Plastic Addiction

I now have pretty much all the figures and bits & bobs I need to get started so I got a picture of all my loot. Looking at it all out on the table was good though it did make my wallet ache.

Should keep me busy for a while

Now that I know the Dark Eldar Wyches conversion works well I need another two boxes and I also need another box of the mounted Elves to make a few mounted officer types. But with so much painting to be done those can wait a while.

I also got the first of the Game Zone spearmen together and base coated, I really like the models so couldn't wait to get started on them.

Officer and the spearmen

Shadow Work

Returning to work and then doing some involuntary over-time has restricted my painting this week but I have finished the first 5 Shadows and made some progress on the remaining six. Once they are all done I can then put the multi-base together.

Big Blue Killing Machine

I haven't managed to get as much done on my last day of holiday as I would liked but I have moved the Nephilim in a new direction with the aid of a blue wash. I rather like the look and think some more blue wash and and some purple wash should improve the look.

Big Blue

I also managed to get the Quickshade wash on to the first batch of Shadows and assemble and undercoat the second batch. The second batch once completed will give me the eleven models I need for a regiment base.

New Boys

The Shiny Stage

The only real downer for my week off is that the Spearmen from Game Zone have yet to arrive despite being ordered 2 weeks ago. I'm sure they will turn up soon, it is a long march from Spain after all.

Painting Update

I've made some good progress this week with the first unit of Blade Dancers almost complete and the Shadows coming along nicely. I've been working on the replacement for the Dancer who died in a tragic dip & flick incident so the unit isn't quite complete.

Dancers unit on base

Replacement with Shadows behind

I've bought a few resin scenic bits and also invested in a cheap static grass applicator. I found that by earthing the applicator to a metal tin lid I can get good results, I have also magnetized each base for transport but it also helps keep the base still for this stage.

Shadows

Shadows base

I realize now that putting the texture on to the base before the props is the wrong way to do at especially as you cannot even see the texture once the grass is down so lesson learnt for the rest of the bases.

The Shadows

I had the chance today to sit down and put together the first five Shadows using the Dark Eldar Whyches and some crossbows from a bits site, they came together rather well and much more easily than I had hoped.

Apache ?

I also got the Army Painter dip onto the Blade Dancers, I had to forgo the flicking after the first model had a horrible death and broke up, the remaining models I just painted the 'dip' on to.

The Survivors

 

The Dancers will now need to be highlighted and then varnished to reduce the amount of shine added by the dip.

First Twilight Kin

With the Green Wing completed I know have both of the Gangs of Commorragh finished and ready to use. My brother should be coming over in a few weeks so I am sure we can fit a few games in.

The whole Gang

Must clean my desk some day

This meant that I could get some work done on the Blade Dancers and the Nephilim who will be used as a bolt thrower stand-in.

Basics done

The big dude

As normal I am getting the basic colours down and then touching up after, I am not entirely sure what direction I am going to go with the Nephilim but a darker red looks good so far. As I may want to use the Nephilim for Hordes later on I have put some magnets in his feet to allow for easier base swapping.

Green Wing #2

As I'm off work all this week it means I can make some progress with the Hellions and have first look at the models for the TK army.
First off I made some good progress with Green Wing and they should be finished off tomorrow.

Almost Done

I also put some colour down on the bases for the TK and started to put together the Vestals from Avatars of War. The models themselves come in a multi-part kit that can be put together in a variety of poses with different weapons. The box of 30 contained over 40 heads and enough arms and legs for 30 figures, it also contained 3 standards. The models are made from a fairly soft plastic which my Gorilla Superglue gel was strangely resistant to sticking together.

Kept this basic

Bits of Vestals

The vestals came as separate body with 1 leg, head, leg, & arms. As I want an action pose for the unit I have set myself the challenge of having all the models with only 1 foot on the ground. In order to help the models stay in place on the base I will be pinning them. I hadn't done this before so it was a good chance to learn, the feet are very small and narrow so it was a bit fiddly.

Mounted & Undercoated

 

Green Wing

So progress has been made on green wing today and also some models have started to arrive so I got to glue a Hordes model together. My initial impression is that kit whilst more sturdy than the GW ones does not quite fit together as smoothly. I did give me an excuse to break out the green stuff for the first time however.

