Orkses on the rampage!

Not much to report at the moment on the gaming front as xmas, house renovations and a motorbike rebuild (Ural M66 combination, since you asked) have all taken their toll on my time for little men, but I found some photos of my RT Space Ork army that I've not put up on here, so thought I'd put them up to keep the blog active. It's mainly the original RTB02 Space Ork Raiders box set, along with a few characters picked up to fill out the force.

More after the cut...

René's Bombardiers - Halfing Army update!

So, I got bored (already!) with painting '68 pattern DPM at 28mm scale, so moved on briefly to paint up a unit of Halflings for my ongoing army.

I'd like you to meet René's Bombardiers...

More after the cut...

A short update: Some good news!

So, just a little update, but one that made me very happy recently, especially as I'm still struggling a bit with my recovery.

Another member of the Oldhammer community (Thanks Matte!) sent over some pics of my craft to Forgeworld HQ to show them what can be made out of FW bits. They were so impressed they asked me to get in touch with them to show their appreciation, which I did, and they UPS'd me over a Captain for it the very next day!

So here he is:

All shiny and boxed up! 

He's a limited edition Knight Scion, Standing. Only available if I remember correctly, if you pre-ordered one of the Forge World Knights and now long unavailable.

And just to prove I'm not totally ungrateful and chuck him on eBay for a quick profit, I've taken him out and given him a quick soap wash already, and about to give him an undercoat: 

He's a lovely figure, and will make a great Captain for the Pride of Jamakeer, I just need to work out how to fit the Red Star Lines' colour scheme into his uniform.

So yeah, thanks Forge World, you've really surprised me with your generosity, and cheered me up after a week or so of shitty news and events!

The Magnificent Zeven!

Not a huge amount to report this time, but I finally finished my Zoat Mercenary contingent. I've had these sat around for a long time in a drawer, and they eventually reached the top of the painting list. It's a quick n' dirty paint job, couple of blues and a wash, with the weaponry and armour done up in bone, so it looked like it was grown, rather than created.

There's the leader, two heavy weapons and four bolter troopers in total. A couple of light conversions, the leader's been given a chainsword and shoulder pad armour, and I made the heavy weapon trooper look like he was rearing up to give a better pose, that's pretty much it.

Although I've had a good run recently, I'm suffering a bit from 40k burnout, so I'm taking a step back from RT for a short while to work on some Cold War pseudo-historical stuff (Winter of '79, if you're interested, think VBCW in the late 70's) to cleanse my palate, as it were. If I get really into it, I might create a separate blog for it, but not sure at the moment, I might get bored of painting dpm very quickly!

See you all soon!

'The Blue Turd', the Arbites' (and mine!) least favourite transport...

Yet another post in the ongoing decal-related series, this time featuring a large Arbites armoured transport I finished recently.

I nicknamed this one 'The Blue Turd' as it is, quite honestly, an absolutely terrible model.

More photos, and an explanation after the cut...

Printing Transfers, a DIY Guide.

After the last couple of posts on here, quite a few people now have asked me for more info about the transfers I've recently made, so I thought I'd get around to actually doing a bit of a DIY Guide before I forgot what I did!

Read on, after the cut...

'The Pride of Jamakeer' - A 'Maelstrom' Class Light Cargo Carrier - Finished!

Well, here you go, I finally finished the 'Maelstrom' Class cruiser and my word, it's a biggie...

In fact it's not just a biggie, it's positively huge, coming in at just over 20 inches long! It's by far the largest 40k model I've ever made. There's a load more photos after the cut, if you're so inclined...

Tanglegenes's Little Helper...

So, here's another couple of models I finished a while ago but haven't really photographed properly yet...

Tanglegenes and his (not so) little helper...

Tanglegenes, the renegade Mechanicus Scientist has been pictured briefly in previous posts, but, as befits his mysterious reputation, he was usually in the distance, or in imperfect light conditions. Now here are a couple of better shots...

More after the cut...

Space Slann: Reinforcements!

Here's another quick photo update, showing a few more odds and sods I've done for my Space Slann army, (Main post *here*) consisting of an Orbital Transport, a heavy weapon and a crewmember.

More after the cut...

HIL Sector's Finest, AKA Port Imperiale's Arbites Station

So, I'm still not really up to painting, but I can at least get around to photographing a few pieces I finished before surgery.

This is the station I made for my Arbites Squad. Long since cut off from the Imperium, they are totally isolated and operate mainly in a low-key police role, picking up the *really* bad criminals that rise to the top of the pile of scum that makes up Port Imperiale.

A rare group shot in front of their HQ.

And a more regular shot, guarding the building from the roof, with a couple of Arbites about to head out on a patrol.

