On The Painting Table

I'm going to try and get these posts going once a month, because if nothing else it pushes me to paint more. Id like to think that people find them interesting, but I'm not that deluded, my readership isn't all that big. Although I treasure each and every one of you.

My last project to come off the painting table was a full unit of Menoth Zealots, with Monolith Bearer. Coming off the back of finishing my Harbringer, I think the scheme on these guys works well, especially as they are effectively mooks. I went with a dirtier white, and replaced the gold in my normal scheme with brass. They hold together well, both as a unit and alongside my other Menoth.

Perhaps my biggest achievement has been to base all of my painted Warmachine models. To most this may not sound impressive, but I’m notoriously bad at getting bases done. However, after being shamed at the last gaming weekend, I forced myself into basing. I went for a very simple base, that is easy to do, but can be improved with simple additions. A simple base really does make a model, but an over complicated one can drown any model. I'm counting with the K.I.S.S approach and so far it’s going well.

One thing to crop up when doing the basing was how much of a pain it is to do when the model is finished. This won't come as a surprise to most people, me included, but it now means that all future models will be based as they are painted.

So, that's what I've done, what am I currently painting?

Well first up, I've made a start on the Dropzone Commander miniatures I reviewed a couple of weeks ago. While they are wonderful models, they need a different set of skills to paint. Things are made harder by the fact the undercoat didn't quick go on as well as it could. Sprayed them on a too humid day, and I've got a very grainy texture to them. It shouldn't hurt the final finish, but its not as nice a surface to work on. I’m going for a close to studio for the Shalatri, although this version is a bit dirtier than I was aiming for. For the PHR I’ve gone with a two tone blue and grey scheme as I’ve got enough stuff to paint white!

As well as the DzC models, I've got some Warmachine on the go and all of it Cryx. I've got the first layer of paint on the Withershard Combine as well making a start on the bulk of a new list. I'm hoping to field it at the end of the month, so to keep it a surprise I won't say what they are. However, I look forward to the reaction of my opponents when they see the force in action.

I should be in a position soon to display many more of my models, so I’m likely to soon go back and finish off some of the smaller projects that are unfinished. I have 2 Terminator units I’ve never managed to finish, as well as large chunks of my Tau army. So I’ll soon be adding bits and pieces of them to the workstation and try and get my painted model count even higher.

I’ve got to say, the last year has seen me paint many more models that I have previously. I’m not sure which is prompting this, the blog or actually getting some games in, but I’m really pleased and hope I can maintain (if not increase) my productivity.

Dropzone Commander Rules Review

My Dropzone Commander rules arrived a couple of weeks ago, and after reading the book through I'm ready to write up my thoughts.

Presentation

The book is 152 colour pages printed on a nice glossy paper. Throughout are more photos of the miniatures taken in scenery which look amazing. The cover itself is a photo with special effects added, that brings the miniatures to life. The rules sections have some nice clear diagrams and there are plenty of pictures highlighting the technology and units released in the first wave. My only complaint is that the text does go a little close to the spine meaning you have to open the book wider than you may like. Then again, not everyone is as precious about not breaking spines on books as me.

There is a nice write up of the background to the setting at the start, giving the rules a grounding in the background. Nothing ground breaking in the background, but it is solid and well thought out. Each faction gets a couple of pages of background before a complete list of the units in the initial release wave. As a bonus you also get some alternate schemes painted up for those that aren’t taken with the studio schemes.

Rules

This is my opinion based on a read through of the rules.  Obviously to get a full understanding of them, there is not substitute to playing, but I'm still putting together my starter armies.

The first thing that struck me as I read the rules was how simple it is, while still maintaining depth. It’s great to see a sci-fi game where the focus can be on shooting, with infantry combat being only a minor aspect. In fact infantry combat seems to be one of the more complicated areas of the game. I need to read that section again to get a decent grasp on what’s going on. G

I think the game meshes ground based and aerial combat well, with fighters mainly being called in for strafing runs and not having to hang around on board being shot at. Given the scale, battlefield manoeuvrability comes from the dropships which will make battles much more fluid. Having your units move around under their own power actually can result in very little movement depending on the unit.

Another excellent feature is the turn sequence, which sees each player activating small portions of their forces at a time, allowing for strategic reactions to your opponents actions. No longer will you find you forces annihilated in a single turn and being unable to react. Instead you have a chance to try and repair poor tactical decisions, or at least run away from what’s killing you.

