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Time to start a new blog. My Dark Angels are being retired as the GF has decided to play Mini games with me and the choice was WarmaHordes over Warhammer 40K or Fantasy. I want to be able to play with her and I was also running into Painter's Block when it came to my vast quantity of Space Marines still to paint. That, and Space Marines just aren't challenging to paint.

It doesn't help 40K's case when the amount of gaming for it at the local LGS has been slowly dwindling, averaging 1-2 games per weekend while the tables are full of WarmaHordes.

But it feels more like I'm making excuses. I got into painting Warmachine Menoth faction back in 2006. I started up, started going to a not so FLGS and found the hard way that Menoth was doing very well in the meta at the time. Harbinger and the Avatar had just been introduced (Apotheosis era) and were stomping face. I would drive 40+ minutes every Wednesday to go up there and was told "We won't let you get in any friendly learning games -- we're going to smash you flat and treat you like dirt until you switch factions." This was after I'd spent a month or so getting my first wave of models painted before going up to play. Years later (and that FLGS going out of business -- deservedly so for letting that attitude prevail). So I quit, walked away and put the Warmachine army into the closet.

Fast forward and the scene nearby is MUCH improved. Pressgangers are polite and friendly and have even been considerate during my recent neck surgery, allowing me to enter tourneys JUST for the painting comptetition (standing for 4-6 matches in a row just isn't an option right now -- one game is tiring). I can sit and talk strategy and how tos with all the guys in the store and they're chatty and inclusive. I'm having a lot more fun than I have had in a while, so I'm going full speed ahead. I may occasionally break it up by going back and working on Dark Angels but I see myself focusing on WarmaHordes for a while.

I've picked up some used Skorne as well for an alternate faction. I really look forward to those and want to paint their armor jade green.

My first model back was a Repenter light jack. Pictures are still pending, but it was mostly just a test model for the color scheme. I need to weight the base as it tips forward a lot, too. My second model returning was submitted to the Texas Coal and Claw event's Master Painter Tournament.









And here it is with the Silver medal it won for best model in show (medium/small base) in the Master Painter event.



Currently in production is a unit of zealots. Don't expect as good of a paint job, as they're cheap/chaff infantry. They were primered so long ago, some of the white primer on them had yellowed with age. Also, I REALLY didn't know how to prep models properly and some mold lines are fairly obvious. Future models will be much better prepped. With their completion, that will end the old 'pending' stuff I had for them before I retired the army. The following will be painted over this blog (and more, hopefully):

Protectorate of Menoth:
Knight Exemplar Errants + UA + Seneschal
Knight Exemplar Bastions + Seneschal
Holy Zealots + Monolith Bearer UA - DONE!
Heavy Warjack Kit x4 - Another in Progress
*Vanquisher Heavy Warjack - DONE!
Blessing of Vengeance - DONE!
Servath Reznik
Vassals of Menoth x2 - DONE!
Mechanik (menofixer) - In Progress
Daughters of the Flame
Visgoth Rhoven + Honor Guard
Nicia
Eiryss, Mage-Hunter of Ios

And eventually, the Harbinger.

Skorne Empire:
Tyrant Xerxis
Lord Tyrant Hexeris
Lord Arbiter Hexeris
Dominar Rasheth (the Fatman)
Void Seer Mordikaar
Titan Sentry
Titan Gladiator
Bronzeback Titan
Basilisk Krea
Basilisk Drake
Tiberion
Molik Karn
Cyclops Savage
Cyclops Brute
Cataphract Incindiarii
Cataphract Cetrati + Tyrant Vorkesh
Praetorian Swordsmen + UA
Venator Reivers + UA
Venator Slingers
Tyrant Commander + UA
Paingiver Beast Handlers
Mortitheurge Willbreaker
Extoller Soulward
Void Spirit x 2
Agonizer x 2
Hakaar the Destroyer

Minions:
Gatorman Posse
Swamp Gobbers

Looks great! I'm not very familiar with the mini... what is he holding in his offhand? is it a stone block with a chain around it?

