Mid War Monsters?

OK, I'm into just about everything regarding Wargame Miniatures. Historical, Fantasy and Sci-Fi in particular.

I enjoy Flames of War. It's a fun game and simple enough for me. Great way for me to get my toys on the table and kill a few hours. However, I do enjoy history, in particular "North Africa" in WWII. But that's another post.

Recently I got a chance to get a quick look at the Battle Front "Mid War Monster" book at my FLGS, Eagle and Empire. For a book about vehicles that were hardly or not at all used, I was impressed. It's clearly written for "fun". The articles for each vehicle were detailed and, I will admit, included a bit of fiction for vehicles that didn't see combat, although that is clearly indicated as such. One pleasant rule that applies to all these vehicles is they are disallowed in tournaments and used by "opponents permission", keeping these in the "fun only" category during game play. I enjoyed it so much I put myself on the pre-order list for this book and for the Sturer Emil and Boarhound. I mean, a giant 27 ton armoured car is simply not to be passed up by those of us who are Anglophiles. I had no plans to order any of them so I suprised myself that I did so.

Sturer Emil on the Eastern Front in WWII

New "Napoleon" rules

Good news for all you Napoleonic fans out there. Foundry miniatures in the UK has now released its own set of rules. It looks like a very beautiful book with a lot of color photos, painting guides, background articles, and maps. Here is what Foundry has to say about it: "Napoleon is not just another set of rules, it is packed full of information on one of the most colorful and dramatic periods in European history."

"Napoleon contains a unique set of entertaining rules that are flexible enough to be used with almost any basing conventions. It also includes many army lists for the most popular Napoleonic armies, plus advanced rules covering such diverse subjects as pontoon bridges, grand battery fire, ground conditions, setting fire to buildings, friendly fire and ambulances!"

"Napoleon also features articles on painting and collecting Napoleonic models, plus many other sections detailing uniforms and historical background. This 232-page, full-colour, A4-sized hardback has over 400 colour photographs and illustrations, including many Knotël prints, plus numerous diagrams, maps and other illustrations."

As far as we here at this blog are concerned, we are going to let you readers try them out and report back to us. None of us are into Napoleonics. Not that we have anything against it, it's just that none of us have storage space for yet another game system!

Consul Scipio's Projects

Every so often, I like to review the miniature wargaming projects I'm working on. I think this helps to keep me a bit focused. As focused as someone who collects and games just about every genre and many different sizes of figures available can be I guess.

War of the Ring

This new game by Games Workshop is quite possibly the best game system they've released. Ever. It's not perfect, but if you're a fan of "Middle Earth", like 28mm sized miniatures all ranked up in formations, want a quick game but still give a tactical feel, this game may be for you! I've pulled out all my GW Lord of the Rings figures which had been stored away for a few years to see what I had. After review, I can field a 2,000 point Elven army with Rohan Allies and a 2,000 point Isenguard Army, with an allied Mumak! All I need to do is buy some bases for this game. Games Workshop is having a hard time keeping up with the demand for their new War of the Ring movement trays that the bases fit into though. I haven't been able to buy them from my FLGS, Eagle and Empire nor from online mega store "The Warstore". I do need to buy an Isengard Troll to add to my evil force too. So I will post updates as I get relevant pictures of games or modelling projects.

15mm Sci-Fi

A suprise project that snuck up on me. Perusing through the TMP forums, I saw a post on "Space Above and Beyond" being sold at SAMs Club for $18.99. A poster, Cacique Caribe provided some links and a couple were to manufacturers. I clicked on the link to the blog "Dropship Horizon" just to see what the Space Marines looked like. They looked very, very nice. So I looked up the manufacturer, Rebel Miniatures and I saw some stuff I liked so much I had to order it. I'll describe what I ordered and this project in more detail in a near future post. This is my "when I don't want to work on 28mm stuff" project.

Wargames Factory Romans

I am an enthusiast of the Ancient Roman time period. Whenever I find a book about Ancient Rome, I will read it. My first ancients army is an Old Glory 28mm Marian Roman force. Lately I've been thinking I should add to it but I didn't want to continue painting Old Glory Romans even though I am an Old Glory Army member. I ordered some of the new Wargames Factory 28mm Late Republic Romans instead. These are cheap but from what I've seen online, they look good for the price. This is my "when I don't want to paint Middle Earth miniatures OR 15mm Sci-Fi" project.

