Sunday, May 31, 2009

Game Room

Hey guys! Finally got a camera. Decided to shoot some video of the game room to test it out!

Saturday, May 23, 2009

Magnetizing Flying Bases

Although I copied the idea itself from Fritz over at Way of Saim Hann I did a couple of things differently and thought I would show you guys what I did. First, it was my intention to use the Magz toys that Fritz recommends on his video so I purchased them.







Now, I was not too thrilled about the idea of gluing the magnet pieces to the flying bases. I decided to give a hand at putting something metalic on the stand and on the figures and simply have the sticks magnetize to both. I was not sure if they were going to hold but at the end it worked out. I went to the hardware store and bought some Wire Nails Size 1x16. I believe they cost me less than a dollar. I then used a wire cutter to cut them just right so that a piece of it was still left to fit inside the hole of the flying bases as well as the models.




I decided that I would use super glue to glue these nail tops to the bases and models. Super glue lasts for a very long time and although it will eventually give out (sooner than Epoxy or green stuffing) it is less messy to "re-do". So I proceeded to glue these to the bases, models, and even modified the vyper weapons to use them also.



The area where the weapon is placed on the vyper I ended up simply super glueing two Grade N52 1/8" x 1/32" magnets from K&J Magnetics to it.




After everything was said and done I am quite pleased with the outcome. I must confess however, putting the army "together" when going to play requires speed or put it together prior to getting a game as putting the magz sticks on the bases and then the models on it takes a tiny bit more time than simply getting them out of the case. However, I think it's worth all the trouble.

Wednesday, May 20, 2009

Eldar Skimmer Tactics

So, after many games in which I throw my Seer Council at the Assault Terminators w / Land Raider or Command Squad with Feel no pain and Storm Shields I started to think. Why do I keep sending my seer council out to stop the charge from the terminators / command squad. Specially anything on a landraider since they are able to assault from a great distance: 12" from LR movement + 2" from disembark + base size + 6". That can be a 20" assault range threat! Let's not even talk about the LR starting and finishing it's movement on a road because it gets worse.

Well, my opponents because quite familiar with the Seer Council and began planning on their hard hitters to be stuck on them also. I no longer had an advantage. The Seer Council getting stuck with their toughest unit was now part of THEIR plan. I was really wracking my brain trying to figure out how to make things go back to being on my terms and so it was that the Fire Prism (Or any tank with AV12 + holo fields but in a pinch any tank). Truthfully I have most of the idea to thank to my good friend Seint (nick name for now) who walked me through what he was thinking I ought to be able to do.

I was playing a game in which the same thing as always was about to happen, go up and force the enemy to engage my seer council or suffer an assault from the LR and it's occupants. It suddenly became apprent to me what my friend had been talking about. If I were to park my Fire Prism an inch away from the Land Raider it could not move forward as there was other structors on either side of it. Now, there wasn't so many structures that it was a city fight game but there was enough where the Land Raider wouldn't fit in that particular spot of the table without backing all the way out and coming back around which would then ruin their assault. Ramming the Prism was not an option as the LR can only achieve Strength 5 from a Ramming maneuver and that wouldn't even glance AV12. Amusingly enough this hapenned for the first time where my Fire Prism had to go 18" to get there so anyone assaulting needed 6's anyone shooting had to deal with AV12 (my back was not facing any shooters) and I got a cover save. On top of all that they would end up rolling twice on the vehicle damage chart THE FIRE PRISM WAS A BEAST!

Shooting yielded nothing but a 2 which turned into a 1 (crew shaken) and the assaults from the terminators yielded nothing. I now still have my Fire Prism AND my seer council to assault the terminators on their own terms or wreack havok on the rest of the army as they would have to get back in next turn without being able to assault at the 20" threat range they usually have while inside the LR.

So, skimmers! Do not forget you can do this and stop movement from hapenning! Also, I've tried this with a combination of Prism and some Vypers or Vypers alone. With the right combination of speed for cover and 6's needed in combat and let's not forget that a 3+ and the ramming vehicle stops ramming a skimmer, these vehicles are incredible at stoping movement from high threat targets on vehicles.

