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Well my Birthday's on Monday but as I'm being a good boy and sodding of to Perth to start a new job (4;30 Friday Afternoon can you start a job for us? Sure where? Perth. Uhhhh. We'll pay accommodation. Great When? We'll get back to you. 5;10 another bloke, Monday..... bear in mind Perth is 5/6 hours drive or train from Sheffield and I have an exam in Sheffield week after next and shenanigans are sure to ensue. I'm taking the train it'll cost me about the same to drive and it's far more civilised. Equally it's only for three weeks up in Perth the money will be good with overtime and weekend work and it beats being out of work. It's also Archaeology work with a unit that has a Sheffield office although whether i'm actually working for them I don't know we'll see when my contract catches up to me. I'll be working away from home for a while though although accommodation is provided. This doesn't affect you at all except for the fact it means I get to show of my Birthday presents early.

I've got another 9 of the Chaos sprue it's the current one and I ordered it before the plug was pulled. The blisters are from Warmaster and are Horrors of Tzeentch, a Great Unclean One, a Keeper of Secrets and a Lord of Change. These were pricey but lovely models.

I then had a spree at Triples with the Ground Zero Games and Dark Realm Miniatures stand.

This is a scale shot showing all the types of model I picked up.

Basically I focussed on getting the Daemon Cavalry units which weren't on the sprues (Fiends and Beasts of Nurgle) and got some fun stuff.

These Dark Realm Defender Critters and will work nicely for Fiends. Maybe they're a bit small but that'll be fine.

These Ground Zero Games alien beasts are earmarked as Beasts of Nurgle. I really like them and they were one of the main reasons I went as I'd earmarked them for this use before I went. These were both planned purchases along with Exodus Wars Zombies sadly thwarted by the lack of Exodus Wars.

My more impulsey buys were these three thingies.

These Malcore Beasts from Dark Realm Miniatures are my Chaos Spawn models and are nice chunky pieces with a great gribble factor. Seeing them in the flesh made me realise they'd be perfect for Spawny goodness.

I picked up a pair of these Castellans they are big and imposing pieces of metal. Sadly one of these was mid badly miscast, not the worst miscast I've ever seen certainly but if I'd still been at the show when I'd spotted it and wasn't looking for excuses to convert them I'd have asked for a replacement. Basically there is no detail on the rear track and as I wasn't brought up on finecast it bothers me. I'd still use the company again and I'd recommend them happily to other people I just thought it was worth mentioning. Irritating as other than that they are lovely mega siege guns with a nice She-Va vibe. These will be Spikeified and most likely Skullinated which will make them look like Decimators the Undivided super heavy Shadowsword equivalent.

These Ground Zero Games Spider Drones (in 15mm) were the real find. Seeing them in real life made me realise they'd make a perfect chassis for the Defiler a key vehicle in current 40k which post dates them making Epic Chaos models. Incidentally a lot of new vehicles have better representations in Epic than you'd think the Wraith Monster resembles a lot of Epic Knights (am I the only one whos sulking that it wasn't a Bright Stallion someone has to do it. At £3 for 3 I'm probably going to be picking up many more of these. They could also be a possible basis for a Slaaneshi knight with a suitable torso maybe from a Skeleton or a Dark Eldar if that looks to close to the Brass Scorpions I've made. I've got six at the moment but I have delusions of grandeur and frankly it allows me to skive of the worst of the fiddliness in Defiler creation.

Long term plans for this force mwwweeeeehheeeehheee. At least one more Warlord to complete the god squad and possibly supporting titans. Probably Exodus Wars Behemoths although other options are possible. Flyers and some more Dystopian Wars vehicles are also desired (I need more Death Dealers and I'd like some Blood Reapers and more Towers of Skulls). I also want to add a large order of Beastmen from Microworld Games but I'll wait until their Dark Alliance (Chaos Warriors (technically GW couldn't object as A) they've never made them in 6mm B) it's from Micheal Moorcock any old how) are realised. I've also got a hankering to have the models to use a possessed PDF list which might really start including obscure stuff (Angel Barracks Civilians although the long scarf bloke is becoming an Inquisitor). The rational behind adding Guard to the Chaos forces is that I've already got a Mammoth company which an't be fielded without using the PDF list and also want to field Predator companies which for some reason aren't options for either Imperial or Chaos Marines. This is probably a legacy of Net Epics early Rogue Trader and 2nd Ed routes. They also get Land Speeder companies as the profile doesn't change between lists they can be hired as allies sensibly enough. I'm also hoping to create several Epic Battlefields as I enjoy making coarse and crude terrain and 6mm stuff can be stored easily. The current project is a Space Port to add to my Cardstock city and after that some Industrial bobbins and mines and maybe some quarries.

