Magnets and Movement Trays

Whilst playing with the Ogre Kingdoms army without Gnoblars I never saw the need for magnetised movement trays and miniatures.  However now the Warriors of Chaos have found their way on to the battlefield with ranked up units I need some magnetised movement trays.

So I turned to OG Games to purchase some Rare Earth Magnets, I got 100 for £10.00 at 10p each I think thats a bargin.  Next some sheets of A4 Magnetic Paper to stick onto the movement trays, at £1.40 per sheet another bargin.  I opted for the Games Workshop Modular Movement Trays as I have used these on my Ogres and found them to fit the job nicely, however you don't get enough corner pieces if you want a border on all four sides (cuts the number of movement tays in half).  Priced at £5.40 I could assemble the 8 movement trays I required.

First I assembled the movements trays.  The A4 Magnetic Paper was cut to size and stuck in place on the base of the movement tray.  The magetic paper was only 0.3mm think so doesn't raise the miniatures to high off the base of the movement tray.

Next I fixed the rare earth magnets to the base of the miniatures.  The magnet were just short of being flush with the base, so used some Milliput to fill in the gap.  A drop of super glue, onto which the Milliput was placed.  Then another drop of super glue onto the Milliput and the rare earth magnet was pushed into the Milliput on a flat surface.  This ensured that the magnet was flush with the bottom of the base.  The cavalry bases needed some of the plastic cut away to accomodate the magnet. 

While these were drying I applied PVA and sand to the borders of the movements trays.    Once dry I painted the borders.  I decided not to paint the magnetic sheet as it looks very similiar to Scorched Brown.  My painting technique for borders is..

Prime Chaos Black
A coat of Scorched Brown
Heavy dry brushing of Graveyard Earth
Light dry brushing of Bleached Bone

To complete a coat of gloss varnish Ard' Coat for protection, followed by a coat of Testors Dull Cote to dull it down again.  Static grass was applied in places.

At £18.20 to assembed thats only £2.27 per movement tray and the whole army is magnetised. Bargin!!

Change of Direction

My plan for the remainder of the year, was to play with my existing Warriors of Chaos and Ogre Kingdoms builds.  This was so I could concentrate on painting on my Dark Elves.  However there are a few tournaments which I would like to attend that are 2,999 points when taking an Ogre Kingdoms army.  So a change of direction for the remainder of the year.  One of my new year resolutions is to "Expand my Ogre Kingdoms or Warriors of Chaos army to 2999/3000 points to play in larger army size tournaments" anyway.

So for the next two months the Dark Elves will be put on hold and I will be painting an extra 500 points for my Ogre Kingdoms.  




Ogre Kingdoms army additions...

Additional Maneater to make a unit of three.
A Gorger which primary use is to harass all these bolt throwers I keep coming accross.
A unit of Gnoblar Trappers to harass and march block the enemies battle line.
A Scraplauncher for some range attack ability.
I may also go for another Butcher to replace one of the Hunters.

So onto another of my new year resolutions, "Join a club and play more often against other people.  Aim is at the very least 2 games a month".  I haven't managed to join a club in my area yet this year, but this is going to change!  I desperately need some more practise games with my Ogre Kingdoms if I am going to better myself at Warhammer!

The Warriors of Chaos will be put in the display cabinet and the Ogre Kingdoms back in the army case, reason being "Five dice Infernal Gateway on that unit" is getting boring and predicable, plus I find my Ogre Kingdoms more challenging to play with.

My next tournament is the Summer Incursion at Maelstom Games in June, I am not planning on attending any others until then.  So it will be 2,999 points of Ogre Kingdoms on the battlefield!

Winter Incursion Aftermath

Over the weekend I attended my first two day tournament at Maelstrom Games in Mansfield.  This has to be the best tournament I have attended to date.  The tables, scenery, food and overall experience was excellent.  I had six great games against brilliant opponents.  All in all a fun weekend, I would definitely recommend Maelstrom tournaments.

I ended the weekend in 29th out of 30 players, avoiding last place.  My target for the weekend was to at least win a game and avoid last place.  My best results out of the six games was a draw, but I did avoid last place!

