Loads of painting done

Full day of painting and here is what I've got to show for it.

28 Gnoblars

Gnoblar Leadbelcher (this also works as unit filler)

Gnoblar Traps

Spell Markers

Bullgorger

Trollguts

Flame Cage

Flame Cage

Flaming Sword 

THEY'RE HERE! plus an added bonus.

After all the waiting around and eagerly running to the mailbox, MY HEADS ARE HERE!

Click here to see a larger image of them

My initial impression of them is really high.  What they lack in product packaging (They came a little plastic sandwich bag wrapped in a piece of bubble wrap inside of an plain white envelope) they make up for in detail.  I half expected them to be riddled with mold lines, bubbles, and to be way less detailed than pictured on their website.  This isn't the case.  There is going to be some cleanup to be done, but that's to be expected with any miniature. (Not even Forge World stuff comes perfect.)  The huge dome under their necks is something that is going to have to be filed down before they can go on any space marines bodies.  I suspect this is left over from the injection process.  In some ways, its a blessing.  I was afraid that heads would be too sunken into the space marine bodies, but with all the extras on the bottom I'll be able to give my Space Marines necks!

If this was the only thing I got today in the mail, I would call it a huge success.  But no ladies and gentlemen (ok.. Gentlemen.. there are no ladies reading my rantings)  THERE'S MORE!

Unless you have been living under a great big wargaming rock, you know the good folks over at Beasts of War and their awesome videos and live show Turn 8.  A while ago during an episode of Turn 8, they gave away copies of Dwarf Kings Hold: Green Menace by Mantic Games and I lucked into one of them.

As I'm sure you guessed by now, I got it today!  I'm really excited to give it a go, and already plan on picking up the Dead Rising version of the game. (Green Menace has Orcs and Elves, while Dead Rising has Dwarfs and Undead.)

There are 2 of these identical Orc sprues

3rd of the Ork sprues

Close up of some of the Elves

Two sprues of Elves

Dungeon Tiles... boy does that bring me back. *single tear*

As if I needed more plastic crack to paint, but since it's just a board game, I don't mind holding off on painting them up and just playing with the figures.

Big Weekend of Painting ahead.  I have the spell markers to paint up, some more gnoblar traps coming down the pipe, have to build out some more movement trays, and my "Gnoblar Leadbelcher" to finish painting.  THEN if I get all that done, I'll start working on doing the Space Marine stuff.  Next Scheduled Tournament I'm going to is Feb 11th, so the Ogres have to come as top priority.

Lore of the Great Maw and Lore of Fire Spell Markers

So I've finally got around to doing some work on my spell markers.  I've identified the 7 spells that I regularly use that would benefit from a spell marker.

Lore of the Great Maw
1. Spine Marrow
2. Bullgorger
3.  Toothcracker
4. Trollguts

Lore of Fire
5. Cascading Fire Cloak
6. Flaming Sword of Rhuin
7. Fulminating Flame Cage

I had some extra cavalry bases laying around so I decided that I'd use them to house my spell markers.  I am in no way good at sculpting things with Green Stuff so rather than my usual Work In Progress photos I'm just putting up pictures the pieces as they are right now.

Spine Marrow

No greenstuff required here, so I was able to plow through this one.

Bullgorger

The text of the spell says that the Butcher eats the heart of an ogre or rhinox so that's why it's a heart. 

Toothcracker

Toothcracker says that the Butcher eats a handful of rocks to cast the spell.

Trollguts

I think these will come together a little better once they're painted, but as the name says it's supposed to be "Troll guts."  Think piece of intestine attached to the stomach.

Cascading Fire Cloak

I'm hoping this one comes together a little better once it's painted.  I had a spare cloak laying around and I sculpted some flames coming off it.  Not sure how I can put this on a base.  I'm thinking of putting the cloak on a gnoblar

Flaming Sword of Rhuin

I tried sculpting flames directly onto the sword, but A.  it didn't really come out like I liked it and B.  I didn't know how to to display the flaming sword.  So I come up with this idea of the swirling flame and having the hand (that I plan on painting as if on fire as well) coming out of it.  Sort of like the lady of the lake, only this is the ogre of the fire.

