WIP update

 Last week I spent a bit of time getting five more Eloi Zephyrs ready, to be played as Eldar Wave Serpents in Epic.

That leaves five skimmers on my work bench, and I did manage to fling some paint their way as well, but some time was spent preparing a new project (to be presented later).

The grand total of my Eloi-count-as-Eldar is now getting to a decent size, close to 3000 points painted (not even playing the Baneshees as Titans, only Wraithknights).

I do have some non-Vanguard models for this force as well, but they are not fully painted (and the Hornets barely have official Epic rules anyway).

For this week I aim to put some paint on my new secret project, and finish up the remaining support vehicles above. After that: A pair of proper Titans!

Completed: 5 bases this week, 28 total this month.

Outcasts step by step

For the longest time, I've though about making a step-by-step guide to how I paint Outcasts, simple enough so that I don't like it is a chore, but detailed enough so I don't feel like I'm cheating.

Step 0:  

Assemble the models, and prepare the bases. I use cork and sand to build up the base, and to cover the integrated base common with Warlord figures.

On some I've cut down the cast base, but usually I just cover with cork.

Step 1:

Foundation layers. I use Army Painter Skeleton Bone primer to cover all of the figure, touching up any missed spots with a brush later (the AP line is great like that, with bottle paint to match the primers). Then I go over the base with Vallejo Game Colour Terracotta, with VGC Ghost Grey to indicate more rocky patches.

Step 2:

Moving forward, I paint the skin with a VGC Parasite Brown, and the metal parts with VGC Bright Bronze. This will later be used to help the Quickshade provide depth to the model.

Step 3:
Using VGC Elf Flesh, with a hint of VGC Khaki if I feel adventurous, I make a coarse highlight of the skin, picking out muscles, fingers and sinews.
The base gets a drybrush of <red brown>, and parts of the still visible Skeleton Bone gets picked out with Khaki, to provide some visual interest and noticeable details.
On some models I glaze the metallics with a mix of Glaze medium, water and VGC Tinny Tin, to bring down the sheen a bit (Ghar aren't exactly know for careful equipment maintenance...)

Step 4:
Magic time! Army Painter Quickshade is used to tie it all together,  using a cheap brush and some care.  

 

Step 5:

Paint eyes, and pupils. I usually go over the feet and hands picking out the nails too, and the base gets a drybrush or two of Khaki (yes, even the grey parts). Then GW Purity Seal is applied, in two thin layers. The larger models gets Vallejo red-brown pigments applied, to symbolize dust buildup on legs and lower chassis. 

Step 6:

Photograph! I've made a simple light box out of a plastic storage container and some LED spotlights.

I've added frosted plastic film to the sides (usually used for bathroom windows) to help soften the light, and everything can be stored inside the box between sessions. 

More Ghar Penal Legion progress

Previously I showed my Scout force for my Ghar
Penal Legion, and now I've finished most of the next batch: One more squad of Outcasts, another Distort Cannon, and a Bomber Squad.
The Bomber Squad is supposed to contain a Ammo Scutter too, but so far it's still in progress, as can be seen to the left.

I need to come up with something for the ammo (both for the right arm, and the canister on the back), and add some more greenstuff before I can call it complete.  The movement tray and tokens are both from War-bases.co.uk.

Coming up next is the final piece of the puzzle to bring my force up to 1000 points, a suitable vehicle for the clone with the big ego, the high leader of Legion ZY-86V:  

Still only in early stages, but at least it is started...
But once I get some khaki and skin on the pilots it should start to look decent. It is a very impressive model, both physically and rules-wise.

For next time, I hope to have a little bit more to show, at least the Scutter above finished.  

Ghar Penal Legion ZY-86V

As mentioned, I've branched out my Antares forces to include some degenerate clones with radiation leakages... 

Nominally I'm using the Rebel list from the Xilos book, although I'm playing it as a Empire Penal Legion, using a lot of disposable Outcasts to put pressure on the enemy while the heavy hitters move in and and take whatever objectives the scenario calls for...

