Finished off the final details on the Fireblade and am very chuffed with the results. Although the sept and cloak markings took a bit of patience I think I got the effect I was looking for.  Now all I need to do is think up some background for this chap, as I always like a bit of a story to go with each of the models/units in an army, especially an HQ.

I do know that this guy will be leading the smaller forces I take, with a Battlesuit Commander taking over as the points go up. I have a list which I will share for you that is something of a target for the first chunk of the force:

Cadre Fireblade

10 Fire Warriors

10 Fire Warriors

5 Pathfinders

5 Pathfinders

Crisis Battlesuit:

Fusion Blaster, Burst Cannon, Target Lock, 2 x Gun Drones

Crisis Battlesuit:

2 x Burst Cannon, Drone Controller, 2 x Gun Drones

Which is 500pts on the nose. I think this is a good starting point as it is made up of a core units of any other list I’ll be making and I’ll explain why.

I’ll always have Fire Warriors as my troops because I really am not a fan of the Kroot models. I realise this will leave a fairly diverse squad out of the mix but I’m more of a painter than a gamer these days so aesthetics will always win out when I’m building my lists.

Pathfinders I feel are too cheap to not be taken, considering what they can do. Sitting these chaps behind the Fire Warriors and using there markerlights helps the rest of the force , but they have the bonus of being a great unit to support using their carbines. Although if they do get targeted, caught in the open, assaulted, looked at in a funny way etc. they will very likely suffer a horrible demise.

Battlesuits I love. I will be taking one unit of each kind in my completed force (a long way off yet :(), so the obvious place to start is with a couple of XV8’s. The main idea with these guys is that they eventually form a squad of 3, with 2 battlesuits with burst cannon, fusion blaster and target lock and one with 2 burst cannons, drone controller and the full complement of gun drones. I like the idea of having a unit that can pump out 28 strength 5 shots and has an extra couple melta shots that can target a different unit 😀

As this is my target I still need the Fire Warriors and another battlesuit. I already have a box of Fire Warriors on the way, so hopefully get to starting them very soon…