Warhammer 40,000 - Death Guard Codex Review

Hi all

We have been fortunate enough to have been sent the new Death Guard codex to review. So here we go :-)

I will start off with the new character, the Lord of Virulence. 

As you can see, his stat line is the same as most the other characters for the death guard, however, he is aimed with a pretty deadly flamer. The twin plague spewer is Heavy 2D6, S5, AP-1, D1. As with all flamers, this automatically hits, but it’s also classed as a plague weapon. This means you re-roll wounds rolls of 1. 

He also comes with a plague claw, which is his melee weapon. Sx2 (8), AP-3, D2. This also is classed as a plague weapon.

He comes with a 4+ invulnerable save, due to his diseased terminator armour. 

As you can see, he can dish out a ton of damage at close range, and just like most death guard, is really survivable. 

I must also add that I absolutely love the model. If I was to do a death guard army, he would definitely be at the top of my list. 

Stratagems

I have had a read of all the stratagems included in this codex, and just wanted to mention a couple of my favourite.

First up is Haze of Corruption. This has a cost of 2CP and causes damage to carry over to other models in the same unit. It’s always a bit annoying when you have wasted damage left over from a kill. This gives you the opportunity to kill multiple models with a single shot.

The second one that really good out for me is Diseased Effluents. For this one, you get to choose a death guard character, and 1 enemy model that is in engagement range. The death guard take 1 moral wound. Then you roll a D6, on a 2+, the enemy model takes 2D3 mortal wounds, D3 if they are a character. This only costs 1 cp, and I think is a great way of dishing out damage before you even start the combat phase. 

Deadly Pathogens

Next up is the deadly pathogens. These are upgrades that you can give any death guard characters in a battle forged army. These automatically adds 1 to the strength characteristic to a plague weapon, and you can either add 1 to the power rating, or each one has their own points value. 

The one I like is acidic malady. It’s a pretty simple one that just improves the weapons armour penetration by 1.  So take the lord of virulence as an example. You could make his flamers AP-2. Brutal!!!

Warlord Traits

Moving onto the warlord traits, all of them are really good, and it was quite tough to pick a favourite. 

I really like Rotten Constitution. This added 1 toughness to the warlord, also, weapons with an armour penetration of -1 or -2, is treated as AP0 when targeting the warlord. This would make your warlord even more survivable than normal

Relics

Most of the relics available, Are very situational, and can only be a equipped on people with certain weapons. Quite a safe pick for me and one that anyone can use is the Plague Skull of Glothila. Once per battle, the bearer can use this item. When it does, you pick an enemy unit within 6” and roll 7 D6s. Every 4-5, that unit suffers 1 mortal wound. And rolls of 6, the unit suffers D3 wounds instead. This is a really good way of weakening a unit before the combat phase. 

There really is so much more I could mention about this brilliant codex, but I more thing I will say, is now I am extremely tempted to do a Death Guard force now. I really like the idea of a tough, low model count army, and there isn’t many batter at that than the Death Guard.

Let me know what you think of the codex, and if you have any questions in the comments down below. 

Take care :-)

Ghroll Khuz

Ghroll Khuz Painting Update Neophyte Hybrids

Hi all

I have managed to finish another squad to add to my Genestealer Cult army. This is my second squad of 10 Neophyte Hybrids. 

This time I have gone for more of a ranged unit, equipping the majority of the squad with autoguns. 

The 2 special weapons I have chosen is a grenade launcher and a Webber, while the heavy options I chose were a mining laser and seismic cannon. 

This is the last squad I will be doing at the moment, but I will be adding a commander, so stay tuned for more updates from myself and the other authors.

Make sure you check out https://www.battlegroundgaming.co.uk/ for all your hobby needs and use AOWSAVE for an extra 2% off your order and a chance to win £500 of store credit (see the website for details)

Take care :-)

Ghroll Khuz Painting Update Acolyte Hybrids

Hi all

I have managed to finish another squad to add to my Genestealer Cult army. This time it’s a squad of 5 Acolyte Hybrids. 

I have equipped this squad with a Heavy Rock Drill and a Heavy Rock Cutter, both of which can cause quite a lot of damage in close combat. 

