Final Models For The Year

Here are a few pictures of what I have been working on for December.  They are not 100% completed.  There are a few details I need to paint as well as some more weathering and battle damage.

Final Countdown

With three weeks left in 2012, I've been keeping my promise and meeting my goal of completing a unit/vehicle a month.  Seven days into December, I have this months model, a Space Marine Rhino, completely base coated and several highlights added to it.  I think with a few additional highlights and some weathering, I'll have this completed before the month is even half over.  I have been simultaneously painting a Space Marine Dreadnought, and I must say, it has been a pleasure to paint and is turning out to be a really nice looking model.  With the 60mm base, it opens up the opportunity to create a nice scenic base.  I added some wreckage to the base and it gives the model a lot of character.  I can see myself assembling several more Dreadnoughts, if not only to create scenic models.

There has been a lot of talk at the local Games Workshop about starting up a 40K Escalation League at the end of January, so I have been working on a 500pt list to start things out.  I really want to play using Codex: Dark Angels; however, it is an older list and Codex: Space Marines has most all of the same options, only cheaper and sometimes better.  Rumor has it that a new book for Dark Angels will be released in January.  At this point, I am up in the air on which book to use.  Regardless, my January model is a little ambitious, well, for me at least.  I plan on completing a Razorback with a five man Tactical Squad and my army's warlord,  Chapter Master Nuriel of the Dominions.

Back story of the Chapter to come . . . .

Preparing for Winter

It warmed up enough yesterday that I was able to get several miniatures primed!  This should keep me busy at least four a month or two while the weather is cold!  In the past, we used the Winter months as gaming time since it is normally too cold to paint, but with the start of my new army, or rather my older army that I never got around to painting, I really want to have a sizable force completely painted so I can play.  I do have several boxes of Assault Terminators that I can assemble; however, I am waiting a little bit to see what the new Codex: Dark Angels contains so I have a better idea of what options I want to assemble them with.

In other Games Workshop news, two new releases hit the shelves tomorrow!  The first is a campaign supplement for Warhammer 40,000 called Crusade of Fire and the second is The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey strategy game!  I am very excited for both of these.  I ordered the campaign book as it appears it is a very limited release and will be picking it up tomorrow or Sunday.  As for the Hobbit, I may wait on this.  The starter set contain Thorin's Company and the denizens of Goblin Town which include the awesomely grotesque Goblin King!  Ever since I saw the old b-movie Troll 2 and red Goblins in the Castle, I've carried a flame for goblins and the goblins in the set are awesome.  I might try to split the starter box with someone or order the goblins piecemeal from the internet.

Back to the WH40K campaign book, I've been pestering the manager at the local GW to start a campaign at the shop and this seems to be the perfect excuse!  I read an article in White Dwarf or on the GW site about a guy who modelled/based his Fantasy units with details to show the campaigns they had taken part in.  This really inspired me and I am going to work on a couple of units during the campaign to show that they have fought across the Daemon infested, Chaos corrupted landscape.  I cannot wait to take part in this campaign!

I promise I will have a proper camera to take pictures with.

Too Cold to Prime

I completed my goal for November and was able to complete a squad of Terminators.  I decided to get a leg up on my December goal and work on my Space Marine Rhino.  I am both happy and sad to say that I was able to finish it in an afternoon's work.  I must say, the Rhino went together with ease and I had no troubles at all.  The only issue I am running into is that it is too cold to prime the model.  I'm going to try to heat up my garage with a space heater and try out the primer on a test model.

To bolster my Space Marine force, I was able to get my hands on a Battle Force for well below the sticker price on Amazon.  This will really help to build a strong foundation for my army giving me a combined total of four Troop squads.

On to other gaming news.  I started assembling the contents of the Dwarf Warrior and Quarreller boxes.  The Quarrellers rank up a bit wonky, but that is due to my inexperience assembling RaF units.  I was able to take what I learned and applied it to the Warrior models.  They rank up beautifully.  In both of the Warrior and Quarreller boxes, there are models that have a cape.  I plan to take these models and arm them with great weapons and model the mask/visor from the Warrior kit to make my Long Beards.  They look very regal and noble with the capes and helms and I think they will stand out on the table.

To date, I am doing well on sticking to my If it isn't painted, it doesn't play policy; however, it has been hard, especially with the sheer number of models that go into a WHFB army.  There are roughly thirty models in a 500pt force which means at my current rate of painting, it could take me three months or more to get those painted and on the table!  I plan to continue working on my Dwarfs, assembling and painting them after I have finished working on my project for the month.  Ideally, I would like to have an army completed that I am able to use to participate in the next Escalation League at my local Games Workshop.

