warhammer 40k firebase issue 06 part 2(r)

86Firebase Issue #6 April 2008

Specialist Games Supplement

Hi there Specialist Gamers!

On second thoughts, perhaps thats not the best opener for this issue you see, after our last issue I carried out an informal poll of gamers on Warseer, asking questions here and there, to try and fi nd out what kind of articles you wanted to see in the Specialist Games section.

Two comments tended to stand out prominently:1) More hobby articles!2) More introductory articles!

With that in mind, we have decided to run a series of articles along the lines of a familiar

format the tale. In this case, itll be a Tale of Specialist Gamers, and its our main Firebase feature in this issue.

Each of our tale articles will not just involve collecting and painting an army, but also it will show you each persons approach to collecting a new force for a Specialist Games game system.

If youve never tried a Specialist system, then perhaps thisll give you a window into how to approach starting a new Specialist Game.

So, let me start again Hi there, prospective Specialist Gamers!

SPECIALIST GAMESA TALE OF SPECIALIST GAMERSCollecting Epic IG. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 87

Collecting Epic Feral Orks . . . . . . . . . . . . 91

Collecting an Imperial Fleet . . . . . . . . . . 93

Collecting a Gorkamorka mob . . . . . . . . 97

Collecting a Necromunda gang . . . . . . . 98

INQUISITORThe Silent Hunters - Tau operatives

in Inquisitor. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 101

AERONAUTICA IMPERIALISKeeping Things Square Meditations on

the Aeronautica movement phase . 108

Tactica Imperialis A comprehensive tactica for Imperial Players . . . . . . . . 113

Battle Report Dark Angels vs. Orks . . 116

BATTLEFLEET GOTHIC:Da Mek Sez sculpting Ork ships. . . . . 125

GORKAMORKA:Propa Ork Klan Roolz! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 130

New Gubbinz!. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 134

EPIC:Space Marines versus Chaos Space

Marines, both with Titan allies . . . . . 142

93 101

125 142


By Jonathan Brown

Ive been playing Epic in its various forms since Adeptus Titanicus. However Ive never had an Imperial Guard at either scale. Epic Armageddon gave me the excuse to fi nally collect one.

ONE CAREFUL OWNERIn the last couple of years Ive discovered eBay, so the army has been sourced from there and GW Mail Order. Although not strictly necessary, a PayPal account will make your life a lot easier if you are buying via eBay. For a start your payments are safer, instant, and lots of sellers are PayPal only.

Buying second-hand models often means buying painted models. I strip the paint from metal models using Nitromors, widely available in the UK. Put your minis in a steel or ceramic dish, and pour the Nitromors over it, and leave it as long as you want. Points to note:

Nitromors is nasty stuff. Handle and dispose of with care, dont feed to your kids etc. This includes the washings.

Nitromors is harmless to metal models, but will eat anything organic. This includes plastic models, bases, bowls, glue, your hand

All paint and other organics is reduced to an opaque sludge, which washes off your metal models quite easily with the help of a sawn-off toothbrush. However you need to be careful with smaller metal components (like epic tank turrets) as these can easily be lost in the goo. My trick is to stick the models to be stripped into a chip pan or sieve fi rst. Make sure you arent going to use these for actual food ever again

For plastic models, US modellers use Simple Green for paint stripping. This product is not readily available in the UK. Maybe a coalition of British modellers needs to order a job lot.The most effective alternative Ive come across is brake fl uid (the standard stuff you get from Halfords). To be honest, Im not that impressed with the results, as a fair bit of residual paint remains.

This also applies to your own masterpieces from years past. When E:A came out I went through the process of remastering my Marine and Eldar armies from my earlier days, and will do the same with Chaos and Tyranids (eventually).

Before making purchases I started with a vague idea of what I wanted: large blocks of infantry, numerous super-heavy tanks, and

at least one Leman Russ company. I spend far more time modelling and painting than I do playing, so I went with what appealed to me rather than what is necessarily game-winning.

FOOTSLOGGERSThe infantry are what symbolises the Guard: hordes of brave if under-equipped normal human beings. No superhuman implants, ceramite power armour, or armour piercing exploding bolts. Just a fl ashlight, long coat, and an occasional autocannon.

Being Old Skool, all my existing armies (including those given a spruce-up for E:A) are mounted on the old square 20mm x 20mm infantry bases. These were standard up to 2nd Edition, until replaced with the current rectangular version. I dont want to have a mishmash of base types across my armies, which means using the older types, which are legal in E:A. This leads to a few problems which need to be overcome:

Square bases arent made any more. You cant buy them from GW. Therefore I bought all the ones I needed from eBay. I found about 10p each (including postage) is a reasonable price, which you can do if you buy in bulk.

COLLECTING IMPERIAL GUARDFOR EPIC: ARMAGEDDON

Collecting Imperial Guard for Epic: Armageddon


Models from 3rd edition onwards (all the current Specialist Games ones, plus greatcoat Guard etc) dont fi t the old bases; the individual circular base on each model is a little too big to fi t in the holes on the base. This can be remedied by carefully trimming the bottom edge with a craft knife, and smoothing with a fi le. Hardly back-breaking stuff, but not worth it if you dont have a problem with rectangular bases.

Painting is slightly more diffi cult, as the models get in each others way a bit.

I picked some of the old style Cadian infantry off eBay, but the modern greatcoat version is harder to fi nd (at least when it isnt glued on to those horrible rectangular bases). So I ordered 2 packs from GW. I have to say, the greatcoat version looks a lot better.

The only compulsory choice in the army list is the Regimental HQ Company. This consists of a Supreme Commander stand, 12 infantry stands, and 7 chimeras to transport them all. Unlike other armies, the IG Supreme Commander is an actual infantry stand rather than a character upgrade to a normal stand. I decided to order an IG character pack from GW, plus two sets of chimeras which are fairly cheap. This gave me a total of one HQ company, one mechanised company, and two footslogging infantry companies.

Since this army was going to be fairly tank-heavy, I wanted the Adeptus Mechanicus

to be represented somehow. I did this by adding a tech-priest to the Supreme Commanders stand. There isnt an actual tech-priest in the IG character pack, so I improvised with a Space Marine Techmarine model. Using my rudimentary sculpting skills and a wetted pointy stick, I added a green stuff cloak and hood to the model whilst still attached to its sprue. There isnt an in-game effect from having the Tech-Priest, I just wanted him there!

Supreme Commander Stand

I used the Commissar Yarrick model for the colonel himself. With the powerclaw and storm bolter he looks a bit like the general from Dawn of War, and the model is yelling in a suitably Commanding Offi cer fashion. He is joined by a radio operator and standard bearer. I also added a plastic Commissar from the infantry sprue to keep an eye on him.

The IG list in the rulebook allows you free reign to put your random Commissars wherever you want in each formation, so I could have added him to a regular infantry stand or even a chimera. However the Supreme Commander is potentially the most valuable unit in the army as he allows any formation to re-roll an initiative test each turn. This is particularly important for the IG as even without blast markers they fail initiative tests 1 time out of 6. Knowing my luck, this could be at a game-winning point.

One out of two regular IG infantry stands carries an autocannon. You work this out each time the formation shoots (add up all the survivng stands and divide by two to give you the number of shots). You dont get heavy weapons troopers in the sprue, so I didnt represent these on the regular stands.

Once the fi rst two infantry companies had been assembled, I fl ocked them by adding watered-down PVA to the bases and dipping them in sand. After several minutes the bases are tipped upside down and fl icked to remove excess sand, and any glued to the models themselves scraped away. I repeated this for any bald areas.

With a Commissar my Supreme Commander becomes Fearless, which means he wont get wiped out with blast markers.



Regimental HQ and Mechanised Infantry Companies

For the time being Im not including Ogryns or Snipers. Ogryns could be useful as counter-assault units for various companies (e.g. Baneblades) and as infantry with decent armour saves to the various infantry companies. In most cases they would need chimeras either to keep up or to avoid giving free infantry targets in tank formations.

I have also bought a number of the old fashioned Cadian infantry stands. Im intending to use these as passengers for various war machines (Capitol Imperialis, Moles, Imperator Titans) in future projects.

The Mechanised Infantry chimeras were cleaned up and had the turrets pinned. Im a fi rm believer in pinning metal models, i.e.

drilling a hole in each component and fi tting a length of metal (chopped up paper clip) to reinforce. The pins were superglued to the turrets, but these were left loose until after painting.

I always wanted to fi eld super-heavy tanks. To that end I bought far too many off eBay, and now have enough for several companies of Baneblades, Shadowswords, and plasma-armed Storm Swords. For the time being, I am limiting myself to a company each of Baneblades and Shadowswords.

Shadowsword (top) and Baneblade Super Heavy Tank Companies

The latest versions of these models are the nicest, so I used these for now. I pinned the sponsons and the Baneblade turrets. The turret is left unglued to assist painting. For Shadowswords, the Volcano cannon and crew compartment is a separate piece from

the chassis and tracks. I fi tted this piece with three pins for extra reinforcement, and attached the heavy bolter sponsons with pinning. Finally, the Baneblades had the barrels of the demolisher and turret cannons drilled out, and the Shadowswords had the Volcano cannons drilled out.

Baneblade Turret showing Pin

I also bought two companies of Leman Russ tanks off eBay. Again they are archetypal IG vehicles. They have reinforced armour and a nasty array of heavy weapons, and with FF4+ will help support engagements. The models needed quite a bit of tidying up, with areas of the tracks needing green stuff. Each turret was also pinned but unglued, and the cannons drilled out.



