Progress, Progress, Progress! Since the last update I have Painted 5 Terminators, a Dreadnought and 5 Electropriests! Oh, and my Armies on Parade Board! That is one MAJOR project and 3 minor ones down!
YTD I am at
-110 Purchased
-121 Painted
-197 Sold
I also made 30 bases for my team mate's Adepticon army this month and started making bases to rebase my blood angels.
I failed to meet one deadline (Gothicomp). Just to much to do and wasn't into it.
Quick Guide to the List
-BOLD is for what I consider a MAJOR project.
-Normal typeface is a minor project.
-RED is a removal//deletion
-BLUE is a completion
-GREEN is a new addition since the last update
-HIGHLIGHTED is a current WIP
-Cult Mech for Adepticon(12
models)
-6 Kataphron
-5
Electro Priest
-Techpriest Dominus
-Armies on Parade Display Board
-Adepticon Display Board
-Kato
Kiyomasa & Banners for Crystal Brush (4 models)
-Finish Arbites (2 Models)
-1 Blood Bowl Team (16 models)
-Steel Fist Samurai (9 Models)
-Thunderbolt Fighter (1 Model)
-Spare Contemptor Arm x 2 (Melta and Frag)
-Baal Turret & Weapons
-Land Raider Crusader/Redeemer (1 model)
-Vindicator (1 Model)
-Lucius Drop Pod (1 Model)
-Xiphon Interceptor (1 Model)
-Jetbikes (5 Models)
-Chaplain (1 Model)
-Lizardmen Saurus (20 models)
-Drop Pods (2 models)
-Baal Predator (2 models)
-Rhinos (2 Models)
-Samurai Cavalry (12 models)
-Fury Road Cars (4 cars)
-Land Raider (1 model)
-Death Company (4 models)
-Assault Marines (2 models)
-Tactical Squad (10 models)
-Devastator Squad (10 models)
-Sternguard Squad (10
models)
-Objective Markers (6 models)
-Relic (1 model)
-Vanguard (5 models)
-Knight Paladin (1 model)
-Battlefleet Gothic Gothicomp Entry (at least 1 model)
-Battlefleet Gothic (at least 6 models) -French Line Battalion (30 models) (SOLD)
First a disclaimer: If you play Orks or Nurgle, please feel free to ignore all of this. I expect those to be weathered to the point they would reasonably not work, or would have stopped working long ago.
With that out of the way, I am here to tell the rest of you to stop. Rethink your awesome weathered look. You have gone overboard. This is not a matter of opinion. This is a fact (in what is supposed to be a tongue in cheek article before you get too upset over my tone. Also, there will be some uncredited photos here found via google image search. They are uncredited because I A) am lazy and B) don't want anyone to feel like I am calling them out. It is your army man. Do with it what you want).
For those of you who don't know, I am a military man. And I am sure many of you out there are service members or veterans yourselves. For those of you who aren't, since you are a wargamer, I guarantee you know someone that has served. As such, everyone should know or be able to verify, if there is one thing the Military does above all else it is maintain its equipment. Seriously, majority of the time is not spent fighting or even training to fight. It is spent taking apart gear, greasing it, and putting it back together. Or painting something. Or changing an annoying light bulb. Or just plain cleaning. But really, in all seriousness, that is the majority of the work.
Why? Because well maintained gear works. Keep it clean, keep it oiled/greased if it is a moving part, and keep it painted if it isn't. I put a ship in dry dock and it literally was over an INCH thicker at the waterline from years of built up paint. Rusted and leaking gear does not function. And in combat, it needs to work. OR YOU ARE DEAD. Its simple. The enemy isn't the enemy. Rust is the enemy.
So for those of you you just do mud on your tracks or dust on your desert themed bases, that's cool, you too are now excused. Also, if you have an army that is just lightly battle damage, eg exposed metal, some scratches, a few bullet holes etc. that's cool too. I am looking at you guys, the "I PUT SECRET WEAPONS WEATHERING POWDERS ON EVERYTHING" crowd. You guys are the worst. Especially you Ad Mech players.