My Orks don't need anything at all. EVER. Remember I had roughly 40,000 points painted and I have another 8 gargants to paint. Since then I've painted a lot more. This plan may be scuppered by the new 6mm plastics Troublemaker Games are producing especially with those brilliant bikers. Fortunately the voices in my head have told me they might not be Orks at all and don't count........I mean unnamed alien scavenger barbarians with a slave race are obviously something else right? Another factor is more guardsmen definitely won't hurt the PDF list and I'll definitely require Chimera proxies. I'd prefer them to be split onto separate sprues but that's not an option. Swapping with mates always is. Thinking about it I might have a play with more BFG ships and finally make the Space Hulk in the grim distance of the far future.

Dystopian Legions will probably do quite well out of the new job. I really like the Sturmwagen and they get an Igor I mean how cool is that? I'm going to hold off on this for quite a while however certainly until after pay day as my birthday feels hugely extravagant and the kickstarter ends at the end of June.

I'm also going to become far more time poor (I have periods when I'm time rich and money poor and periods when I'm money rich and time poor. You'll never be rich in both so make the best of both periods.) This means my painting will slow down and I don't feel that Epic is a good thing to take on away work painting. Yes I take toy soldiers with me to paint when I'm on long term away work contracts especially if I'm away over weekends (it may drive away some women but never the ones I've been actually attracted to myself oddly enough and most colleagues will find something to take the mick of anyway and a bit of bickering in good sports rather fun). Models I'm planning to paint as individuals are the best as these take more time to paint and weigh less they also have far more variety. Epic isn't good for this as I basically speed paint it and I'm worried that I'll probably lose some of the models and neithers anything I'm going to heavily batch paint.

All the best people are born in June mate and if you can swing by Glasgow then a beer - or a game - might just be in order!

Wish I could sadly I'll be working long hours and its only a short project then I'm going somewhere else. They'll probably tell me where at about 5 on a Friday as well. Given I actually applied for either Salisbury or Rochester on the basis of why not if they had away work it'd be fine I don't have a clue which part of the British Isles it will be. Which is part of the fun. I take it either you, your missus or one of the kids is a June birthday if so wish them many happy returns from me.

Me; bummer that you won't be about!

Happy birthday, maybe another time I never quite know where I'll be but if I'm in that part of the world I'll be sure to let you know.

The Landing Pads been painted up crude but effective just the way I like it. 4 more to go.

I've also got a second company of the Aoshima pattern Predators done a nice simple way to easily kitbash Predators needs Spikeifying however

Down from Perth for the course exam at the middle of the week. Been playing with models instead of revising mostly.

The Warmaster Daemons are big perfect for Heralds. I left the Lord of Change as is. The Keeper of Secrets got a weapons swap for a pair of Dirz Scimitars while the Great Unclean One received a book and scythe. Mega Spray Paint day tomorrow. I also slipped up on my projects plan a week after posting them. Wargames Emporium had some Foundry Urban War Zulus which I nabbed for the 24th Islandlwanda.

http://dieselpunks.blogspot.co.uk/search?updated-max=2013-01-01T01:30:00-08:00&max-results=7&start=154&by-date=false has some interesting piccies. Exam tomorrow spent today hunting down my paper driving license. My sister found it in Suffolk but fortunately a scan will do. This is after sending a copy of my earlier driving license to the company. Only time you ever need them as well. Found myself unusually greatful to have a sibling she may have finally been useful for once..... . Getting a Gargant finished tonight and I'll have the final landing pad done as well.

How many porters do you hire when you move your army around?