Leman Russ Companies

On The Painting Tray

That gives me enough for the following: Regimental HQ Company Mechanised Infantry Company 2 x Infantry Company Tank Company Super-heavy Tank Company

Which comes to a total of 3,700 points, rather more than I could fi eld in a standard game of 3,000 points. In addition to these

completed (but unpainted) models, I have a number awaiting assembly:

3 x Baneblades 7 x Shadowswords 9 x Basilisks (Artillery Company) 2 x Deathstrike Missile Launchers 1 x Capitol Imperialis new tracks 3 x Moles 6 x Termites Numerous Cadian infantry Numerous miscellaneous vehicles (Leman

Russ, Bombards, Gorgons, Demolishers)

In addition, there are a number of War Engines including Titans, Moles, and a Capitol Imperialis. For the time being, this army can borrow Warhound Titans and Imperial Navy aircraft from my Marine armies. One long-term project is to paint up a pair of Imperator Titans as moving shrines to the Emperor, but that one is a good way off. If you can get hold of an unpainted/undercoated Imperator for around 30 including postage of eBay, youre doing pretty well.

The Capitol Imperialis is a gigantic transporter; think of Star Wars AT-ATs with tracks instead of legs. They dont have offi cial rules in E:A, but house rules can be engineered to suit. The Capitol Imperialis is protected by void shields and can carry a couple of companies (even super-heavy tanks!).

Capitol Imperialis go for around 25 on eBay. The original model is all metal apart from the tracks, which were plastic. This can make paint stripping a pain, as even if you can extract the tracks from a painted model without damaging them, they will still have someone elses paint job on them. However all is not lost, because identical tracks are available on the 1:76 scale M113 ACAV by JB Models. I bought mine on eBay for 2.50. The remainder of the kit ends up as spare, Im sure it will get used up one of these days.

In the next installment I will show all these beauties painted up, and hopefully some of the War Engines to go with them!



Collecting Epic Feral Orks

By Henrikki Almusa

I own several amount of Epic armies, but so far the Orks have not been included in that list. I have friend with bucketloads so I havent been that interested in pursuing them. However he doesnt have Ferals and thus Ive felt that I would like to get them. There is a problem though. Ferals have most costly pound per point unit that one would need. Squiggoth. Regular army has 3000 points. Squiggoth is 50 points in game and costs 10 pounds each! Luckily I managed to get an answer to it. I had participated in a competition by Specialist Games to create an army list. I managed to win that and got a free 2000 point army of my choice. Needless to say it was composed of Feral Orks with large amount of Squiggoths (so that I wouldnt need to buy them anymore).

My usual style of getting an army is to buy everything once and some things more than once (bits that interest me). In this case it was pretty easy as there is very few blisters and boxes for Ferals. So with the competition prize and some extra mail order I have now managed to get (or have placed order for)

SPECIAL GAMES:2 Feral Ork Warbands boxes

2 Ork Warband boxes1 Ork Orkeosaur box3 Feral Ork Steam Gargant boxes3 blisters of Squig Katapults4 blisters of Junka Trukks2 blisters of Ork Characters10 blisters of Squiggoths

FORGE WORLD:3 Epic Ork Gargantuan Squiggoths

CHAOS ORC:1 Epic: Ork Warriors OOP x1001 Epic: Ork Nobz x60 (Loose)2 Epic: Ork Boar Boyz x15 (Loose)

I also got some heavy weapon boyz from a friend to fi ll the ranks of the regular boyz as Feral Warband boxes dont have any heavy weapon models. That should make my army to be suffi ciently large. Now during this series, dont expect me to fi nish all that. So far none of my armies are fully painted, but I have made a list that I will use as target for this. The OOP Ork Warriors Im planning to use as Wild Boyz and Kommandos would be used as Mad Boyz if needed. The second character blister was an accident actually as I didnt remember that I asked for it in the prize and bought it separately after that.

THE TARGET LIST250 Uge Boarboyz Horde175 Big Boarboyz Horde300 Big Junka Brigade100 + 2 Wyrdboyz100 + 2 Nobz350 Big Steam Gargant Mob200 Normal Warband75 + 3 Squig Katapults50 + Wyrdboy200 Normal Warband75 + 3 Squig Katapults50 + Wyrdboy150 Normal Wilboyz150 + 3 Squiggoths25 + 2 Wildboyz50 + 2 Boarboyz50 + Wyrdboy350 Big Warband (BTS)250 + 2 Orkeosauruses50 + Wyrdboy0 + Warlord3000 Total points

The army has a bit modifi ed costs with regards to Swordwind rulebook. For example Junka Brigade is 50 points more expensive and Squig Katapults are 0 - 3 selection instead of unlimited. These changes are aimed to balance the list and so Ill be using them as base for the army even if they arent offi cial [1]. List has 8 activations with most formations larger than 10 to allow easier rallying. Its a bit few activations perhaps and even if this list would allow quite nice popcorn armies, I like my Ork formations big

TALE OF AN EPIC GAMER A FERAL ORK ARMY STORY


and powerful. All in all the list has total of 113 units and 6 War Engines. Thats a proper WAAARRRGH as far as Im concerned.

Main usage would be to garrison the Normal Warbands to objectives and shoot anyone that comes too near. The Steam Gargants provide rest of the heavy support for the army. The main body of the army are reasonably fast to move except the Big Warband as Orkeosaurs are as slow as infantry, but should have thoughness to move slower being 6DC War Engines. Just hope that they dont end up facing Shadowsword company as that would ruin their day.

One negative point is the Warlord. In Ferals it must be placed in a formation with most units. Unfortunately this means (with Feral list anyway) that the BTS is very easily that same formation. This is the case here. So it makes the formation kind of a fi re magnet easily.

FIRST TARGETS

Normal Warband cut off from sprues.

To start the actual painting, I decided to paint a single normal Warband with Squig Katapults. Next I have several contenders for the painting slot. So it will be Squiggoths,

Steam Gargant, Junka Brigade or Boarboyz. Decisions, decisions, decisions. But above is the fi nished Normal Warband.

1. Feral Ork changes suggestion by the current Army Champion

http://www.tacticalwargames.net/cgi-bin/forum/ikonboard.cgi?act=ST;f=83;t=10491

Collecting Epic Feral Orks


Collecting an Imperial Fleet

By Liam Salt

INTRODUCTIONMany, many moons ago (before I became one of those bone-idle student types) I was given the Battlefl eet Gothic boxed set as a birthday present. My mother, utilising no doubt her feminine intuition, saw fi t to combine my twin loves of Games Workshop and the naval branch of the armed forces. Unfortunately, I had few regular opponents for basic 40k, let alone Specialist Games, and so, like Blood Bowl, Epic and my Orks, Battlefl eet Klar was packed off to the back of a dusty cupboard. When I moved out of my mothers house and in with friends to begin University, I dusted off my old models and began to take more of an interest in the hobby again. So, when it became apparent that Specialist Gamers were required to do a piece for Firebase, I though What better opportunity to dust off the old cruisers?

STAGE ONE: GATHERING THE FLEETThe main problem I had to face, initially at least, was the poor state of such ships as I had. Four basic cruisers and some frigates had been sitting in a box for nearly three years, shunted around from cupboard to cupboard. In the process many had broken from bases or lost antennae. The task of gluing ships back onto broken bases is a long and unthankful one, but, once all

was fi nished, I had the beginnings of a fl eet. Four Cobra Destroyers and six Sword Class Frigates provided a fast strike force capable of punching above their weight if used effectively. A Lunar and a Gothic Class Cruiser provided a small but effective basic cruiser squadron, while a Dominator cruiser and a Mars Battlecruiser provided a bit of long-ranged support, through the combined use of nova-cannons and (in the case of the Mars Class) launch bays. Finally, a sole Dauntless Light Cruiser provided a nice balance between the fi repower of the cruisers and the speed of the frigates.

The fl eet was still missing something however. While four cruisers is an adequate starting point, years of neglect had seen the Battlefl eet advance no further, and it certainly could not hope to hold its own in a serious battle. With this in mind, and on a shoestring student budget, I set about scouring the internet for additions to the fl eet. Thanks to good old eBay, I was able to acquire a Battleship (Emperor Class) and four more cruisers. The next task was to decide exactly what ships to construct from the four additional cruisers. With a little background for the fl eet already decided upon (seen later), I ultimately settled on two more Mars Class Battlecruisers, the aircraft carriers of this fl eet, and two more Lunar Class Cruisers. The reasoning behind

this was simple the fl eet was intended to be a small, border Battlefl eet defending a relatively insignifi cant sector. Therefore, I didnt really want anything too fl ashy and advanced, settling instead for the Mars Class (no longer constructed by the Mechanicus and considered outdated and under-gunned by many captains) and the Lunar Class, a relatively simple ship commonly seen throughout the Imperium. Despite these perceived weaknesses, the fl eet is well rounded, with a good mix of fast and slow ships, long- and short-range weapons, and plenty of hard-hitting lances.

STAGE TWO: ORGANISATIONWith the ships bought and assembled (or re-assembled where necessary), I set to organising the fl eet into squadrons. Weighing in at 2485 points, I felt confi dent that I now had a diverse enough group of ships to deal with most enemies.

ALL AHEAD FULL, AND DAMN THE TORPEDOES!


