Monday 29 December 2014

Terrain is everything - Hail the Omnissiah new Print & Play buildings


I know Christmas has been and gone but there are still presents to be had and the 40kaddict thinks you've all been very good this year so please accept this gift as 2014 comes to a close...

Having introduced a number of new colour schemes for the Print & Play Terrain templates I thought I should add some more building shapes so you had a little more variety. This is based on the first beige tower colour scheme but there are 3 towers you can make from the one .pdf. There are double width towers in two and three storeys and you can choose the rooftop, and even use the 40k Standard Manifold Coupling, aka the Modular Plug Socket.

Potentially you could even stack these ad infinitum or even attach them to the modular sockets on the existing Print & Play terrain templates for some crazy structures. Indeed this adds a huge amount of variety to your buildings, which would suit the 'new' Cities of Death rules, definitely a quick way to populate your CoD! Mostly they add line of sight blocking terrain but with a much smaller footprint than the existing templates. And lets not forget you can always tear them apart to make ruins!

These would ideally be suited for the foamboard that has the black foam core as that black foam would make these easily playable from the off, without looking too much like a quickly knocked up bit of terrain.

To access the full STC please point your Cogitators here, be fair warned it is 4MB in size [I make no apologies for this, I could probably render it as a .jpg or spend hours trying to reduce the file size, I tweaked it a little bit and got it down so hopefully it's less of an issue now.]:

https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B97Rk-BalgZbcV81MFEyMFB5Umc&authuser=0

Meanwhile all the other Print & Play and standard terrain templates are available here:
http://40kaddict.blogspot.co.uk/2013/11/terrain-is-everything-hail-omnissiah.html   

Thursday 25 December 2014

HAPPY X-MAS


Merry X-Mas from Professor Egon Seuss and the rest of the Magos on Ferron Proxima. Additional felicitations from the guys and gals at the Vulcan Institute of Techno-Archaeology. May all your X-mas wishes be plastic [or resin, but not Finecast].

In case you're not X-mas orientated please accept the following good wishes:





Monday 22 December 2014

Don't Panic Saturday!

A lot of fuss about nothing really! Not much about the hobby but it is news. At the weekend I was sent forth to Southport to pick up the inevitable Christmas 'bits'. It also gave me opportunity to nip to GW to pick up my figure tool-box and hopefully the errant 11 Genestealers and lo they were indeed part of my abandoned luggage. So I have a bit more of a smile on my face now that I have these fellas back.


Although this old pic doesn't represent all my stealers I am starting to get close to the full Leviathan Dataslate numbers. I've 24 mixed Macragge and original Space Hulk stealers, 9 mixed tentacles and scything talons, the 'errant 11', the 10 original Space Hulk stealers gifted by my friend Tom, 12 from an ebay auction and the 8 Deathstorm gifing me 74 in total. Of course that means I have another 30 to paint and despite having progressed particularly well with the Spawn of Cryptus I am rather reminded that I hate painting Genestealers! Still, they're back which is GOOD NEWS!


I also picked up my silver Armies on Parade medal. I'm honestly really chuffed with it, although the other guys think I 'doth protest too much'.


One other thing I did discover is the new Dark Angels Dark Vengeance expansion set. I think I just assumed this was extra copies of the models inside the DV boxset so had dismissed it. It turns out to be pretty much everything I want for my Dark Angels [aside from a Ravenwing Darkshroud]. I wanted to do some Deathwing Knights and potetnially the Ravenwing Knights too. I thought the Nephilim Jet Fighter was pretty cool, though not all that good in the game. So it looks like a great deal. Fingers crossed I get some Christmas money and if my Google AdSense can mature [only £8 to go on the advert links] I'll pick up a Knight too and that should be it for 2015


I'm also attempting a trade on facebook to pick up some Fleshborer Hives so I can kit my Carnifex out. It seems like I may be getting the better deal as it's currently swapping for the Feeder Tendril heads in the DeathStorm box. I want them too, but the Fleshborer Hives are more important. I'll let you know how it goes.

Wednesday 17 December 2014

Wednesday night Blood Bowl [and X-Wing]

It seems that as great as Blog Wars was it may have broken most of my gaming crew. Unless it's a general malaise, or that time of year we all seem to be 40k'd out. Ben and Otty did nip back to the NW Gaming Centre but came away with X-Wing for variety so Ben suggested a game. Unfortunately PeteB [who briefly owned the game] couldn't make it due to coming off a night shift so I had to officiate with my 'expertise' having watched one game and also Wil Wheaton on Tabletop.
So I'd printed off a mat for Ben and I took on the role as plucky young rebel Luke Skywalker, y'know the dude that promised Yoda he'd stick to his Jedi training and promptly ran off after a few days of jungle free running to 'save his friends'. Ben meanwhile fired up the Tie Fighters and we stumbled through our first game.


