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...congratulations on breaking the forum again so quickly, graven.

Them fellas is huge!

Brilliant work as usual. Accurate too.

Dysartes wrote:I keep forgetting Cassandra Nova isn't actually a mutant, even though she's the twin sister of Charles Xavier.

The classic Sentinels have come out nicely, graven.

Yeah I love Grant Morrison but they have a lot of mad stuff to answer for cheers my friend!

bbb wrote:Great work! Love the Sentinels. Nicely done matching them to the comics

Thanks! I love going big Comic colours

Slinky wrote:Not familiar with these giant MCU dudes, but you've done a great job

Dysartes wrote:...congratulations on breaking the forum again so quickly, graven.

What... what did I do?!

Camkierhi wrote:Them fellas is huge!
Brilliant work as usual. Accurate too.

Yeah 20 cm or so. Thanks pal!

Very brief update, finally got this lot all built:

Pulcinella gang and Pulcinella Pub Crawl. A friendly reminder of my general hatred of resin. Still better than KMs rubbery abomination, though And they weren't bad, minimal slippage, flash or mould lines, just very tiny and fiddly... so now I have a full drunken apocalyptic clown crew (plus Ostrich) to tear through the lanes and canals!
Onwards!
Graven

 inmygravenimage wrote:

Dysartes wrote:...congratulations on breaking the forum again so quickly, graven.

What... what did I do?!

Everyone's favourite unsolved page wrap glitch as we entered page 20.

How fiddly were the Carnevale figures compared to, say, Infinity or Knight Models superhero ranges?

Ahhhhh yes I seem particularly prone to that.
Comparable, I would say. Probably marginally less, and the QC is very good, but there are some RIDICULOUSLY thin parts: Colombina's mirror, as previously mentioned, dissolved when I sneezed (no, really) and the big thug's mace is on a wafer thin rod that snapped despite being ultra careful whilst despruing. There are some balance issues, so several of them are on slottas with the sprue still attached and GSd over. As with any such figs, tiny attachment points are generally awful. It doesn't help that I'm both quite clumsy and have muscle problems in my hand so TINY TINY resin is the bane of my existence.

I recognize those guys! Don't know anything about them... but I recognize them.

Gitsplitta wrote:I recognize those guys! Don't know anything about them... but I recognize them.

That's a win! Pulcinella is your classic Italian clown, white suit, mask, and violence. No Beethoven though (which reminds me, I DO have an Alex mini somewhere... droog). In Carnevale, they are a drunken apocalyptic cult, complete with murderous racing ostriches. I've added bottles to all of mine that don't have some sort of drinking vessel as part of the fig. To the priming shed!

But in the meantime... Hail Hydra!

Hydra troops for MCP.

Tried to go very 4-color silver age on them.

And having built Rhino... added a bit of Deadpool to his base.

What?! He'll be fine...

Red Skull is still in the very WIP stage, and it's smallest Spawn's 7th birthday tomorrow, so the next week or so will be taken up with such shenanigans. Got some board games to review, too, BEAST which is a hidden movement / hand drafting game of mythic Norse creatures Vs a team of hunters. Components are stunning. Very exciting plus have got little miss Stuffed Fables, with minis for her to paint.
Raise em right
Graven

So, in the end, I just battered on with Red Skull to preserve my sanity (mm-hmm):

Playing about with NMM, and using Nihilakh oxide for the lightning as an experiment which I rather like.

I used exclusively WW2 German greens, greys and browns on him, which I felt fitting.

Hail Hydra!

Cracking work on Skull (and I'm definitrly nicking the Oxide for lightning trick! Is it just over white or is there anything else you did beforehand?))

Thanks! Nope, no trickery. Just over VJ Artic White.

Nice work on all the Hydra guys! Although, sculpt-wise, I think I prefer the more understated Red Skull from the starter set.

Poor old Deadpool, I am sure that will buff out though

Excellent work as usual. Love the additions to the basing. Very effective all round.

aku-chan wrote:Nice work on all the Hydra guys! Although, sculpt-wise, I think I prefer the more understated Red Skull from the starter set.

LOL you're not wrong can't wait to get the version in a tank

Slinky wrote:Poor old Deadpool, I am sure that will buff out though

Sure... I wish I knew where my extra tacos were though, I really want some for Blob's base.

Camkierhi wrote:Excellent work as usual. Love the additions to the basing. Very effective all round.

Cheers buddy, much appreciated.

So, the Pulcinellas!

