ISSUE 19

07th June 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

Who’s got the flashiest, snazziest guns in the galaxy? The Flash Gitz, of course, brutal Ork freebooterz whose snazzguns lay waste to anything they’re pointed at. They’re this week’s big new release and Dan really went to town exploring all the many way in which the snazzguns can be built – check out Sprues and Glue for more on this. They’re probably the most customisable weapon we’ve ever had the pleasure of seeing here at White Dwarf.

The most famous Flash Git, of course, is Kaptin Badrukk, and you’ll also find a feature on this legendary Ork marauder.

And rest assured that we haven’t forgotten the destructive majesty of the Gorkanaut (and Morkanaut) – in this issue, Adam and Erik fashion the mother of all Battle Reports where a variety of Ork walkers go up against a phalanx of Imperial Knights. Who will win? turn to page 14 to see how ‘Da Big Smash!’ unfolds…

I hope you enjoy the issue!

Jes Bickham - White Dwarf Editor

All Orks like a gun with lots of dakka, but for some the pursuit of more firepower, and then showing it off, becomes an obsession. These Orks become Flash Gitz, outcasts who sell their firepower to the highest bidder.

Orks like three things more than anything else: krumpin’ ’eads in a fight, going really fast and the deafening roar of big guns as they shoot up some unfortunate target. Flash Gitz are those Orks whose penchant for outrageous guns surpasses all others. Were these greenskins just concerned with owning the best guns, they would doubtless survive within their tribe with no problems, but it is in their nature to boast outrageously, showing off their dakka in such a way that the ire of their Warboss is soon roused. These Orks are soon exiled from their tribe, whereupon they invariably join up with the Freebooterz and find a mob of Flash Gitz.

Curiously, exile puts an Ork in a fine position, since he and his new-found mates have all the same obsessions and are more than willing to hire out their services to any Ork Warboss in need of some shooty gitz to help his Waaagh! out.

The new Flash Gitz boxed set enables you to make five super-shooty Orks (that’s five Flash Gitz or four and a Kaptin), all armed to the teef with massive snazzguns. Snazzguns are the product of endless tinkering and teef expenditure and no two are the same. Each Flash Git will spend endless hours tweaking and tuning his gun to perfection before battle, refining the technological marvel that his stash of teef has bought for him.

This aspect of tinkering and customisation has been brought into the new miniatures with amazingly adaptable guns fashioned from at least six different pieces each. Each consists of a weapon body, two sources of ammunition, an engine (yes, an engine on a gun), two body casings and a muzzle, and optional bipods, scopes, targeters and a chain bayonet, all of which are interchangeable from one gun to another. No two snazzguns in your collection need ever be the same. Should you so desire, you can even match the components to build specific styles of weapons – for example, you could match all the energy weapon components, all the rokkit launcha components or shoota components. Or just bash them together in a dakka-frenzy, whichever suits you.

The Flash Gitz, who are the size of Ork Nobz, are festooned with details such as glyph plates, spiked armour, straps and more. These glyph plates aren’t just Orky, they’re positively Freebooter: Freebooterz travel through the kosmos on space hulks like maniacal green pirates, so these glyph plates feature hulk, renegade and skull and crossbones glyphs in plentiful supply. Each of the Flash Gitz also has his own banner pole, topped with stylised Freebooter icons and complementary glyphs, either made from the bones of slain rivals or sheets of crudely cut metal.

There are 11 different heads to choose from in the box, including a variety of piratical choices (eye patch and tricorn, bandana or hoop earring), an Ork wearing goggles and a head with a metal mohawk riveted to the skull. These are joined by spare arms for the Ork who fancies firing his weapon one-handed (one each with cutlass, pistol and cigar) and several gitfinda targeters, including the comical gitfinda squig.

All in all, the new Flash Gitz boxed set is a masterpiece, comical and brutal and full of brilliant choices for the avid modeller. AT

Above - The Flash Gitz are always led into battle by a Kaptin, typically the Ork who has the best gun in the mob.

Above, left - A git finder squig perches on the shoulder of the Flash Gitz Kaptin.

Above, right- The Flash Gitz are laden down with extra ammo, glyphs and trophies.

Above, left - Chunky, high-calibre casings spew out in streams from the ejection ports of the snazzguns.

Above, right - As well as a variety of Ork heads (11 in fact) there are a number of alternative arms, one holding a pistol, one a crude cutlass and this hand clutching a cigar.

Head rules honcho Jervis Johnson presents a brand new monthly column all about games and gaming. In this instalment: new ways to deploy your army with Fog of War.

Jervis Johnson is the beating heart and improbably tall figurehead of the rules team, and over his many millennia with Games Workshop he’s had a hand in the design of most of our classic games.

It will probably come as no surprise to anyone that, as a games designer, I love all kinds of games. It will also come as no surprise that I like the aesthetic qualities of different games (aesthetic being a fancy way of saying what the games look like). The aesthetics of our own games are obvious: they are played with gloriously-sculpted Citadel miniatures, enhanced by the way that they are modelled and painted, and are at their best when fought over a realistic-looking battlefield filled with interesting scenery. There are, however, other important aesthetic qualities to our games. I have written in the past about the obsession many of us have with things like the dice, tape measures and templates we use with our games, and a good subject for a future column would be the importance of the look and feel of the rulebooks and army books we make for our games and which form such an important part of every hobbyist’s collection. All of these things, at their best, are attractive objects in their own right, that are fun to use and which feel good in the hand.

Anyway, as I said, I like all kinds of games, not just for the way that they play, but also for these other qualities. This means that I am fascinated by things like good quality playing cards, chess pieces, dominoes, Mah Jong sets and Go sets, to name just a few. Because I like these things, I often find myself coming up with ways of incorporating them into the Games Workshop games that I play. Now, I have to say that I have yet to find especially useful ways of using chess pieces and Mah Jong tiles in our games, and while Go stones make beautiful markers they aren’t all that much use for anything else. Playing cards, on the other hand, can be used in all kinds of interesting ways to add variety and interest to our games, and because they are so easily available, I thought I would spend the next two or three of my columns writing about some of the ways I have used them. Below you will find the first of these ‘mini rules supplements’, in this case for Warhammer 40,000.

