More Epic-ness

Still going on the Epic stuff. I'm also starting to put together an eldar army. 

These are the newer Epic 40,000 marines that will make up a veteran company. 

Some HQs. I've put them on bases by themselves because they seemed a bit crowded with other marines on with them.

Who said you can't do conversions in 6mm?

Attack bikes.

Land speeders.

And a brick thunderhawk. 

Next walkers: dreadnoughts, robots and a warlord Titan.

An Award Winning Blog

A few weeks back this blog was nominated for a Liebster Award by Kraut Scientist over at Eternal Hunt. Thanks, it’s very kind!

The Liebster Awards are away of getting people to see new blogs. These are the “offical” rules:

1. thank the person who nominated you, and post a link to their blog on your blog.

2. display the award on your.

3. answer 11 questions about yourself, which will be provided to you by the person who nominated you.

4. provide 11 random facts about yourself.

5. nominate 5 – 11 blogs that you feel deserve the award, who have a less than 1000 followers.

6. create a new list of questions for the blogger to answer.

7. list these rules in your post.

So here goes:

Eleven Truths:

1. I don’t like the ocean or the beach. 
2. I once met a now dead Beatle.
3. Hobbies are always better when you share them with like minded people. Thus this blog. It’s just an excuse to share what I’ve done in the hope that others find it interesting and to put my stuff out there and see what happens. You should create a FaceBook group for your friends and show them what you are hobbying at the moment. Go do it now!
4. Hobbyists have a tendency to become self-recursive. Repeating the same thing over and over again with only slightly different results. Painting model after model in a similar way, using a similar pallete of colours and the same techniques. I try to do things differently sometimes. That’s one of the reasons I did (and will do again) my Inq28 stuff in the “Blanche” style.
5. I don’t really care for computer games. I play things sometimes but only ever for a few days before going back to hobby on my down time. I like the look and idea of them but, somehow, they don’t hold my attention.
6. My grand parents ran a cinema. As a child they let me see The Dark Crystal and Indiana Jones and The Temple of Doom. Alone. In the dark. The Dark Crystal still terrorfies me.
7. If I could I’d eat nothing but ice cream.
8. I sometimes imagine myself as a white-bearded old man pottering around a huge games room with wall to wall display cabnets and a 6x18’ games table. I know that I’m a life-long hobbyist. Toy soldiers forever!
9. Always pin metal models.
10. Hobbyists have a tendency to become self-recursive. Repeating the same thing over and over again with only slightly different results. Painting model after model in a similar way, using a similar pallete of colours and the same techniques. Variety is the spice of life and the toy soldier hobby is vibrant enough that you can always be trying new things and learning.
11. Enthuisam is more important than skill or technique. And more interesting.

7

Eleven Questions:

1) Warhammer 40k or Warhammer Fantasy Battles?

            If I had to choose it would be 40k. It would be a tough choice though. The darkness is the thing I like and that covers both universes. I know that grim-dark is a bit of a joke to those on the outside of our obsession but that’s the thing that keeps involved. It’s not the clean, and less interesting, worlds of Star Wars or Lord Of The Rings. Both of those, reguardless of their depth, could not keep my interest.

    2) Who’s your favourite miniature sculptor?

     Brian Nelson. He’s consistently made fantastic models over the better part of twenty years and I love his way with detail and pose.

3) What’s your best hint for painting (“Thin your paints!” doesn’t count!)

Buy the very best gear. Buy Windsor & Newton brushes. Get a proper day light lamp (ott-lite etc).

4) Who’s your favourite author?

     William Gibson. Nobody writes like him. Nobody.

5) What’s your favourite Traitor Legion?

     The Black Legion. What’s not to like about ten thousand years of hate?

6) Which Ordo of the Inquisition would you belong to?

     Xenos.

7) Which army would you never start and why?

    Orks. That way lies madness.

8) Which is the most important part of the hobby for you?

     Modeling and painting. It’s the part I do the most and I really enjoy.

9) Your favourite band or musician?

     The name of this blog is a reference to an Opeth song, so that gives you an idea of what I like. I’d add, in no particular order, Kyuss, Queens Of The Stone Age, Mastodon, Baroness, Cult of Luna, Isis, Intronaut, Devin Townsend, Amon Amarth, The Sword. In short \m/ I’m sure there are plenty I’ve missed.

10) Which is the most spectacular conversion/kitbash you would like to do, provided you had the bitz?

            I have no idea. Maybe a reaver titan to use as terrain. Think of the cool games you could play around a fallen, ruined titan!

    

11) What was the best moment in your hobby life?

a) In 2009 I happened to be in the UK for Games Day. I have never, and may never again, seen so much hobby goodness in one place. The crowd was huge and enthiastic for all the same thins as me. All of the studio was there (I could of spoken to Mr John Blanche but got all shy. I was worried that I’d just blabber fan-boi nonsense at him) It was awesome!

b) In 2007 I won the Australian GW Staff Slayer Sword. Pretty proud of that. Sure, it’s not a real Slayer Sword, and yeah, there are nowhere near as many entries as the non-staff competion, but it still feels damn good to be acknowledged in such a big way.

c) I once beat my friend Max in one turn. I’d killed everything he had on the table by the end of my first assult phase. I will say that it was back in the days of the rhino rush and Max took the Eye of Terror Ulthwe list that brought units onto the table through web way portals throughout the game. I have not let Max forget this glorious victory.

