Wargames Bingo

 Wargames Bingo

Came across this on bingo card on Rob Hawkin’s blog (robhawkinshobby.blogspot.com) yesterday. So, I gave decided to give it a go.

Blank Bingo Card

Looking through I can fill three squares straight away.

1. Finish painting a model that’s been in your lead pile or remained unfinished for more than a year.

The Unfinished Prince Penethor

Probably the easiest one on the whole card for me. This model sat my lead pile for over 25 years and in  partly finished state for about 18 months. So this figure definitely meets the criteria.

The Finished Prince Penethor

He was finished as I was starting to get back into painting after 18 month break.

2. Paint a unit and add scenic bases for all the models (Scratch built or resin is fine; so long as it’s more than just sand and static grass).

The Mighty Zog leading the Greater Hobgoblins

This one and the next was pretty straightforward for me as I do the bases before starting the next models. 

3. Claim this space only if all of the “Finished” models in your army are based, too (this could be a freebie).

First 1000 pts Chaos Army

So three squares complete and twenty two to go...

Rob 

Chaos Cultists & Bloody Skeletons Feet!

Bloody Skeleton's Feet

I bought a sprue of skeletons In order finish off one my skeleton units. The  sprue looks good with plenty options  and nice set of Greek themed weapons. However this is where the good news stops.  Each skeleton is made up with a completely unnecessary (and fiddley) number of components including separate feet, During the test build I managed in no particular order to lose one (so now I am one short), glue them on backwards, crawl around on my hands and knees (several times!) and say plenty of swear words when the bloody things did not fit into into position. I did finally manage to glue the feet on and then had to fiddle around adding the spine to the pelvis. 

Bloody Skeleton's feet

I have no idea why they decided to make it so overly complicated for no real benefit. But I will finish the test build and the now remaining four and a bit will now go into the bits box until I'm in a better mood. 

Alternative Disciple of the Red Redemption 

As mentioned on a previous post, I would like to add a unit of the Disciples of the Red Redemption to my Chaos horde put have been put off by the price. So after a bit of searching on the internet, I settled on the using the bodies of the Frostgrave Cultists with skeleton heads from the Citadel Skulls set. The Frostgrave sprue is excellent with plenty of different options and weapon choices. I like the hooded monk look of the Disciples so with bit of Green Stuff I decided to have a go at sculpting a hood. So one test build later....

First Test Build

Side shot plus even more skeleton bits

I chose a relatively large skull to give the impression of a mask over human face but I think it looks a bit oversized, so will go a more normal sized skull for the next one. But Overall it gives the look I am trying to achieve. I am sure more accomplished sculptors could get a finer finish but I think ranked up in a unit they will do the job. I have also sculpted  couple of shields which I will cast using a Blue Stuff mould so they will all be identical. I haven't decided which to use but one is plain and the other has a pattern (see below).

 

Patterned Shield design

The one problem (for me) with the the Frostgrave sprue is that because there is a wide variety of different weapons I can't build a unit with the same weapon. So I will have to build one if I want them to be all the same. 

More next time

Rob 

DIY SOS

 DIY SOS

A had a good look at my building collection today, I was planning on using one of them as part of the backdrop for the pictures. They are all looking a bit tatty. They were all made in the mid 90's and most of them are based on the buildings from 'Blood Bath at Orcs Drift'. With the exception of the coaching inn from was a design in White Dwarf. I never got round to making the rest of the coaching inn which had a forge attached, May be a nice future project.

Farmhouse and Coaching Inn

Privy, Watchtower, Cottage & Ruins

I have the barn around somewhere which I need to find.

So they all look like they need a bit of repair and general tidy up. The bases were latter additions to the buildings done by someone else and I have never been very happy with them. So I plan to replace the bases, tidy up the damage on the roofs and add some scenic items around the bases. I may add some additional windows as I obviously had aversion to painting windows at the time I made them and i have always thought they could do some more.  I don't want to repaint them entirely just a tidy up for the next 30 years...

Modern(ish) Technology

 Modern(ish) Technology

This week I have had to give up my trusty iPhone 6 as it will no longer meet the company's security requirements. So I have been given  a new iPhone 11. Whilst the new phone doesn't seem much different from the old one except being a bit bigger. It does however a much better camera. 

I was surprised how much clearer the pictures from the new phone were in contrast to the old phone. I know many people have fancy cameras and lighting arrangements but for a quick pic, the camera on the phone is probably many people's choice.

iPhone 6

iPhone 11

Both pictures were taken under the same lighting conditions and with the same backdrop.

 

Ugezod’s Death Commandos

The Death Commandos in all their glory.

This is one of the few boxed sets that I actually bought back in the day. The originals have long disappeared into the mists of time.  Bought from Southsea Models in their original shop for those old enough to remember. Before it moved. 

Box Artwork

Character Description
(Both from Stuff of Legends)

One of the Regiments of Renown by Citadel and sculpted by Nick Lund. In fact, my favourite group of sculpts by Nick. I picked up Ugezod at the beginning of last year with a view to using him as King F’Yar (from Blood bath of Orcs Drift fame) and after painting him decided I would like to go back and have a go at the rest of the gang. This is only Citadel set of the era that I can think of where there were two different sets at the same time (Ugezod’s Death Commandos and Ugezod’s Mother Crushers). With Death Commandos being a character box featuring the Mighty Ugezod himself and the Mother Crushers as a standard Regiment of Renown.

