Archive for October, 2011

Let’s start week two with what I forgot to mention during week one: Ranks and awards. If you take a look at the patches below, you’ll see there are seven patches total. The top three are awarded at the end of the Journeyman League, while the main four are awarded at any time during the league. The four vertical patches are awarded for total league points earned. Joining the league nets you the main centrepiece patch.

steelheadpatches

For each ten points you earn from there on out, you gain another chevron, up to hitting 30 Journeyman points. Journeyman points are the total of any league points you have; Game points are earned for playing and winning, Hobby points are earned for painting, and Journeyman points are the sum of Game and Hobby points. The Destroyer, Creator, and Journeyman patches across the top are awarded at the end of the league for the player with the most points in a single category.

Read the rest of this entry »

Tags: , , , ,

The houses have reached the point where I can start to add little details on them. These details are not mandatory when making terrain but are very important for creating a convincing environment!

The Merchants stairs looked little bit empty so I decided to add some kind of hand railing to it. I started it by cutting 1 cm long pieces from 2mm wide plastic tube and glued those on to the stairs.

stairdetail

At the start of this project I thought that the merchant should have some kind of storage space for his merchandise and the underside of the stairs would be a great spot. But if you are going to storage something valuable you should protect it also. That’s why I build steel bars under the arches from the same plastic tube what I used for the railing. I also added vertical styrene strips to the bars. Then I cut small bolts from thin plastic rod and clued those in place to the vertical strips. Easy and very nice looking!

Read the rest of this entry »

Tags: , , , ,

Two-Player Battle Box – Painting Khador

completed-1

For those of you following along at home this is the next stage in my series on the Two Player Battle Box for Warmachine. Last time we looked at Assembling the miniatures. This time we will be looking at painting the Khador half of the box.This article is aimed at players new to the hobby or those who want a simple quick and effective way to get nice tabletop minis painted and ready to play!

A few things we definitely learned along the way with this article. The first of which will be something that will help newer painters out. The first tip is don’t try and paint everything at once. Group your models into small manageable chunks.  My suggestion would be to start with the Warjacks, then move on to the Infantry, then finish with your Warcaster. Not only will it be easier to manage but you will have greatly improved by the time you reach your small detailed Warcaster.

 All paints used in this article are Formula P3, unless stated otherwise. Vallejo Model Color (VMC), and Vallejo Game Color (VGC) were also used, and will be specifically pointed out when needed.

Read the rest of this entry »

Tags: , , , , , , , , , ,

In our first Cygnaran Storm article we built a 35-pt Cygnar army based on many of the foundational units that Cygnar is so well known for. Using that as our starting point we will swap in Lt. Allister Caine and see how our army can adapt to fit a different warcaster.

cygnar-faction-logo

Known to many as the Drunken Warcaster, Lt. Allister Caine (pCaine) is a highly skilled gun mage and warcaster with a taste for alcohol, women and trouble.  With no shortage of those who would question his character and loyalties, none would argue with his effectiveness on the battlefield.  His low rank, especially for a warcaster, is a result of many indiscretions in both civilian and military matters.  More than once Caine has awoken from a booze-fueled haze sitting in a local jail, only to be bailed out by higher authorities.

Read the rest of this entry »

Tags: , , , , , , ,

Puppets on board

Cute little minis that like to rip out their own stuffing? Yes, please. This is another game I was trying to avoid. Unfortunately, I managed to get my hands on a few of the miniatures and painted them up. Then I got my hands on some more ( including some of the LEs) and painted some more up. Then I just picked up the game because, well I had all the pieces everyone was looking for.

Puppet Wars is a game that takes place in the world of Malifaux. Specifically, the game takes place on the bayou workbench of one Zoraida. She is essentially the Baba Yaga of the Malifaux-verse. Basically, the voodoo puppets of other Malifaux characters come to life and wage a war against each other. Don’t worry though, some needle and thread will make it all better.

