Dark Star Feature: Greg Ritchie

Hey there folks. I’m Greg Ritchie, Co-Founder of the 40kegger. I’ve been collecting 40k on and off since the mid 90’s. Back then, one of my high school buddies got a box set of 2^nd or 3^rd edition of 40k. I’m not too sure which one. My buddy had a bunch of Tactical Space Marines and Eldar Guardians. Each army was listed in ONE codex. We had so much fun “playing” with those 30 or 40 minis. I think each one of those space marines has been proxied for every other model available at the time. After a while I decided to collect Chaos. Right around the same time, my other buddy lost interest and stopped playing. I would buy random chaos models, paint them and then never do anything with them and then sell them. Wait a few years and repeat. In 2005 I started to really get into the 40k novels. In 2006 I told myself “Damnit, collect an army, actually learn how to play and convince others to learn and play as well!” So I started collecting Tau. I loved the Tau models, especially the Fire Warriors. They just looked so cool (minus their hoofed feet). I collected and played Tau for a few years. In 2010 I finally started getting fed up with how bad the Tau were at close combat, especially the Crisis suits. There is nothing worse than having a large squad of suits take a single wound in an assault phase, and since their leadership isn’t great and their initiative sucks, you loose the entire squad like that! This was really beginning to piss me off! “I WANT TO START SPACE MARINES SO I NEVER HAVE TO GET SWEEPING ADVANCED AGAIN!”

At the beginning of 2010, JP and I flipped a coin to see who would get the first set of days off that summer. As it turns out I didn’t get to work a single day off that entire summer, and JP had the opportunity to work many of them (Including 3 days during Folk Fest). As JP is such a great guy and had been able to work a ton of his days off (Double time) and I hadn’t, he went out and bought me my first box of Space Marines. Thus the Greg Ritchie brand of Salamander Space Marines was born.

If there were ever a “Good guys” of the Imperium, more specifically the Space Marines, it is the Salamanders. They actually care about protecting the citizens at all costs and do not just see them as collateral damage. This is why I like them. Also cuz they’re green and burning shit with flamers and meltas is pretty cool too!

ARMY LIST

Vulkan (hangs out with lightning claw sgt Termies)
Assault Terminators (Sgt /w claws)
Land Raider Redeemer (as dedicated transport for Assault Termies)
Librarian (Termie armour, Storm Shield, Null Zone, Machine Curse. Hangs out with 2^nd assault terminator squad)
Assault Terminators (all hammers and shields)
Land Raider Redeemer (Heavy support, but used by 2^nd terminator squad and librarian)
Tac squad 1 (Melta, Multi Melta, power fist, drop pod)
Tac squad 2 (Flamer, multi melta, power sword, rhino)
Dreadnought (2 x twin linked autocannons)


Like Charles, I like to build my army based on the back story. I didn’t start Salamanders just because I like the colour green, and I think it’s total cheese to use Vulkan in another chapter just to abuse his Chapter Tactics. I tend to want to punch people in the throat who have Imperial Fists or Ultra Marines with Vulkan and land speeders.

Maybe that is why I lose all the time?

I had a very hard time coming up with a competitive list from all the models I have. I currently own about 5000 points of Salamanders, but I had difficulty making a good 1850 point list! The main problem is that Darkstar doesn’t allow Imperial Armour models and rules. I have all sorts of awesome Forge World stuff that I would have loved to bring and show off. I’d still probably lose, but at least I would have a great time using a fluffy army. Anyways, I decided to really utilize Vulkans Chapter Tactics and some winning Salamanders tools, I went out and bought a second squad of assault terminators and a second Land Raider Redeemer.

10 terminators riding around the board in Redeemers each with master crafted hammers is enough to scare the shit out of anybody. Having Vulkan and a Librarian doesn’t hurt either. The 2 tactical squads are solely for objective gathering and to fill the required 2 troops choices. The dreadnought is there just cuz I have a huge crush on dreadnoughts (especially my lovely Ironclads… WRAITHBONER!) I would have taken more if I could!

I don’t care if I win or lose every game at Darkstar (winning would be cool though). I am there to show up with an awesomely painted, fluffy army, spread the word of the 40kegger and remind people that the purpose of Warhammer 40, 000 is about the hobby, the history and having fun. It was never created to see who can make the doucheyest list to win every tournament. Shame on you for bringing unpainted models to a tournament! Go play Starcraft II if you’re not interested in anything other than winning.

<End rant>


Love,

Greg Ritchie

GOOD LUCK GREG!!!