Having been out of the game for some time, thinking tactically proved harder than I had anticipated. The fi rst and most logical step was to organise the three Battlecruisers into a single squadron. These would, I reasoned, be useful at engaging the enemy from afar with waves of attack craft or pummelling them with the long-ranged nova cannon and would act in concert with the launch bays of the Emperor Class Battleship. As extra support, I formed three of the Swords into Defender Squadron, to hang around and if necessary, counter any threats to the Battlecruisers. The remaining frigates were divided into Serpent Squadron consisting the four Cobra destroyers, and Van squadron, consisting of three Sword Class frigates. Van Squadron is also to be accompanied by the lone Dauntless Light Cruiser.

The remaining fi ve cruisers were split into two groups, one of four ships and one of a lone cruiser. The Dominator, armed with a prow-mounted nova-cannon, was as capable of engaging from a distance as it was at closing with its enemies. With this in mind, I formed a sort of reserve squadron to react to any unusual or unexpected changes in the dynamic of the battle. The second squadron, of four cruisers, was to be the backbone of the fl eet. Three Lunar and a Gothic Class Cruiser provided a bristling wall of lances and weapon batteries that would prove a formidable challenge to such enemy vessels as crossed them.

Such experience as I have with BFG

necessitates that I stress the value of frigates. While lightly shielded and armoured, they are small and speedy and can cause problems for ships far larger than themselves. The Cobra Destroyers in particular are capable of launching small spreads of torpedoes which, when combined, can severely damage a middle-sized capital ship (such as a light cruiser or possibly even a cruiser), and wipe out other frigates.

Similarly, attack craft can prove exceptionally useful. I have a large group of ships capable of launching attack craft in my fl eet. These can be kept back from the main battle, making good use of long-ranged weapons and the ability to launch waves of Starhawk bombers.

STAGE THREE: PAINTING THE FLEETWith the fl eet built and organised, I began work on a colour scheme. My painting skills, while adequate for a gaming level, are still relatively rudimentary, and so I wanted a quick and easy colour scheme that would allow me to paint several ships in short order. With this in mind, I sketched out some

possible schemes, and fi nally painted up two frigates, a Sword and a Cobra. These were base coated in Chaos Black, then quite heavily dry-brushed with Goblin Green.

The prows were then picked out in Scab Red, highlighted with Blood Red, and fi nally where necessary edged with fi rst Golden, and then Sunburst Yellow.

Weapons batteries and warp drives were picked out in Mithril Silver and washed with watered down black ink. Finally, I picked out the tips of antennae and other similar areas of the ships with Sunburst Yellow, to create the effect of lights.



This method proved both quick and easy, taking roughly twenty minutes to paint a frigate from base-coat to fi nished model, or thirty to forty-fi ve minutes for a Squadron of four cruisers.

STAGE FOUR: FLEET HISTORYWith the fl eet all but fi nished, I set about to create a short history for the ships and the Battlefl eet itself. I fi nd that having a back-story for the force adds extra depth to games you care more about your Battleship, with its own name and history than you do for Brother No-Name or Private J. Doe, or any of the multitude of indistinguishable characters you might encounter in a regular game of 40k.

Battlefl eet Klar then, is the permanent defence force of the Klaran Sector. Based at the Space Station Phoenix in orbit around the principle planet of Klar Primus, the Battlefl eet is commanded by Admiral Horton Greaves aboard the Emperor Class Battleship Deus-Imperator. Stationed on the Eastern Fringe, the Battlefl eet is comprised primarily of older and more common

ship designs, including an unusually large number of the discontinued Mars Class Battlecruiser. Notable fl eet actions include numerous scouting missions by Serpent Squadrons Cobra Destroyers (primarily against incursions from Eldar Pirates) and the defence of Klar Primus during the First Klaran War.

With the fl eet fi nished and a back story established, all that remains is to break it in. Hopefully this article has inspired a few more of you to get involved with Battlefl eet Gothic the Navy needs You!

FLEET ROSTER

Emperor Class BattleshipDeus-Imperator

Mars Class Battlecruiser, Rear Sq.Might of Terra, Lord Dornos, Styxii Honori

Dominator Class Cruiser, Reserve Sq. Subjugation

Dauntless Class Light Cruiser, Van Sq. [II] Loyal ServantSword Class Frigate x 3 - Van Squadron



Lunar Class Cruiser, Centre Sq.Dynamic Warrior, Shield of Egrador, Indomitable WillGothic Class Cruiser, Centre Sq.Emperors Sword

Sword Class Frigate x 3Defender Squadron

Cobra Class Destroyer x 4Serpent Squadron


What are you wearing to the GT?

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Actual Text:THEORY HAMMER rarely survives contact with the enemy

Actual Text:MATH HAMMER dont make a move without knowing the odds

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Have a design request? Submit it at [email protected]


INTROSo here I am minding my own business, when one of my friends I played gorkamorka and 40k back in the day sends me a phone text. Quite innocently it says I have a proposal: how would you like to start up gorkamorka again? it turns out Games-Workshop have released the Gorkamorka rules online, and this in turn has inspired my friend to start up, and go buy a new box set. The advantages of releasing rules for free!

Excited at the prospect at driving through the skid at breakneck speeds with a bunch of trash hunting orks, I answer yes and head down to my local Games Workshop store. Upon arriving I notice the 40k orks have had a make over, so tying in this release of gorkamorka seems like a good move to get a 2nd edition 40k player back in into the game.

I pick up an Ork Trukk and a Boyz box, and take it home, much to my excitement.

My fi rst job before I build anything though is to come up with a roster. I once again go through the rules and brush up on all things Ork, then sit down with my trusty excel spreadsheet and start creating my mob Jerffrowz Toll. For 100 Teeth you pretty much either have the option of having lots of Orks with little weapons and armour, or a

small select mob of highly equipped orks. I went for the later, as a skirmish game for me is more interesting with fewer characters.

I started by deciding to go with a gorka mob, as experience has led me to believe I enjoy the games more when my mob get into some serious fi ghting, like Orks should. And thats what the gorkas excel at! No time to think, just hurt! Warggh ..*COUGH* I mean err lets continue.

With a mob of 6 Orks, including a gunner and driver, I can start modelling my guys. I break open the trukk box to fi nd lots, and I mean lots, of parts. I can tell that this thing is going to be a beast. I also decided to build my Orks at the same time, just to get the building out of the way!

All in all, building the orks and the trukk took about 2 hours in total. This included shaving off all the mould lines and sanding down all the sprue bits, as they really do turn ugly.

So far I am pleased with the way this has turned out. Over the next few issues I plan to go through painting the gang, playing their fi rst game and then going over the best part of skirmish games: watching the boyz grow up!

NEXT TIME : PAINTING THE HORDES

Collecting a Gorkamorka mob

THE TALE OF A BORN AGAIN GORKA


INTRO:Ah Necromunda the stench of unwashed humans living atop each other, the taste of cheap recyc and the constant babble of traders peddling their wares. There is no place like it.

This great little game fi rst appeared on my radar way back when I was a beardless nipper, coming to light in issue 190 of White Dwarf, the third I ever bought. At the behest of ChaosandEvil I thought it was time to bring my gang kicking and screaming into the light, and over the next few issues reveal the hiring

process, along with some of their infamous misdeeds and interesting characters.

I play Escher, and have been involved in several Necromunda campaigns in my time. Indeed, at one point it was pretty much the only GW game I was interested in. During my time as a GW monkey I was involved heavily in running a large-scale campaign that eventually had about 25 players, and cumulated in a huge fi nale involving all the remaining gangs, a platoon of Imperial Guardsmen and a shuttle bound for the uphive.

Why Escher? Quite simply it comes down to the models. Jes Goodwins heavy with Heavy Stubber still ranks as one of my all time favourite GW models and looks as good today as it did when it was released all those years ago. I think I have three or four of them in my collection ready to be converted into all manner of other things.

LEADING THE CHARGE:So, time for the introductions. My lovely girls go by the name Kitty and the Goth Bitches. They are veterans now with a number of unusual bits of kit, but for this fi rst article I will simply go through my recruitment process.

First up is Kitty, my leader. As an essential part of any gang I would always start here. At this stage, I wouldnt go crazy. You never know when an opportune juve is going to frag your leader in the fi rst game. Part of the joy of playing with Escher is that you can buy

Collecting a Necromunda Gang

Hiding place for all manner of desperate scum, the Underhive is a vicious and often deadly place. Jon dancingmonkey Webb peels back its murky layers to reveal the process of hiring a motley crew looking to make their fame in its depths

COLLECTING A NECROMUNDA GANG


swords from the start of a campaign. I love swords. Ten points for a combat weapon with parry is too tempting. I also give her an auto pistol and some frag grenades as a nasty surprise for enemies that gang up too much.

Note that Kitty the model is currently armed with a power sword and bolt pistol. Obviously these are not available from the initial recruitment stage, but they proxy well enough for her actual kit. Ok its not WYSIWYG, so sue me.

Next up on the vital list is a heavy. Creds are hard to come by after recruitment so get one now. I favour the heavy stubber because its cheap and effective. (And as mentioned I love the model). For 120 creds you get a potential six strength four shots, usually enough to deal with anyone. I add an auto pistol for when the bullets run out, although usually my heavy hits the deck and hides once that happens as she is too valuable to waste.

