Kill Team - Veteran Guardsmen (Krieg)

Based on the file date stamp September 2021... 

So they haven't been on the paint-table-of-shame for too long. Kind of demonstrates that the paint queue does eventually cycle things around in due course, however priorities inevitably change.

Followed my standard painting methodologies, had most of the paint already available, and from elshin gray (above) to done-finished (below below) appears to have been 20 days, with other projects going on as well.

Happy with the result. Not wanting to paint more of them.  These are the first 'real' Imperial Guard I've ever painted. There were some traitor guard in Blackstone but they don't count. 

Until next time...

Epic - Eldar

[Original Draft 2022-02-12]

My 'Epic Career' has definitely reached a terminal state and I can't see myself embracing the game again, at least not as seriously as I had previously.

I like the scale very much, I like playing it with my hobby people, but the game itself is good but not great.  I might occasionally participate in a tourney just for shiggles, and I could be cajoled into a game with a mate or if someone new wants to try it out.

I still have a wish list of armies I wouldn't mind building, but the effort required vs enthusiasm is at a ratio where I don't see that happening.

I do however have a project underway... underway for a long time and over the last couple of weeks with my hobby enthusiasm piqued it has spilled over into epic enthusiasm... at least enough to get this project moving again.

Eldar.  Space pixies...  GW has coined a new trademarkable name for them but they are and always will be Eldar to me.

I had a force printed in filament as a tester, and in February 2020 I started making a print list and then in June 2020 I started printing.  I can't remember how long it took to print (couple of weeks most likely) but since then almost 2 years have passed with the unshucked models sitting out in the garage waiting for attention.

The biggest disincentive was pulling all of the print sprue off the model. Followed my mounting lots of skimmer/hover type vehicles. So lots of fiddly little annoying shiz.

My assessment wasn't far off the mark as over the last few days i've scrapped, chopped, sliced, whittled, ground and sanded off resin supports.

taking photos helps provide the sense of forward movement as the raw green resin gives way to chalky-texture, cream undercoat. Those last models (pic below) are now undercoated so that's everything.

while nominally waiting for the paint to dry I thought I'd whip out a progress report.

I already have some green contrast paint waiting to go on once the models are suitably dry (not today).

Green?  Yes, i painting green models green. Obviously there is green and there is green. the light cream undercoat should provide lighter greens at the middle of panels and pools of darker green at the crevices.   After that I'm not entirely sure where the paint scheme will go but it just feels good to have them moving towards completion, and not sitting in the garage any more, mocking my lack of enthusiasm.

each of the hover models, which is pretty much anything that is a vehicle is actually mounted on thin nails, but to length with holes drilled into the model and through the base. The titans were painful, being very thin and fragile. The planes were the only things that ended up on transparent acrylic.

I envisage that these models will be constantly breaking off little fiddly wings and widgets and annoying me no end. already the transports are sans some of the decorative spikes... sigh.   

Resuming this project did get me thinking about other armies... again.  I wouldn't mind doing up a chaos army still.  I like the concept of having a couple of opposing forces, rather than 'all imperium'. But I just can't see myself gathering the momentum to print and finish a chaos army.

[Update 1 - later that day]

I really shouldn't make predictions about... anything.

First splash of colour.

The contrast paint I'd planned on using was too dark and didn't pool nicely on the chalky undercoat. Just came out black.  So instead I went for a wash that I had, worked ok.

I'll next be using a dry brush on the panels to get the main colour. 

[Update 2022-02-17]

Haven't been great healthwise. Mobility related, but affects sleep and so on. Have still managed to splash some paint and got more done before that happened.

Well into the detailing now and have some 'effects' going on, probably 'stylistic choices' might be a better description. Will save for when their done as i need another pot of paint to finish this up.  Oh, and then basing of course, probably need some more astrogranite for that.

The wash i'd planned on (as per last update/pics) wasn't cutting it, the chalkiness was sometimes soaking up the wash, sometime working normally. So i ended up putting a base of vellejo sick green as the base instead, then a wash of the coelia greenshade. worked much better. so the models are a little paint-heavy but the solid colours weren't applied too thickly at any stage... bottom line, they're bearable.

I still like the chalky paint, it worked great for i.e. the templar project but in that case it was fine for it to soak up colour and just darken, rather than pool.

[Update 2022-02-18]

Oki doki, everything has their detailing on.  Just the basing to go.  Happy with the results so far and I think the basing will really make the models pop, with a darker background for contrast.

Not 100% obvious in the pic but the larger pieces have a 'patchwork' pattern on the large plates and panels.

