Figure Feature: Allister Caine

Well after playing a bunch of games with Kara Sloan and Coleman Stryker I decided to branch out and get another warcaster ready for battle...thus, Allister Caine is reporting for duty.  I really enjoyed painting up this mini...after going heavy on doing units lately it was nice to focus on a single figure.  I really experimented with my blending and glazing techniques and I'm generally happy with the results.  The face benefitted from a very thin glaze of black(20 water: 1 ink) applied in several coats to create the "Five O'Clock Shadow" effect...
(click on images for larger pictures)

I know sometimes people find their way to the blog who aren't miniature gaming enthusiasts or looking to get started...I thought I'd include a picture next to a quarter for a sense of scale...

Figure Feature: Stonekeeper

The Shifting Stones will find themselves in many Circle Orboros army lists as will their great unit attachment, the Stonekeeper.  I was excited to paint up this solo as I really like the challenge of painting stone, gemstones and the green/gold armor plating common to Circle figures.  Hopefully you like the effect...
(click on pictures for larger images)

I'd also like to show you a photo the works in progress on my painting desk right now...

You know what they are, right?

Also, thanks to this post from the Diesel DM blog about photographing miniatures...in my opinion its the best tutorial I've seen about photographing miniatures and it was a big help to me.

Figure Feature: Hunter

Well I'd been eying the Hunter for a while because not only does it have a nice stat line, it has mean, lean look(not unlike the Grenadier).  I decided to paint it up in an alt scheme(Dark Grey) and give it a 'ruined trench' base(barbed wire will be added later- still working on it).  In fact, I am creating an entire Allister Caine force with the same paint/basing scheme as well as a Strahkov Khadoran group with the same basing approach(he and Kommandos are in the mail!).

Anyways, here is my dark grey version of Cygnar's Hunter...

Thanks for taking a look...comments are welcomed as always.

Figure Feature: Flameguard Cleansers

Have you ever run out of steam painting a unit and shelved it with the intention of finishing it later?  That was the case with my recently completed Flameguard Cleansers which were a w.i.p. for eight months.  When I started a Protectorate army last year I was really excited to buy a unit of Deliverers.  Well, when I opened my box guess what was in the inside...a unit of Cleansers?(yeah, weird mispackage oddity).  Well I decided to keep them and paint them when I got around to it...they became my perpetual side project.  Finally they are table ready...
(click on images for larger pictures)

In the end I was glad I got the wrong item in the box because they ended up being a pretty nice unit(both in look(sculpts) and in terms of stat line!).  Also, it helped me with a new system I'm leaning towards from now in order to get units done.  While I'm waiting for paint to dry on solos, warcasters and warjacks(and warlocks & warbeasts), I will go to a unit and do bits of it here and there over time....as to avoid unit burnout.  Then, one day, as happened with my Flameguard Cleansers, I've suddenly got a painted unit ready for battle(without the painting fatigue of just painting that unit from start to finish). 

Five Reasons Warmachine trumps Warhammer 40K...

O.K., some of your are saying "don't go there", some of you are saying" but I like both games" and some of you are saying..."yeah, that's right" as you read the title of this post.  I know game systems have their loyalists, as do the companies that produce them, but I am tired of the beating around the bush and I want to give you five reasons why I believe Privateer Press' Warmachine is a better game than Games Workshop's Warhammer 40K. This post is not directed at Warmachine loyalists...you already know this stuff.  This post is not directed at the GW faithful(though I can't understand this group in all honesty)...I won't change your mind.  This post is directed at two groups:

1. Disenchanted 40K players(I used to be one) considering another system.

2. Would-be wargamers deciding on which game to pursue.

So here are my five top reasons(yes the list could be longer)...
1. Game Rules: Let's cut to the chase...if you are going to play a miniature wargame, a solid ruleset is a must.  Warmachine is known for its easy to learn, yet sophisticated, rules set.  Warhammer 40K is known as a clunky system which invites debate over not just the proper application of the rules as written, but the logic behind them.  Now I could give a plethora of examples but let me pick one of my favorites.  In 40K a unit chooses whether to use a cover save or an armor save(whichever is most advantageous to the defending unit)...this make no sense(wouldn't an armored space marine still benfit from the cover of a crater in addition to his armor?).  In Warmachine the armor and cover are treated separately(through ARM and DEF) so that this is not an issue, and the matter is dealt with more logically.  It's amazing that after FIVE editions and decades of experience GW could still have such a messy, contentious rules system...while in far less time, and just two tries...Privateer Press has a tight, functional, logical model for wargaming. 

2. Entry Cost: Essentially a player can begin Warmachine for approximately $40(give or take) with a BattleBox.  A player can start 40K with a set like Black Reach, but we're talking about $100.  Now a GW loyalist will say "But WM is a skirmish game and 40K is a large scale wargame".   Well that's fine but let's be honest about that scale.  Purchasing Black Reach means you've got a small starting force for only Orks or Space Marines...you'll need to spend another $100 U.S. to even begin to flesh out that force to competitive standard.  The WM player can easily expand their force in significant ways with a much smaller investment.  Also, the would be WM(and Hordes) player can pick up a battlebox for the faction of their choice to get started...they are not limited to the two in a starter set.  Even with the upcoming WM starter set(which is two factions), PP will continue to offer the battleboxes and warpacks as a more flexible way to enter the hobby.

