The unit filler...

We all know that infantry and large amount of models is 'king' in 8th edition. And with the dawn of massed ranks of infantry, people have looked for ways of expanding their army without breaking the bank. That's where unit fillers come in.

Don't get me wrong, unit fillers have always been around - even in 7th edition. But they have really shot to popularity in 8th. The more tournaments I go to, the more interesting unit fillers I see. Personally, I love unit fillers. You can let your imagination run wild with some conversions and kit bashing. You can go from as little as a cavalry base taking up to two 25mmx25mm sized models, or you can go all out and have a chariot base taking 8 25mmx25mm models. The possibilities are endless.

Plus, you save money. With the new Savage Orc plastic kit, you are given 10 models with 10 bases to work with. But you're also given a cavalry base - in case you want to make yourself the 'Big Stabba'. Ah, you see where I'm going with this? You can stick one Savage Orc on that cavalry base and with so many spare bits on the sprues, you can add a bit of flare and scenery on that cavalry base. 11 Savage Orcs in a box of 10. If you have a spare monster base (50mmx50mm) laying around, then that's an additional 4 Savage Orcs to fill in your ranks.

And with that, I have decided to run a horde unit of Squig Herd in preparation for The Pilgrimage. 24 Squigs and 16 Night Goblin herders, for a grand total of 40 to be exact. Unfortunately, you can only get these in Finecast blisters and at $33 each (blisters contain 3 Squigs and 2 Goblins), the total cost you would have to pay is not pretty.

I have decided to have a crack at making an additional 2 unit fillers for my Squig Herd. One unit filler for the Squigs, the other as the Herders.

I had a spare 40mmx40mm base and I decided I would use this for the herders. Using just the sprues, I cut them out and clipped off the edges to represent the wooden stakes on each of the corners. Rummaging through my bits box, I found some good ol' Dwarf medallions and decided to stick it on the wooden stakes - to represent stolen treasure or the like. I also managed to find some other bits to stick on, like a Snotling, some Dwarf shields, rocks from the GW scenery set, a small mushroom and pointy rock.

I wanted to keep it simple, but you can definitely go all in with unit fillers. By keeping it simple, I finished off this project in less than an hour.

For the Squigs, I took a 80mmx20mm base and 2 unpainted Squigs. I took another spare Snotling and half a barrel from an Empire kit and used them to spread along the base.

Since the Snotling I found looked like he was swinging a small club, I thought I could make it look like he was trying to ward off a hungry Squig...

Now it was time to finish off the unit fillers by adding the flock and the rare earth magnets.

And the finished product!

Keep in mind that this was just a simple example of a unit filler. The possibilities and results are endless. When done right, unit fillers give your units a unique feeling on the table top.

Preparing for the Pilgrimage...

I have officially signed up for the Pilgrimage 2011 Tournament and have decided to take the Orcs and Goblins for Fantasy. I think it will be time to dust off some of the Black Orcs too and take them over the Savage Orcs. The Savage Orcs seem to be the 'default' pick for most Greenskin generals, but as usual, I will go against the norm and do something most people wouldn't expect.

I was also keen on giving Warmachine a go, however, I'm not too confident with the Steamroller rules and timed turns. I struggle enough as it is as a noob and so went with WHFB (something I'm half decent in).

I might add a bit more detail to the Black Orcs - maybe a bit of rust on the armour and weapons. But other than touching up on some of the models where the paint has chipped off, there is not much else to do.

I haven't come up with a definitive army list as of yet, but will be getting in some practice games soon.

I will definitely be posting some battle reports, not only here, but maybe on YouTube as well.

Will this stop me from painting up Warmachine models? I'd say not. I'll still be painting the Menites, but probably not on the same pace as I have been lately. I have my sights on finishing the Exemplar Errant unit attachment by tomorrow arvo. I have also put together the Devout 'jack which will get some lovin', that's for sure.

Product Review - Black Spray Paint by White Knight

Quite a few people out there always look for alternatives when it comes to hobby products. We all know the hobby we love and know isn't cheap, so when a decently priced alternative comes, we are all over it like fly on shit.

Today we feature the undercoat. Personally, I've always gone for black over white. I have tried white a few times and it seems to me that painting over it is more hard work.

When I first got into this hobby, I used the really cheap spray paint from Go-Lo, The Warehouse and from any bargain store. They were cheap as chips and ranged from $3 to $6. I have been using these sorts of spray paint from 2001 (when I first started) up to late last year.

While they quality was OK, it often smudged - even when I left the model to dry for a couple of hours. Also, the black wouldn't cover those recesses in highly detailed models. So quite often I was spending a decent amount of time painting black over the model anyway.

Sick of having black smudged all over my hand and wasting time adding more black paint, I went to the GW/Citadel sprays. The quality is great and is made for models, Unfortunately, it is very dear - at a whopping $24.