Slow and Purposeful

I did a little work on my Terminators last night.  They're very close to being completed.  I need to finish painting the lenses and the bases and that should wrap them up!  It looks like I will be waiting a while before the weather is good enough to seal these guys.  I don't want to end up with dusted miniatures again!

Up next for my Space Marines will be a Venerable Dreadnought and a Rhino!

Relentless

I decided to work a little on some of my Space Marine Terminators.  I am pleased with how the same color scheme I used on the Tactical Squad transfers over to the Terminators.  There is still a lot of detail work to do on both squads and there nowhere near being completed but I've learned a lot in the past couple of weeks and I feel I'll be able to start churning out these guys at a reasonable rate.

I've briefly chatted with the Manager at my local Games Workshop Hobby Center about starting an escalation league.  It would definitely be something to keep me painting.  I've made a promise to myself that if the model isn't painted, it doesn't get played.

However, I have been lenient on that rule with my Mordheim O&G Warband; but, that is only because I am still working out what models I want to use.  Speaking of which, after I complete the contents of the Dark Vengeance set and my Venerable Dreadnought, I will work to paint and post my Orc and Goblin Mordheim Warband.  My roommate and I have played a few test games and we've had a blast.  We've made great use of GF9's Battlefield in a Box terrain.

More to come!

Tactical Squad, Reporting For Duty!

After working on the Dark Vengeance set for two months, I finally completed one unit.  I'm pleased with how the Tactical Squad turned out.  I think if I had to paint another squad, it would go much faster now that I have the scheme down.  Up next, I plan on finishing up the Ravenwing Bikes.

On another note, Great Lakes Christmas Ale is here!

Progress!

I'm getting close to completing the Dark Vengeance Tactical Squad.  I had originally planned to hard line the Power Armor but I didn't like the look of it.  I went back on the models and drybrushed the armor the same color I had hardlined them with and I really like the way it turned out.  The armor is significantly brighter; however, with the white emblems and the red gun casings, I think it looks great.  This scheme will transfer over quite well to my Terminators and any vehicles I decide to paint.

Here is a list of the paints I've used in the current Citadel Paint Range.

Power Armor:
Base:  Castellan Green
Shade:  Athonian Camoshade
Layer 1:  Elysian Green
Drybrush:  Underhive Ash

Icons/Emblems
Base:  Dawnstone
Layer1:  Administratum Grey
Layer 2:  White Scar

Gun Cases
Base:  Khorne Red
Shade:  Carroburg Crimson
Layer 1:  Evils Sunz Scarlet
Drybrush:  Kindleflame

Robes
Base:  Zandri Dust
Shade:  Agrax Earthshade
Layer 1:  Ushabti Bone
Layer 2:  Screaming Skull

Purity Seal Wax
Base:  Khorne Red
Drybrush:  Kindleflame

Purity Seal Paper
Base:  Ushabti Bone
Shade:  Seraphim Sepia
Layer 1:  Screaming Skull
Layer 2:  White Scar

Leather
Base:  Steel Legion Drab
Shade:  Agrax Earthshade
Layer 1:  Skrag Brown
Layer 2:  Balor Brown

Cape
Base:  Naggaroth Night
Shade:  Nuln Oil
Layer 1:  Xereus Purple
Layer 2:  Genestealer Purple

Lenses
Base:  Zamesi Desert
Layer 1:  Yriel Yellow
Layer 2:  Flash Gitz Yellow

Give Your Army Some Character(s)

Last night I continued work on my Warhammer Army.  I am finishing up the base coats on the models from the Dark Vengeance box set.  Here is a picture of the Company Master, Librarian, and Tactical Squad Sergeant.  I should be able to finish the base coats tonight and then I will begin to ink the models to give them shading.

As far as upcoming events in my life, I will be attending a twenty four hour monster movie marathon called Shock Around the Clock at the Drexel in Grandview Heights, OH.  This promises to be a good time.

Dark Vengeance

Over the past month, I have been working on painting the Dark Angels from the Dark Vengeance starter box for Warhammer 40,000.  I deviated from the standard Dark Angels colors and went with an olive drab scheme.  The above image is of the Deathwing Terminators from the Dark Vengeance set.  As you can see, they have all received their first base coats.  They will be inked and then receive two layers of highlights.

I will continue to post pictures and updates as the army progresses.

Ever journey begins with a single step.

This is the first entry in what I hope to be a well maintained blog.  I have never kept a blog, journal, or any other sort of record of my daily life.  I intend to keep this blog update with news, plans, photos, and other happenings in my life.