3. Internet Friendly: Games Workshop seems to hate the internet.  From their own horrible website, their restrictions on image usage, to their shafting of online retailers with highly restrictive policies, they have a great 1986 business model.  Privateer Press seems to embrace this modern medium.  They have forums(visited by their actual employees) which are a great source of knowledge and advice(and an avenue for customer feedback).  GW uses their website as  catalog...and that's about it.  Now there are some really nice "third party" sites out there like Bell of Lost Souls that promote 40K, but the that same site is often visited by Privateer Press employees who comment on articles about their product line(you don't see that from the GW folks).  Here is a great video from miniwargaming.com that goes into detail on some of GW's ridiculous policies. 

4. Support Materials:  Privateer Press publishes a high quality rulebook and forces(faction) books.  Compare your average WM or Hordes forces book to a 40K codex and you'll see a huge difference in quality...especially in terms of color images and the helpful hobby(painting) section in all the PP supplements.  I remember dropping $20 for a thin, little Tau codex that later looked pathetic next to my Forces of Khador book(I've since sold my off all my 40K stuff). 

5. Release Calendar: This is, to me, the clincher.  Warhammer 40K is currently using their 5th edition rulebook.  Now since the release of this book(two years ago) they have gradually updated their armies with codex releases staggered over time.  Two years later there are still armies that are not up to date with their 'latest' rules system.  I knew someone who had a fairly useless Dark Eldar army that they held on to for a year and then sold off in frustration(the codex was hopelessly outdated for the previous 40K edition)...months later the new Dark Eldar codex came out that made their army competitive.  Now there are rumors of a 40K 6th edition...so the ridiculous cycle can start all over again.  I am so thankful I am now fully invested in Warmachine. Within six months Privateer Press published their second edition rules and faction books for all related armies.  Their ambitious release schedule for 2nd edition had the whole game system updated in a short time...while 40K's 5th edition came out well before WM mark II and still all the 40K armies aren't updated all this time later. I could compare the advertisement called "White Dwarf" to the magazine entitled "No Quarter" as an additional illustration of this point...but I think I'd be beating a dead horse. 

So what happens from here?  Well, I expect that Privateer Press will continue to increase their market share and a lot of people will make the switch from 40K to, quite frankly, the better game.  Now if you love the lore or the minis of the 40K universe then go about your business(and clunky rules) so you can enjoy the fantasy world of your choice.  However, if you are disenchanted by that game, or deciding which one to pursue, please consider the above.  I fall in the former group...although technically historical wargaming was my entry into the miniature wargaming hobby, 40K baptized me in fantasy(scifi) wargaming.  However, between the awkward rules, feeling I was being overcharged for product and the problems with the calendar for release of support materials, I looked for a better game...Warmachine was that better game.  In a way I'd like to thank GW for driving me away...because you really drove me to seek out a better experience. 

If you are interested, here is a video where I described my switch over a year ago...
Iron Kingdoms at War: Superior Ruleset

Figure Feature: The Great Bears

Well as veteran WM/H painters know, painting up units can be a bit monotonous...but then there are "character units" that are usually a pleasure to work on; such is the case with the Great Bears of Gallowswood.  Let's start with the great lore for these guys...the survivors of a decimated Iron Fang Company, they have served in all the key battles of the Khadoran Empire.
(click on pictures for larger images)

 Painting these guys was a lot of fun...especially the armor and bear pelts.  I am still trying to improve on my Khador Red...still not perfected but I'm getting better(I pretty much used the Forces book method for my approach).

The snow effect was my usual concoction of 1 part baking soda, 1 part white glue & 1 part white paint.  

Another Shoutout...

So occasionally I come across the website/blog of a miniature painter who does such amazing work I find myself with my jaw dropping and deciding to pursue one of the following options...
1. give up on my own painting because it could never compare
2. keep on painting with a hope of being that good some day
Well I always choose option 2...but at least I must share what I discovered.  In the past I pointed out the amazing work of two women who are mini painters extraordinaire(Marike and Jen Haley), well today I discovered the blog of another woman, Ana(the Painting Mum), a Polish miniature painting artist.  Here is a link to her Cool Mini Or Not contributions.

Here's a photo of one of her pieces(be sure to follow the link and visit her amazing work, I dare you to not be impressed!)...

Visit Ana's blog to this mini in greater detail!

Figure Feature: Mannikins & Sentry Stone

The druids of Orboros are known for their constructs.  Though the stone wolds are the more famous of their creations, the wooden Mannikins and their Sentry Stones are feared as well!

