Battle Report: Gutbuster Army Preview

Update: Sadly my opponent for this evening had to cancel due to work.  Hope to reschedule this game for sometime in the near future.

On the Bench: Ironguts Unit Filler

One of the interesting things about the Midwest WFB scene is our dedication to painting and fielding amazing armies.  At any given tournament, you can expect to see work that would rival the stuff that appears in White Dwarf (R.I.P.) or on the GW website.  While having such a rich environment when it comes to painted armies, it also means that the standards can be pretty high when it comes to paint judging.  To this end, it has become almost mandatory that an army has some level of freehand if it wants to earn maximum points at the majority of tournaments.

Typically when someone is doing freehand, it is done on a standard as they are a great way to add a little uniqueness to a regiment.  Since another element of many local tournaments is to award points for a scratch built model, I decided to combine the requirement with free-hand details to create a custom gong for my ironguts. 

When it came to picking the actual image, I debated for a period whether or not to do some kind of dragon.  It seemed like the obvious choice and easily tied into the Asian inspired theme of the army.  In the end, I felt it was too obvious and decided to explore other Japanese images that might work.  I considered Kirin and phoenix pictures, but again they felt too obvious.  As I was looking at various pictures, I started to notice that koi were a common theme among many of them.  After a bit more searching on the topic, I decided to use one as the basis for the free-hand on the gong.

Using a picture I found on the website Quiet Forest, I drew a similar image on the gong I had created using plastic rods, wire and a wooden 40mm base.  One the image was drawn, I traced over it using a fine detail brush and Vallejo Charred Brown.  Next, I used Reaper Golden triad, Vallejo Brown ink and GW Sepia wash to color the fish.  Once the fish was colored, I reapplied the Charred Brown to better bring out the details.

To complete the background of the gong, I first used a pencil and another 40mm base to trace a semi-circle.  Next, I colored in the first part of the circle using a combination of Vallejo Hexed Purple, Vallejo Purple Blue, and Vallejo Dead White.  As for the blue sections of the model, I used Vallejo Imperial Blue, Vallejo Dark Blue, and Vallejo White to shade and highlight the area around the koi.

To complete the model, I painted the outside ring on the gong using Vallejo London Grey, Vallejo Black Grey, and Vallejo Light Grey.  The wood holding the gong was painted using a combination of Vallejo Charred Brown and Vallejo Vermin Brown.  The base was painted using the same scheme as the army and flocked with a combination of Army Painter and GF9 products.

Episode 25 - A Gathering of Might XII Preview

Episode 25 - A Gathering of Might XII Preview
Sponsored by Heroes Haven Comics and Games & A Gathering of Might

Longtime friend of the show, Adam Turner, is back to share a preview of A Gathering of Might XII.  Adam and John talk about the two day tournament and all the festivities around what will be John's first tournament in the UK.  However, prior to talking about AGOM, the guys talk about the current UK meta and the impact recent army books have had on the scene.

Download: Direct Download | iTunes | RSS



Episode Timeline
00:00:17 - Sponsors
00:01:11 - UK Meta
00:29:30 - A Gathering of Might XII Preview

Emails
Army Lists, Feedback, Topic Ideas - Andrew@unstabledice.com
Upcoming Tournaments - Chuck@unstabledice.com
John - equinox@unstabledice.com

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On the Bench: Fimir Purple Cloth

When it came to painting the cloth sections of the fimir model, I needed to use colors that would help unify the model with the color scheme of the ogres. At the same time, I wanted to make the fimir to look distinct and not just a retread of the same colors on the ogres. To this end, I decided to include the purple scheme I used with the ogres, but only in a minimal fashion.

The process of painting the purple begins with a solid coat of Vallejo’s Hexed Purple [4:1; Paint:Thinner]. I usually need to apply this layer in two or three coats to ensure that the white primer is not bleeding through the purple. Once the layer has dried, I give the model a healthy coat of GW Leviathan Wash and set it aside until the next day.