I must admit, I didn't mind paying the amount for GW paints as the quality was great and got the results I wanted.

Then early this year, friends recommended I try the Squirts range which can be purchased from any Bunnings hardware store. They showed me the quality of the spray paint and was quite impressed.

The spray gets to the recesses as well as any GW/Citadel paint and is relatively thin. Meaning, even if you do decide to spray extra layers, the model won't 'cake' with paint.

The quality of Squirts is almost as a good as Citadels, if not, as good.

Of course, the best thing about Squirts is the price - it's $9.80 a can. It can be bought from any Bunnings warehouse, which is just about anywhere (well, in Sydney anyway), so access to this product should be fairly easy.

I would highly recommend this item to anyone looking for a cheap product while attaining a great quality that could easily be compared to that of Citadels version.

Game 2 vs Cryx - How to lose the easy way...

Squeezed in another game of Warmachine last night at the club - against Cryx again. Different player and different size this time - it was a 50 point battle against James and eAsphyxious.

So if people are keen on knowing how to lose really badly in Warmachine - read on.

Ok, so I got to deploy first again. And while I learnt from mistakes in my first game, I made I some new ones by deploying the slow units (Exemplar Bastions) on the far right hand flank. Not a good idea. These guys should be in the thick of things.

Secondly, I put the Wracks in a position where if they were to explode, they would probably do more damage to me. So, for next time, put 'em some place where the 5" AOE won't kill my soft squishy Choir of Menoth. So lesson 1, deployment is key.

  

I also gave Eiryss a run in this game. Disrupting the chicken jacks and the Seether during the game. Good girl. I don't think she's too bad, she has a very high defense which makes her hard to hit, but I've learnt that her Disruptor Bolt is far more important in the latter stages of the game when you don't want your enemy warcaster camping on heaps of focus.

While Eiryss is a good heckler, none can be worse than the Machine Wraith. The first time it decided to take over my Vanquisher jack, it moved in about 4 inches. After reading the card, the very first thing it states is that the Machine Meld has a range of only 1". So lesson 2, know your opponent. Or at least check their stats/ability card.

 

Lesson 3, know your spells AND FOR FFS remember them! During my first activation, I had every intention to cast Castigate (models lose Arc node in control area) with Kreoss, then forgot. Good one, Eric, you bonehead. Forgetting this spell let the chicken jack run within range of my Flameguard then Asphyxious proceeded to blast the crap out of them while using the chicken as an arc node. Annoying.

Lesson 4 - charging is not always a good thing. Advancing to an enemy unit can be just as good as charging. Of course, you won't get the additional die for damage, but with Weapon Masters (such as Bastions) it shouldn't matter. In the pic above, I had Tartarus in front of the Daughters and decided to charge him. In hindsight, an advance move would've been just as good. These guys could've walked in and clobbered Tartarus with their reach. The problem is that they are facing away from the Cryx battleline and would not be able to charge anything in my next turn.

Lesson 5 - learn the basics you dope. What kind of idiot forgets to roll an additional damage die on a turn they charge? *Raises hand* The Daughters really should have pumped the Character Troll (forgot his name, but he wiped out the Bastions on his own).

And I should let it be known now, I hate eAsphyxious' Feat. Bring back up to 10 destroyed models back into play for one turn? And all the nastiness they bring with 'em? Oh boy.

So after all the mad hacking and slashing and pumping I copped from the Cryx, James gave me an opportunity to go for the caster kill. So I went for it. Moved Kreoss up and cast Cleansing Fire (Power 14 AOE with a Fire continuous effect) on Asphyxious. I needed 8 to hit. So I boosted it. Rolled 1,2,2.

BAH! You useless POS!

The game was over after that when eAsphyxious charged in and did the honorable thing by killing off Kreoss.

I had lost so many models during the game, but it was amazing how after all the carnage, I was given a chance to win the game with the caster kill.

Well, hopefully the next time I play, I will take into consideration all of the mistakes I have made. I'm also starting to realise that Light jacks might come in handy instead of more infantry. We'll see how we go next time.

First game with a painted army...

So I had my first game with the Menites in quite some time last weekend. I played Joel and his Cryx. He was using eAsphyxious and packing some Bane Knights, Bane Thralls, Gorman, Ogrun, Tartarus and a Deathjack. I'm sure the Bane Thralls had a unit attachment with them too. While I got brutally smashed, there was a lot of lessons to be learnt.

I must admit, I was curious to see what my army could do on the battlefield. And of course see what it looks like. Next time around, I'll be a little bit more careful with the deployment as I think they were too spread out. Being only the second time using eKreoss, I need to know more of his spells and his abilities.

