Well A bit of good news I have finished my Stormlord and my Storm Raven. So far so good. things are looking up. Here are their pics::

Stormlord Front Right Top View.

Nothing Wrong with alittle Air Support

My Storm Raven Front Left View.

My Storm Raven Front Right View.

Raptor Project Builds Continues..

I am currently participating in Bolter and Chainsword Forum's ETLII paint challenge. I have up to five vows to commit to, but so far I am committing to one vow for starters and trying not to go in over my head. My current Vow has me finishing up my  Raptors Stormlord, my Hind, and one of my Whirlwinds. I thought three models to paint shouldn't be too much of a commitment. I'll end up finishing way before AUG 15, which I think is the deadline. Here are some WIP...

Storm Raven in Parts

Stormlord Sprues Primed

Whirlwinds in Progress

Storm Raven and Stormlord Built and Primed; Storm Talon for Support

So there you have it folks, my current progress as is. So far so good and I'm starting to love the results, I mean com'on look at the pics... pretty much speaks for themselves don't you think?

Stormlord converted to display use by Space Marine Scouts....

Space Marine Stormlord? WHA...

"The Stormlord is a super-heavy main battle tank and variant of the Shadowsword tank-hunter and Titan-killer tank used by the forces of the Imperial Guard. The Stormlord replaces the Volcano Cannon of the Shadowsword with a Vulcan Mega-Bolter. By removing the large capacitors and generators required for the Volcano Cannon to operate extra space has been opened up near the rear of the vehicle which allows the Stormlord to carry up to 40 infantrymen as an open-topped armoured transport. The Stormlord excels in the exact opposite role as the Shadowsword, as an infantry support vehicle, as its armament allows it to easily rip through infantry and light vehicles. Like every sanctioned Imperial variant of the Shadowsword and Baneblade, the Adeptus Mechanicus Forge World that manufactured each Stormlord records each tank's service number and tracks all of its accomplishments in the Emperor's service as each Stormlord is considered to be a divine servant of the Machine God....

-STORMLORD Warhammer 40,000 wiki

I recently acquired a Stormlord model at a steal, but I have a Space Marine Army... so how the heck am I going to use it with Space Marines? What is the Reason? Then it hit me, I am using Lias Issodon as my Chapter Master and the doctrine of the Raptors is basically win at any practical costs, well essentially. Yet I did not have a means of acquiring one through fluff. As plently of people that know me, know that I love fluff over competitiveness.  I truely prefer fluffy and themy armies, especially with my Raptors. So I did a little digging and found these passages as a perfect tie in.

"....Catachan Jungle Fighters - The Catachan Jungle Fighters often make use of the Stormlord's massive infantry support firepower and its large transport hold to enhance their highly mobile and powerful light infantry fighting forces."

-STORMLORD Warhammer 40,000 wiki


 "Third War for Armageddon (998.M41) - The Raptors deployed a task force of five companies from the Chapter throughout the equatorial jungles and vapour woods of the Hive World of Armageddon during the Third War for Armageddon. The Raptors served alongside the infamous Imperial Guard regiment known as the Armageddon Ork Hunters and the Catachan Jungle Fighters whose deadly jungle warfare skills and infiltration tactics were best suited to the terrain."

-RAPTORS Warhammer 40,000

After referencing these passages I found my reason of fielding one. My Raptors are going to have a Stormlord due to their actions during the Third War of Armageddon working hand in hand with Catachan Regiments in Armageddon's Jungles. I now have a Fluufly reason for my army to have a Stormlord. Awesome, but why field it, why on earth does my Raptors need to field such a treasured reward.

Why the heck not? I am fielding their Chapter Master, Lias "The Grim" Issodon. Infact I could even reason the Stormlord is out there for the simple fact it acts as a mobile training command platform for their Tenth Company in cases where the Chapter Master is involved in training some of their scouts. so what do you think? I apologize for this, but regardless of what you think I'm using it on the next Apocalypse game. Well it may just last a turn or two, well have to just see now don't we?

Fantasy Flight says goodbye to Dust; Battlefront says Hello to Dust...wait wha?

