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Salute 2017 – What Went Down At London’s Biggest Gaming Convention

Posted by johnnya10 on 26/04/2017
Posted in: Thoughts and Comment, Uncategorized. Tagged: . 3 Comments
salute 2017 hand stamp
In what has now become an annual tradition, I bring you reports from my yearly trip to London’s cavernous Excel Centre and Salute which occurred this Saturday just gone. For those who don’t know about this festival of all things geeky and game related, it’s run by the chaps over at South London Warlords. Every year, they rent out a couple of halls (think aircraft hangers) at London’s biggest building (in terms of area covered), the Excel. From heavyweights like Forge World and Wayland Games, to the smallest of independent traders and the most obscure games, there are a vast amount of stalls selling everything from miniatures to stencils, from books to boardgames, and from paints to scenery. It’s a great place to shop, and for a few years now, it has been a fixture in my calendar.
london excel
Allow me briefly, as I am wont to do, to set the scene for you. The Excel is on the other side of London from me, and for someone who lives West (because West is best), it takes an hour to get there via trains, tubes and the faded, once futuristic driverless trains of the DLR. Once there, you are confronted with thousands of people, and not just those who are there for Salute. Our nerdiest of conventions always falls on the same weekend as  the London Marathon, and those mad fools who are readying themselves for a 26 mile run the next day, all turn up at the Excel for orientation. The chaps outside Salute in their High Vis vests were shouting “Wargamers in here! Runners keep moving!” as if anyone could confuse the two. Not many long distance runners have the builds of sedentary pie eating champions, and very few of the wargamers in the queue for Salute could spell the word “exercise” without running out of breath. That being said, many of those wargamers smelled more of sweat at 10am on Saturday as those Marathon runners did after reaching the Mall on Sunday.
That all sounds a bit mean, but it’s a yearly bugbear. Applying deodorant shouldn’t be a complicated instruction to master. Washing is not optional. And, speaking as a fat guy who feels model thin when I go to Salute, some of these guys need to understand that Doritos are not a fruit. But there you go, rant over. Back to the day in hand.
the salute 2017 queue
After queuing for about 10 minutes, in a queue that covered an actual kilometre (my Pokemon Go told me so), we get in through the door and of course, as with every year, the queue for the Forge World Store is already so long that it’s going back out of the door. It’s always the most popular stall and I dare say they do very well from this event.
blood angel cosplay
But many other stalls too are already thronged with eager gamers and painters trying to get their hands on products while stocks last. A smattering of Cosplayers, including our resident Blood Angel and Guardswoman (who I’ve met before – lovely people) were stomping around. Speaking of women, again, there were definitely a few more ladies at this year’s event, and not just tolerant and long suffering wags – actual gamers. That’s a great thing to see, and it’s always pleasing to se our hobby’s appeal growing outside of the typical audience.
Already by this early point in the day, a lot of games are being played. Each year, I usually see some really fun, interesting or amazing boards, but this year there wasn’t a whole lot new in the super impressive and noteworthy stakes. There was a big Apocalypse battle going on of course – always good to see some Titans stomping around, and that was impressive enough. One other game that did catch my eye was a Jurassic Park game which looked like a lot of fun if nothing else. The dinosaur-loving kid that I once was really enjoyed seeing that experience going on.
salute painting trophies
The Painting Competition remains a popular centrepiece to Salute and there were a lot of fantastic looking entries there, all vying to pick up one of the shiny new trophies which looked very good on display. I’m going to let South London Warlords show those off – its very hard to give credit, but I would like to show you the diorama that I liked the most. I can’t give any credit because I couldn’t see the name, but if you know who did it, do give me a shout – they deserve much praise for this Batman/Only Fools And Horses/Goblin mashup. Made me laugh – always a great bit of praise that you can give to a mini.
IMG_7146
So what did I pick up? let’s have a look at the haul…
IMG_4832
I eventually managed to get close to the Forge World store, but by the time the queue had died down sufficiently, the Moritat with Volkite Serpenta that I wanted was sold out. In fact, when I went to Nottingham a couple of days later, the guys in the Forge World store told me that there is now a 10 day delay on what has been one of their most popular Space Marine kits ever. It’s now on order for me. I did manage to pick up a couple of Blood Bowl special characters (including the event exclusive Star Player Duo), but more on that in a later post.
I popped along to MDP’s stall – something I do every year, and picked up many useful things. Rods to fashion pipes and girders, some snake chain to make pipes and some mesh to make fences. Oh, and a cutting mat because mine got, well, cut through. Finally, aside from all of the bits that were in the goody bag (and there were many bits in that bag) I picked up an elephant. My first 75mm scale miniature, which is a tad daunting. I want to try working properly on a larger scale, and i shall do this later in the year. I got it from Figone, which is run by Jeremie Bonamant Teboul who makes some wonderful pieces – truly beautiful figures and busts. The elephant was just too pretty to pass up.
IMG_0612
A couple of other stalls I should mention, include Mierce Miniatures who almost got my large scale miniature money with one of their wonderful sculpts. Their beastmen particularly are worth looking at, but the whole range is splendid enough. Also, a new game that was getting plenty of attention was Rumbleslam – a fantasy wrestling game. The miniatures aren’t much to shout about, but the game looks like a lot of fun and it’s worth taking a look. Great to see these fun sort of ideas coming through each year.
I think I’ve written enough on Salute now. It’s always a pleasure to go there, and an annual event that I thoroughly enjoy. What’s more, I got to meet a couple of heroes this year as well. Running into Jes Goodwin was rather lovely, and I had a proper fan girl moment when I bumped into Rick Priestly as well (on a day when a big announcement was being made about the game he invented – more on that later). And then, I shall leave you with my favourite encounter of the day. It was like looking into a mirror…
john ashton
Onwards!

