[Ironweld Arsenal: Faction Expansion (Narrative and Warscrolls)]

9 minutes ago, khadgar567 said:

that leaves the casters part and the endless spells. we can use spotters for few magic style actions like directed bombardment or requesting supply drop to boost the damage of units like gunnery sergeant from vampire coast. but the new tomes still feel like don't solve big problems as we still focus on shooting and bunkering down on the corner of the map until we get morale win or lose the battle. how about a unit like tree revenants to act as honor guard or tough hammer allow ironweld to push objectives as besides the Templars and lancers we need a few close combat forces capable to push to the objective while bunkered forces act as support /  via indirect fire. this way when we need object secure templars and revenants left the main army to get into the goal early then main bulk of the forces reach and bunker in until we get the win.

 

2 minutes ago, TheR00zle said:

How about instead of focussing on the spells, we get a few more heroes? synergy is a big part of AOS, especially now of all times. we could have a robber baron/captain of industry type who boost's the hit rolls of war machines, at the cost of laborers lives for example.

Focusing on both of the above, I had various musings I have played through in order to try and find a suitable theme. Magic itself whilst not the antithesis of the Ironweld is something that the Colleague Arcane is more inclined to play with, I am firmly of the opinion that not every faction needs magical potency.

Instead looking to the Duardin elements of the Ironweld arsenal what about Runic Enchantments? Have certain characters would allow you to assign certain runes to a unit, and have some combos that allow you to "activate" all runes within a certain aura.

So for example an Runic Ironfather might impart the Rune of Preservation to 1 unit (D3 with a certain warlord trait), when activated it provides said unit with a save vs wounds/mortal wounds.
A Rune of Devastation might increase either the damage of attacks or impart mortal wounds but doing so could well be destructive to the unit it is attacking.

To cover the anti-magic elements of the army it could be entirely possible to have metal hewn "Arcane Siphons" that literally drain an area of magic, again likely through sciences or runic enchantments to be able to channel, disipate or create "noise" that disrupts a spell.

[Ironweld Arsenal: Faction Expansion (Narrative and Warscrolls)]

58 minutes ago, khadgar567 said:

while all shooty ironweld are kinda good but current lore get too many benefits from creating an iron wall of shields then hunker down as there is no benefit to rush to objective unless its already in advantageous position. and we don't have a solid strike unit to help phalanx to keep safe by attacking foes got past the spears. 

Currently working on scrolls for two kits, both of which fill the combat void in different ways (one has a fast shooty alternative but its still a rapid response unit in order to fill out mobility).

Ironsworn Templars - Touched on these in my blog, a non-monster heavy infantry unit. Armourclad and Steam powered they were built to go toe to toe with treelords and their ilk. The Paladins and Templars of the Ironweld arsenal their weapons are adorned with heavy hoses to pump boiling oil from vast vats over the blades ready to ignite in order to fell heavier enemies.

Ironsworn Fusiliers - The outriders of the Ironweld Arsenal they mount elaborate Cog Striders, each noble begins to build their own Cogstrider from a young age, an artificer construct of the finest metals and steamwork that can over short distances sprint as fast as the horses of old. Their true potency is the surefooted nature of the constructs, able to provide a stable firing platform for the repeater guns mounted infront of the rider, strafing enemies with heavy leadshot at a short range losing little accuracy when moving.

Ironsworn Lancers - The Knights of the Ironweld Arsenal, much like the Fusiliers they mount Cog Striders though due to their heavier armour move at a slower pace, usually the first into combat for the Weld they fight with heavy lance and cavalry sabre, often also accompanied by a handgun. The sure footed nature of their mounts allows the Lancers to climb obstacles on the battlefield that would otherwise have been impassable to a standard horse. 

[Ironweld Arsenal: Faction Expansion (Narrative and Warscrolls)]

I was actually listening to Stormcast (because why not) whilst painting some goblins earlier and they touched so briefly on the concept of exploring the depths of the realms. One part they covered was that the realm of light is also known for development of knowledge, innovation, invention and the strive for progress, to me this is a realm that would speak to the very heart of the Ironweld, a faction of tinkerers, mad scientists, those seeking to progress the armouries of Azyr through order and innovation. 

Currently I'm trying to think through how best to create an ideal capitol in my head that isnt just "clockwork city" that could embody the concept of Ironweld in one or two sentences as a description before fleshing it out further.

Currently all I have is:

Location: Hysh
Faction: Ironweld
Distinguishing features: Sealed terrible vault, distinguished freeguild guard, ore/gem deposits, arcane forge.

