2014 HPC: Deathwing Squad Barachiel

So I finished my June commitment for the Hobby Progress Challenge 2014 last night, less than an hour from the deadline. In all fairness, it wasn't a mad rush at the end and more of a controlled landing.

Squad Barachiel deployed amidst some ruins.

I opted for a lighter green to complement the overall lightness of the bone coloured armour. I also wanted to shift the pallet to a lighter register in comparison to the "Green Wing" elements of the army. I also found that the darker green leads to a sort of Christmas theme when combined with the red and bone, which I was eager to avoid. 

The core of the squad of seven are the Terminators from the Dark Vengeance boxed set, minus one which I painted before the HPC started. These miniatures were an absolute please to paint as they are dynamic and full of details that firmly make them Deathwing.

To make up the numbers I also added three terminators from the old Assault on Black Reach boxed set. These figures are incredibly generic and very static. Admittedly I didn't like them much, but I did try and tart them up by hacking off their right pauldrons and replacing them with parts from the Dark Angel Accessory sprue. It came out pretty well in the end, and the picture above shows how I was able to bring a bit of variety to these otherwise uninspiring miniatures. I was particularly chuffed with the second and third company insignia on the shoulders of two of the terminators. 

All in all I am happy with the outcome and am now trying to think what to paint for my July commitment. I have a box of Dark Angel things I need to dig out, and then I shall decide. With the completion of my June commitment, the first half of my HPC is now complete, and I have a 1000 point Zone Mortalis force to show for it, which I am very pleased about. 

June HPC Complete: Deathwing Squad Barachiel

A Photo finish...

Tomorrow, when the sun is up and I am not tired, I will take some better pictures and do a run through of the squad.

Slow progress is still progress

"The Victory of the Five Year Plan is a Strike Against Capitalism"

As I write this post I am mindful of the fact that I haven't really achieved all that much in terms of painting in the last few weeks. Normally this would dishearten me immensely, but given that it is summer time and the weather is fine, I find that most evenings after work I seek out the company of friends rather than little toy troops. 

This week has involved only one evening at the painting desk, the rest of the time I have been out and about, and then straight to bed. As I think on this I am of course a little disappointed, perhaps with Stalinist zeal I should simply raise the targets on the Five Year Plan! Or do I simply let go, and accept that the winter is the campaigning season? 

Ultimately we all have lives, and finding time for those miniatures we so love to paint can often be a challenge. I am perhaps a little wary that I have an HPC target for June, but I remain confident that it will all come together. As for the rest of it, well, I'll paint it when I paint it. How very laissez-faire Graf Brits! Surely this is the road to ruin. Hardly. This is after all a hobby and as such should be an enjoyment and not a chore. Not that it feels that way, mind. 

With all that said, here is a picture of some progress, two completed Deathwing Terminators, part of my June HPC commitment. These figures are a pleasure to paint and the bone white makes a nice change from Dark Green. At the moment I am finishing the Sergeant, then I only have four more to do. I can knock these out at around one a day with minimal effort, so I should get it done on time. 

All Quiet on the Painting Front

This week has been an unmitigated failure in terms of painting. I only managed to get the basecoats onto my Deathwing Terminators, but little else. This has been due to two factors, firstly, I have started a new job which has occupied my thoughts and my time. Secondly, I have been meeting with friends in the evening, friends who I have not seen for some time. So naturally there has been very little done with paint and brush, but hopefully over the weekend I'll be able to get some layers and highlights down and push the Deathwing forward to completion.

Whilst I haven't accomplished much in terms of concrete production, I have been reading my way through the excellent Black Powder ruleset from Warlord games. The tone and spirit of these rules makes me an immediate fan, and, as soon as I am equipped with enough battalions to throw lead at each other I shall be putting these rules to the test.

As it stand I have a battalion of Old Guard Grenadiers, Légère, and Ligne all done, or almost done. Another job for the weekend. They will need a commander of sorts, some cavalry and artillery of course, so I imagine I shall have to order some of those fantastic plastics from the Perry's soon and a few artillery pieces. I'll also need to start thinking about painting my Victrix Austrians soon too.

Well, the rain is falling outside my window, and I hear the faint whisper of the painting desk calling me.

Hobby Progress Challenge 2014: May Complete

So I have dashed across the finish line at the very last moment. Well, not the very last moment, as in reality I have another two days, but the fact is that from 0800 today, I will be on the move and I won't be home until Sunday night, late. I'll be working all day tomorrow and then I'll be in the field playing soldiers for the weekend, and I don't think I can take my models with me.

Behold! The second of my May commitments complete, Interrogator-Chaplain Seraphicus of the Dark Angels. As with most independent characters, I am not satisfied with the job I have done. However, the purpose of the HPC is to get models painted and on the table. There are still some highlights to do and the golds and smoke will need more attention, but I can always swing around later and do some more touch ups and a little static grass. That said, I would be happy to put this figure on the table and call it painted.

