Feels like ADHD

You ever feel like you have a problem and your not quiet sure how to assess the situation.  Well if you've ever had that feeling than you know how I am feeling right now.  Trust me, this is not a feel sorry for me kinda deal it's just a lack of singular focus.  I really like Fantasy a lot, I finally have a competitive army in the Dark Elves and I like the models and the selection of HQ, troop, special and rare's, so I am pretty happy over all with the army.  My only issue is that I have been bumped to an off shift for work and I move in three months.

I know your wondering... and if not I'm going to tell you anyway, why the lack of focus... partially because of this move and off shift.  The guys at the LFGS play every Friday night, it's great, you can count on someone being there every Friday night, well now that I am on swings Fridays aren't as solid as they once were.  This is not a major deterrent as many of the guys will play during the week, just have to find a schedule to fit people in.  The move has at me too, where I am moving to they primarily play 40k so it's like I kinda want to knock the dust off so I don't go up there trying to get a ward save on my carnifex!

This brings me to the last point'ish if there is one, I really enjoy rambling apparently, at least that's what my wife tells me, I asked awhile back or stated rather what motivates you to paint?!  It could be anything from seeing someone else's painted up army, being inspired by new models, etc, well I have found a new reason to paint... the want to not be part of the same bio mass.

As I was perusing the blog'o'sphere I couldn't help but notice one of our local gamer peep's was painting a Tyranid army... lo and behold it's damn close to the same color scheme I have with my Tyranids, only it looks better!  Thanks to the fellas over at Hog's of War where they did a tutorial on how to paint Tyranids using just about 3 color s and a few washes people can easily paint good looking Tyranids in less time than it took me to paint mine, so of course what does any sane person do at that point??  Correct, I grab my Tyranids and start trying to find a different color scheme that still looks good and is different from the other guy's!!  I think I was successful, tell me what you think!

Welcome to Hive Fleet Tiamat?  Not 100% on the name yet...

Killzone picks!

Ok, so last off I was rambling about my Sniper Lords and how they cant come out and play but... I still want to use my Eldar, mainly because I dont see anyone else using them, and why not right.  I have some bikes I was already converting.  Now that I dont play Eldar as a competitive army I have a use for the models!

I still need to do some dinking and putting together and adding some things but I think with some of my homework done I can now get modeling done as well.  Hopefully it wont be to long before I get a few updates on the jetbikes.  Also, I havent been able to find out what people are typically playing at for Killzone, so I put together a 250ish point list, I can always break it down if need be.

If anyone has any ideas on point levels for sure leave a comment and give me the heads up I would appreciate it.

Plus what are you all playing and if you have a link to your site showing off your Killzone team hit me with it, Id love to take a look! Time for me to head out, wish I had some pics... lets see what I got in here...

Family Reunion a few months back...

Where's the band wagon?!? Time for Killzone

You ever come across something that really peaks your interest, you know that new games system that people are raving about, or the new version of the game your playing or the next big thing on the blogsphere only to find out that it was posted 2 months ago?  Or that it was from last year?  That is the world I live in.  It seems that every time I find something super cool or interesting Ive missed the boat, or "band wagon".  There's no blame, I am not making excuses and even if the band wagons left for wherever it goes Ill still try and jump on.

Here's the dilly, I was reading Strictly Average's blog and came across this thing called Killzone Blitz.  So I hunt and search for what it is because it seems as though its a small unit type skirmish game using 40k figures.  To me that means lots of room for conversion, the idea that you can play any army you want really because you only need a few models to invest in, plus if your a slow painter *points finger at myself* then it allows me to even get a crew painted and done!

Either way, after a little more research I came to find the originator... here is what I found... 

Strictly Stalking: On Blogging Part VII

So after reading the interview I was siked, there is rules, scenarios, you name it, it's been thought of... so of course I skip to the part for the FoC so to speak.  I kept see'ing orks and some more orks and Brents uber counts as Space Puppies so I was like, hmmm what do I have that I could use that I havent seen alot of...

Eldar!  With a quick skim I saw that you are allowed to have walkers with armor less than 33, sweet I have 2 heavily converted Wraith Lords, plus I had other idea's for a Killzone team with Eldar.  I did read a bit more and found that per the rules you cannot have a creature with toughness more than 5.  Needless to say, I was a touch bummed, but I still have ideas on my Eldar Killzone team and for S & G's I am going to post pics of my 2 Wraithlords, one is still in need of highlights the other is a wip still...  Ill have some sort of Eldar Killzone team pics later but for now, I leave you with the Sniper Lords!

Marrow Knights

I started a bit back as far as trying to have something different than every other DE army out there but really inspiration hasn't hit me as far as conversions go, not at least for the spearmen and crossbow men or any of the DE units for that fact...  I did find some really cool idea's for "counts as" crossbow men and spearmen but both of the "counts as" are from Privateer Press and not sure how that would float, plus at the cost it's not really economical at the present time.  And in the grand scheme of things I will be moving in the next 4 months and I am not 100% sure how the WHFB scene is up where I am moving.  So ill stick with what I got for now before I start dropping benjamins on a counts as army that may not get any play heh.

