NOVA and Smurfs

So the past couple of weeks have been insane with the lead up to NOVA... not to mention the actual convention itself.  This was my second NOVA and first as a staffer, and it was even more fun than last year.  I played in the Narrative again, and I was really stoked to see that it had almost doubled in size!  I had a good run, winning my first three games before losing a very winnable last game.  I was a walking zombie at that point and my opponent played a solid game while I made a ton of mistakes.  I guess I can't handle late nights as well as I used to.  I was actually going for the "Fame" track where your warlord has to achieve specific goals such as killing a unit or holding the relic. Had an unkillable super soldier not popped up on T5 and ran down my leadership 10 stubborn Iridium Commander, I would have been able to add Fame to last year's Infamy.  I am really looking forward to next year and plan on actually helping run the Narrative and/or finally playing in the GT.

In addition to NOVA, I have been anxiously awaiting the release of the new Space Marine codex.  The old one was really feeling its age with all the new Tau and Eldar running around, and I was holding out hope that a refresh would make the Smurfs more viable.  Having downloaded the ebook version (yay to no more Apple monopoly), I am feeling a little underwhelmed.  Tacticals got slightly cheaper (flamer/ML and Vet Sarge is same price though), but not enough to offset how fast they die in this edition.  Some units like TFCs got some nice buffs and/or got cheaper, but I personally do not see any killer units on par with Riptides, Broadsides, and Wave Serpents.  I think the closest is Tiggy (who is now amazing), but nothing else really just jumps out at me.  Maybe (probably) I am wrong though.  At the very least, the Chapter Tactics should make for fun, fluffy army builds.  Personally, I am excited about the Ultramarine characters (and Honor Guard).  It will be nice to take the Smurfs for a spin and have some solid, tactical turn-by-turn options.  I just hope they don't get relegated to always being allies (Tiggy may become the most popular ally EVER)... I really hope they get a chance to be the Imperium's heroes once again.

FINALLY!

http://www.games-workshop.com/gws/wnt/blog.jsp?pid=9700004

Games Workshop is FINALLY releasing digital codexes on non-Apple phones/tablets!  This is huge as I can only afford one extremely overpriced company at one time.  Buying GW products on an Apple platform is just more than my wallet or my wife can stand.

As you can tell, the campaign lost momentum when a couple of people moved and has been discontinued.  In the meantime I have been hard at work prepping for NOVA and working on my SM/Tau Army and display board.  I am very excited about the progress and will try to find time to post updates about them soon.

Feeling No Pain...

For Sanguinius!

After a string of harrowing defeats, the Blood Angels had finally managed to reestablish a secure base of operations on Angamar.  Mephiston had retired to the orbiting Battle Barge to better coordinate the campaign against the Xenos, leaving Brother Decartes as the tactical commander of the Blood Angels' forces.  During the previous battles, Brother Corbulo had managed to identify a signature emitted by the relic fragments that could be tracked from orbit.  Descartes's first mission would be to secure one fragment located deep within territory under Dark Angel control.  Based on their experience with the Brothers Penitent, Mephiston knew this would not be an easy fight...

 

Sammael and the Ravenwing had received word that the corrupted Blood Angels were advancing into territory already secured by the Dark Angels.  With so many threats on the planet, the Blood Angels had no legitimate reason to be intruding into already pacified areas.  Obviously, the Fallen were still working deep within the chapter and needed to be cleansed.  The Ravenwing would run them down where they stood...

 

Blood Angels vs Dark Angels (Summary and Pics by Jeff)

Jeff vs Noah

An Aegis Line too Far...

After suffering a close defeat by the Ultrmarines, Duke Sliscus had merciously tortured Haud Dico for his failure.  The Archon now not only wanted revenge on the Ultramarines, but also sought a way to acquire additional strength to strike back at his master.  One of his most loyal spies had managed to find a lead to a fragment of the lost relic that had once served as a weapon of unimaginable power.  As far as the Duke was concerned, Haud Dico would simply be going on a raiding mission to take out his frustrations on the planet's populace.  In actuality, Haud Dico had much bigger plans in mind...