WIP – BA Veteran Squad

Posted by johnnya10 on 13/04/2017
Posted in: My Painting and Modelling, Uncategorized. Tagged: , , . Leave a comment

hh ba vets wip

So, it’s been a little while since I gave you an update on my hobby progress and I wanted to share with you where I am with my BA Vets. The good news is that the torsos and weapons (between them the longest, most time consuming and frustrating parts of the process) are now almost complete. As you can see above, these guys are a little fancier than the standard tactical squads, and I’ve added plenty of yellows, and even a dash or two of gold to help them stand out.

IMG_2382

And yes, you can see two heavy flamers in this squad. These are Blood Angels vets – they know a thing or two about shock and awe, and they do like setting fire to things, so I expect to have some real fun with these fellows drop-podding in and burninating everyone around them. It will of course make this one hell of an expensive squad to bring to the table, but the rule of cool dictates that it must be done. But what of their own mighty leader…

blood angel power fist

Yep, that power fist is going to make them even more expensive. But it looks so cool. I can win games with ‘cool’, right? Also happy with the helmet on his base there. Is it Sons of Horus, or is it Alpha Legion…? Well, instead of trying to be mysterious, I’ll just say that it kind of works as either. Which is fine. I mixed the paint myself so it’s a little too green for Alpha Legion and a little too blue for the SoH. Works either way, so I’m calling that a win. And what will my sergeant have in his other hand?

forge world hand flamer

Yes indeed, that is a hand flamer. Because why have two template weapons in a squad when you can have three? And again, it looks cool. Winning.

Once this is painted up and put in place, it will be shoulders, backpacks and heads. Of course, I will keep you up to date with progress here as and when I can. I hope your own hobby-related endeavours are going well for you. Onwards!

The Descent Into Theta-7 – A Necromunda Short Story

Posted by johnnya10 on 30/03/2017
Posted in: My Fluff Writing, Uncategorized. Tagged: , . Leave a comment

black and white delaque leader

It’s always nice to flesh out a character that you’ve painted with a bit of a backstory, and that’s just what I’ve done for the miniature above. I’ve named him Viskar, and you can enjoy a quick read about him below. Enjoy!

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Nargo pounded down the ruined hallway, his boots thudding against the ancient, rust-covered metal as he descended further into the darkness of Theta-7 quadrant. His right hand gripped the cooling barrel of his heavy stubber, long since run dry of ammunition and now only useful as a club, while his left applied pressure to the wound in his side. His running had become more of a stagger as red life spilled through his fingers. Worse still, it had ruined his favourite tattoo. The enemies of House Goliath would pay for this night’s treachery.

