In Praise of Trading & New Additions to the Lead Pile

Just wanted to give a belated word of thanks to Mike over at Swords & Dorkery for a recent minis trade. He sent me the two baddies pictured above - RP's Fzoul Chembryl (11-050) and Ogre with Club (11-481), and I sent him a Heritage Dragon. I do enjoy trading, and I really should do more trades. Might help if I update my "For Trade" folder, no? Mike got a neat dragon, and I got an NPC for use in our FR campaign as well as being two steps closer towards the long-range goal of completing my 11-Series collection.

Our deal actually took me back to my childhood, when the kids on our block collected baseball cards. Trading was frequent and often frenzied, with favorite players changing hands and missing cards added to collections. I even used to actually use the checklist cards by marking them up with a pen with each new card added (gasp!).

Of course, when you are trading face-to-face with friends and neighbors, it makes the deals a lot easier. Things are a bit different now, of course. I'm hesitant to swing a trade with someone unless I "know" them from eBay, the blogosphere, or some forum or another. Would I trade with someone I don't know at all? Sure, but only if you send to me first ;)

Along those same lines, I recently sent a box of Grenadier LOTR minis (7505 Isengard) to a fellow collector in the UK that was a PayPal transaction. I'm always happy to do that, as it puts more money in my pocket (no eBay fees), and the buyer gets a good deal.

Moving on to new additions, I added a pair of Grenadier fire giants to the lead pile!



That's the fire giant from 3501 (Giant's Club boxed set) and a Julie Guthrie fire giant (713). The Guthrie giant has always stood out as a dead ringer for the illustration in AD&D Monster Manual, except for the weapon. Upon closer inspection, I discovered his armor is a combination of plate and dragon hide. Sweet! Glad to have finally added him to the giant clan.



I bought my first two Citadel AD&D monsters - the Owlbear (ADD 81) and Gorgon (ADD 75). The same seller also had a Troll (ADD 59), but I was too slow and missed out on that one. At $20 each, they were at my top end spending-wise, but that's about how much they typically sell for, so it all works out in the end I suppose.



On the 40K front, I acquired the Limited Edition DA Company Master (from the 2007 DA boxed set). At only a $15 BIN, it was an easy purchase, considering he usually sells for $30-$40 or higher. Mine didn't come with the Iron Halo seen in this pic, but I can always use one of the many plastic bitz available if I really need to have a placeholder.

Repent! Repent! Interrogator-Chaplain Asmodai of the Dark Angels

Up until now, I have always painted my own miniatures. The thought of having someone else paint a miniature for me seemed fairly foreign. And it's not because I think I'm the Best Painter Evar or anything like that (far from it). I just enjoy seeing the fruits of my labor on the gaming table.

But blogging has changed that attitude. I've read a lot of excellent blogs out there, and have seen examples of some truly wonderful miniature works of art. So I contacted Ron Saikowski of From The Warp fame (FTW is a popular 40K blog), and asked him if he would be interested in painting up one of the characters from my long-suffering DA army. He kindly agreed, and the wheels of our deal were set in motion.

Ron was great to work with. He sent updates with WIP pics and took pains to ensure the project was heading in the right direction. The completed Asmodai can be seen here, and the WIP thread can be seen here.

I will once again thank Ron for his outstanding work. Asmodai is hands-down the best-looking miniature in my collection, and will no doubt serve as the centerpiece in my DA army for years to come. Now I just need to finish what I've started!

Dark Angels Tactical Trooper - Done!

As previously mentioned, I have had a WH40K Dark Angels army sitting around for the past decade plus, mostly unbuilt and unpainted. There are some units in various states of completion, including my scouts that are ALMOST finished but just need me to get off my ass and put on the finishing touches.

Anyhow, a couple of months ago I had an idea pop into my mind as I contemplated diving in and working on the backbone of my army - the grunts. The doggies. The foot-sloggers. But I wanted my first tactical squad to stand out, in part to inspire me to keep going and also to see if finished version of my concept matched up to how I imagined it in my mind's eye.

I don't think I'm ready to tackle the creation and completion of an entire Successor Chapter, but I did think a little background for the First Squad would be cool. Basically, the First Squad pays homage to the foot soldiers who were part of The Order, the original Dark Angels before they were known as Dark Angels. I could even attach a name to them, something like The Sons of Caliban if you will.

