Armoured drop ship from Old Crow

It's small beans in terms of the painting contest, but I did manage a little progress on some 6mm stuff on the weekend. This is a 6mm scale "armoured dropship" from Old Crow Models.

Old Crow makes some outstanding 6mm, 15mm and 25mm stuff. I ordered this to add to my general pile of sci-fi stuff. I liked the look - seems like just the thing the Imperial Fleet would use to drop off troops/ poison and remove humanitarian supplies/food from a conflict zone of the future.



In Epic 40k, the Space Marines have a cool armoured landing ship, but the Imperial Guard don't have anything. I thought this would fit it as a terrian piece at a spaceport or something like that for games of Epic 40k/Future War Commander. I don't really see it having a battlefield role, so I didn't mount it on a base. I think it would make an interesting objective, either for Epic 40k, Futre War Commander, or Aeronautica Imperialis games. In the photo above I have placed a Space Marine command stand beside the craft to give you an idea of the size of the ship.



In the pictures you can also see some of the Dark Realm Miniatures 6mm figures I have been doing as a side-project. It's not like I am short of 6mm stuff, but the Dark Realm figures are awesome, so I have been putting together a group of "Pax Arcadia" stuff, to serve as either a faction in a game of Future War Commander, or handy enemies/opponents for a game of 40k. The "Kraytonian" faction also has some infantry that will make great proxies for Epic 40k Kroot, which are no longer available from Forge World.

Another Skaven Warmachine

 

A great deal of the fun in this hobby, for me at least, is creating unique conversions.  Most often I'm doing this in connection with the wacky world of Spacekrieg (the FuturKom T-640, SU-300, "Rata" Flyer) or Rogue-Trader-era 40K (Da Red Barun) but my Warhammer Fantasy Skaven army has provided some fun conversion fodder too (Ratzer Tank).  This time out, it's another Skaven model, but unlike the Ratzer tank that stands in for a Doomwheel, this model represents an entry in the Skaven list that GW doesn't even make a model for - the PlagueClaw Catapult.

The PlagueClaw Catapult is another disgusting Clan Pestilens device - basically a sh!t-thrower. Every vile, noxious substance that the Plague Monks can scrape together goes in the basket and throws out a large template doing an S2 hit to everything beneath. S2 is no big deal, of course, but the kicker is that there's no armour save allowed. Hello, Bretonnian Knights...

The base model I used was an Ork Rock Lobba which was assembled pretty much straight from the box.  I left off the winch part because for the PlagueClaw, it's the Monks that do the heavy lifting and they do it old-school, with chains ;-)

For the sh!t-bucket I used the top of a whipped cream container trimmed to size, with Skaven shield symbols attached around the outside.  I filled the inside with sprue rubble and white glue, with a skull thrown in for fun, liberally coated with gloss varnish.  The disgusting stained old scoop is from the GW Zombie sprue.

The warmachine's basket is a bit from the new Skaven Plague Furnace, as are the Plague Monk crew.  They fit in quite well, all I had to do was position them so that the chain they're pulling hooked on to the bottom of the basket.

Seasoned with rats to taste, of course!

Da Red Barun

Here's the completed GeeBee racer Ork Fighta conversion in all its gun-toting glory ;-)

This photo was taken of the first iteration of the tactical markings on the fuselage.  The markings are actually lightly etched into the plastic so you don't have a lot of choice about incorporating them somehow.  The kit provided a decal in red but I tried painting the markings in white... I didn't like that much so I used the kit decals and just lined the numerals.  Better.

"Da Red Barun" sighting in those big gunz... looking forward to taking on some Guard or Space Marines...

Acts of Disappearance

Yesterday, I had a rematch with Allan, this time with armies worth 2000 points. The Wood Elves were totally wiped out and did not score a single point against the Dwarves. But great lessons were learned and it was, as per the common expression on this blog, a definite morale victory for the Wood Elves. But let's review the story.

The scenario was "Battle for the Pass" and it is played along the narrow side of the table. The Dwarf army had 2x Grudgethrowers (1), one group each of Quarellers (2), Warriors (3), Hammerers (4) and, I think, Ironbreakers (5). There was a banner providing a 5+ ward save against missiles with the Hammerers and all the characters were with the Ironbreakers. Note the group of 5 Waywatchers (1 green) in the background deployed using the "Scout" special rule.

The Wood Elves had the usual Glade Guards (1), Dryads (2) and Glade Riders (3). This time, the Treewoman "Big Bertha" was present (3 again, oups). There was one hero with the Riders (5) and a Battle Standard (6) with the main forces. Note that because of the scenario, deployment was cramped and had to be done in two rows for the Dryads. The Glade Riders are pushing forward thanks to the "Vanguard" special rule.

Before the start of turn 1, the Dwarves did a preparatory move thanks to a special rune. This allowed the Quarellers (2 blue) to get within charge range of the Waywatchers. The rest of the Dwarf units (1 blue) moved quickly forward to reduce exposure to arrow rain. I moved the left Glade Guards back (1 green), as the Dwarves were already within 12 inches. I moved the Dryads forward (2 green), with the hope to slow down the progression of the main group. The Glade Riders (3 green) raced to the rear and the Treewoman (4 green) marched toward the centre.