“Damn Rats” he spluttered quietly, a whispered shout in the darkness, as he rounded the shattered vertical pipe of an old pumping station that had been abandoned after its malfunction hundreds of years ago. Theta-7 was common territory, caught between the boundries of Goliath, Delaque and Van Saar, like dead vermin in a trap that even the psi-vultures wouldn’t eat. It was even darker than The Sump, and a thousand corridors spread out from its toxic core.
“Damn those Rats” The words forced themselves from between his gritted silver teeth as he paused for breath by an abandoned security shed. The Ratskins had made their oaths to Goliath before the assault on the Delaque stronghold, but when the slugs started flying, the filthy bastard mutants had disappeared into the shadows, and the brutes of Goliath had been cut to pieces by the ranged guns of the waiting ‘Baldos’. Nargo had seen a juve sliced in half by a lascannon beem, before watching his leader, the mighty Frakkosh, burn to nothing in an instance as a heavy plasma blast had taken him square in the chest.
And that had been it. Even the largest brute lost his nerve then, and Nargo had been the last to turn tail and disappear into the darkness of Theta-7. He wasn’t built for speed, and the weight of his ammo pack, even when empty, and the hulking heavy stubber in his arms had made running all the harder, even before that slug had cracked his ribs. Where the hell had that shot come from, he thought to himself. All the chem-stims and pain-supressors wouldn’t stop him from bleeding out in the grim darkness of one of the underhive’s most Emperor-forsaken sink holes.
His fellow brutes long gone ahead of him, he came to a halt and slumped down onto a heap of debris. He didn’t care about the barbed wire tearing into his back as he slid a little further down still into the detritus. Where had that slug come from, he thought again. He could have sworn that he’d given them the slip somewhere around the Verti-lifter platforms. And as he scrambled through those claustrophobic tunnels and hallways, he’d made as little sound as possible. But despite all of that, searing pain had leapt out of the perpetual night and bitten into his flank with ferocity and cruel enthusiasm.
He felt the stubber’s barrel slip from his fingers as he ran short enough of blood that his extremities tingled as if he had injected some of the Doc’s best ‘Pulse-Up’ chems, and his head felt heavy. He could almost see his soul slip gently from his flesh, climbing up towards a light high above him in the smog-choked night sky of the underhive. And it was as his gaze moved upwards, that he noticed the green eyes staring at him out of the black, and the bolt gun barrel trained at his head.
-=-=-=-
Viskar ran down the hallway without making a sound. Even his long trench coat didn’t stir audibly as it flapped through the stale air of the long, dimly lit corridor. His eyes operated perfectly in these low levels of light. Typical, he mused, of a dead head Goliath to run into the darkness of Theta-7 when he was being chased by a Delaque. They really were all idiots.
As he sprinted silently through the narrow space, following the trail of chemical-thick blood that his pistol had gifted him from the brute’s torso, he grinned. Paying off those treacherous Ratskins had been the right thing to do after all. When he got back to his House’s territory, he’d have to apologise to Colbera. Viskar had no misconceptions about trusting the rats of the underhive, and would rather have executed them as soon as they had shown their faces, but for the price of a rundown track-loader and a barrel of nutrient slime that was a decade too old to consume, he had to admit that their information had been useful. Colbera had been right about that, and that irked Viskar a little, but with the chase on, all was forgiven.
House Goliath had almost been insultingly foolish, thinking they could take territory from House Delaque with so few men, and for that, they would all pay.
The blood trail lurched around the side of a tall, vertical pipe, large enough to fit two Arbites Repressor vehicles though long since shattered and abandoned, and he followed it into the gloom. To a Delaque’s eyes, the dank and murky hole at the centre of the unwanted Theta-7 district was a well lit room, and even if he hadn’t been wearing his goggles, his vision would have been near perfect in this trash heap.
He stopped suddenly and silently. Behind an ancient, broken barricade of discarded ferrocrete slabs, he saw the oversized and studded boot of a Goliath. His eyes could see through the gloom the slightest movement – a slight shudder around the heel indicated that it was still being worn and not simply a discarded item. He could just make out the laboured breathing of his injured prey, and he could smell the sticky vitae pooling below an over-muscled, perspiring body.
Still without a sound, Viskar swung himself up an ancient and disused stairway. He wanted a better vantage point to shoot from, but more than that, he was smart enough not to let a Goliath, wounded or not, get anywhere near him. If he made himself visible on ground level, the downed monster might still have enough spirit left to charge for him, and that would likely be a short fight indeed.
He moved across a creaking ramp that once crossed the expanse of Theta-7 but now ended abruptly in a rust covered gateway – half an arch that sat atop a mound of debris. A lone skull sat just beneath the parapet, gazing out into the darkness of the underhive beyond, while a thick, green ooze lazily sloshed from a broken pipe beneath the platform. From this point he looked down at the slumped figure below.
The brute was huge, his body covered in unnatural muscles and ornate skin ink. His heavy weapon lay on the ground and for all the colour in the Goliath ganger’s mohican, his skin was palid, and looked as if it would be cold to the touch. Slowly and quietly, the Delaque romoved the bolt gun from his jacket, pulling out the shoulder stock and drawing a bead on the bastard’s face. In that moment, the Goliath looked him square in the eyes.
-=-=-=-
In the second that transpired before Viskar pulled the trigger, he saw the soul of the man, on route to stand before the Emperor, or whatever Hell-monster the Goliaths prayed to, and he saw nothing more than a man. A lost, ruined and hideous man, but one who had come to be like that because of the underhive. Because of the endless gang wars, punctuated all too sparsely with brief and uneasy periods of truce. Because of being born at the bottom, beneath Necromunda’s gargantuan ash clouds, and not in the rarified atmosphere and gentility of the upper spires. He might have been a friend in another galaxy, or on another world. Neither of them would ever sail between the stars, see the great, mythical Astartes in war, or drink the finer chemohol that the governor classes chugged down with every meal. Viskar saw Nargo as a brother he would never know. But he still pulled the trigger. There could be no mercy in the underhive.
=][=
I hope you enjoyed that. Let me know what you think in the comments below, and thanks for reading!

Delaque Gang Leader – Into The Underhive…

Posted by johnnya10 on 29/03/2017
Posted in: My Painting and Modelling, Uncategorized. Tagged: , . 4 Comments

Delaque Gang Leader

Well, it’s been too long since I updated this blog with an actual finished miniature, and so this week I bring you my Delaque Gang Leader. I picked up this old Necromunda mini from Ebay and it was really fun to work on, as well as being a great trip down memory lane and a chance for me to practice my ‘feature base’ skills. Let’s take a closer look.

Back in those days of yore (well, 1995) when Michael Jordan decided that baseball wasn’t for him, Quebec decided not to leave Canada, and while Britain was slowly turning grey under the leadership of John Major, Necromunda was released and that made me a very happy 12 year old (I’m feeling pretty old right now). While Van Saar were my gang of choice, I played a lot with Escher, Cawdor and Delaque gangs as well, and the Delaque’s were… a bit dull. Oh, they had good fluff, but they were just sort of generic baldies. So why pick them to work on? Because it’s a challenge.

necromunda delaque

I also wanted an opportunity to do a fancy base, and so that’s why I picked the gang leader. I had the idea of a guy shooting through a rusted, broken archway, and that seems to have worked out quite well. There’s also a pipe leaking ooze (I love Nurgle’s Rot – such a fun paint), some wire, spent shell cases, a skull (but of course) and a few other little features on the base that help to set the scene. It makes it a bit of a showpiece, and gives the whole thing a bit of height with that ruined doorway. And soooo much rust. Well, this is the bowels of the Underhive after all.

