Hex Hunters Painted

What, 2 posts in 1 day!? Normally I try to space these out, but I'm really excited to finally show off my most recent painting project: the Hex Hunters!

I've been working on these guys for almost a month now - I'd forgotten how tough it was to paint an entire unit. I started out by batch painting the skin blue and the leather areas brown before breaking down and finishing each one individually, which ended up being a lot more fun. On the upside next on my plate is my Succubus, so I'm excited to move on to that, especially since its one of the few models I have left. Anyway, I've rambled enough for today consider the earlier post, so I'll just leave you with a picture of the Hex Hunters with the next Warlock I'm using for another site's battle report.

Enjoy, because they hopefully won't be this close again - I've already failed that abomination check once!

Kallus Painted

Hey guys,

Man, that battle report was a nail biter! I was up against Primal Morghul, played by one of the better players in the store. There were some tight moments and great tactical moves, but I don't want to spoil it for you, so I'll hold off until its posted. In the meantime, I decided to get a little more painting done in advance of a tournament coming up in two weeks, and decided to start off with Kallus, Wrath of Everblight.

I'm pretty happy with how he turned out. I'm starting to realize I really enjoy painting Warlocks, since I can spend a lot of time paying attention to detail without realizing there another 6 models in the unit to paint! Speaking of which, next on my painting table are my Hex Hunters. I have them primed, and plan to put some time in on them over the weekend, but we'll see how that turns out!

Warchief Painted

In my effort to get as much of my army painted as possible, I've finished my Ogrun Warchief:

Like the twins, this guy has a lot of metal armor, but the skin (as well as the front arc) help add some lighter colors. The skulls help as well!

This model is particularly special to me since I was a Christmas present from my mom. I'm really happy that he's finally done!

The Twins Painted

My latest painting blitz is continuing, and the latest models to feel the sting of my brush are my last two Warlocks, the twins of Everblight, Rhyas and Saeryn!

Lets take a closeup look of each of them:

These guys were tricky, since they have a lot more armor than most of the models I've been painting. This limits the amount of skin they are showing, and I really like the contrast of the bright blue with the darker silver and brown. However, both have one arm completely uncovered, which really helped get the effect I was going for.

The toughest part was with so much metal armor, how could I keep them from turning into a flash of silver? I ended up going over some parts of the armor with a little Thamar Black (the flat one), which managed to retain the sparkling look of armor while breaking up the silver. Otherwise I used the same paint scheme as the rest of my army, with ice blue skin, brown leather, white hair, and platinum gold cloth. This time, the cloth was in the scarves both are wearing, which, while not as big a part of the model as the capes on the Striders, still looks great. I was also really happy with how the white hair turned out on these guys. I was finally able to get it to show up well instead of blending into the ice blue of their faces.

One new addition I tried was silver eyes. Lylyth doesn't have eyes, and while I tried this with Thagrosh, he doesn't have pupils, so the results were mixed. On the twins, though, I was really happy with how it came out. I was able to get just a tiny bit of metal-silver paint on the tip of my brush, and carefully paint just the pupils silver. Though I did get a little on Saeryn's face, it was pretty easy to fix. Though its hard to see in the pictures, I'm really happy with how they turned out!

Painting these two was interesting because I got to see how the  sculptors pushed the concept of "twins". Both have lots more armor than other warlocks, both have a scarf, and both have one arm completely bare. Even the small details in the armor seemed familiar when I was painting the second one. I'm curious to see if they did something similar with other twins, such as Haley and Deneghra.

Another thing you may have noticed in the pictures is I've painted the front arcs. I've been wanting to do this for a while, but wanted to get some templates so I could get them right. I found some great ones here (middle of the top left box). Oddly enough, my brush skills turned out to be the lacking factor, and I realized after the first few I could probably have eyeballed them, since wobbly painting meant my lines weren't perfect. At this point, I've put arcs on everyone except some of the models I plan to repaint - the Shredders and Spell Martyrs.