Edit: Because I type faster than I think

Cor Temporis, the Walking City
The term walking is largely a generous exaggeration of the city that crawls its way steadily across Hysh, pulled by hundreds of Cog haulers the very fact it is able to move is perhaps what has lent to such a grandeous term. Few understand the reasoning behind such an attribute beyond the very fact that the Ironweld invent for the very sake of innovation, dismissing the cities mobile nature as little more than a flamboyant architects masterpiece. 

To those who know better there is an ancient tale, whispers that before Cor Temporis came to be an expedition found something buried in the sands of Hysh, undeniably ancient and hewn from metal no axe or pick could pierce, a cube littered with Sigils unlike any others seen the realms over. It is said this unknowable vault bewildered the expedition, and around it they built an encampment, it was as the days passed, when each mornings sun struck the Vault they observed perhaps its most perculiar attribute, shifting in the sand, tremoring as it carved its way a few inches further through the realm toward destinations unknown. 

Over the years the encampment has grown, dozens of cogforts deployed that the Weld might understand what secrets the vault could unlock. In time they locked together to shield the vault from the view of would be interlopers, and as yet more forts joined their midsts the engineers within sought new technologies that they might find a way to bore through its metal hide, grand factories sprung up to devise new drills, workshops sought to master flame and fire to melt away the outer layers, prismatic light harnsesses channelled the very nature of the realm at this enigma. 

Centuries has since passed, and whilst some secrets have been derived from the vault it has yet to relent to the bombardments of the Weld, the cogforts have grown to the largest city in the Ironweld with the obsessive need to unlock the Vault driving forward their progress at a staggering rate. Now each day as the Vault moves so does the city, ever onwards to a destination beyond their unstanding.

[Morks Toofy Gitz (Building to Gloomspite)]

Cheers, the running theme is that these are the cult of the Spida King, grots naturally seeking to follow power in the hopes of seizing it themselves. His Suncatcha Shrines atop Arachnarok gives them the ability to drain light from an area, for moonclan this essentially lets them travel in relative safety even during the day.

Heres test model pending basing.

[Morks Toofy Gitz (Building to Gloomspite)]

Update with test scheme

[Morks Toofy Gitz (Building to Gloomspite)]

Finished converting the first 5 of my Spider Riders, hopefully conveying alot more momentum than the original models with their reposing.

[Ironweld Arsenal: Faction Expansion (Narrative and Warscrolls)]

 

Like many others since the inception of Age of Sigmar I have been waiting to see how the normal men and women of the Realms come to be represented, from the citizens of Azyr to the settlers who go on to form Freecities and the refugees trailing in a never ending stream back towards the Golden city as the tides of chaos, death and destruction ravage the Realmscape around them. As I wasnt a fantasy player before Age of Sigmar became a thing i had no pre-existing loyalties to the factions of old, no fond memories of Empire and Brettonians to niggle at the back of my mind when imagining the shapings of the armies of Man to come in the later Age of Sigmar lore.

One of the most interesting elements to me was the seperation of the Ironweld Arsenal, a faction comprised of the heavy artillery and siege engines of old accompanies by engineers and the potential this could open up in terms of how the faction would grow, expand and become a unique force on the battlefields of Sigmar. The concept of soot drenched, smoke belching armies chewing their way through the battlefield, a vertiable force of the industry of man that held little reverance to the will of Gods and Daemons, who trusted in the strength of their own steel and heat of the flames of the furnace. 

Preamble and thoughts on theme:

Spoiler

 

So the theme:

To my mind the Gunnery Schools of the Ironweld are an empire unto themselves, their vast factory complexes as much cities in their own right seperated into the Nobility of the schools of Engineers down to the peasantry of the labourers. The noble houses each vying for status as the lead with an ever expanding array of contraptions and staggering arsenal of weaponry defining which holds the seat of power and becomes the Guild Patriarch, in this way the constant competition drives them ever onwards, never once allowing themselves to simply sit idle whilst others seize power around them.

The Weld revere Grimnir not as a god but as the peak of Artisans of his craft, a true genius in the refinement of the very art of war. It is his very skill in ever labour that the Duardin and Men of the Weld have come to revere, seeking ever to improve their craft that they might create a weapon worthy of the Duardian Mastersmiths attentions.

