In May/June 2019 I travelled to New York and Toronto... and took the chance to visit the local GW stores in those 2 great cities!
I picked up the Gobbapalooza from New York and the Gloomspite Gitz battletome from Toronto. Both were great, vert welcoming stores but I have to say, Toronto was one of the best I've been able to visit. Loads of gaming tables, well laid out and an exceptionally lovely manager.
So I haven't made a post in a few weeks. That's not to say that I've not been working on anything; on the contrary! Next week I am hosting a small gaming event and so it's all hands on deck trying to complete as many models/pieces of terrain as possible.
During this final week of preparation, I'm working on some small pieces of terrain. These will be either objective markers or just general battlefield details.
Currently, these models have all been base coated and highlighted via the airbrush. I've also used a mix of Chaos Black/Dryad Bark to sponge on some paint chips. They were then given a couple of coats of gloss varnish.
Next up I will apply the wash, weathering and final details like rust etc.
Whenever I get to visit a new GW store I like to post about it on this blog. Whilst on honeymoon in New Zealand during September/October 2016 I had a few hours to spare whilst in Wellington... so what else is a hobby nerd to do?!?! Go find the GW store!
I managed to rock up bang on opening time and the typically awesome manager welcomed me in and we spent a good half an hour chatting about the hobby. Of all the GW managers I have spoken to, I have to say that this chap, Nathan I believe his name is, was up there with the best. A very nice chap indeed!
As a souvenir I picked up a Blood Angels Sanguinary Priest (still unopened!). I did notice the price difference which I've heard Aussie and NZ gamer's mention... this model cost $40.00, which is £22.30 at current exchange rate. Compare that to the £18 which the models costs on the UK web store. So that's roughly a 20% price increase. 😟
Whilst on annual leave a couple of weeks back my wife and I dropped in to Warhammer World. This was my 4th visit and my wife's first. I haven't visited since GW re-modeled the entrance and exhibition areas; so was very excited to see how it had changed.
The visit was also a week before my birthday and so my wife was armed with her credit card. At one point I had to refuse her offer to buy me the exclusive Warhammer World Space Marine tank bundle. Yep, she's a keeper! Whilst on the face of it, refusing such an offer would be bonkers, I can't complain about the haul I did leave Warhammer World with (and its nice to leave something for me to pick up next time I visit!):
Since reading the initial Horus Heresy novels last year I have been captivated by Loken and Abaddon. Therefor when I had the chance to pick up whichever HH Character Series I desired, since there is no Sanguinius (yet), it was an easy choice!
The next item on my shopping list, and a book I've wanted to pick up ever since I bought Volume One in the series, was the Imperial Armour Model Masterclass Volume Two. I haven't had the chance to analyse the techniques included in this volume in any detail yet but I'm looking forward to testing out the techniques and following that, during future projects.
Finally, I picked up two of the exclusive Warhammer World miniatures. As I seem to have 'accidentally' started a Stormcast Eternals army (I have the Storm of Sigmar starter set), I figured the Errant-Questor would be a good purchase. Alongside him, I've always wanted a Josef Bugman model... so he ended up in the basket as well!
Overall it was a fantastic day out. I took lots of photos, bought some cool swag and drank some nice ales at the home of GW. This post is the first in a small series of 5. The following 4 posts will cover photos from the Exhibition Centre- which is bloomin' epic!
Todays post centres on my final Blood Angels test mode which I've been working on this week. My goal was to reach a point where I had tested and documented the main steps in the process I will follow to paint my Blood Angels.
The process steps are detailed below:
Undercoat
Airbrush Vallejo black.
Airbrush Vallejo grey (zenithal highlight)
Basecoat
Airbrush GW Air Mephiston Red
Airbrush GW Air Evil Sunz Scarlet (zenithal highlight)
Paint details with GW/Vallejo base paints
Paint base with GW Steel Legion Drab.
Paint lighter areas of base with mix of GW Steel Legion Drab + GW Skull White
Pick out individual details on base with base colours
Apply gloss varnish
Apply decals
Seal decals
Shade
Apply brown/black oil wash to model and base
Tidy up shade with white spirit
Apply washes of thinned GW Steel Legion Drab mixed with earth coloured weathering powders to recesses on the base and lower areas of the model
Highlights
Highlight details on the model
Dry brush base with various earth coloured paints e.g. GW Tallarn Sand
Tidy up base
Seal
Vallejo Satin varnish
This process has been formulated from techniques observed on Youtube and from within the ForgeWorld Modelling Masterclass Volume 1 book. The scheme has been designed to combine elements of the Blood Angels livery from both 30K and 40K- hence the gold hand and other areas. Whilst the quality of the model isn't the highest (which wasn't part of my objectives), I feel as though I have sufficiently tested and learned enough about the scheme to move forward with starting on my army. The only tweak I will make is around the base. I didn't water down the GW Steel Legion Drab enough and so the base isn't to the quality I am trying to achieve (I want to get as close to the base on my Contemptor Dreadnought as possible- as it looks awesome!).
