Bastet's Corner - Operation: Smilebringer

Mission Entry: Extraction Rendezvous
Log Entry N°: #03/001

Day 10, Hour 2135

The sky is clear. There's a big, bright, full moon towering above the landscape, giving a peaceful, almost mystical, air to the moment. The snowstorm is now well past, leaving room for a gentle, if cold, breeze. As I glance down the valley, I play with my breath, letting puffs flow, big and small. The remains of the camp down below show no sign of last night's events. Had I been asked, no longer than ten days ago, that this would have been the outcome, I would have laughed my ass off. Boy, what a fool I would have been.

They should be here pretty soon. Better go check on the others and see if they're ok. I guess they'll be more than happy to meet their comrade, and leave all this behind them.

How i did it: Knight-Venator

   -Do you want me to take him down, or would you rather send in more guys for him to beat up?

Clint Barton

   I learned to fear Knight-Venators during last local tournament i played for him has been able to took me down general in the blink of an eye; but venators are not only really dangerous attacking, they have survive ability having major movement capacities, a very good armor (saving 3+) and a huge starring air that can lead your opponent into the deepest annoyance (especially after killing you general in just-one-shot)

   Oh well, it is not a tactical corner anyway, but i think i was going to explain why i decided to add a sort of dashboard moving puppet, you know, ones with those quivering big heads atop of small springs, 'cause he's massively fragile. Personally i don't like wings' sculpt so much but his unequivocal power on the battlefield moved me over. After all i'm a player too.

   In this post we'll have a brief wings' tutorial, where we'll see how to make blue-metal shades in just-one-shot (or almost), exactly the same manner he teared down my general, BOOOM! For the making of the armour, weathering and in general for a more complete stormcast eternals tutorial i refer you to this page, where i laid the foundations of the color scheme and overall look of the entire army, Guardians of The Ages.

A merry model Christmas to everybody!!

Hi everybody!

On behalf of all the crew here at this little infant blog, let me give you our best wishes for a safe and merry Christmas! Be with your loved ones, stuff your belly and most of all have fun.We know we will! And may the grots not steal anything from underneath your Xmas trees!

How i did it: Stormcast Eternals Liberators

   

   -This is where we hold them! This is where we fight! This is where they die!

-King Leonidas

   OOOOK! I'm really excited about this... my latest project, lasted about two months, involved Stormcast Eternals, as you can easily argue by the picture, and has been something heroic; 47 models in less than, actually, 30 days in one of the most intensive time of the whole year for my business but, believe me, i've been boosted by them, Stormcasts. Although i was sceptic in first instance at the time they've been made (by and large 1 year ago, maybe few months more, am i wrong?) i had to think again and get back on my steps because, whatever shall be the angle through you are going to see them, or evaluate them, they're going to be EPIC. They are epic to paint, imagine, built, play.

    

   You can think of them as mighty Riders of the Storm and get back to teen's (although would be better the "on" version ;P) or have them in full cinematic stance, just childish when you are going to crush ANY opponent on the table top, or dramatic as anything else, as they descend from heavens on a desperate world to fight horrors, eternally. 

    So... i'm very proud to present you the Guardians of The Ages, my personal and custom Stormhost that, as you'll can see in the future lurking the blog, have been actually caught somewhere in time and picked up from a distant age by Sigmar himself to better serve in the raging war against Chaos.

    

   However in this post we'll talking of the making of them, not their background; in particular we'll see how to make Liberators, exploring metal-shade-armours, non conventional battle-damaged shields, fast but effective basing using powders alongside the old classical and brown worn-out leather. Let's start!

Elke's Temple Liberators with Sigmarite Shields and Warhammers

Showcase me!: Ironjawz

  

  

  Good morning fellow painters! My painting journey through ironjawz is over, or at least for the moment... by and large it has been one of mine most important painting project so far, being the first painting project for the blog and the first i've done for Age of Sigmar.

    So, i thought my Asheaters deserved one more post, just to showcase them and serve as an index for all their previous (and several!) posts. 

    Thanks again for all of you followed us during last months!

More Input: painting Reavers

- Is that the best you can do? -
Thor

I was born as an aircraft static modeler.
In case you hadn't ever known one, we're the closest thing you can imagine to the "Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders" definition of obsessive–compulsive personality.
Not the generic "Oh my god, I can only eat blue M&Ms, I'm SO OCD!".
It's not trying being fun, I'm dead searious.
Tankers are the masters of realism.
Ship people are masters artisan.
Miniature painters are masters of color.
Aircraft makers are simply batsh*t crazy.

