'nids part 224 - Genestealer Broodlord/Patriarch - Magnetising all your base

Yo, yo, yo, folks, coming outta left field something [almost] completely off list I have a Space Hulk Broodlord that I've been wanting to get painted for a while but given the variety of base sizes and purpose of the model - 40k/Space Hulk/Deathwatch Overkill I wanted to magnetise the base for versatility.

So far I've done my Death Storm Broodlord and Overwatch Patriarch on the bigger oval bases [though I'm not entering into the new base sizes for Carnifex]. However, the oval doesn't work in Overkill and certainly won't in Space Hulk [should I ever have the urge to play it]. So I decided to mount this one on a 40mm round base with magnets and a separate oval base that it can attach to. I also started to build up the surrounding oval with mounting card so it doesn't look quite so 'stuck on'.

I even went to the trouble of filming it, those Magentix magents are just extreme, notice how the sound seems to happen before the magnets snap together - fierce. I probably could have gone with smaller magnets on the base [next time].

I then had some filler handy, which a squeeze started to smooth out the transitions on the mounting card. Post application I realised I'd thought this was tile adhesive, which would have been a better choice perhaps, far more durable.

However this stuff was really easy to smooth into shape. I've since added some more to the top to make the transition to the round base less pronounced. I'll be adding a bit of rubble on top anyway and the remains of the broken pipe from the Broodlord's display base.

I should probably even get some of those new skulls to try and continue his base theme but this has been one of those tasks that has long been in thought only and it took just a little effort to move it forward, five minutes here and there before starting my Deathwatch sessions and I'm then looking at getting it based and primed. This is definitely a model that can be painted between 'real' tasks just to add something familiar, comfortable and end up with a cool model when it's done.

2000pts 'NOT A' battle report - Imperium v Aeldari - Tale of 5 gamers

A week or so before the NWO I got a last minute text by Ben to come and have a game. Somehow the planets had aligned and both he and Otty were on leave at the same time and he'd managed to get Scott and Liam to come down as well and was going to set up a game - 8th for everyone! I didn't quite understand what I was supposed to bring but he insisted on my Dark Angels so I rocked up with around 3,500 points and only had 660 allocated to me which I resolved in the form of my Dark Talon, Imperial Knight and a Techmarine. Ben had some of his Guard and Liam brought in some of his Crimson Fists [I think with Pedro]. On the other side Otty and Scott had some Aeldari - the Wraith Knight and Avatar being of particular concern.

I never intended for this to be a battle report so didn;t take too many pictures but did want to record some of my feelings as the influenced my feelings of 8th going into the NWO. A lot of this has been adressed in the comments from the NWO reports but at the time I'd gone into the game with my own [limited] experiences and initial tournament feedback reporting those who went first had a 75% chance of winning the game. With my loathing of the Alpha Strike [both on the giving and receiving end] it was a mixed blessing that we stole the initiative on the reroll. This allowed my Dark Talon to fly forward and drop it's Stasis Bomb on the Dire Avengers - Mortal Wounds on a 4+... I think 7 died and then Morale killed the rest. I felt pretty crappy about it, usually I play for First Blood, trying to get a unit killed with the likes of Ork Trukks, Rhino's etc. as an easy kill that doesn't make your opponent feel like they've lost the core of their army. Dire Avengers weren;t too big a loss but it still felt mean.

Subsequently the Wraith Knight moved to intercept the Vanguard squad in a Drop Pod and took great exception to my Techmarine,

blasting him into atoms.

in return I managed to recreate the Dawn of War 3 trailer and charged the Imperial Knight at the Eldar equivalent. Against Liam's advice I split his attacks, with I think 3 from the Chainsword and 1 from his stomp. I figured a mix of few but deadly, plus some extra shots with less damage would give me the best odds of killing it outright. I was close leaving the Knight on 1 wound...

The Dark Talon continued to zoom around wreaking havoc.

The Wraith Knight hit back at the Imperial Knight and despite all the damage it had suffered showed just what a beast in combat it could be...

slaying the Imperial Knight before I got to kill it off. I guess Liam was right about using the Chainsword afterall.

I can't remember who won in the end, but the Knight battle symptomatic of my issues leading into NWO in that despite trying to hedge my bets by splitting the attacks I was in fact just being less ruthless. Following the Dark Talon wiping out the Dire Avengeys I spent the remaining game feeling a little dejected.

I know the point of the game is to take out units but Eternal War missions are only 1/6 about killing your opponent, the rest are objectives and being able to win a game by playing the objectives has always been my favourite way to play. I know some see the best way to secure those objectives by removing your opponents army to make things easier but most times you would both be playing the same way.

At this point 8th just felt like you HAVE to take advantage of that Alpha Strike and cripple your opponent otherwise you can be damn sure they'll make you pay for not making the killing blow when you had the chance.

