ISSUE 15

10th May 2014

Editor: Jes Bickham
jes@whitedwarf.co.uk

Assistant Editor: Matt Keefe
mattk@whitedwarf.co.uk

Senior Staff Writer: Adam Troke
adam@whitedwarf.co.uk

Staff Writer: Daniel Harden
dan@whitedwarf.co.uk

Production Lead: Rebecca Ferguson
rebecca@whitedwarf.co.uk

Digital Editor: Melissa Roberts
melissa@whitedwarf.co.uk

Lead Designer: Matthew Hutson
matt@whitedwarf.co.uk

Designer: Kristian Shield
kris@whitedwarf.co.uk

Designer: Ben Humber
ben@whitedwarf.co.uk

Photo Editor: Glenn More
glenn@whitedwarf.co.uk

Photographer: Erik Niemz
erik@whitedwarf.co.uk

Photographer: Martyn Lyon
martyn@whitedwarf.co.uk

Distribution Lead: Andy Keddie
andy@whitedwarf.co.uk

Publisher: Paul Lyons
paul@whitedwarf.co.uk

We’ve got a packed issue for you this week, continuing our coverage of the new Wood Elves with more superb painting guides, and we also celebrate the release of the new Apocalypse War Zone book, Valedor, with interviews and a look at one of the best datasheets inside its covers. It’s a cracking chronicle of a mighty conflict between the Eldar and the Tyranid Hive Fleets Kraken and Leviathan, and is supported by a Valedor novel by Black Library author ace Guy Haley.

We’re also very fortunate in that Jervis Johnson has penned us an exclusive new datasheet for Valedor, which you can’t get anywhere else. Dark Eldar fans should have cause to be very pleased indeed!

In fact, if you’re a fan of Warhammer 40,000, we’ve got a very special sneak peek at some very big news indeed – a new edition of Warhammer 40,000 stuffed with thrilling rules additions. Come back next week for the full lowdown of the hobby event of the summer!

A splinter of Hive Fleet Kraken has entered the Valedor system and now drifts close to the vanguard of Hive Fleet Leviathan. The Eldar of Craftworlds Iyanden and Biel-Tan cannot allow the two Tyranid fleets to combine and must wipe them out at all costs.

Having been cast into the Immaterium by the Warp-magick of Craftworld Iyanden, a splinter of Hive Fleet Kraken has emerged, dangerously close to its sister Hive Fleet Leviathan, deep in the galactic south. The Eldar, fearing the effects of these two mighty forces combining, have mobilised to prevent it at all costs. The site for this terrible battle is the ancient Eldar Maiden World of Dûriel, the jewel of the Valedor system. But the Tyranids of Hive Fleet Leviathan are innumerable and their will is implacable; to seal victory, the Eldar must strike an unspeakable alliance, and a precious world must burn.

Valedor is the latest in the series of Apocalypse War Zone expansions, and details the Eldar’s bitter struggle to prevent Hive Fleet Leviathan absorbing a portion of Hive Fleet Kraken, along with all the precious information and genetic material it has gleaned. This 68-page hardback book tells the full story of the conflict, from the freak events in the wake of Kraken’s attack on Iyanden to the mustering of forces as Biel-Tan prepares to stand in the path of two Tyranid forces. This culminates in a battle on the surface of Dûriel as Biel-Tan, Iyanden and even the Dark Eldar seek to stem the tide. As well as a gripping storyline, the book also contains rules for recreating the battles described, including new scenarios, Finest Hours, Stratagems and 20 Apocalypse Datasheets for formations from the High Council of Iyanden to the Leviathan Sky Swarm. This book is a real feast, with new artwork, beautiful galleries of miniatures and much more. AT

Above - The cover of Valedor shows the massed armies of Iyanden clash with the Tyranid horde.

Left - Throughout the book, fantastic new artwork and photographs of the Studio miniatures collection draw you into the conflict.

Right - The history of Valedor and the predicament the Eldar find themselves in is described in a detailed history section.

A couple of months on from the release of Warhammer: Dwarfs, Jeremy Vetock looks back over his oldest collection and wonders if it will ever be finished. Read on to find out…

Dwarfs were my very first army, and parts of my collection are no doubt older than some of the people reading this article; it was a grim realisation when I discovered that my Dwarf collection has been in existence for longer than some of my co-workers have been alive. Where does that time go?

Although I’ve been collecting Dwarfs for a long time, it isn’t my largest army by far. Over the years, I have done several different forces, trading off or donating various parts to friends, all of which I naturally regret. That isn’t to say that I haven’t kept some of the oldest elements – you’d have to go pretty far into some back catalogues to find some of my favourite old models from my collection: the Dwarf chef from the Goblobber crew roasting meat over an open flame, a Marauder Longbeard whose chin whiskers go down to his feet and are tied around the banner pole he carries, and a Dwarf beer cart pulled by a pony.

When I first started collecting, it was hard to find Citadel miniatures where I lived. I bought them from a model shop that had a tiny selection of Games Workshop stuff. I still remember basing up and painting that first blister pack’s worth of models. They were covered in mail and equipped with axes, and with those beards and bushy eyebrows they exuded character.

Once I owned some Dwarf models, I found I wanted more. I thought – a revolutionary idea for this era – that I could make an army of Dwarfs. At this point I had not seen an army book (they had not yet been created), nor had I seen an army picture in White Dwarf; it would be another year before I even knew of the magazine’s existence, much less things such as the Warhammer game. All I had was a growing collection of Dwarf models and an image in my mind’s eye of a stalwart and well-armoured force marching out of some forlorn mountainside.

Since those days, the mid-1980s, I have continued to amass more Dwarf models. There were periods when I would shift my attentions to other armies – including their arch-enemies the Orcs and Goblins – but I would always come back to Dwarfs. I even built an underground terrain set replete with mine workings, an underground rail system and giant mushroom forests. So, if all of this has been going on for over 25 years, you might think all I have to do to complete my Dwarf army is to get my hands on the newest Dwarf models. But many of you reading this will know it just doesn’t work that way…

Like most of us, I have more hobby ideas and ambition than I have time to complete it all, but here are some of the things I’d like to do while I am caught up in my latest craze of Dwarf mania:

Collecting: Yes, the latest additions are incredibly cool. I’ve started with the Hammerers but would very much like to try painting some Irondrakes. However, the example clans and their history in the new Dwarf book got me thinking that I would like to make up a few clans, giving further story and history to my army. Perhaps a flying circus of Gyrocopters: how can I pass up the Skyhammers from Zhufbar? Also, I need to get Belegar Ironhammer for the next category…

Campaigns: First off, with the release of new Dwarf stuff I’ll use that as my excuse to dust off my old Karak Eight Peaks campaign. It’s time to add some new chapters and grudges to that longstanding battle. Now that there is a Belegar Ironhammer model, he can get to work cleaning out his ancestral halls! For those that don’t know, the old Dwarf stronghold of Karak Eight Peaks is the site of (in my opinion) the best and fiercest of all grudge wars. In a battle that has lasted (in one way or another) thousands of years, three armies are currently bashing it out for supremacy: the Night Goblins under Skarsnik, the so-called Warlord of the Eight Peaks, the verminous Skaven Queek Headtaker, self-styled Ruler of the City of Pillars, and the rightful King of Karak Eight Peaks, Belegar Ironhammer. Three special characters and their supporting armies all locked into a battle to the death amidst the ruined splendour of one of the Dwarfs’ greatest strongholds? To me, this is what Warhammer is made of (and for!).

