Rapid Vanguard Aerials by Death Ray Designs - part 2

 

Happy Father's Day!

Just a quick follow up from the previous post. The Death Ray Designs aerials are finished. I tidied up the paint job and added some glowing effects. I like how they have turned out as the colour's kind of pop a bit now. But see for yourself.

Rapid Vanguard Aerials by Death Ray Designs

 

If you have, like me, been living in a hole you'd have missed some great terrain out there. Death Ray Designs do some excellent MDF terrain that's perfect for Warhammer 40k. Showcased today is just one of their Rapid Vanguard line of MDF terrain. I've just finished the basic paint job for the aerials I recently purchased (you get two per pack), and they need some tidying up and some Object Source Lighting painting as well. But they are ready for the table as basic painted terrain. So, I thought I would drop them a plug as they are easy to build and look great on the table.

What's this then?

 

No, they're not tombstone markers. These are strategic points for my Dawn of Warhammer 40k table.

In the Dawn of War video game, you have to capture strategic points in order to gain requisition. Requisition is vital to building and equipping your army. They generate a continual "revenue" stream of requisition that enables you to build your forces. Their loss can cripple your economy to the point where you can no longer field enough troops and equipment to remain a viable force on the map.

So, I wanted to make a total of eight strategic points that could be captured on an average sized (i.e., 6ft x 4ft) gaming table. I didn't just want a boring location on the map either. I wanted something that stood out as obviously a special location.

Reaper Miniatures make some good statues, and I chose a suitably looking Warhammer 40k type statue for the standard strategic point. I plan to look for more interesting statues for the critical locations and relic locations that can also be found in the game. Something that will look more shriney :)

The holders in front of the statue are vases and a central flag holder. These are made from rubber washers I purchased from the local hardware store, glued together using PVA glue. The flag holder will hold flags from the various factions when the point is captured.

Each is base coated in black, then painted grey with a very heavy dry brush before a final light dusting dry brush of white. This is to a concrete look in keeping with the austere 41st Millenium Imperium style.

I applied river sand that I also got from the hardware store and inked it in Agrax Earthshade. The "flowers" are alien flytraps from Gamers Grass.

So that's eight strategic points done! The Waaagh banners are getting near completion. And some 3d printed and MDF scenery are also on its way. But as for the forces themselves? Well, you may be surprised.

40K Dawn of War Ork Waaagh! Banner - part 1b

 It's coming along....

The "corrugated iron" effect comes from the cardboard hand holders you can get for take away coffee mugs. Perfect for that roughly thrown together Orkish look.

40K Dawn of War Ork Waaagh! Banner - part 1

 

I loved the Dawn of War video game when it came out and nostalgia still drives me to play it every now and again. I have never played 40k on the tabletop but always loved the setting. I played some Epic Armageddon some time back but only once and didn't really grasp the rules well. Still playing 40k always seemed a little daunting to me. That was until I saw this:

I played Dawn of War with REAL WARHAMMER 40k - ZorpHammer

I have followed Zorpazorp on YouTube for some time. When I saw this video, I was blown away. This is how I want to play Warhammer 40k. So, I have started down the 40k rabbit hole to achieve what Zorp has given me. And yes, I became a patron on Patreon because of this video! Well done, sir. I salute you.

So, I wanted to make some Ork Waaagh! Banners, which are basically machine gun nests on top of watch towers. Usually manned (or Orked) by some snivelling poor Gretchin whose life expectancy isn't that great. Visiting my local "$2" store, I came across some crafty stuff that got me thinking.

A round craft box and some tiny stands may just do the trick.

Tongue depressors cut up and split to make cross beams.

A lot of hot glue (and two very burnt fingers! Safety notice there, children! Got blisters on one finger and the skin removed several layers deep on the other. SO BE CAREFUL!!!).

Starting to take shape. Still more to go. But the basic skeleton is there. And yes, I spelt Waaagh! incorrectly. Hey, I'm a Nube to 40k. So cut me some slack.

Lots of hot glue mess. So not a neat job. But I figure that aesthetics isn't an Ork character strength.

Good news is that I was able to use some of the balsawood bits I had laying around the place. Not comes the detailing, followed by the painting. So expect more on this later.

Fallout d20 - The RobCo Adventure, part 2

In the first part of this rpg adventure report (you can find it here), my players ended off in a firefight with a giant robot they had reactivated and a squad of Securitybots. As that battle ranges below, another fight continues on the balcony above. Roberto, the Assassinbot and a player's character (a Benderbot) were locked in a fierce struggle, the two pushing and pulling each other back and forth whilst bullets fly around them. This post continues with what happened next...

The rest of the players fled upstairs and into the robot rumble. Standing there, they didn't know what to do as any attempt to shoot at Roberto could hit Bender instead.

Meanwhile, the firefight below continued to rage with the giant robot shooting lazer beams at the Securitybots, who reciprocated with automatic weapons fire. The giant robot now was smoking, leaking oil and small fires were breaking out across its joints. The players however couldn't see how many of the five Securitybots remained operational. So, they were left guessing as to what would happen next.

Finally, Bender prevailed after a good series of rolls and managed to push Roberto off the balcony. As he fell, Roberto's angry yells of "I'll get you Bender! I'll kill you!" echoed even above the noise of gun and lazer fire. Roberto fled the scene and the PC's were left slightly paranoid as to where he had gone. Clearly, from the fight that had occurred between Roberto and Bender, this major and unhinged NPC wasn't someone to be trifled with.

To some relief, the players saw that there were only two Securitybots left operational. But their newly acquired giant robot was looking far worse for wear. Smoke, small fires and oil leaks were hinting at its internal state and a glow had begun to be visible as its metal plates were heating up.

Finally, three of the players realised what was about to happen to their giant robot and ran back to the other room to take cover. One player, who's character was wearing power armour, remained put. With a deafening boom the giant robot exploded, taking out the last two Securitybots, and the balcony, with it. The player in power armour suddenly discovered the virtues of power armour when it comes to falling landing on his feed unscathed. Fortunately, his armour protected him from the flying shrapnel and the fiery explosion as well.

The team proceeded out of the main building and were set upon by more automatic gun fire. This time coming from a sentry gun located on the roof of the smaller building. Bender decided to play baseball with a live hand grenade and, taking some bullet holes to his main chassis, took out the automatic gun with a brilliant attack roll placing the grenade right next to the auto-turret.

They then approached the building only to have one of the PC's yet again step on another land mine. Quick thinking Bender went and retrieved some of the twisted metal from the giant robot and was able to slide it over the mines pressure plate as the other PC slowly moved their foot off it. It was cleaver thinking, so I allowed it to go without a hitch :)

Then, in single file now, they made their way to the other building only to be confronted near its entrance by an Assaultron.

Bender, in the lead, once again let fly with his baseball bat. As has the Rooted perk, and the Assaultron was coming at him, he had some pretty nasty damage ready behind that swing. Rolling brilliantly, he savaged the head of the Assaultron and a battle that I expected to last several rounds was over in the single one. Damn robots! But hey, it was cool, and the players loved it.

Going into the smaller building, they found a vault door and computer consul. Suddenly it began to make sense to them why the RobCo facility was so small. They were able to unlock the vault using a password they had found in a safe in the main building and saw a spiral staircase descending down to underground.

It was there that we called it quits for this session. The lads next will find themselves in an underground vault. I wonder what they will find.