The peasants are a dour class, functional clothing long since having been stained a shadowed black by the coal that has become a key pillar of their daily existance, the volatile nature of the machinery often claiming the lives of dozens in the name of progress. Those who are not killed are often maimed, their severed limbs replaced with crude beaten metal replicas strictly functional and given none of the workmanship of the Weld's true arsenal. In times of war these peasantry march alongside the armies of the weld, wielding roughly forged metal bucklers alongside black power or bladed weapons to protect the Guilds arsenals.

The Nobility are a breed apart, each marches to war with their own personal armoury from their families artificer forges. From smog belching metal steeds and ornate battle tanks to the lumbering battle armour of the Ironsworn Templars the very act of war is as much a way of advertising their own Guilds wares to would be buyers from both sides of the battle. Those unfortunate enough to be injured are often adorned with complex and beautifully refined enhancements to further embellish the legends of their own noble house.

 

 

 

 

Second Stage Updates:

Spoiler

 

Updating here and in first post

As I try to get a little more organised I figured I'd go through the subsets of stuff I'd like to eventually have sorted for the battletome, some I will weigh in on myself, others would be fantastic to collaborate on, other things people could take on independantly in order to get different perspectives. If anyone wants to help out with a specific section it'd be grand, at which point we can all give feedback, critique and help hone it into something great

I will say dont be afraid of critique and feedback, the warscrolls I have done are now on version 5 or so as I try and hammer out the difference between where I want them narratively and where they need to be for game balance, and even then no points have been assigned to them as the army as a whole will help define what they are worth.

So to what needs doing:
NARRATIVE
FACTION INTRODUCTION

A BRIEF HISTORY

NOTABLE EVENTS (TIMELINE)

NOTABLE CITIES

OUTLOOK ON THE REALMS

INTERACTIONS WITH OTHER FACTIONS

SUBFACTIONS, CONFLICTS WITHIN THE FACTION

NARRATIVE SHORT STORIES FOR FLAVOUR (MALIGN PORTENTS STYLE)

GAMEPLAY
ALLEGIANCE ABILITIES (Engineer relic table, Ironsworn Relic Table, Artificer Cogworks (mount traits) table)
WARSCROLLS (GW does these by looking at the models and working from there, so here I have put down my own ideas for how the model will look in order for anyone who wants to do a scroll to shape up and submit)
Duardin Engineer (Existing Model) (ENGINEER) - Rework existing scroll
Gunmaster (Existing Model, variation for the mounted engineer to be rebranded Gunmaster on mechanical steed, command trait for WELD GUARD) (IRONSWORN) - Redone by R SMITH
Gunmaster in Coghauler (HERO Steamtank, tanks of legend, command trait for nearby COGHAULERS) (IRONSWORN, COGWORK) - NEW UNIT, NEEDS SCROLL
Ironsworn Paladin (Monsterous, built as secondary option to a different kit, Command trait for IRONSWORN) (IRONSWORN, COGWORK)) - NEW UNIT, NEEDS SCROLL BUILT OUT OF THE IRONSWORN TEMPLAR SCROLL
HERO B (Mounted Engineer) NEW UNIT, NEEDS SCROLL

BATTLELINE
Weld Militia (Battleline) (WELD GUARD, LABOURER) - COMPLETED BY RSMITH PENDING FEEDBACK
Riflemen/Phalanx (Dual Kit, Battleline if Ironweld) - Working in well with the Gunmasters on foot (WELD GUARD) - NEW UNIT, NEEDS SCROLL
 

OTHER
Ironsworn Templar (Also Builds Paladins Hero) - Non-Monster heavy hitter single model unit, monsterous infantry. (IRONSWORN, COGWORK)) - COMPLETED BY RSMITH PENDING FEEDBACK
Ironsworn Fusiliers/Lancers - Elite Fast Moving Cavalry (IRONSWORN, COGWORK) - NEW UNIT, NEEDS SCROLL
Gyrocopter/Bomber (Existing Kit) (COGWORK) - REWORK EXISTING SCROLL
Ironweld Arbalesters/Engineers Corps (Experimental Weapons Unit, Arbalesters boosted by Gunmaster on foot, Corps boosted by Engineers) (WELD GUARD) NEW UNIT, NEEDS SCROLL

ARTILLERY
Helstom/Helblaster (Existing Kit) (ARSENAL, WARMACHINE) - REWORKED BY RSMITH PENDING FEEDBACK
Duardin Cannon/Organ Gun (Existing Kit) (ARSENAL, WARMACHINE) - REWORKED BY RSMITH PENDING FEEDBACK

