Green Eggs, Hold the Ham...

Here is the freshly slimed egg farm, just another reason to love Easter! (And chocolate, and the bunnies...)

My first Cryx helljack, a Leviathan, is standing. I look forward to painting this monstrosity of necromancy and iron. The legs were a bit tricky, but ensuring that all the pieces are pinned has made it mostly stable, and it doesn't tip!

There is a Seether on order, along with a couple other treats, by that time the Leviathan should have it`s name and a coat of paint (or dust).

Along with the egg farm, I threw some paint at this interesting piece, which was built by one of my regular players. No, the other three pieces from the last egg-post are not even primed yet, although that might happen today....

There are now four steamzombies pestering the other minis in the house (I am at this moment spreading them around the shelves, obviously, with my mind as I am typing).

A top-veiw, just to show how many egg-spore-patches $10 can buy, with a couple extras.
Cheers!
Ricalope.

Sorry About the Silence

This time of year is about bunnies, and eggs! I got some dollar-store eggs and sculpting clay and began making some bug terrain. I glued egg halves to the bases, made "snakes" of clam out of clay and pushed them on, poking holes here and there.

In addition I decided to assemble my chapel (from the Shrine of the Aquilla) and two more pieces of industrial terrain.

"Platformer" bitz, a scale rail water towers and a couple extra bitz from the bastion kits, make them small and simple, but still provide cover.

But what has been taking up the most of my hobby time is this little fellow. For those of you who do not know, he is a Cryxian scrap thrall. Usually the hardest step for me is figuring out a colour scheme for an army. The pic is a little crappy, but you get the idea, what do you think?

Sorry about the last of posts this week, but the internet guys found out I am a pirate...arrgh!

Ricalope.

Stabbed in the Paint Pots

I went down to my local hobby store the other day as I am wont to do, and was informed that it would soon be operated by a single employee. Apart from only being open five days a week, this will effectively kill any usefulness the store brings to the hobby.

My local Games Workshop is now useless.

I beg to ask; how can a single staff (regardless of shirt color) sell product, give hobby and game advice, run their "Academy" program, have lunch, control unsupervised-game-store-kid, host game nights, and introduce people into the hobby? Simple: it becomes a space marine vending machine.

I used to wear the Red Shirt, and it was one of the most enjoyable jobs I have had, but I would not want to wear one now. This hobby is not something that your average person needs, it is expensive, both in time and money, and is not essential or "one of a kind". It takes some persuasion, cool looking models and intro-games to win over most of the potential hobbyists out there. A big part of the value was the assistance the staff was willing to provide, without that this game feels more expensive.

Over the last while we have all weathered the price increases, almost as a necessary evil. Then they *&$#ed the Bitz Order, and I am still angry about that. And now they nerf my hobby store!? W T F

Cryx...I picked up Warmachine Prime in a fit of anger, and dedicated all of my Cryx models back to the Dragonfather's dominion. I will raise The Legion of The Unkind and lay waste to those who oppose me, machine or beast.

Don't get me wrong, I will still play/paint/model Warhammer and 40k, I do love the armies I have (and there are many models to finish yet). But I will no-longer support the store (until the issue is resolved). I will instead be ordering from other manufactures and from the online store. >:p

Well that was my rant, turquiose undead?
Ricalope.

A Day In The Life Of: I'mmortal

One of my wraithlords is named I'mmortal, (pictured above), here he is awaiting battle chillin with his homies.

He deploys in the center of the line with the guardians. We are playing an Implacable Advance, with space marines playing as the necrons. He is supported on either side by Dire Avengers in a wave serpent and Shining Spears.

He advances along with the guardians towards the center objective, unconcerned by the roving squads of marines, terminators and scouts. He had spotted the enemy's dreadnought and decided to make it his target.

Three rounds of firing a brightlance and a missile launcher resulted in nothing, so I'mmortal assaulted it. Without a sound he smashed the dread's arm off.

Unfortuantely, the dreadnought caused three wounds to him, so he sat out the rest of the game with the other dead. The dreadnought was blown up the next turn and the game was eventually won on turn seven.

Over on a secluded corner of the board, Ayahuasca and his Striking Scorpions slowly crept up to the devastators who were pouring heavy fire into them. Once in assault, it took four rounds of combat to kill all the marines, Sgt. Savage dying last under diamond bladed chainsaws. Ayahuasca then proceeded to spend two turns striking a pose on the hill (as there was nothing else around).

This was the first of the Battle Missions I was able to play, so far I like this expansion and it was well worth picking up. Also, I have decided to change my battle-report fomat to be "A Day In The Life Of..." which will follow a unit from the very beginning to it's doom.
Thanks for looking,Ricalope.

Fester: Birth of a Tyrant

Hive Tyrant

Plague Serpent

Abomination

Rot Father

Infectis Primaris

Isha's Torment

Uncle Fester

The Swarm So Far

While building Fester I was able to work on a couple of smaller projects at the same time. Any of you who have seen my "in progress" table will know that I have a habit of having a model (or group) "on the build" and "getting painted". [Although often I embark upon a one or two day obsession, which usually consists of a single project and a really messy floor.]

On the list of things finished under the watchful eye of Fester are; nifty hills, 6 meatballs, 5 termagaunts and 4 more wound markers, all of which are in these pictures (funny that...) The hills were a Saturday project which took about 5 hours total, there are five in total (with two bigger ones on the way). The lines in the hills were made by pressing down on the styrofoam with a metal ruler until it was indented up to the cork. With some controlled melting and a bit of drybrushing, I declare them "nifty hills".

Of the meatballs, they were so easy I am not worried that I still have 12 more to do. The feeler tentacles are made from guitar wire, and some putty was added to the tops (and yes they are spore mines...I just like meatballs better.) The wound markers are simply unused guns glued to bases, the devourers are a single wound, stranglers two, and venom cannons three each. Basically, they get taller as they count for more wounds, this way I won't have as many wound markers as I have gaunts.

Well, Fester is demanding arms, and The Avatar wants his sand painted, I better go.
Be well,
Ricalope.

Fester: Continued...

Fester is becoming quite the little tyrant, eh?

Sitting atop my hobby table, he has scared away all the other projects and has taken more and more of my attention.

After he receives his arms, which still need a round of putty, he will be ready for priming.

He is the largest space-bug I have ever assembled, and will likely be maddening to paint.

I wasn't able to get a good shot of his throat-hole (with which he devours greatly) sculpted on his throat (hopefully next time).

And, with a picture of his abdomen, I leave you.

Be well,
Ricalope.

Fester's Face and Meatballs

*Squiggle*

Meatballs, the droppings of the Flying Spaghetti Monster!
Ricalope.

Works in Progress: Fester and The Avatar

Fester...

...is creeping along...

...very...

...slowly.

Meanwhile, The Avatar of Craftworld Apseraph is ready for basing. Most if him is an Anima model I was lucky to find at Skyhaven Games.

I doubt that this a bloody-handed avatar, most likely an incarnation of the Laughing God (or better, Ynnead).

The Avatar is a vessel for the purest feelings of anger and rage for the eldar of Apseraph. It is chosen from the myriad of warrior-statues grown from the wraithbone of the craftworld's core. The warrior-statues grow into maturity while collecting and controlling emotions of anger.

In times of war, a farseer will use a collection of spirit-stones from the aspect houses to awaken The Avatar. It is a sorcery much akin to that used upon wraithguard and wraithlords, except that the stones used are consumed by the centuries of hate stored within The Avatar.

And I think it is a neat model.

Cheers!
Ricalope.