To complete my first prototype model, I started with a DA Space Marine from the Dark Angels Tactical Squad boxed set from a few years back. I used the legs, torso, arms, and right shoulder pad. Next, I added some bitz from more recent releases: left shoulder pad (with studs, braid, and small DA symbol), backpack with DA symbol, and Ravenwing Crusade helmet. And for some straight-up bling, a small Roman helmet crest and a Ruined Temple Base both from Secret Weapon Miniatures. I was going for a pseudo-Egyptian vibe on the base with the red and blue.

OK, the built-up model looks pretty good, but how will it look once painted? That, of course, is the real question. I've spent a lot of time scouring The Intertubes looking for "The Best Way EVAR To Paint A Dark Angels Army" and other such inspiration and advice. I finally settled on this tutorial on The Angel's Talon by Stitch, a Swedish gamer. At first, I had a hard time thinking outside the box color-wise. Orkhide Shade and Knarloc Green instead of Dark Angels Green? What kind of madness is this? Hmm, hey, what do you know, it looks great to me on my finished model, so Stitch must be on to something here...

And of course for information and inspiration, there is the Fortress of the Unforgiven. And I cannot emphasize how influential all the good peeps who run and contribute to blogs like From The Warp and Santa Cruz Warhammer and Dave Taylor Miniatures have been. The tips, techniques, and how-to articles are invaluable to average painters like myself. So I tip my painter's cap to you and give thanks.

But I digress. Now that I've had a half day to look over my completed trooper, I find myself very happy with the finished product. This is the start of what will be a nicely painted tabletop-quality DA army, suitable for play with my kids or against the local gamers at my FLGS.

If I had to pick three things I'm pleased with, I would say 1) the bitz all tie together nicely; 2) the SWM components rock; and 3) the 5th Company badge painted on the left knee looks how I hoped it would.

What about three things I'm less than thrilled with? 1) My freehand work on the squad badge (right shoulder pad) - I need to thin my paints when doing these and remember to be patient! 2) the gold braid on the left shoulder pad - it lacks depth, so I think I need to try adding some silver or white highlights (or maybe even try some gold NMM work and see how that pans out); and 3) the DA icon on the helmet bugs me, and I'm not sure why - maybe I should try it in red or green?

Now all I have to do is finish nine more battle brothers like this one and I'll have a completed squad ;) Wish me LOTS of luck as I move forward with this.

Painting Progress, Dead Computers, and Rooney

I've been hacking away at my DA scouts, and while I feel I'm getting close to finishing them, I've also been a little frustrated. There are so many details on them! Grenades (3-4 different kinds), pouches, holsters, weapons, armor, commo gear, skin, eyes, hair, etc. Looking back, I probably should have picked a standard tactical squad to paint up first. Oh well, just a bit more work.

I'm also working on some D&D lead as well, and really like how those are shaping up. Let's just say there are skeletons, and then there are skeletons clad in plate, grinning skulls leering at the PCs they are about to tear into.

A couple of posts back, I talked about the new Peryton from Center Stage Miniatures. I really like the look of their Sea Devils, so I ordered the three different sculpts available. I'll be sure to post a product review once they arrive and I get a good look at them.

We finally decided to replace our aging PC with a new laptop, complete with a 24" monitor and docking station. A couple days after we place the order, the old PC stops working! Seems to be a hard drive issue. But lo and behold, the new rig arrives a day or two early, so I'm back in business. Huzzah!

And for those footie fans out there who have not already seen it, here's a link to the Wayne Rooney bicycle kick goal he recently potted against Manchester City. Brilliant!

That is all for now. Until next time, happy painting and prosperous gaming.

WIP

Last post I mentioned I would try to add some WIP shots. I think I need to snap some pics this week of my various unfinished projects, if only to serve as reminders of stuff that needs to be finished! Here's a pic of my drow warband I'm working on:



Since this shot, they have been primed and I am working on their skin. I'm going for a more traditional black skin tone, as opposed to some of the really nice dark brown schemes some painters use.

And it looks like the end is near for at least one of my Giant of the Month Club giants! It's a miracle...

