Power Armoured Paint: Long live the League!

Welcome back to the Vault! Rumours of war are beginning to reach the Void, and the Carcharodons Astra preparations for battle are becoming more serious.  The First Founding Club are holding a League in the run up to the Mayhem tournament, and the Space Sharks will be participating.

During the league each participant will play 6 games using the missions which have been selected for the tournament itself.  The purpose of the league is to allow the players to familiarise themselves with the missions and provide an opportunity to play test and "tweak" their lists before the tournament.

Each player must submit a 1750 point "squad" from which a 1250 point list is selected for each game. So for example you could cut a 10 man squad down to 8 men, or split it and run it as two 5 man squads.

I had some ideas for reinforcements after last week's game which I've incorporated into my 1750 League List.  I had some points left over and have thrown some other units in as well, giving me a selection which looks like this:

• Captain Smashy (Jump Pack Captain)
• Jump Pack Librarian
• Jump Pack Chaplain
• Scout Squad Alpha
• Scout Squad Bravo
• Scout Squad Charlie
• 10 Vanguard Veterans (Claws)
• 5 Vanguard Veterans (Plasma Pistols, 1 Power Sword)
• 6 Aggressors
• 5 Company Veterans (Mix of Bolters and Storm Bolters)
• 5 Devestators (Las Cannons)
• 5 Devestators (Heavy Bolters)
• 2 Razorbacks (Assault Cannons, Storm Bolters) 

It's still built around the concept of a Strike from the Shadows based group plus a supporting fire base. There's a bit more mobility included with a second Vanguard Veteran squad and/or the Razorbacks.

Aside #1: one of my regular play group linked a very funny cartoon on our Facebook page during the week. Talk about timely:

(You can find loads more geek related cartoons and pictures over at Kathas Artworks; check it out sometime).

The first league game is next week, which conveniently gives me an excuse to build some of the extra units I want to use.  First up is the Chaplain:

He's not mucking about with that very brutal looking Crozius, and I'm pleased with the blessed bolter (the purity seals are masking a gap left over as I swapped this from gun from the right hand to left.

Next up are some more Vanguard Veterans. These guys are pretty cheap points wise, and fairly killy with 5 Plasma Pistols in the squad! The Sarge has a Power Sword to jab people with as well.  I was surprised by the lack of plasma pistols in the Vanguard box, and had to go diving in the Bitz Box for the Sarge (luckily no Marine player worthy of the name is lacking in spare plasma pistols).

Finally we have some Devestators. I decided that the Multi Meltas were too expensive and too short ranged for my needs, so I've swapped to some Lascannons. (The Multi Melta squad are now back in the box of spare Space Marines; they are still unpainted and I didn't add shark icons to them, so they can be re-purposed for any Chapter).

Aside #2: the Lascannon, Heavy Bolter and Multi Melta squads were all built using spare heavy weapons in the Bitz Box; remember the rule - Never throw spare bits away!

I will proxy the final League units for the time being; if I find myself wanting to use them at Mayhem I'll have another reinforcement drive, but I really do need to crack on with some painting.

And I have made a start on painting one of the Scout squads! Yep, I've actually acquainted some models with a brush!  I didn't have a full colour scheme in mind when I started the scouts, other than painting grey Carapace Armour and black fatigues (as described in The Red Tithe).

Reference Book #1

There are some other descriptions of the Scouts in the novel which got me thinking. Each Scout novice is given a numerical identifier instead of a name, and begins to earn the right to ritual tattoos and scarring as they commit heroic deeds in battle. They have literally nothing, and have to fight (& win) to be recognised as worthy of being named battle brothers. The Carcharodon Veterans and Leaders are the opposite; literally swathed in honour markings and ritual sigils and so on.

Thus the Scouts will be painted in functional, but plain colours (but the Sergeants might have earnt the right to a battle honour or two if I'm feeling generous). 

My second source of information (and pretty pictures) is Badab Wars 2 (aka Imperial Armour 10).

Reference Book #2

The illustrations in the book are gorgeous and give some useful details which I can transfer onto the Scouts:

• Light Grey/White face plates
• Copper/Bronze Aquilas
• Black weapon casings

So with these thoughts in mind I've been slapping on the base colours:

Bolter Boys

Scout Sergeant

There's still a ways to go on these chaps, but I've really enjoyed the process of figuring out the colour scheme, and how that will work through the army to give a consistent scheme.

As always thanks for reading; there should be some more paint on the Scouts for next time, and hopefully I'll emerge victorious from League Game 1. Wish me luck!