RANGED SUPPORT:I tend to split my gang into smaller groups when playing, each with specifi c duties. As such I chose my gangers accordingly. The recruitment rules state you need a minimum of three models in a gang, but any less than ten, and expect a rough ride in the early campaign stages.

To make up numbers I select a number of gangers, always with roles in mind. First up I take one of each basic weapon (lasgun, autogun and shotgun) and the gangers needed to carry them. These are all provided with autopistols as back up weapons and the shotgunner gets man stoppers for extra

power if I have the creds spare. I take autopistols as they dont have a long-range modifi er unlike laspistols.

These girls are split into two groups and use to hunt the enemy. Usually I group the autogun and lasgun as they have similar ranges, whilst sending the shotgun off

with a juve to get in the face of my foe.

UP CLOSE AND PERSONAL:With the ranged support covered, I take a couple of combat specialists who will team up with Kitty and advance under cover from the shooting elements of the gang.



Firstly, I take a ganger with two swords. Those parries will come in extremely handy, trust me. Affectionately known as crazy Rianne after a girl that once stalked me, in our campaign she survived till the end before being shredded by an enforcer grenade meters from safety. One day I will resurrect her as a half bionic nutter with head wounds and a limp.

She is supported by a ganger with a sword and an autopistol, and another ganger with a fl ail and a laspistol simply because I like the model.

OPERATION MEAT SHIELD:With eight members of the gang, it is time to turn to the juves. The secret weapon of any gang, juves will save you a fortune in armour bills, because theyre it. Harsh, but such is life. Each juve is assigned a bodyguard from the gang. Usually they stand in front of said ganger and catch any nasty bullets fl ying towards the more expensive gangers sheltering behind them. One will usually accompany Kitty as well, to see how a real woman fi ghts.

The juves get a mix of clubs and pistols as they are not experienced enough to be

trusted with anything else yet. Plus when they inevitably take the stubber rounds for the rest of the gang you dont lose much equipment.

So 11 models recruited, fi ve creds left in the stash, its time to roll some territories and go looking for a fi ght.

NEXT TIME:Hopefully this has given a brief insight into the recruitment process. Next time I will dredge up some more stories from the girls past, and introduce you to the concept of a juve plugging a lasgun into the mains power. Also, the girls will hopefully be

undergoing a slight face-lift as the paintwork is starting to show its age. Till then, keep rolling those sixes.

ROSTER:Kitty Leader Sword, Autopistol, Frag Grenades 175 credsDixie Heavy Heavy Stubber, Autopistol 195 credsRianne Ganger 2 Swords, Laspistol 85 credsSophs Ganger Flail, Laspistol 75 credsMissy Ganger Sword, Autopistol 75 credsTrish Ganger Autogun, Autopistol 85 credsLillith Ganger Lasgun, Autopistol 90 credsKath Ganger Shotgun, Manstoppers, Autopistol 90 credsBabs Juve Stubgun, Club 45 credsNikki Juve Stubgun, Dumdums 40 credsSarah Juve Autopistol 40 creds

Total: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 995 creds.

* note all models are automatically equipped with a knife in addition to any other equipment.



Inquisitor: The Silent Hunters

by Dave Knowles

INTRODUCTIONMany players coming to Inquisitor from a Warhammer 40,000 background simply try to port their favourite troop types straight into the game but are frustrated by the lack of 54mm models to represent them. In my opinion these players are missing out on the real joy of Inquisitor; the chance to explore the universe beyond the front-lines. Why

TAU SILENT HUNTERS

+++ A Report on the Tau Organisation known as KauyonEshh ++++++ Report Reference: ISE-6544-JDO-1 +++

+++ Author: Inquisitor Hannibal Isenberg ++++++ Date: 5.273.974.M41 +++

My lords and peers,

No doubt you will all be aware of the interactions between the four main Tau castes and the mysterious fi fth caste, the Ethereals (see report ISE-8623-HSD-2). The Ethereals are commonly seen as the leaders and policy makers of the Tau Empire. However my information shows me that some members of this Caste act as free roaming agents of the Tau Empire; seeking out threats (both internal and external) to what they call The Greater Good in a similar manner to our own Holy Inquisition.

Thus far I have been unable to gather much information on this cabal of Ethereals or even to determine whether they think of themselves as a coherent organisation. In this, as in most other matters, the Ethereals are a mystery. What I have discovered is that these cowardly beings usually act through agents who carry out their will while they remain fi rmly behind the scenes. Interrogation of one of one such agent captured by my team tells me that these operatives are known as the KauyonEshh, which roughly translates as the Silent Hunters.

From what little I discovered before the agent was rescued it appears that the KauyonEshh is made up of members of all four castes, led by the Ethereals, and that they are highly trained in their specialist fi elds. As one would expect, the majority of their front-line agents come from the Fire Caste. They perform all manner of black ops such as reconnaissance, demolitions work and assassinations as directed by their Ethereal leaders in their mission to defend The Greater Good. My intelligence tells me that these agents were responsible for the destruction of the Imperial Cruiser Hawkwind while in dry-dock above Hasina Prime, the assassination of the late Governor of Hackstor III and most worryingly, the theft of the ++INSUFFICIENT SECURITY PERMISSIONS++ from the Inquisitorial stronghold on Klysforge.

A preliminary medical carried out on the operative suggests that as well as undergoing intense training, the agents of the KauyonEshh also undergo some biological modifi cation (see report ISE-6544-JDO-1 Appendix B). It is may estimation that although


simply take a Necron Warrior straight from the battlefi eld and attempt to squeeze him into the shadowy world of Inquisitor where he doesnt really belong (except perhaps as an end of campaign bad guy) when instead you could create a Necron-worshipping cult or an AdMech Magos whose attempts to merge Necrontyr and human technology has resulted in unstable abominations. In my opinion, these concepts better fi t the Inquisitor ethos and could be more easily converted using the existing range.

On The Conclave there have been quite a few threads where people have wanted advice on using teams of Fire Warriors in games of Inquisitor. In my opinion Fire Warriors, especially teams of them, are better suited to games of 40k or Kill-team; however these conversations sparked an idea - what if not all members of the Fire Caste joined the regular army? What if some were employed by other, more secret, organisations? From this the idea of a Tau Splinter Cell-type operative was born. A member of a Tau Secret Service; a James Bond or Sam Fisher type agent who would use stealth and cunning to achieve his objectives.

From this seed, I created the Silent Hunters (or KauyonEshh); a secret division within the Tau Military who perform covert missions and black ops in fi elds such as reconnaissance, assassination, sabotage and infi ltration. They work behind the front-lines, and often far from actual war-zones, seeking out those who threaten the Greater Good. Their work

these xenos agents will never reach the peak of ability seen by members of the Offi cio Assassinorum due to the inferior physiology of their race, they are still formidable opponents and should be tackled with caution.

The armour worn by these agents appears to be a modifi ed version of that seen on Tau Fire Warriors and Pathfi nders. They also appear to be supplied with the best of the heretical technology produced by the Tau Earth Caste. Assuming that the subject acquired by my team is representative of these agents then it seems that like most Tau, they prefer to fi ght at range. The agent we captured was carrying a Pulse Carbine with a Pulse Pistol as backup and used the word Holyth when he referred to these. Unable to translate this word I assume it must be a name, so for now I have dubbed them as being Holyth Variant Pulse Weapons. They are different to both the variant commonly carried by the Fire Caste, and to the variant often supplied to the traitorous Guevesa. Scarring on the agents body found during the medical matched that often seen during autopsies of Pathfi nders who were equipped with the experimental Rail Rifl e. My assumption is therefore that the KauyonEshh use a modifi ed Rail Rifl e for ranged assassinations. Analysis of the xenos agents armour shows that it incorporates miniature versions of systems often fi tted to larger Tau battle-suits such as advanced scanning and communications equipment and drone controllers.

The few Pict and Vox records we have of the the KauyonEshh agents are all from systems close to the Tau Sept of Dalyth and suggest that their primary weapon is usually stealth. Although not present in the armour of the agent we captured, there is evidence that some of their suits are fi tted with a derivative of the stealth fi elds fi tted to the XV-15 and XV-25 battlesuits. Unlike these more common suits, the armour worn by the KauyonEshh is too light to carry a full stealth system, so instead it seems that small camo-fi eld generators are fi tted to some of the larger armour plates allowing the agent to blend into their surroundings to a certain extent.

My fi ndings suggest that the KauyonEshh represent a very real threat to our operations in and around Tau space. At this time I do not know whether they are specifi c to the Sept of Dalyth or are active across the whole Tau Empire. Therefore, I advise that we dedicate more resources to discover the true scale of their operations and put in place plans to counter the threat they pose.

+++ End Report +++



often takes them deep within the borders of Imperial space where they might fi nd themselves being hunted by (or hunting) an Imperial Inquisitor.

USING THE KAUYONESHH IN GAMES OF INQUISITORKauyonEshh agents are equally suitable for use as both a player character or as a GM controlled antagonist. However, when used as a player character one should be bear in mind that these operatives will almost always act alone and not as part of a warband (although as with most things there will be exceptions). This means that players will have to adapt to a different style of play, using stealth to stay out of the line of fi re and taking on their opponents one by one. In this the Recon Drone is hugely useful allowing the Tau player to be more aware of events than would otherwise be possible.

