Deathwing Progress - a little damage here and there

Here's my test terminator with a bit of damage, first peaking through the gloom...

...and here we can see where it went wrong! Like I said previously I've read enough tutorials to know where I should put the damage but for some reason I went with painting it [instead of sponging] on places I could easily get to instead of  where you would realisticaly find it and as such I'm less than convinced.

Really, this just makes him looklike a giraffe

I'm slightly happier with the scratches I did, I'd seen some on another terminator and wanted to see if it worked, it sort of does, although it would have scratched through the Deathwing symbol too, if I'd painted it on that is! I still need to practice this, or forget freehand altogether and go with decals.

There's the other 'chip' on the front that is also OK as battle damage goes but I'm getting the impression this is looking like rust now and that annoys me because of my belief that Ceramite isn't metallic but a ceramic composite.

The power fist also had some scratches. I don't think this is a failure per se but maybe I can rescue this with a bit more in places, but that means running the gauntlet of doing all five with damage and making sure I get all five right whereas to return this to pristine fashion may be an easier job... Saying all that the Crux Terminatus is looking cool. 

And some more battle scars which work OK. What say you folks? Carry on regardless and take it back a step?

Terrain is everything - Dawn of War Plasma Generator part 8

This isn't really an update more of a tease. constantly reinserting the plasma tubes was getting annoying for pics and I kind of wanted a 'reveal' but nevermind I just wanted an opinion regarding glow effects...

Does anyone think it worth me attempting to put some glow on the inside of the uprights or am I best just leaving it as is?

I think I'm best just leaving it as you can see they glow of their own accord a little bit when the light shines on them. I'm best leaving it right?

Gaming night @ my friendly neighbourhood gaming club

OMG, and I use that phrase sparingly, but is that a Strangleweb before me or have you just been very happy to see me? Sorry, I'm getting ahead of myself. So with my new free night it was chance to nip along to my local friendly neighbourhood gaming club. I'd actually been a bit giddy with excitement for the past few days, sad I know but compared to moping about my lost kendo activities I'll take it

I'd been chatting on their forum for a few days, had a 1750pt list to take which is by far the largest I'd ever had. I must pause at this point and admit I may have  been deluding myself for a good few months that my Son's 'nids are just his 'nids. I bought at least half of what he's got, painted it and I'm actually quite interested in them. Meanwhile he's moved onto his Eldar. So in name they're his but I personally see them as a shared resource until I've completed the Dark Angels.

So I arrived about an hour into their schedule, with six tables, three of which running Warmachine, two running 40k and one running Dystopian Wars. The tables were made up of three 4'x2' sheets of MDF, painted a variety of hues [two of which where orange Martian landscapes :) ] and had a significant amount of painted scenery, mainly GW's range of buildings/ruins together with some of the rarer terrain items. Overall I was impressed by the sheer quality of what was on offer and just quite how busy it was.

I had a nice chat with the Chairman of the club, lots to go over and eventually got a game with 'Peteb' who lives in the same town as I do and had already 'offered me out for a fight' on the forum. With time a little short we ditched the 1750 list and I looked for a 1000 pointer and somehow ended up with one of the first lists I ever drew up for my son [slightly amended]

• Tyranid Prime, Lash Whip, Bonesword, Deaathspitters
• 3 Tyranid warriors, 2xDeathspitter, 1 Barbed Strangler
• 22Termagants, with 1 Strangleweb upgrade!
• 10 Genestealers, with 1 Broodlord
• 10 Genestealers
• 10 Gargoyles
• 3 Ripper Swarms with tunnel swarm
• 1 Biovore
• 1 Trygon

Peteb's list involved

• a squad of Strking Scorpians and Exarch,
• 5 Guardians on Bike with Autarch,
• a squad of Harlequins
• A Wave serpent with missile launchers
• A Wraithlord
• A squad of rangers

I won't go into too much depth but first blood went to Peteb with a couple of Genestealers falling foul to missile fire. Overall though my superior numbers were just too much. regardless of the lack of biomorphs to enhance th swarm it was just too many dice in the end that swung it. The non-broodlord stealers took out the jet-bikes with for around half the squad. The other brood was taken down byt the Scorpions but the Trygon ate them all up. The Gargoyles did really well ousting the rangers from their cover and then attempting to use their blinding venom on the Wraithlord - auto wound on 6s!

Standout was the termagants though, they had 5 fatalities but their relentless shooting and eventual close combat with the Harlequins just proved too much and they couldn't dance out of that one. Best of all the Strangleweb was fired and managed to stick one kooky Eldar to the ground, although explaining this weapon proved embarrassing but much fun. The game was conceded with just the Wraithlord, the Wave Serpent and three Rangers.

So in conclusion for the game I was particularly surprised at how effective a bog-standard set of 'nids could be. No biomorphs and they did really well. I guess a gant will die just as easily with toxin sacks and adrenal glands and having 40% more figures makes up for the reduced aggression and killing skills. On the downside  Gargoyles are a frikkin nightmare to move as they keep coming off the flight stands and having so many figures is a real pain in the ass to put away. There were a few times I wistfully looked over at the Warmachine guys with their few dozen figures.

As for the club, I'm really looking forward to going again. Not sure quite when it'll be, definitely in a fortnight maybe next week. I'm also keen to move some of my other projects forward I'm a tad ashamed of the fact I may be co-opting my son's 'nids. I like playing them though but I really should be running my own stuff. I've realised I've reached another empasse though. I need to do some more bits so I've got content for the blog and I need to get back on track with the 'to do list' so I have completed figures. Hopefully this is the kickstart to it, I've something to aim for now!

