Mini Painting Update

Hey all, I took a break from the blog for a while, but in that time I have painted a few new things. I finally am getting around to posting them now, so I won't waste anyone's time.

I am working through the box of Reaper minis the old man got me and my sister, and among those are a set of orcs with 4 melee fighters, a bowman, and a champion. Painting these took altogether too much time, with me taking a break of about two months inbetween the first orc and the rest of the unit. I eventually decided to just get things done and batch painted the unit.

After finishing the orcs, I painted Reaper's swamp troll. This model's details were pretty crisp, but I ran into some bubbling in the paint. Im not sure what caused it, so if anyone reading knows, feel free to leave a comment.

After that, I got to paint one of the mantic games elves. I still have another one waiting, so I may put it in the next update. This one I converted to have a shield from a box of vikings.

Speaking of vikings, I painted a bunch of them too. I plan to use these for Ravenfeast and Dragon Rampant. I batch painted these, but like in most of my projects, I get bored halfway through and took a break for three weeks.

That about covers things, aside from dragon or two (which hopefully will get their own post). Until then, stay safe and stay healthy. 

 Happy painting, 

FP01

When Deamons Attack

 Hello folks, back again after a break, this time with a battle report.

This time it was my Salamanders versus the old man’s Khorne deamons. We were playing at 1000 points using the scenario from the 40k rulebook with four objectives on a plus shape in the middle of the board. In order to score points, a player needs to control both objectives on each line of the plus. Players score victory points at the beginning of their turns, and you get extra points for controlling  all of the objectives.

Our armies were fairly standard for our games, with Dad taking his Very Scary Deamon Prince, Skulltaker, a soul grinder, a skull cannon, and a few mobs of Bloodletters, while I had a couple tac squads, a squad of Intercessors, some Devastators, some Eliminators, a Chief Librarian, and Adrax Agatone. Our strategies were pretty standard too, with me planning to hang back and shoot things, while Dad did his infamous "Bloodletter Bomb."

The calm before the storm.

 Turn one went to dad, where he moved up to take objectives with his Bloodletters, and melting a few Marines with a phlegm bombardment from the soul grinder. He then unleashed the dreaded Bloodletter bomb, and dropped a big unit  right in front of my right flank, along with the Deamon Prince and his axe of "No, God make it stop!"

This, combined with about 4 attacks per Bloodletter and a 3d6, rerolling fails charge roll, caused a disappearing act from the Intercessors and a tarpit for the tac squad, Causing my strategy of a unit per objective to go flying out the window. This meant that when my turn came around, I really only had the option to zap things with the devastators and hope for good rolls on my part. I got the Deamon Prince down to four wounds, but by that point my turn was over.

On Dad's turn two, the Soul Grinder and missed its bombardment, Bloodletters took more objectives, and a very unfortunate Agrax  happened to be on the receiving end of the Axe of Holy S***. 

      

One strength 16 hit later...

  By this point, we had to cut the game short due to time constraints and an increasingly apparent steamrolling my Salamanders had received. Final score: Deamons 1, Salamanders 0.

Take this story as a tale of caution, friends. Bubble wrap your units when you can, so a mob of deep striking Bloodletters can't collapse your right flank, along with your entire strategy (also, if you can Thunder Hammer charge a Deamon Prince who has only four wounds left, do so). Happy gaming,

FP01                  

The Tomb of Horrors Awaits...

 Hello all, welcome back to the blog.

Today I'll be showing you all how I painted Acererak, creator of the infamous Tomb of Horrors.  I got the model at the local game store a little while ago, and finally got around to painting it. 

Reference for the paintjob.

To start off with the undercoat, I first covered the whole model with black gesso, then sprayed white primer from above. This makes it so the surfaces towards the top of the model would be brighter than the surfaces on the bottom. This will help reinforce the highlights on the model later. 

Next I put on the basecoats. Black for the robes, purple for the dangly robe pennants, medium green for the face brooch, light green for the skin, gold for the neck decoration, red for the trim, brown for the staff, khaki for the skill and bones, and dark gold for the crown. I then hit the smoke around Acererak with thinned green paint, so the transition from black to white primer could be seen through the green tint. This gives the illusion of the smoke thickening as you get closer to the bottom.

Work in progress.

Next, I painted everything except the smoke and the robes with Agrax Earthshade. This brought out the detail in the model, and added definition to the different materials. 

Third, I added highlights to the model. I added grey to the robes, pinkish purple to the dangly cloth bits, tan to the wood and bones, light green for the brooch, lighter green for the skin, and light gold for the neck and crown. I left the red alone, as it was a small area and was surrounded by dark colours. I then overbrushed the top of the smoke with white, to further reinforce the smoke effect. I painted the base black, painted the eyes red, then called it done. 

The finished product.

 And there we go, Acererak is done, ready to trap the latest adventuring party. I am happy with this model, and I am excited to use it in the future. 

Happy painting,

FP01

Top 5 Guides for New Hobbyists

 Hello folks,

This time around I am going to share my top 5 recommended guides for those just getting into the hobby. These are all videos discussing the very basics of the miniature wargaming hobby, so if you are an experienced hobbyist, these may not be for you. Still, read on, as there may be new knowledge you did not know that could be useful to you.