As the KauyonEshh are used as the eyes, ears and hands of the Ethereals who seek out threats to the Greater Good they will become involved in many similar situations to members of the Imperial Inquisition. Given below are a few ideas for scenarios in which a KauyonEshh agent might become involved;

A infl uential Pro-Tau cult on a world bordering Tau space has contacted the Empire indicating its wishes to join with the Greater Good. A KauyonEshh agent has been dispatched to deliver a holo-message to the leaders of the cult. Imperial agents are seeking to intercept the message and bring down the cult.

An Imperial Inquisitor operating on the fringes of Tau space has been deemed to represent a clear threat to the Greater Good. The Ethereals have tasked a KauyonEshh agent with assassinating the Inquisitor by any means necessary.

A KauyonEshh operative has been dispatched to an Imperial world to gather information regarding the chances of peacefully incorporating the world into the Tau Empire. The operative has been discovered by agents of the Imperium and must fi ght his way out to the extraction point.

In their quest to discover more about the Warp and its interaction with Real-space the Tau seek to obtain a forbidden grimoire secreted in the bowels of an Inquisitorial Fortress. The KauyonEshh agent must infi ltrate the fortress, steal the grimoire and escape.

The war is going badly for the Tau Empire but they have discovered a weak point in the Imperial supply lines, a munitions factory operated by the Adeptus Mechanicus. Rather than attempt a large-scale frontal assault a KauyonEshh agent has been tasked with sneaking into the factory and setting demolition charges.

For now Ive only concentrated on the front line agents drawn from the Fire Caste as it seems to me these will be the most commonly encountered operatives. However all secret agents have their support organisations. Examples relating to the KauyonEshh include their shadowy

controllers drawn from the Ethereal Caste, their Air Caste pilots, the Earth Caste scientists and engineers who supply their equipment, and the Water Caste Interrogators who debrief them after their missions. These backroom boys are not covered in this article as they will rarely take to the fi eld.

RULES FOR KAUYONESHHEquipment: KauyonEshh operatives are commonly equipped with a Rail or Pulse Rifl e or Carbine with a Pulse Pistol as backup. For close combat they usually carry a Vibro-blade or other easily concealable weapon. They usually wear XV-14 battle armour which may be fi tted with stealth fi eld generators. They are often accompanied by one or more Recon-Drones.

OPERATIVE WS BS S T I Wp Sg Nv Ld 50 65 50 55 55 70 65 75 75

Special Abilities: Like all Tau, agents of the KauyonEshh have the Blunt trait. Common abilities include shooting skills such as Deadeye Shot, Rock Steady Aim and Quickload.

RANDOM:WS = 40 + 2d10BS = 55 + 2d10S = 40 + 2d10T = 45 + 2d10

I = 50 + 2d10Wp = 60 + 2d10Sg = 55 + 3d6Nv = 70 + 2d6Ld = 65 + 2d10



XV-14I ARMOURThe armour worn by members of the KauyonEshh is a lighter version of that worn by the Pathfi nders. It provides 3 points of armour on all locations except the head. The standard fi t of armour includes climbing equipment giving the operative greater mobility and granting him the Scale Terrain ability. Additionally, the armour can be fi tted with small camo-fi eld generators on the larger plates allowing the operative to better blend in with his surroundings. If camo-fi eld generators are fi tted the wearer gains the Camoufl age ability.

XV-14D HELMETThe XV-14d Helmet is an open helmet providing 2 points of armour to the head. It is fi tted with advanced sight & hearing autosenses, and built in Range-Finder and Motion-Predictor gunsights as standard. An optional visual scanner can also be added incorporating a Blacksun Filter, Bio-scanner and Infra-scope giving the wearer excellent awareness of his surroundings. It takes one action to switch between the three devices and only one can be active at once. The helmet is also fi tted with a comm-link and drone controller (see Recon Drone special rules).

BLACKSUN FILTERA character using a Blacksun Filter gains the Nightsight special ability.

HOLYTH VARIANT PULSE WEAPONSThe KauyonEshh regularly use Holyth variant Pulse Weapons. Unlike other variants, a Holyth Pulse Carbine has a single shot mode allowing for greater accuracy, however it is not capable of the same rate of fi re as other variants. Also, it is not compatible with the grenade launcher often fi tted to other pulse carbines. The Holyth Pulse Pistol is a compact, accurate side-arm often carried as a backup to a larger weapon.

Non-Tau characters attempting to use any Holyth variant Pulse Weapon suffer a -15% accuracy modifi er due to the difference in hand shape and number of digits.

VIBRO-BLADEThe hilt of the vibro-blade contains a small generator which sends high-speed sonic vibrations through the blade. These vibrations allow the blade to cut through armour more easily and rupture organic tissue.

Reach Damage Parry PenaltyVibroblade 1 2d6+1 -25%

TAU RECON DRONEThese small unarmed drones are deployed by the KauyonEshh to scout ahead and spy on the enemy both visually and using their in-built auspex (usually either a Bio-scanner or Motion-tracker). Recon Drones have limited A.I. and so can act independently of their operator who does not need to expend actions controlling them.

In general the drone uses the servo-skull rules with a few exceptions; it is not limited to remaining within 2 yards of its operator and counts as being Speed 2 (Initiative 30) so gets a minimum of one and maximum of two actions per turn. There are only two actions a Recon Drone can take, move (at a rate of up to six yards per action) and scan (where it will use its in-built scanner on active mode to scan its surroundings).

Due to the link with his helmet senses, the Drone Operator will be aware of everything


HOLYTH VARIANT PULSE WEAPONS: Type Range Mode Accuracy Damage Shots Reload WeightPulse Rifl e Basic H Single 3d6+5 30 2 35Pulse Carbine Basic F S/3/6 3d6+5 30 2 25Pulse Pistol Pistol E Single 2d6+3 15 2 15Rail Rifl e Basic G Single 3d10+3 1 4 40


that the drone is, (as with a Hunter Servo-skull). A Recon Drone has no offensive capabilities and counts as a small target. Recon drones only have a electronic brain, and therefore are immune to many kinds of psychic powers, gases and toxins, and so on.

Drones have an Armour value of 8 but are destroyed if they take any damage. They also contain a self-destruct mechanism. This can be activated by its operator at a cost of one action, or has a 50% chance of being triggered when the drone is destroyed. The self-destruct mechanism will cause the drone to explode with the force of a frag grenade.

BUILDING A KAUYONESHH OPERATIVEThe Silent Hunter concept was inspired by Splinter Cell and that was the sort of look I wanted for the model; however when it came to building him I had something of

a problem - theres only one Tau model in the Inquisitor range and hes a robed Water Caste Emissary - not really the look I was going for. Looking around I came to the conclusion that the Eversor model, with its segmented armour plates and general high-tech look seemed like a perfect base for a Tau conversion.

The fi rst stage in the process was to remove the skull mask and fi le off any non-Tau iconography from the Eversor. At this stage I also removed the heels from the Eversors boots to give his feet roughly the same structure as Tau ones. As it turned out, resculpting his boots to match those worn by Fire Warriors was fairly easy. One night I sculpted a hoof shape over each foot, then the next I added the detail. While the putty on his feet was hardening I fi xed the areas where Id removed the non-Tau symbols, the most obvious being the skull on his chest that I replaced with a blank disc where a symbol could be added later.

I had a spare Water Caste head in my bits box that I planned to use, however members of the Water Caste have taller thinner skulls than their Fire Caste brethren, so to remedy this I fi led down the top of his skull and used green-stuff to bulk out his jaw. With that done, I started

building him a set of Splinter Cell-inspired goggles. The lens over his right eye was carefully sliced off a Fire Warrior helmet, then for the left side I made a multi-function unit using three gun barrels glued to part of a Battlesuit weapon. With these glued in place, I then sculpted the back and sides of the goggles using brown-stuff. The fi nal touch was a Fire Warrior antenna glued above one ear to represent his comm-link.



Next up were his hands and weapons. I had previously built a Pulse Carbine for a radical Ordo Xenos Inquisitor by combining a shotgun and Battlesuit multi-tracker antenna, however when I saw the new Sniper Drones I realised that their gun would make a perfect Inquisitor-scale Pulse Carbine. All I had to do was rebuild the stock and add a gunsight made from a 40k Pulse Carbine grenade launcher. For the Pulse Pistol I borrowed an idea Id seen on The Conclave, a cut-down Gun Drone Antenna with a Fire Warrior antenna attached to the side. Converting his hands was actually quite simple, I carefully sliced off the fi ngers from plastic Ork Boyz hands and resculpted them with the correct number of fi ngers for a Tau.

To give the model more of a Tau feel I raided my bits box and added some Fire Warrior shoulder pads and a Target-lock on his backpack. Finally I built him a small Recon Drone by gluing a Battlesuit head to a Shield Generator.

I decided that a dark and stealthy colour scheme was called for with this character, so painted his suit in a dark brown, with the armour plates in dark blue. When it came to paint his weapons I realised that he was looking a bit drab, so rather than paint them black I decided to go with a high contrast yellow instead. It rather ruins the stealthiness of the model, but I really like the fi nished look. As a nod to the Splinter Cell inspiration I painted the lenses of his goggles a bright green. The fi nishing touch was a Dalyth Sept transfer on his chest-plate.

