Advent! And therefore, a challenge!
Last year's Advent challenge turned into a gruelling hobby hell of pressure and deadlines. That's not really the best way to set yourself up for Christmas, so I'm doing something more relaxed this year - Blackstone Fortress within a month!
The first of two sets (one for me, one for sale) arrived last Thursday. Just when I'd cleared the leadpile, too - the work is really never done.
This represents a roaring start, they're exciting models to paint and I'm keen to get stuck in. As ever, I'm going to get the drudgery out of the way first, and in this case it's the twin squads of Traitor Guardsmen and their pesky cloned poses.
One blue squad, one yellow. I have plans for red and green next time. White seems so last season, and black is boring.
Seven is a weird number for a squad, isn't it? Is that just me? Such divergence from the usual number in a guardsman pack, ten, is probably why they've gone rogue. Really, it doesn't matter that they're identikit poses. They're lovely models, even more so when you consider that they clip together. Building them is like Grimdark Kinder Egg Toy assembly. And why are Grimdark Kinder Eggs not a thing? They would totally sell!
Spindle Drones next, nice model but a bit wee perhaps? A nice easy application of shimmer paint for these, although the photo doesn't do it justice. Martian Green, the purple-green beetle paint.
Then one of the heroes, to keep myself motivated. Kroot Hunter Dahyak Grekh is first out the gate, and a splendid chap he is too. If only I had a T'au army to put him in. Aat least a Y'Varha battlesuit to glue him to, that would make him battle ready.
There's a new menace in town, though. Those goddamn bases. Boring and fiddly and hard to get right? No thanks. This set is probably going to be the sales set, so look for it on eBay in due course. When I come round to doing my keeper set, there's an incredibly strong chance they'll get jungle flock. Sorry, Duncan, you made it look so easy in the video. And you lied.
Next: More Blackstone! But first, a quick battle break...
Looking good! I'm very jealous (not of the miniatures - I already have all if them - just the fact that you are capable of buying a box, then immediately assembling and painting it).
ReplyDeleteNow where did I put my Stormcast?
You can have them all dobe in a trice - just employ elves, like santa does.
ReplyDeleteModels are looking good. Not surprised that the basing is harder than Duncan made it look. I think it might work out a bit better just doing a couple of lines per base, and keeping to 60 and 30 degree angles. Or as close as can be managed by hand. I guess I'll find out once I get a day with good enough weather for priming.
ReplyDeleteI assumed that the Renegade Guard were originally squads of 10, they've just taken some casualties. Either that or they're actually dedicated to Nurgle. More seriously, it probably came down to how much space there was on the sprues. I did a few minor conversions (different Chainsword and trophy rack on one Sarge, swapped the club and knife on the two CC ones), but 7 distinct sculpts is enough that the duplicates don't really stand out.