'nids part 139 - Yet more WiPs, of Venom/Zoan-thropes and Lictors

I managed to break the back of the Chitin highlights and got all the spots done. 

Famine is ready for his Bonewhite now.

    

I also like the way he only has 4 dorsal vents, being shorter than my metal version means this looks like it's baby brother. I'm really looking forward to not using the metal one. It's so top heavy and prone to chipping, this should be much better to use.

Death is also coming along nicely. I went with bone coloured claws on it's Mantis talons. They stand out more than the black ones and echo the Capillary Tower scheme.

I've always had the belief that the high gloss black claws are super hard and the Bonewhite isn't as strong, which is why the Zoanthrope doesn't have any black claws - its so pathetic in combat. The Bonewhite is both flexible and hard utilising some internal fluid to alter it's properties.

Pestilence is on track too.

The problem doing these schemes is you can get to this stage and love it and there's still the intent to add glowy green FX all over those rather bruised and angry looking toxic sacks. Still, I'll have the memories ;)

    

'nids part 138 - Dakkafex goes to 'War'

'War' is getting his jam on. Second highlights done. Spots are next.

As my painting and the Hive Fleet Gorgon scheme has evolved over time the dark blue has got considerably darker, adding the dots will help break up that contrast.

Magentising this really makes a difference. I have so many options now for how he's used.

Spots go on and I pick out the detail on his Stinger Salvo spines.

All ready to start on the Bonewhite, and the hard claws and hooves have been 'blacked up'.

I really like Carnifexes now, even compared to the scale of Tervigons and Tyrgons, the embody so much of the Monstrous Creature spirit and are emminently more posable and dynamic.

Meanwhile his claws and Devourer arms have also progressed. There's actually still a lot to do but it does feel like he's been quick to paint, in fact all 'four Horsemen of the Ferron Apocalypse' have run smoothly since I started in earnest. Once the Bonehwite's in place it's just the special FX - blood, flesh bits and glow FX. They're fun to do and take the model to the next level, looking forward to it.

Tuesday Nights alright for fighting

I had another showdown with PeteB on Tuesday night, again I haven't gone to any lengths to do a battle report. Both time constraints during play and to blog afterwards is preventing that from happening. It was an opportunity to try out one of the Blog Wars 7 missions with our  potential armies. this particular mission is very similar to my totally FREE Ephemeral Scuffle Mission - Knowledge is Power. Three objectives  across the centre of the board and you get a point every player turn you hold one. Additionally no First Blood but a point for annihilating 75% of your opponents force. After our last game where I was very much outmatched I was not hopeful of the outcome, particularly as his Wraithguard, which were nigh unstoppable last time were now in a large unit. Pete got first turn but didn't secure any objectives. In my turn I managed to gain all three and intense firepower and poor armour saved managed to whittle his Wraithguard down to just three

My Hive Tyrant got knocked out of the sky, although he hadn't been wounded by the shooting [that won't happen in 7th!] took a wound falling and was pounced on by a Wraithlord for another 2 wounds, the Hive Tyrant making two in return. I tried desperately to get my Tervigon nearby so it could Psychic Scream the last wound off it but failed my Onslaught roll. Instead Deathleaper joined the melee but couldn't get a single rend in three rounds of combat and was eventually insta-killed after the Flyrant was squished again without providing an answer to the Wraithlord who went on to survive the game and kill the Crushing Claw Tervigon [Pete's MVP I think].

The other Wraithlord managed to kill a squad of Warriors and a Tervigon before he was taken down by a Carnifex, which had just eaten the last of the Wraithguard and his Spirit Seer. That was sweet revenge for being killed by a Wraithlord in our last game. It then went on to kill a jetbike and rout the rest of the squad which ended up exactly on the board edge! Karandras then faced down the Carnifex and despite every special rule under the sun could only put 2 wounds on the Carnie before it ate him too, yes quite a surprise to us. Other elements of note is that Hive Guard really only work in threes and Biovores seem to be more accurate in two's. By the end of the game I'd secured at least 15vps in holding objectives and Pete hadn't managed to get in range of 1! It was a athoroughly one-sided score line but it felt like a close game and although he suffered a lot in my first turn I also had some disastrous results were things just didn't work. I really need to find out what Tervigons can assault. I'm playing them as aggressively as I used to do when I had Warp Speed and Iron Arm and that just isn't working when Wraithlords just slice them up before they even get a look in. No doubt it'll all change in a few weeks anyway.