My Eleven Questions:

1)     Why toy soldiers? Why not model cars or bird watching?

2)     What would be your ultimate hobby experience?

3)     John Blanche or Mark Gibbons?

4)     What is the greatest sci-fi book and fantasy book ever written?

5)     Have you ever played in a campaign, and how and why did it end?

6)     Would you ever or have you ever striped the paint from a model you were painting because you were not happy with it?

7)     If you ran your own games company what kind of things would it make?

8)     What does your family or partner think of your hobby?

9)     If there was one thing you could tell your younger hobby-self what would it be?

10)  Is there a part of our hobby that you just can’t get into? For me it’s WWII gaming; I just can’t seem to give a rats. Who the hell would want to play with filthy Nazis?

11)   What is your most prized hobby possession?

My Award Winners:

http://apologentsia.blogspot.com.au/

http://thepaintingbunker.com/

http://hobbytimeblog.blogspot.fr/

http://kingsminis.blogspot.com.au/

http://stockholmwarpaint.com/

http://sproketsmallworld.blogspot.com.au/

http://40khobbyblog.blogspot.com.au/ 


I know that there are not eleven but it's been hard to find eleven blogs that I visit regularly that haven't recently got a Liebster too.

Epic Progress

The Epic project is coming along nicley. I've got a Land Raider company done now and am about to go into construction mode to get a heap of stuff ready to air brush red.

The Land Raider company

I've also had a chance to take some better pictures of the the other stuff.

Space Marine Commander

Marine Battle company

Whirlwinds

The army so far. Just under 2000pt, I think

I've also been doing some sculpting. My plan is to do a full step-by-step blog post on it. This is just a teaser. Not sure when it will be done though ;-)

-- Richard

A Change Of Scale

I've always loved Epic. It was the first real table top game I played and I collected a good sized army in the '90s. I didn't paint any of it though. Now I'm going to slowly rectify that.

So, after 15 years in a box here is my newly painted Blood Angels Battle Company (with bonus Whilrwinds and a Space Marine Commander)

Next, Land Raiders.

And now for a little blood on the streets.

So due to my somewhat rampant love of all things converting and a rather timely campaign at my local Gee Dub store, I've gone and made myself a few warbands and have had a hell of a lot of fun doing it.

My Norse band.

 There's a certain happiness that comes along with a FREAKING WEREWOLF!!!!! I love the idea of Wulfen, they're seen as crazy bastards, but revered at the same time. Kind of like a warning as to what can happen, but something they all REALLY want to achieve.

I'm actually a little confused about the ogre in the background, he looks a little too Tomb Kings to be hanging out with the Norse!

 There's my Jarl, Karl Karlson (though now it's Karl Karlson the third, he died A LOT!)

Also is my Tilean Marksman (just a quick FYI for anyone who isn't too familiar with Mordheim, GET A MARKSMAN! He just snipes people left right and centre.) and one of my berserkers, one of the Norse Dwarves. (An excuse to use that awesome new clam pack!)

I had a few great games with the North men, but they were followed by a few terrible ones, games that left my warband without leadership, furry friends and in the second case, one blind Berserker and one with only one arm left.

RESTART!

Played a few games this last weekend and even after a few really crappy losses, (due to my game play and terrible tactics, not my opponents, who are all great guys!!) Managed to get a few great shots during one game where we needed to capture a lost prince. The silly bugger runs in a random direction, often into the waiting arms of something that wants to eat/murder/torture him.

My Wulfen just wanted a hug and that Cold One is just trying to lick his face!

Who wouldn't want to cuddle this?

Though I haven't stopped there, I've thrown my hand at a few hired swords and put together some other guys for me to (hopefully) bring into a few games soon.

 There is a Witch Hunter completely single mini, Johann Van Hal, an Araby Pirate, though he is almost 100% High Elf Archer and a kit bashed Bounty Hunter.

 
                  


Well that's me for the night everyone.

Methinks that a few more minis are on the cards, maybe a Priest of Morr, maybe Sigmar too.

Servitor.

WIP: Centurion 2

Making progress. Almost done, just need to bake him, do a few details, his eyes and maybe a bad-arse scar and the jobs a good 'un. Maybe...

Coments and opinions are always welcome: you do these things in a vacuum and start focus on the tiny problems and then see the whole thing as shit. I think it's going ok ;-)

WIP: Centurion and Legionnaire

Sometimes things just click and look right from the off. Other times not so much....

The last couple of weeks I've been wrestling with two models that I'm not all that happy with. Your opinions would be appreciated.

 First a Black Legionnaire that is too dark and has no life. Not sure what todo. Lighter loincloth thingo? More red? Less black?

 And then a late Roman republican centurion that is all kinds of "not quite right".

HELP!