As you can see we didn't quite grasp the 'trying to predict where your opponent might go' as I ended up way over on the left and Ben clearly was playing 40k and going for Linebreaker! the end result was the death of Skywalker and we swapped sides.


The second game was much quicker, in part due to a complete tactical error on my part in that I overestimated the distanf for a 4K turn and insetad of appearing behind the Rebel scum promptly turned tail right in front of him and paid the price. The second Tie Fighter followed in quick succession. Overall Ben was really impressed and despite his opinion that it's a 'cheap' pick up game he's already ordered some more 'planes'.


On to the main even, Wednesday Night Blood Bowl


We had the newly complete Elves Vs Skaven, similar stats but with teh Skaven having an extra m move [in 2nd Edition rules]. Ben went Elves and I had the ratmen again.


Ben started with the ball but threw to his catcher quite aerly allowing me to block them and eventually recover the ball.


Delaying tactics ensued as I pushed a couple of models forward to capitalise on my having secured the ball.


With quite a few elves occupying the Stunned and KO'd area of the dug out I was eventually able to score a touchdown.


After the reset Ben started with the ball again I was able to recover it.


I would eventually lose the ball for Ben to snatch a draw and we called it quits for the evening.


I think I'm correct in thinking Ben had a lot more fun playing X-Wing, when your dug out looks like this there can be quite a pessimistic opinion formed. When I played PeteB with the same team the result was pretty similar but we had to laugh at the absurdity of it. I’m not so sure Ben saw the funny side this time.


Still it's something different and Ben may put together a team so we'll see how it plays out sports fans.

Monday 15 December 2014

'nids part 155 - The Spawn of Cryptus

Hurrah, I've done something! Well enough to actually post about but I won't hold out too much hope for a regular update just yet, bloggin mojo is on short supply. Hobby mojo is bubbling over, I just need to tap into it. I'm looking at a number of projects and really want to be much further on with them. Unfortunately I'm adding in elements like the Spawn, just because it's cool, when I have models much further down the line that are actually on my To Do List, c'est la vie.


Anyway, you should be able to see his base is done, excet for the Bonewhite chips. I'm still enjoying this 'backwards' order of base first and the Red Oxide is also helpful. I find most white Primers temperamental, black would be too much and grey not as useful. Red Oxide though gives me my base and will create an instant subsititue for the old 'liver' colour I used to create saving me time and effort. It also increases the contrast of the colours.


He really is quite a beast but I think he should nbe relatively easy to paint, it is just an oversized Genestealer afterall. Do you reckon they just scaled the Space Hulk Broodlord by 130% then added some extra bits? It's an amazing model but I do think it could have done with some touches to make less 'perfect'. There's nary a blemish or imperfection and it's very symmetrical which is far less organic than I'd like considering the nature of the Tyranids. When you take into account the crazy Nurgle stuff that's coming out this super sleak bioform seems quite 'manufactured'. Still, he is a beast.


I foolishly forgot about Monkeychuka's Broodlord comparison with the reposed arms and have ended up with the 'big fish, little fish, cardboard box' I'll survive though.


Whilst I was in the zone I thought I might as well do the Malanthrope base too so I should have both of these moving along at a similar pace.


I'm hoping to do the basecoats next and perhaps do some first highlights to a couple of my Dark Vengeance Deathwing Terminators whilst I have the Bonewhite out. Although I'm desparate to move forwards I'm once again stuck with a hobby attention span of around 30-45 minutes so fitting in production line painting is off the cards. I'm also enjoying other distractions on our new TV, particularly as the heir apparent is sitting watching TV with me. It may not be the greatest 'quality time' but at least it is time together.

Wednesday 10 December 2014

Blood Bowl - Elves TO DONE!

April 2012 seems to be the first time I talked about these but it's only now that they're complete, finally!


This has come at a real opportune moment as PeteB has only gone and got himself a copy of 2nd Edition BB. I'm sure he'll have a team up and running in an afternoon but my major concern is getting in a game before he sells it ;)


Anyway, the team is very uniform and will either be the Haffenheim Hornets or the Codillion Clarions. I wanted them all to be blonde but I may come back to them at some point and add some individual coloured stripes in their hair and numbers, perhaps when I get the treeman to join them.


I also have another catcher and kicker that I can add, actually I've a half dozen extra elves but I may well part with them at some point.


