The Deadly Gamesman

With the latest Ancible article done and dusted, I'm back up and running with some of my own projects now.

Up today is the Deadly Gamesman, a rather odd and lovely miniature from Black Scorpion Miniatures.  This isn't one of my better paint jobs (there are a number of things I would have done differently now), but I wanted to create a dark, moody look for him, and I think this has come across pretty well.

Try to ignore the eyes for now, I have no idea why they've come out so badly on the photo, but trust me, they don't look that bad in the "flesh".  I'm really pleased with the red, both in the colour and in the smoothness of the blending.  It's pretty much my standard scheme for red now:

• Base coat:  Scorched Brown
• Shade:  Devlan Mud 
• First highlight:  1:1 mix of Scorched Brown and Scab Red
• Second highlight: Scab Red
• Final highlight:  Solar Macharius Orange is gradually mixed in to the Red and applied as smaller and smaller highlghts

Even close up the blending is looking pretty smooth - a lot of that is down to the brush - it is a LOT easier to get good results if you shell out a little extra on a decent brush - I don't think I can say that enough!  Patience plays a big part too, and you can see where I have and haven't applied that...

The gemstone works well - I was thinking of going for a funky colour then settled on boring green, sorry!  The gold is also my standard way of doing it these days, graduating through Tin Bitz, Burnished Gold and Mithril Silver - it does the job I think it's safe to say!

The little back pack thing takes the miniature out of medieval fantasy and into the world of Steam Punk and Sci-Fi, which I like a lot, a little more sinister and not quite so "Alice in Wonderland".  Next is the skin (which the left hand doesn't demonstrate very well from that angle) I wanted an albino skin tone, but ensuring there are some nice shadows for contrast:

• Base coat:  Dheneb Stone
• Shade:  Gryphonne Sepia wash
• First highlight: A 1:1 mix of Dheneb Stone and White was blended in
• Final highlight:  Pure White was added to the top edges and surfaces
• Glaze:  Very thinned Scab Red was glazed on to the cheeks to add a little colour

I could (and should) have spent more time on the skin, but it works pretty well, and contrasts well with the red outfit/armour and gold trim.

My favourite parts of the model are the chess pieces dotted about.  I wanted to do two white and two black, but I had to make sure the way I did them worked with the rest of the model - for instance if the "white" pieces were too white, they would have looked odd next to the skin colour.  

So for the white pieces (Bishop and Pawn) I used a darker ivory colour (made from the bones of defeated opponents perhaps?):

• Base coat:  Khemri Brown - I could have used Dheneb Stone, but I think that would have been too light
• Shade:  Devlan Mud - again, I could have used Gryphonne Sepia, but that wouldn't have taken it down enough
• First highlight:  Khemri Brown
• Second highlight:  Dheneb Stone blended in
• Final highlight:  A 1:1 mix of Dheneb Stone and White

For the black pieces (Rook and Knight) I didn't go for a pure black, but more of a dark grey with black shadow:

• Base coat:  Vallejo German Grey
• First highlight:  Adeptus Battlegrey
• Second highlight:  Code Grey as a spot and edge highlight
• Wash:  Badab Black tones everything back down

I wouldn't use this method a lot for black, but on smaller parts of a miniature it works well - there's a nice graduated "almost-sheen" effect on the bottom part of the rook in the picture above that felt right.

I was worried that the green cloak might make the miniature a little "Christmas-y", but I think I got away with it, by keeping to a more olive-drab/muted green:

• Base coat:  Charadon Granite
• Shade:  Devlan Mud
• First highlight:  A 1:1 mix of Charadon Granite and Catachan Green blended in
• Second highlight:  Pure Catachan Green
• Final highlight:  1:1 mix of Catachan Green and P3 Thrall Flesh blended in

To be honest there's not a huge difference between Thrall Flesh and Rotting Flesh which I've used before, but the Thrall Flesh seemed to be a little smoother and made blending a bit easier.

The last thing to do on this chap was the scroll.  Firstly I'll admit that the lettering isn't as neat as I'd hoped, but from a normal distance away it looks good - and I definitely did not want it to look like it had been typed - a little "rough around the edges" fits in with the scroll and the character of the model.

The scroll was painted in a similar way to the white chess pieces, but I used both Gryphonne Sepia and Devlan Mud to shade (Devlan Mud in the deeper recesses), and I used Bleached Bone in the highlights to give it a different hue to the ivory. The wording was painted using a mix of watered down Scorched Brown and Badab Black, applied in a number of layers.  I think this works much better than using pure black for the lettering, as it looks more like old parchment.

I added a couple of playing card symbols as I didn't want him to be completely Chess-themed, he's the Deadly Gamesman, not the Deadly Chessman after all!  The base is from Model Display Products Cobblestone range, which fits the model quite nicely I think.

So there we have it - a really nice figure that was quite quick to turn out and get me back into the swing of painting figures (rather than ships).  This was meant to be a short post, but has ended up being a thousand words!  Hopefully it's been interesting - if you ever have any questions about my stuff, please don't hesitate to ask.