Upon returning to the model, the first layer is a couple of coats of Vallejo’s Hexed Purple that has been mixed with some Vallejo’s Medium Glaze [3:1:1; Paint:Glaze:Thinner]. When applying this coat, I try to paint it away from the sections that I want to remain the darkest purple. The first layer of the mix is also started a little deeper in the model compared to the second and third layers of the mix.

Moving to the next mix, I begin the highlighting process by applying a thinned layer of Vallejo Hexed Purple mixed with Vallejo Violet Blue [4:1:1:1; Hexed Purple:Violet Blue:Glaze: Thinner]. Since this layer is less opaque, I only apply one full layer and follow it up with a slight touch-up on spots that don’t meet what I am wanting. After the last layer is applied, I quickly move to the next layer which is the primer mixed with the addition of a drop of Vallejo Skull White and a drop of Vallejo Glaze Medium. Similar to the prior layers, I apply it with a brush stroke that moves away from the darkest sections. Once the layer is applied, I go over the highest points of the model with the mix.

The next few layers continue the process of highlighting the purple sections by adding either more Vallejo Skull White or Vallejo Violet Blue. With each layer, I try to gauge whether or not to add more paint thinner or glaze to the mix. I also switch from a 00 size brush to a 0/10 size to better control the application of each layer.

On the Bench: Fimir Skintone

It has been no secret that I am madly in love with the fimir models from Warhammer Forge. Since they were revealed at the end of 2011, I was determined to incorporate them into one of my projects. Originally, I planned on using them in my daemons army, but there were no unit rules that reflected the look or base size of the fimir models. This lead me down the path of fitting them into my ogres list as I saw the potential in them being count-as maneaters. For today’s edition of On the Bench, I am reviewing the process I used to paint the skin tones on my first fimir.

The process begins with priming the model white using white primer.
Since the fimir are described as having yellow-greyish skintones, I tried to go with a scheme that was similar but still unique from what I could find on the internet. To this end, I began with a basecoat of Reapers Golden Skin Shadow. [4:1:1 paint:glaze medium:thinner] Once the basecoat was dry, I applied a wash of Vallejo Scrofulous Brown [1:1:4 paint:glaze:thinner] to the recesses of the model. This was followed by a wash of GW Septia [1:0:0] into the deepest parts.
I allowed the shading to dry completely overnight before beginning the process of building up the layers. I began with a couple of coats of Reapers Golden Skin Shadow. [4:1:1 paint:glaze medium:thinner]. With each layer, I moved ever so slightly away from the darkest parts of the model.
 
As I continued to move towards highlighting, I added Reapers Golden Skin to the Golden Skin Shadow. [8:2:2:2 Shadow:Skin:Glaze:Thinner]. I continue to add Reapers Golden Skin with each additional layer until I eventually get to a mix that is very close in color to the paint straight out of the bottle.
Moving into the extreme highlights, I begin with a mix of Reapers Golden Skin and Reapers Golden Highlights [8:2:2:2 Shadow:Skin:Glaze:Thinner].
 

With each additional highlight, I add more Reapers Golden Highlight into the mix. I usually also add a little more glaze and thinner, just to keep the paint flowing nicely and for the layers to blend together.

Next time, I will review my approach to painting the purple sections of the model.

Equinox's 2012 Year in Review

Since I feel like being a follower this week, I am writing a little retrospective on my 2012 and where things are headed in 2013. As the New Year began, I looked at my wife and told her 2012 would be forever known as the Year of Dreams since most of mine were fulfilled over the last twelve months. It began in March with me visiting Japan.



Since I have been a small child, I have always dreamed of going to Tokyo, the home of Godzilla, anime and video games. I truly thought I would never get there, or at least not until much later in life. It just happened that I had to visit the Philippines for work, another first, and was able to schedule a few days in Tokyo before heading to Manila. I spent the next few days playing games, visiting stores, and experiencing the city of my dreams. My only regret was not having my family with me for the trip, but I know that in a few years we will all go back together.



The next dream that was fulfilled was the movie Avengers. Anyone that knows me knows that the movie was more of an event for me than anything. The chance to watch the Marvel universe fully realized on the screen is beyond my ability to write. Since it was released, I have seen it seven times in the theater and more times than I can count on DVD. The fact that my son has taken a liking to Thor and Hulk and wants to always watch them with me just makes the whole experience that much more memorable.