Progress Made

Nephalim

Tau for Scale

As the Nephalim is of a decent size I have an idea that it could be used for representing a Bolt Thrower on the list so perhaps another one will be bought.

I have also started on the test bases as I've got enough bits to try them out.

So far it is just an MDF base topped with white glue, sand, model railway ballast and a little black paint.

Hellions Ahoy

So in anticipation of the Elves arriving I have been doing some more work on the Hellions, the blue half of the gang are ready and I have started on the green half.

Blue Wing

Green Wing

Once the green wing are done then I'll try to get a Gangs game in and start work on the Elves who should be turning up soon.

Clearing the Decks

As I am now off for a week I have placed some orders and await the arrival of the new models. I already have one change of plan as the Avatars of War Assassin model was not avaliable so I have sub'd in Rhyas instead. With such a large number of Hordes models being used I have now started to think how I can base the units up so they can be used for Hordes & KoW. I suspect I will be needing to do some magnetising to solve that problem.

New Assassin

I also have a backlog of figures to clear before I can start on the new arrivals, at present I am working on some Hellions for Gangs of Commorragh having already completed the Reavers. I like to get the basic colors down first and then work from that point towards a model I am happy with.

Less FUGLY

FUGLY

My aim is to get a model that looks good on the table rather than individual master pieces. I am not sure I have the patience to paint large numbers of models each to the highest standard, or even the skill. I know I will never reach the levels of some painters, like Andrey Demidov who's work is just awesome.

Setting the Scene

As the models for the bulk of the planned army are depicted as moving at speed I want to create the impression of fast moving troops leaping over cover. To do this I have been looking around for the

stumps, logs, bits of statue and other obstacles to place on the base for the models to be crossing. The current plan is to pin the models in place which I haven't had to do before so that should be good practice but with half a mind to use magnets instead for some models so they can be used on other bases. The models from the Hordes range would be good for this as I could then use them for that game on the round bases they come with.

I already have some blasted tree stumps from WWS and also some Vallejo Still Water from another mini-project so stumps and puddles are already a possibility.

Blasted

I have also seen some nice Masterclass Scenics and Kromlech tree parts so those could be bought and I won't need to break out the Milliput to make any.

Kromlech

Masterclass

Whilst browsing around I came across some nice statue bits from Mastercrafted which might make a good perch for a Gargoyle and Scibor do some excellent broken statue parts. I suspect the real problem will be getting all these bits onto the base, I also plan to use cork lumps to make rock shapes.

Mastercrafted

Scibor

The plan at present will be to make a sand and glue base which will be painted over in earth tones with the extra scenic bits on and then to use grass mix by 4Ground over the top with maybe some bushes/flowers by Gamers Grass to add some colour. I think this will be the subject of a few trial runs before I can decide on the finished look.
The bases themselves I may get from War Bases as I doubt I can get as clean a look as a laser cutter. I keep thinking that a laser cutter would be a great bit of kit to have, then I see the prices for a decent cutting size and go back to dreaming.

To close off this time these are the 2nd set of figures I painted after I came back to gaming, most of the 'skill' is provided by Army Painter Quickshade's via the dip & flick method.

40k Tau

Proxy Wars #3

In addition to fielding the various unit of different sizes KoW also allows you to use powerful single models normally representing heroes or large monsters. For the Twilight Kin these include the Lord on Black Dragon and Hydra that I have already covered and a few more.

Assassin - Avatars of War do a nice range of Dread Elves and they do an Assassin model so that can be ordered at the same time as the Vestals.

Looking moody

Standard Bearer & Dark Avenger / Lord - I plan to use the command troops from the Gamezone Spearmen order for these. As I am off next week these have been ordered today in anticipation of them turning up when I am home.

Three heroes in each box of thirty

High Priestess / Mage - As I was ordering the Spearmen I also snagged the Gamezone Sorceress at the same time and the Legion battlebox for Hordes comes with a Warlock caster as well. That should be enough cover for the caster slot(s).

Gamezone Caster

Hordes Warlock

Dark Lord on Pegasus - This is actually the only model I currently have for the army but it hasn't yet been put together. I spotted it going cheap on Ebay so picked it up. It comes from the Spire of Dawn box by GW and should look good with a few additions and a red colour scheme, as long as my brush work is up to scratch of course.

