2011: summary

Hey again - and for the last time this year.

Today it's the very last day of 2011 so it's time for short summary of the hobby activities. But first some goodies:

Few days back I got ork buggy from Kromlech - I must say the casting quality is just fucking sweet. Really - I can recommend the model to anyone!
It's so full of character it brings back old time od Gorkamorka :D
I decided not to rush with it because the model deserves quality paintjob. I also decided to make short review + painting progress article so it should appear in Gameforces magazine sooner or later...




Guys have just posted the official paintjob yet I will do my best to beat it :p ;)




Speaking of GF - yesterday mailman delivered several issues and looks like Mario decided to use the bile thralls speedpainting text I wrote almost exactly a year back. Once again my ego got boosted big time =]




What else?
Today we had the very last Necromunda game this year and it was 34th game we played in 2011. The game was played at 7 AM so my opponent can go to New Year's Eve party tonight.
Once again scavvies provided me ton of fun - even without terrifying presence of Karloth Valois.
Today we tested Ramshackle Games big spider as terrain feature - the casting quality is pretty poor yet the model is definitely full of character and turned out to be extremly useful: models were small enough to walk and fight under it's limbs. Pinning it was just one big pain in the ass but pinning it ALWAYS worthy effort.
I didn't manage to assemble it for the game (there were only main body + 4 legs) but the already finished model looks like this:




I am sure we'll be using it in most of coming games - it will look very effective painted steel and rusted like hell.

After the game we decided to quit the current campaign (4th we played this year) and made a plan for the gaming in 2012. We decided to play only one big campaign but we will both choose 3 gangs to lead.
Every game we will be randomly choosing which gangs will fight. Deco chose Goliaths, Van Saars and Orlocks and I decided tu use Scavvies, Eschers and my EM4 proxied Goliaths.
And the dice rolls decided the very first game will be match between Scavvies and Orlocks. Really can't wait!

Also can't wait to to finally see the table sanded and painted so we can write a battle report. Hope to convince Deco to stay longer aftr the next game and help me in sanding the modules.

And as for the proper summary here is is:
Last year I saw Nameless counting all of minis painted in passing year and was really got hooked but such an idea. But because we also play a bit I decided to add played games to the chart.
So it looks like below: in passing year I managed to paint 36 models and play nearly the same amount of games. It was close to cross the line and play more games than painted models but maybe next year we manage to beat the score.




All in all it was very busy time. Not sure was it "good" but surely busy: there was lots of dice rolling, beer drinking and having fun but also managed to replicte and finish the appraisal practice - exams start in March 2012 and I am shitfuckingscared of it - hope I will pass it next year so I can concentrate on conquering the Underhive ;)

Cheers!

Home found

Hey again!

Good news!
My bane thralls have finally found new home!
I am very happy they will travel to reliable hobbyist, yet I am kinda sad they won't be staring at me from behing the glass anymore.
Oh well - that's just life. Besides I don't think I will play Warmachine anytime soon so I guess I can stand that loss. Photos were taken by mahon (despotic and ruthless ruler of Chest of Colors site) and surprisingly - good friend of mine =]
If you want some close ups - here you go and here you go again
One day I will have to try count how big (or actually how small now) my Cryx force really is. I am guite sure I should be able to field enough troops for a standard size game but until I do the summary - I won't put bet on it.




As for finding new home for old stuff looks like the custom made Land Raider will also leave my place finally.
I was pretty proud of the model when I made it but all in all I don't play WH40K at all so there is no use of it.
The next time I will build something for Necromunda so there won't be any usefulness dilemma ^^
Here's the beast - more of my WH40K stuff is stored at Chest of Colors gallery.



I had to cut the pic so the model can be presented at withing the screen but if you want to see some more of it - clicky!

And here's the big box the client will recieve shortly - I am quite sure banes will have safe trip but I am very scared about land raider:
I used properly big box, put lots of bubblewrap and sponge inside but on the other hand base construction of the vehicle is cardboard. Sure it's thick but it's just paper.
Let's keep the fingers crossed hard until the recipient confirms the models are safe and sound.




What else?
Since I am devoted blood donor once per 2 months I can take a day off and spend a morning with steel needle in my vein.
And since I am constantly sufering from lack of hobby time I decided to use the bloody day to prepare and assemble bunker for the 6th gaming module.
At this stage it looks kinda like piece of crap but I am sure after painting it will turn out way better.
Besides no matter how ugly / nice it is it's main function is being useful during the game. My opponent needs some decent spot to place heavy stubber operator to defend his pathetic life against hordes of plague zombies after all hehehe...
Here's what I got so far:




Last night we managed to play a mid-week game to test new module and see what upgrades could ba yet added before ton of sand hits the table.
The game was kinda fun: usually there are more scavvies than ordinary gangers (advantage of ~4-5 models) but this time I managed to field Karloth Valois (thanks again Skritster!!!) and also bought him extra zombie pack therefore there was 10 plague ridden corpses + 15 gangers vs 10 Goliaths!!!
I felt almost like running Imperial Guard army ^^
The mass was strong enough to make Deco decide to voluntarily run for the hills but after the game is was the time to pay for the fun: hiring Karloth costed me a lot especially compared to lousy cost of ordinary scavvy so coudn't afford getting it in the next game. And that meant I spent ~100 credits for a single game!!! >< I surely won't make the mistake again until scavvies discover a gold mine or something in the sump. There was no camera during the game but there was a cellphone. Really can't wait to see the table painted.