Terrain plays a major role in the game, as does playing scenarios rather than straight up annihilate the enemy battles. The book comes with a selection of scenarios with options to improve them based on the points size of the battle you are playing. In the scenarios objectives are located within buildings meaning your infantry has to go in and get them. Without terrain, the game would very quickly go to the force with the longest range, which isn’t all that fun.

For added tactical fun, each faction has a command deck that they can draw from and gain important bonuses. This simulates the actions of the commander on the battlefield, and each deck has a number of staples across each faction, and faction specific cards. The faction specific cards go towards building the feel of each army, and could help you save that vital unit from destruction. The number of cards you draw is limited to the level of your commander, and many of the abilities only work within an area of them, meaning you’ll need your commander up near the action. The decks don’t come with the rules unfortunately, but each starter army comes with them, or they can be bought for an additional £5. Alternatively you could not use them in your games, although that would limit the usefulness of Commander units within the game.

Perhaps the area with the most complexity is the army construction rules, although this does seem to be partly due to future proofing than anything else. Also, with so few army options at the moment, you might find yourself falling quite short of the points limits.

Conclusion

Overall, I'm extremely happy with the Dropzone Commander rules. They have lived up to the promise of the miniatures and I eagerly await a chance to give these rules a try. The book is a bargain at £15 with a decent amount of fluff mixed in with the rules.

With luck I’ll be getting a game in at the end of the month, and I’ll write up thoughts on how the game plays then.

Dave's Look At Paints

I've been asked about the paints I use, so I thought I'd talk about what's available and what I use.

Games Workshop

GW are the most prevalent and easily accessible paint suppliers. Most people start with GW paints, primarily because most people start with GW models. However, this does not necessarily make them the best choice.

Since I've been painting, GW have changed their formula a twice, the most recent earlier this year. Previously the paints were a bit thick and had a tendency to dry out within a month of being open. The current range now has a number of different formulas that are supposed to be used together to easily create the classic GW look.

The key issue I have with the GW paints is the price. Per ml, most other paint ranges are better value. For novice painters wanting to paint the GW schemes, their paints are an adequate place to start, but for anything more advanced or for none GW models, I'd go for another range.

Formula P3

I have a lot of the P3 paints, primarily as I paint a lot of PP miniatures and for the most part I want the official colours. It certainly doesn’t hurt that they are a nice paint to work with. 

The range is varied, although it does lean towards the paints needed to create the studio schemes. Of the range, the metallic’s are perhaps the biggest let down, although I do have the first run of paints, the later run (black labels vs white for the first run) are supposed to be much better.

They are usable straight from the pot and give a decent coverage with little work. They perform well for advanced techniques, and don't separate when thinned. They are my go-to paint line these days.

Coat d'Arms

When I moved from GW paints, these were the ones I went to, mainly because the site I was buying some models from sold them. However, I've not been disappointed by them, and certainly can recommend them. I still use many of these paints in conjunction with the P3 range.

As it turns out, Coat d'Arms used to be the paint supplier for GW, so they are now one of the few places you can get the old school GW colours. Coverage is good, but not quite up to the same standard as the P3 coverage. I also find that they tend to separate more when thinned, but that can be worked with.

Vallejo

I haven't personally used any Vallejo paints, but they are highly rated by painters online. They have a massive range, with different formulas depending on what you are wanting to use them for. Unlike P3 and Coat d'Arms, they also come in a dropper bottle format, which you either love or hate. While they are not my go-to paint range, I don't know of any reason not to use them.

Army Painter

I mention Army Painter here purely for their undercoats and Quickshade products. They have a wide selection of spray undercoats, in more than just white and black! When painting a lot of models, combining under coat and base coat can be a huge time saver. Their small paint line also matches their under coats for ease of touching up mistakes.

The Army Painter Quickshade is great for mass producing gaming table standard models quickly. I'm letting go of my snobbery regarding it after seeing what it can produce. Not only do they do the large tins that combine a gloss varnish, but they have also introduced smaller bottles without the varnish component. These make for easy shading, and I'm enjoying experimenting with the effects they can produce.

I don't use any range in isolation, instead using whatever will give me the effect I'm looking for. If I was to be pushed to suggest a range to buy into, I'd say go with P3. Vallejo is a great line, but for me there are just too many colours and ranges. P3 keeps it simple, and has some of the specific colours I need.

