Tag Archives: miniatures

My September Volume of Work

September was rough. I refereed 36 soccer matches in 5 states and 12 cities. I was a soccer referee from Thursday to Sunday every week. I have two more weeks of intense officiating.

This week, starting Thursday, I referee two matches two hours away. (4 total drive hours). Then I drive six hours for a single game (10 total hours). I drive four hours for another game (14 total drive hours). I’ll drive two and a half hours for the final match. (16.5 total drive hours) followed by a three-and-a-half-hour drive home. (20 total drive hours)

I will referee from the time I get to each site until the time I leave, a total of sixteen hours. Over the weekend, I will work 36 hours, sleep in hotels, and recover for the next day. I should clear about $2,500 for the weekend making everything ok.

This means I have been unable to play games or hobbies to my usual extent. I did accomplish a ton of things, though.

A. Used Warlord Army Builder to create every list to complete the Stalingrad campaign. Their army builder is switching to 3rd edition, and I want to game in 2nd.

B. Completed a game of DBMM (battle report to follow)

C. Painted the Following Models (70 total)

Soviet airborne (Happy with)

Base German green brown vallejo primer
Zen idf Israeli desert sand vallejo primer
Wash earth shade
Hats contrast skeleton horde
Guns contrast black. Drybrush silver
Base
Vallejo russian mud
Terrain static grass landscape series
Yellow flowers

Soviet Guard Squad (Not happy with)

Base german panzer grey primer
Zen nato green primer
Sponge on vallejo model air dark brown
Wash camoshade
Vallejo diorama European thick mud
Terrain static grass green
Autumn leaves

Soviet Infantry Base (medium happy with how they turned out)
Base German red brown primer
Zen russian green primer
Wash camo shade
Dry brush model air gunship green
Vallejo diorama European thick mud
Terrain static grass green 
Yellow flowers

German Infantry Squad (very happy)
Base black primer
Zen grey primer
Base vallejo German field grey
Drybrush light grey
Vallejo thick mud russian mud
Tan static grass
Army painter swamp tufts

I also camo airbrushed a German Tank. It was my first attempt at doing something like this and I wasn’t super happy with it. My color ended more red than brown as intended. (also why I didn’t bother with the pilot or paiting the tracks or any detail work)

Terrain Progress Bridge Over the River Don

My terrain has always been an Achilles’ heel. I can get an army on the tabletop, no problem. The idea of taking 2 hours to airbrush and detail a building is daunting.

My first campaign battle is mostly taken care of for terrain. In fact, I have literally 2 pieces of terrain to make. The field is 6×4 with a river running 2′ from one of the short edges. On the small side of the river, there is a village with about 10 buildings. On the long side, there are some hills. A large bridge over the river.

I will use my Kallistra Hexes as the base of the 6×4 table. The simple grass flock. Easily my most used piece of terrain, and I highly recommend it. I will also use their hill pieces on the long side of the field. Kallistra makes several styles, and I will review my collection to decide what is best.

For the village, I will use several of my buildings. I have a few fully painted MDF, some Dwarven Forge, and I will probably paint a 3D-printed church. I also have some 3D-printed hedges and walls that will take no time at all to paint and some neoprene roads.

My crafting is going to be the river and bridge. Both items come from tabletopworld and are absolutely stunning. I have already painted, drybrushed and detailed the bridge. There is a small house attached to the bridge that I need to paint as well. I want to add some green algae effects to the bottom.

The river pieces themselves are slightly raised. They should fit really well into the Kallistra hexes. I want to paint the bottom. Add some river rocks, then fill them with a blue resin. This river will be used in 5 of the 22 campaign battles, and I want it to stand out. I have never worked with resin before. I purchased several large C-Clamps to hold wood against the edges. Wish me luck.

Horus Heresy Lists and Progress

As the house remodel saga continues. Hobby progress has stalled because my Hobby Room is in the remodel area. I have the entrance sealed off with plastic so as little concrete dust as possible can enter. I am much larger than dust particles.

We are getting new fancy floors in our basement. Unfortunately, our house is 120 years old, and the basement is not level. There is a lot of grinding, jackhammering, and laying new concrete to get the new flooring. Lots of dust. Progress is slow. Maybe by the end of the week, I might have access again.

To expedite hobby progress, and because I wanted to. I did purchase a new airbrush for my workplace. It is a budget airbrush but should work nicely for priming and zenithal highlighting. I may even try it on the 3d printed soviet trucks.

