Warp Wednesday Twelve: The Tools of Change

Happy Warpday, today I would like to talk about tools. First off, the "Big Clippy-Grabby Things". Clippers, for clipping. Pliers for grabbing. And the multi-tool mostly for its big file, sawblade and bottle opener.

Ahh, wires. Paperclips (regular sized) get used for pinning things together, sometimes I will have a couple large ones lying around (not right now it seems). Flower wire (the green spool) is awesome for using as wires, it is covered with a plastic coating so it glues really well. Guitar wire comes in handy all over the place these days, these ones are the wrapped copper kind, the not-wrapped strings I will use in the near futer to make razor wire.

The Brushes, (also known as "The Nosehair Mafia"). From left to right; Big (craft), Flat (craft), Standard (GW), Small (GW), Detail (GW cut down), Stipple (GW cut down lots), Big Dry (GW ruined). The bracket thing is about where they came from...they are an odd bunch. Usually, a standard brush (from GW) will get worn down until it becomes a Small, the Small becomes the Detail, and a new Standard is found. One such Standard became Stipple as a result of a scissor accident.

Cutting stuff consists of the exacto-blade and its friends. The pin vice has been the most useful purchase I have ever made in the hobby. (It is the stability of models and drilled out barrels that does it for me!) And never least, the Sacred Half-Round, for all my fine filing needs.

These are the sculpting tools I use. The pen makes perfect circular holes, while the pencil (with its hollow tip) stamps out dials and pustules really well. Pick and Sculptey (center) are used for almost all other putty uses, and my finger.

Lastly to be viewed is the sculpting box (Sculpty and his friends do not live here). I keep my putty in a container, and that container is kept under the toolkit (away from sun, heat and rabbits) to keep it (and rabbits) safe. Included with the two types of putty are the molds I use (olive oil makes great release) and a ziplock bag. I know what you are thinking, green stuff and a ziplock bag....together they make great coats and other smooth areas free of fingerprints!

Not pictured are the Hot Tools (which are kept in an Immolator box), the hot wire cutter and hot glue gun. These are usually banished to a shelf unless I make terrain...
Speaking of which, next weekend (not this one) I am hosting a terrain making evening/day...pics will be posted!

May the Omnissiah guide your day,
Ricalope, LoC.

Big Heads, a Radio, and Wakka Wakka Wakka

Greetings from the Rabbit Hole. The Imperial Guard seem to be holding the project table at the moment.

Almost ready to prime the last five psykers for my choir, they only need rivets, buttons and sand.

The 609th's command squad was in need of some punch, so a master of ordinance was thrown together. Most of the bitz are from the apocalypse vehicle sprue, cadian command, tank accessories and a dose of putty.

He also needs some buttons.

And finally, three more sentinels for my recon division. They were assembled in a day, and painted within the week. They are the fourth recon squadron, (the second sentinel squadron).

I have two more squadrons of sentinels planned, although they will be modeled as drop sentinels with flamers and missile launchers.

Back to chopping plastic with me, thanks for looking,
Ricalope, SL.

A Hydra Platform (Part Two)

The Hydra platform is complete and ready for primer. I was surprised about how easy it was to assemble, I will definitely make more weapon platforms like this.

The entire model, not including bitz, cost $5 (Canadian). Being scratch-built and defensive, it will become part of my PDF force, and most likely be seen near the fortress.

That's it for now,
Ricalope, SL.

A Hydra Platform (Part One)

Got some more styrene today, so I started to build a hydra platform. i always liked the concept of anti-aircraft guns, so here is the first of what might be a few.

The platform and turret took about 6 hours to plan and build to this point. It still needs lots of rivets, some more support under the feet, and possibly some more details.

The entire thing was made from styrene tubes and plasticard stolen from work.

The turret might be a bit blocky, I might make the medusa turret with more angles...we shall see.

Until next time,
Ricalope, SL.

Frankie, the Slaughterfex

Frankie is very mad, he was put on hold while I built a daemon-engine and started some Imperial projects.

Such is his size and ferocity he roamed the project table, collecting bits of putty, until he became finished. Well building at least...

It will be interesting to see how he does, a pure close combat beast. Tony, a gunfex that is yet to be made, will be backing him up on the field (well that is my pre-codex plan).

Yup, he is big and covered in pox.
Doesn't he just say "hug me"?

Well, that is it for now. Next up are more termagaunts...

Speaking of gaunts, I noticed twelve-bug boxes of termagaunts and hormagaunts sold separately in GW today, I approve.

Thanks for looking, and as always, be well,
Ricalope, SL.

An Ambulatory Update

Ambulatory: "Ambulatory care is any medical care delivered on an outpatient basis. Many medical conditions do not require hospital admission and can be managed without ..." Now you learned something, on with the post!
The ambulance now has an operation table and auto-surgeon, complete with drain. Soon I will put a vent or tube underneath to void fluids. And I did a round of gap filling.

I assembled the medical assistants as standard guard with lots of pouches and bags, as they are there to carry supplies for the docs. I used small pieces of plasticard to prevent "quicksand", I must thank Ron again for this easy and effective method. This method also works well when using textured plasticard on the bases so they don't stand on funny angles!

