Blood Axe Ork Nob!

Hi!

Well its my day off and I have finished another figure! Wonders will apparently never cease.

 Blood Axe Nob

Its another of the Mantic Marauders and I must admit the designs are really growing on me, despite the time taken to paint them. Theres been some slight conversion work on him, namely the addition of a classic Orky Bolter, sergeants stripes and a new optic for his bionic eye.

 Two Guns Are Better Than One!

I also went for a 30mm round base to help make him stand out as a leader figure and I do think it looks better, even when compared to the other Mantic Marauder I currently have painted who looked almost too big for his base.

The Squad Thus Far

I must admit the painting project has been quite a lot of fun, despite its snail like pace and I only need to paint up a few more to round out the squad but haven't finished with the Ripper Suit yet as its a real beast and its been a little problematic as some of the resculpted elements I added to it don't quite look right when painted so will be getting a little revision before completion!

Hopefully I will have one or two more figures finished over the course of the weekend and I have also had my Eldar purchases soaking in dettol for a couple of weeks now so look forward to getting them stripped and who knows, I may have some Eldar to show too!

All the best! 

Bloodaxes!

Hi!

I must admit my painting time has been almost non existent this week but I have managed to churn out a couple of Bloodaxe Orks!

Orks!

The Ork on the left is a Mantic Marauder from Deathzone and the one on the right is a classic Rogue Trader figure. Although theres a fair difference in height, they do look quite good together and I must admit I am quite proud of the camo pattern that they have. Its suitably sneaky but garish enough to be Orky and I went for a bit of a homage to the original artwork with the shotgun of the Mantic Ork with its non too subtle warning stipes.

As previously mentioned, the Mantic Ork took about 3-4 hours to paint while the classic Citadel one took about half that. I hope to get another few of the warband done in the next few days but I have set myself the challenge of painting up one of the heavily armed Marauders too to break up the monotony.

In my version of the Warhammer 40k universe, the Bloodaxes are hired and trained by the Imperium as local troops, much like the colonial Askari. Once I have a few more painted up I will see about adding on an Imperial advisor or commanding officer to lead the locals.

When the Bloodaxes are out of the way, I hope to get my Catachan squad sorted out. I have stripped a few of my old paint schemes from a few years back as I wasn't too happy with them and will be using them as a local Guard regiment based on the test piece I produced:

Catachan Guardsman

Unlike the traditional view of the Imperium, my version also boasts a somewhat higher level of tech so they will be accompanied by a battle droid with its own controller and mechanic to keep it running in the sweltering jungle or parched deserts of Farpoint.

After that I have vague plans for either a cult or rebel faction to fight against the Imperial Governor and the faceless minions of the Empire.  I also want to represent a detachment of Space Marines too as they are an iconic part of the 40k setting and I would love to have a bash at painting up some. I suspect I will be either going for some cheap mid 90's metals or more modern plastics to represent them rather than the fantastic old Beaky plastic and metal Rogue Trader era stuff..

All the best`!

Whats Your Golden Era?

Hi!

I've been sat painting one of the Deadzone Marauders I picked up in town the other day and I got to thinking about the difference in sculpting style that seems to have developed in the last few years. Looking at the old Rogue Trader era sculpts, theres a decided character to them, they are stylised and from time to time, a little rough around the edges. Saying that they are almost all a joy to paint.

Orks old and New

Moving forward into the early to mid 90's when I first started gaming, theres an improvement in sculpting quality and the finish tends to improve but some of that character of the earlier sculpts seems to be absent. 

 Mid 90s Warzone and Citadel

 Detailed but Characterful

Move forward to the modern and with the arrival of Rackham, the miniatures industry became awash with beautifully sculpted figures that required excellent paint jobs or would just look wrong. A case in point is the Marauder I am working on at present. He is absolutely covered in detail. Unlike the old Orks of Rogue Trader or even the mad variety of the Ork Clan period which would have interesting little details (Such as one of the heavy weapon chaps who is listening to his personal stereo for example) I would be interested to hear what other folks think on the subject but I am finding myself having to spend an exorbitant amount of time on one figure to get a decent finish which is most frustrating  while an older sculpt can be done in a far shorter amount of time but look far more pleasing.

Characterful!

Has the era of characterful sculpting passed and been replaced with a slight obsession with over detailing stuff? I am very aware that the likes of CG work can have a tendency to emphasize this issue as what looks good on a computer screen, doesn't necessarily work in 28mm. The figures look either strangely proportioned or just rammed with detail.

Likewise there seems to be a habit with some of the traditional hand sculpted stuff for either an overload of detailing or a very professional yet dull finish. Either extreme takes the joy out of painting in my own experience and resulted in my giving up on 28mm for such a long time.

With my return to the scale, I am increasingly finding that I am only interested in painting figures produced in the 80's and 90's with a very few exceptions. For the most part the figures I still find interesting and paintable seem to be sculpted by the same folks who made them back in the day, Bob Olley, Kev Adams, the Perrys and so on. I know that a lot of folks believe that the golden era of Citadel is from the 80's but theres still some lovely sculpts produced later on and which still are enjoyable to paint and look great without having to spend an age sorting out all the little details.

