Month in Review - November 2018

Time for a look back at the last month I guess seeing as I'm on a roll with updating this thing.

 Quick workbench shot to get started.  Finished up the 6 Black Numenoreans and got a fair bit of work done on the Spirit of the Forest.

Life's a Draugr, and then you die...

As far as my Hobby Resolutions go, I haven't really done much beyond play a few games.  The tally jumped a lot, because I've added in an approximation of the last few undocumented months, but I've been powering through painting as part of the Paintvember movement (paint 30 minutes minimum a day for the month of November) and have finished off a mighty 63 miniatures.  Granted, a few were already started, but that's OK.  I've cleared all the commission stuff, plus added a bunch of new minis to my SAGA Rampant Draugr and Frostgrave/Blood Eagle/Daisho pools.

This was written on paper older than a lot of the miniatures I own...

 Also feels a bit cheaty having done a load of stuff for the Draugr project, as it is a really quick and simple scheme, but I guess that it is something I should embrace for quick turnaround, and to make a dent in the backlog.  I can see me painting up various Undead/Orcs and Goblinoids and possibly even Dwarfs in the same scheme, as well as extending it to a mish-mashed Wild Hunt army, based partly on the Wood Elf version and partly on the Undead version from Witcher III.  Some Dark Dwarfs would also be pretty useful for Of Gods and Mortals in 28mm, using the Draugr as Undead Norse, just need to locate a suitable Hel model.

I spent a bit of time (joys of waking at 2am) this morning finishing off the Spirit of the Forest, and then just as long gluing stuff to him once the varnish was dry.  Really like how he looks all vegetated up, and might have to grab another one for 15mm purposes.

77184 Spirit of the Forest (Reaper Bones)

PAINTVEMBER!  (plus 14 pre-release minis shipped back already)

For the Horde!

 Even though some of the minis use a different pallet, or slightly different basing techniques, they still mesh well together with the unified base colours and rims.  I'll have to dig the full army out for a group shot soon, along with my Grymkin.

Ok, maybe the black rims stick out a bit...

So yeah, that is my November in a nutshell.  Painted loads of stuff, currently over 365 miniatures for the year, which is pretty good seeing as I didn't paint any in October.  Need to get a few more games in to hit my total, but I have Daisho lined up at the club next month, plus I'm sure I can get a few more arranged.  I might have a crack at transferring over the last few batches of GW paint, no way I'll get the Foundry and/or P3 done, but it's a rolling goal.  The Deathguard and Rune Wars and Guildball stuff is basically neglected ( I did the GB bases, and assembled a few more DG from the Conquest magazine).  Maybe I can paint 3 minis in December?

Anyway, that's me for now.  Happy painting, andI'll be back on Wednesday.

Cheers,

John

#workbenchWednesday 28/11/18

Back again with another workbench update!

Spent a bit of time this morning doing the metals and robes on these guys, had a sleep, did the faces (chins) and varnished them.  Really just grass to add to the bases now if the varnish dries.

To be fair, the Black Numenoreans are almost done.

More Black Numenoreans to give me a 3rd Hearthguard Unit, plus 2 spares to replace the Wraith/Spectres in the original ones, plus the Reaper Bones Spirit of the Forest just because.


Bonus time - here's a quick snap of the assembly station too.

Pretty clear for a change.

It's been a busy week (well, month really) and I'm rattling through a load of miniatures, although, it obviously helps that a lot of them were started/nearly done.  Except the Guildball Butcher's...   I'll get to them eventually, but it just seems to be a mental stumbling block to get started.  At least the bases are done for them, right?

 Speaking of which, that was Sunday morning.  Figured it would be an idea to get the basing stages done on a pile of primed and inked minis, so that I can just grab them on a whim and get started rather than having to do more 'prep' work.  Yes, that was approximately 50 minis getting a couple of drybrushes then the rims repainted.

When you absolutely positively gotta cover all the bases...

 Other than that, it's been pretty productive on actual finished models too.  Let's see what we have...

 

Finished off the trio of Reaper Bones Ogres to use as Oni for Daisho/Ronin.   Happy I went with the traditional red skin, although I wanted to do blue.  Thankfully there are just another 2 sculpts to pick up and do, then I can go back to gleefully ignoring red until I get around to the Butchers, or my Savage Wave for Bushido.

