Vets, A Pilot and Some Missiles

Jumping projects again, this time the veterans have seized the table. You might remember these guys from an earlier post, they are the guys who are to jump out of a perfectly good aeroplane into hostile territory, not the job I want to have.

To help achieve their aim of blowing up the biggest thing they can, I have equipped one with a demo-charge, and a third meltagun is on its way. I will be posting a step-by-step on two, and (hopefully) entering the last in this month`s Sheffield Irregulars paint-comp (the theme is gunslinger).

This bloke will most likely be used as an objective, as he is the Valkyrie`s wounded pilot.
He was simple, and I am growing quite fond of him...

All these guys still need rivets and putty, but I have decided to do it all in one go (and include it in the next vets` post).
And because I needed to paint something, here is an armoured sentinel with missile launcher.
Until next time, cheers,
Ricalope.

A Day In The Life of Brainy

There was this field, you see, with all these yummy chocolate eggs about. So Brainy, the alfa tyranid warrior, set about to collect this rich biomass. He brought with him a bunch of gaunts and Frankie.

There was much buzzing amid the swarms as egg collections began. These were obviously left by some sort of large beast of a lagomorph variety.

The aluminium shells proved to resilient for all but the largest nids to pry open, and soon large collections were trailing each squad.

There were some others, out collecting the same eggs. The Scream Walkers were screaming warcries about Easter, confusing the chocolate-frenzied Slaanesh daemons.

Brainy, who arrived some distance away from the rest of the swarm, made the attempt to journey towards them, slaying deamons all the way.

The Scream Walkers had modified their rhino for the occasion which allowed for greater egg transport.

One cunning tactic the Hive Mind thought up was to booby trap the battlefield with fake eggs. The meatballs took a small toll on the enemies, but was most useful at corralling the enemy.

Brainy and his pals had to plow through some heavy resistance.
The Berserkers were happy collecting eggs, until Frankie came along...

As Brainy and his pals were eating some delightful deamonettes, some huge soulgrinder comes along. They desperately attempt to hold out with no way to harm it.

The Slaaneshi side of things.

Frankie did manage to come along and explode the soulgrinder, only Brainy was left from the warrior brood. With enemies on all sides, and the most eggs on the table, it was only a matter of time until they were swamped.

The game we played was a 600 point, three person game. Any model (other than spore mines) was able to grab eggs and all units moved onto the table from a random table edge. The turns were quite simple, with the players who did not go last rolling off to see who would go first or last (with the player who went last going second). We also used the War Without End rule so all non-vehicle, non-monstrous units were put into reserve when they were wiped out.

Good game, Happy Easter,
Ricalope.

Doomy!

Just a small update today regarding everyone's favourite xenos; eldar. The Avatar has had its base done, just awaiting grass.

This squad of Fire Dragons has been hanging around for a while now, finally they are ready for varnishes. I had attempted a smouldering look to their armour which was surprisingly easy to do.

And this is Doomy, the wraithboy. Doomy gets to follow enemy models around, dooming them to a doomy doomness. He also represents the farseer power: doom.

Until the next break in warp storms, be well.
Ricalope.

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.