Well, after so many of these continuously fail, some of us decided to get off our butts and actually try to make one of these group projects work.
Five of us in Wellington (NZ) got together recently, and realised that whilst our problems were somewhat different, they all required the same solution - a fully painted army that needed the motivation only a group effort could provide!
The five participants are:
Charlie St Clair
Army Chosen: Adeptus Mechanicus (Semi-Mech Imperial Guard)
Blurb: I've been around for a few years in this silly roundbase game now. I've been looking for an excuse to try out a lot of the techniques that the Forgeworld painting book display, so I see this as my chance. For the last year and a half I've been playing a
lot with my Orks, and am getting a little tired of them. It's going to be pretty difficult to top how they've done gameplay wise, but they've been a bit of a let down on the painting side of tournaments, so I'd like to use this as my chance to compete in that area again.... hopefully!
I've been really struggling as of late to get more than a test model and a few proxy games out of any army, before I get bored and continue to xbox/what ever other distraction I can find - so I'm hoping the group pressure and pseudo deadlines will help keep me on track!
Bryn Jones
Army Chosen: Space Wolves
Blurb: Brought Rogue Trader when it came out, and tried to play it, but failed at the age of 12! loved all the fluff esp Space Marines; but what 12 year old boy wouldn't. I played on and off for a couple of years then got into it properly 10 years ago, playing in the
UK GT in 02, 03, 04, 05. Then had 2 kids which kinda drew and end to it. I then moved to NZ, found a thriving tournament scene, got back in for a season and did okay, but got busy again and sorta got bored of Crimson Fists. Over the years I picked up loads of bits for Space Wolves; had a 13th Company army, new codex, new models which provided a good excuse for doing a quick army to fit around my real life demands. I plan to dip and use every short cut I can to get a great looking army in minimal time.
Jason Isaac
Army Chosen: Tyranids.
Blurb:When I got introduced to
40k (by a fellow "Tale of 5 Gamers" entrant: Chris) maybe 10 years ago now, there was only one army that I even thought about going, NIDS.
I still remember those first few games with the army; well I say army, it was more like bits of cardboard with Ripper Swarm written on them
) but those first few games and that Aliens was my favourite movie at the time, no pansy space elves or 8 foot goons (have both of these armies now,
lol) was gonna sway me.
The Nid army I painted back then had a blue body, with a brown to bone carapace. I want to re imagine my first army and keep it in these colours.
Anyone that knows me, knows I hate painting, and I mean HATE... It just drives me batty! So in the 10 years I have been playing I have maybe painted 2 armies (1 fully, 1 nearly fully) and have base coated 1. I am truly the slowest/weakest painter of the group.
Chris Parkin
(Chris is no longer a Banana.)
Army Chosen: Blood Angels.
Blurb: I've been playing wargames since I was about 12. I'm now 31, so a fairly long time. I started off with Epic and moved on to all most every game
GW have ever made plus some from a few other companies along the way. Over the last few years my focus, as far as army building, has been to churn armies out in the quickest possible way so I can get them on the table. I'm hoping this project going to force me to take my time and produce some thing half decent.
Jimmy Braid
Army Chosen: Eldar (Harlequins!).
Blurb: I was introduced to
40k through Space Crusade back in high school, going back maybe 15 or so years now!
I then went on to the first edition of space hulk, and 2nd ed.
40k.
I was drawn to Harlequins after playing my first game of
40k, played with a squad of them against a squad of marines.
(I still have a couple of the first harly models I bought and painted).
I think it was the whole aesthetic of the warior troubador (space elf ninja clown ?!), the laughing god, the tragic back ground of the fall of the eldar and the celtic mythological influences that really draws me to the eldar, and the harlequins in partcular.
I have been wanting to build a harlequin list since they were reintroduced in 4th, but work, kids, several other games systems (thanks Chris) and space marines have always delayed that.
I would rate myself as an ambitious but average painter in that I will attempt ambitious paint effects which sometimes work and sometimes dont, usually to my pretty average ability. I not a particularly quick painter and other priorities can often sidetrack my painting time, and attention.
What am I looking to get out of this quintet of army-building madness?
being quite comptitive, painting to a deadline, and having four others to egg me on I am doing it for a challenge, and to end up wih a completed army. AlsoI am a complete famewhore and hope to see my words and 'minis posted on the interwebz :-D
So, there you have the 5 of us!
We got together at a lovely Belgium Pub where there only charged a single limb for a novelty oversized glass of the local brew, and decided to nut out the rules of how we would do this, and came up with the following:
During the months of April, May, June, July, August, we would paint a minimum of 300 points per month. September would see the final 250 points done, hoping to have the army ready for Fields of Blood 2010.
A simple deadline would not be enough though, we needed something to hype the peer pressure, and really screw ones thumbs to the wall. Each month this punishment will change, but for the first month,
we need your help!
We are going to create a
2d6 table result, where if you do not meet the required 300 points, you will have to roll
2d6, consult the table, and eat what ever result is rolled. I'm thinking terrible options here guys, you're gonna have to help us come up with some truly nasty - but easily obtainable punishment meals, ranging from downright nasty to actually pretty pleasant, depending on how well someone rolls (I think only the double 6 will be pleasant really ;&
gt
.
Next up, the test figures!
Automatically Appended Next Post:
Charlie
After some hunting about, I really just wanted to quickly throw something together for proof of concept before I progressed further.
After a LOT of searching around, I really loved the look of "The Hoff"s that he converted a while back. I expect to do them a fair bit different once I get into the swing of things, but to begin with - they say imitation is the most sincere form of flattery
I also needed to test whether I could actually sculpt a greenstuff hood etc or not, so whipped up a test figure in a couple of hours.
Chris
Chris came up with a really awesome sons of medusa colour scheme, but he wasn't sold on it and no matter how convincing we were, we couldn't talk him into it (though we have since talked Sirath for those that know him into doing it for his next army, so alls well that ends well!). In the end after painting almost an entire army of different test colour schemes, he came up with the following.
Jason
Jason and I sat down and worked out exactly what he needed to do in order to paint his army, and after all the little steps came together to a completed product, I think he was really happy : D. Given he hasn't finished an army in about 5 years now, Jason's going to need the most motivation, I really hope he finishes as the mini looks great!
Bryn
Bryn managed to achieve a pretty neat looking wolf through dipping. I believe its Bryns goal to show that if you have little time available due to having a rather busy life, that's no excuse and you can still whip up a great army in a jiffy. So far so good Bryn!
Jimmy
Jimmy has started playing around more with the nightmare that is diamond patterns and other such harlequin joys, but the initial test figure looks the goods!
Automatically Appended Next Post:
Alright, from here on out people will generally be posting their progress and what not, and I'll also throw up a monthly catchup ;D
Hopefully if anyone fails and we dish out some horrid punishments, we'll get some videos up
So far, I've finished my first 140 points, via a valkyrie : D! I'm rather happy with the finished product.
Side/front:
Top Down:
Side On:
Inside (Removable Top!):
Underside of the roof:
Inside Cockpit:
Front On:
! I've done with them what I can, but I'd love to get the opportunity to take some much better pictures. I love the wave serpent so much!
