K47 / Bolt Action Japanese

A while back I picked up a load of bolt action Japanese from a trading web site and as with all good war gamers they have been sitting in a box collecting dust,

Until now! I was on a live stream chatting to The Terrain Tutor and challenged Mel to a paint off, my Japanese to be done before he completed his scatter terrain for his Burma board build.

So the game was afoot!

I downloaded the warlord paint guide for the army as well as all the other ones whilst I was at it! and went to work!

I'm not going to do a step by step as the guide is free and fairly simple to follow,

the armour was different to what I would normally paint as its usually a single colour, but it came out really nice and looks spot on. 

The whole lot in one shot, 

So that gives me 3 squads, a sniper, command and some bloke on a horse, no doubt its an illegal army but hey its a good start just need to get some odds and sods to flesh it out, however the purpose of getting this lot done is so that I'm ready to rock and roll for the the K47 far east book some of the previews on the K47 facebook page are looking wicked so can't wait to see what the final models look like.

So if you were to add to the above force what you put into it?

Time for something different - AoS Sylvaneth!

No doubt for those people who know me you'll be asking yourself..

Yep that's right I'm gonna give AoS a crack with the Sylvaneth, now the reason why I've been turned to the "square" side is that when I'm painting at night I'll listen to various youtube channels and one of those channels is the Andy & Rem Show where between them they waffle on about AoS and over the last 18 months I've found the constant releases as well as some of the model kits to start catching my eye.

The ones that I've had my eye on for a while are the "wood elves" but was never fussed about the tree hugging hippy elves I always preferred to dryads and the like and after spotting some of the newer kits I decided to take the plunge and picked up the 50 quid start collecting box set as it seemed a good starting point,

So in the traditional Anton fashion I've splashed some paint on these killer twigs.

Close up of the branchwraith and the dryad unit leader

Rank and file for the slaughter

Treeman Tommy looking all swish!

painting wise these were a doddle to paint and to back up that bold statement here's the way that I did them...

To start of with I sprayed them with halfords grey matt primer,

I dry brushed the model with a light grey to start of with and then gave it a liberal wash of athonian camoshade.

after letting this dry I got some English uniform and randomly put it in various places on the model for a non uniform look. One that was done I picked out other random parts with khaki but with a really light drybrush so that it wasn't too much.

I then got flat earth and picked out the loin cloth leafy thing and the individual leaves on the rest of the model. I gave this further highlight with some flat red mixed in.

For the eyes and the patterns I used a purple ink straight from the pot and that was it really. Nice and simple.

For the big guy I did exactly the same just more of it! and for the blue staff I kept it grey then used a pastel blue for the detail and then hit it with a blue glaze, I also repeated the same on some other areas of the model and to break up the "flesh" bits I used the blue glaze in the recesses to add another level of colour for the ohh factor.

Over all I'm really happy how these have come out, and I'll pick up some other bits and bobs as time goes on. how much I actually get will depend on how many games I will play!

7TV - The Henchmen get reinforcements!

Way back some time last year, I picked up some reinforcements for the henchmen cast that I'd already got.

In the usual Anton fashion they sat on the "well organised" painting table and only after I'd played a game against Lee and his lovely NOT planet of the apes guys that I decided to actually get these finished off.

Lee managed to snap a few shots of the game, 

we used the rules for motorbikes to represent the horses

Bright red overalls not really blending well in with the terrain.....

 And what the heroic henchmen last saw....

Nothing to do with getting my ass handed to me honest! but what harm can a machine gun team, flame thrower, rocket launcher and various other nasties can do!

So a quick paint job and these were done and dusted, I based them in the same manner as the previous guys so that they match and since doing these I've got my copy of This is Not a Test, so I'll be using these guys as a warband for that system as well. 

so the whole lot togeather, I should really blast these with a varnish so that they are protected, I'm sure I'll get round to that at some point! 

I'm looking at various other models from crooked dice for various other systems, and with the "master plan" I'm sure I'll be playing some more 7TV with the guys at the Leicester Phat Cats.

2017 The Masterplan!

Well strap in ladies and gentlemen here we go!!

I've been pondering this over the last few weeks in between work, Christmas and keeping the GC entertained, The conclusion of all this pondering has been bugger all!

I've no idea what the master plan is for this year!

I've achieved so much from the supergeek list I've nothing else to tick off the list, This is why....

• I've done salute multiple times taking a variety of tables the pinnacle was the AVP temple board, that was a bonkers day! 
• Walked away with best participation/best in show at more than one show
• Had a number of gaming companies approach the demo team to produce tables for them, and on more than one occasion being asked multiple times.
• Managed to get over to Crisis 3 years on the bounce and have a cracking time! 
• I get fantastic feedback from what I put on various facebook groups for the various models I paint and I also listen to whats been said if I get constructive feedback, After all someone out their is always better than you! 
• The geek room is sorted, its a shit pit but its sorted! 

So for 2017 I'm gonna wing it!

I've only a couple of things on the "to do" list which are...

• Play some games of what ever I can! 
• Paint the poster boys of the 40K world in the 30K setting, yep that's right Ultramarines.
• I would like to make a funky looking table for This is Not a Test, only a 4 foot square is going to be needed for this game so I can spend some time on making it sexy looking! 
• Travel to a few more local clubs and get some games in with systems I wouldn't normally play. 

 and that's it really, so god knows whats gonna happen!

So onto the kick starter front after a hefty 2015, I was a bit more reserved this time round with only the following being backed:

Arc Worlde - Battle for troll bridge
This is Not a Test
Blood and Plunder (Lee's bloody fault!)
SLA Industries
Dwarves at arms

as it currently stands I'm waiting for the following KS to rock up...

AvP - Enough said...
Spectre technical - way way overdue quite honestly a clusterfuck
Warpath - Should be landing any time soon, only went for the book though!
PanzerfaustE - over due however as I've seen whats been going on from the inside its been a rough ride but looking peachy!
Blood & Plunder - shipping as we speak so again should be with myself by the end of Jan I hope
SLA - Due for June
Dwarves at arms - Due Jan, but I'm only waiting a unit of halfing WW1 chaps so no massive issue if its late.

So with no real master plan, what are your for the year?

2016 - Overview of the year...

Well in a blink of an eye the year has flow past!

It's been an interesting one outside however in the land of the eternal child its been great fun, So without further ado get yourself a brew and turn this bad boy up loud!

hands in the air - Whoop whoop!

January -

The master plan!

The-master-plan-2016

I'll cover that bad off laters, however the other bits that sort out were...

Test painting some forge fathers

Doing some PanzerfaustE terrain (The E is for Steve as I've been spelling panzerfaust wrong for the last year! LOL)

some 15mm ancients, these all I managed to do as the rules for the system never came out and I was distracted by the usual shiny stuff!

February -

Bit of a quite month however it was the start of the dark path into 30K!

And that standard still is incomplete!

March -

The first show of the year kicked off with the world famous Hammerhead. One of my favourite shows due to the venue and that all the games are participation so you can give everything a crack!

this would be a first as I was heavily involved in making two tables, one for the Club game of Gates of Antereas and the other for PanzerfaustE

Just look at those super sexy demo guys!
 

And the GoA board, painted in about a day!

To top of the show Lee and the guys walked away with the best in show, bloody good start to the year!

Oh and I painted some gnomes, dwarves and Orcs

April -

The month of the dreaded Salute!! however due to real life getting in the way I was unable to make it and for the first time in 13 years I missed it. Gutted was an understatement.

Dan kindly did a how to on painting thousand sons, I'm still in love with these bad boys!

and the children continued to grow...

Phil looking a smug bastard at Salute with all the Russian's I'd painted for the show!

May -

My deadzone Mk2 pledge rocked up and in the usual Anton manner I've not bloody touched it!!

I managed to sweet talk Mr Alderman and get some trolls to slap some paint on,

and get some more Ghar done as well

I played some 7TV with Mr Cooper and got my ass soundly handed to me, but at least all my stuff looked pretty as it died!

We also wandered over to Partizan and ran the GoA board, it was a popular day and Massive thanks to Keith for his relentless effort on the day!

June -

Most of the month was adding to the Children and sorting out a demo table for the Mantic open day,

The enforcer army that I painted never came back from the Mantic open day and the "Thank you" that we were offered in return was an insult, So my top tip for all demo team type people is avoid mantic like the plague, great product but I'll leave it at that...

July -

So off to Bovington for Battlegroup south!

This is what we should have taken.....

however due to an absolute schoolboy error from myself we ended up with this!

Almost as bad as Kris forgetting the warlord open day tickets!

The show was wicked as the show was in between all the tanks, the camping was interesting to see Nick and his blow up tent!

Myself and the GC wandered over to Barrage and had a wander around which was a good crack, met up with the Terrain Tutor and had a chit chat over all good day!

August -

Painted my SLA Shiver section and with the usual Anton way of thinking everything looks good in Russian green!

A couple of the guys tried out Iron Cross and it went down really well, such a simple system and scale neutral as well!

Not content with one 30K force, I dipped my toe into the Mechanicum after getting my ass handed to me by them! Well they do say if you can't beat them join them!

 And funnily enough still not played with them! 
 
I finished off the month with some more GoA models the rock riders were a real challenge as they were completely different to what I would normally paint!

September -

As I being a slacker the whole month passed without a single post!

but I did paint various odds and sods throughout the month!

Some Yanks for a K47 demo

and terrain to add to some existing 28mm WW2 stuff

and gorkamorka type terrain

And to finish off the month nicely my old battlewagon from back in the day!

Oh did I mention that the boys back best Participation from Derby, that's three years in a row now!

October -

I continued to add to the Mech force

The blog was completely out of sync at this point with regards to what I was painting and posting, I'd lost my mojo for the blow but a weekend away in November soon got me back on track!!

November -

So off to Crisis we went, bloody good weekend and had a cracking laugh!

Rob managed to keep me away from the "red" part of Antwerp which saved me from spending my eternal life in hell,  Doesn't know me that well ;)

apart from rampaging across Europe in the Ant & Lee show I made a start on my This is Not a Test stuff

December -

After a bit of a moment of madness challenging Mel the terrain Tutor to a paint off me getting my Japanese done before his scatter terrain the game was on! I'm yet to post the finished models off on the actual blog but was updating the face book page from the comfort of the throne!

other odds and sods included the boss man for the Ultramarines and some more henchmen for 7TV, after playing a second game against Lee I decided to get some firepower!

December was a bonkers month really as I picked up these bloody things!

I've been faffing about and managed to get them locked down, just need to do a how to do them!

Well that was a whirlwind tour!

So what about the pledge?

December:

Bought 52 models
Painted 76

Difference +24

2016 as a whole

Bought 223
Painted 698

Difference  +475

I'm more than happy with what I managed to get done, no where near the 2015 painted target but I'm not overly fussed as long as its in the positive!

This year has mainly been demoing at shows for both Hysterical Games and Warlord Games, I'd like to personally thank Rob & Vince from Hysterical and Nick & Donna from Warlord I've had an absolute blast!

Also without saying massive thanks to Lee & Kris and the rest of the boys from Phat Cats who funnily enough are going to celebrate the 15th Year of being at the fore front of gaming in Leicester!

Not bad considering it started off as a drunken suggestion in O'Neils!  

So the Future of the blog?

I'n in year 8 since I started way back in the day and it'll continue maybe not posting as often as I'd like but rest assured the models will continue to come and the random systems will appear!

The Allscars monthly compo I'll be knocking on the head after 24 months of pledges and zero fails I've proven my worth as the fastest painter in the west of Leicester ;)

So I hope you all had a good year and may you whupp the arse of whoever you play in 2017 and if you play against me you'll have a comedy game of sarcasm and piss taking!