015 - The Rout

So after deciding that I wanted to do a 30k force I had a real good think about what army I wanted to do. I am terrible at reading a novel or seeing a cool army and wanting t start that army so I felt with the added cost of Forgeworld models I wanted to be sure of what I wanted to do.
In the end it was a novel that inspired me but it definitely kept my interest for quite a long time. I read Prospero Burns by Dan Abnett which is one of my favourite Horus Heresy novels. It had a different take o the Space Wolves that really appealed to me. The novel showed that the Space Wolves aren't just jokey vikings in space and are one of the most ruthlessly loyal legions in the Great Crusade.
There was one piece of art that really made me go "that's the style for me" which is the cover to Prospero Burns.

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Its fantastic. From the drop assault in the back ground to massive sea of men on the ground. The Space Wolves are all there with the noble savage Norse stylings we all know and love. I'm a big fan of the juxapation of wooden shields and hyper advanced power armour.

It's also got Russ.

And Wulfen!

I listened to the "Joining The Horus Heresy" episode of the Independent Characters podcast (which is here) and was really inspired with Jason Mullins' description of how he built his Space Wolves 30k force. He described the various kit bashing methods he used and I thought "I could do that".

So I was in a position to buy some Forge World armour and a Space Wolves kit and I was ready to go! I have a a small force at the moment with a good mix of Forgeworld and regular 40k kits.

As you can see from the photo of my army I have made a start. I have used the old Njal Stormcaller model as a librarian and converted an old Apothecary into a Space Wolves style Legion Apothecary. The infantry are a seeker squad on the left all in mk6 armour and tactical squad in a mix of types of armour. Vehicle wise I have gone for a Land Raider which is the start of a squadron and a Dreadnought Talon.

I feel I have a made a good start to the force and I'll keep you updated on my wolfy antics in the future.

013 - Why I Want To 30K

I've been sniffing around the possibility of starting a 30k force for quite a while. I really like the aesthetic of the older marks of armour and equipment. I think I could get a really good looking force which is very different to the hordes of 40k Space Marines that are about.
The fluff is second to none. I keep up to date with the novels and they have really fleshed out a part of the lore which was very important but had very little content. The story is really progressing for what started out as a side project to become the main focus of both the Black Library and the Forgeworld studio.
I also think the cost isn't prohibitive either. This may sound like a bold statement to make but I am not going to be buying a whole army at once. I'll be getting one unit at a time and really focus on that unit until it's finished and then order another. I will also use plastic kits where I feel it's appropriate for example I prefer the plastic Land Raiders to the Forgeworld Land Raiders.
I'm not a very fast painter (or  too good if I'm honest) but I I don't think I'm getting any better dry brushing Iron Warriors.
I recently did a Deamon Prince and it was one of the best painting experiences I have ever had. I got to sit down and get stuck in on making one model look as good as I could make it. So I feel that with the slightly better quality of the Forgeworld models I could have a good go at having a fantastic looking force.
So to conclude I have talked myself into starting 30k and I can't wait.

011 - To Forgeworld or not to Forgeworld

Collecting Games Workshop armies and models is a costly affair. Even after the set up of a boxed game, paints glues and equipment, the price of each model is huge.
Then comes the premium brand of Games Workshop which is called Forge World.
Forge World was created in 1998 to mainly create terrain but has since expanded to large  scale resin models and even into new more specialist armies and tanks and in recent years created the Horus Hersey series of rules and models.
Forge World creates model in a  polymer resin. Compared to plastic, resin is brittle and  softer. You have to be aware of this when you use certain modelling techniques. You also have to bathe your kits in warm soapy water to wash off the mould release fluid that clings to the resin.
Also I have found that resin is much like the old metal kits where individual pieces can be warped or bent. This is not too bad with individual single piece sculpts but with complex multi-part kits you have to break out a bowl of warm water to bend it or some green stuff to cover any poor moulding. I have heard that Forge World are very good with replacing any damaged parts and will rush these right out to you.
Unfortunately, Forge World models are the only official way to get into 30k gaming at the moment. When a the minimum ten man tactical squad bundle costs £61 compared to £25 for the equvalent 40k unit it things get real expensive real quick.
However my gaming buddy Adam justifies the Forge World choice by saying that if the regular Games Workshop kits have gotten so expensive then why not go the extra mile and get a much higher quality of kit.
Hope fully the rumours of a plastic Horus Heresy starter set are true. I imagine that the core troops will be in plastic but the  more exotic units stay in resin. This will give players and collectors a relatively cheap way to get into 30k gaming and open it up to a whole new swathe of customers.
Until then I'll  have to put the overtime in so I can afford that Spartan Assault tank.