Back to the miniature, and I can say again that working on a metal miniature is as much fun as ever, in that it’s not that much fun at all. It still amazes me how un-detailed everything in metal was back then. But then that can make it fun when you’re adding your own. On this miniature, I’m quite fond of the tattoos (Dark Reaper is a great paint for this), snake-skin scabbard, the coral snake motifs on the lapels and gun, and the back of his coat. In fact, the coat itself I’m very fond of. It’s definitely got that thick, sheepskin sort of feel to it. I was going to go with a snakeskin lining but that may have been overkill.

leather jacket miniature

I now want a sheepskin duster. I just do. I’m not even sure they make them, but I want one. It’s a really cool coat and I’m particularly happy with the way this came out. Also, there’s that snake design on the back, and the stylised ‘D’ on his shoulder that worked out quite nicely too. Also, XV-88 has to be one of my favourite Citadel paints. Ok, it looks a bit like diarrhoea, but it’s such a rich, thick colour that makes very short work of painting leather like this.

necromunda miniatures

And this is the image I had in my head when I started. You can just about make out the ‘Thug Life’ style tattoo on his stomach, and that snakeskin scabbard I was talking about. I imagine him hunting some Goliath or Escher gang member through the tunnels of the Underhive and peering round every corner, gun-barrel first. Also, the green glasses remind me of Archer (Retinas! Seered like tuna steaks!) and also, If I ever want to paint Rick Sanchez, this would be a pretty good miniature to use – just need to green stuff some hair on him and it’s a big slice of Wubba Lubba Dub Dub.

Anyway, that’s that then. Also, let me know what you think of the images – trying out new phone camera and different lighting. Oddly, although the background’s a bit creamy, this captured the true colours on the miniature a lot better than the fancy camera with daylight spots did – I think I need to play around with my white balance. Hope you enjoyed it. Back to the long slog of the Blood Angels for me now, but I may do a bit more Necromunda work in the future. We’ll see. Onwards!

