Is that...The Leader of the Snake Cult?!

Yes, you could argue that he's an Empire Light Wizard, but I saw something more sinister in this little piece of plastic...

Purchased years ago on the cover of a White Dwarf mag (186) I've always really liked this particular mini, although I have to admit if I had the opportunity to buy said mag again I'd try to find the one with a Celestial Wizard on the cover - he's just so cool!

He's just too cool.

To be totally honest I had a very difficult time bringing this guy to life, a gestation that has taken YEARS since being started I might add - something which led to him being nicknamed 'Shit Wizard'
Not wanting to leave him with such a title, I decided to just go for broke and paint him in the manner that I felt suited him best - an evil brainwashing Thulsa Doom-esque Cultist leader.

I don't know why I see these things in otherwise innocent war game minis... I just do.

 Painted at last and ready to steal the souls of the unwary...

 'Something, something, something... but it is not THIS DAY!'

 

 The veteran of many battles (mostly defeats...) This mini once faced off against a Skaven Horde led by a Grey Seer who rode upon the empty shell of a miniature RC offroader car pretending to be a Skaven Screaming Bell model... True story!

"Ph'nglui mglw'nafh Cthulhu R'lyeh wgah'nagl fhtagn!"

Ace

Bog of Eternal Stench part 2 + Jabberwockey

More smells from the land of stench, and a shot of the er... 'thing' that dwells within them!
Absolutely atrocious weather this week has curtailed my ability to give this terrain a nice matt spray finish - fuck it.
Here is a new one anyway.

Starting on a series of destroyed stone defences/dwellings (Swamp Castle?? - didn't that burn down, fall over and then sink into the swamp?)

 Nothing better than free bits of crap to make more crap out of!

 The way I've photographed this makes me think of that 'lightcycle' bit in Tron...

And here is Jim the Jabberwockey - dweller of swampy terrain and sniffer of smells.
I think he is from the Ral Partha range? Not sure - bought him a loooong time ago with the intention of using him to spice up a Heroquest adventure or two.
Probably a bit too much light on him in this pic - after cleaning him up I was originally going to go for a 'Chaotic' scheme of lurid glowing greens, aaaand then wussed out and went for earthy tones instead =)

I have a couple of weeks planned to do things for other people so prob no terrain for a fortnight - however we should be playing a game of Hybrid this weekend and there will be shots of that for you to peruse =D

Ace

Bog of Eternal Stench...

Bog of eternal terrain pieces more like...

Hey ho, a while ago my friend let slip that he had in his possession all the rules necessary to give RoC a try. Not having had the chance to play 3rd ed WFB back in the day (I'm not THAT old... ok, yes I am...) I got very excited.

Anyway, he had the rules and I had some figures; but we had nothing to fight over!

Being the procrastinatory itinerant comatose that I am, I endeavored to think of the easiest way to make up some suitable battleground terrain - and viola! Le Swamp!

Here are the first of many pieces I hope to get done for this project - all the scenic pieces have to fit on old CD's and be made out of readily appropriated materials; again this has mostly to do with indolence and financial challenge...

 Most of the colour scheme was inspired by a recent trip to Nelson.

 I'll have to do a photo shoot with my recently painted Jabberwockey soon. I like him.

 'We're lost, aren't we?... Walnuts make interesting rocks. I used them because when you can't afford to do it right, you should do it interesting.

 'I claim this land for Spain!'

 I find the best way to simulate trees is to use wood...

 And can anyone name the region of the Empire that this wandering lout hails from (or his shield at least...)

 Big impressive tussock things courtesy of my wife's ingenuity. She's very good at this sort of thing.

 So there we have it, seven done and many to go. I thought I might stop when the entire board is covered evenly with terrain. Then again I could just paint up another board...

 Speaking of the board. Don't ask me why there is a compass set on my floor. IDK.


More Hybrid thrills and spills soon.

Ace

A bit of brushwork =)

A few little projects finished...

I think these were from the 'Harlequin' range? Bought centuries ago to be Mordhiem hirelings - they might get their chance soon!
The guy on the left got a 5 min cloak to hide his ridiculous mohawk and general lack of interesting-ness. I still cant picture how he hopes to use the thing he's holding as a weapon. At least he now has some 'Fist of the North Star' wanderer credibility...

The other two were pretty much OOP - except the female fighter got er, enhanced characteristics and longer hair.

Cause that's how I roll.

