tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37586134448776442202024-03-13T00:32:00.757-03:00Void SpacesVoid Spaces is intended as a living documentation of my involvement in the miniature painting and modelling hobby. My intentions with are both altruistic and selfish. By sharing my projects with the online commuinity I hope to open a dialogue and facilitate exchanges of ideas and inspiration with other like-minded hobbyists. horridpersonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14258055637085320233noreply@blogger.comBlogger106125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3758613444877644220.post-56323591951100552802019-05-29T15:20:00.000-03:002019-05-29T15:20:15.732-03:00Dead in the Water? Decorating TWD Dashboards<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Idt6O_VO82k/XO7NMPJ2fGI/AAAAAAAACgY/mCpdcvyw0Y8XMTVZ_0iO8CV2iAiUSclrACLcBGAs/s1600/zombie.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="332" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Idt6O_VO82k/XO7NMPJ2fGI/AAAAAAAACgY/mCpdcvyw0Y8XMTVZ_0iO8CV2iAiUSclrACLcBGAs/s400/zombie.png" width="221" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Hello. It's been a while. No I didn't have a hobby meltdown that saw me breaking my brushes and employing my number sevens Roman bath style. I have dropped the ball something terrible concerning my blogging commitment for the year but feel little guilt for it. Maybe I'm not one for the numbers and they are poor motivation. It could be that I have regularly been posting WIP and finished projects across alternate media platforms. Facebook groups remain and easy way to indulge my habit of alternating different "flavor" projects, and there is Instagram. Honestly I hate that platform and rarely remember to upload pictures. I hate the interface too but that's another story.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-c0w1u0iFkOk/XO7LWuxnWFI/AAAAAAAACfw/HtbIaWPdN40XvQm3vMfMO0HzAhctbDbfwCEwYBhgL/s1600/20190529_145720.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-c0w1u0iFkOk/XO7LWuxnWFI/AAAAAAAACfw/HtbIaWPdN40XvQm3vMfMO0HzAhctbDbfwCEwYBhgL/s640/20190529_145720.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Guilt is a wonderful spur. When I say I will do something I like to think I'm a man of my word and have to admit that I failed miserably in keeping it. Too long ago I posted a shot of some dashboards I had ordered from Warped Mind Games on Etsy. Some time before that someone had presented their own embellished dashboards and I set out to make something similar. Mission accomplished I presented what I come up with and Christopher Yeun asked if I'd share how I did it. I said I would then forgot about, and again! Christopher, if you are reading this, I'm sorry.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-r3vsdE7PMtQ/XO7LWqYP2NI/AAAAAAAACgI/diJTapwCd7kxht00p1PBRwk9QT-ZwZ1MgCEwYBhgL/s1600/20190529_145732.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-r3vsdE7PMtQ/XO7LWqYP2NI/AAAAAAAACgI/diJTapwCd7kxht00p1PBRwk9QT-ZwZ1MgCEwYBhgL/s640/20190529_145732.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">If you know someone who is into scrapbooking be nice to them. They probably have all the tools you will need to complete this project with a greater degree of ease and competency than I could manage. The two essentials for the project are MDF character dashboards and a supply of Walking Dead comics you don't mind cutting up. I'd suggest purchasing some of the graphic novel compilations second hand. You get a lot of panel art on higher bond weight paper than the comics and could potentially get them for a steal. I managed to grab the run of volumes 1-25 for $50! Be willing to shop around and save yourself a ton. Since I already owned volumes 1 and 3 these doubles became the panel donors.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-MBU6R_XaTEo/XO7JhGxT5MI/AAAAAAAACfM/o14jIgCr7r4L3VrTI8txHdb9BnDO_hR4gCEwYBhgL/s1600/20190529_145534.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-MBU6R_XaTEo/XO7JhGxT5MI/AAAAAAAACfM/o14jIgCr7r4L3VrTI8txHdb9BnDO_hR4gCEwYBhgL/s640/20190529_145534.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">TOOLS</span></div>
<ul style="text-align: justify;">
<li><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Scissors or preferably a straight edge and hobby knife</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Modge Podge by Plaid, A waterbased sealer (Essentially pre-diluted PVA for crafting projects)</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Carpenter's Glue (Great for joining the two part MDF frames together)</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">A good sized paintbrush you don't mind getting covered in glue </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">A pencil (for marking the space covered by the top MDF frame prior to layout)</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Black paint (Preferably spray or airbrush for a neater "commercial" finish but brush works fine.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">A pile of books to weigh down the MDF when you glue the parts (good bond and prevent warping!!!) </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">A sealer of your choice when all the work is done. Matt, Gloss, Semi (Whatever floats your boat)</span></li>
</ul>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-XLjzbMOga1c/XO7LWvtyr7I/AAAAAAAACgE/cmga3JP5Hv8u4gIOt8Kx5ZW1E4kOCLTdQCEwYBhgL/s1600/20190529_145743.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-XLjzbMOga1c/XO7LWvtyr7I/AAAAAAAACgE/cmga3JP5Hv8u4gIOt8Kx5ZW1E4kOCLTdQCEwYBhgL/s640/20190529_145743.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">LAYOUT</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">I think this is the most important part for making something you think looks cool and it isn't even the bit that's going to get you hands covered in sticky crap! Take your time to think about it and have fun with it. There are all sorts of different methods you can use to present your panels. You can arrange them in a sequence that appears as though a story is being told with the panels you cut out. Or you could pick some of the full page spreads and dominate the space with them. You could place small panels in large spaces and black out the area around them creating your own "panel lines". The absolutes to consider are that the faceplate of the MDF dashboard will cover parts of your panel art depending on where your place them on the backplate and that the splines can be used as panel borders so it can be a good thing to choose pieces of art that will fit them. It's easiest to cut a whole bunch of panels from the sacrificial graphic novels and then just try them out in various positions until you find ones that you like.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-yEPOx-vAr3c/XO7LXTjK2DI/AAAAAAAACgI/Y4uGZw2_kDIWBE3rpypyfxl2f0RdHOfVACEwYBhgL/s1600/20190529_145754.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-yEPOx-vAr3c/XO7LXTjK2DI/AAAAAAAACgI/Y4uGZw2_kDIWBE3rpypyfxl2f0RdHOfVACEwYBhgL/s640/20190529_145754.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">MAKING A MESS</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">So you planned where you want things to go and allowed for the coverage of the front plates splines. Excellent! Lets get at it. You might save yourself some time pre-painting the MDF backplate black prior to gluing down your panel art. I didn't and had to work around my panels after the fact. Once the plate is ready apply thin coats of modge podge to it and the backs of your cut panels. Don't cover the plate! Just in the general area where you want your panel to lie. You would probably be fine just applying the modge podge to the back of the cut panel anyway but I was being a glue pig. Position the panels where you want them on the plate. I used my hands (sticky work) but you might know the scrapbooker I mentioned earlier and use a squigee tool they might have instead. Work from the center of you cut panel and try to work the air bubbles and creases out. Once all of you panels are in position and to your liking give the whole plate a thin overcoat with the brush again. Alllowing what you have already done to dry paint the face of the front plate black (bonus points for doing this when you sprayed your backplate). Apply a thin coat of carpenter's glue to the back. Position it in place on top of the frame, then weigh it down with the books. Hopefully the MDF frames will have bonded (check the thin splines) once you have allowed it to dry. If it's all good complete the project with a final spray seal and you should have some snazzy looking custom dashboards of your own. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-8a1y-jeQwvE/XO7LYb3P2fI/AAAAAAAACgQ/YXF5QAteTksXcGjNCu2NVJdH89t0YKlLQCEwYBhgL/s1600/20190529_145817.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-8a1y-jeQwvE/XO7LYb3P2fI/AAAAAAAACgQ/YXF5QAteTksXcGjNCu2NVJdH89t0YKlLQCEwYBhgL/s640/20190529_145817.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"> </span></div>
horridpersonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14258055637085320233noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3758613444877644220.post-70426203207203971832019-02-28T23:46:00.002-04:002019-02-28T23:46:49.705-04:00Breaking Eggs and Omlettes: Hobby Space Reclamation<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-TGeBq3A0nq0/XHioqCE7IPI/AAAAAAAACdQ/Ro1KO50mJPA1NMEjjF9WTVIPpILUvEaXgCEwYBhgL/s1600/eggstitlecard.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="426" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-TGeBq3A0nq0/XHioqCE7IPI/AAAAAAAACdQ/Ro1KO50mJPA1NMEjjF9WTVIPpILUvEaXgCEwYBhgL/s640/eggstitlecard.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">As I write this the sands are running low for another monthly blog quota. February always come to a rather abrupt halt but this time around I was indecisive about what I wanted to share. I could have easily run up the contents of the Here's Negan game, babbled about the armoured additions to my SS force, or done a reasonable report on Blood Red Skies because I had some fun painting up some pretty cool little planes.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br /></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Vgs7E9prwVQ/XHipe1FFR3I/AAAAAAAACdo/-zpk16RDcrU15thgFxo8fdt4yD0ko61sACEwYBhgL/s1600/20190228_225035.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Vgs7E9prwVQ/XHipe1FFR3I/AAAAAAAACdo/-zpk16RDcrU15thgFxo8fdt4yD0ko61sACEwYBhgL/s640/20190228_225035.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Complacency is orderly. In flux but moving Forward.</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Instead I dispensed with all things enjoyable and decided to ramble about something I dislike and have a great deal of difficulty with. Organization. I don't remember when I posted my my diatribe on organization but I remember sharing the concept of an organic workspace; One that "grows" and is shaped by tasks undertaken. A busy bench can be messy but even the most organized hobby space is going to shift over time as the owner branches into unfamiliar territory.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br /></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Bqgo4Ba5k04/XHipelybyLI/AAAAAAAACdw/o4_8FYtfQCAHsDr1-ejYJ54LBARc9q-ygCEwYBhgL/s1600/20190228_225103.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Bqgo4Ba5k04/XHipelybyLI/AAAAAAAACdw/o4_8FYtfQCAHsDr1-ejYJ54LBARc9q-ygCEwYBhgL/s640/20190228_225103.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Spartan and full of emptiness.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">The latter guy isn't me but I have run into some issues recently because I have been expanding my hobby repertoire. Airbrush work is messy if you don't know what you are doing and I don't really know what I'm doing; Yet. My set up is still very modest but I've had to move some things around and gather some additional consumables to take advantage of the new to me technology. Operation isn't too bad. It took me a while to get a feel for the performance of my brush and compressor and determine a dependable working viscosity for the paint but I eventually I got there. As far as mess making and accidentally repainting the space I'm OK. I've done commercial and industrial painting outside hobby so I'm solid for masking and containing overspray. I have had to adapt to how quickly (comparatively) acrylics can cure and foul the brush compared to enamels and am amazed how much waste water I accumulate throughout a paint job.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-DlT7eWe8wJE/XHipe0uTyOI/AAAAAAAACdw/lnqm-PV1bKkf59IlplukihgyGQyFamvRgCEwYBhgL/s1600/20190228_225359.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-DlT7eWe8wJE/XHipe0uTyOI/AAAAAAAACdw/lnqm-PV1bKkf59IlplukihgyGQyFamvRgCEwYBhgL/s640/20190228_225359.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">If you can't build out build up.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">One of the areas I mentioned that had become an issue in the annual was space for painted and completed projects. As it was I lacked "finished" miniature storage and had built a log jam of mixed models that was starting to confound my work flow. I have stated before I regret spending hobby money on game rules when I could be buying cool models and paint and that goes double for storage solutions. I picked up two Detolf cabinets. I bought one new at Ikea and picked up another second hand which was just as nice and a real bargain. Getting it was a much nicer experience too. Pictured above are the two cabinets. They go a long way to addressing the problem but storage space is still at a premim and I can't fit all the minis in. Fortunately there are after market kits to add shelving to Detolf rigs. Once I place an order I should be able to get all my models in there, out of the way and have some room to grow. If I'm lucky I'll be able to stash some terrain in there and create some scenes to amuse the cat.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-f_dAUNzpy_I/XHipfRCF-qI/AAAAAAAACds/-Wk47o7Rqyc8daUaK6ODHTccustPp6s0gCEwYBhgL/s1600/20190228_225518.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-f_dAUNzpy_I/XHipfRCF-qI/AAAAAAAACds/-Wk47o7Rqyc8daUaK6ODHTccustPp6s0gCEwYBhgL/s640/20190228_225518.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">What's all this then? Rules for miniatures?</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"> </span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Organization and rules? Could things get any worse? I grouse about it but I'm actually quite happy to be sorting things out. I finally go around to doing some sorting of gaming materials. In addition to The Walking Dead I've been gathering stuff for a couple systems that utilize cards and invested in some carriers to house and catalogue them. In the case of TWD most of the material is now orderly enough that I even I could lay out a game rather quickly instead of shuffling and cursing as I normally would. Up to this point I haven't provided any progress reports on the state of my TWD project fo the year but this bit of itemizing constitutes the tip of an iceberg I hope will provide more intersting revelations in time. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-kZgl0EZFynk/XHip860tBGI/AAAAAAAACeA/6JM5gdafbEo5cGHoxeG1c_ay208-acYewCEwYBhgL/s1600/20190228_232823.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-kZgl0EZFynk/XHip860tBGI/AAAAAAAACeA/6JM5gdafbEo5cGHoxeG1c_ay208-acYewCEwYBhgL/s640/20190228_232823.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Somewhat repentant hobby hoarder.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">At present things are pretty messy but that the crux of the title for this post. To make things orderly you have to tear them down. For the time being things are in a state of flux but I would like to think that they will improve dramatically over the next month or two. I'd like to think it's almost time for some Spring cleaning because this winter has been plain nasty. </span></div>
horridpersonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14258055637085320233noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3758613444877644220.post-84762872395318219922019-02-23T08:12:00.000-04:002019-02-23T08:12:18.074-04:00The Most Dangerous Man in Europe- Bolt Action<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-PlvjKKFc4Hw/XHEQ331eIDI/AAAAAAAACcU/FIVK83De4UgePZt1b24ayojbMRxNuinUACEwYBhgL/s1600/dangerousmantitlecard.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="590" data-original-width="700" height="538" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-PlvjKKFc4Hw/XHEQ331eIDI/AAAAAAAACcU/FIVK83De4UgePZt1b24ayojbMRxNuinUACEwYBhgL/s640/dangerousmantitlecard.png" width="640" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">I've been coveting the Stoessi's Heroes figures for a while now. It's an exceptional range of miniatures based on notable persons from both the Axis and Allied powers during the Second World War. Recently I made my first order and before even opening it was impressed by the excellent service and rapid delivery of the package.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-3bLdONRGefQ/XHEYq3qGUEI/AAAAAAAACcg/hR9Xl7Zo0gA-C47xco-5e0H-LDRpU8pfQCEwYBhgL/s1600/otto1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1072" data-original-width="1440" height="476" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-3bLdONRGefQ/XHEYq3qGUEI/AAAAAAAACcg/hR9Xl7Zo0gA-C47xco-5e0H-LDRpU8pfQCEwYBhgL/s640/otto1.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">The three models themselves are wonderful, characterful sculpts demonstrating the artist's deft hand, eye for detail and passion for the subject. The castings were crisp and technically sound with minimal flash. I started with the Otto Skorzeny figure and decided to paint him as pictured in the Osprey plate above. The illustration is based on a photograph of taken in February 1945 at the Schwedt bridgehead.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-LCKgz8SHesY/XHEYlZqyNSI/AAAAAAAACck/AOOY8QDPxfomP-ycbATHFZj2MofxvfHIwCEwYBhgL/s1600/otto2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="714" data-original-width="960" height="476" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-LCKgz8SHesY/XHEYlZqyNSI/AAAAAAAACck/AOOY8QDPxfomP-ycbATHFZj2MofxvfHIwCEwYBhgL/s640/otto2.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">You may notice the figure by the Osprey plate is painted in sand tones. I hadn't tackled pea pattern camouflage before and faced it with some trepidation. I knew that the colours would have to be diffused in order to make the various elements muddle together properly so I applied the scheme as glazes and thinned painted over the neutral canvas. An orange brown glaze was painted over the sand coloured base colours. This was followed up with "peas" of thinned brown rose. Of all the work I did on the figure these stages were definitely what I was most proud of. It's a shame because I dropped the ball adding the brown striping over top of my best work! The chocolate brown I chose as the outline to the black brown markings didn't have sufficient contrast to stand out. While I will happily use the glaze and peas recipe again I must reconsider where I went wrong. If I try to reproduce the whole pattern on other figures I will try a flat earth outline around the black brown which should provide enough separation that the two distinct tones will read more clearly. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
</div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-86LMkgb4Ypc/XHEQqiCP-gI/AAAAAAAACcQ/qITpvbQcjGUVYgj_VykSqiv8T4VxRX_MgCEwYBhgL/s1600/ottodanger%2B012.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-86LMkgb4Ypc/XHEQqiCP-gI/AAAAAAAACcQ/qITpvbQcjGUVYgj_VykSqiv8T4VxRX_MgCEwYBhgL/s640/ottodanger%2B012.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">To finish the model I went to work on the base. Prior to priming the figure I had used a Greenstuffworld roller to make a cobble pattern on the epoxy groundwork. I enjoy working with Warlord's shallow lipped 25s. The "pan" gives you some room to build a little earth up and the lip enframes it all, and it still manages to present a low profile on the table. The roller impressions look good but I've always felt the joins looked a bit artificial. Turns out that was on me. I recently started playing with pigments again. I'd never been happy with the seemingly random results but tried two techniques that I think worked out all right. I premixed a dun coloured pigment with alcohol and applied it to the joins. The medium seeped the material into the cracks and once it dried looked fairly convincing. I also drybrushed a brick dust mixture onto the deep red brick and detritus I added to the base. With very little effort I was impressed by the result. I had been looking for a basing solution that suggested urban fighting and will probably be adopting this method across the Hohenstaufen project.</span><br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-vNWqvwhUQBY/XHEv9nEEXeI/AAAAAAAACdA/dNZ74PlWzA0SKQKPPE2EFJ9is5PjxHX2QCEwYBhgL/s1600/20190223_073234.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-vNWqvwhUQBY/XHEv9nEEXeI/AAAAAAAACdA/dNZ74PlWzA0SKQKPPE2EFJ9is5PjxHX2QCEwYBhgL/s640/20190223_073234.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">In Bolt Action the figure would make an excellent officer to lead Hohenstaufen. I wouldn't want to use him as Skorzeny himself because it would just seem odd. K-47 is another matter entirely. Such a larger than life character begs to be part of a pulp/alt history timeline. With the Reich still standing in '47 his exploits would be fuel for the propaganda machine. In dark mirror moment for the Golden Age of Radio I imagine boys dressed in Hitler Youth uniforms crowded around a vintage radio and listening intently to the Sturmmann Skorzeny Adventure Hour. I could see him as CO of an SS Shocktrooper Division.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-JmGNSv0P7yM/XHEQm2FSKlI/AAAAAAAACcA/EczMpIjxG48GbNvYdrm3hylJps30o3R1wCEwYBhgL/s1600/ottodanger%2B001.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-JmGNSv0P7yM/XHEQm2FSKlI/AAAAAAAACcA/EczMpIjxG48GbNvYdrm3hylJps30o3R1wCEwYBhgL/s640/ottodanger%2B001.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">After completing Skorzney I still have Walter Koch and Mariya Oktyabrska to paint. I intend to use the Koch model as an officer should I decide to expand my German forces with Fallschirmjagers. Depending on our success later this year with a campaign in Western Europe we have been considering Africa or the Med as a theatre and the airborne would be my force of choice. Oktyabrska is nearer in the painting queue. I would probably have painted her already but I would hate to add the crew version of her to a tank that is already well on the way to completion. As soon as I acquire another T-34 it has her name on it. I shouldn't be looking before I have these new additions completed but I hope to order Simone Segouin and Nancy Wake at some point. The SOE agent and Resistance fighter in their civilian dress would be a welcome diversion from all of the uniforms I've been painting lately.</span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-exZF5JMeCoY/XHEv9zr1LgI/AAAAAAAACc4/fEquMsZulwsdt4aK_ApIIwKX8dbBshmXgCLcBGAs/s1600/20190223_073208.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-exZF5JMeCoY/XHEv9zr1LgI/AAAAAAAACc4/fEquMsZulwsdt4aK_ApIIwKX8dbBshmXgCLcBGAs/s640/20190223_073208.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
</div>
horridpersonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14258055637085320233noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3758613444877644220.post-57655593906312006002019-01-20T18:54:00.001-04:002019-01-21T08:02:36.387-04:00Painting the Masses- Soviet Paint Plan<div style="text-align: justify;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-cx8ouBWXXlw/XET8BKXTM-I/AAAAAAAACaU/5nS2OQpvj-4PT2ayOGOXEdYfqBAM9OmxACLcBGAs/s1600/sovietpainttitlecard.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1134" data-original-width="1600" height="452" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-cx8ouBWXXlw/XET8BKXTM-I/AAAAAAAACaU/5nS2OQpvj-4PT2ayOGOXEdYfqBAM9OmxACLcBGAs/s640/sovietpainttitlecard.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Since December I've been churning out Soviet infantry at a steady rate in preparation for the Bolt Action campaign my gaming group is planning for later in the year. Likely the Fall to accommodate life on the part of other participants. This is why low maintenance cats make the best families and children. I'm very pleased "D Day" is far off because it gives me a long timeline to completely finish two Bolt Action armies as well as build a terrain set I hope will be worthy of playing on. Painting WW2 also gives me excuse to explore history in the guise of research for the project. On the back burner are considerations for developing a campaign system around the one off engagements that encapsulate the Allied push into Fortress Europe and developing a Weird War 2 setting that offers everyone cool and interesting variant units while still appealing to my sensibilities of the genre.</span></div>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-7azZXYxtkfE/XET7IU028fI/AAAAAAAACaE/cCoCi6h1xkISfgKPL6rLX-sF7bk1L5KFwCEwYBhgL/s1600/finishsovietpaint.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-7azZXYxtkfE/XET7IU028fI/AAAAAAAACaE/cCoCi6h1xkISfgKPL6rLX-sF7bk1L5KFwCEwYBhgL/s640/finishsovietpaint.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
