ChaoticMind and the Demon Muse's P&M blog: Episode 81, It’s my Birthday and I’ll Titan if I Want to.

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**Meer_Cat**

What line is the vehicle from? I've seen a couple of different versions here on DakkaDakka, but I don't where it's from! Carry on plotting the overthrow of the civilized world- as you were!

**ChaoticMind**

Meer_Cat wrote:
What line is the vehicle from? I've seen a couple of different versions here on DakkaDakka, but I don't where it's from! Carry on plotting the overthrow of the civilized world- as you were!

Games Workshop, Warhammer 40,000, Genestealer Cults, Goliath Truck or Rockgrinder. Initially I didn’t like it but like a fungus it has grown on me. The plow/grinder bit is still trash but the rest of it is actually pretty good. Mine is technically a hybrid lacking its stubber but this is the most “civilian” loadout you can reasonably build.
Wait, since when are we plotting to overthrow the civilized world?
Ummm, I’m not, are you?
Not that I was aware of...

**ChaoticMind**

Awright, lets get this zoggin show onna road!
Holy Sh! You’re alive?!?!?!
... Nice to see you too Oh Dread Queen of Drukhari Badonk-a-donks and Miner Pant Thievery.
... low blow dude.
You started it. But enough of that, how about a post?
Lets.
...
... Uh...
Umm, gimmie a minute.
*Organize, Tinker, Delay, Plot, Plan, Etc.*
Okay! I have a Plan!
Quick! Run for the hills!
Ha ha. So the plan:
1) What’ve we been up to.
2)What are we working on now?
3)State of the Svarg-head address.
4) The Future, near and far(ish).

Sound logical?
Who gave you this plan? It’s WAY too good to be yours.
Right Number 1! Working, playing Malifaux, thinking of swapping over to Ten Thunders, chugging along on the BlackScar Sector, starting a fluff wiki, pre-mixing paint, suffering a paint-splosion, cleaning up and fixing paint-splosion fallout, and looking forward too Killteam.

Number 2! Working on Geisha, oni, and a fiddler for my 10T, finishing The Basilisks, contemplating an Onager, realizing Killteam is probably DOA from stupid (WHY aren’t Cadian medics available?).

Number 3! Okay, here’s the important (to me) bit. Start of this week I realized I was running “hot” recently. While it CAN be productive, in the long term (and not even that long) it’ll just result in burnout that kills ALL productivity for as long or longer than it lasts. So I realized I needed to calm the heck down, cool off, get organized, and come up with a plan that is sustainable. Which leads to...

Number 4! First off, a weekly update with pictures on Tuesday/Wednesday. This provides both a way of tracking progress and a clearly defined goal.

Second, 1 hour of painting/day minimum. To encourage this;

Third, a budget. $1 per solid hour of just painting, $1 per figure finished, and $5 per Tuesday all pre-tax.

Fourth, reasonable levels “on the bench”. Limit is 1-2 gangs(3-10 models)/large vehicles and 2-3 small projects (lone figures or lose group that will fit on a 50mm or smaller base)

Currently the bench is The Basilisks, a GSC selection (There’s 2 neophyte, 1 purestrain, 1 hybrid, and 1 “lords” for groups and the Goliath), the Fiddler, and 2 geisha.
In the wings are 2 sets of 3 Oni, magic wind weasel, smol eastern dragon, and Star Wars Storm troopers.
Ooof, heavy.
Yup, therefore, PICTURES!!! YAAAY!!!

Most of the bench:

Recent completions:

There’s a complex visual pun here.

Spoiler:

Spotter “Spare Parts” Sam, BlackScar Recruit test-dummy. Please do provide an opinion on him! I’m planing my IG/Epirian grunt paint scheme and any feedback before I start on the bulk of them would be appreciated.

You sir, are a spaz.
Aye, that I am Dread Queen.

**ChaoticMind**

Quick update today,

1) Update: Done
2) Daily painting: Not good. Yes on Monday, yesterday was to close between work and gaming, today I had to sleep after stupid brain attack (see below).
3) Budget: So apparently I’m doing it by debt and pay it off. That said, it’s holding.
4) Bench levels: current bench is The Basilisks, Goliath truck and 2 randoms So that’s good.

I made a mistake yesterday. I offered to provide space, terrain, and rule book for skirmish game with a friend. He was happy to accept. We settled on a modified KillTeam. I am now cleaning a disaster room, collecting my terrain, starting more, finishing my partially done, planning on buying more, and trying to get a team painted. Of corse I ran the numbers and the KillTeam starter is the way I’m going to go. I’d say there’s about $80 in terrain in it, I’m not going to pirate the rulebook and 10 GSC neophytes and 10 Skitarii are TOTALY worth $10. Assuming of course I can’t foist the Skitarii off on my buddy for $20 and just buy the 40k mechanus starter with Skitarii, Magos, and Onager later on. And the $80 cargo container & hauler KillZone is also on my list. Considering the containers sell for $100 and the haulers are another $40. I even have a cunning plan for painting: Testors or Krylon spray and $2/2oz acrylic craft paint drybrushing. The rabbit hole only heads farther down from there with Necromunda being gotten for Basilisks & Bulkheads...