77566 Ogre Chieftain (Reaper Bones)

77568 Ogre Matriarch (Reaper Bones)

77454 Ogre Clubber (Reaper Bones)

Gudbrand Soultaker - Viking Shaman (Footsore Miniatures)

Werewolf from 02870 Familiar Pack VI (Reaper Dark Heaven Legends)

There were also a few more figures completed, but they are pre-releases so I can't show them off just yet...



So yeah, that kinda sums up my week, other than 5 nightshifts...  but doing the minimum 30 minutes a day is really paying off.   Hoping to get the Numenoreans done, as that'll take me over 60 miniatures completed this month, and then go crazy gluing stuff onto the Spirit of the Forest.


Should be back Friday with a monthly review.

Cheers,

John

#workbenchWednesday 21/11/18

Back again, on time this week too  ;)

So, how's the old workbench looking?

There is a trio of Reaper Bones Ogres there (77454 Clubber, 77566 Chieftain, 77568 Matriarch) that I'm gradually painting up as Oni for Daisho/Ronin.  Red isn't normally a colour I'd choose to paint, so it has been a learning curve.  I'm also working on some pre-release miniatures, but I can't show them off...

As well as painting (I've been doing a minimum of 30 minutes a day as part of an online challenge) I've been pretty productive on the assembly front.

Prime us!

There is a large selection of various models all cleaned up, based and ready for priming.  Picture is cropped slightly, but there is -

Unit of 3 Farrow Valkyries, Bradigus, Tharn Chieftain, Shaman and Whitemane for HORDES.
8 Black Numenoreans and 24 Mantic Zombies for my Draugr SAGA army.
8 Reaper Bones Goblins as Redcaps, a Giant and bug for Blood Eagle/Dark Age Fantasy.
3 Frostgrave soldiers.
1 Foundry Revenant Vampire/Elf. 
3 Four A miniatures critters and a gremlin that are the kids.
A Death Guard character model for Warhammer 40,000.
A random Reaper Werewolf.
The Yeti from the Black Dragon Tong box for In Her Majesty's Name.
An old metal Ungor from a Beastman (or Beasts of Chaos, or just plain Chaos age dependant) army that I plan to paint up as a satyr.
Some 15mm Forger in Battle Celts/Gauls for a 15mm Blackpowder project.
And finally the Reaper Bones Spirit of the Forest (77184) that I just want to paint for fun.  More extreme base effects ahoy!

All in all it is quite a random selection.  I've also been throwing more random baggies of stuff into the box that I generally put the figures I want to get assembled in, there is more Northstar stuff, along with some Arcworlde figures, and a few more Bones ones, as well as reinforcements for my Normans.

Spent some time over the weekend out with the kids at a local wildlife area and got a bunch of photos of nature for basing reference, so, there might be an article in the making there.

Finally, I finished off  the Grace and Benediction figures for a commission.  Tried to keep it pretty close to the card art without going overly sepia.

That's it for the week then, will get to painting once the kids are asleep.

See you in a week, hopefully with the Oni finished.


Cheers,

John

#workbenchWednesday 14/11/18

Well, I really dropped the ball keeping this updated, right?   My deepest apologies to all 7 of you.

At least I have a few things to show off today.   I've been working at getting my mojo back for painting with the 30 minutes a day for 30 days challenge on facebook, and have had quite a successful run so far.  I've pretty much stopped keeping track of games played as I've been playing a lot more, and my #hobbystreak tallies.

So, the workbench...

Reaper Bones Ogres - to be Daisho Oni

I am currently working on a trio of Reaper Bones Ogres that I plan to use for Daisho at the club, possibly as the start of an Oriental Dragon Rampant force, along with my Savage Wave stuff for Bushido.  Although, painting red might put paid to such grandiose plans...

Just off the workbench is a pack of 6 Mantic Werewolves.  Can't say I love the models, they are pretty underwhelming after the kickass kickstarter preview art, but, I have 120 of them, so I guess I better start working on them.

Very basic paintjob to tie them in with the Draugr, guess I can use them as either "Berserkers" for Viking Haerthguard, or a Greater Warbeast Pack in Dragon Rampant.  At a push they might wok for Konflict '47 too.

I've also finished up a few more Reaper Bones models, the Large Earth Elemental and Well of Chaos.  Probably cost more in basing materials than it did for the models...

Really enjoy going OTT with foliage and stuff on models, I feel a Feral Elf/Wild Hunt/Trees and Golems and Elementals army coming on.


That's not everything I've done recently, but it's enough for now, I'll save the rest for the end of month round up.


Cheers,

John