Platoon B will be the fire support squads. 6 mortars in the back wreaking havoc with Squads 1 and 2, again, combined, to dish out some nice damage. The commissar is there to make sure they don't retreat.

Storm Troopers. They're expensive: same cost as a marine. I will be giving them a test run or two in games to see what I think of them, but I highly doubt they'll be a mainstay in this army. I just have some Vostroyans which look like cool Valhallan Storm Troopers IMO. They might end up being Vets or something, but I only have 6 or 8 of them (can't remember) so I'd need to buy a few more.

Armored Sentinel, tad on the expensive side with that Plasma Cannon, but I figured I'd give it a go. I'm going to magnetize the weapons so I can try out different things in different games, but I think they will be best in squadrons.

Now the bulk of my points cost: tanks. I put Commander Pask in the Vanquisher because he increases the tank's BS to 4 and adds +1 to Armor Pen which makes an alreayd potent tank hunter even morso. The squadron of Executioner and Eradicators are there mainly because I like the tanks. Exectuioner vaporises MEQs while the Eradicators kill everything else (and ignores cover which is always great!) Though at nearly 600 points for the squadron, I think it may be an Apocalypse thing only for me.

I REALLY like infantry in this new codex. I'm totally stocking up. I want at least 30 more men in this list. I also want to get at least one Hellhound and WILL get some Griffons in this army. Re-rolling the scatter die is too good to not take! Of course, I'll wait until the plastic version that is rumored comes out.

Anyways, hopefully may ramblings will give you some ideas. Any one else get a chance to see the new codex? What do you think of it and what do you like/dislike about it? If you haven't seen it and have any questions feel free to ask!

KaBLAM!

WOOT! Finally finished my first tank in what feels like a LONG time. I am very happy with the way this turned out and can't wait to paint more of them.

Anyways, da pics!











EDIT- oh yeah, +10 points for me! :D

Space Wolves Rumor

From The Chosen Realms forums:

Rumours - Having talked to one of the guys at the LGS, (GW Pompey) there are stories (with him having recently been talking to Phil Kelly, and several of the Dev Team, he didn’t explain why) of the Fenrisian Wolves becoming an option for Space Wolf Armies (I’d assume either a Fast Attack Choice, or a non-FOC selection similar to CSM daemons), with Mediocre stats, but Furious Charge, or similar.

Wishful Thinking - Pretty popular rumour as well (no source as yet, but ask any Space Wolf player from before the Eye of Terror Campaign), is that the Wulfen are going to be allowed to be taken as a Unique choice, similar to the Legion of the Damned.

Special Characters include Logan Grimnar (stats brought into line with Chapter Master, Orbital Bombardment), Bjorn the Fellhanded, Ragnar Blackmane, and the old Wolf Priest I can’t remember the name of. Wolf Lords take the role of Captains, no more Battle Leaders. Frost Blades become Relic Blades. True Grit is removed, but Grey Hunters gain 2 Attacks, Points Cost increase (might get Heavy Weapons). Wolf Guards can be taken as either Terminator Squads, or Veterans.

Blood Claws (Power Armoured SM Scouts, BP/CCW, Power Weapon/Fist upgrades as before) can be taken as either Troops, or if taken as Fast Attack, must take Bikes, or Jump Packs.

Iron Priests become elites, can take Servitor Retinues.

Leman Russ Annhilators [sic. Exterminators] removed. Crusaders and Redeemers added. Distrust of new technology suggests that the Thunderfire is not added. Scouts (no longer 0-1) stay as elite, but can take Bikes. Gain Cluster Mines, Sniper Rifles, WS/BS4, Meltabombs, Power Weapons, Locator Beacons.

Not sure over Drop Podding, or Teleporting. They make use of them, but not too keen on it. I’d imagine that they gain Preferred Enemy vs. Thousand Sons/Troops with MoT, or lose it entirely. Maybe the same for Dark Angels.

I’d also think that the Rune Priests get access to Storm Caller, and all of the new Psychic Powers. Wulfen Rune Priests may be limited to “The Gate”.

Very interesting stuff, I'm happy to see the Sons of Russ finally get some rumor attention!

work work work!

Finished the last Veteran today so that makes the squad completely done. w00t!

Front


Back


With the other melta gunners of that squad


Next up...


I obviously have to finish the next special weapons trooper, but why is there a Death Korps Commissar? I am going to be painting it as a gift for a friend (Dingareth of warseer and golden throne) who plays death korps.

Expect an update again soon.

Leman Russ Executioner Conversion

Hey guys, Kev here. Well, Executioners look, and are, awesome. The new CAD drawings of what is thought to be the new Executioner turret really made me want to have one. Now. So, since I had three un-assembled LRs sitting next to my desk, I decided to build one! Forgive the shoddy looking plasticard, that's becaue I use plasticard as a makeshift palette occasionally. It's nothing special, but it still looks cool in my opinion!

Next up on the build list: two Eradicators (with the Nova Cannons).

Vanquisher Redux

Hey guys, it's Kev. I posted that Leman Russ Vanquisher earlier but kind of stopped working on it. I don't know why, it was just kind of... "meh". Then on John's Toy Soldiers I saw a pic of the new IG codex that had a wonderfully painted Valhallan Leman Russ. So, using that as inspiration, I decided to re-paint my tank. Originally I was going to wait until I finished this thing to post it, but Alex really wanted to see it and, quite frankly, I probably won't finish it for a few weeks because I have a lot of crap i have to do. So here is the PIP of the newly painted Vanquisher:






I haven't gotten very far with the turret yet, so I left it off.

Hope you guys like it!