Yet I wasn't perturbed by this. Why? Well, there were a few reasons actually.
Firstly, although only three Cult models were completed there were a LOT that were half completed. In fact only about 30 out of the original 168 are now bereft of paint beyond primer. Many are at that annoying ‘almost finished’ stage and indeed it very much looks like I might be left with nothing but Acolytes (shudder) to paint in the latter stages of this project.
The second reason for my lack of concern is that I had been painting some other stuff basically. A world away from the dingy cult I have been painting some Silver Tower Models, particularly the heroes that myself and my Girlfriend are using as we work our way through the Gaunt Summoner’s trials. I have to confess though, these also are half painted. I am VERY unused to painting over white undercoats, in fact i hate it.
The third reason for the complete absence of any consternation is that Lee and I actually played a couple of games! Officially launching the Cultwar! We played two games of Shadow War, the first being an Ambush as the Inquisitor and his forces infiltrated the Brotherhood’s territory.
Alas, this game did not go well for Lee as his forces were shot to pieces from higher positions, (a good thing as many of his models are suspiciously small, making it easy for them to hide behind cover –scale creep he calls it, citing their age. Hmmm ) my Cult forces precision shots putting the majority of his Inquisitorial warband on the floor or out of action in swift order. One bug in the ointment was his Veteran Guardsman who managed to cut apart a couple of my cultists (including chopping down my leader!) before being felled by Autogun fire. Worse, he advanced regardless thanks to Lesson Learned on the serious injury chart making him even more dangerous for future rounds. I also had the worst Flamer in the world, either that or I had accidentally filled it with something other than Promethium, couldn't even cook a sausage with it.
His Guardsman gained +1 A as did one of my Autogun guys (helpful, NOT) and his Crusader, who I did manage to Web for the entire game got +1 movement, the irony!.My leader also learned a lesson (don't charge people with power swords) and got the skill Destined for Greatness meaning he could reroll future advances.
We decided to play a follow up game, as the first one didn’t last very long before Lee conceded. We both added specialist Operatives, Lee opting for his Deaths(head)watch Marine and my self with a Purestrain ( The Ochre Prince) putting some Genestealer into this Genestealer Cult. The Scenario was Raid, with Lee looking to steal some information from a data terminal, however the searchlights that my Cult are packing made spotting him easy work and the alarm was raised swiftly.
In addition his Inquisitor had deployed far too close to danger and found himself being leaped on by the Ochre Prince from a munitorum container!
So I shot down a few of his models. He shot a few of mine and inflicted some casualties, Thankfully none fell from their high vantage points. My Purestrain totally fluffed his rolls (seriously, VERY bad) but thankfully the Guard Veteran was too scared to charge in and help the Inquisitor, a lucky escape?
Eventually the stealer was able to wound the Inquisitor but not finish him off and was itself taken out by the Guardsman who finally plucked up some courage! I flamed the Inquisitor to put him out and with the Webbed Crusader (again) Lee Bottled. Lee’s Deathwatch marine got a few shots off but spent most of the game pinned. For some reason his rules don’t list ATSKNF! This is patently ridiculous so we decided in all future games that he would have this ability, after all if Scouts do….
I also said that Lee’s Inquisitor couldn’t die as the whole thing is kind of pointless if he does. He ended up hating my Purestrain and missing a game due to his rather non specific injuries. My leader rerolled his advance but got a skill regardless, thankfully I got Scavenger which would come in handy when it comes to reinforcing my Warband.
Another of Lees models got +1 M, he was getting swift! This may well come in handy for the scenario I have in mind for our next game.
We aren’t going to play a full campaign, only About 4 games, before we start building to full armies. We decided that any spare promethium stocks can be used for bonus points in the bigger games of 40K. At this point I have 5. Lee has one ( I presume he’ll take his DW marine again. )
So a couple of rough run ins for Lee, His Pugs sent with their tails between their legs ( im well aware they wouldn’t actually reach though) and i'm sure he will be more cautious in future for the next time he ventures into my territory. He’ll need to play one game without his Inquisitor and I have the perfect narrative for this.
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So, back to the painting. As we got towards the end of the month it became clear to me that I was not going to hit the target i'd set myself last month. For a start I still only had about 8 models done. Secondly I had been working on some themed scenery for my cult, thirdly my work life had been turned upside down and i'd been in no mood for hobby.
Nonetheless with a last maximum effort I ended on 24 for the month and a good chunk of those were Acolytes! More to the point there were lots of models that were 'nearly finished so I have a head start for next month. I've very nearly hit 100 finished models and I estimate there are another 20 half painted so hopefully with the addition of some armour this army project will be done soon and Lee can have a chance to catch up. There is one problem though and its name is Forgebane...... I can hear the Omnissiah calling.....
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| This months efforts |
LEE:
Grah! Another disappointing month of painting and gaming. The latter only because those insidious xeno have yet to be crushed beneath the righteous authority of the Inquisition. Shadow War has definitely been working in the Cult’s favour but from next month we will be shifting to games of 40K proper and I suspect that the extermination shall begin in earnest!
Painting wise I’ve only managed seven models. My guard veteran was the first to be completed. He is painted in his Cadian livery but with one arm kitted out in Tempestus armour painted in the colours of the Vertaxi Eagles, the regiment commonly employed by Inquisitor Quint Van Kleef when he absolutely, positively must exterminate all the xeno on a planet. I’m particularly pleased with his camo cloak which was painted, shaded and highlighted in the base green and then had splotches of camo brown added to it.
My second model was Grummond ‘Tinpot’ Drakkensson, an ab-human squat mercenary who like all the Squats in the Ferdinand Cardinal sector have a grudge against all Tyranid related organisms after the Hive Fleets all but exterminated the Holds of the Ferrous Deeps. The model is the first ever Squat produced by Games Workshop as part of their Rogue Trader preview line, quite a vintage. I’ve gone simple with the colour scheme as I was in a rush to finish him so bronze with deep green flexible parts. I’ve imagined his gun as a modified piece of mining equipment so have given it a fierce melta glow at its tip.
The final five models are me jumping ahead a bit. A combat squad of five Dark Angels based on the marines included in the 40K second edition starter set. With these five I have now painted the entire set! These join ranks with the other 15 I’ve already painted which gives me two tactical squads I don’t have to paint later in the year. Ultimately the good Inquisitor will receive forces from the Dark Angels to help fight back against whatever horrors Allen has up his sleeve.
Half painted and smothered in good intentions is my Taurox Prime. I hope to have this finished soon and start on my Scions Squad and their accompanying Commissar. Looking a bit further ahead Inquisitor Van Kleef needs to muster a force of 1000pts for our inaugural game of 40K. I had been going back and forth over what units to paint up, do I go Imperial Guard, Adeptus Mechicus or some Dark Angels. In the end I looked towards our narrative to decide for me, hence the Inquisitor shall be aided by forces provided by his good friend, the Rogue Trader Grand Admiral Luc De Havilard. Admiral Havilard’s forces contain a number of mercenary bands as well as a contingent of house militia. On the board this means several Squat units appearing along with some converted guardsmen to represent the house militia.
As at the time of writing I have received some upgrade parts for a twist in our tale I've not detailed to Allen, it's going to be a surprise. I shall be working on these units alongside my declared monthly models but you won't know what they are until they are revealed in a scenario I am writing for us to play
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