Blackstone Shortlist

Finished! ...he shouts, like a toddler on a potty.

So that's a Blackstone sorted. The last set of heroes and the Chaos bad guys fair flew off the brush. Partly because I'm nearly on Christmas Holidays now, but also because man, are these enjoyable models.

Fancy kit all the way, even the relatively drab and unexciting Black Legion marines (I mean really? Are they not even elite bodyguards for Mallex? Couldn't one of them have a flamer or something? Fair enough, they're super-elite ancient traitors with a zillion years of battlefield experience, it's nice to see them get top billing as baddies. But I wanted a Space Crusade Dreadnought!), and extremely fun to paint.

Except the bases. I got better at them, I think, and I may still opt in for the next set. But I need some time apart from them before I commit to the idea, I'm cagey and undateable that way.

The Eldar Ranger drew Alaitoc in the Christmas Craftworld Tombola, whatever her datasheet says. I've done green and white before, and very nice it looks too, but it's good to venture further afield. Alaitoc is supposed to have a lot of rangers, I hear, so it's fluffy if nothing else. Ulthuan feels like a possible for the next one, but I'm open to suggestions.

Janus Draic is just a smashing model, one of the best in the kit (Bernard St. Angry, the priest, is a close second). Very photogenic too, he looks good from most sides other than the back.

If pressed, though, I think UR-025 is my favourite sculpt. Good old fashioned robot, the whole original Danger Will Robinson vibe to a T-100. Dr. Smith wouldn't have stood a chance.

And with that done, it's going back in the box, back in the original wrapping and straight to eBay. Yes! You could own this entire copy, hand-painted and just in time for Christmas, simply by following this link and placing your bets. Perfect for the nerdy collector in your life. Which to be honest, is probably you.

See you next year for another set!