YES YOU! I don't know how many Ad Mech armies I have seen weathered to the end of the earth and back, but cut it out. It doesn't make sense. At all. WHY YOU ASK?
Well, are you really telling me a group of guys who would think a cordless drill is a holy relic would allow their precious warmachines to rust? That is the equivalent of worshiping Nurgle to them. Think about it. Every moment of their day is spent fixing and oiling machines. There is no way they would tolerate rust. And if a part did rust, it would be replaced, because it is no longer optimal. Simple. Your standard Techpriest is not just going to go "Ho Hum, all this rust and leaking components are fine. Machines don't need proper maintenance anyway..." In fact, they think every machine has a Spirit. They feel they are alive. So rusting ill maintained gear would be the equivalent of you having the flu. You would try and fix that right?
And running rust? REALLY? Do you know how bad something is if there is running rust. On a ship, if I saw running rust, I knew that I at least had a foot of pipe, probably more, that was going to have to be cut out and replaced. That means that the metal is so weak and porous, it is leaking through itself. Likely it is only held together by paint and/or insulation and not the metal itself.
So if you supposedly worship the machine god, why not show it. Make your machines look like they actually are, you know, WORSHIPED. That means cleaned, oiled, greased, polished and painted. No rust, no leaks, no heavy scratches (unless you are really going for a battle worn look. But even then I would totally believe that between firefights they would repaint their warmachines).
The only reason this is acceptable is that it is Death Guard. If your are not Death Guard, DO NOT COPY THIS!
Next is you Space Marine players. Seriously, a group of guys who do nothing but war and literally have serfs to do all their maintenance for them. And beyond that, usually they make sure to take care of their armour and bolters themselves, maintaining them in pristine condition. So I guarantee you their vehicles will be the same. Especially since, once more, EVERYTHING IS A HOLY RELIC. That Fellblade: RELIC. That Typhon: RELIC. That Predator: RELIC. That Powersword: RELIC. That bolter clip: RELIC. That bottlecap: RELIC. Seriously, if it is made of metal and they can kill something with it, it is a Relic to the chapter and they are going to baby it like Cameron Frye's dad babies his Ferrari.
Now Guard players. And don't get on me for not saying "Astra Militarum". HAVE SOME RESPECT FOR YOURSELVES! As a matter of fact, if you put rust everywhere and having dripping oils on every bolt of your tanks, you are Astra Militarum. If you want to be in the IMPERIAL GUARD, STOP! You think a Leman Russ is supposed to serve for centuries if it is rusting? REALLY? No. It will not be able to last a year in that condition, let alone 100.
And in all honesty, if there is any group that has all the time in the world to fix their stuff, it is the Guard. If they are anything like today's army (which is kinda the point) they spend every bit of "Not fighting" time training and or fixing their gear. And since training typically exhausts you faster, I bet most of that time is spent on the latter of the two.
Really, everyone needs to take a hint from the Tau players. They don't just serve a Greater Good. They server a Greater Preventative Maintenance Program. I have never seen a Tau player make their stuff look like it is 10 minutes from falling apart. And it isn't because they are "super technological". They may have better AI, but seriously, their ships are worse and their wargear is still metal. And metal rusts and tarnishes if it is not properly maintained. Apparently the Tau get that. But I guarantee you the Imperium would too after 10,000 years of ruling. SO GET WITH THE PROGRAM GUYS!
Okay, okay, I'll cool my jets. Some weathering may look cool, and obviously these are models and supposed to be hyperbolic. But the trend the last few years has gone a little overboard. It is time you guys start reigning it back in...
We all have them. Dream Armies. Dream Projects. Things that if time and money were no object, we'd pursue them.
Well I decided to try and make one of those armies of mine. An Imperial Guard Rough Rider Company.
Now why that one? Out of all the projects I could choose from (Brass Army of Khorne, Knight Household, etc. etc.) why that one?
Well a few reasons
1- I think it will be super fun to play. I already have 6 or 7 list variants of all variety of fluff to competitive levels (as competitive as a rough rider company can be) and I am excited to play ALL of them.
