Tag: Trench Crusade

It’s Ayyám-i-Há, But Not A Good One

By

On 6th March 2025

In Blog

This week has been well, crap, with family stuff happening that has prevented us from celebrating Ayyám-i-Há or Megans Birthday which really sucks.

Megan and Lindsay did get me an Elegoo Mercury Plus V3.0 to help with the 3D Printing, so gonna order 5L of IPA on Monday!

Plan is to keep my pickling jars for dirty washes and use the Mercury for the clean wash.

The first prints washed and cured are markedly better than with the old system, that’s not the say what I had was pants, but this, is so so much better!

I printed some Ogryns for my Solar Auxilia, and yeah, they are a lot smoother and easier to get clean with the new system.

Website Updates

This week the My Armies page was updated with army listings for the Necrons, Adeptus Mechanicus for 40K and Mechanicum for 30K and Knights for both.

What I Am Modelling

I started out by finishing up my Malcador Heavy Tank for the Solar Auxilia

Followed by a trio of Rockgut Troggoths for the Gloomspite Gitz

After that I moved on to the Tyranids from Combat Patrol, starting with the second lot of Termagants

Alongside a Ripper Swarm

And a Parasite of Mortrex

Then I turned my attention to some Trench Crusade and painted some Azebs for the Iron Sultanate

Alongside a Sapper

What Tabletop Games I Am Playing

On Friday I played Russel and his Alpha Legion with this list of Solar Auxilia and some allied Imperial Fists

Solar Auxilia

## HQ [375 Pts]
Armoured Fist - Leman Russ Command Tank [200 Pts]: Leman Russ Command Tank (Armoured Fist Pattern Cohorts (Check Limitations manually), Battle Cannon, Searchlights, Smoke Launchers, Warlord, Heavy Bolter)

Tactical Command Tercio [175 Pts]:
• 1x Tactical Command Section [175 Pts]: Frag Grenades, Krak Grenades, Meltabombs, Refractor Field, Aurox Transport (Smoke Launchers), Augury Scanner, Command Vox, Cohorts Vexilla
  • 1x Auxilia Captain [10 Pts]: Void Armour, Pistol and Combat weapon (Sub-menu) (Close Combat Weapon, Laspistol), Auxilia Marshall
  • 4x Auxilia Companion [12 Pts]: Void Armour, Lasrifle

## Elites [45 Pts]

Medicae Section [45 Pts]:
• 3x Auxilia Medicae [15 Pts]: Auto-medicus, Frag Grenades, Krak Grenades, Void Armour, Close Combat Weapon, Laspistol

## Troops [1103 Pts]

Armoured Fist - Leman Russ Strike Squadron [155 Pts]:
• 1x Leman Russ Strike Squadron [155 Pts]: Turret Mounted Vanquisher Battle Cannon and Co-axial Mounted Autocannon (Co-axial Mounted Autocannon, Vanquisher Battle Cannon)
  • 1x Leman Russ Battle Tank [135 Pts]: Searchlights, Smoke Launchers, Heavy Bolter

Armoured Fist - Leman Russ Strike Squadron [155 Pts]:
• 1x Leman Russ Strike Squadron [155 Pts]: Turret Mounted Vanquisher Battle Cannon and Co-axial Mounted Autocannon (Co-axial Mounted Autocannon, Vanquisher Battle Cannon)
  • 1x Leman Russ Battle Tank [135 Pts]: Searchlights, Smoke Launchers, Heavy Bolter

Armoured Fist - Leman Russ Strike Squadron [155 Pts]:
• 1x Leman Russ Strike Squadron [155 Pts]: Turret Mounted Vanquisher Battle Cannon and Co-axial Mounted Autocannon (Co-axial Mounted Autocannon, Vanquisher Battle Cannon)
  • 1x Leman Russ Battle Tank [135 Pts]: Searchlights, Smoke Launchers, Heavy Bolter