So it has been brought to my attention that battlefront will be the new publisher for Dust come June 2013. Dust studios has called Fantasy Flight Games their home for the past 2 and half years, since their debut at GenCon 2010. How will this bode well for you gamers out there in the digital megaverse? I call Switzerland on this one. Oddly enough, my GW fix and whom I provide my funds to grudgingly, is being replaced by Battlefront since I recently got into Flames of War and Dust Warfare.

I feel as though my pockets and coffers will be emptied by the end of this year. How outstanding, yeah right. Perhaps I should spend my money on my wife for a few days. Perhaps summer blockbusters such as World War Z, Pacific Rim, etc. beckons for my cold hard earned mullah.

At any rate, I am finishing up my Warhammer 40,000 army that is my Raptors Chapter and beginning my Flames of War Easy Company of 2-506th PIR 101st ABN DV. man that was a mouthful and my hands quiver with hatred and oddly enough awe at painting 15mm miniatures. Now Battlefront has gotten their hands on Dust, my Allied Force might be taken out of the back burner and brought to the light. hmmm.

One Army at a time Hiro, one Army at a time.

Here's the link to the article..Battlefront welcome Dust from Fantasy Flight

So I have finally dusted off my Flames of War Miniatures from its boxes and begun the horrible process of painting 15mm minatures... F ME sideways.

I'll definately post some progress pics up of my Easy Company 2-506th PIR 101st ABN DIV Force... yay. Kill me.

2000k Raptors Chapter Army List

Raptors Long Range Reconnaissance Detachment: 2000 Point List

2 HQs:
Lias Issodon(IA9)
Damocles Rhino (IA)

6 Troops:
2x Camo Cloaked Scout Squads with Sniper Rifles with Missile Launchers
2x Camo Cloaked Scout Squads with Sniper Rifles with Heavy Bolters
1x Camo Cloaked Scout Squads with Sniper Rifles and Bolters with Missile Launcher
1x Camo Cloaked Scout Squads with Sniper Rifles and Bolters with Heavy Bolter

3 Fast Attack:
2x Three Man Scout Bike Squad with AGL and CM
1x Storm Talon

3 Heavy Support:
2x Whirlwind Hyperios
1x Whirlwind


Tactics:

I deploy the Whirlwinds and the Damocles First.

Lias and 4-5 Scout Squads Infiltrate; depending on the mission I opt to combat Squad them. 1-2 Squads are turned into Combat Squads to Outflank along with the Scout Bike Squads. If there are reserves rule for the mission, I have my Storm Talon Escort.

Thus far I'm 4-0 with this list and IMHO I can chalk that up to luck. BTW a FW FAQ has the Hyperios turned from an AA mount to having Skyfire
and Interceptor so they can shoot at ground targets.

It is my belief that my list is pretty Fluffy, even converted the pilot of my Storm Talon into a Scout Pilot.

Two Year Return

How long has it been? Two years since I last posted and with a new look. Alot has changed and happily enough a few remained the same, a slim few. So far I have made great strides in the world of hobbies such as finally finishing up my armies.

I have decided to return to Games Workshop's Warhammer 40,000 and Battlefront's Flames of War, but that's on the back burner. I have picked up Privateer Press'  Warmachine and Hordes as well as Fantasy Flight's Dust and their Games Workshop IP's for roleplaying games.

As for Warhammer 40,000 specifically I have finally choosen an army to replace my sold Space Wolves, Imperial Guard Air Cavalry, and Tyranids. With the advent of 6th edition arriving last year, I looked into Imperial Armour 9 and 10 for inspiration. There I have settled on the Raven Guard Successor Chapter, the Raptors. I absolutely fell head over heels in love with this Codex: Space Marine chapter.

It was love at first sight, especially since I have been a long range marksman in most first person shooters all my life playing video games. I wanted to build an Army of marksman and the like. I have read the fluff pertaining to the Raptors and to reiterate, it was love at first sight.I have begun to create a Scout Themed Army and have limited myself to that theme. Suffice to say, I am able to field a full Space Marine Company of Scouts led by the Raptor Chapter Master, Lias "the Grim" Issodon.

One Hundred Scouts is quite the endeavor and fielding such a force is feasible with a dual force organization chart in a 3000 point game, but the creation of the Company is primary. The series of weekly blogs that I am going to post will be my works of progress with this project and hopefully I'll show something presentable in the end.

Some of the Finished Scouts.... Eighty-five out One Hundred and Fifteen of more Models to go....ugh...