Read the rest of this entry »

Tags: , , , , , , ,

The Journeyman League is a six week slow-grow league set up by Privateer Press (creators of Warmachine and Hordes) meant to create an easily accessible format for entering either game. Players start with the contents of a battle box, which contains a single Warcaster/Warlock and two or three units. Points are awarded for games played, games won, and miniatures painted.

steelheadpatches

Read the rest of this entry »

Tags: , , , ,

Welcome to another of Ghool’s tutorials!

It’s been a while, hasn’t it?

This time around, as a result of a few reader requests, I am going to just demonstrate how I paint a model from start to finish. I use several techniques I’ve already covered. Familiarize yourself with Two Brush Blending, Washes and Glazing, and Painting Metallics before moving into the rest of this article! The most used technique here is by far, Two Brush Blending. If you are unfamiliar with this technique, fear not! I will have a video demonstrating this within a few months. A new computer is a must before I do-so, but I do plan on doing so. I would also advise some knowledge on Additives and Their Uses, as I will be making use of some in this article as well. It’s a lot of reading, but you asked for a miniature from beginning to end! In order to have a full understanding of what I’m doing with this miniature, these articles will help build you a solid foundation on how I go about painting a model.
All paints used in this article are Formula P3, unless stated otherwise. Vallejo Model Colour (VMC), and Games Workshop Paints (GW) were also used, and will be specifically pointed out when needed.

For this article I’ll be painting Rhupert Carvolo, a Mercenary Solo from Warmachine. This one isn’t for commission, it’s actually for my own collection! I’m using him as practice for future entries for Lock n’ Load in 2012, and I’ll be using some colour harmonies and very natural, realistic colours I don’t normally use. I also don’t paint in such muted tones, which is another reason I’m using a model from my own collection; I won’t be screwing up anyone else’s model in case it doesn’t turn out.

I’m opting to use muted, natural colours, and a scheme I don’t normally use simply because the modern trends in miniature painting favour more realistic schemes these days. If you want to impress judges, remain current, follow what’s hot in the miniature world, and execute it well. This will earn you high honors, and possibly Gold Medals, and/or Best of Category/Show. This is something I learned of late, so I’m going to give it a go.

I always start using the Cardinal Rule of Miniature Painting – Paint from the Inside Out.
What does this mean? Paint the deepest parts of the miniature first, and work your way outwards. This helps to keep your painting neat, and less mistakes happen that way.

Read the rest of this entry »

Tags: , , , , , , , , , ,

pic1097326_t

I wasn’t going to play it. I wasn’t going to buy it. It was expensive and more stuff to paint. So why did I say yes when Scott asked me to do a few games with him? He had just picked it up and suggested it and I said “he no worries, you have the key to the game store, want to test it out tomorrow morning”. He was on board and thus we set sail.

Navel combat has never been cooler than in this game. I have played Uncharted seas, the old CCG Pirates game by Wizkids, and Man O War, but nothing has compared to this game. So let’s get down to business because I don’t know about you but I had no real concept of this game, it’s rules, contents or general fluff.

Read the rest of this entry »

Tags: , , , , , , ,

I met Meg some time ago; at Privateer Press’ own Lock n’ Load Gamefest. I was attending the painting seminars, and she was taking the attendance of members. What I found funny, is that she knew who I was as soon she looked up my badge number on her attendees list. We chatted a bit, and asked if she would mind being subject to an interview for Hand Cannon. She heartily agreed, and it only took me 4 months to actually come up with some questions! She was just starting as the new, second studio painter for Privateer Press, and I was rather surprised she knew who I was, but had no idea who she was. So, here we are; let’s find out about Meg.

 

1.How long have you been painting miniatures?

Since late 2004

1266010083_resized

Read the rest of this entry »

Tags: , , , , ,

Support the fight against breast cancer!

thyraface

This is your chance to become the proud owner of a high-quality display miniature painted by an award-winning painter, and support breast cancer treatment and research at the same time. I am auctioning Thyra, Flame of Sorrow, painted to a high display standard. 100% of the proceeds will be donated to charity through eBay Giving Works, to support Susan G. Komen for the Cure.

AUCTION LINK

Read the rest of this entry »

Tags: , , , , , , ,