Painting Competition entry: The Star Cyclones

A while ago at AFK Games, when contrast paints came out, they passed out some easy-build Intercessors, and had a painting contest.

I was called away before finishing, but came back to finish the next day. I wanted to challenge myself…

…with orange.

Not a lot of chapters are orange! So, I did it. Here is an Intercessor of the Star Cyclones chapter.

Next: Indominus Marines!

Thomas’ Deathwatch Azure Flames Marine – A Proud Tradition Continues

At the wonderful local game store AFK, you can sometimes find Thomas, who is proud to play Deathwatch. After several heated games, he made a request.

He wanted an Azure Flames shoulder pad so that one of the Flames could join the Deathwatch.

It took me a while but I eventually found an older pad on a disused marine.

The pad was awful.

So, I tidied up the paint job and delivered it to Thomas. Here’s the result:

This as-yet-unnamed Battle Brother is joining the ranks of the Deathwatch to fight aliens with a signature Bolter-Melta. How will he fare? Hopefully better once the Deathwatch get their Psychic Awakening book and become somewhat competitive again.

Next: a special surprise!

Lieutenant with Jump Pack

I’ve been using this guy for a while, but he’s been awkward as he kept falling off his base because he wasn’t painted.

No more!

Next, the other Jump Pack lieutenant!

Modular Primaris Aggressors

As promised, here are the Aggressors that I modded, fully painted and ready to go!

For convenience, the inside of the gauntlets are color coded.

Speaking of color, that’s a lot of green for the Azure Flames… Are these members of the 4th Company? Is that an Eleven as their insignia? Is this foreshadowing to events that may happen to the Azure Flames?

Yes.

Well that killed the mood. Next, Tyranid Escorts and more Primaris!

Khalil, Captain of the 7th Company on Bike with Thunder Hammer and The Shield Eternal

Khalil has been in pieces for several games, so I prioritized getting him painted up and ready to go.  Here he is!  Doing a sweet sideways skid as he climbs out of the seat to swing his Thunder Hammer.  Two Storm Shields on the faring of his bike represent The Shield Eternal.

Math time!  Bike characters start at 5 wounds.  With the Warlord Trait “Iron Resolve” it bumps him to 6 with a 6+ FNP which is functionally a 7th wound.

The Shield Eternal halves all damage, rounding halves up, so D6 weapons like Lascannons instead do the equivalent of D3.  On average, two apiece, so you’d need 4 Lascannons to get through the shield to kill him.

The Shield is a 3+ invulnerable, so you’d need 12 total wounds.

Toughness 5, so a S 9 Lascannon wounds on a 3+ so you’d need 18 hits.

Guardsmen are BS 4+ so you’d need 36 Guardsmen Lascannons, or 27 Space Marines at 3+, excluding any re-rolls.  That’s hearty!

Conversely, those 7 wounds could be eaten by about 54 Ork regular close combat attacks, which one squad of Orks could do in a turn.  That’s how a Smash Captain goes down; force of saves!

Next, more painting!

Land Speeder Heavy Flamer Gunners

I’ve been using these gunners a lot (6D6 auto hits, S5, -1 AP and +1 to wound with Flamecraft) but they’ve always been bare plastic.  Now they are fully painted.  I even jeweled all of the eyes!

Next: more painting!

Battlefleet Gothic Azure Flames – Spear Squadron Gladius Frigates (plus new case!)

It feels good to get a brush back in my hands.  I started with the Armourium Cherubs for Big Game VI, but in the course of unearthing some old bitz for the Guard models I lent Scott, I found six Forgeworld Gladius cruisers.  Seeing as how my Space Marine fleet is severely lacking when fighting… certain opponents… I decided to give them a go.

So, the latest addition to my Space Marine fleet: Spear Squadron.  Complimentary to Sword Squadron, I can now field two full squadrons of Gladius Frigates.  For… reasons…

Certainly not specifically to fight the Eldar.  That would be a ridiculous speculation and I resent the very idea.

But it would work.

What doesn’t work is my current case for the Azure Flames for Gothic.  Currently, they live in the same overly complicated tackle box with my Epic Armageddon Azure Flames. (Yes I own a representation of the same army three times.  It saves on paint.)  However that case is so jam packed I keep Epic scale Rhinos in the top compartments with no padding.  There’s not room for one more escort, let alone six.

That’s why family is a wonderful thing.

Last Xmas, my cousin’s husband confided in me that his business had a rather unique by-product.  He sets up audio rigs for small churches.  A lucrative endeavor as new churches spring up all the time.  His deft hands compile the necessities of an audio system into a convenient roiling cabinet.   What’s left over is an empty microphone case.  He had more than 100 empty padded cases.

I took about 16.  I used one as a transport for my Guard to Big Game VI.  And now…

…it holds the fleet.  Granted, there is no room for me to expand further, but I see no need (unless twelve Gladius Frigates are insufficient for the Eldar…) so I consider the collection complete.  The case has a makeshift padded interior left over from various pluck foam and matress pad endeavors.  The top is padded with further foam.

It’s not pretty, but given that I did it with waste foam, a free microphone case, and my wife’s glue gun, it was practically free!  It also gave me a chance to use something I’ve had for a while:

A custom luggage tag, to mark it out!  I plan to have several more of these cases for other armies for Gothic, Epic, Necromunda, Blood Bowl, and so on.  So, a while ago, I designed luggage tags to mark out the cases.  This is the first one I’ve had a chance to use.

Next: more batreps, more painting, and more fiction!

Big Game VI Eve’s Special: Creepy Robot Babies!

Big Game VI is tomorrow, and what better way to prepare than by painting some Armourium Cherubs for my Devastators!

Plus, all stories leading up to Big Game VI are done!  Check it out on the sidebar!

Next: BIG GAME VI!

Golden Rhino 2016 Display Board

My forces are marshaled for war.  Tomorrow: the Golden Rhino Tournament at Highland.  1500 Highlander, three rounds.

I am ready.

Tau Kor’or’vesh Kir’shashvre “Castellan” escorts

FINALLY.  This squadron has been plaguing me for months.  These Castellan escorts have almost as much detail as larger Forgeworld Tau capital ships in less than 1/4 the area.  The three color scheme doesn’t make it easy.  Finally, the Tau script on the bases took forever because even though there was only one word per ship, it was much harder than the big ships with multiple words.  I had to do it OVER and OVER and I got sick of it.

I am not looking forward to the 8 Wardens, even though Kir’la is only a 5 letter word.

However, I am taking a break from the Tau.  Coming up next is some battle reports from Highland in prep for this year’s Golden Rhino tournament.  After that, BIG projects for the Azure Flames which are in various stages of development.  This is an exciting time!  Stay tuned!