065 Test Strip

Carried out the first run of paint stripping using Fairy Power Spray today and so far have had interesting results.

My mini choice was some very old metal servitor models that have been recoated at least a couple of times over their life and have had many years for the paint to set!

Here you an see the rather dull and lifeless last paint scheme before they drop into the cleaner

Fairy Power Spray is the first thing I am testing with as I have heard talk of residue and bad smells with dettol and the simple green that is popular in america seems overly expensive.

In the pot

Hard scrub after first 30mins shows some of the top layers going and in areas going through to the original metal. I hoped it would be quicker and easier but I am thinking that a longer soak would help so back in they go...

064 Thoughts on the change in GW Warhammer Fantasy

This one is interesting, while I have not historically been a WFB player nor a great collector of the range, I have always had a place for it in my heart and its always been the thought of massed ranks, row upon row of warriors all jostling in regiments. With that being said I am troubled by what sounds to be a move towards a smaller skirmish style game, I like the Mordheim style warbands which are more like groups of heros or veterans but I think that is a style and a game all to itself and I will really miss the idea of massed regiments.

I guess my like of the style of massed ranked units comes from a passion for Napoleonic period warfare with very obvious organised ranks together with images from the older styling of Roman Legions, Greek Phalanx, 15th century pike blocks and the like.

I would love to see the return of Mordheim style skirmish games, and the great styling of models to go with it but not at the expense of the “main game”.

On a cynical note I also don’t see the point in switching the range to round or oval bases for anything other that a commercial reasoning; cheaper for them to make one type (not much cheaper I would think) but also to have the existing range and people existing models redundant. I can well picture the peer pressure that will be gradually applied on people to change over to round bases and while some will change the bases on their own models the cynic inside me is sure that GW will be hoping that people will be rebuying the models rather than go to the effort.

063 Blanchitsu and Gothic Punk

Just a quick note to say if you haven't already seen much of John Blanche's work then go here .

That is all :-)

062 Status Update

There has not been a great deal of progress of late on the painting and modelling front but I wanted to put into words what I have been thinking and the direction I am heading.

So progress so far, has been going well, slower than I had originally hoped but still good and I am really enjoying getting back into things. The British Line Infantry (30th Regiment) is going slow but I am finding it a great help getting me back in the painting groove and recovering my brush technique. I have never been a master painting but am pleased with what I am managing.

The number of models involved in the 30th and the need to brush prime so many has really pushed me back to thinking of getting an airbrush kit. Its something I looked at when I first got back into painting but had avoided because of the cost for something that I was not sure would have much longevity if I didn’t get back in the painting groove but right now I am thinking the effort of brush priming a lot of models is actually now getting in the way of moving forward so I am thinking I may bring forward the plan for the airbrush and kit. I had been thinking I would add it to my birthday list but that’s still a long way to go!!

I have put on hold my work on the necromancer for no other reason than I am struggling to get clear in my head the route I want to take with his colours. I think I should have switched around the red and black or gone with a brown maybe? Hmmm, I think I may have to just take the plunge and change him on the fly.

I have not moved forward with the Tomb Kings models but am thinking I might like to do some larger marbled bases for them and try a bit of Wappellious styling as a tester for that but I need to get some extra materials in to allow it to happen.

The work station needs some work! I need to get some paint racks or something, at the moment two thirds of my painting space is boxes of bits and seas of paint pots. I could put them all away in draws or other boxes but I need to have them out where I can find them!!

061 30th update

A quick update on the slow progress on the 30th Regiment

Command Group prepped

Trouser undercoats

Planning the drummer boy

060 Dredging the Depths of the Eldar

Once again I have been liberating ancient models from the clutches of my loft and garage and today I am able to bring to you the glory of the Eldar!

These are a mixed batch of models I put together probably between 15 and 20 years ago, gulp!
The most recent of which and probably the paint jobs I am most happy with being the Guardians above.

Farseer and Warlock

Howling Banshees (the originals!)

