Curse You Warhammer!

Well the title says it all really!

We've had an interesting week here with colds, tooth removal, floods at work and a new kitten called Mab joining the family.

During all this I have found myself pondering a bit of a Warhammer or 40k project and worse yet, I am contemplating doing it in 28mm scale, despite my attempts to move to a smaller scale!

I have to admit that I have typed up this post and deleted it about half a dozen times in the last few weeks as I seem to dither about just what I am going to do with myself hobby wise. Maybe it's some part of me wanting to relive my youth and rediscover the enjoyment of collecting and painting an army before leading it into battle or maybe just that the smaller scale stuff lacks a bit of the character of the larger figures.

It's a rather odd position to find myself in but I can't seem to shake the feeling that I want to explore some good old fashioned 2nd edition 40k or even 4th edition Fantasy Battle. The problem is that almost all of the figures from the period are now out of production and the likes of Ebay seems to have changed from a good source for reasonably priced figures into a place that sells overpriced recasts or 'pro painted' tat.

I'm thinking that the solution may be to use current figures and paint them up in the classic stylings of early to mid 90's classic GW. Now if I go down this route I will need to set myself quite a few limitations and provisos before going mental and buying a ton of plastic and then never painting or indeed using it.

What I need is a plan and some easily attainable objectives to turn whatever half baked scheme I come up with into a usable and enjoyable hobby experience rather than a project that get started then abandoned like so many have before.

Therefore, I think I need to go for the following guidelines:

Maximum spend £20 a month. If I overspend one month, the next month has a smaller budget to reflect this.

No buying of any more gubbins until the existing figures are painted.

Aim to build and paint 100 points of figures a month.

Build a selection of useful scenery to go with the project over a twelve month period.

Blog the process!

Now the other thing I need to settle on is an army to aim towards. Whilst I would love to recreate my old Dwarven host, I don't think I have the space to put together a multi thousand point army. I think I should set myself another guideline.

Aim to put together a force of 250, 500, 750 and eventually 1000 points with the aim of having a small warband or patrol ready to roll.

Now what should I do about an army to settle on? I'm thinking one that doesn't require a huge number of models so a Skaven horde is possibly something to avoid for the sake of my sanity!

Saying that, I am tempted to try out a force I have never had before so we shall have to see!

Unsurprisingly, I am not sure if this is a project I want to begin just yet or whether I should start it in the new year once the silly season is out of the way...

Anyhoo, I think I've rambled enough for the evening so I'm off to bed and will hopefully sort out what on earth I am going to do about my latest hobby delusion over the next few days!

In the meantime, All the best!

Imperial Psycoborg Callsign Smile Stealer

Hi!

Here's a bit of a repaint of a figure that I've had in my collection for about 20 years!

Originally from Alternative Armies Firefight range, he's a bit of a beast standing about 80mm tall and is armed with a large rotary cannon and plasma weapon I got from a Mantic Ork.

Psychoborg J316, Callsign The Smile Stealer

In an attempt to beef up security on Farpoint, the Governor General has licensed the use of several Psycoborgs. 

A fiendish combination of mechanical might and human cunning, the Psychoborg is one of the newer developments of the reformed Adeptus Mechanicus and utilises the brains of convicted criminals implanted directly into a mighty machine of destruction.

The Smile Stealer has been licensed to the Agrax Corporation along with a detachment of adepts and charged with the defence of the Promethium processing plant outside Freeport City and has ruthlessly put down several raids against the complex.

Unbeknownst to his handlers, The Smile Stealer is slowly overcoming his Imperial conditioning and it is only a matter of time before the multiple tonne adamantium killing machine goes on a psychopathic rampage. The only thing keeping him in check is the pleasure he gets from the carnage he gets to commit in his current role.

Armed with a Grimm class rotary laser, Flashfire class plasma launcher and power fist, heavy Psychoborgs are more than a match for most foes that the Imperium faces.