</div>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">I have been posting my progress on the painting groups I participate in and was asked what colours I had been using to paint the models. The models aren't my best work or especially polished but it still wasn't surprising because the colours of the Red Army aren't so clearly defined or as popular as some of the other forces. Most of the guides contradict one another at some point because production was decentralized over such vast areas so a universal standard didn't really exist.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-sK0PgbqEwbs/XETN4vsJKoI/AAAAAAAACZw/ilLsqc2X1wk428n1SZNgPYASiYClvRlLACEwYBhgL/s1600/20190118_172537.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-sK0PgbqEwbs/XETN4vsJKoI/AAAAAAAACZw/ilLsqc2X1wk428n1SZNgPYASiYClvRlLACEwYBhgL/s640/20190118_172537.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">With most of my models painted I was short subjects but managed to dig up two officers I had remaining from a second HQ I'd pilfered the nurse from. Included is a step by step documenting the colours but more importantly it's organized for efficiently painting multiple models. When it comes to painting I don't believe in cutting corners; I prefer to engage my slacker tendencies at work or other pursuits I don't care about but feel obliged to perform. Painting efficiencies are all about knowing the painting process of a model and building a plan that capitalizes on colour choices and coverage to speed it up. Go big. My preference is one model at a time but that doesn't work. I used to have a ceiling of 5 models or so I found tolerable. Painting rank and file troops for Bolt Action I would suggest painting at least 10 models at a time or as many as 20. It sounds horrible I think so too but it gets things done.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-pKIkPsAa7dA/XETN4TPbffI/AAAAAAAACZw/gTfJsGeGPwwPPHJ23As6ium1pzeOxDebgCEwYBhgL/s1600/20190118_180941.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-pKIkPsAa7dA/XETN4TPbffI/AAAAAAAACZw/gTfJsGeGPwwPPHJ23As6ium1pzeOxDebgCEwYBhgL/s640/20190118_180941.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br />
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"> I started the paint with an almost complete paint of the base colours. From the first photo I started with khaki because it is a subdued colour that can be painted over easily. I wouldn't describe how I applied the paint as sloppy but I didn't take as much care as I might have had to if I used colours that require a lot of effort to overpaint. Khaki covered the bulk of the figure. I didn't worry about painting inside the lines. If I was painting many figures I would have painted all of them before moving on. I was more careful with the spot colours and maintained sufficient brush control to get them where they had to go.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-VFDdTgFAQRs/XETN4koPReI/AAAAAAAACZo/C-YcWsJH5XEybPNRBI0MGbf1x9_I2wcBQCEwYBhgL/s1600/20190118_184940.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-VFDdTgFAQRs/XETN4koPReI/AAAAAAAACZo/C-YcWsJH5XEybPNRBI0MGbf1x9_I2wcBQCEwYBhgL/s640/20190118_184940.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">The base coat was followed up with a pair of GW washes. I didn't overload the brush while dealing with the flesh; Just tried to hit the recesses and outline the hands and facial features. I was more liberal with the Agrax Earthshade. I didn't just want to load the folds but apply a tint to all of the surfaces since I would be applying a layer of khaki a second time and wanted it to stand out as distinctive from the base.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-pLsh7LLzjSI/XETN5EpeDoI/AAAAAAAACZw/mdXLxzK6iKQqcJeVLPwIMbiNDtFK2ydtACEwYBhgL/s1600/20190118_205643.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-pLsh7LLzjSI/XETN5EpeDoI/AAAAAAAACZw/mdXLxzK6iKQqcJeVLPwIMbiNDtFK2ydtACEwYBhgL/s640/20190118_205643.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Here are the figures with a single layer over most of them. Notice I only used black to mark the facial features; Eyes and mouth. I do this in case I mess up badly and need to clean a black mess off of the face. Having the flesh paint on the palette at the ready means I can respond quickly with a fix. If enough of a mess happens a single coat may not fix the error completely but it will prep the problem area for a flesh fix later in the process. Any time I add fine details like this I try to be careful because fixing mistakes with such a strong colour is a hassle.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-j3c6DkEJXno/XETN5U8H8cI/AAAAAAAACZs/JLHFx9xtKk4mjfnkQrClkWVjBt2xeA5XgCEwYBhgL/s1600/20190118_212213.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-j3c6DkEJXno/XETN5U8H8cI/AAAAAAAACZs/JLHFx9xtKk4mjfnkQrClkWVjBt2xeA5XgCEwYBhgL/s640/20190118_212213.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">I use camo beige as a secondary highlight on the uniforms. The Japanese uniform and orange are for the wood grain and leather respectively. Just recently I realized that there was much less brown leather involved worn by the Soviets. After a review of photos and colour plates I realized I'd been wrong the entire time I'd been painting my figures and much of that leather was rough canvas. I don't look forward to fixing all of that webbing and rifle slings but I'll get at it at some point. This is a great example of why research should proceed making a panting plan! If I remember right the single source I used for painting my early models was someone's figure collection I saw online. I thought it looked good but didn't bother confirming it was accurate. In a way I'm happier for it. canvas straps paint up much faster than leather effects. These HQ figures are an exception to this issue as the officers had more leather accoutrements.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-HMhxGzZHGes/XETN5sITV9I/AAAAAAAACZ0/FQMQKwMd_jw5ROIoCvpws2FidBYq8TnzwCEwYBhgL/s1600/20190118_222833.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-HMhxGzZHGes/XETN5sITV9I/AAAAAAAACZ0/FQMQKwMd_jw5ROIoCvpws2FidBYq8TnzwCEwYBhgL/s640/20190118_222833.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">By this point I hit the third highlight and things started coming together, GW's khaki edge is a solid time saver. Earlier on I'd been tinting Khaki or Cam beige to achieve a final highlight. Sand completed the paint on the leather. The green of the helmet was a bit of a mix up. I normally use Vallejo 70.967 Olive Green to apply layers and a highlight to the Luftwaffe green helmets. Since I was out and about I didn't have that luxury but Nurgling Green did in a pinch. Just a touch of it cut with the base colour provided the layer and adding a bit more provided the highlight. Right at the end of the paint process comes the black. It's an absolute that covers a multitude of sins. Whenever I see black on a figure dividing areas Of different colours I relax a bit. I can work a little faster and spare a bit of accuracy because I can overpaint into the area that will be black with impunity. With it being primarily spot work I had to exercise some care. Doing the fine work in one go is easier for me because I'm not moving between precision and sweeping strokes.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-XRFJazhz_6Y/XETN5ng-kJI/AAAAAAAACZ4/mFN8E4LRO5UhAKrZE--V6q113tMBpeseACEwYBhgL/s1600/20190118_224011.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-XRFJazhz_6Y/XETN5ng-kJI/AAAAAAAACZ4/mFN8E4LRO5UhAKrZE--V6q113tMBpeseACEwYBhgL/s640/20190118_224011.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Smoke and woodgrain washes tint the leather and butts of weapons. I like the effect but find the woodgrain a bit much; Like a rich cherry or mahogany. It seems a bit much for the utilitarian Soviets. I recently picked up a more natural tint and may try it out instead. What could be more wonderful than more repaints?</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-pWXup0Uk5d4/XETN5xaICWI/AAAAAAAACZ4/Z4euc-a7vr4zJzKtlQenvKbcbPmAqd_cACEwYBhgL/s1600/20190119_022950.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-pWXup0Uk5d4/XETN5xaICWI/AAAAAAAACZ4/Z4euc-a7vr4zJzKtlQenvKbcbPmAqd_cACEwYBhgL/s640/20190119_022950.jpg" width="640" /> </a></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">I still haven't added the black-grey highlights or painted buttons or buckles but this is close to a stopping point for a rank and file model. The flesh is clearly layered and has depth even if it isn't particularly lifelike on close examination. I leave it like this so I can come back to it when I'm feeling it. I enjoy playing around with glazes to vary flesh tones and bring more realism to them and a neutral tone like this is easy to work over. Hopefully the colour guide will help if you intend to paint Soviets of your own but the organization of your painting process can be applied to any painting project and is the better takeaway from this post in my opinion. </span></div>
horridpersonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14258055637085320233noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3758613444877644220.post-5919129969274678662019-01-08T01:10:00.000-04:002019-01-08T01:10:24.843-04:00Crappy Deathtraps = Huge Logistics: 2019 Hobby Plan Part 3<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-kKtc99EIBek/XDQvqjz48SI/AAAAAAAACY4/4IjGpej7VwMBy08usexFoIiykweNtWbnACEwYBhgL/s1600/Detective_Comics_311.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1075" height="640" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-kKtc99EIBek/XDQvqjz48SI/AAAAAAAACY4/4IjGpej7VwMBy08usexFoIiykweNtWbnACEwYBhgL/s640/Detective_Comics_311.jpg" width="428" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Making stuff, painting and maybe even a bit of gaming are the parts of the hobby I enjoy the most but beneath the acrylic and dullcote there are other tasks that aren't that much fun executing but are the necessary evils that keep the fun bits rolling and running as they should be. I suppose it's like every year where I have ambitions and things that I hope to do. This time around might require a bit more logistical support to keep everything rolling so doing a quick examination of the, "not fun" parts and looking at how they fit into the grand scheme of things seem warranted.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-sflIAL3E_q8/XDQl4gyiMkI/AAAAAAAACYI/RkjLApevDAItayMBEjSzcZBy3yJT957MwCLcBGAs/s1600/coldhardnumbers.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="392" data-original-width="773" height="324" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-sflIAL3E_q8/XDQl4gyiMkI/AAAAAAAACYI/RkjLApevDAItayMBEjSzcZBy3yJT957MwCLcBGAs/s640/coldhardnumbers.PNG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Void Space Stats. The August peak was an all time high in viewing department.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Void Spaces turned 6 as 2018 winded down. I feel that the blog has improved significantly; Particularly in the last couple years. I also find it to be a bit of chore but it's one of those sideline tasks that support my practical hobby and that makes it worthwhile. I threw some numbers out in the review but they are small change until to paraphrase Iron Maiden you realize it, "Is a human number". With 50k views, and 39 followers I probably have less than 10 people who comment with any regularity on posts. That's actually quite a lot. Having 10 people checking in and caring enough to say something, and express interest in something I'm passionate about is humbling. To anyone reading this I thank you for checking this out and if you happen to be someone who has commented on past articles you have made maintaining the blog worthwhile. I keep Void Spaces as an archive because my computer is dogshit and I hope to preserve a record of what I've been up to that's safe from my hard drive. It's also a place where I can share stuff I've been working on with other hobbyists. It's easier to stay motivated and productive when you connect with people who are excited about what they are doing as well. There is also a subtle pressure that comes from bragging about what I intend to do that goads me on when I'm having a slow period and can't muster the drive to get on with it. This year I have some plans for different content I hope to post on the blog but those were covered in the project specific parts of the plan. Here the only condition I'm applying is that I maintain 2 posts minimum a month. It's a realistic goal that I know I can reach and doesn't place an upper limit on content. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-or7i5YnxK58/XDQm13Vy50I/AAAAAAAACYU/ugBoRcbrFIIltdEZURb8wbdNjl8DArX1wCLcBGAs/s1600/20190108_001440.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-or7i5YnxK58/XDQm13Vy50I/AAAAAAAACYU/ugBoRcbrFIIltdEZURb8wbdNjl8DArX1wCLcBGAs/s640/20190108_001440.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ramblings. Part of it are set requirements to run the TWD story campaign.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Even the fun projects start out as drudgery and have a bunch of paperwork supporting them in the wings. Now more than ever I tend to carry a notebook with me when I'm out doing other things. Sometimes I'll have an idea that I might think will useful somewhere down the line and jot down a reminder or just a kernel of an idea. When I sit down to write a story piece to accompany some painted models this proves to be helpful. I often do full drafts because I hate writing on a computer screen and having already done the work on paper the electronic task is just a matter of transcription. For terrain pieces I usually do some doodles to get a general idea of where I'm going or just to see how some parts will fit together. Quality may vary from the crude to more drafted plans with proposed measurements. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-53Kkpvxac94/XDQq7xHWssI/AAAAAAAACYo/QCnq82MS5RIck6tHdmZ37M_li_8PoloYwCLcBGAs/s1600/20190108_004409.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-53Kkpvxac94/XDQq7xHWssI/AAAAAAAACYo/QCnq82MS5RIck6tHdmZ37M_li_8PoloYwCLcBGAs/s640/20190108_004409.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The peaks of Shame Mountain are high even when neatly packaged. Warhammer Death to be painted.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">The last area of the plan involves the dullest bits and the prospect of new shinys. These are the projects that are sitting fallow or new miniature project that result from me being a hobby magpie as much as a hobby butterfly. I look at them both as backups and filler when I get put off by the primary projects. Any second string projects provide a change of pace from the principles of 2019 and it's good to have backups that keep me making and painting. Models I already have that I can work at include AoS/ Warhammer Death, LotR Haradrim, Napoleonics, and some Battletech mechs. Possible new things that have caught my eye include the new Battletech launch, new Chaos Marines for 40k, and Blood Red Skies by Warlord Games. That's the wrap! With Hobby Plan 2019 featured it's time to stop forecasting and getting on with some hobby doing. Thanks for checking in and best in your 2019; Hobby and otherwise.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></div>
<br />horridpersonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14258055637085320233noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3758613444877644220.post-13850642258581357732019-01-03T15:08:00.000-04:002019-01-03T15:08:24.000-04:00The Plotting Dead: 2019 Hobby Plan Part 2<div style="text-align: justify;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-i-ZRgAVxBmE/XC2-4oEvKII/AAAAAAAACX0/AdDaEO333303fmbLfIdWhFfsaj1N0hGkQCLcBGAs/s1600/plottingdeadtitlecard.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="831" data-original-width="1549" height="342" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-i-ZRgAVxBmE/XC2-4oEvKII/AAAAAAAACX0/AdDaEO333303fmbLfIdWhFfsaj1N0hGkQCLcBGAs/s640/plottingdeadtitlecard.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Welcome to 2019's Hobby Plan Part 2. In previous plans I was able to say everything I wanted to say in a single paragraph per point but this time around some of my plans had more moving parts and required a bit more leg room. In this installment I prepare for another year of post apocalyptic undead mayhem. Mantic's The Walking Dead: All Out War has been a staple on this blog and in my hobby since late 2016 when I picked up a copy of the core set and started painting my first walkers. Over the years my horde, cast of survivors, and an associated collection of scenery and scatter terrain have all grown; But to what end? As much as I have painted and modeled I haven't actually done much with it all and in 2019 maybe it's time to take some risks and go the extra mile.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-0QQCmU3MWJM/XC26-NqWUyI/AAAAAAAACXo/7TrgJy81iXQMEd_aKx-aZRYCrfMY4fUvQCEwYBhgL/s1600/cynthianapd.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-0QQCmU3MWJM/XC26-NqWUyI/AAAAAAAACXo/7TrgJy81iXQMEd_aKx-aZRYCrfMY4fUvQCEwYBhgL/s640/cynthianapd.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Still wants for a roof but almost ready for a visit from Rick, Morgan, and Dwayne</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">So I made a lot of terrain. The problem here is that I cherry picked stuff I thought looked cool and didn't address it with any concern for sequential requirements. That means I have plenty of bits and bobs eating up space but still can't muster the hot scenery to put on a playthrough of the TWD story campaign. It's been one of my ambitions since picking up the game. I've only recently started organizing my collection for storage purposes and needed to take stock of what I have and determine what I need in order to present the story campaign with lots of bells and whistles. It's a big undertaking and I think it would be an unrealistic expectation to get the whole thing done in just a year but I am committing to giving it a go. If I can build what I need in order to advance the scenarios to the Greene family farm or if I were really fortunate the prison then I would happy with the results and pleased to self administer a high five at the end of the year.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Qu1gWUU_hzo/XCxVNgDaOeI/AAAAAAAACXE/R3_naITiiM4JMbk2MdOJNVYxShpJglP2QCEwYBhgL/s1600/twdbacklog.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Qu1gWUU_hzo/XCxVNgDaOeI/AAAAAAAACXE/R3_naITiiM4JMbk2MdOJNVYxShpJglP2QCEwYBhgL/s640/twdbacklog.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Backlog of models to be painted. Time to get at it.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">The landscape of TWD post wave 5 looks like it could be changing. Change is good. The game may be moving toward more free form competitive play but that doesn't means that it's the end of the story. Lets make up some stories! This part of the plan came from shoting the bull in the comments on the TWD Fanatics FB group. I enjoy telling stories and try to make content that is fun to check out but it also needs to be fun to produce. When someone expressed an interest in more stories it was something that grabbed my attention. The TWD universe is huge and with such a rich history there is a wealth of fodder to build scenarios around. I'm not just talking about the canon comic book universe. There are also rich possibilities in the both AMC shows (TWD and FtWD) as well as some interesting What if? scenarios that play on the classic Marvel trope that could make for some amazing gaming. The very nature of TWD story mode hinges on the distinct possibility of these swerves occurring during a playthrough so it's certainly an avenue worth exploring. This year I intend to present some scenarios on the blog that depict a plot arc from one of these alternate sources. It could be a run from one of the shows, a variation on comic canon or the last road trip of a man and his cat. I'm only planning on one and if this were a democracy I'd encourage you to vote in the comments but self proclaimed evil geniuses don't play like that.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-eYEGwY4mC3U/XC25EztIBJI/AAAAAAAACXc/fvfWdHOk4pAzNCtywCrxZKtBYG6-dCvBwCEwYBhgL/s1600/herenegan.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-eYEGwY4mC3U/XC25EztIBJI/AAAAAAAACXc/fvfWdHOk4pAzNCtywCrxZKtBYG6-dCvBwCEwYBhgL/s640/herenegan.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Skin foundations on the Saviors.</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Custom scenarios mean custom characters and why would I reduce myself to dull paperwork if it wasn't for the promise of making cool new models? Last year I added some custom figures to my collection and had a blast doing it. If I chose a scenario as a framework I could plan a shopping list of some characters to make along with determining the terrain/sets I would need which would make everything roll smoother. I have a few models that are begging to wear another hat and hope some of the Here's Negan crew come available without me picking up a second copy of the game. I have a scenario in mind but budget constraints may have me scraping for a backup. No harm done. Plan B could still be fairly cool anyway.</span></div>
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-PckmpPODey0/XC23mI--vtI/AAAAAAAACXU/lwxm-cbgWs0qqVYZLGYD9vtYkP1xrhpcQCEwYBhgL/s1600/2019walkers.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-PckmpPODey0/XC23mI--vtI/AAAAAAAACXU/lwxm-cbgWs0qqVYZLGYD9vtYkP1xrhpcQCEwYBhgL/s640/2019walkers.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hipster, Atlanta Cop, Cat Lady, and Goth Rocker. First Walkers of 2019.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Thanks for checking out the outline for my 2019 TWD content plan. With a little bit of luck, planning and diligence I think we can make this happen. If you read Part 1 of my hobby goals posts you may notice I have strayed away from numbers in both. I do have some goals for both of the projects but there are very few references to, "Must paint X number of things" in the New Year". Of course I plan to paint lots of stuff. I hope I can keep it together and devote a good portion of that output to these featured projects but I'm always willing to pick up something new if it grabs my attention. Another broad unspoken goal is to share simple tutorials when I can. When I find a way to do something better than I have been or some trick I found useful if I remember to document it during a build I will try to share it. This time around I am happy to have themes driving my hobby pursuits rather than making it a game of numbers.</span></div>
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></div>
<br />horridpersonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14258055637085320233noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3758613444877644220.post-59343914463325932472019-01-01T20:49:00.000-04:002019-01-01T22:20:52.576-04:00The Road To War : 2019 Hobby Plan Part 1<div style="text-align: center;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-xHH9BMMwJCQ/XCsQSdI2aeI/AAAAAAAACW4/Be9WUNW4_t8SO2DNdqnlobKT6vzv1cRegCLcBGAs/s1600/road2war2titlecard.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="857" data-original-width="1253" height="436" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-xHH9BMMwJCQ/XCsQSdI2aeI/AAAAAAAACW4/Be9WUNW4_t8SO2DNdqnlobKT6vzv1cRegCLcBGAs/s640/road2war2titlecard.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">I've mentioned it before but much of my interest in history and
Second World War came from reading my Grandfather's Time Life Books.