I never got to get into Confrontation or Ragnarok from the sadly missed original Rackham Games Company (so much beautiful - I cant even)
I did however manage to pick up Hybrid, something I am very much looking forward to playing next year (finished minis pending!)
These two beautiful boys were bought for me by a good friend in anticipation of conflicts that never happened many, many years ago.
I dont know what it is about painting Rackham minis, they scare the shit out of me until I resolve to do it - then once you get started they almost paint themselves!
Well, you know what I mean.

Finishing off a fantasy laden week of painting is this delicate flower. I chucked her on a 25mm base to bring her up to scale with the other minis she will be traveling with, which is annoying as now I cant read the stamp on the base of her, um, base. I think she is an old Ral Partha?
Anyway I seem to remember she cost me the total sum of a buck from a box sale somewhere in my cobwebbed past - then proceeded to languish in a game box full of Chaotic nastiness (still to be painted...) for the better part of a decade.
Now with Humbrol kirtle and auburn hair she awaits adventure!

And yes before you ask, that IS a Messerschmitt BF110 C4 in the background.

Ace

Welcome to Space Crusade!

Finally!

Space Crusade is all finished! I don't know how many of us managed to complete our boxed sets of Space Crusade and HeroQuest; but I can say that at long last I am amongst them!!

Space Crusade was my favourite of the two games, not because I thought it was better, the two are completely different ideas (HeroQuest is a dungeon crawl and Space Crusade was a direct tactical competition) but because it always made me break out in a sweat about 20 mins in!
It didn't matter if you were playing the Marines or the Alien player, the hyperventilation would set in the minute the blast doors opened!

That being said I have always enjoyed playing the Aliens more, against three determined Marine players it becomes a hell of a challenge =)

Here are a few shots of the minis, my apologies that some of the pics are a bit blurry =(

 The Blood Angels. When equipped with Boltguns sporting COMBAT BLADES they make a lightning fast assault force.

 The Imperial Fists. The most annoying of Marine Chapters with their SUSPENSORS. Basically a team of heavy weapons guys moving as fast as bolter guys do!

 The Ultramarines. Princes among Marines, the bravest of the brave, loyal to a... Yeah so obviously my personal favourites  =)


And here to spoil the day for the Marines. The bad guys!

 The Grotty Gretchin! Usually used as cannon fodder or to stop drafts.

 The Orks. Tougher than a steak dinner after the third re-heat, and just as ugly!

 Oh now were talking, the Chaos Androids. Packing one of the more eclectic ranged weapons in the game, no slouches in close combat either. The appearance of one of these guys is usually enough to send an entire marine team running...

 And this is how you get your own back as the Alien player. You use your own Marines. I've had these evil gits go toe to toe with a Marine team and win. Game winners and life savers (well, unless you are a Marine player  I guess...)

The Genestealers (for some reason renamed 'Soulsuckers' in the video games??) You might not get to place them as you would your regular troops but man are they useful (when they FINALLY decide to join the battle...)

The crown jewels of your Marine eradicating defense force... The Dreadnought! (or 'noughts' if like me you managed to find two!) They may have a passing resemblance to ED209 but kick much more ass! Remember though to always, always, always! have them accompanied by some lesser troops. It doesn't matter what they are, just keep a power sword/power glove/meltabomb wielding Marine Sgt away from them!


So there we go. One fully painted box set of HeroQuest and now one of Space Crusade!
Each set was made up of two boxes, one being my original from waaaaayy back, and the other being more recently discovered. Out of the two projects the Space Crusade minis were by far the more difficult to finish satisfactorily. The nature of the pieces being multi-part and the number of models with existing paint jobs (in relation to the almost untouched quality of majority of my HQ figures) meant a lot of searching for usable parts and some hefty cleaning up. But overall I'm really pleased =)

Managing to get nine marines per chapter was a real boon too as it means no having to swap weapons on painted figures, and getting two dreads was awesome! I wonder if I will ever get to use them at the same time... (evil smile...)


Here's whats on the butchers block this week.

The guys are interested in having a go at reliving our teenage years with a bit of a Necromunda bash!
Very excited about this as I never got around to painting my mighty Goliaths. Maybe I can even include a missile launcher this time... hmm
Hopefully it will all come together and we'll have a five way campaign going with everyone talking smack and stabbing one another in the back like we used too... Ah, them was the days...

Lastly, here's a shout out to a fine fellow I used to game with from those heady days of adolescent spottyness.
These two adventurous types were painted in the space of a dull, rainy afternoon over at my mates place. My effort is on the left, a fancy fellow with a feather in his cap and cow shit on his feet (probably...) My friends model is the other and I think showcases his extraordinary talent for turning out unique characters with almost no effort (the jammy git!) I cant tell you how much he taught me about miniature painting, he just did it like no one else!

I miss you Eb. I hope you are doing well.

Ace.