The Gathering Storm – The Most Important Books That 40k Has Ever Known

Posted by johnnya10 on 20/03/2017
Posted in: Thoughts and Comment, Uncategorized. 2 Comments
gathering storm books
Is that title an overstatement? I don’t think it is. I’ve been reading the Gathering Storm books with glee and delight and as someone who had previously thought that the setting didn’t need advancing, I am now an absolute convert to the ongoing and developing story lines that have been revealed thus far. And I want more. First though, I want to look back at some of the truly huge, grimdark-sculpting events that we have been privy to thanks to this trilogy. If you’ve been living under a rock in the unchartered deserts of Gorkamorka for the last few months, there will be some spoilers here, so be warned.
Here’s a look at just how huge The Gathering Storm has been.
Cadia Is Gone
cadia tombstone
I’ve said it before, but this is still hugely huge news. THE planet that everyone thinks of when they hear Imperial Guard Astra Militarum, is gone. A cracked orb now engulfed in the wastes of the tortured space within the Eye of Terror. I don’t think you can call Abaddon ‘Failaddon’ with such ease anymore because this is a huge blow for the Imperium and one hell of a big event. What’s more, within the first Gathering Storm book, we got some truly special gifts. Trazyn throwing his vaults around, a new Celestine, Belasarius Cawl and one of the most memorable deaths in 40k history. RIP Sgt Kell. Gone but never to be forgotten.
A God Born, A God Renewed
birth of the Yncarne
In the second book, we witnessed the birth of Ynnead, which was another massively massive (you see how my words have failed me) event. This has been part of 40k gossip for years and years – maybe even decades, and we now have a new avatar floating around. The Eldar are starting to band together and we’re bound to see some unique Ynnari units at some point in the future. But this was really a tale of two Gods. With many saying that Slaanesh wouldn’t survive this book, what we actually got was a renewal of Slaanesh (albeit without new miniatures – grumble, grumble…) that we thought we’d never see. Throughout the books, from Sorcerers to the Masque, from Keepers of Secrets to Fulgrim, Slaanesh got more press than they have had in donkeys years. Even with 4 of the 5 crone swords found, I don’t think Slaanesh is going away any time too soon.
A Primarch Returns
roboute guilliman
Even when the images were leaked of the new ‘Girlyman’ miniature, it was almost impossible to believe that a loyalist Primarch was actually returning. It cannot be stressed how amazingly amazing (again, words fail me) this is. And it opens the doors for the Lion, Corax, the Khan, and others to come back too. And with Daemon Primarchs for them to square up to, we’re going to see some mighty match ups in the near future, I’m sure. Which brings me neatly on to…
The First Primarch Fight In Thousands Of Years
guilliman vs magnus
Did you ever think you’d see the day when, in a game of Warhammer 40,000, you would see a loyal Primarch and a Chaos Primarch duke it out? I certainly didn’t. Not only were we treated to Guilliman going Hulk on Magnus in the third book, but now we can reenact this on the table top with actual Citadel miniatures. I genuinely did not think we would ever see the day. And now, with gossip of Mortarion and Fulgrim being in the works up at Nottingham, I cannot wait to see which pair of big booties get filled next.
Cypher Returns
cypher
When I was about 11, I made a version of Cypher. I’d picked up the original Chaos Codex and he was obviously the coolest character in the book. He has been one of the coolest characters for a long time too, and his original miniature was ok – it got across the gunslinger monk look, and that’s what it needed to do. But now, we have a stunning new Cypher model to drool over, and even more intrigue about the sword on his back. If it is the Lion Sword (like we always suspected it to be), why does Guilliman not want it anywhere near the Emperor? What’s wrong with it? Will it be used to wake The Lion? Only Cypher could bring this sort of mysteriousness into 40k, and I am so happy that he did.
The Universe In Turmoil
oMdeBtl
We’ve been told for so long that in the 41st Millennium humanity is ‘beset on all sides’ and that ‘it’s mankind’s darkest hour’ and I don’t think any of us didn’t get that but it was always a bit… I don’t know. It was just something you glossed over a bit. Yeah, yeah, I know, ‘darkness’, ‘turmoil’, ‘beset’, yeah sure. But these books, through the main plots and the side plots featured on so many pages, have really driven home the fact that humanity really is monumentally screwed and that we really are a few seconds from midnight on the Imperium’s Doomsday clock. And what’s great about that is not only the urgency that it brings to our favourite heroes and villains, but also the plot and campaign ideas provided by GW that they may flesh out even more in the future. The Orks hammering into Catachan, Baal about to be swallowed by the Great Devourer, Ultramar laid low by Nurgle’s plague, and so, so much more. But the biggest part of this is the fact that the galaxy is approaching similar conditions to Old Night – Chaos is tearing down the walls of reality and it’s all getting a bit tense. Exciting times!
An Open Ending
Question_Mark
Before The Gathering Storm was released, on this very blog, I started taking bets on who was going to die. What’s great is that no-one really did (sorry, Sgt Kell) and while some may feel robbed because they haven’t seen some monumental downfall, it gets us into a great situation, with so many loose ends and possibilities. What’s Guilliman going to do next? There’s already chatter about Super Space Marines, and increasing chapter sizes, but that could be the tip of the iceberg. Are the Eldar going to band together as a whole again, now that the Ynnari are spreading their message from Commoragh to Ulthwe and everywhere in between? Did anyone else notice that the Grey Knights turned up and didn’t kill everyone before they left, just to keep their secrets? How will Chaos attempt to lay low the Primarch? What will Guilliman make of the Tau (perhaps a fish supper)? What else could be in the Ad Mech’s vaults? What else does Trazyn have up his sleeves? And again, what the hell is up with Cypher’s sword?
So, reading back over all of this, when I say that The Gathering Storm series has been the most important thing to happen in 40k since, well, Rogue Trader, I really don’t think I’m making an understatement. You get the sense that there’s so much more to come, and that there are both new hopes and new horrors waiting for us in future release windows. Change has come, and more is coming. I just can’t wait to see what happens next – and I don’t think I’ve ever said that about the 40k timeline before!
What are you hoping to see next? And what were your thoughts on The Gathering Storm books? Leave a comment below.

Painting Miniatures: Enjoy The Little Things

Posted by johnnya10 on 15/03/2017
Posted in: Silliness and Stuff, Uncategorized. 3 Comments

In an effort to resurrect my energy for all things hobby-related, I’ve decided to spend a little time thinking about the little pleasures that we can all enjoy.