The Smile Stealer in action against a Badmoon raiding party.

I really like the big guy, despite some rather rough mould lines and seemingly forged from Dwarven Mithril due to my utter inability to carve said lines off the beast. I hope to play a game or two featuring the beast as well as a special rule with the chance of The Smile Stealer breaking his Imperial conditioning and running amok. 

Imagine the fun of having a monster like that appearing from time to time during a campaign to take some skulls before vanishing out into the wastes. I now need to put together a bunch of techs and boffins as well as a Mechanicus reclamation team sent to hunt him down when he inevitably goes mental!

All the best!

Badmoon Reinforcements Sighted!

Hi!

I've managed to get a few more bits and bobs put together for my Badmoon warband!

 Badmoon Warband

I've got two more heavily armoured Boyz done. one is from the Space Vikings range from 15mm.co.uk while the other is a slightly converted adventurer from CP Models. Both were sculpted by me quite a while back and I've had them sat unpainted for years but have decided to finally get round to painting them up.

 Ork Boyz

Both have had a little bit of conversion work to either bulk them up a little or to give them some more suitably Orkish detailing.

Next up there's a Badmoon warbuggy with some seriously heavy ordinance in the form of a mass of rocket pods bolted onto the buggies frame:

Warbuggy 

The buggy is originally from the old 10mm Mechwarrior range but it does make a rather mental but fun light vehicle for 15mm scale.

 WHOOSH!

I have no idea how I'll stat it up for games but it certainly looks the part for a Badmoon Ork force as it looks like some rather unhinged Mekboy has decided to just rivet on as many shooty rokkets as he could get his hands on.

 Rocket Packing

I have a second one awaiting a lick of paint but do like the idea of my Badmoons raining fiery death upon hapless Imperial underlings. 

I want to try and get a few more decent sized squads painted up but looking through my ever decreasing leadpile, I don't actually have too many left so may need to bite the bullet and pick up a few dozen more figures to round out the force.

Lastly, here's a Yak caravan with a diminutive Dwarven herder:

YAK!!

I sculpted these little guys absolutely ages ago (about the same time I sculpted the original Boar Company) and they've been sat primed in a box through four house moves, three jobs and a wedding!

I'm really glad I finished them off and do want to add one or two more including some caravan guards and give myself a fun scenario objective or NPC for Farpoint.

Hopefully I'll have a few more goodies painted over the next couple of days and will update the blog when I get chance!

All the best!

Badmoon Ork Mob and a Snake in the Grass UPDATED

Hi!

I've finally finished the first five members of my Badmoon Ork Mob:

Badmoon Boyz

Originally from the Star Viking range from 15mm.co.uk, these were actually just about the first sculpts I did in 15mm scale and while a bit crude compared to my more modern stuff, they do the job as Ork troops.

Ork Mob

I've converted most of them to some extent to make the most of the poses and to upgun some as well and have another squad awaiting a lick of paint which will get added to the blog in the next few days too.

I must admit that my favourite is the chaingun wielding guy:

 DAKKA DAKKA DAKKA!

Here's a quick and slightly blurry (sorry about that!) shot of the boyz:

Have gun, will shoot Humies

I prefer Orks having a modicum of armour to the t-shirt and waistcoat wearing types that quite a few of the current GW ones and am thinking of sculpting up some mega armour to give them some real heavy hitters next.

In other news, I have rummaged out a snake to add to scenarios that require some small nasties to be lurking in the undergrowth:

Snakes Alive!

He's originally a GW Lizardman Snake Swarm member and took literally no time at all to paint but looks the business and I'm quite pleased with how he turned out!

Hopefully I'll have an equally productive output over the remains of the week and will post updates when I can but in the meantime, All the Best!

Ork Spotted on Farpoint

Hi!

Just a quick update this morning as I've got lots of stuff to do but I have managed to get my paints out and finish a miniature I primed at my last flat in the form of a Badmoon Ork Nob:

Nob!