"Did I saw some something yours on Finescale Modelers?"

Point of RE-View: White Dwarf December 2016

 Good evening fellows! Not so late this time, we have our White Dwarf review for the month of December. Mostly of the issue is around and about Thousand Sons (alongside MAAAGNUS!!!) and THE expected specialist game of the year... of course i'm talking about Blood Bowl, one of the most successful board game in the whole GW's story, in its brand new issue!

Bastet's Corner - Operation: Helping Hand

Mission Entry: Zone Scouting
Log Entry N°: #01/001

Day 1, Hour 0335

Successfully deployed. Minor hiccup with the dropoff coordinates, so the landing wasn't exactly smooth. The pod hull sustained minor damage, but nothing I should worry about. All the sensitive equipment is in working conditions. Rendezvous is in 48 hours. Since the main task is to make sure that the citadel is free of enemy threat before the main rescue platoon drops, I should have plenty of time to try and make contact with the survivors - provided I manage to locate them, of course. The distress signal is fleeting at best. Well, tough luck for them, but I'll see what I can do. Let's move out.

Point of RE-View: Ironjawz Battletome (Fluff and Tactical)

   Well well well, I recently won a two-months local AoS tournament using my Asheaters and it was crazy! Although Ironjawz don't have so many army composition choices, and lack ranged weaponry altogether, they are a quite balanced force in its own right, good at winning by points and objectives, very good in a defending position but absolutely brutal if attacking. Here we are going to see their Battletome, that is a good one in fluff and background as well!

Point of RE-View: White Dwarf November 2016

   Very late this month due to my commitments, but finally arrived, WD's review for this month going to be a fast one! Don't get me wrong, the issue it's well packed and has few highlights very interesting... just to say an example they featured in depth not one, or two, but three of my favourite (and painted) armies, Ironjawz, Stormcast and Dark Eldar!

More Input: changing scale

- Sucking at something is the first step to becoming sorta good at something. -
Jake

In case you thought that I was pretending being so slow, I'm not.
I was merely convinced by a mischievous couple of individuals to start my first AoS army.
Yes, I've painted some 75 mm in the past, but I've never painted a whole army of 50 pieces.
My main concern was "maybe I will grow bored after the first thirty", but I never expected to find the task anything near "difficult".

I'm not a professional painter, but when it comes to vehicles and robots, modesty can kiss my glorious butt. I'm a bit more than average.
So I supposed that, similarly to my beloved mechas, my miniatures had to come out "a bit more than average".

Huge. Mistake.

"And I am the pretty one!"

Leaving the Chamber: Grog Painting Competition '16

   Oh... i finally found a way to insert my beloved Ellen in the blog!  This is should be an "editorial" page but actually it is going to be filled with random stuff more or less related to modellism, of course by the approval of our Holy Mewmperor.

   Recently i've been at the biggest fair of my region, like almost every year i did, disguised this time as Rick Grimes, faithfully escorted by my favourite zombie, but this is another story... well, in the fair take place a big painting competion, created in the 80's, called Grog. Let's see few very good entries as well showcases from talented painters!

Beautiful Stormcast Squad painted by Angelo Di Chello

How i did it: Ironjawz Gore-Gruntas

- Dude! Boars are only worth two experience points a piece. Do you know how many we would have to kill to get up 30 levels?

Kyle

   Well, quote right above is quite true, talking about Elwyn Forest boars but it is not our case. Because THEY are not boars. They are f****** Gruntas! Actually i don't really know what they are:... ok you have stuff and background in the Ironjawz Battletome but i'm feeling the whole matter needs more time BUT they are huge, ferocious beasts tougher than a boar, and fit lovely under the new big orcs from GW, Ironjawz.

Weapon of Choice: Lifecolor Lichens and Moss

   Find something new, on internet, written in some blogs or just in a new store just visited, that lights on our fantasy is always good. We are all seeking new ways of painting and modelling, improving our methods and buying new stuff... especially buying new stuff, if it is the right stuff (something can't happens anytime, sadly), we can stride a lot in our path. 

   Recently, in a very small store hidden in the biggest city of my province, i found a Lifecolor set of paints to repeat lichens and moss on my models; price (and my fantasy) made it worth of buying, even just for a prove.

How i did it: Ironjawz Megaboss

-Five horses, five men. More than i like killing on a empty stomach.

