Update

The update is I have no update. Due to a busier than normal week, I have not had time to do anything other than pick up another pot of paint from the local GW store. But...the wife and one daughter will be on Girl Scout sleepover thing this weekend, so I'm setting aside some time tomorrow to get some work done. I'm chompin' at the bit for those Sternguard.

It's Friday!

Happy Friday - this week's Sci fi hot chick: Megan Fox. While she's finishing up Transformers 2, rumor has it that she is in the running for the role of Lara Croft in a Tomb Raider re-make. Enjoy!

Quick Update - New Additions!

It's time to start planning for my next 5oo points. I'm definitely going with a 5-man squad of Sternguard Veterans because just face it, these models are just too cool. Not to mention the added bonus of making this unit a scoring unit in the presence of Master Kantor. Any other suggestions?

The pic above is not my work, but I thought it a nice touch to show the examples in CF colors instead of Ultramarine Blue.

Sci Fi Chick Friday

It's Friday and it's time to honor the beautiful women of sci fi, so I'm introducing a new series here at Kantor Base, call Sci Fi Chick Friday. And to start it all off and to honor what I hope will be a new era for this great nation, we'll start off with one of my personal favorites. Enjoy!

Got Books?

I've finally picked up a book and started reading. I've been having trouble falling asleep at night, but I'm usually so wired from my day, I can't settle down. So I've decided to take pick up a gook and get back into it again. At one time, I was an avid reader, but haven't found much to time to do it regularly, except for the occasional battle report. But all that's going to change this year. In order to relax a bit in the evening and also to encourage my kids to read, I picked a book off of the stack above my work bench and devoted some time to quiet peacefulness.

So, I just started reading Rebel Winter by Steve Parker, an Imperial Guard novel, set in Warhammer 40k universe. I just started it, but so far it's a great read. I'll post a proper review when I'm done.

Painting Tactical Arrows

After much agonizing over my dilemma about what to do with the unit markings for my Tactical Squads, I decided to (as suggested by several fellow hobbyists) apply the GW White arrows provided in the tactical squad box and then paint over them with red paint (Mechrite Red). Following another suggestion, I cut the decals right along the lines in order to eliminate [or minimize wrinkles] and applied the decals using Micro Sol and water. Once the decals were dry, I applied another coat of matte sealer. After the model was completely dry, I used the decal as a guide to paint the red tactical arrow.

The pics above also illustrate the poor quality [at least in my opinion] of GWs Chaos Black spray paint. It causes a noticeable pitting to occur in the model. For a much, much smoother and quick drying primer, I highly recommend Krylon Flat Black Primer, which goes on very light and dries in minutes.

Crimson Fist Whirlwind

I finally finished assembling the last model in my 1,000 point CF list. I still have some painting to do, but at least if someone feels like throwin' down, I can put the list to the test.

I used the standard Whirlwind kit, obviously, but decided to add the CF/IF Rhino doors (from FW) to the model. You'll notice that the FW faceplate was not glued to the front. Well that's because Forgeworld doesn't always size their conversion kits properly and it didn't fit (way too small). So now I'm out $20. It was late and I just wanted to be done with it, so I attached the doors and some of the pieces from the Icon Pack and left it at that.

Now the next steps:

• Kantor (which I've started)
• Tac Squad 2
• Tac Squad 3
• Assault Squad
• Rhino 2
• Whirlwind
• Decide what units to include and add to a 1,500 point list.

By the way, if I haven't mentioned this in a previous post, these elements will be from the 5th Battle Company. How will I reflect that on the models? I have no idea. Any suggestions?

Tactical Squad 3 - Assembled...

Oohhweeeee! I'm on fire. Only one more model to build to get to my 1k goal. I still have some painting in front of me, but at least maybe I can get a game in to try and tweak the list. Squad 3 is only a 5-man squad, but hey, the Crimson Fists are rebuilding after all. I plan to max this squad out as I work toward collecting an entire battle company. Notice I haven't come up with a name on this one yet. Any suggestions?

End of an era

This past weekend was a dark day in my life. Friday night, I recorded the Series Finale of Stargate Atlantis. Atlantis was the last pure science fiction series still airing on television. After 5 seasons, the show is being canceled. Spinoff of the longest running Sci-Fi show in history (Stargate: SG-1), a legend in Sci-Fi has come to an end. Man, am I bummed. Friday nights won't be the same.

Hordes - Circle Orboros

Here are some Hordes models that I painted up a couple of years ago, when then the starter sets were first released. I'm pretty partial to the outdoorsy types - a remnant from my old school AD&D days as a ranger. But anyway, I still haven't gotten around to learning to play the game, despite the fact that I have the rules, the dice, the templates, etc. But one of my resolutions is to learn to play this game and Warmachine, if for no other reason that these models are so freakin' cool.

