On a roll (he says tentatively)

Well, straight off the back of finishing off the VSF for RPE, I've completed my first 5 Scourge minis from Rebel Minis (available here).

Basic squad to begin with, one each of the four infantry poses, plus a missile launcher from the Heavy Weapons pack.  At least 5 stages on the metals, and all the eyes are dotted in, and the missile launcher drilled out.

I've got the Leader figure pretty much done, as well as having started on a second unit, this time with chain gun/assault cannon, as well as the two sniper rifle/lascannon type weapons.  I'm also in the process of cleaning up 3 more squads, using the other chain gun and missile launcher poses, as well as the remaining heavy weapon, which, well, I'm not really sure what it is...

I also picked up a few movement/display trays from Martin at Warbases.  They are designed to fit figures based on pennies, but work really well with the 20mm bases, there is just a tiny gap, so it saves the paint rubbing when you slot them in.  Working on the first of them just now, so should have something to show soonish.


Think I may have to invest some time into getting a wee 2x2 or 2x3 15mm sci-fi table sorted out.  And some rules for them obviously...


And I might have finished assembling the box of PSC Panthers as well, although, they still need detailing.  One Panzer IV to go, and that is it all built.

Ta-Da!

Well, here is a picture of the1879 Victorian Sci-Fi figures I recently painted up for Ral Partha Europe.  18mm scale, wearing the latest in Miasma mask technology.

Brief was traditional Red coat colours with brass goggles and blue lenses.  Steady hand required for that but it wasn't as bad as I feared.  Bases are done as blasted wasteland, so muted colour with vegetation tending towards the brown/red spectrum.

The figures are based on 50x25mm bases, from Warbases naturally.


Details about the 1879 game are sketchy at the moment, but there are a couple more images on their Facebook page.

Living under a rock...

Yeah, it's been pretty quiet on the 15mm front from me, not really been doing much at all, but that kinda changed recently.  You might say I've been hiding under a rock, or you might say I've been on another rock entirely...

Cryptic much?  Watch this space. 

Incoming VI (although, it's probably a bit more than that...)

So much for trying not to spend too much...


I was going to hold off on getting the Copplestone Picts, but the 10% discount code swung it for me, and I ordered them at the last minute.  Well, about 7am yesterday, and they turned up this morning.  How's that for service?

Also, package in from Stateside, from Rebel Minis with my order, which was -

Image courtesy of Rebel Minis.  Used without permission, no challenge intended.

2 x Packs Romana Wolven. Didn't realise how big these guys actually are.  They will possibly be part of the Barbarian force, or perhaps the beginnings of a full Werewolf army.

Image courtesy of Rebel Minis.  Used without permission, no challenge intended.

2 x 15mm Elementals.  Really like these sculpts, there is something quite cartoony in the heads.  Looks like I'll be doing a Sorcerer's Legion army too...  Of course, I'll need more than just these guys.

Image courtesy of Rebel Minis.  Used without permission, no challenge intended.

2 x 15mm Gargoyles.  Again, some models for the Sorcerer's Legion.  I reckon these will be pretty quick to paint up (once I get around to it) possibly with all sorts of overgrown vegetation effects to really give them that dilapidated statue look.

Image courtesy of Rebel Minis.  Used without permission, no challenge intended.

 1 x The Scourge Heavy Weapons Team.  Some heavy reinforcements for the previous Scourge models I picked up.  They were out of stock last time I ordered, so I figured I'd grab them whilst they were available again.

Image courtesy of Rebel Minis.  Used without permission, no challenge intended.

1 x Titan Marines MK1 HAMR Suit.  And this big guy is to reinforce the Titan Marines.  Scalewise, probably something I'm a bit more familiar with, being about the same size as a light 'jack for WARMACHINE.













So yeah, more lead for the lead pile, thus guaranteeing my continued existence.  (As everyone knows, when you paint your last unpainted mini, you die...)

I have a few days off coming up, and between her shifts and commission work, I'll try and get some more 15mm work done.  I'm pretty close to finishing off my Shaman base, and it'd be nice to knock out both the Archer bases too.  Or I'll do a bit more to the Beastmen, or start the Sorcerer's Legion...   Speaking of which, I'll probably rustle up a suitable Demonworld figure to use as the Sorcerer, as well as the cultists that I'd have gotten if I'd bought the box set.

OK, so I promised an update...

Well, the kids are all in bed now, and I've got about an hour before she gets in from work and I head out, so, here goes.

