I have managed to finish off the last of the Drakon riders from the Regiment. The base needs completing and a coat of varnish.
After the game of HotT a few weeks ago I felt that I might need some more wolf riders (I don’t but) … so did the usual thing of scanning through eBay and Etsy to see what was available. Highland miniatures do a nice line in Hobgoblin wolf riders …
Also beer for a nice walk on Exmoor - a lovely day, a bit of cloud and rain.
I have got to work on the horses that arrived in a huge package last week.
Now the elf general has been taken off the Ral Partha horse (and the original elven knight will go back on - see the Drakon rider saga for reasons). I need to sculpt a new tail and fix up the General before painting.
Not painting but some work done.
Morts
I finally got on with some of the Wargames Atlantic Canon Fodder and GW spare part Servitors. I see these as recently converted to servitors former convict types, hence the lack of leg cybernetics. If I had waited a few weeks I could have used the Stargrave Automatons, which might have been better. Anyway here are the first 5 - these will be classed as close combat types.
As these are the first I have painted in a while I a fairly happy with these. Especially as I a now thinking that I shouldn’t have started these, because 28mm sci-fi should really be just skirmish, but my Ad Mech forces are pretty big now. Damn that mission creep!
Also on the horizon, the Mantic games Kickstarter for Epic Warpath has arrived. Some nice little miniatures and the rules seem tight, having watched a how to play video. So something else to do … and still thinking about rebasing to multi bases the 28mm fantasy armies, but I am a little confused on that one.
Morts
Now obviously I show be finishing the servitors I started a few months go … but not to get me out of the painting malaise I decided to put together the Mantic drakon riders for my elf army … these obviously need a fair bit of green stuff action as I want them to fit in with the Ral Partha minis which make up the bulk of the army.
These are still a work in progress. All need new plumes on their helmets. I was using spare hoplite crests, but lost one and they are a little bit thin for fantasy minis.
Last weekend I went for a little walk out on Dartmoor with my old man. A good day for a walk.
We had a good time around Brat Tor and picked up a quality pasty from the Lydford Farm shop - a recommended place for good food and coffee.
This weekend saw a quick trip back to the moor - well more accurately Moreton Hampstead to visit an exhibition of art inspired by the moor.
My distraction on servitors has continued. More Wargames Atlantic Cannon Fodder to be … Ad Mech Cannon Fodder - close combat types this time. My reasoning will be that these with be recently “punished” convict servitors - hence the limited amount of adaptations on them.
Like the others - I need to put some wire (tubing) on them and some green stuff. Otherwise they are basically done (apart from the paint).
Morts
So my Ad Mech Servitor distraction has continued - I picked up a Mantic sprue and have done some cutting and gluing.
So as I said in an earlier post I was thinking of kit bashing some servitors - I had initially planned to make Gun Servitors, but when the Wargames Atlantic Cannon Fodder arrived I realised that they were too small. I think I would need an ogre sized body to put the big guns from the Kataphrons too look right, so these are combat servitors.
They are armed with 3 guns and 2 flamers - I have 5 more bodies I can use - I think I will try to make them melee types. But I need to watch the parts I use, as I might try to kit bash a Marshal and a Techarchaeologist out of a couple of skitari bodies (the official models are around £20 a pop or £12-15 on eBay). Back to the servitors - I think I need to add some wire “pipework” before any paint work happens, I will also try to finish the other servitors too.
This is stopping from the celts - of which I have some in progress … too much too do … and the weather is getting better and the garden project has started …
Morts
The Oathmark Eldar here compared with their official GW offerings.
The top shows then with a couple of Corsairs - the figure on the far right is a Guardian with a Corsairs head - I think they match pretty well.
The Oathmark Eldar have been finished - well apart from their bases.
So I have moved forward with progressing the Focke Wulf.
In a good demonstration of the whimsy on the modelling and gaming hobby, I have been quite taken with the Oathmark Eldar kitbash.
