F%#$&ing Scouts!!!!

I ran into (at least in my mind), one of the most difficult plastic models to assemble. It looks easy, but noooooo, it's not. I speak of the heavy bolter scout. I could NOT for the life of me get the damn weapon and arm to match up at all. Finally, after about a half out of working with gooey plastic and strings of glue, I tossed it aside, went down to find a plastic scout from an older Raptors collection and just painted over the damn body armour. Done.

So, as you may have guessed from the rant above, that I have begun working on my Ultramarines project. I decided to step up the project because I heard from some old gaming buddies that are getting back into 40k and have even started playing already, so I need to get something together to game with. Right now, I've got:

Chaplain

Sternguard Veteran Squad (5)

Razorback

Dreadnought

Tactical Squad (10) w/ missile launcher, plasma gun

Rhino

Tactical Squad (10) w/ heavy bolter, flamer

Rhino

Scout Squad (6) w/bolters, heavy bolter, Sgt. Telion

Assault Squad (5) sgt w/ plasma pistol, power fist

Predator w/ lascannons

Haven't tallied the points yet, but I would guess right around the 1500 point range. I'm simutaneously painting and building as fast as I can.

Ultramarines - Time To Give It A Go

As promised, payday has come and gone and I ordered my copy of the Ultramarines movie. So as I anxiously await the release of the first EVER Warhammer 40k film, I find myself delving deeper into the Ultramarines Chapter. The further I research the chapter, the more fascinated I am with the volume of detail that has come into existence over the years. One of the many things motivating me to start an Ultramarines project is that it's a Codex Chapter - that basic, cookie cutter version of what a Space Marine Chapter should look like. I've collected various chapters over the years (Blood Angels, Space Wolves and Black Templars), but with the exception of the Crimson Fists (for which this blog was originally named), none of them were strict adherents to the Codex Astartes. Those non-codex chapters are great fun in their own rights and I will treasure them as part of the rich fabric that is 40k, but I find myself wanting to include such models as Legion of the Damned and even an Ironclad Dreadnought or three and unfortunately, none of the other armies offer those options. So, I'll be working on Ultramarines in the near future. True, my beloved Crimson Fists are a Codex Chapter, however, they are a chapter that is severely under strength.

I've been inspired by the recent surge of Ultramarine activity on the GW site and have jumped on the bandwagon like a monkey takes to a shiny new trinket. These next couple of weeks, I'll continue to research the chapter and test a color combinations. I may even choose to approach this project as a true collector, searching out various models vintage models to add to the army. Forge World has also added some new resin marines to their line, decked out in pre-heresy army. The possibilities are well on their way to becoming endless. Who knows, maybe I'll even stick to one 40k project for the long term just like Werner Munch in Germany. Stranger things have happened.

Ultramarines Trailer

So yeah, like most of you, I saw the trailer for the upcoming Space Marine movie and needless to say, I'm chompin' at the bit. Tomorrow's payday and I'm ordering my copy first thing in the morning. I also have an idea of which chapter I'll work on next. Sorry, I've been slow with the posting, but I've been a little busy job hunting and all. That, combined with this 'anti-gaming' funk I've been in, has kept me away from my painting and modelling. I've decided to read Legion by Dan Abnett for my next dose of 40k fiction.

I also painted a test model in Ultramarine colors, just to see if it motivates me in any way. The armour is a bit darker than the traditional 'smurfy' Ultramarine Blue (I always hated the Smurfs). I do consider myself a bit of a traditionalist, but I am glad the test model is darker after reading GW's article on the new film. Apparently, they were going for the same look. Anyway, can't wait to see and I suggest checking the trailer out. I truly rocks.

Movie Trailer

Deathwatch (Part 1)

With 33% off coupon in hand, I walked into my local Borders Bookstore, hoping to find some new and exciting novel or gaming treat to buy. You see, I like to read. A lot. I like science fiction, fantasy, history, mysteries - the usual 'geek' stuff. I recently finished the new Dungeons & Dragons novel, 'The Mark of Nerath' by Bill Slavicsek and was now in the mood for some sci fi, but first I decided to browse through the gaming section (which is way too small for a two-story bookstore), and I found the Deathwatch RPG book. I couldn't help myself. It was space marine material and I had to have it.