New Scenarios: I like to attack with my Dwarfs as sitting back and shooting is, well, a bit dull. So how about a specially-designed scenario where the Dwarfs can unleash their pent-up anger? Imagine what happens when the bitter and grudge-filled Dwarfs discover a village of Orc huts upon their mountainsides? Or a Skaven nest filled with verminous Breeders? Or the Dwarfs uncover a fungus-ridden cavern where Night Goblins tend, pick and prepare their mad-cap mushrooms (the very ones that turn some of their kind into ball and chain wielding Fanatics)? I can tell you one thing: the Dwarfs won’t be merciful, nor will they stop until every vestige of their hated foes has been scoured clean by Flame Cannon!

Mad Conversions: What might upstart Dwarf Engineer Grimm Burloksson build? What mad one-off contraption might he invent? A steam-powered battering ram? A cog-dragon? A pneumatic cannon? What if it met some equally mad Skaven contraption in an underground clash of ironclads? Or some idol of Gork or Mork animated by greenskin magics? Don’t they sound like good excuses for a battle?

Throne Room: My underground terrain is pretty useful and modular but I’m lacking a throne room. An ancient Dwarf great hall or throne room with side tunnels leading outwards and perhaps even a few undertunnels would make a great terrain board and a dramatic ending to my underground Karak Eight Peaks campaign. I imagine it being a place that the Dwarfs have taken and lost many times, so can envision all types of battles, including ambushes and traps unique to each of the races fighting there…

If only I could build some steam-powered extra appendages I might actually get time to finish half of what I’d like to accomplish. Alas, the necessary evils of work and family are bound to intervene… but until that time, sharpen your axes and bring out your best ales – the Dwarfs are coming!

When it comes to painting miniatures, the ’Eavy Metal team know all the tricks in the book. In fact, they probably wrote a lot of them. Notepad and quill in hand, Dan paid them a visit to find out how they went about painting the new Wood Elves.

When the ’Eavy Metal team started work on the Wood Elves, Joe Tomaszewski’s first thought was, “not to paint them all brown and green. We wanted to represent the four seasons in the miniatures, to add variety to the army, and to show several different ways of painting them.”

Tom Winstone and Dave Heathfield worked on the Sisters of the Thorn and the Wild Riders. “The Wild Riders look a lot like Orion,” says Dave, “so I painted them using strong greens and browns to match him. There is a danger with using so much green, so it’s important to differentiate between the textures on the model. The ivy leaves, for example, are a shiny, deep green, while the capes are a warm yellow to show they’re made of cloth. You’ll notice all the greens on the Wild Riders tend towards the yellow end of the colour spectrum to show their vitality.”

“The Sisters of the Thorn are magical beings,” says Tom, “and we often associate whites and blues with ‘good’ magic in Warhammer, so I used those colours to augment the greens, tending towards the cooler end of the colour spectrum. It also ties them nicely to the magical Spites and the runes on the tree spirits. I painted the fur on the Steeds of Isha in blues and whites, contrasting with the earthy browns that Dave used on the Steeds of Kurnous. When trying out an unusual colour scheme like this, my advice is to try it on one model before painting a whole unit. There’s nothing worse than basecoating loads of models only to find you don’t like the colour scheme.”

Dave Perryman, meanwhile, painted the Eternal Guard. “We wanted the Eternal Guard and Wildwood Rangers to look really different,” begins Dave, “so we painted one in the colours of spring and the other in the colours of autumn. It suits the unit personalities, one being fresh and full of life, the other dark and dour. Working on the Eternal Guard, I reckon I used every yellow-green paint in the range. I kept the gold yellow too, using Gehenna’s Gold rather than Balthasar Gold to keep the palette consistent.” Dave also had a tip for the banners on the Eternal Guard (and other units). “Using a pencil, mark out the key points of your design before joining the dots. Then paint over the outline in a similar colour to the background. That way, if you make a mistake, it’s easier to correct. Then fill the design and tidy up the outline.”

It’s not just the Elves who got a makeover. “I painted the Treeman Ancient,” says Joe. “I wanted to make it stand out from the Treeman, which has a really fresh palette. Its heartwood is pale like a sapling while the bark is smooth and red and full of life. In contrast, I wanted the Treeman Ancient to appear old and worn, his bark tending towards greys and beiges. I imagine there’s a lot of mould and moss in there, so I added subtle green and black washes into the recesses. I also painted some of the leaves in autumnal colours to suggest an older spirit. The secret with Wood Elves is not to be tied down to what we perceive as natural colours and to think outside the box. You’d be surprised how strange trees can look in the real world before factoring in the fantasy of Warhammer.” DH

A FIERY BLEND

“I painted Durthu,” says Neil Green. “He was a real departure from the traditional Wood Elf colours. The secret with Durthu is not to go overboard on his fiery runes otherwise they’ll stand out too much from the rest of the model. Paint them with subtle, pastel oranges and you’ll be fine. I even added a dab of orange to the areas around the runes to help smooth the transition between light and dark.” The most striking part of Durthu is undoubtedly his fiery sword. “Start with a solid basecoat of Troll Slayer Orange,” says Neil, “and add in yellows and whites to highlight the edges. You’ll need to blend the colours on the sword, so make sure you water down your paint to keep it fluid. I then carefully shaded the recesses with Fuegan Orange and Carroburg Crimson to add depth to the sword.”

THE FOUR SEASONS

(Below) The Eternal Guard are painted in the muted greens, golds and yellows of spring. They represent the birth of a new age in Athel Loren.

The Wild Rider colour scheme is made up of strong earthy browns and greens that match those of their king, Orion. They are a reflection of him at the height of his power.

The Wildwood Rangers wear dark browns and oranges, the colours of autumn. This suits their sombre role in Wood Elf society and matches their grim aspect.

Sisters of the Thorn wear cold greens, whites and blues, the colours most commonly associated with magic and winter.

The Citadel Hall of Fame is a collection of the finest miniatures in the world, nominated by the people who know best: the artists, figure painters and designers themselves. This month, the Design Studio’s Citadel miniatures manager, Matt Toone, makes a nomination.

