Nearly...

45 minutes to go and I've not quite met my target.  As I said it was ambitious and then got bigger than I thought :-/

My goals were to:
Paint 10 knights
Paint sorcerer & add flaming skull
Make a War Shrine
Finish thunder wolves & paint up riders
Paint up long fangs squad

I've missed out as I haven't done 2 horses and 4 riders but I did complete 4 terminators, another long fang, a wolf priest and finish 2 rhinos as extras to what I thought I had to do to get ready for toy soldier!

Anyhoo I'm quite pleased with the knights.  Once again I went for individualized looks as they don't get a uniform!  Not sure they tie as well together as the foot troops but once shields and weapons are on maybe that will help.  I wasn't as comfortable as leaving as much black spare this time and it means there are to many colours in there.  When I do the other 10 I can swap some about and match them up more I think.  Or 20 knights in one unit... Mmmmm chargey goodness...

Space wolves are here and the other models are in earlier posts

Shields and weapons are done, just need gluing on but I need new superglue as this one's top is stuck on and isn't coming off for love nor pliers
Once again I've lost some arms for my models.  I keep doing this, I reckon there is an arm stealing gnome running about my house...

I'll get the full 10 knights done by Monday and then Augusts targets are (smaller to give my ass a rest and allow for visiting of folks):

Make up 2 chariots (because I have a cool idea for conversions)
Make up & paint another sorcerer (lore of death)
Paint more warriors to get to 16 models (6 models)
Paint up war shrine

Til next time...

Busy busy busy...

Phew, that was a week of furious painting.  I was sitting down at about 5pm ish then painting until 12 whilst watching crap TV.  Did see a film called keeping mum that I would never have watched otherwise and it was surprisingly good, very strange though...
I've found this makes me able to sit down for longer periods as I don't get bored as quickly.  Only thing is I need to get a bigger table for the living room so I don't have to sit on the floor.  My ass is still aching!  (No smut needed please...)

Anyhoo... All this was in aid of getting my space wolves ready for Toy Soldier. I've uploaded the pics here.  Quite chuffed that I won best painted for 40k!  Though to be honest the competition was really really poor overall.
I managed 2 wins, 2 losses and a draw (technical victory though as it was 11-9) to finish 14 out of 32.  Not bad for my first tournament

Onto my Chaos boys.  I have made no progress painting wise but in 4 days I need to get my knights done and two horsies.  Should be ok...
I did win my first game of Warhammer on Friday against the Chivalrous Kieron.  Battle report is here. to be fair I didn't need to do a lot as you can see, this isn't a slight on Kieron, just the way the board was set up and me having invincible saves!.  I was disappointed Harry didn't get into combat but the sheer thought of facing him was enough to make the peasants run like the cowards they are!

The war shrine giving this unit an extra +1 to armour really helped here as I had deployed next to a haunted mansion.  This was more effective than the peasant archers who couldn't hit a barn door if it was sleeping with their cousin, who is also their sister, auntie and wife...

More bits from ebay have arrived so i'm already thinking about next months target.  It's tricky as I have no real idea what I need to add until I play more games.  Simply marching this lot up did the trick against Kieron but against Anuerin I got wiped out.  I think that was down to having 2 small warrior units though vs a big one.  Oh and Kieron doesn't cheat :D

Right, i'm off to buy a nice comfy cushion and some plasters.  Chaos models are spiky and I've cut myself more in the last 2 months than in the last 2 years!

Ttfn...

Don't panic!

Aaaargh! Toy soldier is in 4 days and I have more space wolves to paint than I thought... 4 terminators, a wolf priest and two rhinos to finish. Plus another long fang for the other squad and a guy with a power fist.
I have now done my long fangs to gaming standard and my Thunder Wolves are done a bit better.  I'm quite proud of these.  They started off like this and now they are like this.  Though for this months target puroses I had already painted the wolves.
Will take better photo's when Its better light, not night time.  Oh and they're on flickr because I wanna keep this on my Chaos boys...

Which brings me to this gorgeous model here...

