M8 Easter egg

Some quick bloggy feeding before bringing something more serious 😉

Easter daemon is nearly here but looks like the video game I ordered for my kid won't arrive before middle of May 😑 Stupid thing, but none self-respecting dad can leave the kid without a souvenir on Easter, Xmas or any other similar occasion, correcto?

Several times before he mentioned he likes M8 Scott I painted recently so decision was made the model needs new home and new master. It was painted for gaming purposes but it actually never seen game table which makes is even better gift: no bullet holes etc. 

And since the howitzer got promoted to the special gift, it also recieved special display base - it simply makes storing easier and looks much better from a distance. Besides just like in case of Mordred the Damned I put some special dedication on the bottom.

The piece is attached to the base by 2 cut screws - this prevent model from falling off but at the same time it can be taken off any time to stand against  boy's LEGO horde 😊 

Merry Easter lockdown!

Skaven saboteurs and more!

Heya,

Easter time is finally gone so we can all come back to everyday routine.

Fortunately last weekend wasn't totally dominated by Easter crap, there was also something going on in the hobby matter. First of all my small Full Thrust fleet got painted reinforcements since the previous post:

the second Ural class destroyer and Kunitsa class frigate have left the assembly line in the mother star base. I still cannot get used to painting these models but I also cannot wait to see just few more painted and photographed on black (deep space that is) backround.

I was trying to keep the same color choice, there are just minor differences: for instance while painitng the second model (flying coffin on the right) I didn’t use airbrush for base colors – it’s barely noticed and most of the paint was corrected with brush anyway. I also painted strong shadows around the windows (or lights or whatever it is) which looks very fine hovering a meter above – these are gaming models after all. I also tried to increase contrast by applying stronger highlights on reds and highlighting grey to pure white. Again – these tinies are gaming models and strong contrast is the key when it comes to painting such toys.

New models were sealed only with semi-matt spray varnish but I might consider using glossy varnish first for a protection, and then matt or semi-matt varnish for a good look.

 

It would be too nice and easy if I didn't find anything to bitch about, this time it's casting quality. All in all I am satisfied with what came from GZG. I was aware small metal models would probably require some cleaning and filing but in case of small units it was really no problem.

The problem appeared when I examined Pobyeda class battlecruiser model. Mold that cast came from was heavily used or just damaged so there is some "overcast" to be removed and probably resculpted. Which is pain in the ass because the toy is metal... 

I'll take a pic when I start painting the model so you can see what do I mean. I contacted the seller and was told there will be new molds and some models will be resculpted. Hope the next time I decide to place the order I will get no reason to complain.

As for now - I think I will try to mask the screwed cast with greenstuff and paint is as some battle damage or cosmic infestation - there are alien fleets in Full Thrust after all!

Which reminds me! Last week we also had the very first Full Thrust game!

It was big breath of fresh, deep space air... or vacuum. It was cool to play the game with no terrain features on the table. Rules are easy to master so I think this game has big potential. I just have to convince my opponent to purchase opposing starter fleet.

Let's come back on Earth, to the Old World.
The base for the Chaos dragon is nearly done, at least it's underground part: the very last of Skaven saboteurs was painted, sealed, armed, fed with drugs and launched against doom-seeking dwarf warrior.
Painting these furry bastards was ton of fun, models are full of character and painiting each one of them takes only about 2 evenings. It was so much fun I am considering (again...) starting small Mordheim warband: either Skaven or Chaos (like beastmen led by evil sorcerer). These should look pretty cool standing in sewer or dungeon themed display base. Keeping fingers crossed for it.
Pics below are way too bright but I had to point there direct light to catch any details, but I think when the project is done I'll have to ask someone* to perform some photo-fu on these minis...

And the last for now: while I was adding the Full Thrust game to the summary chart it turned out I reached nice number of 100 models painted since the summary started.
Sure I painted much, much more minis since I got hooked (I am guessing it's about 500 pieces but it's just a shot sadly) but it's nice to see my hobby thing is still rolling, sometimes slower - sometimes faster. For the next birthday I will probably wish myself reaching 200 figures painted and chart confirmed!