The titlecard for this blog entry is a homage to that series and one of my feature</span> projects this year is going to be Bolt Action. Stan approached me during Warlord's Black Friday sales in November and pitched playing some Bolt Action in 2019. I knew it was project I could get behind because I was already interested in the period and had done some modelling and painting of WW2 figures earlier in the year with my Soviets. I added my order to the rest and even as the models made their way to us we were already engaging in teamwork, collectively taking it in the face from the greedy bastards at customs. I take a lot of comfort in being part of a project rather than being the whole of one. It's much easier to work at something when everyone does their part and the end result is a collaboration. I have more fun when other people are excited about building around me. It's fuel for the fire and everyone feeds on, builds, and shares that energy that keeps everyone (Most importantly ME :D ) going. As it stands I have a bit of an advantage in the battle ready models department. I completed a healthy block of Soviet infantry last year and though I'm lacking in the armour and specialized support departments to date a healthy core of infantry is the heart of any army. My fellow belligerents were doubtless envious (and fearful!) of the already mighty Worker's and Peasants Army and elected to fight on the Western Front with Stan commanding the German Heer, Ian committing to the British Army and Dave choosing the Americans. All involved expressed particular interest in Market Garden and were probably guilty of watching A Bridge Too Far more than once.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Y5tXO5PBz-A/XCr-WPbS3oI/AAAAAAAACWQ/zdhyMriVjvEGK3LXPI14eA84Ugtyglg0wCEwYBhgL/s1600/20181231_055138.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Y5tXO5PBz-A/XCr-WPbS3oI/AAAAAAAACWQ/zdhyMriVjvEGK3LXPI14eA84Ugtyglg0wCEwYBhgL/s640/20181231_055138.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">These Soviet Winter HQ figures will likely be the first fully painted BA models I complete in 2019 .</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Fortunately I'm adaptable and already have a collection of models I had earmarked for a Weird War 2 project that never came to fruition. This gave me a fair sized group of SS troops to draw upon and repaint into a force that could join Stan's Heer in the field and square off against Allied Ian and Dave. It's serendipity that the leftovers I have complete the forces present at Market Garden. In the Weird War 2 setting I decided my force would be SS Division Quecksilber; A fictional late war division formed from Hitler Youth born in 1927 like Hitlerjugend which was formed in '43 and conscripted from youth born in 1926. Alternate history and weird war storytelling have always interested me so I'm hoping participating in "realistic" WW2 gaming might open the door for some weird war scenarios as well. In the real setting my army will be from Waffen-SS Division Hohenstaufen. The 9th SS division was formed in '43 and has less repugnant history than most other SS divisions. Their relatively palatable legacy and proximity/involvement in many post Overlord scenarios made them an excellent choice as an army to field. This effectively can place me on either side of the conflict. I don't expect the 4 player game will include my Soviets but I can still play with my Soviets and crush Stan's Heer on our own little Ostfront :D .</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-vGCiFRtCDzQ/XCr-WArl3LI/AAAAAAAACWk/HKdVe6OPKE4-tG6y-5pwU4Sqq33jIpgsQCEwYBhgL/s1600/20181231_081830.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-vGCiFRtCDzQ/XCr-WArl3LI/AAAAAAAACWk/HKdVe6OPKE4-tG6y-5pwU4Sqq33jIpgsQCEwYBhgL/s640/20181231_081830.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I tried a new basing method for these Soviet Winter plastics. Going for Stalingrad urban ruin vibe.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Picking up a new game involves breaking down and buying new rules as well as reading and learning them. A tall order for someone who looks at rule sets as squandering money that could be used for paint and new minis. I don't have them yet but already broke down and placed an order. I had some nice Chapters gift certificates from Christmas and found the main rules and Soviet army lists at a reasonable discount. It bit into new adds to my book collection but I still managed to pick up the Star Trek Stellar Cartography book I'd been eyeing for a while by paying the remainder out of pocket. Once I've had a read through I'm looking forward to learning a new game and giving it a try. It's nice to be trying a new rule set with other similarly new players where everyone is on the same page.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-F83d65ilXNU/XCr-W3-RJiI/AAAAAAAACWo/hHlFKhlfaVEDKHGAp4G3ti9V2k3HkWGgwCEwYBhgL/s1600/20190101_014003.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-F83d65ilXNU/XCr-W3-RJiI/AAAAAAAACWo/hHlFKhlfaVEDKHGAp4G3ti9V2k3HkWGgwCEwYBhgL/s640/20190101_014003.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hohenstaufen readies for service. Repainted, rebased and needing a little more work on the bases.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">OK, the bit about rules is out of the way so we can get back to cool things about this project :P . Terrain! I'm quite excited at the possibility of building some really cool stuff. The broad selection of photographs and documentation surrounding the Second World War could melt my brain while hardly scratching the surface. With so much to draw on finding good reference material for buildings and battlefields shouldn't be a struggle. I've already found some wonderful photos that beg to brought to life in 28mm scale. In a recent post I'd mentioned a TWD police station I'd been working on. It provided me with some valuable insights into working with foamcore and textured paper that should give me a foundation to work from for this portion of the project. The plan here is to try to get enough buildings together to suggest a town or at the least a western European village. It will probably be a huge undertaking but let's see what happens over the course of the year and hope for the best. </span></div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-pIDSTh_2nNE/XCr-WH6afBI/AAAAAAAACWs/1lq1UtGczGg4efqlaSHyNCgUmehS7F_YACEwYBhgL/s1600/20190101_013504.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-pIDSTh_2nNE/XCr-WH6afBI/AAAAAAAACWs/1lq1UtGczGg4efqlaSHyNCgUmehS7F_YACEwYBhgL/s640/20190101_013504.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Last Weird War 2 holdouts need new bases and better paint. </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Any campaign offers an opportunity to build a narrative around it and those tied into historical narratives intrigue me especially. By interjecting elements of history into fiction and adjusting them even slightly a new story might result or the outcome of battles on the table top might create situations where history suddenly does an about turn and an alternate history comes to be. There is a broad line between alternate history and Weird War but I appreciate both. Whether the twist involves intelligence that didn't make it's destination that changed the course of battle, Nazis vampires in the service of Axis Transylvania or Captain America and the Invaders I'd like to se a bit of it all in the Bolt Action games. I'll have to have another look at Konflikt '47. Premise for the technological leap and departure from actual supernatural units left me a little cold but it might provide a cool framework for integrating fantastic forces into the game and story. My sweet spot for weird war is probably tech that is just beyond plausible with a mix of barely understood mysticism thrown on top. That's all for the first installment of the 2019 plan. I'll share some of the other areas I hope to cover this year on the blog and in hobby. </span></div>
horridpersonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14258055637085320233noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3758613444877644220.post-71883662071959756682018-12-31T22:46:00.000-04:002018-12-31T22:46:32.715-04:00Shutting That Shit Down: 2018 In Review<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ZAYU9lJDFC4/XCrGs0MMk0I/AAAAAAAACVk/wAK5K5bjvhgnZ_LMmD8EQ6SnjkQcl4gIgCEwYBhgL/s1600/goblyn2018end.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1549" data-original-width="1161" height="640" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ZAYU9lJDFC4/XCrGs0MMk0I/AAAAAAAACVk/wAK5K5bjvhgnZ_LMmD8EQ6SnjkQcl4gIgCEwYBhgL/s640/goblyn2018end.jpg" width="478" /></a></div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">First off a Happy New Year and thanks to everyone willing to check in on Void Spaces. With any article it feels great to know that you have an audience but in particularly these summations keep me honest about my hobby output so participation is especially welcome. So how did we fare in 2018? </span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br /></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Nf2yLTzpYXQ/XCrG9FwH3zI/AAAAAAAACVs/i_3yhhc38AwaaAcmRg9oNWHH5cRnZukvwCEwYBhgL/s1600/saxons.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Nf2yLTzpYXQ/XCrG9FwH3zI/AAAAAAAACVs/i_3yhhc38AwaaAcmRg9oNWHH5cRnZukvwCEwYBhgL/s640/saxons.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">All Saxons painted to date. Off wintering and waiting for their once and future king.</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">My SAGA project didn't happen this year. I was able to complete my basic Saxon force augmenting the models I had painted in 2017 with more hearthguard and some bowmen but my enthusiasm waned terribly. I finished up some test models for a second group of Irish and managed some accompanying terrain pieces but lost focus and moved on to some other projects in the course of the year. I didn't get around to picking up the rule set and the whole thing fell into a hobby oubliette where it rests to this day. It's definitely on hiatus but far from finished. I like to think of projects like this as my pioneers. Eventually my friends will catch the bug and when they become interested in particular projects my Dark Age warriors will be waiting for them and me. In my circle of friends I've always felt like the slow painter although I'm to a point I'm thinking that might be a myth. When I'm on point I'm deceptively prolific. My hobby failing is that I'm easily distracted and prone to trading partially completed projects for others. It works against me whenever I try to build armies so having a standing reserve force in a genre gives me some confidence and keeps me on task. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br /></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-pwVOzxFCqOA/XCrG1OMQHXI/AAAAAAAACVk/pNIm4YepA1M14EjjubKO4y46bbR8uJExQCEwYBhgL/s1600/20181231_201835.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-pwVOzxFCqOA/XCrG1OMQHXI/AAAAAAAACVk/pNIm4YepA1M14EjjubKO4y46bbR8uJExQCEwYBhgL/s640/20181231_201835.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Too many models for the poor beleaguered backdrop to accommodate.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">I looked at building a Soviet Army for an undetermined WW2 project. Early in the year I presented one update on my progress but from a blog perspective it seemed to sneak into the realm of forgotten projects. At the start I had purchased some Bad Squidoo and Warlord models then ordered some Black Tree figures to add to the mix further down the line. I'm happy to report that everything is painted and the first Soviet armour is part of the inbound Christmas hobby haul. My Soviet project was reinvigorated in late November because some friends expressed interest in Bolt Action and invited me along for the ride. The success on seeing this goal through is a good counterpoint to my less than successful Dark Age/Saxon project. It's great to be excited about a project and it can give me a good head of steam initially but it's invaluable to have other people who are excited too. A cooperative hobby project benefits everyone involved. More on that in 2019.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-X7hTiBNZcjE/XCrG1Ysw-WI/AAAAAAAACVk/SE6dVyrk0MkIgynxOpamcg6POp1ojiX7gCEwYBhgL/s1600/20181231_202656.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-X7hTiBNZcjE/XCrG1Ysw-WI/AAAAAAAACVk/SE6dVyrk0MkIgynxOpamcg6POp1ojiX7gCEwYBhgL/s640/20181231_202656.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">My terrain building efforts are a bit like my army painting efforts. My goal was to build a cohesive terrain set for Dark Age games but as my interests moved away from that project the accompanying build project fell apart too. I've had some doubts about how to proceed with larger gaming surfaces. I don't mind the versatility of the 2x2 tiles I'd proposed then but as portable as they are compared to a single 4x4 that doesn't mean that much. They are still a beast to store as they accumulate and still don't travel very well. As for the canvas battle boards I never got around to prototyping them. I have the materials and did a couple experiments with small parts of the project this year but failed to commit to a full sized surface. I will admit that gaming mats are looking more attractive than I might have thought. Honestly I don't like gaming mats with flat 3d features. I think flattened trees and rocks or rubble look stupid on gaming mats. I am becoming jealous of plain cobbled surfaces and may relent and push the button on ordering one in the near future. I'd still like to know if I could use a terrain roller on partially cured caulking and make textured surfaces on a DIY roll-able gaming mat though.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-55lq0gvLhE0/XCrG1WcPurI/AAAAAAAACVg/jJS9IVXQHAYrjWGkFmyqkZ1M8O9-zprcwCEwYBhgL/s1600/20181231_202930.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-55lq0gvLhE0/XCrG1WcPurI/AAAAAAAACVg/jJS9IVXQHAYrjWGkFmyqkZ1M8O9-zprcwCEwYBhgL/s640/20181231_202930.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">While large boards didn't work out I kept on with mini and scatter terrain pieces. A barrow building article I posted over the summer proved to be my most hit entry to date. It gets my vote for best results and best learning experience of the year as well. I did some other small projects as well. Some were intended for Dark Age or Low Fantasy settings while the others were Modern set pieces. It isn't complete but I also built a police station for TWD and learned a few things about building construction that will pay off in the new year.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br /></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-tBep09Qbe_I/XCrG0LGG2ZI/AAAAAAAACVo/3VU8HQ-Px70lvdAwAAVM9hW9tnRQ2du4ACEwYBhgL/s1600/20181231_195834.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-tBep09Qbe_I/XCrG0LGG2ZI/AAAAAAAACVo/3VU8HQ-Px70lvdAwAAVM9hW9tnRQ2du4ACEwYBhgL/s640/20181231_195834.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">More models outstripping the confines of the backdrop and making me look like a slob.</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Speaking of TWD I was able to add 50 new figures to my collection including some conversions and models from other lines that scaled well with Mantic's range. I painted most of the figures I had in the spring and didn't replenish my TWD painting queue until Autumn. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-kxilL1gNQ9c/XCrG0tNLo6I/AAAAAAAACVo/Jz2k4MbV6FcphK-EOXAyZQ2EY-6nCYdAgCEwYBhgL/s1600/20181231_201223.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-kxilL1gNQ9c/XCrG0tNLo6I/AAAAAAAACVo/Jz2k4MbV6FcphK-EOXAyZQ2EY-6nCYdAgCEwYBhgL/s640/20181231_201223.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">My batteries were running pretty low before I got excited about painting this wave of figures and the blog had suffered a bit. I'd had some fantastic (for me) traffic during the summer and felt I was on a downslide. I was but it shouldn't have bothered me as much as it did. This proved to be the big test for my blogging resolution. There were probably 2 or 3 articles I posted over the course of the year that felt like they were phoned in but for the most part I think it was a pretty good year on the blog content end. I managed to stick to my minimum of two monthly posts and went a little further in others. It felt like a good balance. There were some months where it felt effortless and I literally held back material or just didn't keep a record of projects I had on the go. At other times I felt I had to push myself and it really felt like a chore I managed just the same. A good balance. Also on the blogging front we passed 50k views. Amazing :P , and added as many as two whole followers. Easy win. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-iGFqzLzK2Pw/XCrGzn4PIcI/AAAAAAAACVY/sn3KsAJiS6Y-6oGKmznziMTbRb_cV-_jACEwYBhgL/s1600/20181231_194949.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-iGFqzLzK2Pw/XCrGzn4PIcI/AAAAAAAACVY/sn3KsAJiS6Y-6oGKmznziMTbRb_cV-_jACEwYBhgL/s640/20181231_194949.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Painting of an Escher gang or participation in a Necromunda campaign wasn't part of my plan rolling into 2018 but I had a lot of fun growing my gang and felt I did pretty well all things considered. Some day Dan will suffer for killing Mean Justine.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-TSn4CS6Grn8/XCrGysaA9fI/AAAAAAAACVo/Zf-4dMHnCFsO_ju3Z0eSSaQFaDp2UZw8gCEwYBhgL/s1600/20181231_193253.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-TSn4CS6Grn8/XCrGysaA9fI/AAAAAAAACVo/Zf-4dMHnCFsO_ju3Z0eSSaQFaDp2UZw8gCEwYBhgL/s640/20181231_193253.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">I also did an unscheduled bit of LotR painting. I put some time into my Haradrim and completed about 40 models to tuck away in some quiet corner until they rise to do the bidding of their Dark Lord. Among them was a Mumakil but the thing is much too big for my crap backdrop so it photographs terribly.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-VDbZbfE4Yqw/XCrGy2NJa1I/AAAAAAAACVg/kBqiOAjvL0Y-M-lLdATjFKfXZ22ix6RhACEwYBhgL/s1600/20181231_194604.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-VDbZbfE4Yqw/XCrGy2NJa1I/AAAAAAAACVg/kBqiOAjvL0Y-M-lLdATjFKfXZ22ix6RhACEwYBhgL/s640/20181231_194604.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"> What is it with GW and unscheduled projects? I had quite a number of dips into their specialist range this year and couldn't resist picking up an undead Blood Bowl team. Not quite my favorite team but probably the best compromise for open league play these guys are resilient and for the most part easy to replace. In a future article I'll cover the Mordheim Graverobbers in better detail.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-UjSe2UhONQ0/XCrRX412giI/AAAAAAAACV0/fEGj3lrOdlsi8lpst2xFSu_MAqsbI0kkACLcBGAs/s1600/GORsell%2B002.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-UjSe2UhONQ0/XCrRX412giI/AAAAAAAACV0/fEGj3lrOdlsi8lpst2xFSu_MAqsbI0kkACLcBGAs/s640/GORsell%2B002.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"> I also accomplished two personal hobby firsts this year. For starters I put together a statue construction article for WarBanner. It wasn't paid and I didn't get a fancy badge but I guess it was nice to to be "published" by someone other than myself. Now when I'm playing at being a snotty douche I can pass myself off as a published writer. On a more serious note I managed a sale of some miniatures on Ebay which got me to thinking. Writing might not pay the bills but taking on some commission work might help a bit.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-lrEDhWvnWV8/XCrG0mhQhZI/AAAAAAAACVc/n7G8w9Y3IN86gDr4pXfAnPRC8GU26BPeACEwYBhgL/s1600/20181231_201611.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-lrEDhWvnWV8/XCrG0mhQhZI/AAAAAAAACVc/n7G8w9Y3IN86gDr4pXfAnPRC8GU26BPeACEwYBhgL/s640/20181231_201611.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">2018 was a pretty good year. I didn't meet every goal I set but plans changed and things continued to move forward which is the most important thing for me in hobby. Doing something is still something. My idea of successful hobby is being involved and consistently doing things. Hobby plans and outlines are good as guidelines but if things aren't working out it's better to move on than watch putlocker and wish the stuff on the bench didn't suck ass. These Bolt Action SS miniatures were another late addition to the painting queue. Stay tuned and all will be explained in 2019!</span></div>
horridpersonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14258055637085320233noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3758613444877644220.post-5510450615676616832018-12-17T02:17:00.000-04:002018-12-17T02:17:28.769-04:00Hunting the Hunters: TWD<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Lh9DdWJtSUc/XBcl0BoG-JI/AAAAAAAACUA/HcV4FwRKYEkwiFd-hx2LVQpho2cX9n4WQCEwYBhgL/s1600/huntinghunterstitlecard.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="917" data-original-width="1549" height="378" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Lh9DdWJtSUc/XBcl0BoG-JI/AAAAAAAACUA/HcV4FwRKYEkwiFd-hx2LVQpho2cX9n4WQCEwYBhgL/s640/huntinghunterstitlecard.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
The Hunters, Rosita, and Eugene are my first foray into Mantic's 5th wave of TWD: All Out War. The sculpts continue to impress me, and seem to get just a little bit better with each subsequent release. I intended to have all of these figures along with a Wave 4 Tyreese completed by the end of November but I ended up blowing the deadline. What a surprise. I got distracted by other shiny models and diverted by some terrain elements but progress is progress and plans have to be flexible. Sometimes things jump the queue but it's better than doing nothing hobby related at all.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ad4_J25LF4I/XBclzNRlmQI/AAAAAAAACUQ/S4H53qK_Yv8wfyjQ2es7oMDteCOwuYeqgCEwYBhgL/s1600/huntersbigthree%2B006.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ad4_J25LF4I/XBclzNRlmQI/AAAAAAAACUQ/S4H53qK_Yv8wfyjQ2es7oMDteCOwuYeqgCEwYBhgL/s640/huntersbigthree%2B006.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Truthfully I was happy I missed the mark. Getting models painted is well and good but I'm always willing to step away from a project to either freshen up my perspective or recharge the batteries if I find my interest flagging. Sometimes a quickly finished project suffers a bit on the creative end as a consequence of pushing through and taking that little bit of extra time paid off. I was working on a super secret project that I'm preparing for next year that involved painting camouflage and on returning to the hunters I took a page from the diversion and decided to deck out the hunters in same. In the other project I am painting a standard pattern across a number of figures but for the hunters I did a quick series of one offs. I wanted their camo to look like it might have come off the rack from Cabelas or a Wal-mart. I Googled some civvie hunting patterns and applied them to four of the the models. The two figures above are a sneaky type and a heavy. The latter reminded me of Rutger Hauer when he was younger so I ended up painting him in that direction.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-GDCBdDT9DSk/XBclzmsunmI/AAAAAAAACUQ/ZtCtzhXuDEYN02I7Vmp4OVgaOCCc8EMvwCEwYBhgL/s1600/huntersbigthree%2B009.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-GDCBdDT9DSk/XBclzmsunmI/AAAAAAAACUQ/ZtCtzhXuDEYN02I7Vmp4OVgaOCCc8EMvwCEwYBhgL/s640/huntersbigthree%2B009.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
The figure on the right is the exception to the camo scheme. I didn't think a camo shirt would work. I thought he would look too militaristic and went with a rustic styled plaid. He still matches up with his friends because the colours in his clothing are consistent with the rest of the group.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-xHtKHfx7omY/XBclyiAIayI/AAAAAAAACUI/RnakaImzLg06N9R1ILLTixVQqpzu0-x0ACEwYBhgL/s1600/huntersbigthree%2B004.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-xHtKHfx7omY/XBclyiAIayI/AAAAAAAACUI/RnakaImzLg06N9R1ILLTixVQqpzu0-x0ACEwYBhgL/s640/huntersbigthree%2B004.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
I like this hunter quite a bit. Between the flow of his pants and the way he is bringing his rifle to bear it made for a dynamic pose that caught my eye. Opposite him is Tyreese. Speaking of action I think this is fantastic. Most of the figures in body armour look very restricted but Tyreese looks highly mobile; Almost fluid. The character was a pro football (American) player prior to the apocalypse being suited up like this might have felt like a return to game day for him. This version of Tyreese is a Runner which is a departure from the Bruiser class of the last version. It makes him an interesting choice that may require some finesse to use correctly. I see him as a destroyer. Tyreese moves fast and can deliver some solid punishment in melee. The problem is that he is quite expensive and doesn't have the inherent damage soaking abilities of melee specialists like the Governor and Negan. I could see using his speed to hunt and punk minor opposing characters quickly. By overwhelming softer targets I think he could balance the books in the favor of his group prior to ganging up on the real close combat monsters.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-rj1bBoTlrAg/XBclyoK2wMI/AAAAAAAACUE/o0VdoWhhTHUWp_P-RUKZW_uZ6n1lxPG_ACEwYBhgL/s1600/huntersbigthree%2B003.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-rj1bBoTlrAg/XBclyoK2wMI/AAAAAAAACUE/o0VdoWhhTHUWp_P-RUKZW_uZ6n1lxPG_ACEwYBhgL/s640/huntersbigthree%2B003.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Eugene oozes character. He isn't in a dynamic pose but the clenched up demeanor captures his cowardly and awkward nature perfectly. The face is awesome. I'm not sure I'm done though. I decided to paint him pasty to further contrast Rosita but I was tempted to add more red tints to give him a flushed appearance. Rosita is a good figure but I don't feel I did it justice. I should have worked from my Vallejo set when I painted her but to my detriment worked with a Reaper olives triad that didn't end particularly well. I ended up adding some dilute tan over the layers I built up and reached a point in my corrections that I was running the risk of, "manning" her up. I'm not dure if I bent of completely broke the rule of womens' complexions but simple is almost always better and this quickly became too complicated. If I try to fix this I'm afraid I will have to strip the model completely and start over.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-l9ByIp_2Q0c/XBclyfaIQzI/AAAAAAAACUQ/S17i_fS1gmgoaINqFmCEzotZRcXyvbDbgCEwYBhgL/s1600/Heisenberghunters.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1161" data-original-width="1549" height="478" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-l9ByIp_2Q0c/XBclyfaIQzI/AAAAAAAACUQ/S17i_fS1gmgoaINqFmCEzotZRcXyvbDbgCEwYBhgL/s640/Heisenberghunters.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
So why Hunting the Hunters as a title? For the most part this article is exposition for sharing some painted models. With the full group of Hunters complete, and with three notable survivors from Rick's group completed around time a, "versus" title card seemed the way to go. I'm not much of a gamer but if I can see a harbinger of things to come in the meta maybe it's worth commenting on. Compared to Ricks vets the hunters aren't much weighing in between 18 and 45 points each across the 5 models. What's noteworthy is the number of synergies that exist between the members in this faction. The Hunters compliment, make each other stronger with some cunning stacking that could present a serious threat if well played. The difference that strikes me is the cohesion of the skills. It's expected that some survivors have special dynamics but they are limited; Usually built around familial associations or love interests. The hunters benefit from a broader interpretation making for group wide shenanigans. As TWD moves forward into more skirmish driven play I think this will become more common as new or updated survivors are introduced.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-MiE-Wur0LBM/XBclz0plfzI/AAAAAAAACUM/14DkahTc_bcGH31mzV-HQlXWprSWzdIsQCEwYBhgL/s1600/huntersbigthree%2B012.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-MiE-Wur0LBM/XBclz0plfzI/AAAAAAAACUM/14DkahTc_bcGH31mzV-HQlXWprSWzdIsQCEwYBhgL/s640/huntersbigthree%2B012.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
horridpersonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14258055637085320233noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3758613444877644220.post-35770485054816877832018-12-08T23:26:00.000-04:002018-12-09T03:11:27.689-04:00An Unusual Creature: TWD <div style="text-align: center;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-mGfWXjiMkEs/XAxntIc2cdI/AAAAAAAACSo/jQbQTEeUE50GMv1pjIbvbpl6PvwN-HjaQCLcBGAs/s1600/simoncreaturetitlecard.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="985" data-original-width="1184" height="532" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-mGfWXjiMkEs/XAxntIc2cdI/AAAAAAAACSo/jQbQTEeUE50GMv1pjIbvbpl6PvwN-HjaQCLcBGAs/s640/simoncreaturetitlecard.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><i>"I'm a man of shifting specifics, tastes in transition. I'm into tequila now"</i></b></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
AMC's Walking Dead was my gateway into the Walking Universe. Since then I have read some of the comics but my best memories of the franchise lie somewhere in the mists of seasons four and five. As the series has progressed the central story has suffered from fragmentation and a lack of direction but the work of the writers on individual characters and the performances of actor's in those roles have made the decline easier to watch. Stephen Ogg's Simon was probably my favorite of the lot. Simon fascinated me and during Ogg's tenure he consistently owned the scenes he was part of. I still have a backlog of, "canon" characters to paint for All Out War but I recently got some inspiration and found a very good deal on a Morgan figure that would allow me to bring Simon to the gaming table.<br />
<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-2leInhO-Z_g/XAtYqBgNFNI/AAAAAAAACSM/nWb_URtecV4Bchkdp5b9ymaumem58VeKwCEwYBhgL/s1600/simonsayswip%2B005.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-2leInhO-Z_g/XAtYqBgNFNI/AAAAAAAACSM/nWb_URtecV4Bchkdp5b9ymaumem58VeKwCEwYBhgL/s640/simonsayswip%2B005.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Early Morgan mutilation.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
A while back on the Mantic's Walking Dead Fanatics group Nelson Huang posted a picture of the Morgan figure along with a picture of Season 9 Rick. I'm not a Rick fan. I've been of the opinion the on again off again morality make for a ridiculous individual and as a group leader make for a largely directionless story as a whole. No matter how small I wasn't building a monument to the moral lodestone that was dragging the show down (Not yet anyway. Too soon.). I'm very grateful to Nelson because his post encouraged me to consider the possibilities of the Morgan model while getting me to consider the rest of the cast as well.<br />
<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-aeJq3tV1taY/XAtYta5xiqI/AAAAAAAACSQ/24tAMnlDo1M0n68aMBU7pcDITG3lh0ROACEwYBhgL/s1600/simon1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="960" height="480" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-aeJq3tV1taY/XAtYta5xiqI/AAAAAAAACSQ/24tAMnlDo1M0n68aMBU7pcDITG3lh0ROACEwYBhgL/s640/simon1.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Full assembly with greenstuff shoring up, and hiding joins.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<br />
As stated above most of Simon comes from the Morgan figure. I thought his face would be a good substitute for Simons once the thin beard was shaved from his face to narrow the jaw a bit. Morgan's clothing is ubiquitous and easily doubled for Simon's wardrobe. I removed the rifle from his back and removed the right arm completely and the left above the elbow. Simon sported shorted sleeves and Ogg's whipcord forearms were a feature that the model required. Morgan was easy the rest of the parts required some scrounging and included a Warlord Games Soviet arm, pistol and hand, A TWD walker forearm (the fat cut open cadaver; I have a few and could spare one), A GW ghouls forearm that I joined to Soviet the pistol hand and upper arm, and lastly a bit of styrene to pass off as a radio.<br />
<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-O5SHnm3twVI/XAtZpNTz5_I/AAAAAAAACSc/nCFsdtTXKe4rpurhSEJyJ6cgmQhoK4duwCLcBGAs/s1600/20181207_201715.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-O5SHnm3twVI/XAtZpNTz5_I/AAAAAAAACSc/nCFsdtTXKe4rpurhSEJyJ6cgmQhoK4duwCLcBGAs/s640/20181207_201715.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Uniform priming obscures a multitude of sins.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
With the components gathered and roughly fitting together I had to clean up and hide the worst of my carving with some sculpting. None of it was perfect but I thought it was a reasonable result working with a single application and no undersculpt. If I was more patient I might have applied another layer to the cloth of the shirt to add some more volume to the folds. The material intensive areas were the clean up of the chest and back after removing the bandoleer and the sizable gap under the right arm. I'm happiest about the hair. I find myself tempted to sculpt hair very fine with a number seven blade but it never looks quite right because it is too fine. I switched to the sculpting tool and worked a bit looser and produced more of a gesture of the hair that accomplished what I needed.<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-OZROYuATL2g/XAyD_lpRx1I/AAAAAAAACTI/X_DXRrI7t1YpOJgC12xy7Umq_FJb2qhcwCEwYBhgL/s1600/20181208_225255.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-OZROYuATL2g/XAyD_lpRx1I/AAAAAAAACTI/X_DXRrI7t1YpOJgC12xy7Umq_FJb2qhcwCEwYBhgL/s640/20181208_225255.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br />
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
I chose a simple palette for Simon based on his appearances over the course of the series. I settled on the green pants and khaki top. The combination seemed to place him between a jackbooted thug and the foreman from hell which was an ideal vibe for the figure. I considered giving him a gray top to keep the figure dark but I wanted to draw attention directly to the head and face and the similar colour found in his hair would have diminished the pull. I painted the body quite quickly and focused my attention on the face.<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-moaKRhN2mt4/XAyFk49pVgI/AAAAAAAACTc/8aLfml-j6wciwENYhEpZfU4TrRCav3KPwCLcBGAs/s1600/simontwdcard.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="481" data-original-width="337" height="640" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-moaKRhN2mt4/XAyFk49pVgI/AAAAAAAACTc/8aLfml-j6wciwENYhEpZfU4TrRCav3KPwCLcBGAs/s640/simontwdcard.jpg" width="448" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Simon sold sub prime mortgages prior to the apocalypse. While a brutal figure particularly when thwarted, his manipulative nature and playful control of situations made him more of a tactician. I felt he would have excellent nerves, be a good generalist, and be pretty tough to boot. Be more afraid of Me... seemed a reasonable choice that suited his menacing demeanor and penchant for violence. I also thought Executioner pilfered from the Governor might be an appropriate skill choice. While he wouldn't benefit from the Governor's leadership skill that stacks with Executioner Simon getting a "charge" from offing someone defenseless fits him nicely. Right hand man is a Martinez skill that I poached and switched to apply to Negan. I liked how it enabled Simon to morph from Be more afraid... to Merciless like a promoted Derek (Scavenger Leader). I'm happy with how the design of the card went and I have the template so I can always built more custom survivors. I'm not so happy about the point totals. Simon is arguably only better than Derek and then only situationally (One of these being in a survivor group that already lost their Negan!) and costs at least 15 points more. I stopped the count at 50. I reached 47 prior to factoring in the cost of excecutioner and right hand man. The inflated point costs for custom survivors need to be reexamined. Simon might be fun to have in an AMC styled scenario but to put him on the table with a points cost like this would be foolish.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-0fQrS9TYmiE/XAyECdOl67I/AAAAAAAACTU/UyBINKJXORMTbZyaBdAqMyf_wlVW4pR_wCEwYBhgL/s1600/20181208_225008.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-0fQrS9TYmiE/XAyECdOl67I/AAAAAAAACTU/UyBINKJXORMTbZyaBdAqMyf_wlVW4pR_wCEwYBhgL/s640/20181208_225008.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">But you people? You still didn't listen. You wanted to fight! Us?!?</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
</div>
</div>
horridpersonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14258055637085320233noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3758613444877644220.post-66409947138947807322018-11-30T23:02:00.002-04:002018-12-01T11:15:17.000-04:00Circle of Stones: Terrain Piece<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-lnNx1e_CPbM/XAHtnggTF5I/AAAAAAAACQA/RC7n-4PmGGMHBtRx5Vw4x9SaWA-XfOFfgCEwYBhgL/s1600/mythoscircletitlecard.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-lnNx1e_CPbM/XAHtnggTF5I/AAAAAAAACQA/RC7n-4PmGGMHBtRx5Vw4x9SaWA-XfOFfgCEwYBhgL/s640/mythoscircletitlecard.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Bad news first. I didn't manage to complete the Blackjack Painting Challenge for November. While the Hunters from the TWD group I was painting are close to completion I could decide whether to give them some camo clothing or not and by the time I decided that was what I wanted I realized I'd have to rush to get it done. I'd rather have the best that I can paint rather than ticks in the box. I worked more than a couple different painting and terrain projects and struggled to find the right one to build an article around which lead to this one coming in right under the wire. Whatever the assessment I am calling this a another successful month on the blogging front. Enough babbling and excuses; On to the Standing Stones!</span></div>
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-SZf08ycO1Oc/XAHubLDM0rI/AAAAAAAACRs/EUgu4CEPvxghHFMN0h3SuOWZeCNLkAOggCEwYBhgL/s1600/circleprime.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-SZf08ycO1Oc/XAHubLDM0rI/AAAAAAAACRs/EUgu4CEPvxghHFMN0h3SuOWZeCNLkAOggCEwYBhgL/s640/circleprime.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">The start of this project followed directly on the heels of the barrow build I did a few months back. I was so stoked with the results I came up with all sorts of grandiose schemes that blew up in my face but this one was more fizzle. I was a big fan of the plaster rocks I used but when I looked at reference photos of standing stones I realized right away the molds I had weren't going to do the job and that I was going to have to find a different way. I ended up cutting a dozen rectangular blocks from pink foam to form the stone circle. I carved the blocks down a bit introducing a slight taper at one end and rounded them by removing material with an Olfa blade.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-guUuuO9_iiQ/XAHubA3PDuI/AAAAAAAACR0/2Nghlperzxg4F3bZZ2_hbxXGxkllcH2BACEwYBhgL/s1600/circlepaint.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-guUuuO9_iiQ/XAHubA3PDuI/AAAAAAAACR0/2Nghlperzxg4F3bZZ2_hbxXGxkllcH2BACEwYBhgL/s640/circlepaint.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Once I had a collection I liked I positioned them on an MDF base I cut for the project. The diameter of the base is only 8". It would be a poor representation of a major site like Stonehenge but could capably represent a lesser circle. My stones are relatively close in scale with the rocks at Stonehenge which average 13 feet high, 7 feet wide, and weigh in around 25 tons. The rocks at mini henge would scale around the same height, Be around 5 feet across and weigh in in the high teens. The photos I was surfing for inspiration showed damaged columns and rows so I broke off a few of the ugliest stones I cut. The breaks made the circle more visually interesting and made manipulating models within easier. Happy with the layout I used foam glue to anchor the pillars to the board, secured the cross sections, then sealed the MDF base with Modge Podge. Once everything dried I added Celluclay to the base as groundwork. I built the clay up around the bases of the stones. I wanted them to look as though they were part of the earth and rooted like great broken teeth. It also allowed me to introduce slight depressions between the pillars suggesting worn footpaths between the columns.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-tBObOZjFhJM/XAHua3ckefI/AAAAAAAACRw/E8-aZganMaUsP30vF1VMGjoIM4sJ45hpQCEwYBhgL/s1600/circleflock.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-tBObOZjFhJM/XAHua3ckefI/AAAAAAAACRw/E8-aZganMaUsP30vF1VMGjoIM4sJ45hpQCEwYBhgL/s640/circleflock.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">I wanted just a little more texture before I move to painting so I applied some wood filler I'd diluted with some water. I roughly brushed it on and stippled it around with the brush itself and afterwords with a sponge just before it became tacky. Afterword I left it to dry so I could paint the whole thing in one go. The stone was painted with with black and papyrus (bone colour) craft paints mixed by eye in increasingly higher concentrations of bone. The final drybrush was the papyrus colour alone. The ground work was a craft chocolate brown, a tan, and a bit of that bone shade to finish it. After allowing for the paint to dry I flocked the base with a mix of static grass and fine clump foliage.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ZPC8L5tT9UU/XAHtnKenD2I/AAAAAAAACRE/qtp2XI-L5EU5Y3vyI-vpO7sVv2jGd4YeQCEwYBhgL/s1600/mythoscircle.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ZPC8L5tT9UU/XAHtnKenD2I/AAAAAAAACRE/qtp2XI-L5EU5Y3vyI-vpO7sVv2jGd4YeQCEwYBhgL/s640/mythoscircle.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">The stone circle project worked out all right. It was a relatively simple project, that turned out all right visually, and is adaptable to multiple gaming genres. Above our intrepid investigators face a foul horror called from beyond by mad cultists and below a Saxon Thegn and his retainers take refuge in an old pagan circle.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-XMvgTBVTvx8/XAHtoGq8B1I/AAAAAAAACRY/0tiLcCaT3e4BI9RQryYMS9zooPuKQepxgCEwYBhgL/s1600/saxoncircle.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="979" data-original-width="1600" height="390" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-XMvgTBVTvx8/XAHtoGq8B1I/AAAAAAAACRY/0tiLcCaT3e4BI9RQryYMS9zooPuKQepxgCEwYBhgL/s640/saxoncircle.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
horridpersonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14258055637085320233noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3758613444877644220.post-90360984369328547542018-11-24T08:48:00.000-04:002018-11-24T08:48:10.823-04:00Something Old, Something New : Painting Tools<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-9hLaoCBCJeQ/W_lHnFfPDqI/AAAAAAAACPs/O3f2PUwznIc1LlQHR3TaycLvMq0ToX8JQCLcBGAs/s1600/Napmagnettilecard.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1016" data-original-width="1497" height="434" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-9hLaoCBCJeQ/W_lHnFfPDqI/AAAAAAAACPs/O3f2PUwznIc1LlQHR3TaycLvMq0ToX8JQCLcBGAs/s640/Napmagnettilecard.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Two of my weak areas in hobby are organizing and pawing figures as I paint them. I know it's better to use a painting handle but still haven't determined the holy grail for a versatile figure holder that meets my needs/criteria. I think that I might have a DIY solution in mind that puts the ticks in all of the boxes but until then I have a less complicated solution specific to an upcoming project.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br /></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-AXnwB5IXCtk/W_lFGks1wzI/AAAAAAAACPk/O_ZdTyoak3g1IIRuyeGNWAVBi2Up5yVTwCEwYBhgL/s1600/napoleonicmagnets%2B008.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-AXnwB5IXCtk/W_lFGks1wzI/AAAAAAAACPk/O_ZdTyoak3g1IIRuyeGNWAVBi2Up5yVTwCEwYBhgL/s640/napoleonicmagnets%2B008.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">A humble beginning the Grande Armee.</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">One of the ambitions for a slow burn project in the New Year is Naploeonics. I'm gravitating toward the French because I think the variety of uniforms and the absolute involvement of this force in the conflict would guarantee plausibility in any theatre during the period. At the moment I have some Dragoons and commanders (Including Napoleon) to putter at and during their painting I had some time to reflect on how much I was handling them and how much better it would be to have better control of a casual but large scale project.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br /></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ve_eQk5-gcs/W_lFFGe9CfI/AAAAAAAACPg/ubR4aKS-14sdUUJ-B1bcHmncYU2qxVdiACEwYBhgL/s1600/napoleonicmagnets%2B002.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ve_eQk5-gcs/W_lFFGe9CfI/AAAAAAAACPg/ubR4aKS-14sdUUJ-B1bcHmncYU2qxVdiACEwYBhgL/s640/napoleonicmagnets%2B002.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bore a hole with a drill.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Since I'm more a model painter I typically base figures individually. Until looking at the Black Powder basing conventions I hadn't really thought about basing multiple figures on a single base with any regularity. This was going to be the norm for this project and I was concerned about how I would paint around and through interposing models. Thankfully, more practical people than me have painted Napoleonics and the figures are based on small plugs that are then joined onto communal bases once they are all suited up. Fantastic!</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-r9RMNmKqLZk/W_lFFJGoHeI/AAAAAAAACPc/wZ0r4g9lBKwDz2kMIqEieJg7mWzXrxW2gCEwYBhgL/s1600/napoleonicmagnets%2B003.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-r9RMNmKqLZk/W_lFFJGoHeI/AAAAAAAACPc/wZ0r4g9lBKwDz2kMIqEieJg7mWzXrxW2gCEwYBhgL/s640/napoleonicmagnets%2B003.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Inset the magnet and glue.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Since this is an on again off again project that would involve some mass painting; Ideally 8 figures at a time in infantry blocks usually and was frequently going to be shelved in lieu of other painting endeavours I decided to magnetize some small corks so they could be plopped on a tin and easily moved about without knocking things over.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br /></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-q3FnURImbqo/W_lFGOIi2iI/AAAAAAAACPM/JxNU43ghpwgSjjrBEZRp-hMIlBbwxcjGACEwYBhgL/s1600/napoleonicmagnets%2B006.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-q3FnURImbqo/W_lFGOIi2iI/AAAAAAAACPM/JxNU43ghpwgSjjrBEZRp-hMIlBbwxcjGACEwYBhgL/s640/napoleonicmagnets%2B006.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Good enough for Quaker Oats.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">To begin I drilled a small hole into the base; around the size of the 4mm rare earth magnets I have kicking around so I could inset the magnets into the bottom. I used superglue to bind the magnets in the holes but a small piece of epoxy might have done the job as well or better. If you want to make some for yourself mind the polarity of the magnets. I kept the lid on hand and removed them as I prepped the corks so I could track their orientation easily.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-p76edpMEFyU/W_lFGJgm1FI/AAAAAAAACPI/iDq9WFbVnR8LGsPzfmKRIsniSH57qmR6QCEwYBhgL/s1600/napoleonicmagnets%2B005.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-p76edpMEFyU/W_lFGJgm1FI/AAAAAAAACPI/iDq9WFbVnR8LGsPzfmKRIsniSH57qmR6QCEwYBhgL/s640/napoleonicmagnets%2B005.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is the special effects and useful bit.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">For the time being I still don't have fancy universal figure holders but for minimal efforts this simple adaptation on an ages old painting convention should give me some ease and organization when I get into this project. Nothing amazing here but the magnetization of the corks should make for a rock solid platform when aside or stored away. Tipping miniatures make me sad. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br /></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-3xR9pydSrKk/W_lFFrfKIwI/AAAAAAAACPE/TP_PrOiCyzYkUViN0IJm6OeQybD9gw56wCEwYBhgL/s1600/napoleonicmagnets%2B004.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-3xR9pydSrKk/W_lFFrfKIwI/AAAAAAAACPE/TP_PrOiCyzYkUViN0IJm6OeQybD9gw56wCEwYBhgL/s640/napoleonicmagnets%2B004.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A tiny drop of glue should keep a plug in place for the duration of the paint.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br /></span></div>
<br />horridpersonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14258055637085320233noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3758613444877644220.post-30336235550837342522018-10-31T02:04:00.001-03:002018-10-31T02:04:44.233-03:00Behind the Curtain: WIPs and plans for Future and Past Projects<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-IQUAdPV3Ycs/W9k2UXumaGI/AAAAAAAACOs/4gLEGf03Eb8QhAKhBEAcnGoORsRhhZkRwCLcBGAs/s1600/oz-behind-the-curtain.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="333" data-original-width="500" height="426" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-IQUAdPV3Ycs/W9k2UXumaGI/AAAAAAAACOs/4gLEGf03Eb8QhAKhBEAcnGoORsRhhZkRwCLcBGAs/s640/oz-behind-the-curtain.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">It's almost November. Where has 2018 gone? I already posted on my significant project for the month of October having completed a Walktober/Zomtober group of models. It was the only significant "job" that passed through the queue but have have a care for the hardworking figures behind the scenes that have yet to enjoy their moment in the sun. Since the new year isn't so far away I've been taking stock of some ideas for future projects and while it inevitably involves new shiny toys occasionally the poor, lamented occupants from the Island of Lost Toys get a reprieve from exile.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-E1oXZ8oXJEI/W9kse1qOQDI/AAAAAAAACOY/SCgoY0nkEq0Aj34WOG-3-A-4gT3Bhxh2gCEwYBhgL/s1600/napref%2B001.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-E1oXZ8oXJEI/W9kse1qOQDI/AAAAAAAACOY/SCgoY0nkEq0Aj34WOG-3-A-4gT3Bhxh2gCEwYBhgL/s640/napref%2B001.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">If I didn't know better I'd think I was getting old. There seems a mystique surrounding Napoleonic wargaming. The period/genre has a bit of a rep as a bastion of grognards and truly dedicated hobbyists. I'm not really one of those. Recently Stan suggested giving the Napoleonics a go. It probably had to do with the recent release of second edition Black Power. I have been provided a general at best overview of European history but my knowledge of this period in particular is limited to the names of a few generals and the principal belligerents. At some point I acquired some Osprey book because I like flashy uniforms, and finally there was a catchy ABBA tune. Most of my books were on Napoleonic Russians though so for the time being they aren't of much use. I've decided to build my project around the French army because I can cover more periods during the wars.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-JlMbh4bHFgk/W9ksWTBNgHI/AAAAAAAACOk/onmSI8rlyzYXrOxhrRF6rbj6gaM1B3lCACEwYBhgL/s1600/readynovember%2B003.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-JlMbh4bHFgk/W9ksWTBNgHI/AAAAAAAACOk/onmSI8rlyzYXrOxhrRF6rbj6gaM1B3lCACEwYBhgL/s640/readynovember%2B003.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">I see this as an opportunity to improve my knowledge of a history I'm a bit blurry on, and paint some flashy uniforms, and horses. At this point I'm very much in the test painting phase. I happen to have a small stash of Napoleonic miniatures left over from an aborted 40K project that died on the vine years ago. Here's where the Toy Island expats come into play. I had to do a lot of digging through the plastic mountain to locate them but eventually I found a collection of sprues and partially painted figures. After some barbaric prying and cutting I broke them free of Warhammer grenades and accoutrements and started rebasing them onto squares from the rubble strewn rounds they had been juxtapositioned to. With all of this sorted the salvaged calvary men on horse and afoot are ready for priming and, hopefully a new life with jaunty new Vallejo colours I'm excited to try out. Always a magpie for new lead I did pick up the three models in the rear right. At center is Napoleon, along with Mameluke Ali. These wonderful sculpts should give me a break as I try to work through the thick of half painted bodies.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-RQqFuUpakQI/W9ksWv2IfLI/AAAAAAAACOk/JaDk9YO4OW8CZ34SPPSMSLMDaM6ex8myQCEwYBhgL/s1600/readynovember%2B009.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-RQqFuUpakQI/W9ksWv2IfLI/AAAAAAAACOk/JaDk9YO4OW8CZ34SPPSMSLMDaM6ex8myQCEwYBhgL/s640/readynovember%2B009.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">My other behind the curtain project has been revisiting Battletech which was my first first wargame. Back in the day I was a nasty little savage and played with cardboard counters. Just the same I remember having quite a bit of fun even if the particulars escape me. Over the summer I read that the current license holder Catalyst Labs intends to release a new boxed version of the game with some pretty sweet looking plastics. That may be delayed but I am good with that. Not wanting to repeat the mistakes of the past I plan to do a slow burn mech painting project and try my hand at some N scale terrain making. I would really like to give this game a go when the time comes but this time around I want to do it in style.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-VSpNurZPEqE/W9ksWk7Je9I/AAAAAAAACOc/nvk4wx-MbRUsuq3D0AajnHRmp82VZ1iLwCEwYBhgL/s1600/readynovember%2B005.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-VSpNurZPEqE/W9ksWk7Je9I/AAAAAAAACOc/nvk4wx-MbRUsuq3D0AajnHRmp82VZ1iLwCEwYBhgL/s640/readynovember%2B005.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">In the more immediate future and of more tangible commitment is the next leg of my TWD project. November should see this group of mostly survivors readied for action. The Napoleonics and Battletech experiments have a very loose timeline and I haven't actually established any deadlines. They are a diversion I can play around with when I want to paint and model but need a break from more pressing concerns. Most deadlines I set are in my painting schedule are abstract. I tried including a counter on the blog last year and documenting what I bought and what I painted as I went along but it didn't help me at all. It made things worse. For the month of November I actually looked outside my own parameters and have joined the Blackjack Legacy Painting Challenge. I'm not sure how much of a challenge it will be; I'm looking at it as more of a support group where the participants will help each other (But mostly me :D ) stay motivated and see projects through. If you are looking for a friendly group of hobbyists to connect with in groups check out the Blackjack Legacy Tabletop Gaming Group.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-QfSA4hmiVl0/W9ksXd0XIyI/AAAAAAAACOg/YkR-S0YN6XMAU1ivTvdVUmBigwZRA33zgCEwYBhgL/s1600/readynovember%2B011.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-QfSA4hmiVl0/W9ksXd0XIyI/AAAAAAAACOg/YkR-S0YN6XMAU1ivTvdVUmBigwZRA33zgCEwYBhgL/s640/readynovember%2B011.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">The final loose end I worked at this month was a few of the doubles I had of TWD survivors. I started on them when the new order was delayed and still feeling a TWD vibe. The models in the rear are serviceable I suppose but they might not have ended up where I hoped they would be. I've had the doubles kicking around for a while and meant to try again at some point. This time around I might get them up to snuff. A cynical person might say this was a half ass entry on half ass projects but then the Great and Terrible OZ would probably punch them in the dick :P . Every blog entry can't showcase a masterpiece. I might have done differently if I hadn't backed myself into a corner with the deadline to present this but sometimes I think a messy entry has it's place. See you in November and don't let the flying monkeys drink all your paint water. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"> </span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br /></span></div>
horridpersonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14258055637085320233noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3758613444877644220.post-49899985310530553382018-10-30T20:07:00.001-03:002018-10-30T20:07:39.275-03:00Walktober Raising the Dead- TWD<div style="text-align: center;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-5vwdK8fmrLA/W9jizRyTzGI/AAAAAAAACNw/YhBKgH3gcFAcBxj2NaBFP9v3GSx_iUgTwCLcBGAs/s1600/walktobertitlecard.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1161" data-original-width="1549" height="478" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-5vwdK8fmrLA/W9jizRyTzGI/AAAAAAAACNw/YhBKgH3gcFAcBxj2NaBFP9v3GSx_iUgTwCLcBGAs/s640/walktobertitlecard.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">After last months spell of little done October was a period of hobby recovery. As the month of September drew to a close I returned to TWD after a long time away and made myself busy. In addition to the first group of nine figures I was able to get at, and complete another group of comparable size. Everything went awesome on the the bench and the only reason I ran out of proverbial road on the project was the ongoing postal strike which has thrown a wrench into new all new projects.</span><br />
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-hMhiyHUjKms/W9jfDdif2wI/AAAAAAAACNk/FQRZMCExcBABNZfcDIrx65THprYbPhFgACEwYBhgL/s1600/twdundone%2B002.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-hMhiyHUjKms/W9jfDdif2wI/AAAAAAAACNk/FQRZMCExcBABNZfcDIrx65THprYbPhFgACEwYBhgL/s640/twdundone%2B002.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">What might have been in October becomes what will be in November. Another crop of Walking Dead models arrived today including some figures from the Fear the Hunters wave. I've had the time to give them a rinse to prep for priming so they will be ready for next month.</span><br />
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-WoAN8ficvGg/W9jdBov1qZI/AAAAAAAACNU/ikRQ2GETq1MVYVUAvwFH4C784s67E0xhQCEwYBhgL/s1600/twdwalktobercrop%2B005.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-WoAN8ficvGg/W9jdBov1qZI/AAAAAAAACNU/ikRQ2GETq1MVYVUAvwFH4C784s67E0xhQCEwYBhgL/s640/twdwalktobercrop%2B005.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">The first group of figures was composed primarily of Woodbury survivors lead by the Governor himself. I continue to be impressed by the variety, and character of the figures in the range and this first group offered up both which made for an enjoyable painting project. While predominantly male the challenge of painting different ethnicities, ages, and body types made the batch paint enjoyable keeping it fresh. </span><br />
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-U5gG_hYtRfM/W9jdB6QdJ5I/AAAAAAAACNU/JD2aYPVgdIkxasjbZ2spYDVwYiccTzz9gCEwYBhgL/s1600/twdwalktobercrop%2B010.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-U5gG_hYtRfM/W9jdB6QdJ5I/AAAAAAAACNU/JD2aYPVgdIkxasjbZ2spYDVwYiccTzz9gCEwYBhgL/s640/twdwalktobercrop%2B010.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">For the most part I divided the figures into smaller groups that used similar palettes and blocked in base colours. As the painting process went on I dedicated more attention to individual models and finished them up with results that stoked me for another project in spite of some brushes which were getting a bit beat up and approaching retirement. Fatty Gabe was my favorite of the lot. You don't see too many fat guys in miniature so such a rotund individual was the stand out model. The Governor gets an honourable mention for being his bad self and daughter/walker Penny is a nasty and tragic piece of work.</span><br />
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Gd4wzhw5tEY/W9jdChxHB_I/AAAAAAAACNc/8CPeR_SAG3IEZ6FrM8PoeoD4-lrwHJuVQCEwYBhgL/s1600/twdwalktobercrop%2B013.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Gd4wzhw5tEY/W9jdChxHB_I/AAAAAAAACNc/8CPeR_SAG3IEZ6FrM8PoeoD4-lrwHJuVQCEwYBhgL/s640/twdwalktobercrop%2B013.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">The second band of Walking Dead models arrived within days of the first crew being completed. Along with the models was a badly needed brush and I think the it's presence shows in the results. To my eye I saw a saw an improvement in the quality of my line work and more importantly not having to fuss and constantly adjust the bristles as I worked the paint time was cut in half.</span><br />
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-x8Re0QWisL4/W9jdBj_R9gI/AAAAAAAACNQ/3M0caxvPa1Ievmb8h0VORTRi0bLllXW4wCEwYBhgL/s1600/twdwalktobercrop%2B007.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-x8Re0QWisL4/W9jdBj_R9gI/AAAAAAAACNQ/3M0caxvPa1Ievmb8h0VORTRi0bLllXW4wCEwYBhgL/s640/twdwalktobercrop%2B007.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">There were a few standouts and firsts in group two. I was lucky to have picked a selection of figures that captured my imagination and attention. Just in time for Walktober! The expressions on the faces of old lush Bob and frightened Smitty were a blast to try and bring to life. I wasn't as happy I could have been with Rick but working around his helmet and extended arm made getting at his face more difficult than the others.</span><br />
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-H7OJCVeqOSk/W9jdBDURyQI/AAAAAAAACNc/u3atVdGAt30cNNXBOl4JJKzfDHktA9l_QCEwYBhgL/s1600/twdwalktobercrop%2B002.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-H7OJCVeqOSk/W9jdBDURyQI/AAAAAAAACNc/u3atVdGAt30cNNXBOl4JJKzfDHktA9l_QCEwYBhgL/s640/twdwalktobercrop%2B002.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Lilly Caul ended up being my pick of the litter in the second crew. Hunkered over her rifle as she is she looks capable, cunning and badass for such a compact figure. The stars were in alignment when I laid down her eyes and I think I managed to capture a bit of that drive and determination there. First place in the walker category goes to the male walker in jeans and jacket. He looked as though he suffered from severe road rash or a burn down most of his left side. I played around with discolouring the flesh there a bit to contrast his otherwise pallid flesh. I hope to find some other models that will allow me to repeat this scheme. I think it would make for some excellent badly burned walkers if I can find me some.</span><br />
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/--NNj8gZcGdM/W9jdC1m55SI/AAAAAAAACNY/n6RYRqXvo_02AnPFHJZQ-JY_Vff1-wpxACEwYBhgL/s1600/twdwalktobercrop%2B015.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/--NNj8gZcGdM/W9jdC1m55SI/AAAAAAAACNY/n6RYRqXvo_02AnPFHJZQ-JY_Vff1-wpxACEwYBhgL/s640/twdwalktobercrop%2B015.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">The final zombie themed model count for Zom-tober/Walktober (Go with the latter so I can include the survivors and theme the month around the premiere of AMC's TWD Season 9) was 18. A respectable number that might have gone a bit higher if the strike hadn't drained the tank. No worry though; I had other stuff I should have spent more time working on like the other article I'm supposed to blog about for the month. Let's see if I can squeeze the other one in for a happy Halloween. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"> </span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-kH9OK9Mtu3g/W9ji3eXblbI/AAAAAAAACN0/mKvAL0Mt-HQ5gCLa2UNNw7Typ9zMpnL8QCEwYBhgL/s1600/Heisenbergsmitty.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1161" data-original-width="1549" height="478" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-kH9OK9Mtu3g/W9ji3eXblbI/AAAAAAAACN0/mKvAL0Mt-HQ5gCLa2UNNw7Typ9zMpnL8QCEwYBhgL/s640/Heisenbergsmitty.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<br />horridpersonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14258055637085320233noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3758613444877644220.post-31430517177301918932018-09-30T18:44:00.000-03:002019-04-03T04:29:37.419-03:00Painting Dead: The Road Back<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-CPZeyz-cTX8/W7Do14rMvnI/AAAAAAAACMg/e7bxsdqwfLArWdhb0yF0yV-SCiUIXzqUgCLcBGAs/s1600/paintingdeadtitlecard.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1023" data-original-width="1549" height="422" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-CPZeyz-cTX8/W7Do14rMvnI/AAAAAAAACMg/e7bxsdqwfLArWdhb0yF0yV-SCiUIXzqUgCLcBGAs/s640/paintingdeadtitlecard.png" width="640" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
I've had a bit of a dry spell in the hobby department. It started when my coastal board project went south. Repeatedly patching and correcting the lifting board was trying my patience and after remedying problem areas Id soon discover others had arisen. Getting nowhere sucks ass.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
In my case I've stuck with modelling and painting for such a long time because it relaxes me. On one end there is the a creative component. The same part of me that enjoys reading a good book or murdering my own darlings wants to experience, or tell a story. Painting and modelling are a physical extension of these imaginary pursuits. The maker in me is satisfied by a well finished project or even a deft stroke of brush that produced a desirable result.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
There is a microcosm in miniature that draws my focus away from anything that isn't happening on that bench or even within the crux of a thumb and forefinger. The escape I feel when painting is meditative. I forget things external, and find myself wondering where the time went as pack away my brushes after a session.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
So what happens when all of that goes horribly wrong and the de-stressor becomes the source of stress? When I get in a hobby funk I become a stranger to my bench. A cluttered work area is a busy work area until you look over and realize it isn't hobby stuff piling up there after weeks of neglect. At it's worst it's as though I am unconsciously trying to remove it from sight and memory.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
There could be a lot of things going on in my life at any time but when things are bad externally I'm more like to hit the paint table but when I have severely botched some hobby endeavor I step away sometimes for months at time. New hobbyists are typically intimidated by the prospect of painting but as you get on on with it I think the that is replaced by chasing the challenge. What destroys my interest in painting and hobby is the loss of control.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
That's really it. In a lifetime there are very few circumstances that allow you absolute control. The loss of that control/mastery wrecks it for me. It some post deep in the archives I confessed that I was a bit of a control freak and here it is made manifest. It good to feel like a master even if your rotten cat jumps on your bench and knocks your stuff over so she can drink your paint water </div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
The great obstacle to reclaiming the space is a return to mastery. I don't know if everyone wants to be Odysseus dealing with the suitors but, it goes a long way to restoring confidence and getting back in the game. I don't need to complete the project that stymied me. I need to get the basic confidence back to reclaim the space.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
It started with two small projects in the last couple weeks. Stan had some spare AoS Glaivewraith Stalkers he wasn't using that he sent my way. They weren't models that fit perfectly with the Deathrattle force I have been building but there's the rub. When take a piss where I eat I need to look outside that space to get things moving. The Stalkers are pretty cool figures and I was able to play with some techniques for Ethereals that I hadn't tried before. It was what I needed in order to reengage. It was a bit size project that convinced me to pick up my brushes and go again.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
From working on the stalkers I was further encouraged to return to my Walking Dead project. I have been working on this one intermittently through the year but last year it was my most ambitious project. I'm probably stealing a bit of the glow I got from that one but, whatever gets you through the night. At present the nine Made to Suffer models are just past basecoats but tackling them has recaptured the relaxation that I'd been missing in hobby for quite some time.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-hrNGDsPCBUQ/W7FCN55CECI/AAAAAAAACMs/TTzEAvBUkmQRC2bm7lcNJQDzSOOSarS7wCLcBGAs/s1600/original_prepared_photo.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-hrNGDsPCBUQ/W7FCN55CECI/AAAAAAAACMs/TTzEAvBUkmQRC2bm7lcNJQDzSOOSarS7wCLcBGAs/s640/original_prepared_photo.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Back in action WIP.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<br /></div>
horridpersonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14258055637085320233noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3758613444877644220.post-76956101324783467412018-09-29T19:22:00.000-03:002018-09-29T19:22:10.271-03:00Unknown Shores: Coastal Modules Part 1<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-cI0esOxCsjM/W6_61X8GC7I/AAAAAAAACMU/UYHsRaRtMY0AsmnvN41QV9PoNC0zBDMHgCLcBGAs/s1600/duneshot.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="590" data-original-width="900" height="418" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-cI0esOxCsjM/W6_61X8GC7I/AAAAAAAACMU/UYHsRaRtMY0AsmnvN41QV9PoNC0zBDMHgCLcBGAs/s640/duneshot.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Watching a coast as it slips by the ship is like thinking about an enigma. There it is before you smiling, frowning, inviting, grand, mean, insipid, or savage, and always mute with and air of whispering, "Come and find out"</span></i></div>
<i><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></i>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">-Joseph Conrad, <u>Heart of Darkness</u></span></i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Once I completed my barrow mound I felt confident. I'd managed a successful, if small terrain project and decided to take the next step and build proper terrain boards, project I'd put off for years. I have another project in mind dependent on a large stretch of water so I decided to make matters worse and begin with a set of coastal, rather than standard boards. I'm fortunate how things turned out as inexperience necessitated some design changes along the way. Conrad's quote on the shifting disposition of unknown shores prefacing this article is apt because the build was rewarding but, not without complications.</span><br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-sY9iEbrZnTI/W4DtX5pNLWI/AAAAAAAACK8/ieaZGqUR1_QdKcI0FnUJ0ayiohU2kxRjQCLcBGAs/s1600/formby2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="693" data-original-width="1220" height="362" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-sY9iEbrZnTI/W4DtX5pNLWI/AAAAAAAACK8/ieaZGqUR1_QdKcI0FnUJ0ayiohU2kxRjQCLcBGAs/s640/formby2.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Formby Beach</span></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Research? But of course! Since my Dark Age games will most likely take place in the British Isles I chose a stretch of beach located there. I looked at Formby, it's dunes, and sites in Scotland too. Somewhere in there was a stretch of beach in Columbia. In spite of how much I liked the image I had to let that one go. The dunes came from Formby while the Scottish beaches provided the inspiration for the rockier parts. I took some inspiration from local beaches as well as from beach walks on the west coast. The main reason Formby took center stage was the good variety of terrain reported in the region.</span></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-SnGiYNsZQ3A/W4Do9gvtF6I/AAAAAAAACKE/cT0U9_EqEFcqhlvWYrCJR214g-quAOD_wCEwYBhgL/s1600/coastlinerough%2B002.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-SnGiYNsZQ3A/W4Do9gvtF6I/AAAAAAAACKE/cT0U9_EqEFcqhlvWYrCJR214g-quAOD_wCEwYBhgL/s640/coastlinerough%2B002.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The paper pattern for the module in hill configuration.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">I chose 1/4" MDF board as the foundation for each of the 2'x'2 boards. In the grand scheme of things modules of this size mated up will provided me with a good number of potential terrain configurations and a scalable play surface that allows for a wide variety of landforms. Right off the bat I think I made a poor design choice. I chose foamboard as the ground level; the proverbial zero elevation. I had considered using a thicker 1" sheet of XPS for greater strength and more convincing depth in water features but opted for what I thought would be a more conservative budget and a lighter weight project. In the initial early stages this didn't bite me in the ass but, it's coming.</span><br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-qvUqxTthmyU/W4DqLYgNx2I/AAAAAAAACKY/UDJp_uJCZIMSyEB2ahJVO6LyCBEA_yQLQCLcBGAs/s1600/coastlinerough%2B005.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-qvUqxTthmyU/W4DqLYgNx2I/AAAAAAAACKY/UDJp_uJCZIMSyEB2ahJVO6LyCBEA_yQLQCLcBGAs/s640/coastlinerough%2B005.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The foamboard and XPS laid out to match the plan.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">I started by plotting the whole project on paper squares. I drew a rough coastline that met when the two parts were butted together at either end. In one configuration there would be a central hill that could accommodate a small watch tower overlooking the coast lying to either side and in the other two rocky cliff faces diverged by a long stretch of beach. Once it was planned I collected my boards and used the paper plan to pattern my foam board and glued it to the the MDF. The ground level established I cut what would be become the two part central hill's core from XPS and mounted it at one joined end. It looked very much like the plan. So far so good.</span><br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-WOdFdI2yzv4/W4Dq9X_nCEI/AAAAAAAACKw/YN7s-_Hiv1YmWPotQ0MbKddUow6qlIAKACEwYBhgL/s1600/lacoastlinerough%2B021.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="450" data-original-width="600" height="480" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-WOdFdI2yzv4/W4Dq9X_nCEI/AAAAAAAACKw/YN7s-_Hiv1YmWPotQ0MbKddUow6qlIAKACEwYBhgL/s640/lacoastlinerough%2B021.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Coastline rough complete with foam dunes and plaster rock on the cliff.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">The dunes along the end of the board were situated so I went to work with my plaster rock collection. I have mistrusted hot glue guns as hobby tools but this project along with the barrows has cured me of that. It's not a precision instrument but it does a damn fine job of quickly anchoring rough parts into place. The final phase of of the underlayer was completed with some contouring. All of this wet material and a criminal humidity level were on the brink of causing me a load of grief. Things came to a head in the next phase. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-QqvW4B2hc6s/W4Dw5osGrcI/AAAAAAAACLQ/OK-eZ5vAL3okk7sdQgddgS1J0E8knOQDQCEwYBhgL/s1600/coastclay%2B008.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-QqvW4B2hc6s/W4Dw5osGrcI/AAAAAAAACLQ/OK-eZ5vAL3okk7sdQgddgS1J0E8knOQDQCEwYBhgL/s640/coastclay%2B008.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">A stretch of coast in profile.</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Once I coated the rough forms in celluclay and sprinkled it with sand the modules began to truly look their part. At this point I was about to start start patting myself on the back and saying how awesome I was. Then that ass bite I mentioned earlier started gnawing. As the project dried after the latest application I noticed the first signs that some warping was occurring. Successive layering had taken it's toll. I did seal the boards with a spray varnish but the the shrinkage of so much material and the wet air had left their mark. My latest pet project was falling apart as the curl moisture introduced to the MDF was lifting the foamboard foundation from it's anchorage. Enter much cursing. I had to brace the underside of each of the boards with a wooden frame to reinforce them. So much for the reduced weight. In retrospect starting with a 1" thick piece of XPS was probably the way to go. With a lower weight than the frame, generous depth for contouring and the strength of an MDF-XPS sandwiched hybrid it was likely how I should have proceeded. The more you know. Learn from my mistakes and don't be a horrid person too. I hope that I will be able to level subsequent boards to match these ones using this the XPS foundation instead. Here's hoping.</span></div>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-lAkFqP_hz9g/W4D532ee8kI/AAAAAAAACLg/KUrNxYGD-14t7cu0GkBX15E2EV_NrlGnQCLcBGAs/s1600/coastbasecoat%2B001.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-lAkFqP_hz9g/W4D532ee8kI/AAAAAAAACLg/KUrNxYGD-14t7cu0GkBX15E2EV_NrlGnQCLcBGAs/s640/coastbasecoat%2B001.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The devil on the deep blue seaside and it's requisite wooden frame.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
With all that unpleasantness out of the way after some patchwork to hide screw and nail holes the base coat went on like a charm. Painting miniatures has always been a relaxing meditative activity for me and painting after such a colossal botch made for some quality therapy. Craft paint did the job admirably. I mixed the sea blue base from a prussian blue mixed with a hunter green and black. It ended up being a good match for VMC Deep Sea Blue. It's also the point that part 1 of this article ends. It turns out that I have been holding onto this article for more than month and the sands of September are running low. With most of the month gone and my quota for the blog unfulfilled it was time to acknowledge things it wouldn't be coming to fruition any time soon. The frustrations of this build took a significant toll on my patience and hobby as a whole. When I do present the second part of this article it should be a pair of fully realized boards. Until then I have an article to write on dealing with hobby failures and only a day or so to do it in to make the deadline. See you soon.</div>
</div>
</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
horridpersonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14258055637085320233noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3758613444877644220.post-8157277872435115702018-08-17T19:34:00.001-03:002018-08-17T19:34:43.660-03:00The Mouldering Trappings of Kings: Building a Barrow Mound<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-0qK4GRs-nm0/W3dKdxHzOpI/AAAAAAAACEw/-1jGgecUN3YkCGWXgpOybOz5UpOcqiyqQCLcBGAs/s1600/barrowtitlecard.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1234" data-original-width="1600" height="492" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-0qK4GRs-nm0/W3dKdxHzOpI/AAAAAAAACEw/-1jGgecUN3YkCGWXgpOybOz5UpOcqiyqQCLcBGAs/s640/barrowtitlecard.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">"Cold be heart and hand and bone</span></i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">And cold be sleep under stone</span></i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Nevermore to wake on stony bed</span></i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Never til, til the Sun and the Moon is dead</span></i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">In the black wind the stars shall die</span></i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">And still be gold here let them lie</span></i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Til the Dark Lord lifts his hand over dead sea and withered land"</span></i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Chant of the Barrow Wight, Fellowship of the Ring</span></i></div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-OT26yJLEecU/W3cu4mfo12I/AAAAAAAACC8/6NWBAwbXl8cfHUSZC7eR2PeNBKL6USNpQCLcBGAs/s1600/Bombadil010607a.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="781" data-original-width="845" height="588" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-OT26yJLEecU/W3cu4mfo12I/AAAAAAAACC8/6NWBAwbXl8cfHUSZC7eR2PeNBKL6USNpQCLcBGAs/s640/Bombadil010607a.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hey nonny, What a dingus!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">First, a confession. I can't stand Tom Bombadil. Every time I've tried to read Fellowship of the Ring his inane jabbering has resulted in me abandoning ship in disgust. As much as I loved The Hobbit and the lore of Middle Earth I never saw Fellowship through to the end until recently. Once I pressed on I was in for a treat. Not only did I enjoy a story I'd long neglected, I also experienced the sequence with the barrow wights.</span></div>