This breaks up large slabs of boring green, where in a larger model with more sculpted detail you'd have channels and rills which washes would highlight better. These models are pretty basic so I tried this option.

Was a bit of a gamble (a really low one given if I didn't like it I could just paint over... again), but I'm kind of liking it and I think it's going to grow on me more aesthetically over time.  It's definitely a 'stylistic' feature and I don't recall seeing similar before.

Fluff-wise the markings could represent the pilot's name or their campaign badges, or a serial number, or a tribe allegiance... whatever really, but they're all different.

[Update 2022-02-21]

The day that is the day is now that day.

Just looking at the pics I realised I haven't put the grass tufts on... and they need magnetising...  and a box...  but...

THEY'RE DONE.

Specifically they're finished enough to be used on a tournament table for a game. Painted. Done.

Above: Full army.   Below: Tanks (equivalent).

Speeder bikes, one of the core/mandatory formations - Shining Spears. These are one of my favourite units. 

One of the core infantry formations - guardians + farseer, with some heavy fire support, and transports - wave serpents.

Various war engines (artillery eq etc).

More speeder bikes, but a lesser type...

And the Avatar...

And that about wraps everything up. 

Some of the bits are super-fragile and I think there will be a lot of super gluing in this army's future, to the point where I'm kind of contemplating dolloping some super glue onto those types of structures to help support them.  For example the Avatar's sword snapped just as I was setting up this board, and the Scorpion (war engine) cannon is held together with paint.  Not much I can do about that as they're just very spindly pieces.

Anyway, happy with the results and officially calling the project done. Though there will be a little post-project tinkering (not requiring commentary).

[Update 2022-03-12]

Got a (now standard) Modifx case for them. One of the medium size ones, like the Custodes and Death Guard.

Ordered some Eldar dice for them today. Seems like a way of closing off the project. Just an accessory but a nice finishing touch I think.

So Custodes are the only Epic faction without custom dice... And of course I just checked out if there were any. Yes - so of course I ordered them.

Ok, so each Epic army is now all squared away in a uniform bag and has their own set of faction dice.  None of it necessary, but it's about the arts and craft at this stage.

Until next time...

Zone Alfa - Away

Original Draft 2022-01-24  - but I forgot to actually publish it back then... so, this happened.

January it is fairly common for us to go to Canberra for a family visit.

I'd left my paper craft characters and cobbled-together terrain there from prior visits etc but decided I was going to   a) take my real ZA models, rules, dice etc   b) make some printed/card terrain to keep down there (replacing the impromptu stuff I'd made previously).

So before leaving I printed off some structure images on light cardstock/thick paper. Upon arrival it didn't take that long to cut out, glue and stick tape the structures together (and some pine trees on toilet rolls which have since been replaces with papercraft / official ones).

I ended up playing 5 games... kinda, over the last 2 days [plus more after I wrote this up].

Game 1 was an 'explore and salvage' mission. Games 2 and 3 I attempted a raid the bandit base, but these didn't play out well at all (too easy).

Game 4 was another 'explore and salvage'. and Game 5 was a new variation. 

The terrain works as anticipated and I set up different configurations for the different games.

I also worked out a new 'stat chart' for use in-game. specifically I can keep all the (player) model's markers on the chart rather than on the board. Shifting around 1 model but then 6+ markers is annoying.  This way as I  i.e. spend an action I can slide an action token from left to right. If you make a crit roll then you add another action marker on the left. If you roll a failure when shooting, put a pinned token on the weapon etc etc.    Still working out the details but I used this methodology for most of the games an it worked a treat. To the point where I made up some 'formal' charts in word. 

Game 5 was an experimental scenario I called 'mirror-mirror'. You have 3 Hot Spots to clear at the front, and when you trigger one, another one triggers automatically (random hostile type selection, and with no inspect/adjust hostiles possible) at the back.

I was finding the standard exploration games a little easy, and just enjoy a bit of variety.

The first HS triggered some dogs (front) and bandits (back). The second HS triggered mutant yowies (front) and bandits (back).

This was FAR more challenging. To the point where the stalkers only managed to trigger 2 of 3 HS...

And got overrun at the end.  I had 6 turns available * and at the very end of turn 6 the last stalker fell.

* calculation:   4 turns + 1 for solo + d3

Overall, a fun series of games and I enjoyed this final variation. 

Game 1 earned 18,450 credits,  Game 7,050, and Game 1,250  which they lost.

Credits were very easy to come by with vanilla scenario, especially when you got an anomaly or two.

The crew was 3 veterans with fairly basic loadout (assault rifles + smg or pistol).

