Those Daemonettes look great! I love that banner, it came out very well!

Many thanks guys


Working on the Grinder, mostly some very boring metalwork. In the meantime, heres a pair of new additions to my Marines Errant army- Dreads!



I know that the current meta doesnt support mechanized army- too much high-AP weaponry on the field- but I just really love walkers

Question!
I magnetized the Dorito easy enough (Cool Ranch, by the by), but Im wondering how I should set up the Ironclad. Assault launchers are magnetized, weapon arms are swappable, same as a normal dread, but what about underarm weapons? Twin Heavy flamer or heavy flamer plus melta?

HF & melta.

Is that so?

See, I was thinking twin flamer due to overall crowd control + overwatch (from what I barely remember of the games rules xD) before it charges into combat?
I would think that a TL HF would have the most damage potential rather than a single super AP shot plus flamer shot.


Plan is to steal a drop pod from somewhere, Dread comes in, shoots at whats near it, then assaults next turn.

Is the melta shot worth it tactically? Same points cost no matter what, just curious if I should magnetize the melta and flamer/

Melts good to pop an armored target before you charge in, heavy flamer.....not too much........but it's been a few editions since I've played 40k.

Great work on the daemonette's skin very smooth finish!

Melta and HF gives you a versatile platform as well.

EDC

Those daemonettes are amazing, fantasic job.

As to weaponry sorry can't help, but i do know that just about anybody nowadays tailors there army for specific opponents. So I would say magnets and go with options.


Funny how battles are fought with just the right units now, in my head scenarios always played out more along the lines of chance meetings, to foes unprepared, now you know just about exactly what your up against. Maybe just the perception I get from outside looking in, but people really tailor there lists to the foe of the day.

Sorry blurp over.

Fantastic work all round bud, love coming here, always inspiring.

Melta gives you some extra close-quarters anti-armor/terminator capability. The extra flamer doesn't, just gives you more of what you've already got. Besides, podding down iron clads is pretty common so it's quite easy to get that melta into optimum range.

What? Knights errant? I think I knew a guy that used to play those. Yeah, he went to a tournament with an unfinished army. That's right.

Hate that guy.......

Lol

Unfinished army at a tournament, you say?

Sloppy.

Why the Hate.. 3 colors.. Grey, light Grey and Dark Grey.

Those Deamonettes look great! I remember them being very fine and delicate models so it was hard to really blend up to any strong highlights due to them being so sensuous and smooth skinned! you've smashed them outta the park :-)

I also think heavy flamer and melta is a good loadout. It gives you versatility. If you're putting it in a pod, my absolute favorite loadout is: 2 x Hunter killer missiles, melta, heavy flamer, drop pod (200 points on the nose I believe).

@Ice+moon:








Why do you guys hate me so....




@nerd: Thanks nerd! YEah I had a similar experience. I think the thing that saved me painting these guys is the airbrush. Basecoat in no time and then a nice soft blend on the head! Good way to teach myself how to paint in glazes, too. Helped to get a creamy skincolor. And the spots- MAN do those look great! Hope ya dont mind me stealin that bit from ya




As far as equipping the Ironclad, Sounds like Melta+Flamer is the consensus... Sounds good to me. not super sold on HK missiles, but if I have the extra points, why not take them
In the mean time, Ill focus on painting up what Ive got here.... Gotta get at least a little bit finished!

=================

Nearing completion on the Slaanesh Grinder-

Primarily its the golds and the bone areas to go, then it’ll be time for assembly!








Two weeks to go!!

The Soul Grinder is shaping up really well. Can't wait to see it fully assembled.

I would put my two cents towards heavy flamed and melts. In my Iron Hamds army I have that combo and it does well. If the dread survives that is.

Good god, look at how smooth those transitions are!

Amazing!

EDC

Looking good.. At first I didn't like the pinkish hue but it's really works with the metals. Just goes to show me that I need to wait for the finished product.

That blend is amazing Ramos. Seamless.

We gain sustenance from your tears.

Thanks guys!
(except moon and Ice who are evil)


The trick to the blends, I think, is to go back over certain colors to smooth the blending. For example, on the pink plates I primed black and sprayed about 2/3 of it magenta. Then I stepped to the next color, a medium pink, and painted the top 2/3. Then I went back and retouched the magenta very lightly where it overlapped, really just focusing on the interface. Same with the top third of the plate that I hit with a very pale pink.

Sometimes you just need to go back and forth with colors until the blend is right, touching up a little bit here and there.




Soul Grinder complete!








Less than 2 weeks to go, so from here on its Marines Errant touchups and Dreads!

Grinder came out beautifully, great work on the big guy - and totally the ladies too, been a pleasure seeing them come together. Also really appreciated the string of ridiculous boob-related post titles

- Salvage

Soul grinder is great! Dang those armor panels are pretty . A distraction from the thing about to rip you in half...

The Grinder and ladies look really nice Ramos, your blending skills are totally worthy of Slaanesh.

Looking forward to seeing some Marines Errant on the table next.

That is beautiful. In a demonic face beating sort of way.

Grinder looks good. You going to be able to bang out some marines in the next week?

@Salvage: I figured the titles were appropriate...
Pity I didnt have more Slaaneshi stuff to do... I didnt even get to the title "Nipple and Dimed" Oh well... next time

@Tides: Eeeeexcellent! Fitting for the Slaanesh army Thanks man!

@Gir: Thanks! Gotta admit Im pretty well pleased with how they came out- I really do adore doing these blends now... Its my favorite thing to do next to capes and lenses.

@Theo: Awesome to hear

@WM: Thats the plan! Both dreads are currently sitting basecoated, and they aren't overly complex models by any means. Mostly just metals outside of the initial AB gradients. I also just got a box of servitors and a Techmarine from a friend of mine, so hopefully they'll be along for the ride!
I've really only got a busy weekend, then nothing else planned till AC.... Benefits of being "unemployed", I suppose...

So, leave it to me to make things harder for myself... but I'm doing something crazy to the Dorito...

Till next time

Dude, that Soul Grinder... lets just say it makes mine look pitiful. I bow to your painting magnificence!

 Ramos Asura wrote:


So, leave it to me to make things harder for myself... but I'm doing something crazy to the Dorito...

Till next time

I had forgotten about the Dorito . If it's going to be Slaaneshi then I demand that you paint it white and name it the S,S, Love Boat Dreadnought.

Excellent work man. Going to be a real joy seeing that on the table and then blowing it to the 7th ring of hell!

What Git said but I'll also be collecting your tears to send to Moon!

Grinder looks ace. You should probably go over the rules at some point cause in general were pretty bad at it.

@Gits and Theo: Sorry to disappoint, but unfortunately the Slaanesh stuff isnt mine- The fact that it got got painted is something of a clue xD Nah this is for another client- Same chap who I did the CSM for a while ago.

But as far as that scheme Theo... Well... it IS starting out white....






@Zerg: Thanks a lot! And you were 110% right- the Grinder model was an absolute blast to paint! Really wouldnt mind another one xD

@SL: Yeah, I've been meaning to go over the rules again.... I barely know what edition we're on anymore- I havent even looked at my 40k minis since last year in Chicago!! Almost certain Ill need to bum a codex off you guys- or at least use yours as reference!
I remember parts of the rules, most of the basics, so we shouldnt have too much trouble- no more than last year to be sure!

Man, I really want a Dorito dread. And a Leviathan. Why are dreads so meh?

Tis the flavor of the meta :/

Im the exact same way- Love love LOVE the walkers, but damn do they suck in the game. Everything can just glance them to pieces.

Next edition dreads will be ace, just wait!

At least, that's what I've been telling myself for the last two editions

Dreads sell already because they are cool, so they need something new to introduce(but has been around for millennia). Mole-men marines, they burrow up through the ground , and will have the best rules ever.

Nice grinder! And I look forward to the dead. It'll be nice to see some errant around here again.

And moon and I aren't evil, just misunderstood secessionist like Gits and Solar.

Those three get a pass after they make amends. You sir, are irredeemable.

Grinder looks brilliant. Looking forward to seeing what you do with the Deredeo

EDC

The Grinder is superb! really smooth and looks great! the whole force you've been doing for your client is so good!

i'll have to tune out while you paint the Derido dread as I want one and don't want to be tempted to spend when I cant really at the moment :-)

 RiTides wrote:
Next edition dreads will be ace, just wait!

At least, that's what I've been telling myself for the last two editions

What edition are we on? I remember them not being good in 4th :( Which is sad, as they are one of the coolest aspects of the universe, along with Killa-Kans and Penitent Engines.

 whalemusic360 wrote:
Those three get a pass after they make amends. You sir, are irredeemable.

QFT.
Report to your local Commissar for processing

@nerd: Thanks, Damo!! Heh... not to be the devil on your shoulder, but you should dooooo iiiiiit
Seriously itd be awesome to see you tackle one. Maybe in WMs Salamanders?

@Wehr: Errr.... 7?? I think...?
5th I remember them being at least a little bit viable. Was when I first started playing. Back in the good old days.... *nostalgia goggles*

================

OK! So update on the Dorito!

Remember this?




Well I did THIS!


In following Gits' example with his Tranquility pattern vets, this guy is getting the Second Outer Galactic Expedition Force camo! Because why start with a cheap infantry mini when you can use expensive resin!

Its almost impossible to tell from this reference photo, as it's not as straightforward as some of the other camos. Plus the pictures are rather grainy, so Im guessing on a lot of things. Im imagining it as a blocky, angled camo, with the black areas speckled with gray. Seems to make the most sense to me, and the test so far seems interesting...

Really a pity Im covering up a lot of this nice white, but sacrifices must be made

Whatcha think, guys?

That looks really cool. At first I thought you'd photoshopped it on as a test, but nope you've actually painted that pattern.

Bravo sir, bravo!

EDC

when I really wake up later I can try and take a better picture from the nook if that will help you with the camo. It is somewhere in the basement and everything got torn up when we had some water damage this winter, but I'm sure I can find it.

