We accidentally missed December, but we’re back in force for 2023!
Primaris Kevin
Somehow the #hobbystreak continues unabated, with this month mostly focused on crates. First up I finished up the Battletech starter set. It’s been fun working with wax based metallics in something other than terrain. The red is Blood Angel Contrast, while the copper is Rub n’ Buff Spanish Copper with an application of Gloss Nuln Oil for shading. The blue terrain is Vallejo Black Lava texture paint primed white, hit with a 50% thinned layer of Space Wolves Grey Contrast, a drybrush of Vallejo Game Color Electric Blue, and a final drybrush of white. It’s pretty nice and I might use it on other projects if I want an alien ice effect.
Next up were some quick barricades I painted for Necromunda. This was using the same technique I applied for the Sector Mechanicus terrain. Paint Your Barricades people!
The biggest thing I’ve been working on is experimenting with water mixable oil paints, acrylics, and wax metallics. I plan on doing an article on it at some point, but basically I found a really fun way to quickly make things look weathered and worn out. Basically you prime a metal color, apply Rub n’ Buff Spanish Copper, sponge on craft paint, coat in water mixable oil paint, and the wipe with a wet rag until layers start to come off. It’s pretty crazy how well it works for how little effort it takes.
Where it really shines is on terrain. The crates below use a slightly different technique, but if you want something that looks weathered to hell and paints up quickly this is a method that’s worth exploring. I’ve done a total of four crates so far but plan on doing a bunch more, not to mention a small depot’s worth of Promethium Tanks.
Last up, I’m playing in a local Necromunda campaign out of Your Hobby Place in Alexandria, VA (great store, check it out), and I made enough money to get an AmBot. This was a fun opportunity to explore the use of Streaking Grime enamels, which I hadn’t done before. I’m not convinced it’s much better than the water washable oil paints I’m having fun with, but it’s another tool in the tool box and I’m glad to get some experience with it. Fun fact; Dirty Down Rust does a great job of looking like oxidized blood on a piece of ambulatory industrial equipment.
Rockfish
If you’ve seen our review of the latest guard release then you have a pretty good idea of what I have been up to lately. To kick off my little refresher here is my take on the Lord Solar!
Kinda lower key were the trio of Heavy Weapons Team bases.
Then of course I’ve spent a majority of my time working on filling in my tank parking lot!
I’ve managed to sneak in a new game though, star wars legion! A few of these are from last year that missed my year in review, but its fineeeeeee.
Droidekas suck to assemble otherwise they are entirely fine models, that’s all I got to say for them.
Skails
This month involved finishing a couple Necropolis28 projects. First up was a kitbash for the Necropolis Sellsword Challenge. After rolling up a prompt from a table I landed on ‘Doomed Witch of Greed hailing from Greater Alcazar wielding a Branch of the Iron Tree’. The base model I used was Cleona Zeitengale. I’d already had a couple false starts on converting this model but got into it with a firm direction this time. Hobby Heresy article with a step by step of the kitbash coming soon!(?)
The other project was a necromantic remnant for Necropolis. This was built out of a small skull bit off a Tomb King standard, some little finger boney bits off Bonereapers Arch-Kavalos, Dryad fingers, and greenstuff for the centipede body.
Here they are together, they make a lovely start to a warband!
Michael O “Mugginns”
One of my favorite things I’ve done in a while is the new Beastlord model for Age of Sigmar. I love the new plastic kit – it’s super dynamic and really shows the primal fury. I mostly did basecoat / wash / a little highlighting. He’s wearing blue because my whole Beasts of Chaos army is Tzeentch focused from way before we even got Tzaangors.
I also painted these ACW casualty models that I’ve had around forever. They’re very old sculpts from Old Glory, so not the greatest, but will look okay from five feet away. I’m happy to have them because it’ll let me present an even better ACW game.
I also got all my ACW minis out and took an inventory. I’ve been painting these guys for years, so I wanted to know exactly what I’ve painted – I actually forgot I had a few things. I re-sorted them in my storage and labeled the storage like a true grog so I can get to them faster.
Soggy
My output was lower than normal this month, only painting up a single unit for No Retreat, which was easily one of the coolest hobby events I’ve been to. If you’re curious what made it so special, I’ve written up a trip report here.
Next up is a Psi-Titan I’ve had sitting around for a year to get painted, which an upcoming event should motivate me into getting it in done (hopefully).
