Hang Ups

As I stated in the first post of this here blog type thing, I have not played game of Warhammer 40K since 3rd Edition. It was a game of Armageddon Steel Legion (mine) vs. Black Templars (some random dude). We went to the old Hometown Computers in Lawrence, now a few blocks away and called Hometown Hobbies, a nice shop run by nice people. Anyway, I do not remember much about the game except that it was obvious that neither of us were veteran players. It was clumsy, slow, and no one knew exactly what to do. It was fun, though. After we arived back at my apartment, a neighbor gave me a shelving unit she did not want to move. We carried it up the stairs and put it in my apartment. I still have it in my living room, two moves, one state, and 7 years later.
I moved to Missouri a few months hence and ended up in Liberty. Liberty, MO is a nice town. It has virtuallly no crime, the old downtown is pretty cool, and there is a lot of growth on the other end of town. There are no game stores. There were, when we moved in, only two nearby game sellers: Hammond Hobby and Hobby Town. Hammond was an old model shop in the mall that carried Warhammer and 40k, but it did not have a wide selection and was not, generally, a destination. The lack of tables and painted models to ogle gave the place no reason to linger. It always felt, to me, like they just wanted the customer to walk in, buy some stuff, and leave. That might work in most retail corners, but for a hobby shop, this is bad business. Hobby Town was similar, in that 40k was simply a product on the shelf and not an intrinsic part of the store. Hammond has been gone for a year and a half now and Hobby Town no longer sells Warhammer. Thus, Kansas City, MO and KS have no place to buy Games Workshop.
Do not misunderstand, there are stores in the suburbs. Lee's Summit has the excellent Pulp Fiction Comics, a store I would love even more if it were not 45 minutes from my house. Independence has the slightly closer, but less well stocked, Game Cafe. I might have gotten the wrong impression, but Game Cafe seems to be more for the collectable card game and board game set. I have only been in once, primarily since there is nothing around it my wife would have any interest in, thus reducing my chances of getting her to drive half an hour.
On the Kansas side, there are two shops. Olathe has the very cool 31st Century Games, a pure game store with lots of tables and displays and that certain something that a store in which people have fun playing games develops. You feel like you are having fun, just by walking in. I have heard good things about the store in Overland Park, Tabletop Games, but I have not darkened their doorstep, yet.
So, would it kill someone to build a store in the Northland? More on this tomorrow.

You Are On The List

Sadly, no one replied to my request for army list ideas, so I'm on my own. This week is going to be light on painting, since I have 7 days for two video game reviews, but I'll live.

Menofearthereaper

Tuesday night was quite productive, with Heather, my wife, and I getting some painting done. I did final touch up on the six Battle Sisters I had started already, leaving only the bases to be done now. Heather has only one Glade Riders horse to finish before she can move on to riders or Dryads.

Funny aside about Dryads and Tree Spirits. I initially suggested she make an all-Tree Spirit army, with Drycha as the general. I love the Dryad models and think they are the bee's knees. They are elegant and elongated and pointy in a way that only plastic allows. I wish there were more models that were so lanky. That might just be me being jealous of anything taller than a Dwarf, though. Anyway, I even went so far as to suggest she sculpt her own Treekin and Tree Man, since the GW metals are not so elegant. She wants to make them based on the work of Pumpkinrot http://www.pumpkinrot.com/. She still won't go all Tree Spirit, though.

Pics, Attempt Number 2

My wife took these.

Also, some of her Wood Elf horses, or ponies, as she calls them.

Search and Destroy

Here is a list of what I have, since I should be working on an army list, I guess. I am willing to spend a little more, but no crazy 8 Immolator lists for me, sir. Any suggestions?