Lastly, I've started putting the Matte Sealer on my models, to mixed results. While I haven't seen any paint chipping since I did, I have noticed that the metallics tend to look dull afterwards. You can see it a bit in the first pictures - Saeryn had the matte applied to her, and seems to sparkle less than Rhyas. I think my solution will be to only use it on the large bases, since there hasn't been any chipping on the smaller ones. For the large bases and models that I've already done, I'm going to go over the metallic portions with another coat. Hopefully this will bring the sparkle back, and if the paint does start to come off, at least the sealed, non-shiny bottom layer should remain, making it less noticeable.

Nephilim Soldier Painted

So I finally got around to painted a new model: the Nephilim Soldier.

I'm pretty happy with how this guy turned out. Nephilim are a cross between elves and dragon-beasts, and I wanted that idea to carry through to the paint scheme. Its skin is ice blue and the scales are coal, just like all my warbeasts. However, he also has silver armor as well as brown straps, like my infantry. I also used the same platinum-gold for his loincloth that I used on the Striders, Lylyth, and Thagrosh, though I just realized you can't see it in the pictures.

This was actually a great model to get back into painting, since he was a much smaller project than a unit of infantry or even a heavy warbeast, but still gave me the feeling of accomplishment for finishing something. Now I've got the following left to finish:

2 Spell Martyrs
Saeryn
Rhyas
Warchief
Warspears

That's roughly the order I plan to tackle them, though that may change, particularly when my new heavy arrives! At the end, I want to go back and redo my Shredders. Those of you who have been following this blog for a while may remember that I used them as tests for various paint schemes. Now that I've figured out what I like, I want to go back and make them match the rest of my army.

At the moment, however, they're all being pushed back. The reason is I started noticing the paint chipping off my models, particularly the spines and nails of larger warbeasts. I spoke to some of my friends about it, and they told me it was because I wasn't using Matte Sealer. I picked up a can of Armory Clear Matte Sealer earlier today, and my next project will be patching up all the models I've painted and using the Sealer on them. Once thats finished, I'll be ready to move on to new models!

Thagrosh Partially Painted

As promised, I have a pic of the work I've done on Thagrosh so far:

Boy, this guy is a real pain - his arms are covered in straps, so I had to paint the blue around them before going over them in brown. I've got most of his upper half finished, and just started some work below his waist. Sadly I probably won't be able to finish this month - I'm out of town for Christmas next week. Don't worry though - I've been playing several games and am working on writing up the battle reports, and I'll post them while I'm away.

Lylyth Painted

I would like to present my first painted Warlock: Lylyth, Herald of Everblight!

 Since in the fluff she's the leader of the Striders, I thought I would give her a similar paint scheme with the gold cloak (which unfortunately isn't coming out in the pictures). I've actually had her mostly done for about 2 weeks now, but I finally got around to doing her bow. I'm pretty happy with how she came out - when I first started, I was concerned about painting Warlocks, since they are such central models and you can't hide imperfections in the group. She turned out pretty well, and I'm glad I could try out the scheme on the Striders before using it on her.

Sorry for the lack of posting in the last week, work has been a bit busy. However, I do have a bit of a teaser: I'm currently working on painting Epic Thagrosh! He's not really in state where I feel comfortable posting a picture, but I'll try to get in a little more work and post a pic of how its going this weekend!

Striders complete!

At long last, my Striders are complete!

Whew, getting through those guys was pretty tough! I'm really happy my next unit is Ogrun - they're bigger, so hopefully a bit easier to do, and there are only 5 of them as opposed to 8.

