Eschering in a New Era

Neeeeeeeeeecromunda!

Where the slime comes seeping down the drain!
And the Underhive
Sure feels alive
When you're shot and in a lot of pain!

Yeah, I caved massively to this. It's been on my radar for a while, because I loved the original and the new incarnation has some pretty sweet models, even by GW standards. When I found it going cheap in a sale at the local gaming store, on a day when I'd just got some tax return money, I was wavering terribly. In the end I put it back, at which point my wife bought it for me as a bribe.

I will not name this ganger Robyn
I will not name this ganger Robyn
I will not name this ganger Robyn

This is no word of a lie! And we won't go into what I was being bribed for, that's not important. What's important here is these models!

If I'm falling off my wagon of not buying stuff, I'm afraid it's going to jump the queue massively. I'm over half-way done already, with the scenery and the Escher gang finished. Can I do the Goliaths and the objective markers in just under two weeks? Well, does Roboute Guilliman shit in a personalised Land Raider?

With the floor plans, I can cover more than half my games table with Zone Mortalis tunnels. This is going to see crossover action in 40K, mark my words. Close quarters action with tons of LOS blockage is very much my cup of tea at the moment. Not just because I have Tyranids! It makes for a better game, less First Turn-y.

Is Necromunda a good game still, I hear you ask? Well, I'm not playing it until I've painted it, so time will tell. But the rules seem in order, a nice hark-back to a time of more rules granularity and complex skirmish details. Like using shotguns to push enemies over the edge of things, or setting fire to them with template weapons. With real templates, too!

Boring conversation anyway

Not sure if I'll cave and get all the expansions, although if anyone out there wants to declare Gang War, I'm sure it'll take me about thirty seconds. Even the Orlock gang is looking good now, and I'm pretty sure that the Van Saar will be painted up as an alternate Stormtrooper squad (I need a third full infantry pack, I've decided, and it's cheaper and more interesting to paint than picking up two more packs of Scions). And god help me when the Delaque, my original favourites, arrive.

Painting the Eschers was a challenge, they have a mega-ton of fine detail going on. Much as I like the GW 'official' scheme, I didn't want to clone it too closely, so I experimented with darker skin tones and slightly plainer clothes. Job's a good 'un, I think, but there's too much going on there for a full Painting Guide, so I'll stick to the main tones. If there's anything you're desperately curious about, just ask.

Painting Guide:

• Skin - Deathclaw Brown, Reikland Fleshtone wash, Deathclaw Brown plus Tau Light Ochre then Tau Light Ochre layers
• Green Clothes - Caliban Green, Biel-Tan wash, Moot Green layers, a very little Putrid Green highlighting (and sadly, that's the last of that veteran pot, I'll miss it! Great paint) and a dot or two of Hellion Green to finish
• Bulkheads - Basecoated in Mournfang Brown, then a heavy dusting with Oxide Rust pigment powder. Over which I sprayed a heavy dose of paint fixer from a plant mister, which worked well but made a hell of a mess. Still finding that powder in parts of the kitchen now, a week later. Varnish spray to fix it further, then heavy Leadbelcher sponge stippling, Runefang light drybrush, selective Agrax and Nuln Oil treatment and a rusty workup of Deathclaw and Tau Light Ochre details. Control panels done with Skavenblight Dinge and Nuln Oil, then a variety of lights. A couple of printed signs superglued on and distressed with brown washes, then varnished again, because that pigment powder is a bitch to clean up 

Love the model kit, by the way. Very versatile, loads of options and plenty of lovely spare parts afterwards. There's only five torsos, two copies of each, but you barely notice it. I'd almost be tempted to get more, buy the Forge World weapon options, get some Bounty Hunters... Mrs Kraken? Where are you, I have a business plan to run past you.