The Return!

 Welcome back!

Been a long while since I last posted some content. Had to take some time off to work on a few things but now I'm back!

Lots of content on the way, so will update it all when that happens.

Thanks for following my ramblings and content! Always very much appreciated. 

For those that have asked about sending me stuff in the post, either as a gift, or to feature in a future article simply comment or DM myself on either Facebook or Instagram and il get back to you ASAP. For those wanting to donate something to the cause I also accept PayPal, this will enable me to do some extra content such as livestreaming and recorded battle reports and hobby workshops.

Soon, there will also be a Twitch steam, so there's now multiple ways to watch, read or talk to me about all things hobby and beyond.

As you can see, I will be ramping things up a fair bit over these next few months. 

Il see you on the battlefield.

Cheers!

Antares Introduction

Good to be back working with Warlord Games again.

https://www.warlordgames.com/beyond-the-gates-of-antares-an-introduction/

Here's my view on the racism within the wargaming community. This is an all inclusive hobby, and has no place for racism, bigotory or any discrimination whatsoever. People need to educate themselves and stop the unwarrented hatred.

I run a wargaming club, House Lancaster Gaming. And I strive for it to include everyone from all walks of life. It should be a place to feel safe, welcomed and for hobbyists to be encouraged.

People should not be victimized, belittled, sexualised or bullied in anyway, shape or form and it simply will not be tolerated. Those that do think this can simply get out, taking your misguided ignorant beliefs with you.

As a person who has a hand within the larger wargaming community through my work over the years I felt I needed to say something on this matter. Better representation within this matter needs to be discussed, shared and spread around.

For those of my friends who have suffered abuse within the community or in general I stand with you and where needed,for you.

This IS an issue that needs talking about and sorted in the long term. It isn't a quick fix, nor should be brushed aside ever again. Change needs to happen, and fighting for it will be a ongoing battle.

Black lives matter, simple as that. Everyone look out for each other, talk, read, protest and do what you need to do to have your voices heard.

Thanks for reading.

Sam

New 40k!!!!

So today was the day that the next edition of Warhammer 40k was revealed.

I for one am very excited to see this new version,  soup armies are no more with themed forces being very much encouraged. It will mean armies like my Custodes will have a more balanced game and be able to take more CP items, making them much more flexible and fun.

New narrative play sounds awesome and with character progression within a campaign style game sounds great.

The new trailer for the latest edition is a thing of beauty and you should go watch it asap!

New Primaris with chainswords is a welcome addition are the new Necron releases.
There's quite a few salty people already complaining that this wasn't much of a reveal...are you mad?! It's a new edition, with new rules, new story arcs and new miniatures. If you don't like it, then don't buy into it!

Easy lol.

Anyway, a few quick words from me on this new update and will be writing more stuff the next week.

Sam

Micro Art Studios: Gothic Walls High

This time around Micro Art Studios kindly sent over their Gothic Walls High for review, very much appreciated!

These are made of laser cut MDF, and when built are extremely durable. This is due to the construction of the kit as the walls when complete are double thickness, making it more durable to a lot of the MDF terrain available from other companies.

 The building is modular, you can reconfigure the walls in any way you wish and are fully compatible with the lower gothic walls that are sold separately.

The kit comes with three options to place into the windows, you can of course leave the windows open for miniatures to have line of sight, but without them you can see in-between the two wall sections that glue together.

 I have covered all the windows up with the relative parts included as I would use the height of these to hide larger scale models such as Stompas or Knights to give them a bit of cover. 

There's no floors to attach to the model either, meaning that it's merely used to provide blocking terrain. However, despite this the kit is well detailed and once built is very solid.

The pack comes with enough to cover a decent sized area. Once assembled the walls slot into place using hooks, simply line up the pieces and push down, so that the bottom of the walls are level to the playing surface.

The pack also comes with some decorative gargoyles, sadly though I broke a couple getting them out of the frame. This can happen with MDF and take extra care when cutting or pressing them out. To be fair the rest of the walls and windows came away from the frame with no issues at all.

Overall the product is well made, instructions are simple and easy to follow and the fact that it's modular is a great bonus. Will be great to mix and match this with the Low Gothic Walls and see what combinations I could create. 

