Monday 17 February 2014

The great Cygnaran Restoration, Part 1.

Right, it's an effort to keep the blog rolling. Damn straight.

So, my next project, one for myself this time, is to paint myself a new warmachine army. I um'd and arred between two of the biggest, Cygnar and Khador. I'm played Cryx, Menties, Trolls, and Ret before. I decided I want to paint some proper warjacks.

I also have been trying out airbrushing recently. This is why I first thought Khador. Big red armour to spray up. Got it. However, they don't play very jack heavy now do they? So I thought and thought, and made some lists.

Then I remembered, months ago I was talking to my club mates about how I think there is more mileage in two of warmachine's most underused 'casters, Captian Darius, and Commander Stryker. So antother £5 on a warroom deck, and I'm putting adverts up for wanted cygnar.

I'm going to prove to my club, I can get something out of these two! So a few trades later and I've got some 'Jacks coming in the post.

Now, I think my fovourite 'jack in warmachine has got to be the thunderhead. I remember when it came out in apotheosis, as a cryx player at the time I was so damned jealous. So I have my start. Unfortunatly, my second hand T'head arrived like this...



 So, a couple of days in the old detol for you, Mr T. You know how everyone hates 'The DJ pose'? I don't, I love it! However, T's previous owner didn't. His poor scratching arm was sheared on arrival.


Time for some new parts, Big man.




This tiny vice of mine is really old, but still comes in handy. 



We'll have you back together soon.


 Brass upgrades! I think he's going to like me.


Good as new! 

Wouldn't be Thunderhead without the gap filling, so I'm told. 


So I even started layering up with the airbrush. I'm still getting used to the idea. 


You can see my test Ironclad has gone and photobombed me here. More from him next time. 

So, hey, one man's rubbish is another's treasure eh? Give me a couple of weeks and we'll be powering across the board together!

Sunday 16 February 2014

Tharn Chieftain, Circle complete.

Well, I've finished the Circle commission, on time on target. The final model to be done was this here tharn ravager chieftain. He rounds out the contingent quite nicely i think.


I'm quite happy with my skin tones on this whole job. I think my highlights are fairly smooth through out. Ravagers are an odd one, in that the main colour on them is their skin, so i think its worth the extra effort. 


So the whole lot looks like this now. Once they had a coat of matt varnish to seal them, they're ready for their new home. Look out for these guys at smogcon this next weekend if you're going!

Friday 14 February 2014

Tharn Ravagers & Tharn Wolfriders.


Continuing my post from the other week, I've been hammering on with the Hordes Circle comission. I had a mad busy weekend the other week, so not a huge amount got done then, but other than that, I'm on target to get them in post on time. 

So first up, I've finished the wolf riders unit.


I get awfully worried, my camera skills are not up to much. I just don't have the equipment to take really decent photos of miniatures. I mean, I kind half get it right, but everything looks so much flat than it should.

 

After the wolf riders, a unit of Tharn ravagers is on the list. A full unit plus shaman weapon attachment. I have to say ravagers appeared to have suffered a lot in privateer's switch to plastic. The old metal leader model was stunning, and the new one just doesn't compare. Kinda like the dire troll maulers from our troll blood friends.


Again, managing to make everything flatter than a pancake. 


The shaman is a funky little model though. he looks a little less flat.


Here is our leader. 


And one more of the whole lot for good luck. The bases on all of this lot are being finished off by their proper owner, so I'll not see 'em properly finished. Shame really. 

There's only one more model to go, the chieftain solo to go with these guys. Once he's finished this weekend, it's back in the post for these guys. 

All this privateer painting, joined with the fact our club has picked up the game again has inspired me a little. I've managed to trade some Cygnar via several online sources. I think my next project, juding by the state of what I've received in the post the last few days, will be a full metal restoration job for a Cygnar army of my own. next stop, the scrap yard!


Sunday 2 February 2014

Back in the game, Circle Orboros.

Testing... testing... is this thing on? Yes? excellent, good. Well, I really let this blog o' mine slide now didn't I? Never fear, I am still alive. I'm still in the hobby. Infact, there's a whole lot gone on since last I posted.

Amongst other things, I've built my very own gaming room in the garden, I've become chairman of our gaming club, The Lost Boys, in ainsdale, southport. I've taekn my first steps into historical gaming with flames of war and bolt action. I've also taken up a second hobby, that of fencing. The sport not the garden boundary. But all this may well get a post of it's own soon. right now, I've got some figures to show off.

So, these are work in progress a lot. Once again, I'm painting from all the fun of a white primer. It's time consuming, and I'm on a deadline. These girls aren't for any army of mine, but need to be ready, with a unit of their male counter parts in time for Smogcon at the end of the month. Time to get cracking!


So, I picked up this commission, the full list being:

5 Tharn Wolf Riders.
A full unit of Tharn Ravagers.
A Tharn Ravager Shamen UA.
A Tharn Ravager Chieftain UA.


I'm not completing the bases, so they're going like this.  The first of the Wolf riders, here, about 90% finished. I'm going to get the whole unit to this point, then go back and neaten everything up, look at them with fresh eyes. You will notice my camera can't deal with 2 faces in the same model. Bah. 


The unit leader is a nice model. I'd forgotten how many details privateer cram into their models. Which becomes more apparent with a white primer. Which is fine when there's no deadline.


A shifty looking close up. Tharn obviously don't trust technology such as cameras. 


A note on hair. Yup, it's really damned orange. Or purple. This was not the intention, but once I'd done it, I realized I actually quite like it. I hope my man thinks the same. I could figure a way of toning it down if I had to, I'm quite sure.  


 The next two models to get the treatment in the queue. The chieftain is a belting model. Looking forward to painting him up a lot. 

So hopefully, I'll get the blog rolling again and I'll have more to report soon. What I've realized already from this job, is that I really want to get a Warmachine army back on the table. its been a while!

Til next time.