August is gone. Not the most summery of months for me, I ended up getting my second jab and falling ill on week off (not related, was just run down from work). On the other hand, I got a ton of stuff done hobby wise – painting, printing and writing. So overall, pretty good!
Also you might have noticed, my paint rack has expanded! Yep, I realised I was still putting some of my paints into my drawers, rather than having them within arms reach which was getting annoying. Because of this, I picked up two extra drawers to carry more citadel paints. It’s also added a nice shelf for my phone mount, meaning I can keep it at eye level (and stop missing phonecalls when it’s on the stand).
Project 365
Your eyes are not deceiving you. That purchase column for this month is an unusual colour.
Lets take a look at the details.
Painted: 35
Description | Maker | Number |
Escher Champion | GW | 1 |
Ammo-Jack “Denis” | GW | 1 |
Covert/Overt Operators | Spectre | 12 |
Shyluz Infantry (Germans) | Combat Octopus | 12 |
PMC + VIP | Turnbase Miniatures | 3 |
Shyluz Internal Secruity (Germans and Russians) | Combat Octopus | 4 |
Combat Droids | Turnbase Miniatures | 4 |
Purchased: 28
Description | Maker | Number |
Shyluz Infantry (Germans) (3D Printed) | GW | 12 |
Shyluz Internal Secruity (Germans and Russians) (3D Printed) | GW | 7 |
PMC + VIP (3D Printed) | Turnbase Miniatures | 3 |
Combat Droids (3D Printed) | Turnbase Miniatures | 4 |
Captain Carter (3D Printed) | Skull Forge Studios | 1 |
Hades (3D Printed) | Raging Heroes | 1 |
So yep, all of my additions to the database this month were 3D printed. This is the first month that’s happened and it was a lot of fun; printing out the models, working out the paint schemes and thinking up the scenarios and uses for them
I also managed to do well on painting, working on a few things from previous months as well as most of the things I printed this month. It’s one thing I’m aiming to do with all the patreons that I’m on – if I’m buying the models, I should probably get to work on them and enjoy the painting.
Battered Brush 2021
I did it! I finished battered brush with over 10 days to go! I decided to give up on doing on GW stuff as it was more of a personal challenge. It was really cool to watch the map slowly tick up as I managed to fit painting days in. It was even better once I started beating the dreaded line!
Project 3D Printing
As I mentioned above, this is the first month where I’ve actually not purchased any physical models. Instead, I’ve picked up a few STL files but spent most of my printing time pushing the edge of what I’m used to the on the printer. Going bigger, realising mistakes in my setting (100mm retract speed was maybe a touch high)
A lot of it has actually been learning how to properly setup and support models. I’ve moved from just using Chitubox for everything to a hybrid Lychee/Chitu solution – doing the initial supports and resizing in Lychee before going back to Chitu for slicing. Lychee’s supports seem a little more reliable (if aggressive) but I also like the repair function, especially as new versions include a button to use Azure’s web tools to do it.
Technically not part of this month but, after finding a great source for some ultramodern vehicles, I’ve started experimenting with hollowing models and adding holes to drain out. This is something I haven’t tried, but it’s a neat addition to the skill set.
Project Moderns
For the first time in a while, Moderns is the busiest category on the blog! I appreciate that a lot of people read this blog mainly for the ultramodern content and luckily for them, I’m slowly getting my mojo back for it. I think partially it’s down 3d printing opening up what’s coming out but also I’m a sucker for world building and so coming up with new scenarios (both setting and gaming) is something I really enjoy. Now I just have to get them on the table.
I made it my aim at the start of the month to get some of the Patreons I’ve been paying for printed off. First up was Combat Octopus, a Patreon I’m really excited about (as a man wanting to build a pile of fictional nations). With their 1990s Germans, I found a really unusual set of models (only Eureka doing a similar set) with a whole host of options thanks to their multi-part setup. September will see some more additions to the Germans and Japanese SF coming out and I will definitely be painting some out.
I’ve painted them up as the first fictional nation in my setting, the Republic of Shlyuz, giving them a mix of G3s and G36s to match the squad loadout I’ve got planned. Once I’ve got the NCO and Radio operators printed, I’ll go into more details on them.
The other modern patreon I have is Turnbase. They are doing a nice range of figure every month and this time it was my weakness – PMCs
I will admit, I’m a little less excited about the possibilities of Turnbase – it seems to replicate a little bit of what Spectre and Empress are doing, with less of the sheer range size the others have. However, I don’t want to be too harsh on them – they are still producing models at a satisfyingly rapid rate, with some really interesting weapons and poses. Swappable heads means (like my anvil subscription) that it’s worth still getting them
The other thing Turnbase does excellently is adding vehicles. Their last two months have included a vehicle as part of the pack. I do like how it’s offered at both the regular and upper tier level (the upper tier adding more to increase the value). The PMC Month also included a Little Bird, in both gunship (if you paid extra) and transport role.
Now, I love Little Birds. I adore scout and utility helos in games like ArmA 3 and GTA Online. That last one might show in what I constructed – a PMC light support gunship, made by taking the AH6 body and not printing the weapons for it. I can easily see this appearing on the board in support of some PMC types. No guns, not even the boards, just a machine gunner leaning out the side. Printing was nice and easy (their supporting work continues to get better) and got it all printed within a workday.
Downside – the initial version was fractionally too small for the crew (as you can see). However, with Turnbase being active on Facebook, I was able to raise the point, get a response and fixed files within a few days. Not bad!
With Spectre releasing it’s long awaited Covert/Overt models last month, I didn’t want to waste time with them. The paint schemes were relatively simple, but it did add the extra challenge of “now paint two models basically the same”. Overall, I’m really happy with how they came out – simply yet standout, while still looking like civilians. A full post in coming covering the range, but I can see them getting a chunk of use.