I'll hopefully get a few more shots up of a some other bits I've done in the next few days.

Post Surgery Update

Just a very brief post to let you all know that I've now had the spinal discectomy/fusion surgery I needed, and it appeared to go well. I've no longer got pins and needles in my left arm for a start, which is always helpful. I do, however feel like I've been kicked by a horse and am on a lot of morphine, so I'm unable to work on anything at the moment.

I'll hopefully update again when I'm in more productive form!

A Local Port For Local People...

The Old Main Drag...

Well, I finally got around to making up some baseboards for Port Imperiale, so I thought I'd do a few photos. No real reason or game involved, just fancied setting up some models, so here you go...

Space Slann! The Archaeo-Expeditionary Force of Mage-Chief Nohoch-Mul...

Sorry for the lack of posts recently, but I was in a painting mood, so finally managed to plow on and get my Space Slann army to a state of almost completion, and I think that merits a big ol' post!

The force on parade...

More Interstellar Amphibians after the cut...

Rogue Trader: Eastenders Edition...

The best used droids on Jamakeer!

So, a while ago I did a small tutorial on making some market stalls (*here*), and I've finally got around to painting them, along with some characters to staff them, so here they are!

More after the cut...

The 'Maelstrom' Class Light Cargo Lugger

So, as I mentioned in my last post, there's an even bigger ship on the block, and here it is, the 'Maelstrom' Class Light Cargo Lugger. 

More photos after the cut...

Crashed 'Rover' Class Cargo Lugger update..

Just a minor progress update today, As I decided I'd get the airbrush and compressor out of storage and give 'em a go again, for about the first time in 8 years.

Paint was chosen for me, as it was about the only one of my Vallejo paints that hadn't run out/dried up. I've since re-ordered a bunch of Vallejo Model Air paints, but thought yellow was a good way to go anyway:

A few more photos after the cut...

Port Imperiale update

So, regular readers will know that this blog was originally meant to be a progress log for my RT background planet, the titular Port Imperiale, but it's diverged a little from that brief over time, so for this post, I've gone back to the Port. Part of the background was that the entire planet was meant to be covered in crashed spacecraft, the remnants of the Pirates' victims that were forced to land before the ships were stripped of their cargo and anything saleable.

So, I've spent the last couple of weeks working on one of these crashed ships, and here you go, this is the first, and probably the largest one:

A squat salvager checks out his latest find

More after the cut...

Hey, I won something!

Ol' Abdul, In the flesh...

So, one of the better 40k Facebook groups I'm a member of, The Emporium of Rogue Dreams, recently had a competition to create a model, background story and statline for Abdul Goldberg, a recurring Hero/Villain/Adversary from the Scenario Creator in the Rogue Trader Rulebook.

If you're a regular here, you'll see I did this a while ago, *here*, and I entered it into the competition. Due to a freak current in the Warp, the organisers of the competition managed to get the ever illustrious Rick Priestley himself to judge the entries, and I'm amazed to say, I won!

Here's what the rules maestro had to say:

"Abdul Goldberg in the flesh... and what a lot of it! I enjoyed reading of Abd-El's exploits throughout time (and various editions) of the 40K background. A good effort that man! It's also a really nice conversion from an interesting source - and the two bodyguards are nicely envisaged too. It certainly ticks all the Rogue Trader boxes - and some extra just to be sure. I also liked the fact that you don't give away what he looks like... the mystery remains... mysterious"

High praise indeed! Must admit, it was nice to win something modelling related, it's been a while. The 1988 Golden Demon Awards I think, and even then I only got the a runner up prize!

I think really, after winning for me, it's only fair that I get him into a game at some point. More news on that when I paint up a pirate warband for him!

The potential future. Or, yet another doomed jaunt into the wargames industry.

This is just a bit of a personal update really, though it is hobby related, so might interest a few of you. As some of you may know, I've been part of the Wargames Industry repeatedly over the last 25 years, (GW, Hetzerdog and more recently the F*undry F*ckwits). This generally ends in tears, but for some reason I just can't stay away and my burnt fingers never seem to teach me the lesson I so obviously need.

With my current spinal injury meaning I'm not at work, it's given me a lot of time to think things over. Partially about fitting a TVR V8 engine in my Land Rover it has to be said, but also about my future in general. Depending on the surgical outcome, I may never return to 100% fitness, and part of the problem is that sitting at a desk programming for long periods of time is something that I may no longer be able to do, and that puts my current job/career in jeopardy.

With that in mind, my partner and I have recently been looking at buying a laser cutter/engraver, which will work for her clothing company, and I thought of possibly starting up in a small/part time way, in the wargames scenery business to bring in some extra income.