SCULPTED BY ALEX HEDSTRÖM
NOMINATED BY MATT TOONE

Matt has worked alongside our elite miniatures designers for several years.

Matt: The Orcs were my first Warhammer army and remain my favourite. Over the years I’ve collected and painted hundreds of greenskins. Of all the Orcs within my own personal Waaagh! there is one who I feel personifies what it is to be a Warboss more than any other: Gorbad Ironclaw. From the first moment I saw this model, I was spellbound – it was a massive, slab-jawed brute, clad in thick, scarred armour plates. Even better, Gorbad was riding on a hulking great big lump of meat with massive tusks and a bad attitude.

There is a strong sense of narrative and motion to the model, which speaks volumes about Alex’s skill as a designer. Gorbad is leaning angrily across the front of Gnarla, his gauntleted ‘iron claw’ pointing out an unseen foe. The mighty axe is raised high, with the heavy links of the chain attaching it to Gorbad’s wrist flying out behind with momentum. It’s a sensational miniature, oozing character and charm, and conveying the skill of the designer. My Boar Boyz never go into battle without him.

Left - Strapped to the back of Gorbad’s shield is the Solland Runefang. “Gorbad won this as a trophy, but he doesn’t care about it,” Alex says. “So it hangs from his shield, half-forgotten. It’s actually the same design as the Runefang in the Empire General kit.”

Right - This is the original model before it was cast. “All the Green Stuff detail was added after I printed the digital miniature,” he explains. “At that point, I could never have made something so intricate digitally. Things have changed now.”

Alex Hedström is a veteran Citadel miniatures designer, and has led the way in the use of digital design for our models.

Alex: The funny thing about sculpting Gorbad Ironclaw is that he is a model that straddles two eras of my design work. He was the first model I used digital design techniques on, and the last model that I used green stuff on. For me, that was quite a benchmark. At the time, it felt very experimental, risky almost. Essentially I designed the bulk of the model digitally, and then ‘printed it out’, and added the rest by hand with Green Stuff. I’m proud of Gorbad, and I really enjoyed sculpting him, so it’s an honour that Matt has recommended him as a model worthy of the Hall of Fame.

I’ve designed a couple of prominent Orc warbosses over the years (I also did Azhag, riding on the beautiful Wyvern by Trish Carden), and I must say they were a treat to work on. Both had intricate back stories, which I could convey in the models I made. With Gorbad, I was able to add some trophies to him that helped get across what a mighty Warboss he is. He’s got the Solland Runefang strapped to his back, and the crown of the Elector Count (complete with skull for good measure) spiked onto his massive boss pole. He’s the most successful Warboss of all time, and he has the trophies to show it. AT

This week in Paint Splatter we look at how to paint Wood Elves in different schemes using Wildwood Rangers. The great thing about the colour schemes we show here is that they can be applied across the range, from Wildwood Rangers to Glade Guard or Wardancers.

Last issue we turned our Paint Splatter attentions to the Wild Riders. This week, we’ve turned to the guardians of the Wildwood, and look at how to paint them in two different colour schemes.

“Whenever we embark on a new project, we feel out all the different possibilities for paint schemes and colours,” says Studio army painter Chris Innes. “That’s how we came to paint several different types of Wood Elves. What you can see here are Wildwood Rangers in the colours of Talsyn, probably the most significant of the Eternal Realms in Athel Loren. Chris Peach was instrumental in determining the colour scheme, and once he had done so the rest of the team got to work adapting it to the various regiments.”

“Adapting a colour scheme to the different units in your army is actually pretty simple,” Chris adds. “I decided that, since pale green and beige were the dominant colours, and I was going to be painting large numbers of models at speed, I would be best off starting from a basecoat of Zandri Dust (using a Citadel Spray Gun), and adding other colours from there. I was as tidy with my brushwork as possible so I could paint each colour in isolation. This scheme would work equally well on almost any type of the Wood Elves, with a little bit of adaptation.”

PAINTING GEM STONES

Painting gem stones is a simple matter, but one that many hobbyists struggle to get to grips with. Chris had some great advice to offer. “If you’re painting large quantities of models, you can get striking results on your gem stones with only two stages,” he says. “Just paint the stone with one colour
(I used Sotek Green) and then add a small spot for a highlight (I used Temple Guard Blue). That highlight represents where the light hits the gem as it’s shining on it. Look at some coloured glass and gems for examples from real life.”

While Chris was busy painting Wildwood Rangers in the colour of Lord Araloth’s realm, his colleague Steve Bowerman painted a Wildwood Ranger in a very different colour scheme. “When painting a Wood Elf army, the Eternal Realms of Athel Loren make a great basis colour schemes, but if you want other ideas, consider the seasons of the year. The Wood Elves are tightly bound to the cycle of birth and death, so spring, summer, autumn and winter each have profound meanings for them. I painted this model using autumnal colours as inspiration, drawing heavily on images of trees and leaves that I found online. Autumn brings a riot of warm shades, such as oranges and browns, so I’ve used lots of different shades of those colours, just as in nature, to add variety. I’m really keen on the cloaks, with their Lamenters Yellow glaze. It’s nice and bright, but not lurid, and it’s good to have something eye-catching on the back of your model, since that’s usually what you see when you’re playing games. Finally, I haven’t painted on any green. Doing that would detract from the autumn theme, and is best left to spring or summer.” AT

Here’s the news: a new edition of Warhammer 40,000 is just around the corner. Having had a good read of what’s to come, Jes Bickham takes a sneak peek at some of the exciting additions in store…

By now you may have guessed, thanks to the poster we gave away last issue, that something big is happening to Warhammer 40,000. 24 May sees the launch of a new edition of the game, which is packed with new rules additions that make the grim darkness of the far future even more enjoyable. We’ve been poring over the new edition in order to bring you some fantastic coverage next week – when it goes on pre-order – but before that we thought we’d let you know about what we reckon are the three most exciting additions to the game. Behold! War will never be the same again.

UNBOUND ARMIES

If you’re a Warhammer 40,000 player you’ll be familiar with the Force Organisation chart. It’s still there in the new Warhammer 40,000, and if you follow it, your army is referred to as ‘Battle-forged’. A Battle-forged army is a very desirable thing as it gets certain in-game bonuses. But there’s another way to use your miniatures, and that comes in the form of taking an Unbound army. Basically, Unbound armies allow you to take whatever you want from your collection, and throw the Force Organisation chart out of the window (while still adhering to unit sizes and heeding the relationships described by the all-new Allies Matrix).

