Druchii Uber Alles

So I've begun collecting Dark Elves (hence the new background image here on my blog) and I'm eager to finally get them on the table. The building is a challenge since I'm not used to these plastics, but I've gotten the hang of it. I love the feel of the Dark Elves; their merciless style is unlike ANYTHING else I play (or have played for that matter). So, without further ado, my first list:

20 Spearmen w/ Shields. Banner of Murder. Full Command = 180pts

10 Cold One Knights. Full Command = 310pts

20 Corsairs. Sea Serpent Standard. Full Command = 250pts

10 Repeater Crossbowmen. Guard Master. Musician = 110pts

1 Sorceress. Lvl2. Tome of Furion = 150pts.

That's 1000pts on the nose! Yes, I'm THAT OCD. So, I have a bit of this left to assemble and I'll be testing it out soon - learning this game by hook or by crook.

One question for the audience - any recommendations for good and inexpensive movement trays? What are the standard sizes I should be looking to buy?

Wish me luck as I sow merciless slaughter!

New Strategies - Random Casters!!!

Aside from expanding out into Malifaux Outcasts (again) and Warhammer Fantasy Dark Elves, I've also decided to allow a bit of random chance and specific learning exercises guide my Warmachine & Hordes games to higher levels.

First, I've been inspired by a fellow Circle forumite - fildrigar - to track my wins and losses with a few sentence description of what happened. Highlights are on mistakes and bits of cleverness.

Second, I've decided that with so many options for warcasters and warlocks at my disposal, I'm designing a random system of game play. I've been using this site to generate random numbers within any range I want. Each month, I'll generate a random number for which faction to play for the month. Then I'll generate a random caster for each week or two. I'm not super strict with it, but it'll help me break out of the rut of using the same caster over and over. For example, I'm using two here to prepare for an upcoming 35pt tourney. So here goes...

January: Cygnar

Warcasters: General Adept Nemo & Captain Kara Sloan

And from here, I make some lists. I'm also trying to push myself to use models I don't usually use. So first up, the General... then Captain Starbuck.

General Adept Nemo (-6pts)
* Firefly x2 (10pts)

* Centurion (9pts)
* Hammersmith (8pts)
* Ironclad (7pts)
* Squire (2pts)
Stormsmith Stormcaller x5 (5pts)

*****

Captain Kara Sloan (-6pts)
* Defender (9pts)

* Hunter (6pts)
Black 13th Gun Mage Strike Team (4pts)
Precursor Knights (Leader and 9 Grunts) (8pts)
* Precursor Knight Officer & Standard (2pts)
Trencher Commandos (Leader and 5 Grunts) (6pts)

* Trencher Commando Scattergunner x3 (3pts)

Reinholdt, Gobber Speculator (1pts)
Rhupert, Piper of Ord (2pts) - {considering the Squire instead}

I'm excited to give these a whirl as I approach the upcoming tourney. I'm stoked. I'll use this space to track a bunch of my thoughts and experiences in Mali, WFB, and my new random approach to PP games. Also, keep your eyes peeled for more modelling and painting work.

Here we go!

So, I've decided that not only do I need to paint my pigs, but I need a playable fully-painted force when I'm all done. So I've struck a balance between what I have started painting already, and what I can safely add and still make progress.

Lord Carver (*6pts)
* Gun Boar (5pts)
* War Hog (8pts)
* War Hog (8pts) {new}
Farrow Brigands (Leader and 5 Grunts) (5pts)
Farrow Brigands (Leader and 5 Grunts) (5pts)
Farrow Slaughterhousers (Leader and 5 grunts) (6pts) {new}
Farrow Razorback Crew (Leader and 1 Grunt) (3pts) {new}
Alten Ashley, Monster Hunter (2pts)
Gudrun the Wanderer (3pts)
Rorsh & Brine (9pts)
Saxon Orrik (2pts)

The stuff marked {new} is going to need to be caught up to where the others are (base primer coat and leathers). In addition, I'll finish Dr. Arkadius, Pendrake, a unit of Bonegrinders, and another Gun Boar, since I don't want anything I've started painting to remain in-progress after this first pass.

The goal is to have these fully painted and based by September, ready to face my friend's fully painted and base Retribution. Should be quite the awesome showdown!

I'll start posting pics when I get each phase completed.

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Now playing: Sepultura - Endangered Species

Hogs Gone Wild

I have too many piggies to paint at once. So I've divided them into two broads groups. So here's the entire collection...

Lord Carver
Doctor Arkadius
War Hog x3
Gun Boar x3
Farrow Brigands (min) x6
Farrow Bone Grinders (max)
Farrow Razorback Crew x3
Rorsh & Brine
Alten Ashley
Gudrun the Wanderer
Victor Pendrake
Saxon Orrik

And on the painting table is both warlocks, one War Hog, two Gun Boars, two units of Farrow, the Bone Grinders, Rorsh & Brine, and all four solos. Half tempted to keep moving forward and try to paint it all. But then the new stuff's on the horizon; it'll never end. Slow and steady wins the race, right?

Warning Boar Crossing

Started in on my Thornfall Painting. I have a small collection of models and I'm working through them one color at a time. So far, I've primed them all in Army Painter Leather Brown and started working through the leathers on the models in GW Snakebite Leather. After that I head into P3 Trollblood Highlight for all the tufts of fur and RMS Creamy Ivory for the tusks, nails, and hooves. Then GW Chainmail for the metal and P3 Ordic Olive for the loin clothes. Non-Farrow allied models get to use the same colors, but I'll put it somewhere else on them.

Here's the complete list of what I'm painting to start...