**ChaoticMind**

Hewo? Is dis fing on? Hewoooooooooo!
Knock that svarg off or I swear to Dog I will kill you with mind bullets from my mind.
... Well at least someone is listening.
Resolutions. Now.
Mam! Yes mam!

1)Update: in progress
2)Daily Painting: 5 out of 7. One day was spent gaming instead and the other was lost to procuring Reeesources! Gaming and building the largest part of The Colossus.
3)Budget: Holding steady. But I should start adding supplies in not just figs and terrain.
4)Bench: The Colossus, Skin Bunker, Mining Truck, and 2nd batch of Neophytes. More than I really want but the fist two are just going to get basic as svarg paint jobs for now. As in details only have a 50/50 chance of being picked out in a second color.

So wait, just HOW simple is the terrain?
See how they have a base color?

Yeees.
Any given piece is going to get a SINGLE color dry brushed over the whole thing.
... Oh god.
Ayup. There going to be dead simple for now.

Now, on to meandering comenta-ranting. I am LAZY when it comes to terrain. I am also rather cheap. Yesterday’s supply run consisted of a set of 18 brushes for $8 and a set of 16, 2oz bottles of craft paint for $8. The brushes are already being ABUSED. The paint is thick and I’m just using it straight from the bottle. To be honest it’s kinda scary how I’m getting this terrain done, but it looks good enough so I don’t give a darn. As for the terrain its self The Colossus was built 95% to the instructions in the Kill Team Starter and the Skin Bunker just has an unfortunate case of base color. The new building parts are awesome. I kinda want another starter just for more terrain. I may go back and detail the terrain later but that’s like effort. The excessively keen eyed may have noticed the card table I’m working on. I now have a room cleaned out where skirmish games can be played! Also, that table is older than me and posibly even my dad.

**ChaoticMind**

Yellow, anyone here?
Present.
... I kinda meant readers.
Oh. Heh. I dunno.
Well lets press on! First off the Colossus is more complex than intended but not by much.

Also the Skin Bunker isn’t as disturbing with a heavy white drybrush.
Wow, they’re actually done?
Eh, not really. They could use some more work.
Oh,
Well these were done last week I just haven’t gotten the effort up to get decent pics.

Hrm, that’d prooobably be a good idea.
Yeah, anyway! the bench and both groups of finished neophytes.

Very, um, brown.
Yeah. That first color is always boring.

...

So, um. You got anything?
... Not really?
Sooo...
Resolutions?
... Sure.

1)Update: Just barely!
2)Daily Painting: 6 out of 7. Perfectly reasonable.
3)Budget: Not bad, including paint and foamcore etc. definitely makes it tighter.
4)Bench: ALL THE GSC! way more than I should have on the bench. Trying to decide what not brown things to work on A.K.A. NOT BlackScar recruits or Epirian contractors. Currently in super low effort mode right now so Oni are out. So I guess add Star Wars for variety?

**ChaoticMind**

Just a quick drop and run today:

1 hour / day IS paying off. Work is getting done and I don’t feel like I’m trying to do too much.

For the lazy, compared to when they were last seen: red stealers are still red, brown stealers are now bone white, solid brown neophytes/acolytes are now in select areas; hazard yellow, grubby orange, boomstick red, zed green, raw steel, white flesh, and bone white. Additionally the acolyte bodies have their Strong Tone applied.

**PossumCraft**

There's some really awesome stuff coming out of this blog!

I really like the scheme on the feathered eschers (the Skin Bunker?).

**Meer_Cat**

Hey CM- sorry to be so long commenting here- I'm letting myself get distracted with my current project, and forgetting where all my bright ideas and inspiration come from- which is modelers like you. Like the fortifications, _love_ the Escher gangers- the hair color schemes especially scream Escher- well done!

Found it very funny that your Muse can also comment back and forth on your blog- never a need for the room to be completely silent!

Looking forward to seeing what becomes of all the gene stealers.

**ChaoticMind**

PossumCraft wrote:There's some really awesome stuff coming out of this blog!

I really like the scheme on the feathered eschers (the Skin Bunker?).

Glad you’re enjoying my work! To be honest the Eschers aren’t as good as I wanted but they hit the point of “good enough” and if they’d remained in the bench much longer they’d have gotten flying lessons right into a brick wall.

