12/15/13: Even More Terrain! Tundra Themed Terrain Set

Howdy folks!

So its a little later than I'd promised, but instead of showing off some WIP shots of the terrain, I decided I'd just blow through it all super quick-like! Really pleased with this project overall, this is a table and a half worth of terrain finished in under two weeks and, personally, I think it looks pretty sexy! Enough jabber, more pictures! And believe me, there's a LOT of them!

First off, the battleboard! The clients wanted a tundra themed set this time; my last terrain sets for Good Games in Farmington were grasslands and generic-themed (Links HERE & HERE!). I themed the set around pg. 23 of the Chaos Space Marines Codex and Abaddon's 7th Black Crusade, where the Despoiler aims to crush the Blood Angels, personally leading a group of Berserkers against Devastator positions. Having a theme in mind really helps keep a terrain set like this in perspective.

The Battleboards and any outdoors piece were primed black. They were then dusted with grey and brown spraypaint to create a subtle blending from frozen earth to snow and back. Finally, the grey areas were sprayed with white to create a windblasted snowscape look. The ice was based a deep blue, then overbrushed with Ice Blue up to a white drybrush. When that was complete, the icy areas were sprayed with gloss varnish to create a sheen. This step was a little haphazard, as it created the effect of snow covering more ice than just what was seen on the surface. Most troubling for the aspiring general...

And with terrain! It really looks complete with a mix of trees, rubble, and buildings!

Citadel Woods; the clients specifically requested no leaves. I don't blame them, just looking at the leaves funny cause them to fall off! I'll have to find a use for all the leftover leaf pieces I have lying around...

Like the other forests, the trees are, in fact, removable for easy gaming!

Ah, the buildings. The commission included an Imperial Sector, so I had some fun with this! I had to do another billboard, so why not throw one of my business cards up, much like I did with theirs last time!

And the back of the billboard! The billboards really help stop crazy advantages with LoS, while at the same time, still remain fun and realistic for the set!

Damn cultists broke all my monitors!

Man that glow! This building could be a speech podium for an Imperial Governor, or a wastewater plant for the local hab-block!

Obviously the remains of the Governor's Quarters; look at all that gold! I've been working on a quick NMM effect for terrain, I may have to share it with you all soon...

Perhaps the Governor's Bodyguard's Quarters, but its hard to tell, its taken too much damage!

As I said, I wanted the set to reflect Abaddon's assault on the Blood Angels on Mackan during his 7th Black Crusade. Having two Blastscapes, I figured I'd aim for a theme and run with it! 

Waterslides and extra care really help to add personality to a terrain piece, so sometimes, its worth spending the same time you'd spend on a regular model on a terrain piece!

*Boo Hiss!* The Black Legion symbol comes from the Chaos Accessory sprue, and helped convey the Chaotic feel without affecting playability!

The Barricades continue the theme; each group has a bike that matches either the Blood Angels or Black Legion! If I do more, I'll throw some other marine chapters in, but we'll see how that turns out.

Arkos and his bodyguard stalk the ruins of Mackan, searching for the Emperor's faithful!

Chosen track their targets with plasma and melta drawn!

Whew! I hope you all enjoy the terrain! If you haven't read my artist's statement (Read it HERE), I like to see the game as a couple hours of immersing yourself in a narrative, a cinematic experience, if you will. Terrain is crucial to this effect, and I love painting terrain sets to complete this goal. I'm hoping to do some more personalized terrain sets with more pink foam and sculpting down the road, so we'll see where that leads!

Alrighty! Next up is the 1st group of a 3 part Necron Commission. Get to paint some really fun models in these groups (C'Tan AND Night Scythes, you say?!), so stay tuned for that next week! I'm going to be out of town from the 15th to the 17th, and will be on holiday from the 24th to the 2nd of January, so there's going to be a bit of a break, but I won't leave you guys hanging; I've got some fun posts planned for the holidays. 

Over and out!

Granesh

12/16/12: Abaddon WIP Part Deux, Smells Like Wargaming, GenghisCon, and 1750 CSM List!

Hey guys!