If you want to give any of these ideas a try in your own games, then all you need to find is a pack of 52 playing cards. The rules are written for use with a standard deck of playing cards, the ones that have four suits with 13 cards each. With a little bit of modification, they will work with other decks of cards, such as Italian or Spanish decks, and even with a Tarot deck. (I have to say that I really like using Tarot cards in my games, but these are not nearly as common as a standard card deck, so I will just have to save them up for a future column!) Or you can make up your own bespoke decks of cards by using blank playing cards and writing the relevant information on them. Quite a few of the systems in our games (such as the magic spell cards for Warhammer) started out in just this way in the games we play in the Studio. But I digress. On to a concrete example of how you can use playing cards in your games, using a system I have named Fog of War, for reasons that should become obvious as you read on…

FOG OF WAR

Fog of War is a sub-system that can be used in games of Warhammer 40,000.* It modifies the way you choose and set up your army for a battle, and will present you with some of the problems a warlord will often face when they fight a battle.

The Warhammer 40,000 army lists and Force Organisation charts do a fantastic job of selecting an army where the commanders are well prepared and have had the time to select the perfect combination of units to carry out their plans. Sadly, such perfect circumstances are quite rare, and often a commander will find that some of the units he needs to fight a battle are either unavailable, or have been delayed by unforeseen circumstances as they make their way to the battlefield. When this happens, the commander will need to adjust his (or her, or even its) plans using only the forces that are on hand when the battle begins. The Fog of War rules will allow you to face the same challenges in your own games.

In order to use the Fog of War rules you will need a standard deck of 52 playing cards, as described above. Then carry out the following steps when picking and deploying your army for the battle:

1. Both players must pick their armies normally, as described in the mission being used for the game.

2. Having picked the army, take the deck of cards. Give all of the red cards to one player, and all of the black cards to the other player.

3. The players must assign each unit in their army to a card from their deck. For example, a player with the red deck might assign their warlord to the Ace of Hearts, the next unit in their army to the King of Hearts, and so on. Dedicated transports are assigned to the same card as the unit they were taken as an upgrade for but, this exception aside, a maximum of one unit can be assigned to each card.

4. Any cards that have not had a unit assigned to them are placed to one side; they will not be used in this battle. Each player then takes the cards that have had units assigned to them, and shuffles them together, placing the shuffled stack of cards face-down on the table in front of themselves. Note that each player will have their own stack of cards – do not shuffle them together into a single stack.

5. Carry on preparing for the battle as you would normally, until it comes to the time for a player to deploy their army. Before deploying, the player must use their Fog of War deck to determine when and where each of their units can be deployed. To do this, the player must start revealing the cards from their Fog of War deck. As the cards are revealed, place them in four face-up piles: the first card goes in the first pile, the second card goes in the second pile, the third card in the third pile, and so on, then back to the start again, with the fifth card being added to the first pile, and so on. Keep on adding cards to the four piles in this manner, one after the other, until all of the cards have been revealed.

Once this is done, the player should have four piles of randomly selected face-up cards. Next the player must roll a D6: on a roll of 1-2 the first pile of cards is discarded; on a 3-4 the second pile of cards is discarded; and on a 5-6 the third pile of cards is discarded. The units in the discarded pile of cards cannot be used in this battle. They are engaged elsewhere or have been destroyed in battles before this one and not yet replaced. The player will simply have to do without them! No Victory Points are awarded for any units lost in this manner.

6. Carry on with the rest of the battle as you would normally.

And that’s it, really. That said, you will find that using the Fog of War rules will have quite a drastic effect on how you play. In particular, you will need to think very carefully about the units you include in your army. A balanced force is much more effective in a Fog of War game than a highly specialised, optimised army, as the optimised army will often suffer if a key unit is missing. You have been warned…

*Designers Note: Warhammer players and Lord of the Rings players do not need to be left out – it is very easy to modify the following rules for either of these games.

VARIENTS AND OPTIONAL RULES

There are lots of different ways to modify this basic system to give different sets of options and tactical challenges. Here are just a few:

The Vital Unit

This variant mitigates the impact of losing units before the game begins. When using it, you can, if you wish, swap one card from the stack being discarded with a card from any of the other stacks. This will allow you to ensure that a unit you consider vital to your chances will not be lost.

The Escalating Engagement Variant

In this variant, no cards are discarded but only the units assigned to cards in the first pile of face-up cards are available at the start of the battle; the rest will arrive in dribs and drabs as the battle unfolds. The units assigned to the second pile are added to their side’s Reserves at the start of the second game turn, the units in the third pile are added to Reserves at the start of the third game turn, and the fourth pile of cards are added at the start of the fourth game turn.

The Random Deployment Method

In this variant, no cards are discarded, but you will not have complete control over where your units are deployed. Instead of splitting the cards into four face-up piles, place each card anywhere in your deployment area face-down, or put the card in Reserve face-down. Note that you are not allowed to look at the cards before placing them. Once all of the cards have been placed, flip them all over and reveal them. The unit assigned to a card must deploy within 6” of their card’s location if it is on the table, or kept back in Reserves if the card was placed in Reserve.

If the card assigned to a unit that has to be deployed in Reserves is placed on the table, it is transferred to Reserves once revealed. By the same token, units that cannot be placed in Reserve must be transferred to a location in their side’s deployment zone if they are revealed as a Reserve card.

Why not try out a few variants and let us know how it goes?

’Eavy Metal is a brand new feature celebrating beautifully-painted Citadel miniatures. Curated by the members of the renowned ’Eavy Metal team, we feature their models along with those of select guests.

ORK FLASH GIT
SIMON ADAMS

Simon: When Matt Holland finished designing the new Flash Gitz, he built a quartet of converted models, combining parts from the Flash Gitz and Ork Nobz kits. The results are these fantastic models, which we were invited to paint.

I was especially pleased to get my hands on one of these because I didn’t paint one of the Freebooterz for the ’Eavy Metal collection. I wanted to use the traditional Orky colours and imagery as inspiration for my paint job, so I used bright colours. To avoid being garish, I balanced the bright yellow of the shoulder plate and steel toecaps with the purple collar and chequer pattern on the other shoulder. The red of the gun conveys the bright, ‘snazzy’ nature of the Flash Git’s snazzgun. I’m always mindful that Orks should look cobbled together, so there are scratches and dents all over the mismatched armour plates.

One of the things on this model I like most is the Squig, so I painted footprints on the base. It’s as if the gitfinda was splashing about in the goo moments before the enemy were sighted, but with a barked command the Flash Git has ordered his faithful Squig onto his shoulder.