@EDC: Yeeeeeah, Photoshopping it on might have been the actually SANE thing to do... hahaha! Much appreciated

 Theophony wrote:
when I really wake up later I can try and take a better picture from the nook if that will help you with the camo. It is somewhere in the basement and everything got torn up when we had some water damage this winter, but I'm sure I can find it.

Man do I hope it looks how I think it looks xD
Don't go to any trouble on my account- If its an easy find, thatd be fantastic- If not, I wouldn't wory about it. Thanks, Theo!

You gunna follow it completely, feet on fire and everything?

I see what you mean... THough that looks like just mud to me

Big whoop for Badab camo

I think his feet are munddy rather than flaming too.

Maybe, but I don't think so. None of the others on that image have dirty feet is enough for me, but lets go deeper.

Here's a better pic of what you posted.


Still kind of iffy. Some artwork of a veteran might help.


He clearly has flame foot.

Now clearly it will be however you want to interpret it, but something to think on anyways.

http://vignette2.wikia.nocookie.net/warhammer40k/images/6/6d/Badab_War_Original_Colours.jpg/revision/latest?cb=20120324080708

If you follow this link, it definitely looks like mud to me, and there is more on the feet of the Fire Angels, Salamanders and Executioners.

But, like you said, up to the painter on the day. Either option or neither could all look good.

That latter one is more heraldry than anything. Like fire on Salamanders.

As to dirty feet, a few others on that image do- mostly the camo ones. Check out the raptor camo and salamanders camo. The Marines Errant apparently dont wipe their feet before going inside,,,



Also- This pic is much nicer xD I -think- my guess of geometric camo still stands?

That image is showing up as 200x140 for me, how can you guys see anything?

Really!? its more than 800x600 for me
Try accessing the image page itself, maybe??

http://vignette2.wikia.nocookie.net/warhammer40k/images/6/6d/Badab_War_Original_Colours.jpg/revision/latest?cb=20120324080708

Kids are up now, so I could go and make noise
And the side by side


the grey chipping could be part of the camo, or could just be battle damage, guess that's up to you.

WOW! Perfect Theo!! Thank you!

I think im definitely seeing the chipping as part of the camo. Very interesting- seems it is all over, not just on the black as I expected. And relatively even spaced... Iiiinteresting!

They almost look tear dropped shape to me. No problem, it's always fun looking through the old material. Ultramarines old scheme used to be almost the opposite of the world eaters. THey were their blue all over except for the shoulders and the boots which were white.

I love the model Ramos. It's brilliant.

Those spots are clearly heraldic in nature... like ermine tails on a medieval garment or stylized on a device.

I concede the dirty feet. The grey does appear to be part of the camo. If you look at the chapter logo they appear to stop.

Might look better without though, I do like the look now.

Busy weekend over.

One week remaining before convention.

Tons of work still to be done.

Dorito Dreadnought nowhere to be found.

Seriously, all I found of it was this empty base.






Marginally related note:
Years and years down the line, and GW continues to impress with their ineptitude of casting/mold making.



This has to be the least elegant method of venting ive ever seen from any manufacturer... Gates frigging EVERYWHERE. Also, it seems that any place that could potentially have a bubble got these annoying little bits of sprue on them. Whats that? You dont want to spend hours and hours carefully carving out points and edges of the model? Pfft.. screw you we have your money already.

And I know Ill inevitably miss a few- Seriously... I never had this issue with pewter minis. Those were simple as hell to clean, little more than those little hair-like bits of sprue.

My kingdom for metals to come back :/

That camo scheme really does look awesome. That dread is gonna be a great piece once done.

EDC

Good job on the camo', looking cool.

and that venting is laughable.

It would take a very different camo to blend in with your wall paper. One I wouldn't wish on anyone.

The finecast that was designed as finecast is...fine. It's the stuff like this that was metal and they just made molds of that is terrible.

That is a piss poor sprue I think my favorite part is that they thin the sprue to put the little letters in right above the damned vents, limiting the flow of air and resin right where you don't want it to happen! Air bubbles are super fussy about any sort of constriction in a vent, and yet they constricted the entire top of it.

I kind of want to get a big piece of silicon from the basement and beat the hell out of their mold makers like in that scene from Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels. Only the silicon is a properly vented mold, not a 2' dong. Probably.

Hey, wm- thems fightin' words about my walls (though, no... its totally hideous...)


@Wehr: Riiiiiight. "Probably"
Yeeeeeeah, I'd support some beatings for this travesty.

I mean, I know that they're converting over some from metal. I get that. I know that the two materials cast and mold differently... Its just... wow... You'd think for as much as they charge for this stuff that they could show even the SLIGHTEST amount of common sense. It had to have been more effort to do things this way than to have just figured out the molds properly!

[/rage]

Frigging finecrap...

[seriously /rage]


Anywhooo, bit of a question for you guys. What do we think on adding the little "ermine spots" on the camo pattern? Should I give a test on some of the black armor (as thats easiest to fix in case it doesnt look good)?

I found dorito's 40K great grandpa, back before they had legs

I find that picture very disturbing to look at for any length of time...

"We can't bloody well hide the ship in the ocean, but by George we will make Jerry pay for aiming at us!"

Ahhhh Dazzle camo, how I love it!

You know I was thinking of that all through painting the camo, haha! Its no "Turpitz" like what Gits has on his Grot MegaTank, but its crazy enough to look at it

Yeah it's not going to hide anything, but it will make hitting the sweet spot harder.

If I have a vote, I'd leave it as is. Once you do the metals and other details, it would be to busy.

I think you've done an outstanding job on the dread Ramos.

 Ramos Asura wrote:
Should I give a test on some of the black armor (as thats easiest to fix in case it doesnt look good)?

I'd try a little test on the black and see - like you say, easy to fix black, right?

Looks amazing so far!!

Im leaning a little bit towards omitting the gray spots, but its something I have to try just to be sure...

I think I have an idea how to apply them, and it will require a little bit of manufacturing- Specifically, I am going to try to make a little rubber stamp of the shape, as its consistent all through the example pic. Same size, same shape, roughly equally spaced.... Heres to experiments!



Had some more blacking out to do on the Dorito parts, and I put the blues on the Ironclad. Seeing as I had a new method of painting white, I figured I would go back and rework my turquoise as well!

I think I ended up with a winner, as it came out a super saturated, very striking gradient. This is a basecoat of Sotek Green (old GW Hawk Turquoise), then on a whim I started to mix in P3 Arcane Blue. This ended up being the final airbrushed highlight, and I think it complements the base color perfectly!

Love it when an experiment surprises you like this.

That's very pretty. The colour is intense without being lurid.

Very nice. I'v found Sotek green to be really versatile, that shade when mixed with the P3 blue is really nice.

EDC

I love the Camo pattern. What a daring project and out of the box and walking away thinking.

Sotek green is what I use for my AL base.

 Ramos Asura wrote:

Marginally related note:
Years and years down the line, and GW continues to impress with their ineptitude of casting/mold making.



This has to be the least elegant method of venting ive ever seen from any manufacturer... Gates frigging EVERYWHERE. Also, it seems that any place that could potentially have a bubble got these annoying little bits of sprue on them. Whats that? You dont want to spend hours and hours carefully carving out points and edges of the model? Pfft.. screw you we have your money already.

And I know Ill inevitably miss a few- Seriously... I never had this issue with pewter minis. Those were simple as hell to clean, little more than those little hair-like bits of sprue.

My kingdom for metals to come back :/

This is why we call it Failcast, Finecrap, or other derogatory names. I've had some Finecast models turn out ok, but others had some serious issues. I don't especially care for metal minis either. The detail is great and cleanup before painting is a breeze in comparison to Finecast, but it is hard to get the pieces to stay together while the glue dries. I'd be all for a program for GW to replace all the Finecast minis with plastic versions, even if it means no new stuff for a while.

I love the dazzle camo on the Dorito! Makes me think of some photos I've seen of WW1/WW2 ships that had similar camo.

The sad thing is, if they had broken that arm in two pieces at one of the joints it would have been much, much easier to get it to cast nicely without a ton of vents. That should have been job one, as Finecast is really easy to glue together so having things be all one part isn't as valuable as not having a million vents to remove and clean, and a ton of bubbles to fill.

I am filled with semi-professional rage

Im filled with "professional" rage.

I have a PhD, you know.

In rage.


Yeah, I did not have fun at all cleaning these blasted things. Took several HOURS to get everything cleaned out and looking nice, and even through all of that, there are tons of bubbles on the surfaces, so itll be a few hours more to fill in and reclean all of those.

Im seriously considering writing them a strongly- worded email to complain... I've worked with countless other companies, both large scale and single-man ops, and this is some of the most laughably poor casting I've ever seen. EVER. Like Wehr points out, the arm would be EASY to fix. Split them into two parts and it wont take too much more space on the sprue than the extant one.

It would be fantastic to have everything in plastic, I agree with you there, Zerg, but I dont think thats economical at all. A lot of the finecast stuff tends to be unique characters or models you use in limited numbers. Meaning less demand.
I dread the price jump for the "convenience" of plastic, especially for individual minis... Just look at the Assassin models- Assassinorium was like 125 or something for all of the game content, 4 assassins, and a bunch of chaos stuff.
Cut to when they released the assassins individually and the things are 30 bucks EACH. Complete nonsense. A pity, too, as they're pretty cool models. Just not worth a QUARTER OF THE BOX GAME EACH.

I just dont get it... man...


*deep breath*



Anyways. I do have a bit of a brighter spot of news with resin, though this time with FW. Remember how my Dorito had missing feet (variant sculpts), and the Autocannons were crap? Well FW got themselves on my "Nice" list. Full replacements of not only the Autocannons, but also the -entire- Dorito! The feet still seem to be AWOL, but looking at the instruction manual for it, it no longer lists the standing and walking legs. Its only the braced ones now. Pity, but I guess they took them out of the kit.





I continued painting the Ironclad, and put gray highlights onto the Dorito. I then experimented with the drops on the camo pattern. Heres where the journey took me:

In order to get drops of the same size and shape, I decided to make my own stamp. This involved one of my dad's very old rubber stamps (used for landscape drafting) and some patience with a knife.