Also got to remember to not be too aggressive with the warjacks. They are bound to be pumped, especially with Weapon Master units.

I hope to get a second game in soon. Really keen to see if I can learn from the previous game and learn more of what my army can do.

The Exemplar Knights are almost complete, with just the base to go before I move onto something else.

Painting all 10 at the same definitely took longer than the Flameguard. The Errants - like all Exemplar models - are chock full of detail t paint and highlight, which is the main reason why it took so long. I also tried something different by adding a bit of free-hand design on the shields.

Feeling quite impressed with the free-hand design on the shields, I thought I'd go one better by re-painting the banner on the Exemplar Seneschal.

With a bit more confidence on doing free-hand design, I'm looking forward to adding some on eKreoss' banners.

On another note, I managed to get a reply from Privateer Press about the missing parts on the Cinerators. I'm absolutely stoked that they will be sending them out soon as I'm doing to paint those models up.

Now, time to add the sand and foilage on the Exemplar Errants and put together the Unit Attachment which I purchased the other day.

The other battle off the gaming table...

I recently looked at Defiant Games to see what new models I could purchase for the Menoth or for my Malifaux. There's quite a few models I would really like to get, but I had to stop and think about something I thought would never cross my mind as an impulse-buying gamer - do I really need it?

As a gamer, you want everything available in a factions army. Characters. Infantry units. Cavalry units. Air units. Land units. And of course, the shiny new-release models. But I'm trying to adopt a new way of thinking when it comes to purchasing models. Here are a few things to think about the next time you are browsing online or at the LGS:

Am I going to use it now?
So, you've just seen the latest, coolest looking model to come out. Great. Gotta have it. But is it really going to fit in to what you're trying to build? Do you really need that new Dark Elf Sorceress on Dragon model when you don't even have a Dark Elf army? Purchase something that you're going to use within 12 months. Not something you may want to use within 12 months.


Can this purchase wait?
This ties in heavily with whether you will use a miniature now or later on. If you're trying to practice with a pKreoss list for an upcoming tournament in 2 weeks time, then surely purchasing an eFeora mini can wait after. It saves you cash. Plus that time spent on playing and practising your army list instead of assembling/painting models will prove invaluable in the long run. What's not to like?


Do I have the financial means to do it?
This is the one that's been hitting me the most lately. The mortgage and bills have to come first. If I know I have to pay a massive amount of bills (which is every 3 months), less money must go into miniatures this month (if at all).

I know it's not a comprehensive list on money saving tips, but it's something. And something is better than nothing. Prioritise your needs. If there's something you want, I advise writing them down on a piece of paper, then go over it and prioritise them from most important to least important.

So with all that being said, I will use myself as an example.

I'm really keen on running an Exemplar themed based army for Warmachine. Since I have most of the models purchased from awhile back, big back-breaking purchases are (thankfully) out of the way.

I do, however, want to run Exemplar Errants. Which is what I'm currently painting. Check.

In order to make the unit effective, they will need the Officer and Standard unit attachment. Check.

I am running 2-3 jacks with a lot of firepower, hence the need to give them offensive buffs. Hmm, I think I'll need some Vassals of Menoth. It looks like I can only field 2 of these in any one army, so I don't have to go overboard and buy 4 or 5. I think I'll just get 1. Check.

I really want the Fire of Salvation jack to go with eKreoss. But I have 3 heavy jacks in the Castigator, Vanquisher and Crusader all painted up and ready to use. Not to mention the Reckoner, Guardian and 2x Devout jacks that need to be assembled. I think I can wait to purchase this item. Check.

In my 50 pt list, I'm going to be running a unit of 10 Flameguard Cleansers. Oh crap, I'm two grunts short. I will need these guys to make what I need. Check.

I'm running out of Astronomican Grey and Shining Gold paints - an essential colour to the current project I'm painting. Check

OK so to finalise, I need a Vassal of Menoth blister ($8), Exemplar Errant UA ($25),  Flameguard Cleanser blister ($11) and 2 pots of Citadel paints ($12). It's a grand total of $56. Considering that a box of the Fire of Salvation warjack is $58 (something I don't need until later on), I think I'm allocating my funds wisely when I'm getting the things I need now and for $2 cheaper.

See? How easy was that? Alright, so it's much easier said than done. My strongest advice is to write them down as seeing the facts on a piece of paper (or even a blog) helps you realise what the reality is rather than just going through the math in your head.

Oh and one more thing, some WIP pics of the Exemplar Errants.

Have a good one folks.

One of those nights...

Quite a busy night at work meant a slow night in painting. I managed to get a start on the 10 Exemplar Errants and did a bit of work on some terrain that I have neglected to finish for some months.