Yeeeaaaah, the bunker had a REEEALY unfortunate color for a few hours and the weird names are the ones that stick.
Unfortunately...

Meer_Cat wrote:Hey CM- sorry to be so long commenting here- I'm letting myself get distracted with my current project, and forgetting where all my bright ideas and inspiration come from- which is modelers like you. Like the fortifications, _love_ the Escher gangers- the hair color schemes especially scream Escher- well done!

Found it very funny that your Muse can also comment back and forth on your blog- never a need for the room to be completely silent!

Looking forward to seeing what becomes of all the gene stealers.

Hey no problem, that industrial whotsit you’re building is awesome. Honestly the Escher hair styles are just BEGGING for wild, vibrant colors.

If it weren’t for others we’d just create a feedback loop that would result in no money, no food, no job, and ALL THE MINIS!!!
You say that like it’s a bad thing!

Hopefully some of my friend’s skitarii dead! Otherwise it will probably just be a gigantic pile of pants...

**ChaoticMind**

Another quick update today, not much has changed since Monday. Mostly just sticking to a goal.

1) Update: With less than 2 hours left in the day!
2) Daily painting: Perfectly acceptable levels, 6/7.
3) Budget: It’s holding.
4) Bench levels: Still “all the GSC” almost done though. Really need to decide what’s next.

Any opinions on what I should do next are appreciated, choices are:

3 Spider-Centaurs
15-20 Cadian pattern Guardsmen
Something from Dakka’s own Maelstroms Edge; TOTALY not guardsmen (Epirian contractors), fully armored doom cult (Karist), or eldritch thingies (Angel & Minnows)
H.A.M.Y. And his Wracks
Greek Harryhausen-esque Skeletons
Star Wars Stormtroopers in desert camo.

**Meer_Cat**

Those are all interesting projects; I vote Epirian contractors.

**ChaoticMind**

Meer_Cat wrote:
Those are all interesting projects; I vote Epirian contractors.

As the deciding vote, Contractors it is!

As proof I offer this picture:

See the brown blobs on the green bit? That’s my 5 Epirian Contractors. Honest.

Ze update, I demand it.
1) Update: Cutting it close but made it!
2) Daily painting: Funny business is happening.
3) Budget: It’s... okay? Only the one killzone on it.
4) Bench levels: Good, just the Contractors for “active” projects with Goliath and Sector Munitorium as desired.
Define “Funny business.”
Thursday, 1 hour.
Friday, nuthin but that’s perfectly fine.
Saturday, 2 hours.
Sunday and Monday, 1 hour each.
Tuesday, again nuthin.
Wednesday or today, absolutely NUTHIN!
Final results: 7/7 perfect week!
... Your math skills terrify me.
I admit, painting only occurred on 4 of the 7 days. The other 3 are exempt for the following reasons:
Friday, I helped a friend move.
Tuesday, mouse predations were discovered in the pantry late Monday necessitating cleaning for health reasons.
Wednesday, room was cleaned for safety and painting setup re-worked to encourage better posture, AKA health reasons.
Therefore each “failed” day was actually indirectly contributory to gaming with painted minis even if just for health and safety reasons.
Durn lawyer-izing. What was so bad with your previous painting setup?
The aches and pains have been bad recently. I got bad posture and excess fat, I know this and should put effort into trying to fix it, but I ain’t likely to. The previous painting setup encouraged sitting hunched over. The new one is way higher, hopefully encouraging *slightly* better posture with only a onetime burst of effort.
So Mr. Penniless, how many dozens of minis were sacrificed for this?
Ummm... 2 broken glue joints, an unpainted spider-taur wrist and a mechano-zombie from her base.
Again with the math failures.
Nope, canabalized a disused reptile enclosure & stand, added a stored desktop & desk-lamp, and attached a forgotten board. Oh, and stole a rarely used decent chair. Net cost: $0.00, time, and two minor repairs.
Huh, not bad.
Interesting note, this “desk” is sort of a resurrection of a previous desk of mine and the actual top is technically part of its... 3rd or 4th desk. I forget if it was used on the wooden desk I had before abandoning the ground floor. I’m a big believer in the necromantic 3 Rs when it comes to furniture.
Reduce (how much I have to buy), Reuse (what I’ve got), and Reanimate (whatever bits are in storage)

**Meer_Cat**

Go contractors!

And at least (so far) you're not losing arguments with yourself. although, really, yourself is awfully hard on yourself. You should hold yourself accountable for more humanity to yourself...

**ChaoticMind**

And the contractors just need their bases painted now! But here’s a pic of them before bed yesterday:

And the GSC!

Unfortunately the FLGS was out of the size base I needed so I still have 4 lying down on the job.
And a touch of cleverness in regards to a mistake:

Hide it with a tattoo!

