Colonel Elvo Returns

I have been building an Adeptus Mechanicus Imperial guard army since the Hallowed days of Third Edition 40k. It started as more of a aesthetic choice and my fascination with the Adeptus Mechanicus background. Then in late '04 /early '05 I found Tim Huckleberry's home grown Adeptus Mechanicus codex. There were all kinds of modeling opportunities and rules for models like Imperial Robots that had been dropped from the Imperial Guard codex.
Tim's AdMech Codex was a work in progress and I came up with the idea for my basic trooper conversion, that allowed me to easily do weapon swaps if a units options changed. Then came the new Guard Codex with doctrines. I choose to use cybernetic enhancement and chem inhalers to model the my Guard army. None of the Tech Priests I had modeled up really matched what I wanted with my new commander so I built Col. Elvo, in all his stormbolter wielding and power fist swinging glory. I also built four veterans with stormbolter to form his command squad. If you haven't noticed I really dig stormbolters. Elvo may not have been the optimum load out for a Guard commander but I had fun fielding him anyway.
As they always do another Guard Codex came out. I had to go back to the drawing board. One big issue with the new codex was that the stormbolter option was removed. Col. Elvo was no longer a legal model. His command squad was also out of date so I converted them over to special weapon troopers. I debated about leaving Elvo on the shelf and waiting for another codex to make him legal again but came up with a better plan. He would return to the table as a proxy for "Iron Hand" Straken. The conversion was simple, I just removed the stormbolter and the meltabomb from his backpack, then added a plasma pistol and a necromunda shotgun to his backpack.

Col. Elvo in his former colors but No more.

The new Elvo reequipped and a new paint job.

A rear shot of his back pack.

Another shot showing the shotgun and the bionic arm detail.

I know what you are wondering " Why does Elvo have a Pompadour hairdo?" For a long time I have been contemplating building a group of Flying Elvises to use as a stormtrooper squad. Jump suits, styled hair and Hell guns. I sculpted a Pompadour hairdo on a catachan head with sunglasses and I liked it. When I started building my new commander the head was on the desk and cried out to be used and Elvo was created. He is definitely one of my most favorite models and now can be returned to the table to fight the good fight.

Fleshtearer Revamp

I finally picked up a copy of the newest Blood Angels codex. I broke out my old Fleshtearer army, did a model count and now I am planning a new and improved army.

My Fleshtearers have two assault squads, two veteran assault squads, 2 tactical squads, 4 scout squads, an honor guard squad, nineteen Death Company, a couple dreadnoughts, a few vehicles
and a hand full of Land speeders. When the "Get By" codex was published in White Dwarf I added Commander Dante and Mephiston but never actually played a game with that codex.

With the new codex and the amazing amount of options open for the different units I am in overload for exactly how to equip or reequip my squads. I will have to add models to most of my squads to bring them up to ten model strength. Currently all my squads are less than ten models but I want to be able to use the combat squads rule so I am gathering the bits for some reinforcements.

The one model that I plan to add is Chapter Master Gabriel Seth. He is the Fleshtearers Chapter Master. He is one of the main reasons I bought the codex and plan to get them back on the table. I have also picked up a box of Sanguinary Guard but I am still haven't decided how I am going to equip them. I am planning to add claws to my Death company dreadnought to be blood talons and I am debating giving some of my death company different weapon upgrades.

I have a bunch of ideas and will come up with a little more coherent plan soon.

Fireball Forward with Catawba Gamers

Yesterday I rode down to Charlotte with Chuckaroo and John Bays for another great game played with the Catawba Military Gaming Society. Because of a scheduling conflict at Parker Banner Kent and Wayne in Cornelius the game was hosted by Jerry Frazee at his Mancave. Jerry is helping play test a new set of WWII miniature rules called Fireball Forward. We played using 15mm miniatures with the scenario representing a Panzer Lehr night counter attack through the bocage after the Normandy landings. Because of the night attack scenario rule, units could only spot within twelve inches. This made the game up close and ugly.
I played on the German side and our objective were to get the Panther tanks off of the US board edge, capture the US headquarters and destroy the American units. The US objectives were to stop the Germans, Keep their headquarters and destroy the German units.

Some of the Lads in the Mancave, L to R, Barry, Joe, Brian(?), Jerry.

The Field of Battle from the American board edge. All units on both side started the game hidden and had to be spotted. Once a unit was spotted it was placed on the table for the rest of the game. All of the initial movements were plotted on a map and units had to declare if they were spotting instead of shooting.

The German scout Halftrack buzzes down the road and is shot at with a bazooka from the building in the top left of the picture. The shot misses and the Track continues to speed down the road.

Return fire from the German Infantry causes the surviving Bazooka team to displace in front of a Panther tank. The Panther shoots at the Bazooka team but only suppresses it.

The Panther Platoon moves up on the German right flank.

An M10 tank destroyer moves out, making one mean roadblock.

German Infantry run through the Bocage down the German left flank.

Us Infantry the Panthers drove past and didn't spot, now move out and close assault the closest Panther. They fail to do anything.

An M10 fires and reveals itself in the Bocage. Return fire from the Panther destroys it.

The command Panther starts to move out for the board edge and is destroyed by opportunity fire from several hidden M10s.

The Roadblock M10 destroys the scout Halftrack.

The two M10's in the open scoot of spotting range of the Panther's.

