New Units Review - Space Marine Codex!

I just posted Part 3 of my Space Marine Codex Review, this time focusing on the stats and tactics of the new units. If you were curious about the new Stalker and Hunter tanks, take a look! Also, I explain about Centurions and how grav-weapons work. YES, they are nasty!! Follow the link to read the article and, as always, comments are welcome!

• New Space Marine Codex Review - New Units!

Just a note: this is a fantastic codex. Fun to read, lots of art, and cool combinations bouncing off the unit entries. I'm still loving the White Scars, but those Iron Hands are calling me too..

Space Marine Codex Review - Parts 1 & 2

So the new Space Marine Codex is in hand and the reviews have begun! I'm really loving the Chapter Tactics and I wish that my Traitor Legions had received the same love. Future supplements may fix this, but until then, I'll look towards the Loyalist side for inspiration of what's to come.

I've written a two part review of the new Codex, with more to come as time allows this week. So far I've covered the new army rules, Chapter Tactics, and threw in some information about Special Characters. Don't believe all the hype and rumors from before. Now we have the official rules in hand! Click the link to read my New Space Marine Codex Review!

• New Space Marine Codex Review - Part 1

So far I'm loving the White Scars and am trying decide about buying some bikes! Or possibly painting some army-green Raptors to do a Vietnam style marine army using the Raven Guard rules. Decisions. As always, guys, comments are appreciated. Murphy Out!

Black Legion Musings

The new Black Legion supplement is out for CSM, available for the ipad (epub and hardback due out in a few months). We've had some users online share the basic rules on various web forums and so far the response has been mixed, boarding on underwhelming. What do I mean?

New Space Marine Centurion Breakdown

So the cat is out of the bag and we are seeing our first images of the Centurion models for the Space Marine Codex due out this September. Websites from Facebook to blogs have been reporting on these images for a few hours now, but what I want to do is break down what is ON the models to see what we can expect.

Warzone: Damnos

It's been unofficially announced that September will bring a host of new 40k products, the greatest of which will be the new Codex: Space Marines. While this will be amazing, no doubt, I was also intrigued by another release, Warzone: Damnos. As I bought the Apocalypse book when it came out, I'm interested in any other Apocalypse material. So what is Damnos?

Eldar versus Chaos Marines

Eldar Howling Banshee

A friendly game of 40k down at the Battle Zone this afternoon. I am still getting used to the Eldar codex, so I apologized to my opponent for taking so long to look things up (which happened frequently). It wasn't the stats that I couldn't remember, it was the xenos wargear that kept me checking to verify. It was a learning lesson for me, for sure.

Airbrushing Chaos Daemons

Chaos Daemon Bloodletter Airbrush

Alright, so the above photo is not really a bloodletter, but he is different enough (and cool enough) to stand in as the squad leader. I was really inspired by the cover of the Chaos Daemon Codex, where the bloodletter there is lit from fire below. I've been working on my airbrushing skills and I think these guys came out great. More pictures after the jump.

2nd ed. Eldar Models

Right after the release of the new Eldar Codex, I was gifted, my friend, Mike's old Eldar. When I say old, I mean 2nd edition. These are the miniatures and army he ran back in the later 1990's. I am sure some of the models will look familiar because many of these sculpts have not been updates since then . . . although they have been converted to Finecast. As old as these sculpts are, they have stood the test of time, and what's more, Mike's paint jobs are still beautiful.

Updated Space Marine Apocalypse Formation Rules

I've updated my Space Marines Apocalypse Formations review to include the 3 space wolf formations in the rule book. Why not? This one article covers the lists and special rules for all the vanilla marine formations, some Black Templars, and the Grey Wolves now. You can also find my main Apocalypse article here, too.

• Updated Space Marines Apocalypse Formations Review
• New Apocalypse 40k Review

As always, thanks for reading. Comments are welcome. Murphy Out!

Space Marine Apocalypse Formations Up!

Finally, the review I wanted to get to: Space Marines Apocalypse Formations. If you are interested in the special rules for these formations, or what models you need to bring to qualify, then click the link below:

• Space Marines Apocalypse Formations - Review

I can tell you that bringing a full battle company of marines is just great. They really give the formation a cinematic feel for what space marines are supposed to do. This is something that I've noticed with a lot of the formations in the book: the armies actually playing like the fluff tells us they are capable of, but are often limited by balance rules in the game itself.

Check it out and tune in for more! Murphy Out!

Part 3 - Apocalypse Formations Review

I've finally got up part 3 of my Apocalypse Formations List and Rules. What exactly can the Necrons bring to the Apocalypse battlefield? What about the mighty Orks? When will I get to the Space Marines, already? Follow the link below to read Part 3 of my review:

• Apocalypse Formations Review - Part 3

In other news, I put my airbrush to good use this morning. Pictures soon!

Updated Apocalypse Formations Special Rules

I've gone back and updated my earlier Apocalypse Formations articles. Now that I have the book, I've updated the actual compositions of the Formations and I've now included the special rules that come with each Formation. Check out the articles by clicking on the link below. I still have a few armies left to go, but I will get on that very soon!

