Kavalos Deathriders

 The final entry of Ossiarch Bonereapers for a while are the Kavalos Deathriders. They are the cavalry unit for the army and can be armed with either sword or spear. I went with sword because they offer rend which is a -1 to armor save. The mounts are bone constructs made from an assortment of animal remains. They also have the spirit skulls that make painting a bit of a challenge. This unit wasn't as bad with the skulls, but i still had to paint it in sub assemblies.  In game terms I don't think the cavalry are the most useful, but I had to include at least one unit.

Next I'm going to switch gears and work on some more Minotaurs space marines

Impact! Miniatures 28mm Hockey Players

Several years ago Pam got me a set of hockey players from Impact! Miniatures. I'd thought it would be fun to paint them to use in some kind of tabletop hockey game. Of course they sat in their box for... some time, until I recently decided to get cracking on them.

I should say that the sculpts definitely date the teams to a certain period in the history of the National Hockey League, mainly due to the style of the goalies' equipment. This type of gear was worn in the period between the late 1960s and about 1980 or so. The only anachronism with the equipment worn by the players, though, was that every Impact! skater was sculpted wearing a helmet, and helmets were definitely not in general use in the NHL during that period. Some players wore them, but they were definitely in a small minority. So in order to keep a consistent and historical look to the teams (which I had determined would represent the Montreal Canadiens and Toronto Maple Leafs of the 1975-76 NHL season) I had to cut off most of the helmeted heads and replace them. For this I used the excellent bald head sculpts sold by Victoria Miniatures, on which I sculpted some 1970s hockey hairstyles and the odd moustache, using greenstuff. Above are the Canadiens - forwards Guy Lafleur, Pete Mahovlich, and Steve Shutt; defencemen Larry Robinson and Serge Savard; and goaltender Ken Dryden. You'll note that all of them shoot right-handed even though Mahovlich, Shutt, Robinson and Savard were all actually left-handed shots (like me). It would have been way too much work to fix this though. 

The "Big Bird", Larry Robinson

The "Flower", Guy Lafleur

Lafleur again

One of the reasons I picked the 1975-76 teams was that they didn't sport name bars on the backs of their sweaters (jerseys) yet. This was only mandated by the NHL starting in the 1977-78 season, which is a funny story... the owner of the Maple Leafs at the time, notorious cheapskate Harold Ballard, refused to put the players' names on the backs of their sweaters, reasoning that if he did so, no-one would buy the programs he sold at the games. The league threatened heavy fines for non-compliance, so Ballard gave in... printing the names on the backs of the Leafs' blue sweaters in blue, making them unreadable. The NHL clarified the rule to state that the names must appear in a contrasting colour and Ballard was forced to give in. 

And speaking of the Leafs... here they are: forwards Lanny McDonald, Darryl Sittler, and Dave "Tiger" Williams; defencemen Borje Salming and Ian Turnbull; and goalie Wayne Thomas.

Sittler, #27

I mentioned some slight anachronisms with the equipment but the real weird thing about the players is the way the forwards were holding their sticks. Normally you'd hold a hockey stick with one hand very close to the butt end and the other midway down. However the forwards were all "choked up" on their sticks, with their hands both close to the middle. I fixed this by cutting the end of the stick off and reattaching the taped up butt end right above their glove. This makes the sticks a bit shorter but it's certainly better than leaving them as sculpted - they just looked wrong. Fortunately the defencemen and goalie are good as-is.

Wayne Thomas

Lanny McDonald, #7

Montreal goalie, author, and sometime politician Ken Dryden

Some game action

So the next order of business is to find some rules and build a rink. There's a set out called "Trick Shot" as well as a variant of Blood Bowl called "Cross Check". Trick Shot originated in a Kickstarter but the rules can be downloaded for free. It seems straightforward but of course, uses special dice... not a dealbreaker but inconvenient. In any case the first thing will be to convince Conscript Byron to design me a rink... we'll see where it goes from there. And I have also resolved to get some new brushes, as the line work on these models is atrocious. I know a poor workman blames his tools but my detail work has been subpar for awhile now and it's time I did something about that. Maybe some Kolinsky Sables will help.