Next up I will be starting to work on my Blood Angels units... at last!
If you cast an eye (or two?) over my recent blog posts it's no secret that my hobbying hasn't had much focus! I've chopped and changed between Blood Bowl, Blood Angels, a Land Speeder Storm and a box full of scenery. To add to this, over the past few weeks I have also found myself being tempted by Age of Sigmar.
I think its fair to state that AoS had a slow start but has nicely found its feet recently. Whilst on a day out to watch some cricket recently I visited Excelsior Comics and picked up a couple of classic White Dwarfs and the Generals Handbook. I'll post about the White Dwarfs at some point in the future.
Anyway, back to my point: So alongside AoS finding its feet and the purchase of the Generals handbook, I absolutely adore the recently released Sylvaneth! They are about as far removed from Power Armoured dudes as you could want... and I find that VERY appealing. Check 'em out:
Of course, this temptation brings with it a bucket load of hobbying guilt. I have a couple of Blood Bowl teams to paint (and some star players), a small Blood Angels force and enough scenery to keep me occupied until England next win the World Cup. I dont 'need' a new army... but why do I want it so badly? I'm not really one for giving in to the impulse buy for the new shiny so there must be more to it?!?
Well, I think the root of the matter is that AoS is a more accessible game... and I'm missing the fun of getting my models onto a board and rolling some dice. Whilst I love 40k, considering where I am in my life at the moment, AoS could be the a very sensible avenue for me to explore and allow more gaming opportunities (and when I say 'more', I mean 'any!').
I am currently working on a Human Blood Bowl team so, at the very least, I want to use this interest in the Sylvanth to help push me to complete this team and then maybe some further outstanding units. If this all pans out, my next post will cover a completed Blood Bowl team!
After a few years of missing the event, this year I was determined to attend Salute in London. I'm very happy I did. Its a great day out for any hobbyist no matter your favourite gaming system. As its the year of my wedding, I set myself a strict budget for the day but I still managed to come away with various modelling bits and a couple of bargain! (like a built Blood Angels Death Company squad for £15).
I think next year I will be able to take a bigger budget and full advantage of the offers from the various vendors. I will also consume the show better; by not buying anything until I haven't visited all the stalls and then go back to each stall to make purchases. For further info on Salute take a look at http://www.salute.co.uk/
To cap of what was a great day at Salute, I was also able to visit Brewdog and Bodeans in Soho for some epic beer and BBQ food! Oh and this was the day I won the painting competition!
For most of us (unless your name is Carl Tuttle [from the Independent Characters]!) hobbying, and specifically it's cost, needs to be considered in the context of our adult lives. e.g. if I spend £100 on a boxed game of Warhammer Quest, Betrayal at Calth, Renegade etc. what cool thing will I be unable to do with my partner, or what other more essential 'stuff' will I be unable to purchase.
As I've mentioned in a couple of posts, 2016 is the year I get married. Weddings and honeymoons are expensive. Not only is my monthly pot of 'spending 'money' smaller than it has been in the past, it will likely always remain that way as, ultimately, I need to pay my way and would prefer to have the ability to take my Fiancee/future Mrs. Banjo on surprise holidays (or more local adventures to the pub). The challenge which needs to be considered is, I am passionate about Warhammer... which as we know, is a rather expensive hobby... and it is much easier to buy models than dedicate the time required to prep/build/paint them.
Taking this (self imposed) limitation into consideration, and bearing in mind just how easy it can be to end up with a load of boxed models which will most likely remain in that state for years, I have recently taken to clearing out a lot of miniatures. The goal is to free up cash to fund my next project, Blood Angels and keep my hobbying back log 'lean'. This BA force, as with all that I undertake moving forward, will be of a smaller scale than my Space Marine army. For example, for Blood Angels I will focus on the fast attack/combat specialisation of that Chapter and will built a 1500 point (fluffy) list consisting of as many specialised Blood Angel miniatures as possible. I will cover my planned list in an upcoming post.