For my Scout Force (500 points) I've gone for lots of cheap units, with as much fire support squeezed in as possible.

This means:
Two units if Outcasts; Cheap, numerous, but can tear a enemy line unit to shreds in the right circumstances (no, seriously! 2 shots each is horrendous, for a five point model!). Keeping them away from X-launchers is a priority, though; a single shot can without problem get rid of half a unit, with their low Res, and no cover bonus. 

They get some support in the shape of two Disruptor Cannons, either in a unit, or stand alone (depending on how many Order Dice I need...)

A unit of Attack Scutters, or as I like to call them; Discount Battle Suits... Almost 100 points cheaper, but with the same firepower, they have never disappointed me, and on several occasions won me the battle.
Need to get a unit across the table? No problem, just kick in the Plasma Amplifiers and take two Run Actions every turn...
Enemy unit dug in giving you problem? Disruptor shots to really add the pins, or RF 3 Dispersed to get
rid of the cover Res bonus...

The models being what they are helped make them the primary reason I choose to go with the Rebel list instead of the Empire list (where you can only get them once you hit 1000+ points).





Speaking of units a bit too cheap for their utility, we also have the Tectorists. Mad even by Ghar standards, they run ahead of the main force to act as spotters for their brethren, allowing a very nice re-roll. The fact that they can be used to dump the Distort Dice is just gravy, to be hones.
One thing to look out for is that only a single shot per shooting action may be re-rolled, no matter the number of Tectorists in range (all the more reason to spread them out, if you ask me!)

And last but not least, we have my Commander, Borag 566-8-B4, cautiously hidden away inside a Battlesuit. He still hasn't been shot even once, although he does have a tendency to... ehrm... 'Make a tactical withdrawal' towards the end of games. This is really a feature of the Antares morale mechanics; once his bodyguard bites the dust, every pin means a break test, and once one comes up with a 10, it's bye-bye commander... Totally in character, though, why waste time seeing the enemy degenerates being mopped up, once he has lead the force to victory?
Borag will, in due time, get a modified model created, with parts from a Bomber and some other odds and ends. However, sooner or later his duties to lead the force on foot will be taken over by his lieutenant/bodyguard, Flöng 566-10-X8, while Borag himself ascends to a loftier perch inside a Command Crawler (the perfect place for a careful commander!).

That is my 500 pts list, I'm soon to be finished with reinforcements up to 750, and then there is only a single model left to take the force to 1000 (no prizes for guessing which!)

Painting competition: week one

So, as previously noted , there is an ongoing inofficial painting competition on the Spartan Games Community, which I've signed up for.

I originally my Command Helix would be a good candidate, but after some digging around I found another pristine helix scheduled for some paint:

Two weeks in review

Quick completion note:

Despite last weeks being a bit of a wash*, painting wise, I've managed to complete my Aquan Minnari Interceptors. Quite lovely models, that I've been a real fan of ever since Spartan showed a preview more than a year ago... 





In other news, Overread over at Spartan Games Community has put together a painting contest that I'll try to participate in, only I need to go pick something up to paint first...  All signs point to my incoming Command Helix being the designated victim.

That's it for now. 

January in the rear view mirror

So, first month of the year concluded, and what's been accomplished?

MMXV AAR

So, back about a year ago I made a some attempts at a plan for my hobby year, and indirectly this blog.
With my posting frequency reduced of late, I'll at least make a summary of how well my crystal ball musings held up (warning, wall of text lying in ambush behind the cut!):

Tis the season...

Strangely enough, it's been a bit busy with holiday preparations here at the Hobby Front, but I've managed a little bit of hobby time in the calm before the storm:

[Antares]: Campaign part 1

So, it seems that Antares has really picked up locally, the usual gulli... sorry, 'easily enthused' have started armies, and a few more are leaning in to see what the fuss is about.
There is even talk of starting a campaign, in a slow grow format, allowing people to get their bearings in a controlled manner:

[Antares] C3 progress

 So, despite real life rearing its head and throwing spanners in the works, I've managed some progress towards having a playable force of IMTel citizens:

The seventh age of Mankind...