My DA scout squad has grown from seven to ten members with the recent additions of two scouts with bolt guns and Sgt. Namaan. If I can keep hammering away here and there, I might actually get a bunch of minis completed in September.

Back In The Saddle Again

Right after my last post, I picked up my Dark Angels scouts (5 scouts + 2 snipers) and started painting. Huzzah! It feels good to be painting again.

In addition to working on various units of my DA army, I'm still working on assembling the 20 Dark Eldar warriors so my son and I can play some 40K.

For D&D, I'm trying to hammer out my Giant of The Month Club backlog. That would be one each of fire, frost, stone, and undead/skeletal.

I'll attempt to snap some WIP shots as time permits. We have an abbreviated session coming up next week, so I need to get cracking if I want to bring something new to the table.

Paved With Good Intentions #1

My own personal road to hell is paved with the good intentions of tackling various miniature-related projects. I'm sure many of you can relate - you acquire some minis for a very specific reason (diorama, gift for friend, one-off encounter, etc.) - only to find that weeks/months/years later, the minis and your project are languishing in to-do hell.

PWGI #1 is my WH40K Dark Angels army. Back in 1999-2000, just before I jumped ship for my tour of duty at WoTC, I managed a FLGS in Bellevue (WA) - the now-defunct Games & Gizmos. Fun job, good crew, small but loyal crowd of regulars who hung out, etc. I was familiar with GW and WHFB/WH40K, but in name only. I had never played a GW tabletop game, and up until then, had never thought about playing one.

Of course, how are you supposed to talk and/or sell one of your larger product lines if you know nothing of it? My co-workers and the regulars all pitched in to help me learn the ropes, play an intro game of each, and things of that nature. At the time, I remember it being fairly easy to learn, and entertaining, if not outright fun.

When it came time to pick my 40K army, I did my due diligence and studied up on all the various factions available. There are several armies that caught my attention right off the bat: Space Marines, Imperial Guard, and Tyranids. The IG was appealing because of their armor-heavy roster and the themed units: jungle fighters, winter warriors, etc. The Tyranids are just badass, both in looks and unit composition. The Marines, though, were the most appealing in the end: variety of troops, armor, elites, and just their looks in general.

I chose the Dark Angels because to me, they had the most compelling history amongst the Space Marines. That, and I thought (and still think) their dark green armor just looks kick-ass. Their iconography is gothic and brooding, and I like the Deathwing and Ravenwing elements of their organization too.

So I used my employee discount and purchased my DA army. I started out by assembling two Rhinos and a Whirlwind:


The Rhino on the left is your standard Rhino, without details like the radio antenna, etc. The Rhino on the right is my first attempt at a conversion. I was inspired by the WWII hedgerow cutters attached to US tanks during the Normandy invasion. I took two Rhino cutters, snipped off the teeth, glued them together, and then glued on the teeth at the proper angles. The Whirlwind is a nice-looking model, and there is something reassuring about the weight added by the metal bitz on it. I also have a Land Raider or two, but didn't get far on them.

There are also two Dreadnoughts in my army. One is still untouched, and the other is about this far along:


Still a long ways to go, but I like the look of these metal monstrosities.

Enter the Deathwing:


My terminators started out primed white, then Bleached Bone, liberally applied with an ink wash, and then on to dry-brushing. I actually prefer a finished product closer to Ivory or Bleached Bone instead of Pure White. I don't know why, and I know it kind of goes against canon, but I like what I like.

I picked up another idea that is pretty much a project in and of itself, even though it is related to this army - swappable arms! Stitch over at The Angel's Talon (and The Other Talon) is a wealth of information on all things DA and 40K in general. Of course, when I will ever get around to it is a story for another time...

And finally there is the bulk of my army, still tucked away, still patiently waiting their day on the workbench. I don't even want to think about that! My goal is to finish what I've started at this point: Rhinos, Whirlwind, Dreadnought, and the Deathwing termies.

So there you have it! My first (and possibly largest) unfinished project I'll be sharing with you - with the primary motivation of trying to light a fire under me and get some of these projects cleared off my never-ending To-Do list.

If you feel up to it, leave a comment and tell me what's sitting around on your workbench - misery loves company!