Big forest

After dealing with some Warhammer Fantasy puppies and repainting Bolt Action winter G.I. squad decision was made to improve game table a bit. Some time ago I've managed to assemble small piece of forest, but after using it for over 2 years I've realised I want something bigger. For 2 reasons:

1. It provides more tactical options during the game.

2. Decently made terrain feartures look great on battlefield and on photos, which is double important if you are planning posting battle report. Especially when it comes to Bolt Action.

This piece was made more less same way as the previous one. I wanted it to be useful for gaming purposes so you can remove trees to move even large units or models inside (tanks,  warbeasts or whatever). It's pretty large terrain feature (~24" x ~18") so decision was made to cut it with a path, so units can cross it this way without penalty. Otherwise this thing would be just a line blocker most of the time probably.

I wasnt's sure about final result when I started working on these Heki trees (they still are pretty fragile despie all the varnish I sprayed over it) but I really like the final result. This is the first wood / forest piece I've ever had which shows the scale of models staggering around ^^ 

There's an empty space in the middle so I'm going to add another tree to make it look pretty thick from above of from a distance. I should have enough materials for another 6 ot 7 "trees strong" piece of wood so sooner or later my game table shoud get even more dense.

So here're the piccies:

Below - column of US vehicles crossing cutting the forest:

Most of trees are removable so any model can easily get inside:

Even such big as Mercurian Maculator!!! 

Cat is banned from entering the forest but it's ok for showing the scale.:

And some pics from the gaming bunker. Looking at this now I am sure I want another one! ^^

If anyone's interested those sweet buildings come from Black Grom Studio. And since we're here - big thanks to Andrzej from Terrains4Gamers for ideas and actually encouraging me to give this project a shot. You can surely call youself godfather of this piece! 😁

Cannot wait to test this piece in combat!

Mercurian maculator

Finally something else than US army!
Finally a true blast from the past!
Algeroth's very own... MERCURIAN MACULATOR!

It's actually bigger brother of the mercurian maculator I've painted a while back. This one is way bigger, even more goofy but still has that spirit of oldschool Warzone game. I think.
Gamewise it's just piece of crap: lookinn at model you may get feeling it's able to rip enemy tanks apart with bare hands, like carnifex or other space monstrocity, but instead it can be taken down even by solid bunch of well motivated undead legionnaires.

But it's big so looks good in the display case. And I got opportunity to test some tricks while waiting for artifical snow delivery for KV-2 soviet tank.  

I love Paul Bonner's original artwork but wanted to see mine more orginal. Since I have Algeroth (and Demnogonis...) force the obvious color choice was red. 

So, ladies and gentlemen...

BEHOLD!

THE RED APE OF ALGEROTH! 😁

And a family shot: just look at these cute, tiny necromutants!

Unboxing: thank to shrink wrap here was still that air from the careless past... 

\m/

Mercurian maculator (Warzone)

 

Heya,

While still looking for some missing zombie soliders for Undead army the decision was made to paint something slightly different from deaders or Bolt Action stuff.

There's been oldie Mercurian Maculator model (Warzone 1st edition of course) staring at me from display case, long enough to deserve some care and attention.

I must say I fell kinda connected to many Warzone models from that age since this was our very first miniatures game etc, but sadly there's no story behind this one:
I got the piece long after original Warzone was dead just for collecting reason but even during golden time of the game Mercurian maculator was poor tactical choice compared to, for example, Praetorian stalkers...

By the way - can you see the picture above? If so apparently mercyful photobucket changed it's fucked up policy...

So back to maculator:
I'd really love to see it in action sometimes (about once a year we play classic Warzone game) but looking at such model standing among crowd of Dark Legion infantry in display case is already rewarding. This piece is clear example of what happens if supercool artwork (Paul Bonner after all) meets, well, not-so-supercool execution...
There were lots of such "hybrids" in Warzone, but then again - I think it was just part of "charm" of the game.

The model was painted differently from Bonner's vision, 'cause I wanted it to fit Demnogonis style army. Painting is easy and nothing spectacular: some base colors applied with airbrush, some glazing and washing, details and voila! Ready for killing!

