Awesome Eldar models!

While I may not play 40k anymore, that in no way stops me from drooling over amazing models that people have painted or converted. Check out this freaking awesome job that was done to this Forgeworld Eldar Vampire Hunter! The missiles alone are amazing, let alone the crazy paint job on this flyer's hull. Well done! 
Here's the link to the original post over at When Craftworlds Drop By.

Drool.

Fluff Friday: Fleet Marshals Doubt

SeerK here with a short story.  Please be forgiving I am an amateur.  Hope you enjoy, "The Fleet Marshals Doubt"

The air tasted stale in the chapel. The smell of incense and unwashed bodies filled Alex's nostrils. It had been a scant hour since the engagement with the Sorylians. The Bishop had insisted on having a service and giving thanks for the victory. Alex fidgeted with the collar of his uniform and let out a slow sigh. Victory. It didn't feel like a Victory. The second engagement in three weeks of deployment and Alex lost two heavy cruisers and almost all of the Frigates in the battle group. His second engagement as a Fleet Marshal and it felt like an abysmal failure. The Sorylians had laid a trap and Alex had advanced to quickly. Two Cerberus and eight Bulwarks and fallen in the ensuing close range engagement. The engagement against the Terrans a week before had gone well. Minimal losses and he had blooded the nose of the Infamous “Rad Hounds”.

The Sorylians had boarded a third Cerberus and folded away with it before Alex' flagship, The RNV Leonidas, could destroy it. Despite having destroyed the entire Sorylian flotilla he had lost most of his battle group in the process. It was a disaster. Fleet command was sending reinforcements, but Fleet Marshal Alpha Gronier was also coming. That meant a command review. His appointment to the Rense Navy was a great milestone only surpassed by his Promotion to Fleet Marshal Gamma.

Alex sat in contemplation as the command staff and bridge crew filed out of the small chapel. They looked tired. Alex could feel the doubt they had in his abilities as they saluted halfheartedly walking past him. He needed to rally them. Morale would be low given the losses. It would be an uphill battle to regain the trust of the crew. Make that crews. Alex was still adjusting to being in command of a fleet rather than a single vessel. Another long sigh escaped his lips. He sat weary, his head in his hands as the Bishop approached.

“I know how you must be feeling Fleet Marshal” Bishop Kelly sat on the bench beside Alex. He was a man of advanced years. His gray hair was close cropped and his clean shaven face was craggy and dusky in color. He unbuttoned the top buttons of his white service uniform and produced a flask from its inside pocket. He took a long draw on the flask and offered it to Alex. The Fleet Marshal looked up and held up his hand refusing the drink.

“Suit yourself sir” The bishop took another swig before putting the flask back in its pocket. “I have been in space for longer than you have been alive to be frank Sir”, “and I have seen my fair share of battles”. “You cannot blame yourself..... “

“Can't I?” “I ordered the Fleet forward to quickly and we paid for it in lives and ships”. Alex stood and turned to face the wall of the chapel and let out a long sigh. “The crew doubts me and I doubt myself, how can I lead now?”

Bishop Kelly leaned back and looked up at the dull drab gray ceiling of the ships chapel. “Well sir you suck it up and carry on” Fleet Marshal Gamma Alexander Kraft turned to face the Bishop. “Excuse me?” “ You heard me.......Sir.”

Alex was about to say something when the Bishop Continued. “Did you know I was at the battle of Cygnus 4?” Alex paused as he let the statement sink in. His anger at the Bishops familiarity suddenly ebbed away. “Really? What Ship?”

“The Ignatius Rex.........”There was a long pause. “Fleet Marshal Alpha Renses Flagship!?!?”

“Yes sir I was there when the Terrans destroyed it.” “Barely made it out”

“My God, I didn’t know Bishop Kelly.”