Maybe it's just an obsession with reliving my youth but I can't help get the feeling that the miniatures industry seems to have lost something along the way as quality and finish has overtaken individuality and character. Its interesting to note that many folks lament the same issue with computer gaming so maybe its an issue with all the geek related stuff out there after all!

All the best!

The Orkish Menace!

Hi!

Another day at work over and how better to relax than by posting some random musings!

Since starting this blog, I have been trying to sort out my idea of Oldhammer/ Cheaphammer/ Budgethammer or whatever one calls it and I have been thinking about creating some warbands with the eventual hope of playing a game or two. Alas my man cave isn't as big as I would like and my gaming budget is likewise rather slim these days. Combine this with my almost entire lack of spare time and one is left with few options.

Fortunately I seem to be enjoying painting again which has been a great relief and it has been great to work through the assorted and eclectic figures I have in my collection. Sadly my shotgun approach to painting doesn't help building a warband as I had been vaguely planning on which brings me onto the topic of my current rambling!

I have had a hankering to try out some Rogue Trader/Necromunda hybrid games and happened upon these chaps while I was visiting a local gaming store:

Marauders

While the store itself was a bit poor (virtually no stock and the usual herd of regulars who either stare at you like you are intruding or chat to the owner so much that you are ignored while trying to pay!) and I doubt I will be back but I did pick up some Mantic Orx Marauders. When I got home, I had a bit of a poke around the box and was pleasantly surprised. The Restic material holds detail very well and it cleans up without any bother at all and other than a few bent bits that should be fairly easy to sort out, I am really pleased with them.

I had been pondering the use of the newer GW Orks to bolster my Orky warband but just don't like the sculpts (or price!) and after rummaging through my bits box, I found I had a few of the old plastic Orks and a pair of Rogue Trader Orks that would fit the bill to bulk out the force a little bit.

The styles may vary a bit but otherwise, I think that with a lick of paint they should look decent in my warband that I am planning. The higher level of tech is also a bit of a happy coincidence as I want to field Orks with a variety of tech!

Proper Bright Orks!

Now onto the force itself! I plan on fielding a number of small warbands with about half a dozen or so figures in each. Each will be themed around a different concept and in the case of the Bloodaxes, it will be a raiding party operating on the borders of my reimagined Imperial space.

Yes, I am going for the unOrkiest of Orks! I love the original background for the clan with their aping of Imperial dress and tactics as well as their ability to hire Human mercenaries (often secretly Imperial Agents sent to sow discord amongst the Orkish ranks!) The initial force will consist of what I have at the mo and will eventually include one or two specialists which may then be expanded into their own small warband. For example I currently only have a single Kommando who will be the units infiltration and sabotage expert but who may eventually be joined by other like minded Orks to form their own unit.

Orkish Style

This approach is already bearing fruit as I have also looked out some Imperial Guard to act as foes for the Orks to skirmish against and hope to flesh out the force as and when possible.

One thing I do want to feature are the more fun and random elements of an Ork force such as Weirdboyz and more importantly a Madboy or two. I also hope to experiment with a different style of play where both sides have activation cards for each trooper as well as a few random ones representing unexpected events, misfortunes and oddball situations to liven things up. It will be a bit like the scenario generator from the old Rogue Trader rulebook which had literally hundreds of fantastic plot hooks and scenario elements that really set the imagination going and made for a far more interesting experience than a rather dull and boring straight up fight.

Mad Mob!

I hope to post more detail on the idea soon but its all sort of floating around at the moment so will need to be written up a bit before I jabber on about it any more. I do hope to get some Bloodaxes painted up soon though to keep me going!

All the best!

Assorted Ponderings

Hi!

Well I've had an interesting few days up to and including a thrilling day long course on health and safety with exam and am enjoying my day off immensely!

I've managed to finish off a couple of figures too. One is a classic Orc while the other is a modern sculpt of a female warrior and they have been as different as chalk and cheese when it came to painting.

 Savage Orc

I found this chap in my bits box and loved the look of the jaw so decided to have a bash at trying out a new recipe for Orc skin tones that I want to use for my Orky warbands. It looks a bit on the bright side but I am really pleased with how he turned out. The sculpt has lots of character and despite a few rough spots, was a joy to paint and looks great.

Warrior Woman

Next up this Hasslefree warrior woman has been stripped of its original paint job and repainted. I must admit I found this a very different experience from the Orc. Although technically very well sculpted, proportioned and armoured, I must admit I found painting her both frustrating and a bit of a chore to be frank. I can't help but feel there's just no character to her which I know may be heresy for lots of folks who love Kev Whites sculpts but I would far rather paint a load of old and a times slightly cartoony sculpts than too many more technically good but slightly dull figures!

Now enough navel gazing about the merits or otherwise of old and new sculpts and onto something a bit more interesting!

