This is the Red Thunder, and I am pleased

So, I've been getting in a few games with this army:

Company command with bolt pistol for the commander, carapace armour, grenade launcher, lascannon and officer of the fleet in a Chimera
Tank commander in a Leman Russ Exterminator with heavy bolter sponsons and a Leman Russ Battletank
Veteran squad with carapace armour, 3 plasmaguns and krak grenades in a Chimera
Veteran squad with carapace armour, 3 meltaguns and krak grenades in a Chimera
Platoon command with bolt pistol, grenade launcher and autocannon
Infantry squad with flamer and autocannon
Infantry squad with flamer and autocannon
Special weapons squad with 3 sniper rifles
Heavy weapons squad with 3 mortars
22 conscripts with a commissar
2 Vendetta gunships
Leman Russ Battletank

All squads have voxcasters, bringing this list to 1,749 pts. 86 infanry models in total, with the heavy weapon teams having 2 models per base. I suppose I should confess that one heavy weapon team is still missing a spotter, so, 85 infantry models, accompanied by 8 vehicles. This is easily the most models I've ever fielded in 1,750 pts and as someone who's been playing either Blood Angels, Deathwing, Necrons or Chaos Marines since the end of 5th ed, the Astra Militarum are HARD. Not hard as in hard-as-nails tough, mind you, but hard to play. That said, I LOVE this army! Here's a quick introduction to each of the elements:

Earned their stripes...

... and almost ready for duty. At 3 pts per model, duty mostly consists of stopping bullets. Holy crappe, these little dudes are TEDIOUS...

In other news, it is with great trepidation that I wait for 7th edition, especially with this:

Well, crap. I swear, if they don't have at least a plastic Greater Daemon to go with this daemonology silliness... But you know what? The hell with it. 6th ed has been great fun and I've every intention of getting a couple more games in with my Astra Militarum. And it's worth looking back at the doomsaying over the advent of 6th ed. Can't really say which way the beautiful game is going to swing, but I'll happily wait and see...

GLORY to the first man to die!

Not quite done, but I couldn't resist snapping a pic and putting him up. I considered painting the sash in a deep red to match the Guardsmen around him, but figured since the Commissariat is a separate body, it would look better to show that the commissar is an outsider in some way. Anyhoo, just a tiny bit more work to do, mainly on the weapons. Then I've got to paint up some Conscripts for him to abuse...

Impressions of the Astra Militarum

So I've been getting in a few games with the new Astra Militarum using this list:

Company command with bolt pistol for the commander, grenade launcher, lascannon and officer of the fleet in a Chimera
Tank commander in a Leman Russ Exterminator with heavy bolter sponsons and a Leman Russ Battletank
Veteran squad with 3 plasmaguns and krak grenades in a Chimera
Veteran squad with 3 meltaguns and krak grenades in a Chimera
Veteran squad with 2 sniper rifles and autocannon
Veteran squad with grenade launcher and autocannon
2 Vendetta gunships
Leman Russ Battletank
Leman Russ Demolisher

All squads have a voxcaster and carapace armour.

I tried a version of this list with Kurov's Aquila on the company commander but found was just too costly and made the company commander a very enticing target. I'd agonized at length over whether to put the company command in a Chimera and advance with the armoured fist veterans, or in a bunker to help direct fire. In the end I figured the Chimera would be best, and it hasn't disappointed. What *has* disappointed is the Officer of the Fleet who, in 3 games, has maintained a perfect record of NEVER passing his leadership roll on turn 2. Quite vexing. Suffice it to say, when things get hot for the command squad, it's the officer's raggedy ass that first up for bullet catching duty.

The new Veteran squads are simply awesome! Where else are you going to get 10 men with BS4 and a 4+ armour save for 75 pts? Since 5th edition I've always rolled with at least 1 squad of vets with plasmaguns and another with meltaguns, both in Chimeras and they have never disappointed. In this edition, they've gotten even more lethal, thanks to the new orders, most notably the one which confers the Ignores Cover USR.

The tank commander is another piece of pure win for the AM. In the past, the only way to get BS 4 on a tank was Pask. Now with the new tank commander, I can have my BS 4 Exterminator and split fire to make the best use of my guns. That having been said though...

Let's see them take ALL of us!

 'It has already been calculated that you cannot win this war. The Emperor's most glorious triumph will not be achieved in your lifetimes.'

'But for every second you stand against the enemy's guns, you deplete his resources. You make him weaker. Your lives may be worthless, but you can sell them dearly.'

'This, then, is your objective. It is your duty and your destiny: die bravely, die hard, and know that even the meagre sacrifice you make will be noted and weighed against your ancestors' heresies.'
- from Down Amongst the Dead Men, by Steve Lyons

Felt compelled to put together at least one squad of Conscripts. It needs more bodies. And a suitable character to lead them. I'm kinda of torn between a Priest or a Commissar. The Priest, with the Zealot USR, can obviously give this mob some hitting power... but a Commissar just looks awesome. I love the new plastic model and just can't wait to put him on the board.

Also, here's the guy who's playing my Officer of the Fleet:

I have to admit, he kinda looks more like a policeman. I just wanted a colour scheme that made him really stand out from the rest of the Red Thunder. And just for fun, I painted some checks on his pauldron, just to try out a technique I read off a White Dwarf many, many years ago. I know he doesn't quite look as impressive as the official Officer of the Fleet, but I figured the Imperial Navy wouldn't be so stupid as to send a representative who wasn't, you know, expendable, into a battlefield with the poor bloody infantry.

Hammer of the Emperor!

So, the Astra Militarum codex has arrived at my FLGS of choice, and it is magnificent.

Pictured: A regiment I'll never play, but I have this rather nice pin, so that's something. 

Well, it certainly seems that way, after such silliness as the most half-assed excuses for codices in GW's long history. Seriously, what the hell were they thinking with Codex: Legion of the Damned? And I must confess to feeling like a bit of a sucker for buying the infamous 1-model codex. But enough griping about the past, let's look at the glorious Astra Militarum!

This is just a quick post on first impressions, mind you. It'll be a few weeks before I test out my Guard sufficiently to make a more conclusive judgement on the efficacy of the new AM.