I cut a piece of foam out of the stamp, then glued a piece of rubber I cut to the proper size and shape. The foam is important in order to ensure even pressure is applied when you stamp it. I then glued this to a piece of aluminum tubing to serve as a handle.



Dip in some paint and here we go!


Not a fan of it honestly (I tried 2 different colors), so I think Ill be omitting it on the final mini. Maybe a thinner shape? ah. I think Ill leave it off. It looks busy enough as is.




Last section of this update: Finecrap cleaned and assembled. Servoharness is magnetized so that one day I can make him a Conversion Beamer.

Looking nice! I agree that the tear drops don't seem to add much, as it is a busy scheme to begin with. After weathering and the like it should have more than enough visual interest. Clever idea with the stamp though, I will have to try that!

A spare Doritos dread body you say... If one were interested in selling it for a good price, I know a fella that would be interested in it. Wouldn't even have to send it to you to paint.

I stick by my original statement of better without the drops. Too busy when it's all said and done.

I think the drops on the camo might look better if they were a lot more subtle. In the original artwork, they are barely perceptible slashes of grey.

Maybe a very thin grey dash? I think it adds a little depth to the scheme, but the drops are just a little too big IMHO.

I like the spots, I feel like a bit of grey rather than just black and white is really nice! I also like it without them, but that is really cool, imo.

I seem to be in the minority, so feel free to disregard

Maybe a really dark grey would work a bit better? Slightly perceptible consciously, but something your brain will pick up on and tell you "Yo, this gak has depth!"

Ill put the other colors on this guy then see where we are. My problem with spots is that I think it would break up the lines of the "Dazzle" scheme. Especially if its a dark dark gray. Remember, the spots would be over white AND black, some crossing over colors. We'd end up losing the sharp angles on a lot of the black areas.

@WM: Ill have to let you know on that one- Im tempted to keep it around, as I really like the mini... But I play so rarely that it doesnt make much sense to hang on to it for myself xD
Will letcha know

Maybe dark spots on the black and light spots on the white.

That would look wicked if I could get it to look like the lines of the primary dazzle scheme are a point of inversion for the secondary camo scheme.

Like this:


Though, I think that goes a little too far from the source... not to mention hideously complex!

Not liking the drops to be honest.

I think the drops would benefit from being narrower, very impressed on how well the home-made stamp works however. It's your call Ramos. The design certainly doesn't NEED the stamps... but it would be the most accurate representation of the original artwork. i.e. it's the coolest

You could do little horse shoes since they are an Ultramarine decendant instead of blood drops . I think the Razzle Dazzle scheme would be fine on it's own, maybe leave one pad the white and blue.

Just cuz it's old doesn't make it cool Gits.

Yes it does.

Oh yeah?
Old:

New:


Do we need more examples?

I’m with Gits on this. Older=better.

And while the classic Nagash might be a little on the cartoony/silly side, I prefer him over the new one. The clown hat might be silly, but fit in with the game at the time. I can’t get past the tiny head of the new one. And the details/pose are just a little over the top.

Gross. No way I'd be in this game if the models all looked like they did 15+ years ago. There are a few models where the old ones are better (Wulfen spring to mind), but those are the exception, not the rule. Give me newhammer any day.

Regardless.. tick tock!

I don't often way in in opposition of the all powerful Gitsplitta, but I am with Whalemusic 100%. The old stuff is great for what it was at the time and there is some nostalgia for sure, but the new stuff is cooler in nearly every example.

To the topic at hand, Ramos the camo is awesome. Stamp or no stamp, whatever you do, it will be awesome. The subtleties of the lighter gray blips I think will be over shadowed by the hard black and white lines. The other stuff will just be icing.

Did any one ever actually paint that scheme on anything back in the day? Other then that white dwarf article with the camo artwork we all refer to, did anyone actually see that color scheme on a model? I'd be curious to see it.

I'm old, Gits is old...... we're both damn cool!

I don't mean this in any way as a criticism and probably more praise of your painting talents. But that camp scheme really does a good job of breaking the image of the dreadnought up. I find it really hard to focus on the details of it.

 nerdfest09 wrote:
I'm old, Gits is old...... we're both damn cool!

I'm older and been to Adepticon with Ice and moonpie, I'm supercool!

 Solar_lion wrote:

 nerdfest09 wrote:
I'm old, Gits is old...... we're both damn cool!

I'm older and been to Adepticon with Ice and moonpie, I'm supercool!

You're all cool... for geriatric hipsters

LOL! Well played my friend.

You know I love you guys

Wish you were coming to Adepticon.. Maybe we can talk most of the Warders into it next year.. a reunion of sorts. MOAB anyone?

If my future wife allows, I might be able to swing that, however, I am going have to buddy up with someone to conserve cash as I will no longer have single money

I'm sure the wonderful woman you marry, will want you to have some of the past WF to continue to thrive. Bring her along and let her have fun in Chicago.

I'd love a Wardens reunion in 2017 hoping some of the mods will make it out then, too!

I'll be there with Gits, Solar and Ramos this year, really looking forward to it

I'm going to actively plan for 17, which would check off the Warden and Mod box. Just have to remind myself not to spend all my hobby money on other crap.

Good news Alf and RiTides.. Ramos schedule is opening up!

I am in for 2017.

Two years in a row missing it is unacceptable.

You know, I genuinely think that this is one of the first instances of a painted version of the ME Badab camo scheme. I certainly havent found any examples! Really, I havent seen much in the way of those schemes other than Gits' Tranquility Vets. Definitely an underrepresented facet of the hobby!

I think Im going to be leaving the streaks off- I just like the contrast of the black and white too much! I think it does its job well enough as is- certainly proves unsettling to the eye!


As far as Adepticon, Ice, you and moon should TOTALLY pop in next year if you cant show this year Same goes for you WM-


=============

With less than a week to go before Adepticon, things are getting tense around here- Almost done with everything I wanted finished. Dorito is done as well, but just needs arms!

Anyways, the Ironclad dreadnought is now complete! This model showcases a few experimental techniques, primarily new ways of blending the white and blue. I think that this will be the way I do it in the future. The colors just get so vibrant with Arcane Blue. The more pale highlights complement the white far better than the darker teal ive been using.
Assault Launchers are magnetized (that in itself was a challenge!), as are the underslung weapons on the Seismic Hammer. The Heavy Flamer on the CCW arm I just glued on in. Figure I'll be taking it over the HB option nearly every time.

Now... Regarding the kneepads... I messed up xD
I wasnt paying attention, so I ended up painting them the opposite colors they should be. Just went ahead with it for expediency's sake... Whoops!












I still need to do the arms on the Dorito- That may or may not get done depending on if I have time. Still need to clean the new resin arms or rebuild the ones I already have. Sliced off the old gummy barrels, so would just need to figure out replacement barrels.

Heres what we have so far:







And a close up of the head and chapter badge. I figured that this was suitably old-school for the scheme





As far as remaining stuff I have planned, I have a Techmarine and 4 servitors basecoated right now that I want to bring along. Would be fantastic if I could get some extra stuff finished beyond that, but we'll have to see!!

Only 5 working days remaining!!

Nice stuff but i cannot help it that camo scheme makes me think of this Give it some horns

Wasn't sure about that camo scheme at first, but after seeing the dread in full, it works so well!

All very .... AWESOME! I'd like to spend some time at AC talking the blue wash technique your using. I need something like that on the white I use for my Eldar.

5 days to go.

 whalemusic360 wrote:
I'm going to actively plan for 17, which would check off the Warden and Mod box. Just have to remind myself not to spend all my hobby money on other crap.

 IceAngel wrote:
I am in for 2017.
Two years in a row missing it is unacceptable.

Still not to late to make it 1 year!

Outstanding... I'm assuming Moon will go so that will be awesome. Now I'll work on Clif. Brandon and Brian?

That is mind-bogglingly good Ramos.... WOW!

Yeah that camo scheme on the dread looks pretty sweet.

EDC

Both dreads are awesome!! That first one looks like it's going to rip somebody apart

HOWEVER, since you're done with them so early... let me make one last pitch on the droplets.

As it is now, you're going to have an undeniable "zebra" effect... the droplets break it up really nicely. Are you sure you don't want to just try them on the back of a leg (on both black and white) then repair after? They'd break it up so nicely, imo!

Okay, that was my last pitch, promise . One other option is to try it on an arm, which I don't think we've seen yet, and just redo the whole arm if you're not happy with it?

@Jehan: You know... my little brother said the same thing, completely straight-faced: "Why's it have cow camo??"
Im glad it ended up being geometric "dazzle" camo rather than blobby camo as I first thought. Then it would have been unmistakably cow.

No horns on this one- Thatll have to wait for a CSM army! (a CSM force of Marines Errant... THAT could be interesting.... )

@aku: Thanks! Hopefully after I get the arms painted up it'll still hold up- They add a lot of extra metalwork to the mini, so Im going to try and bring in a little bit of camo to them as well!

@SL: Sure thing! Im always eager to talk shop. Its amazingly simple once you get the general idea of things

@Gits: Much appreciated! Looking forward to seeing whos better on the battlefield- Purple and gold, or black and white!

@EDC: Thanks!!

@Ritides: Im not sold on the concept, really. Fixing the white would be a tall order, as its not just a brush coat, but several layers of airbrushed white. Even though I have it all written down, it would be next to impossible to get it to look all nice and even if I was to respray sections.

I dont mind the Zebra/cow-ness of it all. Its nice and geometric and very high contrast, which is definitely the intent of such a camo scheme.

As far as arms... well, the Dorito doesnt really have any xD Its basically guns mounted directly to the shoulders!

IM not discounting the idea entirely, of course, just till at least after Adepticon!

Actually Ramos, two little cow horns on the head of the pilot might be really funny... and subtle, as not to ruin the effect of the whole vehicle.

Must admit I wasn't completely sold on the scheme when I first saw it out lined, but you've really managed to pull it off great jod!

Yeah it looks killer as-is so I think that's the way to go . Can always play around with it after the Con (or even better, play around with a separate test piece soas not to ruin beauty!).