 

The battle for Angamar had spread the Ultramarine forces across the surface of the planet in search and destroy missions against the xenos.  Calgar had withdrawn to the Battle Barge Octavious in order to direct the full campaign.  Captain Tragan had been given elements of the Second Company along with a contingent of Calgar's personal Honor Guard to pursue the Dark Eldar.  Reports indicated that the normally mobile Dark Eldar had momentarily paused near the site of one of the many ruins that dotted the planet's landscape.  For the Dark Eldar to remain in one place too long meant they were searching for somthing either very valuable or very, very dangerous...

 

2000 Grey Knights/SM vs 2150 Dark Eldar

Bob vs Ned (Written by Ned)

 

Angamar Campaign One Month Update

Angamar after the first month

The first week of the Angamar campaign had been extremely bloody for all the forces on the planet.  Each faction had relentlessly pursued their agendas, even to the point of betraying their own comrades.  After the initial planetfalls, the fluid battle lines had hardened into static meat-grinders.  The fight for Angamar was only beginning...

Ravenwing to the Rescue

 

The rumors of Fallen seeking ancient weapons on Angamar had been enough to cause the Dark Angels to deploy in force.  As soon as word had reached Grand Master Azrael that fallen marines had infiltrated the planet, he immediately dispatched his champions, Belial and Sammael, to track down the relics and capture their quarry.

However, by the time the Dark Angels arrived, the xenos invaders had already entrenched themselves across the planet.  The world-wide battles provided the perfect cover for the Fallen to pursue their nefarious plans.  Belial and Sammael knew that the xenos had to be driven from the planet in order to flush the traitors from hiding.  They split their forces, with Belial and the Deathwing pursuing a report of Fallen in one of Angamar's desert wastelands.  While the Deathwing hunted the traitors, Sammael and the Ravenwing would hunt down and destroy a band of strange, feral Necrons near Command Bastion A15.

1500 Dark Angels vs. Necron (Written by Noah)
Noah Vs Forest

Deploy: Dawn of War (Old Pitched battle)
Battle: Big Guns Never Tire

Noah could not remember all the details of the army lists/assets, but he was kind enough to write a pretty cool narrative report!  Enjoy!

Everyone hates the Blood Angels...

Never forget, Never forgive!

Like all Dark Angel's successor chapters, the shame of the First Legion's failure during the Heresy has weighed heavily on the Brothers Penitent.  Since its founding, the entire chapter has waged a penitent crusade for reasons only the Inner Circle fully understands.  While the chapter at large seeks to regain their honor through the crusade against the Imperium's enemies, the Inner Circle has conducted the covert campaign against the Fallen.  The chapter's visible crusade has been joined over the centuries by units of Imperial Guard or even Space Marines from other chapters seeking to earn redemption for their sins.  The Inner Circle jealously guards the knowledge of their real campaign and does whatever it takes to make sure their unknowing allies remain oblivious.

The rumors of a powerful artifact hiding on Angamar had lured multiple Fallen to the planet in search of a weapon to use against the Imperium.  Elements of the Brothers Penitent had tracked them to the planet, but the fighting on the surface provided a perfect camouflage to hide the traitors.  Their location was completely unknown, and the Brothers could not rule out the possibility that the Fallen had even managed to infilitrate loyal units fighting to save the planet. 

Mephiston and the Blood Angels were falling back under the cover of darkness to regroup after their recent losses.  Brother Corbulo had been correct about the existance of an artifact residing on the planet that was capable of controlling the Blood Angel's rage.  However, he had severly underestimated the potency of the relic.  Its influence had driven the Blood Angels into such a frenzy where they had attacked their own allies, and had almost led to the destruction of Mephiston's entire force.  As they retreated through the night, the horizon lit up with the unmistakable flashes of missile fire.  Even before the screaming missiles slammed home, the Blood Angels were already manuevering to enage and eliminate this new threat...

1500 Point Brothers Penitent (Dark Angels) v. Blood Angels (Written by London)

London vs Jeff