ORK FREEBOOTER
DAVID HEATHFIELD

Dave: This Ork is obviously a Freebooter, so I chose a colour scheme for him that reflected his story. I painted him with a pallid skin tone that hints at too long travelling the void. I wanted him to look like the Orky equivalent of a salty sea dog, so he has a tattoo on his chest. The tattoo is a Snakebite glyph, a nod at his clan before he joined the Freebooterz. The ink is faded, like he’s been living the Freebooter lifestyle for a very long time

Throughout the paint job on this model, I used a desaturated colour palette, working greys, browns and creams into the colours for highlights. Greys provide cooler tones, while cream and brown provide warmer effects without being bright. My aim was to choose colours around the Ork’s head that draw the eye naturally to his face, and this is capped off by the purple hat he wears. I’ve also mixed some colour into the metals (like on the glyphs), which makes the focal area more natural, less obvious. I used three texture effects on the model overall: smooth areas like the skin, reflective on the metal, and rough textures such as the soles of the boots and cloth. These textures contrast with each other, making the overall effect more natural. AT

To see more ‘Eavy Metal Orks, be sure to pick up issue 6 of Warhammer: Visions, which goes on sale Saturday 5 July.

Maniacal Big Mek Gutrog Dakkaface is mustering an army of Ork war machines out in the deserts of Uxis Cardinal, ready to overwhelm a nearby hive city. As a squadron of Imperial Knights march on the Orks, Gutrog and his Boyz prepare for biggest smash of their lives.

GUTROG’S TIN BOYZ

Da Evil Sunz:

• Red Deff Stompa with 3 Deff Rokkits

• ‘Little’ Red Deff Morkanaut with kustom force field.

Da Goffs:

• Da Grunta Gorkanaut

• Da Bash ’em Boyz 2 Deff Dreads

Da Bad Moons

• Da Bad Moon Boyz Morkanaut with kustom force field2 Gorkanauts.

• Da Tin ‘Eads 2 Deff Dreads 6 Killa Kans.

Total: 2455 points

THE KNIGHT CRUSADE

• Sir Kenrick of House Hawkshroud Knight Paladin

• Sir Ranulf of House Terryn Knight Paladin

• Crucible of Wrath Knight Errant

• Klorian Saiche Knight Paladin

• Desolation of Silence Knight Errant

• Madrigal the Night’s Watchman Knight Errant

Total: 2235 points

Adam: Every now and again in the White Dwarf bunker an idea comes along that cannot be ignored. When Jes asked the question, “How do Gorkanauts and Morkanauts fare against Imperial Knights?” we knew we had the makings of a major fight on our hands. With the basic premise that we wanted to see some full-metal, massive robot action, Erik and I put our thinking hats on for a suitable scenario. Erik would be using the Orks with all the Gorkanauts and Morkanauts he could lay his hands on, while I would be ‘borrowing’ Imperial Knights from around the White Dwarf bunker…

Waaagh! Gutrog has hit the Imperial planet of Uxis Cardinal, shattering cities and crushing armies with giant hordes of Orky walkers. With every passing day Gutrok’s mek shops are churning out more Killa Kans, Deff Dreads and Gorkanauts, and so a band of Imperial Knights hatch a plan to march on Gutrog’s location and end his madness forever in a brutal clash of the titans. The Imperial Knights will win if they can destroy Gutrok’s personal Stompa and the power plant for his workshops. The Orks will win if they can stomp, smash and destroy all the Imperial Knights.

We decided to play lengthways along a 6’ by 4’ Realm of Battle Gameboard littered with ruined Imperial buildings. The Orks started clustered round the power plant, while the Knights set up at the opposite end. I won the first turn and, with the thunderous roar of war klaxons, the Imperial Knights advanced.

The advance of the Imperial Knights was staggering to behold as six giant war machines stalked forwards, weapons roaring out their hate of the aliens. Despite the awesome power of the thermal cannons and rapid-fire battle cannons, when the smoke cleared from the opening salvo only a trio of Killa Kans were destroyed. The majority of the greenskin war machines had been protected by the uncanny energy of the kustom force fields mounted on the Morkanauts, and only superficial damage was wrought on the larger Ork vehicles.

In reply, Gutrog gave orders to get ’em, and the Ork walkers surged forwards firing their guns with gleeful abandon. Sir Ranulf’s Paladin bore the brunt of the shooting and, while ion shields flared up and down the line, deflecting direct hits from kustom blastas and hard rounds, his Knight suit was rocked by a pair of direct hits that left its war spirit sorely wounded.

Although Sir Ranulf had taken considerable damage, the Imperial Knights remained confident and closed ranks to charge into the heart of the Orkish throng. Their sustained bombardment continued, with the battle cannon fire from Sir Ranulf and Sir Kenrick damaging one of the Bad Moon Boyz but barely giving the Ork pilot any cause for concern.

Madrigal was first into the fight, smashing into the three remaining Killa Kans in Da Tin ’Eads mob. The impetus of his charge finished one before the rise and fall of his reaper chainsword claimed the final two in the squadron. Sir Ranulf echoed the efforts of his brother Knight, striding among ruined trees to claim one of Da Tin ’Eads. The uneven terrain caused Ranulf to falter for a moment, however, and the Deff Dread landed a telling blow on the already damaged Paladin before it was slain.

Eager for revenge at the loss of some of their little ’uns, the Orks concentrated their firepower in a storm of dakka that tore gaping chunks out of Madrigal with rockets, blasted Sir Kenrick with supa-gatler rounds and buckled the armour plates of Crucible of Wrath. A Goff Deff Dread charged the reeling Crucible of Wrath, but the Knight easily killed it with a sweep of his chainsword. Sir Ranulf fared far worse as Big Red and a Gorkanaut from the Bad Moon Boyz double-teamed him. The impact of the Stompa caused critical damage to the Paladin and, though it inflicted a wound in reply, the Gorkanaut and Stompa easily smashed the Knight from House Terryn to bits, laughing gleefully at the resultant explosion. Madrigal also met his end as the Morkanaut from the Bad Moon Boyz and the last Deff Dread from Da Tin ’Eads rampaged into him, the Knight failing to land a blow as the Orks tore him apart.

With the first losses among the Imperial Knights, the gallant Noble pilots set about wiping out the smaller Ork walkers. Killa Kans and Deff Dreads exploded all around but, protected by the force fields of the Morkanauts, the larger vehicles survived.

