Lost in Space

I was able to finish up painting the new additions to my Chaos force. On Sunday I participated in a special space hulk event for the campaign. My squad of Chosen marines, the aptly named Forsaken, heroically managed to open a door, get shot by laser defenses, were stuck in close combat with some Genestealers, and finally had the chunk of space hulk they were in blasted off by a massive decompression. Currently they are drifting through space but I expect they might show up again in another game.

The whole squad just before embarking for their ill fated trip to the space hulk.



He was previously destined to be a sergeant for my regular Space Marines. Funny how career paths can change.



The guy all the way in the back is an older paint job. You can see that the new ghost parts are much more turquoise. I like that green color better personally.

I also finished my Obliterator. About half way through sculpting I figured out a new method of creating the ectoplasm that I really like. It's simple and basically is just sticking a pin through the putty to pull and shape some holes. I'm not as satisfied with the paint job. I tried some of the new GW paints and wasn't much impressed. I might end up repainting all of his ghostly bits so they better match the rest of the force.





Next up are 1000 point games so I'm going to have to put together an army list and see what else I want to add.

Unit Cards

One of the things I hate about playing games like 40k is flipping through rulebooks looking for information on units. I always liked the unit cards that came with the warmachine models so I decided to do something similar for my 40k force.

I put together a quick template and added pictures of my units I took on one side. I also added a short background blurb. On the other side is the statblock and a short description of pertinent rules. I print the cards out at index card size and stick them into photo sleeves. That way I can write on them with a dry erase marker, put extras into the pockets like psychic power cards or whatever else I need.




The other advantage is since I'm using nonstandard models for my troops they can be used as identification cards for my opponent.

These are my first run of cards. I'm already thinking of changes and additions now that I've used them in a game. I'll definitely add more rules info on them and maybe play with the layout.

Phantom Firepower

I had a lot of fun in the first campaign games and with the new 40k, so I'm looking to expand my force. Next weekend starts the 1000 point level and while I have enough guys right now to reach that I want to add some variety and more long range punch.



Quickly put together from partially assembled guys I had lying around from an old project.

 First, I want to expand out a squad of basic chaos marines. I have three right now and my goal is to get three more done for this weekend so I can switch out a squad of the Wights. I'd like to add a heavy weapon to squad but the codex says you need a 10 man squad for that option. So a plasma gun is as good as it gets for them right now. 


He still needs all of his ghostly ectoplasm sculpted on.




Next I had an idea for making some themed Obliterators. I feel like I'm going to need some ranged firepower at the next point level and these guys should fit the bill nicely. Plus I always liked the concept of guys manifesting the right weapon for the job and it seems like a rather spectral ability so it fits my theme.





Lord Orpheus and the Spectral Dead

I'm going to play in a 40K campaign that is running at the local game store this weekend. I was pondering which force to play with when I remembered my ghost marines that I painted up about 4 years ago. So I had my lovely photographer take some quick pictures of them using the lightbox that I just made. I wanted to do a force that I didn't really need to spend much time painting and focused mainly on converting them to look like ghosts.I use the Chaos Space Marines army list for them and kinda stretched the unit types to portray their necromantic might.

Wights ordered into battle by their Necromancer (Thousand Sons Marines)

The Tomb of Zagreus (Dreadnought)

 

The Spectral Dead! (summoned Deamons)

Lord Orpheus ( Chaos Sorcerer)

Lightbox

The trees have been taking a little longer than anticipated to complete. The larger ones tend to bend over as the flock is added to them so I've been building it up in stages and waiting for it to dry and harden before adding more. A more laborious process than I first envisioned, but they are almost ready for the next stage.



Trees are coming along. Work area still a disaster.



In the mean time I put together a lightbox to use with taking pictures. This is a project I've been wanting to do ever since my lovely photographer started doing my picture work for me. I think the lightbox will do justice to her equipment and yield some much nicer pictures. That's the theory at least. 

Its just a cardboard box with side panels cut out and white cloth hot glued in. Then I glued in a piece of poster board across the back and bottom. Very easy.  

I'm also working on some simple modular terrain that will fit inside and I'm considering some backdrops as well. The base is just going to be a plain green/brown board but I also want to do a similarly sized piece of cityscape as well.



Pink foam cut to fit inside and pieces of sheet metal that will be glued on to make the magnetic base.



Can't see the forest for the trees

I'm trying to quickly build up some terrain to go along with my newly painted figures. I thought I'd start with some trees since I had the materials lying around. These are based on the method described here on Carmen's Fun Painty Time ( a blog I highly recommend.) I originally was going to make some for 28mm figures but repurposed them for this and rebuilt them fit with 1/100 scale. I also glued a magnet to the bottom and smoothed out the trunk on them with putty.


My first trees put together and glued to magnets.

I noticed that once I cut them down to size the branches ended up looking a little to regular for my taste and a little too sparse. I mixed up a paste of flock, glue, and a little water and slathered that on in chunks across the branches. Once dried it ended up rock solid and also helped to bind the whole tree together.


My test run with the flocking. This one is gonna need some repainting to blend the colors together.

The "leaves" that are a part of the sprays are a little big for scale so next I'm going to put some more flock on to blend it together and finish it up with some paint. I'll put up some better pictures once they are complete.


The rest of the trees with the trunks sculpted on.


I also got some more casting resin and mold making material in the mail yesterday so I'm hoping to get back to work on my buildings over the next week as well.

The Prussian Warmachine

Of particular concern to us was the preparedness of the Prussian forces. Why was the the XI Army Korps on maneuvers at that time and ready to cross over to Belgium so quickly? And given the fact that it took a rush effort to equip even a portion of our expeditionary force with proper gas-masks and suits, how was it that the Prussian were so well equipped with gas-masks? One begins to question if the Prussians had some foreknowledge of the events in Liege, or even had a hand in instigating them?
-The Right Honorable Earl of Shaftesbury Lord Ashley

Prussian Infantry from Fusilier Regiment Nr 34.

I've been working on a small Prussian force. The infantry are from Black Hat and are really rather nice. Their kit is nicely detailed. I have some more of these and a squad of clockwork soldiers as well which I'm thinking of painting up in green uniforms as Jaegers, maybe I'll sculpt the characteristic tshakos on them as well. I'll have to take a second look at the figures.

Grand Duke Class Colossus from 31st Division

The Colossus is a war machine Khador heavy war jack. I left the weapon armaments interchangeable with a simple pin system so I can mix and match. If I actually start doing regular gaming with them I'll think about swapping them out with magnetics. Otherwise the other main modification was to cut all of the spikes off of it. I just couldn't see the engineers at Krupp saying " You know what it needs? Some giant spikes on the edges! Those will only weigh a couple of tons each!" I'm not completely satisfied with the paint job, but I've rather run out of steam and ideas for painting him for now. I expect I'll revisit it and put some more weathering and details on it.

Prussian Colossus Grand Duke Karl Theodor Anton Maria von Dalberg

I'd like to find something to use as smaller colossi as well. Unfortunately, Khador doesn't have any light warjacks so I'm going to have to look elsewhere or try to convert something. I'm considering some of the mercenary jacks maybe with a rebuilt carapace and one of the spare heads from the Juggernaut I have.

"Grosser Karl" watches as a squad clears a ruined building in the outskirts of Liege.