The objects of my obsession

If you may recall when I 'celebrated' the blogs Birthday and treated it to more sporadic posting and less content [what a gift] I revealed a little about my passions, nay obsessions, nay addictions! Which came in three flavours:

1. www.pitchshifter.com
2. Kendo
3. Games Workshop

And these addictions have come about and chopped and changed for priority over the last 20 or so. Each one having it's time to shine. My favorite band Pitchshifter is still very much under the radar, a new album is in the works but the guys are taking their time as there's no pressure in their lives for it at the moment. Which left me with the other two. GW which I think about an awful lot, even though I'm in that floundering period between completing projects and being inspired to get stuff done. And lastly kendo, the martial art I gave up for nine years only to regret every lost second.

If you reread my post on Hoshi Komi you will get a bit more insight into where I was at with it. For the past five years I've been an active member of Liverpool Kendo Club and due to the usual loss of members etc. I was elevated to the position of Sempai, that's the guy below the Sensei who runs the class, not teaches the class. I was all set to attempt my 3rd Dan this March but due to some changes in the symptoms of one of my persistent injuries I went back to see the consultant.

Long story short [too late] as of last week I had to retire from kendo. Well, retire from being hit at least. It was possibly the hardest thing I've ever had to do but we shall have to move on and with all things the waning of one thing brings about the waxing of another and it appears I now have a free evening a week that I've secured with the good lady wife to indulge my hobby. So, next week I will be sloping off to my local gaming club in Ainsdale, a small village not far from where I live where both my Grandparents and my Great Aunt used to live. Coincidentally the club is held in the same church hall my Grandparents used to attend and my Grandad did the quantity surveying for. Destiny? or the ruinous power exerting their will over my life?

How this will impact the blog I don't know. I'll certainly be more hobby orientated, maybe have tales to tell of the new 'gaming crew' I've joined. Can't say I'm not just a little nervous, it's been a long time since I was 'the new boy at the club' especially when I was essentially 'top dog' at kendo, although my sparring never reflected that, ha, ha! Anyway I'll keep you all updated on my jaunt.

PS, you can see which one is me in the pic right?

Quick and easy sand sieve

The other day I was on Terra Genesis and someone asked if there was an easy way to grade sand. I recalled the solution I came up with back when i first started collecting cheap terrain materials. You don't really need any specialist equipment, other than what you may have in your hobby arsenal - I got a small plastic bottle, similar to the kind you get chewing gum in, I cut a hole in the circular lid and filled it with sand. Then I sandwiched two layers of granny grating inside the lid.

The grating was rotated so that the hole from one is partially obstructed by the next layer. By twisting the layers you can change the gauge of the apperture from fine sand to big particles. Then shake out into a box.

I keep one box with the chunky pieces then pinch and scatter those on my bases so they are 75% covered, then I bury the remaining 25% in whatever I can get. As you can see in the pictures it's missing the second layer but you should be able to see How it's made.

I'm sure any other brand of chewing gum bottle would make do.

Here's an example of how the sand is graded. Clearly the basing helps pick out the variety but it's there in spades!

And more recently:

Anyway, just thought I'd share a quick tip.

Terrain is everything - Dawn of War Plasma Generator part 7.

Have I screwed this up? No, well I don't think so. I think the weathering is great and aside from the lack of green [due to Ferron Proxima fluff] I think I've done a passable version of the rusty yellow I see at Appley Bridge Station, which of course was the challenge. However, I feel it's too pale in places. The age old problem with that colour. I kind of miss the Iyanden Darksun, but then I also like weathering, so which is best? There's only one way to find out - FIGHT! For those who don't know Harry Hill I suspect that's lost on you, nevermind.

Additionally, the choice of white and [soon-to-be] black chevrons feels like a mistake. The shaded red oxide previously was quite a contrast and perhapse worked better. Still the Aquila has come out well thanks to the weathering.

I think perhaps the drybrushing enhances the defects in construction here... at the top

and here... at the bottom, but perhaps because there is more grimes/rust applied I think it's more forgiving to the shoddy masking tape. So for what I have lost i think I've also gained - equilibrium?

Not sure why I have these two nearly identical pics but theres a slight change in lighting that might enhance some detail in construction if you're that anally taking notes. However, the big issue might be that when I come to add the plasma tubes do I make an effort to add a glow effect on this base and on the inside edges of the uprights? Would it be an effect too far? I'm already trying to justify the weathering, will it confuse/detract/ruin the current state. Is it better to just leave it alone and make do - here lies the stumbling block that could stall this project altogether!

Now, at least in this pic you can just make out that the textured folder card is slightly visible in the top right. Not so sure about that bit of masking tape edge though :( It's a choice between capping the entire edge including reinforcement, that looks neat on the edge but scruffy on the side or the alternative, just visible on the right background upright - caping just the foamboard so you're left with a slightly shoddy looking edge but clean finished sides.

Deathwing Progress - they're on Ferron Proxima

Just a little update, but what a difference it makes - Vermillion art acrylic is in place and these are starting to make a bit more sense visually, regardless of any reservations I may have with the actual style and cohesion with the rest of my Dark Angels. Ron at From the Warp discussed the topic of painting bases first. Much like painting faces/eyes on a model they can really set the tone but equally you run the risk of spoiling your efforts by paint catching in the wrong place. It's a difficult choice, maybe we should just be better alround huh? Should we try that?

Still to work on the lenses and the Sergeants skin tone, not so comfortable with my brown paints, the mix isn't very good but we'll get there.

Up next, some battle damage *eek!* I've never done it before and if I cock it up it's going to be a bugger to fix. I saw some Crimson Fists on GW's website that resolved how I would tackle the battle damage. Each chip on their armour was rendered in the darkest shadow colour used on the armour with a highlight. I figure if i follow the same idea I should be OK, fingers crossed...

Let's just say my experiment isn't a huge success...