Squad Tobias - Assembled...

Sorry about the delay in posts. This half of the week going into the weekend got busy. My oldest daughter turned 11 this weekend, so there was too much to do for the party, I had no time to post, but...I did find time (albeit in the wee wee hours of the morning)to work on my Crimson Fists. So, here's what I got done:

Tactical Squad 2 is assembled and ready for painting. Rhino 2 is built and primed and Tactical Squad three 80% assembled. I'm hoping to start assembly of the Whirlwind this evening. By the next weekend coming up I will have a 1,000 pt army that I can at least play a game with even though it won't be completely painted. I did promise myself NOT to add to the force until everything was painted.

Squad Ramos

Quick Update - I burned the midnight oil last night and finished painting Tactical Squad 1. All that's left is the basing, which I am still undecided on. Tactical Squad 2 is nearly assembled and Master Kantor is under the brush for now. I'm changing up the painting technique slightly - not the colors, but in the process. Rather than basecoat the whole model with the reds and metallics and THEN applying the wash mix, I've decided to base coat the whole model, using the blues, then apply the wash and highlights. The final step will then be to pick out the red gauntlets and other details.

This week some time, I'll be assembling Rhino 2 and the Whirlwind.

Warmachine

Don't panic everyone, this is still first and foremost a 40k Crimson Fist blog, but I just wanted to share a little side thing that I have going on, or hope to have going on a small scale.

I've always been a fan of the Privateer Press and their line of tabletop wargames, Warrmachine and Hordes. Further, I'm most impressed with the sculpts, the cleanliness of the models and their customer support. They also publish a bi-monthly magazine that is absolutely full of kick-ass models, battle reports, modelling articles and background information on the Warmachine Universe.

So I thought this being the season for resolutions, I've decided to promise myself that before the year's out, I will learn to play Warmachine and Hordes. I've acquired and built three models just for starters: Major Markus 'Siege' Brisbane, a Stormclad Heavy Warjack and a mercenary Ogrun Bokur. I have assembled the models and they are ready for priming. But I'd like to learn the game and get one in soon. If anyone in the Chicago area can tell me where there are any Warmachine gamers, I'd appreciate a quick lesson.

Once I get these models painted, I'm going to build toward a Storm Knights of the 16th Infantry Battalion collection as seen in No Quarter #9.

Rhino was his name-o!

Rhino 1 is complete and as I like to call it, 'Table Ready'. I don't know about most gamers, but my definition (at least regarding my personal armies) of 'Table Ready', is a completely painted and based model.

Anyway, Squad Ramos' transport is ready for deployment after a rather chaotic decal session. It was disaster, gang. I gathered all of my materials to apply the decals that I wanted and even cut out all of the ones that I was going to use ahead of time. I had my tweezers, my water, paper towels - everything laid out. Well, one wrong move tipped over the bottle of Micro Sol onto most of the decals, which resulted in a stream of obscenities that I'm glad my kids weren't around to hear. I was then forced to hurry the job to salvage the decals. In the end (and a half bottle of Micro Sol later), I finished the Rhino.

Painting the Red Arrow - I was able to find the template in a older issue of White Dwarf, which I copied, cut out and traced onto the roof with a pencil. Except for touch ups, it went pretty well. I painted it Mechrite Red.

Last night, I decided to prime Master Pedro Kantor, so he's ready for painting and three models from Squad Tobias are now built. See ya all soon.

30 Second Update

Here's a shot of where I'm at with my army. I've got Kantor built and awaiting primer. I just got out to the store and finally picked up my Primer of choice: Krylon Black Primer (more on that in a later post). I'm not happy with the GW stuff at all and I don't want to take any chances with this model. I have finished painting half of Squad Ramos (Tactical Squad 1), and the Assault Squad is assembled. I just need to drill out the bolt pistol barrels on those guys. Not pictured here, I also have Squad Tobias (Tactical Squad 2) partially assembled. And finally, I basecoated Rhino 1 and after mixing the final highlight shade, I'm about ready to finish up the transport.

I've also solved (thanks to a suggest from Aventine in an earlier post) my tactical arrow dilemma. I'm going to go ahead and add the white GW decal and then paint over it with Mechrite Red, followed by a Blood Red highlight. I tested the process out on an old UM test model and it was so much easier than I thought.

Happy New Year!!

Just wanted to wish everyone out there a Happy and Safe 2009! May all of your days be filled with 40k.

I quietly rung in the new year with my wife and daughters in the safety of our own home. We had snacks and soda and watched Transformers. The Mrs got home from work about 10 seconds before midnight. I know, not the most exciting New Year's Eve, but it suited us just fine.

Check back tomorrow for more project updates!