Done a bit on my Shaman stand for the Barbarians, I seem to have spent a fair bit of time on this one, possibly longer than I'd normally spend on a 28mm model.

I still have a bit of work to do on the hair/beard, possibly another highlight on the skin, and the teeth, claws and eyes on the Spirit Wolves, as well as looking at how they rise out of the base.

I don't know how good it is for my sanity, but jumping from basecoat and washing 28mm models, to doing 3-4 layers of highlights on 15mm stuff is a bit strange.  Still, I'm very happy with how he is looking so far, and I like the idea of the Spirit Wolves being conjured up out of pillars of snow.






I've basecoated all the skin on the Archers and Warriors, as well as the metalwork and shields.  I've also blocked in the fur on the Yetis/Snow Trolls.  With hindsight, Dunc was right about the difficulties of painting after having based the models, but the inherently messy drybrushing would have wrecked any paintwork anyway, as the following image shows.

Real men don't use shoe polish...

In other news, I've persuaded a gaming buddy to take the plunge into 15mm gaming, he's ordered his first army and hopefully we can turn our regular Wednesday night game night/hobby chat into something more productive, either lots of small scale painting, or some rules development.  Time will tell.  I'll badger him to start a blog too.

That's about it for now, time to grab a brew, head out to work and relish the thought that when I get home in the morning, she is back out to work and I have another 9 or so hours before I can head to bed...

Cheers.

Copplestone Castings 10% discount weekend

10%-OFF WEEKEND
 
This weekend from midnight on Friday 20th until 9am on Monday 23rd you can get 10% off 

anything you buy online just by entering the promotion code - barbarica - 

when prompted at online checkout.

http://www.copplestonecastings.co.uk/ 

Now, go buy something.

That is all. 

All your base are belong to Polyfilla.

Well, that is the case for the Barbarians anyway.  Spent the last couple of mornings after work doing all the filler work on all the bases I'd already assembled, and I have sorted out a little force that I'll get to painting as soon as possible.

Going with General, Shaman, 5 Infantry bases, 2 Scout Archer bases and some Snow Trolls.

Plan for tonight is to get the majority of the painting done on the bases before work.

Big Update.

So, yeah, I have been pretty busy between work and the kids being off for Easter...

...but I've still managed to get a bit done.

Orders arrived in from Copplestone and Veni Vidi Vici so I have all the resin terrain pieces, some Archers and some handy 15mm scale Viking transfers and basing paste.  As well as a free tape measure.

Ok, so, on the painting front, I've finished 3 bases of Beastmen, one each of Additional Hand Weapons, Spears and Armoured with Great Weapons.  I didn't go with the snow style bases, as I wanted to have them rampaging through the undergrowth, and when I add the Chariot conversions, well, they will have wheels, not runners, so they wouldn't work too well in snow...

Pig Stickers

Pig Sick

Pig Headed

 I really like the various shades of blue, with each model being sprayed, inked, and then drybrushed 3 different shades.  I have some purple ones started as well, I'll mix these in to further bases, and I have some based up to act as high ranking Beastmen on the Command stands.

"They call me MR. PIG!"

 And I've done a conversion of one of the Beastmen with a Chariot Miniatures Wielder of Magic to make a Beastman Shaman.

Hogwart's School.  Class of '12.

Apologies.  I'm out of puns at the moment.

Nothing too complex for starters, just a headswap and a little putty work to cover up the saw marks.

I think I'll follow the general build of my Cave Imp army for these guys, but as there are no missile troops, it'll be -

• General
• Shaman
• 2 x Additional Hand Weapon (rather than Clubbers)
• 2 x Spears
• 2 x Armoured Beastmen (rather than Slingers)
• 2 x Monstrous Beastmen Berserkers (rather than Cave Lizards)

I still need to pick up the  Beastmen Berserkers, although I have started painting up the Champion from the Beastmen heroes pack.

He'll either get mixed in with one of the bases, or I'll base him up on a 50x50 base with a few smaller Beastmen around him, and use him as a unit filler model that counts as two stands.

I also grabbed one of the Flames of War small barns from Warbases to paint up as a test piece, rather than tiling the roof, I used some fake fur to give it a thatched look, as it ties in better for Fantasy/Dark Age style games.  The wood panelling was hand painted (whilst tipsy), because I figured the lines didn't need to be too straight...

A house, a house, my kingdom for a house.