My opinion has changed since then, ironically my last Purge the Alien game with PeteB made me feel a little less dejected - I mean if the whole point is to kill units you feel less bad about it, it's more honest at least. Ultimately this was just five guys playing 8th, some for the first time, getting to know the rules and explore the mechanics. It's still new and firghtening in a way but we'll get there in the end :)

If you're interested in any more of my Battle Reports, point your cogitators here: www.40kaddict.uk/p/battle-reports.html

Deathwatch! - Overkillin'

I've carried some momentum from last season into this season so far, although I wonder in future if I should have some specific down time between seasons? The momentum has been rather sedate and measured, no pressure, just highlighted all the black on the Deathwatch with Incubi Darkness [my new favourite Citadel paint, seriously you should have that in your collection if you want to paint black].

I was getting through the highlights three marines a session [1-1.5hours] which feels slow but it was deliberate and planned that way so at n opoint did it feel tedious. Once I'd done the first highlight I realised I needed to block in all those other colours - chapters, purity seals, bone elements, leather pouches etc.

The amount of times I'd then find a purity seal that was missing it's wax was infuriating. But the process revealed I need to batch all the consistent elements - black and metals etc and then having blocked in all the individual colours can apply shades then complete the black as a batch and then I will do something unique for me and paint each model individually with it's chapter elements through to finishing the bases and varnish, which I'll batch again.

It's going to be quite the challenge, I've found a few other distractions recently that has slowed progress but I'll get my head straight and focus more soon. The original plan was to find a way to speed paint these but I've only ever done that with my Hobbit Goblins so I'll just stick to what I normally do. I also threw in the Deathwing Librarian into the mix [hiding in the back] just because everything else is varied it doesn't seem like a huge stretch to include him as well and conveniently that's 2 items from my To Do List!

I've not ignored the White Scar biker either. I have to say it's the least appealing element of the whole task but I'm pushing through the task.

Just a side view of their silver Deathwatch arms. I did the original test back in March, silver with a Bahama blue wash. I'm going to do a little drybrush or pick out some highlights so it's less blue in places. I may even add some black wash in the darkest recesses as well, just for definition.

So, good progress and something new to look at on the blog.

Experimenting with my light box and a camera

You know I said you wouldn't have to put up with any pictures of completed models for a bit... Well, for various reasons I had access to a newer, better digital camera the other day and thought I'd see what it could do in my light box. It was actually what I went on to use for my Genestelaer Hybrid shots to try and make them look a little bit better than the digital camera I usually use. I think the pictures are better but at this stage I was still fidning my feet. I'm a point and shoot guy so this is it with automatic settings.

Perhaps the white balance needs adjusting as the background is still a little grey

But it's not too bad.

Compare that to what comes out of Camera360 on my phone. Now granted I'm doing a fair bit 'post-production' to get that whiteout behind which is in turn brightening the model as a whole. Possibly if there was a middle ground between the two images...

So I tried my Venomthrope in the box

I'm sure I tried to adjust the colours in Picasa [I don't have Photoshop at home] but it's still a bit dull in the background.

Once again Camera360 brings out the vibrancy.

I think I actually prefer this, it speaks to my high contract, saturated appeal.

Epic Reaver Titan, with the best potential wound scoring mechanism not yet re-discovered by GW to sell new bases

I notice that it's also picking up a little blur/shake on it as well.

Whereas Camera360 manages to be pin sharp which seems a little surprising.

The ProtoTervigon came out OK.

But the real advantage to the Sony is it's zoom capability

Allowing me to get really up-close and personal in all the gory details.

These are definitely better picture than my Panasonic camera, although I should have taken some on the Red Planet background. Anyway, it was worth a play around and sharing the pcitures with you all. Obviously it convinced me enough to photograph the Genestealer Cult with it, it's still a learning experience but they're much improved I think, maybe I can finally get something on the GW website?

'nids part 223 - Genestealer Hybrid Neophytes - Moar shots

The last of my endless parade of finished Genestealer Cultists. I'm actually looking forward to when I can display them alongside the Brood Coven, Aberrants and my original Cultist conversions.

Obviously I mentioned a new Armies on Parade board this year. I'm looking at creating a scene of my Deathwatch [again on the list] holding out against a Cult hoard sweeping through a container yard.

But don;t get your hopes up, there's no major new build here and as much as I would like a load of Armorium Containers I'm hoping to make some out of Foamboard.

In the mean time I have my scratchbuilt fences and future containers to make up the defensive area and hopefully my Ferron Fire Firs will be outside the compound from whence the Cult is emerging.

So the bulk of my efforts will be a new 2' x 2' base and potential backdrop. Then any extra containers and trees I can manage, alongside the Deathwatch marines.

Hopefully that'll be sufficient alongside the Cultists and the 31 Genestealers I've never used on my AoP board [not that anyone at the store will be aware, they'll just assume it's reusing the same army again no doubt].

Hope you enjoyed the pics and I look forward to sharing the Cult as a whole eventually. Now I need some Sentinels...