I am really happy with how these have come out, and can not wait to include these in my new game of 40k or Kill Team. 

Next up, I think I will do my 2nd 10 man Neophyte squad, this time going for a more ranged unit.  

Stay tuned for more updates from myself and the other authors, and don’t forget to check out our friends at Battleground Gaming here https://www.battlegroundgaming.co.uk/. Without them, this competition would be nothing. 

Take care :-)

Ghroll Khuz Painting Update Jackal Alphus

Hi all

I have been on a bit of a painting spree, and I have yet another update for you. This time it’s the Jackal Alphus.

This model is once again an absolute dream to put together and paint. 

I’m not entirely sold on the paint scheme that I chose, but it was something new and challenging for me to try out which is always a good thing. 

I’m not really sure what I’ll be painting next, but I guarantee that there will be another update by the end of the weekend.

Stay tuned for more updates from myself and the other authors, and don’t forget to check out our friends at Battleground Gaming here https://www.battlegroundgaming.co.uk/. Without them, this competition would be nothing. 

Take care :-)

Ghroll Khuz Painting Update Achilles Ridgerunner

Hi all

Since my last update, I worked all day moday, and a few hours tonight on my first Achilles Ridgerunner.

I can say this kit is an absolute dream to put together and paint.

I decided to equip the mine with a Heavy Mining Laser and a Survey Auger. My aim is for this to be able to use its speed and agility to hunt down larger vehicles or beasts. 

I do believe that the other options for this vehicle are also worth taking, so I will be getting at least two more.

Next up, I will work on one of the many characters available to the Genestealer Cult.

Stay tuned for more updates from myself and the other authors, and don’t forget to check out our friends at Battleground Gaming here https://www.battlegroundgaming.co.uk/. Without them, this competition would be nothing. 

Take care :-)

Ghroll Khuz Painting Update Neophyte Hybrids

Hi all

This will be my first, of I hope many many more painting updates for our competition. 

The main bulk of my painting will be of my Genestealer Cult, and here is my first completed squad.

I have tailored these to be more suited at short range, so I have equipped them with shotguns, and the leader with a power pick and bolt pistol. 

Overall I really happy with how these have turned out, I just have 50 more to do :-/.

First however, I will be taking a break from Neophytes and will paint my first Achilles Ridgerunner, and maybe a character or 2 :-)

Stay tuned for my updates, and don’t forget to check out our friends at Battleground Gaming here https://www.battlegroundgaming.co.uk/. Without them, this competition would be nothing. 

Take care :-)

My first Genestealer Cult Model

Hi all

After much deliberation, I have finally decided on how I would like to paint the flesh of my Genestealer Cult models. Here is the first completed model

I am very happy with the way it has come out, and the painting scheme is surprisingly quick and easy. Which is a good thing seeing as though I have 59 more of these to paint. Wish me luck!!

Check out https://ageofwarhammer.blogspot.com/2019/02/skaven-battletome-review.html?m=1 for details regarding a competition with our friends at Battleground Gaming for a chance to win £150 worth of GW products.

Take care :-)

Sector Imperialis

Hi all.

Had a busy day today working on my first few pieces of Sector Imperialis terrain.

Once you have got an idea of how you want to build it, which for me took a lot longer then expected, the kits really are great, and fit together like a dream. 

As you can see, I have put together a couple of pretty big buildings, and I plan to add a few smaller ones tomorrow. 

Take care :-) 

Warhammer Underworlds: Shadespire Gameplay

Hi everyone,

This weekend Kaelo, Ghroll and I have put together the models, read the rulebook and had our first 'Quick-Start' game of Shadespire.

Firstly, I'm pleased that the models are as easy as they look to put together, if not easier. Kaelo was timed clipping, trimming and assembling one of the miniatures, and it took 1minute and 11secs. The only thing that I think lets the models down are that they seem to be made with quite a soft plastic, and I think it'd be quite easy to scratch or break some of the more delicate pieces.