<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-9NJ8ZUYRt48/W3cuUrnddSI/AAAAAAAACC0/NdtgqibWb0Y2Zzyeg089Nj2WeKLwCmgLACLcBGAs/s1600/barrowwightcomplete%2B002.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-9NJ8ZUYRt48/W3cuUrnddSI/AAAAAAAACC0/NdtgqibWb0Y2Zzyeg089Nj2WeKLwCmgLACLcBGAs/s640/barrowwightcomplete%2B002.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Reaper's Barrow Warden Lord makes a fine Wight.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Middle Earth's wights are rooted in Tolkien's study of Norse saga Gripssonar and old English. The aspect of his hoary, damned kings are the product of the former while the names owe their origins to the latter. To me the horror of the Barrow Wights is their pathos. Though demon spirits they are slaves to the will of Sauron. When they capture their victims and arraign them gold it seems they are recreating the fate of the First Age kings. Not only do I feel some sympathy for these bound spirits, the scene is also a powerful Memento mori. I'm only rambling about the Barrow Wights because I managed to find a suitable model for Blood Eagle games. For the Lord of the Rings setting I still have to order some but they are on the list because I like the sculpts quite a bit. Right. This is actually an article about building a barrow.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-FwUWYXfFZTg/W3c4oj2q5CI/AAAAAAAACDI/ebsCBUiJgSs8W_Cj54vnf2aY8LPIcbIewCLcBGAs/s1600/barrowbrynddu.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="585" data-original-width="780" height="480" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-FwUWYXfFZTg/W3c4oj2q5CI/AAAAAAAACDI/ebsCBUiJgSs8W_Cj54vnf2aY8LPIcbIewCLcBGAs/s640/barrowbrynddu.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bryn Cellie Ddu on Anglesey Island, Wales</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Before starting my barrow project I had to get a feel for what I was trying to recreate. My goal with all my terrain building projects is versatility. As someone who's interests lack focus I prefer building stuff that can be used in more than one genre. I opted for a reasonably realistic interpretation of a barrow mound that could be used in Dark Age or Low Fantasy settings. The piece will also serve well enough in High Fantasy settings but covering it in skulls and sigils would limit it's, "downward mobility". For some guidance I googled up some barrow sites in the UK and drew most of my inspiration for the project from Bryn Celli Ddu in Wales. I was taken by the image because the forboding entrance and the mix of stone and greenery made for an interesting composition. From a practical perspective the vegetation made it an easy blend into the typical grassland board or mat that I am currently constructing. Boards are a larger undertaking than I like so I started with this barrow to reduce the scale and go into the undertaking with a win for my team.</span></div>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ksNOJdsdepg/W3c6KxDbfRI/AAAAAAAACDU/7faeSJDUGwMK001O8nb1GRSEQ2bWX11-wCLcBGAs/s1600/barrowroughcontours%2B002.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ksNOJdsdepg/W3c6KxDbfRI/AAAAAAAACDU/7faeSJDUGwMK001O8nb1GRSEQ2bWX11-wCLcBGAs/s640/barrowroughcontours%2B002.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Yuck! That doesn't look like much.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">The first stage of the build was roughing out the shape of the mound with layered XPS foam. I also had a white foam dome kicking around I'd forgotten the intended purpose of so I grabbed that too. I also mounted the shape on an MDF base. I allowed a fair amount of room for the footprint because I was going to be adding material and didn't want to run out of space or leave myself with a ridiculous slope if I couldn't stretch it out enough.</span></div>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-1d-iTJfatRQ/W3c8ev4aB1I/AAAAAAAACDw/v0wDVcgfIYkLWOvQfoUj0lu1wpK835dRACEwYBhgL/s1600/barrowbuildscale%2B001.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-1d-iTJfatRQ/W3c8ev4aB1I/AAAAAAAACDw/v0wDVcgfIYkLWOvQfoUj0lu1wpK835dRACEwYBhgL/s640/barrowbuildscale%2B001.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Eadwulf inspects the plaster rocks.</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">I was intent on using plaster cast rock on the face of the mound with the entrance. I'd watched a railroading video and was impressed by the techniques so I had a go at it rather than using carved foam. I was impressed by the realistic results and found it a very intuitive process; Almost like building a puzzle. I added the rock castings from the ground up sanding here and there to improve fits. All rocks were secured with a glue gun. Once everything was in place I filled gaps in the rocks and contoured the rest of the slope with joint compound. It was the first time I used plaster rocks in a project so I may have got carried away with the pile that accumulated. I may have been overzealous but like the way the rock balances with the earth.</span></div>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-BJSpbXtACWQ/W3c8tBCXWvI/AAAAAAAACD0/DScu3Atvv40G9Lh8TewnUxAnpnOchIDZgCEwYBhgL/s1600/basecoat%2B001.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-BJSpbXtACWQ/W3c8tBCXWvI/AAAAAAAACD0/DScu3Atvv40G9Lh8TewnUxAnpnOchIDZgCEwYBhgL/s640/basecoat%2B001.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Surfaced and basecoated.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">I skipped adding a naked celluclay picture since the base coat of paint does nothing to hide the excellent texture. Like the plaster this was my first use of the material. I haven't sculpted with clay in ages but the material was far more like that than the paper mache I remember. Like the joint compound I had to temper my impatience and leave the project alone for a couple days before I could move on to painting it. Celluclay can hold a lot of water if you are too generous adding it to the mixture to watch out for warping if you are covering light materials. I added water sparingly as I worked when Ifound a consistency I liked working with. The MDF and layered XPS was strong like bull so it didn't bend. I sprayed the dry hill with a black primer then painted the rock in a dark grey and the groundwork in a brown I like for base painting.</span></div>
<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-t2Dkc3ynpw4/W3c9VRHhRII/AAAAAAAACEI/6TrnYrv7jp8rnzluaQ73D_HzY8ZPg8owQCEwYBhgL/s1600/barrowgreens%2B003.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-t2Dkc3ynpw4/W3c9VRHhRII/AAAAAAAACEI/6TrnYrv7jp8rnzluaQ73D_HzY8ZPg8owQCEwYBhgL/s640/barrowgreens%2B003.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Those rude draugr moved right in. This is for Barrow Wights bitches.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">From there to some overbrushing followed by progressively lighter drybrushing on earth and stone. I placed a some stands of static grass plugs, then painted the project with PVA where I wanted greenery and applied loose static grass. After the grass had dried I went back and built up some areas with fine clump foliage and shrubs. I wanted to mimic the photos I'd seen as well as make the piece look wild and overgrown. After so many additions I was worried about things falling off. As a final security measure I sprayed the green areas with isopropyl and misted it with diluted glue. I'm ecstatic about the results of this project. I usually walk away from projects OK with them but, this was a bit out of what I'd considered my wheelhouse so a positive result felt great. Getting this one up and running gave me the confidence to get around to those game boards I'd been meaning to get on with for years. The two coast modules are at the painting stage as I write this so hopefully I can post another happy terrain ending here fairly soon. It was nice to play with paint.net and get off of my Prisma crutch for title cards. I made up another for my last article I really liked the feel of this one because it reminded me of a picture from the old Advanced Dungeons and Dragons hardbacks.</span></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-L9bf7UISKAY/W3dIVGEQXgI/AAAAAAAACEQ/B0dHWi9zPH4XHfJoU8bvLYhF7NqixppWQCLcBGAs/s1600/barrowpics%2B003.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-L9bf7UISKAY/W3dIVGEQXgI/AAAAAAAACEQ/B0dHWi9zPH4XHfJoU8bvLYhF7NqixppWQCLcBGAs/s640/barrowpics%2B003.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-MkAncARHhN8/W3dIYkJWjpI/AAAAAAAACEU/rdpmxVnNqY4-fdoj3N0uI5L8yXLyb7jXwCLcBGAs/s1600/barrowpics%2B005.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-MkAncARHhN8/W3dIYkJWjpI/AAAAAAAACEU/rdpmxVnNqY4-fdoj3N0uI5L8yXLyb7jXwCLcBGAs/s640/barrowpics%2B005.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-hvihc8MpFao/W3dItKttMDI/AAAAAAAACEc/biwmJYj2ih8D8wQ5uUR6B9rzTZQlbWZKACLcBGAs/s1600/barrowgreens%2B006.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-hvihc8MpFao/W3dItKttMDI/AAAAAAAACEc/biwmJYj2ih8D8wQ5uUR6B9rzTZQlbWZKACLcBGAs/s640/barrowgreens%2B006.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-E5SG37nlwwQ/W3dIyMqguWI/AAAAAAAACEg/ITMBOAWxm0g0vJ67fdafaCktBvmIWBkfwCLcBGAs/s1600/barrowgreens%2B005.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-E5SG37nlwwQ/W3dIyMqguWI/AAAAAAAACEg/ITMBOAWxm0g0vJ67fdafaCktBvmIWBkfwCLcBGAs/s640/barrowgreens%2B005.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<br />horridpersonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14258055637085320233noreply@blogger.com16tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3758613444877644220.post-16785902007312517842018-08-11T20:23:00.000-03:002018-08-21T21:44:22.026-03:00Ata's Tale: Worldbuilding For Wargaming Part 1<div style="text-align: justify;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-MZf0lXLVwp8/W29rw2D3EoI/AAAAAAAACAw/l2RHu1Sm-skNGEnqc_i30Ai6HZJur2RDgCEwYBhgL/s1600/lastship.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="684" data-original-width="1600" height="272" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-MZf0lXLVwp8/W29rw2D3EoI/AAAAAAAACAw/l2RHu1Sm-skNGEnqc_i30Ai6HZJur2RDgCEwYBhgL/s640/lastship.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<i><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"> Aristophanes had loved me. I was young and callow then and couldn't see his forbearance or the subtle esteem he held in my small accomplishments. He, the greatest practitioner of a greater age lost. The prefects had found me kindling detritus in Serrid's low quarter with my first reedy proto song and nearly consigned me to the flame but, He had intervened and I entered into his tutelage. Old Ari was a peerless teacher. He loved knowledge, living for the moment of wonder in a pupil's eye. Yet, there was always a caution. The gift was a devil's bargain, trucking in power beyond the pale, and we the practitioners were moths to an otherworldly flame. I was nearly a man grown, or so I had thought when he cast me out and sent me to the harbour. </span></i></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<i><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Long had the shadow of the Pale Host loomed but the most outlandish tales were nothing in the face of the terrible truth. A writhing, wall of flesh on the horizon for as far as the eye could see. A refugee I watched from the taffrail as the practitioners bought our passage with the art and their lives. Every miracle in our defence consigned another magician to memory. Leviathan swords of flame and hungry spears of light burned thousands but, they were without number. Perhaps it was Aristophanes himself who had undertaken that last great working. Resigned to the fate or aggrieved by loss was he willing to pay any price? I swear the walls of reality groaned in protest as a solitary incandescent light bloomed to envelope Everything. When vision returned, my eyes still watered from the reek of sulphur. From the foothills, through the gates of Serrid, Fulcrum of the World, to the edge to the last ships diminishing wake. All was rough albaster, a vast plain of salt marked the grave of the the World that Was. </span></i></div>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-w2dXw9epfZI/W29uGkNCv4I/AAAAAAAACBI/Jyx2X75fPV8CnQmlnBf53qbgsaVwGwZrACLcBGAs/s1600/57278-Mueble-Cuadro-canvas-mapa-mundi-geografico-1565.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="960" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-w2dXw9epfZI/W29uGkNCv4I/AAAAAAAACBI/Jyx2X75fPV8CnQmlnBf53qbgsaVwGwZrACLcBGAs/s640/57278-Mueble-Cuadro-canvas-mapa-mundi-geografico-1565.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Old maps with cool pics suck me into this sort of thing.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">I've been thinking a lot recently about wargaming campaigns and as a consequence have revisited world building. It's more an activity I associated with roleplaying but up to this point I had been satisfied gaming in worlds of other peoples invention. I'm not saying that I can do better than the creators whose work I already enjoy but, I'm hoping to enjoy an exercise in storytelling I haven't partaken in quite some time. The story fragment I opened the article with is an amalgam of the story seeds I've plundered to use as a basis for my world building project. Narratives are what draw me to hobby. When I paint miniatures, I'm creating characters, when I play games with them I am telling their stories. Creating a campaign or world setting is an extension of the same passion. </span></div>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-PlspaGm0B2k/W21mYxowXfI/AAAAAAAAB_o/CTnjEwK_3ZYTeYFhk9fziUZkPyXVTensACLcBGAs/s1600/tony%2Bbath.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="187" data-original-width="320" height="374" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-PlspaGm0B2k/W21mYxowXfI/AAAAAAAAB_o/CTnjEwK_3ZYTeYFhk9fziUZkPyXVTensACLcBGAs/s640/tony%2Bbath.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tony Bath at play in his Hyperborean Campaign.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">What got me thinking about this was reading Tony Bath's <u>Setting Up a Wargames Campaign</u>. The book was written in 1973 and lays out his ideas for organizing a wargame campaign in preferably, a fictional world. His hypothesis is that in an imaginary world wargamers have the most latitude in building and enjoying their imaginary wars. He describes this as the most desirous scenario as recreations of historical, and quasi historical reinterpretations have more rigid parameters and I couldn't agree more. I think the best argument he makes is the promise of an organic world shaped by actions on the tabletop which inevitably take on lives of their own as legacies of these rivalries forge a mythical history. Bath adopted Robert E Howard's Hyperborea for his gaming groups campaigns but spoiled by a deluge of talented writers I found myself in the enviable position of not being able to choose just one. This isn't to say there were no other great fantasy writers at the time. Bath suggests a variety of authors a perspective campaigner might build their world around. It seems he was just more decisive. While I find some of the processes too mechanical and dated as a result his ideas themselves are brilliant and provide food for thought for a prospective campaign builder.</span></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-dOB2bxy1X50/W25QdSG91ZI/AAAAAAAAB_4/NVvc9LHme7oln2R2NddnavmZ1AljMkcYACEwYBhgL/s1600/worldnotes%2B003.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-dOB2bxy1X50/W25QdSG91ZI/AAAAAAAAB_4/NVvc9LHme7oln2R2NddnavmZ1AljMkcYACEwYBhgL/s640/worldnotes%2B003.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A scattered blueprint and the consequence of hoarding. </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">I'm in the process of shaking the dust from my old campaign world. While I never got around to playing there (Can you see a pattern?) it occupies a stash of papers and notebooks that have continued to grow over the years. While there have been name changes and revisions brought on by exposure to external sources the "big ideas" have remained largely consistent. At this point in the world building it's really a matter of examining the, "big ideas" that will set the tone of the fantasy setting. I find it helpful to establish some style guidelines for myself that will remain (mostly) consistent throughout the project. My choices aren't better than the others but whatever style your world has coherent elements will keep it believable regardless of how fantastic it might be. </span></div>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-kGa0cKH24Ag/W284XjQlADI/AAAAAAAACAY/NVa-DyNB5rwcIFdz_-qwLY4nD77DSbGLgCLcBGAs/s1600/petersondevilwoodcut1_thumb%2B%25281%2529.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="293" data-original-width="420" height="446" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-kGa0cKH24Ag/W284XjQlADI/AAAAAAAACAY/NVa-DyNB5rwcIFdz_-qwLY4nD77DSbGLgCLcBGAs/s640/petersondevilwoodcut1_thumb%2B%25281%2529.gif" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This woodcut's summoning might depict the limits of low fantasy magic.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>Low Fantasy:</b> I have always preferred low magic in my fantasy settings. There is a place for magic in fantasy yet, it shouldn't threaten to completely overwhelm the mundane elements in the world. In RPGs magic that allowed players to ignore significant consequences of their actions or circumvent reasonable challenges frustrated me. In a wargaming context high magic is potentially the contemporary weapon of mass destruction that invalidates armies. With these in mind I played around with the concept of aberration. The basic premise is that the working of magic while fantastic is governed by laws of quasi science. The further a magical event deviates from natural law the greater the risk of some consequence. The proverbial, "For every reaction there is an equal and opposite reaction". In Ata's tale his first use of magic was burning garbage to stay warm. An untrained magician was cause for concern to the prefects but, the act itself was of minor consequence. Conversely the practitioners attempting to defend Serrid from the Pale Host result in a paradox of cataclysmic proportion. For the time being this is an abstraction but I'm curious how rules of magic in wargaming might represent this. It would be interesting to have "safe" magic then the possibility of more dangerous forms that might reward, or horribly punish the bold. </span></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Az1sHA-NhTA/W28nC_uWYWI/AAAAAAAACAE/VgPMRhioXCMTo4fqD-CaqjXdWwpKdiCggCEwYBhgL/s1600/historyref%2B002.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Az1sHA-NhTA/W28nC_uWYWI/AAAAAAAACAE/VgPMRhioXCMTo4fqD-CaqjXdWwpKdiCggCEwYBhgL/s640/historyref%2B002.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Real world history as a basis for a fantasy setting.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>Historical:</b> Historical events have resonance. Using them as, and as a basis for events in a fantasy setting serve me two purposes. Precedent is a powerful tool in law and storytelling. Joseph Campbell wrote of the monomyth that permeates most civilizations. The primal tales that live in all of humanity's dreams regardless of colour or creed. I'd add to myth the weight of historical events from ancient to current. Introducing these elements to works of fiction gives them life and a sense of realism that strengthen the imaginary setting. Serrid, Fulcrum of the world could be Rome sacked by the barbarians and ushering in the Dark Ages, or Byzantium falling to the Ottomans. I've adopted these events <a href="http://horridvoidspace.blogspot.com/2015/10/frostgrave-rockstar-among-wizards.html" target="_blank">before</a> intending to adapt them to the Frostgrave setting. While Ptolomea will be Serrid this time around I still like oligarchical Anshur, and it might still make an appearance. In the case of Serrid her apocalyptic ending by magical forces also echoes the biblical ending of Sodom and Gomorrah. </span></div>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-EFK3fd7cvFU/W28r17rngMI/AAAAAAAACAM/qtEtD0DbJ5QbCxs_i4MKG8IBe855_L_qwCLcBGAs/s1600/the-byzantine-empire.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="317" data-original-width="564" height="358" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-EFK3fd7cvFU/W28r17rngMI/AAAAAAAACAM/qtEtD0DbJ5QbCxs_i4MKG8IBe855_L_qwCLcBGAs/s640/the-byzantine-empire.jpeg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Eastern Europe and the Mediterranean were a conflux of diverse cultures.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>European:</b> There has been a great deal of criticism by fantasy pundits for utilizing this particular trope. The world would be a better place if more stories were set in magical North or South America. These criticisms are typically levelled at worlds specifically enframed in a Western Eurocentric context. When viewing greater Europe I think it one of the best models for a fantastic world because it a tapestry of diverse cultures that extends well beyond white knights. For what it was worth my education was primarily in Western European history and literature. If I were to build a setting around South America it would be with trepidation. My ignorance would be more likely to produce an offensive, stereotypical contrivance. I feel that Eastern Europe and the Mediterranean are an excellent model for a fantasy world. This Cosmopolitan region was a center of trade routes extending across Europe, Asia and Africa. At the time there was no crossroads of culture to rival it. </span></div>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-gcyx2XNdCxo/W287pIQGtwI/AAAAAAAACAk/V_XYJGeerAISicyEF4dPVCZ9iBLg6v-7gCLcBGAs/s1600/Olaus_Magnus_-_On_Nocturnal_Dance_of_Fairies%252C_in_Other_Words_Ghosts.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="1271" height="302" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-gcyx2XNdCxo/W287pIQGtwI/AAAAAAAACAk/V_XYJGeerAISicyEF4dPVCZ9iBLg6v-7gCLcBGAs/s640/Olaus_Magnus_-_On_Nocturnal_Dance_of_Fairies%252C_in_Other_Words_Ghosts.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fantastical races in woodcuts were figures of wonder and mystery.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>Elves, Dwarves and Others:</b> One of the major decisions surrounding this campaign was the inclusion of fantastic elements. Right up there with the presence of magic were the other races including the atypical friends of man and monsters from goblins to dragons. In roleplaying games my preference for their inclusion is as near to the their roots in folklore as possible in keeping with a low fantasy feel. When kingdoms of men so readily opposed each other it seemed strange, "others" like elves and dwarves would so readily homogenize into human cultures. Likely because they were attractive human or short ones that liked gold a little too much. Last month in <a href="http://horridvoidspace.blogspot.com/2018/07/the-gravediggers-boy-frostgrave.html" target="_blank">The Grave Digger's Boy</a></span> <span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">I shared my interpretations and inspirations for my take on elves. In all cases I feel there is a need to remove fantastic races from the influence of humanity. The distinctiveness of their character, their alien qualities are what made them lasting figures in folklore.</span><br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-DY2zzmLvGqo/W29sirOpLlI/AAAAAAAACA8/Y1NZvL-a16QbcZ107Z3AG5ujqTjcGP9KwCLcBGAs/s1600/hex%2B001.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-DY2zzmLvGqo/W29sirOpLlI/AAAAAAAACA8/Y1NZvL-a16QbcZ107Z3AG5ujqTjcGP9KwCLcBGAs/s640/hex%2B001.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">More intimidating than any other blank page</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">This constitutes my "style book" for the setting. I hope to revisit the subject in a series of articles examining possible game systems, campaign and magical mechanics. Even if I don't settle to the task of rules creation I still intend to chip away at detailing the world examining cartography, cultures, and supernatural phenomena. This article is even more of an odd duck than many I have posted to the blog so I'd be very interested in hearing what readers make of it.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"> </span></div>
<br />horridpersonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14258055637085320233noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3758613444877644220.post-54658489602556546902018-08-07T19:28:00.001-03:002018-08-08T02:33:10.149-03:00Beruthiel and Her Cat: LotR<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-znjWbd52LHM/W2oGgM7BWbI/AAAAAAAAB-Y/xrxe_wxLUCQCdwSI86iLem_wKYfhVf7lQCLcBGAs/s1600/beruthialprismablog.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="911" data-original-width="1242" height="468" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-znjWbd52LHM/W2oGgM7BWbI/AAAAAAAAB-Y/xrxe_wxLUCQCdwSI86iLem_wKYfhVf7lQCLcBGAs/s640/beruthialprismablog.png" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><i><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">"(Gandalf) Is surer of finding the way home in a blind night than the cats of Queen Beruthiel." </span></i></b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><br /></b></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><i><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">, Aragorn, Fellowship of the Ring, J.R.R. Tolkien</span></i></b></div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<i><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-2bA4oDGlG3E/W2ocIURf9rI/AAAAAAAAB_c/-PfsEDuzmrwMdU9Co6PxeVQqzqjICcF4QCEwYBhgL/s1600/beruthielgb%2B005.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-2bA4oDGlG3E/W2ocIURf9rI/AAAAAAAAB_c/-PfsEDuzmrwMdU9Co6PxeVQqzqjICcF4QCEwYBhgL/s640/beruthielgb%2B005.JPG" width="640" /></a></span></i></div>
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Queen Beruthiel remains one of the mysteries of Middle Earth. In the trilogy she is alluded to in Fellowship of the Ring by Aragorn regarding the certainty of Gandalf's finding his way</span><i><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">.</span></i><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"> She was again mentioned in an interview with Tolien in 1966, and only explained further in the posthumously published Book of Lost Tales. From these sources we can gather that Beruthiel (translating as, "Harsh Queen") was a Black Numenorean betrothed to Tarranon Fallustur, twelfth King in the line of Gondor. It can assumed theirs was a loveless, political union, arranged to foster peace between their respective kingdoms. The Queen was solitary figure, unloved in Gondor and was famous for her ten cats, one white and nine black who spied and learned the secrets of men for her. Beruthiel was eventually exiled by her king and took ship back to her homeland. The couple produced no heir and the last mention of her ship, "Seen flying past Umbar under a sickle moon, with a cat at the masthead and another as a figure-head on the prow". </span><br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-1WhL6wqVV9o/W2oSIpgt_lI/AAAAAAAAB-k/zt_m7m22RvMv-L9gCRFAHYBpf0sT6B-zwCLcBGAs/s1600/otherberuthiel.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="884" data-original-width="1569" height="360" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-1WhL6wqVV9o/W2oSIpgt_lI/AAAAAAAAB-k/zt_m7m22RvMv-L9gCRFAHYBpf0sT6B-zwCLcBGAs/s640/otherberuthiel.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">GW and Mithral Miniatures both made versions of the queen.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</span></div>