THE SEVENTH AGE

Humanity has spread throughout space, to new worlds and distant galaxies, to places and realities undreamt of by our distant ancestors. Interplanetary civilisations have flourished and fallen six times over, collapsing and rising anew over countless centuries. Humankind’s first home – the planet Earth –was destroyed long ago during the forgotten wars of the Prime Imperia. Of humanity’s early history, the colonisation of space, and evolution into numerous and diverse species, little is now remembered. Today is the The Seventh Age: the last and greatest age of humankind.

As mentioned previously, I've started working a bit on a set of new 28mm minis. Some of you might have recognized the models on the painting table as a Concord NuHu Mandarin and Drop Trooper, from the new game Beyond the Gates of Antares (or simply 'the Antares game').

I've been following the development of the game ever since the failed kickstarter last year (it is still the only Kickstarter I've ever backed!), and I must admit to being very happy that the game now has a public release!

I've tested the beta rules a little bit, and they are about what I like from a large-scale game; enough detail that a game has enough options with 15-20 models on the table, while still having a nice flow and not getting bogged down in minutiae (during one of the test games we had trouble remembering which turn it was, because we'd gone through so many activations without thinking about it!)

I'm currently painting up a small force of Concorde Combined Command, or C3, a high-tech human civilisation (or The human civilisation, if you ask them) being ruled over by the Intergrated Machine Intelligence, IMTel, a giant Artificial Intelligence.

Here are some WIP shots:

My small force assembled and primed, Drop Troops and a Medium Weapon drone, as well as some flyer bases.

Colour scheme tester, from what I had lying around at home. Gray primer, turquoise chest piece, metallic weapon, and some Army Painter Dip to finish it off. 
As a proof of concept, good enough, but the actual Antares models will have more work put into them.






WIP C3 Drop Troops (with a NuHu Mandarin in the background). Basically the C3s invasion forces, goes in first (using Grav Chutes, whatever that is), to establish a beachhead for the regulars to fill in to.
I've attached them to 30mm hex MDF bases, to have something to hold on to when painting.

Test base (for my Medium Weapons drone). The idea is a arid Mars-type landscape, with some brighter cliffs.







Thats it for now, but I've got a feeling there will be more updates coming soon....

Paintlog

My never ending struggle against the piles of unpainted stuff continues...

Various family matters has decreased my paining output as of late, but I've gotten one squadron of Planetfall vehicles done at least: my first companions for my might Leviathan:

To differentiate them from my regular Imzanis I've added streaks of white to the sides, to give a clear visual indicator (always important to see what is what on the gaming table)


Other than that, I've got several things ongoing, as can be seen on my paintdesk:

• Infantry from the Recon Helix (one with gun platforms, and one with Fish Cav)
• Light tanks from the Recon Helix (the missiles are not to be underestimated, despite the short range!) 
• Heavy Gunship and Interceptors from my Interceptor Aerial helix

All of which are in various states of block painting (they will probably not receive the same level of attention as my recently completed APCs... )

Also, the eagle eyed among you might have spotted something resembling 28mm models there as well... More about those for my next entry...

[Planetfall] Troop carriers

Progress has been slow around here lately, as usual, but somehow I've found the time to complete my two <name> APCs from the Recon Helix!

I've also slapped some significant amount of paint on the Infantry supposed to ride inside, but more on that later...

[Planetfall] At long last...

... the ground will tremble, as my fully painted El-Shami Leviathan strides forth!

It's been a long time coming, not helped by the summer vacations and family visits.

The model itself is a very nice looking piece, and will probably remain the centerpiece for my Aquan Army for quite some time. I've also tried a few new things, with conversions, a fairly detailed modelled base, and my first actualy experiment with dry pigments!
More on the last part later, I've learned a lesson or two...

