Only Three More Games?

If the rumors are to be believed, there will be a new Space Marine codex out around Labor Day. I think this means I'll only get three more games in with my Space Marines before they're overhauled. The FLGS' July tournament is on a day I cannot attend, so that only leaves our August monthly in which to play!
I don't get the chance to make it to the weekly 40K night at the shop due to life. This summer it's hockey (my team skates on Wednesday nights), but typically it's just lack of free time.

I think I might put my Marine plans in a deep freeze until September. I've been working on Sternguard models lately, with a third model 90% done, and two more in the works for a squad of five. After that I was planning on Scout Bikes or a Storm Raven. I'm icing those for now, as I won't have time to finish any full squad or vehicle model other than the Sternguard before Labor Day. The best plan is probably to work on basic Marine mainstays: Tactical Marines or Rhinos.

So, what will my "last hurrah" with my Marines be? I guess it depends on the August event format. Do I want to go back to the core roots of marines with Tacticals and various support, or run the bikes one last time before the new book invalidates the build without paying an extra $50 for the White Scars supplement? Only time will tell!

I think that I'll turn my focus to finishing the Hive Tyrant to a nice standard for our big event in November. I don't plan to play a Tyranid army then, but he'll be a nice submission into the painting competition. Nids are also supposedly right behind Marines for a codex, if you believe the Internet whisperings. That makes me hesitant to keep plugging away on models, as there's no clue what they'll change, and if any of the models I create between now and then will become invalid. Marines are easier to cope with changes, as they all have pretty standard armaments. Bugs have varied wildly from third edition on up.

Hilariously, I did just buy some bitz for my Nids, alongside some parts that will be used to create the painting trophies for the November event. I bought the body and legs for a Carnifex, as I already have several weapon sprues and heads/carapaces for that model. The parts were cheaper than retail by a good margin, and will help me clear up the pile of unused bits. I also nabbed a set of Vargheist wings to see how they stack up to the Forgeworld Shrike Wings kit. I bought that kit a couple months ago, and am honestly not super impressed with it. The wings don't match the current Nid aesthetic. I figure with some clever modifications, I can make the Vargheist wings look more Nid-like.

Speakling of Forgeworld, they just released two new HH kits. The Palatine Blades and Destroyers with jump packs. Wow. Nice models! I really like Mk4 armor kits, though I'm not a huge fan of the rad-shielded helmets. The Palatines have some great parts, but all the EC-specific icons would have to be sold or traded away.