May require a head transplant

That should be all the models choices I need to get started as I won't be looking to field some units, though the Scather crew from Hordes look tempting for a Bolt Thrower proxy, perhaps I will keep an eye on Ebay for those. I also don't plan on running a Crossbow horde so won't need models for those, the Gamezone ones look nice but the price is rather high. I also won't be fielding any Abyssals as they may be cut when the army list gets it proper update, it also leaves me with a pure Kin army apart from the Gargoyles.

Next I need to think about the bases so time to put on my thinking cap and polish up my google-foo.

Almost forgot to put in some models that have actually been done !

Necron Rank & File

Proxy Wars #2

Carrying on with the proxy model ideas we have :

Dark Knights - The current plan is to use GW Drakespawn Knights for these but I have also seen the Raek model from the Hordes range which I think would convert into a great looking cavalry unit and would keep a similar theme to the Dragon Rider I have chosen. The two issues with using the Raek are the cost and if I can pull the conversion off.

Easy option

Conversion Candidate

Hydra - This again draws from Hordes Legion of Everblight range and uses the Typhon model, my concern with this one again the cost and if the model will look large enough. I do like the Hordes models but they aren't cheap so this may be a long term trawl on Ebay job.

Beastly

Dark Lord on Black Dragon -  This is the model that started my interest in the Hordes figures. There are plenty of Dragon models about but I wanted something that could be easily transported and looked a bit different. After much searching about I noticed a model of what looked like an Elf riding a winged creature rather reminiscent of the flyers in Avatar.

Avatar Version

Beast Rider

The model itself looked pretty good but again I thought it was too much on the small side and something larger would be better, so swoop forward the Neraph/Seraph model which will be paired with a Wyche model to make the whole.

The Rider

Trusty Stead

The Neraph model is £27 but if you buy the Legion battlegroup for £30 you get it and 4 more models to use, so that makes the price much better. 

Using the three Hordes models for Knights, Hydra & Dragon would give some unity of look to the army so I will make a decision on the Hydra & Knights once I have the Neraph model.

Almost done with the proxies I think so to end with for now how about some Dark Eldar bikers who I've used to test out the colour scheme for my Kin.

Red ones go faster

These are from the Gangs of Commorragh box-set so I have some Hellions to paint up as well and some nice spare chains and glaives to use with the Dragon rider model.

Proxy Wars

The reason I have chosen to collect Twilight Kin was down to my desire to use two models that Games Workshop produce and I love. Those are the Dark Eldar Wyches and Daemonettes of Slaanesh.

Wyches

Demonettes

I'd wanted to paint these models up but was having a problem fitting them into the same army until I found  Kings of War and the TK list and then I could see the way.
Each KoW army is made up of units of differing sizes and points value, the armies are built by taking Regiment, Horde or Legion sized units and this then allows you to add a certain number of troop, monster, hero or artillery units per Regiment/Horde/Legion taken. Most unit types come in several different sizes with the points value adjusted for the size.

Unit Size Example

Check out the free rules for all the exact details and what the stats mean.
My starting point for the army is to work out what figures to use for the different unit types and then build up a list from that point, I'm going to need more than the two I had in mind at the beginning.

So working from the army list I have :

Shadows - These are going to be the Wyches with the guns removed and replaced by crossbows bought from a bitz site. This should give a good representation of the fast moving melee / ranged combat unit I have in my minds eye.

Gargoyles - I'm going to use the Demonettes for this unit with the addition of wings from the Tyranid Gargoyle Brood models from GW, this should I hope give an interesting model.

Wing Donors

Blade Dancers - I was going to use Wyches for these originally but then I saw some Vestals of Nemesis by Avatars of war and have put an order in for a box of 30 on Element Games for £30. Again these look like a unit of fast movers so the action poses should work well.

Fast and Deadly

Reaper Guard / Spearmen - I hadn't originally planned to include spearmen in the army as I wanted a fast and flowing infantry theme rather than a solid infantry core. Then I saw the models by Gamezone Miniatures and changed my mind. Not only do the models look great but the unit box comes with a standard bearer and at least one officer looking figure which can be used as individual characters in the game ( more about those later).

Slow and Deadly

Well that's enough for now but I will leave with a picture of some stuff I have already painted since my return to wargames which are some Mycenaean Greeks from Redoubt.

Heroes to the fore and fodder to the rear.