Anyway I hope you enjoyed the post as something different, and please stay safe. 

Otherworld Miniatures Cockatrice

One of my favourite miniatures manufacturers nowadays is the UK's Otherworld Miniatures. Their stock in trade is great 28mm fantasy models with a definite old-school feel. These models are perfect for Otherworld's own fantasy ruleset, as well as other sets like the new Thud & Blunder rules. 

In fact, Thud & Blunder was the inspiration for this model - there's a scenario included in the rules called "Catch the Cockatrice" that features a cockatrice as the objective being fought over by the combatants. This was enough for me to order up a cockatrice from Otherworld.

The cockatrice is a pretty cool little model - cast in metal and multi-piece. I didn't pin any of the parts but rather sculpted some additional feathers around the bases of the wings to add some extra strength.

Just a great looking miniature... can't wait to get it out on the table in a game. Maybe someday...

New Weapon Options for Adeptus Titanicus

Assortment of new carapace-mounted weapon systems for the Warlord Titans of Legio Mortis

Some more modest bits of Adeptus Titanicus work to share - new weapon options for the Warlord Titans. These bits are all from Forge World, and while they still seem somewhat new to me, I'm sure they have all been out there for at least 15 months, if not longer. These are all options for the carapace mounts on the Warlord Titans models with GW's re-booted Adeptus Titanicus. Naturally, I painted these up in the colours of Legio Mortis - after all, the Warmaster always made sure his chosen ones got the new kit first, why should my collection be any different? 

Choosing from a wide variety of bonkers weapons systems to equip your Titan was a big part of the fun of the original Adeptus Titanicus, and it was slightly infuriating when the new Warlord Titan models only came with a single choice for the arms and the carapace. The variety is here now, however, and while acquiring the different weapon options is expensive (naturally), and requires dealing with Forge World (i.e. even more expensive), the choice is getting nicely varied, and Princeps can again ponder all sorts of different combos of insane far-future weapons with which to smite their foes!

With the caveat that they are resin, these are still nice little bits, and thankfully they magnetize easily on the shoulder mounts of the Warlord Titan model kits. Here are a few close-ups...

Paired Vulcan Mega-Bolters

The Vulcan-Mega Bolter array modeled on one of my Legio Mortis engines.

Of all of the weapon options, this is perhaps the least intimidating, at least in the context of the otherwise imposing chassis of the mighty Warlord Titan. These weapons are essentially giant super-versions of the bolt guns carried by Space Marines - and it is so very 30k to know that the Mechanicum would have designed a version of the bolt gun to match the size of every soldier and vehicle in the known universe of the grim and dark far future. Hilarious.

For a weapon with "mega" in the name, I have to say they don't seem that intimidating. That said, they will rip the void shields from enemy engines, so they definitely have their uses in Adeptus Titanicus.

In the game, these weapons will spit out a hail of shots which stand little chance of damaging other Titans, but are excellent at overwhelming void shields. Knocking the shields off of enemy engines is a very useful thing, so it is not like these things are useless - but for me it is a matter of opportunity cost. If you are equipping your Warlord with these guns, you are missing out on some other really cool guns (see more in this post). Best to leave the shield-stripping work to the Warhounds, IMO, and make sure your Warlord Titans are carrying weapons with knock-out power. That said, preferences vary, so I'm glad to have this option in my collection. 

Paired Turbo Laser Destructors

Paired Turbo-Laser Destructors on a Warlord Titan from Legio Mortis.

Huge, destructive laser weapons - does what the name says. In the grim darkness of the far future, who wouldn't want to blast things with huge lasers? It is easy to get these "laser destructors" confused with the similar-looking-and-sounding "laser blasters". The statistics and performance of the weapons are also very similar. 

Ready to blast the followers of the false Emperor into particles...

