#37: Packing some serious heat...

How quickly a month goes! It felt like just last week that I painted my HQ choice, Brother-captain Santiago. With work taking up a fair bit of my time and tackling a lot of half-finished projects that have made their way onto and off my desk in quick succession, I managed to come within a handful of points of that ever elusive 500pt deadline! 

Backing up Santiago is my first tactical squad, mounted in a Razorback and wielding plasma weapons. A Devastator squad has joined my force, giving me some focused long-ranged anti-tank hitting power! Four missile launchers seemed adequate for the task, given my tight points budget, with Tank Hunter assisting them in their role thanks to the Chapter Trait. 

I was pretty happy with how my first vehicle turned out. I was a bit concerned that the predominantly blue vehicle would have a certain "ultramarine" appearance, but the flashes of deep red on the turret and primary hatch put my fears to rest, giving me great satisfaction that the infantry colour scheme transferred effectively onto vehicles. 

Other participants are keeping pace, too! Let's take a quick look. 

Jamie: Squats

Backing up the Chapter Master, Jamie has spent a lot of time and attention creating a Librarian Squat Conclave by blending the Dwarf Ironbreaker and Grey Knight Strike Squad kits in a genius fusion of bearded, psychic might! He has also started work on an Aegis Defence Line, utilising the Dwarf fence from the Battle for Skull Pass kit. He has spared no expense to embellish the most delicate of details on this heavily converted army. 

Matthew: Dark Eldar

In this round, Matt has added some speed to his Dark Eldar force in the form of a pair of Venoms. These crafty skimmers can be a real thorn in the side of your opponents if used correctly and Matt has the right idea, packing them full of Trueborn Kabalites!

Tim: Ultramarines

Ever the bane of all heavily armoured shock troops, Centurions spell trouble no matter who they are facing. With Grav weaponry currently being the dominant force when it comes to the Imperium, "Grav-cents" are a common sight on the board of serious marine players! I know for one, that I intend to add a squad to my Crimson Fists eventually, but with no small blame to be placed on the juicy Tank Hunter rule on Devastator Cents in a Fists' army, I'm actually inclined to veer away from the shiny Grav cannons in favour of the ever reliable Lascannons and Missile Launchers. I know a lot of people swear by Grav, but it's hard to argue with my weapon load out when considering every weapon has Tank Hunter...

Ryan: Inquisition

Ryan may be seen as a late comer to the race, but this is not so. In fact, I am probably (read definitely) to blame that it has taken so long for Ryan's models to grace this page. As the start of what I can only anticipate to be a heavily converted Inquisitorial Warband, he has put forth an Inquisitorial Rhino and four Death Cult Assassins, made from Dark Elf Witches and Tempestus Scions. In writing, that conversion sounds bizarre and a little out of place, but have a look at the models! They just work so effortlessly, and really portray these blood-hungry women in all their murderous glory! 

Jarrod: Daemons

On the complete opposite end of the spectrum comes Jarrod with his furious Khornate cavalry! These three brass bulldogs make a solid and fast moving addition to his already aggressive force, and will no doubt be reaping skulls with enthusiasm before the day is out!

Now, I'm going to close this post out with something that I don't really like talking about, but it seems to be necessary, given the circumstances. With Facebook's algorithms being what they are, this Facebook page will be phased out of your newsfeed unless you actively are involved with it. This is a practical, if at times frustrating, function. My point is, basically, if you enjoy reading this blog, and wish to see posts made by the Rune Axe Facebook page, be sure to "Like" said posts if you enjoyed them! That way, when the next post comes along, Facebook knows to show you. 

I don't like to bring it up and I'm certainly not trying to 'click bait' anyone. Just working towards building a healthy, positive and ever-expanding hobby community. And I sincerely hope you join me for the journey!

And lastly, I have just arrived home from my first game with the Orks in a narrative campaign, and I can say that I got a convincing win over some filthy Renegades, despite my warlord getting gunned down by two las-guns in the dying moments of the game. I didn't have time to put together a battle report but I will be sure to do so for my next game, so that you can share in the fun and laugh at the lack of discipline display by my rowdy greenskins!

Thank you so very much for reading!

Gabriel