It is Utterly splendid. I never liked the camo effect from rouge trader, but it's looking great on the MOO-Rito.

Hehehe Moo-rito... I have a feeling that name's gonna stick
(also, come on with that pun... it's -UDDERLY-!!! )




Next project up: Techmarine and Servitors!
Marine is basecoated now, so its onto details. Got a nice deep rusty red, almost a brown orange. Going with just the shoulderpad and maybe a few other minor details in ME colors. Most will stay this red!

Love that figure... the red is a great start!

Excellent colour. Some how, the face looks rather like an Autobot.

cliffjumper the techmarine.

Moorito, first name Pat. He knows how to kick it old school style, and is teaching these kids how to chop up more than blocks of ice, mainly because he's never been attacked by ice before.

 Theophony wrote:
cliffjumper the techmarine.

Moorito, first name Pat. He knows how to kick it old school style, and is teaching these kids how to chop up more than blocks of ice, mainly because he's never been attacked by ice before.

He will be attacked by me soon enough!

Two more days!

Two more days!

Not much time left to get things done for Adepticon!

Family festivities as per the holiday, then it was a quiet evening of painting. Started on the Servitors for my Techmarine and got some additional colors on the Autobot himself! I actually ran out of the base Teal I use and I wasnt able to pick up more, so I had to paint his shoulderpad in something of a mix. Looks similar-ish. Just dont look at it too closely!! Ill probably end up repainting it after I get restocked
A little note here... Im playing around with the settings on the camera again, so colors are changing all the time xD These are actually pretty darn close, though... think after all these years Im FINALLY starting to understand how cameras work






For the servitors, I ended up going with a prison jumpsuit sort of look. I figured that these guys were sourced from some prison world... That and I just wanted to paint orange! I figure at the very least it will complement the turquoise color I use on all my marines. Super simple too. Vermin Brown and Jokero Orange. Its orange without being too hideously fluorescent.






Hope everyone had a good Easter!

Looking great, always like a jumpsuit look! And the teal on the tech just adds to the Autobot vibe

Awesome as always, but those jumpsuits are something really special.

That teal on the shoulder pad really pops. Nice touch.

EDC

I will echo others. Love the jump suit idea. Makes me regret using a standard black overalls on my Iron Hands servitor.

Jump suit orange is a nice touch. A nice pale flesh is my suggestion.

2 days to go !

Two days??? HAH! I wish!

Nah, for you see Im getting out there early. I'll be joining our dear RiTides tomorrow as we set out on the road to Adepticon (and helping him to unload)! Much excitement is to follow-

Thrill as I point at road signs!

Amaze as we pay tolls!

Stand agape in awe as I change RiTides' radio presets!




This is the next Lord of the Rings, guys... you have no idea.





Anyways! Update for you!
Techmarine and Servitors are complete, just in the nick of time-



The autobot himself:








And the group of ex-cons:






And thats that
See you guys after Adepticon!

Oh shoot, there are tolls!? I've only flown to AdeptiCon in the past . Really looking forward to it, Ramos!

Techmarine and servitors look great individually and just fantastic as a group, love the way they go together! The Techmarine stands out just the right amount

I dont check on your blog for a few days and come back to all this goodness. Techmarine and Servitors are grand, concur with the others about how good that orange looks.

That Techmarine and his Servitors look awesome, Ramos! Gotta love the color choices, they make the model really great!

I think I'm in love...

GearLock and the Dimwit bots are looking great. I hope they massacre your opponents.

Tolls are better than flying and watching the airport security busting your Titan apart to check the wiring, that you already explained ran the LEDs for the weapons, isn't really attached To explosives.

Good lord, you are driving Steve? That is one hell of a haul. Yes, there are tolls.

Autobots! Roll(in all ones) Out!

That is a kickass looking tech marine.

EDC

Love the Techmarine, Ramos! Nice job.

Are there tolls...

Really liking that camo, Ramos. As far as the mixed up kneepads, I feel your pain. It doesn't seem like a half or quartered scheme would be hard to mix up, but it happens and it sucks.

I hope all of you guys have a blast. I think I am with Ice that for sure we need to make it up in 17.

Blurgh- After a good long drive, I return from Adepticon!
Very short update to let you know an update is coming- Good bit of stuff to show

Glad you're home safe! I hope you got some pictures to excite us with?

You bet, nerd!!
I had my camera along for most of the event and took some snaps here and there.


First picture I can share is one that I didnt even take- Blatantly ripped from RiTides on Gits' blog
Its a shot of the Wardens behind the ModCube booth! What an awesome bunch of guys I fell in with. Simply awesome to hang out and play games with them.



Convention was fantastic this year. Lots to see, lots to do, and got to hang out with a bunch of amazing people. Managed to bump shoulders with a number of industry professionals as well (including many talented painters who were far, FAR beyond my caliber), so I think it was a fantastic networking opportunity. Hopefully I managed to pick up a few new tricks



Also ended up with a ton of loot this year! The swag bag was pretty hefty- Full starter kit for Hordes, some neat bases from MicroArts Studio, a CMoN gallery book from 2009 (lovely inspirational pics, this), and a number of other miscellaneous loose minis.



For purchases, I kept it surprisingly light. No major purchases at Forge World, so spent a lot on paints instead. Im particularly excited to try out Secret Weapon Miniatures’ new Rust Hextet. From what I’ve seen on Mister Justin’s page, the results are fantastic!! Also picked up a number of different colors from Privateer and Reaper- most of it refreshing my supplies. Interested in seeing how the reaper skin tones work out. In retrospect, I shoulda got more, but hindsight being what it is.... Ah well.



One of my more interesting buys was from PowerPlay Gaming- a fully operational LED screen!! Everything is on an SD memory card, so super simple to put new stuff on it. No extra wiring required and it all runs on a little rechargable battery. I have absolutely no clue how I’m going to use it, but for 45 bucks I couldn’t pass it up!!


Gotta think of a project for it!

===========

Okay, so what's coming up, then?

As is often the case, After Adepticon, On The Lamb passes me a few new minis- This time its Battsu (two versions of him), a Female Dark Knight, and the aptly-named Behemoth!




Before that though, I have to take care of wyfox's Krootdar! Still much GS work to do, primarily building robes. Majority of the actual conversion is complete, though- All armor and weapon options have been prepared and magnetized!







In between the sculpting, I plan to work on some DnD minis for a campaign I'm in. Conveniently enough, the DM needed a couple things painted, and there I was!



And thats the state of things!

Hope it was exciting enough for ya nerdo!
If not, I guess I have another Adepticon update to work on- I got drafted into a Badab Apocalypse game with the other Wardens, plus I took some pics of other armies and some of the game tables they had- Gotta run off right now, but will definitely be in a future update!

Good job of plundering while at the con. Poweredplay's stuff is great. They had a Kickstarter a few years ago that didn't succeed, but I had been rigorously talking about their stuff so they sent me a bunch of freebies. Like over $100 worth. I hadn't kept up to date with their new offerings, but from emailing and corresponding with them during and after the KS, they seemed like great guys. Plus they both used to live a couple miles from my house now .

Drafted in, you coulda used my RS and admech, there's like 400 points!

Nice haul, Ramos! Looking forward to the Krootdar and what you eventually do with that screen

I can see the screen being super useful for a display board, built into some terrain. Not sure what else you'd use it for though.

Yeah that's exactly what I was thinking - one of those GMM style massive terrain boards with a futuristic billboard or the like . Could also be a cool thing to just show the name of an army or the like at the front of a display, or have a slideshow of painted models. I guess you could do all of that with a tablet but this was both less expensive and easier to integrate. Let us know what you come up with

What! What! Krootdar in the HOUSE!

Mount the video screen on the warlord Titan like the banner that hangs between the legs. Loop videos of the foot stomping on different types of enemy troops. Done

What's a "Gideon"??

 Gitsplitta wrote:
What's a "Gideon"??

A Gideon is my fat finger and autocorrect joining together when I try and type videos . They also team up occasionally and leave bibles in hotel rooms .

Mount it on some cool terrain and have it show your business card or some 'Rollin' all ones' advert.

@Theo: You know, I was thinking of bugging WM to let me install it and some lights on the Warlord... Get it all insane and electrified!!
Dont think its too viable now... Things all locked up tighter than a drum... Maybe the next one!

@SL: I think thats the most likely plan for it- Would make a really nice advertisement space... Just would need to figure out what to mount it in...


Oh! So you guys- I figured out what the patches in the swag bag were from!
Its Guildball!!



Seems I got the Alchemist's guild, and that suits me just fine! I dont even play the game, but its a neat enough patch to go on my game bag!

=======================
Adepti-update... Crystal Brush!!
Lots of fantastic models to be seen... truly remarkable what some people are capable of. One day I want to be this good.

Fantastic NMM on this knight, and the skintones on the viking are flawless!



But by far my favorite entry was this one...


Words just dont describe it... Its so brilliantly executed and painted... So many elements that just pop out, something new to find every time. Truly a masterpiece!

=======================

Anyways... In my own painting world, I continued to work on the DnD minis for my DM. A really nice sculpt of a mage and an Anti-Paladin. The latter is going to be a tricky one. We're going NMM with him!






Then there are the pair of minis for my own characters. Both wizards, but on opposite sides of the same coin. Love the green cloak... That the result of experiments in making washes- Came up with a gorgeous green color!



And this one is very very dark... fitting, as he's a Rogue first, wizard second!

I got the sushi guild... yippie.

I (the missus) woke (me) up in the middle of the night at the weekend. So I grabbed my ipad and ended up ordering some Guildball figs (new year's resolution well and truely asscanned now) - really nice figs. Well worth a look-see

Nice work on the DnD characters. Really looking forward to seeing what you do with the screen terrain.

EDC

That diorama from cyrstal brush looks nuts!

Very nice start on the DnD minis, awesome that you've found a local group for it

Back to the grind.. looking good and a nice range of different colors

Time to learn/play Guildball?

or.....30K? How about a SoH army?