I have to say that this is a must for any 40k player. The art alone is among some of the best space marine art that I have ever seen. Not ever having experienced any of the 40k roleplaying products, I'm going to give this one a read. I don't know if I'll ever get around to finding a group to actually play as there doesn't seem to be much interest locally, but it is a great reference book and provides near limitless inspiration for modelling space marines, particularly the battle brothers of the Deathwatch.

My First 'Bad Guy' Army?

I've always played the good guy growing up. I never wanted to be the evil villian or vile horde. My kids might disagree, but I don't have an evil bone in my body. Really. I always cheer for the forces of good.

But maybe the time is coming that I exercise a walk on the dark side and dabble with the idea of having an evil army. Well, if I do...it's going to be the new Dark Eldar. I was never much of a fan of the Dark Eldar (book or models) and considering how long it's been since this particular faction has seen any kind of love, I'm guessing GW isn't much of a fan either. But the new models are looking very cool. So who knows, when the time comes I may start a small strike force. But we'll see. I hate seeing the bad guys win.

Portable Space Hulk??

So Space Hulk is one of the greatest board games ever. But I can't take it with everywhere I go, right? So I'm hoping that this is the next best thing. I have been known to try other board games from time to time. But I am also told that there are some pretty fun card games out there as well. Well, I saw this in the latest White Dwarf and I'm hoping for a little 'Best of Both Worlds. - Space Hulk and Card Games.

Fantasy Flight Games got the licensing and I'v had nothing but positive experiences with that company, so I'm looking forward to trying this one. I'll let you know how it turns out.

Ya Gotta Love eBay

I was trying to figure out ways to bolster my Swordmasters and Lothern Sea Guard and it never even occured to me to check eBay. Well, to make a long story short, I found a unit on ebay for a very reasonable price. While this saves me about $90, by not having to purchase another Island of Blood box, I am a teeny, tiny regretful that I didn't get a set of skaven for myself.

Anyway, they came today, so now I can boost that unit. Enemies of Ulthuan beware. I just need another set of LSG.

Sword Master Champion - Finished!

I finished painting my Sword Master Champion from the Island of Blood set. As everyone knows I'm not a big fan of bright colors, so I went with a darker tone. Especially after reading the Island of Blood mini novel. That place is pretty grim, so I figured let the characters reflect the tone, right?

This model marks the first time that I even bothered to paint the eyes. I'm really, really, really bad at them, so you won't see too much of that in the army.

I also returned or rather exchanged some kits on dead projects that I had lying around and picked up a Battalion box to prep for a legal 2,000 point list. Oh and I grabbed another unit of Sword Masters off eBay for a very reasonable price.

Plastic High Elves...Incoming!

YEAHA BABY!!!!! High Elves are going completely plastic. GW release in October to include plastic Dragon Princes, White Lions, and Phoenix Guard. Damn, I've got to get painting.

This is great news. My bits box will runeth over. The possibilities for conversions will be endless. Amen!

Island of Blood High Elves - Assembled

I finished my initial set of High Elves from the Island of Blood starter set. Once again, I have to comment how cool these models are. There were very few mold lines and everything fit together well. The only downsides that I'll make mention of are the fact that many of the spear components were fragile and some of the side 'tines' on the spears snapped off during removal. So me being the annal hobbyist, I had to cut those tines off to keep the model uniform. I also had a couple of issues with the helmet flaps on the Ellyrian Reavers. But otherwise, everything was designed well and easy to assemble. GW put a lot of thought into how the Prince and Mage were designed in terms of how the hobbyist would have to assemble it. They were remarkable easy to assemble.

But anyway, the initial force is assembled. As I had mentioned in a previous post, I swapped the Skaven for some extra elves, so I've got more Sea Guard and Sword Masters to add to the force. From here, I've got my eye on a Battalion box that will add some Spearmen, Archers, a Chariot and Bolt Thrower. But I think I've got plenty to get me going. I'll start priming and painting over the next couple of days.

