build: work-in-progress: iron warriors, pt. 7

Managed to get "Ferrugo" Squad put together over the weekend and snapped a few pics...

Breaching Squad Ferrugo: counts-as Plague Marines

Iron Aspirant Sikhote: Plague Champion, power fist

Breaching Squad Ferrugo: bolter, flamer, plasma gun

Breaching Squad Ferrugo: bolter, bolter, bolter

Ran into a slight problem in that Phobos pattern bolters don't fit well behind the ForgeWorld breaching shields. The clip gets in the way. At a guess, the Umbra Ferrox would probably work while the Umbra would not. The standard plastic bolters (Godwyn?) fit beautifully, but don't match the rest of my bolter dudes. They're [i]all[/i] packing the Phobos. While my solution isn't ideal, I think it works from a practical and "realistic" stand point.

Breaching Squad "Aerugo" is about halfway assembled and will follow the same pattern. My employment hiatus ends tomorrow so I'm not sure when I'll get back to assembly, but I'm still hoping to have the entire list assembled before Christmas. Wish me luck!

paint: iron warriors: test schemes

Spent the last week trying to figure out how to paint up my Iron Warriors. Inspired by a Google search that brought me to the work of Chronophague, Dark Eye Studios, and Stempe, I decided I wanted to tweak the traditional mithril marines with black and yellow chevrons. My mind kept coming back to rust, so I decided to try my hand at rust effects. Not having an airbrush available to try salt-masking, and not being able to get the sponge technique to work at this scale, I muddled my way through several test minis...

It's tough to tell in the small version above, but clicking to the large version shows that each model is slightly different from the others. I tried several new (to me) techniques and many variations of each. None of the above minis called to me as a whole, but there were pieces I liked in just about all of them. I took the bits that worked and blended them to create this...

I'm not 100% sold on it yet, but I think I'm getting there. I want to try a couple more things with this mini and a completely different recipe on my last remaining test model before I call it a day, but it feels like I'm almost there!

build: work-in-progress: iron warriors, pt. 6

The past couple days have been quite productive. I've started cleaning, converting and assembling a smattering of CSM, SM and ForgeWorld bits into the models needed for this list. Finished assembling my first full unit early this morning after staying up all night working on it. Let me know what you think...

Scoriæ's Slaughterers: Chosen, icon of Khorne

Scoriæ's Slaughterers: triple-threat of paired lighting claws

Scoriæ's Slaughterers: meltas x2 & regular dudes x2

Obviously I've taken some liberties here with WYSIWYG, using the ForgeWorld chain axes as dual lightning claws, but it fits the theme and easily converted lightning claw bits can be a complete bitch to come by. I plan to make any opponents aware of the switch first thing, and to clear it with any tournament organizers if/when I take these guys into real competition.

But that's not all! I finished assembling the "command group" for my trench-line defense not an hour ago...

Ahnighito's Zigouilliers: CSM Havocs

Ahnighito's Zigouilliers: meltagun, champ w/ power weapon + combi-melta, regular dude

Ahnighito's Zigouilliers: heavy bolter, flamer, heavy bolter

The banner was originally intended to be an Icon of Chaos, but I dropped it from the list. Liked the thematic idea of having a banner-bearer in this squad though, so I assembled him with one anyway. Will be banners (full-size or back) in the "subordinate" squads to this one as well.

As always, all the above images are clickable to larger versions and I invite any/all questions, comments, and criticism. Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm off to GW to paint up some more test color-schemes...

paint: star trek: fleet captains

After hearing the review of "Star Trek: Fleet Captains" on episode 88 of The D6G, I knew I had to get it as a Christmas present for one of my oldest, bestest friends. Back in High School we were all huge Star Trek nerds - so much so that two out of the three of us had "1701" as our ATM pin number - and the way the game spans the different [i]Trek[/i] eras while the objectives and cards embody plots throughout the franchise sounded like the perfect match for this guy.

