That Games Workshop Balrog!

Yes, there must be thousands of well intentioned purchases of the GW Balrog figure when "The Lord of the Rings: Fellowship of the Ring" came out at the cinema and simultaneously hit the Games Workshop retail outlets. Yes, someone, with the gift of the brush, was assigned in each shop to paint the Balrog and told to "do it right" because it was going to be the centrepiece of the shop window display for the next six months (see below, my beastie was assembled years ago - no mean feat in itself and primed grey but got "stuck" in limbo):

But .. as good as the casting techniques were back then, figures of this size and complexity were always  "gappy" at the joins, so my Balrog has stayed many years imprisoned in a box awaiting the Milliput treatment, but alas the thought of rolling two pieces of epoxy putty together (the brown one always annoyingly harder than the green/yellow one) makes you want to run to the kitchen and "make a cup of tea and get very distracted from rolling Milliput" (see below, the next stage - gap filling, not Milliput but Vallejo Plastic Putty to the rescue):  

Vallejo Plastic Putty was an impulse buy, yes I have many plastic kits that would benefit from it, but if truth be told, for the, majority nobody would notice on the wargames table. The enigmatic bottle winked at me but was not put to great use, until one day teh urge took me to find the Balrog. Close inspection of a large fantasy figurine like the Balrog at a RPG (inevitably playing D&D) session is embarrassing though and it why this figure was put to the back of the painting queue (see below, horrid gaps and I mean horrid gaps at last being filled, even Sauron was smiling. The Plastic Putty is squeezed out in controllable amounts that can then be applied by cocktail stick or end of a modelling knife):  

Well if any of my D&D player characters from my ongoing campaign are looking in, firstly "Hi - stop peeking! No good will come of it!". Secondly rest assured I would not be so "mean" as to do something as "mean spirited" as introducing a large, dangerous, short tempered and obviously "too high a level" monster (with quick-kill player character eating potential) into the game, just because I have painted it, What do you take me for? Yes, of course I will quite happily wait twenty odd years until you are ready to tackle it. Please pay no attention to the Bugbear and Demon Prince figures that did that, appearing out of the natural course of events, we call those regrettable incidents, so unsightly. That was plain "mean" and I have learnt my lesson (which was go out of the room before starting to laugh out loud). Carry on, there is nothing to see here, move along Gandalf. 

When in need of painting inspiration .. just paint Sci Fi or Fantasy, nobody can say you are wrong!

Games Workshop "late 1980's or early 1990's era" Space Orcs for Space Crusade which is an early (or just before) Xmas painting project, where I intend to run a retro Space Crusade game for my original D&D friends (see below, early stages of work): 

What can I say, they have only been waiting to be finished for about twenty years! Passed on to me by a nephew who grew up when I didn't!

That's Interesting: An International Warhammer Conference Captured on YouTube

Here it is in all its glory (see link below): 

https://www.youtube.com/@warhammerconference

The first video (see below, included so you can get a feel for it):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_KNs_Gnq1Z8

I have to say that I am fascinated! In know 40K in particular is so old it has its own creed and history within its history. Fascinated to see the dedication and interest this generates!

Games Workshop (GW Demon) - WIP

Confession: This one was pulled from the archives (a year ago). Backstory ..I had a moment of weakness, I think I was in need to cheer myself up with a tonic and "it" took advantage of me!  Daemons are like that, they attack you when your defences are down and this one appeared unexpectedly in an aisle in local non-wargaming shop (Boyes) during a boring shopping trip (see below, yes I totally blame the Games Workshop Daemon for taking advantage of me, I am weak and it promised me riches [but it took my wargaming soul]. I have primed, washed and base-coated it [and washed it again for good measure] to gain the following effect): 

Despite being a bit over the top, it is very, very good fun to paint and it is one of the "classic Warhammer miniatures" - just sought after just to paint (see below, I like the way fantasy holds no bars so you are free to experiment - although you could say I went for a typical "Demon Red" painting scheme, three layers of paint [shade, base, highlight] and a wash on the metals! Presentable but not yet totally finished): 

Vallejo Game Colour paint range did the trick, along with their washes. The next stage is spot highlighting and some extra "detailing" on the base! Watch this space ...