My passion for all things 40k hasn’t dwindled in the slightest. I’ve been devouring the Gathering Storm books with great enthusiasm, and I still keep up to date with all the gossip and rumours (I have a couple of those myself that I may be in a position to share later), but it’s actually doing the painting and modelling that I’ve been neglecting. The will just hasn’t been with me, though I’m starting to do a little more – one hopes said will is indeed returning.
bob ross good day
One of the things that I’ve been using to gently encourage myself back to my work bench is to think of all the little pleasures that come from painting. And, doing so has been very enjoyable, so I thought I’d share those things with you here. If you think I’ve missed anything out, stick a comment down below. Here’s what makes me quietly smile when painting.
The Great Desk Clean
We’re all guilty of letting our desks get a little messy from time to time. And on rare occasions, a painting area can end up looking like a miniature version of the Somme with plastic sprues sticking out of it. Mine has recently been doing a very good impression of that mass of plastic that’s floating in the Pacific ocean and killing all of the fish. There was no space to store anything, no space to move and barely any space to paint. So, I had a bit of a cleanup. You can see the results here:
cleaning the desk
And now it looks like an inviting new realm where anything is possible. This is a good desk, and I shall prosper here. And in fact, I’ve even had a little bit of a paint since this has been done. It was very pleasant. Oh, I dare say it will clutter up again soon, but for the moment, I shall enjoy the neatness and tranquility.
The New Brush
a new paint brush
There’s so much promise in a new brush. So many possibilities. Within that brush is the potential to paint masterpieces. Combined with my fingers, entire armies could rise from those bristles. Aside from being excellent brushes, one of the reasons I like using the Series 7 brushes from Windsor & Newton is because the opening of a new brush is made even more of an event. Sliding it out of its tube, taking off the guard, dipping it in my water pot for the very first time… it’s an occasion to be enjoyed. It’s like the painter’s equivalent of peeling the protective plastic off of a television or phone screen. Never again will it be in this pristine, perfect condition. Enjoy that moment, people.
Being Ambitious, And Getting It Right
Even though many of us develop a style we like and use often, pretty much all of us like to learn something new. Of course there are plenty of guides and tips videos to help us, but when you’ve been painting for a while, you begin to be able to work things out in your head. You start going off on your own a bit. This can either be something big or small. As an example, a long time ago, when I painted my Hrud gunslinger for my INQ28 retinue, I got to try a couple of things that came from my mind. From the colouration of his lips going in to fur, to the dirt on his coat and shoes, much of what went into that model was new to me. In fact, nearly everyone in that retinue features a technique, combination, conversion or idea that I’d never tried before. I’m not saying they were invented by me – there’s nothing new under the Sol – but they were new to me and I didn’t watch any tutorials. It was my crazy brainchild, and, I think, it worked. I’ve gotten better since I worked on these guys, but I still look on them with pride.
Ordo Xenos Inquisition Retinue

Ordo Xenos Inquisition Retinue

Putting The Brush Down
Whether you’re working on a single miniature, a squad, a tank, a titan, or a whole army, there’s that moment where you finally put the brush down and say to yourself ‘I’ve finished’. There is then, invariably, the moment when you notice some detail you forgot to do and so you have to pick your brush up and fix that, but then when you put the brush down again you can say ‘I’ve finished’ again and the feeling is a good one. It’s a great one actually. That feeling of completion is wonderful. You’re allowed to look smug at that moment.
obama-smug

Former President Barack Obama Admiring His Freshly Painted Ultramarines Army.

But one thing that I also make sure that I take time to enjoy, is the moment when you put your brush down at any point in the project. If you’ve found a spare evening to get a couple of hours in, or a lazy Sunday afternoon, when you put your brush down after these times, you should feel just as happy. You’ve progressed. You’ve got a little closer to the end. And you had fun doing it.
So with all of this in mind, I shall be heading back to my painting desk with a little more enthusiasm and I shall be making sure that I spend a little more time appreciating the little joys that painting can bring. I hope you find the time to do the same. As ever, dear readers; onwards.

BA WIP & More

Posted by johnnya10 on 27/02/2017
Posted in: My Painting and Modelling, Silliness and Stuff, Uncategorized. Tagged: . 2 Comments

This is one of those annoying ‘something and nothing’ sort of blog posts that all bloggers are forced to do from time to time. When we don’t have anything amazing to show off or anything interesting to really talk about. It’s frustrating, but it is what it is. So let’s get this show on the road.

First up, in an effort to prove that I’ve actually been doing something, here’s a quick snap of the next unit that I’m working on:

wip ba vets

Unfortunately, this paltry offering is the most that I’ve been able to drum up in the last two weeks. Four torsos, four pairs of legs and a bunch of other guys waiting for similar treatment who will one day be my Veteran Tactical Squad. While I’m happy with how these chaps are turning out, I’m not particularly overwhelmed with my progress. In fact, I’m barely even whelmed.

Things have come up, I’ve been busy, and in truth, my love for Mephiston Red has cooled ever so slightly in recent weeks. I need a break from it all so that I can come at it again fresh and full of beans, because at the moment, I ain’t got no beans, man. But that’s not my only problem though…

messy hobby desk

Now, that is a messy desk. But more than that, it’s full. Like, you can’t fit anything else on there. So I need to sort out either a display cabinet or some sort of chest/trunk to store my grey tide. However, given that I have work, a holiday coming up, and a billion other things to do, I can’t find the time to sort either of those things out. Give me a couple of weeks, and I’ll hopefully have something sorted out because the above is unacceptable, and in no way conducive to a productive hobby.

But in better news, I’m still finding time to be creative. I’m attending life drawing every week which is good – I hadn’t done any in a couple of years so it’s good to get the sketch book and pens out again. This is the sort of stuff that I’ve been knocking out of those sessions:

John Ashton Life Drawing

Of course this activity takes up an evening each week where I could be painting, but I’m enjoying it greatly. Furthermore, just being creative in any way is good for one’s hobby efforts. And soon, my love for Blood Angels will return and I can finally finish with Phase 1 of my Heresy era army. Then I’ll put the Mephiston Red away for a little while and work on something else.

So there you have it – a classic something and nothing post. Hopefully I’ll have something a little more exciting to share with you in March. I hope your own projects are going a little quicker than mine. Onwards!

Blood Angels Spartan

Posted by johnnya10 on 15/02/2017
Posted in: My Painting and Modelling, Uncategorized. Tagged: , . 2 Comments

blood angels spartan

And it is done. Finally, after well over a month of avoiding the damned lump, my Blood Angels Spartan is now complete and ready to join the ranks of my slowly growing IXth Legion army. And now that it’s been in front of the camera and had its glamour shots, I can take you through it all right here.