Lord Carver
Dr. Arkadius
Gun Boar x2
War Hog
Farrow Bone Grinders (Leader and 5 Grunts)
Farrow Brigands (Leader and 5 Grunts) x4 (yes, that's 4 min units!)
Rorsh & Brine
Alten Ashley, Monster Hunter
Gudrun the Wanderer
Professor Victor Pendrake
Saxon Orrik

Later, I'll be adding 2 Warhogs, 2 Razorback crews, the new solo Targ, and a unit of Slaughterhousers.

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Now playing: GWAR - Gor-Gor

IT'S DRIVING ME INSANE!!!

I don't paint. I just have to admit it and get over it and then start painting.

I've been itchin' for warm weather, to get priming, get painting, etc.

Above all, I have a PIG army that needs paint. It's my best chance to have a faction/army that stays fully painted. It's small. Lends itself well to dipping.

Stayed tuned. Tomorrow I buy the appropriate colored primer (Army Painter Leather Brown) and the first 50*+ day, I prime PIGS!!!

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Now playing: Budgie - Crash Course In Brain Surgery

Gorax Step-by-Step

Base coat
Prime black. Top prime light gray. Paint ropes with 1:1 of VGC Earth and VGC Khaki. Paint metals with 1:1 of VMC Bronze and VGC Tinny Tin. Teeth and nails get a coat of VGC Cobra Leather. Wash entire model with GW Devlan Mud. When dry, wash the model again with GW Badab Black.

Highlights
Paint rock as Wolds are done. Highlight fur with P3 Trollblood Highlight. Highlight again with RMS Creamy Ivory. Final highlight with RMS Linen White. All dry-brushed. Paint nails and teeth with RMS Linen White. Highlight metals with base color, then add a little more VMC Bronze. Add some VMC Oily Steel for a sheen.

Details
Paint inside of mouth and dot the eyes with RMS Linen White. Wash the inside of the mouth with P3 Flesh Wash. Add a little red ink if necessary. Wash the eyes and surrounding areas of P3 Turquoise ink. Paint the leather straps with VGC Charred Brown. Then highlight by adding VGC Cobra Leather.

Base
As for Circle standard.

Painting a 35pt Circle Force

Coming back to the Wolves of Orboros after a hiatus, and trying on some new techniques to stay motivated...

1. Remember these are one-wound models. Paint them as such. Don't obsess.
2. Cleaned off the painting table of all models except the WoO.
3. Morbid Angel and lots of other moody metal helps motivate for Circle.

So, the goal is to complete a 35pt Circle force in short order. It's the most common point level I end up playing against friends and what not. So, with out further ado, here's the list, along with what's completed.

Morvahna the Autumnblade (*6pts) -- painted
* Gorax (4pts) -- painted
* Woldwatcher (5pts) -- painted
* Warpwolf Stalker (10pts)
* Woldwarden (9pts) -- painted
Shifting Stones (2pts) -- painted
Wolves of Orboros (Leader and 9 Grunts) (6pts) -- in progress
* Wolf of Orboros Officer & Standard (2pts) -- in progress
War Wolf (1pts)
War Wolf (1pts)
War Wolf (1pts)

So that's 25 points to have this list all painted up. Wish me luck!

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Now playing: Morbid Angel - Sworn to the Black

Consistency, consistency, consistency - Cygnar military scheme

I like to keep track of stuff. I know I don't post a lot of pictures; none lately, in fact. But ultimately, I come back to this blog time and time again EVERY time I start a painting project. With no further ado, my scheme template for my Cygnar from here on out. It all gets used somewhere, more than likely.

[main color]:[shadow]:[highlight]

Military Green
[P3 Traitor Green]:[GW Badab Black or Devlan Mud]:[Base + RMS Leather White]

Military Gray
[P3 Ironhull Gray + Morrow White]:[GW Badab Black]:[Base + more white]

Military Brown
[VGC Charred Brown]:[GW Devlan Mud]:[Base + RMS Leather White]

Leathers
[VGC Beasty Brown]:[GW Devlan Mud]:[Base + RMS Leather White]

Armor/Machine bits direct
[VGC Gunmetal Metal]:[GW Badab Black]:[Base + RMS Honed Steel]

Armor/Machine dry brushed
[RMS Honed Steel]:[none]:[RMS Polished Silver]

Gold direct
[VGC Tinny Tin + VMC Brass]:[GW Devlan Mud]:[Base + more brass]

Gold dry brushed
[VGC Tinny Tin + VMC Brass]:[none]:[Base + more brass]

Blue accent
[P3 Cygnar Blue Highlight]:[GW Asurmen Blue]:[Base + P3 Morrow White]

And that's it... hair and skin is extra, and done on a model-by-model basis, using some basic skin tone recipe. This will keep things nice and documented for me.

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Now playing: Shadows Fall - In Effigy
via FoxyTunes

Something's gotta give...

I gotta get this painter's block cleared and start pumping out models in a quickness. Here is an option for a 35pt paint-and-play list; includes a couple painted models, and a bunch of unpainted.

Commander Coleman Stryker (-6pts)
^Lancer (6pts)
^Ol' Rowdy (9pts)
^Squire (2pts)
Stormblade Infantry (Leader and 5 Grunts) (5pts)
Stormblade Infantry Officer & Standard (3pts)
^^Stormclad (10pts)
Captain Arlan Strangewayes (2pts)
Journeyman Warcaster (3pts)
Stormsmith Stormcaller (1pts)

Stryker, Lancer, Stormsmith, and Junior are painted; stormblades are WIP... the rest should be fun though, given my new Cygnar scheme I'm developing. Let's see what happens... see if I can get inspired to keep going after I finish my Defender.
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Now playing: Front 242 - Headhunter (V1.0)
via FoxyTunes