A retro-project approaching its completion: Games Workshop Warhammer Starter Set circa 2003 - The Orks!

Before Xmas this was the state of play of my Warhammer Starter Set - bought for me as a birthday present circa 2003. The Empire troops are long painted but the Ork (careful not to drop into the LOTR spelling convention here) are still wanting a  bit of attention (see below, the Ork Boar Chariot and Ork Archers are just primed, Ork Chopper Boyz looking ok): 

The Ork Chopper Boyz are pretty much done - an extra bit of work on the blades won't go amiss (see below, these Ork Boyz don't seem to be the 1HD wonders of Second Edition D&D I remember so fondly of in my youth , more like 3-5HD "bad ass" things you try and avoid if at all possible):  

So during the Xmas break I went to it with gusto [it was a bucket list item]! The Ork Archers get their final painting session (see below, basing and flocking of course still to follow): 

The Ork Crew and Wild Boar Chariot was the most challenging. In short, a lot of work .. albeit mostly brown and metal (see below, it did however become a mix between a "labour of love" and "point of honour to finish without rushing". Note:  the Spear Ork is really working hard to find something "to hit"):

A close-up of a typical Greenskin - showing off with a whip, prodding a Wild Boar and bigging himself up (see below, where is a juicy, defenceless Elf when you need one?): 

Nearly there, just the last bit of basing to do! Not that bad after twenty years - I was just waiting until I learned to paint?

How to Paint Black Templars -Tips from the Internet

Linked to my recent interest in using "Vallejo contrast [Xpress] paints"- and possessing  a bottle of Black Lotus (very evocative naming from the marketing department, top marks) I was looking around for some "dark chaps" to paint up. Two candidates jumped to mind, one from Vietnam - black pyjama Viet Cong, the other from the unpainted bucket of Space Marines - some Black Templars. Time to turn to the Internet for some help (see below, saviours of  universe [Black Templars] needing a coat of paint before they can go "hand-to-hand "with Chaos in the name of the Emperor - all WIP): 

I have surrounded them with a sophisticated painting task-force of Vallejo dark paint ranges to see if anything works, I have great hopes for Dark Grey (994), Black Grey (862) in combination with Xpress Black Lotus (423) and Black Ink (094), highlighted perhaps with Glossy Black (861). Talk about "fifty shades of grey"!

Meanwhile this is what other people did (very well) on the Internet:  

• https://taleofpainters.com/2021/10/tutorial-how-to-paint-black-templars-crusader-squads/
• https://www.fauxhammer.com/tutorials/how-to-paint-black-templars-armour-tutorial/?fbclid=IwAR0W2-EiEvXew3VukW3DHfOkJN430qGfKujhwh-sSul4Qo9VWF5xSFP6c9Q
• https://www.redgrasscreative.com/painting-miniatures-black-templars/
• https://spikeybits.com/2021/10/how-to-paint-black-templars-space-marines.html

The exploration of black painting space continues!

Good Old Fashioned Dungeon Hack: D&D 5th Edition

Mixing the old with the new. Fifth Edition D&D Rules (relatively new), with Games Workshop Figures and Warlord Games (monsters) and forty year old adventurer (Citadel[?]) miniatures and "the classic floor plans" (see below, the old-timer is the Dwarven thief skulking across the large cavern floor [actually invisible courtesy of a friendly magic-user's spell] the angry pack of ghouls [represented by GW Chain Rasps] heads towards the rest of the party - also note the suspiciously "un-animated" skeletons littering the cavern floor [from Warlord Games]):

Thing was the moment we stopped the session for the night/ What they call in the movies "a cliff-hanger". To be continued ...

