Local Gaming Stores

I just want to give a shout-out to my local gaming store. Adventure Games and Comics, in Wasilla AK, who always cuts me in on the latest deals. He always gives me a deal on the latest GW paints and accessories, and he knows me by name. If you are ever in the area you need to check out his shop. They have tournaments for 40k there once a month, and they generally get a good turnout. Average is about 8-10 players per competition. The competitions are usually pretty easy-going, with players being scored on battle-points only.

Mostly packed up

Well, with Move-Day just a week away, I had to come up with a new way to transport all my minis. Being a poor fellow, I did not have the dough to afford an expensive Army Transport or equivalent, and I needed a lot of spaces, so pre-cut foam was out. But I wanted foam, being the safest for the minis. What to do?

I looked around. At my local department store (Fred Meyers) I found sheets of material similar to the memory foam that they use to cover mattresses. A large sheet of 1.5" (big enough for a full-size bed) ran only 13 dollars. I picked up a sheet.

Many of you have seen the crates that soda products are delivered in. I found a gas station throwing them out, and asked for a few. I took only 3, but now I wish I had taken more. They measure approximately (depending on the manufacturer) 11"x18" and 4" deep. Perfect!

Using my hot wire cutter recently purchased, I cut out appropriately-sized sections for the models, and put the piece in the bottom. A solid piece over the top, and the tray was secure. Also, the crates are stack-able, since the 3" of foam doesn't quite reach the top enough to push the next one off.

I may include a tutorial and pictures on it later, but I can't remember which box I put my camera in! Just thought I would share to inspire.

Until next time,
FoxPhoenix135

Sunday Terrain Piece: Derelict Firing Position

Has it been a week already? Well, sorry about the product review I was supposed to do yesterday. Packing took up most of the day. Today, however, I was able to put together a nifty firing position. I think this will be the new standard for my firing position pieces, I will have to make a few more of these after I move.

You can see it unpainted in the picture above. The design is inspired by a tower-topping piece utilized by a fellow named Bugbait over on Warseer forums. I had to modify it, though, to make a more stand-alone version of the piece.

I didn't get any WIP photos, but I'll try to walk you through it. It was pretty simple, so you shouldn't have any problems.

Materials you will need:

5mm Foamcore (I haven't tried corrugated cardboard yet, but it might work. I suggest Foamboard though).

Sharp Utility Knives or Hobby Knives (and a parent to go with them if you are a yung'un.)

My Templates (See pictures above, print out with no modifications to size)

Gluestick (For adhering the templates to the foamboard)

Hot Glue Gun- Low Temp (For the adhering of pieces)

Masking Tape (For sealing edges)

PVA Glue, some fine sand or ballast, and black craft paint (For the texture and basecoat)

Granny Grating (Optional: used for flooring in the firing position)




Step 1:
Print out the templates and glue them to the foamboard. Using the SHARP utility knives, cut out the pieces as precisely as you possibly can. !!!Ignore the corner pieces!!! I thought I would need them but I ended up not needing them. Save yourself some time and don't cut them out. Also, you don't need to cut out the piece on the left of the second page. The center piece from the first page's base, as well as the center piece from the second page's piece will be sufficient. The 2nd piece on the 2nd page is there just in case you mess up the 1st page's base cutout like I did.

Step 2:
Glue the pieces labeled "Long Side" and "Short Sides" to the INSIDE of the base, not on the top. Align them so that they are standing on the piece's long side. Use the tape to seal any edges that you can. Glue the angled supports to the beginning and end of each of these boards, with the notch fitting over the boards. On one of the long sides, cut a gap appoximately 1" wide (25mm) and glue the angled support pieces to the inside edges of these shortened pieces (still facing outward).

Step 3:
Use the long, rectangular pieces that were unlabeled to create baseboards for each short wall. Cut them to fit in between the angled supports. Use the hot glue to glue them down, then use masking tape to taper off the baseboard to the short wall, as well as any exposed edges.

Step 4:
Glue the top (on page 2) to the angled supports. The supports may stick out some, but not too much to be noticeable. Fill this gap with hot glue or tape if you desire. Glue the center of the roof piece to the center of the base piece to create the removable roof. You may need to trim down the roof center piece to make sure it fits properly after texture is applied. Continue to tape edges. Place the entire piece on a base now. For my base, I just cut out an equal-size piece of foamboard.