Firstly, this is a beast of a kit, and Forge World have done yet another fantastic job on bringing a rather chunky beast to life. It weighs enough to club a man to death with, and despite my best efforts, there are still a couple of mould lines here and there, but for the most part it’s looking good (which is a miracle considering I assembled it in a grumpy and hungover mood – see previous WIP post).

spartan assault tank

As mentioned in a previous post, this kit has helped me to realise that I’m not a huge fan of working on big kits (a bit of an issue considering that there’s a titan still waiting to be built/painted) but I’m relatively happy with how this turned out. Yes, it does have a bit of a wobble (my fault), and It’s about 10% green stuff (still my fault) but weathering hides a multitude of sins. I used the same weathering techniques that I used when I did my rhinos, and it’s worked out really nicely. I’m especially happy with how that weathering worked on the tracks too. Dulling them down with Typhus Corrosion and those dry-brushed greys really takes the edge off the silver colours.

forge world blood angels land raider doors

I’d also forgotten that, having painted more than a couple of Land Raiders over the years, I really hate painting the sponson weapons that come with those. Those las-cannons are always so fiddly to get right, and the Spartan of course, comes with twice as many. I kept it simple and I can live with them. I also have to say that the FW Land Raider doors look great on this assault tank. I thought about going crazy with the freehand here, but I’m glad I didn’t. The White Stripe and the doors do enough for the sides. This is a workhorse vehicle – not a fancy pants tank. I am getting an itch to do a bit more freehand now though…

spartan assault tank rear

I have to say, despite my previously professed adoration for Mephiston Red as a colour, I’m getting a little tired of it now – after this. It’s still glorious but I think I’m starting to dream in Mephiston Red. There is definitely a change due soon – if only for a short break.

I’m quite happy with the engine stack. I feel I could have done more with it, but I don’t think anyone will be looking at it too much, and it fits with the other tanks that I’ve worked on, so I’m not too bothered about it.

spartan transporting terminators

I am looking forward to seeing this on the table top. The idea of it disgorging my terminators onto the battlefield, right in the heart of the enemy ranks, gives me a wicked smile. And for that reason, I actually painted a bit of the inside as well. It’s basic, but it’s better to do it – it makes the model feel more complete. The Cataphractii Terminators do look massive next to this tank though. Even so, it’s a lot of awesomeness.

blood angels tank

And that’s that finished! On to the next project, which will almost certainly also be Blood Angels related, though hopefully not this big. I fancy working on something small and interesting that won’t take me a month to work through. Something with no side sponsons, mould lines, interiors or green stuff. But I shall leave that until the next post. I hope your projects are going well, and until next time; Onwards!

WIP 2: BA Spartan

Posted by johnnya10 on 06/02/2017
Posted in: My Painting and Modelling, Uncategorized. Tagged: , . 6 Comments

spartan top wip

Just a quick update for you on where I’m at with the Spartan which is, in truth, not a lot further, but I do now have the top of the tank done. Which, by the way, is no mean feat. There are a billion and one edges to highlight up there and that takes its time. The white stripe was pretty nerve racking too – now if anything has ever required a steady hand, it’s that, but it’s turned out looking alight. Didn’t go overboard with the paint chipping either, and yet it still looks busy. Nice.

Annoyingly, I’ve just realised that these pictures were taken before I finished working on the ramp, and the inside, which are also now done. I can’t be bothered to put too much love into the innards of this tanks as you can’t really see into them, and I’ve done enough so that they look decent. That’ll do for those, though the ramp looks a lot nicer – you’ll see some shots of that in the future.

spartan engine stack

I’ve also done the beast of an engine stack at the back there, which was fiddly as hell, but it’s turned out looking alright.More weathering has gone into this since the images were taken too – I really must get better coordinated when taking these images. The above images makes the colours look a little flat, but there’s a bit more definition in there which will come out when I take the glamour shots of the finished tank. And yes, those are orange indicator lights at the back. Safety first. 😉

spartan rear top

And finally, here’s a top down view from the rear, so that you can see all of that lovely edge highlighting that in no way took bloody ages and certainly didn’t drive me near insane.

It’s getting there, but it is taking some time. Next up will be the sides, then the tracks, and finally the guns which I’ll paint separately and stick on afterwards. After that, I final bit of weathering. I’m also going to see if I think I can add any more blood drop symbols or ‘IX’ markings anywhere – don’t want to overdo it with those, so we’ll see.

Anyway, that’s how far I’ve come. Just wanted to reassure you that I am working on it, albeit slowly. I might sneak in another WIP before it’s completed but we’ll see how it progresses. I hope your own projects are moving ahead at a faster pace than mine. Onwards!