Additionally PeteB had asked about my son's stockpile of Eldar, what he might want to get rid of and trade for some Dark vengeance bikes. I had a chat with him and he wanted to keep his Prince Yrial and Swooping Hawks but everything else was on the table. So I took all the Guardians, the Dire Avengers he got before they reduced the models in a box by 50%, his three Jetbikes and the Fire Prism. In return I got the three Ravenwing from Dark Vengeance, a Drop Pod and a Land Raider Redeemer. I think we both came out ahppy with the deal, although I probably owe my son something for the Eldar ;) The funny thing is Pete has already undercoated and washed the Dire Avengers.

And the Fire Prism is now a Death Spinner. I'm sad to see the Iyanden colours lost but it's better it's actually used by someone who cares about it and will show it some hobby lovin'. I'm also a little sad that it represents my son's abandonment of the hobby. I hoped it was something we could share together, I only really got back into it for him and although I have a great deal of fun and pleasure it's such a shame it's not something we can share anymore.

Anyway, one last reminder of the good old days:

My Son gaming

Gaming with my son

    

'nids part 137 - Yet more WiPs, of Venom/Zoan-thropes and Lictors

I'm rapidly warming to the idea of these four Tyranids [including the Dakkafex] being referred to as the 'Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse'. Certainly fluff-wise I will write something. The Zoanthrope will be 'Famine', representing the spirit leech power the Doom used to have

The Lictor will be 'Death' for Deathleaper, striking from the shadows without warning, obviously, like death itself.

The Venomthrope will be 'Pestilence', bringing a toxic cloud of disease with it.

And the Dakkafex will be 'War', bigger, stronger and more armoured than his 3 siblings it seemed appropriate [he gets his own blog post as well, he does totalt the pts of all these afterall, so look forward to that]. They'd make a nice Dataslate, perhaps being immune to Instinctive Behaviour when they're within unit coherency range of each other, although not being a unit and not gaining the other benefits of Synapse - Fearless [although the Carnifex gets that anyway].

'nids part 136 - Dakkafex go boom!

About 90 minutes of striation work here. Once again I'm feeling really good about this. Way back when I was more concerned about fading some of these highlights and how dark the washes were so they aren't so harsh but I've not done the spots yet which will make it less 'contrasty'.

I do suddenly have a love of the Carnifex [that reads SO wrong!] the model is great, even if I've totally distorted it's silhouette with the massive Devourers. Stupidly I let an ebay auction slip away for another one. I seller had three Carnifex auctions finishing in the space of five minutes. not one went for more than £7, with postage about £3, you live and learn.

I may magnetize his head, currently this one is attached by the plastic tab at the back of the neck, I'm also painting the Bio-plasma head at the same time [for no particular reason] but wish I had the an Old One Eye on the go too. I have the skull half but I think the normal half was used with the other normal half that eneded up on my Quad Gun...

Some may think he's a little bit front heavy but despite the size of the Fleshborer Hives as Devourers I always imagine them potentially being fleshy, rotting bladders so they wouldn't be that heavy.

So, lots of progress, back onto the Venom/Zoan-thropes and the Lictors next.

    

Dark Angel Librarian progress

June last year may have been my last update on my Dark Angel Librarian but I realised he's another 'quick win' on my 'to do list' and I need a HQ afterall and as he can be upgraded to a Level 2 psyker which makes him both more effective and more costly, when I need to bulk out my points values it was a no brainer to spend some time on him.

The blue I am loving, so much so I kind of wish I was doing Ultramarines. Obviously I couldn't stand the ridicule so that was never going to happen but highlighting my Bahama Blue Craft Acrylic with Turquoise has brought out some really nice highlights. It also ties in the Verdigris...

... which went a bit OTT. In fact it's pretty much made any detail on the bronze pieces indistinguishable. I'm not sure it works and I'm not sure how to fix it.

The other leg is the same and I'm thinking the paint is already a bit too thick to be adding any more.

The shoulder has even more Verdigris on it but the pattern manages to show through redardless. With hindsight I can see I was much more sparing with the Turquoise on my Tactical squad. i rushed this a bit, added some thinned down Dark Angel green first, then the Turquoise so there was altogether too much going on. I also wanted his sword to be turquoise, to try and tie everything together. It's going to get a couple of coats of gloss varnish too to make it stand out.

Ultimately though I can't see me using him too much once my Azrael is finished so it may be worrying for nothing. Note I went all blue, not Dark Angel green shoulder pad. It's already quite busy so I didn't want to add another colour in. I'm not convinced about the red piping on the cloak. I just don't get how other people are able to get so much detail out of it.

    

His Chapter symbol also pretty ropey. I'm not happy about this at all. My local GW manager suggested resculpting it as Maximus armour.

Still some highlights to do but it's very close to being complete. Some better pictures may help clarify my concerns. Like I say I'm not completely happy there are some bits I love and some bits that I think are well below the standard of what the model should be,