Man, there was a lot of dirty white there to do to add a bit of consistency, everything's had a bottle or flask added if they didn't have one originally.

King for a Day, the Leader

Enjoyed his custom base. Tried to have elements of everything - the stone, the canal, wood and rusty metal.
Generic Pulcinella




Terrible photo that last one, though she's my favourite.

Bruiser

Brewer

Added some extra base details. Particularly happy with the ripples that the tentacle's making.

Fire-Breather

Ostrich Rider

Fun, but hellish to do.

And, the 5 I intend (I think) for this month's dakka contest:

And finally, my full Carnevale collection (as it stands for now).


That just leaves the rest of the Commedia dell'Arte (the Understudies), the two Strigoi basic gangs and the starter set Guild to do. Yeah... JUST.

And, for MCP, the raging Rhino!

Had to have the police line tape for comedy value.

Hmm. Just noticed a rogue brush hair. Weird.

Really pleased with his face, too. MCP still a bit gappy but way better than of old.

Probably should tackle the remaining the Storm Lions (Bladeguards, Ancient and Aggressor) I think I just need to bite the (bolter) bullet and finish these guys now, as they're just hanging about my desk looking accusatory I've also got some new Shadows of Brimstone - Forbidden Fortress releases to tackle, which might be a nice palette cleanser, and I've got Red Skull's Hydra tank en route also. That being said, I have a fair old pile of AoS ruins which strike me as suitably generic for Venetian docks so they may get a quick-once over to get the game on the table!

Ah decisions, decisions. The hell of hobby ADHD
Graven

A quirky bunch there, the ostrich rider is my personal fave

Nice bunch of clowns you got there, graven - do you have a Volkswagen Beetle for them all to come piling out of, including the ostrich?

Yay! Ostrich!
Love the clowns.

Slinky wrote:A quirky bunch there, the ostrich rider is my personal fave

Thanks! It was HELLISH to build but turned out pretty well. I'm not going to be getting the Ostrich Racing box anytime soon though 4 more ostriches?! No thanks.

Dysartes wrote:Nice bunch of clowns you got there, graven - do you have a Volkswagen Beetle for them all to come piling out of, including the ostrich?

VW Gondola maybe?

aku-chan wrote:Yay! Ostrich!
Love the clowns.

Everyone loves an ostrich eh? Madness!
Meanwhile, I took a notion to paint a certain droog...

No use crying over spilt milk.

Fits a little too well with my Pulcinellas

Now they knew who was master and leader...

I also tested up some AoS scenery

Pretty happy with it.

Should work for Carnevale too I reckon.

More of these to follow I imagine. This is decent and will work for my Warhammer Alliance kids too.

Hey ho
Graven

So, I've finally finished the Storm Lions Bladeguards and Ancient - granted the Aggressor isn't done but still. I think the issue was this turned into army painting which i just loathe - the whole point of this is was a fun hobby project born out of chats with my Warhammer Alliance kids and a couple of internet buddies, so doing full units became a chore.

Anyway, they're done now, though perhaps not to the standard I would've liked which does slightly defeat the aim of this year to focus on quality over quantity, but there we are.

Reasonably happy with the capework and nmm on the shield at least.


And one last view.


Currently on the painting desk is more AoS terrain that's doing double duty for Carnevale, which the spawn and I got stuck into last night (which is also why the above weren't in the jury-rigged lightbox, as that's a handy 2x2 playmat).

Simple, 75 ducat (point) game from the rulebook (why it's not the first one in the book is beyond me), Gifted [him] vs Guild [me], using pretty much starter set teams. He wanted to try Gifted as they're the mercenary faction - usable with any other - and given that he's planning on playing Strigoi (vampires) as his main that seemed to make sense.

The game is fast, with only a couple of basic actions, and a lot of fun. It's fairly rules-light, and emphasises narrative moments plus has some really cinematic mechanics (like chaining jumps for free by landing on small obstacles). So far, we love it! Down the rabbit-hole (or rather, into the canal) we go!
Graven

I have really enjoyed watching your Storm Lions project develop. I don't particularly enjoy painting Space Marines, but I do enjoy watching other people do it, especially when they take advantage of the kitbashiness of all the various kits.

So, Carnevale: yea or nay? I'm all about small unit skirmish games these days, and genre-wise it's well outside my wheelhouse. Is the game itself worth playing?

JoshInJapan wrote:I have really enjoyed watching your Storm Lions project develop. I don't particularly enjoy painting Space Marines, but I do enjoy watching other people do it, especially when they take advantage of the kitbashiness of all the various kits.

