Fang Fighter Dazzle Camo Repaint- DARKSUN 46

via IFTTT A quick vlog for a quick repaint! A little video showing my first attempts at scum green dazzle camo. Obviously, its space camo so that's fine. Lots of thanks to David Sutcliffe for his blog where i picked up the idea! you can view his blog here: http://ift.tt/2r37VPw and the specific article on dazzle camo here: http://ift.tt/2nwVEU1 Big thanks to www.bensound.co.uk for the free music

Quadjumper Repaint Vlog - Darksun 45

via IFTTT A quick little vlog about my Quadjumper repaint. There's definitely something F.A.B. about this video, id really recommend sticking with it the whole way through. Hope you enjoy it, let me know what you think in the comments. Paint Chipping So, the basic idea is that once you've done a basecoat, you hairspray it to protect it. From there, you can scratch the additional layers off, to reveal back to whatever the metail of the ship you are painting. there are good and bad examples within this video. the contrast of grey to bone is a good example, the red is actually a bad example because ive gone deeper that the gray back to the original colour scheme. but i liked it, so i left it. basically its a quicker and clever way to add battle damage. What is the Thunderbirds? Check out this video, (https://youtu.be/9XNWA_yZvWo) but bascially its a british puppet tv programme about a group of people that save the world over and over. Kind of superheroes, ina really old school, normal way. Think more Night Owl from the watchmen (abiet much more kitted out, trusted and capable). The Music is by a band called Hillsong United, its a track called Awakening from their album Aftermath

Bolt Action Painting Update

via IFTTT Despite not making it to "A Cambridge to far" i have kept working on my paras.So i thought i would try my new surface pro out and try recording a vlog on that. So please forgive the clunky editing, im still finding my way. Indeed, ive spent almost as much time editing this video using funky new software. Or at least, thats what it felt like! What do you think of the models? and can you reccomend any free video editing software for windows?

Yavin open xwing tournament vlog - DARKSUN 43

via IFTTT Last weekend I attended a 390 person tournament for xwing! It was amazing! And I forgot my power bank, so it's all me talking to the camera! Big thanks to all my opponents, I had an absolute blast and I think that's all down to the community. Also a big thanks to Alex, Alec, Vince and the team. Really smoothly run event. Really can't wait until 2018 now!

Patriot Games Regional

via IFTTT So here's my video review of how my day went at the Patriot Games regional. It's not time lapse footage - we were tight on space and I just thought it wasn't worth the risk. Considering I hadn't really flown the list before, I did well to go 3-3 which I'm pleased with. Unfortunately mostly everybody killed ventriss first and then went after bossk, which is not the way it's supposed to be! My list in full was: Bossk & Ventriss cluster (98) Bossk (50) - YV-666 Crack Shot (1), "Mangler" Cannon (4), Cluster Missiles (4), 4-LOM (1), Zuckuss (1), Dengar (3), Inertial Dampeners (1), Guidance Chips (0) Asajj Ventress (48) - Lancer-class Pursuit Craft Push The Limit (3), Latts Razzi (2), Glitterstim (2), Engine Upgrade (4) A big thank you to all the guys I played. Nice to see some familiar faces across the table as well as meet some new ones.

Blood Bowl Custom Throwing Templates Review - Darksun 41

via IFTTT I recently ordered some custom lasercut Blood Bowl throwing templates from http://ift.tt/2kfDm5a and thought id do a little product review for my first vlog of 2017! New House, New Year, New Vlog! I'd really recommend getting hold of one of these if you can. They are really reasonably priced, and work really well as prize support. The letter customisation is really easy, and the guys at Just Lasered at great :). Full Disclosure, I do know Melvin (the guy who runs Just Lasered), but i did pay for these and he's not giving me anything for them! Music from bensound.org

Kath Scarlet Repaint Video - DiceHate part 3 - Darksun 40

via IFTTT So Kris Sherriff from DiceHate and I have collaborated over a mini series on the Firespray. This repaint is part 3 of the series, and it turned out that I went for a green and white design! You can find the other videos in this mini series on Kris' channel (DiceHate) but just in case, here are the specific links: Part 1 - (where we waffle on about the paint jobs): (TBC) Part 2 - (Kris' painting video): https://youtu.be/ApUXoFPXsE4 Part 4 - (where we waffle on about lists): https://youtu.be/63NxVvSHn_Q As you can see, I've gone for a faux Kath Scarlet scheme, to tie in with the rest of my scum fleet, and i'm reasonably pleased with the way its turned out. Really enjoyed collaborating with Kris, if this format proves popular then we might look at repeating it again in the future. We potentially could start moving onto more current ships. Music kindly provided by www.bensound.org

