Friday, September 25, 2009

More Pics of my Eldar

Here is some more pics of my Craftworld: Mal-Akhi Eldar. For my color scheme I tried to go with earth tones, like a wood elves in space kind of thing. Some of the common themes are, No steel/metal what so ever, all of their stuff is wraithbone. I also used a marble type finish on some of the tech (ships, weapons, jump packs, parts of the Avatar). Yellowish Orange is used to represent Fire / Power / Status,  their alien version of Leather comes in red.

























Monday, September 21, 2009

Where's Ragnar?






Prior to reading this book I never had much interest in Space Wolves. Not for lack of respect or a dislike of them mind you. For the most part because one of my best friends has a Space Wolves army. So in my circle of friends / gamers, that Army is "taken". The other reason being, I normally prefer to create my own 40k fluff & designs for my armies. But then I read the greatness of William Kings books (Whom I always loved for the Gotrek novels). The completion of the Omnibus coincided with the timing of all the new Space wolves rumors. From that point on I was hooked. Modeling and painting the Sons of Russ is on the top of my list now. Which brings me to the topic of this note. Where's Ragnar? I was very surprised that a new model isn't coming out for Ragnar. The old model is very dated looking. I really want to model Ragnar and other main characters from his pack in the books. I hope they come out with a new model for the second wave of mini's , but in the meantime, I think my first project will be to model one after the painting above.




FOR RUSS AND THE ALL FATHER!

Sunday, September 20, 2009

Dipping Orks / Quick table top quality Horde force


So for my Orks, I'm not going to spend 8 hours apiece on the troops. Especialy when the units are 20-30 strong. I want to get them painted quickly, but have them look nice on the table top. I've been using some products form Army Painter, that I think really turn out well, and save a TON of time. In just a few steps you will have a completed unit. So on to it.....

I do this "assemply line" style, painting  a whole unit at a time.

Once assembled I glue citidel modeling sand on the base, then spray the models with Army painter Greenskin Primer. The beauty of the colored primer, is killing the primer and skin base color with one stone. (giant time saver).


  • A thing to note: I'm note going to be doing a lot of highlights with these models, so for the most part use bright colors so once the army painter dip is applied they will not be too dark. 
  • Before I get to the rest of the base colors I run a very quick drybrush of goblin green to all of the skin areas.




  • For all of the base colors, I thin the paints down quite a bit so the paint goes on thin and quickly!
  • First thing I base coat is the base. I use adeptus battlegray for a blasted wasteland look in the final product. 
  • Ultramaines blue for the pants. Skull white for the shirt (My color scheme is blue jeans and wife beater), Boltgun Metal for all the metal parts, Chaos Black for all the straps/boots/leather (matches the Warbikers black leather jackets)
  • Finally hit the teeth and claws with Bleached Bone, and stiching with tausept ochre.
  • If these were regular troops, the basecoat would be done, but since for this example I'm painting my converted tank busta's, I hit the fins of the rokkits with mecharite red. 


That didn't take long at all. The unit is now ready for the Army painter quick shade medium dip.




  • Be sure to follow the directions on Army painters web site, You need to really shake the excess off otherwhise excess will pool on elbows, bottoms of gun/ axe handles etc. 
  • Now you wait! once dipped they need to dry about 24 hours or more
  • While I'm waiting for one unit to dry I'll start basecoating another unit. or work on another project all together. 
Once dry you just need to hit the eyes with Blood red if desired, and paint the bottom of the base with Graveyard earth. Add burnt grass to the base and spray with matt spray.

For the Nob, I'll add a few small details to make him stand out. Some checkerboard, smiley on the rokkit.


Ork Tank Busta Unit complete!

Below are a few more examples using this exact same tecnique.

These guys are from my Chaos Space Marine legion, "The Eye's of Doom!". The only thing I added after diping was scorpion green highlight to the tubes, freehand eyeball and power sword highlights.

Friday, September 18, 2009

Versetality and Bargain of the Black reach Box set

I love the Black reach box set so much. I bought 2 of them and a buddy gave me his Orks. With all these mini's and a little plastic card, greenstuff and a few bits I have managed to put together 2 full units of 20 boyz -with Nob upgrades(photo in previous post), A unit of 10 'Ard Boyz (space marine pads for extra armor), and 7 Tank Busta's (plastic card/dowel rokkits). On top of that I have used one set of Space Marines for my Chapter of Space Marines (Space knights: also pictured in previous post), and the other set I plan on converting to Space Wolves with all the extra bits from the new plastic kits!

Ard Boyz (CSM shoulder pads, big shoota converted to Rokkit, Nob w/power klaw and boss pole), Primered with "Army Painter" greenskin colored primer.


Tank Busta's (Rokkit's, and Rokkit hammers made with plastic dowel & pastic card fins, Nob w/Power Klaw and Rokkit).  Primered with "Army Painter" greenskin colored primer.

Tuesday, September 15, 2009

Orks - Flaming Skulls Clan

I used "Army Painter" Medium dip all of these orks, Added a few highlights on the Nob bikers.
Flaming Skulls- Boyz

Note the "Flaming Skull" Boss pole on this Nob
Warbikers
Warbiker Nob with Combi weapon

Ork Nobz

Here's a bunch of custom converted Nobz from the Black reach box.
(l-r, nob, nob, nob w/boss pole & power klaw, painboy, nob w/Waaagghhh banner, nob w/power klaw & rokkit, nob w/big choppa & boss pole, nob w/big choppa & boss pole, nob)

Thursday, September 10, 2009

Space Wolves

I held the new codex today. It was glorious! Since I just finished the Space Wolves omnibus, I've been really looking forward to this release. I the mean time, I think I'll order Ragnar Blackmane to hold me over.

Wednesday, September 9, 2009

20 years of Warhamer & 40k

It occurred to me that the release of Space Hulk also marks an anniversary for when I started with the GW hobby. I had been into D&D as a kid, but it wasn't till some friends of mine right after high school introduced me to Warhammer fantasy roleplay & battle, that I really became interested in the hobby. I have been completely obsessed ever since! I think Space Hulk was the first thing I bought, along with a box of rouge trader plastic space marines, and box of Metal terminators. Below are some picks of some of the very first miniatures I painted, and a little comparison of the terminators over the years. Can't wait to paint the new ones!
1st edition Space Hulk mini's 
Space Hulk expansion Mini's
(I was really into black lining everything on this librarian) 
I started experimenting with layering on the terminator captain. Unfortuanatly he came out rather pink! 

Tuesday, September 8, 2009

Space Hulk here!



Fedex came to the door with Space hulk today. Good times. I put the minis together and the kids and I had a quick game. I had the original game back in 89'. I'll have to find some of the old minis and post them. The new ones are quite a bit better (understatement).

Space Knights Tactical


Squad Damas of 3rd Company.


Space Knights Captain

Completed Mini.



Base coat w/ wash on armor
Primer

Monday, September 7, 2009

Primed and ready for paint.

misc pics of indiviual converted pieces.




various shots pre base coat.

Space Knights Chapter Master. WIP

Using High marshall Helbrecht as the body. Choped the arm for a reposition and removed the head. Added a CSM plastic head, WFB bretonion knights dragon helms for the backpack. and emblem sanded off shield for good measure. Hand made (poster board) / drawn and reduced banner. Green stuff for hair, reshaped shoulder pad (after removing templar emblem). The base has a big wood chip and a piece of 40k building poking out.

All converted and ready to be base coated.