What I did find was a color scheme that I liked that was unique and not like all the other purple and black DE armies out there.  It was a few posts back, I had a spearmen with the bone armor, well now it's time to take a look at a Cold One Knight or Marrow Knight as there known in the House of Ados, take a look, tell me what you think, changes to be made etc, LATE!

Although I will say, I would prolly paint the cloth red on future Knights, not the black that's there now.

The eye's have it!!

So it's been a long time since my last post, I dont really have a good excuse, well at least one that is feasable for not posting in over a month and Ive actually got a decent amount of work done for my dark elves.  Here's the dilly, not a lot of work in comparison to some of the painting freaks at my FLGS but a lot for me.  But this post is going to be directed towards something more specific...

Ive been painting for about two years now and really only about 6 months that I have tried to become a better painter by looking at blending, highlighting, shading, different ways to paint weapons and armor etc, the point is this, when it comes to painting the eye's on the mini's Ive either failed miserably or just avoided it all together leaving giant flesh holes where eye's should be. But alas, this is not a post of defeat, this is a post of triumph, and maybe's its just me but I think the eye's on the two mini's im going to show you turned out freaking fantastic, the best eye's I have painted EVAH!!

Credit where credit is due, I have learned more about painting and basing with four conversations then I had with trial and error on my own for months and months.  Id like to thank The Master Manipulator(esno).  I have come leaps and bounds in my painting thanks to what he thought was probably just passing conversation, thanks brotha.

Here is a model prior to reading MMesno tutorial on eye's, then the next two models are using the method, if you struggle with eye's you should check it out, I have a link to his blog here on my site.  Oh and after the first model turned out with good eye's I immediately did a second mini to make sure it wasn't just a fluke, it wasn't, the method works!

Yes, these are also newly painted mini's from the War Hydra crew... which will be posted later with the War Hydra herself!

Battle Report: Dark Elves vs Skaven 1250

So for more than one reason I think I am going to try a hybrid approach of storytelling but in the sequence of events of the battle.  Check this battle report; I think it turned out pretty good.

Let’s start with the lists or approximately what we had then move into the story...

House of Ados represented by:

HQ: lvl 2 Sorc (Madious)

HQ: Hag BSB with ASF banner (Annorus)

Core: 19 spearmen FC

Core: 10 Xbows

Core: 10 Xbows

Special: 15 Black Guard, FC with Banner of Murder

Special: 15 Executioners, FC

Rare: War Hydra

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Clan Ratatouille

Lvl 4 wizard (Turntailious)

BSB (Dropitisss)

20 Storm Vermin

20 Plague Rats

25ish regular spear rats

25 Slave Rats

5 Jezebels

5 gutter runners

Doom wheel

Prince Rayle continued to get reports back from his scouts that the rats had been coming out of their holes and starting to gather near one of the trade routes.  The Prince had requested an audience with his father and he would not be able to quell the rats but knew of someone that would do well in his place.  After sending a runner to fetch his younger sister Madious, a budding sorcerer following in the footsteps of her mother a renowned fire witch, the Prince knew that she would be able to handle the task, plus the idea of burning rats amused the Prince.

Off the young Fire Witch went with her compliment of Black Guard courtesy of her father and the rest of her raiding party courtesy of the Prince, and to her surprise she was met with a contingent of executioners that were led by Hag Annorus, her cruelty was second to none(the similarity to my wife’s name is purely accidental).  Hags were to be feared, even amongst the soulless and viscous.  Hags were well known for their delight in the cruel and unusual.

(Deployment)

Off to the north the rats were spotted, with no indecision Fire Witch Madious sent the war hydra to the east and a compliment of crossbow men to the west, with spearmen, Executioners, Black Guard and crossbow men to hold the center.  To the east opposite the Hydra were masses of little rats, across from the center to the north was plague infested skaven, rats with spears and a sorcerer, slave rats and to the northeast was skaven with halberds.  There was also some whirring contraption to the west, a spinning wheel of death it seems.

(top of turn 1)

The crossbow men to the west pelted the slaves with arrows to little effect, the crossbow men front and center launched their arrows at the plague rats, again with little effect, the Hydra charges straight north towards the masses of rats, with Madious ordering the forces in the center to march forward!  Muttering an incantation, fire appears from her hands and launches towards the spear rats with the opposing sorcerer, rat flesh immediately starts to burn but their unit seems undaunted and reinforced by their leader and large banner.

(bottom of turn 1)

The rats undaunted by the burning flesh of their kin march forward gnashing their teeth, scraping along the ground, spears and halberds at the ready.  The plague rats rushing forward in a battle frenzied state, frothing at the mouth, pustules bursting as they rush forward!  The wheel of doom turns west and hums out of sight.  The sorcerer rat Turntailious does a small dance and whips his cane around and a green cloud of noxious fumes surrounds the Black Guard felling half the unit, but the Black Guard are stubborn to a fault and continue forward.