For more on Micro Art Studios see their website for details.

KR Multicase

The good people over at KR Multicase sent me three different cases to review. Thanks guys!

First up is the 40k styled version, this case features foam trays to fit Primaris Space Marines and Chaos Space Marines. It comes with a single tray to fit most normal space marines sized miniatures, with a second deeper tray to fit larger scaled miniatures such as Custodians or Terminators. The other layer has enough space to accommodate two Redemptor sized dreadnoughts with two other sections to fit something else like attack bikes or landspeeders.

I use this to transport either my Custodes army, with each section fitting the larger miniatures perfectly or I use it to transport my Konflict 47 British army, with all three light Guardian walkers, larger medium sized walkers like the Grizzly sitting comfortably next to my 17pdr anti tank gun! You can fit a decent sized force into this one case, it even accomadates my Legions of Azog Gundabad Trolls, fitting them both in safely and securely.

The second case is designed for the Flames of War Team Yankie system, featuring spaces for artillery, infantry, tanks and a tray specifically designed for helicopters and planes. Like the others it's all precut tear out foam, and can fit a full force within.

The third  is designed for Adeptus Titanicus. Inside you will find a tray to fit four Warhound titans, cards and gaming aids, a Reaver Titan and a Warlord Titan. It features compartments to fit in all the dice and gaming aid you need, including space for the decks of cards.

The toughened cardboard box is well known to be very durable, and each of the foam trays can of course be bought seperately to create your own bespoke case. KR also do metal hardcases which are even more durable and can soak up alot of punishment while keeping your minis firmly safe and sound.

I have been using KR for a while now having bought 3 standard sized army boxes about 5 years ago, and they still hold up today.

Go check out the awesome range that they do and they have trays and boxes to accommodate many different gaming systems for a reasonable price.

For more on KR Multicase see their website for details and you can even create your own army case with a vast selection of trays to suit whatever you have in your collection.

Victoria Miniatures Tanks

This time around I'm taking a look at Victoria Miniatures based in  me with tAustralia.provided They very kindly sent me a selection heof goodies to review so thank again guys!

First up is the Kangaroo APC and Matilda battle tank.



The Matilda Battle Tank comes with options to have side sponsons, and also has space to attach magnets should you wish to swap out the parts

The Kangaroo hull sides come in two seperate parts and it's worth measuring up the sides with tracks to make sure they fit properly.

These make great alternatives to a Leman Russ and Chimera tanks. The models are a little costly to buy when compared to GWs plastics, but don't forget GW sets the prices in countries like Australia very high for there own products, so these reflect that, and make a great choice for fielding in a Astra Militarum or other sci fi force.

They are made from high quality resin and are fantastic to put together. Minimum flash and the clean up and build was very quick, with just a few instances of cutting off flash and cleaning up mold lines.

All the parts go together seemlessly and the turret weapons are interchangeable and each kit comes with a decent choice and can also be swapped between the two tanks giving great customisation.

There is space to put magnets into the side sponsons should you wish to change out the weapon loads. The APC also has space for a magnet on the front of the hull to swap out the hull mounted heavy bolter or flamer.


The Kangaroo APC comes with a heavy flamer and heavy bolter for the hull whilst the turret has a laser cannon, twin heavy bolters or twin heavy flamers whilst the Matilda  comes with large cannon (Vanquisher) , standard battle cannon, or twin autocannons.

Overall these are fantastic models, full of character and the details are super sharp. Looking forward to using these on the tabletop!

40k Kill Team

Having had several games of Kill Team under my belt I decided to enter my first ever proper tournament at Warhammer World in May!

However...the thought occurred to me...which team do I use?!

For my first team, I went with a squad of 5 Plague Marines, two armed with melta guns, whilst the champion just has melta bombs. The Plague Marines are toughness 5, with feel know pain and carry blight grenades, negating a single extra attack from one opponent when charged, very useful. Next I choose a 10 man cultist sqaud, with one being armed with a shotgun and another armed with a heavy stubbier. The advantage here is numbers and toughness, having agonised as to whether or not to upgrade the cultists with Toughness 4  their save is terrible, but toughness 4 makes them as resilient as a normal Chaos Marine.The toughness and resilience of the Plague Marines has come into their own in countless battles.  That all important +5 Feel No Pain is invaluable, plus being Toughness 5, Fearless and wounding on a +4 with their plague knives is a very nice package!