We started playing the game with the Quick-Start Sheet, as it gives a well-rounded explanation of the basics of moving, charging, attacking and defending. It gives enough to be able to move into playing the game confidently with all of its additional cards, objectives etc. without feeling overwhelmed. You are required to assemble four fighters - the Liberators Severin Steelheart and Angharad Brightshield, and the Bloodreavers Garrek Gorebeard and Blooded Saek, and also find their fighter cards.  Pictures included below of our Quick-Start Sheet game:

As part of the Quick-Start sheet, two fighters Severin Steelheart (blue) and Garrek Gorebeard (red) are placed on the board, at least 3 hexes apart.




When you move a character, you can move them up to a number of hexes that is equal to their Move characteristic. Severin can move up to 3 hexes, and does so as below. Once a character has moved, they cannot move again until the next round. So a move token is put next to Severin as a reminder.

It is now Garrek's turn. An attack with a Range characteristic of 1 means it can only be used against an adjacent fighter, meaning that Garrek can attack in this scenario. When you attack, you roll the number of dice that is detailed on the fighter's card. The fighter card also details a symbol and this tells you what symbol you need to roll for a successful hit, and there is also a 'critical' symbol which hits regardless.

When a fighter is a target of an attack, you roll a number of defence dice equal to the Defence characteristic detailed on their fighter card. Similar to attacking, when you defend, you roll the number of dice that is detailed on the fighter's card along with a symbol. The fighter card also details a symbol and this tells you what symbol you need to roll for a successful save, and there is also a 'critical' symbol which saves regardless.

Once all the dice have been rolled, whichever fighter has more successes wins. If the attacker wins, the target suffers damage equal to the Damage characteristic of the Attack action. That number of wound tokens is then put on the target's fighter card. When they have as many wound tokens as their Wounds characteristic, they are taken out of action and removed from the game.

If the target wins, or if it is a draw, the target suffers no damage.  If the attacker wins or if it is a draw, the attacker can push the target back one hex.  In the example shown below, it is assumed that Severin wins and doesn't take any damage.




Next, we're going into charging. It's the Liberators' turn to act, and Angharad is placed on a hex on the game board, within 3 hexes of Garrek.




Angharad will now charge at Garrek. When a fighter makes a Charge action, they can move and attack at the same time. It's very powerful, but means that they cannot do anything for the rest of the round so must be used wisely. Angharad moves so that she is adjacent to Garrek and attacks. As she is next to Severin, she has support in attack. When you have friendly fighters adjacent to the same enemy fighter they assist each other, making it easier to land a hit or fend off a foe. When Angharad makes an attack with Severin standing next to her, an additional symbol on the dice also counts as a success (this works the same for defence). Once Angharad has made her attack, a charge token will need to be placed next to her, as a reminder that she can't do anything for the rest of the round.




As you can see on Garrek Gorebeard's fighter card, he has a total of 4 wounds on his Wounds characteristic. During Angharad's Charge attack, Garrek has taken 2 wounds and so the same amount of wound tokens are placed on his card.




At this point, the Liberators have each had 2 activations (a Move and a Charge) while the Bloodreavers have only had one (an Attack). In each action phase, each side can take 4 activations (which is in most cases, simply taking an action with a fighter). If no one can move or attack, you can pass, doing nothing, and this will count as one of the activations. Once both sides have taken 4 activations, the action phase is over and the end phase begins. 

Blooded Saek is placed anywhere on the game board for this next section.  It is now the Bloodreavers' turn to take an action, and we continue to finish the action phase. 




Blooded Saek attacks Severin Steelheart and he takes 3 wounds as he is unable to defend himself, even with the support in defence in place.




As Severin has taken 3 wounds, he has had 3 wound tokens placed on his fighter card, and he is left with only 1 wound remaining.




The Liberators take their next turn, attacking Garrek Gorebeard.

Garrek is unable to defend himself and takes another 2 wounds. As he has already had 2 wounds and his Wound characteristic is 4, an additional 2 tokens are placed on Garrek's fighter card and he has been removed from the board.

It is the Bloodreavers' turn, and Blooded Saek attacks Severin Steelheart. The attack is defended, and Severin loses no wounds. Severin fights back and his attack hits. As Blooded Saek has no support in defence, he's already at a disadvantage and his defence lets him down.

Blooded Saek has been removed from the board, as he has taken 3 wounds from this attack, which is equal to his Wounds characteristic.