The advance on the Orks’ right flank was beginning to fold, so Gutrog turned Big Red back to deal with the other side, pausing only to strip away armour plates from Desolation of Silence with its mega-gatler before ploughing into Crucible of Wrath and helping the embattled ‘Little’ Red triumph over its Imperial foe. As Crucible of Wrath exploded on one flank, the Bad Moon Boyz mobbed Sir Kenrick, losing a Gorkanaut but slaying the Knight.

The Ork comeback had been fierce, but Klorian Saiche and Desolation of Silence were determined to redeem themselves, and together struck back, killing ‘Little’ Red with their shooting before crashing into Red Deff. The mighty Stompa fought its last as the pair of Knights cut it down, a cruel mirror of the scene played out elsewhere as Da Bad Moon Boyz tore Sir Kenrick down. All that remained now was a Gorkanaut and Morkanaut against two badly-damaged Imperial Knights.

The final fight saw the Morkanaut targeted by all the firing the knights could muster, as Klorian Saiche limped towards the Orky power plant and Desolation of Silence cut off the Ork advance. The shooting was brutal and killed the Morkanaut in spite of its powerful force field. Any triumph was short-lived, however, as the Gorkanaut blasted the Desolation of Silence with rokkits, before smashing into it klaw first. As Desolation raked the Gorkanaut with its chainsword, the Gorkanaut plunged its klaw into the Freeblade’s torso destroying it. Panicked and seeing destruction looming large, Klorian Saiche smashed the power plant with all his might, securing the objective… but at a terrible cost.

THE HONOUR OF THE HOUSE

Adam: What an amazingly fun battle. As Erik and I waged war across the battlefield, the game felt like a clash of legends. With Gorkanauts and Imperial Knights striding over the table, the little guys, like the Killa Kans, felt decidedly tiny. That struck both of us as remarkable, because in most games of Warhammer 40,000 a Killa Kan or Deff Dread are a powerful force, but with so many goliaths on the battlefield, everything changed.

My initial confidence when the game started, and my big guns began taking their toll, waned as Erik began using the kustom force fields on the Morkanauts to better effect. The battle became a thrilling slug-fest in the centre, pitting chainswords against power claws in a fight to the finish. My high point was actually the Bad Moon Boyz dismantling Sir Kenrick – they unleashed so many Attacks on the noble Imperial Knight that they tore him to bits!

BAD MOONS RISING

Erik: Wow, I’d like to play every game of Warhammer 40,000 like this in the future. Stomping around the battlefield with so many walkers was a riot. With the new edition of Warhammer 40,000, I’ve started to realise that using Unbound armies can be a lot of fun, and this massive ‘Tin Boyz’ horde is my favourite so far. I think this will be what my Ork army will be like in the future, so I need to start collecting more Gorkanauts and Morkanauts!

Something I realised as the game carried on was I could really bolster my defences depending on where the Morkanauts were, so in the future I’ll make sure all my important units are within 6” of a kustom force field. Having a device like that on a killing machine like a Morkanaut is simply brilliant. My favourite moment of the game was the last charge of the Bad Moon Boyz. If I’d been a little luckier, I could have won everything… but I’ll settle for a bloodbath.

DEATH OF RED DEFF

Throughout the battle, the Stompa, sheltering in the lee of ‘Little’ Red’s kustom force field, had proven all but indestructible. Red Deff’s supa-gatler had been blasting chunks off Knights all game long, and the smoking ruin of Crucible of Wrath bore testament to the power of its mega-choppa. Gutrog must have been laughing like a Mek in a scrap yard.

Unfortunately for the Orks, the team of Klorian Saiche and Desolation of Silence were able to batter their way through ‘Little’ Red and emerge to hunt down Gutrog’s personal Stompa. In a fight fit for the ages, the Imperial Knights slammed their armoured bodies into the Stompa before setting about it in a flurry of reaper chainswords. As his mighty Stompa finally succumbed to critical damage, Gutrog most likely sneaked out the back and did a runner.

DA LAST STAND

While the Imperial Knights had proven themselves more than capable of battling the Ork Gorkanauts and Morkanauts one on one throughout the battle, as the last Gorkanaut in the Bad Moon Boyz charged at the Desolation of Silence, the plucky Ork pilot proved that nothing is a sure thing.

Not only did the Gorkanaut blast a gaping hole in the Imperial Knight with a well-aimed rokkit, but he also staggered it with the impact of his metallic body, before absorbing the hack and slash of the reaper chainsword. Finally, with his klaw of Gork swinging, he inflicted crippling damage that caused Desolation of Silence to explode in a shower of flames. “All in a days Waaagh!,” said Erik confidently.

DA LAST CHARGE

The final moments showed just how closely-fought the battle was, as the last two Bad Moon Boyz rampaged towards the final Imperial Knights.

Klorian Saiche was already smashing up the Orky power plant with his reaper chainsword, and their firing cut down the Morkanaut. Even then Erik was still in with a fighting chance. The Knights were so badly damaged that if the Gorkanaut could kill Desolation of Silence and cause a catastrophic explosion, it might take Klorian Saiche with it. Everything seemed to go to plan for Erik at first, as the Gorkanaut punched a hole in Desolation of Silence and the explosion was massive. Sadly, the dice gods betrayed him and Klorian Saiche was left with two hull points.

Flash Gitz carry massive snazzguns, complicated weapons festooned with ammo feeds, power cells, ejection ports, auxiliary barrels and all manner of gubbinz. Dan gets out his welding torch to show you how customisable these weapons can be.

Snazzguns are some of the largest infantry weapons around, with an incredible number of options. With five gun bodies, eight fuel cells and exhausts (yes, they have exhausts), nine barrels, 13 side panels, four auxiliary weapons, 10 gun sights and 14 ammo clips, it can be hard knowing what goes with what.

“The parts for the guns are totally interchangeable,” explains Matt Holland, who designed the Flash Gitz. “The basic gun body is simply a box, onto which you add all the exciting bits such as exhaust ports, gun barrels and ammo feeds. Flash Gitz tinker with their weapons constantly, so it really doesn’t matter which parts go with which, allowing you to create some truly wacky weapons, such as shootas with rokkit ammo and a plasma gun barrel, or a triple-barrelled mega-shoota with an underslung chainsaw. Anything goes!”

Even with this level of freedom, there are common themes to the components, enabling you to build certain identifiable types of weapon should you wish. “There are three recognisable weapons in the set,” adds Matt. “Shoota-based weapons, energy weapons and rokkits. When making a specific type of gun, such as a shoota, it’s good to gather all the parts together so you can pick and choose which bits you want to use (below).”