A Study in Dry-Brushing "Gun Metal": Necrons

I will say it again and again, for me a historical painting impasse is often unblocked by a trip down Fantasy or Science Fiction lane. In this case it was a return to Necron metallic robotic Vallejo Gun Metal and an exercise dry-brushing. I applaud the Games Workshop design team for some incredible robotic sculpts, but try as they might with other worldly paint schemes, but I am going to always see them as Terminators and steely-gun metal (see below, my Necron hoard gathered across a decade): 

At least they have all been, primed, then black-washed and dry-brushed gun metal. What follows will be silver highlights and perhaps inking in detail. The "orb" power sources need a unearthly shade of green or the like. I seem to have a platoon like structure of three squads of eleven and a HQ unit, not far away from Chain of Command! A welcome "Work In Progress" (WIP). 

Nurgles .. Fun with Painting .. Nominally Fantasy/Sci-Fi

The good thing with good old "make-it-up" fantasy and science fiction is that nobody can really tell you are doing it wrong and really anything goes, especially when you are talking boiling beasts of  Chaos like GW Nurgles (see below, this was a little bit of an exercise in dry-brushing, first pass Army Painter Primer [Grey], then Vallejo Brown Dipping Formula, then Vallejo Dark Flesh, using a slightly worse for wear GW/Citadel Dry Brushing Brush): 

Just for experimentation I decided to throw an ink glaze (Vallejo Skin Ink) over it to get a wet look (see below, admittedly most of this would be lost when I dry brush but inaccessible places will still look dark, dank and wet): 

I now have a wet looking band of Nurgle miscreants (see below, the "game" they are being painted for is a "Party of Demons in Hell" take on FrostGrave - which should be interesting, I intend to mix and match to make an "old ball bunch"):

I then stopped the batch process and took one through to completion, or at least very near completion (see below, dry brushed passes of 50:50 Vallejo Caymen Green/Camp Green, Vallejo Camo, Vallejo Rotten Flesh on the main body): 

Another, this time close-up view, in the unnatural light of day for this "demon-thing" (see below, Vallejo Blood Red, for flesh - boils Vallejo Vermin Brown "tapped" on some with with Vallejo Off White): 

I also plan to use these as standard "biggish monsters" for RPG [Undead and Chaos]. Painting wise I experimented here and there on the other bits, such as introducing Vallejo Blue Ink into the guts finding an old guide to painting miniatures useful, but having to convert "old" GW to closest Vallejo. I had fun basically :) 

Bad Boys But They Look So Good .. Tyranids ...

You gotta love the bad guys sometimes, particularly when they are of the deadly reptilian kind (see below, two enjoyable painting projects of yesteryear - Games Workshop Tyranid Warriors): 

They have been the last thing many a Space Marine saw on a Space Crusade mission ;) 

Also perfect for inclusion in a game of Stargrave methinks!

Aeronautica Imperialis - Orc Dakka Dakka Fighta Bomba - Trials and Tribulations ...

Oh, I felt so relieved when I could call this project done. Sigh. You secretly know to yourself when you are overworking something and that is what I was doing here - but I honestly could not see a way to stop myself. I was overthinking the problem. The formula I used for the previous "Red" little Orc fighters just did not seem to work well at all for this "Yellow" two man (sorry Orc) fighter bomber, and it was only ever so slightly bigger a modal. In hindsight I thought I had possibly even overworked the "Red" Dakka Dakka fighters (but in my defense I was applying multiple thin coats rather than one thick one) but I liked the "Red's" resulting "comic book" character and the depth of colour I had achieved (so the pain and time was worth it - even enjoyable), however trying the same technique on the "Yellow Terror" seemed to tie me down in too much of a repetitive cycle of coats of watery yellow paint that did not quite cover. Yargh! Working up from a shade of light orange was a very bad starting point, it meant I had to work double as hard to effectively change from this "orange" colour. More fool me for using the Vallejo Game Colour chart that is good for small fantasy figures on small areas (see below, my Flaming/Hot Orange starting point, it should have been a simple Golden Yellow on a white primer [I had used Airfix Grey Primer]): 

I say all the above the stuff about orange and yellow because I slavishly applied a brown wash to get a ugly feeling of rust in the paneling, cracks and missing parts that are a signature trait of "orc craftsmanship" (see below, but everything just went a "darker orange"): 

