A buddy of mine asked me to paint some Infinity models for him.  They're actually pretty nice.  I decided to do some custom urban bases.  I masked off the bases and drybrushed on some yellow highway markers.  I think it worked out pretty well.

Corellian Conflict

I was told that this is a little more casual for Star Wars Armada...

My friends and I are going to give it a shot.  I'll let you know how it turns out.  I'm cautiously optimistic.  I like the game, but hate the tournament meta.  The starting fleets in this setup can only have one upgrade card each.  That should help things out quite a bit.

Upcoming Primaris Marines Stuff

I'm really underwhelmed by how the Primaris Marines perform in combat.  Necron Warriors seem 100% superior to Intercessors in every way.

BUT...

They're so pretty.  GW teased some upcoming stuff over the weekend.  I'm really digging the Librarian, but without the glowing eyes.  It makes him a little cartoony.  The Reivers (skull faced guys) are OK, but their legs look a little off.  I'm curious to see when they're due to come out and how much they'll cost.  Supposedly, you don't need glue.  That probably means they won't be pose-able.

Star Wars Armada Store Championship

I went to a store championship for Star Wars Armada over the weekend and had a bad enough time that I went home afterwards and made some hard decisions.  I came to a couple of realizations.

1. I like casual play.
2. At the event level, games like Armada and X-Wing have no room for casual play.
3. There is no non-event level.  All games are either events or prep work for events.
3. If there is no room for casual play, there is no room for me.

So, I unfollowed all of the Facebook groups centered around these games and boxed up all my stuff for eventual sale.  I thought about this for awhile.  If the situation is different in your area, great.  In mine, people are either playing competitively in events or playing competitively with the same lists to prepare for events.  I don't have the time or inclination necessary to learn every upgrade in the game and then to practice with the same fleet list over and over and over again until I get good enough to not lose 90% of the games I play.

I've actually been really frustrated with my gaming situation lately.  I'm not sure what to do.  I might just give up on table top gaming for awhile and try to talk people into playing coop board games.

MOAR Painting

I've really been on a roll lately with the painting.  I basically go to work, come home to paint and sleep.  Good times.  This weekend should be fun.  I'll actually be playing some games for a change.

I painted up the three Inceptors.  Again, this is a dumb name.  Plus, the legs are weirdly posed.  This is easily my least favorite of the models in the new core set.  They do look nice painted up though.

I need to figure out some spot details for the backs of these guys.  They're just VERY plain without the belt pouches.  I might try to do some sort of glowing exhaust effect.

Here's a group shot of everything painted so far.

More Primaris Marines!

I was so happy with the test model that I decided to paint up a 5 man squad of Intercessors.  It took about four and a half hours of straight painting to get these guys done.  That's really not so bad.  It does mean that I have about 15-20 hours remaining to paint the rest of the set if I knuckle down.

Here they are with the Lieutenant from yesterday.  I was worried that they might be a little dark, but I'm digging the overall effect.  I made the bases pretty light to act as a contrast.  I think your base should always set off the model.

I think the pouches make for a pretty solid spot color.

I'll write out the full paint scheme in a day or two so that I don't forget.

Primaris Lieutenant Test Model

I haven't decided on a name for the Chapter yet, but I did decide on a color scheme.  I wanted to go with something generally dark, but recognizably descended from the Ultramarines.  I went with a very dark grey armor with whatever the heck color blue on the shoulders, helmet, knee caps and backpack.  The Lieutenant will have a white helmet and the Sergeants will have red.

Let me know what you think.  I'm particularly happy with the face and the little display thing on his arm.

Primaris Space Marines Army so far...

This is what the Dark Imperium boxed set comes with from a Primaris standpoint, plus the one Contemptor I had on sprue and assembled over the weekend.

HQ - Captain in Gravis Armour w/Master-crafted Sword and Boltstorm Gauntlet (102+10+25)
HQ - 2x Lieutenants (140+4)
Elites - Contemptor Dreadnought (98+65)
Troops - 5x Intercessors (100)
Troops - 5x Intercessors (100)
Fast Attack - 3x Inceptors (135+90)
Heavy Support - 5x Hellblasters (100+90)

That's a total of 1,059 points.  Not too shabby for $60 and a traded Deathwatch dude still on sprue (which I traded for the Contemptor).  I'll end up adding in AdMech stuff that I already own to bulk the list out to 2,000 points.

Primaris Space Marines

I ended up going to my local gaming store for a midnight release of Warhammer 40k 8th Edition.  I had sort of committed to not buying anything, but that didn't work out even a little bit.

I ended up splitting a box with another dude and paid $60 for the Primaris half of a core set, but no rulebook.  I have a copy of the free core rules and the half a dozen other pages I'd need to play matched play from the Russian leaks.  I did pick up the Imperium 2 and Xenos 1 books so that I can add non-Space Marine units to my newly acquired Primaris Marines and also my Necrons.

I took a NASTY fall down some steps over the weekend, so I ended up spending all of Sunday on the couch.  I figured I'd assemble a coupe of the new models...

...and then the rest of them...

...and then I'd sand the bases...

...and then I'd drill out the bolters...

...and then I'd prime them.

Yup.  I built, based, drilled and primed over a thousand points of new models today.  Now to decide on what color to paint them!

When I drill out the weapon barrels, I use the little scribing tool on the left to make a small indent into the center of the barrel.  Then I use the small or large drill, depending on the barrel size.  It's a small detail, but it helps.

I'm Back!

...and I actually painted something.