On turn 2 (see the die), the Quarellers connected with the Waywatchers. This was the first unit to disappear.

In the center, the Dwarves attacked my first unit of Dryads on two sides. That unit too soon disappeared.

Bolstered by their success from last game, the Glade Riders attacked the Quarellers. This time, all the Riders, including the General attached to them, were killed. Another quick disappearance act.

This image of the main battle tells the rest of the story. After sending the white Dryads into rout, the Dwarf main unit turned to face Big Bertha. Facing a Runelord armed with a magic weapon causing D6 flaming damage (Treeman are flammable), Big Bertha was chopped into firewood in no time. The Battle Standard was soon to follow, as well as the rest of the Glade Guard unit he was part of, who ran out of the battlefield. A total of 5 units and 2 characters disappeared.

Again, the Dwarves were great teachers and the Wood Elves are grateful for the precious lessons learned.

Some new decals

Sometime you finish a project, but then you wish maybe you had done something different...usually I am the type to leave models or figures alone once I have decided they are finished, but with my Vulture Gunship, I was a little disappointed in that the nose art just wasn't that cool. I figured something zipping around the battlefield with twin-linked punisher cannons should have a distinct look.

I always loved the look of the "shark mouth" on the nose of aircraft, made famous by the Flying Tigers in WW2 China (although I don't know that they were the first to do it). I have seen other Vulture and Vaklyrie models out there with similar nose art, but I did not trust my painting skills to create a consistent "mug" for the craft.

Through the magic of the "Interwebs" I found someone who really, really thinks the AH-1 Cobra, a helicopter gunship used by the US armed forces is awesome. So awesome he has 1/48 decal sheets you can buy to customize your models. It seems like many of these units like the "shark mouth" too - there were several different options on each decal sheet.

The nose of the Cobra, and of the Vulture/Valkyrie, are not too terribly different, so I ordered some decals. They got here yesterday, and I went back to the Vulture and applied a decal set that I tought would look right and stand out on the green paint of the ship. Plus I thought the name "Venom" would fit well with the character of the gunship.



For comparison, you can see the prior nose art (a lame GW skull that was black so did not stand out well) at this link.

I need to weather the new decals a bit more (the white paint cannot be that sharp) but I am really pleased with the look. It will stand out, and is skull-free, which is a plus.

I have some more decals enroute (hopefully) for the rest of the Valkyries. Just need to get them done before December 31st!

Colonial Marines...and more Eldar?!

I have been avidly following the progress of my fellow Conscripts as they paint like madmen for the Fall Painting Challenge. Up to this point I have not thrown my hat in the ring. However, I may actually get on the leader board in a small way before year's end.

Colonial Marines (from the movie Aliens)

During the swap meet at Dallas' place a couple of weeks ago, I obtained from Conscript MikeF some lead 28mm Colonial Marines that he had painted. The figures clearly represent some of the named characters from the movie, including Sgt. Apone ("There's something in my eye"), Cpl. Hicks ("Eat this!"), Pfc. Hudson ("It's over, man!"), and Pvt. Vasquez ("Let's roooock!").

MikeF executed the camo schemes very well. After I based them on 25mm rounds and shaded them with glazes of Devlin Mud, the figures are 99% done. Below are pictured some of the re-based figs.



Getting these figures was also the impetus for me to finally assemble the Marines' ride - a pewter(!) M-577 APC from Leading Edge that I've had kicking around for over a decade. It didn't go together well at all. Conscript Brian can attest to the amount of filing, sanding and putty I used on the thing. After priming, first stage highlighting, and painting with green spray, the model awaits detailing and weathering.



According to my research on the (fictional) Colonial Marine Corps organization, I have enough figures for three squads. Two of them can be broken down into smartgun teams and pulse rifle teams, plus there's a section Sergeant and a couple of incinerator armed Marines to swap for pulse rifles. With various re-based Aliens and "Hive Fleet Nostromo" provided by MikeF and Dallas, we will have some Marine vs. Aliens action over the Xmas holidays.

Eldar for Astronomi-con 2011

The new Eldar Hornet model from Forge World is a beautiful kit. I already have one from eBay, and I ordered two more from the manufacturer. I contacted the Astronomi-con tournament organizers, and the Hornet experimental rules are OK for use at Astro.

The Hornet is in all ways superior to the Vyper jetbike, for a similar points cost. If the Astro TO's are going to let me field Hornets, I certainly shall.

The main hull and tail is a single piece casting of mostly blemish-free resin. The engine/weapon mounts are another single piece. The Eldar Howling Banshee in the photo below shows the small size of this single-seat, light skimmer tank.



I have also obtained four more Forge World turrets for my Wave Serpent skimmer APCs. They'll be armed with scatter lasers and magnetized to fit the hulls. Below on painting stands are the turrets. Pictured on the right is my new force commander, a female Autarch kitted out with gear from the Howling Banshee and Fire Dragon shrines.



