Vanguard/KoW: Modelling for both systems- A Beardragon14 debacle

In my boundless enthusiasm, I purchased a Vanguard Nightstalker Starter box to match the one I bought for the Basileans …. (curse you enthusiasm) . This gave me enough hard plastic sprues to make 15 Scarecrows or Spectres. I went with 10 Scarecrows which the Big Green book of Awesome (KoW 3rd edition rulebook) tells me is not enough for a viable unit ……. Okay then just Vanguard then.

THE MODELS: As mentioned they come on a hard plastic sprue with lots of different options. I only used the “scarecrow ” heads, and there was sufficient variety in the bodies. heads and arm option not to have 2 builds the same. They went together well. Mantic has now well and truly mastered making hard plastic sprues.

(Incidentally at Mantic’s Virtual Open Day yesterday, Ronnie announced that KoW had passed a critical threshold, so as they no longer have to use Kickstarter to make hard plastic sprues for it. Indeed the recent abyssal dwarfs and upcoming goblin and ratkin hard plastic spues show they are committed to that path. Good on them.)

PAINTING: So this was my crash, self taught course in painting Purples and turquoises. I decided to go wash heavy . It wasn’t something I was familar with. After a major disaster on the second mini, I quickly learned the virtue of thinning my wash. I use lahmian medium and it works well but any other medium or water (as long as it is more wash than water funny thing happen there too … voice of experience again) LET EACH COAT FULLY DRY … before applying the next coat. It gives you a better idea of what the final colour is like. Apply more coats in the recesses. I then later applied a highlight of normal paint to raised areas to make it pop a bit.

IN GAME: The Scarecrow is a GRUNT unit, So there is no restrictions on the number you can take. At 8 points each my 10 only set me back 80 points if I take them all leaving plenty of space for additional troops. They are melee only unit with the Stealthy and Mob Assault Special Rules

Stealthy is -1 modifier to all ranged (and magical) attacks against the model which is handy as you want a block of them getting through to the target to use ……

Mob Assault. Basically once 2 or more models assault the same target, they get Crushing Strength (n) against that target. So if 4 Scarecrows are wailing in on a target they get Crushing Strength (4) which means each to hit roll goes from a 6+ to a 2+ … In fact just getting a pair in reduces the 6+ to a 4+ much besterer.

Morale of the story don’t let these boys fight alone, send mobs.