Makes me feel like painting up some Warmachine myself, the smaller armie sizes make for fun painting projects.

Congrats on the second place! Looking forward to seeing the rest.

That is, indeed, a stone block with chain wrapped around it. The Testament has been to Ur-Caen, the spirit world, seen the face of Menoth, and returned with a tablet of his laws and words, wrapped in chains of obedience.

Evil Moses, as my GF calls him.

Haha, he does have a certain biblical quality about him. He also reminds me of Bane from batman.

 vossyvo wrote:
Haha, he does have a certain biblical quality about him. He also reminds me of Bane from batman.

Yup. We were joking about that at the tourney.

"When your nation is ashes, Mr. Stryker, then you will have my permission to die."

Finished my first full unit since returning to working on Warmachine. The Holy Zealots and their Monolith Bearer!

These models were primered so long ago that the primer had started to yellow. I did NOT know how to model prep properly back then, so I was picking off tabs and flash where I could, but a several mold lines survived. I don't care too much as they pass the 3 Foot Test, imo. I kept the color scheme basic, with bronzes / irons for the metals, the standard Menoth colors, and browns for the leathers. The maces of the Bearer and Leader models are brass to stand out a bit. The Monolith itself is bronze highlighted with a mix of bronze/silver.

As a side note, this squad convinced me to NEVER prime white again. I hate how every crevasse and crack was glaring white at me and all the normal shortcuts of leaving black spots where the brush can't reach didn't work. Ugh.

Current project(s) include repairing two older models (painted circa 2005-06 with fairly pedestrian paint jobs, but servicable) and getting a Vassal of Menoth and the Blessing of Vengeance ready for painting and playing. The Vassal is an eBay reclaim that I stripped. The arm never would come off, so I've contented myself to painting it with the arm on. Blessing will be painted sans arms with those and the shoulder guards painted separate.

First, a Castigator that lost an arm in a bag drop incident. I actually had mini damage in a BattleFoam Pack AIR. I'm surprised, too. Repairs are done and it's ready to keep going. This is the old metal version.



This is a Temple Flameguard standard bearer whose banner was chronically popping off and was packed with glue in the joint due to constant manhandled repairwork on my part. I broke it off one final time, filed all the glue off, snipped the nub joint and then drilled and pinned with steel rod. I then broke the old plastic base off in preparation for a new metal one to help counterbalance the weight. I need to use some paint on primer on the glue joint at the wrist and then repaint the gauntlet a bit.



And now we have the Blessing of Vengeance. The arms and wrists on this model are a beast and he has required extensive pinning. On top of that, the limbs are VERY thin near the joins and require disguising the pins as pistons.



And the penny in the front there was reclaimed from the TFG banner's old base.

Nice model, definitely deserved that medal.

Look forward to seeing some more progress.

Very nice stuff. Great colour choices, everything looks awesome. Your ability to batch paint is inspiring

Had to do more work on the Blessing of Vengeance, so don't have any more pictures. The ribbons that you see hanging off the front of his shoulder pop off constantly when using brush on gesso primer.

The solution was to pop them off one last time, file down the old superglue, then drill straight through the ribbon and into the shoulder and then use brass rods through both of them. Clipped and then filed the rod down so it was as close to flush as possible (it looks like part of the medal that the ribbon is attached to), and then started re-primering.

Actual painting should start tonight as I left things to cure overnight.

Blessing of Vengeance is nearly done. Will try to get him finished by the evening. Due to the ornateness of the character model it's taken quite some time.

I've painted a Vassal of Menoth at the same time and he's already complete, just hitting him with paint as I do the same colors on the Blessing. Pictures when both are complete.

Current WIP picture below:






Automatically Appended Next Post:
Blessing and the Vassal that goes with him are done:

Next up on the docket, another Vassal and a Vanquisher. This vassal will be red (sanguine) to differentiate from the other. Vanquisher will be standard Menite colors. They're all primered and ready to go.