Four Immolators/rhinos
One Whirlwind sprue
Two Penitent Engines
10 Seraphim (7 pistols, 2 flamer pistols, 1 VSS w/ Eviscerator) mounted on resin bases
2 Sisters w/ Melta
2 Imagifiers
1 Sister Superior w/ Combi-Melta
3 Sisters Superior w/ Bolter and Icon (I forgot what they are really called, but if you play Sisters, you know the model I mean)
1 Sister Superior w/ Chainsword and Plasma Pistol
1 Canoness w/ Book and Chainsword
1 old Canoness w/ Icon and Combi-Flamer
3 Sisters w/ Hvy flamer
2 Sisters w/ Hvy Bolter
1 Sister w/ Multi Melta
1 Sister w/ broken Multi Melta
3 Sisters w/ Storm Bolter
3 Sisters w/ Flamer
45 Sisters w/ Bolters

I'm planning, in the very least, to pick up a Priest, so I can field the Penitent Engines some day, even if they do not make the every day list. Same goes for at least 1 more Rhino, since I can use the bitz I have to make it an Exorcist. One purchase not on the itinerary is a Repressor. The model is nice and all, but I am looking for a fairly standard list with no wobbliness, rules wise. Also, I am not exactly an ace convertor, so I likely won't be giving all my Sister Superiors the book of St. Lucius, unless it is really ace and I am told of a super easy fix. So, give me your suggested lists, be it horde, mech, or some combination. Winning list gets, um, a Canoness named after them.

First Pics

Here are a few early, blurry pics of my Sisters. I will have my wife take some more on Monday, that aren't so blurry, but these will do for now.

Naff

I realized that my tone in this blog might seem excessively negative and/or self-deprecating. I do apologize. I am not a negative person, just a sarcastic one. When I say that something I paint is mediocre, what I am actually saying is that it is good enough for now, but could be better. I am someone who is driven by a desire to improve, counter-balanced with a healthy dose of laziness. Please do not think I am being a Gloomy Gus, I am simply trying to push myself harder.

Pics...

Well, with half a squad painted, I figure I might as well post some pics of my early attempts at painting Sisters of Battle. I will have time Monday, so let's make it a date. Monday will see the first blurry pics of my mediocre miniatures.

FTW

I just joined From the Warp. I guess I'll need to start posting pics now, eh?

Agogo

Well, I got some painting time in, like planned. I painted an unprecedented four sisters in one sitting. Mostly. The two bare headed ladies are awaiting me figuring out how to paint flesh and all of them need some touch up work. So far, so good.

Laziness

I have had a busy week, with a couple trips out of town and a Royals doubleheader. Tonight, I should have a little painting time. The Sisters compel me.

Ultra

After a busy work week, I have some primed Sisters waiting for me to paint them, so tonight will be a painting night. Now that I have the old Canoness model, the one with a Combi-Flamer, and some older Sister Superiors, all I need is the old Standard Bearer, 2 Melta guns, a Seraphim with Hand Flamers, Sister Celestine, and I'll be pretty close to complete. After that, I am at a crossroads. Do I add more squads of Sisters? Do I add some Retributers or Immolators? Do I add Witch Hunters or Imperial Guard? I will, hopefully, get some gaming time in before I make that decision.

A Forest

I have started painting some of my Cadians, just for kicks. I did it primarily to test the Deneb Stone and Devlan Mud paints we picked up at 31st Century Games, in Olathe, KS. I also picked up a three pack of Sisters, since they did not have the minis I am really looking for: Sister Superiors, Heavy Flamers, Heavy Bolters, Flamers, Meltaguns, or Seraphim with Hand Flamers. I would have even picked up some Imagifers. I am very happy that I have most of what I need for an army, because the capital to start a Sisters army is quite high. Speaking of high...
I bought the last two White Dwarf issues I will purchase until there is an issue with Dwarf or Sisters or Wood Elf content. The magazine is nice, and I have over 100 of them, but without any content I can really use, $9 is way too high for me. Even the subscription price is too high. No lie, I get 50+ issues of Entertainment Weekly and 26 issues of Rolling Stone for $10 a year or less. My Rolling Stone sub was a year for me and a year for Ryan for $15. $90 is two more squads of Sisters or some tanks or a renovation of my paint collection or some more Cadians to use as Allies. I will miss you White Dwarf, but the lack of tangible game rules or applicable hobby tips makes you a luxury I cannot abide.

Proof of Concept

Two of the three initial Sisters turned out pleasingly well. The paint scheme will be easy to do in an assembly line fashion and it is quite fetching. Pictures will follow.