Up next I have a number of projects - having my new painting room set up has meant I can leave stuff out and work on it when I feel like it - this has made me a lot more relaxed about the whole process, something I've been working towards for a long time.

Upcoming Projects:

• Malifaux Crew - oh yes, I'm going to start it
• Classic Marauder Miniatures Vampire - getting in to the new Vampire Counts thing
• Empire foot soldier conversions - more adventures in Greenstuff
• Second Khador Warjack (I want to get and play this game)
• Crimson Fist Devastator squad
• Some presents for people
• ...and quite frankly whatever takes my fancy!

As always, comments and criticism welcome!

The Ancible Issue 13

...and we're back in the room.

Kind of - the new painting lair is 75% done - the desks are in, the main shelves (either side of the chimney breast) are up and stacked full of books, and I've moved all my painting stuff back in.  The remaining 25% - I have a display case to get, some shelves and pictures to put up, and worry myself silly about mounting the TV on the chimney breast.

More importantly, the first pieces from the new lair have been completed and are in issue 13 of the Ancible:

Download link

Bit of a Spartan Games themed issue, particularly Uncharted Seas - I got to paint some fantastic Ralgard ships for it.  If you've not tried Uncharted Seas before it's well worth giving a go - the starter fleets come with ten ships, and the games are pretty quick and, as you'll see from the battle report, can be pretty brutal!

With the latest article done and dusted, I should be posting a bit more on here - the Deadly Gamesman is nearly there, so should have some pictures of him soon, and with some space to spread out and leave things out now, hopefully the productivity should be on the up!

Bikou and another Wargaming Show

So I'm still working on the mission to clear my painting desk, which is just as well as I'm now starting to paint presents for Christmas, as well as getting started on the next article for the Ancible.  My latest finished piece is Bikou from Bushido.

She's painted in the same colour scheme as the Prefecture of Ryu warband I painted for the Ancible Issue 11.  The black was done slightly differently though:

• Base coat:  Chaos Black
• First highlight: Vallejo Model Colour German Grey (big thanks to Pirate Viking Painting for recommending this one)
• Second highlight:  Adeptus Battlegrey
• Final highlight:  Codex Grey
• Glaze:  Very diluted Chaos Black was painted thinly over the black to tone down the highlights

I know the red and yellow aren't exactly "Ninja colours" but I wanted her to tie in with the rest of the Prefecture guys.  This is also why I used the ubiquitous GW grass - if I could do it again, I'd get rid of the GW stuff and use some more realistic stuff for all of them, but hey, it's done now and it doesn't look bad.  In the next week or so I'll post up some pictures of the whole group

The skin tones are different to my normal method:

• Base coat:  P3 Beast Hide
• Shade:  1:1 mix of Gryphonne Sepia and Leviathan Purple
• First highlight:  Beast Hide
• Second highlight:  Beast Hide and Ryn Flesh
• Final highlight:  Ryn Flesh

As I've mentioned before, the base is from Dark Templar's rather splendid Malcontent range of resin bases - the bamboo set fit the Bushido game perfectly.  I haven't seen many other Japanese themed resin bases about, so if you're thinking of giving Bushido a try, get some quality funky bases to match!  Here's another picture to show how my first attempt at green stuff worked with the base and the tree trunk of the model:

Bikou was a blast to paint, really simple and fun, and it was nice to add something to the original Starter set. I'm going to get my hands on Mikio (crikey, not sure whether I can do something that looks THAT good), and the yet to be released Shujenga who I think is going to rock in the colour scheme I have.

Last weekend I attended Warfare in Reading.  It was very much in the mould of Colours, but maybe a little smaller.  It was mostly Historical wargaming (particularly the traders stands), but I managed to find some really good stuff:

• The Deadly Gamesman from Black Scorpion - a fantastic miniature, absolutely oozing character
• Mad Jim Jones again from Black Scorpion - I know I was going to get Elven Pirates, and I still might one day, but this chap was far too good to pass up.  To be honest I could have spent SO much money at Black Scorpion, but I have enough to paint already and I may have had an unhappy wife if I'd come back with too much!
• For a long time I've hankered after a Freebooter's Fate miniature, so I got myself Apagado - not the most colourful miniature by any means, but one that I think suits my painting style pretty well.
• 30mm Dockside Bases from Kerr and King - these are pretty fantastic and I bought them specifically for the Black Scorpion pirates (of which I only have one so far...)

So not the biggest haul, but I got to meet some interesting people, and see some really interesting stuff, and come away with some good ideas.  The range of scenery you can buy at these shows is astounding - well worth a visit just for that.  I can thoroughly recommend Oshiro they are really high quality and fantastic looking.

I really hope I can make it to Salute next year...

I'm currently painting the Fellowship of the Ring (a present for someone), then I'm going to do a little more to my Eldar army, and get started on my Malifaux crew.

As always, comments and criticism welcome!

Corinium - Planet under attack

This is something a little different to my other projects.  I've had this idea for a themed Imperial Guard army knocking around in my head for a few years now, and I thought I'd have it going as a side project to all the other stuff I'm doing.