The model started taking off when I finally got a couple of coats of Golden Yellow onto it (see below, this was the colour of the planes that harassed and attacked me in the iPhone game of Freeblade .. and I so liked shooting them down as they exploded beautifully .. hats of the the graphic designers, animators and computer programmers for a job well done):  

Again slavish to the "rust concept" I plonked another layer of brown wash on it (see below, oops I think I am missing a trick here as I pretty much undid all the brighter yellowness of the previous stage for not much texture gain, and in hindsight I was putting a lot of paint on the model - less is good in most cases): 

At this point Sun Yellow came to rescue me from insanity, the first coat starts to bring me round to the yellow look I an after (see below, but it was very patchy and would definitely need another coat - seriously I am putting too much paint on this model .. and I cannot get the knack of putting thin coats of yellow on it to look right, so in desperation I am globbing more Sun Yellow paint on than I know is really right):  

At this point I honestly could have easily given up on the Orc Fighta Bomba and who knows in a none Covid-19 scenario I might well have done. Instead of aborting, I took a big deep breath and left it alone for a while and busied myself in another concurrent ACW project I have on the go (more on that in a future post). I came back when my painting frustrations were abated (also with a tick in the box for the ACW project) and with a nice strong cup of tea in hand, plus a plate of calming chocolate digestive biscuits I (see below [although the natural light is on the dim side], the second coat of Sun Yellow seemed to saved the day and I resisted the brown wash on the yellow [good decision] - but I did re-apply the brown wash and needed to do some black lining on the silver leading edge paneling):  

Now I just went full-throttle for the finish, using Moon Yellow and a very slight touch up on the silvery bits (see below, you may also notice a bit of brassy gold applied [and a subtle brown wash] to various pipe things and vent things as a contrast to the silver/gun metal): 

The beast is complete, but it did have one final bite to give me. My big clumsy mitts managed to either smear some red on the canopy and nose, or rub yellow paint off to expose the orange .. urk, it looked a mess .. but I took a deep breath and undercoated it white so I could reapply the Moon Yellow. In a spur of the moment decision the leftover white+yellow paint ended up being dabbed a random patches of super highlight (see below, all-in-all it seems to have worked and I am fairly happy with the final results): 

Time has truly expired on this one, but as a final touch .. or should I say insurance .. if there was ever a model that needed a strong coat of varnish over it to protect it from rough handling, this is the one! Note to self: I put that last bit in to remind myself to do it later ;) 

The only remaining thing to do is get it in a game and take delight in shooting it down!

Hero Quest the Game Continues

In keeping with the 1980/90's "retro" post of my latest 1970-80's Traveller acquisition, a game that I missed out on acquiring in my youth (though I have managed to play it since) was the Heroquest series. This now has come my way via the sad circumstances of a games clear-out as one of the co-owners passed away, but in their honour I shall educate my family in the ways of Heroquest over the coming Covid winter (and paint a few of the retro models to boot! The "Barbarian" springs immediately to mind). Going back in time, I think I had just moved on from my first RPG phase at that juncture (it was not pulling in the girls methinks) and Games Workshop was pushing me away with the huge amounts of models required (masses of "orcs" .. or is it "orks"?) for their epic fantasy battles (in retrospect, fool that I was for thinking that!). I vaguely remember my nephew becoming interested in Space Crusade so I did see Heroquest on the shelves alongside it. The good news for me and the family is that it is D&D-lite on rules but epic in charm which is win-win  (see below, the beautiful box and remember to see the unforgettable video): 

Alongside Heroquest was Advances Hero Quest which I think was a way to route impressionable youngsters over to Warhammer, an armies even Peter Jackson would be proud of (see below, behold hoards of evil Skaven): 

This surely brings down an embargo for me to stop collecting things and start painting (with the possible [noted] exception of some 15mm Traveller figures for my Xmas present).