..Of Elves and Paint Pots

I walked into the local GW store this morning at 10:01 and purchased my Island of Blood starter set. I won't post any of the obligatory unboxing pics, because Lord knows that's been done to death. But I will say the models are AWESOME!!!! So I'm home and the wife and kids headed off to the mall, so I get some time to myself (yay, no 'girl' drama), to thumb through the contents.

I also managed to double my High Elves in the same trip. One of the staffers was looking for Skaven, so I swapped out some models and was on my wayI'll have a nice start with 20 LSG and 20 Sword Masters and 10 Reavers. Needless to say that I have a spare High Elf Prince and High Elf Mage that I am considering divesting myself of.

I also saw the new paint pot design that GW produced. Now I don't have to rifle through my bin trying to find a color. They finally color coded the tops. That only took about ten years to come with. But then again, I wasn't bright enough to paint the top of my existing pots on my own, duh...

Oh, and I also picked up a copy of the Island of Blood mini novel. So far, it's been a good day.

Castle Ravenloft - First Glance

Despite my wallet's better judgement, I picked up the new D&D Boardgame, Castle Ravenloft. Yes, I was once a D&D fanatic. Back in the days when there was such a thing as "THACO". I haven't played in many years, but I have followed the game periodically and even collected some of the minis. What can I say, it brings back some great memories with Owlbears and whatnot. So, imagine my excitement when one of my favorite games of old, was getting a stripped down version. I just had to have it. So I dropped the coin and unboxed it in the wee hours when the wife and kids were asleep. At first glance, I have to admit that I really liked what I saw. Here are my first observations:

1. A bit of a hefty price tag - $65 (but worth it, so far)
2. Big-ass box (not the flimsy, crushable kind)
3. Heavy card stock tiles and character cards (ala Descent)
4. Awesome, well organized storage tray that holds tiles, minis, dice, cards, etc.
5. Minis seem to be made of a sterner plastic than the collectible figs, although there is some reproduction of some of the collectible figs. (unpainted, but no big deal)
6. New board game due out this fall that can be used with Castle Ravenloft
7. Rulebook is less than 15 pages
8. Well illustrated rulebook, (but that's one of the best parts of 4th Edition - the art)
9. 1 - 5 players, which means you can actually play the game solo

I'll post pics of the stuff as soon as I can, I'm going to try and work through the rules and a solo game tonight, but it looks pretty easy.

Sci Fi Couch Potato

I've noticed that there has been a lack of quality science fiction on television (or in the movies) of late. I think the last sci fi film that I saw was the most recent Predators. I'm a true sci fi fan in the sense, that I like almost everything that is sci fi related. So anyway, I've been jones-in' for some good sci fi, so I decided to start re-watching the Stargate Atlantis series. Now there was entertainment. I'm just sorry it only lasted five seasons. But I need to get my fix somehow, so I think I'll pull a late-nighter and watch a few episodes.

White Dwarf 368

I stopped by my local GW store today to pick up my subscription of White Dwarf. As suspected, it's all about the Island of Blood. This month's battle report also features the new boxed set, so I can't wait to read that one. I was talking to the store manager today, discussing my plans for Warhammer Fantasy and I learned that October will see a new wave of High Elf miniatures, so be on the look out. While he wouldn't confirm, he mentioned to be on the look out for new Phoenix Guard and White Lions.

The work on my own High Elves continues with the painting of my HE Archers.

BA Bonus Post

I got a request to bring on more of my Blood Angels, so I'll do my best to accomodate any followers visiting my blog, so here's Brother-Sgt Sorin, commander of the 5th Tactical Squad, 2nd Battle Company.

I also got around to getting my Blood Angels Terminators assembled. Man, after the Space Hulk Terminators came out, even these cool standard models kind of lose their luster, but I tried adding a couple of BA bits to them as you can see with the Terminator Sergeant. If anyone out there has any other suggestions on how to dress these guys up a bit more, let me know.