Honestly, if it was just the game that appealed I'd likely have passed, opting for something less expensive. However, the ability to give it some extra zing, and a personal touch, by painting up the ships sung to me. It's too good an opportunity to pass up.

NOTE: In the interest of full disclosure, I ordered the game from Amazon and the first shipment came with several of the cards busted out of their wrapping and scattered throughout the box, with three ships snapped off their Clix stands. They're pretty easily fixable with some super-glue, but I also noted some of the nacelles on various ships were put on haphazardly, not lining up, etc. I went ahead and filed a return with Amazon and they next-day shipped me a second box. The second box had the same problem with the cards, but only one ship had snapped clean off its base. Between the two boxes I was able to pick-and-choose to get the best looking fleets I possibly could. I'm not sure how much of the breakage is WizKids fault, and how much is Amazon's fault for only padding the box on one side, but I hear WizKids' replacement policy is pretty good re: broken ships. If I had had the time to wait for replacements, I'd have tested that route out. /NOTE

I started painting Nov. 6 with base-coats and washes, and finished painting the last detail on the 24th ship on Nov. 10. There's a few things I'll do differently if I get another chance, (some color choices and order of techniques) but I'm pretty happy with the results. Oh, you want to see them? Coming right up! (All clickable to larger versions.)

Federation Fleet

Federation: Old School

Federation: Next School

Federation: New School

Row 1: Defiant, Enterprise-A, Enterprise-E
Row 2: Equinox, Excelsior, Prometheus
Row 3: Reliant, Sutherland, Venture
Row 4: Voyager, Yeager, Yosemite

Klingon Fleet

Klingon: Old School

Klingon: Less Old School

Klingon Fleet: New School

Row 1: Bortas, Ch'Tang, Gr'oth
Row 2: Klothos. Korinar, Kronos One
Row 3: Maht-h'a, Negh'Var, Rotarran
Row 4: Somraw, T'Ong, Qhondoq

The Federation ships were a pain-in-the-ass to paint. Not because of any fault of the models, but because I was trying to make sure they resembled their on-screen counterparts. When I started the Klingon ships I stopped looking at reference pictures and just did whatever I felt like. Subsequently, I had far more fun with them. The lighting conditions for the Klingon pics doesn't work as well as it did for the Federation, but I think clicking to the larger images give a pretty good idea of the patterns and detailing used.

I had an absolute blast painting these up, and I think they'll look great on the table with the rest of the game's paraphernalia. I enjoyed it so much I'm actively wanting my own set to paint up (as well as the inevitable Romulan expansion), but that'll wait for another day. Right now, I need to pack these up so they can go to their new owner...

"I have been, and always shall be, your friend."

The recipient lives out of town and his flight out leaves just a few hours after he'll get the game, so squeezing a play in is highly unlikely. It's unfortunate, but it is what it is. I can only hope he brings it back next year when he comes to visit!

play: army list: iron warriors, 2000 pts

When I first started looking to take my Iron Warriors past 400 points, I kitted them out all the way to 2500 points with designs on using a significant amount of ForgeWorld to make it happen. However, due to recent developments 'round the house I've had to take a closer look at hobby expenditures and expectations. We all understand expenditures, but expectations may not be something you struggle with. I do. While a 2500 point army sounds great, I've got a proven track record of stalling out on large hobby projects. It pains me to write the following statement, but it's true and bears noting: "I have never finished a tabletop ready 40K army."

I've started several. I built 10 tanks and 2 ancillary vehicles for my "Armorked Krumpany," but stalled out when it came time to chip and paint them. I built the "Sons of the Forge" 5th Company, a DIY Iron Hands successor chapter, but they sit in my hobby room having never seen a drop of primer. I came really close to completing 400 points of "emORKgency!" for Adepticon 2011's Combat Patrol, but I didn't get the last coat of white on 'em before the tournament and couldn't muster enough "give a shit" when I got back from Chicago.