Blood Bowl Battle Report - Elven Union VS Dwarves Darksun 39

via IFTTT So a quick battle report from a pre-season game that I had this week with Matt Sheffield. His Dwarves faced my Elves. Suffice to say, lots of tense rolling of dice followed. My over thoughts? Special play cards are fun, and damn im rusty at this game! My Team was: 1 x Thrower, 2x Catcher, 2x Blitzer, 6x Linemen, 2x Reroll, 1 Apothecary Matts Team Was (I think): 2x Runners, 2x Blitzers, 2x Troll Slayers, 5x Linemen, Lots of Rerolls, 1 Fan Factor Music by Ben Sound. (www.bensound.org)

Blood Bowl Paint Jobs - Darksun 38

via IFTTT Getting ready for the new Blood Bowl Season - finishing off paintign some extra catchers and an old school wardancer. Im probably gonna give Elven Union a try, and so im not sure what the Wardancer model will be. I need to dig out my Squig as hes the Head Coach. So the Wardancer might end up being an extra fancy lineman, or maybe the apothecary. With thanks to www.bensound.org for the music :)

Blood Bowl Paint Jobs

So been painting up my final dudes, with some nicely highlighted glutes. Particularly pleased with the cloak on the wardancer, turned out way better than i'd hoped. Wet blending really helped!

Bolt action league results

So last night I won my bolt action league! Here is the proof: 

I went 7 wins with 1 draw and 2 losses over the last couple of months. Very pleased with the overall result obviously, but also since I've not really played bolt action prior to this term, exstatic to have a the juggernaughts trophy for a short while. 

You can watch my latest vlog about bolt action here:  

X-wing Nationals - Top 32 Cut and beyond! Darksun Life

So not only did I make the top 32 cut for the UK nationals of X-wing, I went almost as far as i could possibly go! I won't ruin the surprise for you (although, trust me id be shouting myself hoarse if i'd won the whole thing!) but I hope you enjoy the Vlog!

I know the blog side of things has been a little lacking lately, TBH I'm really enjoying vlogging and sharing my hobby in that fashion! Plus I don't think i've picked up my 40k stuff much in the past couple of months. Im planning to start seriously getting into my Bolt Action in September, so expect to see pictures and battle reports from that! I havent forgotten about my hobby season pledges, and in all honesty i think this bad boy gets the biggest, baddest completion stamp that i can find! So here it is:

Until next time,

UK Xwing Nationals Tournament Part 1 - Darksun 27

Here it is! Part 1 in all its Glory :) Which of course, means that there will be a part 2! coming hopefully later this week! Subscribe to my YouTube Channel for more vlogging goodness here: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC9yiSXV2P-tTpPb1b2n30PQ

X-wing Spring Kit Tourney Report - Wild Ways Newark. Darksun 26

So i went to Wild Ways at newark last weekend, and (spoilers) finally managed to get my hands on a spring kit challenge coin. I put together the video footage and its here for your viewing pleasure, just click the image of my face above :)

Wednesday night gaming - how to I cheated my way to victory

Yup. That's right. On reflection I'm pretty sure I unintentionally cheated at game club this week. We'll get to that, see if you can spot it on the way through. 

 

Nom nom nom

So on Wednesday I played topher at 40k, and in a habit that happens after every 40k tourney I played with my salamanders, because I like them, but they just aren't as competitive. Here's the list I ran:

Vulkan He'stan 190
Librarian 65

4 Tactical Marines: flamer; + 1 Space Marine Sergeant (power weapon) 90
• Drop Pod 35
4 Tactical Marines: flamer; + 1 Space Marine Sergeant (combi-flamer) 85
• Drop Pod 35

4 Assault Terminators: 4× thunder hammer and storm shield; + 1 Terminator Sergeant (thunder hammer and storm shield) 225
Venerable Dreadnoughts
• Venerable Dreadnought: power fist (built-in heavy flamer) 135
• Drop Pod 35

1 Thunderfire Cannon: + 1 Techmarine Gunner 100
Land Raider Redeemer: multi-melta 250

Inquisitor Coteaz 100

Callidus Assassin 145

1,490 points

So a pretty fun, pretty non competitive list. Toph had lots of big tyranids, 2 flyrants, a tervigon, a big squad of zoanthropes, some squads of gaunts and squads of gargoyles. 