3 wound tokens are added to his fighter card as an added measure. At this point, we will have reached the end phase, where all tokens are cleared from the board and any fighters who have moved or charged will once again be able to do so. It's then the end of the round, and the next round begins.




You would continue playing this until all of the fighters on one side are taken out of action (which is what happened in our run through), or you reach the end of the third round. When a fighter is taken out of action, the other side wins a glory point. Whichever side has the most glory points at the end of the third round wins.

It's worth noting that this is a very simplified start to the game, in order to introduce you to the basics of the game before bringing in the more complicated aspects.

Age of Warhammer will be looking to play and review a full game of Shadespire within the coming weeks, so keep your eyes peeled for some more detail on that.

If you have anything you'd like us to cover on the game, please comment below and let us know! :)

Thanks for reading and stay tuned for further content in the coming weeks.

Danariel x

Eight Lamentations: Spear of Shadows

Hi all

As some of you may have already noticed, the next Age of Sigmar is not on the Black Library website, to be released in September.

 

I am really looking forward to reading if this one, as it will be the first real look into what the mortals are doing. 

This will be the first instalment of a trilogy called the Eight Lamentations. We are led to believe that the story will involve a quest to find the Lamentations by a rag tag group mixed up of humans, aelfs and duardin. So this should come up with some interesting social encounters. 

I have pre ordered Plague Garden, which is due to be available from the 17th June. I will be aiming to power through it and putting a review on our blog, so please look out for that. 

Those of you on Twitter, please give us a follow @ageofwarhammer. 

Thank you and take care :-) 

4 Ground Ruins of Daldorr

Hi all

Today I have a pretty special post to share with you all. Kaelo Rylanus and myself attended the Salute event in London this weekend passed, where we were both so impressed with the scenery pieces by 4 Ground, that we both walked away hands full and wallets lighter.

I'm sure Kaelo will share the purchases he made in a future post, but as for myself, I picked up a number of the Ruins of Daldorr kits as I feel they will go with my Flesh Eaters well.

I decided to crack right on with building my first kit, the "corner with stairway", and here is the end result.

 

I must say that this really is a joy to put together. The instructions are really simple to follow, as you can see below, and the pieces fit together like a dream. The only thing I will mention is you will need a large number of pegs or clamps, as they are vital for getting a good finish and alignment with the gluing. 

 

Another thing I really like about this kit, is the ability to customise the ruins to your liking due to the multiple interchangeable parts. 

 

This means you could potentially purchase multiple kits and put them together to build a larger piece of scenery.

As you can tell in the pictures, the pieces also come already painted, which is a huge bonus for me. I am however consisting weathering it a little using washes or powder. I will be sure to share more pictures when I get round to doing that :-)

Overall, i can not recommend 4 Ground enough. Fantastic value for money and a great looking product at the end of it. Stay tuned for more scenery in future posts.

Take care :-)  

Ghrolls Flesh Eater Showcase

_{Hi all.} 

_{I advised a couple of days ago that I will showcase my Flesh Eater Courts, and here they are :-)}

 

_{The colour scheme I used is very basic and I think pretty effective. First I sprayed them all black, and then a very faint white spray from the top down. Once this was done, all I done was wash the whole model with the desired colour. Then all that was left was the details, i.e bones and stuff like that. If you would like to see a step by step guide with photos, please let me know in the comments below, and a an looking to expand on the army a little bit.} 

_{Anyway, back to the pictures.} 

_{Ghoul King}

 

_{Crypt Horrors led by a Crypt Haunter Courtier.}

 

_{Crypt Flayers}

 

_{Crypt Ghouls}

 

_{Mourngul. I would like to note, that I decided to add this model to my army before I realised how good the rules were. It was purely because it is modelled with the Flesh Eater Courts in the exhibition at Warhammer World} 

 

 

_{And finally, a Terrorgheist}

 

 

_{As I mentioned before, I am looking to add some more to this army. This included at least 40 more Ghouls, a Crypt Infernal Courtier, a Zombie Dragon and a Varghulf Courtier.}

_{Let me know what you think in the comments below and also if you would like more in depth photos of a particular model/unit.}

_{Don't forget to follow us on twitter @ageofwarhammer}

_{Take care and stay fluffy}

_Ghroll.