Flavors of Heroin (part 2)

So to continue.......

Tyranids

My third army, I think it is the phase we all get when we try and break the molds of our favorite armies. I like marines, I like the fluff and I like how they play. Tyranids was an attempt for me to do something radically different. I think I first started thinking about tyranids back in the previous codex when they were the most mutable army. If I remember correctly the gaunt was the only troop choice. Give them scything talons and leaping and they were called hormagaunts, fleshborrers and they were termegaunts, wings and poof...you had gargoyles. You could even go so far as pay for the entire army to have traits that were based on their hive fleet. There is something deeply endearing to an army that you can know you are going to show up and not just the organization but the troops themselves were going to be different.

Side Rant: GW has systematically taken out the customizability of their game and it drives me insane. I don't see why they thought it was a bad thing. They punish the whole community because they either want to sell more codexes to a younger crowd or that some metagamers are power gaming the grand tournaments. I think it is high time they own up to their own poor playtesting and stop making cookie cutter codexes.

...So back to Tyranids. I think I am mostly done with this army. I tryed a dipping technique when I finished about 1750 points. I thought that it would speed up pumping a lot of nids, but it actually has slowed me down. It is such an event to get ready to do the dip that I could have just painted the entire army. I like how they play I just don't see the army expanding to much.

Imperial Fists

I had a good friend who owned a gaming store and he was such an amazing painter and modeler (Rick where are you? I want to buy your tables!). He had three or four gorgeous armies and one day he randomly picked up some marines and started painting them as ultramarines. Well of course I immediately started laying into him: Why are you painting smurfs? you'll never win with an army full of 'nilla tac squads! Where is the heavy support? What about the top heavy tricked out chapter commander? He simply replied that he was going to do a codex chapter and he was going to do them right.

Years later I completely understood. Regardless of how they play its more of a tribute to the fluff than an attempt to powergame. At the exact same time I was very interested in a painting challenge. So I started looking at the codex chapters to pick out something that spoke to me. My rules where it had to be codex (or very close to it) and I wanted to be able to buy the GW shoulderpads. In the end I chose Imperial Fists. I liked the fluff, they are as close to codex without being ultra marines and it was a chance to confront my old painting nemesis: Yellow. As of writing this I am still not done with the first squad but I like what I see. My goal is to get out a half company, and nothing else. I'm excited.

Rix