A new toy...

Altheim invaded...

Another small update today, but as I've started on my undead army, I thought I'd put up a few of the undead I've just painted up.

 The Altheim Militia face off against their resurrected former comrades.

More after the cut...

Warhammer Townscape project update..

Just a short update today, but a bit of a resource for you all, if you need it. As you may know (if you read this regularly) my current main project is to recreate all of the Warhammer Townscape buildings in a more modern way, with textures and detailing. I was just getting to the stage of detailing the gatehouse, and wanted to add some of the little posters that were spread throughout the book. Part of the original charm of the book was all these little details that you could add to make your buildings a bit more unique:

A couple of posters in use. Don't try and sneak past the militia. 

To that end (and to make detailing the rest of my buildings a little easier, I've gone through the book and digitally pulled all of the posters and signs out of it onto one sheet. They're just great little details that add to a fantasy building. Hopefully you think the same, and if so, they're here for you to download (after the cut!)

The Heroic Defenders of La Maisontaal!

So, sorry for being quiet recently, but apart from being ill, I've been working on this little lot, which are part of the 1986 WFB 'Vengeance of the Lichemaster' scenario.

Loads more photos and info after the cut...

The Enigma of Abdul Goldberg

The mysterious Abdul Goldberg, in the flesh...

So one of the Facebook 40k groups I'm a member of, 'The Emporium of Rogue Dreams', is having a competition to make a model, background and statline for 'Abdul Goldberg', a famous villain from the early Rogue Trader days. I've spent a lot of time working out how to fit Abdul into both Rogue Trader and 'current' 40k, and so here's my background fluff. Sorry, there's a lot of it, and it probably bends canon until it makes squeaking noises, but there y'go, that's just how I roll...

Another day, another project...

So, as some of you may know, I'm currently signed off work due to a problem with my spine. Whilst I've now got a lot of free time, my mobility is limited and the pain I can't spend much time at a desk, but I can do the odd bit of painting or scratchbuilding, with regular breaks. One of my long term projects was to replicate all of the original Warhammer cardboard buildings for my 'Altheim' gaming project, but with more 3d detail, and so that's what I'm up to at the moment...

Something prehistoric from the mists of time...

So, another step in my painting rehabilitation, this is one of the very few models that miraculously escaped the mass purge when I stupidly sold my entire collection in the early 2000's. 

The 'Imperial Guard War Mammoth of the Undead Legion', to give it it's full title, was also the first model I ever bought by mail order, as a spotty 14 year old, back in 1986. I bought it after seeing a Grenadier advert in White Dwarf, and sending away their catalogue, eventually receiving the above Blue Box, filled with a weighty amount of Lead.

And since then, it's sat there, in the box, awaiting paint.  For thirty bloody years. I felt this finally had to be rectified, and so now, I have this: 

More photos and text after the cut...

"Meet the gang 'cause the boys are here - The boys to eviscerate you!"

So, Lords, ladies, gentlemen and Xenos scum, I can finally present you the brave pensioners (and only surviving members) of the 6th Mordian Regiment, also known as the 'Flying Ripperfish' (Retd.) currently on the run from the mandatory retirement planet Chel-5EA.

More details after the cut...

So, I broke the duck... (and then some!)

Finally managed to actually get something painted yesterday, after following the advice of a couple of you on my other post. I went through my 'In Tray' of figures I've not catalogued and put away yet, and found one of the old Confrontation Bratt models, kindly given to me by a friend a while ago.

He's entirely unrelated to my other current projects, and so I give you Ludwig Von Blautoven:

I've gone with some old metal Empire infantry arms I had knocking around, which work quite well, I think. Not bad for a figure painted over the space of 8 hours. I've only got another three of these, so might pick up one or two more and make a small Necromunda gang out of them.

Whilst I was waiting for the layers/inks to dry on Ludwig, I also finished off President Kitenge's Personal Retinue for my Feral Army:

'Hi, my name's Evo, and I'm a Halflingaholic.'

Collect all of the halflings! 

So, whilst my painting mojo still hasn't returned (and I'd like to thank everyone for their suggestions on my last blog post!), I thought I'd briefly document one of my other hobby issues, namely the obsessive hoarding of obscure armies.

I've got a lot of unpainted and partially painted obscure armies sat in drawers, but possibly the most ridiculous of them all is my planned Halfling Army. I've been collecting it for a while now, so I thought I'd give you a taste of what's in the drawers and what I have planned, if I can ever get back into the groove...

Hitting 'The Wall'.

Or: some advice requested on 'Painter's Block', and how to get past it...