Every time I read your updates I'm amazed with the creativity and use of available resources. Yes you are buy new stuff, but the conversions you make are excellent and remind me of my own bitz box sometimes.

Good news on my end- my Necromunda partner is interested in Epic and Blood Bowl! I'll keep you updated.

Pah I just own a van. A little one even by European standards but it can carry my tool load and clothes for a month or so and it could certainly fit my entire Epic collection. After that it's all in little screw sorters I get for a quid each makes keeping it sorted and carrying it easier. 1 compartment per formation.
I feel the same way when I look at your scenery.

 Llamahead wrote:
I feel the same way when I look at your scenery.

Touché

After 3 weeks in gorgeously sunny Perth in Scotland the powers that be at work have in their glorious wisdom decided to send me to Somerset. The exact opposite end of the country. I have however used my ill-gotten games to acquire a 4th Warlord to finish of the God Squad and back Troublemaker games campaign. I'm £1 of the £8000 reward as well. Hmmmmmm.

Got the Decimators finished.


The head on the right one is an odd use of parts its a Chaos Warrior Shoulder Pad of all things.

This fellas the star. Spent most of the day hurrying up and doing nothing.


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https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Forth_Bridge Went over this recently all 6.5 million rivets of it. Over a century old and still going strong.

Thought it might inspire certain crazed riveters.

This is one of my kitbashed Battlefortresses. When I realised I had an insane number of Ork Vehicles I decided to bash a few together to create some Super Heavies. This one particularly pleases me as I imagined looting one of these as the key dream of my first Ork Warboss Snikpanzee Skumdakka who led a Kult of Speed before Assault on Black Reach made amass infantry horde affordable and I could reate my Deffskull army.

*intentionally ignoring the bridge*

The Battlefortress is excellent. Looted rigs bashed in wif a hammer an' lotz of loud shooty stuff.

An' red wuns go fasta.

Such cute little super heavys.. nice work.

Thanks Rustproof. The Forth Rail Bridge shouldn't be ignored it's the pinnacle of 19th century British engineering at the time certainly the best in the world. Even now it's working life will be longer than the road bridge built 70 years later. The road bridge didn't contain near enough rivets obviously.

Horrors are the one traditional iconic Daemon type that didn't get onto the plastic Chaos Sprues. I therefore picked up the Warmaster pack. This has been broken down into 10 bases worth giving me 2 formations. However upon reading the rules I reaised I needed blue horrors. The obvious answer painting basic ork boyz blue didn't seem right and too much of a cop out and the suggested conversion of the Plaguebearer model would require me to get enough Plaguebearers unlikely to say the least. Fortunately I was in the late night lack of coffee requiring sleep madness place. A solution presented itself. Glue gun glue looked sort of tendrilly and oozy paint it blue and bam a blue horror metamorphosing and stuff. Fortunately I created them before sanity regained control. After painting them up I can honestly say that it'll work at epic scale and distance although a good replacement would tempt me.....

I was inspired by somebody who'd made complete flamers for 40k based upon this method with an armature can't remember precisely where but it certainly worked.

Latest job going well although having to drive around Birmingham twice a week is a nuisance had a really nice surprise though 4 Warhounds and 2 Reaver titans are mine........

Ok weekend of utter geekiness even by my standards. After breaking down and collapsing on Friday night (5 hour long drive mostly due to traffic around Birmingham) I woke up early on Saturday morning. about midday I headed up to York and brought some paint from Boyes (Vallejo at £1.75 a pot yes please......) I bumped into a friend and had a quick half at random chatting mostly about oldhammer. Mentioned Net Epic and will attempt to lure him into it at some point. Then I headed to the main attraction the Great Gathering at the National Railway Museum. The 6 A4 Pacifics were naturally the stars although if your interested in Victoriana and Steam Punk its well worth a visit. Some really interesting examples of rust and decay as well I might put up at some point. Sadly I only managed to get into the cab of Dominion of Canada and as the place was infested with people taking pictures I couldn't get any decent shots myself. However your not really interested in that. Painting wise I got several sprues of infantry painted but none based nor any formations finished. That'll be a gradual grind. Excellent news on the Ebay front however this weekend I've parted with a ridiculous amount of cash and am now the proud owner of 10 new Titans. I have 8 Warhounds and 2 Reavers coming in the post....... I can honestly now claim to have a Chaos Titan Legion only maybe another 7 needed to finish it off...........(Ideally 2 more Reavers 4 Slaaneshi Scout Titans and an Imperator........crazy dream but coming closer. To celebrate this guy got converted up.