Sigh...  He has been kept on my desk so I can look at him.  I didn't paint him obviously, this chap here did.  £25 (+£15 for model) including postage!  Bargain and a thoroughly nice bloke too

You see I don't cheaphammer to spend less.  Just so I can buy luxuries :-)

My chosen unit is mustering nicely with a few models arriving from ebay in the last week.  I love the Archaon model on foot, gonna convert him slightly as his pose is a tad crass but only a change in direction of the wrist.
Problem is I find that I can't paint metal models as well as plastic ones :-/  Anyone else get that?

I have managed 2 more horsies as well but will display them all together once done.  Now excuse me while I go back to drooling over Harry... Hmmm, no-one repeat that sentence to my mum please...

July so far...

Ok for me I've been pretty bloody productive so far!

I've put together my warshrine.  just need to decide on a few finishing touches for it now.  I can't decide whether to put a row of skulls at the front or carry the spikes around.
I originally wasn't going to put an altar in.  A shrine isn't an altar but I got the sorcerer model in a bundle deal and don't want to use him elsewhere.  Also I didn't know what to do for a shrine.  So i'm gonna stick a dagger in his hand and use it as an altar.  I have new front wheels on order to match the back ones as well.
Warshrine = about £8.  Cheaphammer that :)
Not 100% about the warriors weapons either... I figured pulling a great big metal wagon they may wanna rest their weapons a little, so slung them on their shoulders.  also toyed with giving them a banner each but thought that may look a little ott?

I've done some horsies too, they need touching up a bit.  I've gone for the same techniques as for the warriors with different colours to individualise them.  I'm keeping to 2 rules though.  If it looks like bone, paint it bone and if in doubt as what colour to paint it leave it black.  This will then tie them all together I hope.  Along with black shields and brown capes to match the foot troops.

Chaos sorcerer is nearly done, just a few tweaks to do!  I'm going to have two sorcerers, one fire and one of death.  So I've tried to paint him in his element but didn't wanna go orange like the empire wizards.
Will take better pics when he's fully done

And lastly because Rich is marking me down for not showing my space wolves! Here is progress on them so far.  I've also re-put together my thunder wolves, just waiting for some shoulder pads before I paint them up.  Only going for tabletop quality with these as they will be rarely used outside toy soldier.

Till next time folks!

End of month 1...

Greetings...

Well that seemed like it took a long time to get done.  I need to stop distracting myself with side projects.  I do have my space wolves to finish before toy soldier but I didn't need to get an army ready or make up a sorcerer...  Ah well, I'm done and with an extra standard bearer too!

I decided to keep the insides of the cloaks black to match the shields and try and tie the unit together.  The shields are magnatised so I can swap them for extra hand weapons if needed :)

Attempt at blending.  I did some ok.  Not a fan of the ott stuff some people do though, I prefer a more "real" look.  I added a few touches to the champions to make them stand out more too.

I've mis-placed the hero's arms... They will be under another pile of bits somewhere.  I'll add them on when I find them.

As I said above I made up a sorcerer model as well.  Here's a work in progress shot, I've greened up the hand now and sprayed him black so he doesn't photo well.

Quite chuffed with this model.  Took a bit to do the legs, I greened them all up then covered them with a dam sash anyways!
I'm gonna have him casting the screaming skull spell with flames and a skull writhing from his hand!

Target complete :)

Next months target
The 10 knights I put together for the battle painted up
The sorcerer finished and painted
Put together a warshrine model.

This is ambitious for me as it took all month for 11 models and the knights count as 2 each :s  Still have my space wolves to get ready to but as they say, aim for the stars and hit the sky.

ttfn...

Dam those cheating elves!

Well my first ever game of Warhammer ended in defeat.  After hastily assembling a 1200 point force to take on Dr A J Kennerly, BSc Hons - girly cheating elf - PHD - esquire, I took them to battle to be beaten by elves!

Here is the army ready to go.