Please note: these videos are in no particular order, as I think they are all fantastic guides in their own way.

5. Goobertown Hobbies Painting Fundamentals

Great guide for painting, done by the Bob Ross of miniatures.

We are starting with this video by Goobertown Hobbies. In this guide, the viewer is shown how to do the basic techniques of miniature painting in a step-by-step, easily digestible guide. The viewer is shown, using a limited palette of paints, how to paint a set of fantasy miniatures to a nice, tabletop-ready standard.

4. Tabletop Time Complete Guide

Painting with a touch of comedy.

This guide, by Tabletop Time, is a good source of information on how to paint miniatures using the basic GW Intercessors + Paint Set. It shows how even with only a few paints you can make some miniatures to put on the games table. 

3. Black Magic Craft Miniature Basics

Great for the grimdark.

From a terrain maestro to a painting prodigy, this guy has a variety of talents to share. In this video, he shows how to paint a swordsman in a simple scheme with easy techniques. 10/10 would learn from again.

2. Squidar Miniatures - Things I wish I knew

Tips from a master.

This video is great for hobbyists looking to avoid some mistakes or pitfalls that are commonly made by new painters. This video goes in-depth about things you can use, tools you need, and general hobby techniques.

1. Midwinter Minis - Build and Paint Your First Warhammer Models

Step-by-step goodness.

This video is a great step-by-step guide for the entire building and painting process, going into detail about what techniques to do, how you do them, and what you need, using two people's first models as examples. The methods shown in this video are easy, achievable, and produce a good looking model in a simple, quick process.

And there you go! Five videos perfect for beginners to the hobby. These videos, and their related channels, are the perfect places to start for those interested in the miniature wargaming hobby.

Happy painting,

FP01

T5 Orks are a thing now.

You saw the title, folks. Orks are going up a point of toughness. 

   

This may not seem like much, but as stated in this Warhammer Community Article, all greenskins, including grots, are going up a point of toughness.  While this may not seem huge at first, that extra point could cause big waves in your games of Warhammer 40 000. 

First of all is that most infantry weapons will be wounding Orks on 5s. Even boltguns, arguably one of the best base infantry weapons in the game, will be wounding at the same rate as the lasgun, affectionately known as the "flashlight." 

This means that most armies will not have an effective way of combating the 30-strong units of Ork Boyz, outside of heavy weapons, which frankly are not that spread out in units outside of vehicles and a handful of dedicated heavy weapon squads (like Devastators or Dark Reapers). This means that there isn't a good way to avoid a mob of Orks overrunning your midfield objective holders and hacking them away with their -1 AP choppas (That's another new thing. Not too bad for Marines but other armies might be in trouble). 

I think that extra point of toughness makes the Orks of 9th edition much more powerful than they were previously, to the point of brokenness. I am not looking forward to dealing with this sort of thing. Alas, we can only wait and see what GW does with the Orks when their Codex releases.

Happy painting,

FP01

Emplacement Build Guide

 Hello folks, Today I'll be delivering to your eyes an in-depth guide on my emplacements, as promised previously.

These were simple to make, and quick to build. Not including drying time, I think the set of 4 emplacements only took about one hour to make in total. These are an easy way to add to your gaming table or diorama, or to fill out your terrain collection. 

Now, let's get started on the build.

Step 1: Measure and Cut Out Parts.

The cardboard base.

The first thing you need to do is to measure a 5 by 20 centimetre rectangle out of a material of your choice. Cardboard, MDF, and foamcore are all great options. Cut this out, measure 32mm up from one of the long edges, then draw a line running through that point. This will act as a reference for later.

The foamcore wall.

Next, do the same on a piece of foamcore, except make it 1 inch long on the short side. This will allow your average infantry model to see over the wall, but still be in cover. As before, cut this out. Also, if at all possible, use a new blade on your knife for this. If the blade is dull, the foamcore could tear as you cut it.

Step 2: Prepare Foamcore. 

Just add water.

The next step is to peel the paper backing off of both sides of the foamcore. Depending on the brand, you could just peel it off with no extra effort. However, if your foamcore is like mine, the adhesive for the paper will make it hard to peel the paper off. If this is the case, you can simply run the foamcore under hot water so the adhesive weakens and allows you to peel the paper off. 

Texture time.

Next, add texture to both sides of the foamcore. This will add to the concrete wall look. I did this by stabbing at the foam with an old, gunked up, stiff brush, but you could use rocks or a ball of scrunched-up tin foil.

Step 3: Assemble the Parts.

Where to glue the foamcore.

The next step is to glue the two pieces together. Glue the foamcore so that it is in front of the line as shown in the picture. This will make sure there is enough space for a miniature with 32mm base to stand on the space comfortably.

Tile time.

Next, glue some cardstock rectangles to act as tiles for the larger section. These do not need to be perfect, so you can eyeball their size.

After this, add any damage to the wall you want. For mine, I added a hole in the wall, as if it was blown up. If you do this, don't forget to add rebar using paper clips.

