Galleries

Steam Wars – Steam Plane II

As I have had limited time in the shed lately and as a few games have had to be cancelled due to that thing called ‘real life’ I have been mostly pottering at the moment.

Ebay continues to add more clutter to the shed but a few bits get knocked together every so often to allow me to clear a few boxes away.

This little 1/48 scale biplane was a cheap kit I found on ebay.  Its such a simple design and easy build that it begs to be converted to a new Steam Wars plane for the US Navy force I have.

Armed with a machine gun it can act as air to air protection for the larger fliers that I have.

But with these small rockets (10 in the kit) it has a few more options up its sleeve.

I have to say that thanks to the continued kindness of John at Ironclad Miniatures I now have another pilot for use with this model.

Warhammer 40,000 – Death Guard Heavy Support

So in that mad moment recently, when I risked a bit of cold weather spraying, a few other items got a coating of colour as well.  One I was keen to start was my first real tank for the Death Guard.

So far its just base coats, and a wash to weather them.  I suspect that the spiked rails will be painted brass at some point as the traditional colour scheme for this model appears to be a mix of greens, silvers and brass.  A scheme that I do kind of like.

Those colours will mix well with my old school, green, Death Guard troopers.

The Death Guard are a good army for me, as my painting style favours dark washes and simple weathering.

I may get this brute finished this side of Xmas. If I don’t get distracted again…

Warhammer 40,000 – Predator Upgrade And Turret Mount

So, I took a risk in this cold weather and base coated my new predator.  Some cold and moisture related unevenness can be seen in the finish but not enough to make me think it was a fail.  I wanted to get this back into the paint queue quite quickly.  All those bare metal (or plastic) bits are now unlikely to get looked at until the weather improves enough to undercoat them…

The original plan was for a versatile vehicle – Rhino, Razorback, Predator and Whirlwind.  The missing ingredient was always a set of missiles.

That is no longer an issue… and they even came with a turret mount that will allow me to field the weapons as a rapier style sentry gun.

Kromlech have supplied the assault cannon and the missiles.  Their range is slowly expanding and the option to purchase as hatch mounted or with the ground support adds to their flexibility.

Only trouble is its not yellow yet…

But it will be soon! (well, maybe in the spring…)

Warhammer 40,000 – Leaning On A Lamp Post (Or 12) And Dreadnought Musings

I picked up a few new lamp posts for the table recently that are 3D printed.  They are very nice but the bases are a little small and don’t keep them stable so needed slightly wider bases before painting them up.

While I was waiting for them to dry I was staring at the shelf of shame (where things that have been in the painting queue go when they have been started but then neglected – a bit like purgatory for toys I guess).

I noticed that I had 4 dreadnoughts on the shelf from a number of differing eras. A short and long limbed rogue trader era dread, a Venerable dread and a Helbrute.

The size difference between the smallest and largest is vast.

I also had an older plastic Terminator

And a newer Death Guard hero in Terminator armour.  No real conclusions to be had here but just an observation of the passage of time and our need for ever increasing size.  The detail on the larger figures is more notable and I wonder if this is the reason for the size change (to make room for more detail).

I hope it isn’t just the manufacturer feeding our need to feel like we are getting more for our money.

Warhammer 40,000 – Helbrute Rebuild And Rearm

As always, finishing the easy one is always… well…  easier!

Blending the skin tone and greens on this chap when I was unsure of the original colour was always going to be fun.  In the end a couple of washes over the new and old surfaces brought them nicely in line.

The greens were more difficult to match so I decided to paint the weapon in base metals and silvers as an easier option (see that word again? It keeps popping up, almost as a theme…)

I am quite pleased with the finished effect.

As soon as I was done though, this happened…

I had noticed as I changed the weapon on the other arm that the original build was done using a rubber based glue.  Hideous stuff but I hadn’t imagined it would be this weak.

So instead of just gluing it back on, I decided to make it into a feature and magnetise both the Lascannons and a set of Heavy Bolters for a touch of variety.

Now this chap can throw out a hail of lead…

Or cook up a few tanks, whichever he chooses…

 

Warhammer 40,000 – Helbrute Options

So, magnets done and actually working better than I had hoped. The kit gives you a number of options for each arm but only four shoulder options and a missile pod.  That means I had to choose what I wanted to field before building them.

I already have the twin Lascannon option on the other Helbrute so decided to go with the Autocannon, Misssile Launchers, Scourge and a set of right and left power fists.

The Autocannon and Scourge gives the best mix for when I need both melee and shooting attacks.

If I need all shooting attacks the Autocannon and Missiles will fit the bill.

The special rules for twin close combat weapons might be fun in this case.

For when I need the Helbrute to deal out the most melee attacks I can, a Scourge and power fist will be hard to beat.