So the carapace laser weapon options for Warlords are similar, but they are still different - these weapons hit a little harder with a lesser rate of fire. They will harm an enemy engine's shields, but really are better for delivering killing blows once the enemy's shields are down. Plus, they look nice and menacing up there on top of the Warlord Titan.

Paired Gatling Blasters

Oh YEAH! Paired Gatling Blasters! This will be fun!

Now we're talking! If the Vulcan Mega-Bolters don't look all that scary up on the Titan, these things are the opposite - terrifying! Count on the Mechanicum to come up with what is essentially a 125mm gatling cannon! A pair of them no less! These bonkers things right up the alley of the bonkers 30k setting.

So. Much. GATLING. Good times await!!

 

Not only do these things look cool, they are pretty useful in the game. They get to shoot - a lot - and hit with a decent punch. Plus your Warlord can be covered in gatling-type cannons! That is the best! Can't wait to take these out for a "spin"...

Now that I have these available for my Legio Mortis engines, I suppose I will need to paint some up for the loyalist side as well. I try to keep my collection balanced, but somehow Horus' followers always seem to get the new stuff first...I will see if I can balance things out a touch with my next painting effort. Thanks for reading, everyone!

Some AT 18 Scatter Terrain

Some scatter terrain for GW's Adeptus Titanicus.

I haven't painted anything for Adeptus Titanicus in a while now - but GW has just released a nicely bonkers new model for the range, and this has inspired me to get back to some AT18 projects. To warm up a little, I thought I would start with these bits of scatter terrain from Forge World that have been hanging around the painting queue for quite a while. These are all resin models - there are a couple of "manufactorums" and a some power generators.

The "Manufactorum" - no doubt it is "safety first" at these facilities...

Generators - surely they are "net-zero", with no carbon emissions at all...

These are not going to providing anything in the way of cover in games of Adeptus Titanicus - they are too small for that. But they will make great objectives, or just add nicely to the look of the tables. There is an additional bonus in that these would serve well as objectives/ground targets in games of Aeronautica Imperialis. And let's not forget Epic - these terrain pieces will be excellent for games of Epic 30k - and the case of those models, can also provide some obstruction to lines of fire!

Another view of the Manufactorum, and the access node.

As you can see, these terrain bit will not be providing much "cover" when the Titans are involved, but they'll make fine objectives and table accents.

I'm not much for painting terrain, but even a terrain-avoiding sloth like me really had no problem painting up these nice little models. Hopefully these will see some action in a game sometime...who knows when...but anyway, good to get back into the AT18-painting groove for a bit of a run.

Thanks for reading - stay safe and stay sane.

Imperial Marauder Bombers for Aeronautica Imperialis

Marauder Bombers for Aeronautica Imperialis - plastic kits from GW.

Some more Aeronautica Imperialis content. Now that we have some Ork ground targets for the players to bomb, it would be good to have some bombers to go after them! These two aircraft are just the ticket - many 40k fans will recognize the silhouette of the Marauder Bomber. These are plastic multi-part kits from GW, and came as part of the "Wings of Vengeance" box set GW released with their re-boot of the rules a couple of years ago.

Heavy bolters on the rear-facing turrets to keep pesky enemy fighters at bay!

Escorting bombers to a target, and defending fighters and flak guns trying to bring the bombers down, these are classic sorts of air combat missions. Aeronautica Imperialis allows for a trick-of-the-mind where we can channel what are essentially WW2/Korean War air combat missions into the far future of 40k, with fun little models. Of course, there are twists. The "basic" Marauder bomber is already armed to the teeth, but can carry even more ordnance on its wings - these options range from even more bombs, to ground attack missiles, to air-to-air missiles...so enemy attackers will have to watch carefully. Not only will the lascannons and heavy bolters provide protection, but the Marauder pilot could take out an attacker with a missile!

Twin lascannon battery on the front - a long-range defensive touch!

These models are really, really something. They are certainly involved to build, with many, many small parts - watch out for that. But it's worth it, if you are a fan of the setting. I really enjoyed working on these - and it's not like you need loads of them for a game. These two, together with a fighter escort, would keep plenty of Ork fighters and flak batteries busy.