I will revisit this post with some pictures soon but hopefully it has all made sense.

My 1750 Saim-Hann list

So, been using the list for pretty much the last 20 games. I've probably lost 5 drawn 10 and I'm on a winning streak now. I think because it just took me a while to learn to use the incredible speed and maneuverability of the army. I actually have made some very minor adjustments to the list in terms of weaponry but alas, here's the list:

Farseer w/ RoW, RoWit, SS, Fortune, Doom - Jetbike
Warlock x 3 w Destructor - Jetbike
Warlock w Embolden - Jetbike
Warlock w Enhance - Jetbike

7 Guardian Jetbikes w 2 cannons
7 Guardian Jetbikes w 2 cannons

10 Dire Avengers w Exarch Baldestorm
Waveserpent w / TL-BL and SCan, Stones, Star Engines

2 Vyper w / Scatter Lasers and SCan

2 Vyper w / Scatter Lasers and SCan

2 Vyper w/ BL and TL-SCat

Fire Prism w / Holo Fields, SS, Star Engines, TL-SCat

Comes to exactly 1750. A couple of things that I've changed over the last 20 games or so, and by no means does it mean it's a permanent change. Seer Council, I've done all with SSpears and Destructors and truthfully they felt really realy weak in combat missing one attack per guy and at times stricking at the same time as a marine, I wasn't feeling it. Ended up with the build above and haven't looked back for awhile now (although I do miss the SSpear on the Farseer sometimes to pop the vehicle and assault the guys inside).

I did used to have guardians inside the waveserpent I believe because my vypers used to carry star cannons. I was not digging the star cannons at all. I felt that each group did not get enough shots and needing 4 to hits just wasn't enough. I then switched to scatter lasers... oh my... not onlyl did this switch give me room to put my dire avengers back in but 14 S6 shots from a single Vyper group have destroyed an incredible a mount of vehicles. Also, if the need arose (which it does often) to move 12" to either have my enemy need 6's or to get away from an assault all together... that is still 8 S6 shots 8! And that is just from 1 vyper group which we all know at least two if not all three groups will work as one unit a lot of times.

I did find it necessary to not have a third group of Scatter Laser (I wish) but equiped them with Bright Lances. I fight against Land Raiders pretty much everytime I fight so I need more than just the Prism Cannon or the TL-Bright Lance from the Waveserpent.

Anywho, those are the small changes I've made over time and with some practice.

Tuesday, May 19, 2009

Current Status

Ok so I actually got started with this army about five months ago, and playing 40k about a year before that (Nids). I have actually gotten quite a few games in with my Saim-Hann and been doing pretty well. To make my army I was able to get a hold of two Windrider Hosts. Guys, I cannot tell you how helpful that was as it was almost 90% of my army in two boxes. I also got a Falcon, a Wave Serpent, some Dire Avengers, and some extra Vypers for my list. I use the Falcon as a Fire Prism until I am able to either get the actual model or just buy the prism bit to use on the falcon.



As I said before I've actually been playing for a bit some I've made some great progress in building the army. I will get more accurate pictures up later as in this picture I didn't have the last vyper for my BL group built and no Dire Avengers..... Well, I guess I don't have riders on the bikes either... but all in good time.




Once again, with inspiration and guidance from Fritz over at Way of Saim Hann I went with the Magnetic Toy. I did not do this exactly the same way but I will have a blog post on that in a couple of days. Also, I am still in the process of magnetizing the Waveserpent and Falcon weaponry which I am still unsure how I am going to do it.

The Beginning...

Finally I decided to give a shot at a blog. I've tried it before and truthfully the hardest part is "catching" that moment in a picture or remember enough of a battle to put it down into words. However, I've decided that I'll just blog about whatever I do have or managed to capture and I'm sure in time it will get easier and easier to do.

This blog will be about Eldar and I would like to mention that Fritz over at Way of Saim Hann has been my inspiration not only to do Eldar but to start my blog. Truely a great blog with a lot of great information! I hope that my blog brings at least some good reads to you all!