Cheers!

*Yes mahon, that's you ^^

Rats...

Indeed you have a problem dr Jones,

especially because each of these squeeking bastards weights about 50kg and wields hand weapons! Eeeek! Eeeek!

But no worries, you are not alone:

apart from that backstabbing b**ch Elsa Schneider behind you there's also the dwarf slayer desperately seeking for death! So just keep the distance and let him do the job.

That means the slayer model is finished and is now exterminating vermin dwelling beneath surface of Empire. Karl Franz surely is proud of this brave, brave warrior*.

I had fun painting these miniatures - it's good to be back to Warhammer Fantasy even just to paint several Mordheim style characters.
The idea for painting was simple: big contrast. Models are placed in the tunnel so I wanted slayer to be quite striking, compared to dark interior and dirty ratmen.
I had some problems with metalics - Revell super matt varnish just kills them so all in all metal parts were sealed with Vallejo satin and rest of models - with Revell stuff.
Works quite fine for my bad taste.

There will be one more skaven added to the group - it turned out this one wears chainmail so it should also be quite well visible. After this one is done - marauders should visit the painting desk. I should also find some putty to finally fill the gaps in dragon model and prepare the beast for undercoating. Any suggestions?

There's also something new!

last Monday I managed to paint test model from Eurasian Solar Union starting fleet: Ural class destroyer from Ground Zero Games.

As for my first impression - it was quite neutral. Minis are cool and definitely something new for me but I could complain a bit about casting quality. But it was nothing I couldn't have dealt with a hobby knife, I am veteran painter after all.

I wanted to keep color scheme bright and more-less clean so it looks really striking placed on deep space gaming mat. I also wanted to use reddish and white/grey tones, but honstly I am not sure this is what I wanted to achieve. But before I introduce the ship to breaking fluid I will paint several more similar way, such models always look better in packs. Switching dark red to bright (even with some orange hue) and gray to white should also work here. 

What do you think?

And the last thing! 

Last week I was cleaning some mess in display cases and found this vehicle: it's italian Autoblinda. It was painted to fit the Necromunda gaming board (desert theme) but all in all we don't play as much as I'd like to the vehicle is doing nothing else but collecting dust.

It has just been added to Miniatures Looking For New Home section - let me know if you are interested. It's 1:48 scale so it's fits all GW games I guess, as much as any other 25mm - 28mm scale toys. I pinned model to the base but I can take it off with no problem if that's what potential client wishes for.

<:8   )~

*Yeah, right...

Looks like a spider passed this way

And it sure was big and ugly!

Luckly it's gone now, not sure I'd feel comfortable planting mushrooms and artifical grass knowing there are 4 pairs of mean, hungry eyes starring at me.

With spider or without it the base is more-less ready and waiting for miniatures. 

I am still scared of painting the chaos dragon so it was clear and easy decision to start with small models: dwarf slayer, skaven clanrats, marauders.

Dragon will be sort of the cherry on the top of the cake.

Hmmm... 

Or rather everything else will be small cake under 'uuuge, two-headed chaos cherry! :D

The photo below turned out a bit "overburnt" - it's definitely too bright but you can see the general idea. This is also sort of test before assembling another piece - this time 100% under surface of the ground. I was thinking about something related to Skaven or Undead fluff: corridors under human empire or tomb of ancient wizard / necromancer.

Hirst Arts molds should be good material for such project.

Is there anything else?
Yup - yesterday  expeditionary force of Eurasian Solar Union from Full Thrust game landed in my study. It's my very frst contact with such sort of game so I am looking forward to see the results of painting the first frigate. Models are small (it's the tiny scale after all) so painting them effective way seems like a quite a challenge.

If the game is at least half as cool as guys at Pyrkon told me I will do my best to infect at least one more gamer here with GZG stuff.
Until then - picture of the fleet still in the space base (on my painting desk that is).