Fire Dragons and more Banshees

A second painting scheme I tried on the Banshees

Exarchs of the Striking Scorpions and Dark Reapers

A close up on some of the Guardians in a modified Ulthwe paint scheme

Striking Scorpions (originals again)

All the Exarchs!

Classic Dire Avengers

Night sky Swooping Hawks

Now some of these guys are down right awful in terms of their paint jobs but the classic metal casts jsut have something that I dont see in the new plastics so I think some of these will be getting paint stripped and reworked for sure!

059 Assassinorum

Having seen the quality of the new Assassin models I couldn't resist buying the new boxed game Execution Force.

While I don't think I will be worrying over the game too much, although it does look good. I just had to have those new assassins!

The Vindicare

The Culexus

The Calidus

The Eversor

Some of their older brothers and sisters.

058 Production Line

Not much to report on the 30th but I have started all the prep work to really get stuck in.

You can see the mass of heads on spikes and back packs ready to get primed and the ranks of the 30th starting to come into shape.

Have also realised a slight error in my test model in that the edges of his coat should also be trimmed white so I will have to pick that up soon.

057 Aussie Lady Love

I have been soooo lucky to be able to snaffle up some of the Limited Edition sculpts by the amazing Victoria Miniatures.

Both were Limited Editions for events that I had no hope of attending and had long thought I would have no chance of getting them, short of crazy priced Ebay resales.

For those of you that don't know, Victoria Lamb is an Australian sculptor that makes some quite brilliant Imperial Guard alternatives (among lots of other great models!).

She has a range of Cadian equivalents called Arcadians which I was immediately drawn to because the Arcadians were my original fluff for the Guard way back when. They appeared in White Dwarf, a copy I will be tracking down soon, and were based on a Hiveworld Gangers as recruits.

You can see here the Standard Bearer for the Arcadian, with a perfect FEMALE (!!) Guard sculpt.

Next up is the again FEMALE (!!) Tanneberg Officer.

Now I hope you realise my enthusiasm about this models is two fold, first is the fact that they are just damn good models but also the move into the realms of realistic female sculpts, something GW resolutely avoids and most other companies only manage to produce ridiculous over sexualised female models.

056 Distracting Views!

My little stop off in the Fjords of Norway did distract me just a little from my painting but I think when you have a look at some of the pictures here you'll understand why!
Bergen was a lovely town with some amazing views.

The massive bulk of the Britannia parked in Olden, she seems almost at big as the mountains!

The Briksdal Glacier was really beautiful and seemed to be on the verge of an avalanche all the time we were there!

All in all it was a brilliant break and I would happily go to Norway again, its such a beautiful country and the people are so friendly. Its a very low population density and the people take such pride in their country.

055 WD40?

Yeah again the witty title failed this is about WD 135 an early early issue of White Dwarf magazine by Gamesworshop.

Way back in March 1991 White Dwarf and to be honest the whole of GW was a very different beast to it is today.

In this issue we could see modelling guides on how to build a ruined temple, with arches, pillars and altar stone.

Rules and painting and modelling guides for using Ork-Genestealer hybrids.

Vehicle rules, (including a Imperial Guard Jetbike!!) when 40k was still really Rogue Trader.

Roleplay adventures in Marienburg.

And the amazingly good and long lost mail order parts pages!!

054 Its Alive!!!

Hmmmm, ok thats from Frankenstein and this is more a Necromancer but its early hours and I couldn't think of something witty!

Progress snaps on the Necromancer; a little slow and I am bothered about the colours. I tried for something along the lines of the Wight but I am not sure the model suits it. Might have to go darker or dirtier I think.

Still coming to grips with the new GW paints, not really found a boney, fleshy colour I like yet.

053 Lost in the Fjords

Apologies for the break in transmission, an impromptu week or two in the Norwegian fjords slightly denting my painting time!

I will give you an update on that little trip and some modelling progress shortly!