2nd 6 Month Challenge Complete – Legion Imperialis Solar Auxilia Leman Russ
These little guys have taken a back seat as I attempted to get ahead on other projects, but they finally got onto the front burner. The final entry for the 2nd 6 Month challenge – eight Leman Russ Battle Tanks!
…and here’s the whole 6 moth challenge!
Next: twenty Gretchin and two Runtherds, then four Nicassar Dhows and that will complete all challenges! Plus, a surprise addition!
Finish It – Tau Orbital City and Defences
Long ago I won an ebay auction for some leftover bits from a Tau Orbital box. From them, I cobbled together two stations; one to be a Nicassar Caravan, magnetized to hold four Nicassar Dhows, and another with the leftover bits.
Additionally, I managed to snag a Forge World Tau Kor Caste Orbital City. All three of these were one “project” for the Tau fleet “finish it” competition.
The Orbital City is important enough to have a real T’au name like a capitol ship. Kor’shutto Y’eldi’retha directly translates to “Air Caste Orbital City Winged Ones University/Temple,” but more accurately tranlsates to “Air Caste Elite Pilot Academy.”
Basically,
…but for Tau.
The Orbitals were cobbled together from pewter bits and pieces of Tau Drones, as well as Tau Battlesuit Drone Controllers.
Next: I finish the 6 month 1/2 Army challenge with eight Leman Russ Battle Tanks for my Legion Imperialis Solar Auxilia! After that, four Nicassar Dhows to finish the “finish it” challenge and twenty Grots with two Runtherds and I am done with all of my painting challenges!
Year Long Painting Challenge – 3rd Ork Trukk
Only 20 Grots and 2 Runtherds to go!
Next: Tau Defences including an Orbital City!
Double Update: Year Long – Ork Nobs and Finish It – Tau Transports
It’s been a bit busy, so I’ve had this project done for a bit. 10 Ork Nobs with Power Klaws and two Ammo Runts:
Those have been done for a week. These, however, have just been finished. The Finish It challenge continues with my Tau Transports:
Sadly, of the ten transports I originally primed, two were so laden with bubbles from the resin casting process that I abandoned them. Because I acquired these secondhand through eBay, I have no recourse. Oh well.
Next: an Ork Trukk to get it off my countertop, and then some Tau Orbitals and an Air Caste City!
Finish It Addendum – Tau Orbital
Long ago I ordered a bunch of Tau Battlefleet Gothic stuff including a partially used Tau Orbital box set. For those who don’t know, each box has two tops, two centers, and a variety of arms of which each center can hold four.
I used the center and one of the tops to make my Nicassar Rig. However I had a bunch of leftover bitz for a long time. For the Finish It challenge, I flexed my dormant conversion skills and took a Tau Drone piece and a Space Marine Melta Bomb to finally use up these leftover parts to make this:
She’s an ugly baby and she’s not optimized for the best play, but it can put out a lance and a squadron of attack craft while also having two shields, a Tracking System, and another HP to make it moderately durable.
This will be painted at the same time as the other Tau defences such as the Orbital City and the Nicassar Rig. Next: the Ork Nobs that are currently in progress and then Tau transports!
Q4 Finish It! – Tau Wardens and Messenger Escorts
For the Q4 challenge, the purpose is to finish an unfinished project. Long (LONG LONG LONG) time fans may remember when I first began painting my Tau Kor’or’vesh fleet. It all began with a forum post made by an unknown user named Tyberius:
As you can see above, this wonderful person made this (and many other) sheets for Battlefleet Gothic Ordnance. There is another version with blue instead of red but I liked this one better.
This led me to my color scheme for the Tau: Maroon/red, gray, and bone.
Sadly, my ambition got the better of me. My scheme was incredibly complicated, requiring black pin washes and edge highlighting over the entire model. Plus, I got it in my head to label each ship with a unique name in both T’au AND Engilsh! Hand lettered! The detail was exhausting. I gave up after completing the capitol ships and the Castellans. The Wardens, Messengers, and all other support models fell by the wayside.
Until now. Behold! The first installment of the Q4 Finish It challenge!
This concludes the portion of the fleet with this color scheme. The transports and orbitals will be painted the standard Tau Ochre with a brown pin wash and a simple highlight. Additionally, there will be four Nicassar Dhows, whose paint scheme I have not decided on yet. I am considering the fine line of paints from Turbo Dork, whose glittery sheen is stunning!
Next: Orktober begins with Ork Nobs! Following that, I’ll pick up on the Tau with ten Emissary class transports!
Year Long Painting Competition – Shokkjump Dragsta
Only 20 Gretchin, 2 Runtherds, 10 Nobs, and one Trukk, and this challenge is complete!
Next: the 4th Quarter “Finish It” challenge begins! I’ve got 8 Tau Wardens, 2 Messengers, 4 Nicassar Dhows, 10 Transports, a Kor Air Caste City, and a custom built Nicassar Rig that can be transformed into a Caravan by attaching the Dhows with magnets! That’s why I’ve been working so hard to get ahead for the 6 month challenge and the Q4 for the Orks! Despite how far ahead I seem, all three challenges are going to be a photo finish. Stay tuned!
6 Month Painting Competition 2 – Solar Auxilia Support
This 1/2 year painting challenge is 80% done, just have to do 8 Leman Russes in three months!
Next: Ork Shokkjump Dragsta that I can hopefully finish before the end of the month so that my 4th quarter “Finish It” Tau will have some breathing room!
Year Long Painting Competition – Big Mek with Shokk Attack Gun (repaint)
Long ago I painted up a Big Mek with Shokk Attack Gun; the pewter one, not the newer plastic. This was in my old Ork color scheme which relied on Dipping. For the new Ork project, I stripped it and removed the custom “orky servo arm” I’d added.
Now, as the first entry for Q4 of the year-long painting competition, that Big Mek is painted again!
The OSL came out very well with a little drybrushing of white and some contrast paint.
Next: Legions Imperialis Solar Auxilia Support, then I begin Q4 in earnest by going back to my Battlefleet Gothic Tau fleet!
September Random Painting Competition – Hail Caesar Epic Carthaginian Elephants
September’s Random Painting Competition started off with an exchange. Long ago, I participated in the Reaper Bones Kickstarters 1-3. To participate in this competition, I had to bring a mini that was the size of one normal figurine. Me and my wife pawed through my unused Reaper minis, and found this gem:
This is Darkrasp, an Evil Priest, and seemingly out of stock on Reaper’s website. He’ll hopefully make one of the other competitors in the competition a wonderful subject for detail.
After handing over Darkrasp, I chose two folders at random, with the intent of picking one of them to be the mini I paint this month. One contained a Star Wars Legion Clone Trooper. Wonderfully detailed but a bit boring. The other envelope contained this:
This is a base of Carthaginian War Elephants from Warlord Games’ Hail Caesar Epic Battles.
The shields on the sides are perfect for freehand details.
The figures on top are also highly detailed.
Finally, I based the mini with gravel that I used to use for Warmachine, and some green flock that I have no idea where I got it from, but this is my first use of it.
Next: Ork Big Mek with Shokk Attack Gun!