So, Carnevale: yea or nay? I'm all about small unit skirmish games these days, and genre-wise it's well outside my wheelhouse. Is the game itself worth playing?

Well, I certainly enjoy the modelling side more than the painting I have some ideas for March, as I haven't done a sniper or flying one yet...

But Carnevale has caught my attention hard, yeah. I've actually actively avoided it as I knew this would happen the game is great, very simple... Or more accurately deceptively simple. The mechanics are very streamlined and there is a heavy emphasis on narrative - you are explicitly told to allow wiggle room with distances, for example - which means it is consciously about sportsmanship and fun over RAW.

Speaking of Carnevale, the repurposed AoS ruins / ruined Basilica complete:

Particularly fond of the bell tower.

Finally got the Aggressor done.

Might need to tone down his eyebrows, though.

And, this year's Warlord promo, Cadet Judge Giant

He very tiny. About 24mm.

Enjoyed him a lot, all came together.

I have painted WAY more than I expected to this month! Weird.

Had a great night out with BMG players from across Scotland, including pals I've not seen since 2019 what with COVID etc. An important reminder to keep seeing the people we hobby with. And, like, drink beer and eat far too much chicago-style pizza.
Graven

Liking that scenery, looks like it could be useful for quite a few fantasy/semi-historical games. Would prolly be quite good for LOTR.

Slinky wrote:Liking that scenery, looks like it could be useful for quite a few fantasy/semi-historical games. Would prolly be quite good for LOTR.

Yeah, it's got good generic creepy vibes. I also think it'll be pretty decent even for WW gaming if I'm so minded as a bombed-out Gothic church.

Right, so, on to the first models of March!

Unhinged Understudies for The Gifted - the other Commedia dell'Arte crew.

And in more detail

La Signora. I was struggling to find a look I was happy with, so took some inspiration elsewhere... bonus dakka cookie to you if you get it She's a really good leader, her prop gun does no damage but has knockback so great for throwing folk off buildings or into canals and she's surprisingly good with her sword (particularly parrying). Also, her command ability means she recovers Will (rerolls) by being the centre of attention (1 for everyone within 3") so she's REALLY hard to put down.

The Innamorati, the lovers, fused together and with faces warped into theatrical masks. Weird and wonderful models, they turn into a Mindless killing machine when at half health.

Scapino, the wee scamp. He's a bloody nuisance in game as he ties folk up in combat but is extremely slippery and hard to hit. No attacks of opportunity against Scapino! Great for stealing objectives.

Mezzetino adds a bit more swordplay, and general swish-ness. He's a useful generic sellsword, ultimately. And dear lord, all the stripes.

Coviello is interesting. He can handle himself in a fight but it's more about using music to distract opponents. He's a finesse piece and I've not quite got my head round him on the table yet; I suspect he'll be good at holding stationary objectives, but I've not had a chance to test that theory.

Apart from the Pierrots, that's me got all the Commedia. I'm going to do a Rialto Assassin next for my Guild, just to compliment the very punchy, in your face clowns with a stealth hero (plus I REALLY like the model) and then start on the spawn's Vampiric Aristocracy (probably, tbh, in a similar colour scheme to La Signora). Still waiting on the core game box, as it seems to have been eaten by the postal service but we have plenty to be going on with.

In the meantime, March is always Marine month in the dakka painting contest, so it's back to the Storm Lions with a couple of conversions:

So the Suppressor build is clearly a solution to my loathing of flight stands Honestly I'm amazed how easy a build this was, it's pretty much just an arm swap and a backpack. Not much extra on the Eliminator, couple of White Scar accessories and removed his tactical rock for the AoS base, though I'd like to get a sword in (maybe just lying on the ground) too. However, Chapter Master Claudus Thundera is another matter:

Marneus Calgar for the body, mostly (got to love WH magazines), a mix of 40k/AoS bits for the rest the usual mishmash kitbash for characters within the army. I say I had intended him to be my chapter master but he has a bit of a Chief Librarian vibe, I think? Can a Chapter Master even be a psyker? Oh, the fluff.

In terms of what I haven't yet kitbashed for the Storm Lions, I've yet to attempt a Heavy Intercessor, Hellblaster, Infiltrator or Inceptor, so I might try to get a couple of them done - then that's 5 figs as per the contest rubric.I think irrespective they'll be more straightforward conversions, probably just accessorised SM, though an Infiltrator could viably use a Sigmarite body I suppose.

