Edit: Corrected some information and added pictures.
(SCROLL DOWN TO BOTTOM OF POST TO SEE TL;DR VERSION OF OP)
I started playing miniature wargames in 2007 with the Star Wars Miniatures game. Around the same time I started playing Warmachine and Hordes. Around 2008 I added
40k to the miniatures games I would play. Since those times I've mostly played casually at an
FLGS. I would particapte in leagues or campaigns as well as casual play in general. Every now and then there would be a small tournament...nothing big. Just a small unofficial event with a small group of participants.
This coming September I'm going to be stepping my game up a bit and will be attending an event in LA. It will be the first convention I'll be going to where I will be participating in the games played. More importantly there will be a
40k tournament that is a little more strict than the usual
FLGS events I'm used to. Lists will be a little more scrutinized, painted armies are required (at least '3 color' standard), and round lengths will be held to specific times.
I originally wasn't going to attend mostly because my army isn't fully painted and I wanted it more than just to be 3 colors. But some folks pointed out to me that it'll just be as if I'm basecoating before doing any of the blending or shading. I could clean it up the paint jobs later.
In the next 3 weeks I will attempt to get not only my
40k army up to a 3 color standard (as well as based), but I will also be doing the same for a Warmachine army to play in an event a day prior to the
40k tournament.The next 3 weeks are going to be VERY busy. The
40k army is maybe 1/3 to being ready. I just have to apply paint to the portion of the army that is unpainted and then do the bases (This includes 3 Devilfish, a Hammerhead, a Sky Ray, 9 Stealth suits, 1 Commander suit, 3 marker drones, 36 Kroot, and 12 Kroothounds). On top of the
40k work, I still have to build as well as paint and base the Warmachine army (3 Warjacks, 10 infantry, 5 cavalry, 4 solos, and 1 Warcaster...actually 1 Jack, 1 solo, and the Warcaster are built and primed). The Warmachine army isn't even a definite list. I'm just bringing at least enough to make at most a 50pt list.
Aside from the modeling work, I'm going to have to brush up on the rules. I may have been playing
40k since the tail end of 4th edition but there is still is a lot I can learn or improve upon. Also I've only played my Tau army twice for the whole time I've had it (I used to play Space Marines...Ultramarines in fact). There are still a lot of things specific to the Tau that I need to learn and remember. Warmachine I'll have an even bigger problem. I've played at most maybe 4 games in Mk II. It isn't a large departure from Mk I but I'm still not used to it. Also I'll be playing Protectorate of Menoth. I used to be mainly a Khador player and only dabbled with Menoth a little bit. I never learned to play Menoth at the same level I play Khador plus a majority of this was during Mk I.
This thread will mostly just be my modeling work for the preparation for the con. For the next three weeks I'm going to have to get ready 2 armies while still working full-time and going out every once in a while (This old boy has started dating again... I'm not going to drop that just for 2 armies).
The first couple of days of this time will be construction of the Menoth army. Once I get to priming, I'll get started on painting the rest of my Tau. I predict that painting will take about a week and some change. After that I'll paint the Menoth Army. I think that will take about the same amount of time... a little over a week. With whatever time I have left I'm going to base everything. Basing will be easysauce. I plan to use just some gravel and/or sand. Maybe I'll throw in some static grass. Depends if I have time. ...oh yeah there's work and dating somewhere amidst all that...
TL;DR
I'm going to get 2 armies to 3 color tournament standard within the next 3 weeks.
Pictures:
Here are the Tau:
Here are the infantry left in my Tau army that need painting and basing.
Here are the vehicles I still have to paint. 3 Devilfish, a Sky Ray, and a Hammerhead.
Here are the Kroot that need painting and basing.
Here are some drones and Kroot hounds. The drones need their flying stands based and the hounds need both painting and basing.
These Firewarriors just need basing.
Here are 2 Crisis Suits I have painted. They need to be based.
Here is what I have painted so far in regards to vehicles. A Piranha and the weapons to a Sky Ray and Hammerhead.
Here are the Menoth:
Here is what I have built and primed. These were done prior to me attaining the Menoth stuff.
Bits for a Reclaimer
Bits for Vilmon
Bits to an Exemplar Errant
Bits to another Errant
Bits for an Exemplar Venger
Bits to a Castigator
Bits to the Avatar
Here I decided to plop these three on their bases since they were dry.