An Escalating Update

Three things:

1. I finally bought WARMACHINE: Escalation. I know it came out, something like, three years ago, but now I finally own it. And yes, I know that all the stats can be found in the card packs; but the book has so much great fiction, and pictures; as well as a really handy painting guide, and an interesting campaign system. I think it's well worth the $44 (CDN) that it costs, even today when all the stats are availiable through the WARMACHINE faction card-packs.

I'd like to, one day, run through the campaign systems in all their books, one after the other, to play through the whole Khador/Cygnar conflict and the invasion of Llael and everything. I think it'd be really interesting and fun to see how that works. They have the campaign system in Escalation, and then the one in Apotheosis, and I don't own Superiority yet, but I'm sure they have one in there (That's the next one I'm gonna get 'cause those Cygnar cavalry look soo good!)

2. Moving from WARMACHINE: now that I've finished the Cygnar starter set, I'm gonna take a WARMACHINE painting break (Ugh... Right when I bought Escalation) and work on my Eldar Combat Patrol for Warhammer 40,000. The Combat Patrol tournament starts tomorrow at Strategies, and I'd like to have, at least, something to take out for it, and get at least one game in tomorrow. I'm hoping tonight I'll finish my Dire Avengers and only have to sub in my old Scorpions, Banshees, and Vyper.

I haven't finalized my list yet, but it's looking like this: 5 Dire Avengers w/ Exarch (power weapon, shimmershield); 5 Dire Avengers w/ Exarch (dire sword, shuriken pistol); 5 Howling Banshees w/ Exarch (executioner); 5 Scorpions w/ Exarch (scorpion's claw, shuriken pistol); 1 Vyper Jetbike w/ Bright Lance. I'm hoping this will equal 400 points. I'll, for sure, post pictures here, of the list as it gets done.

3. RACKHAM'S AT-43 WORLD-WIDE CAMPAIGN SIGN-UP STARTS TODAY! Visit the AT-43 Website for more info, but the campaign will be a la Games Workshop, with a worldwide arena, and web-support. I don't remember when it begins, as it doesn't mention it on the site, but it will allow you to report battles now, I think... I wouldn't report any until you read Cry Havoc 14, or you actually play some battles.

Remember, it's a wargame, so it IS about competition; but my favorite part about worldwide events is that you can follow a story, and move competition down a notch in favor of fun (not to say that competition can't be fun, but you know what I mean). I'd recommend (as a veteran of every one of GW's world-wide campaigns) that you play the scenarios, and report accurate, and true battles. It's more fun that way, and it makes you look like less of a Goob (that is: someone who cares only about winning). I, personally, can't wait!

That's all, I'm gonna go work on some Dire Avengers, and get myself psyched up for the AT-43 campaign. Later!

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P3 Paints

So, tonight I used the P3 Paints (Privateer Press Paints) for the first time, and I have to say they're one of my favorite lines to paint with. I've been using Citadel Colour for 10 years throught their whitecap phase (the hex-whitecaps, not the round-bottom whitecaps) and their terrible, terrible, twist-off phase, into the golden-age that is their black-lid flipcaps, but P3 is coming close to being my favorite.

Why? Well first off for nostalgia; the pots are round with the 'ole white flip-cap that is reminiscent of Citadels' from the '90s, they even have the same vacuum-seal lids (except they're easier to open this time 'round). They even smell like the old Citadel paints. A reason for this is because Mike McVey is now working for Privateer, and he designed the entire line (for those of you who don't know who Mike McVey is, he was the pro-painter for Games Workshop for what seemd like forever. He helped design the Citadel Colour range, and now works in Seattle at Privateer Press).

Now onto some tangible qualities. The paints have very good coverage, on par if not better than Citadel, I've never had yellow drybrush so well as when I used Cygnus yellow to highlight Stryker's hair. The range is also varied, but not so much that it becomes cumbersome. In the end the range will have 64 colors, which I plan to collect all of. Mixing the colors is also a breeze, and to help along with this is the very convienent labels for the paints. If I want to paint my Cygnarians blue, I know to start with Cygnar Blue Basecoat, and add Cygnar Blue Highlight to the mixture to do the highlighting. The fun names that many paint lines use is great, and there's absolutely nothing wrong with that, but it's just nice to have something spelled out for me.

Now onto my only complaint. The paint is a bit too thick out of the pot. This isn't the end of the world, as I always water down my paints anyways; and not to mention that it helps with the coverage.

I... I guess that's about it. I also wonder at their lack of weight listings, warnings, and a barcode on all the pots and wonder how they plan on selling them individually. It could just be that the ones I own are from the starter-sets and don't need a barcode. But I digress... Good paints, good paints indeed.

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For Cygnar!

Today I finished the whole Cygnar Battlegroup box (well, actually I had the Charger and Lancer done before, but I did the Ironclad, and Stryker today). For the 'jacks I used Citadel Colour Paints as I started with them, and thought I'd finish the models with them. However I used the P3 paints for Stryker and I have to say I'm very impressed. My next post will be a review of the paints, for now enjoy these pictures:

Stryker!

Stryker, again.

The entire Battlegroup (the 'jacks were done using Citadel Colour, and the Warcaster was done with P3 paints)

Again with the Battlegroup.

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News from the Front.

I just got in those P3 paints and I'm really excited to use them. Unfortunately I don't have alot of time to do so 'cause of school but I'll get on it straight away. I have a week-long reading break that'll get me motivated so I'll try and get in at least ONE painting session (and provide pictures!).

Also, that tournament I attended was really fun, I got me some Hall of Heroes points, won Best Sportsmanship and lost every single game! BUT, it was fun, so it all evens out... I guess...

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For Chaos!

So I've finally decided to get off my ass and paint some stuff. I'm working on painting the second 1000 pts for my Warhammer Hordes of Chaos army. Here's the catch though, it's for a tournament on the 10th, that means no time for highlighting, only basecoating. I'm hoping it won't look as terrible as it does now. Half of the army is gonna look sweet, but the other half will look like a 10 year old painted it. I figure I'll go back and highlight afterwards at my own pace. I got suckered into this tournament, by a manager at the Games Workshop where I used to work. Chances are the tournament will be cancelled anyways, as Burnaby never gets enough sign-ups for their tournaments ever since the Surrey GW started hosting tournaments on the same day. Oh well...

I'm also doing a super-paint experiment. I'm workin on four different armies for four differnt games, each with their own paint likes (except Flames of War). Thus, in order to broaden my painting horizons, and because I'm a consumer whore, I'm only going to use the paint brand of the company whose miniatures I'm painting. Here's a list

Warhammer Chaos - Citadel
WARMACHINE Cygnar - P3
Confrontation Cynwäll - Rackham Color
Flames of War Americans - Vallejo (Model color paints from the Flames of War paint-sets)

This will hopefully find me a paint line I like above all others and I will make my main line; or what it will do is get me to start my own collection of paints I like best from each range. Whatever the outcome I can't wait to get underway. So far I've bought half the Vallejo, and Rackham paints I need, and 3/4 of the P3 paints I need are on order, and of course, I have all the Citadel Colour I'll ever need in my life. I'll keep y'all updated. For real this time!

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Doom of the Eldar

So I'm back. BACK AGAIN!

I've been issued a challenge by one of the staffers at my workplace to finish a 1700pt Eldar army by the end of the month. Should I fail, I'll owe him not only one painted model, but a ten-dollar meat-related meal.

So far I have everything I want in the army purchased, but not painted. I'll be back here periodically with updates (for real this time), as well as pictures.

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