Other projects I am working on when I have the desire to do so:

• 40K - For the first time ever, I'm building a Space Marine force!
• Warmaster Ancient Battles - I have a Late Repbulican Roman army I'm adding to
• Warmaster Ancient Battles - I have an Ancient Indian army I need to finish
• English Civil War - 28mm Warlord Games and Perry Miniatures are staring at me
• American Revolution - 28mm Perry Miniatures are staring at me to get started
• Napoleonics - 28mm Perry Miniature French are demanding to know why they've been boxed up.

Now that I type this out, I really have a problem finishing projects. Moreso than I thought. What should I do about it, if anything?

Vale,

Consul Scipio

Marcus Aurelius in 28mm

Have you seen or heard of this new figure from Warlord Games? It is the Emperor Marcus Aurelius depicted as a tired campaigner somewhat like he was portrayed in the Russel Crowe "Gladiator" movie. It is an interesting departure from the typical heroic poses that we always see in miniature wargaming. Marcus Aurelius was the epitome of the "philosopher king" style of ruler, and here he looks like he is watching a battle or campaign unfold in front of him, not because he wants to be there doing it, but because he has to be there doing it.

It sort of reminds me of that well-known sculpture called "End of the Trail" (bottom right) that shows a Native American who has obviously also seen a lot of campaigning in his time. In any case, I think I like it, mainly because it is different, and it seems to capture the essence of Marcus Aurelius and what he was all about.

28mm Roman Cavalry in hard plastic

Check out what is now available for pre-order from the "Wargames Factory." 12 horses and riders for only $19.95!

And as if that was not enough, you can now also order Celtic chariots to use against the Roman cavalry. It should be an interesting match up!

Is there a Commands & Colors English Civil War game in our future?

Junior and I attended the HMGS East "Cold Wars" convention in Lancaster, PA this past weekend. In between games we like to walk around and look at what people are doing. I particularly like to see what rulesets people are using. So as we were strolling through the Lampeter Room where all the tournaments are held, we just happened to come across Richard Borg and a group of gents playing an English Civil War (ECW) game with 28mm figures on a cloth marked out with hexagons. Richard Borg is of course the renowned author of several popular games such as the Commands and Colors (C&C) ancients system, Memoir '44, Battle Cry, etc. In the first picture below he is the gent in the white shirt.

What struck me about this scene is they were obviously using the same card movement/action system that has become familiar to us in Richard's games, but this time the rules and cards appeared to be home made. I asked him if this was an experimental ECW version of C&C and he acknowledged that it was. I then asked him if we are going to see this published some day and he said "hopefully."

So there you have it folks; a great "scoop" from your favorite gaming blog! Remember, you heard it here first!

Tools of the Trade – a Prelude to an Introduction to Painting

It was a very wise man who said, “Use the proper tool for the job.” Of course, he was most likely single and therefore able to buy those tools, without the oversight of CINCHouse (Commander in Chief House), which often results in conversations similar to the following:

Wargamer: “Oh!! I need this tool!!”

CINCHouse: “Why? You don’t use the tools you have.”

Wargamer: “I need this one for that special project!”

CINCHouse: “You haven’t finished the last (insert large number over 20 here) projects you’ve started. Finish those before you start a new one!”

Wargamer: ““But it’s on sale!”

CINCHouse: “And… this matters how? Buying another tool you’re not going to use, even if it’s on sale, is still a waste of money.”

And of course, in the end you don’t get the tool, try to make do with another tool you may have never used, and end up cutting off parts of the project, and perhaps your body, that you didn’t want to cut off.

In a perfect world, a guy could buy all the tools he needs to do the job right.

Since it’s far from a perfect world, we’ll make do with what we have, as best we can. However, there are some tools that, if you compromise quality, your project will suffer.

Paint brushes: This is the most important tool a wargamer will purchase. Skimping here WILL adversely affect the outcome of your figures.
Imagine having to pick hairs out of your paintjob as you go. This costs you in time taken to remedy a problem that could have been avoided, and costs you in a reduction in quality. Bad brushes make for bad paintjobs.