Have been reading some L5R fiction, and that's tickled my interest in revisting Feudal/Fantasy Japan, so I've also primed up the next batch of Forbidden Fortress stuff, various evil Shugenja and noble Ashigaru (and a monkey!), plus the corrupt samurai's cannon. I'm also going to try to break out the 3D printer this weekend - erithromycin has asked me to print him a large-scale Superman head, so I'm going to do that and experiment with some tokens for Carnevale also.

Onwards!
Graven

Ongoing Venetian endeavours looking good! Love the idea of a game where you have a buch of actors and musicians running round fighting vampires with prop guns and stage swords and that somehow working!

No idea about whether CMs can also be psykers, but the conversion is fantastic either way!

Those masque figures do the same thing for me that the bushido figures do!

Continuing the good work on the Carnivale stuff!

I might have to try and get an Innamorati, sounds interesting to paint (The old version of Carnivale tried a similar "fused" figure but they seriously half-arsed the sculpt).

All looking bloody amazing bud. About the only fly in my ointment is a clockwork orange. Really don't like that movie, brilliant film work and Malcolm is outstanding. But it is too sinister and too bloody close to the truth of the world for me. Bit like seeing chimps eat monkeys for the first time. Just scares the pants off you!

I love all the bright colors on this latest batch. I look forward to seeing how you tackle the Japanese stuff.

Paradigm wrote:Ongoing Venetian endeavours looking good! Love the idea of a game where you have a buch of actors and musicians running round fighting vampires with prop guns and stage swords and that somehow working!
No idea about whether CMs can also be psykers, but the conversion is fantastic either way!

It is hilarious and a lot of fun. It's a relatively light game with stunning sculpts. The vampires have turned up and they're really cool. All in all, ticks a lot of boxes.

Gitsplitta wrote:Those masque figures do the same thing for me that the bushido figures do!

I... Think that's good?! I mean I know you love Bushido. I think that Carnevale might end up being my small game rabbit hole.

aku-chan wrote:Continuing the good work on the Carnivale stuff!
I might have to try and get an Innamorati, sounds interesting to paint (The old version of Carnivale tried a similar "fused" figure but they seriously half-arsed the sculpt).

Thanks my old chum. You can get individual figs from the boxsets direct from TT, so that's a possibility.

Camkierhi wrote:All looking bloody amazing bud. About the only fly in my ointment is a clockwork orange. Really don't like that movie, brilliant film work and Malcolm is outstanding. But it is too sinister and too bloody close to the truth of the world for me. Bit like seeing chimps eat monkeys for the first time. Just scares the pants off you!

Thanks man. I know what you mean, about how fundamentally unchanged we are as a society. Tis grim. Glad you like all the toys though!

JoshInJapan wrote:I love all the bright colors on this latest batch. I look forward to seeing how you tackle the Japanese stuff.

Cheers mate. Yeah, thought they might be up your alley I'm not really looking forward to the Sashimono bearer tbh but I'll manage The ashigaru kit is really nice, several different head options.

Meanwhile, a couple more kitbash marines:

Went with a Heavy Intercessor and an Infiltrator. I'm not totally sold on the Infiltrator build, weirdly, as I had a much clearer idea for him, yet the Heavy Intercessor was a huge, complex build of many random parts laid out in front of me that somehow came together and I just love. Maybe I just have to accept that the Infiltrator is too good at infiltrating sigmarites

I also built up the Vampiric Aristocracy for Carnevale:

Highborn Noble (human thrall, but with money), Hulking Moroi (big killy vampire), Starving Vampire (starts terrible, eats her way to terrifying) and 2 Nosferatu (sneaky shadow-walkers, not massively powerful but good at nabbing objectives). Lovely sculpts (particularly the Nosferatu), minimal flash, no slippage, bubbles, or filling required, easy to build - probably the best to do so far, in fact. Also, and let's not forget this, dirt cheap. Any time I fret about the price of this hobby I remember I can get 5 fantastic models for £25. Obviously that means I can get LOTS but still oh and down the front, balancing on the sunken gondola pole, is a Rialto assassin for my Guild (Clowns are all well and good, but I need a bit of stealthy murder), plus knocked together an extra gondola pole from plastic rod.

The weather has turned very chilly, so not sure when I'll get all these primed, though I'll try to at least get the SM done
(by hand if necessary) so I can do a full set of 5 for the monthly contest. It pains me to say it, but I'm so keen to try Carnevale in full I may break a golden rule and play with the Strigoi unpainted (or more accurately let the spawn play with them unpainted).
I'm all heart me
Graven

Yeah... that's a good thing.