All is not quiet on the hobby front...

Been on a bit of a blogging break lately, but that is more due to spending time on actually hobby stuff rather than blogging about it (hobby > blogging...)

That being said, I've painted a bit, and even got some games in:

Paint Log VIII: A lot completed

So, I've actually gotten a fair amount of models done lately, I've just been a bit bad at posting them, so here follows a quick recap of my productive output for May and June:

El-Shami Wip

Some Work In Progress of my El-Shami Leviathan that I've been working on (albeit a bit slower than I'd like), more pictures after the jump:

[Planetfall] Watching the skies...

At long last, my first Planetfall Aquan Heavy tank is completed, the oft-destroyed Haumea:

 At some point during the past weeks I got a bit fed up with doing everything three times over, so my two Sednas are lagging a bit behind, but still, one out of three finished is not so bad...

When I get one more Sirsir done, I'll have my full Heavy Helix (not sure I'll ever get around to the crystals, sharing four between the Heavy and Core helixes seems enough)

I've also managed to progress a bit further on my Levi conversion:

Fairly standard Green Stuff blending of the added parts to the legs (and filling in some gaps in the legs, they are supposed to be living machines, after all).

The 'head' is all assembled, but I'm considering magnetizing it to ease storage and transport (10x10x14 is hard enough to fit anywhere...)



In a moment of weakness I might also have started another faction, I've just started assembling my first Relthoza Core Helix... More about that later.

[Project X]First Game

The blog has been living up to it's name lately, but then again not: I've done quite a bit on the Hobby Front lately:

Game log for this Friday:

Planetfall

Players: Ahmadan / Avalon

Points Value: 4000
Factions & Allies: Aquans / Directorate & Works Raptor

Starting Zero Hour: 40
Zero Hour Score: 27 / 2 (Directorate Victory)

Turn Count: 3

Called for time, but there was no way I could have caught up, not with only a single Take and Hold unit remaining.

First two activations his WR Helix killed my Heavy Helix (CQBd and shot my Haumea to death with the hoverlights, and I then failed my morale for the Tank Destroyers, causing them to be Forlorn due to a previous casualty from the Intereceptors)

I did manage to scrape some points back, though, once I started to grind through his squadrons, but it was not enough.
To the left you can see one of the better moments of the game, my two Sednas and a squad of Recon facing off against three Directorate Heavy Tanks.
End result? Two dead human Heavies, and a single Sedna left standing... I call that a win (albeit barely...)

Also, my Leviathan failed to cause any damage whatsoever two out of three turns... Time to send the cadets piloting the thing back to gunnery school.

To the right you can see the situation at the end of the game, the secondary objectives are in the middle of the table towards the wall. A strong Directorate presence still, and with no way of capturing the objectives short of pouring horrible amounts of firepower into his entrenched infantry, not really that much to do (besides taking my unguarded Primary, on my left flank, something I should have done much earlier... =

Also, my Project X fleet got to show off (or rather ground to dust), on the same day I got everything bar the SRS completed!


Armada

Players: Ahmadan vs Mikael
Points: 800
Scenario: Defend the Station
Factions and Allies: Relthoza vs Tarakians
Battle log: 0/7, Tarakian victory.

Mental note: there is no point whatsoever keeping cloaks on against Tarakians... His cruisers (4 ship strong squadrons, with 5 HP each and indirect weapons? Yea, the Tarakians should do just fine against their ancient enemy...) picked apart most of my fleet, with the Ganak Battleship finishing up afterwards...



Conversion Corner:

I recently started modifying my Aquan Leviathan, to remove the one detail I was less fond of, the hinges at the feet:
The armour plates are actually the front pieces from old Chironex Cruisers. I've since started to blend them into the legs using green stuff, expect some more WIP this week.





That's all folks, as the bunny used to say...