As for painting I've been considering several options. Most of ships I've seen in movies are white or at least bright. Which is quite obvious - there's no point ot painting camo in the deep space since whole flying, aiming etc is done by advanced computers, sensors, robots or whatever.
So I think I will start with applying bright grey + white base color, highlight it and when some red elements will be added (washes should work just fine for this job). Dependable on the result I will add details like glass windows, fire from the exhaust pipes, chipped paint.

Test frigate is on the way...

Spoils of war

Woooooooo-hooooooooooooo!!!

I met Sandy Petersen!!! I met Sandy Petersen!!! I met...

Hmmm...

Right... Right... That was that last post... 

But that news is so hot it definitely deserves some expansion.

So about 2 weeks ago my girlfriend purchased a lamp for the surgery (she's a dentist) on internet auction.

The lamp was cheap as f**k because the seller was retiring and closing down her business and she was getting rid of some old junk left. There was a snag though:

because the object was pretty big and fragile the seller didn't want to send it so the only option was picking it up:

from the very small town just about 380km away from where we operate...

It wasn't my lamp so it wasn't my problem who would like to spend about 6 hours behind the wheel each way. But last week I spotted advert of Pyrkon 2014 - really big fantasy / sci-fi convention in Poznań, close place from where lamp was purchased...

I checked the program and there was also painitng contest among other cool things. Shortly afer I contacted mahon, evil mastermind standing behind Chest of Colors so the plan of meeting some old friends was born. 

I was told the painting contest has been assembled the last minute so organizers were worried there might be not too many entries. So I packed some stuff from the display case and was more-less ready for the trip.

More-less, because of information on the even't site about Sandy Petersen coming for that weekend!

Woooooooo-hooooooooooooo!!!

I met Sandy Petersen!!! I met San... Right... Right... There'll be lots of time for it later...

So the creator of Call of Cthulhu was coming for whole weekend for Pyrkon - I couldn't miss such chance to try to hunt His autograph. I was bit worried 'cause the trip plan was just to stop in Poznań to take some rest and deliver minis for painting contest but there was not much else I could do: 

I packed Call of Cthulhu anniversary edition book, wore proper tee and tattoo and was praying hard to Great old Ones while driving. 

When I reached the place (and found some parking space which was just one huge pain in the ass) models were quickly delivered to the painters' sector and I took a short walk to see what was going on.

There are many relations from Pyrkon online already so I am not going to add another (especially because I was there just for a few hours and spent in one place). 

But what I can cay is the even was just brilliant thing: there were so many attractions for science - fiction fans I am sure I wouldn't be bored staying there for whole 3 days. Which I would really like to do the next year or when the kid is a bit older. There were lots of people dressed up as zombies, soliders, anime characters, wearing Fallout themed costumes and other, there were games, sellers, prelections, lectures of writers, game designers, lot of lots of things to do and see!

Check some of the lousy pics I've taken:

At 2 pm Sandy was giving the lecture about creating adventures for Call of Cthulhu.
Until then I didn't know I was his big fan, all I knew was he wrote the game, but after the lecture everything changed, everything!

I left filled with so many ideas and energy for hobby acting, I simply couldn't wait to come back home and play or paint anything. No sh!t!

That guy was speaking in such a cool way I was there sitting like mesmerised!

And now I do believe all those religious freaks about sudden revelations, hearing voices etc - I think I finally know what are these maniacs talk about. Words and my weak English cannot describe whole the coolness of that lecture so I am not even gonna try. 

It was great, and I am SO happy I decided to move my ass for the stupid lamp.
My only regret (huge regret actually) is I couldn't stay on Petersen's other lectures. Oh well, maybe the next time, when the stars are right and Cthulhu rises from the slumber.

As for the spoils of war I brought some goodies:
first of all I got the autograph - the limited edition of the rulebook is now priceless.
Besides 2 of my works brought to the contest got me statues: 1st place in large model category and 2nd among units. The base for Scavvies is borrowed from my Goliath gang but I think I will make proper display base for the whole hgang of my scavengers - about 30 models I think...

Cheers!