Nice classic Menoth scheme

ForWeAreLegion wrote:
Nice classic Menoth scheme

Thanks. I always liked the studio scheme for Menoth. I never get it quite the same. Patterns are different and I switch the red/white here and there, but it's pretty close to it.

Excellent work! Not familiar with these models so it's refreshing to look at =)

Dakkon wrote:
Excellent work! Not familiar with these models so it's refreshing to look at =)

They're the Protectorate of Menoth, a nation founded by religious zealots and recently militarized to take the fight to the blasphemer and heathen (everyone but them, basically) through fire and fervor. They are a faction in the Warmachine wargame by Privateer Press set in the Iron Kingdoms, a world where technology and magic overlap and factions use either steam powered golems (called Warjacks) or monstrous, barely tamed creatures (called Warbeasts) to do battle.

You can find more info at: http://www.privateerpress.com/


Automatically Appended Next Post:
Finished the metals on the Vanquisher. This is a workaday 'Jack, so I wanted it to be somewhat grungier, especially considering the nature of its weaponry (a "firebelcher" cannon). I begin the colored plates next.

Finished the Vanquisher and its attendant Vassal of Menoth. This one's robe is sanguine red instead of Menoth white to differentiate the two of them apart.

The kit for the Vanquisher was just lousy with mold lines. I spent several hours just on prep, which was silly. All done and ready to be deployed on the tabletop now.

Heavy warjack kit is assembled and magnetized. Here are the results, all ready for primering:

Crusader heavy warjack


Vanquisher heavy warjack


Templar heavy warjack


Unassembled kit

Subbed. Will have to look it over after work but I'm ready to be amazed

Good to see you back. Take your time and hope you like what you see.

Not sure what is this warmahordes of which you speak, but the painting is pretty

I see you've had a falling out with undercoating white too, huh? I've only started doing it recently, and I agree that I would only do it for colors that demand a light base underneath them.

Your "i can haz medul!" guy is pretty darn fancy! While I can't completely relate to the aesthetic for the warjacks, that's a problem between me and war machine, I can say that I really do like the effort you've put into them. Pretty fancy steam robot things

Keep it coming, I think you need some more if you intend to properly purge all of the heretics

Thanks! Once I get to the "break" point where I switch it up to Skorne for a bit (to change color palette and stop painting the same geometric shape over and over) it'll be a lot more organic in appearance. Mighty titans (gorilla/elephant hybrids) and enslaved cyclops and basilisks are a lot more unique than Warjacks with arms A and B and C magnetized.

Aside from what you see here, I had about a 35 point army (equivalent to 1500 pts of 40K) already fully painted with three Warcasters done up from my first expedition into WM/H back in 2006.

What you've NOT seen pictures of that are painted up:
Grand Scrutator Severius
High Exemplar Kreoss
Grand Exemplar Kreoss
Guardian Heavy Warjack
Avatar of Menoth Heavy Warjack
Crusader Heavy Warjack
Castigator Heavy Warjack
Redeemer Light Warjack
Devout Light Warjack
Revenger Light Warjack
Temple Flameguard (max unit) + Officer/Standard
Knights Exemplar + Seneschal
Paladin of the Wall
Wracks

About halfway done on my magnetized Heavy Warjack Kit and Mechanik. Just finished the Menoth White, both shading and highlighting, and have sealed the models with dullcote for further work.

He's looking pretty stompy. The guy in front looks pretty sinister with the lighting

[Warning: This post is going to be VERY picture heavy.]

Finished my Heavy Warjack Kit (with all magnetized arms) and the Vassal Mechanik that goes with it. I've now got an interchangable set that can be either:

A) A Templar - A heavy warjack with a huge flail that can beat its opponents backwards across the field and a huge slab of a shield to give it extremely heavy armor.
B) A Vanquisher - A heavy warjack with a huge ball and chain that can swing it circles to smash all in front of it and a powerful gun that fires napalm filled cannon balls.
C) A Crusader - A cheap, easily assembled heavy warjack that nonetheless has one of the hardest hitting weapons in the Menoth arsenal to make up for its very slow speed. It's low, low point cost also helps.

