Saim-Hann: The Host

Here are two pictures from my last project, that is finally nearing conclusion. I present some Wild Riders and Dire Avengers of the Saim-Hann craftworld:

There will hopefully be more pictures to follow soon.

I started making a 1500pts Saim-Hann list at Christmas time last year, when I returned to the world of 40k after a long hiatus. I had made the mistake of selling all but one of my old 40k armies when I stopped playing and figured that if I was to start playing again a new project was in order. Luckily the Saim-Hann (or more accurately the Windwider Host Apoc boxed set) convinced me that red and stripy was the way forward and have been working on them pretty solidly since then, the army being about 85% completed.

I chose the Saim-Hann for a number of reasons:

1. Style of Play: The one army I had kept a hold of was my faithful Imperial Guard, my first and most enduring 40k army. The Saim-Hann offer a totally different (and really, really challenging) style of play, where speed was key. I can still feel the Commissar inside recoiling in shock at the speed of Turbo-Boosting Jetbikes! Its a really precise style that I am still struggling to master.
   
   
2. The Eldar were one of the few armies I had never got round to collecting in the past. This is despite the fact that I find their fluff among the most compelling, especially when they were returned to their original character of arrogant, self-serving & superior point eared fellows, as opposed to their 2nd/3rd Ed. 'Good' guy image. I have White Dwarf 127 when a lot of the original Eldar concepts were first aired - anybody interested in the Eldar's story and development, find it and read it!
   
   
3. The choice to start Saim-Hann also harked back my roots in the hobby. The first White Dwarf I ever bought was No. 207, which featured the release of the Eldar Vyper and a battle report between the Saim-Hann and the Ultramarines. I knew once I'd read it that I would be collecting one of these two armies. In the end I was swayed by the Marines, I think because I really liked the assault marine models. This in turn lead to a string of loyalist armies (including over a company of the ultrasmurfs at one point) and my love of the Guard. So it seemed fitting to go back to that starting point and choose the Saim-Hann.
   
   
4. The Saim-Hann are just cool. Enough said.