The cultist however are a little more...squishy. If I use them right they can hold objectives, with careful placement the leader can give them back up. The heavy stubber can bang out three strength 4 AP5 shots, whilst the two melta guns can take heavily armoured foes, monsters and tanks, whilst 5 cultists are armed with autoguns, giving some more ranged options.

Next I choose a second Kill Team, this time using a 5 man squad of Thousand Sons, backed up with a Rhino with havoc launcher. Whilst only numbering 6 models, the idea would be that the Rhino can zip around the board, depositing Rubricae at the objective, relying on their power armour and invulnerable saves, whilst dishing out AP 3 bolter rounds.

 The added bonus of this force is the Aspiring sorcerer, and is one of the few forces to utilize psykers, making them deadly in Kill Teams games. The downside to this force is the numbers, however to be able to field a squad of powerful miniatures led by a sorcerer in a tank is too good an opportunity to miss!

The other team I could take, is to simply swap out the rhino for 10 cultists, with no further upgrades. This gives me the numbers whilst still retaining the elite Rubricae cadre, giving me more flexibility on the battlefield. The cultists are just armed with a pistol and close combat weapon, but can still knock out 3 attacks on the charge, and can spread out to cover the Thousand Sons. keeping the Sorcerer close to the cultists means that they can use his leadership should things get tough, also providing him with a suitable meet shield should he need it!

A variation on the Plague Marine team is to swap out the cultists for a Spawn, which has 3 wounds, variable attacks and mutations rolled before engaging in a fight. Couple this with the Mark of Nurgle and you have a effective individual!

Although it has no saving throw, they hope would be to draw fire away from the five Plague Marines. The champion is now armed with a power weapon, whilst the two meltas are still included. This time, the Weapon Specialist will be one of the meltas, increasing his range by half, giving me a 18" melta weapon! Eternal warrior will be given to the champion, meaning that whilst he still has the one wound, it will mean that he will get his +5 Feel Know Pain save against a shot he normally wouldn't be allowed to save against.

I have a few more options I would like to try out, Raptors, Warp Talons, Possessed and even the basic Chaos Space Marine are all viable choices.

Death to the False Emperor!

A Thousand Sons

Well after a long while, her is my freshly painted Thousand Sons army!

Led by the impressive figure of Magnus the Red, and backed up by 30 Rubricae, a Dreadnought and Ahriman this is a force built purely around the Thousand Sons themselves.

Eventually I  may add some of the Tzeentch Kairic Acolytes  from Age of Sigmar as cultists, as those miniatures would fit in very nicely, but overall I wanted the indomitable Rubricae to take center stage. These miniatures are fantastic looking, an look resplendent in the blue and gold.

The force features a 10 man squad with Warpflamers, all mounted in a Rhino armed with a havoc launcher.  They will race across the battlefield and hold an objective from the enemy, burning any foe foolish enough to come close with their war charged flamers and the Aspiring sorcerers psychic might. The havoc launcher will provide supporting fire with its racks of missiles and combi-bolter, also providing physical cover should they need it.

Next up are two squads of 10 Rubricae and 11 Rubricae, all armed with Inferno Boltguns, whilst both Sorcerers have hand Warpflamers. The Boltguns are dishing out S 4 AP 3 Rapid Fire shots whilst the Warpflame weapons have the ability to do more damage or go the other way and grant the enemy Feel No Pain!

The accompanying Dreadnought is armed with a twin-linked lascannon and missile launcher, giving some much needed heavy support to the advancing infantry.

 To top off this light army, Magnus the Red and Ahriman were a must! To have these two iconic villains marching and fighting together once more was an opportunity not to be missed!

Next up for the army will be some of the Tzaangors as more fodder for the enemy guns, and a horde of converted Acolytes as mentioned earlier, with a Predator or two to round off the force. This army is intended to work alongside my other Chaos forces, of which more shall be revealed in time for the 40k End Times, afterall the Age of the Emperor is coming.

New Years Army update

With one of the new year armies almost finished I thought I'd show off one of my Kill Teams.

