Tag: Sylvaneth

Moved From Docker, But Its Better In The Long Run!

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On 9th March 2024

In Blog

About a month ago, I realized that the geniuses behind Audio Book Shelf had released a native Windows version of the application. Until then, I had been running it in a Docker install. However, this method was slow and could only allocate 2GB of RAM, greatly impacting performance.

So, I decided to switch from Docker to the Windows version. Unfortunately, this transition resulted in the loss of all metadata due to differences in how Linux and Windows file structures operate.

Consequently, I find myself having to re-add all the metadata. While this isn’t an issue for much of the content, as Audio Book Shelf can scrape data from Audible, it’s a manual task for Big Finish, which constitutes the majority of my collection. Thus, it’s quite time-consuming.

Currently, I’ve managed to complete the metadata for all titles up to those beginning with ‘O’. Although it’s taking time, the effort will certainly be worth it.

Furthermore, I’ve adjusted settings so that metadata is now stored with the files rather than in a central database. This change aims to prevent similar issues in the future, particularly if I decide to switch my server back to Linux from Windows.

What I Am Modelling

I started off by painting a Loonboss on a Giant Cave Squig for my Gloomspite Gitz

Followed by a Heavy Support Squad for my Imperial Fists, armed with Heavy Bolters.

Then I painted some Spite Revenants for my Sylvaneth.

As well as a Branchwych for them too

I then finished up a Penitent Engine for the Sisters of Battle

Before painting another Loonboss on Giant Cave Squig

I am now working on some Vigilors for the Stormcast Eternals

So whats up next?

  1. Vigilors x 10
  2. Nexus Syphon
  3. Chief Librarian Tigurius & Primaris Librarians x 2
  4. Homonculus
  5. Bloodletters x 10
  6. Saint Celestine
  7. Death Company x 10, Chaplain & Rhino
  8. Stabbas x 40
  9. Wulfen x 5
  10. Ultramarines Hellbalsters x 5

What I Am Reading

Not much, but I did listen to Cypher: Lord of the Fallen by John French which was very interesting.

What Tabletop Games I Am Playing

On Wedensday I played a Hartlepool League game with Leon, and his T’au kicked my arse!

I had another game of 40K for the Hartlepool League with Dale on Saturday, and despite his very good list, I didn’t lose as badly as expoected!

What Video Games I Am Playing

I have returned to Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag.

What I Am Spending

I bought myself a few bits of DLC

Space Marines Are Not A Good Starter Army

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On 28th January 2024

In Blog

I said what I said!

But back in the day, Space Marines were the default starter army, S4, T4 and hitting on 3s with a 3+ armour save, they were decently tough, and didn’t need a lot to make them work well.

Plus they were really easy to paint and make your own.

But these days, they are not a good starter set, they have a bloated list that half the time makes little sense.

Here is the thing, how would you recommend starting a Space Marine army, its always been to recommend the Battleforce/Start Collecting/Combat patrol as they always included a Troops/Battleline, that you could build your army around.

But today, the Combat Patrol doesn’t contain a Battleline unit, the Infernus Marines aren’t one, and its a pretty elite force, simply not one that its easy to build an army around.

And even then, look at what is available, its so many units that its hard to actually look at the list as a beginner and figure out how to start an army.

A kid I know who wants to play Ultramarines was genuinely confused, because, they simply couldn’t figure out how to build an army, what they absolutely needed and how to synergise the army.

Look I am not saying Space Marines are now crap, its just really difficult to build a list as a beginner, and there is no starter box that represents the army as the very basic units which can form a decent core.

How would I fix it, well I would love to see a Combat Patrol with Intercessors at its core, the ETB Redemptor Dreadnought, and a Lieutenant.

Heck, why not release the sprue from Dark Imperium which had the Intercessors, Ancient, and two Lieutenants, then throw in an ETB kit, perhaps the Invader ATV, or as I suggested the ETB Redemptor Dreadnought.

Here is the crack, I ended up recommending the Dark Angels Combat Patrol, or the Blood Angels Combat Patrol, as these have generic units, one of which is an Intercessor Squad, a HQ and a couple of other interesting units. Actually, if you can, get both, they synergise well together, and just sell the upgrade sprues!

What I Am Modelling

I started the week by painting a unit of 10 Gutrippas for my Orruk Warclans

Followed by Snazzgar Stinkmullett the Fungoid Cave Shaman for the Gloomspite Gitz, which means I have now painted all four of the Harbingers of the Malign Portents!

Then a unit of Suppressors for the Space Wolves

After which I painted a Warlock Bombardier from the Skaven range

And then an Arch Revenant for a new Sylvaneth army

As well as Ylthari’s Guardians.

Then it was time to deal with some Tyranids, and I got the Tyranid Prime with Wings completed

And finally a Screamer-Killer.

So what’s up next week?

  1. Termagants x 20
  2. Gitz Stabbas x 40
  3. Ork Warbikers x 3
  4. Knight Judicator
  5. Khagra’s Ravagers
  6. Dark Angels Intercessors x 5
  7. Imperial Fists Heavy Bolter Squad x 10
  8. Spite Revenants
  9. Penitent Engine
  10. Vigilors x 10

What I Am Reading

I started to listed to The Talon of Horus by Aaron Dembski-Bowden, it’s a book I have started a couple of times, but never gotten past the first 30 minutes cause I get disturbed then forget about it.

But this time I am determined to listen it all!

I am also plodding on with The Tower of Nerek by David Guymer.

What Tabletop Games I am Playing

I played Matthew in the Hartlepool 40K league, and won 50-41, but that was only secured due to painting points!