Our example of a fully-assembled shoota snazzgun (below) has been built with two hefty ammo boxes (components 106 and 109), the double shoota barrel (parts 86 and 87) and an underslung shoota (part 125) for good measure. The side panels are parts 74 and 84, which both feature ejection ports for shell casings.

The details don’t stop with the guns, because Flash Gitz are covered in details that suggest a fondness for a particular weapon. There’s are two torsos and a back banner with big shoota ammo cartridges hanging from them and there’s a pair of legs with a shoota glyph on them (below).

For a dedicated energy weapon there are a range of parts that are perfect for the job (below).

There’s a hefty plasma gun barrel (parts 90 and 91), a kustom mega-slugga (127) and a range of energy cells (107, 112 and 116). There are even several lightning bolt glyphs indicative of powerful weaponry. You can see a complete plasma-themed snazzgun to the left (below).

“Rokkit snazzguns need massive barrels,” says Matt, “otherwise, how would the rokkits get out? There are two wide-bore barrels in the set (parts 88, 89, 94 and 95), which work perfectly with the rokkit ammo. There’s even a side panel with a really large ejection port for ejecting dud rounds (below).”

There isn’t a specific gun body for the rokkit snazzgun, but there is one with an ’ulk symbol on it that looks like a rokkit. There’s also a back banner glyph with the same symbol on it. You can see a completed rokkit snazzgun and three complete Flash Gitz below. DH

BUILDIN’ BY NUMBERS

Every part in the Flash Gitz set has a number stamped next to it on the sprue. Before you start cutting stuff off the frame, it’s worth checking out which components are related to which weapons.

SHOOTA-THEMED BITZ

02, 07, 08, 10, 44, 57, 69, 70, 71, 72, 74, 75, 80, 84, 86, 87, 92, 93, 96, 97, 98, 99, 100, 103, 104, 105, 109, 110, 111, 125, 126, 128.

ENERGY-THEMED BITZ

32, 59, 85, 77, 78, 79, 90, 91, 108, 112, 115, 116, 120, 124, 127, 133, 138, 144, 145.

ROKKIT-THEMED BITZ

45, 55, 56, 67, 73, 76, 88, 89, 94, 95, 101, 102, 131.

REVVIN’ DA THROTTLE

There are three arms in the set that aren’t holding on to the snazzgun – one holding a sword, one with a cigar and a third with a slugga. If you’re using these arms, you’ll need to stick a throttle handle onto the side of the snazzgun to show where the Ork would normally hold it. These are parts 33, 34 and 35 on the sprue.

GITZ ON PARADE

Matt: When I made my plasma snazzgun, I wanted the wielder to look like he’d suffered years of backwash and overheating from his weapon. As a result, I gave him the body with the bionic leg (part 04), the bionic arm (65) and the half-bionic head (19). I even gave him the back banner with his original foot still hanging from it (28).

Kaptin Badrukk is one of the most notorious Orks of the 41st Millennium, a flamboyant figure who leads a legion of Freebooterz from the bridge of his battleship. Badrukk is kunnin’, violent and rich beyond belief, and the envy of Orks the length and breadth of the galaxy.

Ork kultur is easy (if mind-boggling) to comprehend, with clearly-defined social conventions and a simple organisational structure. Every Ork is part of a clan, and several clans in close proximity make up a tribe, each tribe lorded over by the biggest, nastiest Ork, the Warboss.

An Ork’s clan is part and parcel of his identity and helps to define who he is and what he likes to do. So, while Goffs are excessively violent and belligerent, even by the standards of other greenskins (they’re the kind of Orks to stomp an old mate to death for lookin’ at ’im funny), Snakebites are traditionalists, preferring the old ways over new-fangled technology (they’d rather smash your ’ead in with a club than snip it off with a power klaw). Sometimes, an Ork will display traits that get them kicked out of their clan, and that was the case with the exceedingly tough and kunnin’ Bad Moon boss, Badrukk. Not only was Badrukk’s kunnin’ and fighting skill a rising threat to the incumbent Warboss of his tribe, but he was stupendously wealthy, even by the standards of the affluent Bad Moonz clan. Eventually his rising notoriety (and the arrogant manner in which he displayed his wealth) proved too great, and he was cast out from his clan in typically violent fashion and left to wander the kosmos.

While other creatures might have taken such banishment as a bad thing, for Badrukk this was the start of a gleeful adventure taking him across the stars in a bloody rampage, seeing him carve out a reputation for brutal exploits unmatched by any Freebooter before or since. As with any prominent Ork, these exploits are embellished to a degree, but there are enough witnesses to his involvement in the War of Dakka to silence any dissent. As Grog Ironteef’s Waaagh! penetrated into the Farsight Enclaves, Badrukk and his Flash Gitz butchered entire Hunter Cadres in pyrotechnic displays of firepower that turned night to day. Others tell of how Badrukk, piloting his up-gunned Kill Kroozer, Da Blacktoof, led Warlord Garaghak’s attack against a tendril of Hive Fleet Kraken. With Badrukk’s ingenuity, the Orks not only prevailed but left the Tyranids lifeless and out of control, bereft of the leadership of the Norn Queen at the heart of the tendril.

In the years since his exile, Badrukk has gathered around him the very cream of Freebooters, miscreants and malcontents from every tribe and clan for light years around. The heart of this warband are his Flash Gitz, whose weapons amply display the wealth that his wit and kunning has won them. Rumours abound that Badrukk’s lads have buried chests of teef across the galaxy, and only the map of flayed skin he wears on his belt contains the whereabouts of this staggering hoard.

Badrukk’s one aim is to fight as many and as varied opponents as he can, wherever they are to be found, and to get paid exorbitantly for doing so. Badrukk wears his personal wealth proudly on his person, his massive lead-lined frock coat barely concealing his looted gold toof armour and his kaptin’s hat decorated with medals ripped from the chests of dying Imperial admirals. Rather than a snazzgun, Badrukk carries a trophy looted from a towering Ogryn who failed to protect a subsector governor. This fearsome weapon is almost as renowned as Badrukk, and has been heavily modified by the Kaptin to fire plasma canisters instead of slugs – only the lining in the Kaptin’s coat prevents the radiation from killing the resilient Ork.