 

Warhammer 40,000 – Rhino, Razorback, Predator or Whirlwind

Option two for the Space Marine army, anti armour upgrade, is a Predator.  Again a Games Workshop standard vehicle, but one I haven’t owned for a good few years.  I think I sold my last one to a friend when we thought that we would not be playing 40k again.

If you load it out with all lascannons it has the potential to wipe a few vehicle types off the table in one round, but why have only one option available to you?

The use of magnets on models is something I am still learning about.  One thing I learned early on was that plastic kits love them.  Light weight guns and arms allow the use of smaller magnets and easier application.  Larger items need heavy duty magnets so are not always so easy.

This chap has a mix of larger and smaller parts so uses a mix of magnets.

I managed to get all the weapon options fitted so it can be used as anti tank or anti infantry.

I also picked up a spare turret that could be used to make the model into a Razorback, armed with twin assault cannons.  Perfect for those moments when you just need ‘more bullets!’

I have a mind to pick up a missile turret for this chap as well.  That way I will be able to field a Whirlwind, to give me yet another alternative, when I don’t need the heavy hitters.  When finished I will only need a small storage case to fit it into instead of finding room for 3-4 individual tanks.

I can’t see me needing to field 2 of these sized tanks in any game of 40k at this time. If I need more I always have a spare Razorback and a Landraider anyway…

Warhammer 40,000 – Nurgle Helbrutes

As the Space Marines this week gained an upgraded flier, as their anti armour support, so the Chaos Marines, to ensure they don’t miss out, have received some equally anti armour support.  Two Helbrutes are now on the worktop, ready to either be finished off or join the shelf of shame in a half finished state.

One is from Veganman’s vast unused collection (for services rendered) and the other from a discount store on eBay.

I believe that the painted example was part of a job lot that Veganman purchased on ebay. Never used, it will now to be turned against him on the table.  It came with a few converted parts, a twin lascannon, in place of the heavy bolters it was originally made with and, for some reason known only to the modeller, a plastic clamp where its original claw would have been.

That had to go, but it left me with the dilemma of what to use instead.  Thankfully the second Helbrute kit came with a vast array of weapons. So many that some could not all be used on the finished kit.

So a spare hammer has been grafted to the original figure and I will try to match the original paint job as closely as I can to blend it in…

Slightly more work awaits the new Helbrute as I plan to magnetise the weapon arms so any combination can be used…

Magnet spots marked and ready for drilling…

 

Warhammer 40,000 – Space Marine Flier

Over the last few weeks I have fought against a number of 40k armies which remain vehicle heavy.  Against such solid opponents a squad of tactical marines has only limited effect. (That said, much more effect in this game – 8th edition – than before).

As a result of this, and after some thought, I have come up with some options in order to cope.  Number one in that list, mainly as I don’t have one and always wanted one, is to acquire a flier that can field a number of alternate load outs. Thankfully Games Workshop has the perfect model in the form of their Stormtalon Gunship.

Most obviously, a it has a set of two Lascannon which is the traditional anti armour choice…

But also a range of missile options is useful, as they can be used as anti armour and anti infantry.

But a set of rockets, to be used against vehicles and other fliers, may also come in handy.

This little beast comes with a whole heap of options and that’s before I mention the twin assault cannon mounted just under the nose. Ready to fire 12 shots a round, that are useful against any target that comes within range.

 

Warhammer 40,000 – Finished Foetid Bloat Drone(s)

When I started my Death Guard army I expected to have mainly Plague Marines and a couple of Nurgle tainted Rhinos and Tanks.  That first changed when I found out how good Nurgle Daemons were as a force. This distracted me from the main Death Guard focus but when I returned to it, I found that I was fielding more specialist units than Troop choices.  With Battle-forged armies in 8th edition I am no longer forced to take a HQ and two Troop units but can use detatchments that are based on a core of Elites or Fast Attack units.

It has led to a minor arms race in my small gaming group, as we try out new combinations on each other.  As such my painting has flitted between mostly heavies, and specialist role units like this Foetid Bloat Drone.  Painted early on with a quick and simple paint scheme, it always seemed slightly unfinished.

Well, it has come of age and been integrated into the core of an Outriders Detachment of Fast Attack units.

As all three of my drones are now painted, I feel the need to get them all on the table.  This is always at the expense of another troop choice (usually humble troopers like Pox Walkers or Plague Marines).

Dolled up with some fresh rust effects and a couple of spot washes with ink, it blends with the other drones while each one retains its own shade of green.  I like the idea of my Death Guard army coming from a broad church of differing companies of the legion. Each showing that there is unity across the legion while retaining their individuality.

The Greater Blight Drone can be used as it should be, with the stats from the Forgeworld Index, or as a proxy for a Foetid Bloat Drone armed with a Heavy Blight Launcher.

The third, and most recently painted drone, is armed with the basic twin Plaguespitter load out but I have seen a few conversions using magnets and dry wall plugs that allow the last weapon load out, The Flesh Mower, to be easily converted…

I must try to find time to rummage in the other Shed for something that will do the job…