I love this little unit(yes unit...why is it still under 'solos' on the PP site?).  You have to love the character of these sculpts...
(click on images for large versions)

And I have to show them in 'dancing' formation...

Here's a look at just the Mannikins(I love the head sculpts!)...

And just the Sentry Stone...

Thanks for taking a look!

Oh, and as a die hard League of Legends player, I have to point out that...

'Fiddlesticks' was inspired by the PP Mannikins(in my humble opinion!).

Figure Feature: Widowmaker Marksman

Well, as the Widowmakers are all "marksmen", to be singled out as a "Marksmen" amongst marksmen...you must be something special.  Although he's a nice little solo, I plan to make him the "5th man" in my Widowmakers unit.

I waffled on what color to paint his armor plating...Khador Red seemed too conspicuous for a guy trying to be a stealthy sniper.  However, in the end, I went with it...my story being that he has been dragged out a Widowmaker Military Academy(where he is an instructor) for an emergency assignment(kind of like Thorwald being from sniper school to hunt Zaitsev at Stalingrad).  

Here he is...

The bronze Metallics are mainly by Howard's Hues*Bronze and Gold) with the steel hues mainly old Reaper Pro Series(paint pots) and even a very old Ral Partha silver!

Figure Feature: Tharn Bloodtrackers

Tribal allies of Circle Orboros, the Tharn Bloodtrackers are female warriors who are swift-footed spear-throwers.  They will make a nice addition to my Baldur army as they will enjoy the damage buff that he conveys as well as his armor bonus(Stone Skin).

Here's my version of the unit...

I gave the leader of the unit a streak of red in her hair...you have to love her howling war cry pose...

Here is a shot of one of the warriors for a closer look at how I did their bases.  The grass are tufts by The Army Painter and the flora are bits of a an old wedding bouquet that was on clearance at a local craft store...

One thing to note about a little "fix up" did with the painting(in case this ever happens to you):
I wanted my Bloodtrackers to have pale skin as shown by PP but after painting and highlighting I found that I'd gone too far...and their flesh was more white than anything else.  To fix this I made a very watered-down glaze of P3 Red Ink and washed it over the skin areas...presto...a more normal color without having to start the whole painting process over again!

I Spy Game(Work in Progress) #1

O.K., in a new blog installment, let's play "I Spy".  What work-in-progress minis can you identify on my painting desk?  Let's put your Privateer Press miniature knowledge to the test!  Bonus points will be awarded for identifying the non-Privateer Press minis on the right hand side. Click on the image for a larger picture...

Add you guesses in the comments section...

Figure Feature: The Piper of Ord...

I hear music when I see this figure...really...o.k., not really.  However, Rhupert Carvolo(The Piper of Ord) does, in game, get to choose from three songs to play to boost friendly units.  His "Dirge of Mists" grant a defense bonus to allies(and terrorizes foes), his "Heroic Call" tune grants Fearless and Tough, while his "march" song grants Pathfinder to friendlies.  He's a great addition to a Merc army(or 'paying' faction) and I love the figure.  The metallics are Howard's Hues which I love(not many fantasy gamers use them but a lot of Historical Wargamers know the paint line well)...

Figure Feature: The Good Nyss

Well those of you who know the Hordes lore know that most of the Nyss(Dark Elves) were blighted with evil.  Well, I love the story of the "good Nyss", Cylena Raefyll and the Nyss Hunters....who escaped the blight and now fight for coin.

The Nyss are tricky because they have black body armor...and making the details 'pop' is a challenge.  I actually base-coated the figures black and then dry-brushed(YES, dry-brushed!) the figures with a medium grey.  To clean up the dry brush strokes and darken the armor plates back up, I went in and blocked in the inner surfaces of the armor with flat black. The bases included some hand made rocky outcroppings crafted from modelling clay, and set in place with Mod Podge(otherwise they dry up, crumble or slide off the plastic base).

Come on Privateer Press, we want more nice Nyss models such as these...

 

Post Hiatus Momentum...

...yeah that post title sounds like a Harry Potter spell doesn't it?  Seriously, it has been many months since I posted and there's a good reason...I haven't painted for many months.  I used to fight it, but I've learned to accept that I'm a "hobby in spurts" kind of guy.  There are sometimes four month periods where I churn out dozens of painted models, and then I need a few months downtime to recuperate...then the cycle starts over again.  The only downside is that I don't want to let people down who follow this blog...but...well, it's how I do it. 

Anyways, here are my latest figures(excuse the rust, I'm getting my painting mojo back gradually)...
(Click on pictures for slightly larger images)

Herne & Jonne(Warmachine Mercenary Unit)...

Runebearer(Trollblood Warlock Attachment Solo)...

Trollblood Skinner(Trollblood Solo)...

Druid Wilder(Circle Orboros Solo)...

Baldur the Stonecleaver(Circle Orboros Warlock)...

Megalith(Circle Orboros Character Warbeast(Wold))...

Well that's it for now, but I've got a Circle Orboros unit on the front burner that I'll be posting pics of when they're done.  Thanks for viewing!