Imperial Knights - House Corvus Twins in manufactorum pt3. 'first base'

With my base 'iced' with tile adhesive it was time to put on some sand and slate. I freely admit I hadn;t really thought about the placement of the slate and so the sand needed to go some way to blending it all in. However when the Knight was put in place it just looked so dull. There was just too much empty space and I thouhg it needed something in the foreground to break ot up...

I may have gone a little overboard though. It definitely solves the problem but it's a little overwhelming in some respects. Overall it's better though so I can live with it.

I found th eplastic tube in the garage, no idea what it was from but new it would work. I had some Drop Pod harnesses to use as supports, the round thing was another bit that PeteB gave me years ago that looked like a cool pipe manifold. I then used masking tape to make pipe collars, wrapping them round the pipe.

I had to dig/drill/gouge out chunks of grout/slate/MDF to fit it all in and then Valejo Red Oxid [sic] paste to blend it all in

I also added the extra bit of slate to where the Knight will be fixed, it adds another few degrees of backwards lean so it balances the pose better.

This is even leaning too far forwards, once it's glued it'll be better. The left foot does make a nice interaction with the silhouette of the pipe though.

I mean I've no idea where that foot is going to land, if the pipe is likely to be stomped on but the context of the huge Knight makes the oversized pipework less silly.

So it all got primed with Red Oxide car primer and I cannot convey the sense of satisfaction this gave me. I'm on to painting, familiar territory it feels like progress. Going back and putting the pipes on was a setback now I could taste the advancement.

And yet I've still got the other Knights legs and base to do. Both need their weapons options built and magnetised as well as their Carapaces finished off and heads magnetised.

There is so much to do and although there is a big milestone sense of achievement to move onto some painting a reality check has tempered some of that satisfaction, sadly. Nevermind, I can paint this separatelt to completion and use that momentum to help me get through all the other build elements. I might be more productive and efficient to be solely in 'build mode' but motivationally I need painting to feel like there's progress.

Imperial Knights - House Corvus Twins in Manufactorum
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Last Chance Open 2019

YouTube sensation Aceface and Dice and Decks [the hobby shop formerly known as Wargames] are back with another one of their ITC tournaments. The Last Chance Open 2019, as the name suggests is the last chance to score big in ITC for those rankings and help secure places in the big ITC events.

As such it's a far more competitive gaming experience than me or my crew are used to, but when an internationally recognised two day tournament is going on in 'sunny Southport', only 20 minutes from my house it'd be rude not to. So we're all on board, Liam, Otty, Ben and myself [Scott might even turn up too]. We've no illusions about our chances but the 11th to 13th January dates means it will be ideal tournie prep for us for GT4 the following month.

There are still tickets available at £60 for the weekend. If the remaining 30 are sold Martin has mentioned he will release an additional 30 tickets to bring it up to 150 gamers [double what he had at the Last chance Open 2018]. If this does well he's planning to expand again next year to what could become one of the biggest gaming events in the UK. The venue he's secured is the Southport Theatre and Convention Centre what we affectionately call the Floral [where we've attended Rock Nights since 1992] so it can handle almost 300 folk in the future!

So check out the Facebook page for more information, or visit Dice and Decks where you can buy tickets.

Dark Angels - Ravenwing Dark Shroud part 4

This is pathetic really. I don't know what it is about the Dark Shroud that doesn't inspire me, but I put some wash on the Bone and Angels then highlighted the bone, then I moved back onto the Shadespire models 🤣

Such a window of opportunity now shut as the Knights take centre-stage. Frustratingly I kind of need this painted too as if I can't complete both Knights I'l rely more on my Dark Angels to fill out my army and specifically the Ravenwing which this will help with. However, it's far more progressed than wither of the Knights so there is chance it could be brought back online and completed if the need and, more importantly, the will was there.

Anyway, short and sweet, Knights are up next.

Deatwatch Overkillin'

When I went round to Liam's we had a game of Kill Team, with his son taking Skitarii and I used his Genestealer Cult. It was an interesting revision of the game I was particularly interested in the oversized tokens which could be streamlined a little bit to keep track of you actions.

However, we also had a game of Deathwatch Overkill. We started off the first mission, which I still believe you have to be some kind of special unlucky to lose as the Marines. Unfortunately I seem to have misplaced Jetek Suberei and Garran Branatar so he was reduced to taking these guys:

• Ortan Cassius - Ultramarine Chaplain
• Rodricus Grytt - Imperial Fist, Frag Cannon
• Drenn Redblade - Space Wolf, chainsword
• Jensus Natorian - Blood Raven Librarian

Cassius is pretty tough though so I don't think there were any disadvantages to this choice. I think at this stage he's already killed a Neophyte on the left and two Acolytes on the right.

