Free time, how I miss thee.....

Quick update. This past weekend marks the end of my busy seasion at work...woot!..time to take it easy for a bit. Did a lil painting...



Now to be honest, I've had this model semi done for a while now. Did some touch up work on it, gonna add a lil more detail when I get a chance, finish the gun....other than that, it's mostly done save for the base'n.

On the marine front, I found a scheme I like. Bone armor with deep red shoulder pad trim, chest eagle/details, helmet and backpack. Leather for the cloth on the model. Will post pick when I get the camera batteries changed...

Inspiration

As anyone that knows me will tell you, I've got the worse case of adult ADD you'd ever wanna deal with. I can only stay completely focused on one project for so long before I need too do something else. With the guard, I've reached that point. I'm not done playing with them, I'm not done painting on them, just gotten to where I need too do something else for a lil while.

So, I went poking around. Like alot of you out there on the intrawebz, I've accumulated alot of crap over the years. Bits of this, bits of that. Alot of my extra parts are stored in plastic tackle box trays, as well as a rather large collection of models that are still on sprus. These are mainly from where I needed parts and found it easier to just buy the box at full price since a battlewagon bitz order for just what I needed woulda been close to that price anyway, and then held on to what was left over for future projects.

Where am I going with all this? I've got about 1500pts of marines laying around I could do something with...(sad, I know).. As a marine army is usually very limited from a color standpoint, It's not something that wouldn't be all that taxing to work on, but would be a nice break....and to be honest, I've never had a pure marine army in the 15+ years I've played 40k. My problem tho, is that I can't figure out how to paint them...

My issue lies with the unit/company markings and general color scheme. Alot of the marine chapters out there I like use company/squad marking on the lower leg/knee, and I really hate to paint those! Decals for those areas are somewhat limited as well. As for the colors, slot of the cannon marine chapters I like..(space wolfs, imperial fists)..use a paint scheme that's just nasty for me too easily duplicate.

Another issue is forgeworld. If this project takes off, I wouldn't mind getting a few forgeworld bitz, like rhino doors and such, to jazz up this lil collection, but those parts are somewhat limited for generic chapters...(raptor, imperial fists and the black templar doors being about the most general they get)...I could change the name/markings around on an existing chapter, but my inner fluff nazi just won't let me do that.

So that's where I stand..I need a marine chapter with a name/fluff that would let me borrow from another chapters forgeworld line that has a simple color scheme and squad/company/chapter marking limited to the shoulders/torso. Any Ideas?

On the painting front, I've been all over the place these past few days. Done a few Khorne bezerkers, a few marines. The exterminator leman russ is on the prep tables getting it's first coat of paint. Hopefully inking will happen by this weekend if I can stay focued.

Games Day stuff....

Been roaming the forums a lil getting tidbits on what was said at Games Day..

First up....a cool video of the 40k mmo...




...Kinda reminds me of WoW...but the idea of playing a tech priest sounds cool..


In forgeworld news, they've announced that the next two Imperial Armour books will be on the Badab wars. Go here for some rather nice pics the new models. Rumored release of the first book is 27th of september. Also announced was that the 11th IA book will deal with Eldar and Spacewolves. I'm a huge fan of the IA books, and own all but the first one. They've all been truely incredible reads and fantastic sources of fluff. Again, can't wait!

More info to be found on dakka .

On the painting front...I've done nothing. Work for me in august is just dumb. Way too busy, not enough free time. Hopefully will break out some paints soon and mabey do a lil on a neat lil side project I've been thinking of trying for a bit....will have too see what the future holds.

Time to knock off the dust...

Been away a bit...sorry about that.

So, in the last two weeks have been good where 40k is concerned. On the 24th of last month, I got to play in my first tournament in 2 years, the 2250pt 40k meltdown hosted by the deathjesters gaming group outta knoxville TN. I won 1, lost two. Placed 18th outta 28. I can live with that, especially considering the army was only half painted at best. Here is what I took....

HQ: Company Command Squad

Capt. w/ Power Fist

regimental std, vox, medic, 2 bodyguards

Elite:

5 Ogryn

10 Storm Trooper Squad
Flamer x1; Grenade Launcher x1;
sgt had pwn weapon

Troops:

1st platoon -

Cmmand squad w/ power fist officer, vox and 3 grenade launchers
2 squads with autocannon and grenade launchers, vox
Heavy Weapons Squad with 3 Mortar

2nd platoon -

Command squad w/ power fist officer, vox and 3 grenade launchers
2 squads with autocannon and grenade launchers, vox
Heavy Weapons Squad with 3 Mortar

3rd platoon -

Command squad w/ power fist officer, vox and 3 grenade launchers
2 squads with autocannon and grenade launchers, vox
Heavy Weapons Squad with 3 Las Cannon
Heavy Weapons Squad with 3 Missile Launchers


Fast Attack:

1 Hellhound
Heavy Flamer; Dozer Blade

Heavy Support:

1 Leman Russ Battle Tank
Lascannon; Heavy Bolter Sponsons x2; Dozer Blade

1 Leman Russ Demolisher
Lascannon; Plasma Cannon Sponsons x2; Dozer Blade

1 Leman Russ Exterminator
Heavy Bolter, Heavy Bolter Sponsons x2; Dozer Blade; Pintle Heavy Stubber



First game was against a Space Wolf player. I don't recall the exact content of his army, but I know it contained one nasty unit of Thunderwolves. They got a charge off against two of the merged infantry platoons and my ogryn, breaking them all on the first round of combat.Things went down hill from there. I was able too hurt him atleast, but in the end I got tabled.

Second games was against my buddy Da Masta Cheef and his guard army. We had our usuall knock down drag out brawl. In the end, he was able to sneak out a close win...(revenge will be had..)..

Third game was against another friend of mine, Carl and his eldar. This was the one game outta all my games where everything just clicked. Second turn I was able to cut lose with all of my firepower and hurt him pretty bad. Time ran out half way thru the game, leaving me in control of the objective and netting me max point, but it was a deceiving win...with more time his tanks were set to hurt me badly...


So what did I learn from this tourney? First, I gotta wrap my head around my troop choices. I'm use too playing deathguard...have played them for 5-6 years now. Losing gobs of infantry like I did in that tourney scares me a lil. And I need to figure out what I'll do for objective holders I can rely on.

Second, I need to find a balance between movement and firepower. In my last game I had a turn where I just sat there and cut lose with everything I had, and man it was impressive! But in doing so I almost put myself in a spot where I would not have been able to capture the objective. It was only due to some luck order rolls that I was able to get a platoon in there and camp it in time to win when time ran out. Do I need to balance the platoons out a lil....static squads providing heavy weapons support and mobile squads lacking the heavy weapon so they are free too run around and grab area on the table for me?....or stick with the gun heavy platoons I prefer?....or scrap it entirely and get chimeras?....me things much playtesting will be needed...

What work were the tanks...and they worked in spades. The Space Wolf player was surprised at the hell a demolisher could cause, and went outta his way too silence it. The Exterminator was very nice in it's dual role of horde killer/transport killer....and the hell hound hurt Carl's rangers in our 3rd game.

This was probley one of the best run tourneys I've ever been involved in. Looking forward to there next one!



In other news, no pictures this week. I've been painting on some oygrn lately, and the exterminator I posted about is getting a base coat atm. Will throw something online this weekend too show off the progress.

That's it for now....sorry for the grammar/spelling mistakes...English pwns me sometime...;p...