The vassal mechanik is yet another support solo that Menoth relies so heavily upon. He's quite cheap at a point with reasonably good defense if kept in base to base with a Warjack of any variety.

A word on Privateer Press's plastics -- they really need work. Their metals are as good as anyone's, but their plastics are just rife with issues. From the fact that plastic glue doesn't work on them, to how strong they are (a blessing and a curse) making cutting the mold lines off very difficult, to how there's just a MASSIVE amount of mold lines, to the soft detail just shows that they are inferior products to the metal originals. There's a huge thread on the PP forums about this in fact and PP has even acknowledged it. So... if you see mold lines (and I know I still see some) know that it was after about four HOURS of prep work to get them down as far as I did. So many of those lines run right through detail work it's just ridiculous. Some of the worst is over every single solitary rivet on the Vanquisher flail. Gah.











The Crusader:


The Vanquisher:


The Templar:


And next up on the docket? Two Reckoners -- old metal kits that I found (one in storage, one on eBay) so that I don't have to have plastic ones.

Very nice! The jack-a-ma-thing and his 'lil buddy look very crisp and clean. Both are quite pretty, I realize its the stock scheme (right, you said that didn't you) but its a good color choice, very striking and well executed.

I can see just a hint of mold lines if I squint, but meh, you did all you could for sure.

Keep them coming, these are nice!

 GrimDork wrote:
Very nice! The jack-a-ma-thing and his 'lil buddy look very crisp and clean. Both are quite pretty, I realize its the stock scheme (right, you said that didn't you) but its a good color choice, very striking and well executed.

I can see just a hint of mold lines if I squint, but meh, you did all you could for sure.

Keep them coming, these are nice!

Yeah, for my Menites, it's the studio color scheme. When I picked them back up from storage, about half the army had already been painted that scheme, so I'm color matching at this point.

I'm painting a quick Mercenary before the Reckoner twins to cleanse the palette. Lots of leathers and greens in that little lady.

(one of the benefits of WM/H factions is that they can all dip into the mercenary pool to fill out certain holes in their army -- not all mercs will work for all factions, but you can usually find a stand in for something you're missing if you look hard enough. The benefits to remaining in faction is that all buffs work on your unit and they're usually more efficient points wise.)

Plus mercs are usually designed in such a way as to be oozing with character, always a good thing!

Ugh. Been a looong time not because of lack of painting progress, but because of lack of computer access. I ended up with a fried motherboard and just haven't been able to get online regularly and to get my pictures uploaded of the work I've been able to do. I've completed four models, but two are heavy warjacks. Those are considerably larger than standard models. I've also prepped and assembled another four models for the upcoming project.

So, here's what I've completed --

A pair of Reckoner heavy warjacks. With a cannon for an arm and a heavy mace for a weapon, they specialize in strong assaults that debuff opponents. Both are the original metal models. One of them had the left shoulder rebuilt due to being partially concave from a molding error.











This is followed by the Hierophant. This is a warcaster attachment. He follows your warcaster around and provides a small buff or heals.







Finally is Eiryss, Mage Hunter of Ios. This is a mercenary, so it doesn't follow the typical color schema. She specializes in assassination and if she actually hits an enemy warcaster, her debuff is amazingly powerful. This model, due to how thin the arms are, I decided to drill all the way through the torso to pin both arms on one steel rod. I then had to rebuild the right shoulder with green stuff due to how the tab removal damaged it.

Man... I knew you'd been missing for a bit. I feel your pain on the computer crap. It all looks good, gonna have to check them out on my computer later, but definitely looks spiffy.

*edit*

Now that I've had a chance to see them at a larger size... Awesome work! I especially like the mage hunter, its a cool model and you've done a good job with it.