DropZone Commander Miniature Review

Since being premièred at Salute 2012, Hawk Wargames DropZone Commander has been an eagerly awaited release. We have been teased with gorgeous images of the units but now we have them in our hands!!

The pre-orders for DzC came during a self imposed spending freeze on gaming, however I justified a small purchase of some mini’s for “review purposes”. So, I suppose I’d better do a review.

I purchased 3 models, a Jaguar Warstrider from the Shaltari faction, and a pair of Hyperion Heavy Walkers and a Neptune Medium Dropship from the PHR. Given I'm likely to go either with Shaltari or PHR when I invest in an army, I picked things that the starter sets didn't include, but seemed useful in the long run. Without a look at the army building rules, I was shooting in the dark, but I think I've succeded.

Here they are in their blister packs. Packaging is decent, with enough foam packaging to avoid the parts rattling around too much, while the blister pack itself is a pretty standard clamshell design. Down side of these packs were the lack of identifying markings on the outside of the pack. I would expect that retail packages will come with a sticker somewhere on the outside to inform the customer what they are picking up, otherwise I can see new players picking up the wrong blisters.

Lets take a look at what you get in each blister.

Jaguar Warstrider

Hyperion Heavy Walkers

Neptune Dropship

The first thing you notice when you've got the parts in hand is the detail. It is amazingly detailed, exactly as the preview pictures on the website show. Companies sell us on resin minatures because of the detail it offers, but they rarely produce models that take advantage of it. Hawk Wargames, however, have show what can be achieved with resin minatures! They are so detailed I'm almost scared to undercoat them in case I loose some of it.

The new widget that comes with the Neptune Dropship is a great idea, making transport of the air models so much easier.

Taking a closer look, there are some obvious flashing that needed to be removed, but very few mould lines. Having worked with other companies resin/plastic resin models, I'm very impressed with how this formula handles. The flashing was easily removed with either a side cutter or knife, with no cracking, and it was all located in flat areas so no detail was lost. Mould lines were easily filed away, as were the odd blemish. The underside of the Jaguar's "head" hadn't quite come out as crisp as the rest of it, but nothing a small drill didn't rectify. Across the 3 models I found only 3 air bubbles, that will easily be cleaned up with some liquid green stuff.

Games Workshop take note, this is how you ship resin models. Perhaps you should ask Hawk Wargames for some tips?

The miniatures went together beautifully, with only super glue needed to bond the pieces together securely. If anything, it was a little too quick to bond as you get next to no time to tweak the positioning of legs. However, we shouldn't complain, then these models shouldn't need any pinning at all.

Jaguar Warstrider

Neptune Medium Dropship

Hyperion Heavy Walkers

I've been waiting eagerly for these miniatures, and I have not been disappointed. If the rest of the range is this good, then we are in for a real treat. I cannot wait to get painting these, although first I need to decide on a paint scheme.

My only regret, I didn't pre-order the rule book at the same time. However, I know a few people with one, so I'm hoping to nab a look at one in the near future. When I have, expect a review of the rules.

15pt Army Challenge - Another Army Down

Hot on the heals of my completed Harbringer, I've finally put the finishing touches on the Skorne, graduating them to a finished 15pt force.

I'll be honest and say there are elements on the models I'm still not happy with. I have real problems painting flesh tones, and the Skorne flesh colours have given me twice the issues. Hopefully I'll master it and go back to improve them, but for now they are table-top quality. Also, I'm wanting to do some free hand on the banners, but have yet to decide what.
Of course, they all aren't based yet either, that's another job to do.

However, I'm going to call the complete and move on.

Next up to complete really has to be the Menoth, building on my recent success with the Harbringer. To complete that army, I'm looking at painting a minimum unit of Zealots, Unit Attachment, a Crusader and Repenter. This should be fun!

Harbringer of Menoth

Its been nearly a month since I posted I had made a start on my Harbringer of Menoth. Well, I'm happy to announce I've finally finished her!!

 Appologies for the poor background, I need to get a better photographing setup for this sort of thing.

I've been working on her to the exclusion of everything else, but its still taken me a while to get it finished to a level I'm happy with. I've previously had problems painting my Menoth as I've not been able to get the hang of painting the white on armour plates. Cloth I don't find as bad, but I've never quite known how to apply the shades to armour plates. I'm very pleased how the armour on her has come out, and hope I can apply that to the warjacks I've got waiting.

Next step for the Menoth army is the horde of Zealots and the Warjacks. Of those, I think the Warjacks are going to cause me the most problems. I've painted and stripped my Crusader about 4 times now, but I'm hoping a new take on painting white will help now.