(top of turn 2)

The crossbows to the west let loose their arrows again into the skaven slaves killing a few and the crossbows in the center fire their arrows at the plague rats killing two.  The Hydra continues north awaiting the fight with the mass of small rats while again the army pushes north towards the tide of spears and halberds.  Madious spews forth fiery death again into the spear rats bringing more death and burning flesh to Clan Ratatouille, undaunted the rats and their sorcerer push forward.

(bottom of turn 2)

The Doom wheel moves forward shooting into the crossbows killing a few, the plague rats continue their relentless march forward, the storm vermin position themselves for a charge into the Black Guard and Turntailious starts to do his dance.  A flash of destruction veers past the Fire Witch’s unit then in an unexpected turn the skaven sorcerer starts to glow then in an instant there’s an explosion and only rat bits and tufts of fur lie where two thirds of the unit used to reside.  With the cause of the explosion unknown the unit turns tail (literally) and runs, their mighty banner and Turntailious in tow.  This would spell the end for the skaven uprising.  …”spell the end” heh …

(top of turn 3)

The Hydra finally charges into combat with the mass rats killing some but not able to rid all of them.  Cross bows to the west aim and shoot at the doom wheel, the arrows ricochet off the wheel causing no damage.  The crossbows front and center let loose again into the plague rats puncturing lungs and boils killing five and await the oncoming charge.  Black Guard set up for the charge from the storm vermin and the Executioners greedily await the flank of the plague rats.   Lastly Madious lets loose another volley of firery death this time into the plague rats, nothing like burnt plague rats and boiling flesh in the morning!

(bottom of turn 3)

There was to be no rally for Turntailious who would not be seen again this battle but had done more damage and destruction to his own then to anyone else.   At this point all the melee’s start to kick off with the storm vermin charging the Black Guard and the plague rats charging into the Executioners instead of the crossbow unit, trying to avoid a flank charge, and the doom wheel charging the western most crossbow men.  This would be a bloody show where dark elves could be found howling with glee chopping and gashing their rat counterparts.  The Executioners, with Annorus at the lead cleaving plague rat after plague rat until there was none.  The Black Guard in a dizzying blur of Halberds swinging and thrusting, puncturing and hacking the Storm Vermin to small pieces.  The lone bright spot for Clan Ratatouille was when the doom wheel plowed into the west crossbow men killing the entire unit in a single charge, the wheel smashing and pulping the crossbow men in their tracks.  At this point, the dark elves of House of Ados were cleaning rat guts off their armor reveling in their victory, Madious cackled at the sight of dead vermin strewn throughout the courtyard, “today was a good day”.

Hero of the Match:  Turntailious, for blowing up his own unit then running off the board!

Zero of the Match:  The War Hydra, who accomplished killing 3 rat bases and that’s it.

Executioners with hag BSB done!

So it's been awile since my last post and Id probably feel bad if I was worried I had some sort of following so no worries for me there!!  Really though, I have been busy with work, school, kids, life blah blah excuse, but I have managed to finish off painting, basing my executioners and my hag BSB.  Its crazy too, ive played 6 games since my last post of the Ork nob bikers, maybe ill post a bat rep or 2, only bad thing is no pic's, ill have to work on that for future battle reports.  Still not sure on accurate report of story type report... and its painting the Hydra next...

But we are what have you done for me lately kind of people and I havent done anything so lets take a look at my killy emo elves!

*edit* its sad too, I think there taking a back seat for a bit while I try new stuff for 1500 point list's...

Ork bike conversions, choppers! Part 2

As promised, this is the second set or the latter three of six for a total of 6 bikes.  The last three are the dok, big choppa and pk homie!  I have not gotten back to the executioners yet, but I have gotten 2 Dark Elf battles in, Ill hit those up later, but this is about Ork bikes!!  Without further ado~

Nice wheels bro...

Right, what does wheels have to do with Dark elves?!  Nothing at all.  Not to fear though, I am currently working on my executioners and believe it or not I think ill have the whole unit painted and based by the end of the week.  So I will get to my darkies soon but wanted to show you a complete unit, so what in the dark world of elves does wheels have to do with anything?

I tell you what though, and I hate to say this out loud but Brent mentioned possibly trading some of his dark elves for something and sure enough I was already in the midst of a self imposed question.  Here's the deal, I spent a lot and I mean a lot of time on my custom nob bikers for the Ork army I no longer have or plan on playing.  My dilemma, should I let the bikes sit in my closet collecting dust and keep my hard work or trade them to someone who has an Ork army and would enjoy them, use them, and paint them.  Either way, here are 3 of 6.  Ill post pics of the other 3 in a day or so, hope you enjoy!

Here is a nob with flamer and big choppa

Here is the next nob, just a regular nob with choppa

Last of the 3 is PK nob with banner and boss pole, and some gribbly flair!