And this is where I get into trouble – robots! Or should I say Bipedal Semi-Autonomous Combat units (or BSAC) from the nation of Arcadia in the ChargeReal. I’ve always like the Chappie-esque robot design, and I think adding them to ultramodern wargaming (with the right rules) could be an interesting tactical challenge. These models are free from Turnbase’s Gumroad website and (after a quick rescaling) were printed out. I’m already thinking up ideas for them, trying to sell these things as early prototypes rather than 100% perfect for combat – the type of things you need to spend time commanding rather than it automatically changing orders.
Not quite finished this month but here are some more figures using from Combat Octopus parts. These guys are supposed to be the Interior Securtiy troops of Shyluz (hence the Russian look to them) but with the same camo of the regular troops. The torsos are form the modern Russians set, mixed with legs from the German set and with heads using the Vityaz helmet. I have three more from the squad acting as the long range element but I think these guys are perfect for the ex-Soviet door kicking look.
Project Necromunda
Your eyes do not deceive you – I played a game of Necromunda this month.
I managed to invite the Former Housemate over for a quick game, as well as splitting up the Hive War box we bought a few months ago. As well as it being nice to be social again, it was also fun playing the game. Necromunda has just that right level of
As for the game result? Well, the attempt by the Enforcers to escort a captured Escher Champion through the badlands ended up going poorly when the Delaque ambushed. A well placed sniper, aid from an Eldar Bounty Hunter and the casual dropping of a melta trap just behind the VIP to turn her into ash basically meant Enforcers were out for the count. I definitely need to learn the tactics of the guys I have but I really liked how they played. And importantly, going up against my Eldar Bounty Hunter meant I got to see her loadout actually work out.
I can’t wait to get into a campaign and get some revenge!
Speaking of Eschers, here is the Champion in question. After assembling her last month, this month I actually sat down and painted here. And it may shock you but look! Colours!
I decide to go for a paint scheme inspired by an Anime character I like and I’m really happy how she turned out. Having relied so heavily on dark colours and Agrax Earthshade for so long, painting a model without it felt like a new experience.
So, what next for the Escher? Well I need to go and assemble them first, but I’m aiming for this style. I think I might try and use colour pallets from characters I really like, giving them a fashionable and bright edge in comparison to my Space-Merc Enforcers.
Of course, that wasn’t the only Necormunda model I worked on. I had picked up a pair of hangers on because I love the models – the Ammo-Jack bristling with magazine and shells, the dome runner with the skull mask. However, I decided I wanted to get them into the field.
The Dome Runner is light and agile like every other Escher, but the skull mask made me think of the Death Maidens. For this reason, I’ve decorated her up as a rogue Escher now returned. A needle pistol and sword make sense weapon wise, and I added some Escher pouches to make her match her sisters. And speaking of, I think her clothing might end up being from the same series as the Champion above – black and red, ideal for an outsider.
Seeing as my enforcers can roll with bolt guns from the off, the Ammo Jack will become an Enforcer champion. Just assume that’s all the gear he stole I MEAN confiscated. I also decided to change his headgear – the original head is a bit plain and all my other mercs are using Anvil pieces. So I looked through my collection of STLs and found a Ushanka.
So I had a friend at University called Denis, who was from Russia and, it’s safe to say, made university unforgettable. Always up to hang out, enthusiastic and excitable and not afraid to burn ammo at airsoft. Who better to be inspiration for a ganger covered in ammo?
Now, you may notice he’s joined by some friends. These lizzards are a reference to a little story that came up early in in knowing Denis and it lodged itself in my brain. One of my friends mentioned while I was showing off the basic model, another said one should be on the gun craving violence. Luckily I found a Sumpkroc model on Cults3d, scaled it down, printed it off and attached them. I think they are a really neat addition, both making this guy standout but also making him uniquely mine. I can’t wait to see what happens when he hits the table.
Project Fantasy
Fantasy was quiet this month. Sadly my games with my sister took a pause this month (we finished the first arc and so took a week off, during which I was exhausted, and then I was ill for the other one this month). However, this hasn’t stopped me writing up those games (or at least finishing the first one). The other two are almost done, I just keep being distracted from finishing them off. However, for a sneak peek, go and ready the narrative my sister has been writing over at her blog.
However, that doesn’t mean I haven’t been planning ahead. Last month some very nice MDF tilesets from PWORK turned up. The tavern and dungeon sets are going to wait but the caves are going into action for Episode 2, game 1. I still need to finish assembling them but it’s a really smart little setup, with literally three items that needed instructions. I’m still not sure how I’m going to paint them (or even if I will before the game) but it’s a set I’m very happy with.
However, I am looking far beyond the limits of this first story. I’m already planning Episode 3 + 4 and trying to think where our swordmasters will be going next. One thing I’m excited to show off in this setting is the variety of characters you might end up encountering. These Lion Guard Elves fit into that – one of my ideas features a hidden Elven temple that the Swordmasters may stumble upon, giving a location for future battles in the episode. However, we’ll see what I come up with.
These models are from Last Sword and were a nightmare to get printed. All of the files needed repairing, so eventually I had to take them into Lychee and repair all of them, thankfully added by the Azure tools. Now I’m done, I’m really happy with them – there are some great poses, a trio of characters and spot on for my image of them. Now to plan the scenario…
Project WW2
Yes that’s Captain Carter.
Yes, I did buy her from Skullforge Studios to go with my Chain of Command force.
No, I have not painted her (I tried and failed when i went too hard on the while paint).
No, I have not worked out her support list cost or rules…. but I will.
That’s it for this month’s update, I’ll see you in a month!