So what does this mean in practice? Well, let’s take my Black Legion army as an example. I love the thought of a force of rampaging Daemon Engines sent forth by a powerful Warpsmith, so I can now make an army composed entirely of Forgefiends, Heldrakes and Defilers. Similarly, Dan is so excited by the prospect of an Unbound army that he’s going to build an Astra Militarum strikeforce made up of Leman Russ battle tanks. Glenn, meanwhile, is salivating at the prospect of taking a Tau army that uses all his Riptides (last count: four) and lots of Broadsides. The possibilities are endless; the only limit to your games now are the models you have in your collection. Thrilling stuff.

MORE DYNAMIC GAMES

The excellent Eternal War missions found in the current Warhammer 40,000 rulebook still exist in the new edition, but in addition you’ll find six new Maelstrom of War missions. These use a suite of 36 Tactical Objective cards that fundamentally change the ways you can play Warhammer 40,000, allowing for more dynamic games overflowing with strategic choices. In Maelstrom of War missions, players will invariably have several Tactical Objectives in play at any one time. They offer specific conditions that, once met, award victory points at the end of your turn. These range from controlling objective markers to successfully manifesting psychic powers, to eliminating enemy characters and vehicles, to killing monsters and flyers and much, much more. Once achieved, Tactical Objectives are discarded and new ones are drawn (you can usually also discard one unwanted Tactical Objective per turn), meaning your goals in a game of Warhammer 40,000 are constantly changing.

The effect of Tactical Objectives on the White Dwarf team’s games of Warhammer 40,000 has been electric and energising. We’ve found ourselves with a huge number of ways to score points and win games, but canny generalship is required for success; it’s difficult to try and assassinate an enemy character while grabbing and holding an objective marker half a table away, for example.

THE PSYCHIC PHASE

Farseers, Librarians, Weirdboyz and Hive Tyrants rejoice: a new, dedicated psychic phase now gives full, free reign to the destructive potential of Warhammer 40,000’s Warp-manipulating psykers.

And how does it work? A pool of Warp Charge dice is created at the start of the psychic phase, equal to the roll of a D6 plus the total of your psykers’ Mastery levels. This Warp Charge pool is used by psykers to successfully manifest psychic powers. You can use as many dice as you like but the risk of suffering Perils of the Warp (now a table you roll on, with some very scary results) is increased. Enemy psykers can draw on their own Warp Charge pool to Deny the Witch and nullify psychic powers, meaning the psychic phase alone is a hotbed of bluff, counter-bluff and tactical decision-making.

That’s just the start of the psychic fun, though. There’s loads more to discover in the psychic phase, not least a new discipline in the form of Daemonology, available to all psykers except Tyranids. There are two types of Daemonology, Sanctic and Malefic, and the latter is going to change the future of war altogether – it enables psykers to summon the fell denizens of the Warp to do their bidding on the battlefield! Beware, however, for if you are not Daemonspawn yourself, the cost may be high...

REVELATION BECKONS

All of this is just the tip of the iceberg. The new Warhammer 40,000 is bursting with exciting changes and refinements, and is fully compatible with all existing Codexes, supplements and rules expansions. If you want to know more, make sure you pick up issue 16 of White Dwarf, on sale Saturday 17 May, to read all about every aspect of the new edition of Warhammer 40,000. JB

BEWARE THE DAEMON

The advent of Daemonology has caused many moral quandaries in the White Dwarf office, not least for our Adam Troke. A staunch Dark Angels collector, Adam found himself allowing none other than Grand Master Ezekiel himself to use Malefic Daemonology powers in one of our test games – all in the interests of research and playtesting, of course.

At the tail end of a tense battle against my Tyranids, Adam found Ezekiel reduced to a single Wound, with victory slipping out of reach. Desperate to crush the last bioforms of the ravening Hive Fleet Eumenides, Ezekiel damned his own soul and sacrificed himself to summon a Bloodthirster of Khorne – a dreadful gambit but one that won the day for the Dark Angels, as the Bloodthirster ultimately broke the back of my Hive Tyrant over one gore-slicked knee.

Alas, such heresy cannot go unpunished, and Adam has not been allowed to forget that Ezekiel himself invited filthy Warp-spawn to consume his body and essence. Whenever he attempts to remind any of the White Dwarf team of the Dark Angels’ allegedly incorruptible nature, he is greeted by good-natured jeers concerning his own corruption. He has since reported to servitor reconditioning for an ethical upgrade.

All of which serves to demonstrate the fun to be had with Daemonology – tune in next week for more on this terrific (horrific?) new psychic discipline.

This week’s Sprues and Glue covers two very different topics: the art of creating unit dioramas for your Warhammer regiments and how to use spray cans. Whether you’re new to the hobby or a grizzled veteran, the next four pages are chock full of useful hobby tips.

Steve Bowerman, Chris Bilewicz and Chris Peach are renowned army painters and, over the years, have created many unit dioramas, both for the Studio armies and their own collections.

CREATING UNIT DIORAMAS

“The first thing I do is raid my bits box for appropriate pieces,” says Chris Bilewicz. “I always keep the spare parts from my kits because you never know when they may come in handy. For Dryads, spare Treeman parts, bits of the Citadel Wood and components from the Warhammer Basing Kit are all great options. Once I’ve gathered all the bits, I attach them to the base with adhesive putty, leaving space to fit the models on.” (See below).

“Unit dioramas are a great way to make your units appear disorganised,” says Chris Peach. “While this may not be appropriate for disciplined Elves and Empire State troops, it’s ideal for hordes of Orcs, Skaven and Daemons. Having the models offset on a diorama base adds a level of unruliness to a regiment, making it look more mob-like.”

“Building up the base also adds height to a unit and makes it feel more dynamic,” adds Chris B. “Making models at the back higher up gives the impression of a unit descending upon the enemy, while taller models in the centre give it a wave-like quality.”

“A unit’s background is great inspiration for a diorama,” says Steve Bowerman. “Empire Flagellants are crazy, tearing at each other to get to the enemy. Skaven Clanrats will be stabbing each other in the back, greenskins will be brawling. Dryads are stealthy, but capricious creatures, so I imagine them doing a lot of lurking around tree stumps and branches, waiting for the moment to pounce.

“There’s a temptation to put a tree in a unit of Dryads as a mini-diorama,” says Chris P, “but then it dominates the unit. All you see is tree, not the Dryads, which is not the point of a unit diorama. It can also get quite confusing and there’s nothing worse than trying to explain what you’ve created. Keep it subtle and characterful. My rule is: no diorama piece should be taller than the heads of the models.” DH

HE’S DEAD, JIM!

“When you’re making a unit diorama, always consider how you’re going to take off casualties,” says Chris. “If you build a massive diorama that, say, takes up the space of ten models, you’ll have difficultly taking out models when they die. My advice is to make sure you’ve got enough models to replace the diorama when you have to take it out, or make them small enough (say four models in size) so that it’s not a problem.”