The following is from the Lord of the Rings Osgiliath ruins. I bought 2 boxes of these from Maelstrom Games before the whole GW embargo saga hit - meaning that I got it for dirt cheap. I still haven't managed to put the other set together out of pure procrastination.

The painting scheme was very basic for the terrain. Basecoat it with Dheneb Stone, followed by a glaze of watered down Devlan Mud. I didn't even bother highlighting it - but that was my fault as I had left the Bleached Bone and my dry brush at home.

A week leading into today...

So, the Flameguard are now done and it was time to set my goal of painting up a warjack. Enter the Vanquisher.

I remember buying this model from eBay and having a bit of drama with it too. The right shoulder pad and the panel for the gun was missing, so had to go through Privateer Press to get one back. Unfortunately, they only sent me the shoulder pad and left the panel out. Wasn't that big a deal for me then since it wasn't as important as the shoulder pad.

I find PP's customer service great, however, one of my more recent purchases in the Exemplar Cinerators had some missing parts too - and it's taking quite some time to get those parts. It's been about 3 weeks now since I emailed them about the parts. No replies as of yet. Might have to fire another email back to them about it.

Anyway, here are some final shots of the Vanquisher.

 With the pic below, notice that the panel is missing under the gun. Hopefully, it still looks good...

Once the big fella was done, it was time to sink my teeth into something different. I had a choice between the Exemplar Errants and the Daughters of the Flame. Since I didn't have the Errant Unit Attachment, I thought it would be a good idea to start work on the Daughters - or as we like to call, "The Ninja Nuns".

And the final product, after spending approx. 6 hours working on them...

You will have to excuse some of the pics as well. Some of the pics that I've taken with my digital camera continue to plague me with problems with the quality, as you can see above. The rest of the pics were taken with my mobile phone @ work.

A week ago...

One week ago, I set myself the task of having at least one Warmachine unit and one warjack done before I make any new purchases. I had 10 Flameguard and their unit attachment just sitting in the cupboard, collecting dust as usual. So out they came and got them ready for some lovin'...

 I thought I'd give myself the extra challenge of painting all 12 models at the same time. Usually I get only 5-6 models done at a time as I'm the type of person who likes to see fully painted models to inspire me to keep going. But I read somewhere that painting 10 models at a time and using the same colour at the same time actually saves you paint, gives your paint brush longer life and more importantly, saves you time. Let's see how we go.

I actually started painting certain Menoth models when I first got them back in 2007. Problem was, I was using Citdel (or GW paint) back then, so was forced to use the same paint now. In hindsight, I really want something different compared to the P3 paints and the usual colour scheme for a Menite army. I want something visually striking on the table and what better way to achieve that by going against the norm and doing something different!

 Ok, since this was a Flameguard unit, I thought I would go for the orange for their cloaks. You know to tie in with fire? Right. So, basecoating with Solar Macharius Orange from the GW range, then wash over with Devlan Mud.

 I stopped using Codex Grey as a base for white as I realised it was too dark and would have to work with even more layers of watered down white to make the grey disappear. So I went with Adepticus Grey (I think that's what it's called). The Foundation line from GW is great and makes an awesome base colour.

 With the spears, helmet and other various places, I went with the gold. I would then go over it with Gryphonne Sepia to dull it down a little bit.

 This is 3 and a half hours of work on the Flameguard - the base colours were done. Then I had to nick off to work. I was pretty happy with the progress.

 Soon as I got back home from work, I went straight to the painting table and igored the wifes request to put out the garbage. I worked on the highlights after the washes were done. I copped an ear load from the wife about the garbage and certain chores, but it was so worth it. Before work the next day, I finalised the highlighting and all the minor details as usual.

And this is the final product, along with the basing. In the end, took less than 3 days of work with about 3-4 hours spent on each daily session. Must be a new record for me. I'm notoriously slow when it comes to painting. I reckon I could've spent less time on it, but I have a tendency for dicking around on the internet and doing damn chores around the house.

Hi there!

So, I'm finally here.

I've always wanted to come up with my own blog regarding my gaming and painting escapades. However, work and my hobby alone (ok maybe a abit of procrastination and laziness has some part in it) has delayed my blogging venture.

No need to drown you with a boring history of my wargaming experience. But I started painting models in 2000. I am no Golden Demon winner, so don't expect any superbly painted models that will blow your socks off. I'm just an average painter who enjoys it - not to mention, very therapeutic. On the gaming side, I started Warhammer Fantasy back in 2001 and have been playing it since. See? Nice and quick wasn't it?

Recently, I've been painting up my Warmachine models I've had since 2007. And that's what I'll be concentrating on with my first few blogs. I've been on a painting rampage as of late, so would like to share it with you in upcoming entries.

My next painting project will be a group of Exemplar Errants, Daughters of the Flame, Epic Feora and the Harbinger of Menoth...

Watch this space...