I should be on track for the 2nd week of February to complete the full 3000 pt Word Bearers Army. My Ravenguard has been arriving; pictures will be taken later this week.

Here are the Army Lists for the Two Starter Forces

Word Bearers3000RavenGuard3000
Praetor/W Command Squad235Centurion Master of Signals95
Contemptor Dreadnought Talon w/Drop Pod325Praetor Cataphractii W Command240
Destroyer Assault Squad2052 Contemptor Dreadnought390
Veteran Squad w/Rhino150Mor Deythan Squad150
Veteran Squad 1 Missile Launcher135Mor Deythan SquadW Storm Eagle360
Despoiler Squad100Terminator Cataphratii Squad325
Recon Squad w/Storm Eagle344Assault Squad145
Tactical SquadW/ Rhino145Tactical Squad100
Tactical Squad/W Rhino145Tactical Squad W Rhino135
Outrider Squadron91Tactical Squad W Rhino135
Proteus Land Speeders2102x Land Raider Carriers505
Sky Hunter Squadron105Basilisk Squadron200
Land Raider Squadron250Sicaran Squadron220
Basilisk Squadron200
Predator Squadron360

There is very little method to my madness for these lists. I think I have enough transport capacity for the Ravenguard for every unit to be mechanized. I hope the fast attacks on the word bearers can work as screens to prevent the Ravenguard from crossing over the bridge. Some hard-hitting tanks, some dreadnoughts. Coming from someone who has never played, this seems like a fun list to play.

The Raven Guard will be 100% complete once they arrive. I have started priming the Word Bearers Tactical Squad in a silver primer and painting the main areas in Flesh Tearers Red. I didn’t like the look on my one test model. One thing I am trying to push myself with is brighter colors. Way too many of my models are muted color-wise, and I would rather they pop on the table. I am going to try a 100% airbrushed marine with a gradient to see how it looks. Then pick out a few silver details. I am not sold yet.

My 100% airbrushed marine makes me much happier. Base/primer coat of Vallejo German brown. Followed with Vallejo Game Air Blood Red and finished with Safety Orange from Army Painter Airbrush paint series. Used Grim Black from speed paints on the blacks. Silver from Vallejo game air on the silvers, and some Army Painter Red Tone for a little more detail. I underpainted it with a shot of Vallejo Royal Purple.

You can see the side-by-side comparison; the gradient model came out much bolder. I will base both models on the next just to see how they look complete. I literally have 250 Horus Heresy Marines lying around. If one or two become sacrifices, I will live.

It is very interesting to me how a base can absolutely change a model. Some dry brushing is a must on the one on the left, a little bit of silver on the blacks with some yellow on the armor. Also, skip the silver toes and maybe go with something else. Silver markings on the pauldron, maybe.

I used the same colors on the marines as I did on the vehicles. I followed this guy’s YouTube guide on how to paint the vehicles. For my first couple of attempts, I am decently pleased. The next step is adding some transfers and a little weathering.

Time Grows Closer

I have a few things left to finalize the opening battle of the Stalingrad campaign.

Paint German Halftracks, Flamethrower Team, Medic, Spotter
Paint Soviet Bannerman, 5 Trucks, BA 20 Armoured Car, Dog Mines Team

Base all of the above-painted models.

For the Word Bearers

Almost everything needs to be painted. I have most of the models primed which would be good enough to start the campaign I think. Although I have some time Saturday and might be able to bust out quite a few models.

I need to acquire or kitbash 10 Man Despoiler Squad, and 10 Man Destroyer Assault Squad, Legion Chosen models.

I have ordered Destroyer Squads from GW but they have 0 Destroyer Assault Squads. I will add a few jump packs and call it good. For the Despoilers, a box of MKIV marines and the despoiler upgrade should work fine.

Legion Chosen are a little more challenging. I have acquired a couple of Legion Chosen single models, including a bannerman. I still need Legion Chosen marines, so I might just paint regular marines with gold trim instead of silver.

One big thing lacking is the river. I am anxious about painting the river and then filling the pieces with epoxy. It was a very expensive model.

Finally, as far as the future of the campaign. While it is necessary to plan ahead. I also think it would be interesting to look behind. Units can grow. I want to name especially stubborn or heroic units, and maybe, at times, it would be worth losing and withdrawing than going all out and losing your valuable upgraded units. I’ll work on it.