So first up, glad to see the huge increase of viewers over the last couple of days! I'm pretty sure its a result of putting Star Wars in a post title, but hey! For those of you interested, Durango got hit by a really, really, REALLY big snowstorm the last couple days, so we didn't have anyone turn out for the X Wing Kessel Run event, unfortunately. Thinking those boards could make a really sweet 40k space table though! 

Copy that asteroid table from the 6th Edition rulebook? Hmmmm plans....

Speaking of plans, I'm about 95% done with Abaddon Part Deux. Much happier with this one, the reds are brighter and the NMM stands out much better than the first Abaddon. He's my main CSM HQ choice though, so its good to almost be finished with him!

Why have I spent so much time on him lately? Well we've got a group of people looking to attend GenghisCon in Denver in February, and I'm hoping to represent SLW at a big convention with an amazing looking army. Expect more work on the CSM over the next two months, I've got big plans.

Speaking of big plans though, I've been trying to decide on a list that will run Abaddon at 1750. Kinda a tight squeeze, but I'm going for Best Painted, rather than Best General. Here's my thoughts:

• HQ: Abaddon the Despoiler
• HQ: Chaos Sorcerer in Terminator Armour with Combi-Melta/Force Sword, and Mark of Tzeentch (Mastery Level 2)
• Elites: Terminator Squad x3, all armed with Lightning Claws, in a Land Raider with Extra Armour/Combi-Melta.
• Troops: Chosen x6; Champion has Combi-Melta/Lightning Claw, Marines have Combi-Meltas, in a Rhino with Extra Armour/Combi-Melta.
• Troops: Chosen x6; Champion has Combi-Melta/Lightning Claw, Marines have Combi-Meltas, in a Rhino with Extra Armour/Combi-Melta.
• Troops: Cultists x15 with Autoguns, Heavy Stubber, and Mark of Nurgle.
• Heavy Support: Havocs x5 with 4 Autocannons.
• Heavy Support: Havocs 5 with 4 Autocannons
• Fortifications: Aegis Defense Line with Quad-Cannon.

Its an interesting list, I really like the idea of the Death Star in a Chaos Marines list for some reason. I can make the unit look really nice on the tabletop, and it should do alright on the tabletop, assuming Abaddon doesn't get sniped too quickly. The Havocs pop Rhinos, Chimeras, and Wave Serpents, as well as mowing down light troops, while the Chosen have a good chance to roll around and annihilate a unit of heavy armour if need be. The Cultists sit behind the Aegis Defense Line on my objective and fend off any would be attackers with help from the Havocs if need be.

I'd love feedback on the list, I've got to test it a couple times, but should be no problem to paint up and get looking sexy. Hardest part would be finding all those Combi-Meltas!

Alrighty, got a lot of painting and work ahead of me, Smells Like Wargaming will be going on holiday from the 22nd to the 28th, so I should have some good updates before then!

Granesh

12/14/12: Abaddon WIP, Star Wars X Wing Tables, and the Finished Coffin!

Hey guys!

So the semester is officially over, hoping to get a ton of painting and work done over the course of the next three weeks! I also got a chance to see the midnight showing of the Hobbit thanks to my buddy RTGamer (more on him soon!), and I gotta say, its amazing! Keeps the theme of the book with some silly moments, while keeping the pseudo-dark themes of the Lord of the Rings movies. Overall really pleased with the movie, can't wait for the next two!

Anyways, painting! All signs are pointing to me attending Genghis Con in February up in Denver, so I'm starting to get my Alpha Legion wrapped up. I need my HQ finished though! So here's some WIP shots of Abaddon the Despoiler part 2!

  

Freehanded the Black Legion symbol on his shoulderpad, really happy with this one, even moreso than my first Abaddon!