For the enemies of the Orks, Badrukk is a constant threat because it is impossible to predict where he will strike next. Da Freeboota King has fought alongside the greatest Warbosses of the day, and continues to lend his services out to da Boss with the deepest pockets and the biggest fights lined up. AT

DA RISE OF DA KAPTIN

Kaptin Badrukk has enjoyed a long and glorious history within Warhammer 40,000, first appearing in the supplement Freebooterz back in 1991. The original depiction was a converted model accompanying a lurid band of Flash Gitz. The model we see in the Ork range today was sculpted by Citadel Designer Martin Footitt. “Creating Kaptin Badrukk was all about breathing life into a long established part of Ork lore,” Martin says. “We knew lots about Badrukk and his exploits, and many of these tidbits made it into the finished model. He’s decked out in medals and teef, harking back to his stupendous wealth: even his mouth is crammed full of jagged teef. With something like an Ork pirate captain, there’s a natural tendency to think it might be comical, but I was mindful as I sculpted that, while Badrukk enjoys his work, and he’s good at it, that ‘work’ is being the bloodiest, most violent and successful Freebooter in history.”

FROO DA KOSMOS

The Orks navigate both real space and the Warp with an ease born of fearlessness. In the case of the former, they simply hijack a space hulk, dock their vessels to it and aim it off in the direction they wish to travel. Warp travel is even less complex: open a rift in reality with the help of a Weirdboy and fly into the Immaterium. Any problems of getting lost (or attacked by Daemons) are considered an added source of excitement for all.

Paint Splatter provides handy tips and stage-by-stage painting guides for the week’s key releases. This week, Tom Moore and Chris Peach offer advice on painting the flamboyant Ork Flash Gitz.

Chris: Flash Gitz have loads of different colours on them; they are, after all, the most outrageous Orks around. While some of the colours, like the red and yellow, are really bright, it’s best to use a Chaos Black undercoat for these models, as the majority of them are still dark and gritty.

I started by painting the metalwork first, painting it quickly with Leadbelcher, followed by a liberal wash of Nuln Oil. Because there are no other colours on the model, you can also get away with drybrushing the metalwork with Necron Compound. It’s a really quick and easy technique that’s perfect for dirty, battle-scarred Orks. With the metalwork done, I then painted the skin, followed by the coloured armour panels and then, lastly, the clothes.

Tom: When painting the Orks’ skin, we used Kislev Flesh as the final highlight. Using a different tone helps accentuate the skin colour and make it look more organic. Another green highlight would leave it looking flat. Bear in mind though that this is one way to paint Orks, not the only way, so feel free to experiment with different tones. I did a similar thing with the red armour panels, shading them with Druchii Violet. It’s softer than using Nuln Oil and keeps the armour panels vibrant, rather than desaturating them. It also ties in nicely with the purple clothing. DH

BIG GUNZ NEVER TIRE

While you can leave the snazzguns off to make painting the Flash Gitz easier, Tom and Chris found you can’t see the Orks’ torsos behind their weapons anyway. Their advice: stick the guns on and don’t worry about what’s beneath.

Flash Gitz are the best armed and shootiest greenskins, equipped with massive turbo-charged snazzguns and an incurable urge to use them. Adam and Dan look at the rules for these Orky pirates, and how to get the best from them in your games.

Adam: Flash Gitz are a premier shooting unit, not just in the Ork army, but in Warhammer 40,000 in general. The most remarkable thing about them is of course their snazzguns, and it’s easy to see why. With a respectable range of 24” and a high rate of fire, they can be relied on to shower their targets with hot lead (or plasma, or lightning bolts or… something), but it’s the Strength and AP of the weapons that is so compelling. Snazzguns have Strength 5, which wounds Space Marines, Necrons or other Orks on a 3+ and lesser creatures on a 2+. Even better, you roll a D6 each turn to determine the AP value of the shots. Some might consider it a downside, that you can’t rely on a specific AP value, but when weighed up against the advantages (AP3 or better 50% of the time), there’s nothing to complain about here, as long as you choose the right targets (power armour first, in my opinion).

I strongly recommend advancing towards the enemy while keeping up a withering hail of fire, with the eventual aim of clobbering some heads in close combat too. Freebooterz are as tough as Nobz, so they’re great in a fight, and since snazzguns are assault weapons, you can take the fight to the enemy with the rest of your army. AT

Dan: I’d recommend holding your Flash Gitz back, keeping them in your half of the table or somewhere mid-battlefield, while remaining firmly out of combat.

Now, I know that doesn’t sound very Orky, but bear with me. Ork Nobz, Meganobz and even Ork Boyz are perfectly equipped for combat situations, whereas the Flash Gitz are tooled up for shooting with their high-power snazzguns and Ballistic Skill-boosting gitfindas. With only a 6+ Save and no access to upgrades like power klaws, getting them into combat will likely end in them dying horribly or, slightly better, getting bogged down for several turns (where they won’t be able to use their wargear to best effect).

By keeping them out of your battle line, you can move them more freely, taking objectives in your half of the battlefield. If you’re playing an Eternal War mission they’re perfect for holding an objective. Keep them in cover (or near a Mek with a Kustom Force Field) and mow the enemy down when they get too close. And don’t worry too much about getting charged. Flash Gitz can cause a lot of damage with Overwatch, and with three Attacks each in combat they should be able to hold their own and see off the enemy. DH

WEAPONS AND WARGEAR

* Roll once each time the unit shoots to determine the AP of all the unit’s snazzguns, after the target unit has been chosen.

Gitfinda: A model with a gitfinda that remained stationary during its Movement phase has Ballistic Skill 3 until the end of its turn.

’Ere We Go!: If every model in a unit has this special rule, the unit can re-roll a single dice when determining its charge range.

The gun-crazy showoffs known as Flash Gitz are skilled at breaking heads up close or blasting their enemies into tiny, glowing bits with equal style. Amongst the richest and most obnoxious of their warlike breed, Flash Gitz travel the galaxy engaging in acts of outrageous piracy and wanton vandalism. They hire themselves out as mercenaries to Ork warbands, basking in the envy of Boyz jealous of their flashy kit and prodigious dakka. Despite their ostentation, Flash Gitz give a Warboss all the killpower he pays for. Completely lethal in gun battles, boarding actions and the like, a mob of Gitz opening fire is nothing short of cataclysmic. A punishing hail of energy bolts and bullets fills the air, the Flash Gitz’ victims coming apart amid sprays of blood and blossoms of flame before the Gitz stomp the life out of anyone left standing.

UNIT TYPE

Infantry. Kaptin is Infantry (Character).

