Making army lists...

OK, so i've re-jigged slightly. I've altered the core which has allowed me to squeeze more out of it so here goes - once again - critisism and thoughts are appreciated:

Lords: 17.75%
Lvl4 Archmage (Life) (w/ Feedback Scroll and Talisman of Preservation) - 355
This guy is my general and will form a huge part of my gameplan - i want him sticking round!
 
Heroes 13.45%
Lvl 2 Mage (High) (w/ Silver Wand) - 145
Support role really

Noble (w/ BSB, GW and Dragon Armour) - 124
Im thinking this fella gets thrown into the spears

Core 25.5%
15 x Archers w/ Musician, Standard and Banner of Eternal Flame - 190
Can be useful for removing Regen and being a general nuisance!

30 x Spearmen w/ Full Command - 295
The main Anvil, 5 wide, 6 deep

Special 38.3%
15 x Sword Masters w/ Full Command - 257
15 x Pheonix Guard w/ Full Command - 257
I'm a bugger for symmetry, so i see these guys marching up either side of the spear block and either counter charging or taking out beasties!

5 x Ellyrian Reavers w/ Musician and Bows - 112
1 x Lion Chariot of Chrace - ~~~
One on either flank being nuisnances in the case of the reavers or counter charging for the lions!

Rare 5%
Repeater Bolt Thrower - ~~~

Total - 2000pt bang on!

I'm more suprised i've got it bang on 2k to be honest - never done that with a list before! Hehe!

Once again - this list is based on nothing more than either me liking the models (PG, Lion Chariot) or already owning them (SM, ER).

I decided to drop the LSG for two reasons. one - i can get more core troops for less/similar money, and secondly and perhaps most importantly - i'm painting them right now (the IoB ones) and really fucking hating them!!! ...but thats for another update!

Unless someone points out some really obvious flaws, i think this is what i'll be buying towards. As i'm a complete newb to fantasy - i reckon this list will give me a good flavour of different areaas whilst hopefully being able to manage a variety of scenarios!

Mage Done (sort of...)

Ok, so having a rare few hours to myself i was determined ot finish this bugger!

And i have...sort of. I think i may have bee a little too eager to finish and so carried on painting when natural daylight, well - just wasn't there!

As such, i now realise this needs plenty of touch ups - but i figured that from the start.

I must say, i do lik ethe base. As this fella will probably be chicking out stuff from the Lore of Life, i like the green!

Having only ever painted masses of Ultramarines and Orks before i have to say i've learnt one important lesson from this experience:

PAINTING WHITE SUCKS BALLS!

Seriously! I tried to build it up with think layers of watered down white (well, from Astronomican Grey/Skull white into just white) but you can still see the brish strokes - i'll just pretend thats a realistic "cloth" effect!

Have to say i didn't enjoy painting this model as much as the sword masters!

Think my next project will be the Lothern Sea Guard!

till next time,

Adasi

Mage Part One

Time's really been at a premium this week as, due to a hectic weekend of coursework and teaching exams, i've let myself get behind on lesson planning and been playing catch up since Sunday!

Finally caught up with myself today (in time for a formal observation tomorrow!) and this allowed me to have a night to myself to calm down - cue the paints came out!

Colour wise, i'm sticking to the same as the sword masters with the blue trim. The stand out on this is the swirling base the model comes supplied with. As my paint selection is still pretty bare, i found a usable Dark Angels Green.

I've only managed to get base colours on tonight and give them a first wash. It's real messy and going to require a lot of touch ups and detailing i'm afraid I don't know whether it's my nerves or tiredness or eagerness to get as much done in the time allowed as possible - either way - it's messy!

So here's the pictures from tonight:

Sword Masters of Hoeth

So i decided, having not painted for several years, to start with some basic rank and file infantry as i didn't want to risk cocking up the fella on the griffon or the mage models!

Hence these fellas took the plunge and received a lovely basecoat of black. I'd mention construction, but as they're one pieces, it would be a bit short!

I decided i was going to limit my colour pallet as i reckon it helps create a more uniform looking army. This was pretty simple with these guys as there's going to be a crap lot of chain mail with a blue trim and a white robe. Shining Gold for fancy bits and red gems pretty much finishes it off.

I search my memory and remembered it always being useful to paint the metallics first as drybrushing all over the detail sucks balls! The problem i have with painting metallics is - no matter how neatly i try and paint them, it still looks crap until more is done to the model so i have to bear with it!

Next stage was to get all my base colours on before i apply any washes. I left the gems until everything else on the model was done due to the level of detail needed.

So here's the champion with Foundation Blue and Foundation Brown applied:

Gol-wise, i intended on basecoating with foundation brown, washing with an old flesh wash i'd managed to salvage from the past before applying shining gold.

I'd left the Standard Bearer's Flag off to paint separately and this is something i'd really reccommend as there would be just too much detail obscurred if glued on first!

Washing wise - i gave everything that wasn't going to be flesh, gold or leather, a watered down coating of "Badab Black Wash" - the former were given a watered down "Flesh Ink"

I love how much a model starts to look instantly better after a wash has been applied!

I then went about highlighting the chain mail in Milthril silver - a mistake as i just didn't like the results - id basecoated it in Mithril Silver whereas i've now found a pot of usable Boltgun Metal i intend to basecoat with in future!


Enchanted Blue mixed with Foundation blue for the trim and hair, with subsequently lighter highlights on ther hair!

Elf Flesh for the face. The flesh had two coats to be fair - i'm not very good when it comes to painting faces!

The gold was a bit of a journey to be honest - i didn't like the results of just painting Shining Gold on top of the brown so managed to acquire a pot of "Tin Bitz" off a kind soul. Applying this and then building shining gold into it worked much better and i'ma happy with the results now!

I've jumped ahead here as the tow previous photos have gems painted - Mechrite red foundation, splash of an orange made form Mechrite Red and Iyanden Yellow on the bottom and a dot of Skull White on the top!

Basing
I always think the basing is one of the most important parts! A nicely presented base sets the scene and can really make a model come alive!

I'd used watered down glue before undercoating to apply a ice coating of sand.

I now used a watered down coating of Foundation Brown and built up highlights with Snakebite Leather before a last highlight of Bleached Bone.

Once this was dry, i applied a few patches of Static Grass! I reckon they look pretty sound for a first bash in a few years!

The Island of Blood

So, my first foray into the world of blogging - i'm so 1995?

Through interesting circumstances, i have acquired Games Workshops' "Island of Blood" starter set. I used to be an avid wargamer but have been out of the hobby for many many years - getting by on PC offerings such as Blood Bowl and Dawn of War.

As it stands, i felt an urge to start painting again. Painting was always the part of the hobby i loved the most. I could spend hours de-stressing staring intently at a model trying to perfect it!

The Box
My first thoughts when i opened the box were: "Holy crap, look at the amount of detail on these babies!"

Seriously, when i started wargaming, i had the Warhammer 40,000 box set that contained 10 clip together Space Marines and around 40 one-piece Goff Orks and Gretchin! Oh and don't forget the old cardboard dreadnought!

I was always one for the "Good Guys" and so, whilst i intend on painting the Skaven up at some point, i'll be focussing on High Elves and if i ever find any money, intend on building on these first.

I am a trainee Maths teacher and money is exceptionally tight - more so than time right now, so painting this box set will hopefully keep me occupioed until the end of May!!!

I'd hope i can get a first game in at some point too!

So there we have it - this Blog is born!