 I've had some fun painting projects at work the last two days as well! We're running the FFG X Wing Kessel Run event at the shop tomorrow, and as a result, we need some X Wing boards! They were done by masking off the play surface 3'x3'. Then, the planets were done a la cheesy 80s planetary street art style! Three colors were sprayed in close proximity to one another. Then, a round object (a cup or a peanut can) was placed onto the area, and black was sprayed. The result is an instantly shaded planet! Remember to keep your sun in the right place too! Following the planets, the entire surface is sprayed black, then misted with white, blue, and green to break up the black. Finally, red, blue, and white are flicked onto the surface using a toothbrush or paintbrush to create stars! The final product ends up like this:

 

And the two boards together! 

 

Like I said, really happy with how they turned out, hoping they'll inspire some people to play the Star Wars game!

Finally, my final sculpture piece was completed! 

Title: Cineres ad Cineres, Pulveris ad Pulveris, 2012.

 

Unfortunately, the janitorial staff at the school manhandled the piece cleaning, and the coffin is in about 10 pieces. Angry Granesh was Angry! Hopefully I can redo it and put it back together, but we'll wait on that for now. 

Alrighty, need to have some High Elves finished by tomorrow, and I've got some more projects in the works for next week. Stay tuned!

Granesh

8/22/12: For Sale Abaddon: Only Two Hours Left!

Hey guys!

Just a quick reminder, my converted and painted Abaddon the Despoiler model is still up on eBay for another two hours! Now’s a perfect time to pick up the Warmaster for Chaos armies both old and new alike!



Link is HERE for anyone wanting to add this sexy model to their collections!

Will have some updates to share tomorrow hopefully…if not, I’m feeling a rant FOR finecast coming on in the near future….

Granesh

8/15/12: For Sale: Converted and Painted Abaddon the Despoiler

Hey guys,

So with the new Chaos Marine codex rumored to be just around the corner, I figured this would be the perfect time to list my Abaddon the Despoiler figure up for sale. I’m not in any hurry to sell him, but he might be a fun project to do again here in the near future, so I figure I’ll sell #1 and use the money to make an even more epic #2!

The link to the eBay auction can be found HITHER!









Again, the link to the eBay auction can be found HITHER!

Should be finished with Magilla’s Malifaux crew tomorrow, along with a couple other projects. The painting mojo is in full swing!

Granesh

7/23/12: Painting: Better Pictures of my Chaos Marines!

Hey guys,

So I'm at work today, running the FLGS, and with a little downtime, I figured it would be a good time to get some better pictures of my various Alpha Legion Chaos Marine pieces. I've gotten a ton of different pictures of them since I started, but none on the new bases or with their magnets. Plus, I sat down and revisited an old Rhino I had lying around, so its a perfect time to show them off!

First off is my first Alpha Legionnaire Squad. Yes, they've counted as Plague Marines before, but for the most part, they stay a CSM Squad with Combi-Melta/Power Fist, 2 Meltas, and an Icon. I may swap the Meltas out for Plasma with the new meta, but we'll see.

Back in December, I got a wild hair to redo one of my favorite units in the CSM book: Abaddon the Despoiler. Yes he can kill himself and yes, on a roll of a 1, he becomes a rubber chicken. But I just can't argue with the potential for 11 S8 ap3 hits on the charge. The base of the model is the Terminator Lord, the claw, Drach'nyn and the head are from the Finecast Abaddon model, and the topknot comes from an Ork Boy. The only thing I've had him stopped by was Dark Eldar Incubi, but then again high initiative messes up most HQ choices!

A project I completed last year, he's the Warhammer Fantasy Chaos Sorcerer with a Khorne Berzerker holstered pistol to make him WYSIWYG. While the Chaos Sorcerer isn't great when compared to a Lord or a Prince, he's still fun to throw around every once in a while.

My favorite HQ out of the book, I normally run this beast with Wings and Mark of Nurgle. With the new Psychic Powers, I'll purchase Doombolt and replace it with a Pyromancy spell (Fiery Form!). Winged Monstrous Creatures got better with the new rules, and I expect to run at least one Prince in all Chaos Marine armies, if not two.

Originally my Summoned Lesser Daemons, they'll be allied as real Bloodletters now. They're just too good now to be run as regular Summoned Lesser Daemons, and with Icons working for battle-brothers, I'll be sticking with allies.