Verum Sotirias is a long range bombardment specialist as befits a titan of Nurgle. The body is an Ebay recovery first generation "beetle back" Titan. The two cannons are based around Autocannons and Skulls and are designed to be either Deathstorms or Quake Cannon depending on my mood. The shoulders mount Multiple Rocket Launchers bodged from Searchlights and Whirlwind Rocket Launchers while the Head and Banners come from the Plaguebearer sprue. A sprue I am becoming more and more fond of as I actually work with the components. Tail is a Plague Monk Plague Censor and a Chaos Spawn tentacle. I am currently alsso humming and harring about buying a Spawn box and mixing them in with these Plastic Titans for more options.


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The boils are mean't to represent something nasty possibly egg sacs or something of the ilk.

It took me six and a half hours to get home on Friday night................
Fortunately today I picked up these from the sorting office.

8 Warhounds and 2 Reavers. Wonderful. They're all having a Dettol bath as its the safest most effective paint stripper. One of these guys didn't need striping at all and I assembled him with a couple of trophy racks.

Not the most chaosy and converty of titans but a nice simple provider of long range anti-tank firepower with his twin turbo-laser destructors. Current thinking is he's Tzeentchy.

Painting wise I got this Battlefortress done

It's based on sprue and Ork Battlewagons something any Epic Ork player with a knowledge of Ebay will be inundated by.#

Speaking of things based upon Ork Battlewagons

This is my Defiler based around GZG spider mech legs and an Ork battlewagon. Weapons are a skeleton arm with watch part buzz saw and an Aoshima Torpedo turret.

Thought I might try a little cross pollination with the Conclave of Hrin my Inquisitor Warbands thread http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/list/180/279068.page#5844773 This is Inquisitor Thaddeus Oak and to find out why he looks as crazed as he does you'll have to check out the other blog.

Got the first three Malcore beasts painted up as Spawn excellent critters these they'd make great bugs in Necromunda as they have a Ripper Jack Vibe. Been painting these with a mix of Chaos Cavalry stuff on seed labels for variety which is why they've taken so long.


As well as that I've finished Aequus a mighty Lord of Change and one of the flattest models I've ever worked with. Nice and quick to paint though. I'm really liking Vallejo's Electric Blue.


I'm also heading to the Joy of 6mm a Wargaming show of 6mm stuff in Sheffield tomorrow so look forward to a review.

Well the Joy of 6mm was a small show and mostly historicals. There were several lovely massed battles including a 20ft ECW table with tons of models on it. As well as pretty Napoleonic and Seven Years War games all on lovely scenery, It was run by Baccus who are a 6mm manufacturer based in Sheffield and one of the go to guys for none WW2 6mm. I got in a demo game of some rough and ready rules for Islandlwanda basically get shot at lots and finally charge an had a good time. I also picked up some stuff from the retailers and eyed up some other stuff mainly Baccus bobbins. The Prussian Guard are a definite option and they look to scale far better with GW stuff than GHQ which is far too gracile. My toys were a lovely Basilica churchy building as an Imperial Temple and a bundle of Rapier Games fantasy critters lots of Harpies, Minotaurs (earmarked for Ogryns), Ettins, Cyclops, Chimera and Griffins.

Will I be going back next year Yes. Would I recommend it to you? It's a Specialist show even for a Wargames show so only if your really into Micro-Scale wargaming.