8 knights bought of ebay for less than £3 a model
5 marauder horsemen for £9 in the emporium
10 warriors off ebay for £5
A converted sorcerer
14 warhounds (borrowed from my space wolf army)
And my painting target for this month another 10 warriors and the exalted hero.

Kieron will be proud of my cheaphammering  :)

The game...

We rolled the watchtower mission and as Aneurin won the roll to control the tower I went first.  He couldn't occupy it however so my warriors marched boldly towards the church with the watchtower as the Maruaders went down the flank using a farm building as cover against shooting.

The magic phase saw my sorcerer cause 1 death on a seaguard unit with screaming skull. They  passed their panic test and my sorcerer failed his 3+ armour save from his miscast.

The high elf turn saw a warrior dragged into a pit of doom and the seaguard volley shooting was accurate causing 5 wounds on my Chaos knights. 2+ saves no problems I thought only to roll 3 1's...

My second turn saw my sorcerer once again miscast and kill himself by losing his last wound.  My knights charge into the sea guard as the warroirs moved closer to the church.  This is when the Dr announces he gets to hit first, ALWAYS!  Cheesy elf git... Ok this won't be to bad, he's hitting on 4's and wounding on 5's right?  Another 3 knights die to rolling 1 for armour saves...  They manage 6 wounds back for the Dr to roll 5 6+ parry saves!  That it turns out he should never have had! To add insult to injury the knights flee despite re-rolling the leadership test with the "will of chaos" rule.  The sea guard don't quite catch them

The elven mage, feeling confident now he has no opposition starts unleashing a hex spell reducing my warriors weapon skill allowing the sea guard to take on my warriors.  Despite wounding 8 times this time my armour holds up and not one warrior falls to the weaklings, they are promptly butchered and flee the fight, the warriors choosing to hold their ground due to the proximity of the silver helms on their flank.

From nowhere the marauder horsemen chase down the fleeing seaguard and the warriors are just in charge arc of the silver helms taking them in the flank as the unit led by the exalted hero enters the church.  Also from nowhere the warhounds charge into the great helms getting butchered to the last dog.
Feeling their gods eyes upon them the warriors take the hits from the silver helm and kill two but the elven nobles aren't deterred and stay to fight reforming to bring more weapons to bear next round.

Once again unopposed the elven mage casts Occams razor giving the silver helms strength 8!  They promptly butcher the warriors in front of them leaving none alive.  The great helms close in on the church.

Undeterred by being heavily outnumbered the chaos knights having reformed last turn now charge the silver helms and the marauders hit their flanks.  The knights champion calls out the elven mage who cowardly slinks to the back of the unit.  Dispirited by their generals cowardliness the unit lose the combat and flee, marginally out distancing the knights and marauders.  If the game ends now the game is mine! but alas it goes on.

The great helms storm the church seeking to secure it for themselves and slay 8 warriors within.  The exalted hero hits back cutting down 3 but loses the combat and dies holding his ground rather than flee in shame.  The church and watchtower are in elven hands with only 4 chaos models left on the board in front of a rallied unit of 10 silver helms its game over for chaos...

****

Despite having some appalling luck I thoroughly enjoyed the game and was pleased with how the units worked even if they didn't do as I expected I can see they should in most circumstances.  I now know i'm going to get hit first by elves and need to take bigger units against them to make up for this so I can cause enough damage when I hit back.

Cheers to the Dr for the game (shaking of fist and promising of i'll get you next time...)

Chaotic conundrum...

Well here I am half way through the month (nearly) and I've been trying out different armour styles.  My idea for the warriors are that they are all individual as they are not given a uniform like other armies but become a chosen warrior by completing a quest or doing a mighty deed.  Then when battle is called they would join up together in units.
Problem is I'm not sure its going to look that great...  I could limit the colour pallete and vary within that but doesn't seem as fun...  What do people think?

I've done 6 but the three below are the better ones. Choose a fave.  One thing I have decided is that i'm not great at lining and doing 40 warriors that way isn't for me!  Models aren't finished yet by the by...

Any thoughts on colours to match & contrast would be welcome too