Step 5:
Mix up a solution of glue, plaster patching powder, paint, water, and fine sand/ballast in a disposable container (like a whipped cream or butter container). Using an old brush, glob the stuff on there. I did the roof separately, to cover both sides. Refer back to my old foamcore building tutorial to see an example of what the consistency of the mixture should be. It should be almost wet enough to run, but not quite. The black paint is really just there to darken the mixture and eliminate the need for a basecoat of paint. If you prefer, you can skip the paint and apply a separate basecoat later. Glue down the granny grating into the bottom if you desire.

Step 6:
Wait for it to dry! After it is done, you may need to sand the removable roof in order to make sure it still fits in there. You may also paint it easily with a drybrush of grays that successively go to white. Some Modge-Podge for sealant will help keep the piece looking the same as the day you painted it!

If you don't follow this tutorial to the letter, don't worry about it. I didn't. Have fun with it.

Until next week, FoxPhoenix signing out!

FoxPhoenix Update: New Diggs

Yup, I am moving again. Hopefully this time it will be for the better! Expect sporadic updates in the next couple weeks, as I am moving the 3rd of June. Once things settle down, however, I should have even more time to devote to the little plastic men!

I have been using the hot-wire foam cutter to make myself some cheap figure cases lately, in preparation to the move. I suppose it might make a decent sunday tutorial for you all. For now, I guess this is all you get. Until next time!

FP

Let's Talk Tactics: Creating SM Lists for Cities of Death FAQ

There is a tournament at my friendly local gaming store (FLGS) this weekend, and it is a 1500 point cityfight competition. It will be battle points only, so we will skip painting considerations and dive straight into the tactics!

In Cities of Death, most game types require you to "occupy" a building in order to get the win. Buildings themselves become the objectives, and you will find your units battling fiercely to repel attackers as well as furiously throwing themselves upon defenders. With the advent of 5th edition, the mechanics of these city-fights have changed somewhat. Before 5th, there was a complicated list of scoring units and stipulations on what units could occupy buildings for the win. Now, only troop choices can occupy buildings as scoring units, and only other scoring units can contest a building's occupancy.

Begin the FAQ mode:

Q: What does this mean to your army list?

A: Troops. Lots of them. For some of the veteran players, that prefer to minimize troop choices and take the max in elite, fast attack, and heavy support, this method of list building can be contrary to what they are used to. For us SM players, it means either a lot of scouts, or a lot of tactical squads. Leave your bike lists at home, as the limited maneuvering room will limit their effectiveness in this kind of battle.

Q: So we now know to take tactical troops. Can you be a little more specific?

A: Yes, I can! Take your tactical squads in the full allotments of 10 troopers per squad. Using combat squads can double the number of scoring units, and give you greater flexibility with their combat roles. For example, you can delegate your flamer or meltagun to one combat squad, and your heavy weapon to the other. Do NOT use combat squads in killpoint games, however, because you double the amount of kill points for each squad.

Q: What special/heavy weapon options do I need to take with them?

A: Take weapons based on your opponents list, if you have that information available. Meltaguns/multimeltas work fairly well against armored lists in the tight confines of a city board. For anti-horde work, nothing digs troops out of cover better than flamers. For anti-horde heavy lifting, try a heavy bolter. If you want more general-purpose weaponry, if you don't know what list you will be facing, I suggest flamers/missile launcher combos. The missile launcher can be effective against either light armor or infantry hordes, and the flamer is best for negating cover saves. Additionally, the flamer/missile launcher combo does not cost any additional points to a full 10 man squad, making it the most cost effective option.

Q: What other units work well in city fights, to support my troops?

A: I like my SM cityfighting lists to be infantry heavy. It is kind of hard to get your vehicles around in cityfights, and there are various stratagems that can make it even harder on you (i.e. anti-tank obstacles). With infantry, you can slow them down but rarely stop them. I like to take dreadnoughts for heavy hitting power and tough armor. The multi-meltas really work well in the city fight environ for taking out armor, but they have enough assault capability to dislodge units from buildings. Taking a flamer instead of a storm bolter is helpful to that end. Assault marines really shine in cityfights too, where their advanced mobility and lots of cover lets them get real close without taking a lot of fire beforehand. Terminators are my last choice, but sometimes fit the bill for some heavy shock troops to dislodge tougher opponents holed up in buildings or ruins. I rarely deepstrike units, as this can lead to epic failures with all that terrain scattered about.

Q: What's your cityfighting list look like now?

A: I'm still working out the various kinks and numbers, but I'll post that later today if I get time.

Q: Why do you ramble on about this junk so much?

A: Just trying to help!

Q: You suck at this.

A: That's not a question!


What other tips do you SM players have to add to this?