Cadian reinforcements featuring the Commisar

This week I partially scratch built a Helhound support tank for my Cadians - it's most of a Chimera missing the upper hull with a melta-cannon fitted in the turret. I also fitted it with a removable one-shot hunter-killer missile fixed by rare earth magnets which I just realized is not a legal addition under 8th edition rules. It used to be - but now it's the only Astra Militarum vehicle that doesn't list it as an option - is it an oversight? Good thing it's removable!

In the foreground are additional Cadian infantry specialists and a Commissar model to keep the lads facing the front.

Catachan jungle commandos and Austrians done

After yet another work trip away from home for a week, I finished off the remaining 10mm Austrians (generals and artillery) and French generals for the CCN Aspern & Essling project and a squad of Catachan jungle fighter veterans for 40k. My plan for these guys is to build an Astra Militarum 50 PL vanguard force, and the Catachan veterans will ride a Valkyrie battle taxi to be dropped in the enemy rear or near an objective. Two flamers gives them a close range punch against enemy infantry - but mobility is the their main asset once I acquire a Valkyrie.

 

More Cadians and 10mm Austrians

The past couple of weeks have seen the brush touch more 10mm Austrian and French Napoleonic cavalry - Austrian dragoons and cuirassiers, ulhans and French hussars. I just need to finish the artillery and generals and I will have enough stands to play Aspern or Essling in CCN.

I also did some more Cadians to fill out a full veteran squad and a command team with platoon CO. The command team has the heavy flamer, regimental standard, medic and vox caster options completed. 

There are also some lasgunners with hot shot backpack conversion jobs. These are my first upgrades after surviving first blood against chaos plaguemarines (so you understand why I want more powerful weapons on the lads!).

8th ed 40k!

So I joined the herd and picked up the new edition of Warhammer 40k, I only bought the rules and the Index for Imperial Guard:

And here is a Sentinel - came in a job lot so I had to improvise on some parts such as the stacks, but I think it came out okay. I also did two more Gothic buildings for various genres of gaming one is shown here:

I wrecked it!

Okay - I wrecked it on purpose - I converted my large gothic building set into a set of ruins by snapping a bunch of pieces in half rather crudely. Came out okay I think - I also added some second level floors so it can be used for skirmish terrain. These are big pieces - a couple of 28mm Cadians included for scale:

I also finished some more 10mm Austrians - some cheveauleger (light cavalry) and jaegers (light infantry). Getting close to finishing enough stands for Aspern and Essling using CCN.

Around yet another work trip, I completed an Imperial Guard Chimera to ferry around my Cadian kill team - this came with the job lot of 40k stuff I picked up at MayDay. This was a fun model to build and paint:

Plus 3 more regiments of Austrians - Grenzer border infantry - in 10mm:

Shadow War!

Over the past couple of weeks I felt inspired by Kevin's blog about  GW Shadow Wars Armageddon, so I picked up the rules, liked them a lot, then picked up a batch of Imperial Guard stuff at a swap meet, then as the insanity reached a fever, I ordered 3 Gothic building sets from Pegasus to build a table of a ruined city for playing:

Gee - I can't wait until the missus sees the Visa bill....

So, here is my first stab at a kill team of Cadians, loaded with veterans, lots of grenades and lasers - plus flamer and sniper. It's designed to be shooty and explody at short range, but nerf when it comes to close quarters. Probably nerf all round, actually, looking at how the competition lists shake out.

Veteran Sergeant — Chainsword (25), Laspistol (15), Frag grenades (25) 
Special Weapons Operative — Sniper rifle (40), Red-dot laser sight (20), Toxic rounds (20), Camo gear (5)
Special Weapons Operative — Flamer (40)
Special Weapons Operative — Grenade launcher (frag) (85) 
Veteran Guardsman — Frag grenades (25), Lasgun (25), Red-dot laser sight (20) 
Veteran Guardsman — Frag grenades (25), Lasgun (25), Red-dot laser sight (20)
Veteran Guardsman — Frag grenades (25), Lasgun (25), Red-dot laser sight (20)

I really enjoyed painting the models, they are just great. Really you can't be GW quality - if you like what they are making that is. I've always like the Imperial Guard (OK - now known as Astra Militarum....)

And I also managed a couple of stands of 10mm Naps - Hungarian grenadiers for my Austrian army: