Painting Dark Angels the "Anton" Way...

As I'm currently ploughing though the 5th Company I thought a step by step might be useful for people looking for a quick and effective way to paint a 100 marines!

So once you've assembled your model spray it with Army painter angel green, I went straight over the plastic I didn't bother with a pre-coat of black or anything,

Once that's dried off I then mixed Caliban Green with some warpstone glow and dry brushed the whole model I did a couple of levels of highlight at this point.

Then I hit it with a Biel-tan green wash/shade,

Once the initial wash had dried I wasn't happy so went onto do another couple of washes to dull the green down, but if your doing salamanders or prefer your dark angels lighter looking then the single wash is fine.

Once I was happy with the armour I starter on the metals for the model using good old tin blitz,

At the same time I did the chest eagles and other boney type bits

Then it was back to the metal to finish that bit off,


At this point your glorious marines should look something like...

I used game colour gun metal and to give a old/different look I mixed some brassy brass into the gunmetal and put on the edges of the weapons and other areas to break up the flat surfaces, One thing that I haven't done is go for the "traditional" red guns mainly because I think they look pants.

so before I did the "details" I washed the metal with army painter strong tone (badbab black) and the boney bits with ogryn flesh.

So all that was left after this point was just the chapter symbol, the squad symbol and details like pouches, purity seals, the company symbol on the left knee pad and eyes, all easily done and once you've based the model in your preferred scheme your good to go!

So a nice and easy way to paint marines, using the new shades to full advantage, I've painted this lot using the above technique,

All I need to do is add the unit numbers, and in the mean time I have this lot left for the tactical squads to be finished off,

then its gonna be the mammoth task of the transports...

But I've had an idea with regards to the droppods so I'll be doing one as a test to see if my idea works then simply apply it to the rest of them.

As usual any comments etc pop them below,

The big unpack!

Don't worry my lovely followers the Anarchy hasn't gone dark!

So in the words of rastamouse, Wagwan?

Well I packed up the Mancave and was a surprised to see how much stuff I really had!

and it keeps coming....

So now I'm at the new place and the traditional put the stuff back together session has taken place..

And the GC's room is sorted....

So its now onto the mammoth task of sorting out the new Mancave, finding the box with the painting table in and cracking on with the Dark Angels working out the pledge for March (which I'm sure is an interesting one) and doing various odds and sods around the house. So there will be less updates than usual but once I'm back to "normal" then you'll see business as usual.

Also just a big thanks to the guys who helped me move on the day, So Spencer, Khris & Keith you've got front row at the BBQ!

Dark Angels 5th Battle Company progress

Even though I'm yet to get a game with the Dark Angels, I'm still chugging though the mass of infantry.

I'm waiting on a tactical squad via Ebay and I've ordered a couple of devastator boxes which will help flesh out the squads that are missing heavy weapons, with the missing special weapons I'll be sorting that out later this weekend,

Squad one needing a heavy plasma cannon & Sargent, Squad two done.

Squad three needing a multi melta & Sargent, Squad four a heavy bolter & Sargent, Squad five a flamer & heavy bolter and basing.

The assault squad done par the Sargent's sword (and basing) which I'll be giving it some airbrush loving once I get the new pad set up, I'll be doing that with all the power weapons in this army so should have it nailed by there sorted, this is the youtube video that I found the other week that convinced me to give it a crack...

Looks so simple surely it can't be that hard?

So once I've the above done that'll give me the full 6 tactical squads and an assault squad, then it'll be onto the 2 devastator units and the remaining assault unit, but that'll be some time in April depending how Salute with the usual spending as well as a few kickstarters that I'm thinking of backing.

Rogue Trooper

WWX

warzone resurrection

However I found out earlier that my yearly bonus is delayed until April so I could be losing out on some awesome deals but I need to work out what I can jigg about cashage wise!

Housewise myself (well more Nadine) have decided on an actual move date which will be the 29th March so plenty of time to sort out the main bedroom and maybe get some cheeky painting in before it all goes into boxes ready for the big day, I'm "hoping" to get the Sefadu starter set sorted out ready for the demo day on Sunday the 6th April at Coalville Library from 10:00 - 15:00 for a mere £2.50.

but the golden question is how to base them? do I go for fancy resin urban or scrubland style?

Merc's Week on Beasts of War & Sefadu starter set

A long time ago I picked up the rules and couple of models for MERC's

 and as always started to read the rules to try and sort a game out, but for various reasons never got round to it, fast forward a couple of years and Beasts of War decide to run a MERC'S week.



Add the fact that one of the guys I know has started a facebook page for MERC players in the Midlands area my interest is now back to the chin scratching point, I've already got the book (packed away some where!) but with MERC's starter sets now being available you can get everything you need in a box for £40.

So the planned "dry" month for March has gone to the dogs already and I picked up the Sefadu box set, so a quick look inside,

so the actual models, the current range of all 6.

model wise they are dynamic compared to the usual 40k/warmahordes so easy to make out who is who on the table,

you also get the cards for the faction pack

all the rules for the models are on the cards and the actual cards are used for measuring movement and shooting, Finally your get 6 D10's as well,

 

so everything you need to play in a box, If you were to buy all the bits individually then you'd be looking at about £48 without the dice so a pretty good deal personally. 

Going back to the Beasts of War week, I've watched about 3 hours of game play with the first two missions that Warren & Luke? have played and effectually got a good idea of the rules and could quite happily play a game with just some rule queries. 

All I need to do is bang the models together and find the main rule book once I've moved house!!

Simples ;)

Hammerhead 2013, Gamecraft Goodies & dreadball!

Apologises for the delay getting these up, I've been a tad "busy"

So after arriving we set up the board that Adam designed and built, this was the first time I'd laid eyes on it due to work and the wonderful shift pattern that I work!

Personally I was very impressed with Adam's work and once more the Phat Cats Demo team represented well amongst the other WW2 tables that were around us,

The game was a particapation game so that we had enough stuff units that people could use stuff and there was half a dozen people who played the game which was good and loads of chatting to randoms that asked various questions thoughout the day,

anyway onto the pics.....

these are the final end game shots, I decided to go true Russian tank commander style and charge the gun line with what was left of the T-34's and the look on Nick's and Phils face was golden when they ended up in amongst the german battle lines! They all ended up burning but it prevented the germans securing the town and gave us a technical victory as they didn't get close at all!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I ordered some bits from gamecraft a while back for the gruntz game that I was planning, only after I ordered it did I read the delivery notes, i.e. it'll take some time! and now its arrived I had a chance to have a playabout with it before being packed for the house move!

So the radio tower and jersey barriers, not bad personally and will be ordering more once I've sorted out my new "cave" but that's not going to be for a while as I've quite a bit of work to do on the new pad.

So after painting 80 Russains in about 9 days I decided to have a bit of a chill painting wise and took my time on some dreadball Orx ready for a game this coming Thursday, not my best paint job but they'll do!

However with my really big brushes I have managed to sort out Isla's Room which is good as that leaves me with only the main bedroom to sort out,

Hammerhead Russians & the Angels

So January arrived and disappeared in what feels like a heartbeat!

Its been quite hard to stay focused on painting this month as work has been quite mental and I've felt a bit in limbo with regards to gaming.

What I mean by that is because of my shift pattern at work I can only get a game in once every so often and that's killing my geek-fix but I'm sure I'll suss out a way to get round this and need to start travelling to other clubs on the various nights that they hold there gaming nights,


With hammerhead http://www.hammerhead.org.uk/ looming this coming weekend, I got quite a surprising text from Coop's "asking" me to paint a platoon of infantry and T34's!

well the T-34's were never going to happen due to Coops having my airbrush so I set to work on the infantry, and the limbo that I was stuck in soon disappeared!

I was planning on "taking my time" with the Russians to make them look pretty (who was I kidding) so with some banging music the brushes were deployed and away I went....

One infantry platoon done, with an additional command element that I'll use as a commissar or something like that!

the skirmish bases were made by warbases just for me ;) so when I see them on Sunday I'm going over to thank then for there awesome products! who knew that MDF bases could be so exciting!

The meadow flowers I got from army painter and nicked the idea from coops he did some of his 15mm Germans and they looked nice, if you want a pack I do these for £4 a pop,

so with that lot done miles before the deadline, I decided to give the infantry platoon some support options, and as usual got carried away....

So as well at the anti-tank gun team, a HMG and 2 infantry guns I cranked out another infantry platoon!  I didn't get the same "mix" with regards to the brown so these guys are a lighter colour, but as I washed them I had a thought ( which is dangerous for me..) and decided that the next platoon I'll do in Russian uniform green and mash it up for a rag tag look after all the same shade of brown would look boring!

now the scary bit is that that lot is only a mere 193 points, compared to the German infantry platoon at 100 points!  So Sunday should be a meat grinder of a game!

So whats going on with the Angels.....

Once I'd sussed out the technique with these guys they flew off the table! until I ran out of dark angels green, snot green & thrakka green ink!! So I'm sorting out a resupply with the new paints and should be getting on with these in a couple of weeks,






As it stands this is whats "left" for the angels...

so after this lot, I've a couple of tactical squads to sort out, some random heavy and special weapons for the tactical squads, then the 2 devastator and 2 assault and 8 drop pods so another couple of months(ish) and the 3K will be good to go!

So onto the "pledge"

Bought - 41
Painted - 61
Difference +20

good strong start for the new year but will be blown away by February's pledge due to the Russians for battlegroup, as I ordered the whole lot in one fell swoop! clocking in at 227 models! and have "only" managed to paint 80 models in the last week!

But with the new gaff being confirmed I'm now on decorating duty and currently cracking on with Isla's room,

The model painting will have to take a back seat whilst I get this and the main bedroom done over the next couple of weeks, then there is the mammoth task of packing up the house and sorting out the usual stuff when you move into a new place.

Oh and for those people who like me grew up with Rogue Trooper from the hallowed pages of 2000AD this might interest you...

http://www.tabletopgamingnews.com/2013/02/05/69457/

Anyone want a spare kidney??

OMG! Rogue Trooper Kickstarter...

Well maybe!

http://ttfix.blogspot.co.uk/2013/02/rumor-mongoose-publishing-2000-adrogue.html

If this happens I'm selling spare body parts for this one!