A personal blog about gaming, modeling, and other less than cool ways to spend your time.

Saturday, November 6, 2010

Dreadnought and Command Squad


Raise the flag high. Let those degenerates know who comes to claim their lives this day!
+++ Sgt Adar Geronan, Imperial Fists 4th Company +++
(Space Marine Codex, 5th edition)

Ironclad Dreadnought

Honored Brother Gaius Decius Avitus

I have had a love hate relationship with my dreadnought. First I tried to outfit him with two close combat weapons and do the slow walk across the field...he typically died. Then I tried to give him some shooting weapons and let him hang out backfield.....he was typically ignored. I tried benching him and found I really could have used him for some counter assault punch. After trial and error the basics that I have found is that he scares units away from a week flank, he is scary when he is unexpectedly close to you, but he will always be outmaneuvered. Currently he is part of a drop podding force I am working with. The double close combat weapons works well because there is an under-slung meltagun to use after dropping, but he still has two close combat weapons in case one gets blown off.


Modeling wise, this was my first magnetized model. I was very happy with the results. It allows me to switch out weapon kits at will, drop off arms based on damage results and also gives me the options to give him some interesting poses:



Command Squad

Praetors

Another unit I have had a tough time with. Fundamentally, I love a command squad. The large weapon options are great and allow them to be anything: a hard hitting assault unit, a scary shooting force, or like mine a take all comers survivability force. Initially my command squad was a terror on the field. Wherever they were was just a dead zone, and if you got caught in CC with them you were just stuck. Unfortunately, they were the victim of a very easy solution... bolters. It didn't take long for my opponents (read: RC) to figure out that a 3+ invulnerable is still susceptible to massed fire. Currently, I have been switching them out for a drop podding plasma gun firing line. The apothecary its a big help on those rapid firing gets hot rolls.

The shields are a chapterhouse studios special. They are meant to look like dragon scales, and even had a dragon head near the viewing cutout (they were always Salamanders fans). I filed off the dragon head and painted the shield face black. I then used the scale lines as guides to give it a lightning pattern. I was pretty happy with it, and felt it matched my pattern for my power weapons.

Of all my models I am most prod of my company banner. While not golden daemon worthy, it is one of my best hand painting jobs.


For next time, the big guy.

Rix



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