The mission

We played an interesting mission which I've never played before but thouroughly enjoyed. Basically, there are 6 objectives evenly spaced on the board. 3 on each side, with them 16 inches on and 18 inches apart. They also 18 inches in from the sides. You score one point for each you control in your turns only but right before scoring them you roll a d6. The number objective that this corresponds to moves 2d6 plus scatter. If it's a bt symbol you choose the direction. If they go off the table, tough. It's really fun! And also means you can't camp your shoot stuff on them turn 1. 

The game

I got first turn, and deployed basically nothing. Just the land raider (with terminators and vulkan) and the thunderfire cannon. Chris deployed evenly opposite me, with lots of horde everywhere, supported by bigger scarier things. 

In my first turn I burnt some gargoyles (scoring me first blood) with my drop pod marines and moved the rhino up. Then Chris basically charged me with everything. I was surprised not to loose everything, although I think this was in part because i was invisible on one of my squads. Because Chris had charged his gaunts into both small squads it was one massive combat that involved a flyrant, tervigon, and a big squad of gaunts. 

 

They were picking on Coteaz and the one remaining marine so I duly obliged and charged in the assassin and thunder hammer terminators. This combat lasted for a good long while, probly 2-3 game turns. It was eventually won by me, with the Eversor using his fleshbane&shred&power weapons to basically kill everything. 

Whilst his was going on Vulkan had tried to kill the 2nd flyrant and got stomped on. In return im used my multimeltas to fry the big bug before it got away. By the time the combat had finished there wasn't a whole lot left on either side. My thunderfire cannon was chasing objectives unsuccessfully and the zoanthropes had zapped my land raider. 

 

The assassin, Coteaz and two thunderhammer terminators proceeded to slog through the cornfields towards the zoanthropes, and reached them locking them in combat (Although coated blew his own head off on the way in). The mawlocs contained to try to Sarlec pit my poor marines and assassin, but failed miserably. One of them did charge the assassin who over two combat ohases efficiently sliced all his wounds away using power sword+fleshbane+shred. 

The game ended with the 2 remaining zoanthropes locked in combat with an assassin and thunder hammer terminator whilst my dreadnought claimed objectives. I think one of the mawlocs may have been burrowing around somewhere. I rolled out a 12-8 victory on the evening. 

The mission

I actually really enjoyed the mission, it's a lot of fun without being to much hassle. I might reccomend it to Alex if he's looking at new style of game for double trouble. 

Where did I cheat?

Where did I cheat? Well, if you've read all the way through you may have figured it out. The Eversor has a power sword, and a weapon that's fleshbane with shred. But not a weapon that's both! So I'm pretty sure I should have been choosing one or the other. Instead I was wounding, with a re roll and not allowing a save! Rematch needed. Sorry toph! 

Jumpmaster repaints - Finished!

I've started, so I'll finish

Good day to you dear readers! Whilst the nerf bat has in some small way fallen on the Jumpmaster 5000 combo, I was in fact half way through finishing my third repaint. So in the best mastermind tradition I decided I was going to finish what I'd started and get my third Jumpmaster finished. 

 

Here it is, in all its glory! I'm a really big fan of the chequerboard, it gives it a retro feel. It's mostly down with my new bff, masking tape. But the smaller pattern is all free hand. So it's a nice mix of both. It's definately very striking compared to the previous 2 jumpmasters. The effects on the other 2 are much more muted than this. Ironically it's probably the easiest of the 3 (because of the masking tape) and the one that will catch the eye from a distance because of the colour contrast.

 

I highlighted the black as best I could (hopefully it shows up in this photo) as it draws your eye to the squares and tricks it into thinking the paint job is super good. At least, that's the idea!

 

The engines came out well again.  I think I've got this down, which sounds simple but actually isn't because of the 3 different planes on which the engine glow needs to appear the same. The first time I was constantly putting the paint in the wrong place because I couldn't get my forth perception right!

 

The hull is my trademark foam dusted paint effect, which has turned out quite nicely. Pick and pluck foam has been a revelation with these guys. I've used it on all three and it ties in really well. Here they are flying in formation:

 

And again, u-boating off into the distance. 

 

So there we are! If you wanna see how to magnetise like this, go here! Otherwise, tune in soon for more hobby related shenanigans! 

YV-666 Repaint - Darksun 25

Screw your meta

So, in less than 12 months this ship has gone from being the laughing stock of the meta to something that many Scum players value. It's a pretty tough ship, with many options that have certainly seen play in our local area. Thanks in no small part to Shane :) I've repainted mine, and completed the following vlog for all to see :) I hope you enjoy it!