Game 1 - Kirt with Lizardmen

A first for me playing against Lizardmen.  Sadly a massacre lose by 1,241 points.  This was a long ways deployment scenario, not good for an army with movement four.  Didn't roll up Infernal Gateway on either my Deamon Prince or Sorcerer, but as the weekend spanned out this didn't really matter.  I had 250 more points in this game, so on came the Chosen.  I was happy with the way I played, but Kirt and his Lizardmen were by far better.

       
Game 2 - Andy with Warriors of Chaos  

On to game 2 and I played Andy from Andrath's Wargaming Blog.  So a "Battle of the Blogs" so to speak!!  The game ended in a draw, with me up by only 57 points.  If I hadn't had charged my Daemon Prince into a unit of four Chaos Ogres then the Daemon Prince would probably have not ended on half wounds.  This could have possible cost me the win.  The plan for the weekend was to keep the Daemon Prince out of combat and hidden from shooting, but I just couldn't resist.

Game 3 - Alex with Dark Elves

A solid lose by 937 to end day one.  Alex's Death Hag raped my entire first rank of Chaos Warriors in a combat.  I did managed to kill the Dragon with Flickering Fire and Infernal Gateway.  Managed to get Pandemonium to remain in play for most of the battle.  The bolt throwers and hand bows were a real pain, Alex played well his shooting, along with hatred did a lot of damaged.  Not to mention that Death Hag!

       
Game 4 - Ed with Dwarfs       

Another first for me playing against Dwarfs.  However another massacre lose to start day two!  This was another deployment scenario, I had to write down my deployments then Ed got to deploy his whole army.  I then revealed my deployments.  Basically it ended up with Dwarfs in one corner to my left and the bulk of my army in a corner to my right.  So I could either hide in the corner and play for a draw or walk diagonally across the battlefield towards the gunline.  I chose to make a game of it and started walking.  Big mistake!!  Ed's gunline was on fire all game, not one misfire and all his range guesses were spot on.  The cannons, bolt throwers and stone throwers completely raped my entire army!

Game 5 - Rich with Beastmen

Yet another first for me playing against Beastmen.  And yet another massacre lose. This was another long ways deployment scenario with a random deployment.  I never really got to grips with this game.  Rich played his Beastmen army excellently, whilst I reacted to his army.  A large combat ensured in the centre of the battlefield, I lost and it was really all over.

Game 6 - Guy with High Elves    

Last game and another shooting army and archers, bolt throwers and a dragon.  And another massacre lose.  No scenario's here just a pitched battle.  Again I never really got to grips with this game either.  Too much shooting and just couldn't get to grips with the dragon.   

Final Words

The Dice Gods were not favourable for me over the weekend.  I did roll up Infernal Gateway in all but the first game.  But I never rolled the magic number for the strength all weekend.  In fact I would say that over the six games Flickering Fire was more destructive than Infernal Gateway.  I had started the weekend five dicing Infernal Gateway, but come the end was two dicing Flickering Fire and four dicing Infernal Gateway.

The Chaos Spawn was a complete waste of time and points.  In six games I didn't roll a single dice in close combat.   Not being able to control the movement was a pain.

So with the Warriors of Chaos I have now played nine games at two tournaments, won one, drawn one and lost seven.  The one game I did win, I really don't look at as being a win.  That game was won because I cast Infernal Gateway on a Vampire Lord and removed the unit, game over for the Vampire player.  My Warriors of Chaos army build isn't really up to the task, with Infernal Gateway being the key component.  I have found that the Magic Phase for me and my opponent gets a bit boring.  How many times can you say "Infernal Gateway on that unit" over a weekend, without sounding boring and predicable?  

So I am taking a few months off tournaments and Warriors of Chaos for a while to practise with my Ogre Kingdoms.  Hopefully I will be attending the Summer Incursion in a few months time, and with my Ogre Kingdoms.  As I find my Ogre Kingdoms more challenging to play with.

All in all an excellent tournament really enjoyed the weekend and every game.

Eve of the Winter Incursion

At the weekend I am off to Maelstrom Games for their first ever Warhammer Fantasy Battles tournament, Winter Incursion.  Its a two day, six game tournament with some scenarios (mostly around deployment) thrown in to mix things up a little.  The armies have been banded according to their relative strength, which allow the weaker armies more points on the table in the form of reserves.