And I started work on the doctors, finished two and the other needs his apron finished and some arms. My favorite is the doctor with the bone-saw, he gives me the impression that he just screwed up (remember; read instructions first!)

Finally, I started the other five psykers of my battle choir. They need their heads filed down, and a lot more, but I thought I would show you anyways. I am hoping to have a full unit by GottaCon, but that depends on the winds of fate.

Just a quick post today, (now if I can stop browsing blogs I might get some more work done).

Be Well,
Ricalope, SL.

Warp Wednesday Eleven: "Because they look cool" IS a reason!

What the???...Hey its Wednesday! The denizens of the void say hello.

This week I would like to talk about units that get called bad names like "useless" and "dumb". This might turn into a rant...

Meet the rough riders, my exhibit "A". These poor sods have never lived through a whole game, they get pasted usually on the first turn, (it is possible I am not using them right,) but they have been called bad names in the past (a "waste of points", cruelty!) Why do I use them?

I use rough riders because they look cool. Guys on horses charging alongside armor is cool. So what if their rules are not cool, it happens. The politically correct term is "finesse", this is often applied to eldar units like swooping hawks, and I can see why, they take different tactics to use. Sometimes these units, hardly seen on competitive tables, is feared because they are unknown ("honestly! They die like guardsmen!) It is sad really.

What is worse than the name calling and the massed direct fire is that these units get ignored often for the sake of winning. Don't get me wrong, I like to win, but I am just trying to have fun playing a game of toy soldiers in the end.

These rough riders (not the mounted Inquisitor, sadly) are part of my Imperial Guard and Daemonhunter tournament armies. "Because they look cool" is a valid reason to convert and field strange and unique units.

And if they die every game, just make a second unit ;)

Be Well,
Ricalope, SL.

She Looks Good...

Hello, we meet again, how nice. Samalander has been busy painting Lilith. I think she is turning out nicely. I thought you would all like to take a look: The Evolution of Lilith.

Well, back to...stuff.
Ricalope, SL.

100 Drunk Guardsmen

The Beer Wagon was pulled out from the depths of the Rabbit Hole the other day. It was had collected the prerequisite layer of dust months ago.

Constructed from plasicard , a big beer can, and a scattering of bitz, this model might be used as a stratagem.

We have a house rule here, about putting your stratagems on trailers. A trailer will give it's bonus to a single vehicle within 6". Trailers are also armor 10 all around, ignore "stunned" and "shaken" results, and are able to be moved by any non-walker vehicle. What do you think?

The Beer Wagon itself will be a special stratagem. If the Beer Wagon is destroyed, all units within 2d6" must make a pinning test, for the remainder of the game all units gain hatred (re-rolls to hit in close combat) against the unit which destroyed it. If the Beer Wagon is intact at the end of the game, the controlling player wins in the case of a draw.

That covers it for now.

Ricalope, SL.

Warp Wednesday Ten: Purple is the New Black

Yes! Purple!!

Well, I do like purple, but not as much as I am letting on...

My Sisters of Battle, known as the Daughters of Odin, are a very celebrated and heavy army. And they love purple!

There are a couple of purples out there in the GW world of paints. Oldest, and featured on my SoB's, is Lich highlighted up to Warlock. I find that at least one mix has to be made, if not two, to get a smooth transition.

This type of purple is the current reason I have a grudge with GW, they stopped making the basecoat for it; Midnight Blue. The weird, slightly purple tone in Midnight sets the base for Lich perfectly , and they took it away!

Ok, so they took my paint away, I will have to just mix a pot....but I can still pout if I want to.

Other than purple, you might see a bit of turquoise. As the army grew I found out that the colors I used on my SoB's glows on the table, proof that they are holy.

The turquoise is done by basecoating with Snot Green, highlighting with Hawk Turquoise, then picking out details with Ice Blue.

Thse girls, who ride in a modified redeemer, wear a bluish-white. This is Ultrasmurf Blue, Smurf Wolf Grey and Skull White, it is also holy.

As for the big rules violation that transports my palatine and her celestians, the redeemer. First off; my codex is old, pre-redeemer old. Second; it is named a redeemer... Third; "By the Authority of the Immortal Emperor of Mankind..." (more of a fluff quote than rule). And fourth; I pay an extra 50 points to field it, only as an HQ transport.

Most importantly, as with any non-codex unit or vehicle: I inform my opponent. If my opponent has anything to say about it, such as payload, points cost, force org, etc, we talk and agree. I would not bring such a thing to a tournament.

For the cases against doing things like this, I present the opportunist gamer. The gamer who has an eye fixed to winning each game and exploiting the rules in their favor. When an opponent is presented with an army such as SoB's with a marine vehicle for no good reason (other than it kills stuff good), I object. If that rule violation was backed up by fluff, a like element (such as a squad of marines), or converted to become part of the force, I will gladly agree.

Especially if they have the rules and are paying a few extra points...

Happy Warpday...I must cut more plastic now, be well.

Ricalope, SL.