Be picky about your brushes. ‘Nuff said.

I use Reaper Brushes, almost exclusively. No, this is not an advertisement for Reaper – I just happen to like the brushes! They are good quality and are reasonably priced.

The average wargamer will need a broad range of sizes and shapes of brushes. For figures, you will need a very tiny brush to use for painting details, a medium brush for applying paint to small and medium areas, a larger brush for overall coverage of medium and large areas, and several sizes of stiff brushes for use in dry brushing.

For vehicles, I recommend the “Tank Brush” by Citadel. If you properly thin your paint, you can use the Tank Brush to paint a vehicle, without leaving brush marks, thus negating the need for expensive air brushes. (Not a knock against airbrushes!)

Soap, Water, and Paper Towels: No, I’m not going to tell you to wash behind your ears. Soap, water, and paper towels are essential items used to properly care for your brushes!

A bar of soap, such as Ivory or some other plain, square block of soap will work nicely. Any old dish will work to hold the water – just make sure it’s cleaned after each session, if possible – or soon thereafter!

The way this works is, you dip the brush in water and swish it around, then wipe it off on a paper towel. Then, after wetting the brush again, place it on the bar of soap and draw it towards you, rotating or spinning it slightly as you go. Then swish it around in the water and repeat until clean, periodically using paper towels to dry the brush off and remove excess paint-filled water.

Another technique, though perhaps not as economical, is to use surgical prep pads; cotton pads soaked with rubbing alcohol. These pads can be used in place of the soap to remove paint from a brush, or so I’ve been told!

It is critical to care for your brushes properly. Brushes will last longer, and be usable at a moment’s notice, if they are cleaned and stored carefully.

NEVER leave your brushes in the water dish for extended periods of time. Doing so will result in the paint being more difficult to remove, and the brush attaining a new, and likely undesirable, shape.

Artiste Palette: No, I’m not going all “artsy-fartsy” on you. A palette provides you with a place to thin or mix your paint, where it will not dry as fast or be absorbed. I use a glossy (that’s important!) square tile, such as is used for tiling floors or walls in bathrooms or kitchens. The glossy surface allows the paint to be mixed prior to use, and it cleans up easily. I use a putty knife and hot water to clean my palette when needed. There are other resources that can be used as a palette, such as a Styrofoam picnic plate – which, instead of cleaning, you simply throw it away.

Another, more environmentally friendly, item that works nicely is a Teflon painting mat. The one that I use, in addition to my "old style" ceramic tile, is called Slip Grip Mats. These mats are easily scraped clean after a painting session, and remain ready to use for some time to come! Bwana Bill bought some at a recent convention, and thinking of his old friend, decided to gift me one! I love it, and more importantly, my wife loves it too! That's especially important!

Water bowl: Folks, a word of warning here. Don’t use your nice china as a water dish for cleaning your brushes!! There are specially designed plastic dishes on the market that have a separator and places for brush storage. An inexpensive alternative is a “Cool Whip” bowl. I don’t recommend explaining to CINCHouse that you simply had to use the entire bowl of “Cool Whip” ‘cuz you needed the dish for your hobby. I can attest to the likelihood of this excuse resulting in a rough night in the doghouse.

Cleaning up: It is important to clean the water dish and palette regularly to avoid cross-color contamination and the introduction of dried paint chunks into your current project.

Clothes: If you own clothes that you would like to be able to wear in public, don’t wear them when painting. This does not mean that you should paint in the nude, but rather that you paint while wearing “scruffy” clothes, such as sweat pants and an older t-shirt. Even though many of the paints used today in the wargaming hobby are water soluble, they are readily absorbed by cloth, and are not easily removed.

In the Beginning…. Part V

5. Priming: One of the most critical issues of our time in the wargaming community, an issue that is hotly debated in numerous venues, and has yet to be decided one way or the other, is whether to use black or white primer.

Since this blog is about wargaming topics and is written for wargamers, I will attempt to remain neutral. To choose sides in “The Great Black V.S. White Primer Debate™” would be irresponsible, and would likely alienate half of my intended audience


My view in “The Great Black V.S. White Primer Debate™” is that one should use whatever performs best for the type of model/figure one is working on!

