Pistol Wraith (Cryx)

Last month a miracle happened: we had a Warmachine match! 😲

I am still impressed we've managed to assemble the game but definitely - my Cryx is hungry for more!

We played the latest edition - no back strikes, 360 degree line of sight, boosted warjacks etc. It was fine as game played after such a long break, but I think earlier version was much more "hardcore" so hope to dig out old rulebooks and give it a try. Anyway it was such a fun I decided to save some Cryx stuff from pile ov shame and the winner waaaaas... Pistol Wraith 👻

I remember that model was a blast when Escalation supplement was released - both as model and gaming unit. It was deadly on battlefield and I still consider it as one of the best and most characterful miniatures from Cryx line. There are some brilliant examples of painted miniatures in the webspace so my gaming model is no match for them, but I still like it and had lots of fun working on it. As for a base I used spare pile of skulls from screaming skull catapult and some placcy heads. I can actually imagine it haunting old battlefields, unable to leave unburied, restless bones. Or something.

So here it is. Hope to see it in action anytime soon.

Below: pistol wraith about to scratch Deathjack right between where it's eyes should be:

Here: some target practice in the city park with Mechanithralls:

And below - the only pic from recent game I've managed to get: Slayer and Reaper helljacks supported by Deathripper bonejack about to launch a charge against enemy Juggernaut (that was exactly the very same model I painted - I've almost cried while pulling it's arms off and ripping hull apart... Almost... 😁):

And next: something heavy... 🤖

Skeleton warriors (Highland Miniatures)

Painting skellies is kinda like knitting:

you get pissed - you paint some bones - you get better.

Too bad I didn't realize it bit earlier, but apparently better late then never.

Anyway last week I excavated another part of spoils of war looted during Oldhammer Weekend 2022: skeleton warriors unit from highland Miniatures range. Models look pretty cool: poses are different, proportions are correct - these guys definitely fit Warhammer range. There's one flaw though: since these are printed, they are also really fragile (those thin limbs and spears especially!). So fragile, several models arrived broken and it's even despite the fact they were pretty well packed. So yeah, if I could choose - purely of gaming purposes I'd pick plastic models instead of printed. Luckly I still had some spare limbs left by the previous boneheads unit, which added bit more vatiety to the freshly dug out death squad.

I have only 15 models from this line so I think these will be just support squad for the main unit or screaming skull catapult / second class character bodyguards. Of course - that is only in my head, because don't think there's even slighiest shade of chance these will move an inch after I put them in the display case hibernation chamber 😵

So here they are - corpses in the park. I think I've managed to adjust lighting a bit so photos turned out really decent:

And some scale shot: restless skeletons are defending city park against Dusk Realm Demon:

And here - skeletons supported by Mr Carstein himself and converted battle standard bearer are trying to convince chaos lord of Slaanesh city park and fresh grass is no place for heavy barded ponies:

Dwarf Slayer

One more old fart crossed off!

I am really glad it's not haunting me anymore, 'cause it spent last 3-4 years in washing liquid plus I really do not like the model ^^

As for the model itself - I got it second hand long time ago, and the plan was to paint it for gaming buddy. But after first painting attempt I realised I really, really do not like the sculpt so model ended up on the very bottom of Pile Ov Shame. It's spent several years in the hole, when I decided to wash it off off and give it another chance. I still didn't like the sculpt at all, so it spent few more years washing off instead of getting painted.

Until now.

It pisses me off there are still some miniatures waiting for Cthulhu knows what in the washing jar, so decision was made to save them all: one by one, starting with the piece I don't like the most ^^ Back days it was meant for souvenir, so it was painted as one - for the same buddy actually. He was Warhammer Game Master when we were still into RPG and was big fan of dwarves. Miniature's pose makes it kinda silly looking standing on ground level, among other rank and file models, but it's really cool leaping down. Decent material for display piece. So here it is: one more down, too many more to go:

And the scale shot - Mid Nor Scourge Bearer about to be decimated:

Sorscha Resin Kit

One more nightmare has just been saved from pile of shame! Woo-hoo! 🤩

This time it's not just a model but true blast the past: limited edition, large scale Kommander Sorscha from steam-punk commie line. Khador that is. 

That brings me back...

Back days we were really deep into Warmachine: when the game was released it immediately obliterated any other games we were running that moment. It was fast, dynamic and never boring. Plus models were so friggin' cool! Also somehow back days we had much more time to waste on gaming...
I liked it so much I was sending my stuff to No Quarter magazine (some of it was even printed) and really had lots of fun participating in Privateer Press painting contests. Which brings us to the Sorscha. If I remember correctly contest prizes were vouchers / Privateer Press bucks to be spent in online store, which were used to get limited resin models: Slayer and Forward Kommander Sorscha.

Slayer was painted long time ago (the model is brilliant) but I was really afraid of starting the other one: it's made of delicate resin so washing it would probably not an option plus back days painting such a colorful models really was not my thing. But having new display case I decided to give it a go.