I've also picked up a few new models - first off, Rhyas, Sigil of Everblight:

I'm a big fan of Rhyas, as she brings a strong "ninja" vibe to the table. Sadly, she's also apparently the weakest of Everblight's warlocks and one of the weakest in the game, and to make matters worse, she is best at supporting infantry (which I only have a few of) in particular Swordsmen (which I don't have any of). It still seems like she could be an interesting by trying an assassination using her feat though - rabid Shredders will fully boost the extra attack, Seraph helps move things into range, and the Carnivean has a nice little trick where he can two-handed throw a model at the enemy caster, teleport into base-to-base with it (and the caster hopefully), then start wailing on the knocked down caster. Rhyas herself is no slouch, with Critical Decapitation and Acrobatics to help move straight through enemy models to take the kill. While not the traditional Rhyas army, I look foward to trying her out in a few games.

The other models I picked up aren't actually Warmachine/Hordes; they come from Soda Pop Miniatures, and their new game, Relic Knights. Here's Suicide Queen and her familiar, Rollo:

 

I bought them because in the fluff, Rollo brings luck. I'm hoping that placing him on the table when I make critical die rolls will help them come out in my favor! While I didn't plan on using Suicide Queen, she seems like she'll be a helpful stand-in for Strider Deathstalkers, or possible the Blackfrost Shard. I've been itching to try the latter out, but the only models I can use for them are Lylyth, Rhyas, and Saeryn, meaning I'd have to use them with Thagrosh. Suicide Queen can now sub in for whichever caster I'm using!

Soda Pop seems like an interesting new group - apparently, they've got some really talented people and have even gotten attention from Penny Arcade. You should check them out.

First half of striders painted

My Tuesday and Wednesday groups were both painting this week, so I took the opportunity to get going on my Striders. Here are the first 4 that I've finished:

Also some closeups of the actual unit leader, who I'm particularly proud of since half painted yesterday I was certain he was going to come out terribly:

In particular you can see the radiant platinum on his cape with the back view.

Though they aren't the best minis in the world, I'm pretty pleased with how the color scheme turned out. I initially tried dark grey for the skin, but there wasn't enough contrast so I changed it to the same ice blue as my beasts. I then used the grey for the feather cloaks, which worked much better than dark black since it let some of the detail show. As I mentioned earlier, the capes were done in radiant platinum, which I think came out really nicely. One reason I'm glad I switched from 40k is I can actually take the time to paint each individual model in great detail - these guys took me around an hour each, which is feasible when the army is ~25 models, but not when it's 75+!

Hot elf chick stripping

One slight downside to buying my initial models used is the previous owner had assembled and started painting them. While this wasn't a problem for most as they were just primed, Saeryn was actually fully painted, in a color scheme I wasn't particularly fond of. Here's a picture of her:

While the armor is ok, I really disliked the flesh skin tone. On the bright side, it gave me an opportunity to try something else I've never done: stripping the paint off a model. I looked online and found several suggestions, but the easiest seemed to be Pine-Sol. I first tried the recommended half Pine-Sol half water mix, but didn't find that effective enough, so I switched it up to pure Pine-Sol. I'm pretty happy with the results:

I used a soft bristle toothbrush to help scrub the paint off after the Pine-Sol soak, and managed to get nearly all of it, barring a few hard to reach crevasses. It was really interesting to watch - the primer layer seemed to just peel off, kind of an eerie effect. While there is a little bit I couldn't remove, I plan to press forward and try priming her along with Thagrosh and the Striders, once they are all assembled.

Painting Spell Martyrs and new model assembled

While waiting for a game this week, I started painting my Spell Martyrs. Unfortunately, I'm not very happy with how they came out, but here are the pics anyway:

I don't really like how the skin turned out - I'm going to try to pick up a grey and match that with white hair on my last one. On the bright side, I did learn a few cool things. Radiant Platinum came out much better than I had expected. It seems really watery when painting, but put enough layers on and it comes out really nice when it dries. It also looks great on areas that are supposed to be cloth - its a bit small in the pictures but if you look between the legs of the 2nd Martyr you can see some of it. I think I'll use that for the cloaks on my Striders. Finally, if you put a light layer of Radiant Platinum over Thamar Black, it picks up the reflective flecks, making it seem like a very dark silver. It looks really evil, and I can't wait to try it out on some weapons!