Infantry for scale.

So, yeah, that's about it for the update.  I did get my PSC Panthers in, and have built one of them up, absolutely cracking kits.  I also might have to get some more after reading this...

Finally, I ordered the Wolven from Rebel minis, as well as a few other bits and bobs, I'll list them when they arrive.

Cheers.

The Icelords of Isthak

Well, I guess I'd better catalogue my order for the Demonworld stuff eh?

I managed to snag a couple of blisters (including postage) of Empire Mammoth Hunters on ebay for less than the price of a unit, as I figured they might work with the Copplestone ones.

And then I went a bit mental and ordered a bunch of stuff -

Beastmen with Hand Weapons (40)
Beastmen with Spears (40)
Armoured Beastmen (32)
Beastmen Polar Bear Riders (8)
Ice Witch Furies (40)
Snow Barbarians (40)
Snow Cannon
Ice Witch Battlesled
Ice Witch Personalities (5)
Isthak Human Commanders (4)
Warlocks & Necromancers (6)
Zombies (40)
Demons (6)


oh, and some Thain Wolf Spirits for my Barbarian Shaman bases.

I do really want to play Demonworld, although, it seems to be mainly a German thing, and I even went as far as getting a bunch of bases cut by Martin at Warbases (support your local business, right?).  I dug out the Battlelore board, and the hex bases fit on it, but I might just stick them on 50x25mm bases, so that they work for Mighty Armies and my own rules, which are still unnacounted for...

I did get around to cleaning up the full unit of Spearmen and Armoured Beastmen, had them primed and inked, and then figured that I would base them in 3's rather than 4's.  Being that there are generally 3 sculpts per unit, it looks a bit better IMO.

I'm going to try and get a few bases done over the next couple of days, as a Mighty Armies force, probably based the same as my Barbarians.  I'm not sure that I'll use the Polar Bear Riders as is, I think there might be a few purchases made from the Thain range to outfit them with Giant Boars and Boar Chariots.

 Speaking of which, as I said earlier I've ordered a couple of packs of the Barbarian Archers, as well as the 3 terrain pieces from Copplestone, which should be here soon.  I'll probably pick up the Picts too at some point, but I'll wait for a few more packs to be released first.  Is it just me, or would they make fine 15mm Orcs?

 And these Wolven models from Rebel Minis are just screaming (howling?) out to be bought and added to the Barbarian horde.

Bugger.

Yes, I'm still alive. No, I'm not zombie Jesus...

Been a while eh?  I blame that Dunc fellow for jinxing me...

Well, it's been an eventful start to the year, though sadly, not on the gaming front.  The festive period is always a bit mental in retail, right through to Easter, so I've been pretty busy at work, and to top it off, Mrs. G fell down the stairs and dislocated/broke her coccyx...  Fast forward about 5 weeks, to the night before she was due back at work, and she walked into a radiator and dislocated/broke her toe.


Ditz.

On the hobby front, I've assembled a couple of boxes of PSC's Panzer VI H's.  I'm taking the time to make them all unique with battle damage and stowage.  I'll do a more detailed explanation when I get some pictures up.

My homebrew rules that I was working on have, over the rearranging of everything that is Christmas, gone AWOL.  Luckily I have some bits typed up, but I am missing a lot of the scribbled notes, which is a bit of a bummer.


I have picked up the Demonworld rules and Army Books, and have a chunk of Isthak models to be getting on with.  Part of me wants to base them up as a Demonworld force, although, I imagine opponents would be few and far between (always an excuse to do a 2nd army...) and part of me thinks I should base them up for my homebrew rules.  Still undecided.

Oh, and I ordered some of the new Copplestone Barbarian Archers, and the resin terrain pieces.

I think what really prompted me to post though, and this is probably brought on by a real sense of unfulfilment at work, is a recurring dream of boxed sets of 15mm plastic fantasy figures.


Yeah, start small eh?  I know it is unlikely to ever be realised (by me anyway) barring any sort of lottery win or unbeknown relation suddenly shuffling of the mortal coil, but it keeps coming back to me.

Obviously, there are numerous questions to be asked, like, why has nobody done it before, or, if they have, how come I can't find any mention of it?  Is there even a market for it?  And all sorts of technical issues to be dealt with, like, how much does a sprue mould (mold?) cost exactly?  Going rates for sculptors, 3 ups, undercuts, marketing etc etc.

Still, we live in hope.