Basilisks
Once I was happy with the results the turret was glued on and the model was ready for varnishing. I’ve found that Games Workshops Purity Seal gives a better fi nish than anything else I’ve tried. Generic matt and satin varnishes can dull the model too much and if you aren’t careful can obscure the detail, which is particularly important with epic models.
Remember to shake the spray can vigorously (for at least 60 seconds to be on the safe side) and avoid doing this in cold surroundings as the quality of the fi nish will be affected. Also, be absolutely certain you have the right spray can in your hand. Mistakes are easy to make at 2am after an all-night painting session…and yes, I’ve done it!
Two Tank Companies are expensive at 650 points each, but are the toughest formations in an Imperial Guard army. Unlike many tanks they are also decent in a fi refi ght, so make for good all-rounders. I’ll see if I can get the best out of using both formations in tandem, although at 1300 points they will be easily outmanoeuvred by smaller, more numerous formations of Eldar or Space Marines, and potentially set up for crossfi re attacks.
INCOMING!
Next up is an Artillery Company. These consist of nine vehicles, which can be Manticores, Basilisks, or any combination of the two. Artillery Companies can lay down large barrages, which are particularly devastating in E:A. Not only do barrages affect multiple targets, they can also infl ict several Blast Markers on enemy
formations. Blast Markers are a way of showing how formations can become suppressed in the game due to enemy fi re, taking casualties, getting the wrong orders etc. The game effect is that each Blast Marker stops one model in the formation from shooting as well as making it harder to receive orders; too many and the formation breaks!
GW sells Artillery Companies as a mix of 3 Manticores and 6 Basilisks, however I wanted to keep the unit as all the same type of vehicle.
While Manticores have a more powerful shot they can only shoot one turn out of two as
they need to be reloaded; however Basilisks are less powerful but more fl exible since they can fi re every turn, they also have the option of forgoing fi ring a barrage to fi re directly at the target like a WWII German 88mm gun. This is potentially much more deadly against Space Marines, well-dispersed vehicle targets and War Engines.
Thanks to a quirk of the way barrages work in E:A it is more effi cient to fi eld an all Manticore company (fi ve Manticores fi ring one turn, the remaining four fi ring the turn after), but this strikes me as very beardy and it will backfi re Basilisks
when the formation starts taking Blast Markers of its own. So I fi elded an all-Basilisk company.
Another eBay purchase; these are multipart models from the previous edition of the game.
They come with several choices for each – you get a range of camo netting etc. The barrels were drilled out prior to undercoating. The camo nets were picked out in Goblin Green and Sunburst Yellow over a Dark Angels Green basecoat (to match the appearance of the infantry stand bases). Each Basilisk was given the company marking of yellow and purple stripes.
To compliment the Shadow Swords, I added a company of Baneblades. These lack the powerful Volcano Cannons of the other models, but have a larger array of smaller weapons which make them more useful against non-War Engine targets at
shorter distances. With the current rules they are generally regarded as less effi cient than Leman Russ tanks, but I like the models.
So far I had no protection against the bane of Artillery Companies – aircraft; this was fi xed with six Hydras. These are particularly good anti-aircraft units, even Eldar Nightwings will think twice about fl ying within range. Hydras can either be fi elded in small formations of three units or split up and attached individually to other formations.
CHOCKS AWAY!
Speaking of aircraft, my Imperial Guard will be sharing the use of Thunderbolts and Marauders with my Ultramarines and Blood Angels – the Imperial Navy obviously being overworked in this sector. Each squadron has blue or red markings as appropriate. I used books on Spitfi res and the Battle of Britain for inspiration, so the models have sky blue undercarriages and green/brown camoufl age elsewhere.
Left: Baneblades Right: Hydras
After buying the rules for Aeronautica Imperialis from Forgeworld I can use these models when they are not seeing action in Epic. In AI it is important to distinguish one plane from another, so I applied identifi cation numbers to the tailfi n or fuselage of each aircraft. The Epic models shown here are smaller in scale when compared to the Forgeworld versions, but this is not a problem as the models are only markers;
ranges and fi re arcs are determined from the special Aeronautica Imperialis bases. I have
a set of these bases but did not permanently attach them as they are a bit overwhelming for Epic games.
Remember not to attach the clear fl ying stands until after you varnish the planes, as the varnish will turn the plastic milky white.
