The Christmas Elves

Seem to have something of a sense of Irony. After my recent post lamenting my hobby time, and the long list of projects stacked up, they have deemed it wise to bring me more to do!

Notably, this:

Not that I am complaining – I’ve been interested in Super Dungeon Explore for a while, and my partner and I both love board games, so it seemed like a good fit.

She’ll even paint a model or two if the must moves her. so this box might be something we can work through together.

for those who don’t know it, it’s a dungeon smash much like heroquest or descent, but very differently themed around a terrible Japanese rpg

if I had to I suppose the best description might be a board game version of a japanese ripoff of “gauntlet” (WIZARD NEEDS FOOD)

I spend an afternoon putting the figs together, which isn't an easy task for a novice, and would be the only thing preventing my recommending this with universal appeal.

When you open the box, your greeted by some card…

The rulebook, which is fairly concise and helpful, and some punch out tokens, these come off the frame easily and should be sorted into baggies for ease of use…

Next are the playing tiles and the meat of the package, the figs…

These come in their own wee baggies, and with many many small parts, take a couple of hours to put together even for an experienced modeler. this alone might be the barrier that prevent a lot of people playing this.. I hope not, cos it’s a cracking game.

 

Models themselves are good quality hard plastic, a few mold lines exist but are easily removed and not huge in any case.

The Desk, mid-build….

And the completed horde.

My partner and I had a quick game to test it out, it’s quick to pick up, plays well and fast and is good fun, if anything the desk is pretty stacked in the hero side of things.. I’m going to have to get devious as consul to give them a challenge.

Coming Up for Air

Wow. What a term. (for new readers, yes, I’m a teacher. more accurately I look after the Games Design Courses at a College). I cant remember one like it.

Apologies for my absence from the blog, several things happened at once, leaving me with less time and energy than usual. I know for those of us with an academic profession and a blog the blog does tend to suffer at the start of a new academic year, but I really wanted, and had managed to avoid that this year.

Sadly events were to conspire. in September my department had three part time lecturers, a manager myself and two other full time lecturers. for reasons that aren't really relevant, that became Myself and three part timers. with no diminution in workload across the area.

That’s been the case for two months now and its taken its toll not just on my free time, with the added weight of prep and marking etc, but on my energy levels. luckily a few xbox games have come along and kept me interested wile the sofa embraced my ass, but I’ve missed the hobby, haven't touched a brush since the charity model you see below, which I still need to post, apologies man, it’s on it’s way soon, I promise.

Okay so xcom didn’t help, cos it really grabbed me, but its about enrgy as well, no really..

The workbench is full of projects, and I really want to get back to it, so will have to see what kind of free time Santa brings in amongst the commitments.

so far in the queue ()not withstanding the whole, finish a space wolf army and start an ork one, and the whole “doing a golden demon entry” things)

• That charity guy, apply his decals and send him awaaay
• Objective markers for 40k to track “points values”
• a grey hunter squad half done
• a titan I am painting for a friend
• a german rifle squad for “operation squad”
• some suitable terrain for above
• a tau forge world suit that needs repair

The one I feel worst about, – the three things there that are for toher people, obviously, Ive had the titan for ages, and it should have been done by now.. the charity fig, he should have been in the post weeks ago.. Sorry guys…

I’ll admit I’m most excited about a small historical foray with ze germans. I’m painting Heer, I cant quite bring myself to have SS “toys” no judgment on those who do, just doesn’t sit right with me.. so I’ll have some regular army guys, and maybe in the future an opfor, – operation squad is small enough you could have a few forces form different nations and still not have as many figs as a 1k guard army.

Still a few guys from warlord to keep this fellow company has me quite interested, and should paint up quickly too.

the blog hit 400 followers while I was looking the other way, that’s amazing, especially given the recent lull, so thankyou everyone for your continued interest and faith that I’d resume.

So there we have it, the Queens speech for this blog… and really lacking in pictures.. sorry about the wall o text, and sorry again about the absence guys, I’ll see if I cant pick things back up going forwards.