Ready for their first mission. As newly-painted models, nothing could go wrong. Right?

One interesting aspect of the re-booted Aeronautica Imperialis is the hex-based maps...normally I'm not a fan of hex-based miniature games, but in the age of zoom and endless totally random COVID-19 restrictions, I have a new appreciation for them - they allow the possibility of trying the game over Zoom (or similar platforms - if you hate yourself, I recommend Microsoft Teams, and if you just hate the other people, try to get them on WebEx from Cisco, but I digress).  Maybe the Conscripts will be up for a bombing mission sometime soon!

The sun sets over Lake Superior on a cool evening in April, 2021.

I'll leave with a photo of a recent sunset on the shores of Lake Superior. Views like this, and this hobby, help me to stay (mostly) sane. I hope everyone out there has something similar to help them keep going. Thanks for reading. 

Ork Dakka Jet and Ground Assets

Ork Dakka Jet and ground assets - plastic models from GW.

Hi again everyone - my furhter efforts on my WW1 painting have been delayed by a sudden lurch back into GW territory. This is an Ork "Dakka Jet" and set of Ork "ground assets" for GW's 40k-themed air-combat game Aeronautica Imperialis. These have been sitting on my painting desk for months, and when I finished those 10mm Roman Auxilia, I thought I might as well finish these bits too. 

The dakka jet is the basic fighter for the Orks - can be upgraded with extra rockits for air-to-air combat, or given bombs for ground attack missions.

Aeronautica is a fun game - obviously the setting won't be everyone's cup of tea, but I enjoyed the original version of these rules that Forge World released many years ago. The re-booted version, with nice plastic models, is a lot of fun too. The rules are not complicated, and it is fun to have these little combat aircraft from the grim and dark future zipping around, blowing up stuff, and each other. 

A bunch of random colours and patterns...fun little models to paint, although it can be slow going.

The initial model range focused on the Imperial Navy and the Orks, but it has since expanded to include Imperial Army (Valkyries) and the Tau (really cool!). I started painting my initial sets last summer, with the expectation that I would finish all of the models in short order...but hobby squirrels run around in my brain and I get distracted. This is a particular issue when trying to paint Ork subjects...they don't really have a uniform look to their gear and kit, and so each model is something of an individual effort for me, which makes painting Ork stuff a slog. I've always been impressed at how Dallas could paint whole groups of Orks...I can never manage more than one or two at a time.

And so this poor Dakka Jet has been sitting even longer than the Roman Auxilia from my last post. Probably since last November, when I had been last working on Aeronautica stuff...this one Dakka Jet was sitting there at the corner of my painting table, falling on to the ground occasionally, with a couple of base colours already on, waiting for me to finish it. But for months I just could not find the inspiration - I didn't feel like painting check patterns at the time, and besides, I had momentum with some other projects - but I finally just picked up the brush last week, and now it is ready.

Ork ground assets...a bunker of some kind, and assorted flak batteries to protect it.

In the Aeronautica game many missions involve bombing runs - that makes sense, it is a common sort of mission for combat aircraft. You need something to bomb - that is where these "ground assets" come in, both as targets and as additional defences. The bunker-looking thing serves as a target for the incoming bombers, while the assortment of Ork flak emplacements which would protect this and add to the fun in the game. These were all sold in very nice sprue packs - each with a bunker and group of ground defence pieces. Sadly, these packs no longer seem to be available.

Another view of the ground assets...these are in the same "scale" as the models for "Adeptus Titanicus"....

So there we are...my first GW and first sci-fi models painted in many months! Now that I am looking once more at GW stuff under my brushes, my hobby orbit is likely to spend a little more time in that world, meaning the WW1 project may have to take a back seat for a time. We'll see...goodness knows there is still lots of time for painting thanks to f*cking COVID. Thanks for reading, hope you are all doing OK out there. Cheers.