Fulminating Flame Cage

I have a guy to put in the middle of the wall of flames, but till they dry I'm not putting him down.

Eventually I'll think I'll have to make additional spell markers for the Lore of the great maw spells since they can be cast on more than 1 unit at a time.  I don't see myself running 2 Firebellys at once, and since the spells in the lore of fire can only target 1 unit at a time, I only need those 3.  Eventually I need to do some markers for the lores of Beasts, Heaven, and Death, but since I don't ever run those lores... it's not really worth my time.  

Not really worth it's own post, I also have 2 more traps in progress.  With boxes of Ogres, a couple hands that are using bear traps as Ironfists.  I cut out the hands, now have additional traps. Tomorrow I have to pick up some more primer to complete all the painting them.

Insomnia + Looney Tunes = This

I couldn't sleep so I decided to make another one of my gnoblar traps.  This one is a little Looney Tunes but whatever.

Wrap a paperclip around a chopstick till it comes out looking like a spring.

Cut a piece of wood.

Add the Red X.

Apply a brown wash, glue and base.   Voila!  Something that Wile E. Coyote would be proud of.  

I think this one may be my favorite one so far.  Probably should try to sleep now or else I'll start another one and be awake till morning.

From Chinese to Gnoblars

So I got to thinking today about more gnoblars.  After some discussions on OgreStronghold about a gnoblar only army, I got to thinking about doing some "unit filler" for my gnoblars.  1. As cheap way of getting more of them, and 2. To make them a little more interesting.

While I LOVE the gnoblar trappers models that GW makes, they're freaking EXPENSIVE.  

Finecast or not, I'm not paying 20.00 for 10 points worth of guys.

However, what about making the traps and using THOSE as unit filler.  I can get twenty 20mm square bases, twelve 25mm square bases, five 25x50mm bases and five 40mm square bases for $8.25.

I've got a few ideas for traps, and tonight I hammered out a couple of them on the cheap.  The first is just a simple sharpened stick in the ground.  I started off with a chopstick I had from ordering Chinese food the other day.  

Then using my Dremel, I cut off the end at an angle.

Then I roughed up the wood a bit and gave it a point.  Deliberately making gashes in the wood so that later the brown wash will have places to soak into. 

 After that a little super glue to the base.

Now through the magic of television, here is one that I finished earlier.  

My next idea was just a simple deadfall trap.  So a trip to the driveway later, I got a rock.  I drilled a little hole in the base so I could put my stick(more chopstick) into. 

I painted the base and applied the little rocks ahead of time, then allowed that to dry.  

Now the finished product, in retrospect I think I could find a better rock, but I was a roll and didn't want to spend any more time out in the cold driveway.

I have a few more ideas for cheap... I mean interesting... traps to do, but that's all for tonight.  I want to figure out how many different traps I can do, then spread out what they are.  I could hammer out a crap-ton of the pointy sticks in a short amount of time, but then it would get overplayed.

Warhawk Rider update... breaking out the big gun

I started trying to put the warhawk riders back together today.  The pieces were quiet fitting together as they should (mostly due to all the breaking and reglueing I did on them in the past.)

The pieces actually did fit a little better than this, but it was tough holding that and taking the picture.

So I grabbed the tool box to get my file when it hit me... Hey I got that new Dremel for Christmas.  I could clean up this joint in a second flat.

It does seem a little wrong to use a power tool on Wood Elves.

Very quickly cleaned up the joint.

Shiny

Much better.

Then I took my hobby drill out and drilled 2 holes to pin the wing back on.  I probably could have used the dremel on this, but I don't know that I trust it(or myself for that matter) not to drill through to the other side... even on the lowest speed setting.

The old flying base broke off inside the warhawk's butthole, so I had to drill that out as well as drilling a hole into the new square base that I have to put these on.  

Prepare the warhawk enema

And now the final product.  I tried to repose him a little so he looks a little more vicious, I also think it will help when I have to try to rank these guys up.

The more I work on these guys, the more I want to put some extra time into them... then I remind myself how badly I'll lose with them.... maybe they'll get a new book one day....................................................