<br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">On the tabletop Queen Beruthiel appears in Game Workshop's War of the Ring as a wizard an hero in the Fallen Realms army list. It was their intention to produce a figure which was sculpted but, went unreleased. I like the aquiline face but, there isn't a single cat to be found and the cat hair (?) bustle makes for a poor substitute. Mithral Miniatures also produced an enthroned Beruthiel. I liked this one, particularly the cats congregating around her. Unfortunately, the model is in the 32mm scale and think it would make a better display model than a gaming piece. I haven't assembled so large a Haradrim host that I should be considering epic leaders but, this looked like it would be a fun and fast project to take on.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span><i><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"></span></i>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-CPzJexXp7vY/W2oVdq0GnvI/AAAAAAAAB-w/VvDjJTdvVbsl0Hq2yytLka_miqCLX0NegCLcBGAs/s1600/250px-Paula_DiSante_-_Reporting_to_Beruthiel.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="220" data-original-width="250" height="563" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-CPzJexXp7vY/W2oVdq0GnvI/AAAAAAAAB-w/VvDjJTdvVbsl0Hq2yytLka_miqCLX0NegCLcBGAs/s640/250px-Paula_DiSante_-_Reporting_to_Beruthiel.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Paula DiSante's "Reporting to Beruthiel"</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span><i><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"></span></i></div>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span><i><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"></span></i>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Finding the right base model meant finding an appropriately inspiring base figure. Before I began looking I looked for an image that summed up the character for me. "Reporting to Beruthiel" by Paula DiSante was perfect. I wish a sculptor would use this image as a basis for a figure somewhere down the line. The dour queen was described as wearing only black and silver because she hated colour (and most other things, including her cats). This image captures that austerity completely. The severe robe, spartan tiara and hardened expression on her face are as I imagined her. The white cat was her chief, overseeing the other cats. Beruthiel has it vunerable, by the scruff of the neck and seizes it's report through some dark magic. A mother cat can paralyze her kittens by lifting them by the scruff to remove them from harm, but this image is one of control, something sinister.</span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-9iTaHicTmJw/W2oYqMCaDZI/AAAAAAAAB-8/2yhplsnF-cI-q91zQVuujdSsxgRdbtONQCLcBGAs/s1600/beruthiel%2B001.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-9iTaHicTmJw/W2oYqMCaDZI/AAAAAAAAB-8/2yhplsnF-cI-q91zQVuujdSsxgRdbtONQCLcBGAs/s640/beruthiel%2B001.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">I scoured the lead pile and managed to find an older Julie Guthrie sculpt I had among some fantasy models. The tab was dated 1995. She might have been a cleric as she had a mace in her right hand and the necklace may have been intended as a holy symbol. I cut off the mace hand and replaced it with a staff from another model. I think her hand is riding too high up for the position she has it in but I liked the shape and was out of options. I didn't have a cat to spare her but remembered the Pegasus animal kit I used for the <a href="http://horridvoidspace.blogspot.com/2018/04/animal-farm-barnyard-animal-scenics.html" target="_blank">Animal Farm</a> scenery project. I used all of the livestock but, the kit included some dogs that were too small to be of much use. Just the same I squirreled them away and was glad I did. With a snip and a shave one of the tiny hounds made a passable cat to accompany Queen Beruthiel.</span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-aQ9c26HOIeY/W2ocITdGtdI/AAAAAAAAB_Q/0_lqAkNOjI0awmWG7zgJzf2MTL4PUpP6ACEwYBhgL/s1600/beruthielgb%2B004.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-aQ9c26HOIeY/W2ocITdGtdI/AAAAAAAAB_Q/0_lqAkNOjI0awmWG7zgJzf2MTL4PUpP6ACEwYBhgL/s640/beruthielgb%2B004.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Painting her was straight forward. With the description I'd been supplied the bulk of the figure was painted in a blue-black. To contrast the the volume I opted for pallid skin, the dominant white cat, and a staff in white. Each of these three elements were treated in a different white with the cat originating in a blue-grey, the staff from bone, and the pallid skin from the Vallejo Malefic Flesh set. Overall I'm happy with the result with the stark contrasts calling attention to her face, hands, the staff which is part of her identity as a wizard in game and her cat which is integral to the character.</span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-4cbcQzdqZ48/W2ocIfFwnJI/AAAAAAAAB_I/2lbaTcGK2-4pYz21NyQgSCS3SRVLR4DLgCEwYBhgL/s1600/beruthielgb%2B007.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-4cbcQzdqZ48/W2ocIfFwnJI/AAAAAAAAB_I/2lbaTcGK2-4pYz21NyQgSCS3SRVLR4DLgCEwYBhgL/s640/beruthielgb%2B007.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
horridpersonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14258055637085320233noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3758613444877644220.post-89625286531284276882018-07-19T06:40:00.001-03:002018-08-05T13:52:22.047-03:00Deploy Eagle: Kill Team<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-X8eXmNC4l88/W1A6zEDmenI/AAAAAAAAB-E/RSrAcYY9pUAwyD-RdUrFWNQHTgjBoRYsACEwYBhgL/s1600/valkyriedeploy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1347" height="640" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-X8eXmNC4l88/W1A6zEDmenI/AAAAAAAAB-E/RSrAcYY9pUAwyD-RdUrFWNQHTgjBoRYsACEwYBhgL/s640/valkyriedeploy.jpg" width="538" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i>The sensorium was painted in green half light by hundreds of cogitator displays. A polypheme of raw data and composite pict captures gave form to the hololith of the bridgehead at the epicenter of the chamber. An adjunct approached the enthroned Lord General. "They are in position and stand ready M'lord". He blinked. The cascade of information fed to his cortex by the laurel of mechandrites receded. All was silent, a hive bathed in amber, hanging on his word. "Deploy Eagle" </i></span></div>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-f6ivimADBOM/W1A6uYNN44I/AAAAAAAAB98/P3iyJzD0jwQHR5OWg5bOKdd5O68oG8RewCEwYBhgL/s1600/eagleshoot%2B010.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-f6ivimADBOM/W1A6uYNN44I/AAAAAAAAB98/P3iyJzD0jwQHR5OWg5bOKdd5O68oG8RewCEwYBhgL/s640/eagleshoot%2B010.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Eagle assembled and ready to play some Kill Team.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Like many hobbyists I'm been excited by the incoming release of Kill Team. As information is coming to light it seems that 40k will be getting a skirmish game in a style reminiscent of Necromunda which works for me because I had a lot of fun participating in the turf war with my Carnadon Queens. Low model counts and fast paced gaming with a builder component tick the majority of boxes that work for me in a game but that's less than half of what piques my interest. </span></div>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-1SE8lzocnfA/W1A6rfh-v-I/AAAAAAAAB-E/BNcHYf825CIuIo5dXrR4yu8WgzjFSqZpQCEwYBhgL/s1600/eagleshoot%2B002.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-1SE8lzocnfA/W1A6rfh-v-I/AAAAAAAAB-E/BNcHYf825CIuIo5dXrR4yu8WgzjFSqZpQCEwYBhgL/s640/eagleshoot%2B002.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Troopers with hellguns.</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">I've enjoyed the 40k universe since I first introduced to it back in Rogue Trader yet the weight of those years is rather light considering how rarely I have actually played. Give me cool models to build, paint, and convert and some Dan Abnett stories and I'm a pretty easy beast to please. I usually discover that the dice don't lend themselves to the heroic sagas I see playing in my head but, painting huge armies is like torture and probably a worse memory than most of my tabletop experiences. </span></div>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-9LtoTkggXDs/W1A6rZc8P4I/AAAAAAAAB-I/dIhGw5L5D6UfnunLwSoe5f6KlW06tKglQCEwYBhgL/s1600/eagleshoot%2B003.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-9LtoTkggXDs/W1A6rZc8P4I/AAAAAAAAB-I/dIhGw5L5D6UfnunLwSoe5f6KlW06tKglQCEwYBhgL/s640/eagleshoot%2B003.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The sergeant and troopers with hellguns.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Small scale 40K skirmish means I can have what I like best and still participate. I look forward to painting up multiple Kill Teams and getting some paint on models I think are just plain cool. I admit to doing that anyway but this is an opportunity to actually do something with the finished figures other than having them collecting dust until the day I paint fifty of them. I'm not holding my breath. With Eagle ready to go I'd also like to paint up teams for the Dark Eldar, Night Lords, and even some Tyranids. The former are a long time coming. I've had the Space Hulk genestealers waiting for a purpose for ages and now with a little help from a lictor I can finally get them painted up and active.</span></div>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-uQdDCBsRCGY/W1A6rS-7lSI/AAAAAAAAB90/o0mQqMKc9CARruc9OO1eXHelmP47SP2VgCEwYBhgL/s1600/eagleshoot%2B005.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-uQdDCBsRCGY/W1A6rS-7lSI/AAAAAAAAB90/o0mQqMKc9CARruc9OO1eXHelmP47SP2VgCEwYBhgL/s640/eagleshoot%2B005.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Specialists with melta and plasma guns, and grenade launcher</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Eagle are my way of returning to the Imperial Guard without getting bogged down in a hundred or more models. The figures are all, excepting the sniper metal Kasrkin figures that I have been hoarding for years. I like them so much because they manage to present as spec ops soldiers while still remaining firmly within the 40k universe. Their kit is clearly top of the line but, for all the bells and whistles remain extensions to the ubiquitous Cadian pattern origins. There is still another direction to go in while exploring the guard. I imagine Eagle as faceless professionals who's character lies in presenting none. At some point I may build a second guard kill team that is a homage to the Dirty Dozen or Schaffer's Last Chancers; The kind of team where everyone has their own story.</span></div>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-EAUgRJOddmQ/W1A6sKUmtSI/AAAAAAAAB94/IT6RecBvoR8RkKOurCyGpKDL1QkTU5zagCEwYBhgL/s1600/eagleshoot%2B006.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-EAUgRJOddmQ/W1A6sKUmtSI/AAAAAAAAB94/IT6RecBvoR8RkKOurCyGpKDL1QkTU5zagCEwYBhgL/s640/eagleshoot%2B006.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Specialists with flamer and sniper rifle.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">To guardmen serving in warzones across the Onomasti Sector Eagle are a legend. The best of the best, the highly trained men in black are the bane of aliens and the heretics. Their operations are the surgical strikes that allow the hammer of the Imperial war machine to fall. Just the rumour of the squad entering theatre is often enough to lift spirits, and bolster the morale of troops on the ground. The truth of Eagle is different than Command might have these soldiers believe. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-7LQINod2s4c/W1A64D5AwuI/AAAAAAAAB-M/-qw1l3jdgwEhU9wED-jrCovAFQOohrEBwCEwYBhgL/s1600/eagleshoot%2B013.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="890" data-original-width="1600" height="354" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-7LQINod2s4c/W1A64D5AwuI/AAAAAAAAB-M/-qw1l3jdgwEhU9wED-jrCovAFQOohrEBwCEwYBhgL/s640/eagleshoot%2B013.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Advancing through the war-torn ruin of Euphrates Secundus.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Without a doubt Eagle operators are some of the most aggressively drilled and trained soldiers in the Imperium of Man. Like the stormtroopers the majority are recruited from the most promising candidates the Schola Progenium has to offer. Those that survive the training program become, "The Emperor's Firemen" traveling from warzone to warzone supporting Imperial forces with their operations. Attrition among Eagle operatives is terrifying. Even the greatest of men are still only men. Propaganda describes Eagle as a squad but the cadre numbers nearly two hundred; With just ten serving while others train and await their turn to put on the mask. It is not unheard of for Eagle to appropriate personnel from regiments deployed in warzones they are assigned to. While the cadre cross trains in simulated environments perpetually the value of an acclimatized veteran is not to be underestimated. On the authority of the Lord General, no Regimental Commander can refuse. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-5GvEvgqR6CI/W1A6zIcKXeI/AAAAAAAAB-I/g_jFp4HSJLwXOgjA0DbdfelpgB6wPiBuQCEwYBhgL/s1600/hereticsight.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="929" data-original-width="1600" height="370" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-5GvEvgqR6CI/W1A6zIcKXeI/AAAAAAAAB-I/g_jFp4HSJLwXOgjA0DbdfelpgB6wPiBuQCEwYBhgL/s640/hereticsight.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A heretic in his sights.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<i><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">At the three minute mark the roar of bolter fire shattered the silence. HUD sigils representing Eagles 4 and 6 went black. Eagle 5 reported contacts and engaged. Amid the din the brief answer of the hellgun made no sound, a stutter of light in the distance before Five went dark. Traitor Astartes! The cultist militia had offered small resistance, but Intelligence had neglected to mention this new threat. Already his visor painted armoured contacts approaching. Ahead of his position Eagle One and Three laboured over the last of the demo charges, requiring but a few precious seconds. A distraction. He had no illusions. Specialist Sul Kasutas, formerly of the 12th Artesian Grenadiers was going to die. Small consolation Eagle 2 was forever. His knife was in hand before he landed on the first corrupted titan's back, a flash of silver arcing toward the vulnerable seal at the base its baroque gorget. The fiend caught, then splintered his ceramite vambrace and forearm so swiftly he never felt the pain. Stimm injectors in his combat harness nulled the wave of agony as the heretic's augmented voice rumbled in language too terrible to comprehend. Kasutas felt his shoulder part as it wrenched him inexorably forward. "Immortal", he bawled then spat in the traitor's face before releasing the spoon on the krak grenade that tore them apart. </span></i></div>
<br />horridpersonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14258055637085320233noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3758613444877644220.post-79079984860331732952018-07-09T16:59:00.002-03:002018-07-09T16:59:34.062-03:00Resurgen: Altlanta PD in TWD<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-GikeBU8zLVo/W0O9wkYyOqI/AAAAAAAAB9I/Kq-ZPwQspRsajI9oyJ0XAoZjLTyBzpaYwCLcBGAs/s1600/Heisenbergatlantapaint.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="850" data-original-width="1562" height="348" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-GikeBU8zLVo/W0O9wkYyOqI/AAAAAAAAB9I/Kq-ZPwQspRsajI9oyJ0XAoZjLTyBzpaYwCLcBGAs/s640/Heisenbergatlantapaint.png" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"> </span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Looking back I remember the fifth season of The Walking Dead as a high point in my enjoyment of the series. In the early part of the season Gareth and the Terminus survivors made for a dark, grisly antagonist while the remainder of the season introduced Dawn Lerner and the remnants of the Atlanta Police Department. The image that stuck with me was the menace of the dark squad cars lurking in the scenes.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-yJWb8XrR2Ss/W0O4qZbGPcI/AAAAAAAAB8k/l3muNzO6lns0jg3t-eGgtQ98oy5Xw5b_ACEwYBhgL/s1600/atlantapd%2B002.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-yJWb8XrR2Ss/W0O4qZbGPcI/AAAAAAAAB8k/l3muNzO6lns0jg3t-eGgtQ98oy5Xw5b_ACEwYBhgL/s640/atlantapd%2B002.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Lerner, while in opposition to Rick's survivors didn't have the same malevolence of either Gareth or The Governor. I felt she was more complicated than that. A principled person whose power base was so fractured that she found herself making devil's bargains that tore down who she was in increments. When compared to Rick and his people in later seasons the moral imperative of the Atlanta survivors becomes even more questionable.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-_72vC_TzmFg/W0O5Tbq5TRI/AAAAAAAAB8w/odROIV3AyO0QTiKnJEGnd8w808owRU4qACEwYBhgL/s1600/atlantapd%2B008.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-_72vC_TzmFg/W0O5Tbq5TRI/AAAAAAAAB8w/odROIV3AyO0QTiKnJEGnd8w808owRU4qACEwYBhgL/s640/atlantapd%2B008.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">With some spare models in my collection I decided to create a small contingent of Atlanta Police. Beyond an excuse to make use of some models and play around with some simple conversions I thought it might be interesting to give the some stats somewhere down the road and introduce another faction to my games of TWD. The three officers are all converted from extra figures I got when I bought a kickstarter set locally about a year ago. Doubles of Scavengers Derick, Patrick, and ornery reprobate Reggie provided most of the parts for the trio of APD officers. The group are meant to represent an ad hoc squad of officers, complete with cruiser who patrol or scavenge on behalf of their community.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-7S1_HPiiyig/W0O4hRrqkNI/AAAAAAAAB8c/MSwk0N_M_q01YREihdQMNVio-aXAR-lPQCEwYBhgL/s1600/atlantapd%2B012.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-7S1_HPiiyig/W0O4hRrqkNI/AAAAAAAAB8c/MSwk0N_M_q01YREihdQMNVio-aXAR-lPQCEwYBhgL/s640/atlantapd%2B012.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">The senior officer is Sergent Frank Pulaski who was under investigation by Internal Affairs before the outbreak and looking at criminal charges for some of his shadier dealings over the course of his career. As the investigation drew tighter he was treated like a pariah and coworkers he'd been friends with for years avoided him. For him the end of civilization couldn't have come at a better time. It's common knowledge that Frank is a nasty piece of work but his cunning and savvy make him a tooth and nails survivor the crew in at his precinct know to never count out.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-VFAKZfbCHOM/W0O5ytoxgHI/AAAAAAAAB88/iqWqBAA6QUYilfnNEANpKTxTPe9FLilGACEwYBhgL/s1600/fridapd%2B002.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-VFAKZfbCHOM/W0O5ytoxgHI/AAAAAAAAB88/iqWqBAA6QUYilfnNEANpKTxTPe9FLilGACEwYBhgL/s640/fridapd%2B002.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Officer Frida Alvarez had been on the force for a couple years prior to the outbreak. Alvarez was a good cop with a bright future in the department, then things fell apart. Before, Frida wouldn't have given Frank the time of day. The rumour was that he was dirty and she worked too hard to be tainted by association. In the after Officer Alvarez finds herself faced with terrible decisions that she wouldn't have dreamed of which brought her into Pulaski's orbit. She loses less sleep when she can follow orders rather than making the hard choices herself.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-GkvshHY7gI0/W0O4lnvjY3I/AAAAAAAAB8g/3pqlPTazZNAGmBIMh3PjoZEZGNHdBn3oACEwYBhgL/s1600/atlantapd%2B015.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-GkvshHY7gI0/W0O4lnvjY3I/AAAAAAAAB8g/3pqlPTazZNAGmBIMh3PjoZEZGNHdBn3oACEwYBhgL/s640/atlantapd%2B015.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Officer Chad David joined the Atlanta PD less than a year ago. Not far removed from his academy days he is by the book in a situation that has no written rules. Officer David had delivered an perp to Piedmont Hospital on the day all hell broke loose and barely fought his way clear. Chad is normally dependable but becomes anxious if confronted by large bodies of walkers.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-XaFNmZBYWm4/W0O6CKH6aeI/AAAAAAAAB9A/VbUlEvCI6ZQpuX2XGd_yMzJ_toseahKTQCEwYBhgL/s1600/atlantapd%2B010.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-XaFNmZBYWm4/W0O6CKH6aeI/AAAAAAAAB9A/VbUlEvCI6ZQpuX2XGd_yMzJ_toseahKTQCEwYBhgL/s640/atlantapd%2B010.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">The Atlanta PD project was a way to repurpose some spares I had and personalize my collection. Somewhere down the line I would like to add some more officers and put together some rules for an APD faction. Using cops as a TWD group allows access to a whole slew of additional archetypes for characters. There are more police shows out there than zombie horror ones. </span> </div>
horridpersonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14258055637085320233noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3758613444877644220.post-10107471769703183492018-07-01T20:36:00.000-03:002018-07-01T20:39:33.249-03:00The Gravedigger's Boy: Frostgrave, Blood Eagle<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-T6KLyaG_S2I/WzljzXwq5nI/AAAAAAAAB7Y/QaT98a8pescXwKjvM1lX-8s3MOAX_4rFgCEwYBhgL/s1600/gravediggersboytitlecard.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="943" data-original-width="1146" height="526" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-T6KLyaG_S2I/WzljzXwq5nI/AAAAAAAAB7Y/QaT98a8pescXwKjvM1lX-8s3MOAX_4rFgCEwYBhgL/s640/gravediggersboytitlecard.png" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i>The pain kept him running. Sucking air across shattered teeth, stone raised welts on his screaming back. The outraged mob. Sick little bastard! Rough hands hard from working the earth grasping. Not right, just not right! He had slipped their angry net. The dead were a comfort. The pastoral memories of a humble village the root of his terrors. Running. Fleeing into the night. A lure. a shining copper mite sinking into the miller's pond drawing him to the darkness like an anchor of iron shackled round his neck. Not iron, Never iron gravedigger's boy. We draw you, bind you. Listen to our calling. </i></span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-JYTCEJNRZJA/WzlkjjMmb0I/AAAAAAAAB7c/YDoxmBsRAbYw-8mOaul29e_ZrihYJbIVgCLcBGAs/s1600/sidhepics%2B002.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-JYTCEJNRZJA/WzlkjjMmb0I/AAAAAAAAB7c/YDoxmBsRAbYw-8mOaul29e_ZrihYJbIVgCLcBGAs/s640/sidhepics%2B002.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">With the first Necromunda turf war drawing to a close it was time to to switch up painting and gaming projects. We've been tossing around the idea of playing some Frostgrave before the next stint in the Underhive so I had a look at some fantasy models I had available, and started making a plan.</span></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-1WWFoMzHztg/WzlkqN1p7OI/AAAAAAAAB7k/VqZp_dSE_wAJ6e_--d3_rhm7eyucq41aQCEwYBhgL/s1600/sidhepics%2B004.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-1WWFoMzHztg/WzlkqN1p7OI/AAAAAAAAB7k/VqZp_dSE_wAJ6e_--d3_rhm7eyucq41aQCEwYBhgL/s640/sidhepics%2B004.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Some neglected favorites are GW's Lord of the Rings range. I have armies of Rohan and Harad, as well a small collection of assorted figures gathered because I thought they looked cool. The small group of elven characters wouldn't amount to much unless I gathered more elves to support them so they ended up differently than they might have been.</span></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-lcKDX2ulvE4/Wzlkr0WnHWI/AAAAAAAAB7o/K4VV1Xo9BcYLg0htNwenxsK021b1HxzpACEwYBhgL/s1600/sidhepics%2B005.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-lcKDX2ulvE4/Wzlkr0WnHWI/AAAAAAAAB7o/K4VV1Xo9BcYLg0htNwenxsK021b1HxzpACEwYBhgL/s640/sidhepics%2B005.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">In fantasy my favorite elves are alien things. An elder race whose dark purposes are a mystery to men. Capricious and insensitive to the frailty of fleeting human life with designs incomprehensible to mortals. Immortality as a plight that has dulled all joy of life. These ancients are kin to the elves of folklore who live beneath ringed hills in slumbering courts that transcend time, enrapture the the flower of human kind, abducting them so they can live through them vicariously.</span></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-F_-y7C74-0k/Wzlktj8ueiI/AAAAAAAAB8A/Ah94Hdd9VGsu_QCzWW8QXTrEj5eDRKxtACEwYBhgL/s1600/sidhepics%2B008.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-F_-y7C74-0k/Wzlktj8ueiI/AAAAAAAAB8A/Ah94Hdd9VGsu_QCzWW8QXTrEj5eDRKxtACEwYBhgL/s640/sidhepics%2B008.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">There are contemporary elves cut from this cloth and I'd be remiss not to mention them. The nature of my elves is born from the writings of Susanna Clarke and Mark Chadbourn. Clarke's <i>Johnathan Strange and Mr. Norrell</i> is a tale of Napoloeonic magicians and her interpretation of the fair folk was of great inspiration. Chadbourne's <i>Swords of Albion</i> series is a swashbuckling tale of spies in Elizabethan England where with elves as the insidious enemy of man.</span></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-XkigVUUz1Po/WzlkypxND0I/AAAAAAAAB7w/InxLwF9DRxg5GxB6Rkbh_WCBqSefkXzwwCEwYBhgL/s1600/sidhepics%2B009.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-XkigVUUz1Po/WzlkypxND0I/AAAAAAAAB7w/InxLwF9DRxg5GxB6Rkbh_WCBqSefkXzwwCEwYBhgL/s640/sidhepics%2B009.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">For the Frostgrave campaign my elves are somewhere between elves and fallen angels. A first race as elves normally go, they were either banished by a god or some great work of magic by humanity. Bound within a shadow plane they watch the moving of the earth with hunger and avarice. To transcend their prison they must draw a suitable human and make a focus of them. Odd, the gravedigger's boy is such an unfortunate and has been lured to Frostgrave and a mysterious black mirror that will free his new masters from their imprisonment. The LotR figures will become my necromancer, apprentice, and high end soldiers. These will be supplemented with Heresy ghouls and zombies to represent thieves and thugs respectively. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-DT3VkkZmngU/Wzlk0l-nloI/AAAAAAAAB8I/hur3hiLEbtEs9tAKUJItMKJm2-uoErGrACEwYBhgL/s1600/sidhepics%2B011.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-DT3VkkZmngU/Wzlk0l-nloI/AAAAAAAAB8I/hur3hiLEbtEs9tAKUJItMKJm2-uoErGrACEwYBhgL/s640/sidhepics%2B011.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">The figures will also make a fine addition to the small collection of models I've been building for Blood Eagle. The Sidhe are one of the bands inspired by folklore included in the rules set. In addition to the gathered fey I will augment the force with some Hobbit Goblins I already painted. The last model is a ring wraith. For Blood Eagle I would like it to represent an unquiet spirit in thrall to the Sidhe. I imagine a long dead chieftain whose people defeated by the Saxons; A thing of tattered rags and hate. </span></div>
<br />
<br />horridpersonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14258055637085320233noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3758613444877644220.post-38170346601995159752018-06-20T00:11:00.000-03:002018-06-21T19:16:29.980-03:00What She Would Have Wanted: Escher Chronicle Part 3<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-wMonWhoRiYM/WybVYAvuItI/AAAAAAAAB50/9Mhs21XppDYOi33opImBnqcX4IG1BBv8QCEwYBhgL/s1600/justinedown.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="608" data-original-width="1080" height="360" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-wMonWhoRiYM/WybVYAvuItI/AAAAAAAAB50/9Mhs21XppDYOi33opImBnqcX4IG1BBv8QCEwYBhgL/s640/justinedown.png" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<i><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">It was more maudlin than celebration, irreverent for a funeral. Whatever it was involved a lot of Wild Snake. The Queens had won the dust up handy and taken some turf to boot but, Mean Justine had been on the wrong end of a shotgun with an acid load and that was that. Sunny reckoned this was as good of news she could have passed on to the Chief, now vertical again, and the proffered hooch put paid to that assumption. The gang broke into smaller knots, swapping stories, and knocking them back. Lotta's drink was untouched. Shed'd crept off to herself with that new Long-Las, broken it down, and cleaned the parts as she cooed to it softly. Maybe she had been drinking. Off by her lonesome, Megara opened the small case Justine had kept stashed by her cot. Scrawled on the lid was something like a fire-breathing, horned equine with tank treads for legs. Go figure. "What would she have wanted" ,she murmured as she wandered through Mean's life in miniature. A pict capture of her cackling at Cally who was passed out, wearing a wreath of vomit round her neck. Loose rounds with cruciforms cut in the points. A small collar with the name, "Bitey" punched into an iron disc. Mags smiled as the shifted items revealed one final treasure. </span></i></div>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-v8ww1nSEG78/WymnUhbispI/AAAAAAAAB6k/0CcdnFvonGUvlP8eaEAgvAu5HhYHKDHGACEwYBhgL/s1600/meanj%2B007.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-v8ww1nSEG78/WymnUhbispI/AAAAAAAAB6k/0CcdnFvonGUvlP8eaEAgvAu5HhYHKDHGACEwYBhgL/s640/meanj%2B007.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Too soon! I'd just got you painted up nice.</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">My third game in the campaign saw the Carnadon Queens facing off against another Escher gang, Dan's Purple Hearts. As with my last two engagements it was a Standoff. His gang had been more active in the turf war than mine but, had a spell of bad luck that placed our outfits on a more even keel. He might have had the better equipment and gang rating but I had a healthy supply of ladypower to bring to the fight. Both organizations saw their leaders sitting the match out, which made for an even more balanced match. I didn't relish confronting a full gang with the Chief <i>in abstentia</i> so I was happy we were able to meet up and play. A win was cause for celebration but at what cost? Prior to