2- It is visually impressive IMO. The list variants (all between 1500 and 2500) revolve around a core of 60 to 80 cavalry in each list. That is a lot of horses. A LOT. Imagine that on the table now. Pretty cool, right?
3- It is unique. I haven't seen others really do a full on Rough Rider company before. Just haven't. TO me it would be cool to roll up to a store, get out my army and turn heads with it.
4- It is doable from a hobby perspective. I have a million dioramas running through my mind, which I could likely execute, but probably not as clearly as a Rough Rider army.
With the why, down, now I need to ask the WHAT!?
You would think my vision on this would be clear, but it is actually still VERY muddy. I know I like the lists I made (they all use the Death Korps of Krieg Death Rider Squadron from the Siege of Vraks). I know I like the concept. What I am unsure of is the Regiment! Here is what I have narrowed it down to
1- Attilans- As of writing this, this is my favourite choice. However it would also by far be the hardest and most expensive to execute. Basically, they involve a lot of greenstuff and time. A LOT. Really makes me wish GW would just release a new Rough Rider set.
2- Vostroyans- Still a very likely option. A balance between the Attilans and Van Diemen's world guys in terms of cost and covertability.
3- Praetorians- This was the initial plan. The problem I have with it now is it seems too obvious, and plenty of people have made Praetorian RR. It would sap away some of the uniqueness of the army.
4- Mordians- Really the only reason to go this route is to make the army look like the USMC. That would be exactly how I paint them No other motivation.
5- Van Diemen's World- Up until recently, this is what I was FOR SURE going to do. Basically it is just rough riders with outback/aussie style slouch hats. Nothing really special, but not bad looking. Also, the most feasible option really.
6- Chiros Red Guard- My least favourite option, but the most manageable. Based off the old BoLS Marcharian Crusade book (great resource for a campaign still, wish they still did things like that). Basically it is just use the pistoliers as they come. Legs, torsos, heads, everything, and add some lances. I really don't want to go this route TBH. Just doesn't appeal to me and the project would likely stagnate and I'd lose the enthusiasm I have for it.
So with the why and what out of the way, I reach the harder part: How!
Well first of all I need 80 horses. This is actually REALLY HARD. So I could go with non-GW horses, and that is doable. HOWEVER, I really really REALLY like the Empire/Freeguild pistolier horses. Not only are they GW (which I need to have at least 50% of the models be for playability purposes) they are also the biggest 28mm scale horses on the market. Well, all Warhammer/AoS horses are, but these are the only generic ones. All the rest come with various faction details that are not useable. They also need to be the current horses, as the old Medieval unbarded horses they made are smaller (I bought 6 off someone and so I can trade those away too).
I have 5 right now. I really need to source more. It is looking more and more like I am just going to have to take a very long time doing so for cost management purposes. Ideally, I could flip the sprues sans horse online to subsidize the cost of buying 16 pistolier kits, but no one seems really interested. That said, if you are interested in those, PLEASE let me know. If you are sitting on a bunch of pictoliers and don't mind me buying you OTHER horses as substitutes (fireforge games and warlord games both make great plastic horses) then I will be MORE THAN HAPPY to work with you.
Chiros Red Guard
I could take the torsos and get some Cadian or Victoria miniatures legs and build Chiros Red Guard squads, paint them and flip them. BUT that does not help me on the front end, only the back end. Also, it significantly increases the time involved in the project. And to justify the cost, I would have to paint these guys first.
As for the riders themselves, Victoria Miniatures is once again the best option. Plus these torsos likely to represent the 4+ armour save.
So basically, in a TLDR kinda way, I need opinions on the regiment to do or if you have horses to sell or trade. What route should I take this project? I am doing it, for sure. But feedback is appreciated.
Well, I finished my Dreadnought for Dreadtober. I was suppossed to do multiple updates and WIP shots but I didn't for two reasons
1- I have just been super busy
2- This guy actually painted super fast
I used the same technique as on the other Red Hunters I have done, which is basically paint silver, was with Bloodletter Glaze and Seraphim Sepia. Add Nuln Oil as needed. Overall I wanted to keep him simple, yet striking, and I think I managed to do that.