Turns out Wargames Emporium stocks the Solar Empire Marines line from C-in-C I've picked up a pack of their civilians to bulk up my cultists. I will confess this greatly boosts the chance of them being the basis for my planned IG army. Shops are always the best venue for an impulse buy. I'm also a little leary about dropping the cash for an army sight unseen. I've also been plotting for the future and with the Basilean Army being released by Mantic it seemed like my Empire force or a kick up my Brettonians Arse was in order. However I don't like them they're far too high fantasy for me I prefer grim & gritty to bright and shiny it just makes the heroism shine like a beacon. I also considered it in more depth and found out that I was more interested in the prospect of a fantasy 6mm game than 28mm. Microworld games miniatures produce some cracking stuff and I'll be ordering most of their Dark Alliance range as their wonderful sculpts including a dual sword wielding Dragon as soon as they come out. I also just like huge games and the prospect of a giant tiny fantasy army possibly based upon the Bacchus historical range appeals far more. I'll need to recruit opponents but this may have to be a project for some time in the future.

Been basing up Daemons today. I've got the fifteen needed for 3 to a base formations. I've decided to use 20mm square bases as I feel they suit anarchic rabble better than the skirmish lines. Bloodletters and Flamers for your perusal.


I've also been painting up another bodged up Battlefortress. When all are painted I'll have a total of fifteen.

The Empire has fallen through good and ill the Elven Mage Emperors of Lyonesse commanded the civilised races to live in harmony and with the threat of their sorcery and legions that they did. Elves, Centaurs, Dwarves and Men combined to forge a magnificent city in the verdant plains of the Bythain Delta. The city ruled civilisation all owed fealty to this the jewel in the crown. Then came The Slaughter when the great mountain Tiryashok The Devil Cage finally erupted the eruption slaughtered all within it’s path hellfire and ash burying millions. Worse still was to follow. The seismic shock rent the very earth itself causing huge earthquakes and landslides which led to the sea engulfing the delta no trace of the Emperor and fabled Lyonesses was left and the empire crumbled in weeks the Legions shattered and roads torn apart. Starvation, crop failure, aftershocks and ambition have created a cradle of violence and intrigue as the shattered remnants begin to reform and forge anew. They have also been driven by the hunt of resources into competition with the wild peoples of plain and forest. Black magic’s have also been unleashed by the slaughter and whatever was imprisoned within the cage has escaped. Rather than peace the disaster has produced a vacuum that only strength can fill.

Been starting on playing with a 6mm rule set and setting for fantasy. This is the starting blurb. Massed combat and grey morality but not a Warhammer clone. Warhammer is defined by Grey and Black morality while Tolkien is one war between good and evil neither of which appeal. I'm aiming for a more realistic Dark Ages/Classical Milieu........with far more species. The setting is very much designed to produce lots of splintered factions. I'm not sure if this is the right place to present it and as a pipe dream much will change. I need to convince opponents to play and as well as that this isn't really the right place to discuss it. But hopefully from these Volcanic Embers something beautiful will grow.

Basing up Daemons go's on apace.


I've also picked up some more 1st Ed Space Marine Land Raiders. This variant of Land Raider had a crucial flaw if turned upside down the machine spirit becomes corrupted and it get's possessed by a Daemon. The one on the left is a Deathdealer (the transport) while on the right is a Bloodreaper (the shooty one)

This Warhound received a head swap. Now I know where the head for the classic Space Wolf Veteran Sergeant came from. It would make an awesome Space Wolf or Khornate Head........The reason for swapping the head isn't that I dislike them it's to create more character and individuality. I see eah titan as a lifes work and each festooned with individuality.

I blame Graven. I decided to enter a 6mm piece for the great repurposing and decided to really go silly mounting a commander on a griffon for a fantasy army only well I didn't have any suitable commander models so I thought of picked up the Bacchus Yorkist army pack with a few spare models in it (32 more cavalry & over 500 infantry) giving me a good start on a low fantasy human army which means I'd better actually write those rules and sort out a spare army for playtesting and maybe an opponent at some point. Either way I'm really looking forward to painting this force up.

Got these guys done for my Chaos Army. Fiends and Vindicators the Fiends using the Dark Realm Critters.




I've also been a busy boy having managed to buy and undercoat the models yesterday I started work on painting the force of New Haven. The aim is a simple low fantasy style so I just chose midnight blue for hats on the Longbowmen and Hauberks on the Billmen. It's a quick effective scheme which is a good thing as I'm already planning on expanding the force..........