That's it for now.
Xmas weekend passed and I haven't painted a single model nor played a single game so the annual hobby statistic won't be peoperly boosted in December.
See ya next week!

Scavvies strike again

Olla!

I am pretty amazed there is so much going on in my "hobby sphere":
despite much more home duties + lots of feckin' boring learning miniatures are getting painted (slowly) games are played.
This kinda reminds me year 2010: for many stupid reasons we were barely playing anything and at the very end of December we were playing a lot to boost pathetic statistics.
Fortunately this year games are played much more ofter - you will see the chart in the annual summary post ^^

So last week I was continuing works on the scaly model. Because there was a match set for Friday night I was hoping to finish it by that date.
But all in all there were too many glazes to be painted so Goliaths gang faced scaly at this stage:




Despite it was late wip stage scaly managed to take out of action one of the juves and get a bit closer to getting an advance. Looks like even partly painted models fight better than unpainted ^^

The day after the match I solved my problem and scaly was finished - and became my second entry for FUUK painitng contest.
I regret I suck bit time when it comes to painting freehands (a tattoo would look so nice here) but I am pretty satisfied anyway.
Looks like it's time to find a candidate for the second scaly - any ideas?




As for the game one thing is definitely sure:
gaming modules are just brilliant. Setting the table takes just 3 minutes as well as putting it back.
And as for the match itself: it was the first game of new campaign: this time Goliaths vs Scavvies. Scavvies are such a shit fighters but watching 20 models on the table is just priceless!
This skinky mass managed to drive off Deco's gangers but didn't manage to conquest any of his terrains and transform it into scolfurous wastes ;(
Oh well - maybe next time: I spent lots of credits for Karloth Valois so the number of my models might reach 25 - 30 minis!!!
And almost half ot it might be plague zombies!!!
Can't wait to start rolling hehehehe...

And the last thing:
after posting the comment about new Kromlech's toy (this uber cool buggy) Artur from Kromlech mailed me and told I can get some of the toys for providing photos of painted thing in exchange.
Sure I agreed: most of their products is simply not my cup of tea but this one is fucking sweet! I think it will end up in the glass case rather than on gaming table - such a cool thingy deserves some extra attention:



Laters!

Double-pimped! ^^

Hey again!




So Gameforces magazine did it again:
once again my ass got pimped this time in issue #25, where my tutorial about painting bile thralls suicide squad for Cryx was printed. I remember I wrote this article at the very beginning of 2011 and it's really hard to believe the time is running so fast.

But 2011 was (and actually still is) very busy.
There was pretty lot of work with the appraisal practice. I remember last year the professor running it told us brutal statistic: only about 10% of participants finish it more less on time (that is in about 12 - 18 months).
About 3 weeks ago I delivered my last project and it turned out I was the only one who did whole thing on time (there were 25 members of the group).
Should it be reason to cheer? Maybe.
But I'd be more happy if the state exam statistic wasn't that horrifying: on average ~15% of people taking the exam passes is.
Sure you can try many times - as long as you can afford the fucking fees.

Nevermind - let's go back to the hobby matter.

After whole week of gathering materials for the exam I was hoping for some painting time so I can finish the second entry for the FUUKing contest before the deadline.
On Saturday I was pretty busy so I was sure there will be me-time the next day.
Bullshit!
After I sat down about 10 a.m. and started working on real estates law regulations it turned out I spent whole fucking day behind the papers.
I feel sick thinking coming 3,5 months will look pretty the same...
But I decided not to give up easily so in the evening I took primed scaly and airbrush set to spare room and put some basic colors on the model.
Another lesson learnt: DO NOT paint minis without proper light.
The next morning I examined the mini under fine light and it was just pale - smooth transitions between colors are barely seen so I will have to paint it ordinary way.
Here's what I got so far - base color and some glazes. Thank Cthulhu this model is practically only flesh and some rust.




There are also some good news this time:
because the kiddo was born it turned out he will be getting some sweets and shit from my workplace every year for Xmas. This year the parcel wasn't prepared because the money were spent about the time he was born so I was told I can buy him some toys and sweets - I will get refund after bringing the invoices.
The baby is way too small to play anything or eat anything else than my wifey's titties so daddy decided to add some Dark Age minis to the collection hehehehe...

If you need some of this stuff visit Guild of Mecenaries online store - there's still lots of DA mnis for very decent money.
So here's what daddy... eee... junior got ^^
Lilith (limited model sculpted by Tom Meier), Skarrd Father, Skarrd Bone Doc and Grist from Brood range.
Really like these minis and despite nobody plays Dark Age here I hope to see a complete warband in the display case. I want to see them painted "a'la Brom" that is muted colors, lots or browns and reds - we'll see how will it turn out eventually.




And the last thing - the second pimping that is ^^
Few days ago I learnt my Cernunnos has been added to the Brigade Models gallery section. Really hope to paint another model from their line sometimes:
fantasy is such a breath of fresh air after all those Warmachine and Necromunda minis

OK then, 'till the next time!