However, the reality is that I find it easier to use black spray primer on all the figures/models I work on, and then use a brush-on white primer for areas that require significantly brighter or lighter color paint.

I have used white primer in the past, but don’t like the overall effect. My metal colors do not come through as nicely as they do against a black primer. Additionally, when the end model or figure I’m painting will be using darker colors or modern military drabs, the white primer lightens up the model too much for my taste.


The operative statement here is: Use whatever works best for your style of painting!


My style of painting relies on a lot of shading and shadow, and I find it easier to highlight up rather than darken down. Thus I choose to use black primer the majority of the time.


I realize that some individuals will accuse me of not being a “real wargamer” because I choose to use black primer. I must state for the record that there are plenty of folks in the “black primer” camp who make the same statement about those who use white primer, although I would not be one of those people! I would never make such a sophomoric and judgmental statement!

So, let’s not discuss the barbarians flinging fire at the gates of the civilized wargaming world, who suggest alternative primer colors such as gray or rust brown! I cannot, in good conscience, recommend the use of gray or rust brown primers, unless you are intent on the destruction of civilization as we know it! We won’t discuss it here, because this blog is for wargamers, and those who suggest using gray or rust brown primer simply aren’t real wargamers!


But seriously folks:


I used to use GW (Citadel) black primer for most applications; however, that is now impossible, since GW no longer makes black primer. They claim that their “Chaos Black” spray paint also works as a primer; however, it dries glossy, and does not work as I believe a primer should work, that is, covering the figure and providing paint with a surface on which to stick.


I now use Rustoleum black primer, although I have used rust, gray, and white primers too. Rustoleum has the advantages of actually being a primer, is produced by a large company and is less prone to “bad cans of paint”, and it’s pretty inexpensive.

In the Beginning... Part IV

4. Basing – This post is about “flocking” your figures’ bases prior to priming.

Bwana Bill introduced me to a Pumice basing material similar to this. Although the brand I use is different, the effect is much the same – a grainy, gritty putty-like substance that hardens and effectively brings the level of your actual base up to the level of the figures’ base.

I use a sharpened stick to spread the pumice putty around on the figures’ base, attempting to even it out nicely; however, I don’t attempt to make it flat or smooth, to better emulate actual ground.

If you want a tile base or a “stone floor” base, there are several alternatives available. You can use “green stuff”, which allows for ultimate flexibility. I use scraps of green stuff to make larger rocks for bases. You can model tile or stone floors, or simply smooth surfaces. If you have particularly thick figure bases, you can use green stuff to even up the base (bring the level of the base surface up to the level of the figures’ base).

Other alternatives are molded plastic sheets that provide the appearance of tiled, stone, wooden, or metal surfaces. In fact, a search at your local train hobby store will likely provide you with a wealth of ideas that won’t severely impact your budget, and are not too difficult to implement!

Once the basing is completed, I let everything dry. Drying includes glue for figures and any “stuff” used on the bases for texture. The pumice requires approximately12-24hrs to dry fully, though it can be carved or sanded after it has dried.

Some more info on the use of the pumice paste in particular, and basing in general:

What if, as happened to me, you already have an army all primed and based – with no choice in flock on the base, and you just discovered the pumice paste, or some similar basing material.

If you are ready to apply your paint, you can also choose a primary paint color for your basing material and mix the paint directly into the paste. Upon drying, it will be the base color you selected!!! The pumice paste absorbs color nicely and in my experience, there is no detriment to the consistency after it dries.

Other basing alternatives include various types of green, yellow, brown, or sand “flock” that can be easily applied after the figure is painted. I don’t recommend applying any flocking on the base until after the figure is fully painted, due to the chance that paint or ink will drip or run onto your flock, requiring the addition of more flock to correct the problem!

After drying comes priming, which is a whole different topic!

In the Beginning…. Part III

3. The Base – for my 15mm figures I use the standard bases provided by the “Flames of War” gang, while I use whatever is available for my 25mm figures. I have used Games Workshop bases of all shapes and sizes, as well as bases manufactured by other companies. As long at the mold is clean, base selection should only be restricted by the rules you intend to play. The selection of inexpensive alternative bases will not affect the final appearance of your figures.

