Chaos, Genestealers and Space Crusade

I've been in one of those phases where my workstation is littered with nearly completed miniatures...so close yet so far.
It's been nigh on a month since my last post, much self admonishment...the productivity has come good at the end but thanks to an absolute mongrel dose of the flu I didn't even touch a brush for about 4 days (which is bad for me) and I felt like I was in that episode of The Young Ones, Sick.

On a much more positive note, I caught up with fellow Oldhammer forum members Captain Crooks and littleleadperson for a most enjoyable day of Gorkamorka, HeroQuest and a small 500pt game of 2nd edition 40K.
While hardly BOYL 2014, the journey of a thousand miles starts with one step and it appears the Sydney Oldhammer Cell has managed to put one foot in front of the other.

Right, now here's some miniatures...

These guys have been my main accomplishment this month, though unfortunately I didn't have them ready for our meet up last weekend. After reading Oldhammer forum member Psieker's recipe for old school Blood Angels ( a scheme I'd struggled with ) I was eager to test it out and I'm most pleased with how they turned out and I'm already working on more.

Not exactly my best work, but I had painted these guys about a year ago and some of them saw action on the tabletop against littleleadperson's Chaos Marines and Cultists at our meetup.

This guy is an overhaul I did of a mini my brother had done a quick and nasty paint job on.
He was originally bone coloured, and his face was rough as guts.
He still retains the extensive blacklining that is my brother's trademark.

Traitor Marines of the Black Legion.
These guys were done a fair while ago.

World Eater Chaos Space Marine- also from a while back ( note the dust and fluff)

This guy was my free mini from WD back in the 90's.

What I consider to be the classic Magus.
He had a pancake for a nose when I got him, my most humble greenstuff skills were used to fashion him a new nose.

The most excellent running Patriarch by Bob Olley.

How come this guy didn't make my top ten list? Beats me...

The start of a Purestrain brood...

Getting on the bandwagon: my top ten miniatures

Seeing the top ten lists doing the rounds of respected blogs, I got to compiling my own list.
Since I'm in the middle of scenery and snotling bases with nought to show, here's my top ten list in no particular order, with all but one actually being in my collection.
Anton, drum roll please...

1. Leman Russ with Freki and Geri

The first proper GW miniature(s) I bought. Modern depictions of Russ annoy me greatly, this is what he looked like, and he was blonde. OK?
Legend has it he and his companions may be gracing the pages of this blog in the near future.

2. Heroquest Barbarian

 

There isn't all that much to him but his sheer Conan-ness and large sword, but I love him.

3. Squat Pirate

He's a dwarf in space, and he's a pirate.

4. Ork Flash Git Nob

He's an ork in space, and he's a pirate. The hair squig, chastity belt (?) and skull faced peg leg really top it off.

5. Blood Angel Captain

It's hardly the most dynamic pose but this guy has always been a favourite of mine.
I had a hard time deciding between him and the Chaplain, but "Captain Erasmus Tycho" as seen in the battle report in my first WD, #166 won out.

6. Big Momma Sky

My top ten had to have a Barbarian of each sex in it, and this is the fairer of the two.

7. Ork Bad Moon Boss

Probably my favourite Space Ork, this guy will one day lead my Bad Moon warband into err, war.

8. Snakeman S'lararet Slintered Fang

I had no idea about Citadel Snakemen until I joined the Oldhammer forum, and I think they're rather nice indeed.

9. Night Goblin Clubber

The humble Night Goblin, resplendent with maniacal grin and large spiked club.
I nearly went with one of the ball and chain fanatics with tongue sticking out but this lunatic called out to me- what a legend.

10. Champion Of Nurgle

The one mini on this list I don't have (as of yet, anyway), this guy is my favourite in a range that features some really legendary sculpts.
I didn't expect any Chaos minis in my top ten, but this guy cannot be denied.

