Maelstrom VIII - Update #1

Maelstrom will allow players to choose 0-1 Fortifications (including optional upgrades) which are listed in the GW publication Stronghold Assault, using the rules for Buildings in the main Rulebook pg 110 - 113 (including your opponent being able to take control of them...)

Please note that, as per the Rules, the Fortification must be able to be deployed wholly in your deployment zone AND, as the terrain is fixed, there's no moving terrain to accommodate your building.

So those people considering bringing Aquila Strongpoints/Defence Lines/Defence Networks take note at this implication.

Sector Imperialis board - Part 1

One of my goals for February is to paint my Sector Imperialis board (particularly in light of needing it ready for Maelstrom). After seeing Pete's efforts and the time he has spent on his Tablescapes boards over at FoB, I was a bit... nervous.... reluctant.... hesitant... 

But no, I wasn't going to let my own mind get in the way of progress. So I boldly undercoated with black spray... last week... and I have finally begun with the hand painting.

I have used a number of Resene test pots that I have matched to the GW colours (as best as possible), but I will refer to the GW colour when I discuss paints to keep it simpler (for me).

Oh, and GOODNESS THERE IS A LOT OF DETAIL. Also, GW's video (which I watched again) should be renamed "An overt marketing video on how we want to increase sales of every single paint, particularly metallics, that we produce".

These two photos are Step 1 (post-undercoat). I got out some spray cans - Mournfang Brown and an old can of Camo Green - and lightly sprayed some places on the board as you can see. Why? Well, it meant that I could overbrush metallics on top and have some colour come through underneath.

I wish I could have found my old Boltgun Metal can, I must have lent it to someone :(

Where I am at right now

This one is the furtherest along

Step 2 - I have painted the following:

• Flagstones - Khorne Red, stippled blotches on them of Steel Legion Drab and Rhinox Hide, drybrushed them with Bugmans Glow (these colours, along with the dirt, fit the basing scheme I have on all my Astra Militarum, Inquisition, Sisters of Battle, and Word Bearers)
• Metalwork: Mix of Balthasar Gold, Screaming Bell, Warplock Bronze, and Leadbelcher
• Dirt: Rhinox Hide
• Road and drains: Eshin Grey, drybrushed with Administratum Grey

Where to from here:

• Finish base colour metallics over the remaining 4.5 boards
• Paint all the skulls...
• Paint bits of detail here and there (lights, maybe control panels... etc.)
• Random highlights of metallics
• Airbrush a 50:50 mix of Nuln Oil and Agrax Earthshade over the whole board to bring it all together
• Add some different ink colours in random spots
• Drybrush flagstones, guttering, and dirt with Ushabti Bone
• Drybrush all metallic bits with Necron Compound
• Add some effects (corrosion, etc)

I am going to try and get in a couple of hours a day on this.

This is certainly an interesting project that requires some patience. It would be cool if there were a few of you working on it together (along with a few beers and a BBQ), painting it on my own has been a bit... tedious.

Maelstrom VIII Resurrection

I am very pleased to announce that the eighth Maelstrom tournament will be held on the weekend of 16th/17th May 2015 at Cashmere Avenue School, Khandallah, Wellington.

It will be 5 rounds of 40k, with armies of 1850pts, Earlybird entry cost for Maelstrom is $30 up until 31 March 2015, after which the cost is $40.

You can download the Players Pack here.

Any updates or news will be posted here and also at http://www.wargamernz.com/.

I am still alive...

Yes it's been a couple of weeks or so since I posted last... but I've been busy in the background... 

Sometime this week I'll have finished my two extra Realm of Battle boards, and hopefully undercoated my Sector Imperialis boards. Definitely the former, maybe the latter... 

But the big news is that I have booked a weekend to run a 40k tournament - so anyone that wants to attend should block out 16+17 May 2015.

Many more details and a players pack to come by the end of this weekend...

And there were more Henchmen...

Here's some more - 4 completed last night in two and a bit hours.

Still 41 models sitting on the tray on my desk... plus the ones in the painting csse...  just sayin'

2015... the year of the...?

With all the massive changes in armies and rules editions (both 40k and WHFB... End Times anyone?), the profusion of codexes and dataslates and therefore new weekly army combinations, the amount of exciting stuff coming out of Black Library, and amazing individual hobby blogs all over the place, it’s just overflowing my brain with inspiration and I find it difficult occasionally to say whoa, and take a step back.

 

Suffice to say I have plenty on my plate to take up all my available time and then some, but there are a few specific-ish things I want to achieve this year (and will look to keep a running total somewhere on the blog).

 

Terrain:

• Paint my 40k Sector Imperialis board - I’ll be looking to de-base and touch up/detail my existing GW Cityfight terrain to fit with this
• Build enough based terrain from my old ruins (from the 3^rdEd box) to cover a second table, plus I have a Firestorm Redoubt, an Imperial Defence Emplacement, a couple of Shrines of the Aquila, a couple of Bastions, and a Fortress of Redemption plus other leftover bits (e.g. ruined landspeeder... I think I still have one) to cover another table or two.
• Look at rebuilding and possibly painting (sacrilege!) my Necromunda card terrain with additional detail added from the Sector Imperialis kits

 

This would give me enough to do three – four... probably more... complete 40k tables of varying density.

 

Tournaments

I aim to umpire at least one 40k tournament hopefully in the middle of this year, time and support willing. I am just waiting to hear back regarding hall availability so will update this when I can confirm a date.

 

If there are any one-day tournaments in Wellington this year I will look to be one of the first to register. I believe, at least for my demographic, that one-dayers are the way of the immediate future. The prime benefit is (for me) that it’s a much easier commitment to make particularly if you have a partner/children/other activities i.e. sports.