Infantry Tercio [319 Pts]:
• 1x Rifle Sections [319 Pts]: Frag Grenades, Krak Grenades, Void Armour, Dracosan Armoured Transport (Searchlights, Smoke Launchers, Gravis Lascannon), Augury Scanner, Auxilia Vexilla, Vox Interlock
  • 1x Auxilia Sergeant: Lasrifle
  • 19x Auxilia w/ Lasrifle and Bayonet [6 Pts]: Bayonet, Lasrifle

Infantry Tercio [319 Pts]:
• 1x Rifle Sections [319 Pts]: Frag Grenades, Krak Grenades, Void Armour, Dracosan Armoured Transport (Searchlights, Smoke Launchers, Gravis Lascannon), Augury Scanner, Auxilia Vexilla, Vox Interlock
  • 1x Auxilia Sergeant: Lasrifle
  • 19x Auxilia w/ Lasrifle and Bayonet [6 Pts]: Bayonet, Lasrifle

## Fast Attack [200 Pts]

Carnodon Strike Squadron [200 Pts]: Two Sponson Mounted Volkite Caliver (Two Sponson Mounted Volkite Caliver), Turret Mounted Volkite Culverin (Volkite Culverin)
• 3x Solar Auxilia Carnodon [65 Pts]: Smoke Launchers

## Heavy Support [700 Pts]

Malcador Heavy Tank Squadron [350 Pts]:
• 1x Malcador Heavy Tank [350 Pts]: Searchlights, Smoke Launchers, Vanquisher Battle Cannon, Demolisher Cannon, Hull (Left) & Hull (Right) Mounted Lascannon, Pintle Mounted Multi-Laser, Dozer Blade, Flare Shield

Malcador Heavy Tank Squadron [350 Pts]:
• 1x Malcador Heavy Tank [350 Pts]: Searchlights, Smoke Launchers, Vanquisher Battle Cannon, Demolisher Cannon, Hull (Left) & Hull (Right) Mounted Lascannon, Pintle Mounted Multi-Laser, Dozer Blade, Flare Shield

## Lords of War [300 Pts]

Macharius Heavy Tank Squadron [300 Pts]: Macharius Vanquisher Cannon
• 1x Macharius Heavy Tank [280 Pts]: Two Sponson Mounted heavy stubbers, Hull (Front) Mounted twin-linked heavy stubber, Smoke Launchers

Imperial Fists - ++ Allied Detachment +

## Rite of War
Rite of War: The Stone Gauntlet (IF)

## HQ [175 Pts]

Fafnir Rann [175 Pts]: Artificer Armour, Boarding Shield, Bolt Pistol, Frag Grenades, Iron Halo, Krak Grenades, Master of the Legion, 2x The Headsman and The Hunter

## Elites [45 Pts]

Apothecarion Detachment [45 Pts]: Legiones Astartes (X)
• 1x Apothecary [45 Pts]: Frag Grenades, Krak Grenades, Narthecium, Bolt Pistol, Chainsword (Chainsword), Power Armour

## Troops [540 Pts]

Phalanx Warder Squad [540 Pts]: Boarding Shield, Breacher Charge, Frag Grenades, Krak Grenades, Power Armour, Legion Vexilla, Meltabombs, Land Raider Proteus Carrier (2x Sponson Mounted Gravis Lascannon, Legiones Astartes (X), Smoke Launchers, Twin-linked Heavy Bolter)
• 1x Warder Sergeant: Bolt Pistol, Bolter, Power Axe
• 7x Phalanx Warder [20 Pts]: Bolt Pistol, Bolter, Power Axe
• 2x Phalanx Warder w/Special Weapon (1 in 5) [35 Pts]: Bolt Pistol, Power Axe, Thunder Hammer

We played a Blood Feud mission and I was utterly decimated, I only managed to take out the Kytan

It was my first time paying an all tank army and it’s a bit of a learning curve and I made a fair few tactical mistakes

Let’s be perfectly honest, the Malcadors and Macharius are such a worse choice compared to the Leman Russ Vanquisher, but I hate the idea of just taking the most efficient unit

The biggest mistake I made was moving forward, what I should have done was stay back and fire from distance, and concentrate on the Contemprors with Multi-Meltas.