My commitment for June will be a Squad Barachiel, Deathwing terminators, to take my Zone Mortalis force up to 1015 points and complete the first half of the HPC. Depending on when I can wangle some time away from H, I will be looking to head across the Severn to Cardiff to take the field with my newly painted Dark Angels against the Dark Pact boys. Hopefully I will be able to crush the xenos forces of Eldar, Orks and Tyranids that are likely to be arrayed against me. It all becomes rather exciting when you might actually get a game in.

I realise that I have been a little quiet on the blogging front of late, this has largely been due to being horrendously busy trying to find work. I have managed to land an interesting opportunity with a small startup company, which begins Monday. Hopefully a solid income and the regularity of a working day will give me the time and structure I need to start blogging again. At the moment my every hobby minute has been spent painting miniatures. The upside is that I should have more to share in the coming weeks.

Update: Back in Britain & YouTube upload: Perry French Infantry

So, I have now been back in the United Kingdom for almost two weeks, and what a couple of weeks it has been. Order number one has been finding work, which I have set about with gusto. A few interviews have already been had, and more are scheduled for the next week. The hope is to find a job with long term prospects that I am likely to enjoy, so not too much to ask for. In the meantime, I have been doing some temporary work in retail logistics, my old haunt. However, besides the impediment of money and obviously the uncertainty of my future I have set up the old wargaming space again, ready to pick up where I left off.

A lot has happened since January when I made the move to Australia, and now that I am back and reunited with my legions of little toy soldiers I can actually act upon some of those changes. Foremost is the release of the new Dwarf army book for Warhammer Fantasy Battles. Those dwarfs that have been featured on the blog will now finally have the ability to take the field once I get my paws on the new book, and with a new book comes a reason to actually try and get more dwarfs done.

Since I got back I also dug out a box of Perry French Line Infantry and have made a YouTube video running through the box contents and sharing my thoughts on the quality and uses of the box. You can watch the video below.

Finally, my HPC 2014 has not been forgotten, I am almost done with my Chaplain Seraphicus figure. My hope is to get him done by the end of the bank holiday weekend, and started on my Deathwing Terminators, which will be my June commitment and round out my 1000 point Zone Mortalis force. The little patter of rain drops on my window reminds me that there is nought else to do today but paint, O miseri me!

Warmachine: First Impressions

So I bought my Warmachine starter box in February, and here we are at the start of May and I haven't really said much about it. I have yet to play a game, but since I have a deep aversion to playing with unpainted miniatures, that first game is still a way off. I began by painting High Exemplar Kreoss who was featured on the blog a while back, largely because he looked more imposing and interesting than Kommander Sorscha. I am happy with what I achieved, but as I intimated in my earlier post, I am finding working with restic a little irritating and I find it a little disappointing that Privateer Press would stoop to using such a nasty material. 

However, I suppose that these are starter set figures, so I will hold off further judgement on the quality of Privateer Press until I pick up some other stuff from blisters and other boxed sets. My point stands though, with Games Workshop the beginner is treated to lovely miniatures, such as the Dark Vengeance boxed set; contrasted with the offerings for Warmachine I would say that Games Workshop wins this round. I have almost finished my first Warjack, a Crusader. I find that most of the Warjacks look the same to me, so I need the cards to help me differentiate between them. Once I become more familiar with the game I am sure that I will remember what is what. 

In addition to trying to get the feel of Warmachine in a tactile fashion, I have also read the rulebook. Again, I am disappointed in my $100 starter set. I have flicked through the rulebook several times, but not that much, and already the central sheets of the booklet have come loose. What a shame. I have never had this happen to me before and I am shocked and appalled! Well, not really, just disappointed. Again Privateer Press aren't putting their best foot forward. Given that for most people a starter set is the "gateway drug" into a miniatures game, the combination of restic miniatures with odd flash and strange sprue joins, and a rulebook that collapses in your hands, this is a major misstep for Privateer Press. I know that the wider wargaming community criticises Games Workshop for many things, including pricing and their shop floor manner, but the one thing that they really get is how to sell a game system with a single box. I remember getting into Fantasy and 40k via the starter sets in 6th and 3rd Editions respectively, in the end I didn't play any of the factions in either set, but the rulebook and the contents of the boxes got me hooked on a world which I love visiting time and again. With Warmachine I simply don't get the same feeling of excitement at discovering a new world, the Iron Kingdoms is just a little dry.

I get the feeling that Warmachine was designed first and foremost as a game, and then someone decided to bolt on some background story. This is of course a gross simplification, but I get the sense that the "fluff" of Warmachine is entirely secondary. That said, I have been watching loads of battle reports and introductory games on YouTube, and the actual ruleset seems water tight and elegant. So inasmuch as I don't care much for the setting, I am actually intrigued by the mechanics of the game. I will however have to hold off final judgement until I have had a chance to play with my toy soldiers. 

In the meantime, I am preparing for my imminent return to the UK on the 14th of May. I am looking forward to being reunited with H, and my dogs. Furthermore, I'll have my wargaming infrastructure around me so that I can hopefully produce some better YouTube content and take some decent pictures.