Currently I have some Karist ShadowWalkers in progress and 2 are reminiscent of Dune Fremen...

And Finally some really cool P&M blogs in need of attention:
Grotlequins! Or Haretchin, maybe? Tiny Greenskins copying clowns. Eventually.

Kroot warband Now with Paint! Relatively traditional Kroot as a primarily cavalry force.

Ironbeak Kroot Mercenary Kindred Crazy awesome Kroot conversions.

**Meer_Cat**

The contractors came out very well- nice color coord!

**CommissarKhaine**

Excellent work ChaoticMind! And smart move on the tattoo, I've used that trick as well. Everybody will be impressed at the detailing you did

**ChaoticMind**

Meer_Cat wrote:The contractors came out very well- nice color coord!

Thanks! It probably helped I kept them simple and relatively neutral. (Brown, human skin, neutral grey, zombie skin, steel, “dip”)

CommissarKhaine wrote:Excellent work ChaoticMind! And smart move on the tattoo, I've used that trick as well. Everybody will be impressed at the detailing you did

Haha, yeah. Sometimes it’s just easier to do tiny freehand than touch up an area.

So I saw SOMEONE complain about how I treat my Paint Monkey. Y’all should know I’m WAY nicer than the muse from OHOLD IT!
We got to stay family friendly ‘round these parts.
Guh, FINE!
So there’s this webcomic, mkay? In it there’s a poet pining for his muse. Instead of the usual Ethereal Trollop he gets an Amazonian Drill Sergeant of a muse.
Take a wild guess which one she supports.
Go on, guess!
Anyway, for those curious about this webcomic:

Spoiler:

Sooo, what’s new?
BlackScar Recruits, Grenadier section, and BlackScar Planetary Security. A.K.A. They stole our uniform! Get ‘em boys!:

Yaaasss...
Neophyte ShadowWalker Fremen,
Wha?

Oh! Yup, that they are.
Karist ShadowWalker bodies + GSC neophyte heads = Fremen

Anything else?
Well, I found out you’re a Rogue Trader yesterday.
How DARE you! I would never associate with those filthy imperiaaaaa

I mean, um, ‘scuse me. *wipes away drool*
Uhhh Magos... what’s’ername gave me a, uh, ship in my... Pirate Queen guise and um, er, I made some human trollop acting captain and, um, yeah!
...
...
MyNurse,NotYourNurse.YouGetDerpCultHerpsassin!
...oookay. Moving on now... terrain! Every good Rogue Traider needs cargo and what fortuitous luck we have KillZone Gothic Shipping Containers! As such those have shifted from “slowly putter around on” to “active.”

I think that’s everything.
”paperwork”
Huh? Oh!
1) Update: A day late.
2) Daily painting: 5/7 took Tuesday off to relax because I was doing well but then last minute I picked up a shift at work yesterday that kinda killed yesterday
3) Budget: It’s good, but I need to start saving for Rogue Trader.
4) Bench levels: BlackScar HighEnergy Section, a selection from KZ Gothic Shipping Containers, and the Goliath continues to putter along in the background.

Now yer done.

**ChaoticMind**

Well okay then. Don’t wanna hit hard all across life. Lets try and get back on track.
ABOUT TIME!
Yes yes, what has been finished:

Angry Gandma and The Bedsheets, BlackScar Recruits High Energy section, ManBatMan thing, Wolfram Dragoons, Wolfram Dragoon Fluff.
Fluff. NAOW!
Le Spoiler‘ed and language censored

Spoiler:

I knew there was a reason we made Bianchi the leader, she’s a stone cold ch.
Mmmyes, also sloped bulk paint rack. Shown here with bench:

Explain-erate-erise.
Goliath continues its puttering, Ferus-pox pox walkers started, BSR Heavy selection puttering along, DeadWood Dryads back in ac-puttering.
Sounds very... Puttering-y.
That’s the speed they’re all moving at, a bit here, a splash there, occasionally some appreciable progress, but mostly slow and steady and slow finishes the race.
Uh huh.
Sudden arrer woof distraction!

That bow was hand made from scrap. I twisted the bowstring from wire, twisted eyes on each end, carved notches into the ends of some sprue, bent and strung the bow and didn’t throw it across the room.
Eeedeot.

**ChaoticMind**

Ok, technically last Saturday was my birthday and they came home with me the day before that.

Oh good. You forgot about painting them in your excitement.
Nope!

I even thought ahead and sticky-tack masked ALL the joints
Who are you?
The guy who got 2 Warhounds for a tenth of the price of the one he’s been drooling over for about 1/2 his lifetime. Only regret being they’re Mars patern not Lucious.

Why didn’t you get the Lucious patern then?
They’re all OOP.
... oh.