I also played a game of Age of Sigmar with Keith at Hartlepool Friday Night games and yeah I was tabled by end of turn 2.

His Ogor Mawtribes were very very effective and just wiped out everything I had on the table with ease!

What Video Games I Am Playing

I completed Assassin’s Creed: Unity and Dead Kings.

There are things like some Co-Op Missions etc that I still have to do, so I will probably have a few more sessions on Twitch with it.

And started on Assassin’s Creed Chronicles: China

What I Am Buying

I bought the House Flipper and Friends Humble Bundle, which netted me

My Biggest Prints So Far

By

On 12th February 2025

In Blog

Since I got the 3D printer in August, most of my prints have been infantry, with a few Rhino sized tanks

But this project is the biggest print so far, and required 3 full to the brim plates done!

It’s a proxy for the Macharius Heavy Tank called the Lupercal, and it’s a beautiful model.

The first plate which had on the turret, sponsons and part of the tracks, took just shy of 9 hours to print

The second which had on the sides and engine block was a chew on to print. The first attempt failed at 77% done, which was fine for the engine block, but the sides were partly completed. The printer appeared to have crashed, which was annoying.

The second attempt was just the sides, plus the Heavy Stubber Sponsons which I had forgotten was the only configuration the Solar Auxilia version could take, and that didn’t print at all.

The third attempt was successful and took just under 9 1/2 hours .

And finally the third plate, containing the front hull, rest of the tracks and the Vulcan Mega Bolter parts took 5 1/2 hours.

Once it was all printed cleaned and cured, it was then time to put it together, as you can tell I decided to print the parts for all three weapons that can be swapped in and out,

Those being the standard Battlecannons, Vanquisher Cannons and a Rotary Bolt Cannon (used to be a Vulcan Mega Bolter and that was much cooler)

With it all assembled, I then primed it in Poundlands grey primer spray paint, which is an excellent can for just £2.50!

And this where the problem was, it just look too much like a Soace Marine tank, so as much as I loved it, it’s going to be joining the Imperial Fists

So back to the drawing board and look what I found on the Purple Site, a version that has more rivets and it far more Solar Auxilia looking!

So then this was primed in that very same Poundland Grey

And then painted up in my urban camo scheme I am using for the Solar/Guard to allow vehicles to be used across armies.

This has a base of Mechanicus Standard Grey (AP Deep Grey), then the camo pattern using Thunderhawk Blue and Abbadon Black, with a recess wash of Agrax Earthshade then a Dawnstone dry brush

When it was finished I coated the tracks in Stirland Mud and added some static grass for texture after which I drybrushed it with Gothor Brown and then Screaming Skull.

I am pretty happy with how this turned out and it’s adding a decent big tank to the Solar Auxilia even though it’s pretty pointless for its cost, and a Leman Russ Vanquisher is far more points efficient.

So what have I learned from this project, well if I want to tackle anything bigger, I will need a wash and cure station, a Stormhammer is something I want to do, but would have issues with the processing of it due to size

And to be honest, it’s given me a lot more confidence to run longer prints, which is something I have tried to avoid in the past cause I didn’t like being unable to monitor them.

But here is the thing when it comes to my 3D printing and Warhammer, I don’t want to be the guy who 3D prints everything. For the Solar Auxilia, so much stuff is still in very expensive resin, or just not in production, even in resin, that I found myself needing to 3D print a good ton of models.

I want to support my FLGSs, but at the same time, I enjoy the hobby of 3D printing, especially tanks, for my Krieg I want to print some Chimeras and Hellhounds for example.

I guess I am just trying to find that middle ground, where I am trying to 3D print some stuff but also making sure to buy actual plastic models for others.