Interestingly, to co-incide (or maybe kick-start this clear out) with this action I watched a good video by TableTop Minions titles 'Dont Be A Warming Hoarder' (linked below) and whilst my backlog of models is much smaller than Atom Smasher's (host of the video), I can relate to the point he is raising. I guess the message is; be lean with you hobbying, be agile and don't waste money. This will be my mantra with hobbying from now on.
Having written all this, yesterday I was in Warhammer Bath and to be honest, I don't quite understand how I exfilled the store without a copy of Warhammer Quest under my arm.
The passionate mind is not logical... so lets see how these grand plans play themselves out shall we? :)
Some (not very good) pictures from the final battle at Warhammer World. these were taken during the final battle of the weekend, on the Doom of Gorgon table. It was a great battle & pretty close!
My friend and I had decided that we wanted to get as many as our models on to a table as possible. With this in mind we booked the Fort Pain 12ft x 6ft gaming table. As you can see below the scenery and level of detail is stunning. It was a privilege to play on such a board!
In the 2nd part of my Warhammer World series I wanted to show off the Space Wolves v Tyranids diarama which is currently on display in the Hall of Miniatures. Its fooking awesome!
Over the weekend of 26th July a friend and I visited Warhammer World in Nottingham for a weekend of dice rolling and catching up. Over the coming week I will be making 3 or 4 posts about various aspects of the trip. Needless to say we had a great time; rolled many dice, drunk a couple of beers and generally had a rather spiffing time!
So I recently had to attend a meeting in London and had some free time afterwards. What better than to sample some beers and visit some of the GW stores in central London! My first port of call was the GW store in Covent Garden.
This is probably the most unique GW store I have visited! It's pretty small, being built in the basement of the Victorian Covent Garden Market. It had a good selection of products but had (maybe not surprisingly) sold out of White Dwarf (the pre 7th Ed edition).
Next up (on my hunt for White Dwarf) was a trip over to the Oxford Road store. By this point in the afternoon I had consumed a *few* ales but still managed to locate the store without any problems- even though it was hidden in a rather faceless shopping arcade (mall). This store was much bigger; with some awesome gaming tables (see below) and of course very helpful staff on hand. Thank fully they had some copies of White Dwarf left! Mission Accomplished!!
Unfortunately by the time I had gained possession of White Dwarf, I had 5 pints inside me and had been walking around London for hours... so the White Dwarf was placed in my bad and didn't get looked until the following day.
So I recently went on a bloody awesome holiday to Barcelona. Being the true nerd that I am, a trip to the local GW was on my list of things to go... along side visiting the Nou Camp & La Sagrada Familia.
After roaming the streets for hours we finally happened upon the store located in central Barcelona. I have to say that it was pretty descent! Loads of room, a good few tables and a great selection of products. Whilst there I bought the obligatory paint and, randomly, a Land Speeder Storm.
Big thanks to my other half who willingly allowed me to drag her around Barcelona on the penultimate day of our holiday just so her man-boy could get his nerd out.
Just because its so awesome, here are some pics from inside La Sagrada Familia.
Thanks to a very productive year at work I have quite a nice bonus to spend on hobbying this month. After hitting Forge World and my local GW store here in Bath I am happy to show off the new additions to my army!
In this picture you can see a Storm Raven, a Storm Talon and from Forge World; a Contemptor Dreadnought and Legion Praetors (still on their sprue's). I also put in an order to the brand new GW web store in order to take advantage of the 'free' limited edition Space Marine Captain- this order consisted of Inquisitor Coteaz, the Emperors Champion, Vanguard Veterans and an Aegis Defense Line. I don't want to think about how much these all cost but f**k me they are all sexy models! :)
My plan was to buy enough models to keep me going for the rest of the year. Considering I still have many units built and not painted already I am confident that I wont run out of things to build or paint; and that with the exception of purchases from Games Day I should be sorted until the end of the year.
A recent project of mine has been to custom build a Cypher model from Dark Angels bitz purchased from eBay. I know that there is a metal Cypher model and that the rumour is that a plastic/resin version is to follow however I'm not keen on metal models and I wanted to explore using eBay to get the bits I needed. I will cover the building/painting of my Cypher model in the near future but the purchases I have made recently have highlighted the versatility of the GW eBay market at the moment.
My first experience of this when last year when Bob told me that he bought some Space Wolf bits in order to get a particular 'thing' for one of his units... and he then sold the rest of the bits on for the same price that he bought them. Having bought my Cypher bits from what basically seems to be 1 seller selling individual parts from the Dark Angels Chapter Upgrade sprue I am wondering if there is a market to make a reasonable return from buying these kinds of kit from GW and then re-selling as individual parts.
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