It became clear Liam had grasped the importance of controlling my ambush points with Redblade and Cassius securing most of the right one and Natorian the other, although there was room just for my an Aberrant and Acolyte to arrive. Another Aberrant and Acolyte came in from their deployment having. Mining Lasers and Neophytes rushed the Ultramarine and Space Wolf.

Who blasted them to pieces with area effect weapons.

The Librarian was only able to take out one cultist, luckily for him it was the Aberrant

I think I managed to wound Rodricus Grytt but he healed himself while Cassius came forward to offer support, killing the Acolyte and Abberant.

More Cultists arrived but Cassius had joined Redblade to prevent more ambushes from that entrance. In response the section was booby-trapped while my Cultists lurked offboard.

Having spotted the charges Cassius and Redblade were forced out of the ambush point but still managed to kill the two Acolytes nearby. Grytt and Natorian also killed two Acolytes on the other side of the board.

But the Blood Raven had overstretched himself and the two remaining Genestealers managed to find chinks in his armour and bring him low.

With righteous fury at the loss of his brethren Cassius crossed the board taking on 5 Neophytes that had just burst from the depths.

Thanks to a Gambit bringing on more Ambushes there were Cultists coming from everywhere.

But Cassius blasted the five Neophytes apart while Redblade took out two Acolytes.

A further Acolyte bit the dust which gave Liam the win.

As usual we still played out the turn, even though the game was decided and the mangy Space Pup bit the dust for my own satisfaction.

Once again a really fun game, of course it gets better when you have access to the extra models, both deathwatch and Cultists, use the bigger board set ups and have a bigger deck of cards to play with. I really like the game, it feels a lot easier and quicker to play than the likes of Space Hulk and the Broodmind deck offers just the right amount of tactics without being too complex and gamey. I'd love to play out all the missions one day.

Warhammer Underworlds Shadespire Steelhearts Champions - almost there

With the preliminary basing of one Knight out of the way I felt sated enough I could try and move these closer to completion. I did all the obsidian weaponry and highlighted the leather on hilts and kilts.

I also did the obligatory glowing eyes with some dubious results. Then I added some battle-damage to the armour which I was even less pleased about. It doesn't look quite as bad in this picture but I thought it was too harsh and spoiled the prisitine look.

But these guys will have been in Shadespire for eons, brand new armour isn't an option so with one damaged and two undamaged I had a choice - fix the damaged one or push on through with the other two...

And I went for damage, this time with Skavenblight Dinge and used a sponge for more randomness. I think it was the right decision, although the execution was better this time it was still not quite right. however, better to try and fail [slightly] than to take the easy route.

I also added the [other] obligatory verdigris on the armour, some extra highlights and a little white stripe on his cloak.

Now to varnish and they're done!

Imperial Knights - House Corvus Twins in manufactorum pt2. 'the running man'

Got chance to go pick up my Knight legs from Liam, this is what he did for me.

I wanted it in motion, I had quite the mental block that was preventing me from attempting both knight's poses at once and we'd discussed how much he enjoyed the modelling side so I bullied him into doing it for me.

But I'm going to be putting it on a different base so it'll be moving a little bit more 'at pace'.

I think that tread pattern is ribbon cable actually. It's pretty cool anyways.

And the resculpted toe joints.

Here's the base, starting with a section from a Star Wars Ice Planet of Hoth toy that was going in the bin. I screwed it in place.

And tried three different placements. Starting in the bottom left black hole, then the middle left and finally I had to have it standing on the hatch.

Every other position had been unbalanced or almost horizontal! Now I have quite a linear approach to some of these projects. As much as the hobby butterfly flits me from one project to another when I get the urge I must act on it.

Filling out this base filled my thoughts not just over the weekend but I'd been visualising it ever since I passed the parts to Liam. With the bits back the Shadespire painting went backseat. I ripped up some MDF and hot glued it in place to bulk out the base.

I then covered it in tile adhesive/grout [although some of the previous MDF shot look better]. Regardless it adds weight to the base making the cantilever effect much more stable.

I added some crappily placed stones and slate, hopefully the subsequent PVA and sand will help it look better...

And again, in situ. There's a big screw in his front right toe that will be hot glued into the hole I made [and drilled through into my finger - Blood for the Blood G.O.D.!]. Another pin is in the corner of the right foot left toe and it'll just stand on the hatch for a third point of contact,

It's still leaning forward a little too much perhaps. I'll see when I come to glue it on if a slice of slate under the toe might just angle him upwards a few degrees more.

I foresee this being a Gallant perhaps, with the fist and sword running into combat

It should naturally be leaning back a bit more than this once it;s glued in place, but that shim under the tow might make it look more sensible.

And then I have to deal with it's twin.

So with that burst of single-minded effort I'm all tuckered out thinking I have to do it again, but stepping onto this old Ben10 toy...

Imperial Knights - House Corvus Twins in Manufactorum
Parts: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 |