And one more thing:

Initially I didn't plan to mention about it but it's something slowly boiling in my head.
Last week I read polish Bolt Action forum is about to be shut down shortly.
I think I've actually expected it would happen one day: it's rather small community, there were much less posts published recently and most users use Facebook for sharing hobby progress, galleries etc.
I think it might be understandable: FB is more and more popular and it's way faster to check what's happening on the wall, than visiting other websites.
Even though in my opinion Facebook wall is just big fucking mess.

But for fuck's sake, that forum is ANOTHER site being shut down because of what?
Social media? People's laziness? Or maybe there's just too much shit available in the webspace so there's no room for "small" sites?

I won't allow such thing happen to my bloggy.
Nevaaaaaaaah!!! My spam stays where it is!!!

Phew! I feel so much better now!

Back to the 90's - again

Hello again,

After painting Chronopia beast I somehow cannot kick myself back into hobby routine. Apparently I am tired or overstretched my painting abilities at the beginning of the year...

No matter what was the cause miniatures won't paint themselves and hobby altar demands contant sacrifices. 

For a while I wanted to paint Mercurian Maculator from oldie Warzone range (bah, of course OLDIE range!) - it's that ugly thing in the back of first pic.

During back days, when original Warzone was actually alive (and quite prosperous I think) I've never had any opportunity to see the model on the battlefield. It had brilliant artwork - by Paul Bonner himself, nice profile, useful skills and decent gun. But at the same time it was so fuc*ing big it's chance for survilal were just minimal. Nothing but a stupid bullet magnet.

So after Mr Maculator got pinned, assembled, based and undercoated the decision was made to switch to something smaller and, let's be frank about it - looking nice ^^

I've always liked Mordheim - sadly we've never played it. No reason why actually. 

No matter how cool the game really was it also had (and still has) huge hobby potential: 

tons of miniatures to choose to create really unique gangs, lots of cool ideas about painting and modelling to fit the depraved and wretched City of the Damned.

My "natural" choice for battleforce is Undead but also always loved 90's beastmen models (probably since read Tale of 4 Gamers is WD). Collecting 100% metal Warhammer Fantasy Battle army was just way beyond my reach, but not skirmish raiding party. Slaanesh party...

After some excavation works in the Pile ov Shame some models emerged to start with. I have no idea about battle usefulness of minis chosen, simply picked oned I liked:

there will be like 3 gors, 3 ungors, some boss, minotaur and fiend of Slaanesh (probably proxying chaos hound). First idea was to use orginal beastmen lord / champion from the mid 90's, but I've found oldie chaos warrior model which can be even better candidate:

- it's dedicated worshipper of Slaanesh;

- it has beastman (probably) head;

- it's suited with heavy armour: painting it really dark would be just really cool especially if model is placed in the middle of bright models;
- worst part of the sculpt is that stupid looking blade, sadly it's connected with armour and head so I cannot replace it with anything looking decent.

So here's the current stage of the group. They will get classic "Road to Mordheim" base - simple and effective:

And below you can see the first model from the band (color test).

Since it's Slaanesh group the warriors must look rather "fresh" and alive - and this little fucker is rather ok. At first I wanted to achieve albino effect but then I thought maybe it's better idea to keep such complexion the the boss - no matter what model it will be in the end.

 

And last but definitely not least since it's about divine matters: 

last week I've finally got the sleeve inked. Whole project started few years back but because tattoo studio I chose is 60 km away from where I live, I've always had something better to do than playing with ink and needles. But it was high time to please Great Cthulhu, armageddon might come any day after all (let's hope for it).

It's still fresh and it will take at least few days to heal but I will take some shots when it's done. I kinda know posting tattoo pic is rather silly but hey, it's still better that posting pics of food on Instagram! Or wherever!

Besides that tattoo artist did piece of great job, no doubts about it.

So, Cthulhu, you may now raise from the eternal slumber, I am ready! Iä! Iä! Cthulhu fhtagn!

 

 

^(;,;)^