Freeblade: Astoria Level 55

Astoria the mega human/cyborg - "Mega Robot of Death" (see below, courtesy of hours of fun over several months on the iPhone; Orcs and Chaos quake at the sight of this looming bulk coming towards them):

Nearly finished the game. When I have a figure of sorts may beckon at Xmas ;) 

Another Corona Virus Project: Paint me a Space Marine the 'Eavy Metal Way (Old School)

I do like following the GW "instruction manuals" that pass on the trade secrets of the Heavy Metal painters (see below, this is dated back to 2008, so old in fact the paint ranges [as in the curious names of the paints] are well out of date, but thankfully they still translate to Vallejo Game Colour instead): 

Flicking to page 89 my attention was caught by the guide's "how to paint a Space (Ultra) Marine the 'Eavy Metal way". What can I say, I have many GW Space Marines, painted to varying degrees of quality, from fast skim to over-painted and too fussy. This time I am going to try the milky many coats better than one thick coat approach (see below, my Space Marine in waiting with his heavy weapon - note the dramatic black and white imagery, this particular Space Marine comes from the Space Marine Command Pack): 

My "blue phase" of Space Marine painting and so many shades of blue at that (layers of Ultra Marine Blue, [recesses with Imperial Blue and Black] mixed with with Space Wolves Grey to a fine line of pure Space Wolves Gray as an edge highlight). The difference here is that rather than over paint large areas with a shade-base-highlight of successive "same colour" thickly painted; it was a case of many thin coats of one colour with a dark colour in the recess, with the armoured parts mixed with increasing amounts of a contrast colour [Space Wolves Grey] - retreating each new layer to the edges of the armour very quickly (see below, the bulk of painting is actually done now, with the rest more a finishing and touching up exercise - paint less seems to work): 

Next, the "eyes have it" (see below, a very detailed sequence of ultra fine detailing to the tiny patches of the model that make up the eyes; shade red, base red, orange highlight, dwarf flesh bottom half of the "lens [eye]", with a tint sparkle of white in the top back corner [I kid you not] - this took some patience and steady hands to do): 

One mean looking Space Marine .. a tiny difference to the model but the eyes really does transform the figure (see below, a finishing touch yet to come, will be to "gloss varnish" the eye and "matte varnish" the rest of the figure): 

The "weapon" and "gold trim" are next up (see below, here are the arcane 'Eavy Metal instructions to follow by the latter - base colour, wash, touch-up and fine line highlight): 

Gun [or rather heavy weapon] finished and Gold Trim applied (see below, 90% done but just a few extra chrome bits to do):

Little bits left to do. Badge emblems [white skulls and green laurels] and parchments [ribbons and vellum] are added with a shade-base-highlight and wash combination (see below, the finished product - minus the base texture and features that has to come):

Showing off the sacred vellum scrolls and protection rites with red rosette (see below, note the skull eagle on the back is just a 'spare part' added on by me - yes I am a GW heretic, I will be turned to Chaos [I already have a pack of Chaos Space Marines]): 

In retrospect one of the things I like about the model is the fine Grey Wolf fine highlight lines, minimalist but very effective (see below, his Chaos cleansing path lays ahead of him): 

Phew, done (bar the basing! Even if he is a glorified grunt he was worth it as I have painted a Space Marine I am proud of and plan to pass on some of the techniques to more my historical models(see below, ready for a Space Hulk or a Black Fortress near you): 

There are five figures in all for the Command Pack, but I will take a break before moving onto the one. Al in all it was a slow "week's worth" of hobby painting time spent on this one figure - not a factory production line method for sure!