The Autarch started as a pewter Banshee Exarch. Both the Autarch's arms were pinned with brass wire and epoxied into place for strength. Below, the figure has already been primed black and has received its first stage highlighting with a dusting of white.




List

I've come up with the following tournament list (which scores 19/20 for Astro composition):

HQ: Autarch (1#, 93 pts)
1 Autarch (Banshee Mask; Power Weapon; Fusion Gun)

Troops: Dire Avengers (6#, 215 pts)
5 Dire Avengers
1 Wave Serpent (Spirit Stones; Vectored Engines; Shuriken Cannon; TL Scatter Lasers)

Troops: Dire Avengers (6#, 205 pts)
5 Dire Avengers
1 Wave Serpent (Spirit Stones; Vectored Engines; TL Scatter Lasers)

Troops: Dire Avengers (6#, 205 pts)
5 Dire Avengers
1 Wave Serpent (Spirit Stones; Vectored Engines; TL Scatter Lasers)

Elite: Fire Dragons (11#, 305 pts)
10 Fire Dragons
1 Wave Serpent (Spirit Stones; Vectored Engines; TL Scatter Lasers)

Fast Attack: Hornet Squadron (3#, 195 pts)
1 Hornet (2 x Shuriken Cannons)
1 Hornet (2 x Shuriken Cannons)
1 Hornet (2 x Shuriken Cannons)

Fast Attack: Warp Spiders (5#, 137 pts)
4 Warp Spiders
1 Warp Spider Exarch (Powerblades; Death Spinner x2)

Heavy Support: Night Spinner (1#, 145 pts)
1 Night Spinner (Spirit Stones; Vectored Engines)

Total Roster Cost: 1500 points

This is a "pure" mechanized Swordwind list. No psychic defense. However, I've managed to squeeze eight fast skimmer hulls into 1500 points (Serpents & Nightspinner AV 12/12/10 and Hornets AV 11/11/10). 50 Strength 6 shots are possible per turn, plus the close range anti-tank of 11 meltaguns.

The Hornets' Scout/Outflank ability and integral Star Engines, coupled with the Spiders' Deep Strike, will make this list's Fast Attack slot very interesting. The other tanks are kitted out for late game contesting/tank shocking.

***

P.S.: I've also obtained armour decals and a German bunker as an objective marker for the early war German Light Tank Company that I have on the go for Flames of War...

Attempted door gunners

There is no hope to catch the leaders in the painting competition now, but I am hoping to at least get my 40k Elysians finished before the end of the year. I am at the hardest stage of the process (for me) - finishing the Vaklyrie models to go with the force. Having the majority of the troops racing around the table supported by Valkyries will be key to achieving the unique look and feel of the Elysian force.

The plastic Valkyrie model is way, way, way, way better than the original resin creations from Forgeworld. Having said that, the Valkyrie is still a bit of a complex model - not a quick throw together - at least not for me. So I put off the Valkyries until I could finish the infantry. Well, that was pretty much done earlier this month. So I have finally buckled down and started in on the things, and I thought I would share some mid-way progress shots while pontificating on the idea of the door gunners.

One option I had to consider was the door gunners. Really, it's pretty neat - each Valkyrie box comes with the option to include two door gunners with heavy bolters in the compartments. In game terms, a slew of extra heavy bolters on the Valkyries could really give the guys some extra firepower. And conceptually the idea of the door gunners is cool. I thought I would try one of the models with the doors open and the gunners in place. Here are some progress pictures:



Painting this model has been a serious pain - I painted the gunners and heavy bolters seperately, and then left the roof off of the model to paint the interior before putting the gunners in. Now I need to finish painting the rest of the model.



Another downside, in addition to the extra fiddly steps model-wise, is the fact that the gunners are pretty hard to see once the roof goes on the model. The heavy bolter is a larger weapon after all, the side hatches on the Valkyries are not all that big, and they are recessed well under the wings. My heart sank when I put the roof on, and I could barely see the guys! Maybe I should have used Dallas' LED system...

I thought I could overcome this by having the back hatch open so you could get a better view of the interior. That died when I DROPPED THE MODEL during the assembly process, breaking the hatch parts so that it can only now be glued in place. So the pictures above are probably the last anyone will really see of the gunners! Oh well.

When this is done, I hope having the one model with the doors open will serve as an excuse to claim that all of the Valkyries on the table have door gunners.

Overall, I have built three Valkyries, including this one, in the last two weeks. The other two are painted, and this one is in painting progress. One more needs to be assembled and painted - a "Vendetta" variant. I'm trying to get it all done in time to be counted in the painting competition...we'll see...

All told, I plan to load up a 1500 point Elysian force with lots of airpower - four Valkyries with rocket pods and heavy bolters, one "Vendetta" variant, and one Vulture gunship with twin-linked Punisher Cannons. Hopefully they will hit the table early in the new year!