 Solar_lion wrote:
or.....30K? How about a SoH army?

I don't think you can convince Ramos to play a GW game outside of AdeptiCon. If for no other reason you can't convince me to play a GW game and I'm his usual gaming partner.

I do need a loyalist legion buddy to go up against SL and Gits next year. Maybe some Iron Hands with lots of roboparts? Or some DA getting all knightly?

I heard my name, sadly I'm all the way on the other side of the world...

Hahaha Yeah, I might have to start looking into a little bit of guildball... While I was doing research for a commission, the Alchemists really struck a bit of a tone with me... dont know why but I think their aesthetic just works for me. That being said, Its a tall order for me to start ANY new games. Just not in the budget, you see.
Plus, I still need a demo of it before buying in (shoulda got one at AC )

 Alfndrate wrote:

 Solar_lion wrote:
or.....30K? How about a SoH army?

I don't think you can convince Ramos to play a GW game outside of AdeptiCon. If for no other reason you can't convince me to play a GW game and I'm his usual gaming partner.

Or ANY game, really... Before last weekend, it was a full year since most of my 40k minis saw the light of day. I just dont have a gaming community around here. Plus the 7th ed rules are mostly borked....

That said, 30k sounds really nice, and I dig the aesthetic. The rules seem a bit more sane as well. However, its expensive... VERY expensive. I already operate on a budget so low we cant even call it "shoe-string". A full FW army is just a nonstarter.

SOH is a rough scheme- little detail on actual color (from a paint standpoint), and just overall very unusual. So you know.... Right up my alley.

I do rather like the look of World Eaters and Thousand Sons, though... Probably would end up with the latter because RED and GOLD! Plus all of the occult symbols they have, like on their contemptor mini. Loyalists... Hmm thatd be a toughie. I like the super bionics of Iron Hands, but the scheme does nothing for me. I want COLOR!
Maybe BA? I'd go Salamanders, but I guess thats what you're running, WM, eh?
I guess when all else fails, I swallow my smurf hate and go full on blueberry!


All hypothetical, of course!


@Knightley: Psh. Excuses! You need to get your butt on a plane and visit sometime!

==============

DnD update:

Dark Knight/Anti-Paladin is just about complete. Messed with the crystals on his base and decided to do orange... sort of to go with the runes on his sword.
This was a big experiment with NMM. Not perfect, but I think its better than I've done in the past... Need a LOT more practice on it!




Next up, the Wizard. Not sure what color to make his tabard... Most of the interior clothing is drab and earth toned, but I cant help but think it could do with a bit more color? Any thoughts?




LAstly, the Elf Mage. Lots of color to come on this one. Unfortunately I completely blanked at the game store today and forgot to pick up more teal paint. Have to make a special trip tomorrow for it. On the other hand, Im going to try to check out another local store...





If all goes to plan, Ill have 3 of the 4 minis done tomorrow. Would have all four but... ya know... im an idiot

Cool transitions from purple to white on the elf mage.

EDC

Yes, mine will be salamanders. If you wanted a 30k loyalist force with color, UM or BA could be done using all plastics pretty reasonably. A White Scars force could be cool too, if you count white as a color.

Love the first two models, they're really fantastic!

On the elf mage, I feel differently than evildrcheese - I think the transition from white to purple needs to be sharper / made at the seam of the dress, since it should imply two different pieces of cloth, not a gradual transition.

There's a line where your transition occurs already - so I would just make that sharper. It's otherwise excellent, though!

He did mention he needed paint for her, I dont think that is going to stay white...

Heh yeah- shes not going to stay white. Optimally I want her to fit into this scheme:


So a teal outer dress, then a sky blue interior dress. And of course the band of aqua running on the purple cloak.



As far as 30k... Yeah I dont count white as a color (though I have plenty of experience painting white now). Plus I already have a half white army, so I want something different!

Then again... red and white is really striking, and I dig the Mongol Hordes vibe... hrgggggh....
Oh well, I still have plenty of time to decide IF I end up going with a 30k army xD (still totally prefer the Thousand Sons, though!)

Well thousand sons are red and white in 30K plus they aren't disloyal, just misunderstood.

Oh OK, sorry . WIPs it's always hard to know!

Could always rock some Black Shields, then you can butterfly around to different legions as you wanted.

Really digging the hair on the elf mage? nice golden hue to it and it suits her in that style ;-)

@WM: Problem with Black Shields is just that. They're BLACK! I just really need that boost of color to get me interested in a project. I dont think I could do an army of just black armor.

Still really feeling Thousand Sons

@Nerd: Thanks!! Figured out a good way to do blonde with some old GW paints. Snakebite leather and then a bone color. Layering and washes later and I thinkit worked out pretty well!

==============================


Alrighty! DnD minis done!

Im starting to have issues with the finish on some of these... The old AB matte I've been using gets me too many white flecks. Really looks messy. I dont know if its the mix or the paint or even the compressor. I used to have no problem at all varnishing stuff with the airbrush...
Also went back to Testors Dullcote- Stopped for the same reason as before- It jsut not matte enough! I keep getting a satin, and I want Matte. I dont know if this is me being a lemon and not following directions or somehting... I know people swear by the stuff. Just cant figure out why!

Egh.


Anyways, here we are. THE PARTY:



The first two minis are direct commissions from my DM. No clue what he needs em for, but fun to paint nonetheless! The Anti-Paladin was an interesting project. Very much an experiment with NMM, as he didnt want it to be gleaming armor. He wanted it older and tarnished. And of course glowing runes on the sword!





The Elf mage was sort of the opposite, then. Bright colors, vibrant... So you know. My type of mini! Really like this one- by far my favorite of the bunch.





And then there were my own minis (Hey I actually did something for myself! Shock, Horror, Amazement, etc.)
First up, my half-elf wizard. Love love LOVE the green I got for his robe. Crazy how a single wash.shade can alter the base colors so much. He started off as a more camo green, edging on something like Catachan Green.
Now its bright emerald!





And lastly, my rogue. Rather boring compared to the rest, but I guess thats only sensible. Gave him black underclothes, but a midnight blue cape. Thinking here is that a blue is much better to use as camo during the night. Black will actually make you a silhouette- Dark blue makes you a shadow!






Now for some sculpting... Hmmm... This is gonna be tough....

I use dull coat... and yes... it's far more satin... and if you accidentally spray it too heavily... it's gloss.

I really like the finished DnD minis! The anti-paladin is actually my favorite, very nice job on him

Nicely done Ramos, all finished up they look great together, I actually really like the stealth ninja guy, he just looks stealthy and ninja-y

Yeah the finished DnD minis looks great.

EDC

Sorry, should have said Shattered Legions, not Black Shields.

DnD dudes look good. I have a group that wants to get started, might have to hit you up if we really get into it.

Thanks guys!! They get delivered tomorrow, so we'll see how the group likes em. Might have a few more

@WM: Anytime


Next Project: Krootdar!

Object of the game is to put Kroot on Eldar jetbikes- Easy enough. Little bit of gap filling, little bit of cutting. Cake. However, and thats a big "however", these guys need to represent Farseers, and that means robes!



This is honestly way outside my normal purview. I can paint, sure, but actual sculpting? Man... do I hope that I didnt bite off more than I can chew with this project...

Till next time, fingers crossed :/

Looks brilliant, and weirdly appropriate. Maybe its the vaguely Tau look to the bike, but he looks right.

If I may be so bold, (please consider that I am no expert) if you can get some miliput, mix it with GS, you can get much thinner and sharper sculpting, similar working and drying times, and the end result is much more solid, less rubbery on those thin bits of flapping robes.

Cam is quite right and to not consider himself an expert deserves a slap. Love that rogue btw.

"If I may be so bold" and "I'm no expert"...

Dude, no worries at all (and you're totally an expert compared to me!)!! This is the whole reason why I have this project log. Creativity cannot exist in a vacuum, and more than anything else I've done previously, I need all of the tips and tricks I can get for sculpting.

I do have some milliput floating around. Got it YEARS ago, so hopefully its still good!
Threw in a little bit to a blob of GS, and wow! It definitely sculpts a better!!

Sticky as hell to mix, though

What I do for cloaks etc. is to make the basic shape without most of the creases and then add the folds afterwards.

It's good to use something like the metal of a superglue tube (bendable, re-poseable, and stays where you put it) for the basic shape as it gives you a solid base to add the putty to.

Then add the putty in long sausages that run top to bottom of the cloak and smooth them all together (one at a time) to give the creases and folds.

and as a last bit of advice, look at many reference photos, real and models, to get an idea of how to make scale fabric look "right".

Keep up the good work, Ramos.

I use tomato paste tubes to shape cloaks, myself. The principle's the same though

Krootdar looks great, plus they are an interesting concept.

I tip my hat to you with attempting sculpting, I can do very basic geometric shapes with green stuff and even then it doesn't always come out quite right, to tackle robes is truly next level

Im definitely leaning heavily on reference photos... Have a folder of a bunch of eldar minis, as well as some misc. robed minis. I also have a Warlock and the DnD elf in front of me. Then a handy chunk of fabric on my desk that I used to use as a backdrop.

As far as using an understructure, Unfortunately I dont have anything suitable. I ended up just gobbing on the putty, and seeing where it took me. -Hopefully- its working out. The first Krootseer looks decent enough. The second not quite as much. Still a ways to go, so hopefully... *fingers crossed*


@Knightly: Thanks for the words of encouragement... Heh... Sculpting the robes is more by necessity than choice. They were specified in the design brief, and I committed to the project- That means that come hell or high water, the models have to get robes!! Besides, its high time I learn a bit of sculpting. Even if its a crash course!

The Milliput blend REALLY helps. Its soft enough to be shaped and blended, but dense enough to build a durable base for the rest of the cloak.


=======================

Sculpting continues- This time the update is a little different... "Artsy" (Oooh, ahh, etc.)







I figured that at this point, a black and white photo would be more appropriate- no sense in distracting with all of the various shades of green and gray. At this stage, I think that Im nearing completion on the cloaks. I'm going to keep them relatively simple. Helpful is the fact that these robes can look beaten up and looted from their original owners. Helps me hide the pockmarks and torn edges that just so happen to have appeared due to my amateur sculpting!

