Beardy Git

After my devastating loss to Shane, I am definitely in the Warhammer mood again. He salved my wounds with 3 unpainted Marauder Dwarfs, which will find a home in my Black Oak Regulars unit. The Black Oak Regulars are a unit of Dwarf Warriors with hand weapons and shields, the most basic sort of fellows, really. The difference being in the painting and composition of the unit. I am using only metal dwarfs and no repeats. In a unit of 25 that is not too hard to pull off. The theme is that these particular Dwarfs are the patrons of a tavern, the Black Oak Barrel Tavern, and defend it as needed. The only real conversions I have planned for the unit are the standard bearer and a Thane to join them.

For the standard bearer, I plan on using a tavern sign from one of the Warhammer buildings mounted on copper tubing and placed in the hands of an old standard bearer. For the Thane, I plan on putting a pins in his feet and making two bases for him: a basic one and a big black oak barrel for him to stand on. The idea being that the barrel could double for an Oathstone.

I am pondering whether or not to use craft sticks for the bases to give a tavern floor effect or to go with sawdust. Decisions, decisions...

Play Date

Shane had a little get together today at his place. Ryan and I went and got a solid introduction to the new rules. Wednesday, I am taking my Dwarfs over for my first game of 8th Edition.

Thoughts and Concerns

Since my last post, a lot has occurred in my life. I went back to school to get my .NET certification, I became pretty adept at driving, and I am very close to getting a job that will change my life. That job will change my schedule, as well. With a 9-5, weekends and holidays off, kind of job, I can finally play some games of Warhammer and 40k with normal people. Things like painting nights and the such are suddenly doable. Plus, the income would be boss.

As I went through my training, I briefly considered leaving the hobby. I no longer read White Dwarf every month and it has been 6 months since I entered a game store. My geek cred is currently lacking, for sure. Thing is, I will likely be giving up a different hobby instead. Since I will be working with computers 40+ hours a week, the attraction I once had to video games will likely wane.

Vandals and Vagrants

After a long layoff, I finally painted a new Sister. It went swimmingly and I am very pleased with the new direction I am headed in. More soon.

Welcome To The Fold

After a long stretch of working my ass off, I was able to visit 31st Century Games and acquire a few new ladies for my army. I picked up a Sister with a Meltagun, a Seraphim with Twin Hand Flamers, another Cannoness, a St. Celestine, and a vanilla Rhino. I guess I really should get back to painting.

I really like the way my attempt at metal armor went so I am going to do another test model. This time the plan is Boltgun, followed by a generous highlight of Chainmail, a wash or three of watered down Devlan Mud, a tight highlight of Chainmail, and, if I feel chippy, a super light highlight of Mithril Silver. The fabric will be Deneb Stone washed with Gryphonne Sepia to get an aged muslin look. It's all sadly theoretical until I make time...

The Motor Pool

So, I got an interesting package in the mail today. A guy sent me the old Immolator, a set of new Immolator bitz, and a set of old Whirlwind bitz, all in pristine shape. Greatness! I plan on assembling the old style Immolator as such and using the other bitz to make an Exorcist and an Immolator out of two standard Rhinos. Currently, I have three complete Immolators, still in the box, and the bitz to convert two more from Rhinos. A fellow in England sent me more of the metal Immolator bitz, so my motor pool looks like this:

1 Exorcist, completed
1 Exorcist, bitz need Rhino chassis
3 "New" Immolators, complete and unassembled
1 "Old" Immolator, complete and unassembled
3 "New" Immolators, bitz need Rhino chassis
1 "Old" Immolator, bitz need Rhino chassis

If I spring for some bitz store Rhinos, the kind without the accessory sprue, I can get them for $15. I need 5, so that is $75 or so. When I pick those up, I will have 2 Exorcists and 8 Immolators. Awesome!

Now, obviously, that is a lot of Immolators. What I will more likely do is go more along the lines of 2 Exorcists, 4 Immolators, and 4 Rhinos. All I really need now are some Sisters...

Want List:
8 Storm Bolter Sisters
4 Meltagun Sisters
1 Seraphim with Hand Flamers

Well, off to the grocery store.

The Flow of Time

So, two things:

I built a tank! Not just any tank, either. My very first Games Workshop tank. I built an Immolator chassis with a Whirlwind turret to use as an Exorcist. It went together well and I am quite pleased with the results. I have three more unassembled Immolators and an extra set of Immolator bits. As well, some fine folks set me up with some cheap as free bitz! I'm getting one more set of modern Immolator bitz, a set of old metal bitz, an assembled old school Immolator, and an old metal Whirlwind turret. Great! If I pick up three or so Rhinos, I will be set for tanks. All I really need now are more Sisters with Special Weapons and I am good to go.

Secondly, I have orientation at my new job tomorrow night! Yeah! It's only a temp job, but work is work and it could lead to a real, full time gig. Plus, it gives me an excuse to wear a tie.


Third on my increasingly misnomered list is that I am going to try a different color scheme on some Sisters. The bone is okay, but I am going to try Boltgun-Chainmail-Devlan Mud-Chainmail armor with Graveyard Brown-Devlan Mud-Graveyard Brown for the fabric. It's worth a shot, I guess.

Back in the Fold

During my unexpected bout of unemployment, still ongoing, I drifted away from Warhammer 40k. Between going to the unemployment office, filling out applications, and going to interviews, I have not been in the mood for miniatures. Instead, I have spent the majority of my free time playing video games and writing about them for www.diehardgamefan.com.

Miniatures gaming is something I have always done as a form of meditation. Put on some soft music and paint with my wife. When I am agitated or in poor spirits, it is hard for me to paint. Maybe it is because I am not a naturally gifted painter, but it takes a lot of concentration for me to achieve the dizzying heights of mediocrity with my painting, let alone something I would like to share with others.

This week, however, I find myself drawn back to my Sisters of Battle. While I will likely not return to my Dwarfs until after 8th Edition launches, my Sisters are untouched by rules changes. Plus, without a community of Sisters players to influence me, I can endeavor in the creation of a different sort of Sisters army. I see Storm Bolters in my future. Lots of Storm Bolters...