the match the Queens petitioned House Escher for a favor and welcomed
Mercy Beats, a new juve into the fold. After the action they acquired
another piece of turf, and most of my gang sits on the cusp of some long
awaited advancements. Weighing this against Mean Justine's demise
things went well. The tiny bout of misfortune weighed heavily on her
acid soaked shoulders. The big loss here was for sentimental reasons. Her name made me laugh and was one of my favorites. She had accounted well for herself, and would have been my first ganger to advance, had she lived. The kicker is that of all my figures which I don't consider quite there from a painting perspective she had arrived. </span></div>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-FDNlx6be34U/WymXX_WDWsI/AAAAAAAAB6I/Bvheg2qTQSQyf-EDOpn7nx6plPphL_GQACEwYBhgL/s1600/game3sniperdueldice.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="608" height="640" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-FDNlx6be34U/WymXX_WDWsI/AAAAAAAAB6I/Bvheg2qTQSQyf-EDOpn7nx6plPphL_GQACEwYBhgL/s640/game3sniperdueldice.jpg" width="360" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">This match's MVP was Lotta Hertz. Her new Long-Las performed beyond expectation with an improved punch and epic reach. the scariest proposition Dan offered was a nest of long las snipers supported by a champion with a heavy stubber. My plan had been to drive forward and engage his gang swiftly as possible but, when my girls hit midfield they balked in the face of that ugly snarl of firepower. Lotta was able to dispatch one of the snipers, and in a subsequent turn I brought her into play during Dan's turn with reaction fire. In a coupe of fortune Hertz shot true again, and put the second sniper out of action. Last report I'd ruminated on finding the right moment for tactics cards and this was it. The whole exchange was the highlight of the game for me with a cinematic sniper duel and Lotta saving her mates from predation. It's only fair to mention the stubber champion remained an omnipresent threat throughout the game, dealt serious injuries to my ground forces and kept them them locked tight at center. The latter half of the game was a clean up but, I was far more cautious than I should have been on account of her baleful gaze. The stubber and all those ammo dice were pretty scary too. </span></div>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-vbUBhywu19o/WymuSfhvySI/AAAAAAAAB68/NeQO_DW3RCw_3J8MXOr5znOhy-2o8Eq2QCLcBGAs/s1600/escherhidecrate.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="608" data-original-width="1080" height="360" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-vbUBhywu19o/WymuSfhvySI/AAAAAAAAB68/NeQO_DW3RCw_3J8MXOr5znOhy-2o8Eq2QCLcBGAs/s640/escherhidecrate.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Impetus lost.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">That caution likely caused Mean Justine's demise. </span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">I seized the initiative and controlled the front end of the game with
some help from Dan's fickle wounding dice. Unfortunately I ran out of
gas and lost the momentum doing little with the material advantage I
had grown. </span>I felt bottled up by Dan's guns and floundered, rather than decisively cleaning up. If I had pressed the attack on the gangers who met me at midfield I could have taken them out of action pressing him to bottle out earlier. There were a few Purple Hearts seriously injured and begging for a coup de gras but, I wasn't willing to brave the stubber fire to get at them. There is a fine line line between stupidity and valor that I might need to take a walk on. The healthy size of my gang, now numbering eleven gives me some early strength I need to press measured against what feels like fragility. I should be striking early, and decisively before attrition grinds down my greatest asset. It was a fun game and right up until the end I felt I was doing too well. I don't like getting stomped, and don't like feeling I'm doing the stomping either. Maybe my idea of a perfect game is a marginal win for me. Fortunately for Dan all his injured gang members made full recoveries. No harm done. I do hold him responsible for the death of Mean Justine so maybe the gloves are off. Word in the sector is that her cousin, Mean Jolene is coming downhive seeking revenge. To wrap this one up Dan was a very generous opponent who helped me through the rules and forgave mistakes as I made them. He also had a second heavy stubber from his Forgeworld upgrades and was kind enough gift it to me. Kind or fearful of Jolene's retribution. </span></div>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-o4-88WYRA3I/WynBXyNEWfI/AAAAAAAAB7I/1VRSVbInPKc1T32HRH58dqQInUKxcKBdQCLcBGAs/s1600/stubberandoffthebench%2B005.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-o4-88WYRA3I/WynBXyNEWfI/AAAAAAAAB7I/1VRSVbInPKc1T32HRH58dqQInUKxcKBdQCLcBGAs/s640/stubberandoffthebench%2B005.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Heavy stubber WIP</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i>It took four of them shuffling and straining to lug the the prodigious cylinder through the narrow mazes of the Underways. It was back-breaking work that bled sweat from skin. Low deck-heads reached down at them with the weight of the world, and the tang of rotting steel tickled parched throats. It had taken all of their dedication to make the passage. The Wild Snake helped. Mag's ghost-lamp ceased it's will-o-wisp's dance. Her hand revealed in the pale nimbus,beckoned them near; Then a precarious portage up a groaning ladder to a forgotten loge. Their elevated platform commanded the view of a cavernous space. Atop a fighting platform two stimm fueled behemoths locked like a sculpture of twisted steel. The ferocity of their combat fueling the roar of the assembled throng. With care they rolled their cargo to the edge of the decline. Megara wrinkled her nose as the reek of the massed Goliaths assaulted her senses. "Could they smell any worse?", she mused and cracked a smile. Deftly she pressed a recessed switch, signaled the girls to cast off and ran like hell. Genuine Twist Pound. BOOM-BOOM-BOOM The heavy cylinder gathered momentum as it careened down the ramp all the while blaring a deafening cacophony of industrial pound. It had been Justine's favorite. BOOM-BOOM-BOOM. </i></span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i>Enraptured by the the display of strength and promise of ultra violence the howling Goliaths were caught unaware until the rolling angel of noise and mayhem hammered into the rearmost ranks of the horde. BOOM-BOOM-BOOM. Shunted by the wall of vat- grown meat it came to a halt just shy of the platform, giving pause to outraged combatants recognizing they were upstaged. With silent screams both fighters leapt from the riser with murder in their eyes. The frenzied </i></span>rain of gene-hanced blows made short work of the caster. BOOM-BO-. As it failed, the music (If you could call it that) died, a kinetic trigger tripped, and a modded breaching charge blew, caking everything within twenty metres in a thick, steaming patina of grox soil. The outraged bellows descended into the distance amid the laughter of the Queens. This is what she would have wanted. </i></span></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen="" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/Ixrje2rXLMA/0.jpg" frameborder="0" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Ixrje2rXLMA?feature=player_embedded" width="320"></iframe></div>
<br />horridpersonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14258055637085320233noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3758613444877644220.post-74567680177799695352018-06-17T17:10:00.001-03:002018-06-20T06:25:41.284-03:00I Have a Bad Feeling About This: Escher Chronicle Part 2<div style="text-align: justify;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-p1JXMznsLeA/Wya6Ep-CtZI/AAAAAAAAB44/6qN_L3ngYPMGLBVgr5an7JKb4LJaUcFbQCLcBGAs/s1600/megaraboom.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="608" height="640" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-p1JXMznsLeA/Wya6Ep-CtZI/AAAAAAAAB44/6qN_L3ngYPMGLBVgr5an7JKb4LJaUcFbQCLcBGAs/s640/megaraboom.jpg" width="360" /></a></div>
<br />
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<i><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">They weren't stopping to take cover or return fire. The dumb nunks! Her Queens had laid into them with everything they had. Hell, she had caught one cold with a burst from Dangerboy but, he'd shrugged it off and kept coming. Why are you too stupid to die? Looking down the battle line she caught the first whiff of fear. KRUMP! The slump of shoulders smelled like defeat and was murder on hitting a target. She was going to turn this around. Holler down those twitchy bitches. TINK. Tell them to behave like queens. TINK. As she drew the air into her lungs for that epic command she noticed the grenade at her feet. Then the detonation snuffed her like a candle in a hurricane. </span></i></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-xlPT1AcenW4/Wya6PdqA3EI/AAAAAAAAB48/PNFdrFmKeMw0m8LtyssZJIYDHZQyQOKBgCLcBGAs/s1600/goliathcharge.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="608" data-original-width="1080" height="360" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-xlPT1AcenW4/Wya6PdqA3EI/AAAAAAAAB48/PNFdrFmKeMw0m8LtyssZJIYDHZQyQOKBgCLcBGAs/s640/goliathcharge.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A living tide of vat grown muscle crashes toward them.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">The Carnadon Queens ended their second engagement with a loss. Stan's Slag Mongers, members of much hated House Goliath got the better of them. The scenario was a Standoff like the first fight against Ian's Blue Sun Van Saar but, this time I found myself on the other side of the fence. In the previous battle I came up ahead in a shooting contest that statistically favored the Van Saar. This time around my dice were giving me some hate. Either failing to wound, or missing by a mile. If 2s were victory I should have been playing for money. With the clock at the shop run down I conceded, and my gang bottled out. Had we the time to play it out it's what I would have done. The following turn would have seen my girls thumped, krumped, and serrated by a buttload of sharpened, and blunt objects. That said, I was very lucky. In spite a convincing defeat only Megara, my leader will be sitting the next fight out, with no lasting injuries.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-T5vWo5yqjY4/Wya9cU2MHuI/AAAAAAAAB5M/04RkMvlmaNEW6MaDG5FVFHV0eRbvRxk5wCLcBGAs/s1600/plasmafinesthourdistort.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="608" data-original-width="1080" height="360" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-T5vWo5yqjY4/Wya9cU2MHuI/AAAAAAAAB5M/04RkMvlmaNEW6MaDG5FVFHV0eRbvRxk5wCLcBGAs/s640/plasmafinesthourdistort.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sunny Lux dispenses max plasma mayhem.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">I had a bad feeling about matching the Queens against the Slag Mongers. Goliaths are big, tough, and hard to hurt. I chose a large gang and sacrificed some of the more glam weapon loadouts I might have had out of the gate as a result. With a single game under my belt, and a ganger to replace I didn't manage to up-gun. Sunny Lux, armed with her trusty plasma pistol was the only member of my gang wounding the knuckle-draggers with some modicum of confidence. In one of my few shining moment of fortune (and paranoia from not wounding the brutes) she blasted Stan's leader at max power and didn't obliterate herself by overheating.</span><br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/--eGLKK1cxac/Wya-knVpSOI/AAAAAAAAB5Y/G2YgdrVHrTYKXzxBD-h9j0Ui361hFjuSgCLcBGAs/s1600/camphotos1%2B304.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="360" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/--eGLKK1cxac/Wya-knVpSOI/AAAAAAAAB5Y/G2YgdrVHrTYKXzxBD-h9j0Ui361hFjuSgCLcBGAs/s640/camphotos1%2B304.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Queens boldly duck, cover and fail to wound their targets if they hit in the first place.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">The loss was helpful. I learned a lot from observing Stan. During the first game the advantage of having uncontested moves seemed clear but, some of the nuances of turn management have escaped me. Knowing when to take advantage of Champion and Leader driven moves is critical. Activating multiple gangers at the right time: Or doing it at all is something I have to get a feel for. Knowing my tactics cards better, and judging when best to use them should prove invaluable in the future too. Our game was pinched pretty tight for time, but I still shouldn't have been so miserly with them. Unplayed cards are like having none. I would do well to beware of gangs with higher ratings than me. More than a 200 point deficit is painful for a new gang. I don't think the same spread would matter as much between two more seasoned gangs. I need to pick my battles, and pick more of them if I want to be a top dog. Piss on that. I want to be a top cat, or even more badass; The apex predator.</span><br />
<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-8L-3ZZygMvA/Wya--qbXksI/AAAAAAAAB5g/pYBZXyLsyVAct-KLBfZ34DEfKC32DZUogCLcBGAs/s1600/camphotos1%2B303.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="900" height="640" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-8L-3ZZygMvA/Wya--qbXksI/AAAAAAAAB5g/pYBZXyLsyVAct-KLBfZ34DEfKC32DZUogCLcBGAs/s640/camphotos1%2B303.jpg" width="360" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The shop has wonderful terrain. It would be a shame not to show the unaltered image.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Coming away from our second fight my two champions scrounged enough income to purchase a long las for one of our gang members. It's a step up from the standard pattern. It has a little more punch even if it isn't heavy artillery, and has a fantastic reach. I still have enough creds in my stash I could replace a missing ganger with negligible spoils from my next fight. I'd much rather save up for something cool like a grenade launcher though. Without having my leader blown up by one I still recognize the versatility of threat it brings to the table.</span><br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-FITUG71cQ78/WyZJNMQ59zI/AAAAAAAAB4M/cWHN3SBNDNQKU8sGaqE2VjRbdh6VR9XeACLcBGAs/s1600/escherreinforce%2B003.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-FITUG71cQ78/WyZJNMQ59zI/AAAAAAAAB4M/cWHN3SBNDNQKU8sGaqE2VjRbdh6VR9XeACLcBGAs/s640/escherreinforce%2B003.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">You can never have enough weapons and cats.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Earlier in the week I picked up a second box of gangers. With my starting crew of ten ready for action I figured it would be nice to have additional models for any new Queens or equipment the gang might come across. I converted the weapons pictured above from the remains of my first Escher sprues, plastic rod, and bitz from other kits I had on hand. I'm pretty excited about the Phyrr Cat stand-in I found. Someone shared it on the Escher Facebook group. The Hydra Miniatures Alpha Panther is awesome! Some day my gang might scrape up the credits for a pet. If not it will make a fine addition to my raiders in This is Not a Test.</span><br />
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-qBQ0Nn77hy4/WyZPaOgd-jI/AAAAAAAAB4Y/GoWJ7-ayhC8v9CyKcxNZCd-oLaBmHuFrwCLcBGAs/s1600/escherwave2preprime%2B002.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-qBQ0Nn77hy4/WyZPaOgd-jI/AAAAAAAAB4Y/GoWJ7-ayhC8v9CyKcxNZCd-oLaBmHuFrwCLcBGAs/s640/escherwave2preprime%2B002.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Megara with her new hat.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Once I had the new weapons made I revisited a figure I wasn't that fond of. Megara deserved better. I wasn't fond of the static figure I put together for my leader, and decided I wanted something more dynamic. The jacket wasn't cooperating but, I still needed something bossy that made her stand out from the other models. After some rummaging I found a set of beastman horns. With a little finagling it came together. I was shooting for part Jungle Queen part Mola Ram and don't think it came out too shy off the mark. Painting the first wave of models was a lot of volume to meet a tight deadline so I really enjoyed being able to take the time and personalize these new figures with some conversions. Painting just three models at a time, rather than ten feels fantastic. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"> </span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-xW_Y8tNL7QU/WyZPlqaEV5I/AAAAAAAAB4c/OeOeKuhJrvM3VOQqx97-Q_OBrAALl5WUwCLcBGAs/s1600/escherwave2preprime%2B005.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-xW_Y8tNL7QU/WyZPlqaEV5I/AAAAAAAAB4c/OeOeKuhJrvM3VOQqx97-Q_OBrAALl5WUwCLcBGAs/s640/escherwave2preprime%2B005.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Grenade launcher and Long Las bodies.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">The narrative bites that bookend the article are based on in game events. Megara's meeting with an unwanted, unwelcome grenade is straight out of the game with Stan. The outtro is based on the rescue mission he played against Dave's Yellow Eclipse Escher gang prior to our game. My dice were less than helpful but, can't compare to the comedic horror of Dave's inept sentries. It hurt my soul to watch the Slagmongers ninja their way through the mission with impunity. Stan was kind enough to provide voices for poor Dave's dull witted gangers as they made small talk and did everything in their power to avoid the elephants in their sector. The worst offender couldn't stop talking about everyone's hair. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-H6INVB4iyEM/WyZRUADK7XI/AAAAAAAAB4s/ZcLKDAWR1EoWbmmBgQb3HD_ZN3e5TlF7gCLcBGAs/s1600/paintprogressecherwave2%2B001.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-H6INVB4iyEM/WyZRUADK7XI/AAAAAAAAB4s/ZcLKDAWR1EoWbmmBgQb3HD_ZN3e5TlF7gCLcBGAs/s640/paintprogressecherwave2%2B001.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Getting there.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<i><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Sunny was having a bad day. "What the feth just happened ?", she rasped. Two lungs full of super-heated gas will do that for you; Like a good old gargle with splintered glass. It was a rhetorical question cause Mags wasn't listening, or doing much of anything other than being a busted wreck on the med slab. Sunny got tagged but, Megara had bought it, ate it, and had scars to prove it. She was on the good seds but, when she did come to she'd be madder than a bag of wet cats and looking for someone to hang for this mess. Getting slapped by the Goliaths was bad enough but the explosion had turned her snazzy jacket into ashes. It was her best, and only coat! Sunny racked her brain, searching for a scapegoat to feed to her volatile, though presently comatose chief. Bad intel. The Slagmongers were supposed to have been down and out; Torn up by the Eclipse after an abortive rescue attempt. In her mind's eye Sunny was back at the last Escher house moot. Who said that? It was that dumb bitch who couldn't stop talking about our hair!</span></i></div>
horridpersonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14258055637085320233noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3758613444877644220.post-84156336814563771812018-06-11T00:02:00.000-03:002018-06-11T00:02:33.794-03:00Underhive Detritus: Necromunda Scatter Terrain<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-5C2wIEMDAWE/Wx2as5MuIOI/AAAAAAAAB2U/9i5RAqOnmRQ_wmSaVVItpr4u8fTzViJCwCLcBGAs/s1600/scatternecrotitlecard.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="608" data-original-width="1080" height="360" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-5C2wIEMDAWE/Wx2as5MuIOI/AAAAAAAAB2U/9i5RAqOnmRQ_wmSaVVItpr4u8fTzViJCwCLcBGAs/s640/scatternecrotitlecard.png" width="640" /></a></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">I don't have the most storied history when it comes to painting my
boxed games. I'm still neglecting my Blood Bowl set, and that Space
Hulk I picked up back in 2009 isn't getting any younger. The only boxed
game I have ever painted in it's entirety is Mantic's TWD: All out War
but I'm hoping to add Necromunda: Underhive to this very short list.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-PZ0Ez-98j-E/Wx2faIky3YI/AAAAAAAAB3A/J3c7HgYjiCg0aXVai7ChRvUVjdrSFBokwCEwYBhgL/s1600/scatterset%2B001.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-PZ0Ez-98j-E/Wx2faIky3YI/AAAAAAAAB3A/J3c7HgYjiCg0aXVai7ChRvUVjdrSFBokwCEwYBhgL/s640/scatterset%2B001.JPG" width="640" /></a></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">With my Escher gang already showcased <a href="http://horridvoidspace.blogspot.com/2018/06/lady-killers-necromunda-escher.html" target="_blank">here</a>
it was time to share the scatter terrain and objective markers. They
were painted first, because I wasn't sure how I would paint either of my
gangs. The main components were painted with a very quick and easy
scheme. I wanted something that was interesting, but still sat
comfortably in the background. All the bulkheads were based in a dull
metallic with a terrain brush. The basecoat wasn't important, because
thick rust was going to be the predominant colour. I sponged paint on
in three layers beginning with a rich red brown, a warm brown, and
finally, a dull orange. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Bp1rWczDqZQ/Wx2faedYUUI/AAAAAAAAB3E/duBClwhSPgc84XdPL3Z8NjygOPAsf5v5wCEwYBhgL/s1600/scatterset%2B006.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Bp1rWczDqZQ/Wx2faedYUUI/AAAAAAAAB3E/duBClwhSPgc84XdPL3Z8NjygOPAsf5v5wCEwYBhgL/s640/scatterset%2B006.JPG" width="640" /></a></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Most
of the surface area ended up covered with very little of the metal
peeking through. I wanted to represent a haggard, broken down region of
the underhive, rotted by harsh conditions, and neglect. I don't think
it is particularly realistic weathering
but I was shooting for something visually interesting, so I wasn't
preoccupied with veracity. Afterwards, I lined most of the panels with a
verdegris glaze. I wanted some of that blue to orange
complementary colour action I so fond of. I finished up by bleeding
Agrax into the recesses, and made a point of streaking the wash over
some of the flat surfaces. I hoped this would suggest watermarks, while
adding more layers of texture to keep things interesting.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Sa8F9tn2OlU/Wx3d7D-33wI/AAAAAAAAB34/BfMrPcH2gnAZNel1gftrF0i6bcn8ePtKwCEwYBhgL/s1600/scatterset%2B007.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Sa8F9tn2OlU/Wx3d7D-33wI/AAAAAAAAB34/BfMrPcH2gnAZNel1gftrF0i6bcn8ePtKwCEwYBhgL/s640/scatterset%2B007.JPG" width="640" /></a></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">The
beast's lair is my favorite piece in the set. All of the pieces are
cool, but this one captured my imagination the best. It took me back to
the old Necromunda and a fiction piece that was built around Moby Dick
in the sump. As a result I wanted a pallid monstrosity and made the
tentacle a sickly white.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-y7lzY0H-Ueg/Wx3d7LokDOI/AAAAAAAAB34/UcJL0IUokb8aC_HZD6-NlmyeLGEDx5-KQCEwYBhgL/s1600/scatterset%2B008.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-y7lzY0H-Ueg/Wx3d7LokDOI/AAAAAAAAB34/UcJL0IUokb8aC_HZD6-NlmyeLGEDx5-KQCEwYBhgL/s640/scatterset%2B008.JPG" width="640" /></a></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">The
relic box is a nice piece too. I painted it quickly with scribbles on
the parchment. The four door terminals had been painted along with the
barricades queue, then I came back to them and painted the screens and
buttons to bring them a step up from plain, weathered metal.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-3FLjnWb3iAw/Wx3d99Tvl1I/AAAAAAAAB38/1NY7QFnsoyY8lpMaCuakpa-ETu133qhlACEwYBhgL/s1600/scatterset%2B009.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-3FLjnWb3iAw/Wx3d99Tvl1I/AAAAAAAAB38/1NY7QFnsoyY8lpMaCuakpa-ETu133qhlACEwYBhgL/s640/scatterset%2B009.JPG" width="640" /></a></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">The
painted crates in the boxed set looked amazing, but a bit beyond my
ken. The studio likely took longer painting them than I do with most
miniatures. I wanted the essence of that, but with much less effort. I
gave my crates a similar treatment to the rest of the scatter pieces I
was working on. I realized my efforts weren't amazing, but unifying
their appearance would make them look best when viewed collectively.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-gKhFP094hRY/Wx3eUoctQnI/AAAAAAAAB4E/fyt84Mb_P-4dQvm1eS-615kPBTxd5PpgwCEwYBhgL/s1600/explo%2B002.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-gKhFP094hRY/Wx3eUoctQnI/AAAAAAAAB4E/fyt84Mb_P-4dQvm1eS-615kPBTxd5PpgwCEwYBhgL/s640/explo%2B002.JPG" width="640" /></a></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">The
explosives were an afterthought. I steamrolled through these small
parts as fast as I could, and they likely suffered for it. I missed
them early on and I was chuffed about being finished when I wasn't so
the brushwork was hasty and resentful. The finished set should go a
long ways in dressing up any Necromunda table I produce in the future. I
love the new plastic terrain. but it may be out of my budget in the
foreseeable future. I'm tempted to build some, "old school" terrain due
to the cost, but also for the sake of nostalgia. There are more places
in a hive than the existing terrain pieces represent so there should be
room for some diversity. On the topic of diversity the bulk of this
set would be a welcome addition to games of This is Not a Test.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Oo3sootDEgo/Wx3d3jpa4fI/AAAAAAAAB30/PMoo-WY4BEEtfh1hgmlhvICrYW3Ai137wCEwYBhgL/s1600/scatterset%2B012.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Oo3sootDEgo/Wx3d3jpa4fI/AAAAAAAAB30/PMoo-WY4BEEtfh1hgmlhvICrYW3Ai137wCEwYBhgL/s640/scatterset%2B012.JPG" width="640" /></a></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">In
closing I'm awaiting the arrival of some reinforcements for my Escher
gang. I like the Forgeworld weapon sets, but there seem to be a lot of
extra pieces padding out the sets that I might not have much interest
in. As a precursor to the incoming reinforcements I dug through the
remains of my first set, and my bitz box to see what I could cobble
together. I'm not so sure about the flamer or launcher, but I think the
Queens should be able to scrape together the creds for a long las or
two in the near future</span></div>
horridpersonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14258055637085320233noreply@blogger.com8