And lastly, my Khorne Berserkers! I have 5 more to paint up, so I'm a little behind on the squad, but they'll be finished soon. I opted for Warriors of Chaos heads as opposed to the bunny rabbit World Eaters heads, and I went with the 3 Plasma Pistols in the squad way ahead of 6th Edition rumors, so I'm pretty happy I went with my gut. The knock Furious Charge took hurts these guys, but I'll still be running them on a consistent basis; if anything else, they're good ablative wounds for Abaddon!

Well that's all the pictures I've gotten so far. I need to get some better shots of my Bikers, and I need to finish the entire army! I'd love to not have to worry about older pieces so I can pick up some of the cool, new kits and just go to town on them!

Alrighty, Imperial Fists and Malifaux tomorrow! Maybe I'll get more terrain pictures tonight...hmmm....

Granesh

1/10/12: Painting: Mag’s Green Knights Almost Done!; Finished: Abaddon the Despoiler in Plastic/Finecast!

Hey guys!

Sorry for the span in posts! Been a crazy last week, just getting through Mag’s pieces, as well as getting settled back in with school! Should be a fairly easy semester with some fun classes and a laid back schedule, so we’ll see what the next 4 months brings!

Anyways, I won’t bore you with silly details, I’ll jump right into pictures!

Inquisitor Coteaz with Servo-Skulls



Terminator Librarian with Servo-Skulls



Warrior Acolytes: Red Squad



Warrior Acolytes: Purple Squad



Warrior Acolytes: Blue Squad



Warrior Acolytes: Yellow Squad



Death Cult Assassins #1



Rhino/Razorback #1: Venus



Rhino/Razorback #2: Pluto



Rhino/Razorback #3: Mercury



Rhino/Razorback #4: Saturn



Rhino/Razorback #5: Jupiter



Land Raider Crusader/Redeemer #1: Sol
Multi-Melta hatch can be switched out for a plain one, and the Assault Ramp opens!



Regular Dreadnoughts (will have Multi-Melta/DCCW AND 2 Twin-Linked Autocannons)



Venerable Dreadnoughts (will have Multi-Melta or TL Lascannon/DCCW AND 2 Twin-Linked Autocannons)



WHEW! All that’s left are 15 Death Cultists and most of the Dreadnought Autocannon arms. The Autocannon arms are from Shapeways, if I recall correctly, and the texture on them makes them a BITCH to paint. Weird, grainy texture makes freehanding anything almost impossible…Goal is to be done by Saturday and have everything shipped out by Monday!

Also, I’ve managed to get my Abaddon model finished up! Must say, I’m really happy with how he turned out. The components include:

• Plastic Terminator Lord
• Finecast Abaddon the Despoiler
• Ork Boy (for the Topknot)
• Some Greenstuff

Really easy conversion, the Terminator Lord was built up fairly standardly, minus the arms and the head. The head is the Finecast Abaddon head with the topknot replaced with an Ork Boy’s one. The picture makes it look too big, but it’s fine. Drach’nyen and the Talon of Horus were simply cut from the Finecast arms and made to fit correctly onto the plastic ones I chose. There’s some sculpting done, such as the addition of some Eyes of Horus, as well as additional fur on top of his Terminator armor to make up for the goofy trophy racks.

I chose a NMM scheme for him to make him stand out and make the Black Legion scheme more
prominent. Here’s the final paint!





The picture doesn’t do him justice, but I went for a lighter yet alive style skintone that turned out
exceptionally well, the Finecast head has plenty of detail!



Best part: He towers over other Terminators, making him look the part of Warmaster! I have another Terminator Lord kit waiting for the first Lord for the Lords of the Black Crusade datasheet, but I don’t really have time to work on them right now. Smells Like Wargaming is swamped with commissions right now, and I’m slowly but surely pumping through them!



Also, my bases from Dragon Forge Designs came in today! I’ll be scrubbing them tomorrow, and working on them whenever I have free time! I’ll give a little more information on my plans for them in
the coming days!

Alrighty, the final push on Mag’s Green Knights! Huzzah!

Granesh