This force features 4 Rubric Marines, an Aspiring Sorcerer and to accompany them a Rhino equipped with combi-bolter and Havoc Launcher.

The force is very small in number, but packs a hell of a punch!

With each Rubricae dealing rapid firing  shots at AP 3, they are more than a match for other power armoured foes. With the Aura of Dark Glory special rule giving them a +5 Invulnerable save, coupled with their Mark of Tzeentch rule, this gives them a fantastic +4 Invulnerable save,perfect for surviving the close confines in Kill Team missions!

The chance to use a Sorcerer in the game is one not to be missed either as he can dish out potent physic powers with little to stand in his way! To have a pysker in a Kill Team game is lethal!


Using these miniatures as a tester for the rest of the army, I decided to base them in Retributor army, then after a second coating gave the whole miniature a wash of Reiksland wash. after leaving them for a number of hours i went back over the gold in a Army painter greedy gold. Once the armour was complete, next was to block colour in the blue on the models.

Using Ultramarine's blue as a layer first, Thousand Sons blue was then applied over the top, this is then followed by a extreme highlith of Ahriman blue. Next up was the guns which was base coated Gun Metal , then given a wash of Strong Tone, then dry brushed with both Chainmail, then Mithril,

Next was the jem stones found on some of the models, which was given a lick of white paint, followed with a a light wash of green ink, along with the eye lenses

Whilst I'm on the subject of Thousand Sons, I thought Id show some progress on the main man himself, Magnus the Red.

The rest of the army is coming along nicely and will be up on here soon.

More to come!

New year...new start

Greetings Brothers and Sisters!

Its been many a moon since my last blog, for which I do apologise.


With the advent of a new year,  I have begun work on another Chaos force, this time under the cyclopean stare of Magnus the Red.

The Thousand Sons have always appealed to me, with some units showing up in my old Black Legion army lists. This time around however, and with the advent of the fantastic miniatures from Games Workshop, I'v elected to do a whole army based on the Sons of Magnus.

Perhaps my favorite single miniature of 2016, the massively impressive  form of the Crimson King himself. This is a hell of a model, standing almost as tall as a Renegade Knight, this behemoth dominates the battlefield in a superb show of Tzeentch personified. This was bought for me as a present by my lovely wife, who deserves all the credit for it! With him as my centre piece, I have begun adding to the force, with Rubric Marines firmly at the forefront.


Aside from all things 40k, I will be sprucing a small collection of The Lord of the Rings Uruk Hai. These have always had a special place in my heart ever since they came o life on the big screen. The force is a combination of Scouts and Fighing Uruk Hai, backed up with Saruman and Lurts, along with an elite cadre of Berserkers for that added punch. I aim to get the force up to 1,000 with the addition of some Uruks with Crossbows, some Orcs to bulk out the numbers and a Isengard Troll or two.But before all that, I'd best get them painted!

So with those two projects of mine currently on the bench...what work do I have? Well since I now do commission painting, I have recently completed a foce of Ghar for use in the Warlord Games system, Beyond the Gates of Antares for a customer. Also on the bench are a force of Zulu British, and some Walking Dead miniatures.

So...whats next in terms of this blog? Well the aim is to produce at least two articles a month, with a couple of special editions ones thrown in for good measure. This will also coincide with the launch of House Lancaster Gaming's website and YouTube channel later this year...so watch out for that ;)

What new force or project are you fine folk currently working on? I wold love to see what happening so feel free to share on the Facebook page!

Thanks for sticking around folks, and keep checking back for more! You can contact me on here, or at the links below:

HouseLancasterGaming

WarriorsWorkbench

HouseLancasterGamingGroup

TTFN!

Sam

Anvil Industys Tox Troopers

Once more I delve into the wonders that is Anvil Industys, this time looking at their Regiments Ranges, starting with the Tox Troopers. 

Fully encased in armour covered in tattered robes, but despite their disheveled appearance they are heavily armed. The details on these resin set is stunning as is always the case from Anvil.

 The only slight problem I encountered was attaching the miniatures to their bases, as the surface area on the feet is quite small. Despite this, the miniatures look great once cleaned up and when painted make for a very characterful set. 