• New Apocalypse Formations Special Rules - Part 1
• New Apocalypse Formations Special Rules - Part 2

If you haven't caught it yet, I've also done a review of the Apocalypse 40k book itself, which also serves as a table of contents to my other, more detailed reviews on different sections like the Mission Special Rules, etc. Check that out here:

• New Apocalypse 40k Review

As always, thanks for reading! Murphy Out!

Part 3 - Apocalypse Mission Special Rules Review

I've just posted my final review article covering the new Apocalypse Mission Special Rules. This time I've covered the Strategic Assets, Reserves, and the awesome Unnatural Disasters. Have you ever wanted to fight a battle of 40k during a Zombie Apocalypse? I thought so.

WIP Khorne Skull Cannon

In continuing on the expansion of my Chaos Daemon army, I'm working on a custom Khorne Skull Cannon. I had all these extra bits from my Daemon Prince kit, so I built a torso, added some bits from my Heldrake and even an fantasy dwarf organ gun. Instead of a cannon fired by bloodletters, I have a large daemon with a multi-barreled cannon for an arm.

Apocalypse Mission Special Rules - Review

What makes an Apocalypse battle different from a regular game of 40k? Beyond the masses of infantry and the super-heavy vehicles lording over the battlefield, it is the Mission Special Rules that make make the game stand out. I've just finished the first part of a more detailed review of the new Mission Special Rules and I think you'll like what you'll read.

New - Khorne Lord of Skulls Stats & Review

Continuing with my review of the new Apocalypse 40k, I've written up a detailed article about the new Khorne Lord of Skulls. All I can say is, wow! At first glance, it just has a bunch of heavy weapons, but when you start looking at all the rules and options in combination with each other and you realize it's a nasty beast!

Continuing my Apocalypse Review

I could hardly sleep last night, with all the options rolling around in my head. In case you missed it, I wrote a review of the new Apocalypse book last night, an article which is serving as a hub of sorts to more detailed reviews. So far I've covered what is in each chapter of the book, including the awesome Warzone: Armageddon section and the fantastic Datasheets for units not found in any 6th edition codex.

Apocalypse Rulebook Review!

Whew! The book is only hours in my hand, but I could hardly wait to read through it and post a review of the book. First, I should say that it is a gorgeous book with, not only a lot of art and photography, but also a lot of crunch. New rules, tables galore, and a new way to look at 40k battles.

My Apocalypse Book Arrived

It's here! The latest version of Apocalypse for Warhammer 40k 6th edition. It's a beautiful book with full color throughout. So what goodies does it contain?

New Tau Codex Review - Troops

I finished Part 3 of my New Tau Codex review, and this time I've focused on Troops choices. Fire Warriors are just amazing troops, and they can be included in many armies via Allies. With a 30" range and Strength 5 Rapid Fire weapons, what's not to like? Click the link below to read the article and check out my other 6th Edition 40k articles (more than 30 so far!)

• New Tau Codex Review - Part 3 - Troops

As always, check back for future articles and updates, and thanks for reading. Murphy Out!

Apocalypse Formations - List & Rules - Part 2

Part 2 of my review and rules for the new Apocalypse Formations is up! This time I've broken down, unit by unit, the Formations for the Dark Eldar, Eldar, Grey Knights, and the Imperial Guard. I am very impressed with the options available now, from the Carnival of Pain to the Emperor's Fist Tank Company. Click below to check out all the options available:

• Apocalypse Formations - List & Rules - Part 2

As always, thanks for reading. Murphy Out!

Apocalypse Formations - List & Rules

I've written out a list of Apocalypse formations, separated by army, and describing exactly which units you will need to bring. I've also included a space for each formation's Special Rule or bonus. Of course, we don't know every detail yet, but the book is 2 weeks away and I'm sure some information will come out before then. Click the link below to check out Part 1 of the Apocalypse Formations Lists & Rules (Part 2 coming soon!)

Apocalypse Formations List & Rules - Part 1

Thanks for reading! Murphy Out!

Tau Codex Review - Part 2

I've just finished Part 2 of my Tau Codex review and posted it over at Hubpages! I am eagerly pouring through the Tau Codex, scouring it for details and combinations. My goal is to have a small cadre of Tau to serve as allies to my other armies, mostly my Eldar since they are battle brothers. Click below to read!

New Tau Codex 6th Edition Review - Part 2

If you are unfamiliar with Tau wargear and HQ options, give my article a read. I had no idea how many combinations of great wargear they can take. Imperials fear!

An Airbrush Kind of Day

 I've been waiting to get my Dire Avengers painted. For the first time, I'm going to try an airbrush 28mm infantry models. I saw an awesome video on youtube about how to do this exact thing with dire avengers, so I'm going to give it a go.

