The Perils of Plastics
For the last few weeks I've carried on fielding my Dark Elves. First I just wanted to try out a different army, then I had a game arranged against Rich, then last night we finally played that game after he didn't turn up the week before...
But anyway, a little more Dark Elf than I originally intended, but it has been fun. I like the army and the way it plays. I love the models, especially given most of my army is in plastic. For painting and modelling purposes, I always prefer plastic. It's easier to build, to convert, and tends to break and chip far less. However, from these games I have noticed a slight problem of my army. It's very basic.
I have plenty of core choices. And I have my beautiful Cold One Knights (special) plus a couple of (ammoyingly metal) bolt throwers (rare.) But in my game last night against Rich - well, games actually. But in the first game my entire army failed pretty much every morale check it was required to make and promptly fled the table. The only unit that held got their charge in, Rich made 7 out of 8 4+ wards, so only marginally lost the combat and held them in place for a sound thrashing once his supporting units got into the thick of things. It was all over so quickly we decided we had time for another game. Anyway, I digress. I noticed that he had 3 core choices. I had 7. And while my assassins can beef any core choice up and give it some fighting prowess, having to use my assassins to make those units combat worthy is a bit of a points sink. What I'd like would be a centre piece unit for the army. A special choice. I tried it last night with the Cold Ones, but being cavalry I don't like shackling them to the centre of my lines. Plus it means their additional speed is wasted.
Now there are a couple of options available to me. Executioners and Black Guard. Executioners have Killing Blow, Black Guard are stubborn, immune to pschology, and have more attacks. Either one of these would be good central units. I could vary it depending on the game. However, there's a problem. They're only available in metal models.
Now I have to admit, I think the models for both these units are in fact beautiful models. So it isn't a dislike of the models (apart from the inconvenience.) The trouble is that to assemble a unit of 20 or so, I'm looking at forking out about £45 per unit. That's a hell of an outlay for an untried unit.
Obviously I don't get all that much chance to play, 4 weeks on 4 off, so playtesting with proxied models is unlikely to be an option. Plus with plenty of forge world goodies catching my eye, plus those excellent new Demolisher and Hellhound kits available, I have plenty of other things calling on my attention. On the bright side, I barely touch the Tomb Kings and I've got practically everything I could want for the Empire so at least this is the only thing calling on my attention for fantasy. In 40k it's a lot harder - so many nice Guard things, plus the need to make my Orks into something resembling a workable army, and all those Stompa conversions I had in mind... I think the Stompas may have to wait. You can't get apocalypse bits without a core army for it to support. I had been thinking that my guard were pretty much done apart from anything I fancied for apoc - therefore I was free to start the Orks. Then they brought out the new codex. I'm not complaining mind, but now my basic guard army of 10,000 points looks perilously short of Valkyries, Vendettas, Devildogs, Banewolfs, punishers, executioners, hydras, medusas... and that's just vehicles, I haven't even gotten to the penal legions and psyker battle squads yet!
Gw. I love you. And hate you. Long may it continue. But please, please, get everything you do on plastic asap. Just do me a favour... make the new executioners and black guard plastics EXACTLY like the current metal ones... please? :oD I think I'm being a bit optimistic here.
Oh, and to finish, I don't know why I'm complaining about metals... I'm about to make a forge world order. Ooh the thrills of working in resin. Sigh.
But anyway, a little more Dark Elf than I originally intended, but it has been fun. I like the army and the way it plays. I love the models, especially given most of my army is in plastic. For painting and modelling purposes, I always prefer plastic. It's easier to build, to convert, and tends to break and chip far less. However, from these games I have noticed a slight problem of my army. It's very basic.
I have plenty of core choices. And I have my beautiful Cold One Knights (special) plus a couple of (ammoyingly metal) bolt throwers (rare.) But in my game last night against Rich - well, games actually. But in the first game my entire army failed pretty much every morale check it was required to make and promptly fled the table. The only unit that held got their charge in, Rich made 7 out of 8 4+ wards, so only marginally lost the combat and held them in place for a sound thrashing once his supporting units got into the thick of things. It was all over so quickly we decided we had time for another game. Anyway, I digress. I noticed that he had 3 core choices. I had 7. And while my assassins can beef any core choice up and give it some fighting prowess, having to use my assassins to make those units combat worthy is a bit of a points sink. What I'd like would be a centre piece unit for the army. A special choice. I tried it last night with the Cold Ones, but being cavalry I don't like shackling them to the centre of my lines. Plus it means their additional speed is wasted.
Now there are a couple of options available to me. Executioners and Black Guard. Executioners have Killing Blow, Black Guard are stubborn, immune to pschology, and have more attacks. Either one of these would be good central units. I could vary it depending on the game. However, there's a problem. They're only available in metal models.
Now I have to admit, I think the models for both these units are in fact beautiful models. So it isn't a dislike of the models (apart from the inconvenience.) The trouble is that to assemble a unit of 20 or so, I'm looking at forking out about £45 per unit. That's a hell of an outlay for an untried unit.
Obviously I don't get all that much chance to play, 4 weeks on 4 off, so playtesting with proxied models is unlikely to be an option. Plus with plenty of forge world goodies catching my eye, plus those excellent new Demolisher and Hellhound kits available, I have plenty of other things calling on my attention. On the bright side, I barely touch the Tomb Kings and I've got practically everything I could want for the Empire so at least this is the only thing calling on my attention for fantasy. In 40k it's a lot harder - so many nice Guard things, plus the need to make my Orks into something resembling a workable army, and all those Stompa conversions I had in mind... I think the Stompas may have to wait. You can't get apocalypse bits without a core army for it to support. I had been thinking that my guard were pretty much done apart from anything I fancied for apoc - therefore I was free to start the Orks. Then they brought out the new codex. I'm not complaining mind, but now my basic guard army of 10,000 points looks perilously short of Valkyries, Vendettas, Devildogs, Banewolfs, punishers, executioners, hydras, medusas... and that's just vehicles, I haven't even gotten to the penal legions and psyker battle squads yet!
Gw. I love you. And hate you. Long may it continue. But please, please, get everything you do on plastic asap. Just do me a favour... make the new executioners and black guard plastics EXACTLY like the current metal ones... please? :oD I think I'm being a bit optimistic here.
Oh, and to finish, I don't know why I'm complaining about metals... I'm about to make a forge world order. Ooh the thrills of working in resin. Sigh.
Comments
Post a Comment