As you can imagine theses will feature as part of my ever growing Nurgle army, making excellent Cultists or traitor guard, and would be perfect for games of Kill Team.

Operation Sand Dune: Building the SAS

Here is the start of the series on my SAS force for Bolt Action, first hinted at on the Warlord Games website.

Following on from the webcast with Andy Singleton and Carl Titterington, I went to consult the British army book and the Duel in the Sun supplement. I opted to choose units from the Behind Enemy Lines theater selector, enabling me to field a lightly armed, but fast force capable of getting me into the action fast, and equally getting me out when the fight gets too hot!

One key rule that I like about this force, is that everything must have its own transport. With this in mind, my first point of call was the basics, infantry and Bedford trucks. I added stowage taken from the British Airborne Recce jeeps.

Taking the SAS unit from the Duel in the Sun book, I opted to go for two units of 8 men in each. Each man carries a rifle and a pistol, or can carry sub-machine guns. I decided to equip one squad with rifles and the other with SMG’s.

 What they lack in numbers, they more than make up for in extra firepower as each squad can be given two LMG’S or upgrade to Vickers LMG’s, giving them an extra dice when shooting.  Opting for the heavier weapon I used Warlord Games British Airborne Recce jeeps machine guns, and with a little trimming, they fit onto the Perry miniatures.

 The Airborne drivers, Chindit MMG team and Chindit anti-tank rifle have been given a simple head swap, and the uniform will simply be painted the same as the SAS. With the jeeps I left off the basket at the rear of the vehicles, with one having the front baggage replaced with the comms kit from one of the LRDG trucks

This will be my officers jeep, distinguished by the simple conversion, it also tells a story, perhaps the jeep has pulled up and they are using it as a surface to check their maps and coordinates. A simple yet effective conversion, it fit snugly into the space.

Next up we have the LRDG Chevrolet trucks, these will form my heavy hitters. One of them will be armed with as many machine guns as I can fit on, whilst the other has been fitted with something a bit …heavier!

The option to include a LRDG truck armed with a light anti-tank gun is an opportunity not to be missed! After a lot of thought I elected to go with the BEF 2pdr light anti-tank gun from Warlord Games.

 I chose this one simply for the part the gun sits on, as I thought with some tinkering here and there I can make the weapon fit onto the back of the truck. This required a bit of maneuvering, and the leg supports were cut down significantly so that the gun can fit.

I may go back and give the SAS jeeps heavier weaponry, and perhaps mount a auto-cannon onto the other truck, space permitting of course! A few more little conversions here and there and then this force will be ready for painting.

Antares Mega Battle at Phoenix Wargames Exhibition

This past weekend I attended the Phoenix Wargames Exhibition at the Rheged Centre, At the show I decided to showcase Beyond the Gates of Antares on behalf of House Lancaster, and what better way to do that than get as many miniatures into a battle as I could!

The scenario was that the Algoryn Prosperate had just landed their ship carrying vital supplies for the war effort against the Ghar Empire heading to Xilos, who then promptly ambush the Algoryn!

The Algoryn however are resolute and opt to make their stand, hoping to deny the Ghar their prize. Meanwhile the  C3 Strike Squads of the Concord have also heard of this supply drop and have decided to take an interest, whether to benefit themselves or to aid the Algoryn is unclear…that’s up to the players!

The large spaceship in the centre of the board was an old Manta Force vehicle by Bluebird Toys, simply repainted and weathered slightly. The ship actually contains numerous smaller vehicles, and once the plastic Algoryn hit the store I intend to convert many into the crew of the ship, since there is actually fully modeled seats and control panels within the toy!

The building surrounding the drop site are from 4Ground’s Jesserais set and Micro Arts Studios Infinity range, with the gorgeous looking mat created by Deep Cut Studios.

The table was arranged so that those wishing to get stuck into a massive game can just pick up where the battle left off, making for a great participation game. For those that were not familiar with the system, a small section of the battlefield was cunningly arranged for this specific role, with a squad of Algoryn AI going up against a C3 strike squad.  I am pleased to say many a player then went immediately over to the Warlord stand to buy their first miniatures!

The table attracted quite a bit of attention and I admit I am very happy with how it all came together, and the event itself is well worth a visit.

House Lancaster will be back next year at the event, bigger and better!