“The battle didn't go well, we were ambushed by 3 dreadnoughts with a host of battleships and cruisers” “The fleet was lead by none other that Admiral Vladimir Gravanivitch of the  Rad Hounds”

Bishop Kelly began to drift off as he spoke. His thoughts elsewhere as he described the desperate battle. “The Admiral Stayed true and strong the whole time, even with the ship burning around him” “His first officer had to knock him out to get him off the ship, bastard was lucky I didn’t bring him up on charges”

Alex looked confused for a second before speaking “ That was a terrible day Bishop, We lost a lot of good men and woman as well as ships. We also lost a great man. Fleet Marshal Rense was a great man.”” What is your point though?”

“Well Sir, my point is this. No matter the odds or the situation you have to give the appearance of being strong.”” Even if you are about to douse your pants in fear you have to hold strong and inspire”

“Easier said than done Bishop”

Alex turned and started to walk out of the chapel. The bishop stood and paused in the aisle as the Fleet Marshal left.” The real trick sir, is to not blame yourself”

“ I thank you for your council bishop, I will try”

Bishop Kelly turned and took out his flask once again. He chuckled to himself. “ I don't blame my self for failing, I blame the Terrans. They got the drop on me , those crafty bastards.

Bishop Kelly Ignatius Rense thought to himself a moment. This kid should do fine if he can get over himself.

More next Friday

Crush The Alliance and as always..........

REMEMBER DRAMOS!!!!!!!

Firestorm Armada: War Log Update (10JUN2014)

Back again with the latest from the front lines of the Storm Zone. The war rages on and Kurak takes another beating. Another thirteen games were added since last week, and the points gap continues to widen, with the Zenian League leading by 159 points now up from 120 last time. The Zenians are setting a new record for biggest lead since the war started.

Dindrenzi continue to hold the top scorer slot, Aquans steal back the highest average points per game, and Sorylians still hold onto a distant last place. However, the plucky space lizards are at least maintaining growth, up three net points over the four new games added.

Join us next time for updates on how the war is unfolding. It's getting ugly out there...

And now a short op-ed piece from yours truly.

What's the matter Kurak? 

The Zenians hurt your feelings or something? 

We remember how smug you were a few months ago when you were winning.

Vengeance will be ours.

For Dramos!

Ships Of The Rense pt4: Silent Hunters, The Phoenix Destroyer

SeerK here once again with “The Ships Of The Rense”. In this segment we talk about the stealthy killer of

the Rense Navy. The Phoenix/Firebird is built around an impressive Plasma weapon and built to order in directorate ship yards. They make up the bulk of the system sentries in Federation space. They are also the lethal assassins that deal with problem vessels.

Being a Destroyer class vessel you are severely limited in the number of squadrons you can take in any list with the exception of Grand Fleet size lists. In the case of the Phoenix this is good for your opponent as the ship is rather lethal. Although it is not as robust as a Spook, it has a critical rating of 6 rather than 7, it does have a higher point defense and a much longer range with all of its weapons. It has the Stealth Systems MAR , Maneuverable MAR and the Ambush (2) MAR. You can add Torpedo Spook to your torpedoes and Precision Strike to the Beam weapon. Fully upgrading the squadron makes them rather expensive though. They start out at 80 points and at 90 when fully upgraded.

This generally is not a problem as you can deliver punishing fire from both weapon systems from 40 inches and closer. With the Precision Strike MAR this lets you really do a number on ships. You can attempt to disable point defense systems with the beam weapons to deliver a torpedo salvo that is the same size as one from a spook squadron. You can also hit 2 targets and rely on the Torpedo Spook MAR to give you some decent hits when targeting two different ships in a squadron. Hitting squadrons that number 4 in this way really allows you to soften them up for your Spook squadrons to finish them off.

The Phoenix is fast. With a movement of 10 inches it can outpace even some frigates. Its real strength lays in being completely still though. Having the Maneuverable MAR lets it cut engines and not move, but still turn. The squadron becomes a firebase in the rear of the fleet. The real key is placing the squadron in your deployment zone with a largely unobstructed line of sight to the rest of the board. This does two things. It gives you fire support everywhere and it could force your opponent to place essential squadrons in the areas that are obstructed. This means you can plan your placement and set up your other squadrons to deal with your opponents ships with overwhelming firepower. You can place heavier ships to cover the Phoenix. Placement in the corners usually gives you a good view of the battlefield and covers your port, starboard and aft from shunting squadrons in reserve.