It’s an interesting balancing act.

Website Update

I have added a new page to this website, its a list of the armies I own and a link to a Google Doc for each of them, listing what I have painted and ready to play with.

Its only partial, I am expanding it slowly as I catalogue what I have and get NFC tags attached to the boxes, which allows me to pull up the lists easily if I want to know what in the boxes.

What I Am Modelling

I started out with the Terminators for the Ultramarines Combat Patrol

Followed by the same squad, but this time for the Dark Angels

After that I had some Allarus Custodians to complete the new Custodes Combat Patrol

And I am starting a rebuild of my Aeldari army, starting with the Farseer from the Combat Patrol

And I also painted two Chaplains on a Bike, one for the Ultramarines

And another for the Dark Angels

Then I turned to the Tyranids and painted up some Barbgaunts

Followed by some Termagants

And a Ripper Swarm

This was followed by a pair of Ammo Monks for Trench Crusade

Finally I painted Skragrot the Loonking

With a Rabble Rowza

So what’s up next?

  1. Blood Angels Landspeeders
  2. Ardboyz x 10
  3. Rockgut Troggoths x 3
  4. Atheon Heavy Sentinels x 3
  5. Rettributes x 5
  6. Malcador Heavy Tank & Dracosan
  7. Swampboss Skumdrekk
  8. Ultramarines Brutalis Dreadnought
  9. Imperial Fists Command Squad
  10. The Ancestors’ Wrath Einhyr Champion & Kâhl Yôht Grendok

What Tabletop Games I Am Playing

It was the monthly Hartlepool 40K tournament on Sunday and I went along with Necrons.

I had originally planned to take Guard, but with the new codex seemingly deleting the Imperial Armour units, I was left well short of having a list.

So this is what I took

Tournament Necrons (1995 Points)

Necrons
Starshatter Arsenal
Strike Force (2000 Points)

CHARACTERS

Catacomb Command Barge (135 Points)
 • Warlord
 • 1x Gauss cannon
 • 1x Staff of light
 • Enhancements: Miniaturised Nebuloscope

Hexmark Destroyer (75 Points)
 • 1x Close combat weapon
 • 1x Enmitic disintegrator pistols

Overlord (85 Points)
 • 1x Overlord’s blade
 • 1x Tachyon arrow

Royal Warden (50 Points)
 • 1x Close combat weapon
 • 1x Relic gauss blaster

Skorpekh Lord (80 Points)
 • 1x Enmitic annihilator
 • 1x Flensing claw
 • 1x Hyperphase harvester

BATTLELINE

Immortals (70 Points)
 • 5x Immortal
 ◦ 5x Close combat weapon
 ◦ 5x Gauss blaster

Immortals (70 Points)
 • 5x Immortal
 ◦ 5x Close combat weapon
 ◦ 5x Gauss blaster

Necron Warriors (90 Points)
 • 10x Necron Warrior
 ◦ 10x Close combat weapon
 ◦ 10x Gauss reaper

Necron Warriors (90 Points)
 • 10x Necron Warrior
 ◦ 10x Close combat weapon
 ◦ 10x Gauss flayer

Necron Warriors (90 Points)
 • 10x Necron Warrior
 ◦ 10x Close combat weapon
 ◦ 10x Gauss flayer

OTHER DATASHEETS

Annihilation Barge (105 Points)
 • 1x Armoured bulk
 • 1x Gauss cannon
 • 1x Twin tesla destructor

Annihilation Barge (105 Points)
 • 1x Armoured bulk
 • 1x Tesla cannon
 • 1x Twin tesla destructor

Canoptek Doomstalker (145 Points)
 • 1x Doomsday blaster
 • 1x Doomstalker limbs
 • 1x Twin gauss flayer

Lokhust Heavy Destroyers (55 Points)
 • 1x Close combat weapon
 • 1x Gauss destructor

Lokhust Heavy Destroyers (55 Points)
 • 1x Close combat weapon
 • 1x Enmitic exterminator