Painting was pain in the ass mostly because model had to be painted unassembled (I really don't like it). Another thing was one of my airbrush paints was totally fuc#ed: for this model I ordered some fresh colors but one of them was so grainy it actually made texture on flat surface. No sh!t! You can actually still see it on loincloth (or whatever that red rag in the front is) and that's the reason I decided to apply some artifical snow - to distract the attention.

Privateer Press also released Warwitch Deneghra and Khador Juggernaut in large scale - I really regret I didn't manage to get them. Such pieces look really great placed behind the glass. Judge for yourself:

And here's Sorscha accompanied by her battlefield buddy - Slayer:

And one more scale shot: scrap thrall this time. Don't think that walking bomb was looking more cute ever before ☺️

Hope to find some more olddschool Privateer Press stuff to paint on the bottom of bucket of shame. Who knows, maybe one day Toruk's servants shall leave display case for battle once again...

Display case upgrade

Last week I've finally managed to drag new vault for the miniatures collection 🤗

In fact I bought it last year but wasn't sure where would I live in 2026 so it had to wait. It's not hobby dedicated display case, but spare piece from local computer shop. As you can see it's over twice size of classic Ikea's Detlof so finally I can put whole Undead, Chaos and Bolt Action armies on single shelves!

It didn't have working lighting so last weekend I got some parts and temporarly placed LED tapes in front corners. I still have to prepare some rails for it (light should spread more evenly) but it's cool already. Check it out: lights on (night):

And here the vault during day (lights off). Massive beast, ain't it? 😎

40M Nimrod

After  recent getting ass kicked by Soviet-o-French commie alliance, the high staff decided to work on some more Axis in my disposal, and looks like the only unit left from the range was 40M Nimrod SPAAG (self-propelled anti-aircraft gun). The model is 3D print I purchased together with CV-35 tankette and 39.M Csaba bundle, during painting Strategie painting contest.

It's printed model so it's much better quality compared to standard Warlord Games' resin casts but after getting it done I think if I could choose again I'd go for Warlord's version anyway. The model is pretty simple so don't think there's much difference between both wersions but most important: 

there's the crew in the Warlord's piece. Anti aircraft turret is large - it contains 4 men which looks just damn cool. Even though I like my painting, the model looks like the guys haven't manned it yet or even worse: failed morale check and run for the hills 😵.

As you notice model has front right mudguard missing - my cat knocked if off the desk, part of model broke off (missed in action forever) but it still looks like pretty believable battle damage. The "blanket" (or whatever it is) bit on the turret comes from other vehicle. It's not much painting work but makes plain model more interesting. The turret also got little magnet so it doesn't fall off during transportation or heat of the battle. 

The camo is the same style I applied on other Hungarian vehicles before - the final effect is just really cool and it's such a relief after painting all those United States models. Sadly don't think there'll be more coming - armored platoon is already full 😒

So here it is:

And some scale shot - US engineers about to stop Axis menace on a very far and forgotten front of war.

I think I will mail Warlord games and ask them to think about making proper scale tanks and vehicles. These are just way underscaled...

Unknown episode of WW2 (part 2)

Last Friday night history of World War II took another surprising turn and had a pleasure to re-enact another unknown episode of war: battle between US and Italian forces against Soviet and French menace. It's another game we had to play at Rilian's place - last time it was Italian vs US and since then we were still kinda hungry got more WW2 gaming.

Since the last game Rilian also found 2 more commanders willing to start Bolt Action adventure, so we had 4 armies on the table - each 1250 pts worth. Must say no matter how much I like the game, the size of battle was just too big: the battle started about 20:30 and the last bullet was fired after 2:00 a.m.
My side clearly lost but we didn't manage to bring game to the 6th turn.

Any post-battle conclusions?
Not realy: it's Bolt Action so no matter what brilliant plan you prepare the dice drawing and rolling is true god of war. Because all other armies were early war, I also had to adjust my force to this period. Sadly that made my unit choice very limited but still it was fun.

Also I tried to upgrade some photos with AI so make the report more eyecatching but I'm not really sure it was good idea. I got feeling the upgraded photos look like taken from WH40000 battle of video game 🤔 Here's the material anyway - judge for yourself:

Below: brave G.I.s defending crucial supplies...

And here: Rilian's seld made aerosans:

That's it. Hope the next time I get opportunity to field proper mid/late war stuff 😎

US infantry (winter war) #6

Road to Berlin 2026 event is getting closer and closer so it's high time to prepare the boys for 2 days long battle. After last year's event I was hoping to field 100% themed winter force but because of my pathetic painting speed - some suppoer weapons and vehicles still require painting. Still I am really glad I've managed to get gid US winter infantry box of the painting list. these are really cool and magnetized so moving between tables might be little bit easier. 

As for painting itself I tried to use similar color combo like on previous squads (contest squad or command squad). Sure each team is slightly different but they will sure look cool mixed together. I was hoping to work on some more US models but Hungarian Nimrod is also tempting - especially after really boring US olive/brown combo...