Although this is a bit predictable in terms of set up tactics, there is not a lot your opponent can do to deal with the ships unless he or she is really crafty or they Honey Badger that stuff and just brave the fire and dive in.

I have not really used the Ambush feature. Given the ship can out range most ships I have not felt the need to use it. I honestly don't see where it would be useful, unless you wanted to place the squadron, but wanted to make your opponent guess as to where it actually is. This gains you some advantage in set up and further forces your opponent to place his squadrons in the places you want them. Using the false marker, the second marker thats not the actual squadron, as an actual decoy lures enemy ships into ideal fire positions if placed correctly. This requires some good command checks and theatrics on your part.

The Phoenix is a sniper and although it is still lethal in all its range bands, long range is its happy place. The ships can defend themselves pretty well but can be destroyed easier than your average Rense Medium Capital ship when your enemy is within 20 inches. I am not a fan of the Stealth Systems. I like the Cloaking Shields better. Making your Phoenixs harder to hit gives you more mileage with the Stealth Systems. Trying to set up the squadron within a gas cloud is ideal. Although you have to make disorder checks, you are at an advantage because of your Elite Crew MAR. If you manage to roll a gas cloud when setting up terrain make sure you place it where you can set up your Phoenixs in it or they can reach it in one turn. Hitting on 5's with active Stealth Systems can really frustrate your opponent and keep your ships alive.

Well there you have it. The Phoenix/Firebird. Next time we bridge the gap between Tier 1 and Tier 2 as our next ship can occupy both slots depending on the fleet size. I am, of course, speaking about the deadly Cerberus Heavy Cruiser.

Until next time.....Crush The Alliance and

REMEMBER DRAMOS!!!!!!

Firestorm Armada: Assault on Anseris Pictures!

Even though turnout was a bit low for this one (many outside factors all conspired together today) we did have a decent showing. There were some great games played today, and I thank all the players that attended. All this helps to build our gaming community.

The Anseris System is now firmly in the control of the Zenian League. 

First Place: SMD_Vogrin with Directorate
Second Place: DemoMaster with Sorylians
Third Place: Gene with Dindrenzi

Congratulations to the winners, and we shall see if your luck holds next month.

The following are some pictures from the day's event. Enjoy!

Firestorm Armada: Cassial Conflict Event Pictures!

Dreadbeard's Terran Cruisers.

My point and shoot camera had gone MIA for awhile but now I have found it. We have the Assault on Anseris starting in about 12 hours, but I  figured I would post up some shots of our last tournament the Cassial Sector Conflict. I will also be posting the results up to this blog tomorrow, and possibly some round summaries in addition to posting the War Reports to the Spartan Games Community War Log thread.














Enjoy! (Pic Heavy)

Ships Of The Rense pt 3: Lets get Spooky!

SeerK here. Today we break into the Tier 2 ships of the Rense System Navy. The Spook/Shrike is the

backbone of the Rense Navy. It is a compact and lethal cruiser with a dual role in the Rense Navy. Sleek, silent and well armed this ship carries out a variety of missions when deployed. On the table the Spook is lethal at short and long range. Protected by a cloaking shield it can dish out a lot of punishment while avoiding major damage.

Firestorm Armada: War Log 3724 Update!

 

Our coverage of the war continues with the recent update to the War Log from 3 June, 2014. 

After 171 games counted, the Zenian League continues to lay the galactic smackdown on the Alliance of Kurak. What had been a gradual closing of the points gap by the Kurak forces has turned I to a widening of the margin for the Zenian side. The points gap sits at the Zenian League leading by an even 120 Battle Log points. That has got to sting!

Dindrenzi take the the top spot of most Battle Log earned by an individual faction with the Aquans maintaining their hold on the number two position. Terrans drop from first place down to third. And in an impressive showing, the Zenian League alliance forces jump to fourth place. Probably due to the seemingly recent increase in popularity for the Rense System Navy. 