Night Scythe (145 Points)
 • 1x Armoured bulk
 • 1x Twin tesla destructor

Skorpekh Destroyers (180 Points)
 • 6x Skorpekh Destroyer
 ◦ 6x Skorpekh hyperphase weapons

Tomb Blades (75 Points)
 • 3x Tomb Blade
 ◦ 3x Close combat weapon
 ◦ 3x Twin gauss blaster

Tomb Blades (75 Points)
 • 3x Tomb Blade
 ◦ 3x Close combat weapon
 ◦ 3x Twin tesla carbine

Triarch Stalker (110 Points)
 • 1x Heavy gauss cannon array
 • 1x Stalker’s forelimbs

Triarch Stalker (110 Points)
 • 1x Heat ray
 • 1x Stalker’s forelimbs

So my first game was against Leon and his T’au Empire army, which was battlesuit heavy

He had a very good opening round of shooting taking out my Canoptek Doomstalker, and Annihilation Barge and Lokhust Heavy Destroyer.

By the end of turn 3 I was pretty much gone with just a few troops left, but they survived until the end of turn 5 which was good

For my second game I faced Christophers Space Wolves with an allied Armiger Warglaive

It was a much closer match, but I struggled to score in the primary mission because the Necrons are quite slow, I think I really need some transports for them

And finally I went up against the Chaos Space Marines of Ian, and for the first couple of turns it was reasonably equal, and I thought I might stand a chance at a close loss

But losing a couple of my heavy hitters really turned the tide, as the much faster Chaos Space Marines utterly trounced me

So what have I learnt, well the biggest is that my Necrons need transport, so I think I need to invest in some Ghost Arks at some point soon, because I am finding they struggle to get Warriors on to objectives

But regardless of the outcome, I had fun and well, the wooden spoon is what I live for!

On Tuesday I played a game of Age of Sigmar for the start of a local escalation league, with the first games at 750pts

I am using this list

750 740/1000 pts
-----
Orruk Warclans | Ironjawz | Ironfist
Drops: 1
-----
General’s Regiment
Megaboss on Maw-Krusha (360)
• General
Ardboyz (180)
Brutes (200)

My first game was against Michaels Nighthaunt and oh it went badly, the buffs and rebuffs from his characters just really stopped my Ironjawz from getting enough attacks to hit home and as a result they crumpled pretty easily

Ah it is what it is, but it was none the less a fun game!

What Video Games I Am Playing

Still plodding away at Assassin’s Creed: Unity, starting off by concentrating on collectables and clearing stuff area by area

What I Am Spending

I got some Tempestus Scions to add some of the models I need to get myself to have the new Scions based Kill Team, I need some Tempestors and Scions with Grenade Launchers

I still need another box to make the command squad guys with and another Tempestor, but will get that next month

I managed to finally pick up a Pariah Nexus deck, the stars never have seemed to quite align on this!

Gamers@Hart had a deck in on Sunday, during the tournament in which we were supposed to be using it, so I picked it up!

I needed a can of Wight Bone for priming Tyranids, I wanted to get it from Gamers@Hart but alas they didn’t have it in stock, so had to go to Amazon!

And a top up in paints from Element Games, alongside the Thousand Sons Combat Patrol

Video game wise, I picked up Red Dead Redemption 2 on sale at its lowest ever price on Steam, and Rogue Trader too, based mostly on the recommendation of Graham

I also added Fates Divided to Total War: Three Kingdoms

I indulged in a mystery bundle from Fanatical and got myself these

And with it being Humble Choice week, I got that and gained me the following

Finally Made It To Suffolk

By

On 25th December 2024

In Blog

On our fourth attempt, myself and Lindsay actually made it to Suffolk to visit my family.

We went at the beginning of the month, stopping at Nottingham so that Lindsay could do a days work in her office, she hasn’t gotten down there since the Pandemic.