I thought about doing a sweet banner, but I only have so much time and so many bits. Plus, it would make transport harder. He is made from a SM Venerable Dread (I got in the Death Masque box) and FW Autocannons.
This guy will be going to Adepticon 2017, so keep an eye out for him there.
Well since the Angel's Blade really only gave me one great thing in the form of the Archangels Orbital Intervention Force, I figured I should paint up some of my Terminators.
Here is squad Gideon. The Sergeant is from the game Space Hulk, but the rest are a kitbash of normal and BA assault terminators.
The banner is a Freehand, done in under 15 minutes!!! I think I am getting good at those things!
So I finally decided to pull the trigger on 32 mm bases for my Blood Angels. Keeping them 25 is becoming less and less of an option, and I fleet I can really make much more cool and dynamic bases by going 32 mm.
So the route I am going is not plastic or resin though.
I went ahead over to green stuff world and made an order... be careful on that page. An avid hobbyist can go crazy.
I ordered 160 32mm mdf bases and some medium sculpy. Why this route? Well it is ultimately cheaper when doing ALL my marines. So that is attractive. But more so, sculpy doesn't set until you bake it, so I can sit down and detail all my bases at once and then bake them (which you can do with MDF at low enough temperatures as well), not worrying about my green stuff drying out on me as I do it. It is also firm enough I should be able to cut away the excess before it cures as well.
I received my copy of Mantic Game's Kings of War Historical this week and what can I say! Well a lot in turns out!
Developed by the great Alessio Cavatore, this looks to be another great success.
It is definitely not the most in depth or detailed historical game out there, and is far from a "simulation" of historical battles. Rather it seems to be intended to allow you to get quick and fun games in with your Historical models or easily transition between Fantasy and Historical gaming without learning too many rule sets. This is done by replicating the Kings of War rules in their entirety (meaning this is a stand alone product and no other KoW title is required to play) and then adding a multitude of faction lists with a common "Master List" for play.
This is a great things for beginners in the world of historical war gaming, and can easily be the foundation of a club or event.
One key thing to note is that the game allows for cross over play with the fantasy Kings of War armies and incorporation of "Mythical Units" into the faction lists of history, allowing a true narrative experience into the mythology of a culture, whether is be Greek Epics, Arthurian Legend, Germanic Fairy Tales or Chinese Folk Legends.
I am however a little behind! So here is a combipost for Part 1 and Part 2
PART ONE! THE PLAN
So on top of EVERYTHING ELSE I HAVE TO DO I am going to try and work in at LEAST ONE Dreadnought this month. May not be on the Dreadtober timeline, but that is life. The point is to get a painted Dread done by the 1st week in NOV, because 40k always ALWAYS needs more Dreadnoughts.
Right now I am sitting on 5 Dreadnoughts. One built and primed, one primed and 3 unprimed. I ALSO have 2 more Contemptor arms I have to paint and magnetize.
The plan right now is to paint at least one Dread and do at least one Contemptor Arm this month. Ideally 2 of each. Priority though is my Red Hunters Dread for Adepticon, though I am waiting on a Forgeworld order to get in to do that (should be here by next week). Next is to convert and paint a Frag Cannon Contemptor Arm for this guy, also for Adepticon. After that, I have an Assault on Black Reach Dread for my Battle Company (even though Angel's Blade is garbage) and a Contemptor Multi-Melta to paint.
PART TWO! ASSEMBLY
Well, hold on there. I still am waiting on Forgeworld right? Well I do have this guy built
And here is the lovely plastic crack awaiting assembly. But more importantly over all is finishing the Terminators on my desk, my armies on parade board, and starting a super secret project ALSO for Adepticon (that won't be a secret as soon as I start it).
I don't know how, I don't know why, but my link list/blog roll is gone. Poof. Vanished out of thin air. Really depressed about that because it was how I went out there and saw all of your great stuff. Fortunately I was able to restore a good portion by having remembered to hit "Follow" on your blog in the past, but even some of my favourites I had not...
Please, if you run or manage a blog, leave a comment with a link so I can repopulate my list, especially if you have my blog on your site! I want to be able to be as linked to as much of your content as possible to spread the hobby love!
