The cave

So it's finally done - took a while but I'm really glad I can now move back to painting something "normal". And preferably Warld War II related....

As for the current project I wanted to execute such "flat" diorama for a long, long time. I think I've seen something similar in old White Dwarf zine. And because I try to paint few oldie Warzone range models every year there was a chance to combine both ideas.

What you see below is Mishima Lord Moya's Guard team (kinda super elite, dark future tunnel rats) dealing with some undead legionnaires emerging from an abandoned underground bunker, secret lab, mine or whatever. 

It took some planning to get the thing done, especially about constructing the cave, assembling the bunker door and making all elements fit the box. Looking at it now I think I should've added something under the cave roof - maybe some spider webs or some flying bats (eeek-eeeking fearfully) but I might keep these for the next piece.

I am very glad I could work with plaster and try something new in the painting / modelling field. On the other hand I am very not glad because too much rusty pigment was applied at the very end so the bottom looks bit like mud. 

Or rather like some Mishima guys took a crap watching the might ov Dark Legion warriors...

And some wips:

Glass added:

Hanging on the wall:

Cat for the scale:

Teaser

Apparently real life has striked me hard once again so there's nothing fresh painted so far. But since the bloggy is just everhungry I decided to throw it little something: 

teaser of what I am working on right now:

Hope to see it finished soon so I can move to Warpainter's jeeps... 

Praetorian stalkers - all done!

Apparently my COVID isolation is getting over tonight. I've always considered myself homebody, but being forbidden to leave the flat was getting annoying... 🙄

Nevertheless I tried to spend that time the best way possible, best way for the hobby that is. So after finishing M8 Scott howitzer for online painting contest decision was made to finish pair of oldie praetorian stalkers for oldie Warzone game. 

While preparing this post I realised ramaining stalkers were painted over 5 years ago! Therefore I am more than happy I could finally make the family of evil complete... 😈

I found finishing project after 5 years long break is kinda difficult, but tried to keep similar color choice to make whole unit coherent and still referring to official artwork.

New (or rather: "new") models are much smaller than stalkers painted already. And that's because these come from Target Games' RPG which was realeased even before Warzone game. This makes these two true gems in my collection - pieces of hobby history!

Hope you like them:
both those old and those older 😉

Behold! Algeroth's finests led by mightly nepharite!

Latest addition to the evil force:

And size comparision. Models from RPG are not only smaller (about size of ordinary human model in Warzone) but also are much less detailed then later version: no carving on armour, much less details on the gun and face:

While working on these praetorians I was also having kind of time travel - again actually...
Back to the careless mid 90's when I discovered the hobby. Praetorian stalker was one of the very first models I've seen ever so these have special meaning. I spotted it in Polish edition of Mutant Chronicles zine, added to old fantasy magazine, which my bro used to read. I still keep Warzone dedicated pages!
In the winter 1995 there was a tutorial about painting the stalker and Bauhaus seregant - maybe one day I'll try to paint another praetorian, much more colorful, based on oldie tutorial.

But that's plan for another time travel ⏱

Take care!

M8 Scott "Hunter"

Heya in 2021!

There's not much winter outside so I had to summon some myself!
Not that I like it (I actually hate winter, riding bike on icy streets sucks like hell!) but I decided to participate in historical themed painting contest (you can see entries here) and tried to paint something different than olive green. 

Repainted infantry mix presented a while back is my first entry. Must say I  found winter themed army much more interesting than everything-green so there's a chance more models will be repainted this fashion.

As for the model itself it's one of the funniest pieces in US arsenal, kinda remainds me that jumping thing from oldie Moon Patrol game. Don't have high hopes about it on the battlefield but it still might turn out to be the black horse of the game, as underestimated unit.

Hope you and the judges like it. Now back to COVID isolation.   

🤘

Ogre standard bearer

Looks like it's the last model painted in 2020 so I'm glad it's kinda special:

ogre standard bearer from the best (imo) Warhammer period.

Two other guys were also painted this year (ogre #1, ogre #2) so in order to keep unit look coherent I tried using similar color choice: vivid flesh tone, metallics, similar style of bases.

It's middlehmmer / herohammer period model so banner must be paper - no doubts about it! At first I was trying to adopt one of orcs & goblins army book standards but then decided to make something less complicated but much more striking. 