A FEW EXAMPLES

These dioramas were made by Chris Peach and Steve Bowerman. Steve’s Empire diorama illustrates the effect of having models interact with each other. “The unit champion is dictating the battle to a scribe, who’s recording the events,” he says. Chris’s Skaven provide a real narrative, while his Daemonettes show how offsetting the models on a base can make the unit appear more chaotic.

USING SPRAY CANS

Spray paints are a fundamental part of our hobby, enabling us to undercoat, basecoat and varnish our miniatures quickly to a high standard. Forge World sculptors Phil Stutcinskas and Mark Bedford had plenty to say on the subject of spraying miniatures, as did the guys from the Hobby team. Here are their top tips and advice for using sprays.

“Undercoating helps paint adhere to your models and prevent it rubbing or chipping off,” says Chris Peach. “Most of us attach our models to a ‘spray stick’, a piece of wood about two feet long. A strip of double-sided sticky tape down the length is the best way to attach your models (1).

The more models you get on the stick, the less spray you’ll waste. When spraying, always keep your spray can upright. If you tilt it, the spray mix will not come out evenly. That’s why the spray stick is so handy, as you can turn it around instead of re-orienting the spray can (2).”

“Shaking your spray can is very important,” adds Chris Bilewicz. “Otherwise, the paint and the propellant won’t mix (see Phil’s point later about using Purity Seal). You need to be equipped for spraying models. Face masks can be picked up from most DIY stores and I’d suggest wearing a pair of latex gloves so you don’t get spray all over your hands (3). It should go without saying that all spraying should be done outside in a well-ventilated area, away from anything you value, like plants and pets.”

“It’s always best to apply several light coats of paint rather than thick one,” says Mark Bedford. “Keep the can about 12” away from your models and spray in short bursts. You’ll get much neater, more even coverage without clogging up the details.” You can see how three thin layers build up in the pictures below (4). “It’s always worth practising on a spare model if you’re new to undercoating miniatures. Once sprayed, leave your model to dry for an hour. Don’t be tempted to pick it up or you’ll almost certainly get fingerprints on it.”

“If you use too much spray, don’t wipe it off,” says Chris P. “The results will be messy. Instead, put the model in a warm place and leave it. The plastic is slightly porous so it should soak up some of that extra paint (5).

Sometimes you’ll find that a sprayed model goes grey and cloudy (6). This can happen if your spray can isn’t shaken properly or if it’s too cold outside.”

“Basecoat spray paints follow the same principles as undercoat paints,” says Steve Bowerman. “If you follow all the guidelines above you’ll be fine. You can spray them directly over bare plastic (7), which minimises the risk of putting too many layers of spray on. You can then touch up the areas you missed with the corresponding paint from the Citadel Paint range. Most people spray over a Chaos Black undercoat, though. That way, any areas you miss with the basecoat spray will appear black instead, creating natural shading on your model. A quick wash will tie the colours together nicely.” DH

TOO HOT OR TOO COLD?

“Spray cans work best under pressure,” says Mark, so keep them at room temperature to maintain it. If you leave them in a cold shed they won’t spray properly (even after shaking) and will come out chalky. On the other hand, leaving a spray can somewhere hot is really dangerous. Room temperature, out of direct sunlight, is best.”

OPTIMAL CONDITIONS

In an ideal world, the temperature will always be perfect for spraying miniatures. Sadly that isn’t always the case (especially here in rain-drenched England). Cold weather makes drying models difficult, so when you’re done spraying, put them near (but not on) a radiator to dry off. In hot weather, spray in the shade as the heat from the sun will dry the paint particles before they reach your models, making it appear grainy, especially with Skull White undercoat.

HOW TO PAINT CITADEL MINIATURES

If you’re after more tips and advice on using spray paints then look no further than How to Paint Citadel Miniatures. This comprehensive 136-page guide has loads of useful hobby tips and advice for painting your miniatures and includes a DVD that shows all the techniques being used on a miniature. It’s available in seven languages too: English, French, German, Spanish, Italian, Dutch and Japanese.

USING PURITY SEAL

“My first piece of advice is the most important,” says Phil. “Shake the can properly! So many people just give the can a quick rattle, which is next to useless. Purity Seal is a Gloss Varnish with a matting agent to take off the shine. If it’s not evenly mixed with a good shake (no less than two minutes), you will end up coating your models in either pure varnish, making them too shiny, or a layer of matting agent, making them chalky.

“You also need to dry your varnish. If you leave it to dry on its own, the matting agent will naturally congregate, making the model appear chalky (8).

Spray a thin layer of Purity Seal on, then dry it straight away with a hair dryer. Then apply a second layer and repeat the process (9).”

War Zone: Valedor contains a slew of new rules to use in your Apocalypse games. Adam and Andy take a look at their favourite of the new datasheets and work out how best to unleash it on the battlefield while Jervis presents a brand new exclusive Valedor Datasheet.

DARK ELDAR

KABALITE STORMSURGE

From within the webway, the Dark Eldar open up portals above the target in preparation for a surprise attack. The attack is unheralded. Dark bruises appear in the sky, collapsing into swirling vortices of crackling energy ringed by black clouds. The jagged shapes of Raiders appear, plunging down through the atmosphere, the Dark Eldar warriors aboard clinging on and screaming their battle curses. Swarms of Reaver Jetbikes swiftly follow, diving down amongst the Raiders, their riders shrieking as they swoop towards the ground. The air is filled with deadly splinters and pulses of dark energy, searing blasts blossoming along the enemy lines, warriors cut down before they knew they were in danger. Reeling from the assault, the enemy scramble for cover, while confusion and terror reign. Meanwhile, the Dark Eldar soar overhead and away, safe from retaliation.

FORMATION COMPOSITION: 1 Archon, 3 units of Kabalite Trueborn or Kabalite Warriors, 3 units of Reavers

OPTIONS AND FORMATION RESTRICTIONS: The formation’s Infantry units must begin the game embarked in Raider Transports.

SPECIAL RULES

Stormsurge: The units in this formation are not deployed at the start of the battle or kept in Strategic reserve. Instead, in the Movement phase of their side’s first turn, the Raider on which the Archon is embarked is placed anywhere on the table, and then all other units in the Formation are placed within 12” of the Archon’s Raider. All units must be placed on Open Ground and more than 1” away from any enemy models. Any models that cannot be deployed for any reason are removed as casualties.

Vehicle models in the formation have the Strafing Run special rule and are treated as Zooming Flyers until the beginning of their second turn, at which point they revert to their normal rules. Jet Bikes in the formation are counted as having Turbo-boosted, but are still allowed to shoot in their Shooting phase.

Terror Reigns: Enemy units within 12” of a unit from this formation when it deploys must subtract 3 from the Leadership characteristic on their profile until the end of their next turn.

