Sunday 31 December 2017

Hobby Spends 2017


Following on from last years spending record I've kept another log for 2017 [and will do so for 2018]. The final figure of £490.09 was £120 less than last years gross spend of £610. But again I had £116 come in and I've actually got another £60 sitting in my Amazon account for new toys. Amazon may not be the most cost effective choice for buying GW but it's an option that doesn't cost me anything in real terms.



So my net spend of £373 over 12 months is £45 less than last year! My monthly spend has dropped by £3 and although I've got the hotel still to pay for next years GT3 tournament, half of the cost [the tournament ticket] was already paid this year. Aside from that I'm going to try and focus more on the models I have than the new ones I could get, that's why I'm holding on to the Amazon Vouchers, the plan was to pick up some Neophytes but I could get a Rockgrinder instead, not to mention another Land Speeder to create a Talon Master/Sableclaw... Either way I'm better waiting until the Genestealer Codex comes out.


Anyway, I had a good year, bring on 2018.

Friday 29 December 2017

'nids part 234 - Rippers & Trygon - Bonewhite & Chitin highlights, Fleshy bits and stuff

It's all mixed up now. I cracked on with the Rippers, as you can see they are almost complete. Not sure if its 100% clear they're bursting from the ground but they definitely look a lot better than my original Rippers.


These need their teeth painting, another coat or two of Valejo Heavy Red on the base edge and then Army painter Anti-Shine Varnish.


Here's the second set of Bonewhite highlights on the tail. So pleased with the result and just how fibrous it looks. I originally intended for these front sections to also be Chitin blue, given it doesn't feature on the plastic version and would add some extra variety. Considering the result I don't feel so bad about the lost opportunity now.


The Chitin on the tail is definitely something I've been avoiding and as the base edge on the Rippers was drying I used it as an opportunity to tackle some of the plates. I'd done 12 of them before I started to get bored and as I still had some Turquoise on the palette I managed another two or three more.


Frustratingly I only did one side of the tail and I'm not even halfway up the tail on that side. You can just about make out as the tail curves up the plates get compressed, which means there are a lot in a small space. Then as they go up the back they get bigger, which will take just as long as the small ones. The brush strokes are pretty rough though, hopefully the next highlights will be sharper.


But the purpose of this effort was to move it on, and I've done that at least. I think I may get all the first highlights done and then focus back on the Land Speeder Dark Shroud for a bit to take a break from this.

Monday 25 December 2017

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:


Wednesday 20 December 2017

'nids part 233 - Trygon & Genestealer Broodlord/Patriarch - Bonewhite & Chitin highlights, Fleshy bits and stuff

I've been avoiding some of the Chitin highlights on the Trygon, the final largest] carapace plate and it's tail but after painting the Rippers Chitin I had the turquoise out so I at least finished the carapace.


Meanwhile I'd avoided the Chitin by painting the Bonewhite. Mixing up the process so I can't keep track of what I'm doing si both freeing and frustrating. All but four of the talons have had their highlights done but the tail has come across particularly well with the striations far less cartoony than usual.


The head also got highlights and I picked out the flesh bits in Valejo Heavy Red to make them stand out more.


I'm really going to have to do something about that gap I didn't fill between the top of its gum and side of it's mouth! The eyes also got done. They are far from perfect but actually far better than I thought I'd get away with as they are so recessed they're hardly visible at all. Moar Bonewhite next.


The Broodlord/Patriarch had some 'glow' effect put around the eyes and veins on his head. Unfortunately the glow on the eyeball went wrong so this is after ignoring it for a week and then splodging on some Valejo Dark Green onto the eyeball to cover it up. It has certainly made it a lot better and I can start in again on the eyeball.


Then it's highlight the claws. Can't remember if I've said but the Terminator helmets in the skull pile are either Deathwatch or pre-Deathwing Dark Angels [or Consecrators?], for the history buffs. But I'm not going to indicate which for added mystery.

Monday 18 December 2017

'nids part 232 - Rippers get some paint on

I've been splitting my time between the various projects - Rippers, Trygon, Land Speeder Dark Shroud, while the Broodlord reached an almost finished state then I messed up his eyes so he's on hold while I recover the strength to fix it.


The Rippers in particular have progressed with pace as I applied the base coats, washes and first Chitin highlights.


Second highlights and Bonewhite 1, not to mention the eyes and blacked out the teeth.


I also added some Valejo Heavy Red on all the fleshy bits just to make them a little more defined.


Second set of Bonewhite highlights.


Claws and teeth still to do but next up the base.


I think this is just first stage Vermilion Red Planet BASE! highlights.


I managed the second stage highlights as well, but don't think I took pictures.


I was really quite pleased with my progress but I'm beginning to feel a little fatigued.


I don't think this is my usual post-Christmas Malaise come early, just end-of-year tiredness. The weather has been awful, making the desire to troop down to the shed unappealing. It's dark and cosy in the house and I'm just tired. An early night followed by a 1am finish, followed by a 12:30am finish, followed by an early night - no wonder I'm feeling the strain. Anyway, they're nearly done.

