Callidus Assassin

My Callidus Assassin is something that has been based and undercoated for years. It was in among a group of minis I based, probably the Deathwing Knights  [although they were based in 2016!], but never really shared. Anyway, this gal was given to me way back when by PeteB along with some other bits, either in trade or just a gift as he went through a period where he wasn't into 40k anymore. Unfortunately we haven't gamed for a long time, no specific reasons I just think family commitments and game systems changed which is a shame as I really enjoyed our games together. But it was about time I finally painted this given it's only one figure.

This is after Incubi Darkness and Dark Reaper highlights. I'm considering a Waywatcher Green glaze over the top [while Glazes still exist]. It might be a mistake but it's worth a gamble - no regrets!

I don't think I'll add any verdigris to the bronze weaponry, the blade and crystals will be green tinted and the body suit so tru brass will help separate the elements instead of blending them altogether. There's really only a few nights work in this if I just stop thinking about it and just do it!

What GW should do - Sisters of Battle

Oh my, I just found this 'draft' post and as it was originally scheduled for publishing 24th March 2016 it stays on that page, in draft format and never having been published I completely forgot about it. So thought I'd just share it and ironically that first paragraph is now completely redundant! 😂 So now we know it's going to happen and they're keepign us informed on a regular basis I can't help but hope this will be a major success for them and a massive vindication for all Sisters fans.

A lot of my ‘what GW should do posts’ never get published. I’d hit upon an idea, start to write it up, postpone it, focus on hobby and by the time I got back to conveying my ‘expert opinion’ the situation had either resolved, my opinion had miraculously been the right one or it was no longer relevant. So this time I’ve hit upon an article that I can safely spend shedloads of time writing safe in the knowledge GW won’t resolve it before it’s published – release new Sisters of Battle!

Let me just say I have zero interest in them as a faction [good start there Dave] but that doesn’t mean I can’t see how passionate folk are about them, well they’d have to be. For years they’ve been buying metal miniatures at ridiculous cost just to keep their space nuns on the battlefield. These faction fans are more faction fanatics and they deserve their range in plastic. Of course there may be some concern that those who play Sisters won’t invest in new models, they’ve bought they’re armies so won’t need to invest… but I think they will. They’re so starved of attention and the neglect of their faction they’d throw their money at new models.

And let’s not forget new faction players. They’d lap up new models wanting to jump into the next big thing. They did it with AdMech they’d do it for Sisters and you can guarantee that due to the complexity of the models you’d be paying slightly more for them than say 10 Imperial Guard. And if it’s new players you want what about the 50% of the population currently under-represented in the hobby. Yes, girls will identify these, not all - they like to game with male figures too, but there’s a lot more for them to identify with and surely that’s a market worth exploiting exploring. But we all know that guys are into Sisters, for a variety of reasons, but also for just the pure escapism of running a different gender.

How GW can’t see how successful this would be is beyond me. Like I say it’s no loss either way for me but I feel for those whose faction has been woefully neglected and I really can't understand why commercially this isn't a no brainer. When you consider how much interest there was over recent kitbashes using Dreamforge's Valkir plastic kit, delaying is not doing them any favours And to think we've had Genstealer Cultists, Assassins and Harlequins before a proper plastic range for a current faction...?

Terrain is everything - TT Combat Gothic Ruins MDF kit - the inner sanctum.

Now that the Sanctum Imperialis is complete I should probably be putting this ruin kit in that big pile of projects that were fun at the time but really too much to do just at the moment.

Well I thought there was no harm in laying down some brown where the verdigris would go, I'm not even bothering with Warplock Bronze, it just isn't going to be seen. Wasn't sure about the crenalated battlement being coppery...?

I did add a bit of gold into the mix so there was some metallics, not entirely sure I should have bothered with it on the windows - it's just going to be a pain to do but nevermind.

And inside just a quick coat of cream paint.

Ready for the burnt umber next...

...unless I see sense and leave this and go back to something smaller! ;)

Where's my head @?

The Sanctum Imperalis hasn't broken me but I am in a challenging place at the minute hobbywise. My number one goal for this Hobby Season was:

Develop a more healthy hobby/life balance - go to bed at a decent hour[ish], keeping a record might help [although tried it already for 2 months and it didn't]...

And I'm not sure I've got anywhere close to that. Recently though I've at least been able to contemplate the thought 'if I feel tired, then I shouldn't go to the man cave, I should go to bed'. I tend to achieve the first bit but end up sitting watching TV or glued to my phone [now THAT is an addiction!]. I might manage an 11:30pm but that's still not the 10:45pm I could achieve when the realisation initially hits.

My evening is routinely spent watching a TV show with my eldest. Game of Thrones, The Expanse, American Gods, Taskmaster, Alan Partridge amongst others. We watch these ordinarily from 9- 10pm. Except he's revising and busy and often he's now only getting down at 9:30-9:45 which means my hobby time is being compressed. This leaves me with two options - to start painting at 10:30 and risk end up painting later than midnight [I can't seem to leave before then] or not paint at all...

But I've realised that time with my son should be the priority. In less than 18 months he'll be looking to go to university, with his current first choice being Oxford! I know right, super proud if he gets that opportunity. So our nightly TV sessions are time limited and the hobby will be there afterwards.