NEW DATASHEETS

Apocalypse War Zone: Valedor contains 20 new Datasheets for hobbyists to use in their games, each of which is the key to new collecting opportunities and unleashing new tactics on the battlefield.

On top of that, Studio rules tsar Jervis Johnson has provided us with an exclusive Datasheet: the Kabalite Stormsurge. This is a deadly assembly of Dark Eldar warriors and war machines, designed to strike at the heart of the enemy. Formations such as this were sighted during the fighting on Dûriel; however, you can use this formation in any game of Warhammer 40,000 Apocalypse (just have the rules on hand in case your opponent doesn’t know what it does).

In our games of Apocalypse here in the White Dwarf bunker we’ve found new Datasheets to be a very entertaining way of using your miniatures in a slightly different way in your games, or as motivation to buy and paint a few more models, so give it a whirl. AT

REIGN OF TERROR

Adam: The great advantage of the Kabalite Stormsurge is its ability to force enemy units to break and flee or cower in fear thanks to the Terror Reigns special rule. While there are certain foes against which this really won’t be much use (Daemons, Tyranids and other fearless foes), it will be very useful against the majority of enemies, including Eldar, Necrons, Astra Militarum and even most Space Marines.

What’s so good about this rule is that it inflicts a -3 Leadership penalty on enemies within 12” of any unit in the Kabalite Stormsurge until the end of your opponent’s following turn: even the bravest Tau Commander will find himself unnerved by that. To get the most out of this you’re going to need to inflict 25% casualties on as many nearby enemy units as possible, causing a ripple of Leadership tests that should (all things being equal) cause plenty of failures and thus fleeing foes. There is a certain target priority to how this works. Firstly, attack units that have a relatively low Leadership value, since they are more likely to break. Secondly, shoot units that cause the most damage to your army. A particularly good choice is Astra Militarum Heavy Weapon Teams, since they’ll only be able to Snap Shot if they rally in their following turn.

Finally, I should mention another great use of the Kabalite Stormsurge – namely, assassinating enemy Warlords. Since it can get where it needs to easily thanks to the Stormsurge rule, you can generally get at the enemy generals without much trouble. If you fancy doing this, take the Trophy Kill Stratagem for your army – this gives you +3 Victory points for killing a specific model nominated as an enemy Warlord. At the very least, this will cause your enemy to hide this character like a coward (and deny your opponent his best use) but it should also yield you a nice bonus as your Raiders packed with Kabalite Warriors riddle him with fire using their +1 to hit bonus for the Strafing run. AT

ELDAR

GHOST WARRIOR WARHOST

The Eldar are loathe to rouse the spirits of the dead from their rest within the Infinity Circuit, but when a threat arises that the Aspect Warriors and Guardians cannot defeat, the Spiritseers will assemble a ghost warrior warhost. In battle, the spirit host forms a cadre of resilient warriors to withstand the enemy attack, and is supported by longer ranged weapons. Able to endure the fiercest enemy firepower, the ghost warrior warhost gives the more mobile elements of the Eldar army the time they need to get into the position to strike. Iyanden, having suffered heavily in its fight against the Tyranid invasion, has the largest ghost warrior warhost of any craftworld, invariably led into battle by the chief of their Spiritseers, Iyanna Arienal.

FORMATION COMPOSITION: 3+ Spiritseers, 2+ units of Wraithguard and/or Wraithblades, 2+ Wraithlords, 1+ Wraithknights

FORMATION RESTRICTIONS: The entire formation must fight on foot: no Dedicated, Transports may be taken as upgrades.

SPECIAL RULES:

Revered Ancients: Every friendly Eldar unit within 12” of a unit from this formation has the Fearless special rule.

Wrath of the Slain: Nominate a codex immediately before determining Warlord traits. Whilst a unit from this formation is within 6” of at least one of the formation’s Spiritseers, that unit has the Preferred Enemy special rule against all units from the nominated codex.

IMPLACABLE ADVANCE

Andy: Wraithknights and Wraithlords have a massive amount of firepower available to them but they are also incredibly tough, and this toughness is the key to using this formation on the battlefield. Put these implacable troops at the front of your army to form a giant wraith shield for the Eldar behind. Let your opponents fixate on the task of felling these monstrous wraith warriors whilst the rest of your army advances in relative safety.

Using the Ghost Warrior Warhost as a shield for the rest of your army means your opponent will be left with a tough decision – do they attempt to destroy the shield wall or do they try to kill the troops behind the it?

The thought of breaking this impenetrable barrier is a daunting prospect. Destroying a single Wraithlord is no mean feat, let alone a Wraithknight (or three!) but if they choose to shoot the troops, which could well be inside transports, they will find this an equally difficult task, as not only are they Fearless but they will also benefit from a cover save as even a tank is obscured by a Wraithknight. This should mean that in the later stages of the game you have lots of troops available to capture the all-important objectives.

This durability of this formation does come with its disadvantages, of course – namely, its slow pace. You could mount the main part of your army in transports, but to gain the real defensive advantage from this implacable Ghost Warrior Warhost, they’ll need to advance behind them, so either way will likely face the wrath of your enemies for an extra turn. (You might prefer to spend the points on additional units, rather than transports, instead.)

Either way, this should not be a problem: your line is more than capable of soaking up this firepower and unleashing devastating revenge on your enemies as that defensive strength turns to attack. AK

ISLANDS OF SOLIDARITY

Adam: Andy’s tactical advice is very sound. You can’t really go far wrong advancing your elite assault troops in the wake of your wraithbone behemoths. There’s a certain reassurance that comes from having a wall of Toughness 8 models screening your main advance. An alternative use of the Ghost Warrior Warhost is to use the Revered Ancients special rule to provide areas of the battlefield where your army will hold its ground, no matter the cost.

The Revered Ancients rule granted by the Datasheet means that all Eldar models within 12” of any model in the Warhost is Fearless. If you spread the formation out far enough, no Eldar model in your force need ever fall back for want of a failed Leadership test. In games of Apocalypse, even more so than regular Warhammer 40,000, one model stubbornly holding on to an objective can be the difference between victory and defeat. There’s no two ways about it – when destroyer weapons start hitting units, having multiple wounds or impressive armour and invulnerable saves is small consolation. At moments like this, you have to rely on plucky troops like Eldar Guardians or Dire Avengers holding their ground once the bombardments have subsided, claiming their objectives when others have fled.

You can deploy your Ghost Warrior Warhost within 36” of a fixed point of the battlefield, so pick a central point in your deployment area and spread the models out throughout your army. That way every model in your force will be Fearless, ready to die to bring your Craftworld victory.