I have a Star Wars Armada Store Championship to go to in Bel Air, MD this weekend.  I'm going to be using a list made up of an Imperial Class Star Destroyer and two basic Arquitens ships.  I primed the Arqs last night and slapped a little paint on them after work last night.  The scheme is stupid easy, but I like how it's kind of menacing.

I'm not dead or gone...

Work is still kicking my rear.  It's basically just sleeping and working right now.  I did spray paint two Arqs from Star Wars Armada last night when I got home.  I'm hoping to paint them tonight and put up some pictures.  They're quick to paint.  I also expect that I'll be back to normal on Monday.

Project Work

My project nightmare week is almost over.  For context, I worked 40 hours over the weekend.  Basically just work, a little sleep and the odd shower.

Nothing for the next few days...

Work has blown up.  I'm a project manager and a major deployment has gone wrong.  I'll be working pretty much from waking til sleeping for the next week or so.  I'll be back after that.

Necron 1k List

I've been wanting to run this guy ever since I kitbashed and painted him.  I'm finally going to get a chance.

I put together a 999 point list using the new 8th Edition rules.

Battalion Detachment

• HQ - Destroyer Lord w/Warscythe and Phylactery
• HQ - Cryptek
• Troops - 17x Warriors
• Troops - 17x Warriors
• Troops - 5x Immortals w/Guass Blasters
• Fast Attack - 3x Canoptek Scarabs
• Fast Attack - 3x Canoptek Scarabs
• Flyer - Night Scythe

The goal is to run the Destroyer Lord forward like a maniac and try to get into Combat ASAP.  He can hitch a ride in the Night Scythe due to being an Infantry unit.  The way Night Scythes work is that you can pop out an Infantry unit BEFORE the Night Scythe moves.  The plan is to fly forward 20"+ in the first turn and then drop the Destroyer Lord the following turn.  The Destroyer Lord then gets to move 10" and charge 2D6".  He'll certainly eat some Overwatch, but I'm thinking that I can charge more or less anything at will in the second turn.

The Warriors will simply walk forward with the Cryptek in between to provide a 5++ save against shooting and a +1 to Reanimation Protocol rolls.  The Scarabs run out front to disrupt enemy charges.  I definitely don't want the Warriors getting stuck in combat.

I'm hoping to play some games soon.

Necron Warriors Suck

I had planned to write up a big article today about finding a ton of Necron Warrior bits and how I assembled them all and can now field 2x 20 man blocks.

But...

These things suck to assemble.  I forgot how annoying they are.  I got the legs and bodies assembled and some of the guns.  I'll work on them more throughout the week, but for now I'm done.  Seriously.  These models suck.

It's a crappy photo (and you'll get better from a lightbox when they're done), but two of the guys got spare Lychguard heads and will act as unit commanders.  Purely fluffy, but I like the idea of the units having a lead soulless robot.

Some Painting!

My buddy Kevin asked me if I could paint up some Infinity models for him.  These models tend to be pretty spindly and the box art is unreasonably beautiful with things like wet blended non-metallic metal on a 2 mm piece of armor.  I offered to paint one model, and then if he was happy, paint the rest.

This is what I'm trying to replicate without going crazy...

I think I did an OK job.  Kevin seemed pretty happy and we're going to talk about painting the rest in a week or two.  This will be my first actual commission in a while.  I realize the base is crazy sloppy.  It's just there for some contrast.  I have no idea how he wants the bases.

The Paint Scheme...

Armor - Base Fenrisian Grey, Wash Drakenhof Nightshade, Drybrush Fenrisian Grey, Drybrush Pallid Wych Flesh
Cloth - Base Inner Areas Zadri Dust, Base Outer Areas Straken Green, Wash Athonian Camoshade
Face - Base Bugman's Glow, Highlight Kislev Flesh, Was Reikland Fleshshade
Hair - Baneblade Brown
Guns - Base Eshin Grey, Drybrush Codex Grey
Red Spots - Evil Sunz Scarlet
Base - Base Zandri Dust, Base Rim Black
Testor's Clear Coat Varnish Spray

More Planning

I spent my lunch break at work today trying to work through some 8th Edition Necron lists.  I think I have a good 2000 point list squared away.  I accidentally left the paper at work, so this is sort of from memory.  I know this is wrong, but I also know it's close.  I'll be getting a chance to look at the actual rulebooks and index books tomorrow.  I should have a more accurate list then.

Battalion Detachment

• Illuminor Szeras
• Cryptek
• 20x Warriors
• 20x Warriors
• 5x Immortals

Outrider Detachment

• Destroyer Lord
• 8x Canoptek Scarabs
• 8x Canoptek Scarabs
• 5x Canoptek Wraiths

My buddies and I are planning on testing out the new edition as soon as it drops.  More to come.  I'm sure I'll write up a review.

How Did This Happen?

Someone leaked the index pages for the various armies online for the upcoming Warhammer 40k 8th Edition.  I was pretty salty at first because I didn't think I had enough models to make a 'standard sized army' for any given faction.  All units in a matched play army have to share at least one faction keyword.  That means, among other things, that Necrons are on their own.  They only have the Necron and <Dynasty> faction keywords.  No allies.

I was pretty pissed because I thought I had maybe 500-1000 points tops.  Boy, was I wrong.

3,184 points, assembled and ready to play with.  Another 1,299 points unassembled.  My closet basically looked like this...

I guess you guys will be seeing more Necron painting soon.

Sheesh.  I need to clean my closet out more often.