BEHEMOTH
Cog Hauler (Steam Tank kit, expansion kit add on for Cog Hauler Bombard (Rocket Variant), Cog Hauler Behemoth (Transport Variant)) (COGWORK, WARMACHINE) - NEEDS NEW EXPANDED WARSCROLL BASED ON STEAMTANK

FINALLY ONCE THOSE ARE DONE IT'LL BE TIME TO LOOK AT BATALLIONS

 

 

 

 

 

MOST RECENT UPDATES - 28/01/19:

HEROES

Spoiler

BATTLELINE

Spoiler

OTHERS

Spoiler

ARTILLERY

Spoiler

BEHEMOTHS (COGHAULERS)

Spoiler

COGFORT

Spoiler

VERSION ONE POINTS COSTS

Spoiler

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Morks Toofy Gitz (Building to Gloomspite)]

Work in progress scheme for my Gloomspite Stabbas, its relatively simplistic but given how many times I need to duplicate it I'm happy with how he's shaped up. Sat next to the Red Kaptain for a reference.

[AoS2 - Dankhold Troggoth Discussion]

2 hours ago, Malakree said:

Ok at this point I need to stop trying to make lists without the Warscroll builder. I mess to much up. The Gordrakk thing is just my desperately wishing for him to actually be worth using....

On a srs point though the difference between 20 Grots and 10 Savage Orruks is irrelevant.

EDIT: Wait...you would only need normal Troggoths for the Battalion if you wanted them for battleline.

Ok, we're good. The Dank has been saved and this time it has even more Dank!

That's 14 Crushing Grip attacks!!! Oh and a few swings with the clubs, just a few.

If by crushing grip on the general you mean the Pulverising Grip command trait he cant take it because its keyed to Gloomspite allegiance, you'll be stuck on generic Destruction command traits (not the worst thing in the world)

[AoS 2 - Gloomspite Gitz Discussion]

4 minutes ago, Satyrical Sophist said:

Anyone know the cauldron base size? Because a doofy idea occurred. If you teleport an A-Rok shaman to within 9, then cast the cauldron. You are 9 away, the cauldron is now 1" ahead of the shaman as close to an enemy unit as it can get. If the base is 5" long, then you can get the cauldron and therefore the spider within 3, do the mortal wounds, and be in combat. 

Its on a 60mm round so a bit over 2 inches.

[AoS 2 - Spiderfang Grots Discussion]

Does that also impact the Venom Boosting command trait the Scuttleboss gets, because that becomes far less appealing only applying to four of his eight attacks. Especially when the boost is specifically to Spider Venom, yet may not impact the spider...

[AoS 2 - Spiderfang Grots Discussion]

1 hour ago, Fisher KIng said:

the A'rock with shaman Still has 8 spear attacks. Still would be good.

Crew are now counted in a similar manner to mount, does the rule that prevents mounts benefiting from command traits also apply to artifacts? In which case you'd only be able to assign it to the weapon of the Shaman himself.

[AoS 2 - Gloomspite Gitz Discussion]

As far as I have seen any SPIDERFANG heroes can take the spiderfang artifacts, but only SCUTTLEBOSS may take the command trait. So currently it looks like you're good to take the headdress on the Arachnarok Shaman

[AoS 2 - Spiderfang Grots Discussion]

On the topic of spiderfang specific generals to make the spiders battleline do we feel that any of the command traits specifically out class the bravery aura that would come with making a webspinner arachnarok the general? Whilst the extra movement or toxin on the scuttleboss is nice the sheer size of the bravery aura on the archnarok to my mind makes it the more obvious choice for general even if it does mean forfeiting a command trait.

[The Rumour Thread]

Blood bowl Grots mesh well with spare arms from Stabbas/shootas if you want modern variants. But as with all modern variants you’ll end up paying significantly more for them. In that regard not getting updated kept the moonclan grots comparatively cost effective

[The Rumour Thread]

5 minutes ago, GeneralZero said:

I was excited first by new gobos,to revive my army in AoS  but seeing that half of it has just vanished made me rethink and just conclude to a "PASS" for me. (But I admit that some of the minis are nice)

It is such a bad move (and awful signal for future release) from GW. Now, in AoS, I'm just waiting for Darkoath. And maybe in the future, I'll see what they do with green skins (gobs and orcs) . Maybe...

I'm curious as to half of which just vanished, as the Gloomspite Battletome is an expansion of Moonclan, Spiderfang and Troggoth allegiances the only model I know to be cut out of the rules would be the Sourbreath Troggoths.