One last point of advice: using your Warhost like this often keeps them back a little from the fighting. In this case, arm them appropriately, choosing long range weapons over close combat equipment. That way they can lend support fire to the rest of your army. AT

War Zone: Valedor, the latest supplement for Apocalypse, is packed with rules and materials for your games. As author Phil Kelly explained to Adam Troke, it also contains a rich and involved plot focusing on the struggle between the Eldar and the Tyranids.

Sitting down to chat with Phil about Valedor is a pleasant and enlightening assignment. Over the years he has penned several Eldar Codexes (including Dark Eldar) and a Tyranid Codex to boot, making him the Studio’s foremost xeno-historian. It’s a role he took seriously when commencing work on War Zone: Valedor.

“Valedor takes the Tyranids and Eldar, two of my favourite races in Warhammer 40,000, and presents them in a dreadful struggle against one another,” says Phil. “Long ago the world of Dûriel was a prized gem among the Eldar’s maiden worlds. In time the Imperium captured and despoiled it with industry, turning a verdant paradise into a poisoned hellhole.

“For long years, the Eldar have dreamed of reclaiming that which they lost, but now there looms a threat that eclipses the damage done to the world,” he says. “On the far side of the galaxy, driven to grief by the depredations of Hive Fleet Kraken, the Eldar of Craftworld Iyanden unleashed dread magick that hurled an entire tendril of the Hive Fleet into the Warp. At first they might have felt smug with themselves – it’s fitting revenge for the aliens that desecrated their mighty Craftworld, right? Except the fates are cruel, and it’s not long before the Immaterium vomits the Tyranids into the Valedor system, presenting a whole new problem: what happens when elements of two Tyranid Hive Fleets combine?

“The prospect of two Hive Fleets melding is terrifying, especially in the eyes of ones as foresighted as the Eldar,” Phil says. “Kraken has feasted hungrily on the corpses of Craftworld Iyanden, and has gleaned much from this rich soup of biological gruel. Should this tendril of Kraken be subsumed by Leviathan, the Eldar rightly fear the benefit it will give to the burgeoning threat in the galactic south. While Kraken’s invasion was a series of questing fingers inching into the galactic east, Leviathan surges upwards from the south with greater urgency, and presents an unprecedented threat to one and all.

“That’s actually a key element of the story of Valedor,” Phil adds. “The Eldar are a besieged race. Not only are they on the brink of extinction in a hostile galaxy, but their ability to perceive consequences so accurately places them on the front line in the battle against the Tyranids. Only they fully comprehend the Hive Fleets are a problem for the whole galaxy, and they will strive to halt the Great Devourer, even if it costs them everything.

“Valedor shows the Tyranids as the galactic menace they really are,” Phil adds. “We see first-hand how they adapt to cast down the planet of Ector, demolishing seemingly impregnable hive cities and claiming the planet in short order. The adaptability and persistence of the Hive Mind is weighed against the wisdom and foresight of the Eldar. The Eldar are actually appalled at the way the Imperium has been fighting the Hive Mind, sacrificing generations of warriors to the Tyranids in an effort to halt it – that’s a tactic akin to throwing logs into a forest fire in an effort to snuff it out.

“So, in Valedor, the Eldar enact a plan of their own, a gambit so dire that they must call upon their cousins, the Dark Eldar,” Phil says portentously. “This uneasy alliance tells you a great deal about the Eldar of the Craftworlds and the Eldar of Comorragh, and how they are more alike than we perhaps first thought. There’s a great irony in the help that the Dark Eldar bring to the story, for the Eldar are willing to do absolutely anything to prevent the Tyranids combining, and to deny their ruined maiden world to the Hive Fleets, even if it means harnessing the most unforgivable of weapons. There’s a spitefulness to the Dark Eldar’s ultimate weapon, and it speaks volumes about their desperation that the Eldar would employ it.” AT

War Zone: Valedor features a cast of heroes and characters from across the races involved. “Farseer Taec Silvereye is my favourite,” says Phil. “He’s an ancient Farseer of Iyanden, and through him we see what true devotion to a Craftworld is like. He lost an eye to a Genestealer in the Iyanden war, and that’s symbolic of Iyanden’s relative blindness. The Craftworld lost many of its Farseers. Now Taec must do his best to lead his brothers and sisters through the darkest of times.”

Join us for a round-up of the week as we share comment, opinion and trivia on the all latest releases, plus other fun tidbits that have cropped up in the White Dwarf bunker. This week it’s all about Valedor, Dryads, unit dioramas, and a certain favourite game of ours…

THE TRAGIC FATE OF DURIEL

“The world of Dûriel suffers a cruel series of events over the millennia, but there is an especial tragedy in the way that the Eldar finally deal with it,” says Phil Kelly on the subject of the doomed maiden world. “There’s an ironic cycle at play, as Dûriel is abandoned and isolated after the fall of the Eldar, only to come into Imperial possession much later. Despite everything that followed, the world endured – sure, it became a cloying pollution-choked hellhole, but it survived. Even when the Tyranids attacked, the world itself would have remained, albeit as a lifeless husk. But the spiteful nature of the Eldar shows through in the way that they employ the Fireheart to deny the world to their enemy. There’s a real feeling of ‘if we can’t have it, nobody can’ to this act, and it’s not a little ironic that the Eldar are willing to kill a world to keep it from the Tyranids. If it wasn’t for the fact they were also preventing the Hive Fleets joining up, you’d think they were insane.”

THE WORLD KILLER

If there’s one thing you can be certain of, it’s that asking the Dark Eldar for assistance will bring with it some macabre results. At Dûriel the Eldar sought to use a device known as the Fireheart to destroy the world and all of the Tyranids on it. Harnessing the psychic power of a choir of seers to attack the planet’s core, the Fireheart was designed to break the world apart from within.

Guy Haley is a longtime friend of White Dwarf, and author of several cracking Black Library novels. Since he’s the author of both the new Valedor novel and The Last Days of Ector, we’ve cheekily referred to this week as ‘Guy Haley Week’ in the White Dwarf bunker.

Having devoured both The Last Days of Ector and Valedor, Adam dropped Guy Haley a line to ask him about his work on the novels:

Adam: First up, congratulations on two excellent stories. What drew to you the Valedor project?

Guy: The Eldar are my favourite bit of the Warhammer 40,000 background. Their history is a thread between the present, the distant past and the really deep past of the Warhammer 40,000 mythos. It frames humanity’s current plight brilliantly. I relished the chance to write them, especially looking into the differences between the various subcultures. As a lifelong fan of Warhammer 40,000 it is very important that all the dots join up.

Adam: The interactions between the Eldar and Dark Eldar are surprisingly cordial…

Guy: At heart, the Eldar are all arrogant, overbearing, self-important xenos! Yeah, but I actually don’t think there’s as big a gulf between them as might appear to outsiders.