The first Kroot-seer is pretty much set. The other (the one with the stowed weapon options) still needs a little bit more putty work.

It looks like the robe is coming along well. Maybe rough it up a bit like a kroots life?

The second one could just have a poncho, like Stranger from Oddworld.

Do you have any spare kroot or just the two to work with? I'm not sure what the client is thinking, but personally I'd go with something like what whalemusic said - just a cape (which you could snag somewhere as a bit) rather than full robes. You can't see any of that beautiful converted kroot underneath it if he's fully robed!

In you have fine grit sandpaper, green stuff can be sanded down to hide seams and smooth transitions. I do it all the time with my nid arms when covering the magnets.

Cloak would be OK for the second one.

or count them as the skins of their enemies. Yeah! ( said in my best Ash voice )

Ramos Asura wrote:As far as using an understructure, Unfortunately I dont have anything suitable. I ended up just gobbing on the putty, and seeing where it took me. -Hopefully- its working out.

There's nothing wrong with using putty as a base. The advantage of the metal (or similar material) is that you can alter it's shape and see how it looks, before committing.

Card can also be used, but is not as easy to get a wavy cloth shape.

wyomingfox wrote:In you have fine grit sandpaper, green stuff can be sanded down to hide seams and smooth transitions. ...

and adding milliput make it even easier to sand smooth.

Keep at it Ramos.

@panda: I have a few areas where the sculpt got a little rough that Im going to emphasize with paint. Also tattered the trailing edges and arms of the cloaks. Add in a bit of dust powder to get a fade on them and I think they'll be looking pretty well worn!

@WM: Both are incidentally at about the same completion level. I figure that it might be better to have more uniformity to them as they will both be the same type of unit... That, plus putting a bit more putty on them helps to hide the joins I made while I was customizing the Kroot riders- Had to pretty much disassemble the guys into lower and upper legs, hips, and torsos- The larger cloaks save me -more- sculpting, believe it or not.

@wyfox: Yes indeed! I've been wet sanding these guys, actually. Rough shape with the sculpt, scraping once cure with an exacto blade, then wet sanding with fine grit. Hopefully smooth enough for yas!
Shot you a PM to see whatcha think. Lemme know and we can get these guys to the painting table!


==============

Time for some more black and white photos- this time with a black backdrop!

Both minis are close to being finished build-wise. Cloaks are less robe and more cape- I figured that they were sized for tiny little eldar- Kroot might need some "alterations" Plus, the odd cutting makes it look a little more looted, and shows off all the work i had to do to get these guys sitting and riding bikes!


First up, Stowed Weapons- All of the options (Shard of Anaris, Singing Spear, Witchblade) are magnetized to the left side of the jetbike cowling. Modeled him to be waving a staff-like totem.










The second was a little crazier to model, as all of his weapons are being weilded. Lots of cutting arms off and cutting weapons apart. Fortunately, the kroot hand can be utilized ambidextrously- they have two fingers and two thumbs, and they're pretty much mirror images of each other!
Because I needed to magnetize his arm, it made it difficult to blend the cloaked main body to an uncloaked arm (and cloaking each arm would have overstressed the magnets because of the weight) The solution then was to put a slightly trimmed armor plate on the shoulder that overlapped the join. Should hide things nicely!










Hopefully this means paint soon- Something MUCH more in my comfort zone!!

Somehow I'm liking the battle damage on the cowling.

Definitely needs a cow skull somewhere on the cowl.

I have a feeling paint will really put this tegether.

I figured battle damage was appropriate given the looted nature of the bikes. Not much patchwork (I mean they aren't Orks, after all! ), but definitely a good bit of stowage.

If I had a suitable animal skull, I probably would have tossed it on. Thatd be a brilliant addition to the tribal sorta look the Kroot have going. In lieu of that, I tossed on bags and meathooks.

Last few tweaks and touches are done on the Krootseers (mostly adding some additional creases on Kroot I's cloak), so I think its time to get them primed. Paint will DEFINITELY make them more cohesive- Worn out robes, dusty cowlings... chips in the paint... Like I said before, Im much more of a painter than a sculptor, so I'm more than a little excited to get back to what I do best!

Yeah looking forward to the painting what you've outlined sounds great!

Looking forward to the Pink and Yellow paint scheme....

Shush yur yapper! There shall be no pink or yellow!

YOU NEVER LET ME HAVE ANY FUN!

Bummer... Yet another army I cant paint Pink and Yellow.... Sorry, SL- Looks like we're gonna have to wait a bit longer (well, at least till I get to the Titan )




Soooo... With wyfox being Lt. Buzz Killington, Looks like its RED on these bikes-
First layers are on, as well as black striping!









So nice to be back painting!


Though, with all the drying times on the putty, I started up on a project for On the Lamb- Solar, you'll love this one.
ANOTHER FARM ANIMAL!







This guy is the Behemoth. Very big polar bear looking thing. Anyone notice I do a lot of black and white these days? Still plenty of details to go on him. The stock image has him with black footpads and gray/black spines/claws.
I also have a trio of infantry for OTL that I'll be featuring later in the week!

Till next time, guys!~

Krootdar are coming along nicely.

Very cool bear thing.

EDC

Liking the red.. Didn't expect that!

No worries.. I'm getting use to it on your blog... Though I like the bear thingy, not sure why they sculpted the back legs so tiny and the front arms so huge.

Perhaps it doesn't believe in leg day? Kind of reminds me of this guy...



I like the blending on the horn.

Bikes are looking good!

Ah, even with just the start of the paint I am so much more sold on the bikes now than when they were bare plastic! Looking great so far

The bikes are well colored. I barely notice you do black and white because i barely notice anything.

@SL: As far as the beef arms and weenie legs, I think thats just the aesthetic they went for. More cartoon-y fantasy-y. Exaggerated features and whatnot!

@wyfox: The resemblance is uncanny

@Tides: Thats what i figured would happen. Its amazing how much a coat of primer brings everything together!

@panda: Hah! No worries! But yeah 2016 so far has been a very black and white year. Chaplains, Wolf Priests (Im looking at another one right in front of me now xD), my own Marines Errant... The Warlord Titan is even planned to be black and white!!


==========

Kroot is still underway- had a busy past few days so not much else to report. Long story made short- I have a smartphone now. Dad surprised me with it because he was in the Verizon store anyways because he broke HIS smartphone (again). So I've neded to go back and forth with the carrier to get it to run properly. Mistakes were made on their part. Many mistakes. But thats all over now!


I did finish a random group of dwarf minis! This was just a little project done up as I was sculpting the Kroot cloaks. Fun colors, and they were small enough to batch paint rather quickly!

Unfortunately matte varnish issues are plaguing me again, so Im on the hunt once again for a replacement product! Doesnt directly impact production around here, but I cant actually -finish- anything before I get a replacement set up.... Better figure it out quick!

Welcome to the 21st century.

21st Century is overrated. I miss my steam powered phone




well, almost....

Now you can grab messenger on your phone and I can hassle you from across the globe!

Any time, nerdo!!


Falling a bit behind schedule on the Krootdar, but today I got a good bit of progress in. Went with charcoal gray robes as a complement to the red bikes and the (soon to be) green kroot. I also put the colors down for the weapons and leather. My goal is to finish these guys before the end of the week, then its on to some piggies for RiTides!

Ran out of the particular green I need, so its a case of getting them as far as I can with the other colors before I can pop out to the local game store. Plus, Im still on the hunt for a good matte coat (though I have several leads to products I have to play with), but hopefully Ill find something soon!












Till next time!~

Lovely freehand, and beautiful blade work - naturally

Very smooth.

EDC

At the moment I can definitely sympathise with falling behind schedule. Feels as if it's been a lifetime since I managed to get a brush in my hand.

But the progress looks excellent thus far and it will be great to see the finished product.

Can't see the bike, I'm mesmerized by the wallpaper .

They are coming along nicely. I sure they will really pop when you get the green on!

@graven: The secret? Ghost tints! This is all done with the Minitaire paints Plasma Fluid, Blue, and Oil Discharge. Super translucent, so they blend wonderfully!

@EDC: Thanks!!

@Archer: The struggle is real... I guess Im getting better than I used to be. Back when I started this whole venture, it took me weeks to do single minis. All about finding that momentum.
Appreciate the kind words!

@Theo:

Yeeeees, yes, I know... Its truly godawful wallpaper xD
If you think just having it in the photo is bad, try surrounding yourself with three walls of it! (yes, its awful all over! )

@SL: Thanks!! Yeah, thats what Im hoping. Finally got to pick up the color I needed, so its green time!


Speaking of..... These are probably the last WiP pics of the Krootdar- Theyre so close to being finished now it isnt funny! Just need to put the green skintone down on the Kroot bodies. Im still on a hunt for a good clear coat, so final shots may need to be on hold for a few days until I get something working.





In this army, blue is a marker for psykers- “Kroot-locks” have a blue frill, while “Kroot-seers” (these guys) have blue heads and bone crests.

Ooo cool idea differentiating them with different colour skin, the blue looks ace.

EDC

Really sweet work Ramos. That shade of blue is gorgeous adn the highlighting just perfect great job on thoise guys

@EDC: Wish I could take credit for that, but its all wyfox's idea!

@Jan: Thanks a million, Jan! The shade is a mix of old Midnight Blue, Black, and Necron Abyss. Then it got highlights of Royal Blue, then a blue wash and a black wash.

============================

So as predicted, the Krootseers are complete... But still no progress on the varnish front! I have a few leads, so at this point its just waiting on stuff to come in. In the meantime, it's on to the next major army project.

Courtesy of RiTides, it's an army of Bacon!





As is fitting of a Tides army, there are a lot of counts as minis from a multitude of different manufacturers. Lots of conversions, lots of fun paintjobs... Right now, I just have the little test piggy built up. Still have to add in a tank and some cabling (These guys are very Frankenstein in flavor, which I love). Aim for these guys are a very natural reddish brown hair with paler manes.

