Creature Caster Maggot Demon, Is It Tempting Enough?

When the Creature Caster Kickstarter launched I wouldn't be surprised if I wasn't the only person to say "eh, where did the cool Nurgle-style Great Unclean One-type demon go to?" There was some info in the YouTube videos about changes to some models and it was probably explained somewhere why this model wasn't going to be part of the campaign. Frankly, I was disappointed, as it was the only model that interested me. Now we have a new rotten chap to tempt us in the shape of the Maggot Demon. There are scant details beyond the below picture, so I'm holding fire at the moment to see if we get any better views before I commit any cash.

Hero Holders From Mechanical Horse, Or, Whose Wound Was It Anyway?

Hobby life is bubbling away mostly in my head at the moment so I thought I'd share some helpful looking gaming aids by a company called Mechanical Horse, which I came across on Facebook. They're called 'Hero Holders'. I think these look rather neat and they would certainly help with the 'what dice was representing his wounds?' problem.

New GW Treeman Spotted

I just pulled these from a thread on Facebook and can credit BloodyBeast.com. What do you think? I'm impressed. These would fit wonderfully well in my Slaanesh Army - I can't wait to get one of these painted up. 

Games Workshop's New Series Of Hobby Videos Are Really Rather Good

I really do not like the GW house-style of painting. It's just not my thing: too bright and spangly on the whole, often verging on the utterly uninspiring to a degree that puts me off new offerings. I can understand why Oldhammerers looking at the website would be additionally put off recent releases.

However, the new GW hobby videos are rather good. An amiable host with a friendly manner helps make them easily digestible. They also offer viewers plenty of close up views of new models from many angles. Yes, they are pretty much 'how to paint them as on the box', but it's good to see GW providing a good line in genuine hobby support once again and I hope that they continue to add to this line of step-by-steps guides. The advice on how to glue an Imperial Knight was really instructive, even to an old fart like me!

Here's Militarum Tempestus: Painting a Tempestor Scion (Part 1 of 2).

Taurox: Tranks Or Wheels? And Is It Basically A Space Tractor No Matter What You Do?

So which of these do you prefer? Or is the model beyond redemption?

Zinge Industries wheels

Blood and Skulls Industry wheels

The GW original

I have to say that although I'm quite taken by the wheeled conversions I still like the original. The one thing that is making me seriously consider doing a conversion - and I like the middle picture despite its tractorishness - is that I like the idea of using the tracks with other spare parts to make a couple of Space Marine Rapier guns, like this one:

Seeing as these FW models are £29 there is a significant saving to be made here, even with paying the extra for the wheels. Decisions, decisions...

Genestealer Cult Valkyrie / Vendetta Gunship

Back with the Genestealer Cult today and here are a few WIP shots of my Valkyrie/Vendetta gunship. I've used the lascannons from a Land Raider conversion kit and fixed them onto the main hull so that it can act as either variant of the flyer. It was when I started working with this big kit that I realised that I needed to add a strong contrast colour into the mix. I went for the flame red ink (as discussed in earlier posts) and I'm extremely pleased with how it looks; to my eye it brings out the best in the greens and vice versa. Next up will be the WIP Baneblade. Progress is obviously slow... really slow... because I'm working on all the mech together, but - hey! - this is a real life hobby blog and I'm never going to be one of those guys who can finish a newly released kit over the weekend it hits the stores. As well as being Oldhammer affiliated I'm also Slow Hobby affiliated. If that's a thing. It should be.

I Suppose This Confirms I'm A Tread-Head!

Sometimes - and it is rare these days - eBay works out a gem. This week I was very fortunate to pick up a Baneblade kit all on the sprue and as-new for half price. Although I doubt that it will ever see much action on the table it will make an excellent centre piece for my Genestealer Cult. It stops me being tempted with an Imperial Knight just now too! Here I am 'hard at work' putting this massive tank while watching the Champions League. Some nights it's a hard life! 

Knight Errant and Knight Lancer Comparison Picture

I know quite a few people will be interested in this picture, given the continuing discussions about the size of the Imperial Knight. Here is a photo from the FW open day with a Knight Errant standing next to a Knight Lancer. 

Source: http://natfka.blogspot.co.uk/2014/04/forgeworld-open-day-pictures-part-2.html 

Wargaming Tradecraft: Helping Gamers be Better Cheaters

Calling all followers! You have to follow the link and read this post... it's very funny :-)

Wargaming Tradecraft: Helping Gamers be Better Cheaters: I've been playing more Hordes lately, tournaments too and if there's one thing we all hate, it's losing and having to pac...

The UltraMarch Project: More Progress With The Mucky Ultramarines

I'm getting increasingly experimental with these Ultramarines. In doing so I'm balancing the joy of free artistic creativity with overwhelming crippling self-doubt. That just about sums up my hobby to me. In the last week or so I've been all about shading, slapping on lashings of the Tamiya X Clear Orange. Perhaps it's the fumes but I seem to have gone completely crazy with this paint - it's beguiling me, drawing me in mesmerically to using more, more, more... At some point I'm going to have to get back to doing some highlights or even some regular colours.

The Far From Delicate Aroma Of Gaming

This has been doing the rounds on social media. I don't know who to credit for this, but let's just say that it's one for those well accustomed to the smell of vinegar and piss that wafts around all GW stores on a Saturday.

The UltraMarch Project: Mucky Marines Take Shape

Here are a couple of my very mucky Ultramarines. I fear it's only going to get worse for them! As per usual I'm building up glazes and washes over a series of highlights (hence the white), however, this time I've decided to get all experimental with the Tamiya Color 'Clear X' range of paints. These are glossy, gloopy, transparent colours available in Blue, Red, Yellow, Green and Orange. 

I've mostly used the orange here, building up from a heavy covering over the basing cork and up the legs. Then, I added some into the deeper recesses on the models, which I overlaid with the clear blue Tamiya X and some purple wash. This combination is proving very good for open-ended process I favour. These Ultramarines will end up quite some way from the squeaky clean GW preferred look. To my mind, 40k should be covered in deep layers of filth - the Eldar perhaps being an exception. 

Victoria Miniatures Arcadian Rifles Size Comparison

Posted just now on Facebook. Reposted here because I might buy some of these in the future and it's a handy reference/reminder!

The UltraMarch Project: Marneus Calgar And His Honour Guard Suffer The Indignity Of Finecast

There's not much that hasn't already been said about how rubbish Finecast can be. I've had mixed fortunes over the last couple of years and Calgar and his Honour Guard fit into the 'rather dodgy' category of Finecast fail with a few holes, badly formed parts and inexplicably melty bits. Oh well, at least GW are extremely good with their plastics now. So the brief news is simply that I got everyone based and glued together, with green stuff and superglue filling all (hopefully) the holes. Let's get some paint on these guys tomorrow and let the fun begin. 

The UltraMarch Project: Ultramarines Tactical Squad Manorian Takes Shape

Here is first update of my UltraMarch Ultramarines project. As you can see I've constructed and based Tactical Squad Manorian, coupling their bolt pistols with shields to style them in line with their less formal name as 'the Shield Bearers'. I like to imagine that they are mid-combat and mid-campagin - their bolt pistols are drawn as they plunge into combat, with small shields attached to designate their identities in the midst of a drawn-out campaign in hostile territory. 

The next steps will be to clean up the models and apply a white under coat followed by blue base coat - I've not chosen this yet as I've been away from my paints in Oxford, but at the moment I think I'll go for a lighter blue that can be shaded in interesting ways, with blues and greens and perhaps even some orange.