This passed me by..

http://thefallenprinces.blogspot.co.uk/2012/12/competition-voting-time.html

its the voting for the Badab war deathwatch squad that i am contributing to.. I AM contributing... honest.. in the post this weekend...

Oh yeah, Ive been away a while... it's not burnout, its work.. We've lost three full time members off staff from my department.. which was.. well four full time members of staff...

so when i get home i barely have the energy to hit the xbox.. and i mean barely.. ive watched more crap telly in the last couple of moths...

It should pick up over Christmas.. once i pick myself up again.

so apologies to my readership, which i see is moving tantalizingly close to 400! wow...

and please go and vote on the fallen princes comp.. not for me, but for the best model!

and support the charity once the auction comes up, it should be wicked :)

Chimerarrrgh!

This resin conversion kit was causing my friend and colleague Zzzzz such consternation he thought the best way to deal with it was to send the bloody thing to me.

lets just say its a good thing I have a Dremmel.

The Ride belongs to one of the Necromundan Gangs sucked into the all consuming conflict on Devos IV and as such received an appropriate color scheme. I'm sure the man himself can tell you much more about how it fits into the campaign.

For my part, I am glad I was able to help, although it wasn't easy to get the thing to go together I think it looks okay, I'd be torn as to whether to recommend it. I guess if you are a very experienced resin modeller it's okay, but if you've never strayed beyond a plastic kit, avoid!

apologies for the absence from the blog, work's been crazy plus, you know, xcom came out. more on that later :)

Fallen Princes Deathwatch Project Veteran Sergeant

Almost finished..

Well I'm sorry but that howling griffons chapter badge.. I cant paint that.. so i'm waiting on some decal paper and i'll print one up and slap it on.

Because of that he's a wee bit shiny at the moment, but i'll mattcoat him when that arrives, then maybe re-do some of the silver so that's shiny.

I put a good number of purity seals and scribbles on him, as that's part of the howling griffon fluff I believe..

ahh the suspiciously empty place where the iconography should be :)

And now... the amazing screw-on head! (go mike mignola!)

Hm, maybe I should a made a place on him or the base for the helmet.. though thinking about it, it woulda looked weird the other way round then...

and a top view so you can see the TMM work, heh. silly acronym


This project is rapidly becoming a thing...

I mean, look at the squad so far..

Sternguard Deathwatch. 

Sgt: Karitas Howling Griffons Excommunicate Tratoris 

Trooper: Brother Silar (Astral Claws), Combi-Plasma gun. 

Trooper: Brother N'tur (Salamander), Heavy flamer. For Holy Terra. 

Trooper: Minotaur, Bolter Badab War in Cambridge. 

Trooper: Lamenter Lamentum 

Trooper: Death Specter 

Trooper: Lamenters, Flamer Cognitive Dissonance

Trooper: Into the Void 

Trooper: Raptor Iron Legion

Trooper: 

Only one spot left to fill.. Well, that's me for now. as soon as the decal paper arrives and the thing is on there i shall be posting this off to be part of the competition/charity auction. let me know what you think, not my best work, but I quite like the way the colours pop.. I can certainly see the attraction of a full army of these guys.

Badab war Deathwatch project

I noodled around tonight and made what I hope will be my contribution.

A Sternguard Sgt with a powerfist and combi-plasma. Intended to be painted as a howling griffon.

hes just blu takked together here.. well his chapter pad and left arm are separate for painting, as is his head. the rest is glued.

Oh yeah, and his head is magnetised so he can be helmetless or helmeted :)

I still need to do the base, and to get him to paint.. but he aint "approved" yet, so i'll hold off on that.

Badab war Deathwatch project

This is a very cool thing:

a competition and chariddy type thing to build a deathwatch Squad from badab war vets. all organised by the fallen princes badab war site..
http://thefallenprinces.blogspot.co.uk/2012/09/competition-time.html?showComment=1349194125491#c3757342879703762858

several other blogs are already signed up, and progress is good - and as its a single mini and i could really use the practice with black, i'm in too.

kinda undecided about details, but the thread on the blog should sort that out.

so go take a look, and if youve time, throw a mini together for it.