The proper term is "Frankenpig" . This faction (which is allied to the fantastic Gator project that Ramos did previously) has a bit of a biomechanical vibe going on . I'm very curious how the test pig will come out, with the pale manes in particular! Ramos is using this as an inspiration pic:


There's also going to be some mech parts / cabling on some models, and a bit of hopefully Braveheart-esque blue warpaint (similar to the red warpaint on the Gators). Unlike the Gators, the Pigs are a bit xenophobic... it's all bacon, all the time . So, hopefully the test mini should lay out the blueprint and the rest should pretty much match it

This thread is bacon. And goes well with everything. I like the krootseers a lot, and that spear tip is exotic and satisfying to look at.

Are you doing anything for the Mantis Maker comp? Been a while since you entered one, yes?

@panda: BACON!


Appreciate the kind words on the Seers... With luck Ill be picking up the varnish I need tomorrow when i meet Alf, so by the beginning of next week, Ill have final shots!!



@WM: Im pondering it, certainly... Just need to have the right stroke of inspiration...
Will probably be messaging you sooner or later with something in mind

====================



BACON CONTINUES TO BE DELICIOUS!!!

Today was all about assembly. Didnt get as much as I would have liked done, but the bases were giving me troubles. It seems that for whatever reason, the inserts are -just- too big to fit nicely in the custom ring bases RiTides uses. Even though they were designed with them in mind and we've used them in the past with no issue.... Ergh... Much cutting, much gluing. I'd have to say I spent twice as long getting the bases to a usable state as I did actually building the models!

But ah well... It'll get done one way or the other!


First up, in blindingly white metal, the only Privateer minis in this army!
Targ, Maximus, and Lord Carver



And the first of the many conversions- "Bone Grinders" made from Fantasy beastmen (I think)

Hokay!

So a bit of good news, guys! The varnish I got from Alf works!!

This stuff sprays a dream and is absolute dead matte. No gloss at all. Very very happy

And so the Krootseers are complete!



Closeups:
Krootseer I (current modeled options, Singing Spear)







Krootseer II (current displayed options: Shard of Anaris, Spirit Stones)







The shown options are of course magnetized. The plate on the top of the cowling can be swapped to represent Spirit Stones, and all weapon options are swappable between the Witchblade, Singing Spear, and Shard of Anaris (represented as an axe)

I also had the chance to test out the new Secret Weapon Miniatures Rust Paints. Best way I can describe them is weathering pigments in liquid form. They behave like paints, if a little translucent (which is very good for rust!), but are super matte (again, very good for rust). The colors are fantastic for rust, too. There is a greenish black shadow color, a purple, a brown, a red, an orange, and a yellow. Very simple and straight forward color progression. Start at the darkest, then just go step by step up the hextet. I found a good quick way to do rust was just to stipple one over the other.
Pigments still will give you a softer blend and a dustier look, but I think these paints still have a perfect place in the weathering toolbox. I think where they really excel is along panel lines. With a little bit of thinning you can almost wash them into the recesses, then they layer beautifully. I can recommend testing them if you've the chance.

I really enjoy these paints... Wanna paint more rust now


Alrighty.... back to bacon...

what is the varnish you use? Fantastic work.

Seriosuly awesome work - love ém

Well they turned out pretty amazing, excellent stuff.

I love, still not sold on the blue faces and green bodies though, it's like your wall paper is infecting them .

Excellent work on the bikers including all of the sculpting required to do the cloak, it came out beautifully. Thanks for the quick review of the SWM rust paints too. Always looking for good options when it comes to weathering and rust.

Absolutely amazing Ramos, you pulled them off beautifully!

 cormadepanda wrote:
what is the varnish you use? Fantastic work.

He was using a new varnish on these guys. It's still technically Testor's Dullcote, but instead of being in the spray can, he went with the lacquer version instead.

The assembly looks really great, Ramos!! Sorry about the fit of the base inserts in the rings - if I ever add anything to this army I'll assemble the inserts myself first

Love the Krootdar, they came out really well!!

Excellent job on the ....farm Ani.. Krootdar, yes Krootdar.

Suggestion though.... I thought there would be some bare metal or weathering around the damaged parts namely on the cowling.

 Alfndrate wrote:

 cormadepanda wrote:
what is the varnish you use? Fantastic work.

He was using a new varnish on these guys. It's still technically Testor's Dullcote, but instead of being in the spray can, he went with the lacquer version instead.

I have a bottle of that. Had it for 10 some years now. Good stuff, though I usually use Testor's gloss coat spray followed by a matt spray from Army Builder. Didn't know dull coat came in a can. Why did Ramos switch up his varnish? Are you able to feed the dull coat easily through an air brush?

Thanks guys!!


@Theo: Ah, but thats the scheme! (And quiet about the you know what... it'll hear you! Walls have ears, dont you know!) Just for the psykers in the army, though, so the regular bikers are all green.

@Gits: Thanks! YEah the SWM Rusts are great, and I wholly recommend them! I'm curious to how the rest of this line is... Might have to pick up a few more come GenCon. They have a rubber paint set, old wood, and some patina shades, if I remember right.

@Tides: Eh... As I told ya, its all part of the project, no worries! Things will all still get assembled, itll just take me a little longer to get to paint! (Hopefully getting to the test mini today, so stay tuned )

@SL: As far as weathering... I left it pretty well black because I couldnt think of what else to do to it. I scarred the paint a bit on the edges of it, but remember this is wraithbone, so no bare metal here! I figured that its alien, so do something unusual to it

@wyfox: I switched up my varnish for a number of reasons. I normally use liquitex matte out of my airbrush, but recently I've been getting white flecks on the final coat. Could be a number of reasons behind this, but I decided to just jump ship entirely and get a new product. The finish, even when it was perfectly clear, always was just a little bit shiny, and I wanted something even flatter. I used rattlecan dullcote and it kept giving me satin minis, hunted around for a bunch of different options before I swapped to this stuff.

The Dullcote out of the bottle is incredible- VERY easy to get running through an airbrush. Just need to thin it 1:1 with their lacquer thinner/cleaner, and boom! You're off Vapors are a bit noxious, but a mask and good ventilation solve this.

The switch gets me my ultra matte finish without crazing or white fuzz, so I'm glad I did it.

=================

Another of the many conversions for the Pigmen Army-

A GW Doombull with a swap to two axes! The sculpt seems to have been made for this. Save for a rather extensive reconstruction of the left arm, he holds single axes like a dream! And he looks MEAN!

Really like that conversion Ramos. Well done.

Man, he's awesome! So much more dynamic than stock, and actually usable in-game with the two axes (as a War Hog). Love it!

And hey, there's something to be said for Finecast after all... flawed, yes, but much easier to convert!

A true meat grinder there

I know the customer wanted blue heads on the psyker, and you did an excellent job , just not my taste. It does set them apart from the fodder though.

Back to Making Bacon. Lets see some paint. what are you doing all day?

Now I want a professor pyg as well too many bloomin ideas from here

 Solar_lion wrote:
Back to Making Bacon. Lets see some paint. what are you doing all day?

Building, he's been sending me pics - looking incredible

Can't steal his thunder, I'm guessing he will be updating with some build pics soon!

 RiTides wrote:

 Solar_lion wrote:
Back to Making Bacon. Lets see some paint. what are you doing all day?

Building, he's been sending me pics - looking incredible

Can't steal his thunder, I'm guessing he will be updating with some build pics soon!

Yeeeeah, conversions are slow on so many minis- plus I gotta be a bit delicate with some parts. Especually with some of the resin things im working with- Lots of cutting and fitting and scratch building parts
Plus, yesterday was pretty much a wash as far as work went. My morning was running errands, then the rest of the day was rebuilding a cover letter and resume for certain family members. Incredibly time consuming, that, especially as Im a bit mental when it comes to writing stuff like that. Gotta go back and make sure everything flows right and sounds good and bleeeeeghhhhhh.... I genuinely hate doing it. Cant get a job for myself trying to get someone else one is a bit silly, if Im honest :/


Anyway, anyways, ANYWAYS!

As teased by Tides, here are some update pics!
These guys are conversions that will stand in for Battle Boars. If Im right in remembering, Tides had Wehrkind do the initial build and posing, then i got them and did the bases, hoses, and tanks. Still a lot of gap filling to do on the bases after cutting them to fit, but that'll all happen after everything is built.

Big reason Im doing all of the building first is so that I can jump right into painting and do everything at once, so it all has a similar base color blend. One of the convenient aspects to this army.

Well bacon wouldn't be bacon without artificial preservatives and additives

Looking good! The tubes and tanks are pretty cool so far! I am excited to see them painted up. I kind of wanted to snatch one for myself while I was building them

Well it turns out there is one spare (not pictured) so you can snag that one when I get these back if you like

Ramos sent me this one which is sweet, too:



There's even a couple of crazier creations he's finishing up that really drive home the "Franken-pig" aesthetic

Theophony - Well played, sir . Bacon puns are the best puns!

Those look really cool.

They do indeed look really cool! the piggies don't look impressed though!

Serious hogs, those. Love the cabling.

@Theo: You get a cookie for that one
(Yes, Its a bacon Cookie!)

@Wehr & Tides: Yeah! Theres an extra pig that isnt going into the army. Its just going to go back to Tides with the painted army... Lemme know if you want something done to it. I've plenty of wire and tanks

@Gits: Thanks! They were a lot of fun to wire up!

@nerd: Yeeeeah, but they're all high on combat stims, so im sure they're having fun anyways.

@graven: Thanks! Tides gave me a TON of wire to use... I had no end of fun with all the different diameter cabling. So much to chose from. Really makes me wanna go back to converting orks again!

===================

WiP shot of three counts-as Splatter Boars. This group is easily the most labor-intensive in the army. So much to build and rebuild- Guitar wire also takes a while to bend into shape. Too hard and you break pieces of the model, too soft and it doesnt hold the shape.

These are done save for one feature: I just need to work on blending the guns into their shoulders where they connect. Something like an armor plate or a brace of some sort.