I have filled the gaps, between the bodies and the packs. But now need to smooth off the backpacks - I am now thinking that I perhaps should have used the Starship Troopers packs as they are not as wide across the shoulders. Too late now.
In an earlier post I mentioned getting a sprue of Oathmark Elf light infantry, for replacement heads for the Drakon Riders - the bodies I thought could be used for ranger types. So I bought some … or more to the point I thought that I had bought some … in fact I bought some armoured Elves instead. Now these are quite nice figures, but don’t fit with the Ral Partha Elves - so what am I to do? Sending back wasn’t an option as this would push the cost up, which would rather defeat the object of getting the Oathmark Elves.
Now I have been thinking of getting some Eldar guardians as possible canon fodder and I had some bits from the corsairs and converted guardians …
I think he works quite well - I do need to get some sci-if backpack thing and some sort of pauldrons will be needed to cover up the arm to body joint, but I think I will make a little squad of them.
I will post work in progress as I go.
Morts
At the weekend I did (amongst other things) started on assembling my birthday Focke Wolf FW 190 F-8 Revell model kit. This is the first model kit that I have tried making properly in 40 years … or more.
I painted up the cockpit details a bit, but not too much and avoided using some of the decals in the box. This was probably a good call as when it went in the fuselage you can’t see much of it anyway.
The main wings and fuselage need to go together now - however I might have put to much pressure on the fuselage when sticking it together, because there is a little bit of a gap between it and the top wing. I will have to put some green stuff in there - d’oh! Although the bottom seems to fit ok when dry fitting.
I think it’s going to be build with undercarriage up - that way I can’t snap off wheels.
I have spend the last few weeks preparing troops for undercoating, then painting.
I am thinking that it might become an elf ship - I have a Revell Viking longship model which is probably a better scale match with the minis.
Morts
A while ago I got the Mantic Drakon Lord - but with a GW knight to replace the lord - a better fit with the Ral Partha minis the army is made of. For my birthday I suggested that my daughters get me the Drakon regiment … they failed. But this was a good thing as a regiment came up on eBay for a good price.
So I thought I would need another rider - as I was using 2 of the elf cavalry horses for a general and wizard (yet to be sourced), so I had 2 knights available to ride the Drakons.
Unfortunately I hadn’t factored in the following …
The Drakon riders are integral to the body of the beasties - so what to do?
Try and remove the rider - simply not worth the effort.
So the plan is to remodel a bit - green stuff the cuirass, change the lances, a mail skirt over the the legs and riders need heads to more match the rest of the army. I did look at some 3D prints and eBay for spare GW stuff, but the prices were silly. The current plan is get a sprue of Oathmark Elf light infantry and use some of the helmets from there.
I was hoping for a simple rider swap … best get back to preparing the celts for painting.
Morts
Last weekend saw a trip to Heathrow to collect Thing 1 and her fiancée, after 14 months away in Indonesia (well Bali 1 month) , Vietnam ( 1 month), Thailand (6 weeks), Australia (11 months) and New Zealand (3 weeks) … it was great to have them home. We did a little engagement party for them - lovely.
Then Tuesday saw another hospitality trip to the Grecians.
A great start to the game - but Wycombe are top of the league … so happy with a point in the end and a splendid evening out.
So with little time on my hands … well actually managed a few games on Friday evening with the BND and BUR - nice to get the King is Dead back to the table - should have won the last game, but played on the wrong round … but I did win Dungeonquest (not that it is a luck based game in any way).
I want to get on with the Celts, but none are cleaned up or primed, so I have been looking at the stuff which is ready.
So 2 Asgard (Tabletop) miniatures (moulds currently with Alternative Armies) classic wolf riders. These were picked up so I would have have a unit of 6 minis - I have tried to match the general scheme on the ones painted years ago. When the Matt varnish goes on and the basing is done, they should pull together.
I have finished painting the Sherman tanks I put together at the weekend. Two British and two American - just waiting for the decals to arrive (should be tomorrow).