+++ Shasvre Oran - KauyonEshh Operative ++++++ Report Reference: ISE-6544-JDO-1 Appendix A +++

+++ Author: Inquisitor Hannibal Isenberg ++++++ Date: 5.275.974.M41 +++

The following is all that is known of the personal life of the Tau agent known as Shasvre Oran. He was captured by my team during an attempt to infi ltrate and destroy the Ecclesiastical Synagogue on Wellingrex Six prior to the Ascension Day celebrations. The second member of his team, an Air Caste pilot, was killed in the attempt.

Oran was born on the Tau Sept world known as Dalyth. He was raised in what we would call a Military Academy where from an early age he was trained to be a soldier. His abilities in the fi elds of stealth and concealment meant he was destined to join the Pathfi nders. It seems Oran served as a Pathfi nder for four Taucyr and achieved the rank of Shasui. He had hoped to be trained in the use of XV-25 armour and join a Stealth Team, but instead he was recruited by the KauyonEshh. Other than this we were unable to retrieve much coherent information about his early years.

As a member of the KauyonEshh, Oran underwent an intense training regime, raising his speed, strength and skill far above the levels normally seen in a member of his race. He was trained in a variety of tactics, infi ltration methods, counter-interrogation techniques, and unusually for the Tau, he received a high degree of close-combat training. Although he denied it, I believe that not all of the improvement in his physical and mental abilities was purely down to training. It is my belief that during his training Oran was surgically and chemically modifi ed.

Details of the missions that Oran was involved in are still being verifi ed and will be published in a follow-up report.



+++ Addendum +++

Shasvre Oran was rescued before the interrogation could be completed in a covert raid by other members of the KauyonEshh. It is still unclear how they managed to by-pass our security, but the very fact they managed to get in and back out demonstrates how well equipped and resourceful they are.

+++ End Report +++

Equipment: Holyth Variant Pulse Carbine + two reloads; Holyth Variant Pulse Pistol + reload; Vibro-knife; XV-14i Armour; XV-14d Helmet; Recon Drone.

SHASVRE ORAN WS BS S T I Wp Sg Nv Ld 51 66 50 56 57 69 67 75 78

Special Abilities: Ambidextrous, Blunt, Deadeye Shot, Hipshooting.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR Dave has been involved with the GW hobby on and off more years than hed care to remember. He started painting and converting Inquisitor models just over two years ago and won both the Conclave Hobby Competition 2005 with his Inquisitor Kaled model, and the Specialist Games - Inquisitor Character Competition with his Haemovore Cultist. He also came third in the Inquisitor Grand Tournament 2007. He is an active member of the Conclave forum where he can usually be found in the Painting and Modeling forum.



By Lack0fBetterName with EaterOfSmallThings

A few weeks back, during a friendly game of Aeronautica Imperialis something happened to make me and my opponent start discussing the accuracy of the location of his models on the table. I dont remember what started the talk (maybe someone bumped the table, or a watcher spun an aircraft around to look at it) but the focus of our conversation was about the diffi culty of maintaining the correct angle which they were originally facing.

Now I am an excessively casual player so I was content to just let my opponent put it facing which ever way he thought was correct and move on. But as my opponent put his plane back in the position on the table he stated he knew exactly which direction it was facing.

Now I consider myself to have a good memory when it comes to stuff like this, but I was curious how he knew exactly which way the model was facing. He then explained to me that he has started the game with his base fl ush against the edge of the table, and that aircraft had only

performed maneuvers to take it in a straight line (straight, loops, Side Slip, etc.) so the edge of the base should still be parallel to the edge of the table. This got us thinking about whether there was an easy way to make sure we were making our maneuvers accurate to the geometric nature of the game.

So at some point later on I took the Aeronautica maneuver cards and scanned them all onto my computer, uploaded them into AutoCAD, then began to measure angles. Lo and behold, I discovered that all the maneuver cards were in 30 degree increments (I.E. you can either turn 30, 60, 90 or 180 degrees). This is a neat discovery because the aircraft are on hexagonal bases. The six interior angles of a hexagonal base are all 120 degrees (again a multiple of 30 degrees).

Equipped with this knowledge, let us say you start the game with the edge of your aircrafts base fl ush against a table edge (or parallel to one). Because of the way the maneuver cards are made, at the end of every turn you should ALWAYS have 2 edges of your base parallel to a table edge. The imagines below shows all the possible

locations your base could end up facing if you start the game as described. This is just an easy method to make sure you are doing your maneuvers accurately.

PLAYING WITH HEXESBecause of the previously-stated facts, Aeronautica lends itself very well to a game that could be adapted to a hexagon-based board. I have included 3 pages worth of rules for adapting it as such. These are not 100% perfect and have yet to be play-tested. However, I feel the benefi ts of a hex-based game may lead to some interesting new possibilities, including greater ease-of-play and the development of new maneuvers. Decide for yourself.

Illustrations on following pages.

KEEPING THINGS SQUAREMEDITATIONS ON THE AERONAUTICA MOVEMENT PHASE, PLUS A WHOLE NEW WAY OF PLAYING.

Aeronautica Imperialis - Keeping Things Square


By Lack0fBetterNamewith assistance from EaterOfSmallThings

This tactica will give a brief run down of all of the aircraft available to the imperial player and their pro & cons, as well my suggestions on how to run them. For this tactica I am only going to be looking at the aircraft in the fi rst book.

THUNDERBOLT VS. LIGHTNINGThere has been a long running debate between many players and in many AI forums about which aircraft is better, the Lighting or the Thunderbolt. It is basically my opinion that nether one is better, and if one does have an edge it should be considered negligible under the best of circumstances.

The Lightning has higher maneuver and decreased fi repower, however this is offset by the fact that its points cost is 25% less then that of the Thunderbolt. If you equip your Lightning with and additional weapons load of sky-strike missiles, its fi repower is now closer to par with the Thunderbolts, with the exact same point cost

So it is my fi rm opinion that the Thunderbolt/

Lightning option is entirely user preference. In my case it was decided by the fact that I like the Lighting models so much more then the Thunderbolts. They are easier to scratch build and much more fun to paint.

When I do run Thunderbolts I run them without any additional weapons, when my Lightings take to the sky (a much more common occurrence) I typically arm them with additional sky-strike missiles for an added air-to-air punch.

LIGHTNING STRIKEWhile both the Thunderbolt and standard Lightning can take additional weapons to target ground targets, the Strike carries hell-strike missiles as one of its primary weapons. It can be further upgraded with more hell-strike missiles for to make for a great strafi ng aircraft throwing 4 missile dice, and 1 las-cannon dice. You can also use sustained burst, if you are using the advanced rules to make for one deadly strafi ng run.

You could also outfi t the Strike with bombs. It is possible to climb 2 elevations in 1 turn; as such you could come in at elevation 1, hit the target with the hell-strike and las-cannons,

then pull up to elevation 3 and drop your bombs in the next turn as you fl y away.

The Lightning Strike makes for a great attack aircraft against soft ground targets. If the target has only 1 or 2 hits, the Lighting has a good chance of destroying in a single strafi ng run. The important thing to remember about the strike is regardless of what weapons loads you take, all your weapons damage on a 3+ or better, and all your weapons have the additional damage rule.

My favorite load out is full hell-strike missiles. Equipped this way I can almost always count on a Lighting Strike to do 2 hits of damage on a strafi ng run. As previously stated this is great for hitting those ork trucks, or any other targets that it can destroy with 2 hits.

The Lightning Strikes major drawback is the fact that it lacks a large amount of ammo. With the sustained burst advanced rule you could burn up all of the ammunition you carry in 2 shooting turns. I fi nd this drawback to not be that substantial, as I can easily make 2 attack runs then disengage the aircraft, or fl y off to a safer part of the board.

Aeronautica Imperalis Tactica : The Imperials

AERONAUTICA IMPERALIS TACTICA :THE IMPERIALS


MARAUDER MARAUDER DESTROYER THUNDERHAWKThe Marauder, it is a Pure bomber and rules state it is unable to make staffi ng runs. However if you equip it with and additional payload you can be throwing 24 bombing dice at a target. That being said, I strongly suggest against an additional payload for the standard Marauder, as the additional weapons load cost 75% of the cost of the aircraft, and only increases its bomb payload by 50%. Instead I would suggest just trimming some points and getting a second Marauder. One of the biggest drawbacks of the Marauder is that once it drops it bombs, it is practically done for the day. It is too slow and clumsy to hunt down enemy fi ghters, and lacks the fi repower to take out any larger aircraft on its own.

The Space Marine Thunderhawk is a strafi ng bomber. While it has the option to take wing mounted bombs, I much prefer the Hell-Strikes as my additional weapons load as then you are able to fi re all of your weapons at a single target while on a strafi ng run. The Thunderhawk is tougher, faster and has better thrust then the Marauders, and is able to keep speed and adjust thrust just like a lighting or thunderbolt. It also is the only one that can act as a transport if the mission requires. Another perk of the Thunderhawk is it gets you access to the turbo-laser, which is the most powerful weapon the imperials can fi eld.

The Marauder Destroyer is somewhat of a mixed breed, with the weapons and ability to both strafe a target and bomb it. With the ability to take an additional weapons load it can become as good as a pure bomber as the standard Marauder (while costing almost twice as much). The Destroyer is also slightly better at being a staffi ng bomber then the Thunderhawk. As discussed before it is possible for a bomber to strafe a target, then the next turn change elevation and bomb it, this is a extremely valid tactic for the Destroyer because it carries bombs as standard. Of all 3 bombers the Marauder Destroyer has the most capacity for damaging a ground based target. If you can set it up right, and get 2 rounds of shooting with the auto-cannons and pull up and drop all of your standard and additional bombs average dice rolling should net you about 10 or 11 hits on a ground based target.