 

Hobby painting schedule

This is my rough painting plan ...err...  guideline for 2015 to help me keep on track. Let’s check it at the end of December to see how accurate I was and how that pans out once Life^TM has had a look and applied its own edits i.e. “How about some Fantasy stuff then eh??”

 

Suffice to say that the statement ‘Try not to get too distracted by new releases’ shall apply over the whole year...

 

January:

• Paint 10+ models from Painting Case
• Paint 2x Realm of Battle boards
• Paint replacement Grey Knight Terminator arms (so I can field a WYSIWYG unit)

 

February:

• Terrain month – paint complete Sector Imperialis board
• Paint 4+ models from Painting Case
• Paint Grey Knight Terminator Librarian (old metal model, not nice new plastic ones)
• Participate in NZTC

 

March:

• Paint 6+ models from Painting Case
• Paint 1x Astra Militarum tank
• Assemble rest of existing Grey Hunter pack

 

April:

• Terrain month – paint enough terrain to cover a 6’x4’ board
• Paint 6+ models from Painting Case
• Test model for Deathwatch
• Assemble 3x Adepta Sororita Immolators

 

May:

• Run tournament?
• Paint 6+ models from Painting Case
• Assemble Grey Hunter pack

 

June:

• Run tournament?
• Paint 6+ models from Painting Case
• Assemble Wolf Scouts with Sniper Rifles

 

July:

• Paint 6+ models from Painting Case
• Paint 2+ Adepta Sororita Immolators

 

August:

• Paint 6+ models from Painting Case
• Call to Arms?
• Build Wolf Lord on Thunderwolf (at the very least the Thunderwolf)

 

September:

• Paint 6+ models from Painting Case
• Paint 2x Astra Militarum tanks

 

October:

• Paint 6+ models from Painting Case
• Build Wolf Guard terminators

 

November:

• Paint 6+ models from Painting Case
• Paint 1x Astra Militarum tank

 

December:

• Paint 6+ models from Painting Case
• Take a break!

 

So all going to plan I will have painted 70+ models plus a few tanks, started assembling my Space Wolves, and built more terrain.

 

Skills I want to gain/areas I want to improve

I’d like to focus on my painting speed this year – I’m no Dave Taylor and can’t pump a GD army out in a week, and I can take too long to paint so I want to find ways of cutting corners without sacrificing my quality (to put that in perspective, let’s face this too – I'm no Golden Daemon winner either... but I do have standards).

 

I absolutely love using washes and glazes and drybrushing to get good depth and detail, so want to continue using them as a basis for getting stuff done to a level I am happy with.

 

I want to (learn to) use my airbrush more. I intend to try zenithal painting on my Space Wolves and the Deathwatch, so we’ll see how that pans out.

 

I’ll aim to do more weathering, starting with terrain because that’s a bit more forgiving.

 

What I think is on the horizon

Finally, this is a view from my crystal ball in what’s coming for the hobby.

 

I’d quite comfortably say that GW is aiming to destroy the (primarily 40k) tournament scene.

 

Now let me clarify that this is not in a negative way as in 'stop tournaments from happening because we are a company that is about the models and we don't want people to unforge the narrative', but I see that it’s more an attempt to destroy the meta-effect and those armies that dominated tournaments for large stretches pre-6^th/7^th – these days with the weekly release schedule and other army publications happening at pace it’s just too hard, even with help of the internets – to keep up with what is new this week and how that impacts every other convoluted combination that has come prior. Maybe I’ll go over this more in another post (or in a discussion below).

 

What I think that it will do is push (and focus) people back to collecting the armies and models they actually like or identify with, and hopefully this will mean they’ll be learning to play them and the missions better, rather than feeling a bit forced into collecting the latest uber-army of doom in order to feel competitive.

 

It also may bring more pressure from players on tournament organisers to provide generic restrictions (or none at all... maybe not so much), but I think it will also create more regional tournament ‘flavours’ particularly in large demographics like the USA.

 

It is certainly interesting times.

Another two faceless henchmen completed...

A vaguely productive weekend was had. 

Friday night I spent painting and discussing hobby 'stuff' with John Tailby (venerable of the NZ 40k hobby scene, as well as occasional contributor at Fields of Blood), where I managed to get the basic eyes and skin done on six or so models. The evening was skewed in favour of discussion vs actual painting but any progress is good progress in my book.

Saturday morning I spent an hour or so with my son helping out with his new Citadel Hobby Starter Kit (Xmas present from ... Santa. Honest). He's ded keen on getting an Ork Fighta-bomma, but seemed a bit sad when he found out they weren't 'good guys' (in the seven year old sense of the term, as opposed to the more philosophical 'define good?' sense...). More work on skin for me as we pottered away together until he got bored/distracted by one of his sisters.

Sunday afternoon I popped round to Pete's place - to borrow some painting supplies for my two Realm of Battle boards that need finishing - as well as having a good look at Pete's Tablescapes boards and getting some tips on his approach, minus the "I got Jack to do it" parts (and I also picked up some leftover bits and pieces for more 40k terrain for which I am extremely grateful). Wow, the boards were amazing, even more so in the flesh. Loved the fact they are 1'x1' too, so much variation for layouts. Long term I may have to pick up a couple of sets if I can, after my Sector Imperialis table is done of course... (he added hastily).

Sunday evening I pumped out these two models off the back of my Friday night efforts. 

You can still see the ink drying on the second model... Both still need static grass and a varnish.

More models to come soon, although I must now start focussing on terrain. Perhaps that's February's focus.