Conversions, Conversions, Conversions

With the stack of Dark Angels and bits ready I Quickly converted up Orias (seen in last blog entry),a Chaplain and a Tactical squad. Which I think will be added to this post. More of the veteran bits were used on the sergeant as well as a few Grey Knights parts (also used on Orias).

The prometheus was added to this and off I went on the Dark Angels expeditionary campaign, to stoke for a day of 1000 point battles.

Their first trip out had mixed results, an Ork army (well a ork mega dread) took the Dark Angels to pieces and the 1st Squad broke and ran, can't say I blame them, I didn't have one weapon in the army to kill it after my only lascannon died in close combat. The next game was a close fought action against some sisters of battle which saw the prometheus killed by a salvo from a mobile piano! A draw was pulled off just . A Quick win was achieved against a test Marine army (Ben was and still is planning a Minotaur force) and finally against Gary's Imperial Guard, a faltering start was soon turned around when I worked out nothing in the army facing me could destroy the Land Raider, so piled everyone in and drove over to the other side and gunned everyone down at close range.

One downside of the weekend, I left the figure case at Ben's house (thanks for posting it down!)

Vraks Dark Angels

Well last time I said 'brings us up to now' which strictly isn't true yet. The car conversation was last May, having returned home from the game I packed away the Chaos and went to work painting Dark Angels along side my normal painting commissions. Quickly a rather impressive force appeared.

I wanted to for a more realistic look of painting and colours, similar to the look in the Forge World Siege of Vraks books, and at first decided to follow the force list in the same books. My first focus would be on the 3rd Company under the command of Company Master Orias, with a Chaplain, two Tactical Squads, Two Assault Squads, Two Devastator Squads and a Dreadnought; and that was going to be it.

Handily this all coincided with my birthday (yes 38 and I still ask for toys) I treated myself to a tactical squad, my lovely wife brought me a rather nice Forge world, prometheus and a very useful box of Dark Angels Veterans was another gift from Gary. The Veterans box is great, sprues packed full of Dark Angels bits, Nick also donated his Veteran sprues after using the robed bodies for his Shattered Swords. These spare parts have lasted an entire year of converstions and Dark Angeling up tanks.

A long time ago in a bedroom far far away...

Ancient History

A fair few years ago (not quite the 25 years Warhammer 40K has been around, but very near) I started my first 40K army; the Dark Angels. Possibly chosen as the black livery seemed easy to paint for a 15 year old, my Dark angels equipped with an eclectic range of weapons battled across the Galaxy against hordes of 1/32nd scale Germans and Japs.

Soon the valiant Astartes were packed away in favour of historical wargames, the painting desk full of Napoleonics, Macedonians and World War 2 Germans...

Middle History

a few years later I when back to 40k started with a Space Wolf army for 2nd edition (yes the one were a wolf guard could have an assault cannon and Cyclone Missile Launcher). The Dark Angels were rediscovered and donated to my little brother so I could battle away (can't remember if this was before or after the Dark Angel/Space Wolf hate issue arose) the battles were fierce and bloody, Hordes of Terminators clashing in melees where no one seemed to fail an armour save for turn after turn.

Around this time I gained almost useful employment at Games Workshop a few years before the release of the 3rd edition of 40k with the amazing new multi-part plastic marines; time for a new army, especially as the Space Wolves painting was rather embrassing. This time I went for the new super slim Dark angels codex and not wanting to follow the tribe started a rather large Angles of Absolution army (the benefits of GW staff discount). Soon a full battle Company all in Rhinos charged across the battlefield ready to charge into battle (and invariably failing the test the Dark Angels had to pass to want to charge) a friend with Space Wolves helped relive the hate filled clashes (hi Rob).

Later History

Well skipping a few more years, moving out, getting married, thinking that growing up involved getting rid of toy soldiers and confining my Space Marine fix to Black Library publications brings me up to a couple of years ago. I was invited to a mini tournament by friends, having not played for quite a while and not really having an army to use I of course said yes and rushed how to see what I could find in the draws and boxes and came up with a collection of Eldar, not really my style and still not sure why I had them around I painted them and went off to GW Bromley to achieve glory... I won! well not the tournament but the 'best sportsman' award (for not stamping on mine or anyone elses armies after losing every game).

Having got the bug back I went into full painting and Gaming mode, ending up with a Eldar army and Iron Warriors (both recently sold) and an Alpha Legion/Renegade army. Which brings us upto last year and a conversation in a car back from Exmouth where we had just finished the final Apocalypse battle of out now yearly Campaigns. The discussion was to start a new army or expand the Chaos, Rob (he of Space Wolf fame) mentioned Dark Angels and going back to my 40K roots, so here we are now.