The major downfall of all three of these craft is the fact that they all have low maneuver. As such you are likely to only get one chance to strafe or bomb a target, and over/under guessing your movement can be disastrous. As such, It is best if you take the fi rst two turns to attempt to line up where you can make a single pass over multiple ground targets, before disengaging.

My favorite of all 3 is the Thunderhawk. But I believe this is because it outshines the other

2 choices in the model coolness, transport capacity, and durability categories. A Destroyer with additional weapons load out has the most capacity for damage to a single ground target, while a standard marauder will get you the most damage for the fewest points. The Thunderhawk however gets you a really awesome looking model that is hard as nails and can act as troop transport if the mission needs it.

VULTURE & VALKRYIEThe Vulture and the Valkryie are the most maneuverable aircraft the Imperium can fi eld. Despite this fact the two aircraft are diffi cult to use successfully in dogfi ghts. This is due to their incredibly slow top speed and the fact that nether has access to any air-to-air weaponry with a range longer then 12.

What the Vulture and Valkryie are designed to do is to close in on a ground target without attracting any attention to themselves then sit on it, letting loose with their weaponry for as many turns as possible. This works particularly well when you use multiple of them, and on softer targets (2-3 hits).

The Vulture has a wide array of additional weapons load options available to it. However the downfall of this is that it more then doubles the cost of the aircraft. The problem is the vulture only mounts a single heavy bolter, so without the additional



weapons loads it is not nearly as effective. If you do take a weapons load I like #6 (auto-cannons & hunter-killer missiles). Both of these weapons have a fair number of shots, ammo and are damaging on a 4+.

The other option you have is to fi eld them without a weapons load. If you were to do this I believe the Valkryie is the better choice. For a mere additional 2 points it gets you a multi-laser, and makes your heavy bolters able to fi re 360 degrees. It also includes more heavy bolter ammo and the ability to carry troops. So in my opinion it comes down to taking a squadron of 3 or so, and making them all ether bare bones Valkryies, or Vultures with an additional weapons load. Anything else in my mind seams like a waste of points.

OTHER MISCELLANEOUS AIRCRAFTThe Aeronautica Imperialis book includes two more aircraft, the Aquila and the Arvus Lighter. The Aquila mounts a single heavy bolter, and the Arvus can not take any weapons. Both have the same transport capacity of 1. The Aquila is double the points cost of the Arvus, but I strongly believe the extra maneuverability and speed are well worth the points to help it avoid enemy aircraft. The Arvus in my opinion is just to slow and clumsy and prone to being shot down.

GROUND FORCESThe imperial players in aeronautica have available to them 5 different types of ground defenses (Sabers, Hydras, Manticores, Heavy Flak Cannons and they Hyperios). However there are only 3 ground emplacements or vehicles I ever consider using.

First is the Saber platform. The Saber platform is the ultimate in the Imperiums anti-strafi ng technology. Despite its altitude and range restrictions it is an extreamly good deal for the points you pay for it. The range and altitude setbacks can easily be overcome by deployment. You can throw down the Sabers close to a ground based objective and force enemy fi ghters that may be on a strafi ng run to come to you. As far as what variant to take, mathematically all 3 variants of the Saber platform function the same. For their points the Sabers are the best ground based weapons at short and medium range. They Hydra comes in at a close second but having altitude +3, means it can only hit the lowest of low fl ying bombers.

The second platform I recommend using is the heavy fl ak cannon. The fl ak cannon clocks in at a respectable the third, in the most effective weapon at medium ranges for the points category. However the reason why I like it is it is the most effective weapon at long range for the points. This combined with a good altitude stat means any bombers

that fl y over the range of a heavy cannon will be hitting their target on 6+s, which is ok with me. Combining Sabers and Heavy Flak Cannons, you can create a fair amount of fl ak for both aircraft attempting to strafe targets, and for high fl ying bombers.

The last platform I would recommend using is mainly for the coolness factor. The Manticore comes in last in the effectiveness for the points you pay category at all ranges and all altitudes 6 and below. The downsides of the Manticore are numerous, however what makes the Manticore fun is not only is it a good looking model, but that it can hit up to altitude 8 and it has extra damage 5+. This means that if you put it on a level 1 hill the Manticore can hit anything on the table within a 3 diameter circle.

This allows you to pick any fi ghter (or other 2 hit aircraft) within that 3 diameter circle and roll a dice, if you roll a 6, followed by a 5 or better, the aircraft is just dead. For those of you who believe in math-aeronautica thats around a 5.5% to outright kill any fi ghter within 18. I could see this being exciting if used in a battery of 4 Manticores in casual gaming.



By Lack0fBetterName with more writing & assistance by Eater of Small Things

INTRODUCTIONThis battle report is going to be a historical re-fi ght of one of the earlier sorties fl own during the war on Medusa IV. The mission will pit the combined forces of the Dark Angels Space Marines Chapter and 23 Cadian Lightning Fighter Wing vs. the Savage Ork Fliers of Evil Sunz Clan.

I, Lack0fBetterName, will be running the Imperial Squadron in this scenario, as well as authoring the commentary to follow. My opponent is Eater of Small Things, who will be running the Ork Air Waaagh! and contributing additional commentary and some editing. We both frequent the Warseer forums; feel free to look us up there.

This mission features an experimental aircraft, the Ork Minelayer. Since this fl oating Orkish monstrosity has an offi cial datasheet for large Apocalypse battles in Warhammer 40k, we thought it only appropriate to develop our own rules for the Minelayer to be used in Aeronautica Imperialis. For this mission, the Minelayer is considered a moving objective, with the tactical bonus of having the ability to drop aerial mines. As it is otherwise unarmed, it does not have a point value, and is essentially a free Ork aircraft in our scenario.

Aeronautica Imperalis Battle Report: Imperium vs. Orks

BATTLE REPORT: IMPERIUM VS. ORKS

ORK MINELAYER Hits = 4 Max Speed = 3Thrust = 1 Min Speed = 0Maneuver = Very High Max Alt = 7 Weapons = Aerial Mines

DEPLOYING AERIAL MINESThe Minelayer carries a payload of 8 aerial mines. It can deploy 1 mine per turn during the Firing Phase, just as if it had chosen to fi re its weapons. A mine is deployed by placing it in contact with the rear arc of the Minelayers fl ight base. The deployed mine is at the same altitude as the Minelayer and remains stationary until triggered (the mine cannot move or adjust its altitude). Note that it is important to have some way to

mark the altitude of each mine, so that both players can easily see their height.

At the end of any Movement Phase where an aircraft is within 3 of an aerial mine, and at the same altitude, the mine is triggered and detonates. The mine hits the aircraft on a roll of +5, and damages it on a 2+ (extra damage on a +5), similar to a Grot Bomb. It is possible for multiple aircraft to be hit by a single aerial mine blast; simply roll to hit each target that is within 3 and at the same altitude. Remove the mine from the table after it is triggered, whether it damages targets or not. Aerial mines can be triggered by friendly aircraft, except for the Minelayer on the turn it deployed the mine in question. Keep in mind that the Minelayer can still trigger mines that it has laid in previous turns, so be careful!

Aerial mines can be shot down. A mine is treated as an aircraft with 1 hit. Any hits against an aerial mine will damage it on a roll of 2+ regardless of the weapons normal damage roll. If a mine is destroyed in this manner, its repulsor fi eld malfunctions and it plummets harmlessly to the ground. Simply remove the destroyed mine from the table; no detonation occurs.


THE MISSION: BOMBING RUNThis mission will include 130 points worth of Imperial aircraft. It will be a standard Bombing Raid mission. As such, the Orks will have 75% of the Imperials points (100 points after some rounding).

For this mission we will not be using victory points. Instead the Imperial player will have an objective to meet. The Imperial objective is to destroy the Ork factory and the cause signifi cant damage (half or better) to the Mine Pig. If the Imperial player does this, then they

win, if they complete only half the objective (pig or factory) then it is a draw, otherwise the Ork player wins. The Ork players objective is to go really fast and shoot down all the enemy planes with lots of dakka.

FORCESFor the Imperials, the lack of Marauder Bombers In the area has necessitated that the Dark Angels Thunderhawk, Angels Wrath lead the assault (plus, I just love my Thunderhawk). Captain Walker Smith has volunteered to lead a fl ight of escorts in the form of 5 Lightning variants drawn from the Cadian 23rd Lightning Fighter wing. The models in my list are all scratch-builds. I hope this fact will convince more people to try out Aeronautica Imperialis, since the price of Forgeworlds resin models may put off a lot of potential gamers.

Designation Pilots Name Aircraft Add. Weapons LoadAngels Wrath Brother Jaden Thunderhawk Hellstrike MissilesBlue 1 Capt. Walker Smith Lightning Skystrike MissilesBlue 2 Author Milton Lighting Strike Hellstrike MissilesBlue 3 Jack Wilkins Lighting Strike Hellstrike MissilesGreen 1 Lt. Max Kingston Lighting Strike BombsGreen 2 Tom VanDyke Lighting Strike Bombs

The Ork forces will include an Ork Minelayer, the Ork factory (which sports a whopping 10 hit points) and another 100 points worth of aircraft and fi eld anti-aircraft guns. The Orks will also have another six aerial-mines to place before the battle begins.