UNIT COMPOSITION

4 Flash Gitz

1 Kaptin

WARGEAR:

• Snazzgun

• Stikkbombs

• Bosspole

Gitfinda

SPECIAL RULES:

• ’Ere We Go!

• Furious Charge

Mob Rule

OPTIONS:

• May include up to five additional Flash Gitz…22 pts/model

• Any model may take an ammo runt…3 pts/model

• The unit may select a Trukk or Battlewagon as a Dedicated Transport.

‘The Orks plague the galaxy from end to end with their ceaseless warring and strife. They are a race so deeply rooted in war that peace is utterly incomprehensible to them. They cannot be bargained with or bought save with weapons that they will inevitably turn against those who tried to bribe them. I pray with all my faith that some great catastrophe will annihilate them but I fear that ultimately it is they, not we, who shall rule the galaxy.’

- Xanthius, High Lord of Terra

Flash Gitz have been a part of Warhammer 40,000 for almost as long as the Orks themselves, and they’ve been strutting around this issue of White Dwarf like they own the place. Ink squig in hand, Dan paid a visit to the Mek’s workshop to talk to their designer, Matt Holland.

Matt: I absolutely love anything to do with Orks and the Flash Gitz are easily the most outrageous greenskins around. I remember seeing them in the original Freebooterz book, and thinking how cool they were with their massive guns and flamboyant dress sense. I made it my mission to bring them back.

Flash Gitz are Nobz that have been cast out of their clan for being just too flash. And for being Gitz, of course. There’s a commonly-held belief that Orks are only concerned with chopping stuff up in close combat, but that’s simply not true. Orks love warfare in all its forms and a big, loud gun can be just as exciting as a choppa. Where other Nobz spend their teef on power klaws and nice helmets, Flash Gitz pay a Big Mek to create the most outrageous gun conceivable. Being so flash has its price, though, and the Nob will inevitably find himself kicked out of his Clan for being a show-off. That’s when he becomes a Freebooter, hiring himself out to the highest bidder.

My crusade to re-make the Flash Gitz actually started several years ago when I sculpted a Webstore exclusive Flash Git, complete with targeting Squig and double-barrelled shotgun. In hindsight his gun wasn’t nearly big enough, but he helped set the precedent for future models.

My first thought was to design the guns and the heads. They are the focal points of a miniature and getting them right would set the tone for the rest of the models. I wanted these Orks to look grizzled, with scars, bionics, missing ears and the like. The hats for the three Kaptin heads caused me a bit of grief. I’m not much of a hat person and Orks don’t have much of a cranium to perch a hat on, so this was a real lesson in hat-ology. I kept leaning over to Neil Langdown, who sits next to me, and saying, “Is this cool, or a bit ridiculous?”. It was important to make these Orks look distinct and not comical. They are brutal killers who just happen to be massive posers. They are, in a sense, a walking advertisement, their resumes plastered all over them in the form of glyphs (Boss! Nob! Dakka!) and scars. If they look ded ’ard they’ll get lots of custom. If they look a bit naff (a technical Ork term for weedy) they won’t get any jobs.

I wanted the act of building a snazzgun to feel like an event, almost like you were the Flash Git or Big Mek building the weapon yourself, which is why, in true Orky fashion, all the parts are compatible with each other. No two snazzguns should ever look the same. You like big shootas that fire loads of bullets? Cool, there are loads of them on the frame. What’s that, you want an old-school plasma cannon with unstable plasma bolts for ammunition? You got it! It’s like a kit bash with only one kit, if that makes sense…

I imagine the Flash Gitz spent an inordinate amount of time and teef on their guns. I love rebuilding old muscle cars in my spare time and I reckon the Flash Gitz view their snazzguns as a similar type of project, constantly tinkering with them, trying out new ammo combinations and power settings. The side panels are covered in levers, handles and buttons, which they fiddle with mid-battle, reconfiguring their gun for each new target. They’re like the settings and dials on a speaker or equaliser, the Flash Git searching for the optimal rate of fire combined with power. You’ll also notice there’s an engine and a throttle on each snazzgun. When you hit the accelerator on a bike or a trukk it goes faster. So, logically, if you have an accelerator on a gun it’ll blast out the bullets faster, right? Well, that’s how it works in an Ork’s mind, so it must be true! DH

THE TARGETING SQUIG

Matt: This characterful gitfinda is my cheeky riff on the pirate parrot cliché. I love how Chris Peach painted the Studio army one, with its eye rolled back in its head as if to say exasperatedly “You missed again.”

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, we take a look at Freebooterz, Interrogator-Chaplains and Ben’s mysterious Stalker…

’ERE WE GO! DAN AND MATT EXPLORE THE POTENTIAL FOR A FREEBOOTER ARMY

While chatting about the new Flash Gitz models, Matt Holland and Dan got onto the topic of Freebooterz.

“I love the idea of Freebooterz,” says Matt. “Ork mercenaries roaming the stars in search of a fight, hiring themselves out to the highest bidders. The most recognisable Freebooterz are Flash Gitz, and the most famous is Kaptin Badrukk, but there are bound to be thousands of lesser Freebooterz out there, too. So, why not make a Freebooter army?

“There’s a lot of potential for a Freebooter force,” continues Matt. ”Renegade Meks will join Freebooter warbands (who else will keep their kroozers working?), bringing with them a host of war machines and technical gubbinz. Imagine a Freebooter Morkanaut piloted by a Bad Mek! If all else fails, the Freebooterz can use their vast horde of teef to buy what they need.” This led to a lengthy discussion about converting Freebooter Battlewagons with gun ports for them to stick their snazzguns through and boarding planks for those all-important boarding actions. “It would also make for a very colourful painting experience,” adds Matt. “The Flash Gitz would be there looking super-suave, while the Boyz try to emulate them. It makes me think of the old Freebooterz cover with all its blues and purples. It’s perfect inspiration for a Freebooterz army.”

Adam got so excited reading the new novel Master of Sanctity this week, that he gave Gav Thorpe a call to find out more:

“The idea behind the Legacy of Caliban series was always to explore the different facets of the Dark Angels Chapter,” Gav says. “Book one focuses on the Ravenwing while Master of Sanctity examines the Deathwing and sets up the events of the final instalment, where the full might of the Chapter will be mobilised.

“When planning the book I was torn between the straightforward viciousness of Asmodai and the inquisitive deviousness of Sapphon. While Asmodai can be described as thuggish, Sapphon is far cannier. When he takes on Astelan in the interrogation room, I wanted it to feel like a battle of brilliant minds trying to outwit one another, and that clash of wits leads to the shocking final line in the book.”