Friday 15 December 2017

Terrain is everything - Warhammer TV Tables

Following on from the debate over the terrain Ben and I used in our last match I decided to share with him what GW themselves are using on their Twitch Channel during Warhammer TV Live. I took these screengrabs from a game last week.


Going into this I was already aware how much terrain they use but what I did notice that was surprising was just how few fire lanes are available. The Ferratonic Furnaces, combined with the Munitorum Containers means there are hardly any complete lines of sight from one deployment zone.


Definitely for Ben, or anyone who employs a gunline this would present some challenges. Preventing your opponent from just sitting still and shooting without any disadvantages, but also making those artillery pieces that can shoot without line of sight all the more valuable.


Ben had actually considered dropping the units that could do that but if the normal tables at Warhammer World have had increases in terrain he may well be needing the ability to shoot without line of sight.


They certainly love their Munitorum Containers, over £125 worth of them on one table!


Lots to think about going forward as I'm beginning to realise I'll need to step up my own endeavours in terrain - whether that is producing some of my very own Print & Play buildings, completing my container STC, or creating new pieces and STCs from scratch it looks like I'm goignn to have to find some time to get some done...

Wednesday 13 December 2017

Terrain is everything - Bolt Action WWII tables.

PeteBis heavily into Bolt Action now and although I'm hearing many positive reports from him, Ben and Otty and I'm unlikely to take the plunge into another game. That said I do admire hsi efforts and he hosted a Bolt Action event at Wargames at the weekend and I had to take pictures of the tables he put together. I belive this one was Tobruk





This was Normandy.





Burma, I think.





And Stalingrad


Apparently the Traain was from Home & Bargain here in the UK - perfect scale, including track for under £15!



Great boards, normal 40k will resume shortly ;)

Tuesday 12 December 2017

'nids part 231 - Rippers Big Build TO DONE!

Not much to see here, apart from acknowledging that the 'build' is done, having put basing material on them.


I fractured a piece of slate to make it more like the ground had broken. Whether that looks effective when it's painted remains to be seen.


I'm going to progress with the actual painting of the models a bit ahead of the base as I don;t want to paint the base and then find when I paint over the top that it just doesn't look like they're coming from underneath the ground. Anyway Big Build Gamboge Stamp of Approval.

Monday 11 December 2017

'nids part 230 - Greenstuff Rippers BABY!

So I'm currently painting my Trygon and  Broodlord, but my focus is supposed to be on what I need for GT3 and having not yet decided on what I'm taking, or coverd it on the blog I really thought I should focus on one of the two things I will need - my Rippers, just two bases of them. Now I've had a bag of Rippers for ages that always came as extras in ebay auctions and much like the Trygon no reason to do anything with them all this time, my four current bases have always been sufficient.


I've also wanted to make my own Forgeworld inspired Ripper kitbash using press-molds to bulk out the bases. But for one of the bases I rooted out 4 of the Spinemaw variants, because I won't be using any of them as Spinemaws and quickly made a base up. I won't be taking the biomorph but it doesn't bother me, whereas they would if it was mixed in with a normal group of Rippers.


With the Spinemaw Rippers done it was time to look at the stop-gap solution to my Forgeworld inspired Rippers. I have some Oyumaru 'plastic clay', it's exactly the same as Blue Stuff press mold material. You heat it up in boiling water then squidge it on your item and hey-presto - instant press mold!


Now at first I tried squeezing some plaster into this but it all crumbled while trying to extricate it from the two test molds I used, so resorted to Green Stuff. you can just about see the Ripper heads encased in the mold.


Here they are removed. Obviously they are far from perfect but they really don't need to be as all I'm after are ground bursting Rippers to make the plastic Rippers look more interesting.


You can also make out some little bits of plaster I couldn't get out of the mold, but it should be clean now ;)


Having cleaned the flash off the green stuff I glued them on to the base with the three plastic Rippers. I also threw in a cut down Warrior face/head that is almost Ripper sized and just adds yet more effect to the base.


The other side. Again the Green stuff casts are pretty mushy with detail but I'm hoping it won't be too noticeable when the ground is built up around them.


I then added some plaster/filler to buid the ground up. Little did I realise I've put exact copies of casts directly adjacent to their progenitors - doh!


Sand will be added next and I'll have to find a way to make it look like they're bursting through the ground a bit more than it looks at the moment.


As it stands the debate rages about Rippers - 3 or 4 to a base ranges. I love the models, the rules are rubbish but they're cheap troops that can get on an objective, unlike Necron Scarabs which are actually useful as well as eveything the Rippers do. I already have three bases with 4 Rippers on, and one with 3 but thanks to these press molds this base of 3 looks far more interesting, which was exactly what I was after.

The Forgeworld bases, which I adore, actually don't seem worth it considering just how bad the rules are. What I've done makes more sense, but I may consider creating a more dense version, with yet more press molds built up to the scale of the Forgeworld versions. For now, finish the base and get them painted.