He's from the first batch of sculpts I actually got cast from back in 2011 when I was commissioned to sculpt some space Orks to raise funds for my degree show. Looking at the original cast, the sculpting is pretty crude compared to what I can do now and I've converted him a bit to cover over some of the ropier bits but I think he's turned out alright!

I have a dozen or so more that will be added to a small warband to act as raiders or hired thugs. I am also humming and hahing about giving him a back banner as everyone knows that a proper Orky boss needs a back banner to show how important he is!

Hopefully I'll have a couple more painted this evening and will post updates as and when I get the chance!

All the best!

An Ode to 28mm

Hi!

Well I've been sorting through my miniatures post move and have come to the difficult decision that I may have to get rid of my 28mm stuff and concentrate on the smaller scale stuff as I just don't have the space for it all.

Orks from 2006 (the oldest pics I can find of my painted stuff!)

It's quite a sad day as I've been collecting miniatures in that scale for about 25 years on and off and in that time I've amassed and sold, given away or lost a fair sized chunk of stuff including a 10000 point Dwarf army and countless smaller projects that I've started and given up on.

Aged Undead (from when Reaper Miniatures were £2.25 each from Spirit Games!)

Looking through the stuff I have left, I just can't seem to summon the enthusiasm to do anything with it so it will be getting sold off over the coming months which will hopefully allow me to concentrate on the smaller scale stuff that I have found myself obsessed with over the last few years.

Skirmishing in 15mm

Whilst it's going to be the end of an era, I don't find myself too upset about the whole business as I have enjoyed 28mm scale shenanigans over the last two and a half decades but I have found my interests have changed and as my available gaming space has declined, I find myself actually playing games with these tiny figures that I never did in 28mm and painting far more that I would have otherwise.

6mm Skirmish force

What does it mean for Farpoint? I have got quite a few bits and bobs in 15mm scale that I want to paint and there are also several smaller scale projects that are slowly coming together too so I hope to be posting some more updates soon as I crack out the paints and get to work with fresh vigour!

Before I go too mental, I think I am going to rummage out a random 28mm fig and see if I can rekindle the love of the scale but the writing is on the wall...

In the meantime, All the best!

Farpoint Ponderings

Hi!

Well my holidays are almost over and I've not been idle! There's currently a ton of stuff awaiting pics for my Endless: Fantasy Tactics project (handily I've lost the charger for the camera so I can't take any more pics till I find the blasted thing!)

I've also been sorting through my 15mm scale gubbins for Farpoint which is proving to be rather a lot of fun as I keep finding more stuff that I want to paint up or convert into use with my assorted warbands.

The first thing I need to do though is to finish off my Governor General's security force. Looking at what I have lying around, I have enough figures to put together a second squad of infantry and I have a second Sentinel ready for painting.

Imperial Guard on Maneuver

Once they are out the way, I will need to see about adding some vehicles and enough figures to round out the platoon but that's for another day when I have some spare hobby money. At present, I've got lots of bits and bobs in need of painting which will be taking precedence over spending more pennies and should give me lots of small units to add variety to Farpoint.

I have also looked out all my Ghoulani Enslaver miniatures and actually have enough for a decent sized skirmish force. Again they are missing vehicles to add heft to the force but once again, I'll be exploring my bits box to see what else I have that can be drafted into the ever expanding force.  

 Ghoulani Enslaver Raiding Party

In a bit of a tangent, the Ghoulani force has actually given me a bit of an idea for a bit of a scenario driven mini campaign set in the American Midwest...

Why is it that as soon as I get unpacked, I find myself inundated with ideas that may or may not actually turn out? Speaking of which, I also located my old Stainless Steel Rat project sketchbook which has literally tons of interesting stuff that may well be getting integrated into Farpoint over the coming months!

Anyhoo, enough of my ramblings and all the best!