 

 

 

 

Deathskull Orks: Part One

I'd originally intended to just assemble a Goff Ork army, but as I mentioned things kind of snowballed and I went for all the other clans too.
Having finished painting the Goffs, I decided the Deathskulls would be next for a couple of reasons:
a) I don't have so many of them
b) they're not black ( not that there's anything wrong with black)
c) they have lots of eavy weaponry- the Goffs could use some long range firepower to back them up.

So here's what I've done so far...

 The Boss is one of many favourites...OK I love em all.

 Painboy and assistants- painted as closely as I could get to the depiction in the 2nd ed codex

 Weirdboy with Space Crusade Minders. I went crazy and did bolta swaps on them!

Another mob lead by the uncatalogued Loota Nob.
I still have to do two more mobs of four and nobs to lead them.

 Runtherder

 Mekboy with Shokk Attack Gun- a bit of weight to this one!

Snotling bases...I have another 8 to go I think

Space Orks: The Goffs, Part Two

The plastic Goffs from the first mob

So many mono-pose monstrosities!

Runtherd with little buddies.
He leads a mob of 40 Gretchin, but I've broken them up to photograph them.

WHFB Goblin in front masquerading as a Grot

Some metals, just to break up the monotony

And still they come...

...and come...

more metals

Mekaniak with blowtorch

 Rogue Trader era "Egg" Dreadnought

The 2nd edition version.
The Dreads provide some much needed long range firepower for the predominately close combat orientated army.

The second lot of plastic boys.

 The infamous Battlewagon

 bases stacked in there so Ghazgkhull and Makari can be seen

I'm eternally grateful to Oldhammer superstar Captain Crooks for letting me get my grubby hands on this holy grail of classic Orkdom.

Space Orks: The Goffs, Part One

As far as Warhammer 40,000 goes, the classic or "retro" Space Orks are probably my favourite range of miniatures.
It wasn't always that way, when I got into the game and miniatures as a kid in the early 90's it was Space Marines all the way, specifically the Space Wolf chapter.
But 15 years of rereading the "Fangs Of The Wolf" in the Space Wolf codex (first in WD 158) and all those plastic Goffs and Gretchin from the boxed set rattling around I decided that it might be nice for the marines to have another army to face off against.
"Hey, I had a good start with all these plastics- maybe just some characters, I'll just stick to the Goff clan" but once I started looking into the range on The Stuff Of Legends (and that notorious online auction site) I found myself basically obsessed with them, and ironically I've ended up with way more Orks than Space Wolves, who for the most part are still languishing in unpainted drawer hell.
Traitor!

Ghazgkhull Mag Uruk Thraka, Overboss of the Goffs and his Gretchin sidekick Makari.
These two were the first purchase, and the first to get painted, about 5 years ago now.
I hadn't really painted at all since 1997 or something like that, and getting these guys done really got me into it again- nothing like jumping in the deep end! ( there's been touch ups along the way)
Ghazgkhull's banner pole is a recent addition and was lifted off the WHFB Orc Morglum Necksnapper.

Painboy with stainless steel skull, or "Mad Doc Grotsnik" as he was depicted in Fangs Of The Wolf.
Another early paintjob, he's still a bit rough but it's fitting.

The Nobz that lead my two big mobs of Goffs.

Skarboyz from the first mob. The power swords used by the Skarboyz are cannibalised from the Space Crusade Marine Commander's weapons.

Metal boys ( used as Skarboyz) from the first mob, which is completed by 10 plastic Goffs to make it 20 strong.

The original Ghazgkhull. Note the Space Wolf MK VI helmet proudly displayed at his waist.

Another Boss, propping himself up on a vanquished Space Wolf helmet.

This Boss is really mean, despite his red painted fingernails (disclaimer:  I copied it off the depiction of him from the Dark Millennium book :) )

The Skarboyz from the second mob.

Metal boys from the second mob.
Like the first, there are 10 plastic Goffs to bolster their number to 20.