I also got the first of my new models assembled. Time to meet my newest warlock, Thagrosh the Messiah:

This guy really is a beast! Here he is next to my Carnivean so you can get a sense of just how titanic he is:

Thagrosh was a real pain to assemble - trying to get all 3 limbs to touch the ground was really tough, and several times I thought I had it, but ended up having to pull them off and start over. I'm really glad he's done though. Next up, Striders!

Forsaken Painted

So its been a while since I've posted about my painting, mainly because with my beasts done theres not much on my queue! I had originally wanted to go back over the details of my Forsaken, but after playing her on the table, I realized she looks fine. So without further ado, I present my Forsaken:

 

I had a hard time deciding what color I wanted the body to be, since its supposed to be a snow elf that is mutating into a beast. Eventually I went with a more beast-like color scheme, using white for the flesh and coal black for the scales. For my elves though I think I may want to go with a Drow color scheme - ash black skin with white hair. The trouble is I'm not sure if I can get a different enough black for clothes/weapons/scales on the mutants. Maybe grey skin instead? Can't wait for my striders to get here so I can try it out!

Seraph Painted

So I finally finished the last of my beasts: the Seraph!

This one wasn't nearly as hard as the Carnivean, though it still took a ton of time. Not having to deal with the legs made life sooo much easier. I used the same scheme as before, doing light blue for the skin, coal black for the scales, white for the teeth and pink for the tongue and gums. To make the wings a bit different, I only drybrushed a light layer of light blue on them, so some of the black underneath is still showing, giving a nice contrast to the solid blue of the skin. I also tried something a little different and painted the legs white, though if you aren't looking for it specifically it doesn't make much of a difference.

I also took some time to paint my Forsaken, but I'm not happy with how the eyes look yet, so that'll come in a separate post once I spend some more time on it.

So with this post you are now caught up with where I am now. From here on out posts will probably come every 2-3 days, depending on how much painting and gaming I get done. Stay tuned for more exciting Hordes adventures!

Carnivean Painted

Another painted mini to show off - this time its the star of the last game, my Carnivean!

Since this guy was bigger, I was able to just paint the skin light blue, the did the claws and scales in Coal Black. It doesn't show up well in the pictures, but I also did the gums and tongue pink, with white for the teeth. Lastly, I felt the solid black was a little too much for the face and scales, so I lightly brushed some white over it. The first attempt was too much, but I then covered it with more Coal Black, and it came out looking really nice, a kind of weathered, wintery look.

First thing to say is wow, this guy took a while to do. I spent a good hour and a half just doing the skin on the top half, then another hour doing the scales. I took a break to see Easy A with some friends (awesome movie, I highly recommend it), then came back the day after and did the lower half, which took even longer. Why did Everblight have to give them 4 legs!? On the plus side, I'm really happy with how he turned out. I'll definitely be proud to throw it down on the gaming table, especially since at my last game, there was a 7 year old was asking me when I was going to get my game winner painted!

Shredders Painted

So though I have previous experience with tabletop gaming, I have never been very good at painting, so I decided to start on my Shredders. They are small and definitely not centerpiece models like either of my heavies or warlocks, and they seem simple enough. I also decided to try out a few different color schemes. So without further ado, here are the first painted models in my new legion!

For all of them, I drybrushed the base color (light blue for most, but I tried white on the fourth one), then highlighted the scales and horns with black. I tried out both Coal Black (a little more greenish) and Thamar Black (a bit glossy). I liked the light blue for flesh much more than the white, and the Coal Black gave a more natural feel than the Thamar Black, which I think I'll try out on weapons and other non-living things. Last but not least I went over the teeth in Morrow White; its much better for that than for flesh.

One things I noticed was the amount of detail in the figures - there are a lot more little features than in Warhammer! At first I tried to move around the scales, but that was way too hard. Drybrushing was much simpler, and it was really easy to do the raised up scales afterwards in black.

Looks like I won't get anymore painting done before my next gaming night, so look for a battle report coming soon!