Also some random nicknames. Because reasons



Professor Pyg:





Oolong:





And the BACONATOR:

Those are super cool. Where are the guns from?

What gaming system are those supposed to go with?

Those guys are cool, but a bit sad they are all the same sculpt. Are the mutually exclusive to use in game?

Pigs with guns! Who knew!

Fantastic work gearing them up, Ramos - exceeded my expectations by a mile!! You are so good with guitar wire and bits - I thought you might be from the work you did on Gits' Knight shield, but this looks like it harkens back to your Ork roots

These are all for Hordes, like the Gators, and I'll be labeling the bases. The pigs shown on this page are:

War Hog (the muscle beach guy with two axes at the top of the page)
Battle Boars (the "herd" of stimmed up charging boars above)
Splatter Boars (the ones with guns!)

There's also a Road Hog that's pretty far along, but that's pretty much it! SickSix, the guns are from Titan Forge's Metal Beards dwarf artillery, called a Steam Gatling Gun, I think. Unfortunately, they're not sold as bits, but I had two of those to spare (and there are two guns on each).

WM, yeah I've avoided duplicate sculpts for the Gators, but Pigs have somewhat less options. Thankfully Ramos converting the heck out of them really helps!

Awesome stuff. Thanks for the info.

They look amazing. Really full of character. Reminds me of that song where the cows rebel and there are chickens in choppers.....

Looking great Ramos! Don't worry about the spare piggy, I have half an armored company's worth of mechanical bits to smash onto them


Who am I kidding... I have easily an entire armored company in bits.

Those spatter boars are pretty great, just gotta say that again Some variations in skin tone, mechanical bits paint and the odd tattoo or war paint should make them plenty unique. Especially considering most PP armies have exactly 1 pose for warnouns

Looks awesome. Especially Oolong.

EDC

I'm sad that you didn't name one of the pigs "Bebop".

@Archer: Glad you like em! As to the song... Cows with guns?? Thats.... weird...
I cant shake the feeling that I know what you're talking about, though...

@Wehr: Haha! Thanks! Yeah I'm sure these guys'll be plenty unique. Tides has been all concerned about that But exactly. Ill have lots of variation in paint too!

@EDC: Thanks! Hes my favorite, too. Stumbled on that old bit and it had to happen xD

@Alf: Yeah, I know. But thats just how all of their headgear ended up. If I was building the 4th one, it would totally be Bebop xD

================

After a busy busy weekend, I have the last of the progress pics in the Farrow army build!

Last touches went on the Splatter Boars. Didnt build too much onto the guns, mostly just a strap on one, and some armor plating on the other two. Not much I could think to do with them- the sculpts sorta dictated to me how they would attach. Plus, Im eager to get the paint flowing!






I also polished off the last bits of the "Road Hog" conversion. This guy is supposed to be one of the more cybernetic units in the army, and I think we managed to capture that. Lots of lovely cables and robotics.... It makes my inner Mek proud!









And last, but certainly not least, Saturday I hung out with WM who dropped off a very special package.....




Its almost time.....

Well your warlord had better look as good as Comradepanda's does, the wait and hype demands awesomeness No Pressure

Is that cyber pig thing from Wrath of Kings? it looks like one of the models from the 2 player pack,

Oh a titan update huh!? why is that happening now?....... maybe heard a whisper on the wind have you Ramos? trying to keep relevant with some titan pics I see :-)


pigs are cool too mate, I really dig the conversions and am looking forward to seeing them painted :-)

The roadhog needs more cables and widgets if he's going to appear more cybernetic than those assault cannon guys.

I'm in love with them all!! Ramos added eye targetters to Baconator so I can hum "I wear my sunglasses at night" every time I deploy him

Road Hog is awesome, I think for painting he'll do well getting some blue on his helmet. These guys are going to have blue markings, so that should help break up all the brown (and the large flat helmet surface in this case).

Looking forward to the test mini and the Titan soon!? You'll get people checking here for it, only to be met with a side of glorious bacon! Just the arms left to come in or have they released / did he give you those, too? The helm is incredible!

He has a full titan short of a missing piece. Just waiting on FW to send me a new piece. Maybe I'll luck out and they will send a whole replacement kit for the shoulder guns. Think of the conversion fodder!

 whalemusic360 wrote:
He has a full titan short of a missing piece. Just waiting on FW to send me a new piece. Maybe I'll luck out and they will send a whole replacement kit for the shoulder guns. Think of the conversion fodder!

Maybe they'll send you a full replacement titan

That would be pretty baller. Would certainly change the order I had planned on getting future Titans.

 whalemusic360 wrote:
...future Titans.

Oh you tease us so

Man, that is really exciting! I'm guessing we might see some final Titan build shots during pig painting, then . Really looking forward to seeing that monster come together - and should be a nice change of pace after painting all this flesh / fur, to tackle that huge amount of armor!

As nice as the full titan would be, I sincerely doubt it'd happen. They're all sold as separate bits, after all! (Boo, Ramos. What a joykill...)

New set of shoulder guns is a more likely scenario... I mean, I got a new contemptor because I didnt have feet for it, new autocannon arms because the barrels were junk... Im very curious to see what happens.

@Theo: Hehehe... I'll definitely be doing what I can to make the Warlord look nice Gonna be an epic model, to be sure!

I dont remember rightly what the road hog's base model is from. Tides'll have to chime in on that. I know that its one of the first casts of it, though.

@nerd: Lets just say I might have heard some rumors from a certain evil robot cat

@Gits: Im inclined to agree, but I think I'll have to leave it as is. Time is short, and I want to get to painting...

=============


Priming now... Boring update xD

I'd guess they send just the part. The shoulder guns alone are a £110 kit, I'd assume they don't wan't to just give away a whole set for a missing piece.

Itd be neat though xD


But yeah, youre prolly right.

Just got my Krootdar in the mail. They look amazing. Thanks.

Excellent to hear, wyfox!! Very happy that you like them.



Heres an assembled army shot, sans 2 test minis and a couple extras I havent been sent yet.





Speaking of the test minis, I went and painted those up today. Pretty quick work, but we ended up doing two versions of the scheme. One pale mane, the other darker. I'll need to spray these with the Testors matte- this is just a test with GWs Purity Seal. One of the players in my DnD game gifted me a can of it. Its a nice enough low satin finish, but isnt ultra matte!!

They're both beautiful, but I love the one with the pale mane.

Yeah, I think it's got to be "blondie" . That's how we were leaning to start with, but Ramos tried both for a sanity check - light colored mane works great!!

Just a few more details to test (hoof color and some blue "braveheart" markings like Ramos did with the red on the gator project) and the scheme is totally set. The main question we were considering is the tank color - while this one is really cool, I was worried it might blend into the bodies / manes a bit too much to really stand out. Ramos is going to try a couple things on this... er... guinea pig, and pick the best

I'm thrilled with how well the scheme looks, and the army shot is great! Running of the boars...?

 Gitsplitta wrote:
They're both beautiful, but I love the one with the pale mane.

All good bacon needs to have that lighter stripe of fat to it and the hair here does that.

@ Theo: The road hog's base is some oddball Minotaur model RiTides found; there's a painted picture a few pages back. His head is indeed the Rathor head from Wrath of Kings; I had a spare I donated to the cause, and I must say I am very pleased with the results!

Loving the cybernetic pigs. They look great and the cybernetic augmentation actually blends into the models really naturally. If you get what I mean.

 Theophony wrote:

 Gitsplitta wrote:
They're both beautiful, but I love the one with the pale mane.

All good bacon needs to have that lighter stripe of fat to it and the hair here does that.

+1 Bacon cookie, Theo.

====================


So, with the demo minis complete, its time to get the rest of the piggies painted! This is done all at once to ensure matching skintones and manes. Takes a while because of so many minis, but I think it'll definitely save time in the end!





Unfortunately, looks like Im out of a particular color I need for the next layer of skin color!! Off to the hobby shop....


I also bought in to the new craze that is GuildBall. Fun little soccer-y type game that I demo'd with Alf a week or two ago. Inexpensive to start, too, as the kits were under 40 bucks.
I started with the Alchemist's guild- Molotovs and gas grenades for everyone!!


Definitely excited to get painting these guys!

Guildbaaaall!!


Alchemists unfortunately lost

Of course they lost, they're not astronauts Seriously chemicals behave differently in a 0 gravity environment .

Looking good! Glad those manes on the piggymen seem to have worked out. I didn't put a layer of paint on them to test the transitions like I did the big pigs, so I was a little concerned later. I am pretty sure I can't see flaws anymore without paint to stab me in the eye with them.

Those beastmen gors look like they were made to have pig heads, nice converting job Wehr! Looking even better with a basecoat on them

Awesome about Guildball, Ramos, it's a fantastic And inexpensive game... a rare combination! But I'm going to join in the space mat hate . Looks like a 3x3 from X-wing, could flip it over to the black side and add scatter terrain for the next match?

 RiTides wrote:
Those beastmen gors look like they were made to have pig heads, nice converting job Wehr! Looking even better with a basecoat on them

Awesome about Guildball, Ramos, it's a fantastic And inexpensive game... a rare combination! But I'm going to join in the space mat hate . Looks like a 3x3 from X-wing, could flip it over to the black side and add scatter terrain for the next match?

When Ramos and I did a quick start match, we used dice to plot out the board area, and as one might expect the field changed during the game!

So this match was done on an X-Wing mat as you correctly guessed. I'm looking into cheap alternatives for a 3x3 Guild Ball pitch.

Luckily Malifaux is also 3x3, so if you search for those you can just use it for Guildball . Should be some nice established options there! These even have the option of a Guildball overlay (pitch lines) although those are Definitely not required.

 RiTides wrote:
Luckily Malifaux is also 3x3, so if you search for those you can just use it for Guildball . Should be some nice established options there! These even have the option of a Guildball overlay (pitch lines) although those are Definitely not required.

Yeah, I've also been thinking about turning my Ruined Temple tablescape into a Guild Ball pitch, but that certainly isn't meant for travel. Saw those Mats by Mars, been staring at them for a bit lol