Another dream of mine was to take my family to Disneyworld in Orlando, Florida. I know many people do this, but for my daughter, it was her chance to experience something magical while still being at an age where the cynicism of life has not polluted her ability to fully imagine the world as different from what it is in reality. There were a million great moments from our two week trip, but one of the biggest for me was when we first arrived at the park. As we watched the Halloween themed show under Cinderella’s castle, the evil witch appeared and a series of fireworks went off. My daughter’s response was one of excitement and fear as she grabbed onto me tight and yelled into my ear, ‘It’s real magic’. In that moment, I knew she was having a special moment that she would not experience again until she has kids of her own.



I could share more, but I know folks reading this blog are interested in stuff related to Warhammer and not the ramblings of an old man. With that said, 2012 was really a light year when it came to the hobby. I only attended five events as a player. Of those five events, I won an award at 4 of them, so I would say that I had a pretty successful year in that regard. The total number of games I played was also down from 2011, which I believe was a direct result of my focus on non-gaming activities. I also didn’t accomplish much when it came to actually painting new models. I finished a few things, but not anywhere near what I accomplished in 2011.



When it came to major hobby accomplishments, I really only had two of them. The first was Invasion Kenosha IV. Everything went well and it was the first year that I didn’t really need to kill myself to get everything ready. The portable table toppers I made worked and there didn’t seem to be any major complaints. The other accomplishment was getting a monthly podcast started. I admit that it is not as well polished as many of the other ones out there, but I always intended it to be more of laid-back type of experience.



Looking ahead to 2013, my first major hobby goal is to complete my ogres for Adepticon. I am only playing in one fantasy event at this year’s convention, so I want to give it my all. My next goal is to prepare for A Gathering of Might in August, which is really an extension of my Adepticon goal since I will be bringing ogres to that event as well. Next, I am jumping back into 40K and returning to Eldar. I have a lot more to say about this goal, but I will save it for another article. Finally, I am feeling very aggressive with the new year, so I am going to make this year about taking a more competitive approach to the hobby.

On the Bench: Ogre (#4)

With the fourth ogre, I decided to sculpt the shoulder pads with brown stuff.  When it came to the paint scheme, I used the same range of colors, but went for a lighter skintone on this ogre.  I am curious to see if the unit when finished will look disjointed because of the variations in skin colors or if it will make the unit "pop" more.

Pre-painted Image

On the Bench: Ogre (#3)

This is the 3rd ogre in the unit I am working on currently. This particular model has some highs and lows for me. I really like how the shoulder pads and gut plate look, but feel I could have done better with the skin tones and arm wrappings.

On the Bench: Ogre (#2)

This is the next ogre in the unit. The skin tone is slightly paler, which I think I prefer compared to the other one.

On the Bench: Ogre (#1)

This was the first in a new unit of ogres I am working on. I liked the idea of them wielding large polearm weapons that were a little less crude compared to what comes in the standard plastic kits. I also wanted to continue doing shoulder armor since I enjoy the look of it.

Adepticon 2012: 1000 Point Tournament - Part One

Before the holidays engulfed my world, I had decided upon building a cavalry based army for one of the 1000 point tournaments. My plan going in was to build the army around the Dogs of War Indy GT list, but since that post, I have decided to make a change. Instead I plan on using the Ogre Kingdoms book to fulfill my planned theme as I have been seduced with an idea and some models. I am also thinking this army will be for the morning session as I believe it will be the more competitive of the two armies I field. That said, I will decide which army is being used in which session shortly before Adepticon.

Ogre Kingdoms List v1.0

Hero
TBD (~158 points)

Core
5 Ironguts w/ musician, standard, look-out gnoblar and Banner of Eternal Flaming – 250 points

Special
2 Mournfangs w/ heavy armour, ironfists and a standard – 150 points
2 Mournfangs w/ heavy armour, ironfists and a standard – 150 points
1 Sabertusk – 21 points
1 Sabertusk – 21 points

Rare
Stonehorn – 250 points