These ogres are supposed to be corrupted servants of vampire lord so they should carry his colors, the same as undead chariot painted almost 2 years ago. I'm going to prepare similar army standard for main skeleton unit, so whole project should look pretty eyecatching. 

One day...

See you in 2021 I guess 😏

X-mas Eve manoeuvres

Hey,

X-mas just passed and because my brother came to vist once again there was a chance to confront US and German armies. Both bloodthirsty, both fully painted!

After setting the battlefield we randomly picked Top Secret scenarion:

long story short the plane crashed in some western Europe village, whole crew died but there was still a briefcase containing top secret documents to be retrieved. Most probably V3 rockets plans or something. Both sides need that stuff and need it now!

The battlefield:   

Round 1:

It was retrieve mission so both sides tried to bring in as many units as possible from the very beginning. Big surprise was German infantry squad mounted on bikes which got dangerously close to the plane in the very first round!
The only thing I could do was bringing Hellcat into the game: luckly for Uncle Sam my destroyer hit the nazi bikers both with big gun and machine gun, sending 5 of them to Valhalla and forcing the last one to flee. 

Most of US forces also reached the positions: 
infantry squad moved into building supported by medic and veteran sniper, on the other side of the road arrived the commander, bazooka team, mortar and air force forward observer. 

At the same time Germans brought medium mortar and spotter, infantry squad and truck loaded with another squad + force commander.
Those damn nazis dismounted reaching the plane! Disaster! 😤

Round 2:

Germans started the second round by bringing the biggest nightmare of any US commander: Flakverling! From the hill it had clear view on the most of the battlefield! 🥶

Before the gun crew left transporter I tried to reach it with bazooka but the target was an inch beyond the maximum range.
At this point I had no other choice then calling an airstrike on infantry next covering the plane.

German MMG and infantry opened fire to Hellcat giving it 2 pin markers:
which was just enought to make it fail order test and eventually - useless to the very end of the game. In responce my GIs left the building and fired at enemy machine gun:

11 shots at close range was more that enough to take it down. Still the Hellcat wasn't worth it.

German commander grabbed the briefcase and started falling back covered by infantry. 

My mortar  and HQ squad missed so shit got really thick right now...

Trying to cut off German commander Dodge packed with infantry squad and Jeep moved from the flank but they reached only the hedge line. Seeing that German commander moved the truck in front of my wheelers which opened fire at my Jeep pinning it.

Germans brought another medium machine gun to stop my flanking action, they also tried to take down my sniper with mortar fire but luck was on my side this time.

Round 3:

Suddenly US airplane came down from the skies aiming for German infantry squad but Flakverling did it's job right: plane pilot didn't even see the target before flak fire torn his machine into bits of scrap. The battle seemed to be over but in act of desperation another airstrike was called - this time on Flakverling itself.

Seconds after pieces of burning junk fell down from the skies Panzerkampfwagen III flanked my cars destroying Dodge and forcing the squad to emergency landing. PzIII also took down 3 GIs advancing nearby. Actually there were 4 casaulties but medic did his job.

It wasn't much better on the flank:

Kubelwagen rolled in trying to take down my mortar and then - lieutenant, bazooka team or the observer (all easy targets). But it missed all shots!

Seconds later my commander and his sidekick moved between trees and fired the invader - a perfect shot just under the line of Stahlhelm was just enough to get rid of mobile MMG.

The briefcase was now almost behind German line...

US assault squad tried to storm machine gun in the back but failed order check.
Germans put some more pin markers on the Jeep so it looked like the game was over. 

US commander ripped army list to pieces and prepared to pack the toys and go back home...

Round 4:

Since the game was practically over and we were bit drunk already decision was made just to solve an airstrike pro forma:

tha plane not only arrived but evaded all shots from Flakverling and second later there was no more German flak!

US commander had to take pieces army list from the bin trying to assemble it...  

There still was some hope!
I didn't manage to bring the other truck in the previous turn but it arrived now just from behind the hill. The driver fired at enemy commander but didn't even make a scratch.
Engineers did better: 

after jumping of the Dodge they gunned down Axis lieutenant and tried to torch the squad nearby but it was out of flamethrower's range. Gulp! 😬

Germans didn't take a risk:

they put on the bayonets and charged US engineers killing 5 and giving 2 in return. 
Without any US units able to pick up the briefcase nearmy the game was definitely over. 
Looking forward for rematch.