Although I did not mention metal bases, many historical gamers do make good use of inexpensive metal bases, which you can most likely find at your local game supply store!

Metal bases are very thin metal squares or rectangles of various sizes. The advantages to using these are that they are less expensive and sold in packs containing quite a few bases, and if you choose to use a magnetic figure carrying case, your figures can travel standing up, ready for battle!

In the Beginning…. Part II

2. Cleaning – Some folks do a poor job at this critical stage, or skip it entirely. This results in a rough-looking figure that is not as appealing to the eye. Regardless of the level of painting skill you have, an improperly cleaned figure will result in a poorer quality paint job.

Most manufacturers recommend washing figures in warm, soapy water, to remove the “mold release” chemical from the figures. I always forget this stage – I wonder if any of our loyal readers can supply info as to why this step is or isn’t important! I have always felt that the scraping with an X-Acto™ knife or the filing with jewelers’ files would clean most of the “mold release” material off the figures.

As I stated above, I don’t wash my figures prior to cleaning or priming. Considering past experience, and reflecting on the number of times I’ve had to touch up figures or models that have scratched or chipped, it is entirely possible that my failure to wash the figures has contributed to a lowered resistance to scratching/chipping.

It is essential to remove as much flash as possible. This may require a combination of tools. I always have a set of jewelers’ files and an X-Acto™ knife on hand. The X-Acto™ knife allows me to scrape away larger elements of flash from figures, and to get into areas I may not be able to reach with the jewelers’ files. Always use care when working with these tools, as they are necessarily sharp and can inflict bodily harm to yourself or others nearby!

For plastic figures, I almost exclusively use the X-Acto™ knife, scraping carefully along the mold lines with the edge of the blade. For harder plastics, which several manufacturers are beginning to use, the use of jewelers’ files may be a viable option.

After removing the majority of the flash, tidy up with the jewelers’ files; you are attempting to remove any hint of flash or mold line. If you have a really bad gap or mold line on the figure (this is sometimes the case with larger models) use model putty or green stuff to level the seam.

Be careful not to remove too much detail! Over-filing can result in a loss of details – and if you are not familiar with the figures, you can sometimes mistake a key bit of detail for “flash” or a mold spot.

At times it may even become necessary to use a Dremel™ tool, or similar small, variable speed drill. From personal experience I can attest to the potential for damaging both the figures and the wielder when using these tools! Be careful!

One preparation that, in my humble opinion, enhances the final appearance of a figure requires the use of a Dremel™ tool or a small “pin vice” (a very small manual drill). I drill out the barrel of guns (particularly on Warhammer 40K figures!). I drill the barrel proper, and then the side-holes on the flash suppressors. When the figure is completed, the actual holes, rather than black paint lend an additional hint of realism!

Additionally, as a part of the cleaning process, I always keep a large flat file handy. This is the big, honking file that some folks use for auto repair or sharpening their battle-axes prior to a raid. I use the large file to clean the bottom of the bases on individual figures, and sometimes to thin the base down so that it doesn’t show so much under my “basing”.

I cannot emphasize how important it is to pay attention to detail at this stage, in order to have a nicer, more appealing figure when you pronounce the painting job to be "Finis!"

In the Beginning...

Before you base or prime your figures there are a few things to consider.

1. Figure selection – Cost most often drives my personal selection of figures, at least when building an ‘army’. If the figures are too expensive, I often have to go with a less expensive alternative. Unfortunately, the selection of less expensive figures often results in a lower quality figure on my table. This is a poor place to start; however, it’s all too often the reality in the Wargaming community.

Cheaper figures are often produced by companies that do not periodically clean or remake their molds, which results in more flash or more noticeable seams that require significant cleaning.

If possible, examine figures in a line you wish to purchase, in person. Holding the figures in your hands is the only way to truly judge the amount of cleaning that will be required.

A key point to remember here is that when a new figure line is first released, the molds are new and clean, thus it is best, if you can afford it, to purchase new figure lines when they are released. Unless Commander in Chief(ette) (CinC) House, or your budget says otherwise!

If you are able to begin the painting process by selecting higher quality figures, the amount of time spent cleaning may be reduced, providing additional time to spend actually painting the figures!