So I'm currently split 50:50 between wanting to paint and not wanting to paint. Some might suggest I've lost my mojo or motivation but having been there before this feels different. It's more like the situation at Ferrari - Vettel has a priority in 50:50 situations. Meaning, given the choice, I'm currently doing nothing instead of painting. That's not a bad thing, aside from not getting any hobby in, I am vaguely meeting my 'hobby/life balance' criteria so I shouldn't feel guilty about it but after so long persistently active it feels like I should. When you think about the hobby constantly its tough to reconcile not acting on any of those thoughts.

The deadline for the Sanctum was a week earlier than I thought so there was a reason [and pressure] to deliver it, which helped me through this. It wasn't actually the deadline in the end but it did overwhelm any doubts or obstacles so I could just get it done.

But it has left me asking what is my motivation, what do I want to do with my hobby?

I'm left with models that I either have to paint or those I want to paint.

Obviously I have a Hobby Season To Do List that can help marshal my thoughts and offer me a direction but a lot has changed since I wrote that list and I'm left questioning what I'm fundamentally  getting out of my hobby efforts at the moment. That's not to say this questioning would change my priorities but I think I shall definitely be looking to paint what I want to - going with the flow, in the foreseeable future. That said I have to paint that Dark Shroud, so if I get that out of the way it'll be one less thing to worry about.

Frustratingly I know structure, planning and a deadline are always great motivators to help direct my efforts but right now I can't contemplate having that rigidity imposed. I'll paint as and when I want and just see what comes out. I'm hoping I'll be happier with this, even if it's less productive.

Terrain is everything - Sanctum Imperialis - Home stretch

By the time you read this the Sanctum Imperialis will be complete. All the finials have been painted,

as well as the buttons and lanterns.

Buttons and screens have been done internally too.

With just some select Tamiya Clear to be added after varnishing.

I tried to keep the button colour limited to warm colours, just didn't want yet another set of colours, it's already garish.

And, having bust a gut to meet the weekend deadline for the store painting challenge it turned out it is next weekend afterall! Still, having that deadline pushed me to finish so I don't mind.

Now what...?

Dark Angels - Redemptor Dreadnought Big Build - TO DONE!

Building models alwaysfeels like a day job to me but most of my hobby time is at night. I'd got to the point where I needed to do his pose and that had to be the obligatory 'standing on something' that is all the rage. Of course that becomes fiddly, cutting plastic pegs off to allow joints to rotate, trying to old poses in place while poly-cement and super-glue dry, but somehow I managed it.

I have to admit I do like this dreadnought. When it was first revealed I wasn't fussed but having one it seemed churlish not to build it and it's deceptively bulky too. I was easilt convinced it was bigger than my Warglaives, but it's shorter - clearly the extra bulk adds a few inches in height.

To that end I may call him Brother Jacamo. His main weapon is just push fit but the others are glued in - 8 Storm Bolter shots seems the better fit than the Fragstorm

My only issue is the ball of the waist joint is almost out of the socket. Not sure if I need to disguise this somehow, possibly greenstuff ribbed tubing, as if it's a flexible joint, not a ball-joint.

 But my previous suggestion of putting the Ravenwing Relic [rope things] on his back might distract the eye from this and I removed two of the rivets where it was to attach.

And it would fit thusly.

Or more accuratley, unfortunately I've only gone and lost that piece, Now theres one on ebay for £3, all the bits sites are out of stock or a full Ravenwing upgrade sprue is £9 direct from GW... I really don't need to make a decision just yet, perhaps I'll find it.

The plan is to base and undercoat this and then leave it for Dreadtober. I know you're supposed to build and paint throughout the month but it's still a stretch for me just to paint the darn thing so a headstart will give me the best chance of completing it. My Imperial Knights were last years effort, with my hope to finish building them both but due to Oscar's illness I couldn't face the hobby for a good couple of weeks, which is what it took in November to get them 'built'.  Still this is TO DONE!

 I builds it, I gets the badge!

Terrain is everything - Sanctum Imperialis - Slow but grimy

This is becoming somewhat of a saga now. I've got all the stains to do and the shading but staining all these rivets is incredibly tedious and despite it solving my issues with the verdigris my motivation is through the floor - I think I need to do a separate 'where's my head @' post to get that all off my chest/mind

But I persevered and used my Vallejo Sepia wash and as you can see on the left, where I thinned it the wash split exactly like Seraphim Sepia. However, I was washing it again with black so I was not disheartened, in fact the result is great.

I did a fair few panels before I stopped thinning it with water, it's a bit harder to work it into the crevices without but I eventually learned my lesson.

There are a lot of rivets and areas that needed shading.

But the sepia followed by Army Painter Dark Tone managed to bring it all back down to an acceptable level.

The big ruin was a daunting prospect though and it took a fair bit of motivation to tackle all those rivets.

Question: do I paint the scrolls either side of the door like paper, or leave them as carved stone relief?

I desperately want this done, the left hand side needs all the Sepia and black which means there are only fine deatailing to do - wires, rebar, glass FX, buttons and varnishes. It's very close but very much hard work to push it over the line. Just found out this needs to be complete for Friday, as it's the last May weekend and the 'large model' category is due for this month. I had thought it was the next weekend but that's 1st of June. So I need to crack on now!