I'm calling it a day for this particular crew. Probably could have them take battle scars, but it seemed like a neat conclusion narratively, they tried and died...

In other news...

Cancon,  as it so happens,  was on.  Decided to duck in for a really quick squiz.

Was "lesser" than other times, fairly obviously. Rumour has it that the organisers didn't green light the event until about 4 weeks ago.  So I imagine that, plus reduced places took their tolls.

Btw we played 'pretty much as normal' back in 20...18.   and as far as I'm aware everyone is still alive. Just sayin'.

Ended up buying a few bits and pieces...

i) Eisenhorn, yep, the forgeworld one,  cos it was there. The books were fun, so why not. was a long-term, way-down-the-wish-list item.  May end up fronting a KT or munda squad.

ii) The new emperor's champion...  cos Templars.  Was on a more recent wish list. Not sure what i'll be doing with him yet. Am kind of considering getting one of those 3-packs of primaris marines and just having a 'token set'...   alternately I could paint him up grey as a statue/objective for epic.... dunno yet.

iii) A box of custodes,  so that will be a token 'base' set for playing around with kill team as contemplated a while ago.

Update 2022-03-07

Bit of edit here, formalised and 'published' the scenarios to relevant fb group. 

scenario - Settlement Recon-Bandit Camp.pdf

Ok, until next time...

Kill Team - Black Templars

It's no particular secret that Black Templars rank high within my favourite fictional teams.

At cancon recently I picked up the new "Emperor's Champion" model (in glorious plastic, not resin, yhay!)

I also picked up the new 40k edition recruit (smallest) starter box, which had some primaris marines in. Probably the best value for models I could find (given minimal effort and wait factors).

The idea is/was to make a 'generic' primaris force (Kill Team) that would be Templar flavoured. While there is an official GW Black Templar offering at the moment (just for the regular game, not KT), the models aren't my cup of tea. I like them plainer... like these...

Everything got an undercoat of black, then dark grey for the plates...

And blocking in the undercoat colours...

These progress from pic 1 to pic 3 are all within 4 days... including also finishing off those recent Orks.

No, they're not near complete at this stage.  There will be washes of null oil to darken the grey plate, then dry brush on the edges, the white plates are currently a lighter grey and will be getting washes around the edges then dry brush over the centres with actual whites.  Then start on the detailing.

So lots to go, but still holding motivation enough to be making recognisable steps forward.

Will just put the updates and finished pics on here when done.

I was originally looking for the bolter version primaris (there was a push fit box of 3 which they stopped making recently, oh well), but i'm now liking the chainsword/pistol guys well enough and tbh they fit the Templar theme pretty well (or better).

In terms of KT the game... primaris (and most marines in general) are only covered by the compendium at this stage... and notable (an extensively commented on within the interested hobby community) they didn't put much work into fleshing out the forces.  However, you can play with them which is a plus.

As for the EmpChamp and Lieutenant, yeah, no rules for them, so either custom some up, or more likely just treat them as display pieces (pretty much intended from the start, so no illusions about lots of board time for them).

Gets the EmpChamp painted though so happy with that. 

I'm still tossing up the idea of making another EmpChamp as an Epic mission objective... but not likely in the immediately future. Who knows.

[2022-02-06]

And here we go. So based on pics date stamps these were assembled on 30th Jan, and now finished for boxing on 6th Feb. About a week. Not bad, and usually just 5 minutes here and there between doing other stuff.

Happy with the results.

[2022-02-06]

While yes, I am happy with the spreading of the paints, as usual the freehand crusader crosses aren't up to scratch.  Have ordered some decals for the pauldrons etc, thus requiring a paint over when those arrive.  This should lift the project just that little extra step, so I won't have to look at them and think, "not quite there."

Until next time...

Kill Team - Ork Kommandos

Back in whenever I started putting together the first new KT starter box.

I notice that this post also included a pic of the models, including the Orks.

These sat (as did everything) undercoated and gathering dust for some months while there was no motivation for anything hobby.

I've recently been in contact with my hobby guys again and this has sparked some motivation, which I find I'm grateful for.

I believe there are games happening this coming weekend, which I didn't find about until too late, and who knows what ridiculous restrictions will/may be implied. I'm really over the government's abuse of the population. It's just sick. Anyway... vote em out.

So the result of the motivation has been multi-directional, however I'm going to limit this post to just the Orks.

Just the final results, ready for boxing...

I've decided to investigate make better pictures, primarily because I'm sick of saying "these look better in real life"...  which these do.

Happy with the results and actually like the models well enough. It's nice have a full, 'alternate' force to put on the table. Obviously another complete project is welcome as well. 

Until next time...