One Panther moves up while the other bogs for a second time. The entire board except for the road was considered muddy field, so to move a tank you roll a bog test to move, then if you roll across and obstacle you have to make another bog test. If you fail a test you stop where you are and can attempt to move again on your next activation.

A Panther moves up to take a shot at the roadblock M10, and misses.

Return fire from the M10's destroy the second Panther.

German Infantry continue the movement up the German left flank.

German Infantry move into the orchard to try and shoot panzerfausts at the Roadblock M10 and are fired on by revealed hidden US infantry dug in on the other side of the orchard.

The surviving Panther is stunned by return fire from the roadblock M10. The surviving bazooka team moves to get a side shot on the Panther but misses.

The surviving Panther recovers and destroys the roadblock M10.

The surviving Panther fires on the Bazooka team but only suppresses it.

A M10 breaks through the Bocage and is destroyed by opportunity fire from the surviving Panther.

The last panther moves into the line of fire to get a shot on another M10 and is destroyed by opportunity fire.

After trading fire with the US infantry for several rounds the German infantry clear out the trench next to the Bocage.

The US Headquarters are revealed in the building on the left. An M10 moves up to defend it. The discussion stared about this time to call the game but in the end the German decide to go for the US HQ and maybe a win.

Using the German Initiative chip the Infantry unit is able to activate twice. Moving up to the Bocage to fire on the HQ building and then again to assault the building.

The Germans are stunned in the assault but because the US commander is by himself he has to withdraw. This leaves the the Germans in control of the US HQ, if they can survive the rest of the turn.

The US brings everything they can to bear and destroys the German Infantry. A US Infantry squad moves back into the HQ ending the game.

Even though I was knocked out of the game before the end I had a really fun time. It is always good to get together with the Catawba Gamers for a good game. It looks like I will be helping Chuckaroobob put on a The Sword and the Flame game for them next month.

Ambush at Bloody Creek

Welcome to the next Episode of the ongoing Pulp Chronicle.

In their hideout beside the ominously named Bloody Creek, Chestnut Skunk and his minions plot their next nefarious caper.

While Chestnut and the anarchists Vito and Ishmal plan downstairs, Yoseph keeps watch with his deadly Thompson sub-machine gun.

In the distance an engine roars as it speeds down the road toward Chestnut's hide out.

The Truck speeds up to the Hide out.

Yoseph recognizes it as The Border Police and opens fire with his Tommy gun. He tries to shoot out their tires but misses because of their speed.

Warned by Yoseph Chestnut steps out of the building and tosses a grenade under the truck.

The grenade goes off blowing the tires. Booker and Joe Friday both jump from the truck and injure themselves.

The grenade got the tires on the truck but Chestnut also hit him self in the legs with shrapnel.

Ishmal leans out and shoots Booker in the knee.

Kowalski Hops out of the back of the truck and lands uninjured, while Degreas'e power brakes the truck and prevents it from wrecking. Chestnut stands up and dares the Border police to try and take him. Kowalski then shoots him in both legs with his Tommy gun.

Degreas'e gets out of the truck and using it as cover fires at Ishmal. Ishmal ignores Degreas'e and continues to pump bullets into Booker.

Booker gets up and heads for cover while Chestnut does the same in the opposite direction.

Vito hides in the woods and manages to knock Kowalski down.

Booker gets a deadly hit on Ishmal with his shotgun. As Ishmal's life blood leaks out he promises " My sons will continue the struggle".

After taking a shotgun blast to the chest Yoseph decides somebody needs to start up the bus and flees from his sniper perch upstairs. Staggering on his bullet ridden legs, chestnut moves back into the building.

Degreas'e moves up to get a clearer shot on the running criminals. He aims carefully with his pistol, fires and hits Chestnut in the chest. Chestnut's bullet proof vest stops the bullet. He turns on Degreas'e and throws another grenade.

The grenade goes over Degreas'e and blows up between him and Booker. The blast knocks Booker unconscious and severely wounds Degreas'e.

After taking hits on both arms and being unable to return fire Vito runs for the bus. Hopefully he has learned a lesson about taking his pistol up against a Tommy gun.

The criminals converge on the bus. While the horribly wounded Border Policemen try to care for their own.

Chestnut and his badly wounded minions get into the bus and flee deeper into the hills.

Once again Chestnut Skunk has eluded his pursuers, but this time the Border Police put down one of his minions permanently. After managing to return to base the Border Police raid anybody they think might have any information that will lead to Chestnut Skunk. Days pass as the Border Police tear up the countryside Chestnut's trail growing cold. Then a Break, a stevedore rounded up in a bordello raid, tells them he saw Chestnut board a tramp freighter. He didn't remember the name of the ship but he knew where it was going,

KNEECAP ISLAND.

This was a game of 45 Adventure played by Chuckaroo and me. It was a hell of a game. I played Chestnut and Chuck played his trusty Border Police. Chuck had me on the run but one grenade toss by Chestnut turned the game on its head. It was the first time we have played and somebody used explosives. Chestnut's first grenade toss hitting him self made me cautious about using them but after Degreas'e put a pill in Chestnut's vest and Booker was just around the corner with his shotgun a grenade was Chestnut's best bet.

Another first was the game was played at a much closer range than we normally play. This made it a much more dangerous game with everybody in short range and getting a plus to hit.

I can't wait for the next game.