Sandor "The Hound" Clegane

   Some of you may think that Marnaldur Gaze of Mork is my favourite model in my Ironjawz army, and this is quite the truth, since him gave me big deals both in making and gaming. Alas in the majority of the matches i played, just the pure dread he's able to instill in the enemy forced my opponents to focus him since the very first turn. So i learned to use, and love, another boss as well, that i named Krugga Pig-arm. Smaller than Marn but really deadly, many warriors paid with their very lives, understimating him; and the model is striking.

Bastet's Corner - Operation: Lurking Shade

Mission Entry: First Contact
Log Entry N°: #01/001

Day 1, Hour 0100

Mission Starting Zone clear. I got out of the portal without any sign of enemy activity. Actually, almost no sign of life around me, save for some small local fauna. After glancing briefly at my surroundings, I chose a secluded small cave as first base camp, to review my gear's condition and determine how to proceed. Atmosphere and temperature are both nominal. Dawn is nowhere near, but my Night Vision is excellent. As usual. Some sensors, though, are seemingly malfunctional.

How i did it: Chaos Bronze Statue & Dais

- Oh, Mother Night! Fold your dark arms about me. Protect me in your black embrace. I sit alone, an impotent exile, whilst this form, this presence, returns to torment me!

The Lord of Darkness

    I recently bought a 120x180 table to play games at home... i changed location few months ago and in my new house i have a big room where i built my "lab", i put my showcases, PC and so on; last added is the gaming table.

   Well, i thought to buy a gaming mat and some scenery but, since i wanted my table looks very different than the others (and perhaps a little bit less expensive, wasn't a bad idea at all) i decided to build and paint some of those scenery on my own. 

   First of the series is a Chaos "shrine", as i love calling it, made with some pieces of cork, few textures and the slaughterpriest mother GW thought well to gave me with the September Dwarf!

How I did it: One-Forty-Twenty - part 4

- Must follow my directive.-
Auto

First things first: I'm really sorry for the delay. Furthermore in this case I had some major setbacks at home that stacked atop my regular slowness.
Actually I wanted to publish the post after completing the base, but for "How I Did It" section even the model alone will suffice.
So let me simply add that it is my very good honor to introduce you the completed One-Forty-Twenty

We're gonna need a bigger base...

Weapon of Choice: Light Cube

   One thing that, at some point, really matters all along modellers' and painters' track is to share their works... but it's not easy to capture our models at their best. New generation smartphones can help us take good fast shots, some easy programs on the web help us correct the major mistakes but what about a showcase? We're all net travellers and we find perfect model shots wondering if ours will be ever so well presented.

   Well... you need tools. Equipment. Assuming that you already have a reflex camera, the second step is to get a Light Cube. 

Ludicrous Speed: Ironjawz Ardboyz

- They shout and curse, stabbing wildly; more brawlers than warriors. They make a wondrous mess of things. Brave amateurs, they do their part. -

Dilios

   I barely spent less than four months to finish my Ironjawz project for Age of Sigmar, which included 33 miniatures... ok, I did not paint everyday of course: I have a hard job, family and stuff, but I am a gamer too so I need to build some of my models faster. For the Ironjawz' army I chose 10 Ardboyz to be "speed painted", just because all the others models are really detailed. Yes, Ardboyz are orcs too, never an easy paint job but I found a way to finish them in less than 8 hours. Let's see how!

Background Backdoor: Asheaters

- Only the dead have seen the end of war -

Plato

   I paint models only after deciding who they are, where they come from, which battles they have won and how, and which ones they've lost and why. Sometimes I create traditions, history, words with particular meanings and more... I know that many of us do the same, making wonderful backgrounds for our battles and campaigns on the tabletop. Well, this is our corner!

   This time we talk about the Ghyran Asheaters Warclan, an Ironjawz tribe well known for its violence and determination.. and for the feared tradition to burn up the corpses of their dead enemies just to cover their armors with the remaining ashes; in this way they paint their plates in black.

How I did it: Megaboss on Maw-krusha (part 2)

- For us, there is no spring. Just the wind that smells fresh before the storm. -

Conan

   Time has passed since the last post about the making of Marnaldur Gaze of Mork, my Megaboss on Maw-krusha. I finished the model just 18 days after I started, piecemeal, working on it but I decided to post the second part only now 'cause I'd like to extend everything about him... I really love this miniature!

   For those of you interested in the first part of the series, here you can find the whole making of the huge model's base, and a bit of background for the "Crag of Mork".