Starting a Tau Codex 6th edition Review

I've always loved the Tau army. They were alien, new, and totally different than the Imperial models that I've always fought against. The far future should be a technology filled universe, where shooting enemies makes more sense than punching them. In this way, the Tau always seemed like the army of the future.

Testing the new Eldar Codex

A friend and I played an Eldar-on-Eldar battle last night at 1,850 points. We were playing to kill, but we were also helpfully reminding each other of the new stats and rule (him reminding me more than I had to in return). I didn't take any pictures because it was more of a test game to see how things worked, however, we did learn some interesting things:

Night Lords Personalities

This last year, I decided to re-paint my Chaos Space Marine army into a warband from the Night Lords chapter. I've always liked them in old pictures, but I just never went that way. After reading the terrific Night Lords trilogy by Aaron Dembski-bowden, I was hooked. Here are a couple pictures of my Night Lords with same names attached.

Warlord Games Panzer IV Airbrushed for Bolt Action

I posted a couple pictures earlier of my Panzer IV from Warlord Games, unassembled. Well, I've actually had it up and painted for about a month now :)

Bolt Action Germans

A quick post about something different. We've been playing Bolt Action by Warlord Games over at the Battlezone for several months now. Our Bolt Action crowd has gone from 2 of us, to most of the store owning an army. I'm running a German army simply by default, as a friend had a bunch of old, metal German figs he wanted to sell, so I picked them up. Here are a few photos of my Germans . . .

Chaos Daemons Army 6th Edition

Greater Daemon of Slaanesh - custom!

I've been steadily getting games in with my Chaos Daemons army over the last two months, since the release of the 6th edition Daemon codex. At first, I was overwhelmed with the number of choices and how swingy the units seemed. Some were amazingly powerful (greater daemons) while so many other choices just seemed weak. It took me awhile to figure out how to use them in conjunction.

Warhammer Fantasy Tourny @ The Battlezone

The Battlezone hosted a Warhammer Fantasy tournament this pat Saturday and I went down and checked it out late in the day. I have a decent Beastmen army for Fantasy, and I played a lot 2 years ago. We all got a little bored of it after awhile and moved on to other games, but it looks like its making a comeback down at the store.

Alien Jungle Finished

I finished the bases of my Alien Jungle terrain. I had a vision of what they would look like with decent bases and I think I achieved it. It's a hard thing to do, making aquarium plants and making them look proper on the battlefield.

Alien Jungle Terrain

In the spare moments I've had from writing the new Eldar Codex Review articles, I made some alien jungle terrain for our tables down at The Battlezone.

Eldar Article Response and Taking a Night Off

Wow! My recent Eldar Codex Review articles over at Hubpages have had a couple thousand reads over the last couple of days. In fact, I had over 3,000 in just the last 24 hours. Thank you to everyone who's been reading! I had no idea that there was this much interest in the new Eldar 'dex!

That said, I've been writing about 2,000 words every night and I am worn out! Actually, my Internet was down during my prime writing hours, so it was more of a forced break. It's back up again, but I'm too tired to start another 2,000 words.

Codex: Eldar 6th Edition Warhammer 40k

I love the Eldar army and I always have. My good friend, Mike, ran an amazing Eldar army in 2nd edition circa 1996 and it went undefeated for as long as we played. Now, to be fair, that had a lot to do with exploiting the 2nd edition victory point rules. He was still a great general, and his army was just cool. What's more, they were beautifully painted. What he was able to do 15 years ago without specialty brushes, small pigment pains designed for miniatures, weathering powders, or even internet How-to's was just amazing. I'll post some photos of his work soon.

Bolt Action!

Bolt Action 28mm WWII game

 I got a game of Bolt Action in today and had a blast! For those that don't know, Bolt Action is a 28mm miniatures wargame set in WWII, published by Warlord Games. The game was written by Games Workshop veterans Alessio Cavatore and Rick Priestley and their experience in writing game systems really shows.

Welcome to Forever War!

 Welcome to Forever War, my personal blog about miniature wargaming. I hope to post updates on my personal projects, product reviews, and an occasional battle report. I play a variety of wargames, from the popular Warhammer 40k to the more recent Bolt Action WWII wargame.

My introduction to miniature wargaming started in 1993 when an older friend started making styrofoam terrain for something he called Warhammer 40k. He showed me some metal space marines with the old beakie helmets and his styrofoam ruins he was melting with spray paint for cool "battle damage effects". I never got a chance to game with him, but a year later in another town, in another state, I happened upon the Warhammer 40k 2nd Edition boxed set in a local hobby store. I was not quite 14, and I was hooked.

Remember those old, horrible Tyranid models with the egg heads and gopher teeth?

Fast forward 20 years and I'm still gaming. Strangely, it doesn't feel like I have any more money to spend on my hobby than I did when I was 14, but I suppose the trade off is having a beautiful wife and two lovely daughters to share life with.

So kick back, read my posts, and make comments where you can! I also write more professional articles over at Hubpages, so feel free to stop by there and take a gander:

http://murphy80.hubpages.com