The always controversial Sorylians gain a net two points of Battle Log over their six games since the last update, and their points per game drop slightly. Some may be disappointed in their performance, but looking on the bright side, they are increasing their score, albeit at a painfully mediocre rate!

The top earning faction for average points per game switches from the Aquans to the Zenian League alliance forces, sporting a solid 6.61 Battle Log points per game. Looks like they are really smashing some face out there.

Will the Kurak forces be able to turn this around? Or are we seeing the beginning of a new trend where the Zenian forces continue to widen this gap, eventually pulling so far ahead that even the best Kurak admirals have little hope of regaining control?

Only time will tell.

Don’t fear the Repo - Directorate Boarding Tactics

SeerK here with a guest post from our local Melcon VP SMD_Vogrin. Learn well Corporate Ladder climbers.  This VP is making a name for himself in Acquisitions. 

Like most FSA factions, the Directorate has access to a wide variety of tactics. We can match the enemy

gun-to-gun, engage in long-range duels, or smash face in a close range brawl. However, we also have a variety of tools that let us get tricky - why fight against the enemy’s strengths when you can target his weaknesses? One of those tricks is the capture of opposing vessels.

Many factions are pretty good at boarding - it is an additional tool for them to further damage or destroy their targets. For the Directorate, however, it can be not just another tool, but a core tactic to build your fleet around. With widespread access to Special Forces MAR, our cyberwarfare weapons, and the Biohazard option for many of our weapons systems, the Directorate demonstrates a unique strength in boarding. Where others would damage, we crit; when others crit, we capture.

The Dindrenzi Federation: Tactical Summary

Meet my Dindrenzi fleet:
The 108th Expeditionary Task Force.

The Dindrenzi Federation is known mainly for one thing, its incredibly powerful rail gun technology. Most of its ships are literally a gun with some engines attached and covered in thick armor.

Believing that raw firepower will win most conflicts, the ships of the Federation boast crippling, long range attacks from their solid slug kinetic rail guns, capable torpedo banks, and ability to blanket the area behind them in a veritable forest of mines.

The Dindrenzi do not utilize shield technology like their mortal enemies the Terrans, but rather, rely on layers of armor. Lots of armor. Dindrenzi ships are harder to hurt than most others of their size class, and can typically take more punishment over the course of their service life.

Michigan Firestorm Tournament: The Assault on Anseris

In just seven days time, the Admirals will learn of the mysteries of the Anseris system.

The Assault on Anseris will be held on Sunday, June 8th.

Doors open at 11am and dice roll at noon.

$10 Entry Fee. 100% prize pool payout (and likely more since Evolution Games is cool like that).

Location:
Evolution Games
6323 W Saginaw Hwy, Lansing Charter Township, MI, USA
(517) 323-8600

Points: 850 (Normal Battle Fleet restrictions apply)
Three rounds
Battle Log scores used to determine pairings and winner.

Round 1: Escalating Engagement
Round 2: Border Clash
Round 3: Secure the Outpost (Event Specific Scenario)

Painted models are encouraged but not required.

Players may bring two different lists and choose which to use before each round, both lists must have the same primary faction.
Players need to bring at least two copies of each list. One to turn in at registration and one for use during the round.

All models must be the actual models if they exist. Proxies must be pre-approved.


***************************************


The Anseris system is somewhat of a mystery. Debris and a nebula-like cloud of gas and dust encase the system, making long range scans mostly futile other than to identify its boundaries. Anseris has been largely ignored to this point due to a near lack of strategic value because of its positioning on the galactic war maps. However, a recent civilian probe attempted to pierce the cloud and detected a massive power source within the system of which its energy readings were of an unknown pattern. Shortly before contact was lost with the probe, its sensors indicated that the interior of the system was more or less normal and safe for space flight, and therefore combat operations, if necessary.

You have been tasked, Admiral, to guide a fleet through the veil and secure this power source. Unfortunately, intelligence reports have confirmed that you will not be alone in your search, the enemy has also dispatched forces to Anseris. 

Good luck.