The Mighty Ugezod a.k.a. King F’Yar

Ugezod was painted first and before I learnt the secret of the sculpting shields. However I don’t plan to go back and repaint this (yet!).

Not the original 90s paint jobs!

When I had the boxed set first time round, I only managed to paint three of them (Kudra, Gnar & Mormo). After picking the entire set up as a job lot. There was a definite difference in quality particularly between Ugezod and the first one picked up separately. Also, the originals (from the 90s) and single purchase Ugezod all had pointy shield bosses, and these have flat shield mounts. It could be these are recasts or that Citadel changed them at some point. However, since I already had Ugezod painted, I have decided not to over think this one and just enjoy the painting the figures.

I decided to keep Mormo for last but the other two would be done next. This has been a slow burn project with the aim of painting up one or two figures a month.  And I have actually managed to stick to that plan.

 

Kudra Stunty Smasher is probably the best posed of all of the figures. I really like the pose and the look.

The other three figures all got sculpted shields. However, I had to sculpt them twice as the originals got pinched by the Beastmen to finish their unit first.

 

Since starting to paint again, I had a go at painting stars on Mormo’s robes with mixed results.  This resulted in buying in some new brushes. 

Ok onwards to the next project. 

Building a Chaos Dwarf Mortar

 

Building a Chaos Dwarf Mortar

After building the swivel gun battery, I decided that I also needed some longer-range firepower from my chaos dwarves. The Citadel chaos dwarf mortar always looked a bit too weedy to me. Especially when you compare it to medieval equivalents. So, I wanted something a bit bigger to use with my chaos dwarves.

After looking at a number of alternatives, I settled on barrel using a plastic pencil. This would also give me something to hold onto whilst sculpting the barrel.  A snarling face for the barrel is a must giving it the right fantasy vibe.

Fun with Green Stuff

As usual the details were sculpted with Green Stuff with the teeth made out of small cardboard triangles. The eyes were made previously from Milliput from my Oldhammer shield pile.

The base was done in the similar style to the previous swivel guns with foam card base and card edges. The mortar stand was made from coffee stick stirrers and bolts made from small plastic discs cut from a left over spear. 

Don't step on the mushrooms!

The mushroom patches are beginning to grow from a few simple mushrooms to a little patch. Mushrooms made from Green Stuff or Milliput around a paper clip stalk.  Painted with Khorne red and purple with a Nuln Oil wash.  I prefer to do a black spot first before I do the white spot with a bit of the black left showing.

The mortar was painted with Warplock bronze followed by a wash of Nihilakh Oxide and then a dry brush with the bronze again. The stand was painted mid-grey with brown and green washes.  With Riza rust around the bolts. The mortar was glued to the stand and restraining strips added with card and more of the plastic bolts. 

The cannon balls are simply made from Milliput.

Ready rain death on everyone

Now I need to get a few proper crew.

The first 1000pts – January 2021 (304 pts)

 

The first 1000pts – January 2021

The Chaos Renegades of the Mighty Zog

 

Month 3 - Figures

The Story so far...

For November I am counting as month 0 because I painted this hobgoblin as part of a chaos warband.

Month 0: Oct 2020. Completed 1 Baal’s Destroyers (40 pts).	40 pts	1
Month 1: Nov 2020.  Completed 9 Doom Reivers inc. Musician, Standard & Champion (149 pts) and 1 Baal’s Destroyers (40 pts).	199 pts	10
Month 2: Dec 2020. Completed 1 Doom Reiver (11 pts), 1 Baal’s Destroyers (40 pts), Baal (116 pts) and 10 Gor Charge Beastmen (130 pts).	307 pts	13
Total	546 pts	24

 January Progress

 So, January was about finishing off what I had in progress. I did paint up Kaleb Daark who originally was going to be used as the army commander but instead I have decided to use the mighty Zog Arkwright. Another great figure from the 90s and has a look more detail than I was expecting.

I really like the rusty brown on the armour, so I have decided to keep that. The shield is well painted (certainly compared to my standard) but he needs a sculpted shield to go in with my other figures so that will have to go.

New Army Commander before repainting.

 

The Beastman musician only turned up last Thursday, so bit of a rush to get him finished for month end. This completed the Beastman unit – Gor Charge. I also had time to make a movement tray for both the Beastmen and the Chaos Thugs. 

Beastman Musician

Month 3: Jan 2021. Completed beastmen champion (63pts) and x3 beastmen (39pts), beastmen musician & standard (52pts), bog troll (65pts) and chaos sorcerer (85pts).	304 pts	7
Total	850 pts	31

The completed Beastmen Unit

What's Next?

I would also like add some cultists in the form of Disciples of the Red Redemption fame but at the ~£50 for 11 (currently on eBay). I think I might convert some from the Frostgrave cultist’s pack instead.As bit of a side project, I also finished off three swivel guns and teams (see previous post). More chaos dwarves now needed to create a proper allied contingent. I have started work on a mortar and a unit of dwarves to make this a ‘legal’ allied detachment as the chaos dwarf hero can act as an allied contingent commander as long as the contingent is only one race.

What’s left?

New army commander now in progress and I have successfully won the Thug archers so with a bit of planning (luck) I should be able to get the first 1000pts finished this month.