Step 4: Basing.

Pointy.

To base the emplacements, start by gluing spikes onto the small side, at an angle pointing outward. These could be made of sprues, toothpicks, cocktail sticks, or really anything long and pointy. Next, use PVA glue to stick small pebbles, sand, and other small stones to the front of the base in a way that hides the spikes' connection to the ground. The aim is to make the spikes look as if they are embedded into the ground, so make sure to cover them in your basing material.

Step 5: Painting.

The paintjob on these is pretty simple, and requires only 4 colours and some gesso.

The first thing you need to do is give the whole emplacement a coat of gesso. Either white or black will work, but in this case I used white. Next, mix up a few shades of grey and coat the wall with a dark grey, hit the tiles and surface underneath them with a medium grey, and paint the spikes with a light grey. Then, mix black and burnt sienna to make a dark brown, and paint the sand and gravel on the front of the piece with it. once everything has dried, stipple the large rocks with medium grey to the point where only a little brown is showing in the recesses. After that is done, coat everything in very thinned black paint. This will go int the recesses and bring out a lot of detail. Lastly, drybrush everything with a very light grey. Oh, and dont forget to paint the rebar with some silver, if you chose to add it to the piece.

The finished emplacement.

And there you go! Now you know how to make easy emplacements for tabletop wargaming. Feel free to create variations and to experiment. These are fairly basic, so there is a lot of room to expand and improve upon the design. Now go and make yourself some terrain!

Happy painting,

FP01

The List

Hello folks,

This post is going to hop onto the low-effort bandwagon and bless you with the most stupendous type of post: a list.

Now, this list will be of a well covered subject, that of my top 5 favourite and top 5 least favourite Warhammer miniatures, current or otherwise. So, lets get on with things.

Number 5 Best: The Emperor's Champion

Knights in SPAAAAACE!

This model exemplifies the fact that older sculpts can still look great in the modern day. At over 20 years old, this sculpt still keeps its heroic silhouette and imposing look, with sharp details and great pose. 

Number 5 Worst: Primaris Invader ATV

Go-cart... in space?

In contrast to the champion, this model... is bad. The technical detail is fine, but honestly, the Invader looks like it would be invading the racetracks of Mario Cart instead of the far future. Also, and call me out if I'm wrong, but I'm pretty sure having a minigun right over your head would not make for good steering conditions. Just saying.

Number 4 Best: Skullgrinder

Add some music from your favourite FPS game here.

Ok, when your model looks like a boss from Doom, you know you are doing something right. This hammer-wielding maniac shows how much the pose affects the quality of a miniature. He is posed mid-charge, swinging his hammer to knock his enemy into next Friday. I would not want to be on this guy's hit list.

Number 4 Worst: Chaos Marauders 

Gotta admit, these guys need an update.

These models... aren't that great. They are old, which means that they are lacking in detail, so they don't look as good as newer models that you could buy instead. Their faces are wonky, the arm connections don't look natural at all, and they are tiny compared to newer miniatures. While not the worst, these guys are pretty bad off.

Number 3 Best: Celestant-Prime

Yes, that is a meteor launching staff.

Remember when I said The Emperor's Champion had a heroic silhouette? Well the Celestant-Prime turns that to 11. Descending from the heavens with wings and a cloak of magical energy, this model makes a presence on the tabletop. 

Number 3 Worst: Varghulf Courtier

The Netflix adaptation of Batman.

This model is bad. It looks like what would happen if you gave a 4 year old a vampire, teddy bear, twigs, and play-dough and left them alone for a few hours. The pose is weird, the face is atrocious,  and he inexplicably has fur, which goes against the design language of his faction. All in all, very, very bad.

Number 2 Best: Be'lakor, The Dark Master

Scary.

If the Celestant-Prime has a heroic silhouette, Be'lakor has one of evil. Standing tall, wings spread, sword out, he exudes menace. There is lots of fine detail, which includes chains, blades, and a fancy sculpted base that adds to the framing of this monster.

Number 2 Worst: Scyla Anfigrimm

And I thought the current version was bad...

I don't think I need to explain this one. This version of Scyla radiates derp energy. No menace at all for what is supposed to be an uncontrollable monster. The guy has buckteeth for pete's sake! This sculpt is sad.

Now for the top two. These are my single most liked and hated miniatures of all the Warhammer ranges. These are, in my only slightly biased opinion, the greatest and worst miniatures in Games Workshop's catalogue. They are...

Number 1 Best: Sassy Nurgling

The cutest plague deamon around.

Yes, this one model is my favourite in all of Games Workshop's ranges. No, you cannot change my mind. If you disagree with my opinion, there is an alternative here.

And finally:

Number 1 Worst: Multi-Melta Servitor

The chap in the back, not the one with a claw.

A face not even a mother could love. Need I say more?

And that concludes my top 5 favourite and least favourite miniatures in the Games Workshop ranges. This was a fun list to make, as finding the silly looking old miniatures, and some hidden gems, was rather enjoyable. However, this list has added a few things to my painting bucket list (read: more things to distract me from my ongoing projects).

Happy painting,

FP01