Final Series of Apocalypse photos

Here is our last installment of our recent Apocalypse action. In the first photo is Eldarmeister Tom's Eldar Avatar. Then in the next photo, there he is again, but this time he is going down fighting surrounded by a horde of Orkmeister Karl's bloodthirsty Orks!

The third photo shows one of the Ork Stompas closing in on an unfortunate IG tank. "Come to Papa!" he says!

Last, but not least, you see two of the three Stompas casually strolling through the armored "gun line" like they are out looking for daisies to pick! In the back of the same photo you can see the unit of Ork "Tank Annoyer" boys trying to appear as though they still matter!

WWII 28mm Scenarios for Disposable Heroes and Coffin for Seven Brothers

I found an interesting tidbit of information on The Miniatures Page recently. Iron Ivan Games, the gentlemen that publish Disposable Heroes & Coffin for Seven Brothers (DH/C7B) have announced they will soon be publishing scenario books for gaming WWII in 28mm. That is simply great news as far as I am concerned! Let me tell you why. In recent years, I am always “the GM” for our gaming group when it comes to doing anything in WWII, and coming up with a good scenario is always hard. The scenario books that I have found never seem to match up perfectly with our favorite game system, that being DH/C7B. Something is always off. Usually it has to do with the units that the scenario calls for. The organization of individual squads is usually different and right away you have to start making changes and substitutions. Sometimes the scenarios call for a ridiculously large number of units. In cases like that it is easy to see that the scenario was originally designed and played for 15mm, or maybe even something smaller. Another thing I hate is scenarios that call for a ridiculously large playing area that is beyond the capabilities of almost all of us. Another thing that is difficult is converting tactical skill ratings and morale ratings to the game system that you want to use. Usually scenario publishers will try to help you out a bit on this, but not many.

From what I understand the first book will cover the Brit paras at Arnhem. Let me give you a hint too. If you examine the events list for the upcoming Cold Wars convention in Lancaster, PA, it appears that one of the games being offered is from this new scenario book, even though it has not been published yet.

So, I have high expectations for these scenario books. I have always been impressed with the thought processes of Messrs. Stine and Conley at Iron Ivan Games. I think they are very clever game designers and so my guess is their scenarios will be a great boost for the game system. When I read through the events list for the upcoming Cold Wars convention I could not help but notice that most of the GMs running WWII games in 28mm are using DH/C7B. It appears to me that DH/C7B is becoming more popular all the time; and rightfully so!

Space Wolves Vehicle Camouflage

I love camouflage!

I retired from the Army a while back, and I recall an Army that wore "green sateens", which were, arguably one of the ugliest uniforms ever!

Although the elite Space Marines of the 40th Millennium are supposedly too "l33t" to require or desire camouflage, the old soldier in me bristles at the thought of any equipment entering a combat zone in "parade gloss" paint schemes.

After a discussion with Bwana Bill and Orkmeister Karl, I came up with a camo scheme for my Space Wolves vehicles.

I tried to stay true to their wolf-gray, winter-world origins, and came up with the scheme pictured below.











What do you think? We love comments and suggestions from our loyal readers!!

Painting SS Pea-dot Camo in the Fall Color Scheme

I have been working on a 25mm SS Company for Disposable Heroes, and Coffin for Seven Brothers.

I chose an unusual camo scheme, simply to be different; and also because a field soldier knows, after a few days on an exercise or in combat, almost all you own turns brown with dirt!







The SS Pea-dot camo is, in my humble opinion, one of the better camo schemes to emerge from World War Two, from any country's military! It came as a bit of a surprise to me that there were variations to the Pea-dot camo scheme!

The normal scheme has a green background, some dark blotches (larger spots) and several shades of lighter green placed in small, random spots - the pea-dots!

The fall color scheme is all in browns/yellows.

To paint this scheme I used the following Vallejo Paint colors from the "Model Colors" line:

Base coat: 70825 German Cam Pale Brown

Large splotches and some small dots: 70822 German Cam Black Brown

Small lighter colored dots: 70977 Desert Yellow

Start by cleaning the figures well and basing them. I base my WWII 25mm figures on 25mm round bases. I then glue fender washers onto the bottom of the 25mm round base. Fender washers have one side that is somewhat rounded, while the other side is fairly flat, with some sharper edges. I try to glue them on so that the rounded edge is away from the figure, and will be in contact with the gaming table.