Blog hits! A June record!

A nice little side note - June was the third most highly visited month I've ever had! At nearly 2,500 hits it was only a few hundred behind the time my army got featured on bell of lost souls in 2012! My most successful month is still the month in which I posted my jumpmaster magnetisation article. 

I honk in part it's due to better self promotion, but also with double trouble there has been a lot of linking from other people's blogs, so thanks for that :) very much appreciated! I'm hopeful that I can keep up this momentum and break 50,000 hits before the end of the year. 

Sanctuary Games Tournament Battle Report - Darksun 24

Watch Out - Imperial Veterans is out!

Another weekend goes by, another vlog of me moving toy spaceships around a 3x3 mat. Back at Sanctuary Games in Sutton-in-Ashfield for this one, great fun as ever. Thanks to all my opponents, and to Richard for hosting us. Looking forwards to going back there soon!

Army Review: Double Trouble

The hobby continues! I'm keen to review the performances of the units within my army on the blog! Partly because I enjoy the reflective process, but I'm always interested to see what others think. Its a bit like chasing the White rabbit - it can be a deep hole to fall down!

 

Librarian on a bike (original model!) 5/5

This guy was pretty badass. In the first game he didn't do a great deal, but then tbh most of my army didn't do a great deal in the first game. Games 2&3 taught me to love the psychic power Terrify, as units left the board in both games. I'll definitely be using that more often. 

He has intrinsic value to the list in that he makes the bikes objective secured. This saves points elsewhere in the list and gives me two very fast super scoring units. Overall I would keep the librarian. 

Boltgun Scouts & Landspeeder Storm 4/5

These guys performed well, needlessly dying in the first game but in the second and third game they really put in a shift. In the second game, they helped play a part in the refused flank tactic that contributed to our successes in that game, before flying away rather swiftly.  

 

In the third game their scout and infiltrate is limited by the deployment, but they could have gone in my partners deployment zone. However! They did well, using their scout move and our first turn to "drive by" a unit of dark Eldar, rapid firing them to their doom. The objective secured landspeeder is a huge boon to the army, I would definitely take these guys again. 

 

2x Grav Gun Bikes (3 man units) 4/5

These guys are really what made my list tick. They are also objective secured thanks to the biker librarian, and have lots of grav. Whilst their shots aren't as reliable as the centurions, I really like these guys. Being able to move 24 inches in one turn is something that again really helped with securing objectives. 

The one issue for me is their size. At 3 models you only need to blink at them and the lose their effectiveness. Perhaps at next year's double trouble I'll try bigger squads, but I don't know if they then loose their points efficiency.  The funny thing is that I could broke the rules a bit by having a command squad on bikes. That would have given me three squads of bikes and been totally legit. 

 

Grav cannon Centurions in a drop pod 2/5

So these guys are badass, and i got called all sorts of things for bringing them. Spending 1/3 of my 750 points (plus the cost of the drop pod) on them is the closest I've ever come to fielding a "Deathstar" in the late 5th early 6th tradition of death stars. I was worried that I would be surrounded by fluffy, deliberately teeth less lists and look out of place, but there were some equally competitive lists, so I didn't feel bad. 

However, in the 3 games I played they didn't feel useful to a 285 point equivalent. They killed a lot less than normal, i'm not sure if that's because they are to far towards being a white elephant at 750 points. I faced a reasonable amount of armies where their grav weapons would have been useful, but they just weren't quite all that. That could be situational, we'll have to see!

Tactical Squad with missile launcher (original models!) 3/5
These guys performed reasonably, mainly just holding an objective and being in the backfield, allowing us to double up on points all the time. They were the only unit to get destroyed in the first game. In part I think that's due to them being 5 marines with a missile launcher (and therefore not a threat) but their presence meant that we always had an objective, in every turn of every game.

For me there was something very encouraging to use these models. They are "me", they're a massive part of where my hobby started. To use them where my hobby is now was a big encouragement! And I've gotta say, I got a real kick out of seeing other people's 1st time models there.

Conclusion
So there you are! my short review of something that happened 2 weeks ago. Overall, I think the army performed well, as you can see from the ratings. Nothing was that big a suprise, the faster units were really what allowed me to do so well. I'd be tempted to trade the grav cents out for maybe 2 units of something. Perhaps a bike command squad and something arriving from reserve. Maybe even wheel out the legion of the damned! Love those guys. 

The big learning point for me was how much i like terrify. I'm going to be using terrify a lot more i think! I've already fielded a librarian conclave once since. I'll be fielding it a lot more in the future!