With that in mind, I've spent a good chunk of the two weeks back at the proverbial drawing board - really a red folder containing plain white paper, a Codex, and a pencil - trying to work up a list that minimizes expenditure, controls model count, and allows enough fluff and modeling challenge that I stay jazzed on the concept 'till completion. Reading Graham McNeill's Storm of Iron while I sorted this out helped make some tough decisions. Without further ado, the list:

Iron Warband of Warsmith Thokcha SIEGE ASSAULT Iron Palatine Gibeon's Breaching Squad Aerugo (358 pts) . . . Chaos Lord . . . . . . mark of Tzeentch . . . . . . daemon weapon . . . Plague Marines x6 . . . . . . plasma gun . . . . . . flamer . . . Chaos Rhino - "Chelonian III" . . . . . . dozer blade . . . . . . havoc launcher Iron Ascendant Scoriæ's Slaughterers (291 pts) . . . Chosen x6 . . . . . . icon of Khorne . . . . . . meltagun x2 . . . . . . paired lightning claws x2 . . . Aspiring Champion . . . . . . paired lightning claws . . . Chaos Rhino - "Fornax" . . . . . . dozer blade . . . . . . twin-linked bolter Iron Aspirant Sikhote's Breaching Squad Ferrugo (276 pts) . . . Plague Marines x6 . . . . . . plasma gun . . . . . . flamer . . . Plague Champion . . . . . . power fist . . . Chaos Rhino - "Scutum IX" . . . . . . dozer blade . . . . . . havoc launcher TRENCH DEFENSE Captain Ahnighito's Zigouilleurs (175 pts) . . . Chaos Havocs x5 . . . . . . heavy bolter x2 . . . . . . melta gun . . . . . . flamer . . . Aspiring Champion . . . . . . power weapon . . . . . . combi-melta Polybolos Alpha (200 pts) . . . Chaos Space Marines x11 . . . . . . plasma gun . . . . . . lascannon Polybolos Beta (200 pts) . . . Chaos Space Marines x11 . . . . . . plasma gun . . . . . . lascannon AUXILLIARY Sturm (120 pts) . . . Chaos Dreadnought . . . . . . additional CCW . . . . . . extra armor . . . . . . heavy flamer Drang (120 pts) . . . Chaos Dreadnought . . . . . . additional CCW . . . . . . extra armor . . . . . . heavy flamer Von Steyr (130 pts) . . . Chaos Vindicator . . . . . . twin-linked bolter Dulle Griet (130 pts) . . . Chaos Vindicator . . . . . . twin-linked bolter Total Roster Cost: 2000 points

All told, I shaved off 500 points and about $150 of extra expenditure. I started with the goal of getting an infantry-heavy core of 1250-1500 points, and I think I've accomplished that well enough. If you remove the Auxiliary section it comes to 1500 points exactly. I think the list looks pretty adaptable to for games from 750 points all the way up 2000.

You may have noticed that I named a Warsmith for the army, but that he's nowhere to be found. Well, just like the Chapter Master may not be at every battle a Space Marine chapter fights, the Warsmith may not be either. In point of fact, the Warsmith is barely in Storm of Iron, letting his subordinates follow his commands from afar and showing up only when he needs to. And when he shows up, he shows up in style!

The plan is to have Warsmith Thokcha be no different. Once the list above is completed - built, painted, and played - I am then allowed to, when funds allow, craft Warsmith Thokcha and retinue. I'm thinkin' a Terminator Lord and his posse in Tactical Dreadnought armour rollin' 'round in a tricked-out Land Raider. I haven't pointed them up yet, and I've no idea how I'll fit him in the list, but he's my reward for a job done. Well or otherwise.

As you may be able to tell from all the links above, I spent quite some time crafting names and stories for this Warband. I'll try to include some of that in as I finish building/painting each unit.