Adam: The Last Days of Ector is somewhat more Imperium-centric. What drew you to telling a story about a handful of Space Marines rallying Ector’s mortal defenders?

Guy: I love post-human/human interaction, it helps define what Space Marines really are. There are so few Space Marines in the galaxy that more often than not they’ll be fighting alongside others. War Zone: Valedor states there were only 20 Crimson Castellans present, and this ties in neatly with my perception of the universe.

Remember Chris and Steve’s tips on unit dioramas? Here are a couple of their own regiments. Chris’s unit of Skaven Slaves contains several dioramas, with a human slave being stabbed in the back, a Skaven stuffed in a barrel, an enthusiastic drummer and a slaver on a palanquin. Steve’s unit of Averland State Troops includes the scribe we showed earlier and the eccentric Marius Leitdorf, who Steve has re-based to fit in the centre of the unit. There are other characters dotted around the unit too, such as the Elector’s Huntsman and a dog handler.

Notes from the worlds of Warhammer. This week: the Eldar and Tyranids.

THE DEATH OF SOTHA

One of the first major Imperial worlds to fall to the Tyranid invasion was Sotha, the Chapter planet of the Scythes of the Emperor. Speculation as to why the Tyranids headed for that world in particular is rife, but common consensus connects the fate of the world to the machinations of Roboute Guilliman and the Ultramarines during the Horus Heresy.

THE SIN OF DAMNATION

The massive space hulk Sin of Damnation was responsible for bringing the Blood Angels Chapter to its knees. As it turned out, the space hulk was infested by an incredible number of Genestealers, who ambushed the Chapter-sized attack force and eradicated some 95% of the Chapter strength.Roughly 600 years later, the Sin of Damnation returned. Taking the opportunity to wreak vengeance, the Blood Angels returned to the space hulk, cleansing it of thousands of Genestealers.

THE REAPER OF IYANDEN

During the Battle of Iyanden, the Phoenix Lord Maugan Ra stood firmly in defiance of the Tyranid invaders. With a sizeable bodyguard of Dark Reapers, the Harvester of Souls slaughtered Tyranid creatures by the thousand, filling the wraithbone halls of the craftworld with mangled bodies and sprays of ichor. Despite the incredible skill of this immortal warrior, in the end even he could not halt the devastation, and fully four fifths of Iyanden’s population were wiped out.

“Best weapon ever,” is the response you get if you ask Andy Keddie about the trident wielded by the High Elf Sea Helm. “I love the fact that the design takes a hunting tool, typically used for spearing fish, and turns it into a fearsome weapon on the battlefield. From the twin prongs on either side (perfect for swinging down and lopping off heads from his Sky Cutter) to the central spear (the shape of which conjures the image of a fish’s spinal column) it’s a great looking weapon. If that wasn’t enough, it even has a ribbon of seaweed knotted around the haft. Perfect nautical madness.”

The seasons of the year are deeply symbolic within Athel Loren, with Orion burning upon a pyre each winter, and being reborn in the spring. In Arranoc, one of the realms of Athel Loren, it remains perpetually summer, while in Atylwyth it is ever wintertime. Such unending seasons are sure to cause their occupants to adopt colours suited to their domain, and to influence the Forest Spirits within. In paint Splatter this week we looked at Wildwood Rangers painted in an autumnal colour scheme. “Seasonal colour schemes don’t just work on the clothing of the Wood Elves,” says Steve Bowerman. “They’re also a really good way of bringing something different to the tree spirits too.”

Next week we’ll be looking at how to paint winter and summer-coloured Dryads. For now, here’s a quick sneak peek and a quick bonus guide to an autumnal forest spirit.

The White Dwarf team is a font of hobby knowledge, a metaphorical repository of useful facts. If you have a question about Warhammer 40,000 or Warhammer, need a bit of painting advice or you’re after a few tactical tips, drop us a line: team@whitedwarf.co.uk

QUESTION

Do the Eldar and Dark Eldar hate each other like Space Marines and Chaos Space Marines, because I keep seeing them fighting alongside each other. Is that allowed?
- Concerned Autarch, John B

GROMBRINDAL SAYS

I’m glad it’s not a question about Elves this time, but these Eldar creatures still have pointy ears, which makes me uncomfortable. I’ll let Dan answer this.

Dan: The Eldar and Dark Eldar are two sides of the same coin. Where the Eldar live a life of purity, the Dark Eldar live a life of debauchery. The Eldar avoid Slaanesh’s embrace with the use of Spirit Stones, while their dark kin make every effort not to die. Ever. While they don’t like each other, they share an uneasy alliance, knowing their future depends on unity. It’s like having both sets of parents around for Christmas dinner. It’s sometimes necessary, but awkward.
- Grombrindal (and Dan)

Our reader’s model of the week is this beautifully-painted Space Marine Librarian by Edwin Smolinski.

Edwin painted the Librarian in the traditional blue of his order, covering him in tiny chips and scratches where he has been hit by stray bullets in the midst of battle. All of the silver and gold areas on the model have been painted with a non-metallic painting technique, Edwin carefully highlighting the edges of the shoulder trims to make it look as though light were glinting off the gold edges.

If you’ve painted a miniature that you think is worthy of a place in White Dwarf then why not send a picture to:

team@whitedwarf.co.uk

If it’s something we can use, we’ll be sure to get in touch.

With a new edition of Warhammer 40,000 on the horizon, Jes, Dan and Adam locked themselves in the hobby room with games designer Robin Cruddace to try out the new game mechanics.

Dan and Robin teamed up in a desperate alliance of Tau and Space Marines, which led to many sideways glances and shifty manoeuvres. Adam and Jes chose Tyranids and had no such problems, chomping their way through everything in their path to steal most of the strategic objectives. In the end, the battle came down to a single combat between Dan’s Riptide and Adam’s Hive Tyrant (who was worth a possible four victory points). Sadly, though not unexpectedly, the Hive Tyrant won.

A spare part on the Deathwing Knights frame, the Watcher in the Dark is the ideal way of representing a Perfidious Relic in your Dark Angels army. It’s also a pretty useful accessory to mark out the Inner Circle members in your collection, and it’s an artefact much sought after by (nefarious) hobbyists intent on modelling Fallen Dark Angels. Someone fetch the excruciator!

Over the past few months, Adam has been painting Tyranids as quickly as he can. “It’s all about striking while the muse is upon you,” he says when asked what’s driving his relentless pace. “Sometimes I get an idea in my head, and there’s nothing for it but to paint as fast as I can to make use of all the extra excitement and enthusiasm. The latest addition is this flying Hive Tyrant, which has a pair of twin-linked devourers from Forge World. The idea of swooping down across the battlefield, blazing away with all those brainleech worms is utterly brilliant, and the pose of the arms gives the Hive Tyrant a real sense of menace.”

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