The models in this week’s ’Eavy Metal feature were all assembled by Matt Holland, designer of the Flash Gitz. Here’s what he had to say about it:

“When I started work on the Flash Gitz, I planned them to be compatible with the Ork Nobz,” says Matt. “So when the kit was complete I couldn’t resist kit-bashing some together. I have to admit I was really happy with the results I achieved, but not as much as I was when I saw ’Eavy Metal’s paint jobs. When I converted them I imagined they were a motley crew, and when you line them up side by side they look amazing.”

Notes from the worlds of Warhammer. This week: grenades.

Da Stikk Bomb

Perhaps the crudest missile weapon in the Ork inventory (excepting, of course, the notoriously unsafe Buzzer Squig bomb), stikk bombz are basically a large helping of something highly explosive jammed into a tin can with a stick on the end. Orks have been using these for thousands of years, however, and their efficacy is undeniable, as many a Guardsman or Space Marine has learned. Equally obvious, however, is their propensity for misfiring. Orks don’t mind that, though – nothing gets a laugh out of da ladz like seeing a fellow greenskin blow his own arm off with a mistimed throw.

Photon Grenades

The Fire Caste of the Tau Empire aren’t exactly renowned for their ability in an assault, and the use of photon grenades helps to mitigate against rampaging foes. These compact grenades unleash a blinding photon flare capable of overpowering even the auto-senses of a Space Marine for a short moment. Many a brutal all-out attack has been blunted by a succession of dazzling explosions, leaving the would-be attackers dazed, confused and victim to the massed pulse rifles of the Fire Caste.

Haywire Grenades

Haywire grenades are designed to overpower the delicate systems and mechanics in enemy vehicles by unleashing a powerful, short-ranged electromagnetic pulse. Highly complex weapons, few within the galaxy have access to them, but units such as Eldar Swooping Hawks have proven time and again that even the most rugged armoured vehicles are vulnerable to ‘soft’ attacks such as these.

With flashy Orks very much the theme of this week’s White Dwarf, we’re featuring this mega-armoured Bad Moon Warboss by Erik Florés.

Erik painted this hulking Ork for the Fang painting competition in Stockholm last year, and his efforts were rewarded as it won him a well-earned second place in the Warhammer 40,000 Monster Category. The model is based on Ghazghkull Thraka, with the addition of a banner pole festooned with glyphs and colourful Space Marine helmets (a highly-valued prize to connoisseurs of battlefield trophies). To give him extra height, Erik mounted him on a spare sarcophagus from a Space Marine Dreadnought.

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.

The Silent Death is an ancient triskele wielded by Jain Zar, the Phoenix Lord of the Howling Banshees.

“Imagine a boomerang with blades on it,” says Dan. “That’s what the Silent Death is, a flying scythe.” Thrown through the air, this triple-bladed frisbee can lop off limbs and sever heads before gliding back to its wielder. “A lesser warrior wouldn’t know what to do with it,” adds Dan. “They’d pick it up (gingerly, I’d warrant) and maybe give it an experimental chuck, which would no doubt result in the loss of several fingers. In the hands of an inexperienced warrior, it’s virtually useless. In Jain Zar’s deft grasp, it’s one of the most deadly weapons in the galaxy. With a flick of her wrist she can decapitate four out of five members of a Terminator squad. Plucking the Silent Death out of the air, she’ll dash in and finish off the survivor. A mercy killing if you ask me.”

The most inventive (read: psychotic) Pain Boyz can’t help tinkering with their subjects. A missing ear or broken jaw is ignored by the Dok for an opportunity to do some impromptu Cybork surjury instead. This head is from the Ork Nobz kit.

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

HE’S A SOUL MAN

Do Necron Overlords have souls, because my Dark Eldar Archon would really love to steal one with his soul trap?
- Archon Geoff ‘bring on the’ Payne

GROMBRINDAL SAYS

The who with the what now? This sounds like gobbledegook, and I don’t use that word lightly (unless I’m listening to an Elf talking). I went and found Phil Kelly to help out with this one.

Phil: The soul-trap is an evil piece of wargear laced with Dark Eldar cunning. I have no doubt it would steal any soul given half a chance, even one made up of ancient computer code. Necrons have a habit of coming back to life, so stealing their soul may not be easy. I reckon the soul trap can only harvest it when they’re well and truly deceased, not every time they keel over. I imagine it makes a little ‘ping’ noise when the soul is ready. Stealing Trazyn the Infinite’s soul could be a tiresome affair…
- Grombrindal

This week’s battle report was entirely too much fun, if the raucous noise erupting from the Hobby room was any measure. In the end, rather than listen to the nonsense, most of the team ended up in the room cheering on their Imperial Knights (or encouraging Erik to clobber Adam’s models with the Gorkanauts). The team is already planning a much bigger refight.

Dan: Last week, when I offered up tactics for using the Gorkanaut in your games. I also wanted to mention one of my favourite pieces of Ork wargear: the Kustom Force Field. Over the years, I’ve found this piece of strange Orky tech to be utterly invaluable, enabling you to keep your lightly-armoured Boyz safe (well, safer) from incoming fire.

It’s also very handy for protecting vehicles, as they also benefit from a 5+ invulnerable save if they’re within 6” of the bearer (or if the bearer is embarked upon it). The Morkanaut, being a Big Mek creation, can be upgraded to carry a Kustom Force Field, but the more stompy, less kunnin’ Gorkanaut, can’t. That doesn’t stop you putting a Big Mek with a Kustom Force Field inside it, though. Put a small unit with him for protection and stomp your Gorkanaut to victory protected by a wall of shimmering force fields.

This rather fetching Space Marine tank is the newest addition to Ben Humber’s Space Marine army: The Raven’s Watch. “My Stalker, by which I mean my anti-aircraft tank, rather than a shifty guy that follows me around, is a direct reaction to a large game of Warhammer 40,000 we played in the Hobby Room,” Ben says. “Matt Hutson’s Heldrake caused me no end of trouble in that game, and killed my Predator tank into the bargain. So, the only thing to do was invest in something to sweep the skies clear.

“My army has a simple colour scheme of Abaddon Black and Fenrisian Grey armour plates, weathered with a very light drybrush of Steel Legion Drab. I painted the lenses using the gem effect I learned from a Paint Splatter article.”

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