So I was dumped in Warhammer World for the day, where I spent it working on the Solar Auxilia Army Focus article for the Edge of Empire website.

Luckily Lindsay’s office has free BEV charging points so she took advantage and charged the car to 100% getting us 250km of range, which is decent for the time of year.

We were about an hour later than planned due to a number of accidents that took us off the motorway, but made it with 14 miles left in the tank. Had some lasagna then off to bed.

After spending the morning with my mum and dad, we nipped out to charge the car, and have a bite to eat in McDonalds, before picking up three of the nibblings.

We then took them to Wendy’s in Colchester for lunch and played some mini golf in Hollywood Bowl.

After which we returned them home, and went to my parents where we enjoyed some fajitas!

And on Sunday we headed him, it was a super short trip, but we really needed to see my mum and I am really glad I did

What I Am Modelling

It’s been a tough few weeks due to the cold, and personal stuff, so not gotten a lot done

I started out with the Dwarf Fleet for Kings of War Armada

Then I painted up a squad of Phalax Warders for the Imperial Fists, this squad being fully 3D printed

I also painted up a table for Megan to decorate the Christmas cake with

And a character for my Word Bearers who can act as a Librarian, Diabolist or Esoterist

Next up I painted another Christmas Decoration, a Skyrim one!

Then my first Trench Crusade models, a pair of Communicants!

Then it was back to Christmas decorations with a The Luggage ornament for my sister-in-laws Christmas tree.

Then I expanded my UCM fleet for Dropfleet Commander with these Lysander Stealth Lighters

Followed by some Malcadors for my Legions Imperialis Solar Auxilia, the previous ones were to be frank, shit, so these were printed to replace those, its a much better set of STLs

And for the larger Solar Auxilia, some Cyclops Demolition Vehicles that I printed off, I really liked this STL, and think they will be super cool, if massively ineffective on the table!

After losing Smokey, I wanted to paint this STL I got from a Kickstarter last year in tribute to him, so I did, and we ended up with CyberSmokey, which is being put on the Christmas Tree.

I also painted a third Carnodon Tank for my Solar Auxilia to give me a full squadron for them!

After that I turned my attention to to a Snatchaboss on Sludgeraker Beast got it finished up.

So what’s next in my Painting list

  1. Blood Angels Land Speeders
  2. Karazai
  3. Paragon Warsuits with Heavy Flamers
  4. The Dread Pageant
  5. Calth High Guard Lasrifle Section x 10 & Command Section x 4
  6. Dark Angels Impulsor
  7. Ardboyz x 10
  8. Skragrot the Loonking & Rabble-Rowza
  9. Allarus Custodians x 3
  10. Rockguy Troggoth x 3

What Video Games I Am Playing

Been playing more Assassin’s Creed Unity

What I Am Creating

We published the latest episode of Edge of Empire, the last for the year.

What I Am Spending

At Warhammer World, I bought myself a Rabble-Rowza for the Gloomspite Gitz

To convert some mini planes to Legions Imperialis, I bought two packs of Flying Bases from Warhammer World

A big purchase was buying Grahams old telly, a 65” LG Nanocell TV and boy is it amazing, best TV I have ever owned and it makes all sorts of media just look so bloody good!

We also got an LED strip to run round the back of it to use as bias lights

I also bought Lieutenant Titus for my Ultramarines, which came with a £10 voucher, which I will be putting towards a Malcador for my Solar Auxilia

Speaking of the Solar Auxilia, I ordered a Leman Russ Strike Tank, which will be built as a Command Tank with a Battlecannon, I also got a pit of Fanatic Matt White, which I desperately needed, and to make it up tit he free postage, I got a MKIII Command Squad for the Imperial Fists

Also for the Solar Auxilia I got an Aethon Heavy Sentinel to make up a full squad of three of them, plus a drybrush

And I topped up my resin supply with another 4kg of Sunlu ABS like in Dark Grey

I got a few little bits in the Steam sale

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