Over the last few posts as I regained my painting mojo, I have been pondering on the possibility of putting together some small warbands for both Fantasy and Sci-fi using a mixture of Mordheim, Fantasy Battle, Necromunda or Rogue Trader. The fantasy stuff is really getting there now with my Dwarves almost up to strength, closely followed by Chaos and Dark Elf warbands.

The Sci-fi stuff is somewhat lagging but I do hope to get some more gubbins added soon but my main issue thus far has been looking at the assorted warbands lists out there and being somewhat put off!

By this I mean I don't want to have to use the stuff that they give you the option of. For example, the Dark Elves for Mordheim are made up of Corsairs and Shades for the most part. Now this will make for a characterful warband but I don't really want to field them. My Dark Elves look more like a bunch of spoiled nobles so don't really fit the bill. Likewise, most figures are unarmoured initially but my Dwarves all field helmets, chainmail and shields!

Therefore the plan is to cheat a bit! Looking at some of the other blogs out there, folks using a combination of 40k 2nd edition and Necromunda seem to have struck a note with me. By limiting forces to 100 points, and using the Necromunda or Gorkamorka stats, people are creating really interesting little forces without bothering about what you supposedly can and can't do!

I love this old school approach and will be embracing it to create some interesting warbands using what I have and not worrying too much about what is allowed and what's not!

All the best!

Here Come The Dwarves!

Hi!

Well the last day of my holiday looms and I find myself wishing I had a couple more days of free time to get some more painting done!

Still, I have managed to get another Dwarf finished, this time a crossbowman!

 Dwarven Crossbowman

He's another Heartbreaker sculpt, this time from a multi pack of crossbowmen and is actually a replacement for an identical sculpt I picked up years ago at Macs Models  in Edinburgh. He's got tons of character and paints up really nicely. I must admit I do like how the metallics on his helmet turned out as its a lot more successful than the previous Dwarves.

Speaking of which, heres a quick group shot of the Dwarves I have finished thus far:

Dwarven Warband

A bit of an eclectic mix, they look excellent together and I have a few more around the place to beef up their numbers. In fact, looking at what I have, theres enough for a small Warhammer army but many of them are the Imperial Dwarves I picked up at Claymore a couple of years back and badly in need of stripping. Hopefully I will get chance to strip the little blighters sooner rather than later as they will really round out the force nicely.

In other news, I also managed to paint up an Imperial Guardsman yesterday. I fancied a bit of a change from the fantasy fare so primed a Catachan Jungle Fighter and quickly painted him up on a whim.

Imperial Guardsman

Its been great to get him painted up as I have a fair number kicking around the bits box and he got me to thinking about painting up a small Imperial Guard patrol.

I've been thinking of setting myself a challenge for a while now and quite like the idea of using a Necromunda/Rogue Trader hybrid to field some forces of the Imperium and its assorted foes. Possibly a little controversially I also plan on picking up a few of the new Orks and converting them to the various clans. As much as I love the old Citadel Orks, they are becoming a tad expensive on ebay and I must admit I am really not a fan of the skinny little plastic arms that come with them.

Goffs

I am going to be using the new priming, drybrushing technique on them as I want to get a more vibrant skin tone than the dull olive green that my Goffs have at present. They are all going to be painted in 2nd edition colour schemes too so I will have plenty of opportunity to go for some truly outlandish designs.

I am also going to have a bit of a trawl through ebay and the various forums for some cheap Marines, Chaos and Genestealer plastics. As the project only calls for about a dozen or so figures a side, it shouldn't cost too much either!

As mentioned on a previous post, I am also going to be working on livening up the bases. Looking at the Orks above, I can't help but feel the bases let them down and with the addition of some small terrain elements, be they rocks, mushrooms or foliage, they would look miles better.

Theres still lots of stuff to be painted from my lead pile both from GW and other manufacturers and I am fairly sure I will be able to find quite a few nice bits and bobs to add to the project as I go!

All the best!

Painters Progress

Hi!

I seem to have been bitten by the painting bug following my successes with my Elves and have finished off a couple more figures!

Centaur

The Centaur is an old Ral Partha sculpt and although a bit small by modern standards, he's a really lovely sculpt. Instead of going for the usual brown colour scheme, I settled on a bit of a bay look that worked out really well. He will be seeing action as a mercenary for the House Helios Elves until I get chance to paint up the rest of his herd.

Dwarven Veteran

I think this chap is a Heartbreaker sculpt and has loads of character. I may repaint his pipe though as it kind of vanishes into his beard. He adds a very handy double handed weapon to my Dwarven warband too and they are now nearing completion once I get some crossbowmen painted up. I do like the Kev Adams sculpting style for Dwarves. It makes them look a bit tougher and more rugged than some of the classic Citadel stuff!

Alas my holiday is nearing its end so I suspect I won't be able to keep up the pace of painting but hopefully I will still be able to get some done once I am back at work as I am really enjoying getting through my collection of unpainted lead.

I am also working on adding little features like rock outcrops and mushrooms to my bases as looking at the older stuff, they are rather let down with a plain brown base with just a little bit of static grass to liven them up. I am going to invest in some more Silfor tufts of different colours and even some of the flowers too which should help matters somewhat!

All the best!