I also played Edward, and I lost that game very badly to an Aeldari alpha strike, a wonderful game, even if I was hammered!

What Video Games I am Playing

I have started on Yakuza 0 and so far its interesting but werid!

I was horribly ill on Sunday, so played through Portal on my Steam Deck for the first time since 2007, I want to play Portal RTX but my 3070 struggles with it!

I did get a bit of streaming in, but its been difficult of late with Lindsay changing her work schedule.

What I Am Spending

I bought the Bloodletters I needed to complete the Chaos Daemons Combat Patrol from eBay

Along with some Genestealers, I only need four to top up my two existing units to full 10 grubby units, so if anyone wants four more to do the same…

And I got the Datacards for the Adeptus Mechanicus

We needed a KVM for the studio to allow easy switching between the media server and Lindsay’s laptop. This Ugreen one was on special offer on Amazon, so we grabbed it and it does what we need.

I also bought a few games

I also bough the Twin Sails Bundle on Humble Bundle, which got me:-

The rest of the games were given to Lindsay and Karen as I already had them.

I got some books too, The End and the Death: Volume III by Dan Abnett, both as an ePub and MP3 audio book, plus Sons of the Emperor as a MP3 audio book.

Of course I got Lords of the Lance by Graham McNeill, as a ePub and MP3 audiobook, and the Shamanslayer MP3 audio book by Nathan Long.

From Big Finish I got Dad’s Army: The Radio Series by Jimmy Perry & David Croft, Poppet by Lauren Mooney & Stewart Pringle, Danger and Deception by Alan Fennell, Fugitive of the Daleks by Jonathan Morris.

From Marvel, I got Moon Knight: Age of Anubis by Jonathan Green, and Doomgate by Jeffrey Lang as an MP3 audiobook.

Starting Sylvaneth with Mortal Realms

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On 15th August 2020

In Blog

A lot of you will now be getting into your hands the second Premium Pack for Hachettes Mortal Realms, and this time it contains Sylvaneth so just like last time with the Flesh Eaters Courts, let’s look at how you can expand this set into a 1000ts and 2000pts army.

So let’s start by looking at what you get in the pack.

  • Spite Revenants x 5
  • Dryca Hamadreth
  • Branchwych

Plugging that into Battlescribe that gives us a total of 440 points, so a lot less than the Flesh Eaters.

So where would I go first, well looking at the warscolls in the Battletome, I would be tempted to start with The Outcasts Warscroll Battalion, which needs 3 units of Spite Revenants, so you need to go and buy two more boxes of them.

After this I would probably grab a Start Collecting Sylvaneth box and use the Treelord and Dryads from that to add to the army. And also grab the Endless Spells and use the Spiteswarm Hive from that.

So now your list should look like this:-

+ Leader [380pts] +

Branchwych [80pts]

Drycha Hamadreth [300pts]

+ Behemoth [180pts] +

Treelord [180pts]

+ Battleline [100pts] +

Dryads [100pts]: 10 Dryads [100pts]

+ Battalion [280pts] +

Battalion: Outcasts [280pts]
. Spite-Revenants [60pts]: 5 Spite-Revenants [60pts]
. Spite-Revenants [60pts]: 5 Spite-Revenants [60pts]
. Spite-Revenants [60pts]: 5 Spite-Revenants [60pts]

+ Malign Sorcery [50pts] +

Endless Spell: Spiteswarm Hive [50pts]

Going to 2000 points I would start by adding some Tree Revenants, so that you could form those, your Treelord and Branchwych into a Household Warscroll Battalion.

Then I would grab a second Start Collecting Box and use this to add two more units of Dryads and a second Branchwych so that I could add the Forest Folk Warscroll Battalion and a Treelord Ancient.

And lastly I would drop the Spiteswarm Hive and instead add a unit of Kurnoth Bunters with Kurnoth Greatbows for some ranged firepower’s.

So this is the list I would build for 2000 points.

+ Leader [560pts] +

Drycha Hamadreth [300pts]

Treelord Ancient [260pts]

+ Other [190pts] +

Kurnoth Hunters [190pts]: 3 Kurnoth Hunters [190pts], Kurnoth Greatbow

+ Battalion [1,240pts] +

Battalion: Forest Folk [520pts]
. Branchwraith [80pts]: 1. Throne of Vines
. Dryads [100pts]: 10 Dryads [100pts]
. Dryads [100pts]: 10 Dryads [100pts]
. Dryads [100pts]: 10 Dryads [100pts]

Battalion: Household [440pts]
. Branchwych [80pts]
. Tree-Revenants [80pts]: 5 Tree-Revenants [80pts], Glade Banner, Protector Glaive, Waypipes
. Treelord [180pts]

Battalion: Outcasts [280pts]
. Spite-Revenants [60pts]: 5 Spite-Revenants [60pts]
. Spite-Revenants [60pts]: 5 Spite-Revenants [60pts]
. Spite-Revenants [60pts]: 5 Spite-Revenants [60pts]

I am not gonna pretend I am a tactical genius here, this list is probably very sub-optimal, but it’s what I would do personally because I think this is a nice route to 2000 points.

I would also very much look at grabbing an Awakened Wyldwood, because it’s fantastic in game and will really add something to your army.

In terms of painting, I would point you towards the tutorial on YouTube by Duncan Rhodes when he was at Warhammer TV for Ylthari’s Guardians.

So let me know what you think of my ideas, and if you are gonna give them a try out, let me know how it goes!

Just a quick note, if you do follow the links to Element Games and buy something from them, a little bit of a commission is made for Edge of Empire which helps keep the podcast running.

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