Point of RE-View: White Dwarf October 2016

Here we go with the review of the second issue of the new monthly magazine from Games Workshop! This time a bit late 'cause of my job but 'ere we are and, Genestealer Cults lovers and fan brace yourself... you've got a LOT of stuff for you this issue!

Quick Update: One-Forty-Twenty #2

Kind of like this

- I wear the chain I forged in life! I made it link by link and yard by yard! I gartered it on of my own free will and by my own free will, I wore it! -
Jacob Marley

I've finished the chipping on the hull, legs and feet.
I just miss 6 pieces of armor, 3 turrets, 1 hatch, 1 sensor array and 1 missile launcher...

Quick Update: One-Forty-Twenty

Slow but steady...

- A wizard is never late, nor is he early, he arrives precisely when he means to. -
Gandalf

Did I already mentioned I'm slow?

Ludicrous Speed: Seraphon Saurus Warriors

"The more we study our inner light, the more profound becomes the outer darkness"
Lord Xltep

   Recently I and one of my oldest friends decided to start a long gaming campaign using the rules included in the GW's General's Handbook for AoS. The armies involved are Ironjawz (my side) and Seraphon (his side). Despite the love for modeling he's brutally lazy at painting so I thought to help him by spending a painting day together, where we'd see how to make striking models in the shortest possible time.

   The unit chosen to be painted during just one day of working will be 10 Saurus Warriors. We are really satisfied of the final result, especially considering that we spent only 7 hours painting them!

Point of RE-View: White Dwarf September 2016

Hi there friends! The wait is finally over and I have my first NEW ERA monthly White Dwarf magazine in my hands... and it looks absolutely fantastic, both outside and inside! Free gift, new features, old classicals, all the regulars; let's take an in-depth look inside!

How I did it: One-Forty-Twenty - part 3

- After the shootout at the club, I figured I needed more firepower. -
Billy Rosewood

Why does the ludicrously ginormic mace of LOTR's Witch King work on the screen while Alluda Majaka's sliding horse won't?

Even if it's pretty hard not to notice it, the main reason is not good or bad FX, but context and plausibility.

The mace looks and behaves like a massive piece of metal, the wielder looks and behaves like some sort of malevolent supernatural being, therefore the silly mace doesn't make us laugh.
On the other hand, the horse and its handler... well.. I think they speak for themselves.

How I did it: One-Forty-Twenty - part 2

- Every other hex bolt. Nothing pretty, just get it done. -
Tony Stark

When I said I'm slow, I meant it.

One of the most most difficult parts when it comes to kitbashing is being consistent: at the end your creation must looks homogeneous, as if it was conceived in that way.
That's why some background can really help a simple idea like "what about merging two of these things".

How I did it: One-Forty-Twenty - part 1

- I admire its purity. A survivor... unclouded by conscience, remorse, or delusions of morality. -
Ash

I love mechas and tanks, so when I had to choose something from the 40k catalogue the "natural" choice should have been the Tau army, but as my eyes were caught by the Skitarii Dune Crawler it was love at first sight.

How I did it: painting yellow

- I look different, but I bet you can recognize my voice. -
Junior

If you're not familiar with Gundams and mobile suits in general, the Sazabi's canonical color is red, but since I had already painted another one with its trademark tint, I followed Jonathan's suggestion and tried a less common black/yellow schema.

Point is: yellow can be a mischievous and cantankerous tint.

How I did it: Megaboss on Maw-krusha (part 1)

- Live off the land. Go to find war. Kill wot comes close. The old ways are best. -

Grodd

   Few things are exciting like the full abandon when you start thinking about a brand new modelling project, or at least for me. When I say full I mean really full; every day, all of the time, at work or at home, before sleeping, while sleeping, just awoken and so on. For me this feeling, which I imagine most of you are familiar with, involved many parts of the model... such as the backgrounds and enviroment. The enviroment is very important, especially when we talk about huge miniatures, meant to be centerpieces of entire collections.

Marnaldur Gaze of Mork, The Ghyran Iron Skull, riding the mighty Kartart

How I did it: crater terrain

- Every man there go back inside, or we will blow a new crater in this little moon. -
Hoban "Wash" Washburne

I have quite the tormented relationship with terrains and basing.
Basically the more time and resources I spend on basing, the worst the outcome.
That's why I follow two simple rules:

• stick to cheap materials
• never waste more than three days on it