Games Day UK 2012

So I only have crappyphone footage to report with, but there was some interesting stuff here.

the main hall...

Being a teacher of digital graphics, and something of a 2D and 3D digital artist myself my companion for the day (Zzzzz) and I had a few interesting chats with FW and GW guys about how they do their stuff.. although i did get at least one "I cant answer that".. GW guard their proprietary technologies well.. and who can blame them :)

The FW stands were awesome, these guys are really going all out on the heresey..

FW Emperors children

Legion specific termies..

man-portable autocannon!

 This thing was awesome, but hard to get close to.. (sorry for the quality, I was at full stretch :) )

It's Abbadon...  and looks wicked...

This was the amazing Isstvaan 3 board.. World eaters storming the loyal Legion forces...

There we have it, not much footage but some to add to the general internet morass.

The GW contest was impressive, but a few people won multiples, and it didnt look that clear cut to me, still its hard to judge at the distances we are, I look forward to better pics appearing online so I can see what the judges saw.

and looking at some of the stuff in the finalist's cabinet, I may well have to have a go next year.. although it commits one to a longer day..

Anyhoo, thanks for reading!

Spiky Bits Dark Vangeance Contest(s)!

The guys over at the Spiky bits Blog are giving away two sets of DV!

here are the detals

one requires a simple "|like" while the other asks you to upload a converted and painted mini.

I used the recent DV libby..

 

 I know potentially it looks greedy.. trying to win one of something, with one of the same.. But I do only have this guy and the chappie, and what I'd love to be able to do is try to convert the others and make tutes here.. and to give the chappie and libbie away, painted up, as prizes once I hit 400 followers..

'course I have to win it first, so if you fancy helping that along you could always pop along to the gallery and "like" my entry... and any others that take your fancy too.

anyway, busy work week.. and games day on sunday. (damn you for releasing the fellblade...!) Hopefull i'll be able to capture some worthwhile footage or pics. expect a post monday!

http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.437839559602069.110267.116883518364343&type=3

Dark Vengeance Rune Priest 360

I made one of these thingies...

of this chap..

Let me know your thoughts.. more pictures this time, so should be a bit smoother, better light too i think..

OMG! Forge World Fellblade!

This latest Hersey Campaign book announcement Video..  at 2.44.. that's blatantly a Fellblade...


Sure there's a ton of exciting stuff in that vid.. jetbikes, rules for Saul Tarvitz and so on.. but seriously.. that's a fellblade!

I've intended to get my ass round to building one of those for my wolves for ages.. now I dont need to!, wheee...

okay. I Realise I may have sounded a wee bit giddy for a second there.. but seriously.. it's a fellblade.

Dark Vengeance Rune Priest - Wot I did

Nothing too complicated about what I did here tbh.. most of it was scraping off icons and adding wolfy bitz..

The starting bits....

and with icons removed.. heres a tip, use plastic glue.. the thin stuff we used to call "liquid poly" to melt surfaces clean and smooth....

the wolf arm and the donor sword.. I left it as a sword instead of using an axe mainly because I liked the sword.. I did make some modifications to the hilt to make it more "celtic"

the backpack got some donor parts to wolf it up.

and once the chap was all kitbashed and assembled i set to making some fur..

Here he is in primer...

I'm fairly confident I could set this guy up for any chapter, so it seems my fears about the usefulness of the DV box may have been exaggerated...

Dark Vengeance Librarian Conversion to Rune Priest

I know, but I just had to.

I was fortunate enough to snag this guy and the chaplain form a fellow blogger, and had to have a go at converting the guy, surprisingly easy actually, and a lovely model.

I don't have a whole DV box, couldn't justify it, being two armies I just don't have, but I really liked the sculpts and wanted to do something with them.

Here he is, I do have some WiP shots, so might do a "wot i did:" post.

Tried a slightly different paint style, quicker.. you'll see why in the next few days, but I'm fairly happy. I wouldn't rate him "display standard" but he'll do for a playing piece.

Question is, have I moved him far enough away from his dark angel sculpt.. does he read as a space wolf?