Bobby G In The House! – The Primarchs I Want To Return To 40k

Posted by johnnya10 on 04/02/2017
Posted in: Thoughts and Comment, Uncategorized. Tagged: . 6 Comments
Well, it’s official – Primarchs are coming to 40k. The leaked images doing the rounds at the moment show none other than Roboute Guilliman taking the fight to the forces of Chaos holding what looks like his Father’s flaming sword. Oh, and he’s got Cypher and the Grey Knights for company too. So it looks like the rumours of the throat wound inflicted by Fulgrim healing while Papa Smurf was in stasis are true, and that means there are chances of more Primarchs heading back to 40k. What’s more, with Magnus already stomping all over Fenris, the Daemon Primarchs are on the table too. And that got me thinking; who do I want to see? In this post, I’ll be counting down the 5 Primarchs (or Daemon Primarchs) that I want to see return to 40k.
First though, I just want to say a quick word about the new Guilliman miniature. I think it looks cool. Yes, I prefer the helmeted version, but still, I think it works. Initial shots, leaked from White Dwarf, made it look a little strange but I think that’s just a bad angle. I remember seeing the Daemon Prince mini from a bad angle first and thinking it looked goofy, but when I saw it in the flesh, I realised how good it really looked. Having seen other shots of Bobby G, I think he looks immense. It does feel like he’s missing a cloak, but that’s just because we’re so used to everything cloaks now. And also, kudos to GW for responding so quickly and so positively to the leaking of the images. It’s so refreshing, after the years of Games Workshop treating rumours and leaks with stony walls of silence, to have them be so proactive – the video with Duncan actually made me laugh out loud. Here it is if you’ve not seen it.
Two happy little coats, indeed. And now, on with the article. Firstly, I should say, that I’m immediately discounting the Primarchs that we know are dead. So no Kurze, Horus, Sanguinius or Manus (I know I should also include Alpharius and Dorn in that list but seeing as no-one knows exactly what happened to Dorn, and given the nature of the Alpha Legion, I’m not trusting either to stay dead). In no particular order, here are the Primarchs I want to see…
1. Fulgrim
fulgrim
My own biases aside (and I do love me some Slaanesh) this would be a great opportunity for GW’s modellers to show off their skills. A coiled snake body, four arms, swords, whips, wings and armour all in one Magnus sized miniature. That sounds pretty amazing to me. Of course we know of Nottingham’s current aversion to Slaanesh, but rumour has it that this is only temporary, and that at some point in the future, She Who Thirsts will be getting some sort of revamp. Maybe after we’ve had the Aeldari and the united Aelfs in AoS, Slaanesh will return to haunt both of them in some way. But Fulgrim’s daemonic form would be something amazing to see in 40k, and he and Guilliman would certainly have some beef to settle, which could make for a wonderful Chaos vs Smurfs campaign.
2. Vulkan
vulkan
Everyone likes Vulkan. He, and his Legion/Chapters seem to be some of the very few legitimate good guys in the galaxy, and what’s more, he’s got some of the coolest weapons going. The Forge World rendition of Vulkan is, I think, one of their best looking Primarchs, and I’m sure GW could do an equally amazing job of bringing him to the 41st Millennium. All of that baroque armour, full of details – that would be a joy for any painter to work on. What’s more, one of the hits of the first Gathering Storm book was Trazyn, and there is of course that rumour that he has Vulkan somewhere in his collection. If he starts throwing around a few more of those Tesseract Vaults, who knows what we’ll see…
3. Angron
daemon prince angron
Everyone’s favourite rage monster, the big red machine of madness, and Primarch of the World Eaters, Angron must be a dead cert to come back. Not only do GW love their Khorne miniatures, but he’s just such a cool idea as a Primarch. The butchers nails hanging from his head, horns, teeth and all the gory, blood-covered gore that Khorne can bestow. Even I, someone who has never been a particular fan of the Blood God’s minions, would want to have a crack at painting that model. And in representing a threat to the Imperium, he’d be one of the most brutal. Imagine him launching an attack on Baal, or the Rock – that would be a pretty sweet campaign to get one’s teeth into.
4. Corax
corax
This would be cool for a couple of reasons. Firstly, I love the idea that Corax has been wandering the Imperium for 10,000 years and it’s just that no-one has noticed him. How cool would it be if in a pivotal moment in  a big battle, a shadow detached itself from a wall and then suddenly everyone realises that there’s a Primarch in the room? Secondly, if Angron does get a release, Corax would be a great opponent for him. Angron hates Corax because of his methods of fighting a war (all sneaky and such) – we saw that when he was stalking around Isstvan screaming for the coward to show himself. Also, a match up between the two would pit stealth and speed against rage and strength in what is now a claassic sort of match up. And, to top it all off, Corax is one of the most stylish Primarchs – everyone looks good in black.
5. Russ
leman russ
I may not be a huge Space Wolves fan, but to see Russ and his ancient Vlka Fenryka burst out of the warp and back into real space, and discovering that they’ve been gone for all these thousands of years would be amazing. And given Russ’ fractious relationship with Guilliman (some people thought the Codex Astartes was a great book, others didn’t), that could lead to some fun inter-Imperium hostilities and tensions. The model could be an aged version of the Forge World piece. A few more whiskers, heavier armour, lots of fur (sorry not sorry, Peta) and, I’m thinking, a massive axe. Who wouldn’t want to see that? I may not be a huge Space Wolves fan, but even I’d want to get the brushes out for that one.
So those are my picks – how about you? Which of the Primarchs would you love to see make a return? And what do you think about Bobby G coming to the 41st Millennium? Stick a comment below and let me know!