The points limit is 2,000, but against certain armies I will have reserve units up to the value of 250 points.  So against  Empire, Lizardmen, Skaven and Vampire Counts I have one reserve.  Against Deamons of Chaos and Dark Elves I have two reserves.  But against Bretonnians, Dwarfs, and Tomb Kings my opponent can take reserves, and against Ogre Kingdoms and Orc and Goblins my opponent has two reserves.

Because of the army banding system in place, in the first two games I will avoid playing Deamons of Chaos, Dark Elves, Ogre Kingdoms and Orc and Goblins.  However no Ogre Kingdoms and Orc and Goblins armies are present at this tournament.

So onto the list.  I have dropped the Black Tongue, it did nothing in my last tournament.  The Rod of Torment is in and on the Battle Standard Bearer.  I had to move around the Arcane items because I noticed that one of the sorcerers at my last tournament had two arcane items (naughty!).  
Unfortunately this has mean't that I have lost a scroll, because the Infernal Puppet and Spell Familiar had to be on seperate sorcerers.  Another change is Mark of Slaanesh on the Warriors and Knights.

My Core 2,000 points.

Daemon Prince (General) (575 pts)
Level 4 Sorcerer, Mark of Tzeentch, Tendrils of Tzeentch, Bloodcurdling Roar, Fury of the Blood God, Causes Terror, Fly, Stubborn, The Will of Chaos, Scion of Chaos

Chaos Sorcerer (200 pts)
Level 2 Sorcerer, Mark of Tzeentch, Dispel Scroll, Spell Familiar, Conjoined Homunculus, Hand Weapon, Chaos Armour, The Will of Chaos, Eye of the Gods

Chaos Sorcerer (136 pts)
Barded Chaos Steed, Infernal Puppet, Hand Weapon, Chaos Armour, The Will of Chaos, Eye of the Gods, Lores of Death or Fire

Exalted Champion (Battle Standard Bearer) (195 pts)
Battle Standard, Sheild, Rod of Torment, Mark of Tzeentch, Hand Weapon, Chaos Armour, The Will of Chaos, Eye of the Gods

Chaos Warriors x 13 (293 pts)
Champion, Musician, Standard Bearer, Banner of Wrath, Shields, Mark of Slaanesh, Hand Weapon, Chaos Armour, The Will of Chaos

Chaos Marauders x 15 (95 pts)
Marauder Chieftain, Musician, Standard Bearer, Flails, Hand Weapon, The Will of Chaos

Marauder Horsemen x 5 (110 pts)
Marauder Chieftain, Musician, Standard Bearer, Shields, Throwing Axes, Hand Weapon, The Will of Chaos, Fast Cavalry, Horse Lords

Chaos Warhounds x 5 (30 pts)
The Will of Chaos

Chaos Warhounds x 5 (30 pts)
The Will of Chaos

Chaos Knights x 5 (280 pts)
Knight Champion, Musician, Standard Bearer, Rapturous Standard, Mark of Slaanesh, Barded Chaos Steed, Shield, Ensorcelled Weapon, Chaos Armour, The Will of Chaos, Causes Fear

Chaos Spawn (55 pts)
Causes Fear, Unbreakable, Lurching Horror, Flailing Appendages


My Reserves.  The Chosen I will play against Empire, Lizardmen, Skaven and Vampire Counts.  
And the Ogres for Deamons of Chaos and Dark Elves.

Chosen x 8 (237 pts)
Champion, Musician, Standard Bearer, Banner of Rage, Shields, Hand Weapon, Chaos Armour, The Will of Chaos, Chosen of the Dark Gods

Ogres x 4 (250 pts)
Chaos Armour, Great Weapons, Standard Bearer, Mark of Khorne, The Will of Chaos, Causes Fear

There are a lot of the top players in the country attending with nearly half in the top one hundred.  


So onto my usual topic for every tournament, my target.  This time around my target is to at least win a game out of the six I will be playing.  I am expecting to finish near the bottom (if not bottom), purely because I haven't had any practice with the army.  Also not expecting to get close on the best painted army, there are a lot of excellent painter attending.