Warmahordes Info from Lock and Load

In Britain we are celebrating our monarch's diamond jubilee with a 4 day weekend and rain!

However, over in America, Privateer Press is hosting their gaming convention Lock and Load, where they are letting out a lot of cool information regarding their up coming releases for Warmachine and Hordes.

Can you guess where I'd rather be?

Anyway, I've been searching the internet for all the little titbits of information I can that is getting onto the net, and more importantly pictures of the pretties to buy. I won't be posting any specific rules, as I'm not interested in the specifics until I get my rule book, but I might make some comments based on some things I've read.

Obviously, I'm not at LnL myself, so none of these photo's or video's are my own. I'll try and credit the source where possible, but please accept my apologies if I make a mistake or leave a credit out.

Anyway, onwards!!

Colossals - The Book
LnL attendees were lucky to get access to a swath of pre-releases, including the Colossals book. We now have a decent idea of the contents of the book, and I'm quite happy with what's on offer. Each faction gets a new warcaster (Epic3 Nemo, Asphyxious, Vlad, Kreoss; Epic2 Vyros and a new Mercenary Dwarf), their faction Colossal and we get a write up for Epic Alexia. As well as the write ups, we also get a comprehensive painting guide for large models, the full and updated rules for Unbound, as well as a truck load of fluff!

While this release sees a significant reduction in the number of models, this is a decision PP took to help with the play test of Colossals, as well as allow Hordes to catch up with the options available. I applaud their decision, as does my wallet! I've got a massive list of things I want as it is, this way I might actually make a dent in it.

Cryx

Asphyxious and Vociferon

With the Kraken already spoiled, its is Gaspy3 who I was particularly looking forward to seeing, and he doesn't disappoint.

Kreoss Banner

Not only does he get an upgrade, he gets a minion to go around with him!

As a future release we've been promised Bane Cavalry. I've not been a fan of the Soul Hunter miniatures, but I've a big fan of Bane's so am hoping for some nice cavalry soon.

Menoth
Unfortunately it seems like Menoth once again gets the short end of the stick when it comes to previews. It seems that their Colossal or Warcaster models wasn't for show at the show, and I'm not sure if they appear in the book. However, I have found this picture of Kreoss3. There are implications that Menoth will get some light cavelry in the future, however no concept art to be found.

Cygnar
Not many previews for Cygnar, mainly because both of their models were on sale! However in the staff panel they talked about light cavalry for Warmachine factions, and Cygnar's are going to be Gun Mages.

Khador

Epic 3 Vlad

Similarly to Cygnar, most of Khador's releases for Colossals were on sale at LnL. I did find this nice photo of Vlad3 though (from Lost Hemisphere).

Staff panel talked about Greylord Outriders the Khadoran light cavalry unit, as well as an Iron Fang Kovnik solo.



Retribution
The Hyperion, in a half painted state. I like the look of it, and am looking forward to seeing the fully painted version. In the staff panel were some concept art for a new unit that Eiryss3 will be the unit attachment for. Sounds intriguing.

Gargantuans

The next Hordes book will be a full release book, including a load of new shiney stuff! Predicted release date in 2013, but I imagine we'll have model releases before then.

To the right, you can see the concept art for the Legion's Archangel!!
There are also photo's of the model being worked on, and it looks amazing. Thankfully I have a Legion force so I don't have to come up with a poor excuse to buy one.
Legion also have to look forward to the first 120mm based warlock as Llyth3 will be mounted on a sleigh.

The staff panel talked about a new idea, Warlock units. Both Skorne and Trollbloods get an Epic3 Warlock with a couple of friends along to help. Circle look to get Morvahna on a goat.

Concept art for the Skorne and Circle warlocks were shown in the staff panel. It looks like the Skorne Mamoth is more like a massive Titan with a couple of cannons on its back. I like the sound of that.

There is lots more stuff out there, but rather than copy other people's work, I'll post some links.

http://losthemisphere.com/blog/21781 - The guy's at Lost Hemisphere have recorded the staff panel and put it online. Well worth a look, as it includes the slideshow as well as info on Level 7.
http://losthemisphere.com/blog/21690 - Lost Hemisphere again, but they've got a nice selection of photo's from the 'con.
http://nqmagazine.wordpress.com/ - The official No Quarter Blog. Some more great pictures, as well as info on the tournaments that occurred.