The Basic Premise

The planet of Corinium (the Roman name for the English town of Cirencester in case anyone was wondering) has been hit hard by enemy attack and the Imperial forces are in disarray.  The incompetent planetary military commander, Nero, has been deposed by his second-in-command and the Comissarriat.  The general staff are trying desperately to rally the forces into some semblance of order, and a hastily arranged defence managed to drive the enemy back from the main hives, but both communications and command structure have broken down.

Strong-point B, Industrial Quarter, Capital Hive 

Strong point B is under the command of Captain Augustus and a small group of veterans, which has become the rallying point for the remaining forces dispersed by the blitz attack of the enemy in that area.  Commanding an ad-hoc force of troops and armour from several different regiments, Augustus is ordered to hold Strong-point B at all costs.

With that little bit of background in mind, a few examples of the troops involved:

Veterans:  The Corinium V Regiment, "The Green-coats"

These chaps form the core of Augustus' force, battle hardened and arrogant, they make up part of the Governors household guard.  They're originally blue-blooded aristocrats (there's a large upper class on Corinium), but exemplary soldiers from other regiments join their ranks as a "reward".  These non-aristos continually have to prove themselves to their aristocratic comrades.  

I love the Vostroyan models and I think they make great veterans, and by calling them the 5th Regiment, I can keep the "V" on their uniforms.  Another example of my "base everything in Charadon Granite and wash with Badab Black".  The green was Orkhide Shade highlighted with Goblin Green (I think) and then Rotting Flesh.  The ornamented armour and antique looking guns fits in well with the idea of household guard.

Citizen Soldiers: Planetary Defence Force, 38th Regiment

When the attack came, these men left their places of work, grabbed their uniform and lasgun and headed for their assembly point.  I grabbed the small box of two-piece guardsmen to see what they were like to paint.  I want them to look like part time soldiers, with older equipment and mismatched uniforms.

More of the Charadon Granite/Badab Black based colour scheme.  When I get the rest of the unit, there will be some with grey jackets and khaki trousers.  The idea is that they look like the first British troops that went to Afghanistan with their mismatched camo.  The green here isn't the same as for the Corinium V, I highlighted Orkhide Shade with added Codex Grey.

The poses on these soldiers aren't great, but they were quick to paint and look effective.  In the narrative they will arrive at Strong-point B in a dilapidated Chimera, called "Nero's Chariot" - I have a second hand Chimera with no frills, which will fit the role perfectly.  This will be stripped down, detailed and repainted.

Off-Worlders:  Glevum 4th Recon

When news of the impending attack of Corinium reached Glevum (the Roman name for Gloucester - anyone spot a theme?), they sent two regiments to Corinium.  The 72nd Armoured Regiment was destroyed in space by an enemy ambush, but the 4th Recon made planetfall hours before the enemy assault on the planet.  The 4th are very mobile scouting troops, used to fighting in the industrial landscape of Glevum, and did as much to stem the enemy tide as any regiment in defence of the main hives.  Quiet and ruthless, the 4th excel at ambushing overconfident invaders in the narrow streets of Corinium's urban centres

I inherited these old metal Catachans from a friend who had given up the hobby a long time ago.  The lasguns are a little chunkier than the newer plastic examples, but they still look good.  In the 10 man squad I have a chap with a Meltagun and a Missile Launcher team, which will need to be re-based (I don't like the WFB Cavalry bases in WH40K).

The group shot shows them all together - I'm hoping they don't look too diverse and can work as a cohesive(ish) army?  There's still plenty of background for me to come up with, plus I have some other stuff to work in:

• 5 Attilan Rough Riders - after trying my arm with green stuff, I'm going to have a go at converting these into the Corinium Horseguards, a la John from Santa Cruz Warhammer.  They'll have been rushed to the front to help anyway they can, even though Cavalry will be difficult to use in an urban environment
• 1 very old Commissar model - I can imagine the general staff dispatching Commissars to the front ASAP to get morale back in order
• 1 Sentinel (I'll probably get another one too) - I'm going to make this fit in with the dilapidated Chimera, so it looks like they've sent out all the mothballed armour and weapons they can find.  I won this one in a painting competition at the Swindon GW store and haven't done anything with it yet...

I think that's about all I have for now, please let me know what you think.  I doubt I'll do much more than 500-750 points worth as it's a narrative/modelling project that I'd like to field at the GW store occasionally, but you never know.  As the narrative grows I might want to build more into it - I've just started playing World Of Tanks, so that might have an effect...

As always comments and criticism welcome!

The Ancible Issue 12

Today Issue 12 of the Ancible has been released!

Download Link

Articles:

• Incursion SNAFU
• Watching Paint Dry:  For this issue I've painted some Doctor Who stuff
• Twilight:  The fantasy miniatures game, NOT the teen Vampire stuff
• Discworld:  A great board game, the Walker household are big fans
• Wargods
• Confrontation

With the latest article done and dusted, I should be able to catch up on some of my own painting for a bit - there are a few things still left to finish on the painting table, then it's on to some cool new stuff.

(So that one post a week plan went well then...)

As always, comments and criticism welcome!