First Test Run of Aeronautic Imperialis: "Fly Navy" versus "The Space Orcs"

A cloudless sky over Drakon-514, a simple patrol to test the refurbished engines but a wailing alert shattered a peaceful dream as an Orc Dakka Dakka Jet appeared as a tiny pin-prick on the horizon. Joss froze he only had his integral armament as the Techs did not want to risk causing an unnecessary malfunction, he just hoped the interloper was not tooled-up with long range missiles or better still fast asleep at the wheel (see below, the Navy Thunderbolt closed with the Orc Dakka Dakka Jet): 

The planes turned into one another. the Orc was no slouch as it was he who fired first. Joss slightly out of position, paid dearly for his early error as the NAvy airframe took a beating. He could hear his instructor cursing his incompetence (see below, thankfully the Thunderbolt is made of stern stuff, being able to soak up three hits, whereas the Dakka Dakka Jet is a more flimsy, with two structure points):  

The planes whizzed by. Joss marveled at the simplicity of the Dakka Dakka Jet in comparison to the sophisticated Navy Thunderbolt and its ability to "turn on the gas". It was pure speed, but in overshooting its position the Orc had given Joss an opportunity (see below: the hunter is now being the hunted):  

The Orc had the initiative but was not reacting with its OODA loop now more predictable than the Thunderbolts. With a seeming less ease the Thunderbolt seemed to move itself into position (see below, medium range is the killing range for Thunderbots, whereas Dakka Dakka Jets have to get in close - if the Orc had gotten in closer earlier it would have been Joss' loss being reported):   

The Dakka Dakka Jet was now atoms spinning crazily earthward, to scatter across the sandy, barren plains of Drakon-514 (see below, the was killed two times over and came to a catastrophic ending, not even time to feel the shame of fear):  

Joss dipped his wings, circled slowly and headed for home. Already the Squadron Leader had sent him an automated congratulations as the computers chimed with his next mission details. In the air war over Drakon-514 there would be no time for luxuries, his next mission might not be against an inexperienced "Orcling" as this one was.

So I got some "Space Marine Command Figures" - Why do I bother with GW figures?

I do not consider myself a Games Workshop 40K wargamer - not at all. The toys I have amassed over the years (decades) are bought purely out of the Sci-Fi feel good factor - spawned I think from the sculpts and art work rather than belief in their universe (Note: GW have still done very well out of me). No I am not a 40K gamer per se, I do not possess the complete 40K Orc hide-bound rule tome for one thing. I do not posses any complete "army". I have a basic knowledge of the 'sequence of play' from a starter/primer magazine used to lure people in but I am sure I would be torn apart in a "competitive shop game". Over the years I have acquired various "now out of date" Codex's from second hand shops or bought some new (Tau, Necrons and Tyranids - now out of date) to assist painting and modelling, but artwork first or a cheap bargain is my motto. All this is not going to stop me from buying some Space Marine Command characters (old school, not Primus) .. because I see a use for them in an expanded Space Crusade system (see below, I class these as "character painting projects"):  

My children, well my eldest son for now, have inherited my Sci-Fi and fantasy troops as I was running out of space in the loft so they surreptitiously "moved into a downstairs bedroom" (I should really call it a tactical loan). I have never fought a Warhammer 40K with my "own" troops but have enjoyed an intro squad game at a shop (they were very complementary about my Tyranids). The one club game I once played was with other peoples toys (Orcs [me] versus Chaos Space Marines) and frankly was a terrible experience, as I was one half of a historical gamer pairing trying to understand the system, thankfully some "grown-up" (middle-aged) teenagers came over to help and salvaged something. I didn't even get to do a proper "Waagh" ;) 

My hope is to recycle these troops 'character' into exploring "The Black Fortresses" (modern versions of the Space Hulks to my mind) akin to move-style horror RPG. I'll mix in other ranges. So although for 90-95% time I enjoy ignoring GW, I still like that they are there - particularly as I will freely borrow from their paint ranges and techniques.  

"Fly Navy" (Thunderbolt and Fury) - Aeronatica Imperialis is approaching lift-off

With three Orc Dakka Dakka Jets in air it seemed reasonable to scramble a pair of Imperial Navy Jets to fight them (see below, there were two variants included in the "Wings of Vengeance" starter box - Thunderbolt [the staple Navy fighter] and Fury [hard hitting but can run out of ammo] so I made one of each; not that you can notice from a top down view): 

I think my plane painting will take a pause here until I get a couple of games under my belt. The rules seem fairly straightforward (Canvas Eagles - Blue Max comes to mind) but the devil may be the tabletop detail.