These squadrons allow the Imperial Guard army access to 8 Thunderbolt fi ghters, and 4 Marauder bombers. Aircraft require more abstraction than most aspects of Epic, but add
an interesting dimension to the game, as well as a way to instantly reach distant enemy.
BIG BROTHER
That’s enough of the tiny stuff, on to the Titans!
Titans and other War Engines are the main draw of Epic, since they exist in the background but are a rare sight in WH40K games (good thing too, they would fl atten most armies!). Titans tend to act as a support to other armies in E:A, though there is an option to use the experimental all-Titan Adeptus all-Titanicus army list…
At present I have a pair of Warhounds and a Reaver Titan completed.
Warhounds are fast and, compared to most Titans, lightly armed and armoured. They can outrun infantry and most tanks, but if their void shields are knocked down they become very
Below: Thunderbolts & Marauders Right: Warhound Titan
vulnerable. They mount a pair of weapons (a Mega-Bolter and either a Plasma Blastgun or Turbolaser Destructor in this case); but for competitive games carry the default rulebook armament regardless of the model. I much prefer these older designs to the most recent versions, the models are looking very good for being nearly 20 years old.
I have found that the large Epic models benefi t from being shown to scale; that is positioning smaller models on them or on their base. On my Eldar Titans I positioned a couple of Guardians or Rangers (or destroyed human tanks) on the bases; I decided to add loyal humans to these Warhounds. The fi rst base has a handful of Guardsmen led by an offi cer advancing through ruins as the Titan looms above them. The second Warhound is joined by a single sniper hiding behind a wall as if the Titan is running
ahead to a forward position in the battlefi eld where the scout has identifi ed heavier targets.
To fit with the rest of the army each Warhound has been given a grey colour scheme on the armour plates: black, Codex Grey and Space Wolves Grey as a highlight, with 50:50 mixes in between – unlike the tanks, this is layered rather than drybrushed. The banding is Shining Gold with Chestnut Brown ink.
The other Titan is a Reaver, a larger cousin of the Warhounds. The Reaver is better armoured than the Warhounds and carries an extra weapon, but costs more than both together.
Another veteran from the days of Adeptus Titanicus, the Reaver must be one of the oldest model designs still produced by Games Workshop.
My Reaver has the alternative “Darth Vader”
head design, and mounts a power fi st rather than a second Turbolaser simply because I thought it looks better. The rules for Titan weapons have been carefully balanced in E:A
so that each weapon is roughly as valuable as any other in terms of range, number of shots, damage and so on. In competitive games Titans default to the standard armament given in the main rulebook, regardless of what the model carries.
Below: Warhound Right: Reaver
The Reaver is mounted on the original base design containing a “void shield wheel”. This saves on bookkeeping as Void shields are knocked down and repaired during the game.
As with the Warhounds I have used several advancing Guardsmen to give it some scale.
They are directed by an offi cer based on the old “Cadian” standard bearer from Adeptus Titanicus days, but fi tted with a greenstuff greatcoat to fi t in with the rest of the army.
A spare Sentinel is bringing up the rear, presumably on the look out for Xenos scum with Brightlances.
This gives me a total of 20 formations for around 7,000 points. This is far too much for a sensible game of Epic, but it’s nice to have the choice of models to fi eld.
A GOLDEN OLDIE
The last model to show in this article is a Capitol Imperialis transport. Due to a warp space accident (or my four year old and a pot of Codex Grey…sob!) it had to be diverted back to the Nitromors sector. On the positive side, it was the right colour, and looked better than many of the offerings on eBay! I have a budding Golden Demon winner in the family…
Fortunately, the model was much quicker to paint (again) than it was to prepare and assemble. The turret was left separate until painting was fi nished. I used a black undercoat with Codex Grey followed by Space Wolf Grey for the armour plates, Shining Gold with Chestnut Ink for the banding and imperial motifs, and Red Gore highlighted all the way to Sunburst Yellow + white for the windows.
Capitol Imperialis are the enormous transport
Above: Reaver Left: Capitol Imperialis
vehicles of the Imperial Guard – think of a Star Wars AT-AT on caterpillar tracks. They are as tall as a Titan but much bulkier, and are capable of transporting two entire companies of Guardsmen or vehicles. Like Titans they are protected by void shields as well as thick armour, but they lack the fi repower of the god-machines.