Designation Pilots Name Aircraft Add. Weapons LoadFighta #1 Chompa Fighta RokkitsFighta #2 Squigface Fighta RokkitsFighta #3 Da Barun Fighta RokkitsFighta-Bommer Bomma Bastat Fighta-Bomba 2 Grot BombsFlakk Trukk X Trukk FlakkFlakk Trukk X Trukk FlakkEavy Flakk Kannon X Platform Eavy Flakk



IMPERIAL DEPLOYMENTI deployed my forces fi rst, throwing the Thunderhawk down on the south side of the board with blue 2 & 3. I hoped these aircraft would draw most of the attention of the Ork fi ghters. As such I deployed Green 1 & 2 to the far north of the board in hopes that they might be able to slip by at high altitude with minimal damage, then dive in and bomb the factory. Blue 1 had the best chance to put some damage on the Mine

Pig, so he deployed in the center of the board at medium speed and altitude so I could adjust to wherever the mine layer showed up.

ORK DEPLOYMENTAll Ork planes are deployed at their board edge at various altitudes in hopes of intercepting the inbound Imperial aircraft and showing off. The Minelayer, affectionately referred to as Da Mine Pig deploys behind the faktory.

Excerpt from an electronic transmission intercepted

moments before engagement Oiy! Dem Umies fi nk dey can go fasta than us Orks!

Dey is fl yin over dis way to try an bomm our faktory! Well dey is in for a suprise cause we got rokkits, shootas, da Mine Pig, and we is fasta!

Waaagh!!!




Both sides raced towards each other. The Ork Fighta-Bommer fi red off the fi rst of its Grot Bombs. Blue 1 cut to the south and dropped in altitude to get a better bead on the Minelayer. Turn 1 was rather uneventful and there was no shooting.



Both sides continued to close on each other. Blue 1 got a lock on the Minelayer and left fl y with multiple salvos of sky-strike missiles and lascannon fi re causing 2 hits. In retaliation, Ork Fighta #1, and the Eavy Flakk Kannon shot and destroyed Blue 1 in a hail of big shoota fi re.

The Thunderhawk cut north and managed to get out of line of site of the Fighta-Bommers forward guns. The Thunderhawks copilot spotted a Grot Bomb bearing down on them at breakneck speed. He quickly ordered the rear-wing heavy bolter servitors to open fi re, and they destroyed the grot-guided missile with incredible accuracy. The Thunderhawks forward heavy bolters scored a hit on Ork Fighta #3.



Turn 3 saw the skies above the factory become very crowded, with aircraft swirling and diving all over the place. The Thunderhawks rear heavy bolter servitor earned his keep today, causing 2 hits as he sent the last of his ammunition into a Flakk Trukk perched on a hill. However, all of the Thunderhawks forward facing weaponry failed to infl ict any damage on the factory.

Blue 2 and Blue 3 also expended the last of their ammunition as they let fl y all of their shots into the factory causing a total of 5 hits. There were a few really lucky dice rolls in this round of shooting for the Imperials. The Orks, on the other hand, were plagued by sub par dice rolling as they failed to score any hits.



Having expended all his ammo, Blue 3 left the board and returned to base. Blue 2 and the Thunderhawk, running low on ammunition and out of position for a follow-up attack, decided to follow suit and make for the board edge.

Green 1 and 2, still completely unscathed, cut south to line up for their bombing run on the factory.

Turn 4 saw the orks shooting take effect as Fightas #1 and #3 swarmed down and destroyed Blue 2 before he could make the board edge. Fighta #2 scored a hit on Green 2.



As the Thunderhawk streaked of the board edge; Green 1 & 2 dropped down to elevation 4 and let loose with a fl urry of bombs, scoring 5 more hits and destroying the factory entirely. The Orks saw many of their aircraft moving too fast to do any good, overshooting Green 1 & 2. Content in the destruction they had rained on the factory and minelayer, Turn 6 saw all remaining Imperial aircraft hit the board edge and return to base.


IMPERIAL CONCLUSIONSThe game was probably a whole lot closer then it appeared. I think if I had lost a second Lightning in Turns 1 or 2, I dont think I would have had the fi repower to completely take down the factory. It would have taken least another two or three turns which would have seen Green 1 & 2 getting swarmed by Fightas before they could drop their bombs.

My MVP of the match has to be Blue 1. He was my only aircraft that had a chance of putting those 2 hits on the Mine Pig by himself. If he didnt do it before he got shot down, I probably would have had to send a pair of the Lightning Strikes after it, and that would mean 2 Strikes wasting their time and ammo on the Minelayer instead of the factory.

The Thunderhawk was probably my weakest unit. Despite dealing out 5 hits, it was unable to damage either objective. Part of this way my fault for not realizing how fast it was going as it fl ew in to strafe the factory. To bad the ammo for the forward heavy bolters cant be used for the rear turret ones, which twice had a target to shoot at, but had already spent all their ammunition.

ORK CONCLUSIONSDespite an aggressive application of dakka, my Orks failed to bring down Lack0fs swarm of Lightnings before it was too late. The Minelayers aerial minefi eld limited

the approaches to the factory, but none were triggered due to some fancy fl ying on Lack0fs part. Even though I lost the game, it was a lot of fun--- chock full of the whistling of Grot Bombs and the whooping shrieks of their pilots.



Battlefl eet Gothic: Da Mek Sez...

Dis iz da baddest, biggest Mek Itzybitz. Iz wun bad mutha

Oi! Shut yer gob and get on wif it den!

Yes Boss, Sure ting Boss. Weeza guna konstruct a krooza so us orkses kan Waaaaagh! Throo da kosmos. Iza guna let me oomie slave tellz ya da know-wotz to construct a krooza fer yerself.

DA GUBBINZ YUZE WANTZ: Sculpey (or Greenstuff, Procreate, etc.) Pointy Tool (Scalpel, Pick, Exacto Knife,

Toothpick, Sharp Stick, etc.) Sharp Tool (Scalpel, Exacto Knife, Razor

Blade, Choppa, etc.) Screw (Flathead) Compass

Orks are a space faring race. Their ships arent as sophisticated as the Eldar or as elaborate as the Imperiums, but thats part of their charm. Their crazed meks use whatever bitz of fl otsam and junk they can to create the fearsome warships of an ork battlefl eet. This ramshackle nature gives the ork Battlefl eet Gothic player a great chance to do some scratch building and still fi t in with the unique look of an ork fl eet.

I decided to use Sculpey to build my terrorship. However, the basic techniques shown in this article can be used to build an ork warship from greenstuff, plasticard,

found materials, or a mix. It is important to note that Sculpey must be baked to harden. Therefore, if you are using a mix of materials make sure they can stand up to high temperatures before adding them to a pre-baked Sculpey model.

In order to begin your space Waaagh! the fi rst thing you need to do is download the Battlefl eet Gothic (BFG) rules from the Specialist Games website. Be warned, there is a lot of material to download. However, it is at my preferred price point; free.

Once you have a basic understanding of the rules, it will help to create your own kustom models. One of the interesting things about BFG is that the size of models does not matter. All measurements are measured from the base pole, while ramming and ordinance hits are measured from the base itself. Therefore, you are pretty free to build your ork ships anyway you like.

So lets get started. The fi rst thing you will want to do is create a prow for your ork ship. Ork prow design is somewhat boxy compared to other fl eets. They dont have the plow shaped prow of the Imperials, or the cone of the Eldar. This make sit even easier for us. Take a wad of Sculpey about the size you want the prow to be, and mold it into a box shape with your fi ngers. Dont worry about leaving fi ngerprints in the clay.

It will look something like this. Next, take a pizza cutter (or anything you feel will give you a clean edge. I like the pizza cutter. Just dont use it on pizza afterwards.) and trim the sides into the shape you want for the prow. I tried to slant the edges to look a bit more like the BFG models prow. The basic shape of the prow is now complete. Set it aside for a bit.

The next step is to create the basic hull of the ship. This will act as the spine for the model and be the anchor for the rest of the ship to build off of. As a result, it will have the tallest and lowest points of your model.

DA MEK SEZ SCULPTING YOUR OWN ORK SHIPS


Simply roll a ball of Sculpey, and then fl atten it to the desired thickness. Some people use a rolling pin for this stage, but the palm of your hand is perfectly acceptable as well.

Once you have the putty fl at, cut out the desire shape you want with a bladed instrument. Be careful to avoid cutting yourself. I used a scalpel, but I have used the pizza cutter for this stage in the past. Other modelers have used Exacto knives, razor blades, toothpicks, pins, and other pointy objects. Remember, this will be the basic shape for your ships hull, so take some care in designing the look you want.

Once you have the basic hull shape you will want to reinforce it so the model will be durable for transport and game play. I used a combination of fl oral wire and push pins for this process. However any wire will work, even chopped up paper clips. Take the wires and run them through the clay lengthwise and also vertically. I ran a pin through each ridge in my hull design to help keep them rigid and upright.

Then I trimmed the vertical pins down to size, but left the front pins. This was where I was going to attach the prow of the ship that I had made earlier. That way the prow would also be supported by the ships wire super structure. Dont worry about fi ngerprints or small marks in the clay. Most of the hull will be covered during the construction process.

After placing the prow onto the front of the hull, I created a collar of Sculpey to help join the two pieces together snuggly. Once baked this collar would reinforce the model for

warhammer 40k firebase issue 06 part 2(r)

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