With Gitmob going is is understandable that people would be upset, but they were never billed as being part of Gloomspite as to be a mislead in that regard.

[Morks Toofy Gitz (Building to Gloomspite)]

Cheers guys, I paint fast when I'm motivated but its tough to do around a full time job, currently delaying painting the 20 shootas and 20 stabba conversions sat in my cabinet because they seem time consuming. Next job will be to repose the 5 spider mounts sat on my desk ready for when the new releases come out on Saturday (they're gaining squighopper riders)

 

Here's 2019's completed models to date for my Fledgling Gloomspite Gitz army. Considering repurposing and repainting my Rogue Idol from my Suneater Tribes but I'm not sold on the concept yet

 

[Morks Toofy Gitz (Building to Gloomspite)]

He's finally ready to hit the tables Morgoraz the Spider King, counting as a Scuttleboss.

[Morks Toofy Gitz (Building to Gloomspite)]

[Morks Toofy Gitz (Building to Gloomspite)]

Pretty happy with how the King himself is coming along, particularly proud of the skin

 

[Do you want to write for TGA?]

If you need any articles on converting, theming or custom narrative armies I'd be happy to contribute, though there are likely others who have a more technical grasp of the subject matter. Happy to contribute however needed.

[Morks Toofy Gitz (Building to Gloomspite)]

And the Arachnarok just needs basing:

Working on my Morgoraz the Spider King, he'll be running as a Scuttleboss in the new Battletome and I'm using his brood as a test bed for future small spider paintjobs. Really impressed with how posable the spiders are with minimal cuts and pinning given that its a kit a previously had neglected due to the stock poses all being remarkably similar.

 

One spider is now complete with the base colours across the other two brood members.

C&C welcome as always.

[Morks Toofy Gitz (Building to Gloomspite)]

I'll be making a shaman on foot model as we now have rules for the Arachnarok shaman without the Arachnarok and adding extra spell casters is always good. However the next purchase is definately going to be:

2 x Squig Hopper boxes - 5 of the riders (the lancers) will be put onto the spiders I am already reposing to make my own new Spiderfangs (love the current spiders, detest the riders), 10 will become Boinsquig dudes and then the now unmounted 10 squigs will be tweaked to turn into a squig herd with two custom herders being added. that way out of the two boxes I'll be able to finish:

5 spider riders
10 of the new squig lancers
10 squigs for squig herd.

[Fan-Made Battletome... Need Help]

I'd say you need to find inspiration first before rallying a group of people to write for it, you can usually tell in a battletome or codex if the people writing for it understood the concept, motivations and themes of the army but more importantly had the passion for it. Every warscroll should be a delicate balance of rules and narrative to stick close to a theme, for GW this is all started out by models produced and then balancing the models appearance against their own narrative and the rules around it.

So to my mind you'd probably have a very different motivation needed for say... fans of old brettonia battletome than you would for a new and completely unique battletome themed around shadow etc.

[Morks Toofy Gitz (Building to Gloomspite)]

Stage one Mockup of Morgaraz the Spider King.

Not a huge fan of the big boss on giant spider model and without new models coming to replace him in the new Gloomspite Battletome I found the need to build a decent replacement.

 

The base should be the right size and with the pillar he has gained the added height.

 

Current WIP lore is Morgaraz was chasing the Bad Moon through the fungal marshes on night, eyes turned skywards as he clamoured frantically over brush and through bog to try and pursue the malevolent god to earn his favour. Blind to the obstacles ahead of him Morgaraz fell quite unfavourably into the nest of an Arachnarok brood, quite unable to dwell on his misfortune the young Grot found himself wedged quite firmly into an arachnarok egg, the corrosive fluids within already withering his lower body.

 

Whether ignorant to the intruder, or simply mistaking the part grot part egg as one of its own brood the Arachnarok did not deliver the swift demise that Morgaraz expected, instead day after day, night after night he felt himself withering away.

 

It was then quite unexpected, as the brood began to hatch and the frenzied spiderlings began to clambour around the nest that Morgaraz too felt the egg beneath him tremour and shake. Erupting forth Morgaraz scrambled forth from the nest, his legs freed after weeks he ran for aslong and as far as he possibly could. It was only, given time to reflect that he glance down and found himself quite changed, below his waist his body was withered away, the fledgling spiderling too had suffered in the collision. Instead the two now existed, fused at the waste.

 

Morgoraz was reborn, king of the Spiderlings.