I then use a pumice mix on the bases to create a 'dirt' consistency base which also serves to hide the figures base against the 25mm round base.

After the pumice has dried, I prime the figure in black.

On this batch of figures I painted the pants in Vallejo Feldgrau, and painted the base coat of German Camo Pale Brown on the smock.

After the initial coats dry, I use the German Camo Black Brown to paint round, oval, and semi-oval shaped blotches on the smock.

I also paint some tiny dots with the German Camo Black Brown, sort of trailing away from the larger blotches.

Once that layer is dry, I use Desert Yellow to paint blotches of color on top of the dark brown camo blotches. This is not meant to totally cover up the larger dark brown blotches, but rather to be place in the center of a larger darker spot of color!

I also paint some more tiny dots trailing away from the larger ones, using the Desert Yellow.






As you can see, this gives an usual pattern that breaks up the outline of the soldier, as a good camouflage scheme should do!

The figures in these photos are approximately 90% complete. I still have inking and highlighting to do, to put the final touches on them, and then my (in)famous muddying!

I'm going to continue working on these lads, and hopefully will post more photos as they near completion.

Warhammer 40,000 Apocalypse armored gun line

OK, are you ready for this? Get a load of THIS gun line! Have you ever see so many 40K tanks in one place before? This is something you DO NOT SEE EVERY DAY! You have to come here to see anything like this. Amazing,isn't it?

Yet More Apocalypse

Here's a few more pieces of Apocalypse "eye-candy" for you. The first is a "full frontal" of the scratch-built Mekboy Stompa. This monstrosity has with out a doubt been the nastiest piece on the table during all of the Apoc. games that we have held.

The second photo is an IG Basilisk hammering away somewhat futilely at all the massive Ork hardware running around.

Then we have two magnificent shots of my new Terminus Ultra Pattern Land Raider (What a mouth full! Just try to make an acronym out of that!). Magnificent; isn't it? Don't you just love firepower in all its various forms? Don't you just love the smell of air being superheated by large lasers in the morning?

Oh, and I need to make a correction to my last posting. Our Orkmeister has pointed out that the "Tankbusta Boys" should now be referred to as the "Tank Annoyer Boys!" Oh, the shame and ignominy of it all!

Apocalypse continued

I almost forgot that a few days ago I said that I would post some pictures from our latest Apocalypse game. So, here they are!

The first photo is Orkmeister Karl's unit of Ork Tankbusta boys. These models come from a by-gone era of Warhammer 40,000 (40K), and Karl has added a lot of very nice scratch-built weapons and other details. This was a unit that we all greatly feared over the years. Now, unfortunatley, the latest Ork Codex seems to have turned them into a unit who's overall performance is quite disappointing.

The second photo is one of the Orkmeister's beautiful scratch-built Ork Stompas. He can field three of them now, much to the chagrin of his Imperial opponents. They have not yet managed to destroy even one of them!

Photo number 3 is Andrew's classic Imerial Guard Steel Legion unit.

The last photo is 20 of my Khorne Berserkers grouped into one huge squad. Kharn the Betrayer is somewhere in there with them. I wanted to try this combination to see what would happen. My reasoning was that a large squad would serve to protect Kharn well and escort him into assault range. Plus, even if Kharn did kill a few of his own side during his frenzied assualt, it wouldn't matter that much if he was in a large squad. There is also a demon prince and a Predator tank operating independently on their flank. I decided on all this even though I knew it might be difficult to get them into assault range without a transport vehicle. So, since our game only lasted two turns before we ran out of time ... yes, you guessed it; none of them had time to get within assault range. So, it proved to be a bad idea after all.

Baneblade tank rumbles forward!

OK, I have told you this before. Every once in a while we escape from reality and digress from historical gaming into science fiction. So last Sunday the gang got together to put together a Warhammer 40,00 Apocalypse game and for the first time in 13 months we had an opportunity to pull our super-heavy Baneblade tank out of the garage, load her up on the transporter and send her into action against the infidels. And here she is! Rumbling into action! The earth shakes, and the enemy shakes with fear! Stay tuned to this channel and we will show you more of the action in the coming days!