Not to mention the Goblin/Skaven team, Halfling team, Dwarf team and the Chaos team [Chaos Dwarves, Goblins, Mutants, Orks, Ogres etc.], all unpainted.


These all got a subsequent varnishing.


They do look like angry wasps so the Hornets may well be their moniker.


I tried to do some spidery eye make-up, it's OK but I decided just to leave it.


I know I had an Elf Blitzer with the big hair and Ice Hockey Mask but unfotunately I could only find the two short haired mech mask ones :(


Hopefully we'll have a game soon that I can share.


Just in case anyone asks, as it always attracts a lot of interest, this is the 2nd Edition Astrogranite pitch, painted with various household emulsion tester pots. it's slightly smaller than the current pitch dimensions but I do think it's a classic design.


I really wish they'd reissue BB, they coudl even do a hard plastic pitch now!



Anyway, in amongst the Elves I finished up Frank N'Stein, undead Star Player, he'll me joining my Mongrel Horde Chaos team, hence the black and pink colours, nice.


He also sports camo pants as per the 80's 'eavy metal guide to painting Imperial Guard camo - grey trousers with a white stripe and black stripe inside.


And lastly I finished my referee. Don't know where I got this from but I love the idea of a short-sighted deaf Dwarf as the ref.


He dyes his beard by the way!


So there we go, Elves are done and a big fat red stamp of approval. Things have been very slow, but we've made progress, particularly as this has been on the books for years.






Monday 8 December 2014

Deathstormin'


Wayland Games had some extra stock! So despite all the other competition for my funds at the moment I went ahead and ordered a copy. At £60 it's the cheapest around and although the free delivery offer for spends over £40 doesn't include 'bulky' items I think it's a bargain. I'll be selling the Blood Angel stuff and the rule book alone is averaging £25 so the miniatures are equivalent to £40. Even if I only got £20 for the Blood Angel side [which would be disappointing] that means a Carnifex, 3 Warriors, 8 Stealers and the biggest Broodlord ever for just £20!

Of course I did just get myself a Carnifex off ebay because I couldn't get Deathstorm so now I'll have three :( oh dear, how will I cope? Now I need procure two pair of Tyrannofex Fleshborer Hives...!

Anyway, it has crystalised my thoughts, at least in one direction anyway. None of this fits in with my Hobby Season To Do List, which is fine they don't need to be painted or anything. But the more pressing issue is I never meant to purchase much else when I set the To Do List in August. I had plans for three Lictors so I can do a Deathleaper Assassin brood and then a Carnifex but other than that I was going stop. Well this will be the New Years Resolution [aside from the Lictors at some point ;) ]
NO NEW TYRANIDS IN 2015
Of course that takes the Tyrannocyte out of the question but I will make do with my scratchbuilds for the time being. The fact is I need to do things on my list and as much as this is a great bargain, as my wife would say it's just 'more shit'. I have a potential big purchase for my Dark Angel force, I will be adding an Imperial Knight as soon as my Google Adsense earnings reach £60 and then I have an interesting idea to follow. But I want to focus on what I've got, consolidate and then see where I'm at at the end of the Hobby Season.

Friday 5 December 2014

'nids part 154 - Malanthropism!

Back in the day I think it was Ron off of From the Warp who said you should never have to apologise for not being able to blog, that life comes first and most readers should respect that. However, that doesn't take into account being brought up to be polite and well mannered. Although I agree with the sentiment in practice I can't help but apologise because some folk may well have been waiting for my regular posts and might well think I've been buried under a pile of foamboard, nibbled at by the cat and never to return...! So yeah, I'm sorry but mojo is in short supply as was hinted at in previous posts. Sadly it's the blogging that is very low on my hobby matrix but I have tinkered away with a few things and here's the evidence - the 'Filth', Damnasia's Plague


Apparently the Malanthrope is the bees knees so I had to get one. I think that Monkeychuka's kitbash may be better looking but without the tentacle maker and the spare bits I was forced to go with this fella.


He's quite deceptive, I think thanks to the tapered shape in that he doesn't look too big, then you put it next to another model and he is indeed quite impressive.


I've secured the acrylic rod in a Barbed Strangler barrel which will suffice.


I'll paint the base and Malathrope separately but this is really just to kick start the hobby again, slowly. Doing bits here and there that I'm familiar with while I finish up the things I promised to do. Blood Bowl Elves are complete I just need to varnish and photograph them


Hopefully having him in the background to add basecoats and washes too will help motivate me in the other things.


So it's not much and may be a while yet for another post but I appreciate everyone's patience while I get back on the horse instead of the wagon I've been on ;)